As soon as Yang Sichang died, the generals who had been tricked by him could come out and stretch their muscles. There was no one who didn't hate the fat man. If they didn't stop him, they would personally chop Yang Sichang into pieces.
Because of Yang Sichang's misjudgment in the capital, the Qing army heading south to the mountains was able to avoid the real situation and attack the weak. After the fall of Jinan, the generals were arrested by the scapegoats and used as scapegoats.
Regardless of what they had done before leading the army, but looking at the battle, they were undoubtedly unjustly accused. First they were ordered to defend, then they were ordered to take the blame, and finally they were ordered to be "snapped" by the scapegoat.
Therefore, a certain prince learned from Shandong's experience and lessons, and allowed Yan Jizu, the governor of Henan, Lu Daqi, the governor of Huguang, and the governor of Shaanxi Zuo Maodi to have military power in their hands.
Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou led the main force of the army to take charge of the field battle, while the governors from various places could command the garrison to defend the city. In this way, even if the city was lost, they could no longer use the excuse of not having soldiers in hand to excuse the court.
"Commander Li Zhongzhen disobeyed orders, feared the enemy and fought cowardly. He abandoned the market today and ransacked his house immediately. The men with curly hair are assigned to mountain diggers, and the female family members are assigned to the Jiaofang Secretary!"
Lu Xiangsheng had commanded Li Chongzhen before, but this guy was even afraid of rogue bandits. He was not as good as He Renlong and Zuo Liangyu. At least these two guys could give some strength in fighting rogue bandits.
"Commander Wu Guojun is cowardly and incompetent. He ran away from the battle. He abandoned the market that day and immediately ransacked his house. The man with curly hair is assigned to the mountain to mine, and the female family member is assigned to the Jiaofang Secretary!"
Li Chongzhen did not want to fight against the rogues at all, while Wu Guojun was responsible for leading his troops to garrison Qiangziling, an important area east of Miyun. Seeing that the main force of the Qing army was attacking with all its strength, he became frightened and ran away. The area was also occupied by Yue Tuo's troops. capture.
"Zu Kuan relied on merit and was coquettish, ran the army laxly, robbed the people, and insulted women. He must be punished and perform meritorious service to see the consequences!"
Li Chongzhen and Zu Kuan once served under Lu Xiangsheng at the same time. Although Zu Kuan was arrogant and allowed his subordinates to do whatever they wanted, he was still diligent in suppressing the bandits. He had defeated Zhang Xianzhong, Gao Yingxiang, and Li Zicheng one after another before, so he was considered a strong general.
In his early years, he worked under Zu Dashou, and his ancestral home was also Liaodong. However, he was not a direct relative of the ancestral family, he just had the same surname. Just like the two previous Wang Chengen, they were not related at all, they just had the same name.
"The general has been wronged... Your Highness, spare your life..."
A certain prince waved his hand, indicating that Li Chongzhen and Wu Guojun could be dragged out for execution. Seeing that the situation was not good, the two idiots hurriedly shouted for victory in the hope of escaping.
There are clear rewards and punishments here in Yaoji. If you have any merit, you can live a little longer. People like Zu Kuan can also have a chance to turn over, but it is obvious that the sneaky Li Chongzhen does not have such luck.
"I would like to thank Your Highness for your forgiveness!"
Although Zu Kuan was unruly, he still knew what was going on in this situation. Based on his past mistakes, he was worthy enough to wait for Li Zhongzhen to commit the same crime. This time he saved his life, so he could breathe a sigh of relief.
This was a disobedient evil dog in front of him. Yao Ji sat on the chair and said very kindly: "I know all about Zu Aiqing's deeds. Now that I have spared Aiqing from death, what will happen in the future? I think Aiqing will die." Be measured!"
Dogs hate less when they are used!
A large number of generals were taken to the south to suppress the bandits by their right-hand men. Yang Wenyue also wanted to take several of them to fight against Wang Pu. Zhou Yuji wanted to train the East Palace Guards. Instead of recruiting people from prison, he could only recruit them from Huang Degong.
This was a good time to show his loyalty. Zu Kuan hurriedly vowed: "In the end, the general will fight bravely to kill the enemy and run the army strictly. If he does it again, he will take his own dog's head and offer it to His Highness!"
What Zu Kuan thought was that the prince was young, so he should fool him first. When the official resumes his duties, the military power will be mine, no matter who the prince is or the governor. There must be no less women who should eat, drink, and play.
There are too many people like this, and this is not the first time Yaoji has seen them. He did not immediately expose them and led them into the hole he dug in advance: "What you said is true, but I hate bullying you the most. No matter what, you are a person who violates the law! However, it seems that it is of little use to ask Aiqing to establish a written evidence with empty words. The previous time Sun Yingyuan was attacked by thieves and his crotch was injured, which made me feel very pitiful. When I saw this, I thought of it. Come on, if you can have a protective gear to protect your crotch, wouldn't you be able to sit back and relax? So... enter the court!"
Yang Jin signaled to the little attendant behind him, and the waiter brought up a tray. It was covered with red cloth, so you couldn't see what was inside.
When everyone was puzzled, Yang Jinchao lifted up the red cloth. On the plate were three semi-curved columnar iron cages. The size was not much larger than a small bamboo tube, but there was a small and unique cage next to it. Lock.
Yao Ji slowly explained to everyone this very delicate "little cutie". In order to make this thing, Ouchi's craftsmen have been busy for a long time: "This is a 'loyalty lock'! One for each of the three beauties, and the After that, I will believe in Aiqing's loyalty. If there is any disobedience or disrespect in the future, then this lock will never be opened again and he will become a living eunuch who can't do anything! This lock is made by Ouchi and is extremely precise. , forcibly dismantling it will only damage the lock cylinder, and may even injure parts that should not be injured. The key is here, and if you lead your troops on an expedition, I will give the key to your boss Zhou Yuji, and he will Come and take charge. If you are loyal, there will naturally be no shortage of things to play with. Otherwise, it is better to be castrated as soon as possible and worship under Fang Zhenghua's sect."
In addition to Zu Kuan, Chen Guowei and Ni Chong also enjoyed this special treatment. Not wearing it would be a blatant disobedience. After wearing it, if you want to take it off, you have to be obedient like a dog.
Fang Zhenghua didn't mind having a few more skilled subordinates, but the three people opposite him were definitely not happy about it. They would not agree to give up a man's most precious possessions to become eunuchs and give them one hundred thousand taels of silver.
Unlike similar products sold online, there is an opening at the lower end of the cage, into which a finger can be inserted and a cloth can be used to wipe spilled and missed liquids to maintain necessary hygiene.
There is no need to take it off when taking a shower, but you should completely dry the water stains afterwards to delay the time of rust, because this thing is not made of stainless steel.
Usually, more oil is used to prevent oxidation and lubricate, but when it really starts to rust, just replace it with a new one, because a certain prince decided to use this "little cutie" to control those disobedient generals.
"Your Highness, please be kind to me. I will never dare to disobey you!"
Zu Kuan absolutely did not want to wear this birdcage. After the little prince explained, he was almost scared into a eunuch. If he wore it, he would definitely obey the prince and obey his orders. Except for his crotch, he would be the same as the eunuch. Not much difference.
"Oh? Do you really think so?"
Yaoji didn't say how to make a decision, he just asked in depth to avoid misunderstandings.
"Seriously! Seriously! I will eventually deceive His Highness!"
As long as he doesn't wear that damn cage, Zu Kuan will agree to whatever conditions the prince proposes.
"I have just said that since I love you and don't wear it, do you want to be my enemy?"
This guy is still making his own little plans, so a certain prince will give him some advice.
"I don't dare! I hope His Highness will notice~!"
Now that he was released from prison, Zu Kuan never wanted to go back.
Not only him, no one wants to stay in that hellish place and suffer. It would be so comfortable to be happy outside.
"Don't you dare? I see how cruel you dare to be! Aren't you being disobedient and disrespectful just now? You dare not even listen to my orders! If you really don't want to wear it, then go and keep Li Chongzhen company! Someone comes here ~!"
This kind of person will not ask for mercy until he sees his colleagues. There happens to be a "car in front" that can take him to see him.
"The general is willing! The general is willing! The general is willing to wear it! The general will be loyal to His Highness from now on and will never dare to disobey orders!"
Either wear a birdcage or lose your head, whichever is the lesser of two evils.
Zu Kuan still felt that his life was at stake. Even if the cage in front of him was put on, nothing would happen.
If you can find a skilled craftsman to open it privately, that would be great. If you can't open it, you will really have to be respectful to the prince in the future.
"Isn't this great? If I had told you earlier, I wouldn't have had to talk so much nonsense! Where are you?"
As for this cage, even though it looks bad, if you can find someone to open it, then I lose.
"The general is also willing!"
Chen Guowei and Ni Chong had no way out, so of course they would agree. With Li Chongzhen in front of them and Zu Kuan in the back, the three of them would really anger the prince if they refused.
A certain prince couldn't help but sneer at the thought of Zhou Yuji's three generals carrying bird cages into battle to kill the enemy, as if they were more suitable to serve in Sun Yingyuan's Beichang.
"After you put it on, even if you open it halfway, I will know it without sending anyone to supervise you. Because when you come back, I will send someone to open the lock for you, and then calculate the number of days it is locked and the weight that should be handed over. If it is too much If it is rare, someone will really become a living eunuch!"
Regarding this matter, a certain prince thought about the first move and the second move. The first move was naturally the cage and the lock, which could be controlled with the key. The second step is to check the weight accumulated during the inactivity period. If it is too little, someone has already opened the lock.
"Oh, by the way! I would also like to remind you, my beloved, that if you open the lock privately and cause the lock cylinder to be blocked, then there will be nothing I can do to help you. I will prepare to be a living eunuch for the rest of my life!"
Yao Ji believes that one or even all of them will try to open the lock, but he must say ugly things in front of him. If he messes up, he will be responsible for the consequences. This is not a door lock. If you can't open it with a key, just smash the lock head.
"Due to the recent need to organize and train a new army, the lock can be unlocked every six days. The time limit is six hours. It is too long to avoid damage to your physical strength! If you do not obey the orders of Zhou Yuji, the commander of the East Palace Guards, during this period, I will personally It will extend the unlocking time!”
I am not afraid that you will be disobedient, but I am afraid that you will be too obedient.
If they were disobedient and locked up for a month, the three of them would even have their pigtails beaten in order to unlock the door.
Zhou Yuji, who had just finished searching the deserters in the capital camp outside the city, was still worried about finding qualified generals, but the prince was very concerned about him.
This time, there are three more capable generals, but the process is a bit unbearable to watch...
But the prince's orders cannot be disobeyed, and apart from this method, there is no other way to control them for the time being.
Yao Ji also introduced the general situation of the troops to the three doglegs who were about to join the army: "In view of the rebellion in the Beijing camp, I have no intention of rebuilding, and first formed the East Palace Guards to protect the capital. It is a division-level establishment, with a There are a cavalry brigade, two infantry brigades, a baggage regiment, an artillery brigade, and several auxiliary troops, with a total strength of 25,000. Zu Kuan is appointed as the commander of the cavalry brigade, Chen Guowei and Ni Chong are appointed as the commanders of the infantry brigade, and they have the rank of deputy general. Take it under the command of division commander and general Zhou Yuji!"
As a son's force, the East Palace Guards will be fully supplied with weapons, equipment, pay, food and grass.
Zhou Yuji is a completely trustworthy candidate. Whether he is a personal guard or commanding operations, he is no worse than Huang Degong, and being promoted to a chief officer can stimulate his desire to serve.
Although the virtues of the three brigade commanders under his command are not very good, they can still be trained. After two or three years of training, they will become good dogs that loyally protect their masters.
If high-tech units such as airships are added later, the strength of the East Palace Guards may reach 30,000 people, and the annual expenditure will not be less than 1.8 million taels of silver.
Since they are equipped with "Apocalypse Tanks", "Kirov Airships", "Semi-Propelled Mortar Vehicles" and rocket launchers, each person is equipped with full-body armor and new muskets. They use the best in everything, so this force is A veritable gold-eating monster.
This is also the standard for the ace troops. A certain prince set the salary standard for the Ming Armed Forces into three levels.
In the standing state, the third level is fifty taels of silver per person per year, the second level is sixty taels, and the first level is seventy taels. In wartime, dozens of taels will be added as rewards on this basis.
If you want to raise 500,000 field troops, according to the minimum standards, you will have to burn 25 million taels of silver every year.
Based on this calculation, it is absolutely impossible to achieve annual fiscal revenue without 40 million taels.
But only by reaching this scale can the Ming army go head-to-head with Braid and use its quantitative advantage to offset the opponent's qualitative advantage.
A certain prince's plan is to use 100,000 elites and 400,000 cannon fodder troops to "pop" 200,000 pigtails.
It is necessary to achieve at least twice the strength advantage. If there is a foreign aid array of 50,000 to 100,000 people, it will be even more powerful.
Zhu Laosi bean fermented bean curd mobilized 500,000 troops to go out for the Northern Expedition, but in vain.
If a certain prince had gathered so many people and went out, as long as he went straight to Shenyang, he would definitely encounter Huang Taiji's main force on the way.
Mu Min, who is not living in a stable place, has entered the era of settlement. If the Ming army attacks Liaodong, a war on the scale of Saarhu will break out.
But Yao Ji was completely uneasy about leaving the troops in the hands of Zu Kuan and others.
In addition to being locked up, these three dogs also need to undergo necessary training and cannot use their original tactics to lead troops in battle.
If his ability is really low, then just reinstate him, give him 3,000 troops, and continue to be a cannon fodder general.
Yaoji planned to reduce the military ranks. The new army did not need too many generals. He challenged the existing military rank system of the DPRK. The power of the general and the commander were similar, but in the East Palace Guards, the person in charge of 5,000 people was just a brigade commander.
Zhou Yuji holds the rank of Commander-in-Chief. As the highest officer of the Guard, he is nothing more than a division commander. However, he can also add the title of Prince Shaobao to weigh in. The asymmetry of military ranks will need to be adjusted later, so for the time being, this will be the case.
Originally, I wanted to take the opportunity to teach Cao Bianjiao, the nephew of the famous general Cao Wenzhao, but Zunhua is also an important town, so a certain prince was not at ease if someone else was to garrison him. He would find time to bring this guy back later.
The recruitment work is underway, not only near the capital, but also the entire Shuntian Prefecture, and even Xuanfu Town in the north, Yongping Prefecture in the east, Baoding Prefecture and Hejian Prefecture in the south, can be used to recruit troops.
The disaster-stricken areas in Beizhili are under the jurisdiction of recruiting cannon fodder. You can eat imperial food without growing crops. Join the prince's army and you can also be exempted from taxes and fees at home. Such a good thing will make many young people happy when they hear the news. of.
There is recruitment content in newspapers. If you are illiterate or cannot afford the "Jingshi Daily", then it is a different matter...
