For the second assessnt, the Ye family main branch mobilized again.
This ti, the new recruits were divided into red and blue armies, with different colored cloths tied around their arms to distinguish between them. They were tested on formation, battle array, and coordination.
Since the blade edges were all tightly wrapped in thick cloth, the clashing sounds were all muffled thuds. The n's shouts and yells were louder.
Once in formation, the impact was astonishing.
It was late September, and the wind had turned cool, yet the parade ground remained steaming hot.
Ye Jingyi sat at the side of the observation platform, his palms sweating profusely.
Although his martial skills were poor, having studied in the Ye family school since childhood, he knew more of military affairs than the average bookish person.
Whenever the formations changed or battle arrays shifted, he couldn't help but recall the corresponding contents from the military texts. As a child he had no interest in such things, preferring the Four Books and Five Classics and the teachings of Confucius. But now, for the first ti, he felt the power and aesthetics of military affairs.
Since they were divided into teams and assessed by platoon, the second assessnt was much faster than the first individual assessnts, taking only a day and a half to complete.
No one failed this ti. Having passed the first assessnt, as long as one wasn't an idiot, one would pass the second assessnt. The difference was only whether one scored in the first, second, third or fourth platoon.
On the second day in the afternoon, the barracks grew even livelier, as they began reorganizing the new recruits together with the veterans and mixing up the platoons.
Only those who scored double first class could enter the imperial guards platoon.
Everyone knew the imperial guards enjoyed the best treatnt, because the imperial guards were the backbone of the army.
Likewise, the main force naturally had the best weapons and armor, and thus had the highest chance of survival in war compared to other platoons. This was easy to understand.
While queuing up waiting to be reorganized, the new recruits couldn't help but discuss: "Is this considered being formally recruited?"
"Hey, didn't they say it takes three assessnts to be formally recruited? This is only the second, isn't it?"
"There's still an assessnt? What else is there to test?"
Ye Jingyi also asked Ye Suijin, "Another assessnt? What will they test?"
In his opinion, the fundantals described in the military texts, if not all, at least the basics had been demonstrated on the parade ground. What more was there to test?
Further refinent required ti, money and resources, and could not be accomplished in one or two months.
In fact, he was already shocked that the new recruits could be trained to this level in just two months.
It was true his ancestors were military generals, but that was a hundred years ago. In the past century, it was only in recent years that they had rediscovered so of their ancestors' legacy.
That was why Ye Jingyi had insisted on personally observing the new recruit assessnts, because he lacked confidence.
He worried his family were just armchair strategists.
He didn't expect Ye Suijin to personally join the barracks, personally train the troops, and achieve such results. This once again expanded his understanding of the family leader.
Now, with greater assurance, he was even more eager to know Ye Suijin's next steps.
Ye Suijin, fist propped against her chin, had been studying the map for so ti. At his question, she raised her eyes: "Of course, practical combat."
Ye Jingyi was taken aback.
"The parade ground and the battlefield are two different things," said Ye Suijin. "If you don't believe , ask Third Son and the others. Forget the battlefield, when I first took them on an inspection tour of Deng Prefecture, they reacted terribly just from killing a few n."
Even Third Son Ye turned pale at the mory, and Fifth Son Ye had vomited.
Yet each of them had been outstanding sons of the Ye family, vigorous as lively dragons on the parade ground.
"Good civilians who've learned to wield blades on the parade ground don't necessarily beco killers on the battlefield," said Ye Suijin.
Third Son deeply understood this point. He nodded with feeling, "Too true."
In fact, everyone knew Third Son had changed the most these past few months. Even Fourth Uncle Ye sotis felt as if his son had molted and transford.
Previously among the brothers, Third Son was fad for his gentle heart. Whenever the younger brothers got into trouble, they would run to him for help.
Now in Nanyang, he had a nickna of "Yama King".
So of the old officials in the Nanyang county governnt still trembled at the ntion of Third Son Ye. As a result, when they returned ho to educate their children, they solemnly admonished: Rember, never corner an honest man.
That would an... another beating?
Amidst nervousness, Ye Jingyi also felt a surge of ardor. Indeed, he too had the Ye family blood.
He asked, "Are we attacking sowhere?"
Ye Suijin had been studying the map for so ti already. Lowering her fist that had been propping up her chin, she tapped the map with her wooden pointer and circled a spot: "Let's start here."
She said: "Clean up Tang Prefecture first."
Tang Prefecture bordered Deng Prefecture. In the past, it had been administered by the sa prefect who also commanded the Xuanhua army.
"Shangma, Ciqiu, Biyang!" Ye Suijin's pointer marked out a triangle on the map. "Such good places, with excellent corn."
Tang Prefecture's corn had long enjoyed fa. Fangcheng's corn was exceptional, but in recent years it had been ravaged by Du Jingzhong, leaving much good farmland abandoned.
Although they had successfully grown a crop of beans this year, depleted soil could not recover fertility so quickly. The beans this year were better than nothing, but Ye Suijin did not have high hopes.
Thus it was even more imperative to take over these areas early on.
This was military provisions!
Previously Ye Jingyi only knew the Four Books and Five Classics and Confucian teachings. Only after going to Nanyang did he begin learning about money and grain. Now he hadn't looked at the classics in a long ti, instead poring over codes of law, agricultural texts, commodities, and math daily.
As Ye Suijin spoke, Ye Jingyi's mind raced with calculations: "A county of thirty thousand can probably support eight hundred troops. Fangcheng currently produces almost nothing, at most half a county. Yuan County is smaller, also about half. So our total is like three counties, roughly able to support two thousand five hundred to three thousand troops. Currently..."
"Currently, it's barely enough for defense," said Ye Suijin. "Furthermore, this depends on favorable weather and competent county officials."
"I know," said Ye Jingyi solemnly. "Leave the Nanyang side to ."
"Rong Lin from Sheng'an Hall and Gen Zhi from Heguang Hall are not bad. Bring them back with you this ti," said Ye Suijin. "Keep them at your side and show them how you handle affairs."
These two Ye descendants had perford outstandingly during the paper clothing incident.
Military affairs naturally fell under Ye Suijin's personal command. For civil administration, she had appointed Ye Jingyi to lead the charge. Now that he had blazed this trail, he had to bring along clansn and nurture talented personnel.
Ye Jingyi had never imagined that one day, he, a collateral descendant, would shoulder such an important responsibility. But for the clan to prosper, the clan must first grow strong, and only with a strong clan could individuals thrive.
Clearly Ye Suijin did not intend for the main branch to monopolize all the good resources. She evidently wanted the entire Deng Prefecture Ye clan to flourish.
With such a magnanimous family head, the clansn felt trendously reassured. Ye Jingyi agreed steadily, "Very well, leave it to ."
He glanced at the map and asked, "When do we take action against Tang Prefecture?"
Saying take action ant taking action.
Ye Suijin gave the Ye family five days to adjust to the new organization and beco familiar with their new comrades.
Five days later, Ye Suijin selected a thousand troops, "Food isn't free. Rember you're soldiers now, blades in hand, arrows in pots. You're no longer refugees begging for food, no longer people who don't dare fight back when bullied. You've hacked enough straw n on the parade grounds. From today on, you'll be hacking living n."
"Didn't you all want to know what the third assessnt for formal recruitnt was? This is the third assessnt!"
She shouted, "Those who can't do it, either die out there with families to mourn them, or co back alive by luck, and I will permit you to return ho and farm."
"But whoever dares to turn their back in battle, bla for the army's rciless military law!"
"Speak! How are deserters dealt with in battle?"
Were they going to war?
Even brawny n who had scored double first class felt a trace of panic. Hearing Ye Suijin's harsh demand, their palms grew damp with sweat.
Having been assigned to the imperial guards platoon during the reorganization, Duan He had specially been placed under Duan Jin in Ye Suijin's personal guard. As a forr regular soldier who had campaigned against bandits and fought bravely at Fangcheng, he was clever. Hearing Ye Suijin's yell, he was the first to reply: "Executed on the spot!"
Duan Jin unsheathed his saber with a loud clang: "Deserters will be beheaded before the battle formation!"
With a chorus of clangs, steel sabers were unsheathed, spreading out like waves. The veterans were quick to draw their blades: "Beheaded before the battle formation!"
The new recruits' panic was replaced by the heat rising in their blood. They were a beat slower at drawing their swords: "Beheaded before the battle formation!"
The husky, coarse voices of the n mixed with the cold tallic friction, raising goosebumps on the backs of necks.
In this atmosphere, even people's eyes took on a different look.
Ye Fourth Uncle instinctively rubbed his arms to smooth down the goosebumps.
Before Ye Suijin's departure, Fourth Uncle had instructed: "Co back soon, okay?"
"It won't delay the soybean harvest," Ye Suijin said.
Fourth Uncle said, "Go early and return early, save so rations. These horses eat people alive!"
Fifth Son Ye rolled his eyes in exasperation: "Dad, stop pinching pennies!"
"I'm not pinching pennies," Fourth Uncle put his hands on his waist. "I'm the junior prefect, if you weren't acting as head of household, you wouldn't know the prices of firewood, rice, oil and salt. Stop farting around."
Ye Suijin laughed out loud, praising Fourth Uncle: "Fourth Uncle is becoming better and better at managing the household. Our family is poor, we have to carefully budget to get by."
Fourth Uncle: "That's right!"
He rembered and instructed Ye Suijin again: "Money cos second, don't miss out on any good horses, destriers or chargers, bring them all back!"
At the outset of the Battle of Fangcheng, Fourth Uncle was overjoyed at the prospect of looting treasure and riches.
But soon after, Ye Suijin appointed him as junior prefect of Deng Prefecture, putting local defense, taxes, armory, saddlery and horse-breeding under these uncles' managent. Fourth Uncle calculated accounts daily until his head shone, wishing he could split every penny in half to make it stretch further.
He later realized that the most precious spoils of Fangcheng were not the gold, silver and treasure, but the horses.
Back then, Du Jinzhong's gang had taken many of Xuanhua's military horses. Although the best warhorses had left with the Commander-in-chief for the capital never to return, what remained were still military horses.
Du Jinzhong was a rough military man, useless at governing civilians, but he knew to take good care of horses. After all, what soldier doesn't love horses?
The horses bred under him were quite decent, proving there were capable horse-breeders under his command.
Obtaining this batch of seized horses made Xu Cripple bloom with joy, bragging that he would breed a batch of fine steeds for Ye Suijin.
But breeding horses was not sothing to be rushed, so Fourth Uncle specially instructed Ye Suijin.
After the instructions, Ye Suijin struck camp and set off.
In truth, for low-ranking soldiers, fighting wars was often confusing. They simply went wherever their superiors ordered them, fighting whoever they were told to fight. Sotis they didn't even know where they were going, or who they were fighting.
It was not uncommon for them to quietly ask their superiors along the way: "Who are we going to fight?"
The superior would say: "To suppress bandits."
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