Chapter 493: New Camp

"A great road, oh, leads straight to my home; my home lies, ah, beneath a great mountain. Below the mountain the soil is rich, oh, ten mu of land; ten mu of good fields, oh, what shall we plant..." On the official road outside the training base in Pingdu Department, a military song bellowed from countless soldiers' goose-like throats shook the heavens.

Zhong Lao Si stood by the roadside with a few staff officers, cheerfully watching the young soldiers before him. After he had led the juvenile Company Commander unit back to Dengzhou, he had gone to the military academy for several months. He happened to arrive just as the Lu Chuanzong incident erupted, causing a period of turmoil inside the academy. Zhong Lao Si had the sense to read the situation; he paid no heed to matters outside the academy, honestly completed the tactical improvement proposals for the musket and Dragoon units, submitted them to the Bureau of Military Affairs and the academy, and led the academy students through simulations and evaluations.

As soon as the improvement proposals were finished at the end of September, the Bureau of Military Affairs sent a transfer order for Zhong Lao Si to report back to Dengzhou. Zhong Lao Si met Chen Xin again. As before, Chen Xin did not waste words with him and directly ordered him to go to the Pingdu Department training base to take over a new batch of juvenile soldiers and prepare to form the Second Guards Battalion, which for now had only two Company Commander units, with Zhong Lao Si as the new acting battalion commander.

This batch of juvenile soldiers at the Pingdu Department training base also mostly came from the Tunbao schools and vocational schools, having completed basic literacy and arithmetic studies. Although the workshops and trading companies absorbed many people, the military remained the most desirable profession for Dengzhou's garrison households. The military not only offered high pay but also various benefits, such as priority for veterans to enter the Civil Affairs Department, schools, trading companies, serve as Tun chiefs, and so on, as well as priority to engage in commerce and contract the comprehensive retail stores in various locations.

Furthermore, the honor of Dengzhou soldiers was very high. The professional soldiers shaped by strict military discipline were extremely well-behaved and basically never committed crimes against civilians. Coupled with propaganda through military newspapers, storytelling, school education, and other means, walking down the street in that handsome red uniform earned the respect of the common people. If adorned with a few medals, even matchmaking went more smoothly than for ordinary garrison households. For newly arrived refugees, marrying into a Dengzhou soldier's family meant firmly establishing oneself in Dengzhou.

With the change in Dengzhou's strategic situation this year, there was an urgent need to expand the front-line combat forces. The main source of troops for Chen Xin's Second Guards Battalion was juvenile soldiers, and only half of the junior officers were in place. These staff officers, banner captains, platoon leaders, and Company Commanders mostly came from the Wendeng Military Academy. These men had served in various combat battalions before entering the academy and possessed rich combat experience. These officers paired with the spirited juvenile soldiers formed precisely the unit Zhong Lao Si had always dreamed of.

The unit before him continued its march, the head of the column already entering the camp gate, while the soldiers still howled at the top of their lungs, "... A great river, oh, leads straight to my home; with a wife and concubines, oh, big-bottomed and all..."

The farming households watching the march from the roadside burst into laughter, and Zhong Lao Si roared with laughter as he listened. This song was adapted by Chen Xin, originating from a movie in his past life, but the mournful middle section was removed, keeping only the most catchy chorus. The song had a lively rhythm. Within the song lay longing for home and hope for the future. For these soldiers, this song was even more popular than "The Soldier's Song" or "Man Jiang Hong." It was often used during marches to regulate the soldiers' emotions, using the lyrics to instill in their subconscious the idea that serving in the army was also for the sake of home.

Dengzhou Garrison's troop training originated from the Qi Family Army. During the period of establishing the army in Weihai, high pressure and strict military discipline were the primary methods. At that time, the trackers, who came from impoverished backgrounds and were accustomed to hardship, could fully endure it. After moving to Wendeng Camp, in preparation for the battle against the invading Jianzhou Bandits in the Jisi year, the training intensity greatly increased, and the composition of the soldiers gradually became more complex. Faced with harsh training and military discipline, there was some backlash.

Chen Xin thus introduced the Indoctrination Officer system to soothe the soldiers' emotions. Training methods were also continuously improved to adapt to a wider range of recruits. Currently, when selecting recruits, physiognomy only served as a reference among candidates of equal qualifications, rather than being a single factor for elimination as before. Although corporal punishment and scolding still existed in the army, the Indoctrination Officers had many more methods to soothe the soldiers' emotions, such as singing, ball games, and so on. Therefore, this kind of unconventional military song was also permitted to be sung in unison during marches.

What Zhong Lao Si was hearing now had been further altered by this battalion on its own, making it even more interesting. The director from the Bureau of Military Affairs who had accompanied Zhong Lao Si said, "Battalion Commander Zhong, the unit you are to receive is this very battalion, organized as one Company Commander unit."

Zhong Lao Si pointed at the column and said, "These guys? I like them. Who changed their song? Call him over, I want to meet him."

The Bureau of Military Affairs director shook his head. "I don't know either. Sir Zhong, you should first go meet the officers who have already arrived. This batch of Guards Battalion is different from the previous one formed by veterans; they are all inexperienced youths. Sir Chen has high hopes for them. Sir Zhong, you must put more thought into it. Also..."

The director stopped speaking. Zhong Lao Si had already started walking toward the camp gate and turned his head to glare at him. "If you've got something to say, spit it out."

This director had briefly worked with Zhong Lao Si in Jinzhou. Hearing this, he couldn't help but chase after him and curse, "You Zhong Lao Si, still the same temper. I was just about to tell you, you're a battalion commander now, at least somewhat. Stop being so unreliable all day and control that mouth of yours. Who does a battalion commander deal with? The chief officers of various bureaus and other battalion commanders. Which of them isn't sharp-witted? If you offend them, it won't just be a few strokes of the cudgel or a bit of confinement like before. Besides, you have two or three thousand men under you. If everyone learns from your example, what can this battalion possibly accomplish?"

This time, Zhong Lao Si did not curse back. He glanced at the director and nodded. When he was at the military academy and encountered the Lu Chuanzong incident, the atmosphere there was delicate at the time, and Zhong Lao Si had done some thinking of his own. He now truly felt he could not do things the way he used to, otherwise it wouldn't just end with being scolded for a bad temper.

"Thank you for the reminder, brother." Only after a moment did Zhong Lao Si say, "Li Donghua also came and told me. I understand. In short, I won't cause you any trouble."

Li Donghua was the head of the Bureau of Military Affairs. After the training of mobilized recruits ended, they fell under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Every time a new battalion was organized, it was the busiest time for the Bureau of Military Affairs. Back when they were training troops in Wendeng, Li Donghua had been a training staff officer and knew Zhong Lao Si's temper then, so before Zhong Lao Si left for Pingdu, he had specifically admonished him.

The director breathed a sigh of relief. The Bureau of Military Affairs had been somewhat uneasy about this appointment from Chen Xin. Zhong Lao Si certainly had a knack for fighting, and training troops was even more his forte, but his only flaw was a tendency to stir up trouble. No major mistakes, but a constant stream of minor ones. Now that Zhong Lao Si had this awareness, at least he would be somewhat better than before.

The two men, along with their retinue of staff officers, arrived at the entrance of the training base. They presented their military badges and the Bureau of Military Affairs' orders for registration. After registering, the sentry on duty at the training base saluted and allowed Zhong Lao Si and his party to enter the camp through the side gate.

The base's commanding officer hurried over to greet them. This man had been a soldier since the first year of Chongzhen, had lost a hand in the Battle of the Four Cities, and was assigned to a Tunbao as an instructor for the peasant soldier company. He later served successively up to the commanding officer of the Wendeng training base, and then was reassigned as the commanding officer of the Pingdu base. Zhong Lao Si and he were already old acquaintances and were very warm upon meeting.

The base commander led the group toward the accommodations, saying to Zhong Lao Si as they walked, "More than half of the officers for this Guards Company Commander unit have arrived, and some have already taken over their units. A small half still haven't arrived. Most of those who haven't come yet have been transferred from Liaonan or Henan; the journey is a bit longer."

Zhong Lao Si turned to the director and asked, "When will those few men I transferred from the Fifth Battalion Dragoons arrive?"

The director thought for a moment and said, "Probably soon. When the relay horse reported back, it said they needed half a month for the handover. The relay horse has been back for over ten days now, so I reckon they'll be here shortly."

The three talked as they walked until they reached the temporary officers' quarters. These were also large communal rooms, just with a bit more width on the long brick bed per person. Next to every five large rooms was a latrine, but the bathhouse required a longer walk. There was a well every set distance within the camp, and at this moment, quite a few officers were still queuing to draw water.

Zhong Lao Si did not choose a private room for battalion-level commanders. Instead, he walked in, randomly picked a spot, and put down his luggage. A few officers resting inside were chatting idly. Seeing the base commander enter, they all stood to greet him. The director, who had a wide network of acquaintances, introduced them one by one.

"This is the Judge Advocate for the newly formed Company Commander unit, Jiang Changyue. Recruited from the Tianjin trackers in the third year of Chongzhen, he served in Sir Chen's personal guard unit. Later transferred to the Judge Advocate's Office. He's also an old hand in our Dengzhou Garrison. His ability goes without saying; Chief Judge Advocate Nie Hong was reluctant to let him go at the time."

The director then said to Jiang Changyue, "This is the newly appointed commander of the Second Guards Battalion, Zhong Caisheng."

Jiang Changyue quickly saluted, and Zhong Lao Si returned the salute properly. The director was about to introduce the next person when a voice from a corner of the barracks said, "He is the 'acting' commander of the Second Guards Battalion, not the formal battalion commander. Next time you introduce him, Director Zou, don't forget that word 'acting.'"

Upon hearing this voice, Zhong Lao Si suddenly burst into loud laughter and strode over quickly. He saw a man slowly standing up from the long brick bed into the walkway, a trace of a smile on his face. It was none other than Zhong Lao Si's old acquaintance, Zhao Xuan.

Zhong Lao Si went up and clapped the man on the shoulder, laughing heartily. "Well, well, Zhao Xuan, after all this time, the first thing you do when we meet is expose your old buddy's shortcomings. Acting or not, it's all the same anyway. Fan Shouye was also an acting battalion commander before, and now the 'acting' has been dropped, hasn't it?"

Zhao Xuan said with a grin, "I say this to remind Sir Zhong that when an acting battalion commander transitions to formal battalion commander, the relevant bureaus will still evaluate you, the acting commander. If you don't rein in that foul mouth of yours and let someone else snatch the position, don't blame me, your brother, for not warning you. Dengzhou Garrison is full of young talents nowadays, everyone brave and diligent. If you, Zhong Lao Si, don't watch yourself, who knows when someone might step over you."

"How could that happen?" Zhong Lao Si suddenly stopped and pointed at Zhao Xuan. "You're the Second Battalion's..."

"Second Battalion Indoctrination Officer Zhao Xuan, reporting to Acting Battalion Commander Zhong." Zhao Xuan put away his smile and formally saluted Zhong Lao Si. The various bureaus in Dengzhou Garrison held considerable authority and had vertically managed subordinates within the combat units, but the military commander still ranked first. When issuing military orders, everyone else—whether Indoctrination Officer, Judge Advocate, Chief of Staff, Quartermaster, or Sergeant Major—had to obey, to ensure the smooth flow of the command system.

The director beside them came over and said, "Indoctrination Officer Zhao was personally designated by Sir Chen, specially transferred all the way from Huguang via the Yangtze River into the Grand Canal. This shows how much importance Sir Chen places on the Second Guards Battalion."

The training base commander also said, "Indoctrination Officer Zhao didn't even go home first; he came straight to the training base to report in. He even adapted some military songs for the new recruits, and the soldiers absolutely love them."

Zhong Lao Si slapped his thigh. "I was just wondering who could make such good changes. Excellent! The two of us brothers need to have a good drink."

With that, he dropped the others, pulled Zhao Xuan, and headed outside. As Zhao Xuan walked, he said, "I'm telling you, I don't drink. At most, tea is fine."

"I know, I know." Zhong Lao Si dragged Zhao Xuan all the way outside the building before letting go and lowering his voice. "It's great that you're back. I've had a lot of questions on my mind in Dengzhou, but I didn't dare ask anyone else. You tell me."

Zhao Xuan glanced around and said, "Zhong Lao Si, I know what you want to ask. Don't even bring it up. Knowing your loose lips, I won't tell you."

Zhong Lao Si bulged his eyes and glared at Zhao Xuan. Zhao Xuan sighed with a click of his tongue and said, "Really, don't ask. I'm not too clear on it either. Besides, knowing too much isn't good for either of us. Just remember, do your own job well and keep your mouth shut. That kind of trouble won't fall on your head."

Zhong Lao Si closed his eyes and stood for a moment, then opened them and said, "Then I won't ask. Anyway, I stick to one principle: I listen to Sir Chen no matter what."

Zhao Xuan smiled. "Now that's right. Come on, let's go have some tea and you can tell me about your glorious deeds in Xuan-Da."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked toward the base gate. Officers of their rank could freely enter and exit the camp gate, unlike ordinary soldiers who needed a leave pass issued by their commander or instructor.

As he walked, Zhong Lao Si said, "Let me ask you something else. Why is our Second Guards Battalion's garrison assigned to Jiaozhou and Fengmeng Garrison? Shouldn't a Guards Battalion be stationed in Dengzhou?"

"I only heard some rumors the day before yesterday at a meeting convened by Sir Huang. Sir Chen wants to strengthen war preparations in Qingzhou Prefecture. Two Company Commander units from the Third Battalion will have their garrison changed to Qingzhou Prefecture. The total troop strength in Qingzhou Prefecture will be two battalions, likely to be deployed under the names of the Qingzhou Main Army Battalion and Mobile Corps Battalion along the river between Yidu and Gaojiagang, to facilitate rapid reinforcement of Liaonan when necessary. Geng Zhongming will be stationed directly at Gaoyuan County seat, only ten li from the border of Jinan Prefecture. A new battalion will be formed in Pingdu Department, designated the Sixth Battalion. Two new battalions will be formed in Lushun, designated the Seventh and Eighth Battalions respectively. Our Second Guards Battalion will be stationed near Mawan (Jiaozhou Bay), able to support southern Qingzhou and also transport troops by sea via Mawan. Northward, we can go to Lushun to support Liaonan; southward, we can deter, deter..." Zhao Xuan had been about to say "deter the Huai'an Prefecture of Nanzhili," but the words reached his lips and felt inappropriate, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

Zhong Lao Si, hearing it was another inconvenient topic, quickly changed the subject. "Huang Side is here too?"

Zhao Xuan glared at him. "What 'Huang Side'? I just told you to control your mouth. You should call him Director Huang or Sir Huang. He's here to prepare for the Second Guards Battalion's formation ceremony. I heard Sir Chen might come as well. Everyone above and below is watching. Don't let Sir Chen's high expectations down."

Zhong Lao Si thumped his chest. "I won't boast about anything else, but when it comes to training troops and fighting, I fear no one. In a few days, a few more old brothers are coming, all of whom you know. Together, we'll whip this Second Battalion into shape." (To be continued...)

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