The sound of the horn woke up the sleeping Cai Ye, and he quickly put on his military uniform with the speed he had trained from the non-commissioned officer school, and it was already a busy place outside the still dark outside. No, it can be described as busy, but it can't be described as busy.

Cai Yi looked at his pocket watch through the fire burning not far away, and now it was only five o'clock, and the Shandong soldiers had already gotten up and began to pack up.

Cai Ye walked out of the temple gate and stood on the stone steps silently observing the movements of the Shandong soldiers. The combat effectiveness of the army can be observed from all sides, and internal affairs are also extremely important aspects. The Japanese non-commissioned officer school attaches great importance to the internal management of the cadets, and requires that everything be followed by rules and that there is no disorder. Now, the Shandong Army is obviously managed by teams, each team accounts for about 12 tents, each tent is placed a shed (squad), the soldiers' actions are carried out in squads, carefully observed, each squad is divided into four groups, each group of three people activities together, dismantling tents, backpacks, everything is in order. After a while, two carts came, and the officers and men of the team in front of them carried the tents that had been gathered up into the wagon and began to tie them up. The trumpet sounded again, and the soldiers put down their work, formed a line, and then lined up to go to the other side, ready to eat.

Legend has it that the Shandong army is extravagant and well-equipped, and this is indeed the case in tents. The Beiyang Army has not yet reached such a level, and with these field tents that are easy to install and disassemble, the troops are not afraid of camping in the wilderness. Even in the coldest winter, the troops can still carry out field training and operations, and their combat effectiveness will not be affected by the increase in sickness caused by the severe cold. Cai Yi noticed that the backpacks of the Shandong soldiers were very small and looked very capable. He was a little curious. Walking down the stairs to the nearest squad, the soldiers all laid out their backpacks, each carrying a cylindrical object, presumably cutlery. Cai Ye walked over, squatted down to inspect the backpack, and found that it was not a quilt but a blanket!

"Who are you?" The officer came over and noticed the difference in the military uniform on the young officer, and became vigilant.

"Oh, I'm Cai Yi, the liaison officer sent by the parade. I didn't think you would use a blanket! It's much more convenient than a quilt. ”

"Staff Officer Cai," an officer came out of the temple. "You made it easy for me to find it. Commander Zhou invites you back to dinner. ”

"Oh, I want to see what the soldiers eat, and if I can, I want to eat with them."

"It's simple. Because the standard of breakfast is uniform. Even the commander of the detachment. Exactly the same as the soldiers. Please. ”

Cai had no choice but to follow the officer back to the temple. Zhou Yi was already standing in front of the residence and waiting, "You go and fetch food for Staff Officer Cai and send it over." Staff Officer Cai, please come in. It's still a little cold in the morning. ”

"Zhou Xietong. I didn't expect your army to be equipped with military blankets! ”

"What's this?" Zhou Yi smiled silently. With the rise of Shandong's industry, the Mengshan Army, which has always attached importance to the logistical construction of the troops, has improved its equipment in all aspects, and it is by no means only the improvement of weapons. The military blankets were successively equipped with the departments of the Fifth Town from the second half of last year, and they were indeed much more convenient by the original quilts, and the soldiers could spread half and cover half when they slept. It's also much neater and more beautiful when packing. However, Long Qian was still not satisfied, and instructed the logistics department to continue to put forward improvement requirements in terms of moisture prevention and warmth.

"It's not easy." Cai Yi wanted to talk to Zhou Yi about the tent and the military blanket, and the officer had already brought a hot meal.

"Eat, at six o'clock the troops will be pulled. I decided to leave half an hour early. Zhou Yi waved his hand.

Cai Ye took the "rice tube" and found that it was multi-layered, the bottom layer was porridge, the upper two layers were three steamed buns, and the other layer put two pieces of bacon and a salted duck egg.

"Ah, I didn't expect your breakfast to be so good. Are all the soldiers like that? Cai Ye was surprised that there were salted duck eggs and bacon, which were much better than those of the Beiyang Army.

"Exactly. We have no special for officers. Zhou Yi had already sat down and started to eat, "The steamed buns are enough, and if they are not enough, they will be angry." But one serving of meat and eggs per person. ”

"You brought all this from Shandong?" Cai pointed at the bacon and duck eggs with a steel spoon.

"Of course. One of my baggage teams specializes in transporting supplies. You didn't give us a pound of grain or a tael of meat. Zhou Yi said this with some pride. This breakfast was prepared according to wartime standards, and the Mengshan Army had been formulating standardized food standards for a long time, and after a process of continuous improvement, with the rise of industrial groups, the financial resources of the troops were enhanced, and the food became better and better. Long Qian set up a food research institute in the logistics department, which specialized in how to make soldiers eat well, especially when they were marching and fighting. Bacon, salted duck eggs are for easy storage, originally made by Lunan Farm, now Mengshan Army has built three farms, from the beginning of the crops to now mainly cultivate good seeds, plant vegetables, pigs, sheep and chickens. Although the products of the farm are not enough to cover the supply of vegetables and meat for the whole army, everyone understands the meaning of this.

"This, I'm afraid the Japanese army won't be able to catch up." Cai Yi ate breakfast sweetly and said with emotion. It's a luxury to be able to eat a hot meal on the battlefield, let alone meat and eggs.

"If you want your soldiers to fight well, you have to give them a good meal. I only realized this truth later. By the way, I want to tell you that the officers have to pay three silver dollars a month for food, and the soldiers don't pay for it. ”

"The officer still has to pay money?"

"Of course. Officers' salaries are high. Zhou Yi ate quickly, had already eaten two steamed buns, drank up half a bucket of white porridge, and asked the "rice tube" to be handed over to his guard and signal soldier, "Inform the troops to leave on time." No delays. ”

At six o'clock, in the terrible sound of the military trumpet, the Shandong army set off as a whole.

Cai Ye led the horse and stood in front of the temple gate, silently counting through the queue in front of him, observing the physical fitness and equipment of the officers and soldiers of Shandong, and found that the soldiers of the Shandong Army looked very strong, and the equipment was even better, almost all German-made Type 98 rifles, each battalion had four Makqin heavy machine guns, and the officers were equipped with pistols. In addition to the four infantry battalions, there were also a large number of subordinate troops, cavalry, baggage soldiers, and a large number of carriages, and eighty vehicles, if not a hundred. Not a single cannon was seen, though.

"Let's go. Staff Officer Cai, we have to rush to Guojiayao before eight o'clock. The chief of staff surnamed Jiang said to Cai Yi.

"Okay." Cai Ye turned over and got on the horse. Under the watchful eyes of the residents who got up early, they followed the command organ of the detachment out of Dajingzi Village and headed southwest.

The march is an important item for observing the combat effectiveness of a unit. Cai Ye paid great attention to the situation of the Shandong Army's mixed standard march. The troops marched almost silently, except for a few officers such as Zhou Yi Xietong, including Ye Biaotong, they all marched on foot. The teams are divided into teams, and each team has a flag bearer holding a red flag, so that the troops can be clearly distinguished.

After walking for about a dozen miles, the horn sounded one after another, and the troops rested on the spot after hearing the horn. Some of the soldiers sat down to untie their shoes and arrange their shoes and socks. Some helped each other sort out their backpacks and bullet and grenade belts. Almost no one spoke up. After a ten-minute break, the horn sounded again, and the troops formed and continued to advance.

Cai Ye saw that the officers of the Fifth Town were no longer riding. Even Zhou Xietong is walking. He was too embarrassed to get on the horse.

"Chief of Staff Jiang. Your army is well-trained and admirable. The scene reminds me of the Japanese Army," Mr. Cai said to Mr. Jiang, who was walking side by side. "In my opinion, the Japanese army is nothing more than that."

"Commander Long didn't take the Japanese army seriously at all. It is said that the German Army is the best in the world, and we are on par with the German Army. ”

"By the way, I heard that your army has conducted joint exercises with the German army in Jiaodong?"

"Yes. It was done twice, once at the battalion level and the second at the regimental level. ”

"Ah, how's it going?"

"Tie." Jiang Yiliu smiled proudly, "That was Commander Long giving face to the Germans, in fact, the second time we won, the exercise was stopped in time, and it was counted as a tie." By the way, we did not have a plan for the exercise with the Germans, unlike this autumn exercise, and the parade office formulated strict exercise subjects. ”

"No plan?"

"Only demarcate areas."

"That's right." Cai Ye could not have imagined that there was a unit in China that looked down on the Japanese army and chose the German army as the target. Thinking of Jiang Fangzhen's plan to go to Germany to study military affairs, he couldn't help but be a little fascinated, "Oh, Chief of Staff Jiang, when did you enter the Fifth Town?" Cai Yi saw that Jiang Yiliu spoke elegantly, not like he was born in Xiangma.

"Don't call me Chief of Staff. I'm nothing more than the deputy chief of staff in the Fifth Town. The purpose of coming to Zhou Xietong this time is to test the training results of our town. If you want to say that you want to join the Mengshan Army, it's too early, I am actually an officer of the former Wuwei Army, Gengzi Nian fought with the Eight-Nation Alliance Army on the outskirts of Tianjin, the troops were scattered, and when I met our commander, I joined. Jiang Yiliu couldn't help but think of the war six years ago, which completely changed his life. Although he is now the deputy director, he is actually acting as the director. Situ Jun has too many things to do, and the general business of the General Staff Office cannot be taken care of at all. A "demoted general" who has sat in the position of chief of staff, who is known as the "brain of the army", cannot be said to be discriminated against in any way.

"Ah, I have long heard of the glory of your army beating the coalition army in Xigu. This is the honor of a soldier. Cai Ye said sincerely, "I heard that you captured the British lieutenant general in that battle?" ”

"Yes. Lieutenant General Seymour. He followed us all the way from Beijing to Taiyuan, and handed over to the imperial court after the last. It is said that Seymour wrote to our commander after returning to England. ”

"Interesting...... By the way, you said Mengshan Army just now? Why do you call yourself Mengshan Army? ”

"Hehe, the fifth town originated from Mengshan Cottage, and it was Commander Long who led this ringing horse on the right path. Don't forget your roots. Oh, Officer Cai, you have seen both sides of the troops participating in this exercise, do you think that the Southern Army may win this exercise? ”

"It's hard to say. The Southern Army is really good, although the formation of the Eighth Town is late, but a lot of work has been done. And the Northern Army is the third town in Beiyang, which is the elite trained by Lord Yuan. Cai Yi was interested in the question Jiang Yiliu asked, "Director Jiang, what about you?" Are you sure you will win? ”

"I dare not say that I am sure of victory. But for our Mengshan Army, an exercise is a war, and a war is another kind of exercise, and that's it. ”

The melodious horn sounded again, and Guojiayao had arrived. Cai Yi looked at his pocket watch, and it was now 7:45. In other words, more than 20 miles away, this mixed standard in the fifth town took less than two hours to complete. (To be continued......)

PS: Relatives have died of illness, condolences will be held tomorrow, and it is possible to ask for leave.