After Being Abducted by the General

chapter 40

Wu Kai wasted no time and mounted his horse with weapons in hand, engaging in a frontal fight with Wang Er.

Both of them were excited and in good condition. They swung their spears vigorously, creating dazzling sparks when their weapons clashed.

Despite the powerful force of their collision, both of them remained firmly seated on their horses without slipping off.

The onlookers became increasingly excited as they watched, their hearts filled with tumultuous emotions.

After the day came to an end, everyone present kept silent about what had transpired and quickly focused on the progress of stirrup production.

Once enough stirrups were made, Yuan Li gathered his subordinates and equipped them with stirrups, beginning their training as cavalry.

The surplus iron ore was then crafted into plate armor by Yuan Li's orders.

When Yuan Li learned that the great gift presented by Zhong Ji was an iron mine, a wild ambition began to stir within him.

He wanted to create a formidable heavy cavalry force.

Cavalry can be divided into light cavalry and heavy cavalry. Heavy cavalry consists of soldiers fully covered in armor, capable of effectively countering enemy swords and spears. The requirements for heavy cavalry are high. Firstly, the horses must be strong and tall. Secondly, the cavalry themselves must be skilled and muscular, capable of bearing the weight of heavy armor and wielding battle axes and spears.

Heavy cavalry is slower and less agile, but their killing and impact power is undoubtedly unparalleled.

In situations of stalemate during war, deploying heavy cavalry to break through the enemy's shield bearers and formations often yields unexpected, even decisive, results. Currently, Northern Zhou lacks a true corps of heavy cavalry for two reasons. Firstly, the resources and finances required to maintain a heavy cavalryman could support three light cavalrymen. Secondly, the innate limitations imposed by the absence of stirrups mean that few soldiers can charge on horseback fully armored from head to toe.

But now, with the invention of stirrups, the second problem can be overcome.

The more Yuan Li thought about it, the more excited he became.

However, he suppressed his excitement and started training from the most basic techniques.

Yuan Li's subordinates were already skilled in horse riding, but due to the limited number of horses he had acquired in the past, they were only proficient in "riding" and nothing more. Now, they needed to learn how to fight on horseback.

During the training process, Yuan Li realized that the three hundred subordinates he brought from Youzhou were still too few. One-third of them had been sent to the seaside to refine fine salt, leaving only about two hundred remaining.

Although these two hundred men were all elites, they were still not enough. Observing his subordinates deep in thought during training, Liu Jixin curiously asked, "What is the Lord thinking about?"

Yuan Li replied, "I'm considering conscription."

Understanding his intentions, Liu Jixin stroked his beard and nodded, "Indeed, conscription is necessary. Although the Grand General has a force of 130,000 soldiers, these soldiers are ultimately needed to station the border defenses. Youzhou requires its own garrison to ensure that it can handle its own affairs. Otherwise, it will be too late for reinforcements to arrive in the event of an emergency."

"Yes," Yuan Li sighed, "In order to establish the garrison in Youzhou, Chu Hechao's force of 130,000 soldiers, despite the seemingly large number, is actually quite small. He also needs to conscript soldiers."