This situation is much better than the previous situation where Emperor Zhaozong of Tang trained the new army and then became arrogant and wanted to teach Li Keyong a lesson, but ended up being defeated.

In addition to the new recruits from the imperial court, the current imperial guards also draw elite troops from other vassal states, allowing them to be slowly transformed into the imperial guards.

At the same time, the armies of the vassal states were disbanded or eliminated, leaving ordinary soldiers to garrison the local areas. These soldiers, in theory, were also a very large force, adding up to nearly 100,000 scattered soldiers.

It’s not that there were no ministers who advised him to incorporate these troops under his command, but Su Ming refused. He believed that the quality of soldiers is more important than their quantity, and the wisdom of a general is more important than his bravery.

He could certainly accept these troops, and the news that 200,000 troops gathered in Luoyang would certainly be intimidating, but this would not improve the combat effectiveness much.

This is also a huge test for the army’s logistics. To feed an army of 200,000, plus the logistics personnel, the daily food and necessities for people and horses is an astronomical figure.

It’s not that the imperial court has no money or food, but that the logistics system cannot be maintained. If large-scale labor is mobilized from the people, it will be too damaging to the court’s vitality.

The cost is too high and the combat effectiveness will not be improved much, so it is not worth it.

Li Cunxu was able to defeat the enemy with 7,000 elite troops, so there is no reason why he can’t do the same.

If it were the imperial court a year ago, Su Ming might still be a little hesitant, but the strength of the imperial court today is no longer the same. The strength of the imperial court is increasing with every passing day.

The people’s hearts can be used and their support can be won. This is not just talk.

This world has been in chaos for too long.

Chapter 286 Dokuho

Since Su Ming ascended the throne, the world has been peaceful for several years. There have been no major wars in the Central Plains. Although there have been disputes in the south, they have all been minor.

The Jiedushi did not attack each other, and people’s livelihood gradually recovered. There were so many people in the world, and if one generation died, there would be another generation. As long as they could barely survive, it was enough.

Ordinary people may not know what separatist regimes are, but they can clearly feel the conflicts and mutual vigilance among different regions, and it is very difficult to move across regions.

At the same time, the taxes and labor service borne by the people were very heavy, which were the result of the infighting among the military governors.

But after the states of Jin, Qi, and Shu surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, the previous restrictions no longer existed, commerce was able to flow between them, and the most direct feeling of the people was that taxes were reduced a lot.

Even if it is not a lot, it is still a considerable income for a family that has to work in the fields all year round. If the people are happy, their hearts will gradually gather and they will come to support the emperor.

Sometimes, the people taking the initiative and being pushed passively by the government are two completely different things.

However, even though Su Ming knew that the Khitan were going to move south, he did not declare war with fanfare, but continued to prepare silently.

To start a war, one must have a legitimate reason. If he declares war now, it would be a lack of righteousness. The imperial court has a lot of work to do, and you actually want to go to war with the Khitan in the north and take the initiative to provoke them. How unwise it is.

On the contrary, if the Khitan invaded the south and the interests of the people in the Central Plains were harmed, if he declared war at this time, it would be in line with the will of the people and to defend his homeland.

At the same time, if he declared war too early, the southern forces would probably be prepared to stab him in the back. Although he did not take the southern forces seriously, being restrained by them was also a big trouble.

There was a huge difference between the two. Except for a limited number of people in the court, no one else knew Su Ming’s real purpose. They thought that he was mobilizing troops and preparing military equipment and food in order to deal with the Chu and Wu states in the south and complete the cause of unification.

“The imperial court now has 20,000 cavalrymen, all of whom ride two horses and are capable of fighting. When the Khitans march south, who do you plan to send to lead these 20,000 cavalrymen?” In the Qianqiu Palace, Song Qingqing sat beside Su Ming, grinding ink for him.

“Among the 20,000 cavalrymen, 10,000 are elite. The remaining 10,000 have too little training time and their combat effectiveness is not strong. We are planning to hand these troops over to Shi Jingtang and Li Wentong, letting them lead 5,000 each to fight the enemy.” Su Ming thought for a while and answered seriously.

The two of them had known each other for such a long time, so Song Qingqing naturally knew what he was thinking. “Then what about the remaining 10,000 elite cavalry? Are you going to go by yourself?”

However, upon hearing this, Su Ming first smiled, then shook his head, and slowly said in Song Qingqing’s puzzled eyes, “No, it’s not just me.”

“Who else?”

“Yuan Tiangang!”

Hearing these three words, Song Qingqing’s pupils shrank slightly, and shock was revealed in her beautiful eyes, “Yuan Tiangang is willing to go to the battlefield?”

“He is a Tang official, so he should share my worries. So what if he goes to the battlefield? With his ability, being a bad commander is a waste of talent. Unfortunately, he is not suitable to show up.”

Just think about it, two people with hundreds of years of internal strength wearing heavy armor and riding on war horses, the combat power they will exert on the battlefield will definitely become the enemy’s nightmare.

Song Qingqing’s breathing suddenly quickened as she imagined such a scene. She had led troops into battle on the battlefield before and knew the importance of a spearhead army. No army in the world could withstand a spearhead army composed of two of the world’s top masters.

Then, Su Ming continued, “The Tang Dao and Mo Dao have also been re-equipped. With these equipment, the strength of the Imperial Army will be further improved. Even if facing a cavalry charge, they will be able to fight.”

“You should have heard of the legend of the Mo Dao Formation. As long as they can exert 30% of their power, that will be enough. This is why I want to delay time.”

……

At the same time, in another hall in the imperial city.

The corpse general sat on the chair, looking at the busy women below, with an annoyed look on his fair face, “The emperor is really trying to find trouble for me, is my medical skill that simple? If I had known this, I shouldn’t have obeyed the Marshal’s order and returned.”

“Now, I can’t run away even if I want to.” Jiang Chen supported his chin and thought weakly.

In the main hall, women dressed in white linen clothes were sewing back and forth on pork with needles and threads.

These people are from the field hospital set up by Su Ming. They specially train women to treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield. In addition to suturing wounds, they also provide other means such as first aid.

Jiang Chen has lived for almost two hundred years and has superb medical skills. It is perfect for her to train these people. Moreover, her role is more than that.

A good doctor plays a very important role in society and people’s livelihood, but the prerequisite is the strong cooperation of the government. In the future, Su Ming plans to gather doctors from all over the country to compile a medical book similar to the “Barefoot Doctor’s Manual”.

This book has played an indispensable role in the rapid development of China in later generations. This is true even in later generations, let alone in ancient times when conditions were simple and technology was underdeveloped.

There are many talented people among The Bad Guys, waiting for him to discover them slowly.

……

Deep in the Mobei grassland, Yelu Abaoji left the royal court and came to the foot of a mountain under the escort of his personal army. He ordered his personal soldiers to wait there, took off his sword, and walked up the mountain alone.

There is a thatched cottage on the mountainside. There is a flat ground outside and a lush tree outside the fence. Inside the cottage, a person is sitting cross-legged in meditation.

At this time, a voice came from outside, “Yelü Abaoji wants to see the master.”

The person in the room opened his eyes. His black and white pupils were pure and flawless, without a single distracting thought. His lips moved, and he uttered a sentence in Khitan, “Come in!”

Outside the house, Yelu Abaoji pushed open the small door in the fence and slowly walked into the house. When he saw the figure, he immediately prepared to kneel down and salute.

Unexpectedly, when he was about to kneel down, he found that his knees could not sink. He raised his head and saw a pair of indifferent eyes.

“You are the king of the grassland, there is no need for such great courtesy.” The voice was pleasant to the ears, just like the first cry of a yellow oriole. This person was very rich, but few people knew that she was a woman.

Before he could say anything, Duo Kuo Huo revealed his thoughts, “I already know why you came here. If this war starts, the grassland will be in a weak position. That’s all I have to say. You can leave now.”

Yelu Abaoji was startled and wanted to ask more questions, but found that his mouth was sealed by invisible internal force and he could not speak. “It is useless to ask more questions. Go away.”

Looking at the mask covered with strange patterns, Yelu Abaoji was silent for a while, saluted respectfully, and slowly retreated.

After he left, Duo Kuo Huo took off his mask, revealing an extremely exotic and charming face, “Yuan Tiangang, I didn’t expect you to actually succeed.”

Chapter 287 Military Equipment and Cannons

“The Tang Dynasty’s destiny has been lost, and the artifact should have changed hands. However, five years ago, the secrets of the universe suddenly became obscure and chaotic, and the future was in chaos. I didn’t expect that you would actually help Li Xingyun up and defeat the destiny!”

“More than two hundred years ago, you and I fought in the air, but there was no winner. Now, you won.” Duo Kuohuo stood up and walked out of the yard. The beautiful Kazilan looked at the sky with her big eyes.

The blue sky and white clouds were reflected in his eyes, as if he saw the future revival of the Tang Dynasty and the coming of all nations.

“Yelü Abaoji was a great man of his generation, but unfortunately he was born in the wrong era and chose the wrong opponent.” The soft voice was full of regret, and then her dress fluttered and the door closed slightly.

On the way down the mountain, Yelu Abaoji had a cold face and exuded a low pressure. He was very dissatisfied because he did not get the answer he wanted.

The Khitan he established was the most powerful country on the grassland. How could a mere young boy be his opponent? Duo Kuohuo’s words not only did not make him retreat, but made him more determined in his decision.

After returning to the foot of the mountain, he took the sword from his personal guard and tied it around his waist. He mounted his warhorse, looked back at the mountainside, then turned his head and looked into the distance with a determined gaze, “Go!”

The warhorse under his crotch was as fast as lightning, galloping across the grassland, with a group of personal soldiers following closely behind.

……

Mobei Royal Court.

Shuliduo sent the royal guards to summon the tribal leaders scattered across the grassland to discuss matters. After doing this, she should have made other preparations, but for some reason, the letter that Su Ming sent her emerged in her mind again.

“Hong Gu, where have you been these two days?”

“Mother, you don’t know, I had a competition with father’s personal guards today. There are many powerful people in it. I want to be like them in the future.” Yelu Honggu patted his chest and said excitedly.

It would have been fine if he hadn’t said it. As soon as he said it, Shuliduo’s heart suddenly lifted up. She hurried forward to check Yelu Honggu’s body, and was relieved to find that he was fine. “Child, the people in the army are very ruthless. You should be more careful next time.”

“Don’t worry, mother. The child is fine.”

“By the way, starting tomorrow, you don’t have to go to the Royal Guards anymore.”

“Ah? Why?” Yelu Honggu looked confused. Before, it was Shulido who asked him to train in the imperial army, but now he was asked not to go. He was really confused.

Shuliduo comforted him, “I have been busy with many things recently. You can come and help me first. When this period is over, it won’t be too late for you to go later.”

Yelu Honggu was tall and strong, but he didn’t notice the strangeness in Shuliduo’s expression, and immediately agreed, “Okay, then it’s a deal, you’ll let me go when I’m done.”

After he left, Shuliduo finally felt relieved. War is a dangerous place and anything can happen on the battlefield. Yelu Honggu is so young, she really can’t bear to let him go to the battlefield.

Su Ming’s actions made her very wary. She was afraid that Yelu Honggu would be targeted on the battlefield.

……

Luoyang Imperial City.

Inside the workshop, the dull sound of iron forging continued to be heard. Su Ming was inspecting here, and Yuan Tiangang followed silently behind him, “After the assembly line production, how many Tang swords can be produced every day?”

“Your Majesty, the forging process of Tang swords is complicated. After breaking down the process one by one, the craftsmen’s speed has increased by more than ten times. They can forge more than twenty swords every day.”

After the reconstruction of the Military Equipment Bureau, Su Ming ordered the Bad People to explore a standardization and assembly line system. Before that, the forging of Tang swords relied on the support of a few dozen craftsmen, and the other craftsmen were all helping out, resulting in very low efficiency.

The Tang swords made in this way were indeed sophisticated, but they were too slow to produce. As the standard weapon of the Tang army, at this rate, it would take an unknown amount of time for the entire army to be equipped.

After the assembly line system came out, the number of high-quality Tang swords decreased, but the production speed increased significantly. Under the standard data, every sword met the requirements.

At the same time, the team of craftsmen also expanded a lot. Craftsmen from Jin, Qi and Shu gathered here and brought a lot of help to the Military Equipment Inspectorate.

On the other hand, the assembly line production of the Tang Dynasty’s Mo Dao was also proceeding in an orderly manner. However, compared with the Tang Dao, the production process of the Mo Dao was more complicated, and only a few swords could be forged every day, no more than ten at most.

This is also an important reason why the Mo Dao, which was famous in the Western Regions, has not been passed down to later generations. The Mo Dao was too precious. Each one was registered by the imperial court and was not allowed to be buried with the emperor. Therefore, there are only pictures and texts, but no real objects.

However, Su Ming was not in a hurry. The court still had time. Now was just the beginning. As more and more craftsmen were trained and became more and more skilled, the speed would naturally increase.

At the same time, the same is true for the production process of armor. As early as thousands of years ago, the Qin Dynasty had already achieved assembly line and standardization. It is a pity that due to the Qin-Han contention, these fine traditions were not passed on.

Even in later generations, we still need Americans to teach us. It is sad.

War destroys too many good things.

After inspecting the Arsenal, Su Ming did not leave, but turned and went to another secret place, which was hidden deep underground and was the secret base of the Bad People.

In the empty cave, figures wearing coarse linen clothes and gauze masks were working continuously.

In the very center is a striking figure, this person is none other than Hanba, one of the four corpse ancestors of the Xuanming Sect.

The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and the long-lost smell of fireworks lingered in his nose. Su Ming walked forward, looked at the tall Hanba, and said with a smile, “Hanba, this time it’s all thanks to your secret recipe.”

“Your Majesty, thank you for the compliment.” A rough voice sounded from behind the mask.