Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 346 A Group of Laymen

Li Heng, who didn't sleep well last night, still got up early and went straight to the outside of the Qianqing Palace to wait after entering the palace. The task of inspecting the army on behalf of the emperor was undoubtedly a great encouragement to Li Heng.

If Li Heng felt that he was slightly inferior to the second brother before, now the two of them are on the same starting line to the throne.

Emperor Chenghui saw Li Heng, who had been waiting for a long time, nodded with satisfaction, "Although the third child is not mature enough, he is willing to study hard and is responsible. I underestimated him before. 】

Li Heng stepped forward to greet them, and then the father and son entered the palace. Emperor Chenghui picked up a report on the desk and handed it to Li Heng: "Take a look!"

Li Heng took it and sat beside it to read it carefully. This was a report from the battlefield in western Sichuan, and the author was Niu Jizong.

Compared with the previous official report, this report is more military-oriented. Niu Jizong carefully analyzed the reasons for the defeat in the report. The terrain in the southwest is complex, the climate is changeable, and roads cannot be built in many places. Artillery transportation is difficult, and gunpowder is easily affected by moisture and affects firing, which makes it difficult for Wang's firearms to play their advantages. In military operations, Niu Jizong learned the lessons of the last defeat and took steady steps to squeeze the rebels' living space bit by bit. Although the rebels were at a disadvantage in terms of manpower, they relied on the familiar terrain and small groups of people to flexibly attack the logistical supplies of officers and soldiers.

Niu Jizong meant that if we want to win this battle thoroughly, we must not rush and must prepare for a long-term battle. The rebels can fight in their hometowns and on their own land, and long-term battles can also ensure morale. It is difficult for officers and soldiers to do this, so there must be sufficient reserves to ensure rotation and logistics guarantees (including food, wages, medicines and medical care).

After reading it, Li Heng thought to himself: [Niu Jizong is not simple. He actually predicted in advance that my father would not believe the Sichuan local officials' claim of shirking responsibility. And then he came up with a practical strategy and tactics.]

Li Heng had also read the official reports from both sides and felt that the Governor of Sichuan always downplayed military issues with only a few words, which showed that he was not good at military affairs.

Seeing that Li Heng was deep in thought after putting down the report, Emperor Chenghui did not interrupt him. He waited patiently until he looked up before asking, "Have you finished reading it? What do you think?"

"It's very informative! After reading it, I have a preliminary understanding of the situation on the battlefield." Li Heng did not dare to extend his comments and could only stick to the facts.

Emperor Chenghui listened for a long time without saying anything and just looked at Li Heng.

Li Heng's heartbeat was like a drum, but he remained calm. One minute seemed like a year. Emperor Chenghui finally spoke: "First go to the Ministry of War to meet with the officials, and then go to the military camp."

There is one thing that Emperor Chenghui has a good sense of proportion, that is, respect for the cabinet. Even if he respects the cabinet, Emperor Chenghui is also very determined to reform the cabinet.

Since there is a balance between civil and military affairs, the military must have a seat in the cabinet. Emperor Chenghui has been considering whether to create a new seat or to appoint a meritorious military man as the Minister of War.

After leaving the palace, Li Heng first asked someone to notify Jia Lian to meet at the Ministry of War. Li Heng, who usually rode in a sedan chair, temporarily decided to return to the palace first and go to the Ministry of War on horseback instead.

Li Heng often practices horsemanship, so riding a horse is not difficult for him. He is usually low-key, with only three or five followers, but today he brought more than a dozen horse guards.

Jia Lian was well prepared. Upon receiving the notice, he immediately took more than ten generals with him and rode out on horseback.

On the Ministry of War side, Li Chi, as the acting cabinet minister, did not show up. It was not because he was disrespectful to Li Heng, but it was too taboo for a cabinet minister to have contact with the prince who was qualified to inherit the throne.

The two assistant ministers were waiting at the door. Jia Lian arrived first, and when he didn't see Li Heng, he dismounted and greeted his superiors in the Ministry of War, then walked away and waited patiently.

The two assistant ministers who planned to accompany the inspection frowned slightly when they saw Jia Lian riding over on horseback, but they didn't say anything.

When Li Heng also appeared on horseback, the two assistant ministers' expressions became very ugly. The two assistant ministers were civil servants and could ride horses, but they were not very skilled.

The reason why sedan chairs can be popularized and widely accepted is not complicated. First, they are stable and comfortable to sit on. Second, they are cost-effective. Let's not talk about the value of horses. The money for raising a horse can feed two sedan bearers and have some left over. Don't think it's an exaggeration. Horses eat more salt than humans, not to mention the grass they eat. If they are well-fed, they also need to be fed eggs. The manpower of the Zhou Dynasty was really worthless, because the lower class was not considered human.

The two assistant ministers, who usually traveled in sedan chairs, felt extremely uncomfortable when they saw Li Heng appear on horseback.

If nothing else, we will definitely fall behind in a while. When riding a horse, even if you let the horse walk slowly, it can reach a speed of 5 kilometers per hour.

After Li Heng met with the people from the Ministry of War, he learned that they were leaving in a sedan chair. He didn't know what to say, so he said, "In that case, I will go first!"

Li Heng rode ahead, and when Jia Lian lagged behind by half a body and followed him side by side, Li Heng looked back at the column of sedan chairs behind him and couldn't help asking, "Jia Lian, do you feel awkward?"

Jia Lian said calmly, "This is not their fault, but a problem of the military's own imperfect construction."

Li Heng understood and didn't understand, so he quickly asked: "Please explain in detail!"

Jia Lian shook his head: "It's not the right time, wait until you are free!"

After the Central Plains dynasties defeated the nomadic threat from the north, their military construction tended to decline rapidly. The root cause can be summed up in four words: no rivals.

For the emperor, for a country as large as this one, it is more important to focus energy and costs on internal stability.

Readers, please note that when everyone is envious of North America's excellent geographical environment, have you ever thought that the surrounding small countries and European countries actually also envy the geographical location of the Central Plains dynasty?

The Central Plains Dynasty occupied almost all the land suitable for farming in East Asia. Before the Age of Discovery, the long coastline was the best barrier. No matter which direction you came from on land, there was a terrain barrier. Looking at the world map, no country has two east-west rivers. It can be said that the Central Plains Dynasty was the most suitable place for farming during the most agricultural period.

In the history of the Central Plains, there have been many dynasties that lasted for more than a hundred years. During the long period of peace, there were no rivals around. Shouldn't we give priority to internal affairs?
Geography determines the most fundamental nature of a country.

In ancient Europe, it was either extremely cold and suitable for growing oats, or Spain with many mountains and little land. The only area truly suitable for farming was France, and the British Isles were suitable for growing potatoes.

Why did Northern Europe produce pirates? Because they were not suitable for farming and could only go out and rob.

Ask yourself, if you can support yourself by farming, why would you risk going out to sea to make a living?

The first stop was the Nine Gates Garrison, where troops from all the gates gathered at the parade ground. In name, Jia Lian was also acting as the commander of the Nine Gates, but in reality, apart from staying there for a day at the beginning, Jia Lian did not go there to make trouble.

Now looking at the nine square formations in the parade ground, each with five or six hundred people, Jia Lian just watched in silence without commenting.

The deputy commander and nine lieutenants came forward to greet him. Li Heng dismounted and returned the greeting, saying, "The officers of the Ministry of War are lagging behind. We need to wait a moment."

The faces of the deputy commander of the Nine Gates and all the captains turned green! Don't think it's easy to stand in line, the line will definitely become loose after a long time. Speaking of which, the Nine Gates garrison has daily garrison tasks, and the training is not as good as the three major camps. Not to mention the Shenji Camp led by Jia Lian himself.

However, Li Heng insisted on waiting for the officials from the Ministry of War, so the deputy commander and others had no choice but to wait with him! Fortunately, it was late autumn, otherwise the sun would have been so hot that people would die wearing armor.

Jia Lian paid more attention to the equipment of the Nine Gates garrison. A lieutenant led a battalion of soldiers, with a number of 500 to 1000. This was similar in the East and the West.

Half of the soldiers in the garrison battalion of the Nine Gates were equipped with muskets, and the rest were sword and shield soldiers, spearmen, and archers. There were no cavalry, which was determined by the function of the army.

Why didn't they replace the flintlock rifles with rifles? Jia Lian knew the answer with his eyes closed: cost + make do.

This is the mentality of the imperial court when there is no powerful foreign enemy. Don't underestimate this cost. The registered army of the Great Zhou, not counting the navy, has a number of about 500,000.

If we calculate that one third of the people are equipped with matchlock guns, that would be 150,000. How much would it cost to replace all of them? Anyway, we can make do with it, so why waste money?
The control of weapons in all dynasties was not particularly strict, but armor was strictly controlled. Take the Tang Dynasty's soldiers as an example. Soldiers brought their own weapons and dry food, and armor was provided by the military.

The Northern Song Dynasty was quite special. Weapons were strictly controlled and civilian martial artists used whistle sticks and broadswords.

The weapons controlled by the Great Zhou Dynasty were limited to firearms and armor. Civilians were not allowed to privately possess them. Violating the regulations would be considered treason.

Why restrict firearms but not bows and arrows? Because it is difficult to train an archer, but a normal person can shoot and kill someone in a month at most.

The military official finally arrived, and Li Heng stepped forward to greet him and ask, "How do we review the documents?"

Jia Lian still stood aside without saying anything, but his attention was on the parade ground. He frowned slightly as he looked at the team that had begun to disperse.

After only standing for a moment (fifteen minutes), the formation began to become a little chaotic. The soldiers were not well trained.

The Minister of the Left, Zheng, who was in charge of the Ministry of War, asked directly: "Master Jia is an expert in leading troops. How do you say that we should review them?"

Jia Lian didn't expect him to ask himself, is this question well-intentioned? Definitely not!

The root cause of this inexplicable malice is not difficult to find. Isn't it because they are worried that the nobles will regain military power?
The Ministry of War was responsible for logistics, military preparations, personnel transfers, organization, and strategy. The nobles were only responsible for leading troops to fight, and in the actual process they would usurp many powers of the Ministry of War, such as military pay and logistics procurement.

To put it bluntly, the Ministry of War is also a part of the restrictions on nobles!
The hostility towards Jia Lian was of course due to his noble family and the fact that he was a civil servant who had never lost a battle.

Jia Lian responded to this question by asking in a very aggressive tone: "Sir Zheng, when will the Ministry of War be willing to give up the right to review documents?"

Lord Zheng did not expect Jia Lian to have such a bad attitude. He felt provoked. The scholar's habit of being good at talking was exposed: "Why, Lord Jia doesn't even know how to march and form a battle array?"

Li Heng saw the sparks between the two and stepped back with a smile, but did not stop them from fighting. Li Heng was certain that Jia Lian would not lose.

"I am quite confused. Lord Zheng does not even have the most basic military knowledge. How can he have the nerve to stay in this position?" Jia Lian really would not indulge the head of the Ministry of War at all. He would not do so now and would not do so in the future. In Jia Lian's plan, the Ministry of War was a very important part. How could he let an outsider control it?

Zheng sir was obviously blushing, and the right assistant minister beside him pulled his sleeve, and he calmed down, and asked Jia Lian with a bad look: "Master Jia, please tell me, where did I show that I don't know military skills?"

Jia Lian still had a disdainful expression on his face. He pointed to the parade ground and said, "Once you take a look at the parade ground, you will know that the following parade is meaningless!"

This angered Lord Zheng and also angered Deputy Commander Li, who jumped out and said, "Jia Lian, you should have a basis for what you say. How can you deny others' achievements out of thin air?"

[Why did this guy jump out? Isn't this causing trouble for me?] Jia Lian glanced at Deputy Commander Li and felt very annoyed. The Ministry of War was originally targeted, and you came out to take the bullet?
Jia Lian turned to look at Li Heng, implying, [What do you think? ]

Li Heng took a step back and smiled, [You are free to play! ]

Jia Lian then turned around and pointed at the two guys who had jumped out of their seats. He said, "Open your eyes and look at the formation in the parade ground. Do we need to review an army like this carefully? If they can't even stand in the most basic military posture, how can we expect them to stand firm like a mountain when facing a fierce enemy on the battlefield?"

After saying that, he ignored the two of them and said directly to Li Heng: "Third Prince, before we go to the next place, I ask all the officials in the Ministry of War to shut up, or I will leave. It will be too much suffering to be with a group of amateurs."

"Jia Lian, you are going too far. I will go to His Majesty and sue you!" Deputy Commander Li could no longer suppress his anger. After training the troops for such a long time, how could he tolerate having his results negated by just one sentence?

"Jia Lian, it is not your turn to interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of War. Just wait for my impeachment!" Minister Zheng threatened, and the rest of the people stood behind him, sharing the same hatred for the enemy.

Jia Lian did not shrug back, but shrugged and spread his hands towards Li Heng. The insult through body language was more powerful!
Li Heng smiled bitterly and said, "Let's go together, so as not to be impeached for disobeying the emperor's order!"

Jia Lian folded his hands and bowed: "I obey your command. Your Highness, please allow me to keep silent about the rest of my trip! To avoid any more conflicts!"

Li Heng nodded helplessly, and Jia Lian immediately stood behind Li Heng, looking as if he would never speak.

"Everyone is here, let's start the review!" Li Heng said, then turned around and went up to the reviewing stand. After Jia Lian followed, Li Heng turned around and asked quickly in a low voice: "What are you doing? You're offending people for no reason!"

Jia Lian raised his finger and pointed to his mouth, indicating that he would not speak. Li Heng looked helpless and walked to the stage silently. This place was very intuitive when looking at the queue in the middle of the parade ground.

After three cannon shots, the troops from each camp began to form their battle array. Guided by the sound of drums and flags, it looked a bit chaotic, but they eventually formed a battle array.

How to describe this formation? The sword and shield soldiers and spearmen protected the musketeers in the center from both sides, forming more than ten large and small squares, each with fifty musketeers.

A few archers did not appear in the square formation. Jia Lian judged that they were skirmishers used for mobile warfare. After all, they were fighting in the city, and archers could easily climb to high places.

The flags changed again, the various formations dispersed, and after another period of chaos, it took the soldiers who followed the flag bearer half an hour to return to their original formation.

(End of this chapter)