Chapter 409 Right-hand man

Chapter 409 Right-hand man
On the first day of July in the sixth year of Yongjia in the Jin Dynasty (312), it was sunny.

The 50,000 hu of grain allocated from Xinzheng Warehouse was successfully transported to Mazhu using the ship of Yang Bao, the lieutenant of the Luoyang Duzhi Army.

Along with them came officers of the rank of sergeant and above who were drawn from various garrison troops.

In the evening, when the sun was not too hot, the officers went down to the ranks one after another and began to familiarize themselves with the soldiers under their command.

Peng Ling was wearing leather armor, stroking his sword, and looking at his fifty or so men with a sharp gaze.

He keenly discovered that this unit called the Black Shadow Army seemed to have the same organization as the Silver Spear Army, with about 600 people in each unit.

The Heyang Sanzhu people were organized into two groups in total.

Lord Chen specifically ordered that the construction of the city be undertaken by the laborers sent from Luoyang. They did not have to participate in the construction, but would practice regularly after meals and learn how to fight in battle formations.

Peng Ling also followed suit and learned.

He started learning archery after becoming a sergeant, so his skills are not that good, which is somewhat unworthy of his status.

When the sun had completely set, the teams disbanded one after another.

The soldiers returned home in a hurry, picked up the delicious food and ate it with relish.

Peng Ling thought of his wife and children far away in Juancheng, and couldn't help but sigh.

When people have concerns, their hearts become soft.

But there are some obsessions that have never changed.

He subconsciously looked towards Luoyang, snorted, then sat down on the ground outside a house and started eating corn rice.

"Captain, have you ever eaten steamed buns?" The owner of the house happened to be a sergeant in his team, and asked.

"I ate it in Juancheng, what's wrong?"

"I haven't eaten it yet." The soldier sighed while eating corn rice, "I heard it's made from pig fat, how delicious it must be?"

At this time, it was customary to call the oil of horned animals such as cattle and sheep "fats", such as mutton fat.

The oil from animals without horns, such as pigs and dogs, is called "ointment", such as pig ointment and dog skin ointment.

It is then extended to mean the fat and blood of the people, which is a metaphor for the people's wealth.

Food with oil and water is really delicious.

"If you practice martial arts well, become familiar with military formations, and make some contributions in battle, you will be promoted easily. It will be easy to eat some steamed buns with pork fat, isn't it?" Peng Ling put down his bowl and chopsticks and said seriously, "I made contributions in Duyang back then, and then I was gradually promoted to team leader."

"Who knows, you might be promoted to the leader of a group someday," the soldier complimented.

Peng Ling shook his head and said, "Unless the Black Sword Army expands a few more units, it will be difficult."

"I see." The soldier stopped asking questions and lowered his head to eat.

He has a wife and two children.

The wife had just been mending clothes in the sunshine outside the thatched hut, with a pleased smile on her face.

Peng Ling noticed that the woman was wearing new clothes, which were obviously made of the white linen from Yushanwu distributed by Mr. Chen.

This might be the only outfit she has.

With new clothes, I finally don’t have to hide indoors anymore.

Thinking of this, Peng Ling sighed, don't blame the refugees for loving to rob things, they are really poor. No one cares about their joys and sorrows, as long as someone treats them a little better, so that they can survive and live a better life, they will be loyal to them.

The soldier's two children were still running around naked. After being called back by their mother, they ate the thin porridge mixed with wild vegetables and leaves in big mouthfuls. While eating, they glanced at the thick corn rice in their father's bowl.

The woman took the two children into the house to prevent them from drooling and making a fuss.

Although men no longer build cities, it is not easy at all.

Practicing military formations and practicing martial arts, which one would not be very wasteful? That little bit of corn and rice was not enough.

"You don't need to practice martial arts tomorrow, but you need to recognize the signals of drums, gongs and flags, and get up early before it's too late." After Peng Ling finished his meal, he went straight to the river to wash the dishes.

Not far away stood a large group of soldiers in bright armor, staring at him covetously.

Behind the sergeant was a thatched wooden house with a light on, and the unique scent of wax oil could be smelled from afar.

That is Mr. Chen’s residence. Is he still reviewing memorials until late at night?
Peng Ling left quietly, stood by the river, and listened quietly to the sound of the water.

In front of my feet was a well-maintained vegetable patch with green cucumbers growing on it, which looked very nice.

There are several racks built next to the vegetable patch, but I don’t know what they are going to plant.

Mazhu is not big and has no secrets.

Peng Ling often saw Mr. Chen busying himself in the vegetable patch. He also built the racks himself. He jokingly said that when the melons and beans were ripe, he would invite everyone to eat together.

It’s great to have a general who is not arrogant. He makes people feel friendly.

When I returned to my residence, it was filled with snoring and the smell of stinky feet.

Peng Ling took down the ring-handled sword hanging on the wall, left the hut, and practiced with it in the night.

There is no need for fancy tricks on the battlefield; all that matters is the powerful and well-honed strike.

A slight difference in skills can often mean the difference between life and death.

When masters compete, life and death can be decided instantly, and this is absolutely true.

Days passed one by one, and everything seemed fulfilling to Peng Ling.

He stayed with the sergeants in the team every day, and the Silver Spear Army would send some veterans to teach them skills and tips for surviving on the battlefield.

He would see Mr. Chen every two or three days.

He patrolled between the sandbanks, sometimes supervising the construction of the city, sometimes personally training soldiers, sometimes reviewing official letters, and sometimes growing vegetables and feeding sheep.

Everyone could see his amazing martial arts skills.

Everyone can hear his confident voice.

In every corner of Sanzhu, Heyang, stories of his glorious past are gradually spreading.

The defeat of Shi Le in the Battle of Yemagang, the defeat of Wang Sang in the Battle of Dayang, and the defeat of Jin Zhun in the Battle of Gaoping were astonishing. Even Peng Ling had heard of many of these deeds for the first time.

Occasionally a woman would come to see him, who looked to be about thirty years old—some said nearly forty—and at this time Mr. Chen would leave by boat.

Peng Ling didn't like this woman because she always looked superior and bossy, and when she occasionally glanced at them, it was like she was looking at ants, which made people very annoyed.

You are so noble, why don't you still serve Mr. Chen? Why are you pretending?

This woman came twice in June and once in early July. Now it is early August, but she still hasn't come. She has been missing for a whole month.

On the third day of August, 100,000 hu of military rations were delivered to Luoyang, nearly half a month later than originally planned.

This poor court!

On the fourth day of August, another batch of equipment was delivered.

Peng Ling fell in love with the ink-black spear the first time he saw it.

The real black spear is much stronger than the wooden spear used in the previous months of practice.

This court is still somewhat useful!
On that day, Mr. Chen organized a drill.

A total of 1,200 people stood in the scorching sun, their loud voices echoing throughout Sanzhu, and the straw man was almost pierced to pieces by them.

However, when they were negotiating with the Silver Spear Army, they were defeated miserably, which made people quite angry.

"Time to eat melons, time to eat melons!" The soldiers brought baskets of freshly picked cucumbers and a batch of yellow melons, which seemed to have been transported from other places.

When everyone saw it, they immediately swallowed their saliva.

Shao Xun took a knife and gently cut the melon, saying: "This is the melon picked from Gaozhu today. The sandy soil is fertile, and the melon is very delicious. Everyone has a share, and you can collect it by team."

"Thank you, Mr. Chen." Everyone who received it expressed his gratitude profusely.

It's not just because of the melon this time, but also because of the great improvement in their family life.

After dividing the melon, Shao Xun did not eat it, but walked on the grass with his hands behind his back.

The 1,200 people were completely silent, with only the sound of chewing being heard in the field.

Wherever he walked, the soldiers who were eating melons would even stop subconsciously and wait until he passed by before continuing to eat carefully.

"When Luoyang was in chaos, I stationed troops in front of Taiji Palace, but there were only 600 of them." Shao Xun's voice drifted far away in the night wind: "Now the Silver Spear Left Camp has 6,000 people, who are brave and good at fighting, and are not afraid of death. Why is that?"

No one spoke.

"Those who cut off the enemy's head will be rewarded with food and silk."

"Those who have made contributions and have been promoted will receive land and rice as salary, and the team leader will have 50 acres."

"Those who died or were injured in battle will be compensated with money and silk. Their families will be given 20 hu of grain and beans per year for ten years."

"This is the Silver Spear Army, my left arm."

"The three cities of Heyang are extremely important. If we repel the enemy here, we can stop the enemy north of the river, and your family can farm peacefully."

"A bandit camp has been set up in the Zhamadi area of ​​Hebei. There are quite a few bandits there and they are rampant. They may invade the south at any time."

"The Silver Spear Army will not stay in Heyang for long. Sooner or later, you will be needed to take over. In my opinion, the Black Spear Army is my right arm, the iron fist that will firmly pin the Xiongnu to the north bank of the river."

"I have my left arm and my right arm, so why should I worry about the affairs of the world?"

"You will have wealth, women, and a bright future. You just need to fight bravely. You should work hard."

Peng Ling was excited when he heard this.

So, the Black Army is so important? My hard training day and night is worth it.

He believed every word Mr. Chen said.

The love that the Silver Spear Army soldiers had for him was not fake, he was a man who kept his word. Even in the years of great disasters, when he reduced the rations of others, he never treated the Silver Spear Army soldiers unfairly.

When did the warriors of the Jin Dynasty ever have such a comfortable life? When were they ever treated as human beings?
"You all need to pay attention when practicing the偃月阵 in three days." After Shao Xun finished speaking, he clapped his hands.

Cai Cheng stepped forward immediately.

"Organize some people to go fishing in the pond tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Let's kill the sheep we've been raising for months. The boys have worked hard in training, we can't treat them unfairly."

"Yes, sir." Cai Cheng responded loudly, and then took his personal soldiers to announce the good news to everyone.

As expected, enthusiastic cheers rang out instantly. The sound was so loud that Gaozhu and Taozhu, two miles away, could hear it.

Perhaps even the Huns on the north bank heard it.

(End of this chapter)