In the second year of Guanghe, at the end of March, Jiyin County.
At night, Xue's wall outside Chengyang County.
It was already dark at this time, but everyone was still excited. Zhang Chong asked someone to set up a few torches on the stage and listened carefully to Du Man's suggestions.
After Ding Sheng finished making jokes and saying useless things.
Duman, who had always been the most resourceful member of the team, spoke out what Zhang Chong was thinking.
Only Visible Degree Man said:
"Everyone, think about it, why did the leader ask these three questions? As he said at the beginning, these are all important issues related to our survival.
First, first, what are our next steps?
Have you forgotten that there are soldiers from the Li clan chasing us behind us? There will even be soldiers from counties and villages in the future who will become our enemies.
Now we have broken through the Xue family wall and have captured something.
But according to the original plan to lurk in the Reed Lake, we cannot take these things away with our pack transport.
And even if we carry it, it will slow down our speed and attract the attention of the surrounding water pirates.
When the time comes, there are pursuers in front and tigers and wolves inside, and it will be difficult to survive.
But if you don't leave, stay here in Xuejiabi.
Although this place is considered hidden, it is still too close to Chengshi.
Before, we checked the entrances in the wall and found out that one Ding and one young man of the Xue family escaped.
At that time, all they have to do is contact relatives and friends or go to the government office directly, and then we will be in danger here in Xuejiabi.
Therefore, whether to go or stay, we all need to discuss it together. Do you understand?"
After listening to Duman's words, everyone became nervous. It turned out that they and others were still in danger.
Zhang Chong was very satisfied. He added some details and said:
"I previously read through the letters of the Xue family and nearby families, and it turned out that they were victims of the party's imprisonment and fled here.
So there is a high probability that they will not go to the government office.
Some of you may not know what a party member and a party prisoner are, but that doesn't matter.
The important thing is that these people are wanted by the government and will not fall into the trap themselves.
But that doesn't mean we are safe because we have internal worries.
The reason why I ask the second question is to consider this.
There are now sixty-five of us in total, and three of us were injured during the attack on the wall during the day.
In addition, we need someone to look after the warehouse, and there may only be forty people actually looking after the prisoners.
But how many Dingkou are there now?
According to the numbers given by the younger brother, there are 210 male and female relatives, 46 male and female relatives, and there are also young and old.
There are so many people, we simply can't keep an eye on them.
And as long as one of them escapes under the cover of night and goes to warn other nearby powerful docks, then we will be in danger.
So how to deal with the prisoners has become another matter.
Also, the third question I raised is the rectification of our team.
Why do I say this?
When we attacked the wall today, I discovered that we really didn't have any rules.
For example, Chen Huan and I broke through the wall first, but then no team followed closely.
There were also people who were originally going to attack the granary, but suddenly they followed the others and ran to seize the prisoners. The whole situation was chaotic.
This time we were lucky enough to behead the enemy first. These Xue family disciples were frightened and allowed us to get off the dock wall smoothly.
But what happens in the future? If we encounter a serious enemy, we will suffer big losses. So I asked everyone what to do."
If Du Man's speech made everyone nervous, then Zhang Chong's speech made everyone think.
Yang Mao has the most experience in the military. He pointed out the key to the third question using the military as an example.
He pointed out that when using troops, the system must be established first. If the system is established first, the soldiers will not be in chaos. If the soldiers are not in chaos, the punishment will be clear.
It's a very simple thing. Everyone on the battlefield is afraid of death. If there is no institutional restraint, if one person leaves and a thousand people run away, the army will inevitably be overthrown and the general will be killed.
But if there are golden drums and flags, and there are many tribes and troops, and the people are single-minded, then the brave can't advance alone, and the timid can't retreat alone. This is what Sun Wu called the method of using the crowd.
Then he suggested to Zhang Chong that now that we have sixty-five people, we can organize it into a group of five people and horses, including fifteen people from the Tunbu and ten people from each group.
We don't have golden drums and flags now, but fortunately there are few people and shouting is enough, so there is no rush.
Zhang Chong thought about Yang Mao's suggestion.
What Yang Mao mentioned is exactly the current organization of economic divisions in the Eastern Han Dynasty army, so that it can be easily understood and accepted by everyone.
He did not rashly innovate the so-called military system, or install any miscellaneous titles, because he was worried that he would be regarded as a grass-roots establishment and be looked down upon.
Now when reorganizing the army, we might as well start with a unit-based system, and we must eat our food one bite at a time.
After thinking about it, Zhang Chonghuan looked at the people present and began to order generals on the spot.
"Okay, just do as Damao said. This time we were trapped in the battle, everyone present was brave, and I will reward you based on your merits.
First up is Chen Huan, who climbed up first with me.
I will let you be as good at archery as you want, and I will simply select ten people from the team who can use bows and crossbows. If you are dissatisfied, you can choose someone to teach you, and keep the enemy at a distance of a hundred steps.
Then there is Yang Mao, who is good at military affairs. I will appoint you as the second commander of the Tunbu to assist me in military affairs.
Wang Zhang and Li Wu are the corps commanders of our garrison, and we have selected fifteen brave men to serve as our garrison.
After that came Ding Sheng and Heifu.
The two of you fight bravely and fight to the death. I will also let you two be as good as you are, and choose twenty people who are good at using the ring-shou sword to serve as the troops in the battle, fighting with the enemy in a small space.
Next comes Zhang Dan. You are smart and willful, and I will let you do whatever you want. I will choose ten men to use spears and spears to hold the enemy within fifty steps.
Finally, my younger father, Zhang Bingnan, has always been prudent and good at management. I will let you be the leader of the baggage. I will also choose ten people who are not good at fighting to make fires to cook, escort the baggage, and use all the big animals."
After saying that, Zhang Chong looked at the last person, Du Man.
"Finally, Duman, who is wise and resourceful, I will appoint you as counselor of the garrison, assisting in managing military aircraft and all general affairs."
Finally, Zhang Chong looked at everyone affectionately:
“A man cannot stand without a name, and an army cannot be famous without a name.
From today on, we will set up a flag and call it General Shi.
From now on, you will call me Qu Kui in the army. Externally, you will call us General Shi's team.
I hope that everyone can remember the oath made in the forest the day before yesterday and work hard together!"
After saying that, he made a fist with his right hand and stood up.
"Work hard" everyone clenched their right fists and stood up.
Everyone laughed.
Zhang Chong pointed to the prisoner's mouth below again and asked everyone if anyone had any idea?
Everyone shook their heads. Some of them really had no solution, and some had solutions, but they dared not say it.
For example, if you can't let him go and you can't control him, then you can't kill him? Killing him can also help strengthen the courage of the brothers.
But after getting along with each other these days, everyone who thinks like this knows that Zhang Chong would not do this.
Since the person in charge doesn't accept it, why bother saying it? It's not to make yourself uncomfortable.
Duman hesitated for a while and asked Zhang Chong uncertainly:
"What do you think? Everyone probably doesn't have a clue right now. Since Qu Kui said it, he must have an idea. Why don't you talk to everyone."
"Okay" Zhang Chong stopped hiding it.
"In addition to reading the Xue family's letters, I also carefully asked about the conditions of these prisoners.
Even though there are more than 200 people in Dingkou, the staff is actually quite complex.
I roughly broke it down:
The first is the core members of the Xue family, which has the smallest number, about twenty people. These people are generally hostile to us.
When we entered the wall, they resisted the most fiercely, so some of their relatives died at our hands.
Then there are the tribes and slaves of the Xue family, about a hundred people, generally strong and strong.
The most loyal among this group of people had already died when we came in, and the rest were considered submissive.
The last one is people like Tian Dayong.
They were all people from nearby settlements, either as tenant farmers or as slaves, or they were desperate and sold into slavery.
They generally hate Xue the most.
But it cannot be generalized, because some people will be grateful to the Xue family for giving them a bite of millet and then give up.
Those who have these thoughts must also be selected and put into the first category.
According to this division, we can treat them differently.
For the first category, we strictly control it.
Then for the second category, we gave them all the Xue family's land to create a confrontation between the two.
The third category is what we have to fight for.
Now the grain in the granary is enough for us to eat, and the excess can be taken home by the disciples and distributed to nearby settlements.
This way you can both keep them alive and gain their support.
We need to reorganize our time here, and it is untenable without these local mountain sheds as our eyes and ears."
"What do you think?" After finishing speaking, Zhang Chong asked his dumbfounded companions again.
"Brother Chong, no, Qu Kui is really tall. With such a division, it is really clear who we need to help and who we need to be wary of. It is clear at a glance. I, Zhang Dan, have nothing to say."
It was not just Zhang Dan who had nothing to say. Everyone in the group had never heard of such a manipulating person for the first time.
It stands to reason that Qu Kui is just a farmer, so why is he so wise? It can only be attributed to God's gift.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhang Chong made the final conclusion:
"Then for the three questions I raised, let's do this next.
First, Yang Mao took Chen Huan, Hei Fu, Wang Zhang, Li Wu and other five people as trainers.
You are fully responsible for the compilation of this training sequence. The requirements are to clear the flag, practice the equipment, and be familiar with the formation.
Then the young father will lead and organize the baggage team, and then he will be allowed to take out the captured women and children, and send them to make more flags with food.
Yang Mao and I will discuss the style of the flag later and then draw a picture for you.
After that, Du Man led a team to manage the three types of prisoners in separate accounts according to the classification I mentioned above.
Especially the third type, the home is a nearby slave and slave, you must fight for it.
Then you and Zhang Dan will coordinate the necessities such as salt and millet and send them to nearby settlements.
Anyone who defected to the army would be sent to Yang Mao for training first.
Finally, we will repair and prepare our weapons here at Xuejiabibi, and then decide on the next route. Do you understand?"
"Promise" everyone responded.
"Then let's do this tonight. We will set up tents in this wheat field to rest. The prisoners will take care of their food and stabilize their emotions. Tomorrow morning, everyone will perform their duties as I said."
Then, everyone dispersed.
An acquaintance on the other side asked if he knew how to use a bow, and on the other side he asked if he knew how to use a knife.
The scene was still messy, but full of hope.
This long day is over.
Some people are laughing, some are crying, there is no such thing as joy or sorrow in the world.