For the second assessment, the Ye family main branch mobilized again.
This time, the new recruits were divided into red and blue armies, with different colored cloths tied around their arms to distinguish between them. They were tested on formation, battle array, and coordination.
Since the blade edges were all tightly wrapped in thick cloth, the clashing sounds were all muffled thuds. The men's shouts and yells were louder.
Once in formation, the impact was astonishing.
It was late September, and the wind had turned cool, yet the parade ground remained steaming hot.
Ye Jingyi sat at the side of the observation platform, his palms sweating profusely.
Although his martial skills were poor, having studied in the Ye family school since childhood, he knew more of military affairs than the average bookish person.
Whenever the formations changed or battle arrays shifted, he couldn't help but recall the corresponding contents from the military texts. As a child he had no interest in such things, preferring the Four Books and Five Classics and the teachings of Confucius. But now, for the first time, he felt the power and aesthetics of military affairs.
Since they were divided into teams and assessed by platoon, the second assessment was much faster than the first individual assessments, taking only a day and a half to complete.
No one failed this time. Having passed the first assessment, as long as one wasn't an idiot, one would pass the second assessment. The difference was only whether one scored in the first, second, third or fourth platoon.
On the second day in the afternoon, the barracks grew even livelier, as they began reorganizing the new recruits together with the veterans and mixing up the platoons.
Only those who scored double first class could enter the imperial guards platoon.
Everyone knew the imperial guards enjoyed the best treatment, because the imperial guards were the backbone of the army.
Likewise, the main force naturally had the best weapons and armor, and thus had the highest chance of survival in war compared to other platoons. This was easy to understand.
While queuing up waiting to be reorganized, the new recruits couldn't help but discuss: "Is this considered being formally recruited?"
"Hey, didn't they say it takes three assessments to be formally recruited? This is only the second, isn't it?"
"There's still an assessment? What else is there to test?"
Ye Jingyi also asked Ye Suijin, "Another assessment? What will they test?"
In his opinion, the fundamentals described in the military texts, if not all, at least the basics had been demonstrated on the parade ground. What more was there to test?
Further refinement required time, money and resources, and could not be accomplished in one or two months.
In fact, he was already shocked that the new recruits could be trained to this level in just two months.
It was true his ancestors were military generals, but that was a hundred years ago. In the past century, it was only in recent years that they had rediscovered some of their ancestors' legacy.
That was why Ye Jingyi had insisted on personally observing the new recruit assessments, because he lacked confidence.
He worried his family were just armchair strategists.
He didn't expect Ye Suijin to personally join the barracks, personally train the troops, and achieve such results. This once again expanded his understanding of the family leader.
Now, with greater assurance, he was even more eager to know Ye Suijin's next steps.
Ye Suijin, fist propped against her chin, had been studying the map for some time. At his question, she raised her eyes: "Of course, practical combat."
Ye Jingyi was taken aback.
"The parade ground and the battlefield are two different things," said Ye Suijin. "If you don't believe me, ask Third Son and the others. Forget the battlefield, when I first took them on an inspection tour of Deng Prefecture, they reacted terribly just from killing a few men."
Even Third Son Ye turned pale at the memory, and Fifth Son Ye had vomited.
Yet each of them had been outstanding sons of the Ye family, vigorous as lively dragons on the parade ground.
"Good civilians who've learned to wield blades on the parade ground don't necessarily become killers on the battlefield," said Ye Suijin.
Third Son deeply understood this point. He nodded with feeling, "Too true."
In fact, everyone knew Third Son had changed the most these past few months. Even Fourth Uncle Ye sometimes felt as if his son had molted and transformed.
Previously among the brothers, Third Son was famed for his gentle heart. Whenever the younger brothers got into trouble, they would run to him for help.
Now in Nanyang, he had a nickname of "Yama King".
Some of the old officials in the Nanyang county government still trembled at the mention of Third Son Ye. As a result, when they returned home to educate their children, they solemnly admonished: Remember, never corner an honest man.
That would mean... another beating?
Amidst nervousness, Ye Jingyi also felt a surge of ardor. Indeed, he too had the Ye family blood.
He asked, "Are we attacking somewhere?"
Ye Suijin had been studying the map for some time already. Lowering her fist that had been propping up her chin, she tapped the map with her wooden pointer and circled a spot: "Let's start here."
She said: "Clean up Tang Prefecture first."
Tang Prefecture bordered Deng Prefecture. In the past, it had been administered by the same prefect who also commanded the Xuanhua army.
"Shangma, Ciqiu, Biyang!" Ye Suijin's pointer marked out a triangle on the map. "Such good places, with excellent corn."
Tang Prefecture's corn had long enjoyed fame. Fangcheng's corn was exceptional, but in recent years it had been ravaged by Du Jingzhong, leaving much good farmland abandoned.
Although they had successfully grown a crop of beans this year, depleted soil could not recover fertility so quickly. The beans this year were better than nothing, but Ye Suijin did not have high hopes.
Thus it was even more imperative to take over these areas early on.
This was military provisions!
Previously Ye Jingyi only knew the Four Books and Five Classics and Confucian teachings. Only after going to Nanyang did he begin learning about money and grain. Now he hadn't looked at the classics in a long time, instead poring over codes of law, agricultural texts, commodities, and math daily.
As Ye Suijin spoke, Ye Jingyi's mind raced with calculations: "A county of thirty thousand can probably support eight hundred troops. Fangcheng currently produces almost nothing, at most half a county. Yuan County is smaller, also about half. So our total is like three counties, roughly able to support two thousand five hundred to three thousand troops. Currently..."
"Currently, it's barely enough for defense," said Ye Suijin. "Furthermore, this depends on favorable weather and competent county officials."
"I know," said Ye Jingyi solemnly. "Leave the Nanyang side to me."
"Rong Lin from Sheng'an Hall and Gen Zhi from Heguang Hall are not bad. Bring them back with you this time," said Ye Suijin. "Keep them at your side and show them how you handle affairs."
These two Ye descendants had performed outstandingly during the paper clothing incident.
Military affairs naturally fell under Ye Suijin's personal command. For civil administration, she had appointed Ye Jingyi to lead the charge. Now that he had blazed this trail, he had to bring along clansmen and nurture talented personnel.
Ye Jingyi had never imagined that one day, he, a collateral descendant, would shoulder such an important responsibility. But for the clan to prosper, the clan must first grow strong, and only with a strong clan could individuals thrive.
Clearly Ye Suijin did not intend for the main branch to monopolize all the good resources. She evidently wanted the entire Deng Prefecture Ye clan to flourish.
With such a magnanimous family head, the clansmen felt tremendously reassured. Ye Jingyi agreed steadily, "Very well, leave it to me."
He glanced at the map and asked, "When do we take action against Tang Prefecture?"
Saying take action meant taking action.
Ye Suijin gave the Ye family five days to adjust to the new organization and become familiar with their new comrades.
Five days later, Ye Suijin selected a thousand troops, "Food isn't free. Remember you're soldiers now, blades in hand, arrows in pots. You're no longer refugees begging for food, no longer people who don't dare fight back when bullied. You've hacked enough straw men on the parade grounds. From today on, you'll be hacking living men."
"Didn't you all want to know what the third assessment for formal recruitment was? This is the third assessment!"
She shouted, "Those who can't do it, either die out there with families to mourn them, or come back alive by luck, and I will permit you to return home and farm."
"But whoever dares to turn their back in battle, blame me for the army's merciless military law!"
"Speak! How are deserters dealt with in battle?"
Were they going to war?
Even brawny men who had scored double first class felt a trace of panic. Hearing Ye Suijin's harsh demand, their palms grew damp with sweat.
Having been assigned to the imperial guards platoon during the reorganization, Duan He had specially been placed under Duan Jin in Ye Suijin's personal guard. As a former regular soldier who had campaigned against bandits and fought bravely at Fangcheng, he was clever. Hearing Ye Suijin's yell, he was the first to reply: "Executed on the spot!"
Duan Jin unsheathed his saber with a loud clang: "Deserters will be beheaded before the battle formation!"
With a chorus of clangs, steel sabers were unsheathed, spreading out like waves. The veterans were quick to draw their blades: "Beheaded before the battle formation!"
The new recruits' panic was replaced by the heat rising in their blood. They were a beat slower at drawing their swords: "Beheaded before the battle formation!"
The husky, coarse voices of the men mixed with the cold metallic friction, raising goosebumps on the backs of necks.
In this atmosphere, even people's eyes took on a different look.
Ye Fourth Uncle instinctively rubbed his arms to smooth down the goosebumps.
Before Ye Suijin's departure, Fourth Uncle had instructed: "Come back soon, okay?"
"It won't delay the soybean harvest," Ye Suijin said.
Fourth Uncle said, "Go early and return early, save some rations. These horses eat people alive!"
Fifth Son Ye rolled his eyes in exasperation: "Dad, stop pinching pennies!"
"I'm not pinching pennies," Fourth Uncle put his hands on his waist. "I'm the junior prefect, if you weren't acting as head of household, you wouldn't know the prices of firewood, rice, oil and salt. Stop farting around."
Ye Suijin laughed out loud, praising Fourth Uncle: "Fourth Uncle is becoming better and better at managing the household. Our family is poor, we have to carefully budget to get by."
Fourth Uncle: "That's right!"
He remembered and instructed Ye Suijin again: "Money comes second, don't miss out on any good horses, destriers or chargers, bring them all back!"
At the outset of the Battle of Fangcheng, Fourth Uncle was overjoyed at the prospect of looting treasure and riches.
But soon after, Ye Suijin appointed him as junior prefect of Deng Prefecture, putting local defense, taxes, armory, saddlery and horse-breeding under these uncles' management. Fourth Uncle calculated accounts daily until his head shone, wishing he could split every penny in half to make it stretch further.
He later realized that the most precious spoils of Fangcheng were not the gold, silver and treasure, but the horses.
Back then, Du Jinzhong's gang had taken many of Xuanhua's military horses. Although the best warhorses had left with the Commander-in-chief for the capital never to return, what remained were still military horses.
Du Jinzhong was a rough military man, useless at governing civilians, but he knew to take good care of horses. After all, what soldier doesn't love horses?
The horses bred under him were quite decent, proving there were capable horse-breeders under his command.
Obtaining this batch of seized horses made Xu Cripple bloom with joy, bragging that he would breed a batch of fine steeds for Ye Suijin.
But breeding horses was not something to be rushed, so Fourth Uncle specially instructed Ye Suijin.
After the instructions, Ye Suijin struck camp and set off.
In truth, for low-ranking soldiers, fighting wars was often confusing. They simply went wherever their superiors ordered them, fighting whoever they were told to fight. Sometimes they didn't even know where they were going, or who they were fighting.
It was not uncommon for them to quietly ask their superiors along the way: "Who are we going to fight?"
The superior would say: "To suppress bandits."
