Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The guards who had potential were still too young, and the older ones were not healthy enough to keep up with the training.
Jiang Pengji may not have had much in the Liu residence, but she had more than enough food to feed the new guards.
“I’ve looked through the training manual. Even though it’s tough, it’ll still be good for the guards.”
Xu Ke was worried that Jiang Pengji would lose her temper, but as he carefully observed her, he saw that she did not react. He grew courageous and continued, “The best army is not necessarily made up of strong men and weapons; rather, it has the most elite soldiers. Elite soldiers are strong and healthy, but more importantly, they are also serious and disciplined...”
No matter how strong a soldier was, he was still only one man. But if 100 men acted as one unit, the results would be different.
Jiang Pengji’s training manual was shocking and impossible for most men to complete. However, Xu Ke realized that all of the training techniques emphasized discipline.
Jiang Pengji nodded in approval as she listened to Xu Ke. He had performed better than she had expected.
“Indeed... A few days ago, I read a book of folk stories. There was one about a valiant general from the previous dynasty. He was able to freely come and go in the upheaval. In the unmanned land, he was like a heroic deity. Even an army of 10,000 strong could not touch him. It sounded like a tall tale.”
Xu Ke was shocked speechless by Jiang Pengji’s words.
Even though she did not reveal much, he knew that she was talking about the general from the Xia dynasty who had campaigned across the country with the Great Ancestor, the founder of the dynasty. People even called the general the “God of War”!
“You don’t believe me?” Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow before she got up to retrieve the bow and arrows. She faced Xu Ke and continued, “Why do you think that general was courageous? His enemies could have just been weak. In my opinion, he was a regular soldier who encountered some blockheads.
“If his enemies were that powerful, why would they allow a man to freely enter their land? Did the general have an army of good men that allowed him to infiltrate the enemy lines? Or did the general have a body of metal? No. His enemies were undisciplined and just a bunch of cowards who were afraid of death!”
How could an army of 10,000 strong lose to a single man?
Even when Jiang Pengji was in Corps Seven, she could not say that she had left any battle unscathed.
If she wanted a valiant general like the one in the folk story, she would have to find someone who was unafraid of death.
The logical side of Xu Ke felt that what Jiang Pengji had said was too perfect and ridiculous. But when he thought about how 10,000 disciplined soldiers could move as a single person, he became fired up.
Shitang Dafan Ayi: “That kid needs some medicine!”
Badao Zhongcai: “This host is toxic and is spreading her delusions.”
Shansasa: “Eh, Xu Ke is now delusional? Why does it seem like his eyes are shining?”
Nongfu Shanquan Youdianxuan: “I don’t care. I love this delusional host.”
Jiang Pengji peeked at the stream’s comments. Whatever passion she had felt was now extinguished, and she felt awkward. Her viewers were good at destroying the mood.
She lifted a hand and smacked the hot-blooded Xu Ke. “Where were we...” she said weakly.
Xu Ke: “...”
What Jiang Pengji wanted was a fantasy in the current situation: strict obedience. Those two words would not be easy to achieve.
The problem in this era was illiteracy; if the guards could not even read their orders, how would they be able to execute them?
That battle from the folk story could have had up to 350,000 troops. But for a victory, only 50,000 troops would be needed. The remaining 300,000 soldiers were mainly there for the military experience and free meals.
If their side was winning, everyone would rush up to overwhelm their enemies together. The moment they were on the losing side, however, they would turn and run. Even the 50,000 “elites” were nothing in Jiang Pengji’s eyes. They fell short of valiance.
During the upheaval, those “elites” may have been able to curb their fears of death and execute their orders, but that was unlikely. Most of the troops had probably used the confusion to escape and save their own lives.
If the army lost, the first person to bear the brunt of the failure would be the commander, not the troops. That’s why the morale of the troops was of the utmost importance. Without it, the troops would start getting disorganized and would easily collapse with a single setback. They had to meet enemies with worse morale than them or else they would not win.
If a group of disciplined villagers met a group of lawless soldiers, the villagers could win with ease.
After their in-depth discussion, Xu Ke’s eyes were wide, and Jiang Pengji’s were bright with passion.
At first, Xu Ke had thought his young master was a weird man who only lusted after beautiful people. And after Jiang Pengji had saved him at the assembly, Xu Ke thought of her as extraordinary, unruly, and unconventional. After last night, however, he felt that Jiang Pengji was shrewd and in control of any situation, including a person’s heart. His impression of her had changed yet again.
If he still had any lingering displeasure about her, it was definitely gone now.
Even an amateur like him knew that it was possible to train a small army under her leadership.
As expected, Jiang Pengji was planning something big.
Dongqing had yet to be tossed into turmoil, and she was already planning on something.
Xu Ke bowed his head and listened carefully. He was sure that those hired guards were not here to protect the residence. And if that were the case, why would they need to learn discipline and army formations?