Xinshun 1730

Chapter 50 The Emperor's Pieces

The truth of reality is brutal.

Most people are heroic, and they still live bravely after knowing the cruel truth.

Du Feng is no exception.

Although he was young, he didn't grow up in a big dye vat in the circle of honored officials in the capital, but he still understood the truth.

After carefully considering Liu Yu's words, he sighed and said with a wry smile: "My lord's words are very true. It's nothing more than a gamble, and it's okay if I lose the bet. As my lord said, I have a solid foundation in learning those things, so it shouldn't be difficult. It's just... now there is only one achievement for capturing the cannon, I really don't know if I can overcome it."

Liu Yu chuckled, screened the rest of the people away, and left them alone.

"That's the second thing I want to say. Come out and don't make some contributions. I'm really sorry that we have traveled so far."

"Now this skill, whether it is big or small, is enough for me, but it is not enough for you. I just don't know if you two have the courage to do another big one with me. ?”

Jiaolao Butu knew that Liu Yu didn't want to go back like this. Hearing what he said, he asked: "My lord is going to take the castle of the Raksha people?"

"Of course."

"Then why don't you dare? It's just that adults need to think long-term. If something big is broken, not only will it be useless, but it will be a mistake. If the Raksha people find out in advance that we have the intention to start a war..."

"Don't worry about it. I have my own plan."

After the two finished speaking, they turned to look at Du Feng together.

Du Feng suddenly realized.

When he met Liu Yu for the first time, Liu Yu said a word: I am not your father, why should I help you regardless of the consequences?
Thinking about it again at this moment, I feel that what I said is extremely correct.

The cannon that captured the Raksha people back then could be done by one person, why did Master Liu give the credit to himself?
Now that I think about it, the reason why I have this face is because my father is the Captain Zhechong of Handoli Acropolis.

This is the real reason... Du Feng thought to himself, I'm afraid Master Liu was already thinking about it when they first met.

It is clear that I am being held hostage, and my fault of robbing the caravan is used as a price tag, so that my father can use his current official position and even his life to gamble with him.

Since it is to take over the castle of the Raksha people, this number of people is definitely not enough.

He must use Handuo Liwei's soldiers, but Liu Yu is not qualified to mobilize, and no one will listen to him if he is mobilized, only his father can speak.

In an instant, Du Feng's few beautiful fantasies about the world before all collapsed.

It wasn't all that bad before, but at least there were a few stars in the dark sky.

It seems that Liu Yu, who can bear hardships from a noble background, understands everything, and does not despise soldiers at the bottom, is still like a shining star in the dark night.

Now, that shining star is also covered with a black cloth.Du Feng couldn't bear to look at the dark ones.

Seeing both of them staring at him, he smiled bitterly for a long time and said, "I am willing to do it. Presumably my father is also willing to do it for me."

Liu Yu heard that Du Feng mentioned "father". Obviously this kid is very "good", and he said in relief: "Don't worry. I always plan before deciding when I do things. Several generations of dukes in my family dare to gamble on this game , what are you afraid of?"

Du Feng didn't say anything, and he wisely didn't ask Liu Yu what to do.

In the next few days, Liu Yu sorted out the maps he had drawn, and carefully compared the ones he snatched from Bering, and re-drawn several copies.

Together with the investigation report down the Heilongjiang River this time, the dissatisfaction of various tribes with Luocha, and the hope of paying tribute in exchange for protection, etc., they wrote the second memorial together.

This memorial has much more words than the previous one, and it contains seven or eight maps.

This was related to the negotiations between Duke Qi and the Raksha people after the war, and he did not dare to delay.He sent three people back first, and sent the memorial back along the station, while he led the people forward slowly behind.

…………

When the second memorial left, Emperor Li Gan was not in the capital.

Luanjia has already left Shanhaiguan and is about to reach Tieling.

What he announced to the outside world was not to fight, but to accept the pilgrimage of the Mongolian tribes.Accompanying the emperor were the imprisoned prince of the Bo'er Zhijin family, some honored officials and generals in the capital, and the emperor's personal guards.

In fact, this is a royal conquest.

For the emperor, how to fight the battle on the front line and how to arrange troops is not what he should consider.

He is not as confident as Zhao Song's family, and the imperial formation is for the front line to follow.

What he has to consider is what to do after the fight.

What should I do if I lose?
What should I do if I win?
After various considerations, this time the imperial conquest has a different flavor.

Li Gan very much agrees with Liu Yu's analogy in front of the Duke of Qi: the war in the Northeast is two strong men holding each other's feathers and tickling each other.

The outcome of this battle is not a big question.

Li Gan didn't think he would fail either. After all, he had started building post stations, maintaining roads, and building ships a few years ago.

This time, the artillery of the Beijing camp, the elite soldiers of the old fifth battalion, the Qingqi soldiers of the Songhua River, and the elite soldiers of the jumping gang and sword shield of the Fujian Navy were mobilized.

The number of Rakshasa people is 5000 at most.

If this can't be won, then it's not a matter of negotiating the border with Luosha, but thinking about moving the capital and running away...

What Li Gan had to consider was what to do after winning the battle?
This victory was not simply a war in the Northeast, but a series of wars in the Northeast and Northwest.

That is, the entire northern Xinjiang war.

The war in the entire northern Xinjiang is one: the rise of Junggar has caused Khalkha to worry about Mongolia, the expansion of Tsarist Russia to the east has caused Khalkha to consider whether to surrender to Russia or surrender, and Dashun must defeat Tsarist Russia to prove to the Mongols that this is the real truth. Only then can they go west to help Khalkha Mongols destroy the traitor Junggar who violated the "Khalka-Oirat Code", which is also to counteract the rebellion.

When the emperor was in this era, he had long since lost the illusion of any elixir, let alone a dynasty that would last forever.

All Li Gan thought about was his name in the history books in the future.

There is too much to do and too much to think about.

After the Northeast Rakshasa and Northwest Junggar battles, at least three or five marquises, seven or eight earls, and a dozen viscounts must be prepared... This is still to say the least.

After all, meritorious service should be rewarded, and this endless war cannot be willing to be knighted.

Considering that he wanted to be knighted, Li Gan had to make arrangements in advance.

The original balance between the nobles and civil servants will be completely broken by this battle.

Another brand-new force capable of breaking the balance will appear, and that is a bunch of new noble titles that will be sealed in this battle.

Most of these new nobles are definitely not the children of the old nobles.

It is the young people who have gradually emerged in the Northwest and Southwest these years.

The emperor could clearly distinguish what was noble, what was general, what was new noble, and what was old noble.

Taking the Ming Dynasty as an example, Qi Jiguang started as a commander of the fourth rank, hereditary.

But in the eyes of the emperor, that is not honored.

After the Tumubao of the previous dynasty, Shi Heng, Jiao Li, Shi Ju and other frontier generals were truly knighted. After completing the most difficult step from hereditary generals to honored officials, these generals can be called honored officials and are upstarts.

At that time, how to deal with the balance between the court and the middle; how to choose the person in charge of the army among the new and old nobles;

The previous dynasty has too much experience, and the previous dynasty before the previous dynasty also has many examples of learning from history.

Li Gan has read too much, and roughly understands some truths.

The old nobles live with the country, and there is basically no problem with loyalty, and they will not rebel if they have nothing to do.Once there is a rebellion, people in the circle will oppose it without using others, and the cost of rebellion is too high.

Jiugui may have problems when he is crowned prince, which often involves the standing of the next generation.If there are any that are too strong, they will be eliminated at that time.

However, the old nobles started out as Xunwei, and they were generals when they were released outside, and they have never been trained at the grassroots level.

Relying on them to fight, it is very likely to fight a civil fort.

Relying on them to drill the Beijing camp is full of jokes.

After all, the difference between people is not that big, it's just a matter of probability.

In a closed circle, the number and ability of reincarnated talents cannot compare to those selected from a sea of ​​corpses and blood, and even less than thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

The upstarts also live with the country, but they need to complete a transformation from the border generals to the nobles - not just the rank of the official position, but the way of thinking, the art of compromise with the imperial power, and the next generation to start serving as guards by the emperor's side Familiarity.

The upstarts are unlikely to be named dukes. If there is a loophole in the succession of the throne, why don't these nobles who have been named earls and viscounts give it a go and make new achievements?

Unlike the old nobles, these upstarts can really fight, otherwise it is impossible to stand out.

Sending them into the capital will of course break the balance, but it can indeed bring out the Beijing camp.

It's hard to choose.

The Beijing camp suppresses localities, and the demand is strong.

However, if the Beijing camp is controlled by the upstarts, the emperor is not at ease, and the stronger it is, the more worried it is.

The old Xungui emperor was relieved, but the old Xungui could make Jingying a joke, but he couldn't suppress the generals.

The old Xun Chen was a Xun Wei since he was a child, and he grew up with the emperor.At least there is a little bit of intimacy, and it is easy to grasp and manipulate. After a long time, they will probably be able to know each other's temperament.

The new Xun Chen was fought purely by military exploits, he was very alienated from the emperor, and had high prestige in the army.

I'm afraid that if there is such a thought, it's not about rebellion, but the prince's standing in line is a big problem.

At that time, it is inevitable to follow the old path of checks and balances between civil servants, eunuchs, and generals.

However, the lessons learned from the previous dynasty told Li Gan that this road will not work, and he will be beaten to shit in the later stage.

And purely relying on civilian officials to control the army, using literature to control the military...not to mention the opposition of the old nobles, the combat effectiveness of the army, and so on.

At that time, it will be difficult for a single civil servant to dominate the family, and it will be difficult to control. It is far less easy to control than the emperor playing offshore balance.

After overall consideration, Li Gan focused on cultivating a few from the younger generation of the old Xunchen.

It was the mules or the horses that were taken out for a walk, and I hope that some of these young people can fight.

It is more reassuring to rely on Lao Xungui to preside over the Beijing camp. Combat power is ranked behind loyalty and the throne.

It is best for those upstarts not to get involved in the affairs of the capital. After a hundred years, the upstarts will become the old ones, and then gradually enter the capital.

Otherwise, the emperor would definitely choose civil servants and eunuchs to divide power when the upstarts entered the capital, otherwise they would have trouble sleeping and eating, and Li Gan did not want to do this because of the lessons learned from the previous dynasty.

But the younger generation of these old nobles also have problems when they go out to practice.

The old nobles have been in charge of the Beijing camp for a long time, let alone prestige in the army, the most basic relationship is a network of connections.

After a lot of experience among the younger generation, if there are really a few talents, the prestige will increase with the help of the family's previous relationship, I'm afraid it will not be lost.

After much deliberation, Li Gan felt that if he wanted to lead the army with honor, there must be at least two conditions.

For one thing, there must be someone who can fight in the old expensive place, not all of them are trash.

The eldest son inheritance system guarantees that Xungui can't raise Gu. Either one of the eldest sons is expected to be able to fight, or he can only select a few from the second sons of Xungui to cultivate them.But this kind of cultivation can only be cultivated by the emperor, not by the honorable ministers themselves - the emperor is favored, not your father, your father is a bad father who does not give you a title.

Secondly...as an emperor, one must have enough prestige in the army, so that the emperor himself is no longer an empty symbol.

Only in this way can we rest assured that the capable children of the old nobles will be in charge of the Beijing camp, and the new nobles will be used to check and balance the frontier army.Suppress the frontier generals with a strong Beijing camp, and threaten the old nobles in the Beijing camp with the new frontier generals.

This eliminates the need to send civil officials to decentralize power and eunuchs to monitor.

Relying on the prestige of the emperor is enough.

For example, Zhu Yuanzhang, those who played out, those honorable officials and generals, killed them as soon as they said they would.Need civil checks and balances, eunuchs decentralization?

For example, Zhu Di personally conscripted five times, his limbs were paralyzed due to rheumatism, and even when he went to court, Renzong needed to pass the message beside him, so he still personally conscripted.The purpose is to maintain the emperor's prestige in the army and suppress those with outstanding military exploits.

After that, Xuanzong also had to send troops to fight and patrol the border many times.

It's not the so-called ancestral inheritance system, it's just because it's what the emperor must do under the system of honorable ministers in charge of the army.Otherwise, just let the civilian officials lead the army with a glass of wine and let the nobles become rich.If the nobles are kept and the military power is still there, the emperor has to conscript himself. Even if new blood is continuously injected to maintain the combat effectiveness of the Beijing camp for the upstarts, the emperor can hold back.

Until a civil fort was built, the emperor's personal conquest became absurd, and no one in the court would allow it.

After that, the emperor no longer had prestige in the army; the old nobles proved to be a bunch of waste; to manage?Or let the generals have a history of treason?It's better to let the eunuchs and ministers—the emperor's mind is always clear, and it's not the so-called being fooled by someone.

Li Gan didn't want to go down this old road again, and Wala was no longer the same Wala it used to be, and the Tumu Fortress shouldn't be there.

Since this is a battle that mobilizes the elite from all over the country, and it is also a battle where two strong men scratch each other with goose feathers, then Yujia's personal conquest is a good choice.

The prestige after this battle is over can be maintained in the Northwest War in the near future.

Otherwise, once the war in the northwest is over, a large number of arrogant soldiers will confer titles of marquis, earls and viscounts.But the emperor is just an empty symbol, if you don't have any prestige in the army...then just wait for chaos.

In addition, there is also the idea of ​​using the military to subdue Mongolia and let Mongolia choose to surrender after seeing this battle.It is also very good to go to the front line and the grasslands in the upper reaches of Heilongjiang in person.

Even if you don't fight, since you are the emperor, as long as you go into battle and walk around twice, that is prestige.

I originally thought that as soon as the war started, the leaders of the various Mongolian tribes would come to the front of the battle for pilgrimage, watch the battle by the way, intimidate them with military power, convince them that they would not dare to rebel, and kill Luo Sha as a warning to Mongolia.

However, after receiving the detailed memorial from Liu Yu, Li Gan was a little hesitant... If a strong attack on a bastion would really cause heavy casualties, as Liu Yu calculated, then it would be better not to call the Mongolian nobles to watch the battle , otherwise it may be counterproductive.

(End of this chapter)