Poison Doctor Roaming the Martial World

“The strategy of ‘sparse formation’ and ‘multiple formations’ is a tactic of infantry fighting against chariots, where small mixed infantry units fight independently in ranks of ten or five.”

"The wild goose formation is a special tactic for crossbowmen, its advantage being to increase the density of their frontal long-range firepower. There are many types of crossbows. The one you got last time was a repeating crossbow, which can fire ten arrows at once and can also control the number of arrows. It is quite difficult to manufacture and has a limited production. There are also some crossbows that are simple to manufacture and have a long range that can be mass-produced. After I finish explaining this, you can find Songyin and have her take you to the armory. There are many crossbows there. If you want to learn how to manufacture crossbows, then find Zihe."

Yang Zihe finally had a chance to make his presence known. "Brother Mo, besides crossbows, I can also make a lot of other weapons. I've been interested in weapons since I was little, and my sister taught me. I've really inherited her skills."

Mo Ye and the others were amused by Yang Zihe's appearance. Yang Jianwu, as his older sister, gave him enough sense of security, so he could be completely guileless.

Yang Jianwu lightly patted Yang Zihe's head, "You died from talking too much, you perished from having a sharp tongue!!"

Yang Zihe stuck out his tongue and wisely shut his mouth.

Yang Jianwu continued, "Xuanxiang, the hook attack is more complicated. Only well-trained soldiers can use it freely and with great power. It is equivalent to the coordination of a large army. Taking Xuanxiang as an example, crossbowmen are in the front line and retreat after firing. Chariot soldiers are on the flanks, halberdiers are in the middle, and spearmen are in the rear. It is about attacking wave after wave."

"The Hook Formation is the standard ultimate formation for chariot troops. The chariot troops are arranged at both ends of the hook, and crossbowmen, halberds, spearmen and other types of troops are placed in the middle. The attack is launched from the middle first, followed by the chariot troops in the columns on both sides, and then the halberd troops and other group troops follow up."

……

After Yang Jianwu finished explaining several formations, the silk cloth was already covered with simple layouts of various formations. "In addition, there are all sorts of formations. For example, the 'Cloud Formation' is used for shooting, the 'Yingwei Formation' is used to surround the enemy, the 'Hesui Formation' is used for surprise attacks, and the 'Fengkui Formation' is used to attack mountains. In short, there are no fewer than 20 formations in total."

Yang Jianwu gestured to Hongnan and Hongbei to remove the painted silk cloth, and Hongdian, being perceptive, took out a new silk cloth and laid it out.

"Let's talk about military discipline. When it comes to formation, the first thing is to discipline the troops. Soldiers should be able to understand the concept of attacking when the drum sounds and retreating when the gong sounds. As for the specific formation, whether to attack directly or outflank is decided by the squad leader and other lower-ranking officers by looking at the military flag."

This piece of silk is not painted, but written, somewhat like the key points a teacher gives in class.

"Each squad is a small fighting unit. Crossbowmen stand in the first rank, retreating to the back during close combat; shield bearers stand in the second rank, moving to the first rank when the two armies exchange fire; below them are three long weapons: halberd, spear, and lance. The halberd is at the front, mainly used for sweeping attacks, primarily against enemy chariots and horses; the spear can be used for both sweeping and thrusting, making it a multi-functional unit; and the lance is mainly used for thrusting, primarily for attacking the enemy. Each squad advances in a column. Individual heroism is strictly prohibited; to put it more directly, reckless bravery is not allowed."

"I won't go into detail about weapons. Each weapon has its advantages, and they can only achieve the greatest effect when used in combination."

Yang Jianwu emphasized the words "skills" and "discipline" on the silk cloth. "Another point is that soldiers must have high combat skills and a strong sense of discipline, especially in some sophisticated formations. It is important to ensure that the formations can effectively restrain them and that the generals can effectively deploy the formations they want, which are most suitable for the battlefield situation and the balance of power between the two sides."

"In summary, excellent troop deployment and effective battle formation are both indispensable. No matter how strong the strategy or how sudden the surprise attack, it will be in vain if the soldiers do not follow the rules."

Mo Ye recalled the news he had received that all the villagers who entered the formation never came out again. The formation that Xiao Wu'er mentioned was suitable for large-scale battles, and it seemed that there was no formation that could trap people as mentioned in the news.

With the safety of the entire army at stake, it's best to get to the bottom of this. "Little Wu'er, which of these formations was developed by the Southern Yue National Preceptor...?"

Yang Jianwu finished speaking for him, "You want to ask if that kind of formation can trap people?"

Mo Ye nodded. "This concerns the life and death of the entire army, and I must sort it out."

Yang Jianwu took out some items from the cabinet behind her, including a Bagua diagram, five-emperor coins, a luminous pearl, and a Pixiu figurine...

Following the principle of asking questions when you don't understand, Hong Dian asked, "Miss Yang, what are these things used for?"

Yang Jianwu tossed Hongdian a string of five-emperor coins, saying, "There is a kind of formation called feng shui formation. They are widely believed to be able to change the energy flow of a region, thereby affecting the fortune and life of the local people."

Hong Dian burst out laughing, playing with the Five Emperors Coins in his hand. "Miss Yang, isn't that what fortune tellers do?" Although the others were also puzzled, they didn't dare to laugh like Hong Dian.

Yang Jianwu nodded, "You're right. People usually consult feng shui masters because they want to pray for good things. But some formations are for things that are not good."

Hong Dian then asked, "Since feng shui formations are mostly for changing things, how can they trap people within them?"

Yang Jianwu applauded Hong Dian, "That's a good question. If you want to know why, then be quiet!"

Hongnan and Hongbei tried hard to suppress their laughter, feeling embarrassed for Hongdian, who always got into trouble because of his talkativeness.

Hong Dian's face stiffened. He thought he was going to be praised when he clapped. Sure enough, he died because he talked too much and was too sarcastic.

Yang Jianwu took out a dark pill. "Array formations emphasize the key point. In home feng shui arrays, auspicious objects are often used to enhance the formation. Outdoors, the structure of nature is needed. A tree, a flower, or a stone can all serve as the key point. Similarly, medicine can also be used. The gas emitted by this pill can cause hallucinations. Those who inhale it will be immersed in a dream. Using this pill as the key point, a simple array can trap everyone inside."

Mo Ye suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! Then, according to you, as long as we find and destroy the array's core, people can get out of the array?"

Yang Jianwu gave him an approving look. "That's right. Destroying the array's core breaks the array. Once the array is broken, why worry about people not being able to get out?"

Mo Ye was overjoyed and bowed to Yang Jianwu, saying, "Little Wu'er, thank you for your hard work these past few days, explaining these formations in detail. On behalf of the Dongli army, I thank you."

Yang Jianwu was so frightened that she jumped to the side. "Your Highness Prince Ning, I am unworthy of such a gift."

Mo Ye, however, was extremely serious. “Little Wu’er, the skill you are about to teach is a unique technique. There are very few people in the entire Cloud Sea Continent who know about it.”

Yang Jianwu didn't think she was anything special; she was just benefiting from others' fame. "Your Highness, you flatter me. Feng shui formations are a very mysterious thing, and their use requires great caution. If they are not used correctly, they can bring disastrous consequences. I am teaching you what I know so that in the future, when you encounter people who use formations to do evil, you will definitely take action to stop them."