Jiang Jin looked around and said, "I believe everyone is already aware of the organizational structure, so I won't repeat it."
"However, since Yun Yu and a few others weren't here last time, I will focus on explaining why a squad consists of 9 or 12 people. This involves the three-three tactic..."
Although the three-three tactic was a combat method perfected in the era of firearms, this method of enhancing combat effectiveness through coordinated small-group operations was equally applicable in the cold weapon era.
Tactics were not limited by where or when they were used, but rather depended on the combat environment at the time and the troop distribution of both sides.
Everyone listened very attentively, their eyes growing brighter as they realized the brilliance of this tactic.
Especially in jungle warfare and small-scale operations, this tactic was extremely flexible and adaptable. Even if there were casualties, it was easy to fill the gaps, making it particularly suitable for Jiang Jin's current situation of having few troops.
Veteran generals like Yun Ci and Zhou Sui were already formulating various combat formations in their minds based on the variations of this tactic.
Jiang Jin smiled and moved on from the topic, saying, "I plan to train all 62 people we bought today into soldiers."
"The 45 male slaves can be divided into 4 squads, with Yun Yu, Qiu Wu, Lu Ping, and Yun Ce serving as temporary squad leaders respectively."
"The 17 female slaves, plus Shuangjiang, make 18 people. They will tentatively form a reinforced squad, with Xia Chanyi serving as the temporary squad leader."
Xia Chanyi was somewhat surprised, not expecting Jiang Jin to entrust her with such a heavy responsibility and make her a squad leader.
Moreover, to her knowledge, there were no female soldiers—there never had been.
However, considering that Jiang Jin harbored the ambition to fight for the mastery of the world, having female soldiers seemed perfectly logical.
Jiang Jin's voice continued, "Currently, all the soldiers, totaling 6 squads, will temporarily be commanded by Zhou Sui."
"The training must have specific focuses. They can be divided into scouts, cavalry, and infantry. However, regardless of the troop type, daily basic training is absolutely essential."
"Everyone, speak up. Given our current situation of being on the march, do you have any good suggestions for the soldiers' training?"
Zhou Sui, Yun Ci, Yao Ji, and the others were all seasoned veterans of the battlefield and had more experience with cold weapon combat than Jiang Jin.
Furthermore, she wanted to give them a sense of involvement. Some things would be implemented more efficiently if they came from their own mouths.
Zhou Sui suggested, "We can add wrestling and combat training to improve the soldiers' reflexes on the battlefield."
Jiang Jin nodded. "Approved. We can also have them engage in squad-versus-squad competitions to foster a sense of collective honor and a strong desire to win."
Yun Ci offered his opinion: "The northern lands are vast, and we are short on manpower. Sometimes we might need to use troops across different branches. I suggest that scouts and infantry must also learn to ride horses. They don't have to be experts, but they need to know how."
Yao Ji, Xie Nanxiao, and a few others also successively put forward their suggestions.
Jiang Jin nodded frequently.
The meeting lasted for two hours, establishing the soldiers' training plans and goals, as well as the team's marching route and estimated arrival time.
Once these matters were settled, Jiang Jin began to consider the food issue.
With so many additional mouths to feed all at once, their visible food supplies were becoming insufficient and wouldn't last until they reached Gefeng.
Just as she was wondering when she should go out to find an opportunity to 'transport' some food back, the food delivered itself right to her door!
Because, two days later, their group encountered a band of robbers lying in ambush in the dense forest by the roadside.
Jiang Jin asked, "How many are there?"
Zhou Sui replied, "Probably a few dozen, hiding in the dense forest ahead by the road."
Those ragtag bandits thought they were hiding very well, but how could they fool a veteran scout like him? He easily discovered their hiding spots.
He circled around the mountain path, thoroughly scouting out their situation before returning to report to Jiang Jin, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Zhou Sui continued his analysis: "Those bandits probably aren't targeting us. There are many such mountain bandits in the Fengzhou region. They rob whoever they can, and if they can't, they simply let them pass."
Jiang Jin understood. To put it bluntly, these mountain bandits were bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong.
They lurked in areas they were familiar with. If passing travelers were few and weak, they would strike and rob them.
If the target was too strong and they deemed them unrobbable after evaluation, they naturally wouldn't make a move.
However, just because the other party didn't make a move didn't mean she wouldn't.
Since they were already here, and she happened to be short on food, she could also use them as practice for her soldiers—killing two birds with one stone.
No, it was killing three birds with one stone. She would also be eliminating a bandit threat for the people of Fengzhou, which could be considered a public service.
Jiang Jin took out the map, unrolled it, studied it for a moment, and pointed to a specific location. "Can we go around from here and flank them?"
Xie Nanxiao scratched his head. "My Lady, we have a lot of people. They probably wouldn't dare to make a move."
Zhou Sui's eyes, however, flashed with admiration, knowing that Jiang Jin was planning to use the new recruits!
Because Xie Nanxiao was right. Given their strong and well-equipped forces, the mountain bandits likely wouldn't dare to attack.
Furthermore, with their strength, taking them head-on wouldn't be a problem. But since Jiang Jin chose a flanking tactic, it meant she wanted to give the new recruits some hands-on practice.
Sure enough, Jiang Jin's voice rang out: "Only soldiers who have seen blood are true soldiers. This mission will be assigned to the first squad that began training. You must complete the mission."
Xie Nanxiao also caught on. With a serious expression, he promised, "I guarantee the mission will be completed."
In the dense forest, dozens of men were lurking in the shade and underbrush. The weather was unbearably hot, and many insects and ants were biting them, leaving them covered in itchy, painful welts.
"Damn this heat, it's impossible to survive."
A pockmarked man slapped his arm, and when he lifted his palm, an unknown insect had been squashed flat.
The long-faced man sitting next to him was also red in the face from the heat. "Tell me about it. We haven't come down the mountain for days, and I didn't expect this road to have so little traffic. There are fewer and fewer people."
The pockmarked man sighed. "What can we do? Fengzhou is now Quzhao territory. We Han people can hardly survive, and there are barely any traveling merchants."
"Sigh, our food isn't enough to last the winter, otherwise who would want to come down the mountain? Boss, there's no one on this road. Should we just go raid a village?"
The long-faced man agreed, "Yeah, Boss, it's harvest season now. Aren't there several villages connected about ten miles south? Let's go rob them."
The man they called Boss shook his head. "I'm afraid it won't be our turn. Those villages have probably long been targeted by the Quzhao people. They're just waiting for the grain to be harvested."
"If we're going to rob, we have to wait until after the Quzhao people have robbed them, and then we rob the farmers."
As they were talking, a man came running over. "Boss, a group of people is coming from ahead. There must be over a hundred of them, along with dozens of horses and many carriages."
The men's faces lit up with joy. The pockmarked man quickly asked, "They have horses? And carriages? Do they have food and women?"
The Boss quickly calmed down. "Such a large group must have a lot of guards, right?"
The long-faced man remembered something and slapped his thigh. "I remember now! Wasn't there a man riding a horse who passed by here earlier? Could he have been a scout?"
They had wanted to make a move then, as horses were valuable goods. Unfortunately, the rider was very cautious and riding fast. As soon as he entered their ambush zone, he quickly sped away.
The man nodded. "There are quite a few guards. I'm not sure if there are any provisions in the carriages, but seeing how strong and burly those men are, they must have plenty of food. There are women, too. Boss, should we raid them?"
