Zhu Qiyu actually did not do it on a whim.
The city's defense was a top priority, and he had to see it with his own eyes before he could rest assured.
The first stop was Deshengmen.
With Wang Fuyin's humanoid pass, even if they were just a group of ordinary people, they could still successfully board the tower.
Standing on the tower and looking out, Zhu Qiyu felt that he had an unobstructed view. As far as he could see, he could see the scene hundreds of steps away.
Yu Qian stood behind him, following the emperor's footsteps, explaining to the emperor and other accompanying ministers as he walked.
"There are trees outside the nine gates. To prevent thieves from getting close to the city wall, the military department has cut down all the trees within five miles of the city. In this way, our officers and soldiers stand on the city wall. Whenever anyone approaches, You can see everything at a glance.”
Zhu Qiyu nodded and turned his attention to the city gate.
Today's city gate is also very different from what he remembered.
Most of the residential buildings that were originally scattered everywhere have been moved into the city. In the empty alleys outside the city, there are many horse-repelling stakes to prevent enemy cavalry from intruding.
On the city wall, horizontal wooden gates were added at intervals at the crenels to resist flying arrows.
Outside the city wall, thick sand fence trees are tied with ropes. In wartime, just cut the ropes to turn them into rolling logs to prevent the enemy from attacking the city.
There are also spare rolling logs and rocks placed at the feet of each soldier.
Zhu Qiyu asked, pointing to the inner wall that was obviously just built outside.
"The inner walls and trenches underneath have also been renovated?"
Yu Qian replied: "Yes, when the capital was being built, due to lack of materials, many of the inner walls of the nine gates were built with earth. This time the imperial court was preparing the city defense and ordered the Ministry of Industry to recruit a large amount of bricks, wood, lime and other materials to build the city. The inner walls built of earth were all replaced with bricks, and the trenches outside the city were deepened by three feet.”
Everyone looked down and saw that the trench outside the city was indeed very deep. Once they fell in, if no one helped, they would not be able to climb out for a while.
Continuing forward, you will reach the arrow tower of Deshengmen.
Compared with ordinary city walls, arrow towers are taller and wider.
Yu Qian led everyone up to the arrow tower and continued to explain.
"The archery tower is towering. After this reconstruction, the wall is high and thick. Soldiers can hide inside. They can not only detect the enemy's traces in advance, but also rely on the protective wall to shoot arrows downwards."
"At the same time, the archery tower stores a large amount of bricks, stones, earthworks, weapons, and gunpowder. In case of war, it can supply the surrounding officers and soldiers with rapid consumption."
Standing on the high archery tower, you can not only see the situation in the distance outside the city wall, but also the situation everywhere on the city wall.
Zhu Qiyu pointed to the soldiers on duty on the city wall and asked.
"How to arrange the city defense?"
Yu Qian said: "Currently, there are ten steps per guard. Patrols are conducted every half an hour. Guards are changed every two hours. Only half of the guards are replaced each time. They take turns on duty."
"The Ministry of War has equipped all the soldiers on duty in the city with the latest military uniforms, helmets, and crossbow weapons, and fire muskets are also being provided one after another."
At this time, Ningyang Hou Chen Mao suddenly asked.
"The soldiers guarding the city are equipped with fire guns, but what about the capital camp?"
Yu Qian cupped his hands and replied: "Don't worry, Lord Marquis, these weapons are urgently transported from Nanjing. The Beijing camp has already been prepared and is now being drilled day and night."
Chen Mao is different from other nobles.
He is the only veteran nobleman who has experienced the Jingnan War among all the existing noblemen.
His father, Chen Heng, Duke of Jing State, died in Jingnan, and he himself was granted the title of Ningyang Bo due to his meritorious service, and was subsequently granted the title of Ningyang Marquis by the Jin Dynasty.
During the Tumu Campaign, he was leading the army in countering the rebellion in Fujian.
Otherwise, with him in charge, the relatives would not be in such an embarrassing situation.
However, after returning to the capital, I saw that all the capital camps, on which I relied so much, had been taken away by the Ministry of War.
The old Marquis is holding fire in his heart!
Hearing what Yu Qian said, Chen Mao's cloudy old eyes suddenly flashed with light and said.
"I heard that after Yu Shangshu took charge of the Beijing camp, he successively deposed several of his descendants. Not only that, but he also transformed the original three camps into ten regiment camps. I wonder what the effect will be?"
Facing Chen Mao, who came with an unkind attitude, Yu Qian responded calmly and held his hands.
"The restructuring of the Beijing camp was approved by the emperor. Nowadays, the troops stationed in the center of Beijing are not only the Beijing camp, but also the two capitals, the Bei Cao Army in Henan, the Bei Japanese Army in Shandong, and the grain transport army in the canal. The sources are complex. The orders of each line of business must be restructured and integrated so that they can exert their greatest combat power."
At this time, Zhu Qiyu also spoke.
"Besides Marquis Ningyang, other courtiers must also have doubts about the regimental camp system. Yu Qian, why don't you take this opportunity to explain it carefully."
"yes!"
Yu Qian accepted the order and explained.
"After the army reported to Beijing and the Ministry of War reported it to the imperial court, they began to mobilize troops from all over the country. As of now, in addition to the more than 70,000 officers and soldiers originally left behind in the Beijing camp, all the military preparations, Japanese troops, and grain transportation troops have been prepared. Entering the capital, the three of them have a total of more than 130,000 troops. Adding the strength of the capital camp, our capital garrison can mobilize more than 200,000 officers and soldiers."
"However, one of them is mostly old and weak, the second is that they have not practiced training for a long time, and the third is composed of craftsmen and civilians, whose combat strength is low. In addition, the sources of each army are different, making it difficult to cooperate together. Therefore, with your Majesty's approval, I, Renovate the regimental camp.”
"The system of regiments and camps involves selecting the best and fittest men from the garrison, a total of 150,000, divided into ten regiments. The whole army is mixed and drilled strictly by the general officer. Each camp is equipped with muskets, gunpowder and waist knives."
"In wartime, we use firearms first, then rain arrows, and occasionally use gunpowder and firecrackers to deceive them. When the thieves think that I have run out of gunpowder and gallop to attack, they use artillery, muskets, and rockets to cover our chariots at the same time. When dispatching, the horse army goes first, followed by the infantry army. The horse army stabs people, and the infantry army slashes the enemy's horse legs with waist knives. If they attack each other several times, they will definitely defeat the enemy."
As Yu Qian spoke, he gestured towards the trenches and other places outside the city.
He was even careful enough to explain in detail where the cavalry should be placed and where the infantry should be placed in the army's formation, how many steps should be between the two, and how to adjust when coordination is out of control.
After listening for a moment, Cheng'an Marquis Guo Sheng asked: "So, Yu Shangshu is not satisfied with defending the city, but wants to send the army out of the city and face the enemy head-on?"
Yu Qian nodded and said: "Yes, although the officers and soldiers have made many arrangements on the city wall, the city wall is the last line of defense for the capital. If the enemy really attacks the city, it must have reached a critical moment."
"Besides, the capital city is the capital of our Ming Dynasty after all. If we fight until the city walls are heavily damaged, even if we can win, it will be a great shame and humiliation. If we fight out of the Nine Gates and our army retreats, there is still a city wall to defend. If we rely on the city to defend it, the city wall will not be able to be defended." If it is broken, our officers and troops will have no way to retreat, and the people in the city will be in trouble."
"So our army should march out of the nine gates and engage the enemy head-on. Relying on the city wall, preparing quickly and waiting for work is the best strategy."
Chen Mao glared at Guo Sheng dissatisfied.
This is a man who has never fought in a war. Do you really think that defending the city means staying in the city without going out and firing cold arrows through the city wall?
The battle to defend the city is called defending the city, but it is always a frontal battle outside the city.
The reason why they have the advantage is not that they can't attack because of the city wall, but that they can rely on the city's rapid supplies to replace wounded soldiers.
Only when there are really no soldiers to send in the city, and it is completely impossible to engage in a head-on battle, and can only stick to the city wall, will it be impossible to hold on.
In the battle to defend the city, the city wall is the last line of defense, but it is by no means the only line of defense.
When two armies are at war, unless there is a huge disparity in strength, fighting instead of defending is the best strategy. This is basic common sense in fighting.
A shameful thing who doesn’t understand anything!
