Today, the ministers arrived at the square in front of the Meridian Gate before dawn. While they were waiting, they privately exchanged military information about the northwest. They were all whispering.
The capital cannot hide secrets. Everyone knew about the deterioration of the situation in Jiuyuan City and the fact that the officials and factory guards sent by the emperor had returned. Although the emperor has not come yet, based on their contact with him in the past two years, they know that the emperor will be very angry given his temperament.
What I'm angry about is not that I ran away from the battle, but that these bitches dared to return to Beijing privately without my order. You really don't take me seriously. It's really unbearable.
The officials who came back were also worried. However, they knew that they had already made up their reasons, and even asked the department to send notices in advance to come back and report on their duties. The emperor couldn't say anything.
They did not escape privately. Instead, they come back to handle business, which is equivalent to a business trip.
But they don't have much confidence that they can pass smoothly. After all, the past two years have proven it. The emperor is not easy to fool.
Boom, boom, boom! There was a sound of drums on the Meridian Gate.
Immediately, a censor came forward and shouted, "Quiet!"
This is the first tongdrum, and the process of going to court has begun. At this time, it is strictly forbidden to whisper to each other, and the appearance must be tidy and solemn. Waiting to enter the Forbidden City. The same is true outside Donghua Gate.
The court meetings in the Ming Dynasty can be divided into three types according to time: morning court, noon court and three dynasties, among which the morning court is the most important. There are also the most and strictest rules.
Censor Chen Tang came out of the queue and shouted: "Get in line and check the tooth plates."
The Imperial Guards of the Royal Guards immediately stepped forward and urged the ministers attending the morning court today to line up in five square formations in accordance with the regulations and the order of entering the Forbidden City. After waiting for the third tom to sound, enter the Meridian Gate in sequence.
The Jin Yiwei checked the tooth tag, verified that he was correct, and then left.
Boom, boom, boom! The second sound of drums came from the two towers of the Meridian Gate.
Meridian Gate is also called Wufeng Gate. There are five towers above the city gate, which are composed of connected corridors and are called "Five Phoenixes". Among them are the bells and drums, which are managed by the eunuchs from the Bell and Drum Division, one of the four imperial divisions. When it's time to go to court, the Bell and Drums Division will beat the drums and ring the bells, and then open the palace door.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, officials of all sizes in the upper dynasty were mixed together regardless of civil and military affairs, and it was very chaotic.
To solve this problem. Starting from the 24th year of Hongwu, it was stipulated that generals should enter first. Secondly, they are close attendants, secondly the Prince Consort, secondly the fifth and sixth ministries, and thirdly the Tianfu and miscellaneous officials in Beijing.
In the first year of Tianshun (1457), because the guards and court officials were often crowded again, another stipulation was made that when the third drum sounded, two doors would be opened first, and the officials and military flags would be placed first, while the hundreds of officials would be waiting. Queue up in order in front of the door and wait until the bell rings before opening the door.
The Han general of Jinyiwei shouted loudly: "Official and military flag schools, organize the queue."
At this time, the Han generals who need to serve as a guard of honor in the court meeting today must line up and wait to enter the Meridian Gate.
Shortly afterwards, the third tom sounded. The officers and soldiers began to file into the Meridian Gate.
After receiving preferential treatment, the cabinet elders, bachelors, nobles, royal relatives, and Hanlin bachelors were having tea and resting in the duty room behind Duanmen. At this time, they tidied up their court clothes and appearance, and then went to the Meridian Gate to line up and wait to enter the Forbidden City.
At this time, the honor guard had already entered the Meridian Gate and set up defense at Qianqingmen Square in advance. They are the emperor's guard of honor and the emperor's bodyguards. Responsible for protecting the security of the court meeting.
Other civil and military officials are not allowed to enter at this time. You have to wait for the bell to ring on the Meridian Gate before you can enter in the prescribed order.
Li Biao and Qian Longxi were waiting in the queue. Li Biao said to Li Banghua, Minister of the Ministry of War: "This time we are going to the northwest. We in Donglin only have a third-rank official, the Minister of War, and the others are a few sixth-rank officials. If Your Majesty, If a fire breaks out today, do you have any countermeasures ready?"
Li Banghua said: "I asked them to come back and report on their work half a month in advance. I didn't ask them to leave the northwest theater. Instead, I asked them to come back and report on their work. After all, they have been there for a year, and they should give feedback on the situation ahead.
Got off. This is a normal business trip. Even if His Majesty asked, he could not find anything wrong with it. "
Qian Longxi said: "Then they can't stay for a few days, so they have to go back."
Li Banghua said: "How can Ming affairs be completed so quickly? Just put it off."
Qian Longxi nodded and said: "Looking at the information fed back from the front, there may be a risk of the entire army being annihilated in the capital camp. If Jiuyuan City is broken, they won't have to go. You estimate that there are 40,000 people defending the city. , 240,000 people attacking the city, how long can we hold on?"
Li Banghua sighed. In his heart, he did not want Uncle Dingyuan to fail. He was one of the few officials in Donglin who hoped that the imperial court would reorganize its armaments.
"It's hard to say. Uncle Dingyuan is proficient in military affairs and good at using troops. He also relies on a fortified city. It's hard to say. I guess that this time Gao Qiqian may have come back with the mission of asking for reinforcements. Otherwise, how could Duke Gao not I dare to offend His Majesty."
Qian Longxi and Li Biao looked at each other. They also felt that Li Banghua's analysis was very possible.
After all, Yang Fan is not a god no matter how good he is in fighting, nor is he possessed by Sun Wuzi.
There are conditions for winning more with less. The disparity in strength is to such an extent. Forty thousand versus two hundred and forty thousand, isn't that a joke? And it's infantry versus cavalry.
Not to mention Uncle Ding Yuan, even if Marquis Wuan was resurrected, he would have to be blinded. When the champion comes, he has to run away.
They didn't pay attention to the so-called 20,000 regiment training. These people were caused by them and the Jin party to cause trouble. They knew exactly what level they were. As for the so-called great victory before, they believed that it was Yang Fan who forcibly compiled the so-called achievements in order to counterattack them.
"If His Majesty wants to discuss whether to send more troops to the northwest today, we must oppose it," Qian Longxi said.
"After all, this Qing army has been half successful. Except for Liaodong and Gansu, which cannot be disbanded for the time being, the other nine-border military towns can be disbanded. At this time, it is time to eliminate the weak and retain the strong, and strengthen the military strength of Liaohe and Liaodong. , Never send elite soldiers to the northwest." Qian Longxi said.
The elite soldiers went to the northwest, and the Qing army just made wedding clothes for the emperor. These people fell into the hands of the emperor, not Donglin. Their work was in vain.
Li Biao stroked his beard and said, "Then the Jingying camp may suffer a lot of losses."
Qian Longxi said: "We can only let the Beijing camp hold on for a while. At least we must complete the work of the Qing army. At this time, we cannot lose the watermelon and pick up the sesame seeds."
Obviously, in Donglin's heart, the matter of withdrawing their military power is the top priority. As for the life and death of the Beijing camp, in his opinion, it didn't matter at all.
They were very worried that the emperor had begun to strengthen his own army.
