Chapter 243: Troubles within the family, a sign of a quarrel between brothers

“All provinces have issued orders and are now in the recruitment period. After the autumn harvest, the troops should be ready.”

“However, General Liu Rengui estimated that if the military system of Your Highness is implemented, the military resources will be consumed greatly and the logistics will be difficult to maintain.”

Lin Dong also replied.

The defects of the conscription system are indeed extremely obvious and prominent.

First of all, the expenditure required is extremely huge. Not only do the recruited soldiers not have to engage in agricultural production activities, but they also have to be paid regularly to maintain the most basic daily needs of themselves and their families.

You must know that the real implementation of any policy cannot be achieved simply by issuing an order. It inevitably requires a series of supporting measures to adapt to it.

However, despite this, the recruitment system is still an important way to build a strong military. It also marks the beginning of the construction of a professional army and the inevitable trend of the evolution of military development history.

Arms such as musketeers and artillerymen are highly specialized professional soldiers.

Since the relevant process technologies involved often contain many confidential elements, it is absolutely not allowed for personnel to move around at will or change positions frequently.

“I have already arranged it. The Ministry of Works will speed up the production of coins according to the situation.”

Productivity has caught up, so Li Chengqian can also forge coins.

There is no need to worry about devaluation, which will cause destabilization of the overall situation.

The introduction of every new policy is inseparable from the operation of funds.

“In addition, after you go down, ask Liu Rengui to make arrangements for Baekje. Soon, we will go to Liaodong Road together.”

Li Chengqian’s trip to the south was mainly for two things: first, to buy sweet potatoes, and second, to destroy the Japanese pirates.

Now that both tasks have been completed, there is no need for him to stay here.

The administrative center must be moved to Liaodong, and this is the general trend.

He should also prepare to deploy against the Tang Dynasty.

It was already the year 646, and as far as he knew, there was not much time left until the year 649 when Li Shimin would pass away.

Moreover, in 649, not only did Li Shimin pass away, but his team also passed away one after another.

Of course, Li Qianqian now does not know that Li Shimin has passed away today.

He would not know that this was the cause of his heart palpitations.

Due to geographical restrictions, it would probably take another half a year for Li Chengqian to learn of Li Shimin’s death.

“promise!”

Lin Dong and Wu Xing both nodded and took note of the matter.

“Let’s go. I don’t know how Yan Lide is preparing. Let’s go to Shenjiying.”

Li Chengqian stretched and walked out of the mansion.

Now Li Chengqian’s focus is all on the development of weapons.

The Shenji Camp is located outside the suburbs in the north of the city. It is sparsely populated and has extremely tight defenses. No one without special permission can set foot inside.

The carriage moved slowly along the winding mountain road. When it reached halfway up the mountain, bursts of roaring sounds could be heard faintly.

The sound was like rolling thunder or galloping horses, chaotic and disorganized.

Climbing to the top of the mountain, you can see the vast wilderness below. White military tents are neatly arranged, like a white cloud dotted on the green grass.

And in this vast land, various trainings are in full swing.

Different from the common target shooting and archery training nowadays, the training of Shenjiying focuses more on improving the physical strength and endurance of the soldiers.

Some soldiers carried heavy bags and ran hard on the rugged mountain road; others climbed over the towering obstacles with agility and movements like monkeys.

Some soldiers held muskets, aimed at fast-moving targets, and fired accurately…

The scenes of shooting at moving targets are even more breathtaking.

The soldiers’ eyes were focused, and the muskets in their hands were like part of their bodies. They quickly adjusted the angle as the target moved, and then pulled the trigger without hesitation.

There was a loud “bang” and the bullet whizzed out, accurately hitting the fast-moving target in the distance.

All these unique training methods were implemented according to the plan conceived by Li Chengqian.

This unique training method has long surpassed the constraints of traditional battle formations.

The muskets they used were also an advanced product, which also determined the uniqueness of the Shenjiying.

They can be called special forces.

“Your Highness!”

While still far away, Li Zhen rushed over to meet him.

The security here is tight, and Li Zhen cannot hide any disturbance from him.

“How’s the training going?”

Li Chengqian asked directly, Li Zhen is now the commander of the Shenji Camp and is responsible for all affairs of the Shenji Camp.

“Everything is going according to plan. Now there are 3,000 Shenji soldiers, and about 1,000 of them can operate muskets.”

It was established only recently and is not large in scale yet, so it does not yet have the ability to participate in large-scale battles.

“Are the muskets and ammunition that the Ministry of Industry hastily manufactured sufficient?”

Li Chengqian was more concerned about the manufacturing progress of guns and cannons.

In the future, he might have to face the Tang army, which is armed to the teeth. If it is a normal siege, he is afraid that he will never be able to reach Chang’an in his lifetime.

Although he recruited many famous generals, there were still many powerful generals in the court.

After the death of Li Shimin and Li Jing, Li Chengqian could not think of anyone who could surpass Su Dingfang in military strategy.

The only way to break the impasse is this new type of weapon.

“Only more than 3,000 of them were built, so I recruited so many soldiers.”

“Also, there are ten cannons now.”

Li Zhen knew everything about the Shenjiying like the back of his hand.

“Then don’t build it for now. Put aside the training here, let the soldiers take care of their family affairs, and prepare to set off for Liaodong.”

Li Chengqian nodded. Such a construction speed was beyond his expectations.

“Set off for Liaodong? Could it be that Your Highness is preparing to…”

Li Zhen was shocked. The first thing he thought of was that Li Chengqian was going to use military force against the Tang Dynasty.

“It’s just a precaution. Now that the Japanese threat has been resolved and there is no trouble in the south, the countries in the north are ready to make a move. We have to deploy defenses in advance, right?”

Firearms are not yet mature, so Li Chengqian will definitely not start a war at this time.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I will arrange it as soon as possible and move the camp as soon as possible.”

Li Zhen couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The Shenji Battalion had a great mission, but it had only been established for a short time and the combat power it had demonstrated was extremely limited.

Not enough to become the main force.

“See if those soldiers who are already proficient in firearms can shoot on horseback. I want to form another group of lancers in the Shenji Camp so that we won’t be too passive in future battles. We can’t just passively counterattack, but also take the initiative to attack.”

Li Chengqian made further improvements on the previous military system.

The cavalry is still as strong as ever.

The initial application of firearms could not replace this traditional way of fighting. During the First and Second World Wars, horses still played an important role in warfare.

Therefore, a cavalry unit is still necessary.

“The sound of gunfire was like thunder. The war horses that were previously placed in the barracks were all frightened to varying degrees. They all ran away in panic, causing considerable casualties.”

Li Zhen looked embarrassed. Many soldiers were frightened when they came into contact with guns and cannons for the first time.

What about animals like horses?

It is animal nature to fear the power of thunder.

“That’s easy. Tie all the horses to the side of the shooting range and let them listen for ten days or half a month. I think they will no longer be afraid of the sound of gunfire.”

“Will this work? Won’t it scare the horses to death?”

Li Zhen was half-believing and half-doubting.

“Survival of the fittest, there will definitely be some who persevere, right? Moreover, if you are well trained, you can even win by surprise in a battle.”

Later generations have proved that horses can adapt to battlefields under artillery fire.

“Okay, then we can only wait until we get to Liaodong and try again.”

Li Zhen agreed, it was worth a try.

“Come on, take me in to see how your training went.”

The group walked towards the training ground.

Li Chengqian walked very slowly. As he observed, he was thinking whether there was any area that needed improvement.

This set of training methods was just a summary he made from various film and television works.

Whether it is applicable or not remains to be studied.

Li Zhi, who was far away in Chang’an, became absent-minded the whole day.

Even when faced with a beautiful woman throwing herself at him, he couldn’t lift it.

“Your Highness, what on earth has made you so worried today? Could it be that Zhang Liang’s rebels have made new moves again?”

Wu Mei’er, who was standing beside him, asked softly with her red lips slightly opened. The breath from her mouth was as fragrant as orchids, and the warm fragrance gently brushed past Li Zhi’s ears, making him feel excited.

But at this moment, Li Zhi’s mind was not on this aspect at all. He frowned, shook his head solemnly and said:

“I don’t know, but I feel inexplicably restless today, and I always feel that something ominous is about to happen.”

As he spoke, he paced back and forth in the hall, wondering in his heart what went wrong.

“Where is Yuan Tiangang?”

Suddenly, Li Zhi stopped, turned around and shouted loudly outside the hall.

“Chen is here!”

Following a reply, Yuan Tiangang appeared in the hall in the blink of an eye. His speed was so fast that it was as if a ghost was possessed, which was astonishing.

What is even more surprising is that he seems to have been hiding in this hall all along. As long as Li Zhi calls him, he will appear immediately and be available at any time.

Li Zhi calmed down and asked anxiously, “Have the rebels taken any action now?”

However, when he asked the question this time, even he himself felt that he lacked some of his previous confidence.

After all, a lot of time has passed, and the many strategies they planned have failed to achieve the expected results.

Moreover, the teams from all over the country that came to rescue the emperor have not arrived yet. This series of situations is undoubtedly extremely unfavorable bad news for Li Zhi.

“Your Highness, according to what the Bad People have learned, the rebels are currently silent and have successfully infiltrated them. The time is ripe to fight the rebel leader.”

Yuan Tiangang respectfully reported the latest situation to Li Zhi.

After hearing this, Li Zhi frowned slightly and murmured in a low voice: “Could it be that this prince is really worrying too much?”

He couldn’t help but begin to wonder if his previous worries about the situation were a bit excessive.

After thinking for a moment, Li Zhi turned around, a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice:
“The longer the night, the more dreams there are. If the time is ripe, then do it.”

Yuan Tiangang nodded quickly and said, “Yes!”

At the same time, he raised his head slightly and looked at Li Zhi above.

Yuan Tiangang hesitated for a moment and said:
“I have noticed that Your Highness has been feeling uneasy lately. Would you like me to tell you a fortune and give you some advice? Perhaps I can find some enlightenment from it.”

How could Yuan Tiangang not know that the emperor had fallen?

But he couldn’t say it directly.

He wanted to inform Li Zhi in this way in a tactful way.

Li Shimin has passed away.

However, Li Zhi waved his hand without hesitation and refused: “No need, just go down and make arrangements quickly. Things are in the hands of people, how can there really be ghosts and gods causing trouble?”

After that, his eyes became more severe.

As a descendant of the royal family, Li Zhi has always scoffed at the so-called ghosts and gods.

In his mind, these are just means used by the ruling class to fool the people and control the hearts of the people. In fact, they are just for show and have no practical effect.

“promise!”

Yuan Tiangang bowed slightly, his expression calm, then slowly turned around and retreated towards the palace door.

His movements seemed abnormally slow, and each step was extremely steady, as if the time of the entire world had slowed down with his pace.

But as soon as he was out of Li Zhi’s sight, he appeared on the corridor without any warning, like a ghost.

Elusive.

Yuan Tiangang stood quietly on the edge of the palace, staring at the night sky above his head.

At this moment, the night is as dark as ink, pitch black, with only a few stars twinkling in between.

But in Yuan Tiangang’s eyes, the dark night seemed to hide some mysterious power, which was constantly attracting his attention to explore the mystery deeply.

“The signs of chaos have already begun. The secrets of heaven are not yet clear, and there are uncertainties!”

“This celestial phenomenon is a sign of trouble within the family and a quarrel between brothers, but who is this imperial star on the side? Where else in the world can dragon energy be born?”

Yuan Tiangang murmured softly, his voice was not loud, but it seemed to echo endlessly in the silent night sky.

Even today when he witnessed the fall of the Emperor Star, which symbolized the emperor’s aura, his expression had never been as solemn as it was at this moment.

Because everything at that time was still within his expectations, he was able to remain relatively calm and composed.

But now, facing the uncertain and unpredictable situation, even he felt unprecedented pressure and anxiety.

That solemn look did not come from fear, but from awe of the unknown.

Knowing the destiny of heaven, we are more afraid of the power of heaven.

“Not everyone is qualified to participate in such a big event.”

Then, Yuan Tiangang’s gaze moved downwards and looked at the continuous fire camps outside Chang’an City.

“Notify the bad guys and prepare to take action!”

Yuan Tiangang murmured, as if he was talking to himself, but also as if he was talking to someone else.

(End of this chapter)