Chapter Forty-Three: Charge into the Fray

Liu Yao frowned upon hearing this; indeed, the issue of manufacturing fish-scale armor was a real challenge. Suddenly, inspiration struck him. “Master Ou, why don’t we forge them using an assembly line method?” he suggested.

Ou Feng was momentarily stunned, then asked in curiosity, “My lord, what is an assembly line?”

“Ah.” Liu Yao paused, realizing he had completely forgotten that Ou Feng would not understand such terminology. He began to explain slowly, “An assembly line means breaking down all the steps. One person specializes in making the iron plates, another specializes in linking them together. In this way, wouldn’t the forging of fish-scale armor be faster?”

Ou Feng’s heart leapt with joy upon hearing this. As a master of forging, he understood instantly. Excitedly, he said, “My lord, you truly are extraordinary! Such a method will not only speed up the production of fish-scale armor, but even other weapons like repeating crossbows will be much more efficiently manufactured.”

“Excellent. That’s good to hear,” Liu Yao said happily. “In that case, within two years, I need ten thousand knight’s lances, ten thousand curved blades, twenty thousand sets of fish-scale armor, twenty thousand repeating crossbows, and ten thousand sets of heavy armor for the horses. Master Ou, can you accomplish this task?”

Ou Feng replied confidently, “My lord, I will do my utmost to fulfill your orders.”

“Then I entrust it to you, Master Ou.”

In the council chamber of the Governor’s Mansion.

Liu Yao had convened an emergency meeting, so all his trusted aides were now present.

Seated at the head of the table, Liu Yao scanned the faces before him and spoke: “The reason I’ve gathered you here today is to discuss the situation of our Youzhou army. Although we now have a force of one hundred and fifty thousand, most are ordinary soldiers. If we go to war in the future, we’ll be bringing large numbers, which will pose significant challenges, not only in terms of casualties but also in terms of supplies. At present, the only truly elite troops are my three thousand Imperial Guards and Gao Shun’s one thousand Vanguard Camp. Therefore, I wish to assemble another elite unit. What are your thoughts?”

The assembled officers exchanged glances. Finally, De Shou spoke up, “My lord, I agree that forming an elite unit is feasible, but how do you plan to organize it?”

Liu Yao was pleased that no one opposed his suggestion and nodded in satisfaction. “First, the Vanguard Camp under Gao Shun is too small; its numbers must be increased. I intend to select two thousand men from my Imperial Guards, and another seven thousand of the most elite from all Youzhou infantry, making a force of ten thousand to form a new Vanguard Camp. Additionally, I will choose ten thousand cavalrymen to establish a Shock Camp.”

As soon as Liu Yao finished speaking, Gao Shun objected, “My lord, I must respectfully disagree. The soldiers of the Vanguard Camp are carefully selected, one in a hundred. I struggled to find a thousand suitable men from all of Youzhou. The rest simply do not meet my standards. I beg you to reconsider.”

Liu Yao smiled, “Gao Shun, you need not worry. I have made preparations.” With that, he drew from his sleeve a training schedule and handed each person a copy. “This is my new training plan. With the miraculous effects of Master Hua’s Five Animal Frolics exercise, these concerns will be resolved.”

The officers took the papers and examined them closely. After reading, they could not help but furrow their brows.

“My lord, soldier training has always been about teaching weapons handling or techniques for killing the enemy, yet you’re instructing them to run and stand—this seems like child’s play,” Huang Zhong asked in confusion.

Liu Yao laughed, “Han Sheng, have I ever disappointed you in all these years?”

The gathering fell silent; indeed, their young lord often proposed seemingly outlandish ideas, but never once had he failed them.

Seeing their hesitance, Liu Yao pressed further, “Do you know how I could provide innovations like stirrups and repeating crossbows?”

They all shook their heads, looking at Liu Yao.

“To tell you the truth, all these things were imparted to me by the Grand Ancestor in a dream,” Liu Yao declared loudly.

“What?!” his officers exclaimed in shock. Suddenly, everything made sense. “So it was the Grand Ancestor who guided our lord in dreams, which explains his extraordinary achievements at such a young age. It seems our lord is truly sent by the Ancestor to save the Han Dynasty.” Their loyalty deepened.

Liu Yao saw their expressions and was delighted. “People of this era are indeed superstitious; once such matters are mentioned, they believe without hesitation.”

“Now, does anyone have further doubts about this training plan?” Liu Yao asked.

“My lord, I still have a question,” Gao Shun said.

Liu Yao frowned and looked at him. “Speak!”

“I believe this training plan is much too harsh. For example, running twenty kilometers with weights—soldiers simply cannot bear it.”

Liu Yao was momentarily speechless; he had devised the plan based on standards from his previous life, without considering that people of this era do not enjoy the same nutrition and well-being. For many, even a bowl of rice is a luxury.

“Ah, Gongxiao, that’s easy enough! Just feed them meat every day. If they get to eat meat after training, those rascals will be so excited—they’ll have no trouble enduring the hardship,” Zhang Fei interjected.

Liu Yao was amused; sometimes this straightforward man’s simple solutions worked remarkably well.

Before Liu Yao could agree, Tian Feng rebuked sharply, “Yide, don’t be ridiculous! Feeding twenty thousand men meat every day—do you know how much that would cost?”

Zhang Fei, who feared Tian Feng’s stern demeanor, muttered quietly, “It’s just money. Besides, Ziyi recently brought back plenty of cattle and sheep from the Wuhuan.”

“You fool, that bit of mutton won’t be nearly enough for twenty thousand men every day,” Tian Feng scolded. In the era of the Three Kingdoms, cattle were used for plowing fields and rarely eaten; only mutton was consumed.

“If not mutton, then pork—even better!” Zhang Fei retorted, his mind naturally turning to pork given his background as a butcher.

“All right, Yuanhao, Yide, stop your quarrel,” Liu Yao intervened. “I think Yide’s suggestion is sound. Pork is indeed cheaper than mutton. We can trade surplus cattle and sheep for pigs, which should suffice for our twenty thousand men.” During this period, noble families and scholars considered pork unclean, so only the poor ate it. Thus, pork was cheap. But for soldiers who rarely tasted meat, any meal with meat was a blessing, regardless of the type.

“As my lord commands,” Tian Feng agreed, though he would rather die than eat pork himself.

“Very well, then. Let’s proceed according to my plan. Gongxiao, you will continue to lead the Vanguard Camp. As for the Shock Camp…” Liu Yao paused, looking around at the assembled officers, who all awaited his decision.

“I will entrust it to Zilong,” Liu Yao finally announced. After all, Zhao Yun was brave and wise, renowned for his cavalry leadership in the history of the White Horse Volunteers. Entrusting him with the Shock Camp was assuredly the right choice.

The officers, disappointed not to be chosen, quickly congratulated Zhao Yun. Their relationship with him was good, and his martial skill and character over these days had earned everyone’s respect.

“Thank you, my lord. I shall not fail your trust,” Zhao Yun said, moved.

“That concludes today’s matters. Everyone, attend to your duties,” Liu Yao said, and then left the council chamber.