Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1237: Chapter 1191: Liangzhou Mighty Army

Upon entering the military camp, one can clearly smell the scent of alcohol and blood, accompanied by various shouts and applause. Naturally, Li Meng, Hu Feng, and others hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects, but they did not stop the ongoing training.

Listening to the sounds of battle nearby, Chen Xi tiptoed to see clearly that over a hundred people were actually fighting fiercely, surrounded by thousands of spectators!

What made Chen Xi’s eyelids twitch was that these bastards were using real swords and spears, wearing armor, and were essentially fighting for real; this certainly did not seem like a game.

Especially when he saw someone get slashed across the chest with sparks trailing, and then, in retaliation, cut the opponent’s arm, Chen Xi’s eyelids and cheeks could no longer endure. These bastards were conducting their so-called routine training again.

It was the dead of winter, yet these people fought so vigorously that steam rose from their bodies, making it clear that they genuinely treated this dangerous training as a common game to play.

”Whoosh!” A Liangzhou soldier blocked the opponent’s knife and then slid down it, creating an opening on the opponent’s leg with a swift move.

”I always feel your training methods are extremely cruel,” Chen Xi said, speechless, as he watched three guys accidentally get knocked down and carried off, only to quickly be revived and lie there watching the fight.

”Ha!” Li Youu sneered, ”Bleed and sweat a little now, and on the battlefield, it’s definitely not yourself who will bleed.”

”Besides, haven’t you noticed most spectators wear leather armor while those in the fight wear full armor, protecting their chest and back, and they don’t attack the neck? Injuries only occur on the arms and legs. This is much better than what I experienced in Xiliang,” Li Youu said casually.

Speaking of which, when Li Youu was in Xiliang, he only dared to conduct such training with the Xiliang headquarters during winter because at that time, they lacked armor. Training in commoner’s clothes, even ten layers deep, led to significant casualties every year.

The reason for training this way in winter was to prevent wounds from getting infected, avoiding unplanned losses. Thus, Li Youu conducted such training with the Xiliang Army headquarters during the winter.

Chen Xi looked at Li Youu and suddenly felt that Li Youu must have been a devil instructor in the past. With such brutal practical training, it was unreasonable for the Xiliang Soldiers not to be strong.

”Things have improved a lot now,” Li Youu sighed, ”Not to mention anything else, but as for this armor, although we can’t give every soldier a complete set, we can still provide each with a leather armor. Plus, with medics available now, this training has become quite safe.”

”No wonder the Xiliang Soldiers and Xiliang Iron Cavalry are known for their bravery, emerging from such training—it’s unreasonable for them not to be fierce,” Chen Xi said, speechless, ”Don’t they know what fear is?”

”It’s better than dying. As soldiers, they have food, and as strong soldiers, they have meat. Even back then, they could taste meat within three months,” Li Youu said, reminiscing bitterly.

The Xiliang Soldiers had the worst equipment in the world but were the toughest fighters. Their combat prowess was built from experience and blood. Any soldier who could endure such training could become elite.

”There was no choice; life in Xiliang was so harsh back then. Fighting was probably their favorite thing to do because there was wine and meat afterward. Although some always fell, our chances of defeat were remarkably low,” Li Youu said nostalgically.

Compared to those days and looking at the current living standards of Mount Tai, it would be challenging to select ten thousand elite soldiers like those currently dueling on the field. Yet, in Xiliang back then, they truly had nothing to fear, because even with a worthless life, a meal in exchange for service was enough motivation.

Chen Xi did not inquire further, as he could guess how dire the situation was in Liangzhou back then. However, if not for circumstances being so severe, Dong Zhuo couldn’t have quickly assembled a powerful army across the land with such force!

The fighting on the field lasted about half an hour before it came to an end, after which all the soldiers paid respects to Li Youu and Chen Xi under the guidance of their respective officers. It was clear that many of them recognized Li Youu, looking at him with excitement and determination.

”You should speak. It’s clear that this situation suits you,” Chen Xi stepped back, giving the stage to Li Youu.

Li Youu glanced at Chen Xi, then stepped onto the high platform in the camp. By this time, all the soldiers had formed an overlapping spearhead formation under the leadership of their respective officers. This formation had seemingly become an instinct for the Xiliang Soldiers.

”The money, grain, and meat have been distributed to you all,” Li Youu stepped forward and, without any grand speeches, said directly what the Xiliang Soldiers most liked to hear, ”Step forward if you’ve been shortchanged!”

No one stepped forward. What Li Youu had clamped down on most strictly back in the day was military funding. Anything could be lacking, except for military funds. Anyone daring to shortchange it was punished severely, regardless of how important they were to him. For this, several Liangzhou Aristocratic Families that sought refuge with him were executed in front of the soldiers!

If any military officers in the Liangzhou soldiers’ ranks shortchanged military funds, and the soldiers had clear evidence, the person would not only not be punished but also be rewarded. Consequently, incidents of military fund shortchanging were rare among Liangzhou soldiers, and desertion was infrequent.

Of course, since the officers of the Xiliang Soldiers had no chance to shortchange military funds, they often remained poor during peacetime. However, in victory, they would hoard spoils fiercely. If ten portions of spoils were taken, hoarding merely five portions was already considered to be honest.

In this aspect, Li Youu turned a blind eye, knowing that honor could not be used to put food on the table. By combining interest with honor, they made the generals feel their worth.

Furthermore, they could only earn spoils by winning battles, so Li Youu was lenient about officers hoarding spoils, not minding as long as appearances were maintained, after all, they still submitted three or four portions in the end.

Because of this, Xiliang Soldiers loved warfare and would rush forward fiercely when needed, never fearing a fight. Their living standards were directly tied to warfare; the higher the frequency of wars and the higher the victory rate, the better their living standards!

In such a situation, accepting what could be described as brutal training was not an issue for them. For a person, once they accept and even get used to a certain setup, they might find it intriguing and not terrifying at all.

This is why Xiliang Soldiers didn’t find their in-camp combat training problematic, while the Soldiers of Mount Tai, though only slightly inferior in formation battle, felt intimidated facing such frenzied, self-tormenting training. The Xiliang Soldiers simply didn’t see any issue with such training.

”Military adviser, the meat, alcohol, steamed buns, and fine rice are all there, plus we received a huge bonus and stipend, much better than in previous years. But taking this money without battles, we brothers feel unworthy!” Hu Feng stepped forward, scratching his head as he spoke. (To be continued... If you like this work, please come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)