Chapter 1594: A Display of Strength

Though Bi Su meant well, his words grated sharply on Ma Tongji's ears.

He had always been an exceedingly proud man, and after being held in high hopes within the army, he naturally grew even more disdainful of others. On this expedition, he had set his heart on winning great merit for himself and his subordinates. He never expected such a problem to arise before the fighting even began — and worse, to lose face right in front of the commander and several colleagues. How could he bear such a humiliation?

"Regiment Commander Bi, we came here to fight a war, to stake our lives for His Majesty — not to hide behind the Liaodong Army's formations and enjoy a life of ease." His tone was ice-cold, aimed as much at himself as at others. "These men have clearly grown too comfortable along the march. Even after reaching Goryeo, they haven't kept their strings drawn taut. I must drill them within an inch of their lives and make them understand exactly why they came here!"

"You needn't be so angry. Truth be told, my troops have the same problem." Seeing his friend so furious, Li Huanghe tried to console him as well. "My unit was a bit shaken too. If the cavalry had chosen to charge from our side, they might well have broken through."

"Enough. This is not the time for such talk." Just then, the commanding officer Zhao Song spoke up. "Now that we've spotted the problems, it's easy to deal with — we'll just work out solutions gradually. Besides, everyone's performance today was acceptable, at least passing. Even the formations that were scattered put up resistance before they were slowly broken apart. Japan surely has no cavalry as elite as ours. If they faced Japanese cavalry, such problems wouldn't arise."

The horse breeds of Japan are extremely small, short, and feeble. After studying their horses, Zhao Song concluded that their cavalry was hardly worth fearing. And today, to steady the army's morale, he deliberately made them sound even more worthless.

"Let's end the drill here. Some men performed well and deserve commendation." Zhao Song spoke as he reined his horse and moved toward his troops. "Some didn't perform well but were still passable. Have the medical corps enter the field now. For those who can be saved, give them proper treatment."

To treat battlefield casualties and simultaneously boost morale, the Great Han army placed great emphasis on medical care, establishing dedicated medical officers and medical corpsmen with very generous pay. For Zhao Song's expeditionary force — bound for a distant island nation — medical preparations were given even greater weight, and he was assigned more medical officers than a standard brigade.

At his command, the herald beside him waved a red banner, and the other heralds spurred their horses in all directions to relay the order. The great army swiftly reassembled in the same formations as before, while those injured during the drill were taken away by the medical corpsmen for treatment.

Zhao Song placed immense importance on routine training, and every drill was conducted with the aim of being as close to real combat as possible — the closer, the better. This often resulted in some casualties, but soldiers forged this way would suffer far fewer deaths when actual battle came.

By the time the medical corpsmen entered the field, the exercise had drawn to a close. The several regiment commanders each went to inspect their own units. Because their performances differed, Bi Su was the most relaxed, chatting and laughing with his subordinates, while the two younger regiment commanders wore dark scowls and berated their officers without pause.

Zhao Song paid no mind to these subordinates. He spurred his horse to the foot of the hillock where the Crown Prince stood, then dismounted and walked up together with his several heralds.

"Your servant pays his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince." The moment they saw the Crown Prince, they all saluted in unison.

Zhao Song could sense, however, that the Crown Prince's expression was not particularly pleased. He knew perfectly well why.

"Brigade Commander Zhao, it seems you'll need to drill the troops harder from now on — to have such a mess break out today." Once Zhao Song had stood straight again, the Crown Prince spoke directly. "The performance of the various formations in the first phase was acceptable, but why did things suddenly fall into chaos in the latter phase, with the formation ultimately being broken through? If this were a real battle, that would be disastrous. If you can't even protect the artillery, how do you expect to decide victory against the enemy?"

"Your Highness speaks truly. Your servant was just now severely reprimanding his subordinates over this matter." Zhao Song quickly lowered his head and explained respectfully to the Crown Prince. "Going forward, your servant will rigorously tighten discipline and training, and will absolutely never allow anything similar to happen again! Additionally... your servant would also like to request that Your Highness commend the cavalry commander. Amid the chaos, they swiftly identified the weak points in the infantry formations and charged one point wave after wave, heedless of casualties, treating the drill as a real battle. Your servant believes they deserve commendation!"

Long seasoned in court, he was already quite experienced in handling superiors. Without making a sound, he shifted the topic, lavishly praising those cavalrymen, which considerably improved the Crown Prince's mood.

"The cavalry's performance was indeed quite excellent — to keep their formation amid the roar of guns and cannon and concentrate their force for a charge. The leading officers should be commended." He nodded. "Brigade Commander Zhao, with the campaign imminent, though the military strength of the Japanese shogunate cannot compare to ours, no one is permitted to slack off. Commend those who deserve commendation, punish those who deserve punishment. If anyone disobeys your orders, you may deal with them according to military law and simply report it to me. Every trade has its specialty — your profession is leading troops, and I will absolutely not overstep my bounds."

"I thank His Highness the Crown Prince!" Zhao Song was overjoyed.

The troops under his command came from mixed sources, and quite a few were well-connected nobles. His greatest fear, therefore, was that someone would use their court connections to defy his orders. Now that the Crown Prince had given him such a statement, he would have far more confidence when the time came.

"Good. I've said what needed to be said. The rest is up to you." The Crown Prince shifted his gaze and gestured toward Hashimoto Sanemura, who had been standing silently to the side. "This is the envoy sent by the Japanese court to request troops from our Great Han. Make his acquaintance."

He then briefly explained Zhao Song's identity to Hashimoto Sanemura.

The moment he heard that Zhao Song was actually the commander-in-chief of the Great Han expeditionary army against Japan, Hashimoto Sanemura was greatly startled. He sized up this stern-faced officer in military attire once more, then bowed deeply.

"I am Hashimoto Sanemura. I am honored to meet you, General! A general so heroic and extraordinary is certain to achieve earth-shaking merit!"

"Envoy, there is no need for such ceremony." Zhao Song promptly helped him up. "For the envoy to brave such peril, crossing the sea all the way here — you have truly endured great hardship."

"To serve the court, what hardship is there to speak of? I only wish for the Great Han heavenly troops to advance as soon as possible, to defeat the barbarous and lawless shogunate, and to restore order and discipline within our country. So long as this aim can be achieved, even if it costs me my life, shattered to dust, it would be worth it." Hashimoto Sanemura answered with fervent passion. "His Majesty the Cloistered Emperor is also performing rites in the palace, praying for the Great Han heavenly troops to win victory the moment their banner is unfurled."

"I understand the sentiments of your nation's court." Zhao Song could naturally tell that the other party was obliquely pressing him, single-mindedly urging an early advance. So he offered some reassurance. "Our court, too, is united from top to bottom, with the entire nation preparing for this war. Once preparations are fully complete, we will cross the sea and attack, defeating the lawless shogunate and rescuing your nation's court from fire and water."

"Then... may I ask, General, when will your esteemed nation's army be ready?" Hashimoto Sanemura pressed at once. "And when will you be able to march?"

Zhao Song did not answer first. He cast a sidelong glance at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince said nothing, merely making a gesture to signal that he should not reveal too much military intelligence.

"Since the envoy has come here, you must have seen that these days our nation has been requisitioning supplies from all over and transporting them here. A great quantity of supplies has already been stockpiled — you can see how great our resolve is. However, once a great army begins a campaign, the supplies required are incalculable and must be prepared in advance. The supplies currently gathered are therefore still insufficient, and we will need to wait a little longer."

"Then... how many troops does your esteemed nation now plan to muster for the campaign against the shogunate?" Hashimoto Sanemura asked again.

Zhao Song was even less willing to answer this question truthfully. "Our Great Han's national strength, population, and territory far exceed those of any neighboring country. Since we have resolved to chastise the shogunate, we will naturally commit our full strength. The total number of troops our Great Han now has across the realm amounts to several hundred thousand. Dispatching an elite force from among them should certainly be enough to sweep the shogunate away in one stroke."

"Several hundred thousand!" Hashimoto Sanemura did not detect the fact that Zhao Song was deliberately evading the question; he was simply stunned by that number. Unversed in military affairs, he assumed that when Zhao Song said Great Han had several hundred thousand troops, it meant a large portion of them would be committed to the campaign against the shogunate.

It was precisely because Great Han, since its founding, had campaigned in all directions and achieved such brilliant military feats that the court nobles had conceived the idea of borrowing troops to overthrow the shogunate. He had just witnessed with his own eyes the strength of Great Han's soldiers and horses. If a hundred thousand such crack troops were dispatched to Japan, how could the shogunate possibly be their match? At this thought, the unease that had been plaguing him abruptly vanished.

"Thank you, General! Thank you, General..." His lips trembled slightly. "Should the day come when our nation's court recovers its authority, we will never dare betray Great Han!"

"The envoy, too, will become a meritorious minister of your nation's court, revered by later generations." Zhao Song smiled faintly.

Next, at the Crown Prince's command, the party descended the hill and entered the valley together. Amid the cheers of soldiers everywhere, the Crown Prince first visited the medical corps' station, inspecting the recovery of the wounded and encouraging them to heal quickly so they could serve the nation again. Then, led by Zhao Song, he arrived at the cavalry's station.

The cavalrymen, having already returned to camp, were resting in their temporary quarters. Some lay on the ground resting, some were polishing their weapons, and some were feeding fodder to their horses.

But the moment the Crown Prince entered the camp, they all stopped what they were doing and hurriedly tried to form ranks to receive him.

"No need for formalities. You've toiled all day — rest well now." The Crown Prince raised a hand to stop them, signaling them to continue resting. "I've only come for a brief visit. Don't be nervous. You fought very well today — that is the bearing our Great Han soldiers ought to have. I've already told your Brigade Commander Zhao to have you heavily commended! I hope you will keep up the effort, and once you set foot in Japan, fight just as you did today!"

He then praised these cavalrymen several more times, drawing waves of cheers from them. Opportunities for merit were many, but a personal commendation visit from His Highness the Crown Prince was rare — something they could boast about to others later.

The Crown Prince knew he was very young and had never before had any experience leading troops in battle. The army therefore respected him but did not feel close to him, obeying his orders only because of his status and without much genuine affection. He thus wanted to use the method of personally interacting with the rank-and-file officers and soldiers to gradually build his own image and prestige among them. Only by doing so could he truly fulfill his duties.

Undaunted by hardship, he walked up to many soldiers, inquiring after their well-being and asking about their family circumstances, then encouraging them to continue fighting bravely.

In his conversations with them, however, the Crown Prince discovered that compared to ordinary infantrymen, these cavalrymen came from far more complex backgrounds. Some were from well-to-do respectable families in the Xuzhou-Huai'an region who had eagerly joined the army during the rise of the Zhao-character Camp. Some were former border troops of the fallen Ming dynasty who had been incorporated into the Great Han army after surrendering. And some were even Mongols.

Only after asking did he understand. Cavalry required long periods of training and tacit coordination with warhorses, and the demands on equipment were also very high. Compared to infantry, who could be formed into a basic fighting unit after just two or three months of training, cavalry was simply far too precious. Great Han campaigned everywhere and its cavalry had been continuously expanding, but the speed of training cavalrymen domestically could not keep up with the demand. Thus, large numbers of crack troops from formerly hostile forces were absorbed into its own cavalry ranks.

Though they had once been enemies and had fought fiercely against one another, Great Han treated these surrendered troops quite well. While they could not serve as full commanding officers, their pay and other benefits were not lacking. With generous treatment that allowed them to support themselves and their families, old grudges counted for little. Even people from Mongol tribes, where the enmity ran deepest, did not have such strong national consciousness.

Besides filling out the ranks, these men had served in the military for many years and possessed extremely rich combat experience. They could also pass on their experience to new recruits, allowing the strength of Great Han's cavalry to swell at an even faster pace.

Now, when Great Han's cavalry clashed with the cavalry of the Mongol tribes, they already held a steady upper hand. Compared to Japanese cavalry, the difference was like heaven and earth.

During the Crown Prince's inspection, the cavalry battalion commander Zeng Guang accompanied him the entire time. He was a rough-hewn, burly middle-aged man, a native of the Xuzhou-Huai'an region who had joined the Zhao-character Camp as a cavalryman in its early years. After many years of service in the Great Han army, he had become a battalion commander. Due to his constant martial training, his muscles were still powerfully developed even at his current age, and a long scar ran across his hand.

Unlike Zhao Song, he kept his hair cropped short — but his inch-long dark hair was slicked back, giving him a somewhat incongruous appearance. This hairstyle, however, was quite popular among the cavalry. Partly it was the influence of frequent contact with the Mongols, and partly it was for convenience when wearing a helmet, to avoid feeling stuffy.

"Your Highness, the men have been holding in their energy all along, every one of them thinking of earning merit. None will slack off." Seeing the Crown Prince in good spirits, he deliberately spoke bold, heroic words to curry favor.

"As long as they have this spirit, that's good." The Crown Prince nodded encouragingly. "You are all elite troops handpicked from the Liaodong Army, and today's performance proved it. My commendation today is not just in words. If you continue to perform like this in the future, I will write to the capital and praise you before my Imperial Father as well."

"Thank you for Your Highness's boundless grace!" Zeng Guang was overjoyed.

What he wanted most was to elevate the cavalry's status. In the armies of the past, cavalry had always been the most elite branch, regarded by commanders as the trump card for deciding victory. With the highest status naturally came the most generous treatment. But after the founding of the new dynasty, the massive development of firearms, coupled with the extremely smooth campaigns against the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Mongols, had given rise within the army to a dismissive attitude toward cavalry. The thinking was that as long as the Great Han army continued developing more advanced firearms, no enemy cavalry could contend with it, and the role of one's own cavalry would diminish day by day, reduced to mere harassment.

Under the influence of this line of thought, although cavalry still received decent treatment, the most valued branch had become the artillery. The subject of arithmetic in the military academies had also received tremendous emphasis, with regulations stipulating that the best students must excel in mathematics — because what artillery needed most was the calculation of distance and trajectory. This approach had been upheld for many years, drawing grumbles from other branches that the Great Han army was practically turning into a bunch of abacus-wielding scholars.

Seeing the cavalry's status beginning to decline and promotion opportunities falling behind other branches, those within the cavalry were naturally anxious, single-mindedly wanting to demonstrate their importance and reclaim their standing in the eyes of the high command.

"By the way, Battalion Commander Zeng, when I was observing from the hill today, I watched the entire process of your drill. Your rapid regrouping and single-blow breakthrough of the formation was indeed fought very beautifully. However... some say you benefited from the drill conditions. In a real battle, you would have suffered massive casualties before even reaching the artillery position, and then you would have been unable to press the charge, much less break through to the artillery. They also say that's exactly how our dynasty fights the Mongols, and they can do nothing against us..." The Crown Prince suddenly turned serious and asked him, "I don't understand military affairs well, but what he said seemed rather extreme. So I wanted to ask your view — consider it listening to both sides."

"Your Highness, that statement is gravely mistaken!" Zeng Guang grew anxious the moment he heard this and immediately began to argue. "It is true that today we benefited from the drill conditions and did not suffer many casualties during the charge. But the will of the officers and men was plain to see. We charged squarely against formations and blades, and we powered right through them! If this were a real battle, that momentum would not diminish in the slightest. As cavalrymen of the Great Han, we know only to press forward bravely — never to shrink back!"

"But war isn't fought on momentum alone, is it?" The Crown Prince still had some doubts. "Though momentum is important, if you ignore the situation and just bull ahead blindly, that surely won't work."

Thank you, everyone. Updates have resumed, but the manuscripts I'd painstakingly saved up are nearly used up.