golden scales

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month in the 22nd year of Chongzhen, Wang Yi arrived in Beijing and stayed in Guanyi.

Nowadays, there are obviously more officials from all over the country entering Beijing than in previous years. The control of the central government can be seen from this, followed by the problem of tension in the post, so officials below the fifth rank can only stay in the inns designated by the imperial court, and the environment is slightly worse.

If Wang Yi was only ranked sixth according to the civil official description, but because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince showed his favor unabashedly, the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion still arranged for him a small courtyard with a single family in the building.This inevitably made some fellow travelers, but only one colonel in a single room a little unbalanced.

Because the Crown Prince was very fond of him, Wang Yi was summoned for an hour, which was rare.Although it was interrupted for a while by the crying of the emperor's eldest grandson, overall the chat was quite speculative.Wang Yi also clearly found that the crown prince admired his military thinking.

"Actually, I am not satisfied with the current tank division." After Wang Yi said it, he couldn't help exposing his bachelor attributes, and made a lot of comments: "It is said that if you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your weapons. The tank division's attack speed It’s not fast enough. It would be much better if one man could be paired with one horse, or even two horses. In this way, the firepower could be increased. Otherwise, it would be impossible to face a fortified city with only firearms and knives. Not caught."

Zhu Cihong smiled, turned around and took out a scroll from the bookcase, unfolded it on the painting table next to it, and called Wang Yi to take a look.

"It looks like a car crash," Wang Yi said.

"That's right." Zhu Cihong unfolded the scroll completely: "This is the idea of ​​the Wanli period. Use iron plates instead of cowhide, replace wooden shafts and wooden wheels with iron shafts and iron wheels, and replace arrow holes with gun holes. No one can do it in front of the battle. .”

"How heavy is that?" Wang Yi couldn't help exclaiming: "It sounds good, but isn't this kind of thing slower than artillery?"

"That's right. So it's never been built, it's just an idea." Zhu Cihong said: "However, the professor of Jingshi University brought up this plan again recently, intending to use the steam engine as the power to make it run by itself."

"Steam engine?"

"Yes, you can see that the lid of the pot jumps when boiling water, and that's because the steam lifts it up." Zhu Cihong simply said: "It's the same reason. Get a big stove to boil water, and the steam drives the axles, and the car can run by itself. "

"That's great. Is there any horse that runs fast?" Wang Yi asked.

"I'm afraid not." Zhu Cihong said with a smile: "And now this thing can't be used in actual combat."

Because hard wheels are not suitable for today's dirt roads.If it is placed outside the Liaodong side wall, or on the prairie, there will be no dirt roads, and it will be impossible to run, and it may damage the fragile boiler.

"Sure enough, we still have to build the road first." Wang Yi sighed.

"Another way is to use crawlers." Zhu Cihong said: "It can solve the problem of the car body marching in the field, but now the crawlers are all made by hand. The tolerances must be strictly controlled, and the manufacturing speed is slow." Zhu Cilang paused, and then Said: "Maybe no one ran fast at the beginning, but as long as there is coal, it can run, which is not a small advantage."

"If that's the case, even if you don't fire the cannon, it's very useful for long-distance raids." Wang Yi said.

"There is also the one you mentioned, but you have to build a special railway to run it." Zhu Cihong said: "In short. If this kind of weapon is manufactured, it must be equipped with your tank division first."

"Teacher?" Wang Yi was surprised.I thought I heard wrong.

"Well, Xiao Donglou sent a letter saying that you are enough to take on the important task of a division." Zhu Cihong said with a smile: "So after discussing with the Metropolitan Governor's Office, I decided to pull out the tank division and use it as the backbone to form a new division and continue to use it. Your title and flag are tank divisions."

"This new type of rush car will be equipped with your department first. And it will be named after your department's title: Tank."

Wang Yi was so excited that he felt itchy in his heart, and said: "The humble post will definitely live up to His Highness's trust!"

"Weapons alone are not enough. You have to summarize your thinking on the art of war and discuss it with others." Zhu Cihong said: "Stones from other mountains can be used to attack jade, and it is also a way to improve your thinking."

"Yes!" Wang Yi saluted excitedly.Suddenly, he thought of something that had been on his mind for a long time, and asked with a little guilt: "Your Highness, if I become a teacher, will I also be promoted in rank?"

"Yes, the first rank of division commander is assigned the rank of major general." Zhu Cihong smiled and said, "How about it? If you are weak, you will be a general."

"That's right, Your Highness, does the Major General have a fifth rank?" Wang Yi asked timidly.

Zhu Cihong shook his head slightly: "In the future, military commanders will not care about their grades, they will only be used as a reference when adding casual titles, which is different from civil officials."

"So……"

"If you have something to say, it's very easy to fight, why are you hesitating?" Zhu Cilang interrupted Wang Yi.

"Your Highness, it's like this. The last general's mentor is a criminal official. I heard that students who have reached the fifth rank can ask for forgiveness for their mentor." Wang Yi confided in his heart: "The last general was originally teaching in the village. I joined the army only after my mentor begged for forgiveness."

"This matter." Zhu Cihong smiled softly, and patted Wang Yi's arm: "You write a letter to the official department, and they will deal with it. I didn't expect you to be a sweetheart, so good, you can show your chivalry and tenderness." What a hero."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Wang Yi was really excited this time. If he hadn't been training all year round, he would have scratched his lips and scratched his cheek in disgrace.

"After the Chinese New Year, there are still a few things to announce," Zhu Cihong sat back in his seat, "In the future, from the east of Shanhaiguan to Sanwanwei——Sanwanwei will also establish Kaiyuan County, and this place will be Under the rule of the Third Division of Liaoning, I intend to let the Second Army take charge of the defense of this war zone, and your tank division will only use their defense zone to expand and rest, and continue to fight north in the future."

"Yes!"

"There is a large plain there, which is where you can use your skills." Zhu Cihong said with a smile: "I will give you a month's vacation first, and go home to have a look. But you have to make a list first, and give them command training."

A division needs more than 320 military officers, and if calculated based on the approximate ratio of [-]:[-] between officers and staff officers, it will require more than [-] staff officers, not including non-commissioned officers at all levels.Now that one tank division counts as one, it is impossible to support the establishment of a division.

The real obstacle to Ming's military expansion was not the lack of soldiers, but the lack of officers.If the troops were to go back to the old days and only rely on more people to fill them up, Zhu Cihong would not see it no matter what.

Wang Yi came out of the Wenhua Palace, just passed the Huiji gate, and found that there are really many female officials in the palace.Threes and fours entered the palace from outside the Meridian Gate.Some wore palace clothes, some wore official clothes, and some wore their own private clothes, Yingying Yanyan, Wang Yi's eyes were dazzled.

He is not the prudish Liu Xiahui, he is just at the age of fledgling, and he has been fighting all these years, as long as he is a woman, he is like Diaochan!

"Ahem! You really can't look sideways!"

Wang Yi's eyes were still chasing the slim figure of a court lady, and when he heard the sour voice in the cold, he turned around quickly, but almost bumped into the person in front of him.Fortunately, that person was also quick in his movements, and quickly took a step back, so he didn't make a fool of himself.

"Senior brother!" Wang Yi cried out, and then thought that his appearance as a prodigal son had been seen, and said with an embarrassed smile: "Your Highness gave me a month's leave before, and I was thinking about buying some good materials to visit Brother, I don’t want to meet you here.”

"Ahem, are you shopping for materials? Why do you think you want to strip off other people's clothes?" Huang Ruixue didn't show any mercy.

"Well, Your Highness also said that I have sharp eyes and look like a general!" Wang Yi puffed up his chest, and suddenly realized that he was half a head taller than this senior brother.Thinking back when I first met Huang Ruixue at my teacher's house, I was much shorter than my senior brother.

"Didn't Your Highness say that your skin is thicker than the city wall?" Huang Ruixue raised her eyebrows and said, "Come on, come have dinner with me."

"I still saved a lot of military pay, which is useless, so I should be the host." Wang Yi said hastily.

Huang Ruixue was not polite to him, and said: "I know that the army pays a lot of money, and today it can be regarded as a rich family. It's in the Huiying Building on Chang'an Street."

Naturally, Wang Yi would not object.

When the two went out together, Wang Yi realized that the senior brother was here to wait for him, and he couldn't help but feel happy. He was happier than he was promoted to major general and division commander.

Huang Ruixue folded her hands lightly, put them on her lower abdomen, and moved her feet lightly, walking in a dignified and generous way, but she saw Wang Yi jumping around like a proud naughty boy from the corner of her eye, and couldn't help but find it funny.

Wang Yi kept peeking at Huang Ruixue, seeing Huang Ruixue's smiling face was even more beautiful. He only hoped that the journey from Meridian Gate to Chengtian Gate would never end.

Huiying Building is located on Chang'an Avenue, and the customers are all real officials, so the shopkeepers naturally know how to tell the difference.They saw an officer wearing a field army uniform, with pure leather boots on his feet, and the sound of iron nails thumping when he walked, and they immediately recognized that this was the main force of the Liaodong guards. Dazzling, how dare you not be flattering?

As for the officer's female companion, she is even more remarkable.Who doesn't know that female officials are now more favored by the Tian family than male officials when they are promoted to power.

Moreover, such a man and woman appeared in Huiying Building, most of them were for a blind date.As long as the woman is beautiful, the man will spare no expense to please.Look at the appearance of this female officer today, tsk tsk, I am afraid that the military lord will inevitably bleed profusely.

"Please go upstairs, both of you. There is a sound-proof seat, and no one will hear you talking." Xiao Erxi smiled and bowed to lead.

Huang Ruixue's face flushed, and she thought to herself: I've always heard them talk about Huiyinglou, why are they talking like this?It doesn't look like a decent place.

Wang Yi was not so sensitive about this, but just lamented that the restaurant was scary big, with seven or eight rooms open on the left and right, and two floors above and below, maybe fifty or sixty tables.When I got to the private room upstairs, I was even more shocked by the exquisite decoration here. Looking back, I have never been to such a luxurious place in my life.

Of course, except for the Wenhua Palace of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. (To be continued..)

ps: Please recommend a ticket, ask for a monthly ticket~~~