Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 503 Going south is so troublesome
  Hall of Mental Cultivation,
  Following the horrified words of Marquis Luo Yun and the angrily scolding of Lu Wenshan, the Minister of Civil Service, there was silence in the palace, and the sound of falling leaves could be heard.

Both Gu Yichen and Zhao Jingwu were silent. The former, as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, did not know about military matters and was not familiar with military strategy. However, Zhao Jingwu, the Minister of the Ministry of War, did not answer the three questions after asking them. A person was muttering something silently there. If the distance was close enough, you could still hear the words about mobilizing troops. Of course, the ministers in the palace were attracted by the conversation between the two of them.

a long time,

Emperor Wu had a solemn look on his face. He never thought about it. Is Gu Ping a fool? He just jumped in and wiped out his entire army. He didn't know much about the art of war, but he also knew that the army outside, at least the rangers and The scouts have to explore for more than ten miles. This distance gives the generals enough time to make decisions. If they cannot defeat them, they can turn around and retreat. It is possible that they will be surrounded and they will die if they go there.

Looking at Marquis Luo Yun in disbelief, he asked in a deep voice,

"Marquis Luo Yun, what is the basis for what you said? The south is basically a flat plain with a wide field of vision. Gu Ping has [-] infantry and cavalry under his command, which can be considered an elite force. Plus the Linyue Mansion City Army, there are about two There are tens of thousands of people. The total number is [-]. With the advantage of the city wall, there are just some random people on the opposite side. How can they be swallowed up in one go? I don’t believe they have such great strength, even if there are monsters from the Taiping Sect causing chaos. , but they need the advantage of soldiers and armor, and sufficient food and grass, but I'm afraid they don't have these two things, and even if they do, they will definitely not be plentiful, so I predict that at least their victory will be [-]-[-]."

"What your Majesty said is absolutely true. Although I don't know much about formation battles, and I don't know much about them, I also know that there are few opponents in a large-scale infantry battle. Even if they are surrounded, it is just a false alarm. They can definitely defeat the thieves. Army, to turn danger into safety, Marquis Luo Yun may be a little alarmist."

Song Zhen, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, also didn't believe what Marquis Luo Yun said. How could a group of rioters be so tyrannical if they didn't even have enough to eat? If they were really powerful, Lin Yue Mansion would have defeated them long ago. Why did they wait so many days?

"Your Majesty, I also agree with what the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment said. Whether it is an siege or a battle, you must have the advantage of armor, otherwise you will only be massacred. I have been the Minister of the Ministry of Industry for many years, and I know the importance of armor. I am not afraid of ten Anyone who has a sword is afraid of wearing armor, so in the world, it is strictly forbidden for anyone to hide armor privately. If it is verified, it will be a crime of treason, so those rebels who rebel against the people are simply vulnerable."

Wen Yongyi, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, spoke so sonorously and plausibly that Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but take a second look. He could still think so in a battle. Those who didn't know thought he was the commander-in-chief. Not to mention that in the past, he won with less, and he would not win in the future. If you fight, just show how many men and armor you have and compare them. If there are fewer, just surrender. Why bother to fight with all your strength?

Although the others did not say anything, their faces were expressionless, which showed that they did not believe what Zhang Jinyu said. Only Wang Ziteng and Kang Guichen had uncertain expressions, but they just couldn't understand the key.

How could he be surrounded? Gu Ping was not a fool. Could there be something else that he hadn't figured out yet?

Zhang Jinyu looked at Wang Ziteng and Wang Ziteng again, but did not ask any questions. She must have thought correctly. The [-] soldiers in Fucheng, regardless of their combat power, could still defend the city. If the advantage of the city wall was lost, These people are not much stronger than the rebels, and may not be as good as the hungry rebels. They only have [-] troops from Gu Ping. Although they are elite, they are going deep alone without reinforcements. Their future is slim. He turned around and looked at Emperor Wu on the high seat. , worship,
  "Your Majesty, since none of the courtiers believe it, I dare to ask the general how many days he can carry enough food and supplies to go south."

Zhou Shihong immediately picked up the secret letter. After opening it, he looked carefully and saw that one of the secret letters said that Gu Ping had half a month's worth of food and grass and no reinforcements. Emperor Wu was also shocked that he was so bold. , there is too little food and grass.

"Not much, only half a month."

"Your Majesty, it is clear that there is not much food and grass, so we can only fight quickly. However, those monsters from the Taiping Sect have intervened. The courtiers must be familiar with those monsters, especially the Forbidden Army. They have also fought against them. I want to take them. The refugees with swords suppressed the well-armed Forbidden Army. They were not useless people, let alone the Taiping Cult protectors and hall masters.

Don't you hear that when the city is besieged and called for reinforcements, no matter how many people are killed or injured, as long as General Gu is held back for seven days, General Gu will have to consider his retreat. I think there should be a lot of rebels in this land south of Beijing, one hundred thousand or more. Two hundred thousand, or three hundred thousand or even more. As for Lin Yue Fucheng, I'm afraid it's just a bait, waiting for the big fish like General Gu to take the bait. Of course, this is my guess. "

Zhang Jinyu took his time and said what he thought. He even looked at the face of Wen Yongyi, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and it turned out to be much ugly.

The expressions of everyone in the hall changed drastically. They all knew that a silver robbery occurred in the capital, and so many people were killed and injured. Now there is not even a shadow of the Taiping Cult, only the peripheral refugee cult members, but not a single person was caught alive. Horrible.

Even Lu Wenshan, the Minister of Civil Service, who had spoken confidently just now, also murmured, as if what he said was correct.
  "how so."

Zhou Shihong held back his anger. If it was true as Marquis Luo Yun said, Gu Ping's march south would be dispensable. Regardless of victory or defeat, Lin Yue Mansion would definitely lose. There was no telling how many of the [-] troops would be left. After the two troops were severely damaged, there would be no troops available in the south of Beijing. The Taiping Sect's corruption spread, and Linshan County was in danger. If the county was lost, and the southern part of the Central Plains was lost, the world would be shaken. At that time, it would be possible Just imagine,

He hated the partisanship among civil servants even more, but now they still need to help suppress the chaos. He calmed down his thoughts and looked at the secret letter in his hand. Even if he quickly sent someone to remind Gu Ping, he didn't say whether he would receive it or not. Now he was afraid It's too late. It's a pity that I didn't get the news earlier. How should I deal with it?

"Then Marquis Luo Yun, I ask you, do you have any remedy, or anything feasible? To minimize the loss."

Zhang Jinyu did not answer in a hurry. The battlefield was changing rapidly. He thought it was the same thing. If a fight really broke out, he probably didn't know the specific situation. Although those rogue people said they were not afraid of death, they were still ordinary people after their passion had passed. There is no turning point. If the leaders on both sides have a tacit understanding, it is not impossible to abandon the city at the critical moment, lead the army out of the city to cover up the killing, and then the two armies will join together and then fight back.

"Your Majesty, there is no good way at the moment. We can only rely on General Gu to make decisions in times of crisis. I feel that since General Gu's entire army is moving south, there should be countermeasures. As Mr. Lu Ge said, we should cooperate inside and outside, strike first to gain strength, and then As soon as the troops were united, they began to break through. Although the city was lost, useful soldiers were left as a backup. If the general in Fucheng was smarter, he would find a way to contact General Gu. If he could not be contacted, he would find the right time to lead his troops to break out. , and then fight back, those thieves will definitely not last long and will definitely rest in the city for some time. This time is the key to the imperial court."

Emperor Wu closed his eyes, feeling quite heartbroken. The situation was already in chaos and he had no choice but to deal with it. What Marquis Luo Yun said was right. We must seize this time and be quick, but where do the soldiers come from? The soldiers of the Beijing camp and the forbidden army It cannot be used easily.

"Then it depends on God's will. Since the civil unrest has already happened and Marquis Luo Yun has heard what he said, let's think about it at its worst. My dear friends, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty, I will immediately mobilize the army to suppress the civil unrest in the south of Beijing."

"Your Majesty, I agree."

"I agree."

"I also agree."

The Minister of War was the first to speak. It was urgent to send troops to suppress the situation. The other cabinet ministers also knew that the situation was urgent and all agreed.

The tense atmosphere not long ago was gone.

It was rare for the cabinet ministers to have unanimous opinions, but it was difficult for Emperor Wu to feel happy in his heart. He looked at the people in the hall, who had different thoughts, fought for power and gain, and were very selfish. Only Luo Yunhou cared about the emperor's life, but he was also weak and unable to compete and protect the emperor. Ninghou's imperial army cannot be moved lightly, and only the troops from the Beijing camp can be used. But whether Wang Ziteng can take on this important task. Inside the Beijing camp, there are many noble forces, all over the government and the public. It is even more undesirable to change the commander before the battle. It will affect the safety of the imperial court. Emperor Wu I didn't dare to make a decision easily for a while. "Since all of you have agreed to lead the troops south immediately, I also agree, but who can lead the troops south? Is the capital planning to use the capital camp or the imperial army? There are still other troops available! Let's talk about it!"

Emperor Wu asked the key. All the troops in the capital were there and could use troops at any time. But how could these two armies dare to send troops easily? If any one of them moved, the whole world would pay attention.

Many cabinet ministers looked at each other, hesitantly, not knowing what to do, and finally looked at the four people in the room, Wang Ziteng, the military commander of the Beijing Camp, Kang Guichen, the commander of the Imperial Army, Zhao Jingwu, the Minister of War, and Luo Yunhou.

Zhang Jinyu knew that this matter would definitely not be her turn. This was a contest between the Beijing camp and the Forbidden Army. They were both waiting for the opportunity to make military achievements. She took a step back slightly and fell behind the two of them. This step also indicated that she had withdrawn from the southward movement. I won't fight with them.

As if they felt something in their hearts, the three remaining people, except Zhao Jingwu, the Minister of War, did not move. They said at the same time,
  "Your Majesty, I think the Beijing Camp (Forbidden Army) can go south to destroy the bandits."

Seeing the two people answering in unison, Emperor Wu ignored him for a moment. If the two of them didn't fight with each other, they would be unable to bear this responsibility. It was only right to fight.
  "You two will wait for now,"

Then he looked at the cabinet ministers and asked aloud,

"Gentlemen, now that the matter of sending troops has been decided, it's just about using them. What do you think?"

After Emperor Wu finished asking, all the elders looked thoughtful. Only Gu Yichen glanced at Wang Ziteng, but only once, and left quickly. Zhang Jinyu saw clearly from behind, and was quite puzzled as to what Old Man Gu meant. .

Seeing that the old men in front were still silent, Zhang Jinyu was also stunned. The matter in Jingnan requires troops to be used as quickly as possible, and to be quick, in order to gain time.

And the most important point is that the lion fights the rabbit with all his strength, and the right way is to gather heavy troops to suppress it. For such a simple thing, why do everyone in the imperial study have a sad face, but when they see what is going on inside, they think it is simple. Something is fishy.

It seems that Your Majesty does not want to use the Forbidden Army and the Beijing Camp. If the Beijing Camp and the Forbidden Army are removed, in addition to its own [-] troops, the only remaining soldiers in the capital are those veteran soldiers from the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division. Because the capital is guarded by the Forbidden Army, there are no The government troops set up in various places, are there other elite soldiers and horses in Central Continent?

Just when Zhang Jinyu was confused, Zhao Jingwu, Minister of the Ministry of War, stepped forward and said,
  "Your Majesty, the old minister believes that this matter still requires the Beijing camp to gather some soldiers and horses, and then rush south, first go to Linshan County to take over the place, stabilize the place, and then gather heavy troops to kill south, attack steadily, and slowly encroach. No matter No matter how many conspiracies and tricks the other party has, they will definitely become angry on the spot in the face of absolute strength."

The words of the Minister of War were sonorous and powerful, and every sentence made sense. Emperor Wu nodded secretly. It was because the Minister of War had the foresight and the route of this march was quite safe. Although it took a long time, there was no future trouble.

But there are always opponents. Song Zhen, the Minister of Punishment, stood up and shook his head and said,
  "Your Majesty, I do not agree with what Mr. Zhao Ge said. Although I serve in the Ministry of Justice and do not understand military strategy, let alone marching and fighting, I know that the soldiers in the capital cannot move without permission. The capital camp is where the confidence lies in Zhongzhou. , the Forbidden Army is where the capital's confidence lies. With the two armies here, all young people will be afraid. If one of the armies moves, as long as they leave the capital and the land of Zhongzhou, the world will pay attention, not to mention the festivals of various places. Envoys, that is, vassal kings from all over the country, were watching every move of the capital and the court. At that time, no matter who went out, it would inevitably be involved in the current situation of the world. At that time, the court would definitely be passive, so I did not agree to use the soldiers of the capital camp, and even more I don’t agree with the imperial army taking one step outside the capital.”

What the Minister of Punishment said made sense, and he spoke from the bottom of his heart. Even Zhang Jinyu behind him felt that it made sense. It was not bad after thinking about it carefully. That's what happened.

Although they said they were some rioters, the court seemed to be blind as to what the situation was. Like a blind man, he didn't know anything. Even the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel probably didn't know.

If the Beijing Camp and the Forbidden Army don't move out, how can there be any available troops? Why does this situation feel so familiar? Looking at the old foxes in the hall, I always feel that they are thinking too much.

It stands to reason that if there is a fire, no matter what method is used to put out the fire first, there are so many twists and turns, but when he raised his head slightly and glanced at the others, the first few pavilion elders secretly frowned and thought, it was Yu. After the case, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong was not as anxious to send troops as he was just now.

Not to mention the two commanders next to them, who were still arguing just now, were not in a hurry to argue, as if they were overthinking it.

We can only wait and see how the current situation will be resolved. Does His Majesty mean that we must first pacify the internal situation in order to resist foreign aggression?

at this time,

Lu Wenshan, the official minister who had been silent all this time, opened his mouth. Everyone raised their heads and looked over again, only to see Lu Wenshan bowing to His Majesty.
  "Your Majesty, I feel that although what the Minister of Punishment said is reasonable, I feel that it is inappropriate. If the Beijing Camp and the Forbidden Army are not available, where can we mobilize a large number of soldiers and horses? This is one of the reasons. Even if the soldiers and horses are gathered, Who should lead the troops? As the saying goes, a snake cannot fly without a head, and a bird cannot fly without a head. There must be a leader, so the Forbidden Army or the Beijing Camp must send troops. It doesn't matter if they don't send many troops. The leader must be taken, and then the troops will go south. , the safe way is to clear away the civil chaos and restore peace to the world."

These words were said so plainly that the ministers could not find fault, and they were also moved by it. Even the enemy, the Minister of Revenue, Gu Yichen, did not refute. Only Zhang Jinyu felt that something was wrong. This kind of situation of commanding troops was very familiar, like It's the same as cooking, it's called a "hodgepodge". It doesn't matter where the dishes are cooked, they are all poured into one pot and cooked.

Throughout the dynasties, many armies from different places were gathered together, and then controlled by the commander, claiming to have tens of thousands of people, pushing them all the way, and then encountered a big battle, the opponent was tough, and it seemed that the outcome was not good.

It was because of the incomprehension of military orders within the army, not to mention the fact that the mountains were lined with mountains, and all the troops wanted to preserve their strength. As a result, they missed good opportunities and were defeated by the enemy one by one. They were completely defeated and in the end they were inevitably destroyed.

It would be better to send out an army directly, move like the wind, and can advance or retreat. However, the people looking at the cabinet obviously did not think about this. Instead, they thought about other irrelevant things. The layman led the expert, but Zhao Shangshu of the Ministry of War did not say anything. I don’t know. What is the situation.

Just when Zhang Jinyu was making random guesses, Gu Yichen finally stood up and spoke.
  "Your Majesty, I also think what the old man Lu Wenshan said is reasonable. In the land of Zhongzhou, or in the capital, all troops and horses will be mobilized to assemble in the Anhu camp, and then they will be led by Commander Wang Jie of the Jing camp to conduct some exercises. , after reorganizing the army, he will go south with some soldiers and horses from the Beijing camp. If Gu Ping lives up to expectations and suppresses the civil unrest, the matter will be dropped. If not, he will not be afraid even if Lin Yue Mansion is lost, as long as he can bring out more soldiers. Let him retreat, join up with the army, and then kill him, which is a safe strategy. Although the veteran does not know how to organize troops, he also knows that the troops and horses have not moved, and the food and fodder have gone first. It is better to go south when he is ready than to rush south. A lot."

Seeing what Gu Yichen said there, everyone in the hall nodded at the same time, and what he said made sense.

Only Zhang Jinyu couldn't understand. Even ordinary generals know that soldiers are valuable and quick. They are gathering men and horses, reorganizing the army, and preparing food and grass. They have waited until the year of the monkey and the moon of the horse. I really admire them.

(End of this chapter)