The New Army was established.

Just as Hou Junji was rendered speechless by the rebuke, the Grand General of the Right Cavalry Guard, Changsun Shunde, stepped forward. He bowed to Emperor Taizong and said, "Your Majesty, since Prime Minister Li believes that the soldiers’ abilities can be cultivated through short-term training, I propose we form a new army and entrust it to his guidance."

Though Changsun Shunde’s suggestion appeared to support Li Jing, beneath the surface he secretly wished for Li Jing’s failure. Like Hou Junji, his ultimate aim was to undermine Li Zhi. The reason was that he had inadvertently learned of Li Zhi’s proposal to reform religious administration, a policy that affected the vested interests of his own family among others. Changsun Shunde’s perspective differed somewhat from Hou Junji’s. He acknowledged that soldiers’ abilities would undoubtedly improve with training—otherwise, veterans would not become so formidable on the battlefield. Yet he doubted the effectiveness of Li Jing’s new training methods, believing they would not yield results as dramatic as Li Jing predicted.

Thus, he proposed recruiting a new force for training. Later, by arranging a contest with seasoned veterans, he was confident the new troops would suffer defeat, thereby extinguishing Li Zhi’s ambitions to meddle in military affairs.

Li Jing frowned at Changsun Shunde’s suggestion. Experience told him that the new methods would indeed enhance the soldiers’ capabilities, but he was uncertain by how much. As he hesitated, Qin Qiong, Grand General of the Left Martial Guard, spoke: "Your Majesty, since the efficacy of the new method remains unproven, I suggest we train young, valiant officers alongside new recruits, forming a backbone for the force."

Qin Qiong’s proposal was far more reasonable than Changsun Shunde’s. Training new recruits alone was arduous; without experienced leaders, it would be difficult to forge combat readiness quickly. Li Jing’s expression eased at Qin Qiong’s advice.

Emperor Taizong then asked, "Does anyone object to Shubao’s proposal?" The assembled officials, including Hou Junji and Changsun Shunde, shook their heads and voiced their agreement.

Taizong addressed Li Jing: "Very well, then. I entrust this matter to you, Yaoshi. You may freely select junior officers from the various armies as needed. The number of new recruits shall be set at one battalion." (In the Tang dynasty, a battalion numbered roughly 1,120 men.)

Li Jing bowed and accepted the commission. At that moment, Hou Junji spoke again: "May I ask how long Prime Minister Li expects training this new force to take?"

Li Jing found himself at a loss once more. Training a competent fighting force would require only two or three months. But to produce the kind of army he and Li Zhi envisioned, he truly had no idea how long it would take. As he wavered, Cheng Yaojin, who had remained silent until now, spoke up: "Since Your Majesty desires a formidable army, the training must be lengthy. I suggest we set the term at one year."

Li Jing glanced gratefully at Cheng Yaojin upon hearing this. Changsun Shunde, however, objected: "Even if Your Majesty’s requirements are strict, if the new training methods are so effective as Prime Minister Li claims, why should it take so long?"

Cheng Yaojin fixed him with a fierce stare: "Surely General Changsun is not ignorant of the standards for an elite force?" He swept his gaze across all present. "All of you are men of military experience. You know well that even the most seasoned army, engaged in constant battle, takes over a year to reach true strength."

He turned to Changsun Shunde: "Or do you believe that peacetime training is superior to the experience gained on the battlefield?"

Changsun Shunde’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he could not manage a reply. Changsun Wuji cast a puzzled glance at his uncle, perplexed by his unusual behavior. He knew that Changsun Shunde usually had no quarrel with Li Jing—why act so today?

With this in mind, Changsun Wuji spoke to Emperor Taizong: "Your Majesty, I too believe a year is not excessive."

Taizong nodded: "Then let it be a year. When the time comes, I will personally inspect the results."

Thus the matter was settled. Li Jing hurried to consult the muster rolls, seeking suitable officers. For now, Li Zhi had no need to intervene, but he was far from idle. He personally designed several practical weapons, drew up blueprints, and handed them to Yan Lide to manufacture in quantities sufficient for over a thousand men.

He also devised two sets of uniforms, one for winter and one for summer, intending to have them made from cotton once the harvest was complete. The armor of Tang soldiers was not only expensive but extremely heavy—unsuitable for prolonged wear during training. Ordinary hemp garments quickly wore out, so Li Zhi decided to use the newly cultivated cotton.

Li Zhi was also busy overseeing the construction of boilers. At this time, soldering techniques could only join small metal components. Larger items required forge welding.

Li Zhi’s envisioned boiler would stand two meters tall—a massive object, challenging both to weld and to shape the steel plates. To solve this, he designed a rolling machine powered by a water wheel. While simple in appearance, crafting pure steel gears for the machine demanded considerable effort. On one hand, he had to repeatedly experiment with the ingredients for the steel furnace; on the other, he needed to produce precise molds.

With the help of Yan Lide and Bakken, Li Zhi expended immense manpower and materials before finally completing the task. By the time boiler production began, two months had already passed.

After more than two months of preparation, the first special forces unit of the Tang dynasty was finally assembled.

Li Jing selected Su Lie, Deputy Commander of the Left Guard, to serve as the battalion leader. Su Lie, courtesy name Dingfang, was renowned for his courage and skill, having led the vanguard in last year’s campaign against Eastern Turkic, where he broke through the tent of Khan Xieli and achieved great merit. Yet he was born in an unfortunate time, as Emperor Taizong’s ranks were already filled with formidable generals, and he had never been fully utilized. Hearing of Li Jing’s plan to form a new army, he volunteered immediately. Li Jing gladly accepted such a valiant officer without hesitation.

The deputy officers and ten company commanders under Su Dingfang were also young and capable, drawn from various guard units. This made it easier to tailor the training to the nature of the special forces.

The more than one thousand new recruits were all under twenty; their average age was only eighteen—a remarkably low average for the entire Tang military system.

Moreover, these recruits were enlisted through voluntary recruitment, essentially modern professional soldiers. They not only received weapons and gear free of charge, but also a generous monthly salary. Following Li Zhi’s advice, their pay was set higher than that of other recruits. Thus, despite strict requirements, the quotas were quickly filled.