Ming Zuo

Chapter 139 Advance Deployment
After leaving the capital, board a boat in Tongzhou, go south along the canal, and return to Linqing.

In the process of going south, people from the reconnaissance brigade came back one after another, and brought back precious pieces of information.

Right in the cabin, the maps surveyed and drawn by various ministries were combined into a huge and detailed military map.

Looking at this picture, you can have a clear view of the topography between the capital and Shanhaiguan.

Facing this map, Zuo Menggeng's confidence finally improved a lot.

As soon as he returned to Linqing, he once again held a meeting above the rank of the entire army team.

The accurate map amazed everyone and gave them a clear understanding of the battle.

Zuo Menggeng asked Zhang Yan first.

"How is the preparation of food and supplies?"

Zhang Yan lived up to his trust.

"At present, our general logistics brigade is raising [-] catties of grain and [-] catties of forage. The gunpowder factory submitted [-] rounds of bullets, [-] shells, and [-] catties of gunpowder, which are enough to meet the needs of World War I."

This result made Zuo Menggeng extremely satisfied.

Next, it is Liu Yiyuan who will explain the main points to everyone.

"After a month of reconnaissance and mapping by our reconnaissance brigade, the current situation is as follows. In the east of Zunhua, near Weichengyu in Jiuquan Mountain, there are few people and the road is dangerous. It can be used as a storage location for our army. Once, there is a secret foothold of our army, which can be used as a second material storage location. If our army enters the war at that time, it is best to stay near Baodi, so we need to establish a third material storage location here.”

Liu Yiyuan's announcement puzzled everyone.

Zuo Rong asked: "If our army receives an order to go north, shouldn't the local government allocate supplies after arriving in the flooded area?"

Zuo Menggeng looked serious.

"Everyone knows the virtues of the current government. If we count on them, we may go hungry."

Even so, this solution is unacceptable to many people.

Zhang Yan, who is in charge of the General Logistics Team, is one of them.

"We can also move with the army and replenish at any time, so that we can avoid foolproof."

His statement was recognized by everyone.

Seeing the turmoil in front of him, Zuo Menggeng tapped on the blackboard to get everyone's attention focused.

His expression was unprecedentedly serious.

"Everyone, I solemnly remind you. Don't think that we have the home court advantage because the battlefield is in Kifu. In fact, once we are in a war, our situation is far more dangerous than fighting behind the enemy. Remember, we have no friendly forces, and we can There are no reinforcements. Don't expect unrealistic things, and our enemies will definitely outnumber us."

The whole process of Jisi's change is full of weirdness.

Zuo Menggeng has every reason to be convinced that Houjin must have opened up the whole map.

In other words, Hou Jin's understanding of the capital area has reached the most subtle level.

As for the other Ming armies...

Historical performance has proven, simply not reliable.

Zuo Menggeng is not someone who entrusts his fate to others, so he must take everything into consideration.

"Our troops are small, and it is impossible to confront the Donglu head-on. The only way to fight is to look for the enemy's weakness like a poisonous snake in the dark. At the same time, we must avoid being discovered and surrounded by the enemy, and try to preserve ourselves. In this way Under such circumstances, it is impossible for logistical supplies to be safely delivered to us from the rear.”

Most of the Hou Jin army were cavalry, and they came and went like the wind.

If the logistics supply location is not preset in advance and the materials are prepared, they will be transported from the rear during wartime.Zuo Menggeng was not sure whether these supplies were given to himself or to the enemy.

Seeing that he said the situation was so serious, everyone became more cautious and no longer opposed the plan.

Zuo Menggeng told Zhang Yan: "Currently, the intelligence department and the investigation brigade have left manpower in various places. You can use the cover of various merchants to covertly send materials to these places in small batches in batches. Be sure to It must be kept secret so that no one can discover it.”

The prerequisite for supporting Zuo Menggeng to complete the deployment of material reserves is the big guys behind him.

The families of these bigwigs have business contacts in various places, so naturally they need caravans to go south and north for transportation.

The materials of the rear camp passed through the cover of these caravans, so as to avoid the possibility of exposure as much as possible.

And as long as these materials are well stocked at various storage points, when the rear battalion comes to Jifu to fight, it can be replenished anytime and anywhere.

Zhang Yan took the order, and he had his own way to implement it after returning.

Zuo Menggeng gave instructions to everyone: "From now on, all officers and soldiers in the army will stop taking vacations and enter the stage of combat readiness training. Every soldier must fire a hundred rounds of ammunition and be proficient in the operation of muskets. Assassination training must be close to actual combat. , don’t be afraid of getting hurt, don’t be afraid of bleeding, it’s better than dying on the battlefield.”

He looked at Li Xiangzhu again.

"The equipment of your artillery brigade is the latest, but it is the most important. So in the next time, you must devote more time and energy to firmly grasp the essentials of artillery operation. Li Xiangzhu, I warn you. If at that time on the battlefield, someone in your artillery brigade delays the work, I will chop your head off."

Li Xiangzhu was frightened by Lin Lin's murderous aura, and hurriedly promised: "If our artillery brigade is ashamed at that time, there will be no penalty for thousands of seats. I will stuff myself into the barrel and shoot it out."

The officers laughed endlessly, but they also knew that the upcoming war would be a difficult test.

However, there was one person who couldn't laugh and stood up to be aggrieved.

"Chiza, I have something to say."

Zuo Menggeng saw that it was Zuo Shi.

"what do you want to say?"

Zuo Shi stiffened his neck, as if he had been wronged so much.

"Now all the brigades are equipped with complete equipment, but what about our cavalry brigade? Cavalry cavalry, without horses, what kind of cavalry? Now the people below are complaining to me, saying that Qianzuo is biased."

When he said this, all the officers under the cavalry brigade complained.

Zuo Menggeng frowned with a cold face.

"I don't know if your cavalry brigade has no horses?"

When Zuo Shi heard this, he hurriedly asked expectantly: "Then give us all the horses this time?"

Zuo Menggeng seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

"Are you paying? If you pay, I will give you all the horses."

When Zuo Shi heard this, he immediately shrunk his neck, knowing that his hope was in vain.

A horse is fifty taels of silver, and a cavalry brigade of three hundred and twenty people needs at least four hundred horses, which means it will cost twenty thousand taels of silver.

This is not counting the maintenance of the war horse, the daily expenses added together, that is an astronomical figure.

At least with Zuo Menggeng's current capital, he couldn't afford it or maintain it.

Rejecting Zuo Shi's fantasy, Zuo Menggeng said: "Now your cavalry brigade is also equipped with muskets, and the training has not been missed, right? For this expedition, your cavalry brigade will be used as an infantry brigade for the time being. Let me tell you, in our Here, you are no different from ordinary infantry brigades. If you pull the cross, you will be punished as you want."

Speaking of this, Zuo Shi became proud again.

"Qianzuo, don't you know that? In this month, our cavalry brigade has competed with other brigades four times, and the record is three wins and one loss. Even if our cavalry has no horses, it's not like they have mud legs. of."

Four battalions of infantry were yelling.

"Fifth, don't you know who is older and who is younger? Come, come, pull out your cavalry brigade, and let's make gestures."

"Last time I let you go, and you pushed your nose on your face. This time, I will let you know how many eyes Prince Ma has."

Seeing how these guys refused to admit defeat and fought bravely to be the first, Zuo Menggeng didn't say anything on the surface, but he was very happy in his heart.

This is what an army looks like.

In order to accommodate Deng Yuhan, Zuo Menggeng specially invited Qu Shixu.

"Mr. Deng, this is Qu Zhizhou in Linqing. You need his permission to preach."

Deng Yuhan was quite nervous.

Following Zuo Menggeng to Linqing, Deng Yuhan fell in love with it deeply after seeing the size of the city.

He has been to many places in his life, including the wealthy Jiangnan.

If he had to choose, the capital would be his least favorite place.

The atmosphere there was too dignified.

The high majesty and imperial power oppressed the man breathlessly, and the wind and sand blowing from outside the Great Wall also made his breathing difficult.

Deng Yuhan always felt that his throat was blocked, and this feeling became more and more serious day by day.

But all the way south, after avoiding the dust, the fresh air brought by the canal made him very comfortable.

And now, the officials who decide whether he can stay in Linqing have appeared.

Zuo Menggeng originally thought that it would take a lot of words to convince Qu Shixu.

Unexpectedly, Qu Shixu opened his mouth and was quite kind.

"Mr. Deng, is Priest Julian alright?"

Deng Yuhan was pleasantly surprised.

"Qu Mingfu knows President Ai Julian? He went to Fujian."

Qu Shixu laughed out loud.

"It must have been invited by Elder Ye Ge. Mr. Ai Julius must be there and everything is going well."

After Qu Shixu's own narration, Zuo Menggeng found out that this man had intersected with Western missionaries a long time ago.

In the third year of Tianqi, when Qu Shiqi Dingyou returned to his hometown, he met the missionary Ai Julian.Not only that, but Qu Shixu himself was a believer.

There is also a coquettish Western name called Dormer.In fact, according to the translation of later generations, it should be called Thomas.

You said, would such a person oppose Deng Yuhan's preaching in Linqing?
　Thank you Wei Ai Qinger for the reward!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)