To outsiders, he was a prodigy, knowledgeable in many ways. But only he knew that he didn't actually know how to lead troops in battle and still had much to learn. This was why he heavily relied on Bai Jinhuan, who had diligently studied military texts for several years.
Compared to Bai Jinhuan, Xu Jing, who comes from a military family, has systematically studied military strategy since childhood, and may have even followed his father to the battlefield and had practical combat experience, is clearly on another level.
"We think only County Commandant Xu here understands flag signals, so we'll have to trouble you to teach us."
Wu Shuangren said to Xu Jing.
Xu Jing nodded. "First, let all the company commanders, battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders, and battalion commanders learn flag signals; once they've learned them, they can teach the lower-ranking commanders; finally, let the commanders teach all the Militia Private."
Wu Shuangren: "Alright, then you can teach everyone flag signals in the evening after the daytime training ends."
After saying that, he looked at Xu Jing and said, "County Commandant Xu, take a sinecure as the chief instructor of the Yi Province Militia?"
Xu Jing thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
In the past, he would have definitely said that this was against the rules of the imperial court and that he should avoid suspicion.
But this time, coming out with Wu Shuangren, they went through life and death together, which brought the two of them much closer.
Xu Jing knew that Wu Shuangren wanted to use his military talent to train as many Yi Province Militia as possible, and he did not refuse.
After a day of training, that evening, Wu Shuangren ordered all the company commanders, battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders, and battalion commanders to gather together. The group, including himself, went into the city and found a spacious courtyard.
In the courtyard, Xu Jing stood on a stool, holding five flags of different colors, and said:
"I'll start by teaching you the most basic Five Directions Flags, which are the red, blue, black, white, and yellow flags I'm holding here."
"These five colored command flags represent the five elements, and also correspond to the five different directions: east, south, west, north, and center..."
Xu Jing explained in detail the meanings represented by the different command flags. The Five Directions Flags are the most basic flag signaling system in the army. Many variations can be derived from this system, and some elite units even have their own unique flag signals.
Wu Shuangren sat in the front row, listening attentively, holding a notebook in her hand and taking notes on what Xu Jing said.
He discovered that the so-called most basic flag signals Xu Jing spoke of were much more complex than he had imagined. It not only used five colored flags to represent five directions, but also indicated that troops in five different locations should obey corresponding commands.
In addition, waving the flag forward, backward, or spinning in circles also represents different meanings.
The most difficult part is when flags of different colors are arranged together, which creates more complex commands.
For example, a yellow flag paired with a red flag, waved three times forward, represents a full-scale charge. A yellow flag with a blue flag, the blue flag waved diagonally around the yellow flag, represents a request for troops to flank and encircle the enemy from the side...
After listening for a while, Wu Shuangren already felt a little sleepy. He had been a poor student in his previous life, and it seemed he hadn't become a top student in this one either.
Looking at the others, most of them also looked confused. Only because Wu Shuangren was there did they force themselves to concentrate and listen attentively.
Of all those present, only Bai Jinhuan could keep up with Xu Jing's pace.
The Five Directions Flags were among the military books he read, and he had studied them carefully, since understanding flag signals is a basic skill for a general on the battlefield.
However, as time passed, some of Bai Jinhuan's memories became unclear, but now, listening to Xu Jing's explanation, he quickly recalled them.
"Excuse me, I'd like to interrupt."
Wu Shuangren suddenly raised his hand.
Xu Jing stopped explaining, and everyone else present looked at him.
Wu Shuangren said, "Why don't we practice and learn at the same time? County Commandant Xu can wave the flags, and we can all act as soldiers following orders, performing the corresponding actions when we see the corresponding flag. This way, we'll remember them faster."
He discovered that Xu Jing was probably a very talented person, so when teaching others, he naturally assumed that everyone was about the same and could roughly remember what was said after being told twice.
In reality, the more qualified a person is, the less suitable they are to be a teacher, so Wu Shuangren could only take the initiative to offer some teaching suggestions.
"That works too."
Xu Jing had originally planned to start the practical training later. But since Wu Shuangren had suggested learning while practicing, he thought that was acceptable.
So the group moved to a training ground within the city. Xu Jing stood on a high platform waving a flag, while Wu Shuangren and the others below performed corresponding actions based on the flag.
Once they actually started practicing, Xu Jing realized just how poor the aptitude of the people in front of him was. Only a few, such as Bai Jinhuan and Wu Shuangren, were able to quickly learn the basics and stop making mistakes. The rest practiced repeatedly, but just couldn't do it well.
These individuals were selected as company commanders or battalion commanders because they were already far more qualified than ordinary Militia Private.
After practicing with them all night, Wu Shuangren said to Xu Jing, "I'll let them practice on their own from now on. Once they've mastered the basics, you can teach them the rest."
After Xu Jing left, Wu Shuangren turned to everyone and said seriously, "Signal is something you must learn. I will be conducting regular assessments, and if any of you fall behind, I will consider removing you from your positions!"
Upon hearing this, everyone stood at attention and saluted Wu Shuangren, some solemnly and others nervously, to show their commitment to completing the mission.
Over the next few days, everyone trained during the day; the company commanders and battalion commanders practiced flag signals at night, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
Wu Shuangren also established a special Command Flag Battalion, with ten men assigned to him and five men assigned to each of the other battalions.
The fifteenth day since Ciwen was killed.
At dawn, nearly 10,000 people trained as usual.
At this moment, a man carrying a large black banner walked out from the city gate.
This was made overnight by blacksmiths and tailors at Wu Shuangren's request.
Xu Jing's mention of flag signals reminded him that since the Yi Province Militia had been officially established, it should also have its own flag.
This large black banner is embroidered with a large character in red silk thread—
Wu!
Everyone who was training stopped and turned to look at the approaching black banner, staring at the single character on it.
The veterans of the Bo County Militia looked at the flag with pride. The militia leaders and powerful figures from all over Yi Province, on the other hand, had complex and solemn expressions.
While the local militias were nominally under the control of the government, they had gradually evolved into the private armies of local powerful clans—a fact that was generally accepted.
No one had ever imagined that the entire militia of an entire prefecture could unite!
With this banner erected, the soldiers outside the city now had an official name—
They are the Yi Province Army, and also the Wu Clan Army!
150. Transmission of cultivation techniques, cultivation of the golden body.
The shoulder insignia of a Militia Colonel weighs less than an ounce.
Thirty strings of copper coins weigh approximately 240 catties.
Guo Ya gave Guo Jiwang the latter, intending to exchange it for the former.
Guo Ya is the representative of Guo Family Village. The Guo Family is a local powerful family similar to the He Family, and there are more than two hundred young men in the village who are armed with knives and guns.
Guo Ya brought one hundred able-bodied men with him to Yi Prefecture City this time.
Compared to the militia leaders of the other four counties and several powerful local warlords, he had relatively few men.
Currently, the Yi Province Militia has four battalions remaining, each with one battalion commander and two deputy battalion commanders, totaling twelve positions.
Guo Ya knew he wasn't qualified to compete for the four battalion commander positions, so he wanted to try for the deputy battalion commander position and get the epaulets of a Junior Militia Colonel.
Several days had passed, but Wu Shuangren still hadn't appointed the battalion commanders and deputy battalion commanders for the remaining four battalions. The local militia leaders and powerful figures from various places were starting to get restless.
So Guo Ya went to Guo Jiwang and gave him thirty strings of cash, hoping that this "family member" could pull some strings for him.
But Guo Jiwang ultimately refused his money, only hinting at it:
"The remaining four battalions are not yet at full strength. Once they are, Militia Commander Wu will probably decide on the deputy battalion commanders and battalion commanders."
As soon as he heard this, Guo Ya immediately understood.
Wu Shuangren wanted them to go and recruit more people.
Whoever brings the most men has the most power; if you want to be a battalion commander, go home and bring back more able-bodied men!
The news spread quickly.
Overnight, many people left and returned to their hometowns and counties.
The eighteenth day since Ciwen was killed.
During his inspection, Wu Shuangren discovered that the Rong Province Militia's training was far behind that of others.
While others had been practicing their formations for half an hour, they were still stuck in the same spot, trying to organize their ranks; their chants were also out of sync, and people would fall behind after just a few tries.
After observing for a while, Wu Shuangren discovered that it wasn't that the Rong Province Militia were uncooperative, nor that they were incompetent; rather, it was that the veterans responsible for training the Rong Province Militia hadn't taken the training seriously.
The veterans appeared serious, but in reality, they were just going through the motions and weren't genuinely teaching the Rong Province Militia.
Wu Shuangren didn't react on the spot. He waited until evening to call Chen Tie to his room and asked him directly:
What's going on with the training at the Rong Province Militia?
Chen Tie was in charge of training the veterans in the Rong Province Militia.
Chen Tie hesitated for a moment after hearing this, and seeing Wu Shuangren staring at him intently, he finally whispered the truth:
"Commander, they're outsiders after all, and they weren't incorporated into the Yi Province Militia. The brothers under us aren't too willing to teach them. Even if we teach them, they'll eventually return to Rong Province, and might even become our enemies..."
Wu Shuangren laughed after hearing this; he could understand Chen Tie and the others' mentality.
In his view, having this mentality is not a bad thing; it shows that the militiamen below have developed a certain degree of initiative and are actively thinking about the future.
Wu Shuangren looked at Chen Tie and asked with a smile:
"Who do you think is stronger, us or those Rong Province Militia?"
"Of course we're stronger!"
Chen Tie answered without hesitation.
Wu Shuangren nodded. "So, in what specific ways do you think we are better than others?"
Chen Tie replied without hesitation, "Our strength lies in our better training methods and more rigorous training!"
"Anything else?"
"Our equipment and weapons are better!"
"Anything else?"
"Furthermore, the head of the regiment receives more pay than others, and he never deducts from it."
"Anything else?"
"Our training group gets better food than others; everyone gets a full meal every day, and we even get to eat meat occasionally. With better food, everyone naturally trains harder."
"Anything else?"
Wu Shuangren asked repeatedly, slowly and deliberately.
Chen Tie frowned and pondered, "Also... the systems set by the regimental headquarters are very good. The rewards and punishments are clear, and everyone has hope for the future, so they are willing to fight to the death when it comes to battle."
"Um."
Chen Tie knew that his answer still didn't completely satisfy Wu Shuangren, so after thinking for a moment, he added:
"And then there's you, Commander-in-Chief. You always lead from the front, guiding everyone to victory after victory. Following you, we all believe from the bottom of our hearts that we won't lose!"
Wu Shuangren laughed, looking at Chen Tie: "So do you still think that just by teaching those people in the Rong Province Militia our training methods, they will surpass us?"
Chen Tie suddenly realized what Wu Shuangren meant.
Many militia members, including him, subconsciously believed that their superior strength was mainly due to their better training methods.
Only after Wu Shuangren's persistent questioning did Chen Tie truly realize—
It turns out that they were different from the other training groups in every aspect, and had a significant gap in every way, which is why they were so much stronger than others!
Could the Rong Province Militia afford to pay such high salaries? Could they provide such good compensation to the militiamen after their deaths? Could they afford to feed them so well? Could they distribute land and property to them?
Most importantly, do they have someone like Wu Shuangren, who always leads from the front and can guide them to victory?
"Commander, I understand! Don't worry, I'll explain it to the brothers below when I get back, and tell them to train the Rong Province Militia members properly."
Chen Tie stood at attention, saluted, and said to Wu Shuangren.
Wu Shuangren nodded and said earnestly:
"Furthermore, one should take a long-term view. Now that you are the battalion commander of the Yi Province Militia, your vision should not be limited to just one province; you should look further ahead. Today you treat those Rong Province Militia members as outsiders because we are only in Yi Province now. But what if we go to Rong Province in the future?"
He didn't say everything, but Chen Tie had already vaguely understood what he meant.
In the past, Wu Shuangren would not have said these words to Chen Tie.
However, after Guo Jiwang arranged for Chen Tie to kill Fan Yu, the military commander of Yi Province, Wu Shuangren noticed that his cousin had changed a lot compared to before.