The most fundamental reason why Li Xiao wanted to set up this infantry team was his lack of funds. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

According to Li Xiao's original idea, the best choice was to set up a cavalry force of about four or five hundred people. Across Liaodong, field attack with the Tartars, riding horses and fighting, it is not too fast.

It's just that the ideal is very plump, and the reality is very skinny. Li Xiao, who was shy in his pocket, of course knew that the cost of one cavalry was about equal to several elite infantrymen. Even if you don't count the cost of horses and armor, it will cost nearly 400 taels of silver to maintain these 53 cavalry troops every month! If you want to expand the team tenfold, this daily expense plus the cost of horses and armor is a staggering amount of horses, for Li Xiao, who has only more than 4,000 taels of silver left in his savings, it is a pure fool's dream.

Another reason is that, in a sense, cavalry is still a field arm, and it has high requirements for terrain and terrain. In the future, if there are battles such as siege warfare, siege warfare, mountain warfare, and river network warfare, the final victory can only be achieved by relying on infantry.

Li Xiao's idea was to first recruit 90 infantry for the experimental nature, including one team of shield soldiers with 30 people and two teams of spearmen with 60 people.

In the plan conceived by Li Xiao, the armament of shield soldiers and spearmen was: one shield soldier with a large shield and another waist knife. The spearmen were issued only one 4 to 5 meter long spear per person.

The specific combat mode is that the shield soldier holds a large shield in front of him, as an important defensive force, to open the way and cover. The spearmen are armed with spears in the rear, attacking from behind the large shields, and are the main attacking force.

It's just that although Li Xiao has such an idea, he still hasn't made a conclusion about the required gun and shield structure. Therefore, after Tian Wei and others selected and led this group of displaced people to return according to his orders, Li Xiao immediately asked Wu Liang, Wang Yishou, Chen Monkey, Tian Wei, Mo Changrong, and Duan Shidi to go to the official hall to discuss in detail the detailed formation plan of the infantry.

Li Xiao found that everyone at the meeting was full of energy, perhaps, everyone was happy that he had finally become a confidant of Li Baihu.

After everyone sat down, Li Xiao directly cut to the main topic of the discussion, he briefly described the infantry plan he was about to form to everyone present, and then said sincerely: "A certain person has a shallow opinion, there must be quite a shortcoming, the old saying goes: The wisdom of one person is not as good as the wisdom of many people, what do you think, I hope to tell you." ”

Everyone had a smile on their faces, and Tian Wei hurriedly took the lead and said: "Lord Baihu is polite, you look up to us like this, we will know everything we know, and we will say everything, so you can rest assured." ”

Li Xiao laughed, and then told everyone his plan for the shield soldiers first. Among them, the focus is on the shields used by the shield soldiers.

The ideal shield in Li Xiao's heart is the kind of sakes shield of ancient Roman soldiers, 1.7 meters high and 0.8 meters wide, standing on the ground like a fortification, advancing like a floating castle. Sakos shields usually have an oblong convex appearance, made of hardwood, covered with thick canvas, covered with hard cowhide, and wrapped with iron edges on the upper and lower edges. It was also inlaid with an iron relief ornament, a shield that could keep aside stones, throwing spears, and all sorts of heavy throwing weapons. The sakos shield was a weapon that the Romans were proud of, and it was a great help to the expansion of the Roman Empire in ancient times.

Li Xiao decided to simplify this sakos shield, the length and width remained the same, and the shape of the convex body remained the same, but it could be changed to a rectangle that was easier to make, instead of rounding the edges like the sakos shields used by Roman soldiers. Then the kind of relief ornament is not needed, and the entire outside is covered with iron sheet, and the copper nail is firmly fixed. In this way, although it lacks beauty from the appearance of the sakos shield, it is more practical. It can not only increase the protection area, but also effectively protect the enemy's rockets. Li Xiao believes that this improved shield can effectively protect the whole body of the soldiers, and can also provide the necessary large-scale solid protection for the spearmen who are stabbing in the back.

After Li Xiao finished speaking, after a short silence, Mo Changrong was the first to speak: "Baihu, when I first joined the army of Lord You Shiwei, I was a sword and shield soldier, but I still have some understanding of this shield. My lord, the shield you are talking about, in my opinion, the general design should be good, but the size can be changed. ”

Li Xiao hurriedly said: "Evergreen can be as blunt as possible. ”

Mo Changrong arched his hand and said: "The size of the Western Roman shield mentioned by the Lord is five and a half feet long and two feet six wide. ”

When Mo Changrong said this, he looked up at Li Xiao and watched his reaction. Li Xiao smiled and nodded, motioning for him to continue.

Mo Changrong continued: "I think the combat intention of Lord Guan should be that the shield soldiers in the front are mainly to block and conceal, and the spearmen in the back are to attack and kill. If the shield is five and a half feet high, it will completely block the spearmen behind it, so how can you shoot the enemy with a spear? And its width is two feet six, the size is narrow, it is okay to cover one person, if you want a row of shield soldiers to connect to block the enemy, it is too short. ”

Li Xiao said with a smile: "Evergreen is worthy of being a person who has gone through the battle array, and this suggestion is very good. ”

Mo Changrong hurriedly said: "I still have an idea, if the enemy soldiers slam into the shields of my shield soldiers one after another, then my shield soldiers may not be able to withstand it, it is better to install two rows of hard spikes more than an inch long on the shield, so that the enemy soldiers cannot charge at close range." ”

Everyone sighed that this was a very good move, and then discussed together, and finally decided that the size of the shield was four feet nine (about 1.5 meters) high and three feet wide (about 1.2 meters), and two rows of spikes were evenly distributed in the middle of the shield, three in a row, and a total of six parts were divided into three parts, upper, middle and lower. In this way, when the shield improved for the battle formation set by Li Xiao stood on the ground, the lower part of the shield was placed on the ground by the squatting shield soldier at a slightly forward angle, and the upper part leaning backward was just pressed against the shoulders of the squatting shield soldier, thus increasing the firmness. Then, the vertical height of this shield from the earth surface will not exceed 1.4 meters, which is just the position of the chest of the spearmen in the back, so that the gunners in the rear row can attack freely and unhindered from the shield when they are protected from the chest to the legs. When the width of the shield is widened to 1.2 meters, the left and right sides have more coverage range, which can also prevent the shield soldiers from crowding each other when they are crouching and guarding.

Li Xiao nodded with satisfaction: "Changrong, I didn't expect you to know so much about this shield, I don't have to say, this shield team will be handed over to you to be in charge of it part-time." ”

When Mo Changrong heard this, his face was happy, and he hurriedly bowed to Li Xiao: "I will do my best to live up to Lord Li's trust." ”

As soon as the shield was discussed, Duan Shidi stood up and said loudly: "Li Baihu, I heard that you want to give the spearmen the spears, but the ordinary battalion soldiers in the Zhongtun Institute make the guns?" ”

Li Xiao nodded: "Exactly." ”

Duan Shidi shook his head and said, "During the time I spent in Zhongtun, I carefully observed the spears of the battalion soldiers. In my opinion, such a spear is actually useless. Not to mention that the handle of the gun is ordinary variegated balsa wood, which is easy to rot and break, but the gun head is a flat fusiform made of ordinary ones, and the killing effect is limited. Therefore, I think that if the Lord of the General Banner wants to destroy the enemy more sharply, he must re-customize the spear. ”

Li Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Shi Di, please tell me all the wonderful thoughts." ”

Duan Shidi was inspired by Li Xiao and came to his senses, he stood up and said loudly: "Lord Baihu, after our army fought against the Tartars that day, I carefully observed the tiger spears used by the Tartar white swinging teeth soldiers captured by the research institute, but they were really sharp and durable. The head of the spear weighs nearly eight taels, is about four inches long, and is all made of fine steel, divided into three edges, and the tip is slightly rounded, which is not easy to fold. From the point to the three edges, there are blood grooves, if you are struck by this gun, the wound will be deep and wide, and it will bleed incessantly, and if the person who is shot is not immediately healed, it will be difficult to live. ”

Duan Shi slowed down, and when he saw that everyone was listening attentively, he continued to talk eloquently: "Let's talk about the handle of the gun, the handle of the Tartar's spear is made of alderwood, which is strong and durable, extremely elastic, tough and constant. Its length is 9 feet (about 3 meters), thick more than an inch and a half (about 5-6 cm), there is a taper in front, straight into the middle of the gun head and stops, extremely sharp and the gun head coincides without loosening the worries, the front is light and heavy, the tail is thick and thin, which is conducive to hand holding, although it grows up, but the use of dexterity, the Tatar white swing teeth are all powerful and artistic, using this gun, more like a tiger with wings. ”

After listening to Duan Shidi's wonderful exposition, Li Xiao couldn't help but sigh, he didn't expect that this Duan Shidi, who was young, was still an expert in using guns, and he couldn't help but be interested in him.

"Shi Di, I really can't imagine that you have such a study of spears, which really opened the eyes of this official."

"My lord, my father was originally taught in the Zhenwu Martial Arts Hall in Guangning City, and he was proficient in spearmanship, so he followed his father to practice martial arts since he was a child, and he still knew a lot about the structure and use of this spear. Later, when the Tatar chieftain Taiji attacked Quang Ninh City, my father was conscripted to guard the city wall, but he died in the battle against the Tatars. After the city of Quang Ninh was broken, I escaped by luck and fled south to Jinzhou, where I made a living as a caretaker for a wealthy family. Some time ago, the rich family moved south to the Guannei, and the rest of the domestic servants were dismissed, and it happened that the Zhongtun Institute was recruiting, so I went to it, and I was fortunate enough to be selected into the sentry cavalry. ”

After listening to Duan Shidi's account about his origin, everyone suddenly whispered for a while. Li Xiao stood up, walked to Duan Shidi's side, smiled and patted him on the shoulder and said, "Shidi, there is a way that heroes don't ask where they come from. If you have such a talent for spears, you will be in charge of the future spear corps on a part-time basis. It's up to you to teach the spear. ”

Duan Shidi's young face suddenly brightened, and he hurriedly said loudly: "Li Baihu can be trusted, and he dares to shirk in Xia'an." Please rest assured, you will do your best to bring the spearmen into an elite infantry combat that satisfies adults! ”

Duan Shi's sonorous answer made Li Xiao appreciate it very much.

In the end, at the initiative of Duan Shidi, combined with the opinions of everyone, it was finally decided that the spear made by our army was roughly based on the Tartar white swing tooth horn tiger gun, but the length was extended to 4 meters, which was more conducive to killing the enemy from a long distance, and the enemy's weapons could not reach themselves, thus increasing the chance of survival. In addition, because the wood is expensive and difficult to buy, it is replaced by maple or red fairy wood, which is also the best gun handle material that can be bought in weapons shops all over Jinzhou.

Duan Shi Fang sat down, and Wang Yishou next to him raised another question: "Baihu, if the shield soldiers in the front row only hold shields to block the enemy, then the waist knife seems to be redundant." After all, the shield soldier is only holding the shield and squatting on the ground, how can he free his hands to kill the enemy with his waist knife? ”

Li Xiao laughed and said: "Yishou is meticulous and worried, the shield is already very heavy, and it is useless to bring a waist knife." From the official's point of view, it is better to replace the waist knife with the head knife, the cost is lower, and it is more lightweight, but it is also very good to chase and defeat the enemy. ”

Everyone praised this very good, and Tian Wei added on the side that if the shield is strong and durable, it is enough to provide good protection for the shield soldiers. Now that the funds are tight, it is better not to give the shield soldiers the first sword for the time being, and it will not affect the combat effect too much, Li Xiao agreed with his point of view.

Chen Monkey interjected from the side: "Li Baihu, now in our army, there are still 30 pieces of cotton armor in stock, and in addition to sending 1,500 taels of silver a few days ago, General Zu Shen also sent more than 60 pieces of mandarin duck battle jackets that have been replaced, but I don't know how Li Baihu plans to distribute these armors?" ”

Li Xiao said with a smile: "This is easy to do, according to my plan, the spear team is divided into two columns, let the first row all wear cotton armor to increase protection, and the second row and the shield soldiers will all wear mandarin duck battle jackets." ”

Chen Monkey promised and sat down. At this time, Tian Wei interjected: "My lord, how can these infantry be paid every month now?" ”

Li Xiao pondered for a while and said: "The infantry skills are relatively simple, and there are no horses to take care of, this monthly salary is less than that of the cavalry, so it will be set at 1 and a half per month." ”

Tian Wei nodded, no objection. At this time, Wu Liang stood up with a worried face and said to Li Xiao: "My lord, now we have to expand the recruitment of more soldiers and horses, but the cost of the pier has increased greatly." ”

When Li Xiao heard this, he also sighed in his heart.

In his heart, he simply calculated the cost, and felt even more heavy.

A custom-made shield like this will cost 20 taels to say the least, and a custom-made spear is estimated to cost 15 taels. According to the calculation of the establishment of 30 shield soldiers and 60 spearmen, a total of 1,500 taels of silver will be spent.

Li Xiaojun also had to build another 10 pieces of heavy cavalry horse armor, which was calculated at 130 taels each, and another 1,300 taels were needed.

The monthly salary of 90 infantry is 135 taels, and the monthly food cost is about 205 taels.

The monthly salary of 53 cavalrymen was 132 taels, the monthly food cost was about 121 taels, and the monthly bean feed for horses was about 138 taels.

In addition, the monthly food cost of all 288 displaced family members is about 339 taels.

In this way, it can be easily calculated that after Li Xiao's 4,000 taels of silver removed the cost of armor and weapons for cavalry and infantry, there was only a pitiful 1,200 taels left.

And Li Xiao's fixed monthly expenses of the whole army, even if they are more frugal, will cost more than 1,000 taels. In this case, Li Xiao's existing silver taels can only last for more than a month.

And the only income that Li Xiao can count on now is the silver reward that the imperial court may issue in the future. Li Xiao estimated that the 18 Tartar heads, based on 50 taels each, would be 900 taels. Counting the other silver and silk rewards given to Li Xiao personally, there are at most 2,000 taels.

It may be that by adding the existing silver and the reward for the next day, Li Xiao's entire army will fall into a helpless situation where the funds are broken and it is difficult to continue after more than three months.

Facing Wu Liang's worried eyes, Li Xiao had a firm and calm face, and he said lightly: "Don't worry, sir, there must be a road before the car reaches the mountain, I, Li Xiao, will never sit in the city of sorrow, and I will definitely think of a way when the time comes." ”