Chapter 748: Give Them a Benchmark

Chen Wuji let Xi Leng's method remain, which left Chen Wu Yin and the others quite puzzled.

"My lord, what use is keeping this thing? Leaving him in the camp wastes grain and might leak our important military intelligence—seems not worth it!" Chen Wu Yin said.

Chen Wuji smiled faintly and said calmly, "This person is the standard we set for the Qiang people, openly telling them that if they sincerely submit, they will have a place among us."

"Earlier we were too harsh, taking no prisoners and slaughtering them all, then building so many victory monuments. This overly absolute approach directly left us no room for reconciliation with the Qiang."

Chen Wu Yin shifted his buttocks, "But we don't need to! What's there to discuss with these bastards? They've always treated the Dayu commoners as livestock; now karma has come full circle—it's their turn to reap what they sow."

"I know!" Chen Wuji raised his hand to cut off Chen Wu Yin.

"Listen to me finish, plainly: this is a Confusing Enemy Strategy, meant to befuddle the enemy. Our war with the Qiang has reached the most critical moment; after this battle, the situation will undergo a huge shift."

"Given that, we can't just keep clashing head‑on; we must give the Qiang a chance, so this battle and the following ones will be easier—at least we won't drive them to a point where even immortals would have to fight us to the death."

"But whether we keep these prisoners and give them a chance to live depends on our mood and the specific circumstances at the time."

Chen Wu Yin then realized, "Ah, my lord, you've planned it this way—should we then publicize this matter widely?"

"Of course!" Chen Wuji nodded with a light smile.

"The great elder of the Canlang Qiang and the great Linglu Qi of the Qiang Alliance have swiftly surrendered to our army—this weight is not light, and it should also give the Qiang a small surprise!"

Chen Wu Yin asked softly, "My lord, that kid Shi Er hasn't surrendered yet!"

"I said he has surrendered—how could a Qiang person run into our main camp to confront us?"

"That's also true."

Chen Wuji, having said that, suddenly thought of something: "How is the overall strength of your troops?"

"My lord, this truly isn't me boasting—they're incredibly strong!" Chen Wu Yin said proudly, "Our cavalry battalion, these ten soldiers who have followed me south and north for so long, practically live on horseback every day; whether it's brute strength or leg power, they are absolutely formidable."

Xu Zhengyi laughed, "General Chen Wu Yin, are you sure you're not boasting?"

"Of course not boasting! I might have exaggerated a bit, but I'm really not boasting." Chen Wu Yin said, and as he spoke he embarrassed himself, then quietly made up for it.

Chen Wuji asked, "How many stone bows can each person draw on average? How many li can they run in a day?"

"On average more than one stone, around two stones—this is hard to judge; some can draw three stones or even more, but the weakest can still draw a one‑stone bow." Chen Wu Yin said.

"As for running, three or two hundred li without reaching evening is definitely possible."

Chen Wuji gave a slight nod.

The military already has a very mature system for selecting soldiers.

For example, archers must at least be able to draw a one‑stone bow; scouts must be able to run three hundred li without reaching evening—that is, go out in the morning and return by evening, they must be able to run three hundred li.

Like the Wei Wu conscription requiring soldiers to draw a twelve‑stone crossbow, that belongs to a very high standard.

Although the power standards for crossbows and bows differ, this is also not something just anyone can achieve.

Chen Wuji's central army currently averages the ability to draw a two‑stone bow and can wield stone chains while wearing armor.

"Still, we need to select—clearly averaging won't do." Chen Wuji thought and said.

Chen Wu Yin curiously asked, "My lord, what scheme are you plotting now?"

"In recent battles we've captured so many Qiang weapons; these can be used piecemeal, but they cannot serve as our standard armaments and must be remelted and reforged." Chen Wuji said.

"Not long ago I sent Xiao Xiansheng a weapon diagram; though he hasn't sent back news yet, the forging should pose no problem."

Chen Wu Yin immediately became interested, "My lord, you mean to form a new army with new weapons?"

Chen Wuji nodded, "You guessed correctly."

"This blade is called the Strange Sword, originally a weapon specifically to counter cavalry, seven cun long, blade length three chi, handle length four chi, weighing fifty jin. Roughly speaking, a large pile of Qiang weapons can be forged into such a sword."

Xu Zhengyi, following Chen Wuji's description, roughly imagined the sword: "My lord, such a long sword certainly cannot be wielded by an ordinary person; even your cavalry, General Chen Wu Yin, would hardly manage to assemble such a force."

"Let's try it first; if it fails, he just won't get this chance!" Chen Wuji laughed.

Once the Strange Sword Squad is successfully formed, it will surely be elite in the army.

Such a unit—who should command it—is a matter not to be taken lightly.

If Chen Wu Yin cannot muster the manpower, it will probably fall under the central army.

Chen Wu Yin grimaced, "My lord, I'm a cavalryman; this Strange Sword sounds like a weapon for infantry—can it work?"

"Mounted you're cavalry, dismounted you're infantry—what's the problem?" Chen Wuji said, "I let you come here precisely for this. Cavalry using this weapon will have greater killing power, but the demands naturally rise; mounted you become the strongest cavalry, dismounted you become infantry capable of opposing cavalry."

"Rumor has it that a single strike of the Strange Sword can split man and horse. If you truly master it, in future battles against enemy cavalry you'll be able to cut them like melons and vegetables."

Although this is hearsay, the source is historical records, not Chen Wuji's baseless fabrication.

The Strange Sword is one of the Four Types of Tang Sword, the main battle weapon of the Tang Army's elite infantry.

It has left many very classic battles.

For example, Su Dingfang's all‑conquering advance left the western states trembling, walking on thin ice.

Also, for example, the Battle of Xiangji Temple, where Li Siye's Strange Sword Squad breached the walls and crushed the Anshi Rebel Army, etc.

Chen Wu Yin suddenly felt his blood surge, "My lord, I'll take this task—no one else may compete with me. Eight thousand men, I'll beat them half to death and make sure they learn to wield the Strange Sword!"

"This weapon sounds domineering, suits me; others would find it hard to use."

Chen Wuji: …

"Weapon forging still takes some time; since you have this resolve, you should start practicing. A Strange Sword is not easy to cast, consumes much material, so there shouldn't be too many—at most two thousand; you keep the count in mind."

Chen Wu Yin nodded heavily, his promise resonant and firm.

Actually Chen Wuji also felt a bit of longing; armored Strange Sword Cavalry—just imagining that scale already feels mighty.