Chapter 72: Selecting Soldiers

The ancient road of the Alai Ridge truly existed.

In later generations, when Li Xiao was stationed in the Northern Border, he went there many times and was very familiar with the local terrain.

Although eight hundred years had passed, Li Xiao believed that the landform of the Alai Ridge shouldn’t have changed too much.

It could definitely allow large-scale cavalry units to pass.

Because there was a brief record in historical materials that Temujin once fought a war with the Merkits at the Alai Ridge.

Since Temujin’s army could pass, Li Xiao could also lead people through.

Soon after, various divisions of the Northern Border Army received Xiao Simo’s order.

Jin Prefecture Thousand Household Li Xiao was to select a batch of elite soldiers from each division to form a special unit.

No one was allowed to obstruct, otherwise military law would be enforced.

On the day the order was issued, Li Xiao arrived at the camp of the Desert Army.

He was welcomed by Xiao Tuolatu, who was temporarily managing the Desert Army.

“Thousand Household Li, what does the Great King’s order mean? Could it be to gather the elites of the whole army together to storm one place?”

Xiao Tuolatu walked side by side with Li Xiao in the Desert Army camp, turning his face slightly to ask.

Li Xiao, wearing black armor all over and holding the cavalry saber at his waist with his right hand, displayed a mighty posture.

“How can we guess the thoughts of the Lord Garrison Commissioner? Li is just following orders.”

“However, I share the same idea as General Xiao; perhaps Lord Xiao plans exactly that.” Li Xiao said with a faint smile.

He didn’t tell Xiao Tuolatu the truth, which was also specifically instructed by Xiao Simo.

Because Xiao Simo always felt that someone under his command might have a problem but didn’t know who.

For the success of the operation, so far only the three of them knew about this matter.

“Really?” Xiao Tuolatu frowned slightly.

Why not entrust the elite army formed by selecting the best soldiers of the whole army to loyal Khitan generals like them to command?

Instead, handing it over to Li Xiao, a Han person?

Too trifling!

Xiao Tuolatu felt a bit unbalanced in his heart and planned to talk to Xiao Simo later; it would be best if he could lead this elite force himself.

Li Xiao ignored what he thought and walked around in the Desert Army camp on his own.

Warhorses and tents were everywhere, and large pots set up by soldiers for cooking made it very messy.

Even with a veteran general like Xiao Tuolatu commanding, the condition of the Desert Army couldn’t be changed in a short time.

“Big Brother, can elites be picked from such an army?” Erhu asked with slight confusion, not understanding why they came here.

“Bad general leads a bad army, but a good general can lead good soldiers.”

“No war has occurred in the Desert for many years; they are just out of practice.”

“Selecting some people and training them a little, they can still shoulder heavy responsibilities.” Li Xiao said calmly.

Then he looked at Erhu’s size, patted him gently on the shoulder, and smiled: “This time picking people, select a hundred to be under your command.”

“You are the Hundred Household official of this team.”

Hearing Li Xiao’s words, Erhu’s leopard eyes instantly shot out bright light: “Really?”

“Of course!”

“Great! Brother, I will definitely train them to be obedient.” Erhu said excitedly.

Looking at this group of Desert soldiers again, they seemed much more pleasing to the eye. He wished he could immediately pick up a stick and whip them into shape.

“Hehehe, no rush.”

“And you guys too, this time you all become officers; the worst is a Squad Leader (Wu Zhang – leader of 5).” Li Xiao looked at the little brothers behind him and said.

Li Xiao had always placed high hopes on this group of little brothers.

Regarding them as his future right-hand men.

Now that there was an opportunity, naturally he had to train them more.

“Great.”

“I can be a Squad Leader too.”

“Maybe even a Section Leader (Shi Zhang – leader of 10).”

Shou Hou, Tie Tou, and others said excitedly.

Next, Li Xiao began to select manpower for real.

The Desert Army had a total of three thousand five hundred people. They assembled in batches of five hundred, selected one by one.

Ignoring the loose and sloppy standing formation of these people, Li Xiao mainly screened and examined each person.

“What did you do for a living before becoming a soldier?” Li Xiao stared at the face of a middle-aged man in front of him.

Although young, Li Xiao was not short, almost able to see the top of the man’s head.

Moreover, Li Xiao was fully armored and looked serious, accompanied even by Xiao Tuolatu; everyone understood he must be a big shot.

So the pressure in the middle-aged man’s heart could be imagined. He subconsciously bent his back and smiled fawningly: “This lowly one used to be a peddler.”

Li Xiao shook his head, turned, and left.

Merchants won’t do.

Slippery and tricky, unfit for heavy responsibility.

Li Xiao even had to worry constantly about whether they would resell army supplies to the enemy.

“And you? What did you do?”

Li Xiao walked to the next man. This person had rough skin and looked honest.

Scared by Li Xiao, he dared not speak for a moment, finally mumbling: “I, I, I herded sheep for others.”

Li Xiao nodded and said to Erhu: “Take him aside.”

Immediately after, Li Xiao looked at these five hundred people one by one.

Finally selected more than eighty people, either sheepherders or farmers.

And on the surface, they looked like honest and simple people without scheming minds.

Those doing business, absolutely none wanted.

Li Xiao was an officer after all; he could tell roughly at a glance whether a soldier was good or bad.

Some people were arrogant on the surface, blustering usually, looking quite capable, but when something really happened, they were the first to chicken out.

While some people looked honest and simple on the surface, silent, but had a stubborn streak in their bones, daring to risk their lives at critical moments.

For officers, they preferred the latter kind of soldier.

Li Xiao also picked the latter.

Especially those with honest faces but hiding a bit of fierceness in their eyes were Li Xiao’s favorite soldiers.

Soon, all three thousand five hundred Desert soldiers were reviewed by Li Xiao.

A total of more than six hundred were selected.

This ratio wasn’t high.

“Thousand Household Li, why do you pick these people?”

“They don’t look like elites either? Stupid and silly.”

During this interval, Xiao Tuolatu had figured out the situation of the people Li Xiao selected.

Basically farmers and sheepherders.

Looking dull and sluggish, without any outstanding performance usually.

Skills weren’t impressive, horsemanship wasn’t superb; apart from strength, they had nothing.

At least in the Desert Army, there were many, many people who could fight better and had stronger individual combat power than them.

Xiao Tuolatu was very puzzled; what was Li Xiao doing?

“These people are indeed quite stupid, but precisely because of this, they are safe to use.” Li Xiao chuckled and said.

“Alright!”

Xiao Tuolatu shook his head. He originally planned to compete with Li Xiao for the commander position of this ‘elite army’.

Now looking at the composition of these people, all thoughts vanished instantly.

“General Xiao worked hard today; I’ll treat you to wine another day.” Li Xiao said.

After all, on this matter, the other party cooperated throughout without tripping him up secretly; this was helping Li Xiao.

Xiao Tuolatu laughed loudly: “Good, I like drinking wine the most, and won’t drink unless it’s good wine.”

“Rest assured, General Xiao, the fine wine brewed exclusively by my Li family will definitely satisfy you.” Li Xiao said confidently.

Little guy~

One bowl will floor you.

After selecting these six hundred people, Li Xiao conveniently picked out a few army ruffians.

These ruffians were usually arrogant and domineering, gathering a group of lackeys to tyrannize the camp; many soldiers were afraid of them.

Li Xiao left their lackeys behind but picked them out separately to take away.

Useful!

After settling these six hundred Desert soldiers, Li Xiao came to the camp of a Jin Prefecture nomadic tribe.

After looking around, Li Xiao sighed with emotion: “All good soldiers!”

The Desert was close to the Tianshan Mountains, located on the Silk Road. Many merchants came and went, causing many Desert people to be tainted with merchant habits.

Many people Li Xiao asked were either shop waiters or peddlers.

In contrast, these people from nomadic tribes were all images of grassland herdsmen.

Their faces might look fierce and hard to get along with, but they were definitely not the slippery type.

This tribe only had two hundred soldiers; Li Xiao only selected more than thirty people.

And all were those slaves who looked honest and simple.

Free tribesmen, he didn’t choose a single one.

“Chief Talitai, I’ll take these people away temporarily. Regardless, afterward, I will give you a remuneration of one sheep per person.”

“If a slave dies, compensate you with two sheep per person.”

Li Xiao said to this nomadic tribe chief.

Although it was Xiao Simo’s order, Li Xiao couldn’t fail to conduct himself properly.

Worldly wisdom still had to be grasped.

Sure enough, hearing Li Xiao’s words, the chief who was originally somewhat reluctant instantly showed a smile on his face.

Just slaves; capture more if they die.

Anyway, in battle, the death rate of these slaves was already quite high.

Now, their living could be exchanged for the wage of one sheep, and dying compensated with two sheep.

This price satisfied the chief very much.

Happily sent them away.

But Li Xiao was even more satisfied in his heart.

Because he could earn more.

After all, detouring behind enemy lines was very dangerous; soldiers wouldn’t be willing to go without sufficient rewards.

So, Xiao Simo generously promised that every soldier accompanying Li Xiao on the expedition would be rewarded with twenty sheep.

Soldiers killed in action would be given a pension of fifty sheep to their families.

Of course, Li Xiao couldn’t swallow all nineteen sheep in the middle himself.

To stimulate the subjective initiative of the slave soldiers, Li Xiao still had to give them material incentives.

Ten sheep should be enough.

(End of this chapter)