Chapter 662: Winter Training

Xijing Martial Lecture Hall training field, the bitter wind cut sharp.

Three thousand officers stood in formation; Yue Fei stood on the platform.

"Winter training lasts thirty days, we only practice two things." Yue Fei's gaze swept the field, "Bei Jing combat experience, and the skills to survive."

He stepped down from the platform and went straight to the point.

"Marching on snowy nights, soldiers get frostbite—do we press on or set up camp?"

The front-rank officers replied: "Orders come first, endure light wounds!"

"Wrong." Yue Fei said calmly, "In Bei Jing's first engagement, non-combat losses saw seventeen men amputated—because of this mindset. The correct practice: check hands and feet every half hour, rub with snow, if blisters appear, immediately seek shelter and warm up—this lesson came from those seventeen toes."

The training field fell silent.

"Enemy cavalry three times your numbers, your circular formation won't hold, no reinforcements—what do you do?"

The young officer was lost for words.

"At the foot of Yin Mountain in Bei Jing, Li Du Tou's 120 men faced 400 cavalry." Yue Fei said, "He ordered them to scatter, splitting into twelve teams to weave through the rock piles. Enemy cavalry scattered in pursuit, each picked off. After six hours, the cavalry lost over a hundred and retreated—this tactic came from an old hunter. In the mountains, meeting a wolf pack, sticking together is waiting to die."

He stopped and looked at everyone.

"These are what you must learn: no frostbite on snow, direction-finding on the plains, using brains not brute force when outnumbered." Yue Fei raised his voice, "When your people cross the Light Curtain to fight in the future, I want them to come back alive! Understand?"

"Understood!"

"First lesson: snow camouflage and concealment." Yue Fei waved his hand, "Five per team, half an hour to hide well. If I find you, dinner is halved; if not, you get extra meat."

The officers instantly scattered.

Lin Chong and Wu Yong approached.

"This training draws out all of Bei Jing's old secrets." Lin Chong whispered, "Some officers are used to hoarding knowledge; they may not welcome this."

"In the False Song era, did officers who hoarded knowledge see fewer deaths when cities fell?" Yue Fei countered, "If even one out of ten is willing to teach wholeheartedly, the battlefield could spare a hundred lives. It's worth it."

Wu Yong nodded: "When our lord taught us back then, it was the same. He said, one person cannot finish all the affairs of the world."

Half an hour later, nearly a thousand successfully concealed themselves.

"More passed than I imagined." Yue Fei said, "Tomorrow's second lesson: forced marches in snow and casualty evacuation. Dismissed."

As the officers withdrew, they murmured among themselves.

"What General Yue teaches……isn't in any military manual."

"Paid for with Bei Jing's blood."

"We must study well."

Yue Fei walked toward the inner hall of the Martial Lecture Hall; Lin Chong and Wu Yong followed.

"Our lord said yesterday to speed up preparations." Wu Yong said, "Does General Yue have any leads?"

Yue Fei shook his head: "He didn't elaborate. But the Iron Crow Army moves frequently; we must have a counter. Training is one part—drill the troops well, and you can't go wrong."

In the inner hall, the sand table was already set up.

Before the Light Curtain map, Chen Wen was conferring with Zhang Cheng and Qian Gui.

Seeing Yue Fei enter, Chen Wen nodded: "Has winter training begun?"

"Already begun." Yue Fei said, "Of the three thousand officers, about a third have passed the first lesson."

"Not fast enough." Chen Wen pointed to the west side of the sand table, "The Iron Crow Army has built eight new watchtowers west of the Light Curtain; dark-red light pillars appeared twice in three days. They are accelerating their deployment."

He turned to look at Yue Fei.

"I want the Martial Lecture Hall to finish the first-phase basic training within twenty days. Then a second batch of three thousand will follow." Chen Wen said calmly, "Before next spring's thaw, I want at least twenty thousand grassroots officers to have undergone this training."

Yue Fei's brow tightened: "Time is too tight. Some material needs hands‑on practice—"

"Then compress theory, strengthen practice." Chen Wen interjected, "If the training field isn't enough, we'll move to the snowy plains outside the city. Materiel, grounds, instructors—the Privy Council will fully support."

He paused.

"General Yue, we have no time to take it slow."

"The ripples of the Light Curtain expand each day." Qian Gui added, "The Jing'an Office monitors show the wave amplitude up thirty percent from seven days ago. The Iron Crow Army may be preparing some large‑scale move."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"I understand." Yue Fei nodded, "Complete the first batch within twenty days. For subsequent batches to link up, I need at least three hundred assistant instructors."

"Drawn from the Bei Jing army." Shi Dun's voice came from the doorway.

He strode in, dust‑covered.

"The Bei Jing army has just rotated out a batch of veteran soldiers, all with combat experience." Shi Dun said, "Are two hundred enough?"

"Enough." Yue Fei's eyes brightened, "With veterans demonstrating, the effect will be better."

"Then it's settled." Chen Wen banged the gavel, "Personnel in place within ten days, materiel allocation proceeding in parallel." He looked at the crowd, "This is top‑priority; all departments coordinate under Zhang Cheng."

"Yes."

All accepted the orders.

Chen Wen walked to the window and gazed westward.

The Light Curtain glimmered faintly in the winter sun.

Its surface ripples were barely visible to the naked eye.

"Pick up the pace." He said quietly, "Every bit of speed we gain now adds to our future chances of victory."

Behind him, the marks on the sand table were thick and dense.

On both sides of the Light Curtain, the standoff of the two worlds is quietly entering a new stage.

And the footsteps of war—

are drawing ever closer.