The training of the Yunnan New Army at the end of the Qing Dynasty can be traced back to the 28th year of Guangxu (1902) at the earliest, but in the early stage of the training, the progress was slow and the results were little. Until the thirtieth year www.biquge.info of Guangxu (1904), Ding Zhenduo served as the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou and continued to train the new army. It's just that Yunnan is located on the border, the local area is poor, and the annual tax revenue is not enough to make ends meet, and it has to rely on the assistance of neighboring provinces to maintain it, so there is no extra money to use to train the new army.

In view of the situation of the local army in Yunnan at that time, Ding Zhenduo was ordered to set up a "supervision and training office" in Yunnan, which was organized into three battalions of the "appeasement new army" and one artillery battalion. This was the first time that the Yunnan garrison of the Qing Dynasty used the name "New Army". This batch of "new troops" is nominally equipped with modern weapons and is trained in Western-style formations, Western-style drills, and Western-style tactics. However, it has only engaged in some activities to transform the old army into a new army, in which the armament is incomplete and the soldiers are weak. Moreover, the military discipline is loose and the quality is extremely poor, and even some of the old army patrol battalions are inferior. For such a group of soldiers who don't even know military discipline, let alone how effective they are.

In the thirty-second year of Guangxu (1906), Ding Zhenduo approved the addition of 2 infantry battalions and 1 artillery battalion, which were organized into an infantry association, with Liu Xu, the general office of the Yunnan Military Academy, as the assistant commander, and set up a staff office, a military order office, and a law enforcement department to take charge of military and political orders. However, there are no qualified military personnel who know how to practice the new style of drills, and every drill is the method of the old style of drills. Therefore, it only has the name of the new army, but there is no real new army. At this time, the quality of the new army in Yunnan was obvious.

Until the 33rd year of Guangxu (1907), Xiliang succeeded Ding Zhenduo as the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. After Xiliang took office, he devoted himself to the rectification and expansion of the training of the new army. The age, height, conduct, and education level of the soldiers of the new army were strictly implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Qing government's "New Battalion Salary Seal," and thus began to carry out a large-scale rectification and training. At the same time, new ordnance was ordered to strengthen training. After transferring Chen Eun, a talented person who knew how to conduct new-style military drills, from Sichuan to serve as an assistant commander, he asked the War Department to send some officers to serve as the foundation of the new army.

In 1907, the Qing government planned to organize and train the new army in 36 towns across the country, because Yunnan is located in the southwest and the strategic position of national defense is extremely important, and planned to organize and train the new army in two towns within five years. In the same year, Xiliang Zhuo approved the addition of a battalion of infantry, a battalion of baggage troops, and a battalion of artillery, which was renamed the Army Mixed Association, and appointed Chen Eun as the assistant commander.

The mixed association has two step targets, two artillery battalions, and one heavy battalion. And Xiao Mubai's standard system is a one-step standard under the jurisdiction of the Mixed Association.

The next morning, Xiao Mubai got up early in the morning, changed into his new military standard uniform, with a saber around his waist, and looked in the mirror, he really had a majestic appearance. Just looking at the fake pigtails dragging behind his head, but how awkward it looks. After breakfast, he walked out of the residence and rushed to the new army barracks in the north school field with the guard Chen Chuan.

Standing on the street at the entrance of the barracks, staring at the towering barracks not far away, it took a long time for Xiao Mubai to calm down his mood. As a traveler, it is impossible for Xiao Mubai not to be unaware of the important role played by the New Army in the late Qing uprising. Once, it had always been Xiao Mubai's expectation to be able to master a new army in his own hands, but later he entered the patrol battalion by mistake. Now, I have finally taken this important step.

Just as Xiao Mubai was standing on the side of the street looking at the barracks, the two sentries at the gate of the barracks were also talking quietly.

"Hey, Fang Honglun, who do you think is that person wearing a standard uniform? Why do you keep looking towards the barracks? A small man with a monkey spirit asked his companion.

"How do I know?" The man named Fang Honglun frowned and replied.

Seeing his companion frowning, the little man didn't care, and said with a smile: "Do you think it will be our new standard lord?" ”

"It doesn't matter who he is, as long as he wants to enter the barracks, we will interrogate him."

"You're crazy, that's a standard! If you have offended him, you will not have any good fruit for us to eat. ”

"He is not our standard, what are you afraid of him doing? Besides. Lord Co-ordinator said. No matter who wants to enter the barracks, you should find out his identity. Fang Honglun said impatiently.

Just as the two of them were muttering, Xiao Mubai took Chen Chuan and walked towards the gate of the barracks.

It's just that to Xiao Mubai's surprise, the sentry stopped Xiao Mubai. Seeing that his companion had really stopped this man in standard clothing, the little man was suddenly startled, and he tried his best to give his companion a look, but it had no effect.

Xiao Mubai was surprised, in his imagination, he could go all the way to the depths of the barracks, just like when he first went to the patrol battalion to take office.

However, the sentry was polite, first raised his hand in salute, and then asked, "Who are you?" ”

Seeing that the sentry saluted a new-style military salute, Xiao Mubai nodded with satisfaction, which looked like a new army. At that moment, he also thought about taking the school examination, and asked jokingly: "Who do you think I look like?" ”

The sentry said solemnly: "I'm sorry, my duty is to check the identity of the people who are going to enter the barracks, and if you don't tell your identity, I can't let you in." ”

As soon as these words came out, Xiao Mubai was immediately impressed by this sentry, and his interest immediately increased. Duty, this sentry actually knows duty.

So he pretended to be angry and said: "Nonsense, what do you know about your duties?" ”

Although Xiao Mubai was wearing a standard official uniform, the sentry obviously didn't know him, so he said unconvinced: "Of course I understand, our co-ordinator has said it." ”

"What did you co-ordinators say?" Xiao Mubai asked curiously.

"The duty is to do the right thing."

"Oh? Those things to try you have to do? ”

"I'm standing guard now, and all I have to do is check the identity of all those who want to enter the barracks; In the future, when there is a war, my duty is to defend my family and country. The sentinel said righteously. But I was a little annoyed in my heart, why did this adult do this, one question after another.

Thinking of this, he suddenly said, "Who are you?" ”

"Who do you think we look like?" Xiao Mubai said again with a smile.

"I don't know."

"Do you know what I'm wearing?"

"Acquaintance is the costume of the standard adult." Xiao Mubai thought he was going to be released, and was about to walk towards the barracks. But I was a little disappointed in my heart, too, because my expectations were too high, after all, for the soldiers of this era, I couldn't expect him to do better.

But the next sentence from the sentry made him cry and laugh again: "The co-ordinator said that clothes can be borrowed or stolen, and you can't just recognize clothes, but also recognize official certificates." ”

"What else did you co-ordinators say?" Xiao Mubai asked curiously.

"That's a lot." The sentry didn't seem to want to make small talk with him anymore: "This lord, please stand back, I'm going to keep a sentry." ”

"Hehe, okay. Then let me tell you who I am, my name is Xiao Mubai, and I am your new standard. Xiao Mubai smiled, and then took out his official credentials and the seal of his appointment from his pocket. The sentry looked at it after turning it over before handing it back to Xiao Mubai and saying, "Your Excellency, please come in." ”

"Do you know what is written on it?" Xiao Mubai asked suspiciously.

"I don't know."

"Then how do you let us in?"

"Lord Hui, the one on it has the seal of the governor's yamen." The sentry said in a loud voice.

When he walked past the sentry, Xiao Mubai smiled and patted the sentry on the shoulder, and encouraged: "You have behaved very well, do a good job, and come to me if you have any difficulties in the future." ”

On the way to the camp again, seeing the orderly appearance of the soldiers all the way, Xiao Mubai couldn't help but admire Chen Eun's strict management of the army and his prestige among the soldiers. came to the barracks, and after verifying his identity, Xiao Mubai began his first lecture as an assistant commander.

"Brethren, today is the first time we have met. It stands to reason that I should introduce myself. My name is Xiao Mubai, my name is sincere, and I have just been transferred from the position of commander of the defense battalion. Now leading us to the standard, it can be regarded as fate. Your first impression of me today was good. Xiao Mubai said confidently.

swept a kind of officers and soldiers below, and saw a familiar face, it was Yan Weidong, who he had transferred to the new army, and nodded to it.

Xiao Mubai looked at everyone's faces, smiled slightly, and said, "You don't have to think about it, what I mean is very simple, that is, I have high expectations for you." Because I had studied military affairs overseas before that, the Governor sent me to take over our standard. I hope that everyone will be able to support my brother more in the future. ”

Regardless of whether the officers below are happy or not, Xiao Mubai, as their standard, has become a fact.