Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Zheng Faction

After about a month, the recruits had developed a relatively solid foundation, and each one of them had grown quite rapidly.

The three echelons of recruits received a notification that the recruit camp would organize a competition in a few days. High-ranking officials from the Zheng Faction would be in attendance. For the recruits, this was both a rare opportunity and a daunting test. Naturally, only those who had performed well were excited; individuals like Zhang Keyong and Yang Hu eagerly anticipated the event, while those who lagged behind in their respective echelons felt less enthusiastic, even dejected, knowing they would likely serve only as mere background figures to the stars of the competition.

Ma Yuan carefully considered the implications of this tournament. Through his interactions with Instructor Chen E over the past month, he and his peers had gained a fairly good understanding of the inner workings of the Zheng Faction.

The leader of the Zheng Faction was, of course, its founder, Zheng Zeliang. As previously noted, he came from a peasant background and possessed a fiery spirit, yet he was a man of great vision. He held high status and significant influence within the upper echelons of the government. Under his leadership, the Zheng Faction was arguably superior to both the National Defense Army and the Capital Defense Army. The Zheng Faction’s military discipline was legendary; even during these turbulent times, when various armies were united against foreign invaders, the Zheng troops never harassed the local populace or took so much as a needle or thread from them, earning them the deep support of the people.

As for its structure, the Zheng Faction comprised seven corps, along with auxiliary units such as artillery and tank regiments, totaling approximately 150,000 to 160,000 personnel—a force of significant weight among the various power blocs.

Among the commanders of these seven corps, two were Zheng Zeliang’s brothers. The first was Zheng Zelin, the eldest, who had raised Zheng Zeliang from childhood; their bond was exceptionally close. A man of great talent and strategy, Zheng Zelin was appointed commander of the 3rd Corps after Zheng Zeliang rose to power, and he also oversaw the recruitment office. Given that the 3rd Corps was the elite unit of the entire faction, Zheng Zelin’s high standing was evident. The second was Zheng Zehai, Zheng Zeliang’s younger brother. Their bond was inseparable, and Zheng Zeliang appointed him commander of the 18th Corps. However, since Zheng Zehai was barely literate, the 18th Corps was primarily composed of reserve forces, and its combat capability was considered average. No one dared to voice dissent against this, as it was understood that, given their kinship, this position was already a significant concession.

Among the other corps commanders was Zheng Li, a cousin of Zheng Zeliang. A man of immense capability, he was promoted to commander of the 15th Corps. The 15th was considered the benchmark unit of the faction, with top-tier discipline and military style. Even the most powerful artillery regiment was assigned directly to the 15th Corps—notable, considering even the elite 3rd Corps was only equipped with a tank regiment—which spoke volumes about the 15th Corps' status.

Then there was Sun Dehai, commander of the 5th Corps. A fellow villager of Zheng Zeliang, Sun had lost his entire family to violence; he had only escaped death because he was in town delivering goods at the time. With nowhere else to turn, he joined Zheng Zeliang, who held him in high regard. Unlike Zheng Zeliang, Sun’s ancestors had been local officials, giving him some level of education, and he quickly mastered military affairs. After several major battles, he rose through the ranks to become the commander of the 5th Corps.

The commander of the 9th Corps, Han Gun, was a talent Zheng Zeliang had recruited while consolidating power. Coming from a scholarly family, he was known as the "military strategist" of the Zheng Faction. Even the staff officers held him in such high esteem that they would occasionally invite him to lecture them. Unlike other commanders, Han Gun governed through strict rules, believing that only rigorous regulations could forge self-disciplined soldiers. This philosophy was eventually adopted by Zheng Zeliang for the entire faction.

The 11th Corps commander, Liang Yi, was similar to Han Gun but had originally been a merchant. When Zheng Zeliang needed significant capital to start his movement, Liang Yi saw potential in the Zheng Faction and invested heavily. Impressed, Zheng Zeliang allowed him to manage military affairs, and Liang Yi did not disappoint, performing brilliantly in several campaigns to earn his command.

The 12th Corps commander, Hong Xianhe, was the only one with a peculiar background: he had once been a bandit leader known for his cruelty. Zheng Zeliang had suffered heavy casualties while suppressing Hong’s gang. After capturing him, Zheng Zeliang spoke with him alone for an entire night. No one knew what was said, but from that point on, Hong became a small unit commander, eventually rising to lead the 12th Corps. This remained a mystery to many, especially since everyone knew that Zheng Zeliang’s parents, as well as the families of men like Sun Dehai, had been slaughtered by bandits. It was baffling that Zheng Zeliang not only spared Hong but entrusted him with high command. Yet, Hong proved his worth, saving the entire faction on several occasions, which cemented his position in Zheng Zeliang’s eyes.

With this knowledge, Ma Yuan realized that the Zheng Faction was a vast, complex system with intricate internal politics. However, he decided that these matters were irrelevant to his own path. His sole goal was to enter the General Staff Department after his three months of training. Having gathered intelligence on the faction’s departments, he knew the Staff Department was the only one that permeated all units—it was the heart of the Zheng Faction.

He viewed the upcoming internal competition as his chance. Though he knew it would be difficult to distinguish himself among so many talented individuals, he would not give up easily. In the coming days, Ma Yuan resolved to train even harder to be fully prepared for the contest.