Time flies forward, and two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye. The training of the Phalange Legion is intense and busy, as if it wants to drain every ounce of strength from the militiamen. The militiamen have no choice and no time to think about it. They can only devote themselves to boring training.
, strive to turn tactical actions into habitual muscle reflexes.
Every day at dawn, Guzman was awakened by the first ray of light. When he woke up from his thatched bed, the first thing he did was to wake up the members of the team and urge them to get dressed quickly. After a simple breakfast, the militiamen
He left the simple camp and headed to the nightmare-like school grounds not far away.
Under the morning sun, there was first two quarters of an hour of standing in silence to cultivate some spirit. This was the most relaxing time for Guzman. He could rest for a while leaning on his spear. Then came the long march and formation, accompanied by strict supervision and cruelty.
Punishment. Guzman could only restrain all his thoughts, with the fear of cruel punishment, and strive to be meticulous. He yelled at the top of his lungs to lead his team, for fear of making big mistakes. As for small mistakes,
countless.
This was followed by team coordination exercises. The five teams from each battalion formed a collective formation and moved closer to each other to form a reliable battle line. The samurai battalion commander scolded them at first for "moving as slow as turkeys" and later scolded them for "the formation was scattered."
"Like a monkey", and then he didn't say anything more, just said "If you were a samurai, you could do better!" Guzman also held his breath, hoping to be respected like a samurai.
After the team practice, there was an extra lunch. Under the setting sun, Guzman and his teammates happily ate corn tortillas and black bean puree. The extra lunch was a treat that many civilians had never had before as a miner.
The samurai also had two meals a day.
After a short rest, there was individual martial arts training. This was the warrior career that Guzman longed for. He learned to use a shield to effectively block, and learned to use a spear to repeatedly poke at limited angles. Although he was taught every time
The samurai was defeated, but he could clearly feel his progress. When several spearmen formed a team and the spears gathered, the senior samurai could only retreat, which gave him a strong sense of self-confidence.
Finally, there is a confrontational competition between the teams. The two teams use shields to squeeze each other to see whose formation is scattered first. The militiamen support each other front and back and use force together. Guzman must keep shouting "Stay steady, use force".
To maintain the rhythm of the team's efforts, and finally win in the competition that lasts for several moments.
There are many kinds of confrontational competitions, such as collective running, to see which team reaches the finish line first. In this kind of competition, you need to focus on the weakest teammate and lead him forward together. Among the five teams, the team consciousness of the salt workers
The strongest one can often have an advantage in the competition.
There is also a stabbing action competition, in which a wooden ball is stabbed on a human-shaped grass target. This is a pure martial art that must be practiced repeatedly. There are no shortcuts. Generally, stoneworkers have better physical fitness, mental dexterity, and martial arts skills.
Hurry up.
The most torturous thing is to endure the bow and arrow competition. Two teams stood in the field at the same time, accepting the bow and arrow shooting from the two teams of bow warriors. The arrows had been removed, and the wooden arrow shafts crackled on the shields and helmets, just like the rainy season.
The heaviest rain.
From time to time, the arrow shaft would penetrate the gap in the shield and hit Guzman's neck. Although there was paper armor to block it, the hit still caused a burst of pain. The pain was not a big problem, but it was just a one-sided attack.
The state is irritating and extremely tests the patience and discipline of the militiamen. When faced with this kind of challenge to patience, gold miners are usually better. Guzman's team often wins.
The most difficult game was the confrontation with the samurai squad. The spears of both sides were replaced with long sticks. The militiamen formed a dense spear formation, while the samurai used a scattered formation. The wolf-like warriors dispersed and surrounded the spear formation, howling continuously.
Using threats, they also repeatedly lured militiamen on the fringes.
Once the formation reveals a flaw and the long sticks no longer gather together, the warriors will quickly attack, swing the long sticks, and violently knock down the opponents in the weak spots. Subsequently, the hasty adjustment of the spear formation will often create more breakthroughs, and the pack of wolves will continue to attack.
They kept biting the hedgehog until the breach was big enough, then they swarmed up and completely shattered the spear array.
The result of every confrontation with the samurai was that the militiamen were completely wiped out, but the spear array could persist longer and longer, and the samurai's casualties were gradually increasing.
In this confrontation, Guzman's understanding became clearer.
"If we fight alone with the samurai, we who have trained for a few weeks will be unable to fight back against the samurai who have trained for several years. Only by relying on the cooperation of our companions can the spears attack at the same time, posing a threat to the samurai, and the shields can also attack each other.
Cover up and hold on longer.”
These confrontational competitions are designed by His Majesty His Highness, and they also carry rewards and punishments from the messengers of the gods. The winning team can get another snack at dinner, usually tortillas, avocado and one or two cocoa beans. The losing team
The team had to clean the school grounds and latrines, and transport the raw materials for "piling up saltpeter" to the lakeside and hand them over to the carrying boat amidst everyone's laughter and instructions.
In order to obtain rewards, and to prevent other teams from laughing at him, Guzman tried his best. Following the samurai's advice, he divided the two hundred miners into twenty pieces, and assigned an old brother to lead each piece.
We spend time discussing with each other. Although no one has much knowledge, after discussing together, we can always come up with some ideas, and the relationship between each other becomes closer.
And when it’s time for a sumptuous dinner, the assistant priest in the team will come on stage. He was originally a member of the miners, and was later elected as the “deacon”. He trains with everyone every day, and has no time to study God’s revelations. Therefore,
He opened his mouth with two newly learned prayers.
"The Lord God Huitzilopochtli is supreme and omnipotent! Those who believe in God will be saved and ascend to the Kingdom of God!"
"Praise be to the Lord God Huitzilopochtli! He gives us food and we will fight for him!"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Guzman scratched his head and repeated it with his companions as required. They had to read it three times in a row before dinner could officially start. At this time
, there were continuous sounds of prayer and praise in the camp, floating towards the distant kingdom of God.
Guzman believed in the Kingdom of God. He had heard about the eternally peaceful and beautiful kingdom since he was a child. But he was a little puzzled and confused about the main god who had been upgraded from the God of War. As a miner, he used to worship the Earth Mother Goddess Traal.
Tecutli or Quesaltzin, the god of fire. And now, with daily prayers, new religious concepts were reshaped in his mind, slowly blending all the gods into one supreme figure, ascending to
The highest sky.
After dinner, the militiamen were finally able to go back to rest. Guzman walked forward quickly, a little impatient. The fatigue of the whole day made his whole body sore. Only when he lay on the thatched floor did he feel that this body truly belonged to him.
The setting sun had gone and the sky was dark. Guzman walked through the wide camp and looked at the big tent in the center from a distance, but did not see His Highness’ reverent figure. Then, he unexpectedly discovered that under the swaying bonfire, the person in charge of training
Adjutant Tarasco was lowering his head and talking to the guards outside the tent. Soon, the tent door opened and the adjutant came in quietly.
Guzman was stunned for a moment, and then continued to move forward. The fatigue from training came like a tide, and his mind was filled with the desire to sleep.
At this moment, Ezpin was not sleepy at all. He lowered his head and carefully stepped into His Highness's tent. He peeked at the decorations in the tent with his peripheral vision, hoping to discover some of His Highness's hobbies.
Unexpectedly, the big tent was extremely simple. The walls were empty, there was no cotton blanket on the floor, and there was no gold and silver decoration at all. There was only a big bow, a set of war clubs and a shield on the wooden stand.
A pair of leather armor, a wooden map, and a few new paper books. In the corner is a straw bed and two wooden basins. There is a brazier near the ventilation hole, lighting a small bonfire, without expensive candles.
.This place is more modest than any of the noble houses of Tarasco.
In the middle of the big tent, there was a newly made wooden table. His Highness, dressed in priestly attire, sat cross-legged behind the wooden table, holding a book in his hand and looking at him with an indifferent expression. Behind His Highness, there was a warrior commander with a vicissitudes of life.
, the gaze shot towards him, like a tiger and leopard waiting for prey.
Ezpin's heart trembled, and he did not dare to peek around or get too close. He knelt down at the tent door and prostrated himself in salute to His Highness.
"Your Highness, Ezpan of the Mexican Federation sends his regards to you, may you be reborn like the sun!"
Hulot's face was calm. He looked at the training adjutant who was saluting, and then smiled. The man was specially dressed in a Mexican warrior uniform, a leather hat with a hummingbird on it, and a string of the latest sun talismans hanging around his neck.
, showing a meticulousness and care.
After looking at Ezpin with majestic eyes for a long time, until he was sweating all over, Shulot asked calmly.
"Ezpin, you came to me with something to report?"
Ezpin gritted his teeth. He thought of the power of the Mexica people, the prosperity of the capital city in the lake, and the eclectic way His Highness always employed people, and finally spoke loudly.
"Dear Your Highness, I have some new suggestions for the training of the Lance Corps!"
Shulot's eyes narrowed. He looked at the weather-beaten face of the training adjutant and asked in a deep voice.
"Since you have suggestions, why don't you tell the training officer? Instead, come to me alone?"
Hearing His Highness' implicit rebuke, Ezpin fell to the ground again with a plop. He wanted to open his mouth to defend, but felt it was inappropriate, so he just kowtowed vigorously on the ground.
Shulot listened to the dull kowtow until he counted twenty times before giving another order.
"Okay, Ezpin, let's talk."
Ezpin raised his head again, his forehead already covered in bruises. His Highness was about to leave the training camp, and this would be his last chance. Thinking of this, he struggled to speak.
"Your Highness, General Barda is good at training warriors. But the spear phalanx is different from the warrior phalanx. It does not focus on individual martial arts, but more on team cooperation! All training should be centered around cooperation!"
Schlott remained expressionless and continued to wait. Under his suggestion, Barda had modified a lot of training plans, and the current training camp was centered around cooperation. There was nothing new in what Ezpin said.
Ezpin paused for a moment, not waiting for His Highness' reply. He gritted his teeth again and spoke loudly.
"Compared with the Samurai Phalanx, the Spear Phalanx is not that strong. Its advantage is that it can be trained into an army quickly and has a wide source of soldiers. As long as ordinary militiamen and miners are trained rigorously for a few months, they can roughly resist the samurai's attacks.
Impact. The training for any qualified warrior is five years."
Hearing this, Hulot became somewhat interested. As a low-level officer, Ezpin was obviously experienced and experienced. The young man waved.
"Ezpin, come closer and speak in detail."
Ezpin stood up, and the warrior commander had already arrived quickly and checked him again. Then Ezpin approached carefully and knelt down in front of His Highness's table.
"There are many key points in training the pike phalanx, the most important of which is to focus on teamwork. Tarasco's pikemen are divided into different teams according to different mines and places of birth. Each team has more than 200 people who are familiar relatives or companions.
.In order to obey the leadership of the captain and create trust among each other, we will elect a leader. Then under the witness of the gods, we will hold a blood-breaking ceremony and treat each other as brothers!"
Shulot's expression changed. He once again heard the concept of the blood-letting ceremony. This ritual witnessed by the gods is similar to the Chinese blood-letting alliance, and it is also like cutting off the head of a chicken and drinking rice wine. The participants will even sacrifice part of their own flesh and blood.
.In the era of tribal people who believed in gods, the influence of rituals in people's hearts was far greater than that of economically developed commodity societies. In addition, this kind of rituals can also enhance the presence of the main god.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Thinking of this, Shulot nodded slightly and looked at Ezpin again.
Ezpin peeked out of the corner of his eye and saw His Highness's approval, and his spirits instantly lifted. There was more confidence in his voice.
"The cooperation of the team is reflected in everyone's movements. Each phalanx soldier needs to learn to protect his teammates with a shield, push forward, and use force together. Then he cooperates with the partners in front and behind, raises the spear high and crosses the shield, and
Stab out in a fixed area. Several spears cooperate to make it impossible for the charging enemies to avoid."
"The second key point is the cooperation of the phalanx. The weaknesses of the phalanx are on the flanks and rear. The phalanxes need to support each other to protect the weaknesses of other phalanxes. In my opinion, the most useful formation is the triangle.
Form three formations. When a certain square formation is attacked, the remaining two formations can move forward from both wings to protect the weaker flanks and use the strongest frontal force to meet the enemy."
Shulot thought for a few seconds, then drew the word "pin" on the ground with his hand, and then showed it to Ezpin. The training adjutant nodded repeatedly and praised His Highness for his wisdom.
"The third key point is to change the formation. In addition to formation, the square formation must master the ability to change the direction of the battlefield and always face the enemy head-on. If it is surrounded by superior enemies, it must turn into a circular formation for defense. In fact, the spear militia
The equipment is not heavy, and the gun array can also be used for assault. However, during the assault, the square array must be transformed into a column and formed into clusters for continuous assault."
Xiulote thought for a while. The concept of column assault seemed familiar in his memory. He thought of the multiple columns of the ancient Roman legion and the military reforms of Li Jing in the early Tang Dynasty, and nodded slowly.
Ezpin became a little excited. He continued to speak, telling all the thoughts that had been hidden in his heart for several years.
"The fourth key point is discipline. The power of the phalanx lies in the collective. Once it disintegrates and collapses, it will be slaughtered by the warriors. Therefore, without orders, the infantry of the phalanx are never allowed to participate in the pursuit. The deserters who are the first to collapse in the war must be executed in public.
To intimidate everyone. In order to form a formation quickly during war, the team must always stay together and camp together in the open air, and cannot live in separate barracks..."
Shulot thought for a moment and smiled softly. Living together... During this period, the Swiss mountain people's phalanx also had similar rules to establish closer connections and prevent enemy sneak attacks. He finally nodded in praise.
"Very good! Ezpin, do you have any other ideas?"
Ezpin was a little hesitant. After thinking about His Highness's past reputation, he boldly proposed.
"Dear Your Highness, in fact, Tarasco's two-handed pistols will be more powerful. Although they were vulnerable to longbow shooting last time, they were unprepared. As long as we organize two additional two-handed pistols,
By having a shield hand in the team, you can take advantage of your two-handed attack while resisting bows and arrows."
Xiulote was startled for a moment. This was a formation similar to the Song Dynasty army, with two-handed spears as the main force, shield men as cover, and a large number of crossbowmen.
After thinking for a moment, he still shook his head. For the newly established militia regiment, the shield is more important. It is not only a defensive weapon, a guarantee of survival, but also a reliance in the hearts of the recruits. The sense of security brought by the shield can
It effectively maintains the morale of the militia. Only when a legion has gone through battles and becomes a truly strong soldier can it exert the power of the spear in both hands.
After a moment, Shulot retracted his thoughts. His eyes were like mountains, staring closely at the training adjutant kneeling in front of him, staring at his uneasy expression.
"So, Ezpin, what do you want to gain from putting forward so many practical suggestions?"
