Seeing that Liu Jing insisted on not bringing more men and horses, Cai Sheng said: "Since Liu Jun insists on this, he might as well bring that team of cavalry."
Jingnan was short of horses, especially good horses for riding and fighting. Originally there was no cavalry establishment in the Bielbu camp. Later Liu Jing married Deng Yuan, and his father-in-law Deng You gave him thirty-six good horses as a dowry.
Relying on these horses, a cavalry "team" was established, with thirty cavalry under its jurisdiction.
Liu Xiu nodded in agreement and said: "This is a good method. If Thirty Cavalry is used properly, it can have ten or twenty times the effect at critical moments."
"Okay." Liu Jing did not refuse this time. He did not want to be high-profile, but the premise was to ensure that he would not be put in danger.
Ma Zhou couldn't help but be overjoyed. Although he grew up in a water town, he was a landlubber. On the contrary, he loved riding horses. In his opinion, leading cavalry was much more majestic than leading a fleet.
When the time comes, dozens of riders will return to their hometown, ride on the alleys, hold the enemy under the horse, count their crimes, draw their swords and kill them, how quick it is!
Ma Zhou couldn't help but laugh when he thought of this. Then his heart moved, as if he thought of something, he smiled at Liu Jing and said: "Liu Jun, the batch of armors you brought back have always been kept in the warehouse. It is a pity to abandon them."
No, it’s better to…”
Liu Jing not only received thirty-six good horses from his father-in-law Deng You, but also obtained hundreds of pairs of jackets and two hundred pieces of cowhide. The cowhide was tanned and painted to make more than a hundred pairs of leather armor.
However, armor is an absolutely controlled item in Changsha, and it is difficult to tell its origin, so most of it has been stored in the camp warehouse to eat dust. Ma Zhou has been coveting this batch of armor for a long time.
Liu Jingshi smiled and said: "Zi Jin, you are both a cavalryman and an armor. If you don't know, I would have thought you were going south to beg for thieves."
Ma Zhou's face stiffened when he heard this, and he smiled dryly: "Liu Jun has wronged me. Ling County is not a kind place. Aren't I worried about your safety, Liu Jun?"
Cai Sheng echoed: "What Zi Jin said makes sense, but Liu Jun should be careful."
Liu Xiu also advised from the side: "Zhongda, it's better to bring it with you, so as to be prepared."
"Okay." Liu Jing followed the good example. In fact, he had this intention. Just like his clan brother Liu Xiu said, if you are prepared, no one will think that you have too many cards, and he is no exception.
Liu Jing then turned the topic to the military camp and asked Cai Sheng, Ma Zhou and Liu Xiudao: "How many people are there in the camp now?"
The three people couldn't help but look at each other when they heard this. Not to mention the people outside, even the generals and captains in the camp may not be able to tell clearly about this issue. Only the three of them knew how many people there were in the camp. Liu Xiu spoke up.
He replied: "A total of one thousand, two hundred and eighty-eight people."
Liu Jing nodded when he heard this. There were originally only a thousand soldiers in the Bibu camp. When he went north to welcome his bride, he took away 300 soldiers. Liu Xiu got his instructions and recruited more than 200 soldiers without disturbing Linxiang.
Entering the camp. So now the total number of people in the other camp has reached nearly 1,300.
To be honest, Liu Jing now wishes he could recruit another 1,800 people. There are no new recruits in the world who can fight as soon as they are recruited. If they are not trained for a year and a half, they will be nothing more than a mob. And next year, the North-South War will break out in Jingzhou.
It's too late to recruit troops now.
However, Liu Jing did not do this. The so-called small impatience will mess up the big plan. If the action is too big, it will definitely arouse Zhang Xian's vigilance.
In fact, if you want to expand your strength, there is no place more suitable than Lingxian County. It has always been harassed by Jingman and bandits, and there is unrest both inside and outside. He is the lord of a county and has the power to command troops. He can recruit troops to attack bandits.
It's a matter of course. As long as he can afford it, even if he recruits two to three thousand people, it will definitely not be a problem.
Liu Jing then asked about the food and clothing of the soldiers. He spent a lot of money on other camps. He gave summer clothes at first and robes in winter. Summer clothes cost about three hundred yuan each, and winter clothes cost about a thousand yuan each. They only clothed a thousand people.
It cost over a million dollars.
Liu Jing didn't need to worry too much about the food problem. The Changsha County government gave each person two shi of rice per month and some money for salt and vegetables. With the current price of goods, it can only be said to be better than nothing.
Liu Jing would spend a sum of money every month to subsidize the soldiers, which was used as fish and vegetable money. It cannot be said that their food was good, but compared to other soldiers in Changsha, they were much better off.
Liu Jing rarely came to the military camp, and asked about all the details. After all, Cai Sheng and Ma Zhou were lacking in this aspect and could not cope with it freely. Liu Xiu did most of the talking.
At dinner, Liu Jing did not make any special requests, just follow the food in the military camp.
Liu Xiu was unselfish and always focused on military law and discipline, but Liu Jing was no better than others. Liu Xiu rarely made an exception and brought deer breasts, fish meat, and fine wine to entertain Liu Jing and his party.
The next morning, Liu Jing, accompanied by Cai Sheng, Ma Zhou, and Liu Xiu, went up to the camp platform to watch the soldiers' drills. The soldiers were no longer the frivolous display that Liu Jing had seen when he first arrived.
After half a year of training, they have mastered the changes of the eight formations.
The soldiers looked at the flags with their eyes and heard the drums. They advanced and retreated in an orderly manner. They raised their spears and waved their halberds and called for killing. Their powerful momentum was moving.
Liu Jingjing watched the drill with a calm expression. After all, his vision was much ahead of this era. In terms of organizational power, modern high school students can kill the army in front of them instantly after a period of training. Of course, Liu Jing will not use modern people's skills.
The vision required the ancients, and clan brother Liu Xiu did have some skills in military training.
After having breakfast in the military camp, Liu Jing was ready to leave.
In addition to Liu Liang, Yu Zheng, and Zhen Zhen, who came with them, there were also thirty cavalry and a hundred infantry led by Ma Zhou.
In order to avoid being too high-profile and attracting the attention of the outside world, especially Zhang Xian, Liu Jing asked the soldiers accompanying him to take off their robes and scarlet clothes, put on green scarves and robes, put away their spears and halberds, and only equipped them with daggers. The effect was not bad, at least.
It won't attract too much attention from people.
The fleet was uneventful overnight. Liu Jing returned to the ship and ordered the fleet to go south.
After sailing for several days, the fleet arrived at the Hengshan area. Hengshan lies on the west bank of the Xiang River. This section of water is winding and winding, with nine directions and nine backs. Therefore, the fisherman's song goes: "The sails turn with the Xiang River, and look at the nine sides of the Heng River." That means no matter what.
No matter how you turn the sails or adjust the bow, you can always see the Hengshan Mountains on the west coast.
The scenery is different from bay to bay, bay to beach. Unfortunately, it is the first month of the year, when all things are reborn, and the scenery cannot be described as beautiful.
When he came to Hengshan, Liu Jing couldn't help but think of Shanxi who lived in Hengshan. Although he was a Jingman, he had no barbaric spirit and was more polite than most Han people.
Since Liu Jing became the chief bookkeeper and left the market, the opportunities for the two to meet have become less and less. Last year, in order to attend his wedding, they had to wait in Linxiang for nearly a month one way.
Unfortunately, there were so many guests on the wedding day that Liu Jing was too busy to entertain him properly.
After this trip to Ling County, I don’t know when the two of them will meet again.