Chapter 92: Presenting a Training Plan·Astonishing Talent Amazes the Assembly

Inside the study of the Military Governor's mansion.

The charcoal fire dispelled the slight chill of late spring, but it could not dispel the subtle tension flowing in the air.

Chai Rong sat upright in the main seat.

Below him, seven or eight core commanders of the Chan Prefecture Army were seated.

Including the Cavalry Commander-in-Chief Han Tong, and the Infantry Commander Zhang Yongde.

And also that Commander Li who had shown disdain toward Chen Wen on the drill ground, and others.

Moreover.

Also present were two civil official aides.

One of them had a calm demeanor and perceptive eyes.

This was precisely the strategist Wang Po whom Chai Rong relied upon.

Chen Wen sat to the left of Chai Rong's lower seat, a position that in itself highlighted his special status.

He knew this was not a simple meeting.

But rather a stage deliberately set up by Chai Rong for him.

And also a direct test of his ability to assist in military affairs.

The topic quickly turned to army building.

Chai Rong looked around at everyone and got straight to the point:

"Nowadays, the four directions are unsettled; the Khitan stare like tigers, and the various garrisons harbor ulterior motives."

"Although our Chan Prefecture Army is called elite, to achieve great undertakings we still need to make further progress from the top of a hundred-foot pole."

"Today I have summoned you all to discuss how this army should be trained to become stronger."

Upon hearing this, several commanders spoke up in turn.

Their remarks amounted to nothing more than increasing training intensity, extending drill duration, clarifying rewards and punishments, eliminating the weak and retaining the strong, etc.

These are the orthodox methods of training troops in this era.

They also form the foundation for the Chan Prefecture Army's current appearance; lacking novelty, yet steady and reliable.

Han Tong's voice boomed like a great bell as he clasped his fists and said:

"My lord, your humble servant believes that in troops, quality matters more than quantity."

"We should emulate the ancient Wei Wu and select tiger-and-bear warriors!"

"Increase their provisions, stricten their orders, and drill them day and night without cease!"

"Make them advance at the sound of drums and halt at the sound of gongs, like fingers obeying the arm; then they will be invincible in battle!"

As he spoke, his peripheral glance swept over Chen Wen, carrying a hint of provocation.

As if saying, this is the correct principle; those flashy, useless things are of no use.

Chai Rong neither affirmed nor denied.

His gaze finally fell upon Chen Wen:

"Mr. Chen, what are your lofty views?"

In an instant, everyone's gaze focused on Chen Wen.

There was curiosity, scrutiny, and even anticipation of seeing him make a fool of himself.

Chen Wen rose calmly, first bowing to Chai Rong and everyone present.

Only then did he slowly begin to speak:

"What you, generals, have said are all words of gold and jade!"

"The foundation of a strong army lies precisely in strict training and generous rewards."

"However, I humbly think that perhaps we could refine the finer details, possibly achieving remarkable results."

"Oh? The finer details? Mr. Chen, please elaborate."

Chai Rong leaned his body slightly forward, showing great interest.

"In my opinion, the key to training troops lies first in 'knowing the why.'"

Chen Wen's words were astonishing, causing many of the seated commanders to frown.

"Soldiers need only obey orders; why must they know why?"

Chen Wen ignored the crowd's reaction and continued:

"First, physical fitness is not merely strength; it also concerns 'limits' and 'recovery.'"

"Current drills often use time increments and formations as benchmarks; soldiers frequently become exhausted yet may not break their own limits."

"We could set specific subjects, such as weighted cross-country runs, timed climbs, obstacle assaults, etc."

"To force soldiers to still unleash potential when utterly exhausted, and to supplement with proper rest and diet, so that their physical growth speed far exceeds the ordinary."

He paused, seeing the sneer at the corner of Han Tong's mouth.

He paid no heed, and continued:

"Second, squad cooperation is not merely about formations."

"While forming battle lines with the main army is certainly important, the battlefield changes in an instant and formations easily scatter."

"We should strengthen the independent combat and cooperative abilities of the most basic units: squads, platoons, and companies."

"We could set small-scale confrontation drills for search, assault, cover, and retreat in complex terrain."

"So that, without relying on explicit orders from superiors, they can, according to battlefield conditions, spontaneously coordinate and act as mutual support."

"Third, psychological resilience surpasses mere bravery of a common man."

Upon Chen Wen saying this, even the strategist Wang Po raised his head, his eyes showing contemplation.

"Soldiers panic at the sight of blood and collapse when encountering danger; that is natural."

In drills, simulate the gruesome battlefield scenes, splattering animal blood on leather dummies.

Using loud noises and smoke to create chaos, accustom them to bloodshed and chaos.

More importantly, cultivate their 'belief in victory' and 'sense of team honor'.

Make them firmly believe that as long as their comrades stand beside them and the banner has not fallen, there is a chance to win!

This method can be called 'mental tempering'.

The three points he proposed—extreme physical breakthrough, squad-independent coordination, and mental resilience training.

—completely surpassing the conventional scope of military training at the time, carrying the shadow of ultra-modern combat and psychological training.

This is the result of Chen Wen's observation and inspirational thinking being 16 times stronger!

It gives him vision and ideas that transcend the era!

The forward‑looking nature of its core idea leaves everyone present shocked and… incredulous.

Absurd!

Li Commander couldn't hold back and scoffed.

Let the soldiers think for themselves? And still simulate bloodshed?

Isn't that scaring them before they even set foot on the battlefield!

Drilling soldiers is just about turning them into wooden posts that only know to obey orders and move forward!

Thinking too much only makes things worse!

Han Tong also let out a cold snort, his voice like muffled thunder:

What Mr. Chen says sounds flashy but is actually all show and no substance!

On the battlefield, victory relies on blood‑courage and strict formations!

What's the point of all that chaotic sparring and cross‑country running? It just wastes stamina and is useless in real combat!

Moreover, lavishly rewarding selected elite soldiers naturally makes them brave!

Why bother with 'mental resilience'? That's nothing but a scholar's naïve view!

Even the relatively steady Zhang Yongde furrowed his brows slightly and said:

Mr. Chen's plan may have merit, but implementing it would likely be enormously costly and its effects uncertain.

Military affairs are of utmost importance to the state; they should not be lightly changed into law.

For a moment, doubts rose from all sides in the study.

The generals, veteran soldiers, had deep‑rooted confidence in their own training methods.

They instinctively rejected Chen Wen's unheard‑of theory.

Chai Rong did not speak immediately; he turned his gaze to the perpetually silent Wang Pu.

What do you think, Mr. Wang?

Wang Pu pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly:

Mr. Chen's theory is novel and thought‑provoking.

Especially his ideas on 'squad coordination' and 'mental resilience' are things ordinary people have never seen.

However, as Generals Han and Zhang said, whether this method can be applied to an army of tens of thousands and how effective it would be still needs verification.

But…

He shifted his tone and looked at Chen Wen.

Being able to propose such views shows that Mr. Chen's thinking is profound, far beyond ordinary strategizing.

That remark is fairly balanced—it affirms Chen Wen's talent while pointing out the difficulty of implementation.

Chai Rong's gaze finally returned to Chen Wen, carrying an inquiry.

Chen Wen faced the many doubts, his expression still calm.

He knew that empty words lack proof and are hard to convince others with.

He spoke loudly: 'Generals, I understand your concerns.'

Whether the new method is effective indeed needs to be tested in practice.

Chen Wen volunteers to take charge, needing no large army—only three to five hundred new recruits to trial this method for one or two months.

By then, success or failure, strength or weakness, will be known at once on the drill ground—how about that?

He directly laid out the challenge on the table, letting results speak.

This is the key step in his breakthrough.

Han Tong and the others, hearing this, still did not believe.

But since Chen Wen voluntarily requested the trial, they could not well keep opposing it outright.

They merely snorted coldly, waiting to see the outcome.

Chai Rong's eyes flashed with a hint of admiration; what he wanted was precisely Chen Wen's confidence and sense of responsibility.

He immediately hammered the decision:

Good! Then we shall do as Mr. Chen says!

Effective immediately, from the newly recruited soldiers we will allocate three hundred, place them under Chen Wen's command, and train them according to the new method!

All required supplies will be provided by the treasury!

I, as the official, want to see what kind of elite troops Chen Wen can forge!

Once the order was issued, the generals, though each had their own thoughts, could only obey.

The initial clash in the study thus came to a temporary close.

But everyone knows that the true showdown will be decided on the drill field of those three hundred new recruits.

Can Chen Wen's astonishing and unconventional training method withstand the test of practice?

It will directly determine his future position in the Chen Prefecture army.