Although everyone stopped admonishing, everyone was extremely uneasy. If they were not careful, they would be doomed.
Song Yingxing, minister of the Ministry of Industry, stepped forward and asked:
"How is Your Majesty planning to go out to conquer the country?"
Zhu Youxiao turned his back to the map and said:
"This is exactly what I want to say now."
"I am planning to use the Yulin Army as the main force, supplemented by soldiers and horses from the two towns of Xuanda, with a total of 100,000 soldiers marching out of the fortress in two directions."
"Go all the way out from Xuanfu Town, all the way out from Gubeikou, separate and attack together, all the way from west to east, all the way north, stagger and sweep, and meet at Chengde!"
Zhu Youxiao did not tell them his plan to exit the blockade from Xifengkou. Although they were relatively trustworthy ministers, he didn't know whether they were strict or not.
Although the court has been overhauled, Zhu Youxiao still can't rest assured. Maybe the enemy agents are around, so he must be on guard against others.
Besides, there is no such thing as state secrets in this era. As long as something happens, those people are eager to let the whole world know about it, beating gongs and drums for propaganda.
"The Ministry of Household Affairs has prepared 50,000 shi of food and grass and 200,000 taels of military pay. There is no need to mobilize the civilians. The Yulin Army will escort him to Miyun first!"
Song Yingxing asked again:
"When will Your Majesty prepare to send troops?"
Zhu Youxiao closed his eyes and thought for a while and said:
"Fifteen days later!"
Fifteen days later, it was the end of the month. Zhu Youxiao had calculated the marching route and the time required, and he could leave the fortress in early March.
At this time, the mutual trading had just begun. This was the time when the Mongols were at their most relaxed, and their attention was basically attracted by the mutual trading, which was just to their benefit.
"Your Majesty will leave the border with an army of 100,000 people. Wouldn't Xuandabian Town be empty? What if other tribes invade the border?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, the two towns of Xuanda and Da are important towns on nine sides. If all the troops are transferred out, won't the northwest of the capital be opened up?"
Ni Wenhuan and Xue Zhen asked still uneasily.
"I have already prepared countermeasures. Don't worry, my dear friends, there will be no problems on the nine sides."
Wang Xiangqian, Yuanfu of the Cabinet, asked:
"Your Majesty is going on a personal expedition. How will the defense of the capital be arranged? Which ministers will accompany him on the expedition? Who will stay behind to control the overall situation?"
Zhu Youxiao has already made arrangements for this. This is a major event related to the foundation of the country.
Zhu Youxiao looked at these officials and said:
"Three ministers, Wang Zaijin, Assistant Minister of the Cabinet, Yang Sichang, the right minister of the Ministry of War, and Chen Qiyu, the right minister of the Ministry of Personnel, are accompanying him on the expedition!"
Xue Zhen asked respectfully:
"Your Majesty, are these just the three ministers? Are you adding a few more?"
"I am going to fight, not to patrol. Why are there so many ministers there? These three ministers are enough."
"Even so, it's always good to have a few more knowledgeable people by your Majesty's side!"
Zhu Youxiao walked around twice more and said:
"As for staying behind, Master Wang and Xu Guangqi will be responsible for coordinating everything, with the six ministries and nine ministers assisting, and the five-city military and horse department will also be temporarily under the jurisdiction of the cabinet!"
"Let's all go back and prepare. The Ministry of War will prepare the approval document, and the Ministry of Household Affairs will prepare the money, food and logistics. Remember, you can't disturb the people and mobilize the people, and you can't make a big show of it. Keep it as secret as possible!"
"I obey the order!"
Zhu Youxiao sighed and finally convinced these officials. Now he must start making full preparations!
"I have ordered the commanders of the Twenty-Five Guards to come to the palace to see me, and I have also ordered the British Duke to come!"
The twenty-five guards are still available. After all, they are responsible for the safety of the capital and the imperial city. The four Tengxiang guards are also accompanying the emperor to protect them. They are not much different.
After he leaves Beijing, political affairs can be managed by the civil servants of the Sixth Cabinet Department, but this military power cannot be given casually.
It's not that Zhu Youxiao cannot trust Wang Xiangqian and Xu Guangqi, but they must be separated. Military and political power must not be left in the hands of one person or one party.
Apart from these civil servants, only the British government was qualified and capable to take charge of military power. He was also the most suitable and the most trustworthy by Zhu Youxiao.
The British Duke's family has been in charge of the capital for generations, and they are loyal to the emperor. They are the head of the nobles and are able to suppress those usually lawless nobles. The civil servants are also quite afraid of the British Duke.
In history, Wei Zhongxian held all the power in the world, covering the sky with one hand. The civil servants were so suppressed by him that they could not lift their heads. He was even called nine thousand years old. How majestic is that?
But even for such a powerful minister, he still did not dare to offend the British Duke, and he did not even dare to stretch his hand. The transcendent status of more than two hundred years cannot be easily shaken.
"I respectfully wish to greet you, Your Majesty!"
Among the twenty-five guards of the pro-army, except for the three martial arts guards and the flag-bearer guards, the other twenty-one guards are tasked with guarding the imperial city.
According to the system established by Emperor Taizu, one guard consisted of 5,600 people. At its peak, the pro-military guard reached more than 10,000 people per guard. It was very prosperous for a while. Later, after experiencing the Tumu Fort and the defense battle of the capital, it gradually became more powerful. Declined.
Since the Tumubao suffered heavy losses, it was gradually more or less controlled by the Ministry of War. From then on, it was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion. Only the four guards of Tengxiang and Wuxiang still belonged to the emperor.
Because these four guards were established during the Xuande period, and Zhu Zhanji was clever and attributed them to the Royal Horse Supervisor, and the Ministry of War had no control over them. He must have felt that the power of the civil servants was growing and was no longer controllable. This policy safeguards the imperial power.
Although he is said to be pro-military, so many years have passed. Since the Orthodox era, the Ministry of War has continued to cross the line and snatched away all the rights it could. Now, there is only a so-called pro-military name left.
These health clinics are no different from those ordinary health clinics. They are corrupt when they should be, and they still get paid as they should.
"I am ordering you to come here for one thing only. To verify the actual number of combatable soldiers in each of your guards. I don't blame you. But if you conceal and lie, don't blame me for not remembering old friendship!"
The reason why Zhu Youxiao said that he did not miss the old relationship was because these commanders were basically hereditary. Their ancestors had been military guards for generations, and they had not stopped since the Yongle year.
These people looked at each other, and they all had their own agendas. Some people thought that the report could not be verified truthfully, while others thought it was better to be honest.
Zhu Youxiao discovered their concerns and asked Wang Chaofu to take them out one by one, control them separately, not allowing them a chance to communicate, and kept the commanders of Tengxiang's four guards.
The four guards of Tengxiang are completely usable. Because they are under the control of the Royal Horse Supervisor, they have not been corrupted by the civil servants.
Zhu Youxiao suspected that the so-called "Pure Army" of Emperor Chongzhen in history was trained based on these four guards. It seems that they are all loyal and reliable, because facts have proven it.
When Li Zicheng conquered the capital, except for a few nobles led by the last British Duke Zhang Shize and their servants to resist to the death, only the "Pure Army" of the Royal Horse Prison and a few Jin Yiwei fought for the emperor through fire and water.
Zhu Youxiao wants to regain these rights that belong to the emperor step by step. Only centralization of power can reform.
