Chapter 203: Chapter 166: The North Fre King’s Army Marches South_2

Translator: 549690339

At this moment, Mu Changtian and the others were quietly listening to Lu Chen’s speech, and they all felt a bit surprised that the Prince, who spent most of his days in the Prince’s Mansion, had such insights on the construction of the army.

Lu Chen continued, “General Mu, from now on, you will be in charge of the construction of the new forces in North City. Remember my words, the soldiers recruited for the new forces must all be the best, and the construction of the new forces should measure up to the Black Cavalry. None of those crooked and evil practices previously found in the barracks are allowed to appear again.”

Mu Changtian immediately replied, “Yes, my Prince!”

At this time, Lu Chen rose from his seat, “That will be all for today. I’ll go up to the city walls to get some air. Think over what I just said and ponder the upcoming construction of the new forces in North City.”

As his voice fell, Lu Chen left the room, and everyone said in unison, “We bid farewell to the Prince!”

After Lu Chen left, the generals in the room looked at each other, and after a long pause, Mu Jingwu finally spoke, “Father, the Prince just said that the new forces should recruit only the best. Isn’t war just a consumption? If all the talented people are lost in battle, won’t North City be left with nothing but ruffians and thugs in the future?”

Lu Chen’s concept was slightly ahead of its time in this era. Although the armies of Great Sum also stressed strict military discipline, no matter how much it was emphasized verbally, it was hard for the armies of Great Sum to be as obedient and prohibitive as the Black Cavalry.

It could be said that the Black Cavalry was the most loyal and disciplined force Mu Changtian had ever seen, and the regular armed forces of North City were no match for the Black Cavalry.

And Mu Jingwu was not wrong. In the eyes of the rulers and high-ranking officials in the court, war was meant to cause deaths, so they preferred to send criminals and vagrants to fight. That way, they would not feel distressed if those criminals died.

But Lu Chen had said that he wanted the best people to join the army.

Mu Changtian thought for a moment and then said, “I think I understand what the Prince means.”

Upon hearing Mu Changtian’s words, everyone turned to look at him, hoping he could clear up their confusion. Few of those present understood Lu Chen’s thinking, and they were now curious as to why the Prince had such thoughts.

Mu Changtian stroked his beard and then said, “The Prince’s reformation of the army is probably in preparation for that position.”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.

That position?

Although Mu Changtian did not specify, they could guess what Mu Changtian meant by ‘that position’—it was obviously the throne.

Mu Changtian continued his analysis, “The armies of the Seigniors have poor discipline and have committed their fair share of burning, killing, and plundering, which has led the common folk to distrust the Seignior’s armies, seeing those soldiers as no different from bandits.”

“The Prince also said that he and the army of North City are tied together; whatever the army does will ultimately affect his reputation.”

“Thus, the Prince wants to reform the barracks so that North City’s army will not be associated with thugs and ruffians anymore, earning the common people’s trust in his forces.”

“Think about it—if there comes a day when the disciplined and non-looting army of the North Prince attacks a foreign country, and the common people of that enemy nation hear about the discipline and non-plundering nature of the North Prince’s army, what do you think those common people will choose?”

Mu Changtian’s words were like an awakening for those in a dream; everyone in the room began to understand Lu Chen’s intentions.

Although Mu Changtian hypothesized about attacking a foreign country, everyone knew that it would not be easy for the North Prince to capture the throne, and a civil war within Great Sum might one day erupt.

If the disciplined and non-looting army of the North Prince appeared on the lands of other Seigniors, the common people of other districts would surely welcome their arrival.

Not every commoner would have the chance to meet the North Prince, nor would they necessarily understand what kind of person the real North Prince was.

However, they would definitely come into contact with the North Prince’s army, and the common people could then roughly judge what kind of monarch the North Prince is, based on his army’s conduct.

If a civil war truly broke out in Great Sum, whether a region’s common people would welcome a disciplined and non-looting army or the bandit soldiers of other Seigniors seemed to require little thought.

Mu Changtian went on to say, “Actually, the Prince’s approach has another advantage. Without rogues and ruffians in the army, it will be much easier to enforce discipline. Most of the trouble in the barracks now is caused by those who have committed crimes or come from the dregs of society.”

“The court’s army has always emphasized strict discipline, but since His Majesty ascended the throne, no matter how much he tries to reform the barracks, the results have been minimal, mainly due to the problematic backgrounds of the soldiers composing the army.”

“If an army has only a couple of thugs, those few black sheep won’t be able to cause much of a stir in the face of strict discipline. But if an army is filled with a group of ruffians, no amount of emphasis on discipline from the higher-ups will be effective, which is akin to the way aristocratic families cover for each other in the imperial court.”

At this point, Mu Changtian couldn’t help but exclaim, “Prince, this method is truly brilliant! Why didn’t I think of selecting soldiers based on their background from the very beginning?”

“I can’t wait to see the combat prowess of the new army.”

Hearing Mu Changtian’s analysis, the other generals in the room all looked forward to the performance of the new army, and they had even greater admiration for Lu Chen, amazed that he had pinpointed the crux of the Great Xia army’s problems—an issue they had never considered before.

After all, the North Prince was only sixteen or seventeen years old this year, and he seldom led troops in battle, having spent just the last month within the military camp.

These old hands who had spent years in the military had not thought of a good way to rectify military discipline, yet the North Prince figured it out after just one month.

Truly, he is a Son of Destiny with a divine fate!

Meanwhile.

On the city walls.

Lu Chen stood amid the wind and snow, gazing into the distance.

Just then, he suddenly sensed a faint trembling of the earth, and shadowy figures seemed to appear through the blizzard.

As a Grandmaster, Lu Chen’s perception had greatly improved, so he detected the approach of the North Fre King’s army before anyone else on the wall.

Observing the vague shadows in the distance, the corners of Lu Chen’s mouth curved slightly upwards,

Having waited for a full month, they had finally arrived.

He had never waited this long for anyone before.

At the same time, Xiao Pengthian, also a Grandmaster, perceived the approach of the North Fre King’s army and immediately shouted, “The enemy is here! All troops, prepare for battle!”

Upon hearing Xiao Pengthian’s words, the Messenger Soldier instantly beat the drums.

The next moment, the sound of drums echoed over Tianguang City, awakening Mu Changtian and the others from their reverie under Lu Chen’s wise influence. They hurried out of the room and onto the city tower.

At this point, all the soldiers in Tianguang City were in combat mode; those on the city walls began to move the Thunderous and catapults into position, quickly deploying them for use.

Everyone was ready for the impending battle.

As the sound of horse hooves drew closer, the figures in the distance became clearer.

Seeing the vast army of the North Fre King, Li Feng couldn’t help but remark, “I didn’t expect the North Fre King to really come.”

Although they had long heard that the North Fre King planned to move south in winter, everyone had wondered if the North Fre King would ultimately decide against the invasion.

The weather was getting colder, with snow already falling in North City. The steppes must be even colder, and under such conditions, it was indeed possible that the North Fre King might abandon the journey south.

But the North Fre King had come nonetheless.

At this time, Lu Chen, with a smile on his face, looked at the distant Barbarian Army and said, “If he hadn’t come, I would have had nowhere to send all these gifts I’ve prepared. I was actually afraid he wouldn’t show up.”

Then, Mu Changtian asked, “Prince, Tianguang City’s terrain is rather open. If we use the Thunderous at the start, we might frighten away the Barbarian Army immediately. If they decide to flee, I’m afraid it will be difficult to keep them here.”

The reason they managed to annihilate the Sky Wolf King’s army of three hundred thousand was entirely due to the landscape of Wanning Valley. Once the army of the Sky Wolf King entered Wanning Valley, the Black Cavalry blocked the valley entrance, and with mountains on both sides, the Barbarian Cavalry had nowhere to run.

But Tianguang City is different. The area around Tianguang City is mostly grasslands. Once the North Fre King’s army collapses, relying solely on fifty thousand Heavy Cavalry and the several tens of thousands of regular infantry from North City, it will be very difficult to capture them.