Moma Liangshan

Chapter 213 Leather Boots, the Hungry Wolf Legion's New...

The new combat boots were designed with Wang Hao's personal involvement while he was in Jiaozhou. These boots heavily borrowed design concepts from later field boots, with adjustments made to suit the production techniques of the Northern Song Dynasty. The soles were constructed from five layers of cowhide, secured with thirty-nine specially made iron nails, and the heel was covered by a horseshoe-shaped iron ring for optimal ergonomics. The boots had high lacing, covering the lower half of the calf, hence the inner opening design, and leather straps were used as laces. Wang Hao selected a pair of boots according to his own size, put them on, and walked on the wooden planks inside the tent, making a thumping sound. He asked, "General Lin, what do you think of the feel of these boots?" Lin Chong replied, "Wearing these boots, the infantry's marching speed can be increased by at least 30%, and they also provide excellent protection against common obstacles such as caltrops and wooden spikes!" Upon hearing this, Wang Hao unconsciously took a few more steps and said, "It's just that the sound of my footsteps is a bit harsh!"

The sound of iron clashing against stone was naturally not pleasant, but in ancient times, soldiers wearing straw sandals were commonplace, and owning a pair of cloth shoes was a luxury. Lin Chong immediately asked, "Does the young master know the cost of these boots?" Wang Hao replied, "They must not be cheap, after all, cowhide is a valuable commodity!" Lin Chong said, "Not only are they not cheap, these boots cost a full twelve strings of cash, while a pair of official boots only cost two strings. Moreover, the hides from a single cow are only enough to make eight pairs of boots. To complete the task assigned by the young master, the leather workshop has already commissioned the Jiaozhou trading company to purchase cowhide in Qingzhou!" Wang Hao realized the special nature of cowhide in ancient times and said, "Cowhide, like salt and iron, should be a controlled commodity by the imperial court, not something we can buy as we please!" Lin Chong nodded and said, "That's why Chairman Chen sent someone to Qingzhou, precisely to ask Governor Cui for some assistance!"

Wang Hao wasn't too worried, saying, "Oxen are important laborers in Song Dynasty households, but oxen on the grasslands don't need to plow. We can buy wool from the grasslands, and naturally we can also buy sheepskin and cowhide." Wang Hao looked at Lin Chong with some curiosity and asked, "Did Chen Song ask you to remind me of these things?" Lin Chong smiled sheepishly and said, "The first time I wore these boots, I realized how much they enhanced the soldiers' combat effectiveness. So I suggested that the leather workshop produce more. The head of the leather workshop told Chen Song about my request, and Chen Song then came to me and explained in detail how scarce cowhide was. Therefore, he hoped that you, sir, could open up trade routes to the grasslands as soon as possible."

Wang Hao strongly encouraged his subordinates to report their actual thoughts to him. Only in this way could the decisions made align with the wishes of the entire group. He said, "I will arrange this matter as soon as possible, but with a major battle imminent, I'm afraid it will have to be postponed!" Lin Chong, a professional soldier, was relaying Chen Song's message with the ultimate goal of improving the soldiers' combat effectiveness. Therefore, upon hearing of the military arrangements, he immediately became extremely attentive and said, "Please give your instructions, young master!" Wang Hao said, "This is a war of national annihilation between the Khitan and the Jurchen. Both sides have mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops. We are only a little over a hundred, which is insignificant! I have already petitioned the Liao emperor to recruit warriors locally and form an army." As he spoke, he took out the military tally from his waist and placed it on the table, saying, "This military tally was given to me by the princess of Shu, and I have received the personal approval of the Liao emperor, who permits us to recruit five thousand soldiers!"

Lin Chong was quite surprised and said, "We are Song people, isn't Emperor Tianzuo afraid of trouble in his own backyard?" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "Don't forget, I am the Duke of Bohai, personally appointed by the Emperor of Liao, and I also serve as the Governor of Dongjing!" Lin Chong was only asking casually, and had no intention of inquiring further about the specific relationship between Wang Hao and the Liao Emperor or even the Shu princess. Lin Chong was already utterly disillusioned with the Song court, and besides, Wang Hao was by no means a bloodthirsty and ruthless person. Therefore, Lin Chong only wanted to be Wang Hao's pawn on his path to establishing merit, and he didn't care about those trivial matters at all. Yang Zhi asked, "Where does the young master plan to recruit soldiers from?" Wang Hao replied, "From those prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of the Khitan, and at least half of them must be Han Chinese!" The prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of the Khitan were places where slaves plundered by the Khitan nobles gathered and lived, and they were mostly Han Chinese. Yang Zhi's ancestors were among the main generals who recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. As a descendant of General Yang, he naturally felt a deep attachment to this strategically important area of ​​the Han dynasty. He asked, "Young master, you are recruiting an army. What are the soldiers fighting for?" Lin Chong felt that Yang Zhi was being presumptuous and replied, "Naturally, they are fighting for you, young master!" Wang Hao looked at the two of them and said, "They are fighting for the bright and clear world!"

After a moment, Wang Hao looked at Lin Chong and continued, "You were framed by Gao Qiu and his men, and are still wanted by the authorities. I hope you can stay in Liao and take full control of this army for me!" Lin Chong was shocked, thinking, "The total strength of Jiaozhou is less than a thousand men, but you have five thousand soldiers in Liao. Isn't that handing over most of the military power to me?" He said, "Your great kindness is unforgettable!" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Although we are of different ranks, we are brothers. Let's not say such formal things!" Lin Chong couldn't hide his joy and said, "Yes!" Wang Hao continued, "All the soldiers recruited in Liao will be cavalry..." "Soldiers!" Lin Chong exclaimed incredulously, "Young Master, you intend to train five thousand cavalry?" Wang Hao replied, "One must take things one step at a time, and eat one bite at a time. Better to have less than to have something of poor quality!" Lin Chong suddenly remembered something, unfastened a saber from his waist, and said, "Could this weapon have been specially designed by Young Master for mounted combat?" Wang Hao took the saber, thinking to himself, "If someone could travel to the early 20th century, they would witness modern cavalrymen wielding these sabers with handguards, hacking and slashing wildly!" He then said, "Do you remember the scene in Liaodong where General Yang and Morigen dueled?" Yang Zhi immediately replied, "A Mongolian recurve bow!"

Wang Hao said, "Morigen and the others are all under your command. I want you to train an invincible cavalry archer force!" Lin Chong understood Wang Hao's intention and said, "Long-range attacks rely on bows and arrows, while offensive attacks rely on sabers, is that correct?" Wang Hao said, "An army must be tempered by war to become a battle-hardened lion. I will only give you suggestions, but I will never restrict your actions. I hope you will not disappoint me!" Lin Chong shouted, "Give me two years, and I will build a beastly legion for you, my lord!" Wang Hao also shouted, "From today onwards, this army will be called the Hungry Wolf Legion!" To avoid confusion, Wang Hao wrote the words "Hungry Wolf" on a piece of paper. Lin Chong clapped his hands in delight and said, "Wolves are most ferocious when they are hungry!"

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