Volume 1 Chapter 24 Rough Framework of the Task Force

Early the next morning, Li Shandao gathered Wang Xuda, Qin Jingsi, and the others who had served as garrison or county soldiers. He shared with Qin Jingsi and the rest the training plan, the formation of a drill instructor team, and the draft regulations that he and Wang Xuda’s group had discussed the previous night.

The fact that Li Shandao intended to drill the men was already known to everyone in the various factions. After the drinking session the night before, Wang Xuda, Chen Jing’er, and Luo Zhong had already informed their respective groups. Wang Xuda had also modestly mentioned his appointment as chief instructor, though that need not be belabored.

In front of everyone, Li Shandao officially announced the establishment of a six-man drill instructor team and appointed Wang Xuda as its leader. He set a deadline, ordering them to complete the written regulations within two days. Wang Xuda accepted the order on behalf of the group.

The six men gathered in the thatched hut where Wang Xuda lived. With Wang Xuda presiding, they began to draft the training program, tossing ideas back and forth. Among the six, some were literate, but not enough to write lengthy documents. Among the thirteen men who had joined Li Shandao, there was a pair of brothers, Wang Zhande and Wang Xuande, both of whom were literate. Li Shandao had them take turns entering the hut, using the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone that Xu Shiji had gifted him, to record the training content discussed by Wang Xuda and his team. To ensure they remained undisturbed, Li Shandao ordered Jiao Yanlang and Yao Agui to stand guard at the door. When it was time to eat, there was no need for them to come out; Luo Zhong personally delivered their meals into the room. Occasionally, brief arguments could be heard from within, but more often, it was the sound of spirited discussion.

The training issue, which had been a source of worry for so long, was finally being settled. Li Shandao, of course, did not remain idle. He began making his own preparations, reading the *Wuliaoji* in his room. When he felt weary, he would have Kang Sanzang or his young servant massage his waist, or he would pace with his hands behind his back outside Wang Xuda’s hut, listening to the lively activity within with great satisfaction.

In less than two days, by the following morning, Wang Xuda, Qin Jingsi, and their team had finished the task. The finalized training content was concise, not even filling a single page. The paper was fine Jiangnan rattan paper and the ink was quality Hebei ink; both were top-tier materials, though the Wang brothers’ handwriting was not particularly elegant. Fortunately, it was neat and orderly, making it easy to read. Li Shandao accepted the page as if it were a treasure, laid it on his desk, and read it carefully.

As he had expected, the first point in the training regulations set by the six men was the organization of squads, and the second was the recognition of banners, drums, and gongs. These two items were the foundation of all training; whoever drafted the regulations would undoubtedly put these two first.

Further down, the content moved to specific training drills, divided into two major sections: cavalry and infantry. Cavalry combat was not something Li Shandao’s group could learn at present. They had no horses, no training ground, and no lances, so the cavalry section remained merely a heading with no content.

Following that was the infantry section, split into two parts: martial arts and tactical formations. The martial arts section was further subdivided into archery, cross-blades, spears, shields, hand-to-hand combat, and knives. Beneath each subsection, the Wang brothers had noted down surnames—the surnames of the six instructors. Some categories had more names, representing three or four of them, while others had only one or two. The tactical formations section was subdivided into square, circular, curved, straight, and pointed formations, with the instructors' surnames likewise noted beneath each.

Li Shandao finished reading the regulations quickly and looked up. "Sanlang, is this draft a bit too simple?"

Wang Xuda laughed. "My lord, this is all we learned in the military garrison. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Brother Qin."

Before Li Shandao could ask, Qin Jingsi volunteered, "Er’lang, the head brother is right. This is indeed the core of what the garrison taught. Beyond this, there were 'grand formations,' where two to five units combined, but those were commanded by the garrison commanders or battalion captains. We can form them, but if you asked us to command them, we wouldn’t know how."

When the six of them were garrison soldiers, they were mostly common infantry. Wang Xuda, the only one who had held a rank, was merely a fire-captain in charge of ten men. They could teach basic formations like square or circular ones, but large-scale maneuvers were beyond their capabilities.

"That makes sense," Li Shandao remarked.

Wang Xuda added with a smile, "My lord, you aren't a soldier, so you might not know, but in truth, even grand formations are composed of these smaller ones. Let us teach the troops the small formations first; when the time comes to learn the grand ones, it will be much easier!"

Li Shandao reviewed the regulations once more and ordered for Chen Jing’er and Luo Zhong to be called. Neither of them was very literate, so instead of making them read, Li Shandao read the document to them himself. After finishing, he asked, "Four-lang, Five-lang, what do you think of the regulations Sanlang has drafted?"

Luo Zhong had no objections. Chen Jing’er remarked, "Why is there no mention of military law or discipline? I may not be a soldier, but I’ve heard that 'military discipline is like a mountain.' If we want a well-trained force, can we really do without laws and discipline?"

Wang Xuda interjected, "Military laws are too numerous, and since we aren't a formal garrison, most don't apply to us. Why write them down?"

Li Shandao had noticed the absence of discipline and law in their draft. He hadn’t asked earlier because the document focused solely on training content, and he had his own ideas regarding military law and discipline. Hearing Chen Jing’er’s question and Wang Xuda’s response, he addressed Chen Jing’er first: "Five-lang, this document is specifically for training content, so it is fine that it does not cover discipline."

He then turned to Wang Xuda with a smile. "However, Sanlang, Five-lang is right. Discipline is crucial for any force. The *Wuliaoji* says, 'For all armies, the system must be established first.' Even if we aren't garrison soldiers, we cannot be without discipline. We have rules for the mountain stronghold, right? I believe we must take military discipline seriously and draft a separate set of regulations. What do you think?"—applying what he had just read that morning.

Wang Xuda didn't know what the *Wuliaoji* was, but the sophisticated phrasing sounded impressive. He bowed respectfully and replied, "We will follow your lead, my lord!"

Li Shandao mused, "Discipline applies not only during battle but also in daily life—take training, for example. Once we begin, how will we handle those who are late, leave early, or slack off? We need rules to constrain them. Since it isn't even noon yet, Sanlang, why don't you and the others put in a bit more effort and draft the military laws and discipline this afternoon?"

Considering their limited experience as low-ranking soldiers, he added, "As for how to draft them, I suggest the six of you gather again, list the various garrison rules you remember, and have the Wang brothers write them down. How does that sound?"

"That’s a great idea, my lord, simple and efficient. We'll do it," Wang Xuda agreed.

Li Shandao returned to the previous topic and asked Chen Jing’er, "Five-lang, setting aside discipline, what is your view on the training content itself?"

Chen Jing’er grinned. "It’s solid!"

"Good! If neither of you has objections, then for this stage, we will proceed according to the regulations Sanlang’s group has drafted. Simply put: first, organize the squads; second, teach the drums and gongs; third, teach martial arts and formations."

Both Luo Zhong and Chen Jing’er agreed.

"Sanlang, work hard this afternoon. If we can finalize the military laws today, we can formally begin training tomorrow, starting with the first step: organizing the squads."

Wang Xuda laughed. "Although I haven't known you long, it's been about ten days, and this is the first time I've seen you in such a hurry, pushing for something so urgently."

"Sanlang! I have to be! As I said last night, who knows when the order might come down for us to descend the mountain to collect tributes? If we are sent south, that’s one thing, but what if they send us to a place like Dongping? Brothers! I wish I could start training today!"

Before dusk, the draft for military laws and discipline was completed. Li Shandao reviewed it carefully, and with no objections from Luo Zhong and Chen Jing’er, it was adopted as the law of the unit.

That night, all hundred-plus men from the four factions were gathered. Under the protection of Wang Xuda, Chen Jing’er, and Luo Zhong, and amidst the drizzle and firelight, Li Shandao announced that training would begin the next day and clearly explained the new rules of conduct. The men’s reactions varied; some accepted the news loudly, while those who were lazy and had been complaining privately over the last two days sighed and grumbled.

The next day, training officially began. On the first day, no one was late. By the end of the day, they had completed the first step: organizing the squads. Counting Li Shandao, Gao Chounu, Wang Xuda, Chen Jing’er, and Luo Zhong, there were 110 men in total. They were organized into two companies and one fire unit.

According to the garrison system, a company consisted of fifty men. Since Li Shandao’s unit was composed of four factions still in the process of integration, he couldn't strictly enforce the fifty-man limit without potentially causing resentment by splitting up existing groups. Instead, he took a simpler approach: one company was comprised entirely of Wang Xuda’s faction, while the other was formed by the factions of Chen Jing’er and Luo Zhong.

Consequently, the numbers were slightly uneven: Wang Xuda’s company had 44 men, and the Chen-Luo company had 51. Li Shandao named them the Left Company and the Right Company. Each company had a captain and a vice-captain. Wang Xuda was appointed captain of the Left Company, and Chen Jing’er captain of the Right Company. The vice-captains were chosen from within their respective factions, with Luo Zhong serving as vice-captain of the Right Company.

The fire unit was naturally composed of the thirteen men, including Qin Jingsi, who was appointed as their fire-captain. The squad leaders and fire-captains within the two companies were chosen by Wang Xuda, Chen Jing’er, and Luo Zhong. Once selected, Li Shandao met with these newly appointed leaders.

With over a hundred men, someone needed to manage logistics. This role required someone who could read and calculate. With no one else recommended from the three factions, Li Shandao appointed Wang Zhande, the elder of the Wang brothers, as the logistics manager. For the enforcement of discipline, he consulted with Wang Xuda and the others, appointing Qin Jingsi and Jiang Sizhi, a fellow townsman of Wang Xuda, to the task.

Furthermore, Li Shandao decided to hold small assessments every three days to motivate the men, with rewards for those who excelled. He appointed Wang Xuande, the younger brother, to manage the rosters and these assessments.

After a busy day, the men were gathered again at dusk. In the same drizzling mist and flickering torchlight, Li Shandao stood on a makeshift platform. Looking at his troops, the feeling was quite different from the night before. Ninety-five men stood in the two companies, holding spears and clubs, their side-blades at their waists. The captains and vice-captains stood with heads held high, and the leaders of each fire and squad stood at the front of their respective units. Qin Jingsi’s unit stood in a row below the platform.

They were beginning to look like a real army.

"Tomorrow, I'll have a few more banners made, and I'll seek out the eldest brother to see if we can get some gongs and drums. Once that’s done, the framework for this force will be complete," Li Shandao thought.