Chapter 95: Major Event in the Army

No matter the era, the army is the ultimate solution to problems—the gun barrel decides the regime, as the saying goes. To become the one who laughs last, one must grasp the army in their hands.

Lin Chong and Wu Song had originally been hired by Yelü Min as instructors. Many officers in the military had been taught by the two of them, so when Lin Chong suggested holding a grand tournament, it immediately received strong support from Yelü Min, who was passionate about martial affairs.

The recruitment of soldiers was advocated by Zhao Yu, and both instructors had served under Zhao Yu, so naturally Yelü Min invited him over as well.

Yelü Min was a martial general full of ideas, greatly admiring the prowess of Wu Song and Lin Chong, and had hoped on more than one occasion that they would join the army to serve as his vice generals.

Serving as vice general was the best offer Yelü Min could make, since they were Han Chinese and thus could not be granted greater military authority.

But Wu Song and Lin Chong had already clearly declined Yelü Min's kindness. Although they didn't specify the reasons, Yelü Min understood the situation. With Zhao Yu there, he couldn't pry into their affairs. Still, in his heart, it seemed a waste that these two did not become generals.

Today, inviting Zhao Yu to observe the tournament was also an attempt to have Zhao Yu persuade Wu Song and Lin Chong to accept military posts.

The weather had not yet warmed, but the cold wind seemed gentler, at least without the pain of piercing the body.

With the cold wind howling fiercely and war drums rumbling, the drill field presented a bustling scene of intense activity.

Wu Song and Lin Chong governed the army with strict discipline. Even some Khitan generals obeyed them with awe, not only because Yelü Min had issued strict orders, but also as recognition of the two men's abilities.

The competition was divided into mounted and foot combat, with the foot combat taking place on the review platform.

When Zhao Yu arrived, Yelü Min and the generals, including Wu Song and Lin Chong, had already been waiting at the camp gate.

"Your Highness, thanks to the instructors Wu and Lin, our men have been reborn. Please take a look and see how the effect is after a month's training."

Yelü Min intentionally flaunted it, gesturing for Zhao Yu to come closer and nodding to Lin Chong.

Lin Chong received the order, cupped his fists toward Zhao Yu, turned his horse, and galloped across the drill field with a red flag held high.

Zhao Yu rode similarly on horseback. For such a grand occasion, he could not give the soldiers the impression of fragile flowers in a greenhouse.

"The general is the soul of the army. With you, General Yelü, leading it, the force will surely not be lacking."

Yelü Min smiled arrogantly, about to boast a few words, when he suddenly recalled the Jurchen army discussed with Zhao Yu yesterday, and his mood darkened. He knew his own army was excellent, but compared to the Jurchens, it still had a gap.

Zhao Yu guessed his thoughts and reassured him, "Don't worry. Starting to train the soldiers now is not too late. It's far better than those arrogant fools who are merely eating and waiting to die."

Zhao Yu's words again struck at Yelü Min's heart. The Great Liao had once claimed to have a million elite troops, only to be routed by fewer than ten thousand Jurchens, which could not be called anything but tragic. Yet the nobles and high officials in the court remained oblivious, still scheming against each other.

Thinking of this, Yelü Min suddenly remembered something else. He looked around and saw that his subordinates nearby could not have heard their conversation, so he rode close to Zhao Yu and lowered his voice: "There is a major matter I failed to report to Your Highness yesterday. Our grain supplies are running low."

Hearing Yelü Min's words, Zhao Yu nearly fell off his horse.

The army is training furiously for the war, and now you're telling me there's no food in the barracks? Has your brain been kicked by a mule?

This issue was too grave, and Zhao Yu could not show any reaction, so he replied indifferently, "What does the court say?"

"The northern campaign is critical, and all supplies come from the north. The court wants us to manage it ourselves, and to wait until things calm down before deciding."

What kind of reply was that? The Yan and Yun regions were already impoverished, and now the army was short on grain. How were they to feed the soldiers without taking from the people?

Now Zhao Yu suddenly understood why recruitment had been easy these past days; hunger among the common people was probably one of the main reasons!

Originally excited to watch the competition, the matter had greatly dampened Zhao Yu's spirits.

Thinking about it, it was his own fault for focusing on expanding the army while ignoring the shortage of supplies in Youzhou.

"See His Highness!"

A deafening roar suddenly broke through Zhao Yu's reverie. It turned out their party had entered the drill field, and this scene was obviously arranged by Lin Chong deliberately.

Zhao Yu had seen many grand scenes before, but under the gaze of tens of thousands of soldiers, he inevitably felt a touch of nervousness.

Taking a deep breath, he spurred his horse forward with a decisive push of his hand in the air.

In such a situation, keeping silent was more effective than words. Simply maintain a straight face.

Yelü Min, this heartless fellow, had dumped his worries on Zhao Yu, and seeing his army so grand, he immediately perked up again.

"Lin Instructor, begin!"

Before the competition, it was a two-army engagement, a subject trained in advance. Today it was merely for Zhao Yu to observe, not a real contest.

Once Zhao Yu and the others were on the review platform, Lin Chong waved the order flag in his hand. Then, the army arrayed in the drill field suddenly split into two and charged at each other, shouting fiercely.

Zhao Yu had never seen such large-scale army drills before. The roar of tens of thousands of voices stirred his heart, and he had to temporarily set aside his troubles to watch carefully.

Lin Chong was truly an exemplary instructor—not only strong himself but skilled in training soldiers. The Song army lacked such a large cavalry unit, but the methods were ready-made. Lin Chong combined the Song army's battle formations with the Khitan cavalry's prowess in charging, creating a cavalry force that was not only visually impressive but also highly effective in combat.

As the massive army galloped across the field, even Zhao Yu, the layman, could sense the killing intent within the formations.

"Your Highness, it is truly a pity that you do not allow the two instructors to lead the army."

Yelü Min's slightly regretful voice rang in Zhao Yu's ears once more.

Zhao Yu sighed softly and said, "Brother Yelü, do you think if I put my men in command of the army, would those arrogant nobles in Shangjing feel at ease?"

Hearing Zhao Yu's words, Yelü Min fell silent. He was no fool and of course understood what Zhao Yu feared.

After the battle array demonstration, the generals began their various mounted archery trials.

Seeing that Yelü Min was enjoying the spectacle, Zhao Yu seized the moment to suggest, "Brother Yelü, why not establish a Hall of Martial Instruction?"

"What is a Hall of Martial Instruction?"

"It would be where you select some capable subordinates to train them, and once proficient, disperse them to the various units. This not only boosts the army's combat strength but also makes it more convenient for you, Brother Yelü, to command."

Hearing Zhao Yu's words, Yelü Min showed a thoughtful expression. He was not foolish, and while the idea sounded good, he sensed something was amiss.

Zhao Yu did not press the matter. In fact, from today's competition and drill, he had already observed that Lin Chong and Wu Song held a position of considerable influence in the army. If the need arose, they might bypass Yelü Min to command the forces...