After more than ten days of trekking, Zuo Mengeng and his party finally arrived at Pu Tai.
The headquarters of the Second Division.
This was the first time Li Zhenli set foot on the battlefield, and she was originally very nervous.
But when she got off the carriage, she saw countless people running around and the faint smell of gunpowder smoke in the air. For some reason, she calmed down again.
At this point, she finally understood why Zuo Mengeng dared to lead a mere hundred or so people on the road.
It turns out that his military power has reached this point?
Mao Yuanyi, Zuo Yong, Zhang Zhong, Ning Weiping, Sun Yunliang and other senior generals have already been waiting here.
"Why did the commander-in-chief come here empty-handed and didn't bring us dumplings as a treat?"
As soon as they met, Mao Yuanyi started joking.
Zuo Mengeng hugged him and said with a smile: "Have you ever had a big fish or meat here? I still miss the dumplings."
Zuo Yong smiled and said: "The dumplings made by the commander himself, how can they be the same?"
"I dare to pack it, but do you dare to eat it?"
A group of people laughed, they were also afraid of Zuo Mengeng's craftsmanship.
After the Battle of Lijin, the Second Army did not move. It still controlled the border area between Jinan Prefecture and Qingzhou Prefecture, and did not take advantage of the victory to advance.
This is also the battle plan of the headquarters.
It is necessary not only to block the westward escape route of the Dongjiang rebels, but also to allow the Dongjiang rebels to calmly choose their direction of advancement.
The Second Army connected Lijin, Putai and Qingcheng into a line and established an airtight line of defense. It did not occupy the official roads of Qingzhou Prefecture and Jinan Prefecture in the south.
As far as Yucheng in the west, the second brigade of the Fourth Division stayed there as a burying ground for the follow-up plan.
"After the Dongjiang rebels were beaten back by us, they fled all the way eastward, bumped into the First Army head-on, and were taught a lesson. Now they are stationed in the Le'an area, and there has been no movement in a short period of time."
Of course Zuo Mengeng understood what was going on.
"If I were Li Jiucheng and Kong Youde, I would have to think carefully about what went wrong."
Everyone laughed again.
In their eyes, the Dongjiang rebels are like toys in their hands, which they can toss with as they please.
Regarding the military, Zuo Menggen paid great attention to every detail.
He personally went to the front line and visited the soldiers squatting in the trenches.
"This kind of house must be covered with straw, otherwise, the surrounding mud walls will be cold and the soldiers will freeze sooner or later."
The trench facilities of the New Army are very complete and even have earthen huts for resting.
It is a hole dug inward from the wall on one side of the trench and supported by rough wood. It is very strong and can provide shelter from the wind.
Although it is far less comfortable than a house, during wartime, a place like this to sleep and rest was considered a luxury.
This kind of house has no ventilation except the door, so you can't light a fire inside to keep warm. It's very cold.
The only way is to get straw and cattail, spread it thickly on the ground, and then put a thick cotton mattress on it, so that people can lie on it and rest.
However, Zuo Mengeng saw that some places were lazy and the straw spread was very thin to save trouble, so he pointed it out.
"You must not be negligent in matters like this. Now that you are still young, you feel that there is nothing wrong with it. But the dampness problem has already entered your body. When you get older, you will be offended."
The soldiers scratched their heads and ran to pick up straw.
Of course, except for some minor problems, Zuo Menggeng was very satisfied with the entire New Army position.
The Second Army strictly implemented wartime garrisoning guidelines from top to bottom.
The entire trench was carefully planned. Except for the combat area, the rest of the trench was clearly defined and used in a well-organized manner.
In addition to a dugout lounge in each row, there are also dining areas, entertainment areas, health areas, study areas and medical areas in the trenches, which are basically no different from small villages and towns.
When soldiers are here, when they are not fighting, it is basically not much different from their daily lives.
The entertainment area and study area are naturally the most popular among the soldiers.
Here, there are many games that soldiers can play. Chess, backgammon, go, horizontal bar, double bar, etc. are all available.
As for the study area, it was crowded with people when Zuo Mengeng went to see it.
"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, I am Liao Hua, staff officer of the Second Division of the Second Army, and I am giving lessons to the soldiers here."
Hearing this name, Zuo Menggeng couldn't help but feel happy.
"If you can give lectures, can you be a pioneer?"
Everyone was laughing. Liao Hua's allusion to being a pioneer was something everyone knew and understood.
Liao Hua's face turned red.
"Commander, even if our Shu lieutenant generals gather together, this vanguard must still be mine."
Zuo Mengeng's palm slapped him heavily on the shoulder.
"Okay! What I want is this ambition. I look forward to seeing your success in battle."
Liao Hua was so excited that his face turned red.
Out of so many people in the army, how many can receive such praise from the commander-in-chief?
"In the Battle of Lijin, what were the casualties?"
Zuo Mengeng was a commander who cared very much about his subordinates. When he came to the front line, what he cared about most was casualties.
And when it comes to this topic, no one's heart is not heavy.
"The casualties were not large. Eighteen people were killed, and about a hundred were injured. Thirty-five of them were seriously injured, and the rest were lightly injured. They will be able to return to work in a few days."
No matter how advanced the weapons of the New Army are, casualties are inevitable as long as they fight.
Zuo Mengeng raised his feet and walked away.
"Where is the hospital?"
According to the regulations of the New Army, hospitals must be set up during combat to be responsible for rescuing the wounded.
Nowadays, doctors in the military basically come from the medical school in charge of Deng Yuhan.
Almost all have two knives, but they are already a rare rescue force in this era.
When these doctors came to the army, they all had internships on the job.
After staying in the military for a period of time, you have to go back to medical school to study. By the way, you can bring back problems discovered during your military practice and rely on the strength of medical school to solve them.
Not to mention, through this method, the medical level here has improved rapidly. Especially the ability to treat trauma, I dare not say that it is the best in the world, but it is also the best in the world.
The hospitals are basically in the rear area, about five miles away from the front line.
As soon as he arrived here, Zuo Mengeng saw a familiar scene.
I saw that the large square in front of rows of white tents was now filled with countless shelves, all covered with clean white gauze, and the scent of medicine lingered in the air.
When the wounded soldiers saw that the commander-in-chief came to visit them in person, they were all excited. If they hadn't been comforted by others, they would all have stood up.
"Don't feel ashamed because you are injured or disabled. These scars left on your body are just medals. With this, you will have to hold your chest and head high when you travel around the world. No one can look down on you.
Our entire New Army will not allow anyone to look down on you."
Among these wounded soldiers, those who are seriously injured or disabled will basically leave the army.
They are obviously confused about the future and don't know what the future holds.
Zuo Mengeng appeared at this time and said this guarantee of boosting Qi was to give them the best confidence.
Reminiscent of the plight of the seniors who had left the army, these wounded soldiers finally broke down in tears and laughed. The atmosphere in the hospital quickly changed, all thanks to Zuo Mengeng.
"Commander, you came just in time. There is a stubborn boy who hurt his head but refuses to shave his head. If he doesn't get treatment, he will get infected."
Zuo Mengeng quickly saw the wounded soldier.
He is in his early twenties, dark and thin, and a bit nervous. He has a big sore on his head, which looks disgusting.
"Why don't you let the doctor shave your hair and treat the injury?"
The wounded soldier’s name is Geng Xiaoer.
Most people from poor and humble backgrounds here in Shandong have names like Xiaoer, Xiaowu, Xiaoqi.
Although Geng Xiaoer's name is humble, he knows a lot.
"The body's hair and skin are damaged by parents, which is unfilial."
Many people frowned, thinking that what he said did make sense.
But will it continue like this and eventually die?
But in front of Zuo Mengeng, such words were useless.
"Do you cut your nails daily?"
Geng Xiaoer was stunned.
"Naturally cut."
Zuo Menggeng immediately asked: "Aren't your nails given to you by your parents? Why do you need to cut them?"
Geng Xiaoer wanted to say that long nails would delay things. But then he understood that this reason could also be applied to hair.
Seeing that he was silent, Zuo Menggeng spoke a lot.
"Your parents' greatest wish is probably to see you live well. So it is the greatest filial piety that you can live. It's just a hair, so what if you shave it off?"
Seeing Geng Xiaoer's change of mind, Zuo Mengeng suddenly felt that this was an opportunity.
"Since you don't believe it, then I will shave my head with you. My official is bigger than you, and I am not afraid of it. Are you still afraid?"
As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar, and Mao Yuanyi and others were even shocked.