nucmednet Chapter 276 High Hopes
Chapter 276 High Hopes
"Shi Jian, what are you doing here?" Zhang Tieniu and Qiu Xiaojun had just stepped into the mourning hall when they ran into Shi Jian, the student he had just taken in two days ago.
According to regulations, a low-ranking officer like him is not qualified to enter the mourning hall to pay respects. Could this kid have some powerful connections?
"Good day, sir!" Shi Jian quickly saluted.
"I, I..." Shi Jian scratched his head, his face turning bright red. He didn't know what to say.
"Alright, you can go now!" Zhang Tieniu waved his hand. Since the other party didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to ask any more questions.
Zhang Tieniu led Qiu Xiaojun forward, took the incense from the eunuch, and after bowing three times and kowtowing nine times, placed it in the incense burner in front of them. Then they turned around and kowtowed to the Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess.
Zhang Tieniu didn't notice that when he knelt down, the Grand Princess showed a strange expression.
Behind the princess and the dowager kowtowed a young lieutenant general, whom Zhang Tieniu recognized as Shen Zimeng. However, this was not the place for conversation, and the two merely nodded to each other.
The next morning, Zhang Tieniu's car arrived at the station. After checking the supplies in the car one last time, he waved and said, "Get in!"
A reinforced regiment of over two thousand men lined up and boarded the train. Shi Jian and Cai Songpo also led all the trainees onto the train, where they were assigned to a carriage behind the command post.
They will travel by sea to Guangxi. First, they will take a train to Jiaozhou Port, where they will transfer to a ship. After that, they will land in Qinzhou and then transfer to a small boat to go directly to Guilin.
Zhang Tieniu smoked a cigarette, watching the trees rushing past the window. His mind replayed the scene from a few days earlier when he had been secretly received by the Emperor.
"Tie Niu, do you know why I sent you to Guangxi?"
"Your Majesty does not know! But wherever Your Majesty assigns me, I will gladly accept the order."
"Hmm! I like your straightforward nature. Guangxi is a wonderful place! Beautiful mountains and clear waters, and outstanding people. The Guangxi wolf soldiers are famous throughout the country."
"Guangxi is a place where many ethnic groups live together, and the people are known for their fierce and unruly nature. You must respect local customs when you go there. You must not incite any unrest among the people."
"Your subject will certainly proceed with caution!"
"Hmm! If local officials fail to act or act improperly, you can report it directly to me."
"Tie Niu, I have high hopes for you! I hope you can help me train a strong army. Train hard in Guangxi for a few years and avoid associating with certain people in the army, understand?"
"Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered!" Zhang Tieniu's back was covered in sweat. Having reached his position, he was naturally aware of the factional dynamics within the military.
It wasn't that no one tried to win him over, but he had always been cautious. He hadn't had any private dealings with other military officers. Perhaps this was the biggest reason His Majesty had sent him to govern Guangxi!
"Yes! The soldiers from Guangxi are the best source of troops for mountain warfare. I hope that within five years, we will have at least an entire army of elite soldiers. Do a good job! I will make good use of you in the future."
"Your Majesty's grace is beyond measure!" Zhang Tieniu said excitedly as he knelt down.
Currently, among all the military forces, only Japan has just established a garrison army. This garrison army comprises two main divisions, plus four local garrison divisions of Japan, totaling more than 100,000 men.
He had never dared to dream of commanding such a large army before, but he never expected His Majesty to have such high expectations of him. Zhang Tieniu was extremely excited.
"Get up quickly!" Shen Lian reached out and helped Zhang Tieniu up.
"You probably already know the purpose of my training troops in Guangxi. Be sure to act carefully and don't alert anyone else," Shen Lian instructed again.
"Your Majesty, I will be extremely careful and diligent in training a strong army. I will contribute my strength to Your Majesty's great cause for generations to come."
"Excellent! I hope to personally lead you south then, to conquer a territory far surpassing that of the Han and Tang dynasties. Hahaha..." Shen Lian laughed heartily.
"General Zhang, General Zhang..." Zhang Tieniu's heart surged with emotion whenever he thought of His Majesty's heroic spirit. Just as he was lost in thought, a voice startled him awake.
"Oh! Lord Zhai, did you just call me?" Zhang Tieniu quickly got up.