RPAGF Chapter 058 In the Army
Chapter 058 In the Army
Zhou Lun really underestimated Gao Guiying and her brother Gao Yigong.
The siblings set off north the next day with Zhou Lun's vanguard.
Gao Guiying had prepared her own attire in advance, dressing much like any other ordinary rebel soldier, except for a turban, which accentuated her delicate features and made her appear quite dashing. Gao Yigong was dressed similarly, carrying a waist knife and following Zhou Lun closely, serving as his personal guard.
Once the march began, the two not only kept up with the group, but did it better than many others.
Especially Gao Guiying.
Zhou Lun tried to get her to assist with the logistics work of the troops. At first, she didn't know anything, but she was very smart. After watching for a while, Zhou Lun pointed out some things to her. She listened carefully and followed along. In less than two days, she was already quite proficient.
Moreover, Gao Guiying, as a woman, was incredibly meticulous and did a better job than anyone else along the way. With her around, Zhou Lun didn't need to worry about anything, whether it was cooking or setting up camp. Gao Guiying had thought of everything in advance and arranged everything perfectly.
Moreover, she showed no airs of a leader's wife in the army.
When the troops stopped to set up camp, she not only took care of logistics, but also often took care of the brothers in the army in her capacity as Zhou Lun's wife.
If someone gets blisters on their feet, Gao Guiying will boil water to soak their feet, prick the blisters, and bandage them; if someone is far from home and homesick, she will chat with them like an older sister and offer a few words of comfort.
During the night, Gao Guiying would lead a few people to assist Zhou Lun in patrolling the camp in the middle of the night, and specially bring a bowl of hot soup to warm the brothers on night watch and alert.
Over the course of a few days, Gao Guiying had gotten to know most of the more than 600 people in the vanguard. She could call out the names of almost everyone she saw, and she treated her brothers in the army as her own family.
Her actions quickly won her the support of the people. Within a few days, no one in the rebel army treated her as an outsider anymore, and they all affectionately called her "Big Sister".
The title "Big Sister" directly replaced the original "Madam Zhou," which made the team's cohesion and morale even stronger.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Lun was surprised and also marveled that his wife actually had the talent to be a political commissar. He was really lucky to have married such a treasure.
Gao Guiying was like that, and Gao Yigong was no less so.
As a bodyguard following Zhou Lun, Gao Yigong was curious about everything when he first joined the rebel army. However, he remained calm and composed, and steadily performed his duties as a bodyguard.
In his spare time, he took the initiative to consult with the elders in the rebel army to learn about their situation; he also did not neglect training during the march, and diligently learned from Wang Tieniu and the brothers in the old camp.
Seeing how motivated he was, Zhou Lun, as his brother-in-law, would naturally give him pointers in his spare time. He not only taught him a few sword techniques, but also explained to him why the army trained in this way, what the purpose of such training was, why troops were arranged in this formation during marches, and what the advantages of such arrangements were, and so on.
Gao Yigong was also very intelligent. Although the time was short, his progress in these few days was obvious, which made Zhou Lun very gratified.
After five days of continuous marching, they had traveled more than 300 li north and were not far from Shenmu.
Judging by the distance, the vanguard should be able to reach the vicinity of Shenmu tomorrow, and if all goes well, they will be able to meet Wang Jiayin's team.
Before sunset, Zhou Lun's troops found a suitable place to camp and rest. As usual, Gao Guiying and her men were busy with logistics, cooking and boiling water. Zhou Lun, on his side, had just finished giving instructions to several scouts, sending them out to scout the surrounding area and ensure its safety. He also sent two men ahead, based on the location of Wang Jiayin's troops obtained by Gao Yingxiang, to confirm their location and deliver a message of his arrival.
After making the arrangements, the scouts left. Zhou Lun got up, stretched, and walked out of the tent, intending to inspect the camp.
Upon exiting the tent, he immediately spotted his brother-in-law, Gao Yigong, standing outside, holding the goose-feather saber that he had given him and gesturing with it with great practiced ease.
"One hit!"
"Brother-in-law!" Upon hearing the voice, Gao Yigong turned his head and saw Zhou Lun coming out of the tent. He quickly put away his knife and ran over.
In principle, soldiers should be addressed by their rank, but Zhou Lun was too lazy to bother with such formalities, especially since they were a righteous army, not an official army.
Aside from the fact that Zhou Lun gave Li Wanqing the honorary title of "General" when the uprising was just beginning, in order to boost Li's morale, this title was never used again after Li joined forces with Gao Yingxiang's troops.
Therefore, besides calling him "leader," the rebel army mostly addressed him as "general." Zhou Lun's subordinates generally called him "general," but a small number called him "Leader Zhou." Zhou Lun hadn't yet reached a consensus on how to address him, and since there were no outsiders present, it was normal for Gao Yigong to call him that.
"Were you practicing your sword just now?" Zhou Lun asked with a smile, his gaze falling on the sword at his waist.
Gao Yigong nodded: "Brother-in-law, didn't you teach me a couple of moves a few days ago? I'll practice more now that I have some free time."
"How's the practice going?"
"It's...it's alright..." Gao Yigong raised his hand to scratch his head and chuckled.
Zhou Lun asked him to demonstrate it to him directly. Gao Yigong was not intimidated and nodded in agreement. He took two steps to the open space on the left, drew the goose feather saber from his waist, and began to practice the "Eight Blades of Breaking the Edge" that Zhou Lun had taught him, move by move.
The Eight-Strike Breaking Technique is no ordinary sword technique. It was originally created in 1926 by the master swordsman Ma Fengtu, primarily to counter the bayonet techniques of the Japanese army at that time, and was a practical sword technique used on the battlefield.
After its creation, the Eight-Sword Technique was widely adopted within the Northwest Army. Due to limited military equipment, the Northwest Army formed broadsword squads in its battles against the Japanese, using this sword technique to counter the Japanese in close combat and earning a great reputation.
In particular, the 29th Army's broadsword team was extremely famous. The Battle of Xifengkou made them famous throughout the country, and the "Broadsword March" spread all over the country. This set of sword techniques became widely known.
This set of sword techniques includes eight moves: a powerful cleave to break the blade, a sweeping motion to cut the waist, a sweeping motion to cut autumn leaves, and a sweeping motion with immense force that the enemy cannot escape. Through techniques such as chopping, parrying, and wiping, combined with footwork and offense and defense, it is extremely powerful.
It is said that Zhou Lun initially learned this sword technique from a martial artist while studying Sanda and boxing because of his love for martial arts. At that time, he only practiced this sword technique to improve his health, but he never expected it to come in so handy at the end of the Ming Dynasty. It was this sword technique that Zhou Lun used to break into the county prison.
Watching Gao Yigong execute his moves one after another, Zhou Lun nodded inwardly. His brother-in-law had quite a talent for this sword technique; in just a few days, his stance was already quite impressive. The entry barrier for this sword technique wasn't high, but mastering it required considerable effort. What Gao Yigong currently lacked was meticulous refinement, and more importantly, real combat experience in the future.
After Gao Yigong finished practicing, Zhou Lun stepped forward, took the knife from his hand, and demonstrated a few stances, explaining some shortcomings in his previous moves. He also told Gao Yigong that this knife technique emphasizes speed, ruthlessness, and accuracy; every strike must be decisive. The person moves with the knife, and the knife moves with the person; an unstoppable momentum is essential to unleash its maximum power.
Watching Zhou Lun's demonstration intently, Gao Yigong nodded repeatedly with excitement, firmly remembering his words.
"Alright, you can practice slowly later. I'll let you see blood when I have the chance. Without real combat, no matter how strong you are, it's all for nothing."
"Understood, brother-in-law!" Gao Yigong replied.
Zhou Lun handed the knife back to him and beckoned Gao Yigong to follow him.
After setting up camp each day, he would personally inspect the troops several times—a habit he had developed. Zhou Lun was never at ease unless he personally went to check on the troops' condition. Moreover, in this era, as a rebel leader, he never let his guard down; he knew that carelessness could lead to death.
The camp, with over six hundred people, wasn't very large. The location for setting up camp was also carefully chosen. Compared to the haphazard and chaotic encampments of ordinary rebel armies, Zhou Lun's camp was much more organized.
The camp was surrounded not only by temporary fences and traps, but also by guards. In addition, a double arrangement of overt and covert measures was specially arranged to ensure that nothing went wrong.
As Zhou Lun led Gao Yigong along, he explained many details and precautions to him, emphasizing the importance of his arrangements and reminding him of the aspects he should pay attention to, especially when setting up camp, should he have the opportunity to lead an army independently in the future.
The opening lines of *The Art of War* state: "War is a matter of vital importance to the State; a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected." This statement directly points out the essence of war. Although Zhou Lun never served in the military, as a successful businessman, he was well-versed in *The Art of War*. This book also provided him with considerable inspiration in business warfare, playing a significant role in his past success.
However, Zhou Lun never expected that he would pick up "The Art of War" again in this era. Moreover, this time it was not a business war, but a real battlefield, which made him feel a bit emotional.