The weather in the north is about to turn from autumn to winter, and there is a slight chill.
Today it is rare that the sun rises in the east, and the warm sun shines on the earth.
The garden of the Duke's Mansion is lush and peaceful.
"Xiaolang, why do you have to be unhappy with the emperor's grandfather? The old man needs to be coaxed." Zhu Ningyun said Nannan while trimming flowers and plants in the garden with scissors.
"Hey, let me tell you"
Li Xiao was watering the flowers with a showerhead, and said disapprovingly: "As people get older, their brains tend to become rigid, and they will develop dementia. The scientific name is Alzheimer's disease, which is senile dementia. I also have a good heart, husband." It’s painful, it’s exciting to stimulate the emperor’s grandfather and his elders to prevent them from suffering from dementia.”
"You, you, always have so many reasons."
Zhu Ningyun shook her head helplessly, thought for a while and said: "But what you said makes sense. I have seen some elderly people with dementia. It's quite pitiful."
"That's right, when our father gets old, let's stimulate him together." Li Xiao said.
Zhu Ningyun: "."
Recently, Li Xiao has been completely free. He spends all day with Ningyun Niwai, talking to each other, and to each other.
The industries on hand, such as steel plants, arsenals, textile factories, railway groups, etc., have all been handed over to the court and have gradually been transformed into state-owned enterprises, so there is no need to worry.
The employees inside also turned into employees of the imperial court.
Zhu Gaochi has been arranging people to hand over and manage the accounts. He must have clarified the accounts and reported them to Zhu Di. He can bring nearly 30 million taels of income to the court every year. Zhu Di is very happy and often comes to the Duke's Mansion to talk to his daughter. Reminiscing about old times.
This is also the reason why Zhu Di didn't say a word when Li Xiao confronted Zhu Di last time. Where can I find such a good son-in-law? It's like a treasure. I'm afraid it will fall if I put it in my hand, or it will melt if I hold it in my mouth.
Once these properties were handed over, everyone felt relaxed, and even Zhu Ningyun was free. This is what life is like. You can make a lot of money just by investing in businessmen.
Li Xiao felt that it was useless to have too much money. He might not be able to spend all the money he had now in several lifetimes. He had too much property in his hands, so he would have to spend energy taking care of it.
"Xiaolang, I don't know why, but I feel a little uncomfortable when I'm free." Zhu Ningyun said suddenly.
"I think you just owe it."
Li Xiao patted Ningyun's plump peach and said with a smile: "Wouldn't it be good to enjoy life with your husband? You have to work hard and tire yourself until you are old and yellow to be satisfied?"
Zhu Ningyun blushed and whispered: "That's true. If I were old and yellow, you would have been abducted by the goblin."
Li Xiao chuckled: "Which little goblin dares to do that?"
As he said this, he squeezed it again. After all these years, it is still so elastic!
"Ouch! This feeling... tsk tsk tsk."
A voice came. Needless to say, this rough and arrogant voice was Zhu Gaoxu.
Zhu Gaoxu came over with a smile and said, "After all these years, we are still inseparable. My brother is really envious."
Zhu Ningyun took two hurried steps and left Li Xiao's clutches.
Li Xiao looked at Zhu Gaoxu and said angrily: "Second brother, you treat my Duke's residence as a vegetable garden, right? You don't notify me every time you come?"
Zhu Gaoxu didn't take it seriously, "Hey, what a nonsense for a family to report."
Li Xiao: "."
Zhu Ningyun glanced at Zhu Gaoxu. This brother was getting more and more presumptuous, but she couldn't blame Zhu Gaoxu at all. The relationship between the two was already good. Besides, Gao Xu recruited her husband into the house. What could she say about this brother?
"By the way, Gao Xu, if you don't go to train troops, why do you have time to come here?" Zhu Ningyun said.
"What am I practicing for? My opponent is Li Jinglong."
Zhu Gaoxu raised his head and said disdainfully: "That little piece of trash, brother, I can beat you up as I please. Besides, these soldiers in Peking train every day, so there is no need to improvise."
Zhu Ningyun said seriously: "You should look at each other with admiration after three days of separation. Don't underestimate Li Jinglong. I thought he was quite brave in that battle six years ago."
Zhu Gaoxu waved his hand and said: "His bravery is useless. In fact, what my brother-in-law said that day was right. I have to be controlled by the guard. I am a farmer and a soldier at the same time. Isn't that just a mud-legged person? We soldiers in Peiping, Practicing all day long, I am the best among the best. If I still watch the training every day, what will the emperor think of me if he finds out?"
As he spoke, Zhu Gaoxu imitated Zhu Yuanzhang's tone and said: "This Zhu Gaoxu is determined to help his brother-in-law deal with us. He is so angry with us that we want to kill him. What will my brother do then?"
"Hey." Zhu Ningyun was slightly startled and said, "Gao Xu, what you said makes sense. I didn't expect that you can think of other things when you are thinking about the problem now."
"Hehe, I learned it from my brother-in-law." Zhu Gaoxu said with a smile.
After saying that, he said excitedly: "Brother-in-law, sister, I have nothing to do today."
Zhu Ningyun smiled and said: "Playing mahjong, okay, I'll give you a chance. Whether you can win or not depends on your ability. But one person is missing, and one of the three is missing."
Soon, a maid came to announce that Princess Han had arrived. Zhu Ningyun nodded slightly.
Not long after,
Zhu Gaoxu's princess Wei Jiangxue came over and bowed politely, "I've met my brother-in-law, sister."
Then, she looked at Zhu Gaoxu, frowned and said, "Your Majesty, next time you enter the Duke's Mansion, can you go through the main entrance?"
Zhu Ningyun was stunned, looked at Wei Jiangxue and said, "Sister, how did Gao Xu get in?"
Wei Jiangxue said helplessly: "Climb the wall."
Li Xiao: "."
Zhu Ningyun: "."
No wonder he was silent every time he came in. Thinking about it, the third child was the same.
When did these two people develop this habit? ? ?
Crackling.
Mahjong crackled on the table, and the two couples began to play mahjong.
There were few entertainment activities in ancient times, so mahjong was a good way for the dignitaries in the capital to kill time.
"forty thousand."
Zhu Gaoxu played a card and said: "Brother-in-law, I heard that all the properties in your hands have been given to the imperial court. What will you do in the future?"
Zhu Gaoxu asked sideways.
He was actually worried that Zhu Di would take away all his properties.
The toilet paper factory, nail clipping factory, and safflower oil factory in the capital are all Zhu Gaoxu's industries. They can bring him an income of five to six hundred thousand taels every year, which he can't bear to part with.
Wei Jiangxue beside him was even more reluctant to part with him.
No, today I will take Zhu Gaoxu around and have a look at his voice.
"What should I do?" Li Xiao said with a smile: "Money is just a passing cloud. I regard money as dung. I can live a simple life."
"bump!"
Zhu Gaoxu smiled again and said: "Brother-in-law, you are a saint. A saint treats money like dirt. My brother, I am a layman and you are saying this. I am embarrassed to win your money."
Li Xiaoxin said, "Hey, you seem to be able to win money from me. I am a perfect mahjong player."
Zhu Ningyun laughed at the side and said: "Gao Xu, don't listen to your brother-in-law. We really don't have much property now, but we can make a lot of profits by investing in those businessmen every year. You can win your brother-in-law's money with confidence and boldness."
"I'm just telling you." Zhu Gaoxu said, "Brother-in-law really has some tricks up his sleeve. There are endless ways to make money."
Wei Jiangxue smiled slightly and said: "Hey, my brother-in-law is very capable, but our prince doesn't have this ability."
Li Xiao finally understood what the two couples were singing in harmony.
He smiled and said: "Gao Xu, don't worry. Dad doesn't like your little industry. It can't be large-scale. It's just a small business. It's not easy for the court to manage Qitong."
"That's right."
Zhu Gaoxu was overjoyed and pushed the cards, "Huh! Give me money, give me money."
"Sorry Gao Xu."
Zhu Ningyun also pushed the cards and said with a smile: "I'll take the lead."
It turned out to be a double shot, and Zhu Ningyun intercepted Hu.
Li Xiao's methods are strategizing, and he can do whatever he wants to do.
Zhu Gaoxu frowned and said, "Come again, come again."
Capital, Wanping.
Dashukou Village has been renamed Lijia Village, and everyone’s surname is Li Weirong.
This is Li Xiao's hometown.
Therefore, it can be regarded as the best one in the ten miles and eight villages.
The village has changed greatly. Every household has built brick houses, ancestral halls, auditoriums, and squares.
However, the dilapidated house where Li Xiao lived was deliberately preserved by the community, and the three acres of land that Li Xiao originally owned were also protected as a reminder of the history of his fortune.
There is a Ming Dynasty Imperial Master in the village, which is the glory of the whole village.
Recently, Zhu Yunwen was filming a movie "The Life of Peking People" and came to Lijiacun to collect local materials. After all, this is the hometown of the Imperial Master.
Li Youtian, the head of the dormitory district, warmly welcomed the arrival of the filming team and specially prepared a table of meals for the guests. The best dishes were served, including chicken, duck, and fish.
"Welcome, welcome! I didn't expect that our Lijia Village would also be in a movie."
Li Youtian shook hands with Zhu Yunwen excitedly, while the villagers nearby beat gongs and drums.
"This is the hometown of the Imperial Master. It's not necessary to be in the movie, but you guys are too polite." Zhu Yunwen walked into the village with a smile, and then enjoyed the reception.
At the dinner table, Zhu Yunwen toasted with a glass of wine and said with a smile: "Li Youtian, right? Our filming team may have to shoot here for a few days, and we will need the cooperation of the villagers."
Li Youtian responded: "Everything depends on the director's arrangements, haha. Your residence has been arranged for the past few days. Anyone who needs cooperation will be called for you."
Zhu Yunwen smiled and said: "Then it's settled. Today we will observe in the village and start shooting tomorrow."
Li Youtian said excitedly: "It's easy to talk, easy to talk, just follow the great director's command."
After a meal and drink.
Zhu Yunwen arranged for his subordinates to go to each household to explore the public sentiment, select examples and organize copywriting, while he took Zhu Yunxi around the village.
"This is where the Imperial Master made his fortune. It's a place with beautiful scenery and outstanding talents."
While walking, Zhu Yunwen sighed with emotion.
Hearing this, Zhu Yunxi scolded Zhu Yunwen in his heart for being such a good dog, but on the surface he pretended to agree, "Yes, a small village with such a great talent as the national master, it is unimaginable that even this small village can be built so good."
In the past six months, Zhu Yunxi has followed Zhu Yunwen everywhere to shoot movies, and he has completely realized the power of movies. This is a terrifying way of publicity that can quickly change people's minds.
He thought to himself, Peking has changed tremendously now, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. If this film about people's lives was spread to other places, everyone would be eager to see it.
I'm afraid it will be extremely difficult for my big things to happen by then. Before, I planned to hibernate in secret and work steadily, but now it seems that I must speed up the progress.
As they walked, the two came to a dilapidated thatched house, which was particularly eye-catching in this village of brick and tile houses.
"Are there still poor households?"
Zhu Yunwen was good at capturing information and immediately walked over, wanting to go in and take a look.
"Stop, you can't enter here."
Two people immediately came to stop him.
"we are"
Zhu Yunwen wanted to identify himself.
A young man was very arrogant. He held a straw in his mouth and said angrily: "Whoever you are, you can't enter here."
Zhu Yunwen was a little displeased. However, although he was rich these years, he never caused trouble because of his status. He planned to just ask Li Youtian tomorrow.
He took Zhu Yunxi away.
"Pooh."
The young man spit out the straw in his mouth and laughed.
This made Zhu Yunwen a little angry. He couldn't bear it. He turned his head and looked over, "What do you mean?"
"Come on, hurry up, this is not a place you can see, not even if the King of Heaven comes." The young man waved his hand disdainfully.
What did the two of them say? They were both grandsons of the emperor. How had they ever been insulted like this?
"Damn it, I'm looking for death!"
Zhu Yunxi didn't care, but in order to gain more trust from Zhu Yunwen, he went out of his way to help him. This was in line with his original temper and character, so he rushed over.
The two got into a fight and struggled with each other.
Although Zhu Yunxi had practiced martial arts before, his martial arts skills were almost useless after ten years in Tianlao, and his body was much weaker. He couldn't win it for a while.
Soon, others called the dormitory leader Li Youtian.
"Weiwei, you are looking for death!"
Li Youtian heard the news and came over.
He hurriedly pulled away, and then put his kick on Li Hongwei's body.
This young man named Li Hongwei rolled on the ground a few times and said unconvinced. "Dad, why are you beating me? These two people want to enter the Imperial Preceptor's house. Can I agree?"
"You can come in, you idiot."
Li Youtian was furious and said: "These officials are all members of the National Preceptor, and they came here to make movies."
After saying that, he apologized to Zhu Yunwen: "Director, this son of mine is a stupid pig. I haven't found him these days, and he doesn't know about it. You don't remember the faults of villains. Please forgive him this time."
"Huh?" Li Hongwei was stunned. It turned out to be someone from the National Preceptor who came to film a movie. He hurriedly bowed and apologized: "I was reckless just now."
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said: "If you don't know, don't blame me."
Zhu Yunxi kept the name Li Hongwei in his heart.
At night.
Zhu Yunxi lived in a villager's house arranged by the dormitory leader.
A man in black appears in the house.
Now that we are outside Peking City, this is a good time for communication.
The man in black said: "Your Majesty, do you want my subordinates to kill the blind Li Hongwei during the day?"
"No, I can't bear this little thing, how can it become a big thing." Zhu Yunxi asked: "Has the flintlock gun started to be built over in Yunnan?"
The man in black said: "The Lord has already built it secretly, it still needs time."
"Time waits for no one." Zhu Yunxi ordered: "Send the news and let him speed up the progress."
"Yes." The man in black nodded and said: "Your Majesty, after these days of investigation, I found out that ten years ago, Yao Guangxiao touched Li Xiao's bones and said that this man was as lucky as heaven and that everything would go smoothly for him. Just rely on your luck."
Zhu Yunxi said: "Then what do you mean?"
The man in black said: "There is a kind of poison called "head-dropping" in the Miao border area of Yunnan. If the head-dropping poison is planted in the coffin of Li Xiao's parents, it can suppress his luck. And the graves of Li Xiao's parents, It’s on the mountain behind this village right now.”
Zhu Yunxi's eyes lit up and he said: "There is such a technique."
A thought occurred in his mind. It was really unfavorable to fight against Li Xiao like this. He was not sure, so he had to use this method. Thinking of this, Zhu Yunxi whispered: "Go and handle this matter. Don't be discovered."
"yes."
The man in black responded and disappeared into the night.
"One two! One two! One two!"
Loud orders sounded from the neat marching team.
Li Jinglong knew that the moment he accepted the imperial edict, his every word and deed could affect the emperor's opinion of him.
He did not dare to neglect at all, and led his soldiers to march at full speed.
There is a saying in the Art of War: "Soldiers value speed." Whether the marching speed is fast or slow can also reflect the specific level of quality.
An elite army can "reach hundreds of miles in the day", while a corrupt and incompetent army can only squirm like a snail.
In ancient times, the influence of roads, soil slopes, ditches, shrubs, and mud puddles would also affect the marching speed, and the width of the road also affected the marching speed.
A road can accommodate four people walking side by side, with each row spaced one meter apart and occupying one meter.
The guard post of 5,000 people is divided into five teams of 1,000 people. Each team of 1,000 people can occupy a road length of 500 meters, and the large army can be separated by 5 miles in front and back!
If the army is larger, reaching tens of thousands, and if it does not advance along multiple roads and is all crowded together, the distance between the vanguard and the rearguard will be tens of miles. The vanguard will set off in the morning and the rearguard may not be able to break camp until noon. ". In order to speed up the march, Li Jinglong planned in advance and marched in two directions at full speed.
The two groups of soldiers gathered and were already less than thirty miles away from the capital. It only took Li Jinglong a mere month to get here.
After preparing the army, Li Jinglong planned to reach the capital directly in one go.
"It takes a thousand days to raise an army, but it takes only a moment to use it. This time I enter the capital, it is the moment to show the strength of our Cixi Guards. Everyone cheer up this general and show your style!"
Li Jinglong spoke in front of the formation to boost morale.
These are the guardsmen. If the court just says a word, they will have to come all the way with food. It is busy farming now, and the soldiers put down their work at home and rush thousands of miles away.
"For General Li, I will win this military exercise no matter what!"
"We want to show those pampered young soldiers in the capital what soldiers are!"
"We have been training hard for so many years, aren't we just waiting for today, let them have a taste of our power!"
The soldiers clenched their fists and shouted, their morale high.
These soldiers are all burly and respect Li Jinglong very much. Since the battle six years ago, Li Jinglong's reputation has greatly increased and he deserves respect. There is even more gratitude in their hearts. They know that Li Jinglong has silently paid a lot over the years.
As long as you train, you can eat a big pot of rice, and the big pot of rice will have meat for every meal. Li Jinglong tried every means to improve his treatment.
As for the commanders of other guards, I heard that they tried every means to deduct money from them.
Soon, Li Jinglong led his soldiers into the capital to hand over to the Governor's Mansion.
The governor's office controlled the Chinese and foreign armies. There were two large and small military palaces inside and outside the capital, and forty-eight guards were assigned to them.
The person who received Li Jinglong was Governor Zuo of the Dudu Mansion and Duke of Wei Xu Huizu. The two had not seen each other for more than ten years. They were filled with emotion. Xu Huizu pulled Li Jinglong and said: "Jiujiang, you only took one month to get to the capital."
Jiujiang is Li Jinglong's name, and using this word to refer to him shows that Xu Huizu still regards him as a friend.
Li Jinglong respectfully held his hands in his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Li Jinglong, please see the Grand Governor."
Xu Huizu smiled and patted Li Jinglong's arm, "I'm seeing you outside."
Li Jinglong laughed, "It's been a long time no see. This capital has changed so much that I don't even recognize him anymore."
The two of them chatted again, and Xu Huizu arranged for them to stay in the school grounds. "You will have food and accommodation here, and train well. If you behave properly this time, the Holy Emperor will most likely return you the title of Duke of the Li family. If you need anything, please contact us directly." He said, I will report this matter to the Holy One first."
"Okay, then there's Brother Lao Yungong." Li Jinglong cupped his hands.
Seeing a hint of sadness on the other side's eyebrows, Xu Huizu comforted him: "Jiujiang, don't worry too much. We won't let you fight against the three major battalions of the capital. You are fighting against the new army under the national division. Those new troops have only been in the army for two years." I will retire in 2020, but I still have a chance of winning!"
The three major camps in the capital are divided into military camp, Shenji camp and 3000 camp. These three camps were built by Zhu Di himself. They are not under the guard system and do not need to be farmed. They are elite troops mobilized from various places and are the only important forces of the Ming Dynasty. The soldiers raised were used to defend the capital and the elite of the Northern Expedition. Among them, three thousand battalions were Mongolian cavalry, with very strong combat effectiveness.
Li Jinglong thought. If he was fighting against the New Army, he would really have a good chance of winning. But why was he called from all the way to fight against the New Army? What was the purpose of this?
"Farewell, I'll catch up with you tonight."
Xu Huizu said this and left.
Li Jinglong was not in a hurry to train. The soldiers had been marching hard for a month, so they began to arrange for them to go down to rest. The soldiers thought they would continue training, so they cheered and went to their rooms to rest.
At the same time, the question just now has been lingering in Li Jinglong's mind.
"Why did it take only one month to reach the capital?"
In Hongwu Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang was surprised when he heard the news. He thought it would take two months, but he didn't expect that the time was shortened by half.
"That's right." Xu Huizu cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, according to my observation, Li Jinglong's soldiers are of extremely high quality. When they entered the capital and saw the prosperity of the capital, they were still neatly lined up and were unmoved. Then at the school grounds, the soldiers quickly The formation is being prepared. The soldiers are all tall and powerful, full of energy, and they are a tiger and wolf warrior. If we train for another half month, I am afraid that I will easily defeat those new troops."
"Unexpectedly, Li Jinglong actually trained a tiger and wolf master in the guard station."
Zhu Yuanzhang was very surprised, "It seems that I made the right choice in choosing Li Jinglong. I will treat you with admiration after three days of separation. After these years of hard work, Li Jinglong has really become a general. Hehe, Li Xiao, Li Xiao, you have obviously become swollen recently." , let’s see how we use this army to weaken your spirit.”
"Your Majesty, if there is nothing else to do, I will retire first."
Xu Huizu slightly cupped his hands and was about to leave.
Zhu Yuanzhang stopped him and asked: "Huizu, you are in charge of the Governor's Mansion and have often gone down to inspect the troops over the years. What do you think of the soldiers in the other guards besides Li Jinglong?"
Unexpectedly, Xu Huizu was speechless when he asked these questions suddenly.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Tell it truthfully."
Xu Huizu nodded and said: "Except for Li Jinglong's team, the others are similar, and their combat effectiveness is very average. In fact, the same was true for Li Jinglong's guard army six years ago. However, in the battle with Japanese pirates, several guards along the coast did not fight back against the Japanese pirates. With his strength, Li Jinglong almost died in battle. After that, he began to train his soldiers to be brave and drill them, and this is how he formed the army he has today."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "In other words, this is just a special case, and other guards cannot be used for their full purpose?"
Xu Huizu said: "It's not that it's useless, it's just that when using troops, they need to be drilled in advance. However, I think that if the army still needs temporary drills, its combat effectiveness will not be strong on the battlefield. In addition, soldiers are very fast and can easily miss opportunities."
"We haven't thought about what you said."
Zhu Yuanzhang was all thinking, and then waved his hand: "Step back."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After Xu Huizu retired, he went to look for Li Jinglong. After all, he hadn't seen him in these years and wanted to catch up on old times.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Xu Huizu's leaving figure and murmured: "Not long ago, Li Xiao handed over all state-owned enterprises to the court, and the national treasury was able to gain another 50 million taels of income every year. Don't we know that military households are suffering? But it’s also a helpless move. I’m afraid, Li Xiao, you want to say that the Ming Dynasty’s tax revenue is enough to support the army. Li Xiao, Li Xiao, you have good intentions.”
"No matter what, no matter what, since the country has the money to support the army, there is no need to change the military system. Since you are so stubborn, Li Xiao, I will let you do it this time. But what is going on with this Zhu Gaoxu? He doesn't go to training every day. When the time comes, we will lose to Li Jinglong and the bet will come into effect. Even if we want to change it, we can’t make it happen. This Zhu Gaoxu deserves to be damned.”
The Duke's Mansion of the State of Wei.
Xu Huizu invited Li Jinglong to have a drink and reminisce about the past.
The two grew up together and have a good relationship. They did not fight Zhu Di because of the war in this world, so there was no conflict.
In addition, Xu Huizu watched the movie a few years ago in which Li Jinglong defended the city with his body, and now he admires this Li Jinglong quite a lot.
The two chatted about the past years, and then Xu Huizu started to talk about the business: "Although the new army established by the national division is full of new recruits, you should not underestimate it. The new military system is similar to the county conscription system of the Qin Dynasty. , all the soldiers who enlisted in the army were young and strong, people from good families, and the military camp was called Tieming Camp.
Tieming Camp currently has 5,000 soldiers. After two years of retirement, they are ordinary soldiers, but soldiers with outstanding performance can stay. At present, the people of Beiping City are recruiting for the new army. In addition, due to the propaganda of the National Division on Beiping, they are becoming soldiers. Glory, the status of soldiers is extremely high, and their salaries are also high.
If they could stay in the military camp, they would choose to stay. With these veterans taking care of them, this group of recruits practiced all day long, and the food was top-notch, better than the food in the three major camps. Due to trade with the Beiyuan tribe in the north, Dun Beef and mutton are available for every meal. In addition to the current conditions in Peiping, eggs, chicken, pork, and fresh vegetables and fruits are available for every meal. I heard that milk is now added to breakfast, and my physical fitness is extremely good. But I have never seen the specific combat effectiveness. "
"What?" Li Jinglong was shocked after hearing this. "This recruit is given beef, mutton, and milk. The treatment is ridiculously good!"
Compared with the guardsmen under his command, it was really a huge difference. It was still his own guardhouse. Over the years, he had tried every means to add meat to his meals, and sometimes he had to pay for it out of his own pocket. Those soldiers even farmed to support themselves.
"what is this?"
Xu Huizu said: "It's just one thing that these soldiers have good food. Those who perform well after being discharged can be assigned jobs, or receive a sum of silver, seven or eighty taels in two years. Although it is not enough to support them in old age, there is no problem in buying a remote house." , engage in work, or do some small business, it is enough to support yourself."
hiss.
Li Jinglong took a breath.
This treatment is simply amazing. When the soldiers in the guard station get old, the court will no longer care about them. They will be discarded directly after they are used up. However, the new army, which only served in the army for two years, can get a generous amount of silver. The difference is huge.
When Li Jinglong came to Beijing this time, he first wanted to regain the glory that belonged to the Li family and the title of Cao Guogong.
In addition, he hopes to be more responsive to the emperor, slightly improve the treatment of some guards, and speak for the guards in the world. There are 1.5 million guards in the country.
But right now, the new army is being treated so well
Li Jinglong couldn't help but ask: "Why isn't this new army system popularized throughout the world?"
Xu Huizu laughed and said: "How much silver will it cost to promote the world? According to the standards of the New Army, it is probably an astronomical figure. How can the imperial court afford it? By the way, you still don't know the significance of your coming to Beijing this time, right? ?”
Li Jinglong nodded and said: "Yes, I suddenly came all the way to the capital to fight with the new army. I thought about it for a long time and still didn't understand the purpose of this trip."
Xu Huizu said: "To tell you the truth, this trip is a bet between the Imperial Master and the Supreme Emperor."
"What bet?" Li Jinglong asked.
Xu Huizu said: "The imperial master wanted to implement the new army's method, but was opposed by the emperor, so this bet was born. If you win, the garrison and farmland will remain the same. If the new army succeeds, the new method will be implemented." "
"What!"
Li Jinglong was shocked. If he won, wouldn't he be a sinner? I'm sorry for my brothers.
If he loses, if he introduces the new army method, the military households in the world will no longer suffer. But if he loses, then what about the glory of the Li family? Should it be abandoned?
Li Jinglong suddenly fell into a dilemma, not knowing what to do.
This choice is so difficult! ! !
"Jiujiang, Jiujiang, what's wrong with you?"
Xu Huizu noticed the same thing about Li Jinglong and pushed to wake him up.
But seeing Li Jinglong's worried look on his face, he sighed: "Brother Yun Gong, over the years, I have been training soldiers below, and I am well aware of the shortcomings of the guard station and the suffering of the soldiers in the guard station. When I come to Beijing this time, in addition to bringing back Li The honor of the family, I still want to say a word for my soldiers, but I can't think of it."
Xu Huizu was stunned for a moment and said seriously: "Jiujiang, you don't want to lose this game, do you? You have to think clearly. There will never be such a missed opportunity. If you deliberately lose the game, How can you face the ancestors of your Li family??"
Li Jinglong shook his head and said: "Why did you choose me? If I had made such a rare choice, I would not have had such troubles if I had chosen other health centers."
Xu Huizu advised: "If you hadn't trained diligently over the years, you wouldn't have been able to win this opportunity. Think about it carefully. Even if you lose, this new army method may not be promoted, and it will cost a lot of money."
"No." Li Jinglong said: "There are 1.8 million guardsmen in the country alone. Including the three major battalions of the capital, there are two million soldiers. Soldiers are expensive but not expensive. If it is a new army, The fighting power is strong, so why do we need more than 1.8 million soldiers? 500,000 are enough. The soldiers in the garrison are not of much use."
In fact, what Li Jinglong said is not wrong. The future Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Qizhen, personally led the expedition, and the elites of the three major battalions came out. However, in the battle of Tumubao, all the elites of the three major battalions were lost. The military strength of the Ming Dynasty was thus reduced, and there was no way to rely on the guards. Fa regained his strength and did not recover for more than a hundred years.
"Jiujiang, you really impress me now!"
Xu Huizu admired Li Jinglong even more. It was rare that he cared so much about military households and even wavered in the idea of taking back his title.
"But have you ever thought about it, if you deliberately lose the battle, how could you not see how wise the Emperor is? When the time comes, when you are angry, even if you lose the game, the matter will not be done." Xu Huizu said seriously: " This matter is not something you and I can control. Whether it succeeds or fails depends on the game between the Imperial Master and the Supreme Emperor. You only need to train well and face the challenge well, and don’t think too much about anything else."
Li Jinglong was startled and said in fear: "Brother Yungong is right. I can't control such a big thing. Thanks to brother Yungong's reminder, Jiujiang knows how to do it. I will be well prepared to face the challenge and show my style." .”
Xu Huizu was very pleased, patted him on the shoulder and said: "I wish you could figure this out!"
The two laughed and talked late into the night.
On the second day, Li Jinglong swept away his fatigue and devoted all his body and mind to military training.
Zhu Gaoxu, on the other hand, went to the Duke's Mansion to play mahjong every day and enjoyed it very much.
Half a month later.
The drill was held on the school grounds.
On this day, there were crowds of people, and a tall platform was built on the school ground.
The Supreme Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di, the Queen Xu Miaoyun, the Princess Zhu Ningyun, the state counselor Li Xiao, the princes Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaosui and others, as well as several ministers and cabinet members, watched from the platform.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di sat on two dragon chairs in the middle, one on the left and one on the right, while the others stood on both sides according to their status.
Five thousand soldiers from the Tieming Battalion and five thousand guards from the Cixi Guard stood ready on the school grounds.
The soldiers on both sides have high morale and are determined not to lose. They are afraid that it will be a tit-for-tat duel.
In addition to daily drills, the soldiers of the Tieming Battalion also attend classes. They learn patriotic knowledge and the concept of honor for soldiers. In addition, they know that if they lose this time, the Iron-Blooded Battalion may not exist. Therefore, morale reached its peak.
The soldiers of Cixi Guard had accepted Li Jinglong's favor for many years and fought with gratitude. At the same time, they also knew that if General Li could regain Cao Guogong's title, he would probably speak for them and improve their treatment and morale. Also reached its peak.
The drill has just begun. The eyes of the soldiers on both sides of the martial arts field are looking at each other, and there is a strong smell of gunpowder. I am afraid that if the order is given, the two sides will fight hard!
"I really didn't expect that this Cixi Guards sergeant would be of such quality. He could compete with the soldiers of the three major battalions in energy and energy. Li Jinglong actually trained himself into a tiger and wolf division. I'm afraid it would be hard for the new army to win. "
On the stage, Fang Bin, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, lamented that he knew that the guards soldiers who came to the court some time ago were not like this at all. He was leaning towards the recruits of the national division, and he couldn't help but worry.
"Look at the Tieming Battalion. Although they are new soldiers, each one is tall and strong, with a rainbow of momentum. I think the Cixi Guard soldiers are not bad, but they are still inferior to the new army."
Yang Shiqi stood aside and praised the new army.
"The new army was built with a lot of money. On the other hand, the soldiers of the Cixi Guards have to work in the fields on weekdays, but they don't have to spend a single penny of money. Can't you tell who is better and who is worse? Moreover, this battle , it’s hard to say, I think both sides have the possibility of winning.”
Xie Jin, the chief minister of the cabinet, favored the guards and wanted to win Zhu Yuanzhang's favor. Zhu Yuanzhang supported the guard system he had personally created.
"You can't say that." Wei Guogong Xu Huizu secretly praised Li Jinglong and said: "Li Jinglong's military training efforts over the years are unique. It is not easy to train guards who are usually busy with farm work to this level. It is not easy in the world. There are many guards, but I am afraid that only the Cixi Guards can rival the three major battalions and the New Army."
While everyone was talking, Zhu Di coughed twice when he saw that Zhu Yuanzhang had something to say, and everyone fell silent and became quiet.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the five thousand soldiers led by Li Jinglong, with their heads held high and chests high, full of confidence. They were indeed the masters of tigers and wolves. He laughed and said: "I heard that Zhu Gaoxu was playing mahjong every day during this period. He was so happy that he couldn't think of Shu, but he didn't know that there were not enough arrogant soldiers and strong generals. For bravery. On the other hand, Li Jinglong's soldiers have strict military discipline and are full of confidence. The National Master's words are too full, so don't capsize the boat in the gutter."
These words were obviously directed at Li Xiao.
Li Xiao looked at Li Jinglong's soldiers at this time and found that they were indeed extraordinary. It seemed that the rumors a while ago were true. The eldest brother had really carefully chosen a good opponent for himself.
Li Xiao smiled slightly and said: "This Li Jinglong is really impressive after three days of separation. He actually trained a group of strong soldiers. I'm afraid he spent a lot of money on it. Whether he wins or loses, we can't tell. , only the real seal under your hands is."
Zhu Yuanzhang saw that there was something in Li Xiao's words. What does it mean to train good soldiers by spending your own money? With a displeased expression on his face, he waved his hand and said, "In that case, let's get started."
The eunuch on the side shouted: "The martial arts performance begins!"
Soldiers on both sides are wearing armor to prevent injuries. The drill is not harmful to human life. They are holding wooden weapons, such as bows and arrows. The arrows have no arrowheads, but are wrapped in a layer of cloth with red ink inside. Similarly, the guns The same is true for the head. If it is hit, a red mark will appear on the body. If it is a fatal position, it means death and elimination.
Boom, boom, boom! ! ! Boom, boom, boom! ! !
The drums are ringing!
This tit-for-tat exercise against Maimang has officially begun.
"drink!"
Soldiers on both sides were well prepared, waiting for the general to give orders.
Li Jinglong stood on a high place, watching the opponent's formation, and then gave orders. The flag commander next to him immediately waved the flag. The soldiers responded quickly through the flag language, changed their formation, and formed a defensive circle.
"Okay, not bad!" Zhu Yuanzhang said with a slight smile: "The formation changes are orderly and he can quickly follow the general's command. It is really good."
Afterwards, Zhu Yuanzhang looked towards Zhu Gaoxu's new army.
Zhu Gaoxu also waved his hand, and then the flag commander passed the flag order.
Then, he noticed something was different. He saw a few people in the army pick up the suona, and then started to play the suona.
Zhu Yuanzhang: "???"
(End of chapter)
