In the military camp, the seven thousand White Robe soldiers bowed and thanked Liang Xiao for upgrading their equipment.
Besides their weapons, which were all forged from "bin tie" (high-quality iron), they also received a set of padded armor.
Liang Xiao nodded slightly as he looked at the seven thousand men, clad in padded armor beneath their white robes.
This padded armor was very thick. Cotton was picked, soaked, and repeatedly beaten to create thin cotton sheets. Multiple sheets were then sewn together to form a dense, thick cotton cloth. Between two layers of cotton fabric was a layer of iron armor, secured with copper rivets on the inside and outside.
However, Liang Xiao had adapted the design of these padded armors to match the style of Great Qian soldiers, without compromising their defensive and warming effects.
Compared to "bu ren jia" (infantry armor), padded armor was far cheaper to produce and much easier to make. Its weight was also only about half that of "bu ren jia".
A set of padded armor cost just over ten taels of silver. This meant that Liang Xiao's Qingtian Guard, Great Qian Iron Guards, White Robe soldiers, and a portion of the vanguard troops could all be equipped with this type of padded armor.
The crossbows of the barbarians were no less powerful than those of Great Qian.
Based on Liang Xiao's speculation, it was highly likely that traitors within the country had supplied these techniques to the barbarians for research a century ago. This was unavoidable, as traitors had no bottom line.
Even during the Ming Dynasty, some within the country had secretly supplied weapons, armor, and even firearms to the Jurchens.
As weapons grew increasingly powerful, simply relying on heavier armor for defense was no longer practical. Padded armor could effectively enhance the defensive capabilities of White Robe soldiers on horseback.
When cavalry charged, they faced enemy crossbow bolts. The relative speed was higher than the speed of the crossbow bolts themselves. If a vital spot was hit by a powerful crossbow, the consequences could be dire.
By the Ming and Qing dynasties, firearms had also begun to appear on the battlefield. Heavy armor was rendered useless against firearms. Padded armor was more practical than "bu ren jia" and later plate armor.
Yan Prefecture was cold, especially in winter, where snow blocking the mountains was not uncommon. Padded armor could also provide warmth, which was a very important factor.
When the White Robe soldiers first received their padded armor, they were so excited that they voluntarily increased their training, maintaining their enthusiasm for a full month.
With more men than available resources, padded armor was prioritized for the White Robe soldiers, Great Qian Iron Guards, and Qingtian Guards. Other units had not yet received such excellent treatment, with only a small number of elite soldiers being prioritized.
However, Lü Yi had already promised that the state would gradually equip elite troops going on campaign with padded armor.
This was Xiao Qing's intention.
Including labor costs, the mobilization of the Ministry of Weapons and Armaments incurred an expenditure of over two million taels of silver.
Of course, she spent the three million taels "donated" by the Dugu family, which made Dugu Qun even more distressed.
Including the ongoing expenses of increasing salaries and food for the Great Qian Iron Guards, Qingtian Guards, and White Robe soldiers, it was only a matter of time before the total exceeded three million taels.
"Deputy Marshal! Have you heard about General Tian appearing across the country?" a captain of the White Robe soldiers mustered the courage to ask.
The other White Robe soldiers also had shining eyes.
Liang Xiao smiled and nodded, "After all, General Tian should not only protect me alone. However, we cannot force such manifestations. Man can conquer heaven; we must rely on ourselves to solve difficulties."
The rumors of General Tian appearing in various places were a strategy Liang Xiao had proposed to Xiao Qing to deceive outsiders. The Shadow Guards were responsible for this matter, for fear that others would not perform their duties effectively or leak the truth.
He knew very well that the Returning Spring Sect, the noble families, and the Southern King might already suspect his identity, as might the ministers of Great Liang.
For instance, Qin Feng did not seem like a superstitious person. It was possible that, like Liu Yunzi and Jian Nanfeng, he would guess that Liang Xiao was General Tian himself without needing to be present.
Spreading rumors of divine appearances across the country was essential.
As for announcing General Tian's identity to the world?
That would likely be after the world was pacified, at which point there would be no repercussions!
"Then will General Tian definitely appear in the Northern Territory and once again lead us to defeat the barbarians?" the White Robe soldiers repeatedly asked Liang Xiao, this "sage" who was said to have been repeatedly protected by General Tian's divine appearances.
Liang Xiao nodded solemnly, "There is certainly a possibility! However, you cannot place all your hopes on General Tian just because he might appear. What we need to do is figure out how to defeat the barbarians with minimal cost and casualties, even without General Tian's intervention!"
Receiving Liang Xiao's affirmation, the White Robe soldiers erupted in joyous cheers in the military camp.
Looking at these White Robe soldiers, Liang Xiao felt a mix of emotions.
He could not let the White Robe soldiers die in their robes again!
Of the original seven thousand White Robe soldiers, ninety percent had perished, a truly moving loss.
At that time, the rebel forces had been too sudden, attacking from both the interior and the barbarian lands. Liang Xiao and the White Robe soldiers were forced to risk their lives to break through the predicament, which then reversed the situation.
General Tian's peerless feat was forged with the flesh and blood of six thousand three hundred White Robe soldiers!
This time, both for the public and personal reasons, Liang Xiao would absolutely not allow the White Robe soldiers to act as a suicide squad again. Instead, they would be used as a surprise force to break the stalemate, or for pursuit and annihilation – this was the correct usage of the White Robe soldiers.
In ancient times, cavalry generally occupied the highest rung of the social hierarchy.
A warhorse was expensive, and continuous feeding was required. During wartime, high-quality fodder had to be prepared.
Great Qian had only about a hundred thousand cavalry nationwide, which was not a small number.
The horses at the postal stations were generally only for carrying people and mail, so they did not require the high standards of warhorses, and there was little conflict in selecting warhorses.
However, one warhorse was not enough for a cavalryman. They often needed three horses to rotate, and some even up to six.
Even powerful beasts like "Bai Ye Fei Ying" (White Night Flying Shadows) required more than twice the fodder of ordinary heavy warhorses, and they could not participate in every battle every day. Therefore, General Tian could not appear in every war. Like the White Robe soldiers, they were more suited for surprise attacks to break stalemates.
Consequently, the number of logistical personnel required for cavalry units was also a significant proportion, and cavalry could not afford heavy losses.
The Northern Territory currently had 120,000 regular troops, including 30,000 newly recruited soldiers. This figure included all logistical personnel, with the actual combat strength being around 110,000.
The barbarians had approximately 180,000 troops, also including logistical support.
Liang Xiao gave another speech to the White Robe soldiers. Everyone applauded and returned to rest, preparing for the next day's training.
Everyone followed Lü Yi back to the Great Qian Iron Guard camp. Entering the military tent, Liang Xiao inquired about the situation of "camp howl" (營嘯 - soldiers crying out in unison due to stress).
"Much better! With the soldiers' improved treatment and the morale-boosting military songs like 'Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty,' camp howl is almost impossible now!" Lü Yi said, giving Liang Xiao a thumbs-up. "Your idea is excellent. You sent many personal guards to 'investigate' the situation in various camps, understand the soldiers' psychological pressure, and provide focused guidance. Combined with the improved treatment, it's indeed effective!"
Liang Xiao was finally relieved.
Investigative work was crucial in any era, and this was not simply Liang Xiao exploiting his superior knowledge.
Wu Qi, one of the twin sages of warfare, was likely adept at this. He could sleep on the same floorboards as his soldiers, wear the same clothes, eat the same food, carry rations with him, and march with the soldiers. If a soldier had a festering wound, Wu Qi would even kneel down and suck out the pus one mouthful at a time.
Ultimately, Wu Qi trained the Wei Wu Zu (Wei's Elite Warriors), who achieved the astonishing record of "seventy-two major battles, sixty-four complete victories, with the rest being minor engagements."
Considering the contemporary medical conditions, there was a risk of infection, so sucking out pus was something Liang Xiao could not do. However, treating soldiers the same as himself during training was not an issue, as even the hardest conditions here were not comparable to his past special forces training.
After inspecting the Great Qian Iron Guards and the White Robe soldiers, Liang Xiao was quite satisfied. Under Lü Yi's guidance, he proceeded to the eastern military camp of the Northern Territory to visit Sima Jing.
Sima Jing, like Zuo Wushang, was training special forces for him. However, Sima Jing focused on quantity, while Zuo Wushang focused on quality.