Chapter 17 Barracks are busy with military exercises and preparations
When we returned to the military camp, it was time for the regiment members to move around freely.
Dong Shuheng hurriedly summoned the battalion company commander to come to a meeting and explained. In short, everyone should be in the best mental state. The regiment members put on clean spare clothes and tidied up their own housekeeping. Dong Shuheng also asked people to use straw men to do it.
A simple actual shooting range was built.
I specially added cabbage and pork vermicelli for lunch. After all, the conditions are limited now, and the group can't guarantee that there will be meat for every meal. It would be nice to have broth every now and then. After this meal of meat, everyone's mental state will rise by at least ten points.
It was lunch break time next, and Dong Shuheng let the group members work and rest as usual. There was no need to be prepared for the day ahead.
At around two o'clock in the afternoon, the regiment members standing guard outside the camp came to report that Lord Zhizhou's honor guard had arrived. Dong Shuheng quickly took the guard squad and several battalion commanders to greet him. At noon, Dong Shuheng summoned Cai Shusen back. The mouse had been caught.
, there is no need for Cai Shusen to waste any more time, but Cai Shusen's whole morning at least proved that there was no fish that slipped through the net around the military camp.
Wei Yuan led a group of gentry, and saw a neat camp outside the town from a distance. The regiments standing guard around the camp were neat and orderly. When he got closer, he saw that these regiments were dressed very strangely, with colorful clothes.
, indeed without any sense of beauty. However, the muskets on each person’s back were shiny and shiny, obviously well maintained.
When they came closer, Dong Shuheng was already waiting in line with the welcoming team. Dong Shuheng stepped forward and greeted everyone one by one. However, everyone's eyes were staring at the surrounding group members and looking up and down.
Dozens of regiment members at the door stood neatly in two rows, standing tall and straight, looking intently. Most of them carried long muskets, and a few regiment members had strange short muskets inserted into their waistbands.
There are five strange "hammers" with wooden handles stuck on each person's back, and I don't know what they are used for.
"Your Excellency and all the gentry, please follow the juniors to the camp for a talk." Dong Shuheng said to everyone.
In a spacious tent in the middle of the military camp, everyone took their seats one by one. Dong Shuheng said apologetically: "The conditions in the army are simple. I hope Lord Wei and all the gentry will show their kindness."
"Nephew Dong Xian, have you ever recognized me? I was a salt merchant with your father back then. The last time I saw you, you were still a little baby!" He Zhangcheng said at this time, they are also from a salt merchant family.
There is some connection between them.
"Oh, it turns out to be Uncle He Shi. Please pay homage to my nephew." Dong Shuheng stood up quickly to greet him.
With this relationship, everyone can talk openly.
At this time, Wei Yuan said: "Shu Heng, let me tell you directly. The main reason you came here today is to hope that you can stay in Gaoyou for a few more days. We have received news that a group of water bandits who have defected to the Taiping Army are going to attack Gaoyou, and
Just in the past few days, there have been about four to five thousand people."
Everyone looked at Wei Yuan and secretly shouted in their hearts: "You have told everyone the number of water bandits. What if you scare them away?"
"Elders, to be honest, I'm not afraid of thousands of water bandits, and my regiment won't take them seriously just because they are a ragtag group of people." Dong Shuheng responded, "But this expedition is for imperial recruitment, and the gathering time is approaching.
, I can’t bear the loss of my life.”
"What should we do?" Everyone whispered among themselves.
"Hmph... They are just a group of gangsters who dare to talk nonsense. I think they are afraid of missing the deadline!" At this time, a discordant voice sounded. This person is the head of the Shi family. As a big family, the Shi family himself
There are hundreds of people practicing in the group, so naturally they don’t take Dong Shuheng seriously.
"Hey! The head of the Shi family must not be unreasonable." At this time, Wei Yuan reprimanded, and everyone also cast reproachful looks at the head of the Shi family. We are asking for help now, are you here to cause trouble?
"Everyone, since you have come to my camp today, the juniors have also prepared some programs to greet you." Dong Shuheng was not angry. In his eyes, these people are his customers, his God of Wealth. Customers are God. Who can talk to God?
Can't make it?
Dong Shuheng invited everyone to go outside the camp, where you can see the entire camp clearly. Then he said to Cai Shusen beside him: "Start the emergency gathering!"
Cai Shusen took out his whistle and blew a long sound, which reminded all the tents in the camp of the emergency assembly order. In less than two minutes, groups of regimental soldiers wearing the same military uniforms ran out of the tents in neat lines. They were next to them.
While running, they shouted "1, 2, 3, 4". Each small team gathered into small square formations, and finally the small square formations merged into three large square formations.
The commander of the first phalanx teaching battalion came out to report, then the commanders of the first and second battalions came out to report. Finally, the regiment leader Liu Qingnan reported to Dong Shuheng, and then Liu Qingnan gave the order: "Everyone is here, take a break...
…Stand at attention… Subjects include formation marching training, live-fire shooting training, grenade live-fire training, and assassination training.”
Everyone couldn't help but stare straight at the sight. This was probably more formal than the Shenji Camp in the capital. The formation training was okay, that is, it was relatively neat. The live-fire training was what everyone wanted to see most. Everyone followed the team to the shooting range.
, I saw the team lined up in three horizontal rows. The soldiers loaded their ammunition quickly. They used fixed-load ammunition and the loading speed was very fast.
"Three-stage salvo training!" an order was given.
A few hundred meters across was immediately filled with the smoke of gunpowder, and "pop, pop, pop..." came the sound of shooting like exploding beans. Everyone was shocked because the sound was too dense and it didn't stop for a moment.
, the bullets poured down on the dummy on the opposite side like a violent storm, throwing up bursts of grass clippings and sawdust. You must know that this is a distance of 300 meters, and the archers must be within at least 150 meters if they want to hit. And from their
Judging from the shooting frequency, the archers have no chance to get close to 200 meters. Not to mention the long-haired water bandits with big knives.
"Alternately advance and shoot..." Another whistle sounded, and a new command was issued. The regiment members began to advance alternately in platoon units, shooting once every five steps forward. The entire line began to move forward with an indomitable and oppressive momentum. Then
This momentum seemed to crush all living things in front of it.
When they reached fifty meters away from the straw man, all the regiment members took out the bayonets from their waists and skillfully installed them on the muzzles of their guns. The team began to sprint and fight. I saw them working in groups of three, some covering, some blocking,
Some thrusts. Under this combination, any opponent who fights alone is destined to be destroyed.
Finally, there was a live grenade training. Probably a company of soldiers used live ammunition. After all, they didn’t carry many grenades. I saw more than a hundred grenades thrown out across a low wall. A deafening explosion sounded.
The outside of the wall was filled with smoke. The gentry finally knew what this "hammer" was for, tmd, it turned out that each of them was carrying five thunderbolts! But this thing is much easier to use than thunderbolts? Many
People began to think about how to buy some back.
At the end of the performance, it was equivalent to inspecting the goods, and all the customers were very satisfied. But I only had the goods, so I had to raise the price.
"My dear nephew, I wonder how you can train such a strong army?" Master He asked, now he was consciously familiar with Dong Shuheng.
"Hey...for this group training, I invested all the money my father left me. I bought the best foreign weapons and hired foreign instructors at a high price. I spent nearly 1 million taels.
"Dong Shuheng said with a grimace.
"Hiss..." Everyone couldn't help but gasped. This kid is really a waste of money.
"Shu Heng, do you think this is okay? I will write a letter to the prefect to explain the situation. Anyway, they are just sending the bandits away, so you don't have to worry. As for all the military expenses, we are out of Gaoyou City." Wei Yuan stood up and said.
Everyone looked at Wei Yuan and said secretly: "You just decided for us? You don't need to pay for our feelings. But besides this armed force, which other armed force can protect us?"
"Moreover, I will recommend you to do inspections in Gaoyou, train a city defense force in Gaoyou, and then be stationed in Gaoyou permanently." Wei Yuan continued.
This time everyone nodded in agreement. After all, everyone had seen it with their own eyes just now. If there were a thousand such soldiers in the city, even five hundred, they would be able to let everyone sleep peacefully. Even if there were long hairs coming to attack the city.
Not afraid anymore.
Dong Shuheng seems to be still hesitating...
"Nephew Dong Xian, give me some face. This time I will defend Gaoyou. My He family will contribute 100,000 taels of military expenses. Please agree to it." Lao He is the leader of the squires. He must take the lead to stand up and do something.
When it comes to blood, you must be generous, otherwise it will not be in line with the pattern of a big family.
Everyone talked to each other, and finally collected 500,000 taels of military expenses. Of course, this money will not be paid in one go. It will not be paid in full until the water bandits are defeated.
At this point, Dong Shuheng had no choice but to promise with all his heart that Gaoyou City would be safe and sound.
After another round of ingratiation, everyone left happily. Of course, the matter of defending the city was left to Dong Shuheng and Wei Yuan to worry about. Wei Yuan said, "Disciples will do their best" and pushed the whole matter to Dong Shuheng. He only agreed to the Gaoyou government office and the treasury.
Let him call it.
A master who had previously sent a message to Dong Shuheng was named Liu Wenyi, who was transferred to his side by Dong Shuheng. This man was a native of Gaoyou, a scholar, and he had a good understanding of the local customs.
The military camp also entered a state of combat readiness at this time. The regiment members were ready with all ammunition and materials for the battle and were on standby at any time. One hundred people were drawn from the three companies of the training camp and paired with local officers from the government and elites selected from the city patrol camp.
A strengthened reconnaissance company, brothers from the government office and the city patrol camp were mainly used as guides. The main direction of the investigation was to the west of Gaoyou City, the east bank of Gaoyou Lake, and the direction of the canal south of the city.
With the help of Master Liu, Dong Shuheng selected 500 kilograms of explosives from the arsenal of Gaoyou City. In addition, there were five squatting tiger cannons in the arsenal. Although they were old antiques, the cannon's close-range shotgun damage range was still
Objectively speaking, it can be used as a big sprayer in conjunction with the Mondigoni. These squatting tiger cannons reminded Dong Shuheng of the anti-explosion guns he often used in his previous life. This kind of gun has simple technology and strong melee capabilities. After returning, it can be trial-produced by the arsenal.