Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 50 Children's Training Camp (Seeking follow-up reading)
Lu Jin didn't know Cao Liangchen either.
However, in the late Yuan Dynasty, to have such a meaningful and serious name was already extraordinary.

What's more, Cao Liangchen brought his own troops with him. He was well-educated, could write and do arithmetic, ride horses and shoot arrows, and knew martial arts. No matter how you looked at it, he had met the qualifications to be an officer.

Lu Jin immediately appointed him as the battalion commander of the Fourth Regiment.

Historically, this man built a stronghold in Anfeng to protect himself against the Red Turban Army of Liu Futong from Fuyang. Later, for some unknown reason, he was incorporated into the Yuan court and sent to Jiangnan. Cao Liangchen only surrendered to Zhu Yuanzhang after he crossed the river and captured Nanjing.

This time it is different. He was pulled into the rebel camp by Yang Jing several years in advance. Now he is only 22 years old, about the same age as Yang Jing, and is at the age when he dares to fight and fight.

He built a stronghold in the village to protect himself, and had more than 300 young and strong men under his command. After Yang Jing found him, he followed Yang Jing to recruit strong men along the way, and gathered a total of more than 700 soldiers. With the addition of dozens of people, it was just right to form a combat battalion.

When the fourth officer arrived, Lu Jin immediately called Pu Ying, who was recruited from Luzhou, and Wu Fu from Liang County, and officially assigned them the number of the Fourth Regiment.

Yang Jing was the commander of the regiment, and he led a combat battalion. Pu Ying, Wu Fu, and Cao Liangchen each led a combat battalion, and they formed an auxiliary battalion, with a full staff of 4250 people. Training began immediately after the reorganization.

Yang Jing was very excited. The regiment commander promised by Lu Jin was finally confirmed. However, when he heard that the auxiliary battalion was still short of an officer, he immediately recommended him to Lu Jin.

"Marshal, I have a brother named Yang Huan. Although he is young, he is quite smart. Can we let him serve in the army and take charge of this auxiliary battalion?"

"Oh?" Lu Jin took a sip from the tea bowl and asked, "How old are you? Have you ever been to school?"

Yang Jing immediately introduced, "My brother is only fourteen years old. He has also studied a lot with me. He is competent in managing military roster and food supplies. However, he is a little young, so I want him to gain experience in the auxiliary barracks."

After hearing this, Lu Jin pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Since you have read a lot of military books, I think your brother is also well-educated. It is a bit of a waste of his talent to be in charge of the military camp, and he is also quite young."

Yang Jing became nervous when he heard this. Although relatives should be promoted to the right rank, asking his brother to be a battalion commander directly still seemed a bit power-hungry. The key point was that he was only 14 years old, which was indeed a bit young.

Just when Yang Jing thought there was no hope, Lu Jin came up with another twist.

"It's fine for him to serve in the army. In this case, don't let him manage the auxiliary barracks. It's better for him to stay with me. I plan to set up a training camp and let him be in charge."

Yang Jing was stunned when he heard this, and asked in confusion, "Training camp?"

Lu Jin smiled and explained, "It's like this, many of the generals in the army have children and relatives at home. They are still young and it is not convenient for them to follow the war, but if they are left alone in Luzhou, they are afraid that they will not be able to become talents.

"So I wanted to train these soldiers, and not let them fight for the time being. I put them together to study and learn, and then I would teach them some other skills, so that they can stand on their own in the future.

"Your brother is only 14 years old, neither too old nor too young, and he is well-educated. He can be a good role model for them."

Yang Jing suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. This is a good idea. The officers in the army can feel more at ease. Otherwise, if they are fighting outside and their children are not well disciplined, who knows what they will become in the future.

"What about this auxiliary battalion?"

"You are also in charge of the auxiliary barracks. Don't be lazy and take on the responsibilities you should shoulder." Lu Jin said immediately with a stern face.

"Yes!"

The military commander should be more powerful! You are only in charge of the regiment headquarters, with dozens of personal soldiers, and you don't even have your own combat troops. Who of your generals will listen to you?

Moreover, Lu Jin's army was recruited from all over the place, and there was a lack of coordination between the generals. At this time, it would be more conducive to command if the chief officer was stronger, so as to facilitate the rapid formation of combat effectiveness.

Therefore, for every regiment he organized, the commander of the regiment led a combat battalion. If there was a real shortage of officers, he would also lead the auxiliary battalion.

In Lu Jin's organization, each regiment had five battalions, four of which were combat battalions, and the auxiliary battalion was for miscellaneous tasks. They would chop wood and fetch water from the surrounding areas when setting up camp, repair equipment, and escort supplies while marching. Sometimes they even had to undertake some not very heavy combat tasks, which was equivalent to military logistics.

If the chief officer has his own combat battalion and is also in charge of food and fodder, then who in the other battalions would dare to disobey you?

As for the establishment of a training camp, there are two main considerations.

First, there are indeed quite a few children in the army. For example, Zhu Shou's younger brother Zhu Sijiu is only 7 years old. Although Liao Yongan's eldest brother Liao Yongqing died a long time ago, he left behind a nephew Liao Sheng, who is only 7 years old now. If Mu Ying were still alive, he would be about the same age at this time.

There was also the grandfather and grandson that Lu Jin met on the day he first arrived at Chaohu Navy. The grandfather was in his 50s and the grandson was only 12. What could you ask him to do at this age? And there were quite a few half-grown children like this.

It would be better to gather these children together to study. Secondly, he planned to train a technical officer team, especially artillery. Even a muzzle-loading smoothbore cannon that fired solid iron bullets was not something that a group of ancient illiterates who had never learned mathematics could understand.

It would be better to gather these children together and train them from a young age. After a few years, when these children are sixteen or seventeen years old, their own artillery will be almost built, and by then they will be able to take charge of the army.

It is a coincidence that hundreds of years later, there is a Hefei Artillery Academy right next to the University of Science and Technology of China. Lu Jin established the artillery academy hundreds of years in advance.
After arranging the formation of the Fourth Regiment, that afternoon, Lu Jin watched Zhang Wen lead the First Regiment to Hanshan to meet Zhao Pusheng.

Looking at the team gradually moving away, Lu Jin asked Ye Sheng who was following him.

"How many cavalry can you and Zheng Yong deploy for battle now?"

Ye Sheng immediately replied, "My lord, there are only 500 soldiers capable of fighting. The others have just been recruited and are still in training."

"Okay, then five hundred." Lu Jin nodded, "Gather them together and wait for orders. Zhang Wen and his men will go first, and you can set off at dawn tomorrow."

Ye Sheng frowned and asked in confusion, "My Lord, do you suspect that something bad will happen to them?"

Of course Lu Jin couldn't say that he was killing someone with a borrowed knife, so he pretended to analyze it.

"Zuo Junbi and Zhu Liangzu were defeated by me, and Luzhou and Lu'an were also captured by us. It is impossible that the imperial court had no reaction at all.

"The person closest to us right now is Kang Maocai, the Huaixi envoy in Heyang. If he makes any move, it's still a long way from us. I'm worried that they will attack Zhao Pusheng, but that's just my guess.

“After you set out tomorrow, don’t worry about anything else. Just keep an eye on Zhang Wen’s group. If they encounter Kang Maocai and have trouble escaping, you will appear and attack Kang Maocai’s rear team to cover Zhang Wen and his group’s retreat towards Luzhou.

"If nothing happens, you don't have to show up. Just think of it as a marching training."

Ye Sheng pondered the meaning of this order and immediately agreed, "Yes!"

The next morning, September 15th, the eleventh year of Zhizheng.

Yang Jing had sent his own brother over long ago. Looking at the polite 14-year-old boy Yang Huan in front of him, Lu Jin asked him with satisfaction.

"I heard from your brother that you have read a lot of books. Are you good at math?"

Yang Huan immediately replied, "General, I know a little bit and can use an abacus."

"Oh? You can also use an abacus?"

Lu Jin was a little curious. The Zhang Yunxiu he met before could also use an abacus, and now Yang Huan could use it too. Did the Yuan Dynasty already begin to popularize abacus education?
Hearing Lu Jin's doubtful voice, Yang Huan answered immediately.

"General, there is a primer called 'Newly Compiled Four-Word Relatives', which contains abacus content. It is said that this book was written at the beginning of the country and is already a well-known primer for children. Therefore, most people who read it know how to use the abacus."

"I see!"

There has been a lot of controversy about when the abacus came out. Some say it came from the Tang Dynasty, while others say it came from the Song Dynasty. Why? Because in the painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival, there is an abacus on the table in front of a drugstore.
However, the generally accepted view is that the abacus may have been born in the Tang Dynasty, matured in the Song Dynasty, and began to be widely promoted in the Yuan Dynasty. It has been included as one of the compulsory learning contents for children's enlightenment.

By the Ming Dynasty, people were using abacus to find roots and squares.
"Yes, it seems that you have a good foundation. Then follow me for the time being. I will teach you a set of Gongshu Suanjing, my Gongshu clan's book. You learn it first, and when you have mastered it, you can be responsible for teaching others."

"Yes." Yang Huan agreed immediately.

So Lu Jin asked him to prepare bamboo pens, rulers and other things. Not long after, Zhang Yunxiu also sent the child Zhu Sijiu over.

Just as Lu Jin was about to lead the ancients of this era and jump into the big pit of mathematics, the guards outside the door suddenly came to report.

"General, Zhu Liangzu arrived outside the west gate and said he wanted to see you, but the soldiers guarding the gate didn't let him in. Should we summon him?"

Lu Jin laughed when he heard this. This guy had been so arrogant for so long, but he still couldn't escape from his grasp. He immediately said, "Let him come, but he is not allowed to bring any weapons."

"Yes!"

I wish all babies of different ages a happy Children's Day. There is one more chapter today (doge)

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(End of this chapter)