The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 336 Plot
The gate of Wengcheng opened, and Gao Mingheng led a group of officials and generals from Kaifeng City to greet him.

Naturally, Chen Wang didn't know how to make excuses, so he dismounted and went to greet him.

"Finally, Chen Wang, please see the Inspector."

Chen Wang's attitude was extremely respectful, and before he even got close, he was already leading a group of generals to salute.

Chen Wang knew Gao Mingheng, and he passed through Henan from the north all the way south.

Gao Mingheng was appointed as the patrol commissioner of Henan in the same year.

However, Chen Wang and Gao Mingheng met not in Henan, but in the capital.

"General Chen, no courtesy, no courtesy."

In the last few steps, Gao Mingheng involuntarily accelerated his pace and started running.

Gao Mingheng ran forward and held Chen Wang's hands with both hands. It was really difficult to suppress the excitement in his heart.

Chen Wang's eyes moved slightly, and he could clearly feel Gao Mingheng's hands shaking again.

Gao Mingheng took the initiative to help, and Chen Wang naturally refused to give in. He pushed the boat smoothly and stood up straight again.

"The city of Luoyang was destroyed, King Fu was in trouble, and bandits captured nine cities, causing shock to the Southern Kingdom."

"The rogue bandits were rampant and the military situation was at a boil. The defeat of Zhengzhou made it even worse."

Gao Mingheng calmed down his chaotic thoughts. He knew that his actions were a bit rude, but he couldn't care about these side issues at the moment.

You know, Henan is already riddled with holes, and the city of Kaifeng is in danger.

Chen Wang's help from sources at this time was undoubtedly a timely help.

"Kaifeng is an isolated city in the middle. There are no strong troops inside and no help from outside. General Chen is leading troops to help at this moment. It is really a timely help."

The rapid fall of Luoyang City was like a basin of cold water pouring down on Gao Mingheng.

Originally Gao Mingheng was already in despair, and was determined to defend Kaifeng to the death, and live and die with the city.

But who would have thought that there would be no way out of the mountains and rivers, and there would be a bright future in another village.

Chen Wang led troops to help at this moment, which made Gao Mingheng feel calm.

The Jiannu were vicious and often invaded the border areas. The armies of the nine borders were repeatedly defeated by them.

Compared with the rogue bandits, the Jiannu were undoubtedly ten times stronger.

But the army under Chen Wang was even more powerful than Jiannu.

The Battle of Qingshan Pass has long been known to the world due to the vigorous publicity of the Ming court.

Many people even adapted it into scripts and talked about the battle at Qingshan Pass.

Storytellers also narrated the fierce battles at Qingshan Pass, Jianding Gongshutai, and the battles in Jinan and Jiazhuang.

Nowadays, Chen Wang's reputation is in Northern Zhili, Shandong and other places, and it is no exaggeration to say that his words are like thunder.

With the passage of time, these scripts and stories were also spread to other regions, and became well-known to everyone together with novels such as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Gao Mingheng asked expectantly.

"I wonder how many troops General Chen brought with him this time?"

Gao Mingheng lowered his stance extremely low and his attitude was extremely gentle. He tried his best to suppress the eagerness in his heart and asked.

"When will the follow-up troops arrive in Kaifeng?"

"My lord, the military situation is urgent and time is tight. Therefore, at the end of this round of reinforcements, the general will only bring three thousand elite cavalry from the town, and there will be no reinforcements in the future."

Chen Wang lowered his head slightly, still maintaining respect, and replied.

Gao Mingheng's expression froze slightly, and a slight look of anxiety appeared on his face, and he said in a panic.

"General Chen has more than 20,000 soldiers and horses. Why are there only these 3,000 elite cavalry now?"

"Your Majesty, the Inspector, please forgive me."

Chen Wang looked at Gao Mingheng who had an eager look on his face, and looked at Gao Mingheng who was following him out of the corner of his eye.

Beside Gao Mingheng, all the civil servants looked frightened and could not hide their nervousness.

Almost all the military attachés and generals were unfamiliar faces.

When they passed through Kaifeng on their way south, Chen Wang met almost all the leading battalions in Henan Province, but now the only one he knew well was Chen De.

All the military attachés were standing around Chen De, and it seemed that Chen De had become the backbone of the city's defenders.

While thinking, Chen Wang already had a basic understanding of the general situation in Kaifeng City.

Chen Wang also noticed many details that he had not noticed before.

The situation in Kaifeng today seems to be much worse than in history...

"The army of thousands of thieves blocked the news of Luoyang. By the time the general learned that Luoyang city was broken, the army of thousands of thieves had already left Luoyang and headed east to Kaifeng, heading straight for Zhengzhou."

"When the last general heard the news, he knew that the situation was not good. He immediately put down all his elite cavalry and galloped through the starry night, hoping to rush to Zhengzhou's aid."

"It's a pity that it was too late in the end. News of the defeat in Zhengzhou came and the bandits were advancing towards Kaifeng, so they turned around and rushed to Kaifeng."

"The defeat of Zhengzhou was indeed too hasty..."

Gao Mingheng was in a low mood. When he talked about the defeat of Zhengzhou, he felt dim and his tone was very low.

"The tens of thousands of troops were actually... wiped out in one day..."

Although the previous several campaigns failed, the officers and soldiers were able to regroup.

But this time, the number of defeated soldiers who escaped was not even half of what they were when they went out for the expedition. If Henan's soldiers and horses suffered this defeat, they would be completely devastated.

However, Gao Mingheng was serving as a patrol officer after all, and he quickly brought the topic back to the topic.

"However, why are there no reinforcements in the future? General Chen seems to have not informed us yet?"

"Reconnaissance cavalry reported that the army of ten thousand thieves has now gathered 200,000 people and came in force. Now there are only less than 7,000 soldiers and horses in Kaifeng City. There is a huge disparity in the strength of the troops."

Chen Wang didn't tell him, so he naturally waited for Gao Mingheng to continue asking.

Because of this, he can gradually take the initiative into his own hands.

"The general had originally ordered his infantry to rush to the rescue, but the reconnaissance cavalry reported that bandits from all over the country were converging on Kaifeng. Thousands of bandits were also prepared to set up ambushes and build passes along the way to block the road."

"Dongnu often used the strategy of encirclement and reinforcements in Liaodong to intercept our army's reinforcements. As a result, our army often suffered heavy casualties and suffered defeats."

"Zhengzhou was defeated. One thing is decreasing and the other is increasing. The army of thousands of thieves is at its peak. If we lose troops and generals again, I am afraid that the other prefectures will also be in danger of falling."

"So the last general sent an order to have the rest of the infantry guard the main roads in Ruzhou Prefecture and look for opportunities to recover the occupied areas in Luoyang Prefecture."

Chen Wang talked eloquently. In the short conversation and understanding, he had already understood that Gao Mingheng knew nothing about military affairs.

Saying these words not only stopped Gao Mingheng from asking questions, but also allowed him to completely rationalize his arrangements with the help of Gao Mingheng's words.

"Please rest assured, Lord Inspector, that the three thousand elite cavalry commanded by Mo Mo are all strong soldiers who have experienced battles. The elites in each battalion are enough to cope with the current situation."

Chen Wang moved his body to the side, giving Gao Mingheng a wider field of vision.

At this time in Wengcheng, all the cavalry from Hanzhong Town had dismounted.

A famous armored soldier is majestic, and the cold light of his spears is menacing.

Generally speaking, whether it is Jiubian or the towns in the interior, most of the camp soldiers are equipped with cloth-faced armor, which is made of iron on the inside and cloth on the outside.

The infantry of the Hanzhong Army basically wore such cloth armor.

However, under Chen Wang's arrangement, all the cavalry were uniformly wearing bright helmets and armor.

The nail pieces are on the outside, unpainted, polished and as bright as a silver plate, and are called Ming Jia.

The armor is as distinct as three winters of ice and snow. He wears a waist sword, a bow and arrows.

And unlike the ordinary Ming army, the cavalry of the Hanzhong Army was also equipped with many long soldiers, specifically used to attack enemy formations.

Just now, all Gao Mingheng's attention was on Chen Wang. After hearing Chen Wang's words, he focused his attention on Chen Wang's back.

With just one glance, Gao Mingheng was already deeply involved and was shocked by the momentum of the troops in front of him.

It's not that Gao Mingheng has never seen a strong army.

As early as when he was in the capital, he had already met the elites from all the towns on the nine sides.

He also attended the prisoner ceremony held after the victory of Qingshan Pass.

The heroic appearance of thousands of armored soldiers outside the Meridian Gate who had just come down from the battlefield at Qingshan Pass was still etched in his heart.

Even now, a long time has passed, Gao Mingheng still gets tears in his eyes every time he thinks of the scene of prisoners being presented at the Meridian Gate.

It was precisely because he had seen a strong army that he could understand that the army in front of him was also a strong army.

"Sure enough, the world's most powerful soldiers are..."

Gao Mingheng couldn't help but sigh, and his mind calmed down involuntarily.

Compared with the rogue bandits, the slave slaves were undoubtedly a hundred times more vicious.

The Jian slaves were defeated by Chen Wang. What kind of trouble could a few rogues cause?
Chen Wang's expression remained unchanged and his eyes remained as usual, taking in all the reactions of Gao Mingheng and the surrounding officials.

He has achieved his goal.

When he was still some distance away from sealing the city, he ordered the entire army to put on armor in preparation for this moment.

The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it.

This is true.

Sometimes you really should hide your strength.

But sometimes, it is also necessary to show strength appropriately.

Now, it's time to show your strength.

Henan's soldiers and horses were defeated in Zhengzhou, governor Li Xianfeng died, and Henan was in a power vacuum.

This is undoubtedly the best opportunity to take over the entire Henan military...

"I led troops to rush to the Kaifeng road to help, and sent troops to the north many times at night to explore. Now the main force of the ten thousand bandit army has arrived at Xuanwu, and the troops will be at the gate of the city at noon tomorrow at the earliest."

Chen Wang carefully observed everyone's expressions and slowly told the information he knew.

The expressions of the officials following Gao Mingheng changed. Some looked frightened, but not much shocked. They seemed to be aware of this matter.

This is not surprising, nor does it exceed Chen Wang's expectations.

After all, the Wanmin Army under Li Yan was a newly established army.

Although Li Yan has outstanding abilities and is proficient in military knowledge.

But the time they spent as an army was still too short.

And just a few months is not enough to make Li Yan a truly famous general.

It is indeed difficult to conceal the news that the main force of the Ten Thousand People's Army is marching eastward on a large scale.

"The victory of Zhengzhou was the result of the great power of thieves and bandits."

"The bandit leader Li Yan is marching eastward at this time, with a crowd of more than 200,000, heading towards Kaifeng in great force. His ambition is clearly revealed."

Chen Wang remained calm and spoke slowly, watching Gao Mingheng's expression change with his peripheral vision.

"The thieves are powerful and it is not easy to defend Kaifeng."

"I wonder if the Inspector can tell you how many soldiers and horses there are in the city now, and where they are located. Are they fully equipped with weapons and armor? What is the quality of the soldiers and generals?"

"It is said in the art of war that those who know their enemy and themselves will be safe in a hundred battles. If these details can be learned, the general will be more confident about the defense of Kaifeng."

Chen Wang did not directly request military command authority from Gao Mingheng.

Instead, he directly asked about the city defense situation, and then talked about the defense of Kaifeng, putting himself directly in the command position.

Everything seemed to fall into place.

"There are very few guards in the city, with only more than 7,100 soldiers. The Minzhuang who assisted in the defense have now recruited more than 13,000 people, which is quite gratifying."

Gao Mingheng did not notice the thoughts in Chen Wang's words, and just continued following Chen Wang's words.

He didn't understand military affairs and was completely confused about how to defend Kaifeng City.

Most of the overall arrangements these days have been handed over to Chen De by Gao Mingheng.

However, Gao Mingheng naturally knew the number and composition of the troops in the city.

"There are 2,200 new militiamen, 1,400 people in the lower barracks under the command of guerrilla general Chen De, 800 guards of the Zhou Palace, and more than 2,000 people who are the original defenders in Kaifeng City."

After Yang Sichang paid for training, new soldiers were trained in various places. Some of them were trained in each town, and the other part was also used for the militia.

The battalions are in charge of fighting, and the militia are in charge of defense.

The Ming court believed that the reason why rogue bandits were so difficult to suppress was because they were unpredictable and mobile.

If you want to destroy the invaders and defend the enemy, blindly recruiting and sending additional soldiers and horses to recover will not have much effect.

The bandits were numerous and moved in quickly, but they also needed supplies.

They must plunder places, so if the local area has a certain amount of armed force, it can effectively curb the plundering and expansion of rogue bandits.

Therefore, after the twelfth year of Chongzhen, various places increased their training, each town selected and trained elite soldiers, and each county, state, and government increased the training of rural soldiers, also known as militia.

The government magistrate goes to the general judge and has the post of equipment and training. The rank is equivalent to that of the official and military garrison.

The state magistrate replaced the judge, the county chief registrar, and added the post of general manager, which is equivalent to the general level.

Lianbei and Lianzong are affiliated to the prefect, prefecture, and county magistrates, and are specifically responsible for training militiamen.

The mission of the militia is to defend the countryside and surround the city. Cross-border pursuit is not allowed. The number is clearly specified and no more training is allowed.

The policy of additional training is first implemented in Gyeonggi, Shandong, and Henan, and then extended to other places.

Generally speaking, each prefecture has 1,000 militiamen, the state has 700, and the county has 500.

As an important town in Henan, Kaifeng City naturally not only trains a thousand soldiers, but actually has a total of three thousand soldiers.

The reason why there are only 2,200 militiamen in Kaifeng City is also very simple.

There must be no more or less on the list of people who want to be paid. There must be three thousand people. The number Gao Mingheng has reported now must be the actual number of people available.

The remaining 800 people were shortchanged.

Chen Wang knows these things very well.

Yang Sichang's idea of ​​adding more soldiers, training more soldiers and training more militia was indeed a good one.

If the plan on the paper can be implemented, it won't take long for the rogue bandits to be completely quelled.

But things on paper often only exist on paper after all.

In history, when Li Zicheng besieged Kaifeng for the first time, the military power in Kaifeng was not weak.

However, due to Chen Wang's own influence, the course of history has changed greatly, and the situation in Kaifeng City has also changed accordingly.

However, the weaker the troops in Kaifeng City are, the more advantageous it is for Chen Wang.

because……

Historically, what truly made Kaifeng city impregnable was never the soldiers and horses of the imperial court.