There were no lieutenants and centurions, and the ten captains did not give in to each other. In desperation, everyone began to discuss the terms of the march. It was decided to set out at midnight every day and camp at the end of the day. Rest for a quarter of an hour for each hour of marching, and half an hour for every three hours of marching. Three teams of ten take turns on duty each night. The required camels, horses, carts are collected according to the rules of the baggage division. Because Zhao De could operate the celestial sphere, he handed over this item to him for safekeeping, and as compensation, Zhao De's ten-man team received an extra camel. He also took the 10th Commander, who had the highest title, the oldest military seniority, and the oldest as the convener, and convened 50 10 Commanders for discussion in case of major events. If anyone violates military discipline and the treaty, the punishment is supervised by fifty ten-division commanders. Fortunately, it was a march in the interior, so there was no need for the enemy army to sneak attack, and there was no need for the commander to make a decision on the spot.

After negotiating the terms of the agreement, the more than 50 captains reported their names, titles, qualifications, and ages in turn.

A big shoulder and a round waist Mo swordsman said first: "Duan Yanji, a material official, is twenty-eight years old and has been in the army for seven years. ”

A hussar commander beside him didn't seem to have much interest in the seniority of the platoon, and said lazily: "Wang Tongdeng, Shangzao, twenty-five years old, has been in the army for three years. The sergeants praised it, this Wang Tongdeng didn't know what military merits he had made, and after three years in the army, he actually entered the third-level title. Several aspiring ten-captains immediately listed him as an important opponent. Later, Zhao De learned that Wang Tongdeng was the tenth commander of the Tiger Wing Army, and once again escorted the general Liu Yi back from the Mobei patrol, and ran into an ambush of horse thieves, and hundreds of Tiger Wing Army guards supported two hours in the strong attack of thousands of horse thieves, until the reinforcements arrived, the Tiger Wing Army lost seventy-seven people, and the rest were all wounded. He killed more than 200 horse thieves. This Wang Tongdeng rushed into battle bravely, and a big gun picked eleven horse thieves in a row, frustrating the enemy's spirit, so he added two titles in a row.

"Guo Sanxing, the word is cautious, the material official, twenty-nine years old, eight years in the army."

......

"Jian Cheng, the word peace, public soldier, twenty-five years old, three years in the army."

Zhao Xingde sat next to Jian Cheng, the eyes of all the sergeants fell on him, Zhao Xingde said with some embarrassment: "Under Zhao De, the words are straight, the age is twenty-five, is the title?" He said in an uncertain tone, "It's a public officer, I've been in the army for less than a month." ”

The sergeants were in an uproar, and they were able to join the Chengying Army, but they didn't expect that among the ten commanders, there was a rookie who couldn't be more tender. A few people who were secretly wary of Zhao De earlier also let down their vigilance, and said in their hearts, a newcomer who can operate the Celestial Observatory is just a newcomer, and he can't make any big waves, so he doesn't need to be treated as if he is facing a great enemy, but he has to be wooed.

The last veteran sword and shield hand of the Jiaorong army, named Du Blowhorn, was elected as the convener. He worships "Shangzai", has been in the army for nearly 20 years, and is already in his forties. Suddenly, he got the opportunity to "command" the whole battalion, and Du Blowhorn secretly said that if this opportunity is grasped well, the captain will not dare to be delusional, and there is hope for the centurion to grow up. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, his face was full of red light, and he saw that every ten-master said with a smile: "This march, I still need a lot of support from my brothers." ”

The three marching horses of the Great General's Mansion sat beside them without saying a word, and when they saw that although the ten commanders did not give in to each other, they still used the method of making contracts and consultations to handle the march in an orderly manner, and they all secretly praised it in their hearts.

On the way back to the General's Mansion to report, the marching Sima Fu Junfang sighed: "The Chengying Battalion is really elite, it has not yet become an army, and there are not even serious officers, so it can still be in order." Now it's ready to travel thousands of miles. Jin Changtai also said: "Yes, the training has not started yet, and no one will obey anyone, but it already looks like a strong soldier." ”

Huang Zongdao, another marching soldier, said with a smile: "These guys are still in trouble. He paused for a moment and muttered, "That Xinding named Zhao De actually knows how to operate the Heavenly Observatory, which is a bit interesting." It can't be a pretense, right? Jin Changtai said with a smile: "I am not as good as Kanto, and it is forbidden for people to study astronomy privately, maybe he is interested in astronomy, or he once planned to go to the wilderness to find mineral veins, so he has specially practiced this art of observing the sky and positioning." ”

When the marching Sima reported the situation of the fifty ten-captain military meeting to Zhang Shanfu, the general in charge of the marching division, Zhang Shanfu smiled at Zhou Yuanzhong and said: "Congratulations to your new Ding for passing the first level, I am really a little worried that these wolf cubs will march to the end like birds and beasts, so it will be very troublesome to contain, maybe I will have to mobilize the Jiaorong army to find them." ”

Zhou Yuanzhong picked up the general's felt hat on the table, put it on his head, and said in a deep voice: "Carrying out detachment military affairs in the enemy territory is indispensable to cooperate with friendly forces that are unfamiliar and not subordinate to each other, and it can be regarded as a necessary ability of the Chengying Battalion. It is precisely to use the long-distance march to temper the materials of these stragglers into an army," he paused, and then said with a smile: "The Chengying Battalion has never bothered to teach the Rong Army to train recruits on its behalf, even if it bothers them, it is nothing. ”

Zhang Shanfu smiled: "Except for that Zhao De, the others are not real recruits." Besides, Chengying is in the top three armies, and he still has to teach the Rong army to train on his behalf, you are not ashamed, I am still ashamed. But then again, you didn't let my people operate the Celestial Observatory, did you deliberately let them go around in circles in Pu Changze? ”

Zhou Yuanzhong put on a thick cloak, stood up, and said with a smile: "Every time you go deep into the enemy territory, as long as you don't get lost, the military affairs of the detachment will be half done." I just wanted them to understand the importance of the positioning of the sky, but I didn't expect that there was one of the newcomers in this group who could use the sky-watching instrument, so I had to set off early to get ahead of them. After speaking, he said goodbye to Zhang Shanfu and left the General's Mansion, and a hundred Chengying sergeants were already waiting outside with horses.

Zhou Yuanzhong turned over the saddle and got on the horse, and a group of people galloped out of Dunhuang. They first rushed to the vast area around Pu Changze, and used the military order of the General's Mansion to inform the government offices and post stations along the way that they were not allowed to provide guides for the later reorganization of the army, so they found a red willow bush camp and hid it, waiting for the seventh battalion to participate in the reorganization and training of the army.

After the Chengying Battalion was formed, it accepted the detachment military affairs ordered by the General's Office, and often went out as a battalion. The independent command of the forward lieutenant was extremely powerful, and Zhou Zhongyuan, the commander of the army, had nothing to do, except to report to the General's Mansion every time he obtained the local military information and battle history, and to do some things such as arranging logistical support for the battalion heads of various places, and reporting meritorious service and rewards. Zhou Zhongyuan held back his strength and had nowhere to do it, every time he trained a new camp, it was a rare opportunity for him to relax his muscles.

Because the large quicksand of the South Tianshan Road often flooded the road, the Chi Road that ran through the Western Regions chose to take the North Tianshan Road, and after the Chi Road was completed, the trade route of the South Tianshan Road declined rapidly. Only a few merchants brought some silk, silk, cotton and linen and other materials to buy jade and other specialties on the southern trade route. In the entire southern province, there is only one leading army. The military government of the Ran army was built in Khotan, and the 5,000 soldiers were scattered and stationed in various important oases like a grass snake gray line.

It was precisely because of Zhou Yuanzhong's painstaking arrangement that when Zhao De and other 500 sergeants of the 7th Battalion of Chengying took great pains to find the only post station on the bank of Pu Changze, the only post officer spread his hands and said with a bitter face: "Everyone, there is an order from the General's Mansion, and the march in this whole training is like an action behind enemy lines, and the post station is not allowed to find a guide for you and point you in the direction." ”

"The younger generation understands, thank you old man." Zhao Xingde frowned and said goodbye. Because he speaks appropriately and asks questions clearly. Sometimes when others don't want to tell him, he can get some clues by knocking on the ground. Gradually, the captains of the Ten entrusted him with the task of asking for directions.

The old postman looked at his back and nodded secretly, this man was calm. There are few traders here, the old postman also went south and north when he was young, and now he cultivates a few acres of paddy fields in his spare time, takes care of the vegetable garden, and also circles a pond, raises hundreds of ducks, and sells the pickled duck meat to the occasional passing traders, in exchange for some silver, his wife is dead, and his son is a sergeant in the Jiaorong army, although this little silver money is not rare, but the old man is always idle.

Zhao Xingde returned to the ten commanders and said with a calm face: "Without the guidance of a guide, it is not easy to find the mouth of the Hemo River in this vast and boundless Puchangze. "The location of this post station is where the vague trade routes crisscross and stretch into the muddy swamps of Puchangze, except for the wide road from the east, which seems to have no end in sight.