Xu Huizu wanted to lead troops to conquer Tibet, but Zhu Yuanzhang actually disagreed.
It was Xu Miaojin who approached Zhu Ying and then agreed to let Xu Huizu lead the army.
Zhu Yuanzhang meant that Xu Huizu was Xu Da's eldest son, so there was no need to rush around like this.
In fact, Zhu Ying knew what the old man meant. Although all of Xu Da's daughters were married to the royal family, including Xu Miaojin, who had become the concubine of the grandson, Xu Da actually had a particularly high prestige in the military.
Zhu Yuanzhang knew that Xu Huizu was very talented in military affairs, but he did not want Xu Huizu to inherit Xu Da's old department or become the second Lan Yu.
The reason why Lan Yu has such high military exploits has a lot to do with the fact that he inherited Chang Yuchun's old army.
After Zhu Yuanzhang's Red Scarf Army became powerful in his early years, he rarely led troops to fight in person. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun were his right-hand men.
It can be said that Xu Da and Chang Yuchun had higher reputations in the army than Zhu Yuanzhang at that time.
Among them, Xu Da's reputation has to be suppressed by Chang Yuchun.
Even when Xu Huizu was asked to go out for military training, Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately avoided the area where Xu Da's old headquarters was.
Later, Xu Huizu went to practice, which actually meant that he was gilded. When he came back, he directly inherited the title of Duke and served as the left governor of the Chinese Army Commandery Mansion.
In terms of status, he is naturally extremely noble, but in fact he does not control much military power.
Harvesting military power and imperial power suppressing general power are also normal phenomena, and Xu Huizu is not dissatisfied.
It's just that Zhu Ying appeared, and the army changed too much after the reform.
The first is that veterans have been replaced on a large scale.
Zhu Yuanzhang is already over 70 years old, and the first batch of surviving soldiers are not much younger. Especially Xu Da's old army, except for those with titles, basically 90% have been replaced.
If it were before, Ming would not have been able to accommodate these many retired veterans, but it is different now.
Those with some meritorious service became members of the Public Security Bureau. The officers of the Public Security Department, and even military attachés such as the director of the police station, also ate official food.
There are also some physically disabled people who are admitted to military academies in various places to serve as instructors and instructors.
Retirement benefits are high, and when retired soldiers return to their place of residence, the local government will help arrange work.
At this point, Zhu Ying's major changes to the army did not cause any ripples.
Many veterans are even more grateful to their great-grandson.
Zhu Ying had spent most of his life sacrificing his life and blood for the Ming Dynasty to build this bright world, and Zhu Ying did not let them feel cold.
The new generation of soldiers will complete basic drills, political education, and cultural courses at military academies established in various places. They will be arranged to enter the garrison after about three to six months, depending on the situation.
These young soldiers would not say they admire generals like Xu Da and Chang Yuchun.
The reason why they volunteered to serve as soldiers was because of the generous treatment given by His Highness the Grand Sun and the hope that they might become officers in the future.
It is undeniable that by being able to recruit so many soldiers, the public opinion role of the Di newspaper had a very powerful effect.
In the capital's newspapers, including those in various places, a certain amount of space must be set aside for recruitment propaganda for the army.
The direction of publicity is set by Zhu Ying.
To put it simply, it is to create a hero while also showing interests.
Most people do not have a high level of political consciousness. What is it about winning glory for the country and protecting the country? If you talk about these things, many people basically just go in the left ear and out the right ear, without causing any thought at all.
How to show interests.
For example, it was advertised in the newspaper that a certain soldier once came from a certain village and became a soldier because he could not afford to eat. Now, under the latest policies of the Ming Dynasty, he retired and served as the director of the local security station, with hundreds of officers under his command.
Another example is that a certain soldier made a great contribution and was appointed to serve in a hundred households, and from then on his ancestors were honored.
This is something that can be seen, and something that ordinary people can really get if they try hard.
For example, in the newspapers in various prefectures and cities, many of the people who advertise are local people, and some are from the same village.
this
Such temptation is naturally greater.
Under such a propaganda offensive, the large-scale replacement of veterans not only did not reduce the total military strength of the Ming Dynasty, but actually increased it slightly.
The health center has changed a lot in the past two years.
This is mainly reflected in the conflict between recruits and superiors.
According to incomplete statistics, recruits report against their superiors because of free pay, corruption, bribery, and mistreatment of soldiers.
The recruits have all received formal and professional ideological training, so how can they pamper you like the veterans?
In the past, when soldiers followed a superior officer, it was like selling themselves out. They would do whatever they were told, even if it meant rebellion.
Today's soldiers have received ideological education before they even enter.
The teachings of the military academies will tell them.
Your allegiance is to the country, your Majesty, and your grandson, not your superiors.
It is your bounden duty to obey the orders of your superiors.
If you see anything that endangers national security or affects national interests, you must resolutely resist it and report it to the court.
Many officers of the older generation still carry their old ideas.
Under such circumstances, the conflict is naturally extremely acute.
After many cancers in the army were eliminated, they were replaced by a new generation of officers, such as students from the Ming Military Academy or military academies in various places.
This reduced the prestige of the older generals and strengthened Zhu Ying's control over the army.
Once upon a time, the general shouted something against him.
Everyone followed suit and shouted "Reverse".
Now the general shouted something against him.
Everyone tied them up immediately.
As the eldest son of Xu Da, Xu Huizu has encountered many of his father's old subordinates in the past year or two, who want to ask Xu Huizu to come forward and regain the prestige of the King of Zhongshan.
Xu Huizu naturally refused to agree, and he was not stupid. Even if he had the reputation of being a relative of the emperor, it would be of no use to confront his grandson.
Your Majesty, even the prince-in-law was beheaded directly.
But now there are new changes.
The reform of the army has basically been completed. Both the Huaixi Honorable Generals Group and the imprint left by their older generation on the army have been completely washed away.
So Xu Huizu must make meritorious deeds.
Not for military power, but for the continuation of the Zhongshan Palace.
This time Xu Huizu set out, Zhu Ying did not go to the army to give a speech or anything.
Because Xu Huizu brought thousands of people from the capital this time, many of them were Xu Da's old troops or personal guards.
The speech doesn't mean much.
In order to express his respect for Xu Mansion, Zhu Ying arrived at Xu Mansion in person.
There was a eunuch delivering the order, so Xu Mansion naturally knew that in order to welcome the arrival of His Highness Taisun, everyone from the Xu Mansion came to welcome him.
"Greetings to His Majesty Taisun."
More than two hundred people knelt down and worshiped.
Even though Xu Huizu, as the Duke of the country, was exempted from the ceremony of prostrating, he still knelt down.
Xu Huizu was obviously afraid that His Highness the Grand Sun would be afraid of him.
The Xu family should be the defenders of the imperial power, not the enemies.
"Why are you doing this, Lord Wei? Get up quickly."
Seeing this, Zhu Ying looked surprised and stepped forward to help Xu Huizu up.
It has to be said that Xu Huizu is eight feet five inches tall and stands extremely tall. In front of Zhu Ying, he is half a head taller.
Converted to later generations, eight feet and five inches would be almost 1.9 meters.
Zhu Ying's height is 1.78 meters, which is still a star compared to 1.9 meters.
That's all, but Xu Huizu's noodle shop is like jade. In other words, it feels like a pretty boy.
Xu Da himself has practiced martial arts since he was a child, and Xu Huizu naturally also practiced martial arts with his father since he was a child.
Therefore, Xu Huizu, who is 1.9 meters tall, not only does not look thin, but also looks a bit strong.
If this happened in future generations, I don’t know how many little girls would be crazy about it.
"No gift."
"Let's talk inside."
Everyone stood up and bowed their heads. Xu Huizu bowed and led Zhu Ying down to the study.
Looking at Xu Huizu's submissive look, Zhu Ying said with a smile: "Don't be so nervous. After all, you are my uncle. We are all a family. Why should we be so isolated? Stop standing and let's sit down and chat." "
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Hearing this, Xu Huizu only dared to rest half of his buttocks on the chair.
He felt that when facing his grandson, he was much more nervous than His Majesty.
I didn't feel this way before, but in the past two years I have found that His Highness the Grand Sun's majesty has become stronger and stronger.
Even though he has almost never seen, and rarely heard of, his grandson being angry.
Most of the time when I see my great-grandson, he always smiles and has a calm and natural expression, which makes him seem somewhat close to him.
But the more this happened, the more afraid many officials, including Xu Huizu, became.
Zhu Ying pondered for a moment. Seeing Xu Huizu's behavior, he had no choice but to speak first.
Immediately, he said directly to the point: "The family does not speak the same language, and Miao Jin often talks to me about the current situation of the Xu Mansion."
"The Xu family is the queen of the middle king, and has made countless contributions to our Ming Dynasty. Naturally, our Ming Dynasty will not treat the Xu family badly at any time, and we will treat them as prosperous and prosperous."
At this point, Zhu Ying paused slightly and then continued: "I heard that many military generals have come to the Xu Mansion recently, eager to express their meritorious service in the army."
Xu Huizu's heart trembled, knowing that the key point was coming.
The Xu Mansion is the most prestigious noble family, and the salary of the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion has always been the highest in the entire Ming Dynasty, which also means that it is the most favored.
Only Xu Huizu knew in his heart that Jin Yiwei was the one who followed the Xu Mansion the most.
Even now there are still quite a few.
After thinking about it in his mind, Xu Huizu replied frankly: "Your Highness, there are many senior generals who have come to see me."
"Today, there are great changes in the military, especially the increasingly prominent conflicts between recruits and veterans, which makes many people uncomfortable with the current changes."
"They want to use this trip to Tubo to perform meritorious service and stabilize their power again."
"That's why I made the idea to come to you."
"I know very well that there are too many bad habits in the military today, and many military attachés do whatever they want by commanding the troops. These black sheep will definitely disappear under the trend of reform."
"Many of my father's old subordinates are closely related to the generals below. They have many disconnected connections. They fed back layer by layer, and finally came to me."
"But please rest assured, Your Highness, I will definitely not get involved. If they don't make changes themselves, how can they continue to stay in the army."
Zhu Ying heard this and replied with a smile: "I knew my uncle would not let me down."
"I have been committed to reforming the army and cultivating soldiers who can truly protect our country and our country, instead of acting recklessly and making the people fear and hate them like bandits."
"I was once thinking about a question, what is a teacher of justice? Later, I figured it out."
"An army that defends the country, defends the homeland, does not take money or food from the people, truly fights for the country, and has loyal beliefs is called a righteous army."
"Only such an army can be recognized by the people and join it voluntarily."
"Once upon a time, catching young men for military service made all the people tremble with fear and feel disgusted."
"But now, when our Ming Dynasty recruits troops, we no longer have to worry about the supply of troops. The mainstream of the army is no longer the criminal thieves or the robbers who bully the market, but the good sons and daughters of each family."
"Being loyal to the Ming Dynasty and loving the people, people will no longer be afraid and fearful. They will rejoice in their bloodshed and sweat outside and win the victory. Their parents will also feel proud because their sons are soldiers."
"How can you say that an army with such firm faith cannot be invincible and invincible?"
Zhu Ying's tone is very contagious. This is something he brought with him in his previous life, and it is also his ability to eat in this era.
Xu Huizu's face showed very obvious excitement, and he had obviously been brought into this atmosphere.
After coming back to his senses, Xu Huizu immediately stood up and bowed: "I am ashamed. It was only today that I realized that His Highness's great ambitions are far beyond what I can compare with. I..."
Zhu Ying waved her hand, interrupting Xu Huizu's flattering behavior.
This guy is also a serious scholar, and he is really trying to flatter him, like a torrent of river water, in an endless stream.
Zhu Ying felt good in the past, but the horse was hurting after being flattered too much.
"Sit down. When I say this, I am not denying the meritorious services that the veterans have made for the Ming Dynasty. Without them, there would be no Ming Dynasty today."
"But people have to look forward. Everyone hopes that the Ming Dynasty will get better and better in the future, right? Whether it is reform or reform, these are unstoppable torrents. Anyone who tries to intercept them will definitely be washed away. Got to be smashed to pieces."
"As long as it doesn't violate national security and interests, ignore military regulations and laws, and oppress the people, then it's all doable, and you don't have to worry about yourself."
These words were equivalent to a promise to Xu Huizu.
Zhu Ying will not deliberately target the older generation of generals, but he must be knowledgeable and abide by the law.
Don't be lawless and act recklessly because of the achievements you have made.
At this point, Xu Huizu also understood what Zhu Ying meant.
It can be regarded as an explanation to my father's old department.
In any case, the human relationship is there, and it cannot be cut off simply by cutting it off.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Xu Huizu cupped his hands and thanked him. He also knew in his heart that his grandson was able to say so much because it was for the sake of his little sister.
The Xu family is very good, but that is all for His Majesty.
Whether the emperor and his ministers can continue to be rich and glorious depends on the wishes of His Highness the Grand Sun in front of him.
Fortunately, the Xu family is really lucky that the younger sister can marry the grandson.
Otherwise, if the grandson really wants to target the Xu Mansion, Xu Huizu will have no way to do it.
In fact, as of now, Taisun's intention to reform the army is already very obvious.
Otherwise, how could those recruits have a place to sue Shangguan, let alone get support, and they would really have captured all those hundreds or thousands of households.
"The digression is over, now let's talk about Tamerlane."
"This time Wei Guogong led the troops to go on an expedition. It seems that he already knew something about Timur."
Zhu Ying turned to the main topic of her visit to Xu Mansion.
There is a saying in the art of war: only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you be victorious in every battle.
Xu Huizu had never participated in a large-scale war, so he would not be careless and underestimate the enemy.
From the end of last year to mid-February now, we have been collecting intelligence about Timur and preparing for war.
After thinking about it in his mind, Xu Huizu said: "The Tubo region is mostly plain, and the cavalry has a great advantage. It is obviously not that simple to defeat Timur's army in one fell swoop."
"Although I have far more troops than Timur this time, and I can get the support of the Northern Yuan cavalry and the local Tibetan people, I should be confident of defeating Timur."
"When I go to Tubo this time, I feel that the most troublesome thing is not dealing with Timur's army. The most important thing is to integrate the Tibetan, Northern Yuan cavalry, and our Ming army."
"The military newspaper said that Timur's army was invincible and unstoppable in the Tibetan territory, and that all areas of Tibet were exhausted."
"My analysis shows that there is naturally a reason for Timur's army to be strong, but the fact that all the Tubo tribes are fighting on their own is also the key."
"If all the Tibetan tribes can work together, even if Timur's army is powerful, it will cause huge losses."
"Therefore, after entering Uzang, I will not go deep into it rashly. I will first let the soldiers adapt to the environment and reorganize the army. Those who cannot adapt to the Tibetan body will have to stay in the rear."
"The second is to gather the Tibetan defeated troops and obtain
With enough intelligence on Timur's army, he gradually contacted various Tibetan ministries to form a defense against Timur's army, and then waited for opportunities to find combat opportunities. "
From the beginning, Xu Huizu knew that this trip to Tubo was not a blitzkrieg, but a protracted war.
The imperial court was not willing to put the newly trained cavalry directly into the battlefield, so the number of cavalry available for deployment must be very small.
Infantry has no advantage over cavalry, and matchlocks and artillery can only add another layer of turtle shell to the army.
You can fight, but you can't chase.
So this time Xu Huizu's battle plan stands out for one thing: stability.
Seek victory in stability.
Tubo is the headquarters of the various Tubo tribes, and they will definitely be more anxious than Ming Dynasty.
What Xu Huizu did not say was that entering Tubo this time was also an opportunity for Ming Dynasty to intervene in Tubo.
The reason why I didn't say it is because I haven't gone there yet and don't understand the situation. If I can conquer more Tubo tribes when I get there, it will be a great achievement.
Zhu Ying nodded slightly, agreeing with the battle plan proposed by Xu Huizu.
Before coming, he had actually talked to Huang Guan about the combat policy of supporting Tubo.
Huang Guan did not disappoint him. As expected, he was very knowledgeable about military affairs, and the situation he proposed was roughly the same as that of Xu Huizu.
"You just said so much, but you didn't mention the Beiyuan Cavalry." Zhu Ying reminded.
Xu Huizu said with a wry smile: "This time we, the Ming Dynasty, spent a lot of money and food, borrowing troops from the Northern Yuan Dynasty to enter Tubo to fight against Timur's cavalry."
"I have dealt with some people in Beiyuan before. Most of their characters are arrogant, rude and unscrupulous. This time, my Ming Dynasty is providing money and food, so the commander will definitely be arrogant."
"If you want the Beiyuan cavalry to be obedient, you have to let them know the pain. I predict that after the Beiyuan cavalry enters Tubo, they will definitely not cooperate with me in the Ming Dynasty, but will take the lead in killing the enemy."
"Timur's reputation in the Ming Dynasty is not obvious, but in fact he is a huge force entrenched in the entire East Asia, pushing across its west, north, and south, and waging war on three sides."
"In addition, my Ming Dynasty is surrounded by enemies on all sides. Even so, we still win one after another on the battlefield."
"I heard that in the West, the emperor of the ancient and powerful Ottoman Empire has been captured. This shows how strong his army is."
"In my opinion, it is unlikely that the Northern Yuan cavalry will defeat Timur's cavalry. Only after their defeat will they cooperate with me honestly in the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Ying couldn't help but smile and asked: "What if the Beiyuan cavalry is victorious? Your trip will be in vain. You will also be tired and the officers and soldiers will complain, and you will not get any credit."
Xu Huizu replied easily: "If Bei Yuan wins a big victory, then I have miscalculated. Even if the three armies complain, it is normal. It also shows that Timur is only that strong, and Bei Yuan should be more careful."
Zhu Ying nodded slightly, acknowledging Xu Huizu's words.
Lovers who fall in love have to break up one day, not to mention the alliance between Daming and Beiyuan, which is very loosely related to interests.
However, it seems that Beiyuan has received a lot of benefits from the Ming Dynasty, but in fact, the culture of the Ming Dynasty is gradually assimilating to the grassland.
Many nobles have left the grasslands and moved to the border cities of the Ming Dynasty to enjoy life.
Moreover, Zhu Ying is very confident in the Ming Dynasty, and the current industrialization foundation is gradually being improved and strengthened.
The wealth gained from sea trade continued to further fill the entire Ming Dynasty.
At the same time, the population of the Ming Dynasty is also showing a linear upward trend. Newborns in peaceful times will have a population explosion similar to that in the near future.
On the other hand, the grassland population is gradually losing, and wealth is constantly entering the Ming Dynasty. The Beiyuan Employment Association has allowed most tribes in the grassland to get more money and food, but while completing the task, it also caused casualties.
At that time, even if the Daming Grassland Alliance breaks up, Hua will be able to kill Beiyuan.
You know, Beiyuan does not have Linhai.
The future belongs to the Age of Discovery, which means that Beiyuan and even the entire grassland will not be able to survive.
reap the dividends of the times.
Zhu Ying is still very satisfied with Xu Huizu.
It was originally thought that such a new generation of generals, young and energetic, eager to achieve great results, would most likely attack rashly and cause heavy losses to the Ming army.
Now it seems that it is as stable as an old dog.
When it came to Tubo, it was definitely not that simple, but those who followed were also those old troops who had fought for a lifetime and followed Xu Da.
Xu Da, who is able to win every battle, may have low personal qualities due to the times, but these veterans are indispensable in terms of combat experience.
Xu Huizu finally said: "It may take a long time to get to Tubo. At that time, we can only rely on the court's logistics to provide supplies."
There are still 300,000 people in Tubo, and they consume a huge amount of food and grass every day.
However, Tubo has a vast territory, sparsely populated areas, and few crops, so it can only fight a protracted war, which requires strong support from the court.
Even if Timur's current army is defeated, the other party may send another army over, and it is normal to fight for several years.
Of course, the 300,000-strong army cannot consume food in vain day and night. While working step by step, they will also carry out farming to supplement consumption.
Zhu Yingda said: "Don't worry, in terms of logistics and food, the court can definitely guarantee it. Let alone a few years, even ten or eight years, that's just a small problem."
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