Zhang Shixun walked up and patted He Ji on the shoulder, "Old He, you've worked hard these past few months."
"Haha! It's not hard at all. To be honest, these past few months have been the most fulfilling of my life."
He Ji pointed at the soldiers lined up next to him and said, "Master, look at the soldiers I trained. What do you think?"
"Very good, they look like soldiers. It must have taken a lot of effort to train these bandits like this, right?"
"It didn't take much effort. I trained them the same way you trained us. I just copied you."
Zhang Shixun listened to him play it down, smiled and shook his head, "We are all experienced soldiers, and we all know the hardships here."
He Ji smiled and pointed at the newly built ice wall and said, "Seeing this ice wall, it's simply a stroke of genius. With it here, no matter how many Jin soldiers come, they won't be able to break in."
Zhang Shixun shook his head. "It's just a showpiece. It's not difficult to break through. As long as you have enough patience and wait for the weather to warm up, it will fall apart on its own."
He Ji said, "I don't think the Jin soldiers would have the patience. It would take at least the twelfth lunar month for the ice and snow to melt... Speaking of which, the weather this year is exceptionally cold, and there's more snow than in previous years. For example, this snow has been falling for several days now, and there's no sign of it stopping."
"According to my guess, this snow won't stop for a while. It's probably going to keep falling for another ten or eight days... Oh! Oh, by the way, don't let the team stand outside. Let's go inside the village."
In Zhang Xiaozhuang, farmers spontaneously stood on both sides of the street to welcome the arrival of the National Protection Army.
The barracks were ready. When Zhang Shixun rebuilt the village, he built several rows of barracks in a corner of the village.
Early this morning, Li Shishi and Ding Dusai organized the women in the village to clean the barracks and spread clean wheat straw on the bunk beds.
Because they didn't expect the National Protection Army to arrive so soon, their preparations were not yet complete.
Li Shishi came forward and said to Zhang Shixun, "Sir, there are still two rooms that have not been covered with straw."
"There's no rush. Let the soldiers make their own beds later. The most urgent thing is to make some hot porridge so the soldiers can warm up. They've traveled hundreds of miles."
"Okay! I'll organize them to make porridge right away."
"You don't have to do it. They have their own firemen. Just hand the things over to them."
While they were talking, He Ji stood aside and watched. After the two of them left, he approached Zhang Shixun and said, "Military Commander, forgive my ignorance, but was that Li Shishi just now?"
"Uh-huh!"
"You took her...?"
"Uh-huh!"
He Ji gave a thumbs up and uttered two words: "I admire you!"
Zhang Shixun smiled faintly, led him to the officer's room, and asked, "How many people did you bring with you this time?"
"I brought the special forces company, and the other three are artillery companies, a total of 518 people."
The so-called artillery company is a company equipped with catapults, which is responsible for throwing explosive packs with catapults during battle.
"My cousin invented a small trebuchet. It's lightweight and can throw rocks far, making it a great weapon for defending a city. Let the artillery company familiarize themselves with it as soon as possible."
"good!"
"Who is the commander of the special forces company?"
"Han Song."
Zhang Shixun was quite familiar with Han Song. After all, he had trained him and taught him special operations tactics.
These so-called tactics were, of course, borrowed from textbooks of later generations. Zhang Shixun compiled a booklet based on the characteristics of the cold weapon era and his own understanding, and then gave it to Han Song.
As for how to use it, it depends on him.
"After you left Taihang Mountain, Han Song led his men to conduct guerrilla warfare near Taiyuan. They harassed and attacked the Jin army's logistics and transportation, while mobilizing the people and expanding their forces. In a short period of time, they grew to several thousand people..."
"So many?" Zhang Shixun was quite surprised.
"It's all based on the methods you taught me in your lectures, mobilizing and organizing the people."
"This guy is truly a talent. He's able to apply the strategies and tactics in the pamphlet to practical applications... Call him over. I have a mission for him."
Han Song came over and gave a standard salute as soon as he entered the door, "Military Commander, Han Song is here to report."
Zhang Shixun returned the greeting and looked him up and down.
Compared to when I first met him, Han Song was obviously much more capable and calm.
This is a sign of confidence and cannot be faked.
"Han Song, time is short and the task is heavy. I won't waste any more time. I have a very important task for you. I hope you can complete it."
Han Song puffed out his chest and said, "Please give me your instructions, Commander."
"The Jin soldiers' vanguard is less than a hundred miles away from Kaifeng. The main force is galloping towards us. It won't be long before they reach the city walls. You must enter the capital before the Jin soldiers lay siege. Specific tasks will be given to you once you enter."
"Your honorable order!"
"Don't bring too many people. Take ten. Be sure to select smart, capable, and intelligent people... By the way, who is your deputy company commander?"
"Chen San."
"Chen San?" Zhang Shixun was quite surprised. "I remember he was a soldier who surrendered in Magedang."
"Yes, Commander. He surrendered in Magedang." Han Song, thinking Zhang Shixun was worried, explained, "After you left, Chen San followed me to fight guerrilla warfare near Taiyuan. He performed exceptionally well. He alone killed eight Jin soldiers, all by sneaking into the Jin army camp under cover of darkness. He also disguised himself as a Jin soldier, sneaked into the Jin army's hayfield, and burned all the hay."
"Not bad! He has great potential as a special forces soldier... After you leave, let Chen San temporarily serve as the commander of the special forces company. What do you think?"
"I think so. In addition, I recommend Slow Monkey as the deputy company commander."
Zhang Shixun shook his head. "Slow Monkey is also going into the city with you. He's been in the capital before, knows the place well, and is even on good terms with the owner of Wuyou Cave. With him around, you can always hide in Wuyou Cave if you're in danger."
He Ji, who was listening on the side, suddenly interrupted, "Military Commander, with you and Manor Master Wang here, I can't be of much use. Why don't you let me return to the capital? There are many of my father's old subordinates in the Imperial Guard. I can build relationships with them and, if necessary, persuade them to join us."
Zhang Shixun listened to his polite words and nodded in agreement, saying, "Try not to attract the attention of the court, and don't take the risk of winning over unreliable people. Also, after returning to the city, don't have any more contact with Gao Yanei."
He Ji was startled and asked hurriedly, "What happened to Gao Yanei? Could it be that this guy is no longer on our side?"
Zhang Shixun shook his head. "Our business is growing, and for ease of management, we've divided it into several departments. He belongs to a special department, so he shouldn't interact with others, at least on the surface."
Having said that, he pondered for a moment, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him, "You can take a look at this and burn it after reading it."
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