Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 363 Sending troops to Wuchang
Early the next morning, Chongzhen brought [-] cavalry from the cavalry battalion and [-] barbarians to the small school grounds of the three major battalions. Xu Yingwei, Yan Yingyuan and other ten recruits were fully armed and lined up.

And on the big school field not far from the small school field, more than [-] new troops are looking at this side eagerly, with envy that cannot be concealed in their eyes.

Both are recruits, but there is a world of difference in appearance.

I saw that Xu Yingwei and other ten soldiers had already put on mountain armor and phoenix-wing helmets.

There is also a short flintlock in his waist, which was specially made by Chongzhen in the arsenal. From now on, it will be specially used to equip officers and artillery, and each cavalry will also be equipped with one.

But there are not so many handguns yet.

Therefore, the cavalry battalion and Yiding are still equipped with the original equipment.

The cavalry battalion still used three-eyed guns or thunder guns.

Yi Ding used a Lumi blunderbuss or a matchlock gun.

Because the cavalry battalion and Yiding still relied more on horse-chopping swords to fight, Chongzhen did not rush to equip them with flintlock guns, but gave priority to the new army with flintlock guns.

A total of 2700 new troops were divided into ten small phalanxes.

Every soldier has put on the newly issued red cloth face armor, and also put on a brand new hat.

There are two kinds of cloth face armor, one is to wrap and fix iron sheets with cotton cloth, and the other is to use rivets to fix pieces of small iron sheets on the inner surface layer of cotton armor.

In terms of cost alone, the latter is obviously more expensive.

Chongzhen equipped the new army with the second type of cloth face armor.

Just a set of cloth face armor plus a hat-shaped helmet is worth five taels.

It's just that this price is nothing compared to chain mail and iron armor.

It takes 27 million taels of silver to equip all the 135 new troops with cloth face armor and hat-shaped helmets!

But Chongzhen didn't feel sorry for this kind of expenses at all. Isn't the money raised by issuing bonds used to equip the army?Or learn from Zhu Yousong from another time and space and use it for the draft?

Also, each recruit is armed with a flintlock.

A white bullet bag is worn across the body from the left shoulder to the right waist.

This image is somewhat similar to Anza's lobster soldier, which really makes people speechless.

Chongzhen thought that he would have to ask the logistics department to change the color of the bullet bag from white to black.

There are small pouches horizontally separated in the bullet pouch, and each pouch can hold one round of paper shells, and the entire bullet pouch can hold a total of thirty rounds of paper shells, which is also a battle base determined by Chongzhen.

Seeing Chongzhen approaching on horseback, the ten soldiers who led the soldiers had no special reaction, but the more than two thousand recruits were all very excited. This was the second time they saw the Long Live God, and the last time it was 27 people together Accepting the review of Long Live God, I just took a look from a distance, but this time it was much closer.

Finally seeing the real Long Live God, the recruits were very excited.

"Long live!" I don't know which recruit shouted first.

Immediately afterwards, more than 2700 recruits followed suit and shouted: "Long live!"

Chongzhen was also affected by the emotions of these recruits. Since traveling to this time and space, he finally saw a Ming army with high morale.

The scholar battalion is not counted, it is not an army in the true sense.

The new army in front of us may have far less combat experience than the frontier troops in Xuzhou and Wuchang, and even the Xiangyong from Huai'an Prefecture, but it kills the frontier army and the Xiangyong in terms of morale.

Chongzhen could clearly feel the high morale exuded from the recruits.

Immediately, Chongzhen also drew out his waist knife, touched the sky with the edge of the knife, and then shouted: "The sun, the moon, the mountains and the rivers will always exist!"

"The sun, moon, mountains and rivers will be here forever! The sun, moon, mountains and rivers will be here forever! The sun, moon, mountains and rivers will be here forever!" The recruits shouted after each other, and finally converged into a uniform voice.

Even Xu Yingwei and other scholars followed suit.

Amidst the shouts like a tsunami, Chongzhen drew his waist knife in the direction of Wuchang, and once again let out a long howl: "Everyone is there, the target is Wuchang Mansion, and we are going to fight!"

The next moment, the scholar's password sounded one after another.

"Mr. Grandma, all of you, turn right and walk together!"

"General Jiangyin, turn right and walk in unison! Keep up!"

……

Teams of new troops left the barracks one by one and embarked on a long journey to Wuchang Mansion.

Chongzhen didn't plan to let the new army take the boat, but planned to let them march on foot all the time, and they were still fully armed. After they arrived at the admiral's office in Caojiang, they still had luggage waiting for them.

Each soldier must carry his own supplies.

Each ration includes ten days’ worth of fried rice, and a corresponding amount of prunes, tempeh, coarse salt, and vinegar steamed cakes.

In addition, there is a backpack for each person. There is a felt pad and a blanket in the backpack, which are used when camping, so as to avoid non-combat attrition due to frostbite.

In addition, a donkey was assigned to each even.

The donkey is responsible for carrying tents for ten people and half a month's rations for the whole team.

In addition, each team is equipped with an additional carriage, which is responsible for carrying the ammunition of the whole team.

In addition to paper shell bullets, the ammunition mainly consists of long-handled grenades, four for each person.

This is actually part of endurance training. An army that cannot endure hardships cannot fight tough battles.

The Scholars Camp followed Chongzhen on the mountain roads for a few months at the beginning. They were also fully armed and brought all the luggage. When it rained and the roads were muddy, it was really miserable.

Therefore, Chongzhen hoped to repeat such a march again.

Anyway, there is enough time. It is about a thousand miles from Nanjing to Wuchang to cross the Dabie Mountains. Even if you walk an average of fifty miles a day, you can get there in twenty days at most.

In twenty days, the rebels had little hope of capturing Wuchang.

It's just that it's not just the new army from Nanjing who sent troops this time, but also the town soldiers from Xuzhou and Guide.

According to Chongzhen's request, Du Yinxi will transfer [-] troops from Xuzhou, [-] to [-] troops from Guide, and enter Huguang Huangzhou Mansion through Henan Runing Mansion, and then enter Hanyang Mansion to prevent Wuchang rebels from crossing the river. Or the way to escape to the west, to prevent the rebels from going to Chengtian Mansion to seek refuge in Puppet Shun or entering Sichuan to seek refuge in Zhang Xianzhong.

Population is always the most precious resource, and strong men are especially precious.

Therefore, Chongzhen would never give these more than [-] strong men to Pseudo-shun or Zhang Xianzhong for nothing. It would be fine to capture these hundreds of thousands of rebels to mine and make steel. This is free labor.

Therefore, sufficient rations must be provided to the town soldiers in Xuzhou and Guide.

The town soldiers brought their own weapons and equipment, and had no military pay, but the rations had to be provided by the court.

In the future, the soldiers will be updated with weapons and equipment. Every time they go out for an expedition, the imperial court will have to provide weapons and ammunition to the town soldiers.

At that moment, Chongzhen beckoned Zhu Shunshui to come closer, and asked in a deep voice, "Have the rations for the [-] soldiers in Xuzhou and Guide been ready?"

"Return to the Holy One, everything has been prepared." Zhu Shunshui replied with cupped hands, "According to the standard of one liter of rice per day, a total of [-] stones have been prepared for the [-] town soldiers for three months. state capital."

"The rations for three months are less." Chongzhen said after thinking for a while, "double it."

"I'm taking the decree." Zhu Shunshui said without hesitation, "I'm going to the key storehouse to adjust the grain."

Watching Zhu Shunshui's figure go away, Chongzhen ordered Gao Qiqian to say: "Gao Banban, please go to the Duke of Chu's mansion to invite Zuo Menggeng, and Jin Shenghuan also."

"The old slave leads the order." Gao Qi walked away happily.

……

When Gao Qiqian arrived at Duke Chu's mansion, Jin Shenghuan and several other lieutenants, guards, and guerrillas who had been awarded the third-class loyalty and bravery were gathering with Zuo Menggeng for a drink.

But to be honest, Zuo Menggeng's Duke of Chu's mansion is really shabby.

At any rate, he is also a majestic Duke of Chu, even if he is not compared with Duke Wei's mansion, at least he can't be more shabby than the mansion of the Marquis and Earl, right?But who would have thought that the Holy Majesty only rewarded a small courtyard with three rooms and three rooms.

Not only is it a small courtyard, but this small courtyard is still in the bamboo charcoal workshop in Nancheng.

How many taels of silver can a small courtyard in Bamboo Charcoal Workshop be worth?Up to two hundred taels.

Such a reality made Zuo Menggeng really angry, and His Majesty was too picky.

Not only Zuo Menggeng was full of anger, but also Jin Shenghuan and other old minions were full of complaints.

Even if Zuo Menggeng’s dignified Duke of Chu’s mansion is like this, one can imagine the mansions of the first-class Zhongyongzi and the third-class Zhongyongzi. private house.

This is true and makes people a little angry. Your Majesty is just killing donkeys, which is too careless.

Recalling the full of longing when I just won the Xuzhou battle, it seems like a lifetime away.

"Bah!" Jin Shenghuan slapped the wine bottle heavily on the rough wooden table, and said with a dark face, "I can't live through this day, why don't we go."

"Go?" Zuo Menggeng frowned, "Where are you going?"

"You can go anywhere." A lieutenant general named Zhongyongzi of the third class said, "With your reputation and the abilities of our brothers, my father-in-law, where can you not make a living?"

"That's right." Another Guerrilla said, "Sometimes His Majesty regrets it."

"It's useless." Zuo Menggeng raised his neck and drank the wine in the wine bottle, waved his hands and said, "Without soldiers in our hands, we are like chickens that have lost their feathers, and no one will welcome them anywhere."

At this time, Jin Shenghuan suddenly suggested: "My lord, why don't we go back to Wuchang."

"Back to Wuchang?" Zuo Menggeng's heart skipped a beat. They already knew about the mutiny in Wuchang Town, and they had asked Chongzhen to go to Wuchang to recruit the rebellious soldiers, but Chongzhen refused.

After a short pause, Jin Shenghuan continued: "Originally, it was really not easy for us to go back to Wuchang, but the Holy Majesty himself made a fool of himself abolishing the Jinyiwei years ago, but gave us a chance to escape."

"Can it work?" Zuo Menggeng said, "What if we are found out?"

Jin Shenghuan said: "Without Jin Yiwei's spies watching for twelve hours, it would be easy for us to escape."

But Zuo Menggeng said worriedly: "How do you know that Jinyiwei was really abolished? What if it's a fake? What if it's a trap set by Chongzhen? Are we throwing ourselves into a trap by absconding at this time?"

"Uh..." Jin Shenghuan was at a loss for words, but after thinking about it carefully, it was really possible.

At this moment, a high-pitched voice suddenly sounded outside the door: "There is a decree, the Duke of Chu accepts the decree!"

"It's broken, someone must have informed you!" Zuo Menggeng jumped up angrily, and ran out before changing his dress.

Jin Shenghuan and the others did not dare to evade, and quickly followed Zuo Menggeng to the gate, only to see that Gao Qiqian had already been waiting at the gate.

"Grandpa Jin is also here, so it will save trouble."

Gao Qiqian smiled, and then shouted sharply: "There is a decree, Zuo Menggeng, the Duke of Chu, and Jin Shenghuan, the first-class loyal and brave son, will go to the imperial court immediately to wait for dispatch. Hereby."

"The minister leads the decree." Zuo Menggeng and Jin Shenghuan hurriedly bowed down.

When they got up again, both of them had bitter expressions on their faces, well, now they didn't even have the chance to abscond.

Needless to say, Chongzhen must have worried about the two of them, so he took them with him and monitored them, lest they abscond and return to Wuchang to reunite with the old ministry and pose a greater threat to the court.

……

Chongzhen was really worried about Zuo Menggeng and Jin Shenghuan.

Especially Zuo Menggeng, he is Zuo Liangyu's only son after all, and has a great influence on Zuo Jun.

Once Zuo Menggeng is allowed to escape back to the Wuchang rebel army, he dare not say that he can completely control the entire army, and at least he can get the support of most of the rebel army. After Zuo Liangyu died in another time and space, Zuo Menggeng took over smoothly. After defeating the Zuo Army, he was defeated by Huang Degong for several battles without losing the support of the army.

It will be even more troublesome if Jin Shenghuan is allowed to flee back to the rebels.

To be honest, Jin Shenghuan is still a little bit capable, and his performance in the Xuzhou battle is not bad.

If this guy is sensible enough to keep himself safe during this inspection period and not be a monster, Chongzhen actually doesn't mind giving him the opportunity to lead troops, but if he is a monster, he will die.

Another one, Chongzhen summoned Zuo Menggeng and Jin Shenghuan to the army to understand the rebels.

After all, Zuo Menggeng was once the young master of the Zuo Army, and Jin Shenghuan was also one of the five major colonels in the foreign camp, so the two of them must know far more about the rebel army than others.

The art of war says, knowing yourself and the enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without imperil.

No matter how much you look down on the rebels in Wuchang Town, you can't underestimate the enemy's carelessness, so it is still necessary to know the details of the rebels in Wuchang Town through Zuo Menggeng and Jin Shenghuan.

……

At the same time, in Xuzhou.

Yang Ponu put the iron armor and cotton armor on the mule's back, tied them tightly, and checked them carefully again.

He bought this mule for 25 taels of silver. It can be used as a war horse when it is put on a saddle, although it is slower than a real war horse, but it can still be used.

Besides the mule, Yang Ponu also bought a cow, which cost him 30 taels of silver in total.

This price can be said to be very low, thanks to a deal between Du Yinxi and Pseudo-Shun, in which [-] shi of grain was exchanged for more than [-] mules, cows, and donkeys.

These hundreds of thousands of mules, cows and donkeys solved the problem of not having animals to plow the land.

However, compared to the mule, the two sets of armor tied to the mule's back are the most valuable possessions. If they are not tied tightly and lost during the rapid march, it will be a big loss.

The loss of armor is not only a loss of property.

More importantly, the chances of saving your life are also small.

So you have to be careful and careful to make sure nothing goes wrong.

After making sure that the two sets of armor have been fastened firmly, the dry food is also tied to the mule's back.

The dry food was made by Widow Wang in two nights. It is a kind of pastry made of glutinous rice.

(End of this chapter)