Finest Servant

Chapter 240 Fire the Cannon

Gao Qiu, startled by the sudden commotion, hurried over from his quarters nearby. Though he had just woken up, his face bore no trace of sleepiness. In a rush, he asked, “Brother Lin, what is it?”

Lin Wanrong spoke in a deep voice, “Have Zhao Liangyu lead the Divine Machine Unit, Du Xiuyuan take charge of the army of Zhejiang, and Hu Bugui lead the Shandong troops, to assemble urgently at the Divine Machine Unit’s camp. There can be no mistakes.”

Seeing Lin Wanrong’s serious demeanor, Gao Qiu assumed there was an emergency military situation. Not daring to delay, he agreed and went out to deliver the orders.

Lin Wanrong rose to his feet and paced back and forth in the tent. The thought of Qin Xianer’s predicament gripped his heart. Qin Xianer was bound to enter the battlefield to defend her master, but she was virtually invulnerable to blades and swords due to her martial prowess. The most lethal threat was the artillery. He had no idea how powerful the upgraded Cannon would be. ‘Damn,’ he thought, ‘I should have known better than to improve the cannon when I knew I might have to face Xian’er.’

The sounds of commotion from outside indicated that Gao Qiu had already delivered the orders to the Divine Machine Unit. The soldiers in the camp, roused from their sleep before dawn, naturally complained.

Displeased with Zhao Liangyu’s lax defenses, Lin Wanrong spent the night in the Divine Machine Unit. If not for Xian’er’s timely warning, an assassin could have easily infiltrated the camp to target General Lin.

Upon the call for an emergency assembly, the quality of the three camps became evident. Although Hu Bugui’s Shandong Camp was the last to be notified, they were the first to arrive. The soldiers, despite their varied appearances, were uniformed and their weapons were gleaming. Their ferocious and fearless demeanor demanded respect from anyone who saw them. The bearded Hu Bugui was indeed a seasoned commander, superior in the art of training soldiers.

Du Xiuyuan’s Zhejiang Camp arrived second. While they could not compete with Hu Bugui, their marching and defensive formations were meticulous.

In contrast, the Divine Machine Unit, despite being the closest, was the last to assemble. By the time Zhao Liangyu managed to organize his troops, both Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan had already led their teams through an exercise. Seeing Lin Wanrong’s stern expression, Zhao felt a sense of foreboding, but did not dare to voice it in front of the silent General Lin.

With Gao Qiu’s help, Lin Wanrong had donned a suit of armor and battle boots. His angular face, coupled with his attire, made him appear intimidating and imposing. The armor he wore was unusually light, and under normal circumstances, he would have been interested in studying it. But his mind was consumed by distress that day. With his face as dark as charcoal, he had no mind for such things.

Seeing General Lin’s grim expression and the urgency of the assembly order, the three commanders were filled with anxiety. They couldn’t help but wonder if something had gone terribly wrong at the front.

Lin Wanrong climbed to a higher vantage point and surveyed the area. He saw that the soldiers of the three camps before him were most imposing in Hu Bugui’s formation, followed by Du Xiuyuan’s, while the Divine Machine Unit was in disarray. The Divine Machine Unit was the Imperial Guard from the capital, with soldiers selected for their exceptional qualities. Compared to the ragged troops of Hu and Du, these soldiers were physically superior several times over. Yet, their sloppy and fatigued appearance was a sight hard to believe of an Imperial Guard.

With a cold smile, Lin Wanrong walked a few steps forward to the stage, declaring loudly, “Some of you may not know me yet. I’m Lin San, a Military Strategist under Marshal Xu, and I’ve been assigned by him to come to Chuzhou to reorganize the army for war. Some of you should have already remembered my name from last night.”

The news of General Lin disciplining more than twenty soldiers from the Divine Machine Unit by breaking five planks had spread the night before. Today, seeing this Military Strategist commanding six to seven hundred men in person, the soldiers were astounded to find him to be in his twenties.

“Brothers, you may be wondering why someone as young as me is responsible for commanding the army. Honestly, I’ve asked the same question to Marshal Xu. Marshal Xu said, although I don’t excel at anything in particular, I do have three excellent traits: loyalty, strategy, and ruthlessness.”

Lin Wanrong surveyed the crowd, a smile creeping onto his face, “Upon careful consideration, I realized Marshal Xu’s words were absolutely precise. I used to loaf around in Jinling, where I had a bit of a reputation. For those who are interested, feel free to ask around about what kind of person I, Lin San, am. Find out how I treat my brothers. Once you understand that, you’ll know why I prioritize loyalty.”

The three commanders exchanged glances, unable to suppress their amusement as they listened to General Lin’s frank speech. It sounded as if they were dealing with a gangster. Only Gao Qiu, having interacted frequently with Lin Wanrong, wasn’t surprised anymore.

“Today, as soldiers, there’s no distinction between north and south, old and young among us, we’re all brothers. We need to look out for each other. On the battlefield, to protect your brothers is to protect yourself. If anyone dares to stab their comrades in the back, I, Lin San, have a myriad of ways to deal with such treachery. If you think I’m ruthless, just try me,” Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth, radiating a deadly aura. Gao Qiu broke a steel blade in two with a snap, and then crushed one piece in his hand, leaving everyone in awe. His demonstration was shockingly effective, silencing the previously raucous soldiers of the Divine Machine Unit.

“While serving under me, I don’t demand much, just two simple things. First, you need to master your skills as a soldier. I don’t expect you to shatter boulders with your strength—that’s nonsense. I want you to perfect the basics. How do you do that? It’s simple. If you hold a sword, slash fiercely. If you hold a spear, thrust firmly. If you operate a cannon, aim accurately. This isn’t for my benefit—it’s for your survival on the battlefield. Brother Gao, show them,” commanded Lin Wanrong.

Gao Qiu took a half-foot length of wood and set it upright on the ground. With a light shout, his blade shimmered, splitting the wood straight down the middle. The soldiers looked on, awestruck. If they could master such a skill, it would indeed prove invaluable on the battlefield.

Seeing Gao Qiu stun the crowd with a single move, Lin Wanrong felt immensely satisfied. Despite knowing countless methods for training soldiers, he realized that under the circumstances of this era, ideas about advanced training ideologies or creating firearms, high-tech training, or making a technologically advanced nation, though they sounded impressive, were in reality utter nonsense. Cold weapons were just that: cold weapons. Mastering sword and spear combat, this was the hard truth of survival on the battlefield, there was no alternative.

“The second point is also simple,” Lin Wanrong’s voice rang out, resonant and loud. “You must obey the commander’s orders. If I command you to charge, you must charge. If I command you to retreat, you must retreat. If I command you to visit a brothel, even if you’re a eunuch, you’d better manage to produce a cock.”

Laughter erupted from the soldiers in the three camps below the stage. Their general was utterly crude, but they found it endearing.

“I will not gamble with your lives. On the battlefield, if we can’t beat them and I order you to run, you’d better run like hell. If you run too slow, I— well, there won’t be a need for me to do anything, you’ll have been chopped down already.”

Laughter echoed again from the audience as General Lin continued: “When I order you to retreat, you must not hesitate. All responsibility falls to me alone. To survive in this world, righteousness stands central, with morality on both sides. Your lives, my brothers, are as precious and valuable as those of any officials. I will not let you sacrifice needlessly.”

These soldiers, sons of poverty, were roused by Lin Wanrong’s words, their blood boiling as they erupted into cheers. They felt that this general was truly different, caring for his soldiers like his own children.

The three company Commanders exchanged glances. Even just this speech before the formation was enough to make them willing to die for him. This Military Strategist was no ordinary general.

“To promote the enthusiasm of my brothers in training, I will now announce some new military regulations.” Lin Wanrong announced loudly. “Effective immediately, the Divine Machine Unit, the two hundred Zhejiang soldiers, and the two hundred Shandong soldiers will train together. Every morning, each brother will be provided with ample food, but only ninety percent will have lunch, and only eighty percent will have dinner. These brothers will be those who pass the evaluations after their training. As for the brothers who don’t pass, they’ll have to go hungry and train harder the next day.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd was taken aback. It was practically a devil’s regulation, wouldn’t everyone have to struggle to be in that ninety and eighty percent? Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan hurriedly protested, “General Lin—”

Lin Wanrong waved his hand dismissively. “There’s no need to say more. Our troops are weak. If we don’t resort to harsh methods, I fear we will collapse before we even reach the frontline.”

The harsh measure proposed by Lin Wanrong was akin to the elimination system of modern companies. He was all too familiar with this method and intended to apply it to the training regimen, weeding out the weak from every drill. Though it seemed extreme, was there a better approach for such a group?

Next up was the live training that had been agreed upon the night before, featuring the Shandong soldiers and Zhejiang soldiers. Hu Bugui’s meticulously trained elite cavalry of forty played the role of the attackers, while Du Xiuyuan’s Zhejiang army acted as defenders.

According to the assumptions of Lin Wanrong and others, Hu Bugui’s troops were robust and far superior in individual combat ability than Du Xiuyuan’s soldiers. It should have been a quick defeat for the Zhejiang Battalion.

However, the reality proved otherwise. The formation set up by Du Xiuyuan was very effective against Hu Bugui’s trained cavalry. Although his soldiers were physically weaker, the formation was tightly knit. Whenever a man fell, another quickly took his place, maintaining the integrity of the formation and confining Hu Bugui’s cavalry within a narrow space. This had undeniably seized the cavalry’s lifeline. After a standoff of an hour, the Zhejiang Battalion was eventually dispersed due to the vast difference in combat strength by the elite cavalry.

As a modern man, Lin Wanrong had initially scoffed at such battle formations. But after witnessing this exercise, he realized the profound wisdom in these ancient strategies which had been passed down through the ages. This discovery gave him a fresh perspective on Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui. One was skilled in training soldiers, and the other in orchestrating formations – a perfect duo.

Next was the drill of the Divine Machine Unit. Lin Wanrong ordered the construction of two earthen mounds at a distance from each other, with about thirty meters in between. Then, a large Shenji cannon was set up in the distance aimed to fire specifically at the rear mound.

Loading ammunition into the cannon was cumbersome, and the cannonballs were solid, unlike the shrapnel of later times, thus, their destructive power was much less. As Lin Wanrong watched, he grew impatient, shouting, “The first shot from this cannon must be precise and effective. There can be no slack.”

Zhao Liangyu hurriedly said, “As the commander of the Divine Machine Unit, allow me to operate this first shot.”

Lin Wanrong nodded, standing behind him to observe the operation. Once Zhao Liangyu had adjusted the cannon’s elevation and distance, and was satisfied, he lit the fuse. Everyone covered their ears, waiting for the loud bang.

Lin Wanrong waited for a while but heard nothing. He began to wonder if the first shot was a dud, which would be an incredibly inauspicious start. Just as he was about to instruct Zhao Liangyu to inspect the cannon, a soft whistle was heard, followed by a loud boom. Smoke and dust rose in the distance as the cannonball exploded, but it was a hundred or two hundred meters away from the mound.

“Commander Zhao, what happened?” Lin Wanrong asked with a stern face.

Sweat broke out on Zhao Liangyu’s forehead. This cannon had been recently improved and was said to have greatly increased its precision, but he had never tested it. Today, the first shot was far from satisfying, which was bound to anger General Lin. Recalling being caught in the brothel the day before, he feared that this new Military Strategist was about to take this opportunity to settle the score.

Lin Wanrong was seething inwardly. He demanded the cannon to be accurate in its trial fire for a significant personal reason. If they were to enter the battlefield in the future, he was bound to encounter Qin Xian’er. He had no desire to hurt that girl, so the least he could do was ensure the cannon was well-calibrated and accurate. As long as he was in command, the shots would never hit Xian’er. This was his primary motivation for practicing the cannon. As for the ordinary members of the White Lotus cult, if they chose to participate in revolutionary activities without remorse and were subsequently blown to pieces, it was not his concern.

Seeing how incompetent Zhao Liangyu was, Lin Wanrong snorted, then walked to the first mound and shouted, “Damn it, I’ll stand here now, and you aim at the small mound behind me. If you hit it, you’re a hero. But if you accidentally hit me, you’re guilty of murdering a superior officer. Marshal Xu will report to the Emperor, and your whole family, nine generations, will be punished!”

Zhao Liangyu was terrified. He rushed over and said, “General Lin, this can’t be done. Cannon fire is indiscriminate. If it harms your valuable body, I can’t bear the responsibility.”

Lin Wanrong glanced at him and said, “Commander Zhao, by your meaning, my body is more precious than yours, isn’t it?”

Zhao Liangyu hurriedly nodded, “Yes, yes! You are the commander of the troops, naturally, you’re more precious than me.”

Lin Wanrong nodded, “Well, since I am more precious than you, Commander Zhao, I’ll trouble you to stand in my position as a target, and I’ll try firing a few shots.”

Zhao Liangyu was so frightened that he almost collapsed. To be a target for General Lin? With the General himself shooting? This was akin to suicide.

“Stand still, it’s a military order. Don’t move around, or else I might miss and hit who knows where,” Lin Wanrong sneered. ‘You have yet to be punished for your misconduct yesterday, and today your cannon fire is inaccurate. If I don’t give you a hard time, you might think I’m easy to be pushed around.’

Lin Wanrong returned to the cannon platform. Zhao Liangyu, trembling all over, dared not move an inch on the mound. He turned to the Divine Machine Unit soldiers and loudly asked, “Who is the most proficient with this cannon?”

The soldiers all pointed at one man, a man in his thirties. The respect in their eyes was evident. The man held considerable prestige among them.

The man saluted Lin Wanrong and said, “Reporting to the General, my name is Li Sheng, and I participated in the modification of this cannon.”

“Oh?” Lin Wanrong asked joyfully, “You’ve been to Hai’an and seen the French ironclad ships?”

Li Sheng respectfully replied, “Yes. Marshal Xu mentioned you to us. He said that the improvements to the cannon were all thanks to General Lin.”

“Good, good, you try to fire a shot,” Lin Wanrong said with delight.

Li Sheng nodded, climbed onto the platform, and calmly loaded, aimed, and lit the fuse. With a thunderous boom, the cannonball soared through the air and hit the mound behind accurately. As the cannon roared, Zhao Liangyu was so scared that he collapsed and fainted on the mound.

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, “Good. By my command, Li Sheng is promoted to a hundred men Commander, leading the two hundred soldiers of the Divine Machine Unit. This shall be reported to Marshal Xu immediately.” Li Sheng’s skill was exceptional, and he held a high prestige within the Divine Machine Unit. When Lin Wanrong gave this order, everyone, except for a few of Zhao Liangyu’s close followers, cheered.

Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui had long lost their respect for the uneducated and incompetent Commander Zhao. They were pleased to see Lin Wanrong’s decisive action and immediately came forward to congratulate Li Sheng.

Lin Wanrong looked at Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui, speaking seriously, “Brother Du, Brother Hu, I am entrusting the training of the soldiers to both of you. Brother Hu is responsible for individual training, and Brother Du is responsible for formation drills. I hope you won’t quarrel. See each other’s strengths, cooperate sincerely, and guide these six to seven hundred brothers. It is not about how many enemies they kill, at the very least, they should have the ability to save themselves on the battlefield.”

Both Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui were competent men. Although they disapproved of each other, it was only academic disagreement, not a despising of character. Seeing that Lin Wanrong’s words were simple but sincere, they saluted together, “Rest assured, General Lin, we will do our best.”

Lin Wanrong sighed, “That’s very good. Actually, it’s not that I don’t want to train the soldiers myself, it’s just that there are more important things to do.” His face showed a look of sorrow, like a man burdened with the worries of the country and people. Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui were quite impressed.

Gao Qiu came to his side and whispered, “Brother Lin, what is the more important thing you have to do?”

Lin Wanrong grinned, “To take a nap, drink some tea, visit the brothel, take a bath. Which of these is not more important than training soldiers?”

Gao Qiu was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. This Brother Lin was indeed the most amusing person under the heavens.

The orders from Xu Wei finally arrived. The troops from Chuzhou immediately set off, heading to the boundary between Shandong and Anhui. Lin Wanrong’s gaze was fixed in the distance, where the direction of Suzhou and Xuzhou lay. The flames of war at the frontline had already started to burn.

‘Am I really going to fight against Xian’er?’ He sighed lightly, a sense of loss he had never experienced before creeping into his heart.