Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 794 Reorganization of the Troops

Su Chen carried out a military reorganization in Guizhou City. As the number of surrendered troops increased by tens of thousands, it would be difficult to manage if they were not distinguished and mutiny would easily occur.

Therefore, after discussing with Pan Mei, Su Chen decided to set up the troops according to the military system of the Song army. A small army would consist of five battalions, about 2,500 people, with a chief and deputy commander, a chief military commander, etc.

Ten small armies formed a wing, and the number of people in this wing was 25,000. The commander could be called a general or commander-in-chief. Two wings formed a large army, and there were positions such as general, deputy general, co-general, and commander. For example, Pan Mei was the commander-in-chief of an army and could be called a general.

In order to prevent the military forces from being over-concentrated, Su Chen did not set up a large army and treated each wing as a large army. So Pan Mei led 25,000 people and was named the commander-in-chief. Everyone just called him general for convenience.

A small army is also composed of multiple battalions, each led by a general and a deputy general, with 500 infantry battalions and 400 cavalry battalions. Whether it is the Song army or the Wu army, they are basically infantry, with very few cavalry, so each battalion has 500 people. This battalion is the basic combat unit of the army, and they camp together to form a small camp.

A battalion is divided into five divisions, each with 100 men, led by the chief and deputy chief commanders. A division consists of two squads, each with 50 men. The chief and deputy squad leaders are in charge of two guards, each with 25 men and a guard leader.

A guard consists of five squads, each with five people and a squad leader.

In ancient times, people talked about the ranks of soldiers. For example, Han Feizi wrote, "A prime minister must come from the prefectures and counties, and a brave general must start from the ranks." The "rank" here refers to the smallest unit in the army, consisting of five people, led by a rank leader.

The origin of the word "team" is also related to the "team" and "group" in the military.

After the reorganization, tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers were divided into battalions, organized in an orderly manner, put on new military uniforms, and held new Wu army weapons. They suddenly looked brand new, and their overall appearance was different.

Wu Yanrou, Jin Hui and other surrendered generals of the Southern Han Dynasty were all recruited by Su Chen. They were currently promoted to the commander of a small army and became the commander-in-chief, which was an upgrade from the previous rank of Du Yuhou. Not to mention the treatment and military rank, which were definitely better than when they were in the Southern Han Dynasty.

These surrendered generals were guaranteed official positions and had a bright future, so they were naturally willing to serve the State of Wu.

Su Chen solved the reorganization problem before he felt at ease to continue on the front line. This was also what he learned from the book. After each battle, it was timely and necessary to reorganize the surrendered troops.

.........

On this day, at dawn, Su Chen was in the commander's tent, holding the command arrow in his hand, sitting upright, preparing to deploy the next march.

Inside the commander's tent, the bright light illuminated resolute faces. All the military officers from the rank of captain to above were present. They were clad in heavy armor, which gleamed with a cold and solemn glow in the light, like gods of war about to go to war.

"Generals, the endless stretch ahead is the important town of Lianzhou. The Recruiting General Lu Shou is garrisoning here with his elite troops. If we take this town, our army's morale will surely rise." Su Chen's voice was steady and powerful, and his eyes were like torches as he scanned the generals one by one. "Who is willing to take on this important task, be the first to go into battle, capture Lianzhou, and bring victory to our army?"

Before he finished speaking, waves of excited voices rang out in the tent, and the generals stepped forward one after another, vying with each other to express their determination.

"I, Li Han, am willing to be the vanguard and swear to capture Lianzhou to demonstrate the power of our army!" A burly general, with a fighting spirit in his eyes, strode forward, knelt on one knee, and his voice was like thunder, echoing in the general's tent.

"General Su, I beg you to lead the army to fight. Under the city of Lianzhou, we will definitely kill the generals and seize the flags. We will not let you down!" Another general stood up, clasped his hands together, his eyes determined, and his tone full of confidence in victory.

The other generals were not to be outdone and volunteered one after another. The atmosphere in the tent was heated and everyone was eager to shine in this battle. After all, the weakness of the Southern Han defenders was obvious to all, and this was undoubtedly a great opportunity to make achievements and build a career. Everyone knew that once they went north to fight against the Song State, the challenge would be even more arduous. If they didn't fight hard now, when would they?

Wu Yanrou and Jin Hui's eyes met, and there was a tacit understanding between them. They nodded slightly, as if to confirm each other's determination, and then stood up together, clasping their hands in a respectful and firm posture.

"General Su!" Wu Yanrou's voice was steady and powerful: "I am willing to lead the troops forward, vow to capture Lianzhou, and open the way for the army!" There was a firm light flashing in his eyes, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

Jin Hui followed closely behind, his voice equally firm: "I have studied Lu Shou's military strategies, and I am also quite familiar with the defensive layout of Lianzhou City. I am willing to fight alongside General Wu and go to the battlefield together!" A confident smile emerged on his face, which was a desire for victory and an affirmation of his own abilities.

Su Chen looked at the two generals who volunteered to fight with deep eyes. He nodded slightly and decided to give them this opportunity to make meritorious deeds: "Okay! Since both of you are so determined, I will do as you ask. I will mobilize one wing of troops for you. In addition to the army you each command, I will send eight more armies to be under your command. I hope you can live up to my trust and conquer Lianzhou!"

Wu Yanrou and Jin Hui were delighted when they heard this. They knew that this opportunity was not only a test of their abilities, but also a great opportunity for them to make achievements and build their careers.

This was equivalent to giving up real power, increasing the number of people he commanded from 2,500 to 25,000 tenfold.

At the same time, it was also a manifestation of Su Chen's trust in the two of them. Wu Yanrou and Jin Hui were grateful in their hearts, and understood that Su Chen began to use them and did not despise their status as surrendered generals.

"Thank you, Commander Su!"

The two men clasped their fists, looked excited, and then took the order to sit down.

When Pan Mei saw this scene, he still admired Su Chen in his heart. Such trust and courage directly won the hearts of the surrendered generals. In the future, more surrendered generals would be willing to join him.

Pan Mei's sons, Pan Wei De, Pan Wei Gu, Pan Wei Zheng and others, stood behind Pan Mei. Seeing that Su Chen trusted the surrendered generals so much, they felt safe again and felt that they would not be discriminated against or excluded in the Wu State. After all, even the new surrendered generals from the Southern Han Dynasty received such treatment. In the future, they all had hope of leading troops to fight.

After Su Chen arranged the military order, he continued, "After Lianzhou, there is the heavily guarded Shaozhou city gate. There are undulating mountains and rugged terrain there, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Therefore, we must prepare for the attack on Shaozhou in advance. General Pan Mei, I'll leave this matter to you. Plan the opportunity to attack Shaozhou. According to our latest intelligence, the Han court in Lingnan has begun to send reinforcements to Shaozhou and is on the way. There may be a tough battle in Shaozhou."

Pan Mei stood up, clasped his fists and said, "I understand!"

Pan Wei De, Pan Wei Gu, Pan Wei Zheng and others looked at each other and felt that the opportunity had come. When the time comes, they will definitely ask their father to lead the troops to fight and make more contributions.

Su Chen nodded and continued, "I emphasize military discipline once again. When our army captures a place, we must not kill prisoners, massacre civilians, or rob government warehouses. These three points are particularly important. We must also put an end to rape and looting. Only with strict discipline can we win battles. Only with the love of the people can our Wu Kingdom continue to grow stronger."

"Yes!" All the soldiers answered in unison.

After Su Chen gave the orders, he announced the adjournment of the meeting and the entire army entered the pre-war mobilization stage.