Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 6: The Mandarin Duck Formation Begins to Show Its Power

Although Lu Jin could not break the city immediately, he analyzed the situation to the Chaohu generals and proposed a set of feasible solutions, which made several people take it seriously.

But whether he can gain recognition from the generals depends on his performance in the future.

As for joining the army, the few of them discussed it. In view of the talents shown by Lu Jin, and the fact that Zhang Wen and Zhu Shou admired him, and they had agreed before that the three of them would stick together, they made Lu Jin the eighth captain.

Zhang Wen and Zhu Shou became officers under Lu Jin, in charge of the 800 soldiers they brought with them.

Zhang Wen immediately expressed that he had no objection. Zhu Shou's brother was sent back by Lu Jin, so he would definitely not object.

Then Liao Yongan suggested that the older Yu Tingyu should go back with Zhang Wen first, and after they had packed their luggage, Yu Tonghai would bring a thousand soldiers and oxen and horse carts to help Zhang Wen move and bring people over in the evening.

It was really tragic. Zuo Junbi relied on his cavalry to do evil everywhere, and the Chaohu Red Army did not dare to move during the day.

"Brother Lu, what do you think of my soldiers?"

On the shore of Chaohu Lake, Zhang Desheng gathered his one thousand soldiers and divided them into ten groups, with each hundred households placed in one group. Everyone wore a red headscarf, but there was no formation at all.

Other generals from Chaohu were also nearby, waiting for Lu Jin to teach them his "ancestral formation".

After getting used to seeing the military parade formations in later generations, Lu Jin said that he was about to get obsessive-compulsive disorder. These formations are not even as neat as those of primary school students.

Lu Jin walked in front of the crowd one by one. Several centurions under Zhang Desheng looked at him, some with curiosity, some eager to try, and some with disdain.

But most of the soldiers under their command had numb expressions and wore tattered clothes. Many of them wore straw sandals, and some were barefoot. They had basically no morale at all.

Coming up to an old man with a hoe and a white beard, Lu Jin asked, "How old are you this year, old man?"

"I'm not very old. I'm fifty-two this year." The old man opened his mouth and found two missing teeth.

Only 52, that's really not big. Lu Jin's father is almost years old, and he is still working on the Indonesian high-speed rail. He often goes to the construction site, and he looks like he is in his s.

But this is ancient times. The 52-year-old uncle in front of me looks like he is in his s or s. The wrinkles on his face are full of vicissitudes, and his cloudy eyes are lifeless.

"Why did the old man come here to serve as a soldier?" Lu Jin asked curiously.

"I'm from Linhuai. A few years ago, there was a flood and I lost my home. I fled with my children. When we got back, there was another drought. After the drought, there was a locust plague. After the locust plague, there was a plague. My whole family died, and I'm the only one left."

As he spoke, the old man patted a little boy next to him who looked only eleven or twelve years old and was holding a javelin.

"I fled to Chaohu with my child. The Red Army gave us food and asked us to fight the government, so we helped. The government was not good, so if we were gone, we would be gone. I just hope this child can carry on the family line for us."

Since the Jin and Yuan dynasties were rare warm periods in history, the 400 mm precipitation line moved northward, rice could be grown around Beijing, and rainfall in the Central Plains region also generally increased.

In 1344, in the fourth year of the Zhizheng reign, torrential rains hit Henan, Huaibei and western Shandong regions. The rains continued for 20 days. The Baimao Dam in Cao County, located in the center of the universe, burst, flooding thousands of miles. Historical records recorded that "the water accumulated on the flat ground for several feet"!
Can you imagine that in Zhengzhou, a rainstorm occurs every hour in the West Lake? What would the scene be like if such rainfall continues for 20 days in a row?
Whenever Lu Jin thought of that scene, he felt a chill down his spine.

What was the Yuan court’s attitude towards this matter?
What? Flood? Did it disrupt the canal transportation? No.

Did it destroy the coastal saltworks? No.

No matter.
It was not until a few years later, when the Yellow River floods became increasingly out of control and were about to reach Dadu, and the salt fields along the Hebei coast were also destroyed, that the grain and salt taxes, which were most important to Dadu, were suddenly cut off. Only then did the Yuan court think of controlling the river.

However, the people in Henan and Huaibei, despite the court's indifference in recent years, have suffered from floods, droughts, locusts and plagues. They really have no way to survive. It was also during this period that Zhu Yuanzhang went from being a farmer's son to a vagrant beggar.

Lu Jin took a deep breath and looked at the child next to him, "How old are you?"

"I'm 12 years old. I can fight. I don't eat for free." The child was smart. Maybe he saw that Lu Jin thought he was too young, so he quickly puffed out his chest and made a fierce expression.

This guy is still a primary school student!!!

Lu Jin patted him on the shoulder and continued looking, and found that there were many similar child soldiers and old soldiers.

Weapons were also varied, with farm tools accounting for the majority. Anyone with a proper broadsword, spear, or the like was already an officer. As for armor, that stuff was not even enough for a few thousand-household generals.

"The army is in disarray and has no morale. There are too many old and weak soldiers. We must cut down on the old and weak. Those over 45 and under 15 should all be laid off." Lu Jin looked around and came back to comment.

"But we don't have many people to begin with. If there are fewer, our momentum might be weakened." Liao Yongan frowned.

"What's the point of showing off? Now we are showing off by hiding in the lake? We will show off our strength when we capture Luzhou City!" Lu Jin immediately retorted. "Quality is more important than quantity. We need troops that can fight. If we send old and weak troops like this, one person will retreat and the whole army will be in chaos. If one team is in chaos, the whole army will be broken. Keeping them will only cause trouble.

"Besides, we are not chasing them away. We can organize the old and weak into a team to strengthen the army, wave flags and shout slogans, and transport food and fodder. They can also be used in these matters."

Liao Yongan thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then I'll listen to Brother Lu and eliminate the old and weak. What about the military formations and weapons?"

"Call 10 centurions over here. I'll teach you a set of 'Honghu Stepping Exercises' and squad formations. As for weapons, is there a bamboo forest nearby?"

"Yes, we also use bamboo poles to row the boat."

"That's no problem. I need two bamboos that are more than three years old. They must be strong and tough. They must be cut down with leaves and branches. They must be at least two meters long. I also need two sword and shield players, one with a long shield and one with a round shield. The long shield must be able to cover the whole person and can be tied with thick bamboo strips. The round shield can be made of a large bamboo hat or a pot lid."

Lu Jin quickly explained the equipment needed for the Mandarin Duck Formation. This was indeed the most suitable formation at present. With some farm tools such as bamboo, pot lids, and hayforks, a Mandarin Duck Formation could be put together.

As for the so-called "Honghu" drill, it is the same as the modern marching system. This thing has existed in China since the pre-Qin period, but the various commands were called differently. It was introduced again from Germany in modern times. Prussia called it "goose step". The soldiers' posture of holding their heads and chests out is very similar to that of a goose.

But goose sounds so bad. Swan is also a goose. In ancient times, it was also called honghu. How can a sparrow know the ambition of a honghu? Changing the name will make it look more impressive!

An hour later, all the Chaohu generals looked at the initially formed Beggar's Version of the Mandarin Duck Formation with strange expressions on their faces.

"With just this bamboo, pot lid and pitchfork, will this work?" Zhang Desheng asked doubtfully.

"You will know if you try. Spear, sword or shield, you can pick any one and give it a try to see if you can break in." Lu Jin stood in the middle captain position, holding a bamboo pole with a triangular flag and said with a smile.

"Okay, then I'd like to try it. You all have long weapons, and it will be too disadvantageous to use a short knife. I'll use a spear." Zhang Desheng said eagerly.

"can."

Lu Jin agreed and turned to give instructions to the players on both sides.

"Pay attention to the defense of the wolf-whip. Don't think of stabbing people with the wolf-whip. Just defend against the opponent's weapons.

"The spearmen at the back, you must keep a close eye on the enemy in front. Once you see the opponent's weapon being suppressed by the wolf-whip, immediately rush up and stab him, then immediately retreat behind the wolf-whip, strike and then run away. If you miss, wait for the next opportunity.

"The spears and rakes in the back row are mainly used to defend the two sides. If the enemy attacks from both sides, use the rakes or pitchforks to defend, and the spears in the back row will immediately thrust forward. Do you understand?"

"understand!"

When Zhang Desheng saw that Lu Jin was ready, he shouted "Here I come", and rushed up with a bamboo pole.

As a result, two wolf-whips were facing him from both sides. Moreover, these things were extremely long, and had messy bamboo branches, which blocked all the attack routes. He couldn't find a breakthrough for a while.

When he tried to attack the wolf-whip, the wolf-whip immediately pressed down, pressing down his spear. At this time, a bamboo pole suddenly sprang out from the wolf-whip's messy branches and stabbed his chest, making Zhang Desheng stagger. It was simply impossible to defend himself.

Seeing this, Lu Jin immediately shouted, "You are dead."

"That's interesting. I'll give it a try."

Seeing this, Liao Yongzhong also came up with a bamboo pole. He thought that there were two wolf-whips in front of him, which would be difficult to attack, so he tried to attack from the side.

It turned out to be almost the same. He still had to face the wolf-whip, and there were more long weapons on the side. He had to face a wolf-whip, two spears, and a boring rake at the same time. Liao Yongzhong attacked once, but was stabbed by two spears at the same time, which was even worse than Zhang Desheng.

Liao Yongzhong rubbed his stomach and chest where he was stabbed, and became more interested. "It seems that one person can't break his formation. Brothers, attack together. Desheng and I will attack the right side. Tonghai and Tongyuan, you guys attack the front. Zhongzhong and Zhaoyong, you guys attack the left side.

"I just don't believe it. We can't even defeat a formation made of bamboo!"

A minute later, the winner was decided, and all six generals were "killed in battle", but Lu Jin's Mandarin Duck Formation also suffered damage.

The newly formed team was not familiar with the formation and was attacked from three sides at the same time, so it was inevitable that they were in a mess. The boring and rake player on the left wing was stabbed and "killed", and a knife and card player on the front was stabbed in the thigh and "seriously injured".

Liao Yongan, who had been watching the show nearby, had his eyes shining with excitement.

"Brother Lu, does this formation have a name?"

"This formation is divided into left and right wings, and both sides are identical, so it is called the 'Mandarin Duck Formation'!" Lu Jin introduced immediately.

(End of this chapter)