Great Ming Dynasty Wen Chao Gong

Chapter 149: An in-depth discussion of the military system

Zhang Xiao was still chatting with Li Chengliang, and Li Rusong and other brothers came back one after another.

"This is my younger brother Ru Zhang, as well as Ruzhen, Rubai and Rumei. No introduction is needed." Li Rusong pointed to his younger brothers and said.

"Ruzhang is the deputy commander-in-chief of Ningxia Town, and now he is returning to Beijing to report on his duties. Ruzhen is the chief officer of Fusi, Jinyiwei North Town." Li Chengliang added.

"I've met you two."

"Zhang Shaoqing is welcome."

"Mr. Zhang, you're welcome."

"Rusong, this is the charter drafted by Zhang Shaoqing. My father has already read it, would you like to take a look at it too." Li Chengliang said as he handed the manuscript back to Zhang Xiao.

"Mr. Zhang, let me take a look." Li Rusong took the manuscript and read it.

"No wonder Mr. Zhang was able to write that song about the commander's military training. It turns out that he already had a strategy in mind. An excerpted version of the Ottoman army written by Mr. Zhang has been circulated. Is this training of the new army imitated by the Ottoman new army?"

"It is true that we have learned something from it, but it is not a copycat. To put it bluntly, this new army still needs to be trained on the basis of the Beijing camp."

"Uncle Ning Yuan worked hard for Liaodong, and the younger generation admires him very much. Whether the new army should use the guard system is a major matter decided by the court. According to my personal vision, I am afraid that recruitment will be the main thing, otherwise it will still have to use the guard system. If so, it seems like it costs less and it won’t last long.” Zhang Xiao replied. Zhang Xiao ignored the resettlement matter for now. After all, the placement of military veterans has been a very troublesome issue from ancient times to the present, and it is impossible to satisfy everyone no matter what.

"If we still recruit from the guards, it's just another kind of guard. I also asked my colleagues in the Beijing camp. When the Yingzong went hunting in the north, the Beijing camp suffered heavy losses. The imperial court urgently issued an edict calling on the Qin kings in the world. Later, these Qin kings A large number of troops did not leave the capital and were organized into regiments and camps. But now, the regiments and camps are also ineffective. Of course, Zhang Shaoqing, your intention to train the new army is good. Before I went to the field in Liaodong, I also I thought about promoting talents in the army in various ways, reorganizing the Liaodong cavalry, and reviving the majesty of Liao Town. Of course, after the imperial court issued an edict, I had no choice but to go to Beijing to rest. Fortunately, after Dong Zongbing took office, he was able to fight Yes, we have finally stabilized our position, otherwise if the Mongols continue to harass us like this, the people in Liaodong will really be in dire straits."

"This time in the North Korean campaign, the Beijing camp claims to have hundreds of thousands of troops, but there are not many available troops. They have to mobilize troops from all over the country, which makes them stretched. It is true that the capital must have a strong army. Just follow the instructions Mr. Zhang, your plan, even if it is just to train 10,000 new troops, will cost a lot of money. Everyone must be equipped with firecrackers, which will cost a lot of money. And where will these equipments come from? It is also a big problem. Question. There is also the Suijun Academy. Nowadays, none of our Ming Dynasty scholars have to take the imperial examination. Even those who have the intention to join the martial arts have martial arts examinations to take. The martial arts of the military generals is passed down from family. This is the Suijun Academy. Where can I find a teacher?" Li Rusong asked.

"General Zimao, the method of preparing the new army that I wrote in this memorial did not copy the method of the Ottoman army. The reason why the Ottomans were able to raise this new army was because the Ottomans had always been militarily aggressive and the whole country was armed. King The people of the Ottoman Kingdom would not be happy if they did not send troops to fight. But even so, the burden on the civilians of the Ottoman Kingdom is indeed very heavy, and they should not expect light corvees and small gifts. Even the important ministers of the Ottoman Kingdom are living in trepidation. If we lose the battle, we will easily lose our lives," Zhang Xiao explained.

"Zhang Shaoqing, I am also very interested in the military system of the Ottoman State. Since the founding of the Ottoman State, it has been invincible. The only major defeat was the one defeated by Timur. Later, after the restoration of the Ottoman State, the The kings of the past dynasties have learned the lessons of failure, worked hard to govern, and trained new armies. Countries such as France, Poland, and Hungary, although they went to war against the Ottomans several times, they could not stop the expansion of the Ottomans. There were even several A king was also beheaded by the Ottomans. In my opinion, all the kings of the Ottoman Kingdom could not be called wise kings who cared about the people and had no reputation for benevolence and justice. The reason why the Ottomans were invincible was because of their powerful army. Although the Ottoman Kingdom was large , but fighting like this all year round, their military expenditures must be very high. I am afraid that they will spend a lot of money to maintain the new army. According to the Ottoman chapter, the soldiers of these new armies are trained since childhood, and they have to be given They learn knowledge and culture, and the outstanding ones can directly serve as high-ranking officials. This is definitely not possible in the Ming Dynasty," Li Rusong said.

"The envoy of Zhenfu, the Jinyi Guards are the emperor's own troops. Zhang does not dare to comment casually. There are differences between the inside and outside, so the new army must still be stationed in various important places. In fact, my idea is that the new army will be trained in Tianjin Guards first. After that, we will be stationed outside the city so that we can maintain our true nature in the field. If we are stationed in the city for a long time, I am afraid that the morale of the army will be weakened no matter how hard it is." Zhang Xiao replied.

"Zhang Shaoqing, I have one more question. The military system of the country is, to put it bluntly, the garrison military system. I can't talk nonsense about the situation in other places. Let's take Liaodong Town as an example. The reason why we can persist in fighting the battles for so many years is because of the I borrowed things from here and there, collected the backbone of the family, and built a capable Liaodong cavalry. With this as the foundation, I could go head-to-head with the barbarian Khan, and kill Wang Gao and his son who were hiding in the deep mountains and old forests. But when it came to Later, the battle became more and more difficult to fight. Although there was support from the court with food and salary, the troops in Liaodong Town became increasingly exhausted. After all, the soldiers had been slacking off after years of fighting. But no matter what, the servants and cavalry I recruited, to put it bluntly, It's better to be selected from the guard station. You can't fight, and you will always have land to plant when you go back. Of course, the harvest is unstable, and you have to pay a lot of various taxes, but after all, it is your own land. If you are like Zhang Shaoqing, you are training a new army. Fa, the officers and soldiers of the new army are not considered to be guardsmen. If the soldiers become old, disabled, or reach the age, where will they be resettled? Even if they learn something in the military academy, it will still be difficult for them to come out. . If a group of soldiers leave the army and have no one to rely on, and then wander around, it’s hard to say what will happen.”

"So Zhang Shaoqing, whether your new army method can be adopted by the court, the key is not the training itself. Soldiers must be trained, but if there is insufficient money and food, and the future of the new army soldiers has not been thought out, the court will not take the risk To build a new army. Especially now that the Governor's Office of the Fifth Army is actually idle. The power of the imperial army is in the hands of the Ministry of War. Where can we find the money and what should we use to train the new army? In terms of nominal expenditure, these issues are not simple." Li Chengliang said.

"Zhang Shaoqing, if we want to organize and train the new army, and where should we place the current Beijing camp, will the Beijing camp have to be downsized or even abolished? If so, will the Jinyiwei also be affected? Imperial officials always put Our Jinyiwei is juxtaposed with Dongchang, but Jinyiwei is still very different from Dongchang. Jinyiwei is only responsible for the duties of bodyguards, inspections, and arrests under His Majesty's orders. In the end, he is still His Majesty's personal soldiers. If a new army is formed , will the new army also help defend the capital city, then do our Jinyi Guards need so many people?" Li Ruzhen asked.

"General Zimao, in fact, the Ming army does not lack senior and mid-level officers, hereditary and granted officers, and military officers. There are already many officers. Therefore, the military school is actually open to all soldiers, and the purpose is to train these soldiers into A reliable grassroots officer and technical force. Therefore, teachers in the military academy do not actually need to be scholars. As long as they can read and write and have skills, they can teach in the military academy. Even soldiers with special skills can do it. Act as a teacher." Zhang Xiao explained.

"Zhang Shaoqing, the land under Zhili is so big, why must we train troops in Tianjin Guard? Could it be that the training of the new army also involves the navy?" Li Rusong asked.

"Yes, the New Army must be stationed in various important places. Tianjin Guard is the maritime gateway to the capital, so it is naturally the focus of the New Army's defense. In addition to being close to the sea, Tianjin is also on the edge of the canal, so it is convenient to replenish ordnance and food. In fact, it stands to reason He said that the navy should also build a new army, but I really don’t know how to organize the navy, and I dare not make nonsense and make people laugh." Zhang Xiao explained.

"Zhang Shaoqing, when you talked about sea power, Minister Shi of the Ministry of War also listened with great interest. But later when Minister Shi saw the battleships you painted and the cost written on them, he said so directly. The Ministry of War couldn't afford a single penny. Spend money to build these big ships. After so long of anti-Japanese war, the imperial court has not been able to build a few more warships. Some new ideas are to imitate North Korea's turtle ships. When I marched into Pyongyang and later into Seoul, if the Ming Dynasty Navy could It would be really great to follow along. It’s just that Zhang Shaoqing, you have never been in the army. If you build the ship you drew above, I am afraid it can feed half of the soldiers and horses in Ningxia Town. To make Shi Shangshu spend so much money , I'm afraid it will be difficult." Li Rusong said. "The imperial court has its own difficulties. Zhang naturally knows that, but the ship can wait, and the navy really has to start to reserve talents. The people of the Western Yi have come to our Ming Dynasty, and the navy must cheer up again. Yes. In fact, I still have the same idea. If our Ming Dynasty navy is strong enough, the Japanese will not even think about invading Korea," Zhang Xiao said.

"Zhang Shaoqing, I have also served in Ningxia Town for several years. There are actually many talented generals and brave soldiers in the towns in the northwest. However, due to the lack of troops, the weapons are old or even broken. Especially Fireguns, according to Zhang Shaoqing's plan, if not all the newly produced fireguns and artillery produced by the imperial court will be given priority to form a new army, then when will the northwest town get enough fireguns? These Mongolians are really too powerful "I'm sorry, if they just shoot bows and arrows, they won't be afraid at all. Only these firearms can make those Mongolian tribes really restrain themselves," Li Ruzhang said.

"General Li, if you are training the new army, you are also testing new weapons and new tactics. Ningxia Town is an important frontline area, and you cannot change the system at will. Therefore, after the new army is initially trained, it must be equipped as quickly as possible. It’s given to each town on the nine sides.” Zhang Xiao explained.

"Then I hope I can change my clothes as soon as possible, otherwise the long wall alone will not be able to stop these Mongolian tribes who continue to invade south." Li Ruzhang said with emotion.

"Zhang Shaoqing, in my opinion, this memorial can be polished a little more. Especially the naval part, there is no need to go into too much detail, but it must be there. General Chao Jue commanded the main force of our Ming Dynasty Navy and achieved great success. Zhang Shaoqing, you might as well Ask him. If Zhang Shidu feels it is inconvenient to come to the door rashly, Rusong can also go with you." Li Chengliang said.

"Then thank you Uncle Ning Yuan, and thank you Zimao and other generals." Zhang Xiao thanked him.

In the palace, the queen once again found the emperor.

"Your Majesty, my concubine's husband, does your Majesty have a suitable candidate here?"

"Queen, haven't I given you several lists before? Why, are you not satisfied with them?"

"Your Majesty, Xuan Yu is your eldest daughter, how can you marry an ordinary man casually? According to the opera, it's not like winning the first prize in the imperial examination and then being caught by the subordinates. The princess's hydrangea was thrown If you go over, the number one scholar will get it," the queen said.

"Queen, the ancestral precepts set by the Great Patriarch did not say that the princess must marry the number one scholar. Several generations of ancestors, including me, married queens and adopted concubines. Most of them did not come from the princes and nobles. Look, Queen, you have experienced it yourself. The princesses of several former emperors also married into ordinary families. As long as the husband-in-law is good and has a clean family background, it is fine. If the official position is not high enough, he can be granted another title. This is not a matter of my words. The cabinet will not block this appointment as a gift," the emperor explained.

"Your Majesty, I only have one biological daughter. If I don't marry well, how can I be a queen? Your Majesty, you'd better look for a more suitable candidate. Isn't the imperial examination starting soon? If the number one scholar has not yet married, then he is barely worthy of Xuan Yu."

"Queen, forget it, let me tell you some history. In history, the only person who really said that he was the number one scholar and became a princess was Zheng Hao of the Tang Dynasty. That was the suggestion made by Bai Minzhong, the prime minister at the time, that Zheng Hao should terminate his wife and marry her again. At that time, Zheng Hao was about to marry the daughter of the Lu family, but he was ordered to marry the princess on the way. Later, Zheng Hao listed Bai Minzhong as his enemy, and repeatedly impeached Bai Minzhong in front of the emperor. Throughout the dynasties, Being a prince-in-law will bring you glory and wealth, but in the future, most people will have a sinecure as a prince-in-law and it will be difficult to get promoted. Not to mention that the number one scholar is likely to have already married a wife. Even if he is alone, he may have already married a wife. We already have children. We can’t let people give up their wives and remarry. Let me think about it, there seems to be a family named Yang. His son is considered upright, and his ancestor also won the first prize. "

"Your Majesty, are there any civil and military officials in the imperial court who are not yet married?" the queen asked reluctantly.

"All of my ministers are either loyal and good, or they entered the official career after years of fierce competition in the imperial examination. How can there be ministers who are not married? Oh? It seems that there is really one who is not married."

"Which minister is he? Is he not an old widowed man?"

"This is Zhang Xiao, the young minister of Honglu Temple. He is quite young. Anyway, what I know here is that he is not yet married. I want to use this person greatly. How can I use him if he becomes a consort?"

"Zhang Xiao? Is he the courtier who played the dulcimer at the banquet that night? He looks decent. He must be talented and knowledgeable. I have also heard of his literary name. Your Majesty, why can't he be reused when he becomes the consort? , I just have such a daughter, can’t I marry a better person? If I don’t marry well, I can’t remarry, why don’t I find someone who knows everything.” The queen retorted.

"Okay, okay, Queen, if you want to see it, I will give you Zhang Xiao's information, the most detailed one." The emperor said helplessly.

(End of this chapter)