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Chapter 406 The Battle of the Capital

"Of course it's possible, but Jianlu's trip should be mostly cavalry. As long as they leave the mountainous areas and reach the plains, they can travel without following the roads. It's freezing cold here, and the ice on many rivers has not yet melted. Even if there are no bridges, they can still travel unimpeded. .

The current situation is very unfavorable to the imperial court. It is possible to build captives to the west, south, and east, attack cities and villages, attack Shanhaiguan, and plunder property and people. Because of this, I have arranged the elite navy to Luanzhou and Tianjin Wei. As long as the Jianlu are not allowed to destroy these two densely populated factories, the rest is just one word, wait! "

Seeing that he was almost free to speak, Hong Tao raised his hands and pressed them down, signaling everyone to stop arguing. It was time for the leader to make a summary, and it was time to continue playing with each other. Don’t you like to play, are willing to play, and are good at playing? Well, I’ll let you have a taste of being played today.

"...Your Majesty, if Jianlu goes straight to the capital and the troops here are empty, why don't you tie yourself up in a cocoon!"

It was Xu Honggang who brought up the old story again. A few seconds ago, he had categorically said that Shanhaiguan could withstand attacks from the east and west directions. At this time, he became a pessimist again and was very uneasy about the capital with higher walls. . If you want to ask what the difference is between the two, it's just that he and his family are not in Shanhaiguan, and he can stand and talk without back pain.

"Empty? Why did Xu Aiqing say this? There are no less than 100,000 soldiers in the Beijing camp, all of whom are elites in the army. They have enough food, strong horses, and excellent weapons. How can they care about a mere band of thieves? Wang Shangshu, has the Ministry of War ever had one? Arrangement, who will lead the Fifth Army Camp, the Three Thousand Battalion and the Shenji Battalion respectively, and where will they be stationed?"

Hong Tao was very surprised by this question and could not believe that this statement came from the mouth of an important official of the imperial court. The Metropolitan Procuratorate also has the responsibility to supervise the army. You, the Zuodu Censor, actually forgot about the most powerful elite troops of the Ming Dynasty. How unreasonable!

"...Your Majesty, although the three major battalions are only one in a hundred, they have been separated from the battle array for a long time. The responsibility of defending the capital is no small matter. To be on the safe side, it is more appropriate to dispatch border troops for reinforcements. If Shanhaiguan cannot spare any manpower, the general of Xuanfu can be ordered to lead the troops. Changping escorts you."

The emperor's words were elated, high-spirited and full of confidence, but Wang Xiangqian, the Minister of War, turned darker and darker as he listened, his hands began to tremble slightly, and his eyes kept scanning to both sides and the opposite side. But everyone who made him look at him lowered their eyelids, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet himself.

Although he had only taken office not long ago, he knew what was going on in the third camp. This is not a new thing that happened in the past two years. It was already like this in the Jiajing Dynasty, and even worse in the Wanli Dynasty. The few combat-ready soldiers were transferred to North Korea and lost 7788. Although they were supplemented later, there were very few.

Why didn't the Ministry of War report the true situation to the emperor? There are so many reasons. First of all, they were afraid that the emperor would use this as an excuse to intervene in the army. According to the consensus of the civil service group, even if all three battalions were abolished, the emperor would not be able to seize military power.

Secondly, I have no shame to say that the reason for the current situation is not only the objective reasons of untimely replenishment of troops and unsystematic training, but also important factors are the personal enrichment of North Korean and Chinese officials and the private use of public weapons.

Among the nobles of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, who doesn't have dozens of soldiers serving as servants? Whenever the courtiers' families are short of horses, they borrow them from the three battalions through various connections. After borrowing, can they be returned? Can they be returned? War horses, that's a different matter.

As for eating empty pay and drinking soldiers' blood, these are all tricks played by the middle and lower-level generals. They are too low-level and too shabby. Senior officials are just to keep themselves clean and take advantage of the public affairs. It is really rare to participate in such unethical things.

But who doesn’t have relatives, friends, and neighbors who want to meet each other on blind dates? If they really come to ask for it, they can’t just turn them away. It is definitely not possible to be a civil servant. It would be easier to be a commander or sentry officer in the Beijing camp. This is not about practicing favoritism and malpractice. It is about promoting talents without avoiding relatives and sharing worries for the country!

Three years after taking office as Minister of War, Wang Xiangqian also wanted to get rid of old abuses and restore the combat effectiveness of the Beijing camp, so he began to investigate and demoted some officials and officers who were too shameful. But as soon as they reached the top, they had to stop and the situation still didn't change much.

Everyone knows that the decadence of Jingying is not only the responsibility of the military. If you want to change it, you will definitely touch the interests of a lot of high-ranking officials. Whether the reform can be successful is a trivial matter. Will you and your family be counterattacked? It's a big problem. "Hey, Wang Shangshu is too humble. The Beijing camp has always been the best among the best. If it is not able to take on the important task, our court will have no soldiers to use. The border troops of Xuanfu cannot be easily mobilized like Shanhaiguan. In case of the Northern Captives If we take the opportunity to move south again, the capital will be undefeated.

Youdao is to raise troops for a thousand days and use them for a while. Let the three battalions set up camp outside Chaoyang Gate. If the captives don't come, let them go. If they dare to come, let them be crushed to pieces under my eyes. At that time, I will come to the city tower to watch the battle in person, and those who bravely kill the enemy will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver and promoted to one level. Anyone who kills an enemy chief will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and be promoted to the third level! "

Wang Xiangqian not only expressed his worries about the three camps in a subtle way, but also conveyed his anxiety clearly with his expressions. However, the emperor seemed not to notice it at all. He was still immersed in the old almanac, and became more and more unable to extricate himself. Just defending the city was no longer enough. If necessary, he will take the initiative to go out of the city to fight in the field, and plans to visit the front line in person.

"Your Majesty, you must not..."

"A gentleman does not stand on dangerous walls, please think twice, Your Majesty!" As soon as they heard that the emperor was going to the city to watch the battle, the ministers immediately started to persuade him.

Interestingly, the person who is usually the most resistant to the New Deal and most hopes that the emperor will die immediately shouts the most sincerely. From his body to his expression to his tone, there is no trace of performance.

"Don't say anything. I am the king of a country. If the capital is in trouble, why should I hide in the palace and let the soldiers fight on the front line without paying attention. My dear friends, would you like to follow me to the city tower and fight for the soldiers? Want to encourage me?"

Faced with the consolation from all the courtiers, the emperor not only did not go down the slope, but also became more excited. His chubby face turned from black to red, and his eyes were full of enthusiasm. Not only did he go to the front line in person, but he also took the courtiers to risk their lives together, just like a 250-year-old.

"I swear to be by your Majesty's side to the death!" But the more this goes on, the less able the ministers are to retreat, and they have to bite the bullet and keep up as long as they die. Ye Xianggao did not let Fang Congzhe steal the limelight this time and expressed his position first.

"I am willing to go out of the city to supervise the battle for Your Majesty. I will not return until the victory is won!" As the old saying goes, there is only more ruthlessness, not the most ruthlessness. When Fang Congzhe saw that Ye Xianggao had taken the lead, the horse did not hit the horse, so he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, and he actually wanted to fight with his life.

"Hahaha...I am so relieved to have all my dear friends with me! With all your dear friends helping me, the Ming Dynasty will be safe! We promoted the left army commander Huaiyuan Marquis Chang Yinxu to lead the five military camps in the middle, and the rear army commander Taining Marquis Chen Liangbi to lead the gods. The machine camp was in the front, and the former military commander Ningyang Marquis Chen Yingzhao led three thousand battalions to respond.

From now on, the Military and Horse Division of the Five Cities will be under the command of Jin Yiwei, who will take over the defense of the thirteen gates in the inner and outer cities and check out the idlers on the streets. Let Shuntian Prefecture go to the villages in the east of the city to post notices to remind people to carry valuables early to avoid war disasters. Those who have no relatives or friends can take refuge in the city temporarily and be accepted by various temples. No excuses are allowed! "

With these two bachelors taking the lead, others had to follow suit and express their determination. Looking at a room full of united ministers, the emperor smiled happily, and at the same time he did not forget to arrange business matters. The layout is quite stylish, not only considering the resettlement of the people, but also the public security situation in the city.

(End of this chapter)