"Have the conscription matters been prepared?"
"Almost all our soldiers have been dispatched. This conscription will surely be a success!"
"Good! Then you will train with me first. This time, the training mode for conscription needs to change a bit."
After the Spring Festival ended, Wang Wu and the others returned.
Although many of them had gotten married, they still had to return to the army when it was time.
However, this time, the training for Wang Wu and the others was vastly different from before.
Now, Lin Tian was about to command fifty thousand troops and could no longer charge headfirst like in the past.
Every advance and retreat had to be methodical.
Therefore, they had to practice military formations.
To this end, Lin Tian specially "borrowed" a talent from Ying Zheng.
This person was named Zhang Han, a minor official in the Qin state and a member of the Black Ice Platform, not well-known.
However, in the late Qin period, he was the last great general of Qin, leading the Lishan convicts and sons of slaves to resist the various warlords of the empire.
He won every battle against them, preserving Qin's last vestige of strength.
Only later did he encounter the already powerful Liu Bang, and was eventually defeated and committed suicide.
His military talent was beyond doubt, and he was no less capable than most generals.
Lin Tian trusted him implicitly.
Having him train the soldiers in military formations would save Lin Tian a lot of trouble.
However, Lin Tian did not choose the military formations commonly used in the army at that time but opted for the Yuanyang Array.
This was the formation used by General Qi Jiguang's Qi family army during the fight against Japanese pirates, which was not only offensive and defensive but also effective at both close and long ranges.
Moreover, it could be formed by a small number of people or expanded into a large military formation.
In those days, the Qi family army, with this formation, struck fear into the hearts of the Japanese pirates.
Recently, Lin Tian had already improved the Yuanyang Array to make it more suitable for the current Qin army.
Now, Wang Wu, Zhang Han, and the others were the first batch to practice it.
"The military formation you are going to practice is called the Yuanyang Array. It consists of long shield bearers, short shield bearers, spearmen, archers, and swordsmen. It requires a minimum of five people to form a formation, and up to eleven."
"Among them, one long shield bearer is responsible for blocking enemy arrows and spears. Two short shield bearers are responsible for blocking enemy arrows and hacking swords, while simultaneously using short spears and short swords to attack with one hand and defend with the other!"
"As for the two spearmen, they stand beside the long shield bearer and are responsible for piercing the enemy in front."
"Two archers stand to the sides of the short shield bearers, responsible for ranged attacks!"
"Four swordsmen stand behind to prevent enemies from flanking and attacking from the rear. At the same time, they must constantly observe battlefield changes, adapt the formation, and launch flanking attacks."
"Multiple small Yuanyang Arrays can be combined to form a large Yuanyang Array for frontal assaults between two armies."
"This formation may not sound difficult, but it requires long-term practice to execute perfectly. Therefore, you must work diligently!"
"Additionally, we will add the Sancai Array, which can be formed by three people. It can compensate for a lack of numbers, and is also beneficial for our soldiers' combat effectiveness in scattered environments!"
Upon hearing Lin Tian's words, Zhang Han nodded repeatedly.
Although Zhang Han was a minor official before and not even a soldier, he harbored many ideas about troop deployment and formations.
Given the opportunity, he was certain to soar.
And now, Lin Tian had presented him with that opportunity. Naturally, he intended to seize it and cooperate wholeheartedly with Lin Tian.
Therefore, he trained with the utmost seriousness and diligence.
He could deduce from many formation issues the advantages and disadvantages.
With Zhang Han's assistance, Lin Tian was significantly spared a great deal of trouble.
Soon, Wang Wu and the others were on the right track, grasping the key points of the Yuanyang Array and the Sancai Array, and were ready to teach the new recruits.
The weapons that Lin Tian needed were also promptly delivered by Ying Zheng.
They were all the latest and most elite weapons.
When Wang Wu and the others received these weapons, they were filled with joy.
Soon, the new recruits also entered the camp.
Lin Tian's training camp was established at the Lantian Barracks, the largest training ground in Qin and one of the closest to Xianyang City.
When the new recruits arrived at this camp, each and every one of them was incredibly excited.
"Is this Lantian Barracks? It's so huge!"
"This is General Lin's camp, General Lin's camp! Our Great Qin's Sword God, our Great Qin's foremost general!!"
"Hoo! I've finally become a soldier under General Lin. In the future, I will surely be able to conquer cities and gain territory, and achieve great success, just like the other soldiers under General Lin."
The people of Great Qin knew Lin Tian's story. They understood that Lin Tian, like many of them, was once an unknown young man from Guanzhong.
After gaining fame in a single battle, he joined the army.
Then, he advanced with unstoppable momentum, not only defending Qin's cities but also being the first to enter Han and capture the King of Han alive.
Afterward, he recovered one of the Nine Cauldrons, the Yuzhou Ding.
From then on, he skyrocketed to prominence, becoming a Shao Shangzao and Great Qin's foremost general.
Such a glorious and majestic figure was undoubtedly the idol of all Qin soldiers.
Countless new recruits came here with longing in their hearts.
Because of this, they were exceptionally obedient and diligent in their training.
First came the basic training, and then the training in the Yuanyang Array.
The Yuanyang Array was taught by Wang Wu and the others, who were dispersed to various small camps for separate training.
It was too difficult for fifty thousand people to train together.
Therefore, they had to practice separately first, then combine.
Of course, it was not just the new recruits who were trained; the old soldiers who originally belonged to the Right Vanguard Battalion also needed training.
The new recruits did not find anything wrong with training in the Yuanyang Array.
After all, they had never been on the battlefield, nor had they practiced any military formations.
Furthermore, they had come with a sense of admiration, so they naturally trained in whatever Lin Tian told them to.
The old soldiers, however, found it a bit more challenging.
They had practiced military formations before, and now they had to adapt to different ones, which took considerable time.
Fortunately, the men of the Right Vanguard Battalion had already committed to Lin Tian, so even though it was difficult, they quickly overcame it.
Therefore, the training of the new recruits proceeded very smoothly.
However, after only two months of training, the new recruits began to feel restless.
"Why are we practicing military formations every day! I want to be like General Lin, wielding a long sword, fighting through the enemy lines seven times and achieving glory!!"
"Yes! The old soldiers say the General has created a special sword technique called the Thirteen Swords of Death. I wonder when we will get to learn it!"
"Training in military formations every day is indeed a bit tedious. Why don't we propose it to the drill instructors? See if the General is willing to teach us??"
While the power of military formations was undoubtedly crucial for an army, individual strength was equally important for soldiers.
Now, the new recruits were eager to practice the legendary sword techniques that Lin Tian had improved.
...