Chapter 459: Fan Fiction 11: A Preliminary Study of the Military System, Organization, and Designations of the Shaosong Imperial Guar

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Fan Fiction 11: A Preliminary Study of the Military System, Organization, and Designations of the Shaosong Imperial Guard Army — Dreaming of a Sword at the Edge of the Sky

Foreword: By the tenth year of the Jianyan Northern Expedition, the Vanguard Army under Yue Fei numbered 45,000, the Central Army under Li Yanxian 40,000, Li Qiong's force 25,000, Wang De's force 25,000, the Rear Army under Wu Jie 50,000, the Left Army under Han Shizhong 40,000, the Right Army under Zhang Jun 25,000, the River Force under Zhang Rong 15,000, the Cavalry Army under Qu Duan 30,000, and the Navy under Li Bao 5,000.

A detailed verification of troop strengths follows:

In Chapter 12 of Volume 5, "Response," the total authorized strength was as follows: Han Shizhong's force increased from 30,000 to 37,000; Wu Jie's from 30,000 to 38,000; the Imperial Guard Central Army from 50,000 to 65,000, of which it was clearly stated that Wang De's force increased from 15,000 to 17,000, Li Qiong's from 15,000 to 18,000, so Li Yanxian's authorized strength should have increased from 20,000 to 30,000, though the exact number of men is unknown; Yue Fei's force increased from 35,000 to 40,000; Zhang Jun's 25,000 remained unchanged; Zhang Rong's 15,000 remained unchanged; Li Bao's 5,000–6,000 remained unchanged; "the Imperial Guard Cavalry Army under Qu Duan increased its authorized strength from 15,000 to 20,000"; and the Reserve Army numbered 10,000, stationed in Jiangnanxi Circuit.

This was at the end of the sixth year of Jianyan, meaning that after the expansion was completed, at the beginning of the seventh year of Jianyan, the total authorized strength of the Imperial Guard Army was 37,000 + 38,000 + 65,000 + 40,000 + 25,000 + 15,000 + 20,000 = 240,000, a full 240,000 men.

In Chapter 37 of Volume 5, "Summer Rain," the edict for army expansion was clear and unambiguous. By autumn, the Imperial Guard Vanguard, Rear, Left, Right, Central, Cavalry, and River Forces would be at full strength of 300,000 men, not including the Navy.

The expansion plan did not disclose the specific numbers, but from the logistics and the scale of conscription across various regions, it was evident that the vast majority of the new additions were still allocated to Han Shizhong's force, Wu Jie's force, Li Yanxian's force, and Qu Duan's Imperial Guard Cavalry Army.

In Chapter 42 of Volume 5, an edict ordered the Imperial Guard Vanguard Army, Right Army, River Force, and Navy, a combined four forces totaling 90,000 men, to march into Hebei. This should have been the Vanguard Army at 45,000, the Right Army at 25,000, the River Force at 15,000, and the Navy at 5,000.

Another edict ordered Wang De, Left Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Central Army, Li Qiong, Right Deputy Commander, and Qu Duan, Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry Army, to immediately dispatch their entire forces of 80,000 men westward in sequence. The book repeatedly describes the Imperial Guard Cavalry Army as having a total strength of 30,000 men; adopting this figure, the Cavalry Army is counted as 30,000, and Wang De and Li Qiong each as 25,000.

A further edict ordered Han Shizhong, Commander of the Imperial Guard Left Army, Li Yanxian, Commander of the Imperial Guard Central Army, and Wu Jie, Commander of the Imperial Guard Rear Army, to combine their three armies, totaling 130,000 men, into the Hedong Field Army, with Han Shizhong as Marshal, to advance into Hedong in unison. A separate edict to Han Shizhong ordered him to immediately dispatch his entire force of 40,000 men to cross the river. Here, Han Shizhong's force is confirmed at 40,000, and the allocation for the other two is roughly Wu Jie's force at 50,000 and Li Yanxian's force at 40,000 (each having increased by about 10,000 in authorized strength compared to Chapter 12).

Part One: A Preliminary Study of the Organizational System

I. The Traditional Four-Tier Command System, the System of Appointing Generals, and the Development of the Personal Guard System.

1. The Traditional Four-Tier Command System:

The traditional four-tier command system of the Northern Song, inherited from the Five Dynasties, was Du (Company)-Ying (Battalion)-Jun (Regiment)-Xiang (Division). According to the "Essentials of the Military Classics," Volume 1, "Military System," and Volume 2, "Daily Training Methods," "Generally, one hundred men form a Du, five Du form a Ying (Command), five Ying form a Jun, and ten Jun form a Xiang, which is either subordinate to the Palace Command or to the Two Imperial Guards Commands." However, in practice, it was not so neatly uniform. During the reign of Emperor Zhenzong, there were already cases where one Jun commanded ten Commands, while some Jun had only one or two Commands (such as the Yunqi Cavalry). Therefore, it is certain that the Jun was the superior level to the Ying (Command), but the exact number of men need not be scrutinized. The National Museum houses bronze seals such as "Seal of the Second Command, Fifth Company, Fourth Left Army of the Divine Guard," indicating the designations from Du to Xiang.

According to the above, one Du consisted of one hundred men (approximate, same below), one Ying of four hundred men (cavalry) or five hundred men (infantry), one Jun of 2,000–2,500 men, and one Xiang should have had an authorized strength of 20,000 to 25,000 men, though this was difficult to achieve in practice.

In reality, during the mid-to-late Northern Song, the Xiang as an organizational unit had become nominal, often used merely as a designation marker or for temporary large army formations, such as Eunuch Tong's Commander of the Four Xiang of the Dragon and Divine Guard.

Additionally, the Jun as an organizational unit and the Jun as a unit designation were not the same thing. The Jun as a designation generally indicated the unit's origin (place of recruitment) or organizational characteristics (e.g., characters like Xiao or Jie often denoted cavalry units).

2. The System of Appointing Generals and the New Organization of Dui (Squad), Bu (Platoon), Jiang (Battalion), and Jun (Regiment).

After Wang Anshi implemented the System of Appointing Generals, the Imperial Army formed a new organization of Dui-Bu-Jiang-Jun. The "Jun" in the new organization referred to the "armies" into which a force was divided—Vanguard, Rear, Left, Central, Right—and was not a fixed organization. In reality, the new organization still only had three levels: Dui, Bu, and Jiang. During operations, several Jiang were grouped together and then divided into Left, Right, Vanguard, Rear, and other armies, with a general appointed as Controller (Vice Prefect Guan) for each army (this shows that the Controller position was not permanent). This was because the Shaanxi Circuit was a loess plateau terrain, making it difficult to deploy large-scale army battles. Later, the Song adopted a style of "building strong fortifications and fighting a war of attrition" with shallow advances and digging, resulting in actual Song-Xia engagements being mainly on a scale of thousands to ten thousand men, so larger organizations were not permanently established.

However, below the Jiang level, all units had fixed command relationships and actual troop command. The book once described that Wu Jie had served as the First Regular General of Jingyuan Circuit. But the System of Appointing Generals was not applied everywhere; until the Jingkang Incident, it coexisted with the Du-Ying-Jun-Xiang system (which was then nominal).

Under the new organization, one large Dui was basically the same as the former large Shi, about fifty men; one Bu was about two hundred and fifty men; and one Jiang commanded one thousand men.

However, according to the original plan of Emperor Shenzong's reign, one Jiang was to be established per locality, and the organization was not a fixed number, nor a fixed quota of one thousand men. Of course, this was not actually implemented later, and the specifics require further investigation.

3. The Personal Guard System and Ranks under the General System:

The Beiwei Army System (Dui-Bu-Jiang-Jun).

Due to the total collapse of the Jingkang Incident, the army lost central control and naturally evolved into a military system centered on senior generals. To ensure control over the army, the personal guard systems of generals expanded greatly, until the personal guard of a commanding general reached as many as one Jun (in the traditional organization). The Beiwei Army, as the personal guard of senior generals like Han, Zhang, and Yue, after receiving imperial recognition, ultimately obtained the organization of a Controller Department under the background of Zhao Jiu's strengthening of the Controller and Controller Department system, and was reintegrated with the traditional command system.

4. The Controller and Commander System.

After the Jingkang Incident, the national military system collapsed, and the upper-level military system became chaotic and ineffective. To resist the Jin Army, various circuits and prefectures set up Military Commissioners and Grand Coordinators everywhere. For the warlords of that chaotic era—whether remnants of the regular army, local strongmen, or volunteer armies—they distributed Controller and Commander positions everywhere, similar to the current non-field army system of General Detachment-Branch Detachment-Detachment. The number of men under a Controller was not fixed, and the number under a Commander was not fixed. Generally, one Controller was established per Bu. For example, Han Shizhong first appeared as a Controller. Those who independently led troops under a Controller were appointed as Commanders. The Controller-Commander system officially entered the historical stage.

Later, with the establishment of the Imperial Guard system, Zhao Jiu strengthened the rank distinction between Commanders-in-Chief and Controllers within the high-level military system, and then, by combining it with the lower-level system, re-established the basic ranks. The number of men in a Controller Department was basically limited to 2,000–4,000 (with exceptions). The rank of Commander was also retroactively recognized as an official rank.

The Commander Rank: After the establishment of the Imperial Guard military system, apart from retroactive recognition, Commanders were mostly appointed from among the deputies of a Controller Department or senior Battalion Commanders. In reality, this rank did not belong to any level of the military organizational system. However, due to battlefield command authority, the personal guard system, and the existence of senior Battalion Commanders, it still existed widely and was quite dynamic, serving as a reserve force for promotion to Controller.

More personal guard leaders, however, flowed between the ranks of Preparatory General and Regular General and the somewhat redundant Commander rank under the traditional command system. This was another important reason for the great dynamism of the Commander rank. A personal guard leader who wished to be promoted to Controller had to leave the personal guard system, serve as a Commander in charge of a Battalion (or as a deputy in a Controller Department), and after gaining military merit, be promoted to Controller during an expansion (or as a replacement appointment).

II. The Military System Implemented in Shaosong

1. The Military System: A Coexistence of Reform and Acceptance of Established Facts.

Generally speaking, through ten years of authoritative suppression and reform by Zhao Jiu, the upper-level military system was largely unified. The system currently implemented at the upper levels in Shaosong, from top to bottom, is basically the Marching Army Command (Imperial Guard Vanguard, Rear, Left, Right, Central Army, etc.) - Controller Department organization.

The middle-level military system runs two parallel systems: Command-Du and Jiang-Bu.

The basic-level military system, as the difficulty of reforming it was not great and the changes were relatively small, is largely consistent with historically existing organizations. The fictional organization is as follows: Infantry units are all Du-Da Shi-Shi-Wu, with one Du having 105 men; Cavalry units are Du-Dui-Shi-Wu, with one Du having 65 men.

In summary, the Imperial Guard system was a complex military system that Zhao Jiu, after the total collapse of the Jingkang Incident, was forced to create in order to control the troops, combining historical developments (such as the proliferation of personal guard systems under the general system and the chaos of the high-level military system) as much as possible, a system that incorporated both compromise and suppression.

2. Basis and Tactical Purpose of Infantry Organization:

As the personal troops of senior generals were often used as the decisive factor or main force in decisive battles or campaigns, they will not be analyzed or explained here.

(1) At the Squad Level. Wu and Shi are the basic squad units, e.g., one Dui for marching, one Zhang for camping.

(2) At the Arms Level. Da Shi is the basic arms unit, e.g., one Da Shi consists entirely of archers, another Da Shi of spearmen, and another Da Shi of sword-and-shield men.

(3) At the Tactical Level. Du is the basic combat unit, with at least two types of arms under its command. When combined, they possess basic combat capability (a single arms type cannot operate independently, e.g., archers lack close combat capability, sword-and-shield men cannot withstand shock attacks, and spearmen cannot independently face ranged attacks).

Ying (Command), (approximately 550 men) is the basic tactical unit. It has a complete mix of cavalry and infantry arms, enabling coordinated operations and the independent execution of tactical orders. One Command has about 100 cavalrymen, 2 Da Shi of spearmen, 3 Da Shi of sword-and-shield men, and 3 Da Shi of archers, and can independently form a battle formation.

(4) At the Marching (Maneuver) Level. Bu (Controller Department) is the basic marching unit. It has an independent baggage train, can undertake strategic direction tasks when on the defensive (insufficient for strategic tasks when on the offensive), can partially repair weapons and equipment, possesses independent sustained combat capability, and has independent strategic mobility (independent long-distance marching).

(5) At the Strategic Level. The Marching Army Command is the basic strategic unit. It can undertake offensive tasks in one (or several, when on the defensive) strategic direction and has the capability to independently replenish personnel, requisition grain and fodder, manufacture and repair weapons and equipment, and temporarily appoint local defensive officials.

3. Basis and Tactical Purpose of Cavalry Organization:

Within the Imperial Guard Cavalry Army, the armored cavalry was newly formed. The Light Cavalry Commander, Li Master, was utterly loyal to His Majesty and had outstanding military achievements. The majority of the Tangut soldiers were either newly conquered or long-established border "cooked" barbarians. Therefore, the reorganization from top to bottom was relatively smooth and largely standardized.

(1) Wu and Shi are the basic squad units, serving as the basic units for marching and camping.

(2) Dui is the basic patrolling unit (except for scouts).

(3) Du is the basic combat unit, capable of deploying basic combat formations such as the Arrowhead Formation and the Fish Scale Formation to utilize the unique combat effectiveness of cavalry.

(4) Command is the basic tactical unit. It can use Du as units to gather and disperse into formations, executing more complex cavalry tactics such as frontal charges combined with flank attacks.

(5) The Controller Department can already undertake strategically significant tasks such as serving as the vanguard of a large army, harassing supply lines, and pursuing routed troops, possessing strategic capability.

(6) The Imperial Guard Cavalry Marching Army Command is a unit with full strategic capability, possessing multiple strategic significances and capabilities.

III. Arms Composition in Shaosong

1. Traditional Song Army Arms Composition

The Song Army traditionally had two major arms categories: Cavalry and Infantry.

Cavalry was further divided into two types: Lancer Cavalry (wearing iron armor, not heavy cavalry) and Bow Cavalry (wearing leather armor).

Infantry was divided into four types: Spearmen, Sword-and-Shield Men, Archers, and Crossbowmen.

From Volume 2 of the "Essentials of the Military Classics," it can be seen that during the Northern Song, military training formations generally had spears and swords in front, with bows and crossbows in the rear. This formation was close to the requirements of actual combat. Similar records exist from the Southern Song. The famous general Wu Lin's military regulations stated: "When encountering the enemy and wishing to engage, you must form ranks into a formation. Armored troops, archers, and crossbowmen all sit. When the enemy troops are about one hundred and fifty paces from the formation, order the Divine Arm Crossbowmen to stand and first use arrows to shoot at a range. Where the arrows land, if they can penetrate the enemy formation, then the entire army will fire together. When the enemy troops are about one hundred paces from the formation, order the flat-trajectory archers to stand and use arrows to shoot at a range as before, then the entire formation will fire together. Or, if the enemy troops directly attack the cheval-de-frise, order the armored spearmen to press closely against the cheval-de-frise, lean their spears on it, and thrust." From this, it is known that the spearmen were positioned close behind the cheval-de-frise deployed in front of the formation, undoubtedly also in front of the archers and crossbowmen, so that they could engage in hand-to-hand combat when enemy cavalry charged the formation.

2. Arms Composition of the Shaosong Imperial Guard Army

Through years of combat against the Jin Army, the Song Army had accumulated much practical experience. Since the Jin Army favored heavy armor and stiff bows, the Song Army reorganized its troop types accordingly, with the following setup:

Infantry: shield-and-sword men, longspearmen, long-axe men, divine-arm crossbowmen, and archers (heavy arrows, stiff bows). Generic foot archers and crossbowmen were no longer used. Due to limitations in repairing and producing divine-arm crossbows, the troop-type ratio was optimized (see below), abandoning the previous Song Army standard where 60%-70% of a company were archers or crossbowmen. (During Song Renzong's reign, Yin Zhu said: "In every cavalry company, there are thirteen spearmen and banner-bearers, the rest being archers; in every infantry company, there are eight shield-and-sword men, sixteen spearmen, and over seventy crossbowmen.")

Cavalry: mounted archers, light cavalry, and heavy cavalry were established, with emphasis on building up heavy cavalry units. Their primary weapons were changed from standardized longspears to cavalry maces (gudu) and armor-piercing lances (with longer, heavier blades than longspears), while secondary weapons were changed from swords to iron rods, whips, short-handled maces, and other heavy arms. Mounted archers no longer used the bow as their primary weapon; they were mainly formed from tribal cavalry and uniformly equipped with spears for melee. Heavy cavalry wore full body armor, including torso armor, shoulder guards, arm guards, skirt extensions, knee skirts, and helmets; horse armor mainly covered the chest and neck, unlike the Iron Pagodas' full horse barding. Light cavalry had only iron lamellar torso armor, the rest being leather; tribal cavalry wore almost entirely leather armor (except for chest guards and helmets). Cavalrymen in infantry units mostly served as scouts, generally wearing half-body iron armor on the upper body and leather armor below, with horses having neck guards and leather chest pieces.

3. Basic Unit Organization and Formation Structure

Infantry units were organized by the "great squad" as a base unit, e.g., the left great squad being shield-and-sword men, the right great squad being divine-arm crossbowmen, etc. One company had 2 great squads, one battalion had 5 companies. Excluding the personal guard company, there were 8 great squads total: generally 2 great squads of shield-and-sword men, 1 great squad of longspearmen, 1 great squad of long-axe men, 3 great squads of archers, and 1 great squad of divine-arm crossbowmen (slow rate of fire and difficult to repair, preventing large-scale deployment). Plus the personal guard company and scout unit of over 100 cavalry. In battle, typically 2 ranks of shield-and-sword men stood behind the cheval-de-frise (if time allowed to set them up), followed by 1 rank of longspearmen, then 1 rank of long-axe men, then 3 ranks of archers, and finally 1 rank of divine-arm crossbowmen, forming a 50-by-8 formation for frontal combat.

When attacking, longspearmen were in front, long-axe men behind them, then 1 rank of shield-and-sword men. About 50 paces to the rear, another rank of shield-and-sword men protected the archers as they advanced step by step.

During sieges, shield-and-sword men were the main force, while longspearmen formed ranks at the base of the wall to protect the archers and cover siege engines like trebuchets behind the main formation.

Divine-arm crossbow range: According to *Dream Pool Essays*, Volume 19, "Li Ding presented the side-arm crossbow, which resembled a bow but had a stirrup on the stock; using the stirrup to brace against the ground and draw, it could shoot three hundred paces and pierce heavy lamellar armor. It was called the divine-arm crossbow and was the most effective weapon. Li Ding was originally a Dangxiang Qiang chieftain who had surrendered to the court." Another account says it was developed by a commoner named Li Hong. The divine-arm crossbow was actually a type of crossbow, with a range of over 240 paces, about 372 meters or more, and "could still penetrate elm wood, burying half the bolt," showing its power. "In the early Xining era, the divine-arm crossbow was completed," and Song Shenzong "personally inspected it at the Yanhe Hall, placing iron armor at seventy paces and ordering guardsmen to shoot; none hit." The eunuch Zhang Ruoshui "volunteered to shoot, hitting and piercing the armor repeatedly." Unlike the bulky bed crossbow, the divine-arm crossbow could be operated by one man and was easy to popularize; "when used in military affairs, it truly achieved remarkable results."

Cavalry units were organized by the company as a base unit, e.g., one company of heavy cavalry, another of mounted archers. In a heavy cavalry battalion, there was still one company of light cavalry responsible for perimeter security and reconnaissance. A battalion had four companies: either three heavy cavalry companies and one light cavalry company, or one heavy cavalry company (personal guard company) and three light cavalry companies.

When attacking (cavalry only attacks; stationary cavalry is worse than infantry), heavy cavalry typically formed the vanguard, mounted archers the flanks or rear, and light cavalry the center. The heavy cavalry formation ranged from 4 to 8 ranks (any thicker was pointless). Fifty paces behind were the supporting light cavalry and scouts.

Appendix: Song Army Infantry Company and Below Organization:

— Company (1 commander and 1 deputy commander, commanding 2 great squads): 105 men total

————— Military Judge (Jiangyuhou): 1 man

————— Left Great Squad (great squad leader concurrently held by senior squad leader): 51 men

——————— Military Law Escort: 1 man

——————— Squad: 10 men

—————————— Section: 5 men

————————————— Soldier: 1 man

————— Right Great Squad: 51 men

Note: The great squad was commonly called a platoon; its commander was called a squad general, usually concurrently held by a senior squad leader, commanding 5 squads of infantry.

Song Army Cavalry Company and Below Organization:

— Company (1 commander, 1 deputy commander, 1 standard-bearer): 65 men total

————— Military Judge (2 Yuhou): 2 men

————— Left Platoon (1 platoon leader, 1 deputy platoon leader): 30 men

————————— Military Law Escort: 1 man

————————— First Squad (1 squad, 3 sections): 9 men

———————————— Section: 3 men

——————————————— Soldier: 1 man

————————— Second Squad: 9 men

————————— Third Squad: 9 men

————— Right Platoon: 30 men

4. Preliminary Study of the Shaoxing Imperial Guard Army Rank System

The traditional Song Army, from soldiers to officers, commonly had three levels of general titles.

First were "jiangxiao," also called "junxiao," "liexiao," "junyuan," or "renyuan," ranging from the prefectural army commander down to the deputy cavalry commander and deputy company commander. Second were "jieji," ranging from company-level military heads, ten-chiefs, yuhou, chengju, and escorts. Third were "changxing," i.e., common soldiers.

The description of jiangxiao ranks is relatively clear and easy to infer:

All army marching headquarters commanders-general were concurrently granted the title of Military Governor.

The rank of controller-general was not detailed; it is inferred that most were concurrently granted Defense Commissioner or Militia Commissioner.

The rank of commander-general is unknown; this is unclear here and awaits verification by experts.

From battalion commander down to company commander, most held various Captain ranks. For example, officers like Xiahou Yuan in the text could, based on Xiahou Yuan's appointments, range from battalion commander to company commander (in the personal guard system, these were regular generals, reserve generals, etc.).

Part 2: Detailed Unit Designation and Organization

1. Imperial Guard Vanguard Army Marching Headquarters (Commander-General Yue Fei)

Personnel: ; Livestock: horses, 4,200 mules

— Directly Subordinate Personal Guard Command (Zhang Xian's unit, commonly called the Beiwei Army): approx. 4,600 men, approx. 7,500 horses

————— Personal Guard Battalion (military intelligence, messengers): 300 men, 130 horses

————— Logistics Battalion (5 infantry companies): 570 men, 50 horses, 210 mules

————— First Division (1 regular general, 1 reserve general, 1 standard-bearer): 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

———————— Personal Guard Platoon: 30 men, 60 horses

———————— Cooks: 12 men, 12 horses, 12 mules

———————— Cavalry Company (heavy cavalry): 65 men, 130 horses

————— Second Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Third Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Fourth Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Fifth Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Sixth Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Seventh Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Eighth Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Ninth Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————— Tenth Division: 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—— Directly Subordinate Logistics Department (Tang Huai's Department, 6 Staff Officers, Note 1): approx. 2,200 men, 1,200 mules

————— Directly Subordinate Company (Cavalry, manages military intelligence and orders): 65 men, 130 horses

————— Logistics First Battalion (Civilian Labor Battalion, manages grain and supply transport): 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

————— Logistics Second Battalion (Civilian Labor Battalion, manages grain and supply transport): 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

————— Logistics Third Battalion (Blacksmith Battalion, manages weapon and tool forging): 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

————— Logistics Fourth Battalion (Blacksmith Battalion, manages weapon and tool forging): 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

————— Logistics Fifth Battalion (Artisan Battalion, manages offensive and defensive equipment): 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

————— Logistics Sixth Battalion (Artisan Battalion, manages offensive and defensive equipment): 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—— Vanguard Force (Scouts, commonly called the Treading White Army, 1 man per 3 horses, Note 2): approx. 1,000 men, approx. 3,000 horses

————— Vanguard First Battalion (Assault Cavalry): 310 men, 930 horses

————— Vanguard Second Battalion (Assault Cavalry): 310 men, 930 horses

————— Vanguard Third Battalion (Assault Cavalry): 310 men, 930 horses

—— Military Law Office (Chief and Deputy Staff Officers with 3 Staff Officers, Note 3): approx. 840 men, 210 horses, 210 mules

————— Jinshi Company*4: 420 men, 420 horses, 420 mules

————— Military Law Company*4 (Armored Soldiers): 420 men

—— First Control Department (Deputy Commander Wang Gui's Headquarters): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

————— Personal Guard Battalion (mostly Cavalry Company and Heavy Infantry Company): 315 men, 320 horses, 10 mules

———————— Directly Subordinate Squad (manages military intelligence, orders, etc., Cavalry): 30 men, 60 horses

———————— Cooks: 10 men, 10 mules

———————— Cavalry Company (Medium Armored Cavalry): 65 men, 130 horses

———————— Infantry Company (Armored Soldiers): 210 men

————— Logistics Battalion (1–2 Staff Officers, commands 3 Auxiliary Companies, Note 5): 360 men, 60 horses, 160 mules

———————— Directly Subordinate Large Squad (subordinate officers separately manage grain, weapons, etc.): 30 men, 60 horses

———————— Cooks: 10 men, 10 mules

———————— Auxiliary Company*3: 105 men, 50 mules

————— Scout Company (Cavalry): 65 men, 130 horses

————— Infantry First Battalion (1 Commander and 1 Deputy Commander each, Note 6): 535 men, 190 horses, 10 mules

———————— Personal Guard Company (Cavalry): 65 men, 130 horses

———————— Cooks: 10 men, 10 mules

———————— Scout Squad (Cavalry): 30 men, 60 horses

———————— Military Law Squad (Chief Clerk and Deputy Chief Clerk with 8 men): 10 men

———————— Infantry Company*4 (1 Company Commander and 1 Deputy Company Commander each): 105 men

————— Infantry Second Battalion (1 Commander and 1 Deputy Commander each, commands 5 Companies): 535 men, 60 horses

————— Infantry Third Battalion (1 Commander and 1 Deputy Commander each, commands 5 Companies): 535 men, 60 horses

————— Infantry Fourth Battalion (1 Commander and 1 Deputy Commander each, commands 5 Companies): 535 men, 60 horses

————— Infantry X Battalion (each Control Department varies in size, commands 4–6 Battalions): 535 men, 60 horses

—— Second Control Department (Li Kui's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Third Control Department (Huang Zuo's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Fourth Control Department (Yao Zheng's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Fifth Control Department (Pang Rong's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Sixth Control Department (Li Shan's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Seventh Control Department (Fu Xuan's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Eighth Control Department (Ma Yu's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Ninth Control Department (Wang Gang's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Tenth Control Department (Liu Wenshun's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Eleventh Control Department (Li Bao's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Twelfth Control Department (Wang Shan's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—— Thirteenth Control Department (Zhang Yong's Department): approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

Note 1: One Logistics Battalion is established per 5,000 men. Because sizes vary, it is roughly led by a Commander, a Regular General, or a Control Officer with the seniority of a directly subordinate Commander, and is directly subordinate to the Commander's Army Headquarters.

Note 2: The Treading White Army is the most obvious infiltration unit within the Commander's direct personal guard system; its overall leader is often a Regular General or a Commanding Officer.

Note 3: Previously generally assigned to generals' personal guards, later regularized, and a large number of army-attached Jinshi (Jinshi entering the Company) participated in it.

Note 4: The organizational system of the Personal Guard Battalion is relatively flexible; some senior Control Officers may have a larger personal guard establishment.

Note 5: In most Control Departments, Staff Officers are often selected from army-attached Jinshi, but there is no shortage of literati who joined the military early on.

Note 6: Most Battalion Commanders, after gaining seniority and military merit, will receive the title of Deputy Commander; a few will receive the title of Commander, used for temporary battlefield command, division of primary and secondary garrison duties, etc.

Appendix: Roster of the Fifteen Control Officers of the Imperial Camp Forward Army

Wang Gui (Deputy Commander), Zhang Xian (Back Wei Army), Tang Huai (Leading Logistics Department), Li Kui, Huang Zuo, Yao Zheng, Pang Rong, Li Shan, Ma Yu, Fu Xuan, Wang Gang, Wang Shan, Zhang Yong, Liu Wenshun, Li Bao (Illness Lock, same name as the Navy Commander).

2. Imperial Camp Right Army Marching Command (Commander-in-Chief Zhang Jun, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Tian Shizhong)

Personnel: approx. 7,500; Livestock: approx. 2,700 horses, 2,700 mules

—Directly Subordinate Personal Guard Command (commonly known as Beiwei Army) approx. 5,000 men, approx. 200 horses, 300 mules

—————Personal Guard Command (military classified, communications) 300 men, 130 horses

—————Logistics Camp (6 battalions of infantry) 670 men, 50 horses, 210 mules

—————First General (General, Reserve General, Flag Bearer, 1 each) 645 men, 15 mules

————————First Company (Long Axe) 105 men

————————Field Kitchen 15 men, 15 mules

————————Second Company (Long Spear) 105 men

————————Third Company (Long Axe) 105 men

————————Fourth Company (Long Spear) 105 men

————————Fifth Company (Long Axe) 105 men

————————Sixth Company (Long Spear) 105 men

—————Second General 645 men, 15 mules

—————Third General 645 men, 15 mules

—————Fourth General 645 men, 15 mules

—————Fifth General 645 men, 15 mules

—————Sixth General 645 men, 15 mules

——Directly Subordinate Logistics Department (1 Advisor, 6 Staff Officers, Note 1) approx. 1,200 men, 280 horses, 480 mules

—————Directly Subordinate Battalion (Cavalry, handling military classified, communications) 65 men, 130 horses

—————Logistics First Camp (Civilian Labor Camp, handling grain and fodder transport) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—————Logistics Second Camp (Blacksmith Camp, handling weapon and equipment manufacture) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—————Logistics Third Camp (Artisan Camp, handling offensive and defensive siege equipment) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

——Vanguard Scouts (Reconnaissance, commonly known as Tabai Army, 1 man per 3 horses, Note 2) approx. 620 men, approx. 2,000 horses

—————Vanguard Seventh General (Shock Cavalry) 310 men, 930 horses

—————Vanguard Eighth General (Shock Cavalry) 310 men, 930 horses

——Military Law Office (Chief and Deputy Advisors with 3 Staff Officers, Note 3) approx. 420 men, 210 horses, 210 mules

—————Jinshi Battalion*2 210 men, 210 horses, 210 mules

—————Military Law Battalion*2 210 men

——First Command Department (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander) approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—————Personal Guard Camp (mostly Cavalry Battalion, Heavy Infantry Battalion) 315 men, 320 horses, 10 mules

————————Directly Subordinate Company (handling military classified, communications, etc., Cavalry) 30 men, 60 horses

————————Field Kitchen 10 men, 10 mules

————————Cavalry Battalion (Medium Armored Cavalry) 65 men, 130 horses

————————Infantry Battalion (Armored Soldiers) 210 men

—————Logistics Camp (1–2 Staff Officers, commanding 3 Auxiliary Battalions, Note 5) 360 men, 60 horses, 160 mules

————————Directly Subordinate Large Squad (subordinate officers separately managing grain, weapons, etc.) 30 men, 60 horses

————————Field Kitchen 10 men, 10 mules

————————Auxiliary Battalion 105 men, 50 mules

—————Reconnaissance Battalion (Shock Cavalry) 65 men, 130 horses

—————Infantry First Camp (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander, Note 6) 535 men, 190 horses, 10 mules

————————Personal Guard Battalion (Cavalry) 65 men, 130 horses

————————Field Kitchen 10 men, 10 mules

————————Reconnaissance Company (Cavalry) 30 men, 60 horses

————————Military Law Company (1 Chief Clerk, 1 Deputy Clerk with 8 men) 10 men

————————Infantry Battalion*4 (1 Chief, 1 Deputy Chief each) 105 men

————Infantry Second Camp (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander, commanding 5 battalions) 535 men, 60 horses

————Infantry Third Camp (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander, commanding 5 battalions) 535 men, 60 horses

————Infantry Fourth Camp (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander, commanding 5 battalions) 535 men, 60 horses

————Infantry X Camp (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander, commanding 5 battalions) 535 men, 60 horses

——Second Command Department (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander) approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Third Command Department (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander) approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Fourth Command Department (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander) approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Fifth Command Department (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander) approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Sixth Command Department (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander) approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Seventh Command Department (1 Commander, 1 Deputy Commander) approx. 2,250–3,300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

Note 1: Zhang Jun originally came from the Western Army (a minor personal guard of Zhong Shidao), so his directly subordinate personal troops still used the original "squad-company-battalion-corps" organization of the troop-raising method.

Note 2: During the process of Zhang Jun's forces growing from several thousand to twenty-five thousand men, the soldiers were mainly recruited from refugees in Huaidong and Jingdong, closer to the central command. Therefore, in the non-directly subordinate command units, the lower two levels mostly adopted the more traditional "company-battalion-command" organization.

Note 3: The Military Law Office was generally subordinate to the general's personal guard in the early period, but later became regularized, with a large number of military Jinshi participating in it.

Appendix: Partial Roster of Commanders of the Imperial Camp Right Army

Tian Shizhong (Vice Commander-in-Chief), Hu Qing, Zhang Zigai, Zhang Zongyan (already demoted for defeat), Hu Cheng, Liu Bao.

3. Imperial Camp Left Army Marching Headquarters (Commander-in-Chief Han Shizhong, Vice Commander-in-Chief Wang Sheng)

Personnel: approx. / Livestock: approx. 7,500 horses, 2,700 mules

—Directly Subordinate Personal Troops Command (Cheng Min as Commander, commonly called the Beiwei Army) approx. 3,700 men, approx. 7,500 horses

—————Personal Guard Command (military intelligence, messengers) 300 men, 130 horses

—————Logistics Battalion (4 companies of infantry) 460 men, 50 horses, 210 mules

—————First Company (Regular Commander, Reserve Commander, Flag Bearer, 1 each) 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

————————Personal Guard Squad 30 men, 60 horses

————————Cook Troop 12 men, 12 horses, 12 mules

————————Cavalry Squad * 5 (armored cavalry) 65 men, 130 horses

—————Second Company 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—————Third Company 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—————Fourth Company 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—————Fifth Company 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—————Sixth Company 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—————Seventh Company 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—————Eighth Company 370 men, 730 horses, 12 mules

—Directly Subordinate Second Command (Xie Yuan as Commander, commonly called the Cuipian Army) approx. 4,000 men, approx. 7,500 horses

—————Personal Guard Command (military intelligence, messengers) 300 men, 130 horses

—————Logistics Battalion (3 companies of infantry) 360 men, 50 horses, 210 mules

—————First Company (Regular Commander, Reserve Commander, 1 each) 550 men, 12 mules

————————Military Law Squad 15 men

————————Cook Troop 10 men, 12 mules

————————Divine Arm Crossbow Squad 105 men

————————Infantry Squad One (long spears) 105 men

————————Infantry Squad Two (long spears) 105 men

————————Infantry Squad Three (swords and shields) 105 men

—————Second Company 550 men, 12 mules

—————Third Company 550 men, 12 mules

—————Fourth Company 550 men, 12 mules

—————Fifth Company 550 men, 12 mules

—————Sixth Company 550 men, 12 mules

—Directly Subordinate Logistics Department (1 Advisor, 6 Staff Officers, Note 1) approx. 2,200 men, 1,200 mules

—————Directly Subordinate Company (cavalry, managing military intelligence, messengers) 65 men, 130 horses

—————Logistics First Battalion (civilian labor battalion, managing grain and fodder transport) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—————Logistics Second Battalion (civilian labor battalion, managing grain and fodder transport) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—————Logistics Third Battalion (blacksmith battalion, managing weapon and tool forging) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—————Logistics Fourth Battalion (blacksmith battalion, managing weapon and tool forging) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—————Logistics Fifth Battalion (craftsman battalion, managing offensive and defensive equipment) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—————Logistics Sixth Battalion (craftsman battalion, managing offensive and defensive equipment) 360 men, 50 horses, 160 mules

—Elite Vanguard Force (scouts, commonly called the Tabai Army, 1 man, 3 horses, Note 2) approx. 1,000 men, approx. 3,000 horses

—————Elite Vanguard First Battalion (shock cavalry) 310 men, 930 horses

—————Elite Vanguard Second Battalion (shock cavalry) 310 men, 930 horses

—————Elite Vanguard Third Battalion (shock cavalry) 310 men, 930 horses

—Military Law Office (Chief and Deputy Advisor with 3 Staff Officers, Note 3) approx. 840 men, 210 horses, 210 mules

—————Jinshi Company * 4 420 men, 420 horses, 420 mules

—————Military Law Company * 4 (armored soldiers) 420 men

—First Command (Wang Sheng's unit) approx. 4,000 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

—————Personal Guard Battalion (mostly cavalry companies and heavy infantry companies) 315 men, 320 horses, 10 mules

————————Directly Subordinate Squad (managing military intelligence, messengers, etc., cavalry) 30 men, 60 horses

————————Cook Troop 10 men, 10 mules

————————Cavalry Company (medium armored cavalry) 65 men, 130 horses

————————Infantry Company (armored soldiers) 210 men

—————Logistics Battalion (1-2 Staff Officers, managing 3 companies of auxiliary troops, Note 5) 360 men, 60 horses, 160 mules

————————Direct Subordinate Staff (subordinate officers in charge of grain, fodder, weapons, etc.) 30 men, 60 horses

————————Cook Soldiers 10 men, 10 mules

————————Auxiliary Troops Unit* 105 men, 50 mules

—————Scout Unit (cavalry) 65 men, 130 horses

—————First Infantry Battalion (1 commander and 1 deputy commander each, note 6) 535 men, 190 horses, 10 mules

————————Personal Guard Unit (cavalry) 65 men, 130 horses

————————Cook Soldiers 10 men, 10 mules

————————Scout Squad (cavalry) 30 men, 60 horses

————————Military Law Squad (chief clerk and deputy chief clerk leading 8 men) 10 men

————————Infantry Unit*4 (1 commander and 1 deputy commander each) 105 men

—————Second Infantry Battalion (1 commander and 1 deputy commander each, commanding 5 units) 535 men, 60 horses

—————Third Infantry Battalion (1 commander and 1 deputy commander each, commanding 5 units) 535 men, 60 horses

—————Fourth Infantry Battalion (1 commander and 1 deputy commander each, commanding 5 units) 535 men, 60 horses

—————Infantry X Battalion (each Command Department varies in size, commanding 4–6 battalions) 535 men, 60 horses

——Second Command Department (Hu Yantong's Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Third Command Department (Chen Yanzhang's Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Fourth Command Department (Chen Jue's Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Fifth Command Department (Xu Shian's Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Sixth Command Department (Dong Min's Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Seventh Command Department (Yue Chao's Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Eighth Command Department (Fu Qing's Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

——Ninth Command Department (Wang Sheng's Other Department) approx. 2250–3300 men, approx. 700 horses, 210 mules

Note 1: The Imperial Left Army originated from the Western Army. Among its two directly subordinate departments (Beiwei Army, Cuipian Army), most were organized using the General-Placement Method.

Note 2: Wang Sheng, as a senior Deputy Commander-in-Chief, has direct command authority over 2 Command Departments, and his own department numbers around 4000 men.

Appendix: List of Imperial Left Army Commanders

Cheng Min (Beiwei Army), Xie Yuan (Cuipian Army), Wang Sheng (Deputy Commander-in-Chief), Hu Yantong, Chen Yanzhang, Chen Jue, Xu Shian, Dong Min, Yue Chao, Fu Qing.

(To be continued)

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