Xu Cheng slowly said, "This man is sinister and ruthless, often crossing the line, so I don't want to get too close to him. He has over two hundred personal guards, most of whom he brought from the Shanbei Army; they are truly elite troops, and all two hundred are equipped with full sets of infantry armor. Besides them, Zhang Da can only mobilize two thousand-household troops. As for the remaining thousand-household commander, I have already communicated with him; he will not take sides until the battle is completely decided."
"Zhang Da and those two commanders have been exploiting soldiers and drawing salaries without actually fighting for years. At most, they only have half of their troops that can maintain combat effectiveness. In other words, Zhang Da can only bring a little over a thousand men to fight me at most."
"However, Zhang Da has supported some gangs in Shu Province City, and he might be able to bring in some martial arts masters. He also has close ties with some local militias and powerful figures. If he really goes all out, he could potentially bring in another two or three thousand people."
At this point, Xu Cheng scoffed, "Even if Zhang Da can really gather several thousand men, they're just a rabble, nothing to fear!"
Unlike Zhang Da, he did not specifically support any local forces; what he did most in recent years was to train his own troops well.
Wu Shuangren looked at the soldiers around him; their ranks, equipment, and morale were not much worse than the elite Shannan Army he had seen before.
Compared to Xu Jing, the newly appointed military commander of Yi Province, Xu Cheng had far greater control over these thousand-plus men, and their fighting strength was clearly superior.
The only thing these soldiers might lack is combat experience; after all, the Shu region is not like the border areas, where there is little warfare.
Even so, Xu Cheng was confident that he could lead his troops to defeat Zhang Da's men!
"So, the only thing Zhang Da needs to be careful about is his two hundred-odd personal guards. If a battle really breaks out, I'll take care of those two hundred-odd guards."
Wu Shuangren said to Xu Cheng.
He also brought more than two hundred personal guards this time, each of whom was equipped with a suit of infantry armor. If it really came down to the need for elite forces to make a decisive move, he would personally lead his personal guards into action!
Xu Cheng nodded. With his good son-in-law's men on board, he was even more confident about the battle.
"After I led my men out of the garrison, I received news that Zhang Da was mobilizing troops in various places. There's a high probability that he's going to make a move. Our next stop on the way to Shu Province City will inevitably be Zhou Family Village, the home of a powerful clan in Shu Province. Zhang Da and the Zhou Family have been very close over the years. If Zhang Da really intends to make a move, he's most likely waiting for us in Zhou Family Village."
Zhou Family Village.
In recent days, a large number of people have been converging on this place.
"General Zhang, Yan Laoba has arrived with his men."
Inside the lobby, a man reported respectfully.
This man's name is Zhou Xi, and he is the head of the Zhou Family family.
Zhou Family Village is home to nearly 10,000 people, Zhou Family family has more than 800 servants. If some militia are mobilized, the number can easily double.
Over the years, the Zhou Family has relied on Zhang Da's connections to sell smuggled salt and smuggle tea to Tubo. The Zhou Family was also involved in Zhang Da's private mines.
The interests of both parties are deeply intertwined, so the Zhou Family is willing to go all out to help Zhang Da when he got into trouble.
How many men did Yan Laoba bring?
Zhang Da, who was sitting in the main seat, asked.
Compared to a few days ago in the garrison, he now appeared much more composed and confident.
"Yan Laoba brought over a hundred people and more than twenty horses."
Zhou Xi replied.
Yan Laoba was the head of the local militia in Shuangcheng County, which was about 20 miles away.
Zhang Da had always been instrumental in promoting his unit, and Zhang Da had a crucial secret about him, so he had no choice but to bring his men this time.
The number of militia members in Shuangcheng County was certainly more than a hundred, but this time they came to fight the government troops and might lose their lives! Even though Yan Laoba offered a lot of money to lure everyone, he only brought a little over a hundred people in the end.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Da nodded calmly. "You can arrange for his men to go and rest first."
"Yes."
Zhou Xi respectfully withdrew.
"General, Yan Laoba's men have arrived, and our forces are almost complete."
Sitting to the side, Shu Province Deputy General Jiang Chuan spoke up, "Should we give them some drills beforehand? At least have them line up in formation."
He was a trusted confidant brought by Zhang Da from the Shanbei Army. Not long after Zhang Da was promoted to Assistant General of Shu Province, he promoted him to Deputy General of Shu Province.
Zhang Da nodded. "Okay, after we finish eating, you can get to work on this. Have everyone practice a few times first."
Looking at Zhang Da's confident expression, Jiang Chuan said with some worry, "General, although we outnumber them, most of them can't even form the most basic military formation, and they've never seen bloodshed. If a real battle breaks out, I'm worried..."
"Rest assured."
Zhang Da interrupted Jiang Chuan, "We will definitely win this battle. You just need to go and make the preparations."
"Yes!"
Although he had doubts, Jiang Chuan did not ask any further questions and accepted the order to leave.
After lunch, Jiang Chuan summoned all the soldiers and troops from Zhou Family Village and began rehearsing military formations on the flat ground outside the village.
Just as Xu Cheng had guessed, the two commanders under Zhang Da's command only brought about half of their troops, plus Zhang Da's own personal guards, totaling more than 1,300 government troops.
In addition, several gangs in Shu Province City brought a group of warriors and their most capable fighters to participate in the battle.
With the addition of the militia and Militia Private brought by Yan Laoba and the troops mobilized from Zhou Family Village, more than four thousand people gathered on the flat ground!
Given Zhang Da's growing influence in Shu over the years, he could certainly mobilize more than this many men, but the number he could gather in a short period of time was limited.
It's also unrealistic to expect people from more distant places to march long distances to join the battle.
Similarly, the Xu Family could certainly mobilize troops from some places, but some places were too far away, and Xu Cheng did not think that summoning a rabble would be of any use.
Jiang Chuan began arranging formations for the more than four thousand people on the flat ground, but progress was not smooth.
The crowd was chaotic and undisciplined; many would not have obeyed orders had it not been for the fear of Jiang Chuan's military commander.
As Jiang Chuan arranged the formation, his brows furrowed more and more, and he increasingly felt that what was in front of him was a bunch of rabble!
Unfortunately, not every place is like the Yi Province Militia, where all the Militia Private are on leave for work and train non-stop every day.
In many places, the local militias didn't really have the concept of training. On weekdays, the Militia Private would farm at home, and when there was trouble, they would gather together, be given a weapon, and go into battle.
Even in slightly better places, only a small number of elites are trained, learning archery, horseback riding, martial arts, and so on.
Local militias and village militias that could train in battle formations like government troops, advance and retreat in an orderly manner, and obey orders were extremely rare.
Even among local government troops, very few can truly maintain long-term training.
Of the more than 4,000 troops stationed in Shu Province, only the 1,000-plus men under Xu Cheng's command received the most rigorous training.
The Shu region had been peaceful for many years, and many generals felt that serious training was useless. What good was it if they never had the chance to fight on the battlefield?
Instead of wasting your energy, you should think about how to make money.
Jiang Chuan used to think that Xu Cheng's focus on training was foolish and too rigid. Now, belatedly, he regretted it.
"We outnumber them several times over, and our commander seems confident; he must have a backup plan. We can win!"
Jiang Chuan could only console himself with this thought as he continued to devise battle formations.
It took him an entire afternoon to barely manage to arrange the more than four thousand people into a basic formation and to tell them how to coordinate during battle.
As for how much combat power they can unleash in a real fight, that remains to be seen.
In contrast to Jiang Chuan's worries, many people in the queue were seeing so many people line up in formation for the first time, finding it novel and exciting!
On the flat ground, four thousand people stood in a dark mass, armed with swords and spears, with many in the front row wearing iron armor, looking extremely imposing.
This immediately boosted everyone's confidence, and they were eager to try their best.
Jiang Chuan then had everyone try to maintain their formation and advance forward. They went back and forth several times, and it looked quite impressive.
Finally, Jiang Chuan ordered the party to disperse, telling everyone to rest and recharge for the night.
Based on the timing, Xu Cheng's troops should pass through Zhou Family Village early tomorrow morning.
That evening, at Zhang Da's behest, Zhou Family Village prepared a lavish feast to entertain everyone who would be participating in the battle the Liaoming.
Many people who don't usually get to eat meat are having a hearty meal tonight and are thoroughly enjoying it!
"Brothers, eat well tonight, and fight well tomorrow. After we win this battle, there will be plenty of fish and meat, and lots of silver. General Zhang will certainly not treat you unfairly!"
Generals including Jiang Chuan walked through the crowd, shouting loudly.
The crowd responded enthusiastically, creating a lively atmosphere and boosting morale!
Zhang Da did not show up in person; instead, he hosted a banquet for Zhou Xi, Yan Laoba, and several gang leaders.
"Everyone."
Zhang Da stood up and picked up his wine glass.
Everyone present stood up and raised their glasses.
"I need not elaborate on how I, Zhang Da, have treated you all over the years."
Zhang Da's gaze swept over everyone present. "Once we get through this hurdle, I'll still lead you all to wealth and make a fortune!"
"Good!"
We swear to follow General Zhang to the death!
"What's a little Xu Cheng? Kill him!"
"..."
The crowd shouted in unison.
If Zhang Da had asked them to kill government troops or deal with the head of the Xu Family on a normal day, they certainly wouldn't have dared.
But the situation is different now; Zhang Da personally stepped up and took the lead.
The feud between Zhang Da and Xu Cheng is irreconcilable. Once Zhang Da falls, those of them who are deeply intertwined with each other's interests will not fare much better.
Even if the imperial court doesn't pursue the matter in the end, Zhang Da will definitely drag them down with him.
Therefore, tomorrow's battle is imperative!
Zhang Da downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, then slammed the cup down on the ground.
Snap!
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Everyone did as instructed, to show their determination.
The next day at dawn, Zhang Da ordered a fire to be lit and food to be prepared very early.
After everyone had a hearty meal, they all left Zhou Family Village and lined up on the flat ground near the official road.
Jiang Chuan arranged the queue in less than an hour this time.
A moment later, Zhang Da rode his warhorse, leading more than two hundred riders out of Zhou Family Village and arrived at the front of the battle formation.
He rode forward, channeling his Internal Skill, and roared, "I am Zhang Da, the current Assistant Commander of Shu Province!"
A stir ran through the crowd, and many people craned their necks to look ahead.
"Today you follow me to serve the imperial court and to kill the imperial rebels!"
Zhang Da continued shouting, "Therefore, as long as we win this battle, not only will I be rewarded, but the imperial court will also reward us!"
After he finished speaking, he raised his hand.
Zhou Family Village, dozens of people were carrying boxes toward this place.
Soon, the boxes were laid out in a row in front of everyone. Inside, when opened, were strings of copper coins!
"I, Zhang Da, always follow the rules when doing things."
Zhang Da pointed to the box in front of him, "You fought for the imperial court, this is your reward, one string of cash each!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the crowd erupted in excitement. Many people looked excited and began to discuss among themselves.
Zhang Da was very satisfied with the results and immediately ordered the money to be distributed.
Whether it was the soldiers he brought with him, or the local militia, Militia Private, household guards, and so on, everyone got a share.
In addition to the more than four thousand strings of cash that were distributed at this moment, Zhang Da also distributed money once before leading more than a thousand government troops to set off.
Zhang Da felt the pinch of having already sent out several thousand strings of copper coins before the war even started!
But today's battle concerns his own fate, and he cannot afford to be petty.
"Once we win the battle, everyone will get a reward!"
Zhang Da made a promise.
After receiving the money in person, the crowd was in high spirits, and many couldn't wait to start fighting.