In the evening, Li Hongzhang led the convoy to Xiaozhan Town, and the scene in front of him was very different from that of two months ago, a thriving scene. Liu Jie led 800 students to line up to welcome Li Hongzhang's arrival.

When the "Xinwutang" military academy was built in Xiaozhan Town, it was built using a large area of farmland. There are four parts of the school: the main branch, the branch school, the large 'playground' and the shooting range. The school headquarters is located in the center, covering an area of more than 180 acres. Its architectural pattern is modeled after the British non-commissioned officer school, which is a complex of brick and tile structures with strict weather. There are tall walls on all sides, and there is a river ring outside the wall, and the ancient willows on both sides of the river are in rows. The main 'gate' of the military academy is on the south side, and there is a tall wall across the river opposite it. The 'gate' building is tall, three rooms wide, and the majesty of the momentum can be compared with the big 'gate' of the Governor's Mansion of Zhili.

The vermilion lacquer big 'door' is decorated with copper nails and copper rings, and the 'door' lintel is hung with a horizontal plaque with three big characters of "Xinwutang". There is a high stone staircase in front of the 'gate', and the south road in front of the stairs leads directly to the river bank. There are a pair of stone lions on both sides of the south road, and they are tall and high. A flat bridge was erected over the river to lead to the big 'playground'. The school-based part is the north and south colleges. The North Courtyard is the living area. The South Academy is the center and teaching area of the military academy, and is divided into eastern, central, western and three courtyards. The east and west courtyards are classrooms and student dormitories, each with ten rows of blue brick houses with a corridor, the layout is symmetrical, there is a corridor between the rows of houses, every two rows form a ** courtyard, the courtyard wall opens a moon-shaped 'door', each courtyard lives about a whistle student, commonly known as a whistle road. The middle courtyard has a school office and a Shangwu hall. The tall Shangwu Hall sits in the north and faces south, surrounded by stone railings, carved beams and painted buildings, the momentum is magnificent. There are sub-couplets on both sides of the hall 'door', which reads:

Shang's father's 'yin' charm, Wuhou Tao's strategy, concise and concise into a hall.

Serve the country, tie your hair from Rong, and look forward to the students.

Li Hongzhang glanced at the couplet, it must have been Weng Tong's handwriting, and it was not broken, but he didn't see it.

There is a long corridor in front of the hall that leads directly to the school 'gate'. To the north of Shangwudo is a large empty courtyard. There are two ancient poplars that stand side by side with a height of more than five zhang, and a bronze bell hangs between the two trees. Officials lectured and issued orders here as the center of the whole school, and on the east side of the school headquarters was the branch school, covering an area of 100 acres.

"Welcome to Master Fu Xiang's review!" The tallest Battle, dressed in a military uniform, stood at the front of the line.

Li Guolou hurriedly informed: "Master Fu Xiang, the rules of the military academy are all military salutes, and the bowing ceremony has been canceled. ”

"Hmmm······" Li Hongzhang looked at the two columns of students who did not move, his heroic face exuded a feverish light, and shouted loudly: "Students have worked hard! ”

"Chief, hard work!" Eight hundred students shouted together.

"Hello students!" Li Hongzhang raised his hand and enjoyed many loving eyes.

"Hello Chief!" The voices of the eight hundred students were a little immature, but the voices made with full strength were so hissing and exhausted.

"Toot toot!" The guard of honor of thirty people, with their left hand, raised a Western military trumpet tied with a red silk scarf and played a simple melody.

Liu Jie hurriedly explained: "Master Fu, the work and rest of the new martial arts hall are all based on the military number. ”

Li Hongzhang's face was full of red light, and he smiled: "Liu Jie's 'spirit' is very good, how did people become fat." ”

"Xia Guan, I am with young people every day, I can eat, I can sleep, and I have '' together, so I have become stronger." Liu Jie went all the way, introducing the construction achievements of Xinwutang all the way, and the ever-changing changes are the fruits of his hard work.

Liu Jie said: "Master Fu Xiang, please rest assured, now the students still live in the grass hut, and the red brick four-story big tile house will be built next month, and the house is paved with hot air pipes, and there is no student in winter, and the windows are all two-layer glass." Before the students lived in the new house, the instructors did not live in the academic building. ”

Li Hongzhang nodded slightly and said, "Well, what do the students eat at night?" ”

Liu Jie said while leading the way: "Master Fu Xiang, when the students are growing up, they have to see one meat, two vegetarian dishes, and a soup, steamed buns and the like every day, which is a must." Add one meal in three days, one meat and one vegetable, and also add meals if it is a big sports training. We are building a farm, a vegetable base, and a fish farm here, so that the local people who have been demolished also have a job. ”

"Hmm!" Li Hongzhang stood at the highest point of the outpost, holding a telescope, watching the scene in the distance. I secretly admired Liu Jie's sharp actions, and the demolition work was 'colorful', razing thousands of acres of land to the ground. I just don't know where the local people were driven by Liu Jie? This kind of superficial article Liu Jie is also 'colorful', and there are no clues 'exposed'. The energy official was placed in Xiaozhan Town to 'wave', and in the future, Liu Jie would be transferred from Xinwutang and cut off one of Li Guolou's arms.

The night is approaching, and the surrounding scene is faint, Li Hongzhang put down the binoculars and said with a smile: "Let's go, have dinner with the students." ”

"When a soldier eats food, he does not forget the people, and the people are our parents. The common people provide us with food and clothing, and they are loyal to the monarch and patriotic to defend our parents······"

The students stood at the entrance of the canteen and sang a song about eating, and their clear and neat voices pierced the night sky.

Li Hongzhang laughed and sang majestically. glanced at Li Guolou and admired that Li Guolou could compose big vernacular ballads, and he was not afraid of losing the face of the 'flower' lang.

Students line up to eat in the canteen, each table has an instructor and students to eat together, the canteen eats quietly, each table finishes eating, clean up the tabletop by themselves, wipe it clean. Another group of people enters the dining hall to eat, and a table is divided into three groups of people to take turns eating. Each table eats and washes dishes and chopsticks for less than 20 minutes.

In fact, the Xinwutang has not yet opened, and the military department has not allocated student allowances. Today, the daily use of these 800 students is paid by Li Guolou out of his own pocket. Li Hongzhang and Liu Mingchuan knew this matter in their hearts, but they didn't say it in their mouths, and they had already reminded Li Guolou that the daily use of Xinwutang should be in place, anyway, Li Guolou owed the Beiyang Navy Division 10 million taels of silver, which would be deducted from the Beiyang Navy Division's funds at that time.

Seeing Li Hongzhang eating the same dinner as the students made the young students worship the national hero Li Hongzhang even more. Although Li Guolou was dissatisfied, he did not dare to 'revea' it, being able to bend and stretch is what a big husband does, seeking development in the cracks, and the large army belongs to Li Hongzhang, which has been set in stone, and there is no room for maneuver. Small-scale students can still be in the bag, and he will be a prince all the way.

The summer dusk was very long, and after dinner, Li Hongzhang was still full of interest to visit the school site of Xinwutang, and a group of officers followed idly. Li Guolou was squeezed dry by Liu Mingchuan and revealed the old background of Xinwutang.

The shooting range is in the north of the branch, covering an area of more than 330 acres. From the north, west and south sides of the school headquarters, covering an area of more than 880 acres, the west area is the largest. The main function of a military school is to train junior officers. The study period is four years, divided into five subjects: infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineering, and baggage, and the teaching content and teaching methods of the Xinwutang Military Academy are formulated with reference to German military education and in combination with the actual situation of the Qing Dynasty.

The military school is well-equipped and a military school with strict training. Instructors and section captains were also mostly Prussian officers and excellent Huai Army officers. Traditionally, education and training have been carried out separately according to the formation of military sections. The captain is a major, who serves as the technical instructor of life management and the military department, and the military course is served by the battalion officer instructor; Technical classes include stabbing, gymnastics, martial arts, etc., which are held by technical instructors, and technical assistants assist in technical training. In the 'mixed' formation of all branches of the armed forces, the general military courses and life management are all in the 'mixed' team (except for specialized training), the captain is promoted to the level of sentinel, and the food is also changed to the sentinel team.

The cavalry and baggage section were also in charge of the cavalry section leader, and the number of heads of arms was reduced, and the military instructors were battalion officers. In the classroom, at least half a day is devoted to teaching courses every day, in addition to military tactics, weapons, surveying and mapping, fortification, and exemplary orders, and adding physics and chemistry, mathematics, history, geography, etc., each class is one and a half hours. The exemplary booklet is the guideline for the instructor's military maneuvers. General knowledge and foreign languages are supplementary education, and civilian instructors are hired to enrich students' military knowledge and prepare them for gradual and comprehensive study of various military exercises.

For technical training, various standard coaches are carried out in the 'gymnastic' field, and then the exercises are carried out in each coaching field. Field exercises will first move from simple to complex, and then gradually move into full-scale joint exercises. There is a shooting range for 'firing' with live ammunition, a horse field for horse training, an artillery range for artillery training, a civil engineering workshop and a bridge-building field for engineers, and a place that will not cause harm during blasting exercises. Auxiliary techniques such as gymnastics, stabbing, martial arts, etc., all have professional instructors and are carried out in the compound. The instrument 'exercise' is carried out in the instrument 'exercise' field outside the 'door' at the back of the school. Each of these exercises lasts for one hour, with two hours for formal drills, at least half a day for field drills, and one to several days for complex subjects and away from school. During the exercise, tents and cooking utensils were also carried to organize life at the exercise site.

Li Hongzhang listened to Li Guolou's eloquent conversation in the office of Xinwutang Middle School, and he had a higher view of Li Guolou's ability to do things. In just over two months, Li Guolou actually built the new martial arts hall, which has begun to take shape. This ability to do things is so strong that even he is ashamed of himself. This also made him determined to tie Li Guolou to his carriage, and he must not let Li Guolou become his own faction. This son is by no means Zhao Kuo who talks on paper, a person who can do so many things is super capable, hundreds of times stronger than "Liu Liumazi".

Liu Mingchuan raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, the national building." The war horse has been acquired, and you don't need to be dispatched by the military department, you are really wealthy. Then I'll eat ready-made rice. Hahahaha! ”

Li Guolou hated to kick Liu Mingchuan to the ground, this is a warlord, those who follow me prosper, and those who oppose me die. People like "Liu Liu Mazi" form small gangs in the army, which is why there is such a thing as the "inscription battalion" bombing the camp. 'Hand' over the new martial arts hall to Liu Mingchuan, how could he give up, he smiled and said: "Liu Gong is willing to go out of the mountains to help, the new martial arts hall will definitely become a wonderful flower of the Qing army, blooming with dazzling light, students should also learn more from you, and take care of them in the future." ”

Liu Mingchuan was so coarse that he couldn't hear Li Guolou's voiceover that he refused to let go of power, so he grinned and said: "Okay, tomorrow I'll let you see my training methods, and I'm sure to open your eyes." ”

Li Guolou was shocked, and hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Liu Gong, these students are all cultural people, we must take our time, let them have the idea of loyalty and patriotism, overcome their own shortcomings, and increase the difficulty of training little by little." If you use force, in a few days, all these people will flee. It is not easy for a scholar to be a soldier, and you must not be beaten to death with a 'stick'. They are aiming for the prestige of Master Fu Xiang and Liu Gong, so you have to be merciful. ”

Li Hongzhang understood as soon as he heard it, and hurriedly said: "Provincial three, you look at it for a few days first, everything can't be '' too much, the run-in is very important, those instructors have any military concepts that conflict with you, don't be impatient." Listen to what Xiaolou said, the scholar has a good face, you scold a few times, beat a few times, and run away is not in vain. When those students are well fed, well dressed, and have their stipends, they feel how honorable it is to be a reserve officer. At that time, if you hit them and scold them, they will also accept the reality. ”

"The male of 'milk' and 'milk', when will the soldiers still coax it? The children of the Eight Banners are just spoiled. Liu Mingchuan couldn't believe that there was such a thing in the army, he was also an old soldier, and the principle of not being in charge of the army has continued from ancient times to the present, and has not changed.

Li Guolou defended: "Liu Gong, this is different, it is not called habitual here, but ideological education, and everyone has room for progress." There are too few literate people in the Qing Dynasty, and the resources in our hands are already scarce. Therefore, education is the first priority, and people who are really unreasonable can only be persuaded to quit when the time comes, but the vast majority of people can still overcome difficulties. Just like me, Master Fu Xiang gave me an official hat, and I obediently obeyed the order. If you want students to surrender in Xinwutang, you must first set an example, the instructor does not engage in specialization, and the guidance and supervision are the mainstay, supplemented by punishment. If the talent pool is abundant in the future, then talent training can reach a higher level. It is impossible to do it in one step, and even if all our instructors are changed to Prussian officers, the cadets will still have this quality, and the outcome they will face is still not optimistic. ”

"Well, Xiaolou said it very well, what kind of seeds, what kind of melons are cultivated, the acquired cultivation can only be done by taking advantage of the trend, it is difficult for strong people, but it is not beautiful. The first batch of trainees should set an example, so that young talents from all over the country will flock to them in the future and apply for the Xinwutang. ”

Liu Mingchuan was a hundred dissatisfied in his heart, but Li Hongzhang agreed with Li Guolou's proposition, and he did not dare to object, so he only obeyed the order.