Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

Liu Ye laughed and said, "Brother, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously. I've only been in the army for a few days. How can I lead an army..."

He Zhengqing said sternly, "Ye Zi, this is wrong. If a person wants to have a promising future, first look at his knowledge. The higher his knowledge, the higher his achievements will be. This is what the admiral once taught me. This is how my brother's life has been. At most, he can be a general, and it depends on his luck. But you are different. You have extraordinary knowledge and have made a big splash since joining the army. You have been appreciated by the adults. Add to that your unique skills, there is absolutely no problem! Do you think that just because you are an ordinary person, you can let the admiral take charge of the training of a military fortress like the North Fort with just a few words? In other tribes, an army of less than 500 people would be led by a mediocre battalion officer at most. But now it is led by a lieutenant general like me, and its importance can be seen!"

Liu Ye nodded. High-ranking officials with low qualifications have happened frequently in later generations, whether in politics or the military, and they always appear in key positions. Dagu Fort is the most important one.

He Zhengqing continued, "Alright, brother, since you've already made a plan, let's proceed as you wish. Just focus on training. I'll support you with everything else. Don't worry. This is the first mission the Admiral has given you, so make sure you do it well!"

He Zhengqing is indeed a kind-hearted person. He doesn't care at all about Liu Ye defeating him and losing face. Every word he says comes from the bottom of his heart, which makes Liu Ye feel warm in his heart.

Liu Ye replied, "Okay, big brother, don't worry. I won't let you down! First, select forty men from the army: twenty veterans and twenty new recruits. All must be under twenty-five. No older recruits. These are the ones I'll focus on training. You're most familiar with the barracks' inhabitants, so be sure to screen them carefully. They must be true men! Second, expel all soldiers who smoke opium from the barracks. I don't want a single one! This is my first step in enforcing discipline!"

He Zhengqing was shocked. Expelled from the barracks? This was no small matter. You know, two of his five captains were addicted to opium, and there were even more soldiers under him. All together, there must be no less than 70 or 80 people! If they were all expelled from the barracks, there might be a mutiny!

He Zhengqing hesitated and said, "Ye Zi, there's no need to be so harsh. After all, we are old brothers. Moreover, the North Fort is a military fortress, and the soldiers are double-paid. Many of them were sent in through connections! If we all expel us from the barracks, it will cause big trouble. The powerful dragon in the south suppresses the local snake. I'm afraid we will have a hard time in the army in the future..."

Liu Ye said in a deep voice: "Brother, there is no order without rules. Opium has completely devoured the spirit of these people. Not to mention charging into battle, they are lucky enough not to run away in front of the foreign devils. If more than a dozen people collapse, we will be completely unable to hold our ground. Defeat can only be our only outcome. Those who are listless and afraid of death must not be left alive. A single rat shit will ruin our good broth!"

this……

He Zhengqing was in a real dilemma this time. He could expel one or two people, but expelling all the opium addicts would mean seventy or eighty people! The responsibility was too great. Even a lieutenant general like him definitely didn't have the authority to make such a decision!

Seeing He Zhengqing in such a dilemma, Liu Ye sighed softly and said softly, "In that case, big brother, why don't we write a letter to the Admiral for instructions..."

"Yintang, what do you think?"

Senggelinqin asked, holding the letter in his hand.

Shi Rongchun replied, "Monk King, let's not talk about the South Fort for now. Just the North Fort alone has nearly a thousand soldiers under He Zhengqing's command, a total of ten stations. Among them, there should be no less than a hundred opium addicts, accounting for 10%. Some of them were recommended by the generals below or sent in through the back door. If they were all kicked out of the barracks, I'm afraid they would cause chaos, and it would also humiliate the people behind them. It's really hard to deal with..."

snort!

Senggelinqin snorted coldly and replied, "Back then, Lin Wenzhong pointed out the dangers of opium. It destroys the human body and spirit, and there is no one better than him. Opium should have been banned long ago. Unfortunately, the imperial court is weak and the Western military is strong, so we are unable to prevent it. But if we can't stop the foreigners from selling it, can we stop our people from smoking it? Liu Ye's words make sense. Dagukou is a key point in our national coastal defense. We absolutely cannot have a group of heavy smokers guarding it. If he wants to use the knife, let him do it!"

After receiving the military order from Senggelinqin, He Zhengqing immediately became happy. The old prince really gave him face.

He Zhengqing said with a smile: "Boy, now all the problems have been solved. The only thing left is to see how you train. This has alarmed the old prince. You have a lot of face. If you can't do it well, neither of us brothers will have a good life!"

Liu Ye replied, "Don't worry, big brother, I have already made plans. The first step is to enforce strict military discipline! I have written a small memorial outlining the training methods for this period. We will follow this rule. Anyone who violates military discipline will be severely punished. Soldiers who only harm the people are not worthy of being called soldiers! The second step is to train their courage. If soldiers want to be truly courageous, they must be based on discipline. Without discipline, they will just be a ragtag group! Our firearms are far inferior to those of the foreigners. If we want to win the battle, we need an indomitable spirit! Unyielding fighting spirit, big brother. If you can give me three months, I will show you a completely different army!"

Can the army be completely transformed in three months?

He Zhengqing really couldn't believe it. With his many years of military experience, he had a deep understanding of the formation of military combat effectiveness! Three months was enough to train the new recruits to be decent. As for the old soldiers, their problems might not be completely corrected! Those people were all thorns. This brother imagined things to be too simple!

He Zhengqing was a little unconvinced and replied, "Brother, don't be too ambitious. Three months? For an army, three months is not enough to accomplish anything! If you make such boasts, there will be no room for recovery!" He Zhengqing replied, "Brother, how long do you think it will take for these people to reach the standard of a brave and formidable army in your mind?"

Liu Ye pondered for a moment and replied, "Within a year, we can definitely become a strong army. Even the most elite army of the Qing Dynasty was no match for us! Unfortunately, we don't even have half a year, only two or three months at most..."