Under the protection of the guards, Li Mingyuan and his group came to the training ground outside the military camp.
The soldiers of the First Mixed Brigade were training on the training ground. Seeing Li Mingyuan and others arriving, Wang Dashan handed over the training work to his deputy and hurried to Li Mingyuan's side.
"The First Mixed Brigade is conducting tactical training, and Brigade Commander Wang Dashan has come to report." Wang Dashan stood straight and said seriously.
"Yes." Li Mingyuan returned the military salute and said, "Colonel West wants to watch the army's drill, Dashan, to show his guests."
"As you command, Your Majesty." Wang Dashan didn't waste any words. He quickly ran back to the training ground and ordered decisively, "The first and second regiment commanders will lead the entire team of soldiers to conduct a confrontation drill."
"Yes" the two strong men shouted loudly and immediately gathered their troops.
After a few minutes, the soldiers from the two regiments were assembled and stood in line facing each other.
"Your Majesty, all the soldiers of the First Mixed Brigade have been assembled. Please give instructions."
Li Mingyuan nodded, dismounted and stood in front of the soldiers, and said with a smile, "Colonel West is very curious about our Chinese Independence Army. He specifically asked to watch your exercise today. You must perform well and let the Prussian guests see the style of our Chinese Independence Army."
"Did you hear that? Foreign brothers all know the name of the Chinese Independence Army. You must perform well and don't embarrass the Chinese Independence Army." After Li Mingyuan finished speaking, Wang Dashan added.
"Yes" Wang Dashan answered with a loud and confident shout.
After hearing what the translator said, West smiled and said, "What a great group of guys. They are different from what I imagined."
"Colonel West has misunderstood. The Chinese Independence Army has always been hospitable to foreign friends. Only when we face the enemy will we entertain them with guns and cannons."
During the late Qing Dynasty, the Chinese had an ambivalent mentality towards Western white people. Some people were intimidated by the force of foreigners and bowed to foreigners, while others were hostile to foreigners and refused to communicate with foreigners.
However, the soldiers and officers of the 1st Mixed Brigade acted neither humble nor overbearing, and their enthusiasm revealed their confidence, so West asked tactfully.
"The Chinese Independence Army was founded on the Taiping Army, and there are some foreign brothers in the Taiping Army who share our ideals and beliefs. Therefore, we will not regard foreigners as savage beasts like the Manchu officials." Li Mingyuan explained with a smile.
During the Taiping Rebellion, about a thousand foreigners joined the Taiping Army. Among them, Li Xiucheng had the largest number of foreign soldiers, numbering several hundred.
For these foreigners who fought side by side with them, ordinary Taiping soldiers often affectionately called them foreign brothers, so that was the scene that West saw.
"Your soldiers are majestic and majestic. I am happy to be friends with them."
In the eyes of Westerners, the Chinese are ugly, with disgusting money rat tails, crooked eyes, bound feet, and ugly nomadic costumes. They are barbarians similar to uncivilized peoples.
When West first met Chinese workers in South America, his impression of the Chinese was the same as that of ordinary Westerners.
At that time, Li Mingyuan had just launched an uprising. His Chinese workers were in ragged clothes and covered in mud. Some of them still had braids that had not been washed for several months.
In West's eyes at that time, these Chinese workers were sallow and skinny, like a group of beggars, and could not survive the attack of the Peruvian army.
As a result, things developed beyond his imagination. Not only did the Chinese workers in South America survive, they also snowballed into a rebel force covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometers and with more than 100,000 soldiers.
Therefore, Westwai came to Peru again with curiosity and confusion and witnessed with his own eyes the changes in the Chinese Independence Army.
Today's Chinese Independence Army have all shaved off their money rat tails, and their tattered mandarin jackets have been replaced with stern and majestic black military uniforms.
This military uniform is a simplified design designed by Li Mingyuan by combining later German military uniforms and Qin Dynasty military uniforms. It retains the slimming characteristics of German military uniforms and adds the advantages of the classical atmosphere of Chinese clothing.
After distributing the manufactured sample clothes to soldiers for trial use, the response was very good, so Li Mingyuan ordered the garment factories in the occupied area to rush to produce 10,000 pieces of military uniforms, and then distribute the produced military uniforms to the 1st Mixed Brigade and the 3rd Mixed Brigade.
Used by the second mixed brigade and cavalry brigade and officers above the battalion level.
In order to save production costs, the materials and design of the military uniforms were simplified. The shoulder pads and other decorations on the military uniforms were deleted, leaving only the main body of the clothing.
Although it is a simplified version of the military uniform, the aesthetic effect of this military uniform still exceeds the standard military uniforms of many countries.
Without the shoulder pads and decorations, the entire military uniform looks more simple and elegant, adding to the heroic spirit of the soldier.
Wearing brand-new black military uniforms, the soldiers of the First Mixed Brigade each looked majestic and solemn. From them, Li Mingyuan seemed to see the shadow of the Qin Iron Army sweeping across the crowd.
"Colonel West, my subordinates are worthy of Your Majesty's attention." Li Mingyuan smiled and looked at West, who was lost in thought.
West looked away from the soldiers in front and sighed, "In a few months, you have trained a group of workers into a mighty army. I really don't understand how you did it."
"Thank you, Colonel, for your compliment." Li Mingyuan calmly accepted West's praise and said to the soldiers of the First Mixed Brigade, "Mr. West, have you found any differences in these soldiers?"
West observed the soldiers in front again and said, "Your soldiers are highly disciplined and have firm eyes. Although I haven't seen them drill yet, I can be sure that they are all excellent soldiers."
West was born in a Prussian Junker military aristocratic family. He had been engaged in military training since he was a child and was very familiar with military affairs. He could see the shadow of the Prussian Army in the eyes of the soldiers in front of him.
When Li Mingyuan trained soldiers, he drew on the experience of the Prussian Army. However, regarding the soldiers' ideological aspects, Li Mingyuan chose to instill in them classical patriotism.
Since his rebirth, Li Mingyuan has never relaxed. Even after winning a battle, he will take time to explain military theory and patriotism to the officers.
To Li Mingyuan's relief, his hard work was not in vain. From the eyes of these soldiers, he saw a light called faith.
An army without faith will eventually perish,
In ancient China, soldiers often regarded the army commander as the backbone of the army. The army commander relied on his personality charm to influence his soldiers. This was the case for Qi Jiajun, Yue Jiajun, Lu Xiangsheng's Tianxiong Army and other armies.
However, this kind of army that believes in its leader is very fragile. Once its leader is killed in battle, the entire army will soon fall apart.
Losing the faith to fight.
What Li Mingyuan needs is not this kind of army. What he wants are Jiujiu warriors who shout "Correct the old Qin, restore our rivers and mountains, and fight until the end of the war until the blood is shed."
Therefore, Li Mingyuan proposed a system of dividing land for military merit, using fields to inspire soldiers' courage to fight, and using patriotism as their belief in fighting bravely.
Looking at the soldiers in front with satisfaction, Li Mingyuan said, "Mr. West is right, they are excellent soldiers.
They may not be as good as your country's army soldiers in terms of combat skills, but their combat beliefs will not be inferior to any army.
The blood of the ancient Qin Empire warriors flows in their bodies. Under adverse circumstances in a foreign country, I believe they will restore the blood of their ancestors and reshape the backbone of the nation."
Li Mingyuan said excitedly, "Didn't Mr. West ask me how to train a heroic army in a short period of time?"
I can tell you that it is faith. Because of faith, a worker who endures humiliation and survives can transform into a fearless army within a few months.
Because they have faith, they know why they are fighting, not for empty patriotic slogans, nor for corrupt officials and businessmen.
But for the sake of living a better life, for the rise of the nation, and for future generations to live with dignity in the world without being called the sick man of East Asia by others."
Li Mingyuan's words resonated with West. The German region has been a place where princes have been fighting for a thousand years. The people living on this land have been tortured by war.
In modern times, the German region has been invaded by neighboring countries. The vast German region has been torn apart. Even the famous poet Schiller has questioned
: "Deutschland? Where is it? I can't find that place."
Schiller's friend Goethe simply said that there is no city or even a place that makes us firmly point out that this is Germany. If we ask this in Vienna, the answer is that this is Austria; if we ask
Asking this question in Berlin, the answer is, this is Prussia. Where is Germany?
The heavy questioning awakened the German people's desire for reunification.
Many Germans, like West, either joined the army or entered universities to fight for the unification of Germany.
There are many difficulties on the road to German reunification, but seeing the troops in front of them who have not given up hope in a foreign country, West's eyes reveal a firm look: "Your army is an admirable army. I firmly believe that your army is an admirable one."
Like Prussia, our army will definitely defeat the enemy in front of us and achieve our respective goals."
"As a pure soldier, I admire those men who fight for the country. I would like to apologize for my previous misunderstanding of your army." After West finished his sentence, he gave a solemn salute to Li Mingyuan.
Facing West's actions, Li Mingyuan was a little surprised, but felt that his actions were reasonable.
Among traditional soldiers, they often show their respect for a respectable army. Even if this army is their enemy, they will give the other party due respect.
Now, West also treats the Chinese Independence Army as a respectable army.
"It's an honor to be recognized by Colonel West, but now it's time for the boys to show off." After West stood up, Li Mingyuan said with a smile.
"I believe these great guys will bring an eye-catching performance." West said.
"Da Shan, order the troops, the exercise has officially begun."
Li Mingyuan said.
"Yes." Wang Dashan turned around and delivered the order, and the two regiments under the First Mixed Brigade immediately returned to their respective positions in accordance with training requirements.