On the third day of April, the court meeting resumed. The officials had been idle for a long time. They were very reluctant to attend the court meeting, but they were willing to attend it because the salary was paid out today, and it was the first time after the salary increase. , all in cash.
Regardless of whether they are honest officials or worms, few people will resist the free money, let alone the reasonable and legal income. Since the prince intends to use the money to win over the officials, it is understandable that everyone comes to collect it.
"There is only one thing to be discussed in today's court meeting. After the discussion is over and the results are obtained, you can leave the court. In the afternoon, dear friends, you can do business in your respective yamen!"
Yaoji sat in the Huangji Palace and looked at the group of courtiers below who had their own thoughts. Many of them were reinstated through Xue Guoguan's connections. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this was the second water injection court meeting.
The name Huangji Palace sounds like it belongs to the palace of Huang Taiji. It feels awkward no matter what. If it was changed to the later Taihe Palace, it would have to take up one character of the chicken. I will have to make it a good name when I have time in the future. OK.
"This matter is about how to defend the Jifu area and maximize the ability of Shuntian Prefecture, especially Ji Town, to resist the invasion of Donglu."
Empress Zhou was not interested in this matter at all. The eldest son had been in charge of the country for some time, and many enemies had been eliminated. It was considered that he had passed the dangerous period without any danger, and there was nothing wrong with her at the court meeting.
At the moment, the head of the palace is focused on Kunning Palace. When the queen is not in the palace, Concubine Yuan and Concubine Tian organize everyone to code the Great Wall, while the principal sits behind the prince, trying to control his addiction to cards.
Nowadays, my hands are itchy after not playing for a day. Apart from reading the newspapers delivered that day, it is this small wooden block that interests Queen Zhou the most. She wonders who lost and who won in the palace when she held the court meeting...
The two chamberlains laboriously brought over a giant shelf, with a map of Jizhen, Xuanfu, and Yongpingfu pinned on it so that the courtiers present could have a thorough look.
Looking back, no one dares to speak without permission. Everyone has summed up the relevant experience. Before the prince has clearly explained the topic, if he makes a mistake and speaks rashly, the person who eats will be in danger. Even if he is given a lighter sentence, The whole family was sent to mine.
When Feng Yuanbiao, the Minister of the Ministry of War, heard this issue, he immediately felt his head grow bigger. This was the most troublesome thing for the Ministry of War.
Since the beginning of the Chongzhen Dynasty, the Donglu invaders have invaded the fortress five times, in the 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th years respectively. The Ming army was not able to resist them once, and they were all plundered by the Donglu forces in various parts of the north.
Although the Ming army made some gains when the Donglu retreated outside the pass, they were far from injuring Huang Taiji. They only lost some soldiers, which was nothing compared to the money and food they plundered.
Everyone in the imperial court originally thought that the Donglu would not come again this winter, and that they would at least recuperate and wait for an opportunity to go south again. However, now that the emperor is traveling and the prince is supervising the country, the Qing army, having received such good news, is bound to make a comeback.
A group of courtiers all turned into bitter faces. Yao Ji only had to explain his point of view first: "I believe that the integrated defense strategy of Ji and Liao is no longer suitable for the current situation. There is trouble in Ji Town, the capital is attacked, and Liaoxi is in vain. There are 100,000 soldiers, but the journey is far away, and the force to rush for reinforcements is only 20,000 cavalry. The leader of the Donglu bandits leads 150,000 horses, and the reinforcements from western Liaoning are just a drop in the bucket. To resist the large-scale attack of the Donglu forces, we must rely on the troops from one corner of Tianfu. , supplemented by reinforcements from western Liaoning. In view of this, first of all, the Jiliao defense area must be divided and two governors shall be in charge of the areas. The governor-general area of Jizhen is Shuntian Prefecture, and the governor-general area of western Liaoning is Yongping Prefecture and the Guanwai area, each of which will control its own area. District soldiers and horses. Now Hong Chengchou is going south to hunt down the remnants, and the governor of western Liaoning, Fang Yizao, is in charge. However, this person is not good at using troops. I wonder if you, my dear friends, can recommend someone?"
The result of the integrated defense of Ji and Liao was that Ji could not hold the garrison and Liaoxi could not attack, which was exactly contrary to the expectations of the emperor and the court. If Hong Chengchou took office, he would be beyond the reach of pigtail's overtaking tactics in corners.
Let Wang Zaijin go to Liaoxi. Anyway, he only has that few people, and he gets five million taels of silver per year. He can do whatever he likes. Whether the old Wang is doing defense or recruiting cannon fodder, a certain prince will not care, as long as he can hold on to the current territory. That’s it.
The focus of the defense of the Jifu area is Ji Town, because whether it is from the breach of the Great Wall in Yongping Prefecture or from the breach of the Great Wall in Shuntian Prefecture, Braid's final march route will pass through Shuntian Prefecture.
Ji Town is the area east of Shuntian Prefecture, north of Shuntian Prefecture and Yongping Prefecture. It is one of the nine sides of the Great Rebellion. After Braid gave up the attack on Shanhaiguan, it was the "first danger of the nine sides".
With the unique terrain advantages, the Great Wall defense line in Jizhen is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but it does not mean that it cannot be conquered.
In the 29th year of Jiajing, Anda led the Tatar army to swarm in from Gubeikou of Jizhen, intending to take the capital directly, capture the emperor, and destroy the Ming court. This is known in history as the "Gengshu Revolution."
Eleven years later, Panjiakou was attacked again by Xilin'a's troops. It can be seen that even in the face of the Menggu indigenous people with backward weapons and equipment, the Ming army's defense line was still precarious.
When Qi Jiguang was the commander-in-chief of Jizhen, he worked hard to strengthen the city walls and rectify the military equipment, which greatly improved the military strength of Jizhen.
But times have changed, and the strength of the Ming army stationed in Ji Town is now not as strong as before. The continuous defense line it is responsible for holding has become difficult to defend against the braid with hundreds of artillery.
Dividing the Jiliao defense zone cannot fundamentally change this passive situation. There must be effective follow-up, and the command system must be arranged first, otherwise chaos will occur before the war begins.
Unlike others, Xue Guoguan had already received advice from the prince before the court meeting, and his words seemed to be on target. Seeing that everyone was silent, he took the lead to express his opinions directly: "Your Highness, it is a common practice for Ji and Liao to be integrated. The situation has changed and the situation is turbulent. This strategy is no longer suitable for the current situation. Even if Hong Chengchou uses his troops like a god, he has no time to divide himself. It is a wise move to divide the defense area into two. One person is the governor of Ji Town, and the other is guarding Jifu. Then we can concentrate on defending the Liaoxi direction."
Lord Shouxu talked about it. The core content was flattery. There were no valuable ingredients at all. Instead, he kept in mind the four-character secret taught by the prince. For him, this was enough. Who knows the rest? As for border affairs, whoever wants to talk to you should just keep quiet.
Wu Di and Xue Guoguan were summoned by the prince together in the morning. After the first assistant expressed his position, as the second assistant, he naturally could not stand idly by: "I agree with what the first assistant said, these two places are where the life gate of our Ming Dynasty is located. We must We can get twice the result with half the effort by calling on two people who know the army to go to the post. I think that if Hong Chengchou cannot return to the army as soon as possible, Fu Zonglong, Ding Qirui, Zhu Dadian, and Wang Qiaonian can be used. These four people are all people who know the army, and His Highness may be able to choose from them."
Yaoji didn't immediately express his opinion after hearing this. None of these were his favorite choices. That's what Wu Zong said, and that's what he heard.
"My dear friends, what do you think? You can speak freely. If there are any flaws in your words, I have no intention of blaming you!"
As a superior, it is very important to listen to the suggestions of subordinates. This shows that you are not just talking about what you say. Even though this is actually the case, you must pretend to accept advice readily.
Wang Jiayan, the left minister of the Ministry of War, believed that it was necessary to set up an entry threshold first, and said: "Your Majesty, Zhu Dadian is approaching the age of hearing. Western Liaoning is a bitter and cold place. I am afraid that his muscles and bones will be inconvenient. The other three Someone might be able to use it.”
The important ministers sent to western Liaoning must first be in good health. If they fall ill without doing anything there, or their bodies are simply not strong enough to support the command of troops in battle, then they might as well not use them at all, so as not to waste a huge five hundred taels of salary. .
Although the imperial court does not have a clear age for becoming an official, Zhu Dadian is close to the bottom line in everyone's mind. At least someone under the age of fifty-five must serve as governor of western Liaoning for five years.
Another possibility is that Zhu Dadian suffered a huge defeat when he first took office, shocking the government and the public. That would save trouble. If he was captured in the capital and then abandoned, there would be no need for him to suffer in Liaoxi...
Wang Jiayan successively served as an official in the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Personnel, and he was considered to be an expert on military affairs. He once said that the guards were exhausted and the imperial court should mainly recruit soldiers. He was also well aware of the shortcomings of horse administration, so he was transferred to the army. It is reasonable to serve in the Ministry of War.
It's just that his words were a little ruthless, and he hit the point directly in one sentence. If Zhu Dadian was in the main hall and heard being called "an old man of integrity", he might eat a bowl of locusts alive to correct himself. audiovisual.
The left minister had already rejected one person, and Jin Zhijun, who was the right minister of the Ministry of War, also wanted to follow up and show his presence: "I thought that although Ding Qirui had served as the censor of Youqiandu and the governor of Shaanxi, he lacked the experience of commanding troops, and his record There are only a handful of them, and they are by no means unique talents.”
Ding Qirui's greatest contribution was to suppress the rogue bandits in Shaanxi as Sun Chuanting's follower. It would never be convincing for such a person to be transferred to guard the most important border position of the Ming Dynasty. Apart from being the right age, most of the rest Not suitable.
Since the two deputies have expressed their opinions one after another, Feng Yuanbiao, Minister of the Ministry of War, has no choice but to come forward and name the candidates he thinks are suitable. He cannot deny the candidates provided by the second deputy: "I think that Fu Zonglong and Wang Qiaonian, regardless of their age, Or qualifications, both are more suitable.”
Fu Zonglong is forty-eight this year, and Wang Qiao is six years older than the former. However, he can still stay in office for at least five years, and it will not be too late to consider replacement candidates by then.
Fu Zonglong, who was in his thirties, defeated the local natives in Qiandi and defeated Anbangyan in Zhaoguantun. He served as governor of Jimen, Liaodong and Baoding military affairs, and was later dismissed, but his combat experience was enough.
Wang Qiaonian once served as Deputy Envoy of Dengcai Military Preparation, Prefect of Pingyang, Right Political Consultant of Shaanxi, and Inspector General. His qualifications are not much better than Ding Qirui's. The real reason why Feng Yuanbiao recommended him is that both of them are Donglin!
Dong Lin in the court was mostly suppressed by the prince, and with good reason, and both people and stolen goods were obtained, so Feng Yuanbiao did not dare to be angry or speak out, so he could only swallow his anger and stay dormant for the time being, and he could use this opportunity to regroup.
Recommending one person alone would inevitably attract too much attention, so Feng Yuanbiao chose to let Fu Zonglong stand in the front to attract everyone's attention, and supported Wang Qiaonian to take the position.
Yaoji understood Old Fengtou's thoughts in an instant, and did not refuse outright. Instead, he looked around at the crowd and asked, "Do you have any objections to what Feng Shangshu said?"
Both of these people are considered loyal ministers of the Great Rebellion Dynasty. They both died in the war. However, Fu Zonglong can be reused. Wang Qiaonian's abilities still need to be tempered. If they are smashed, then don't blame me. The great responsibilities are very important. …
Du Yinxi, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, saw that except for the two cabinet members, only three people from the Ministry of War had expressed their stance, so he went out and said: "Your Highness, I believe that Yuan Jixian is young and powerful, honest and dedicated to the public, and good at using troops. During his tenure as a minister in Huguang, he once The big bandits may be among the candidates."
Yuan Jixian and Fu Zonglong were only one year apart. They were powerful generals of the Mesozoic era. They were good at writing when they were off their horses, and they were good at martial arts when they were on their horses. In the end, they did not surrender to the Qing Dynasty like Ding Qirui.
Although Du Yinxi believed that Wang Qiaonian was not qualified for the post of governor, he expressed his opinion very cleverly and just put Yuan Jixian among the candidates. As for how to choose the prince, it all depends on the emperor.
In this way, the face of the Minister of War was taken care of, and there would be no direct conflict with Feng Yuanbiao. Even if Wang Qiaonian's qualifications were too low, he could not tell him directly.
"Does your beloved have any other ideas?"
It's now a matter of choosing two out of three. Taking into account the overall quality, Wang Qionian will definitely be eliminated. If there are a few more candidates, the first one to be eliminated will definitely be Lao Wangtou.
Yaoji thinks that Yuan Jixian's ability is pretty good, slightly inferior to Fu Zonglong, but definitely far better than Wang Qiaonian, but it is a bit difficult to deal with Braid.
"..."
There was silence below. Today was the first day of the imperial court, and it was also the day of salary distribution. Everyone did not want to make the prince unhappy and anger the prince. Not only would they not get any money, but the prince would send factory guards to take some money away from their homes. .
If you say more, you will make more mistakes. If you don't say it, you will be right. Everyone thinks so. Unless their name is called, they will definitely not answer. Moreover, the prince is a brat, so he may already have a suitable one in his heart. Why should I bother myself with the candidates?
After being worried for so many days, the right thing to do is to go back and let your wife and concubines buy some good food and wine and have a good meal. He cannot predict how the prince will make his decision. He only needs to issue orders and handle matters carefully, and nothing else will get involved, so as not to test the law himself.
"I believe that for those who hold the post of Governor of Jizhen and Western Liaoning, the body and muscles are not the first priority, but the loyalty to fight to the death. If the general has no fighting spirit, how can the soldiers have the fighting spirit? This dynasty started from the Battle of Liaoyang to Guangning was defeated. Most of the troops participating in the battle were not as good as the Baigan Army led by the generals of the Qin family. The equipment of each department was much higher than that of the army. However, the generals of each department were as timid as mice and trembled. What's more, facing the Donglu, they were like lost dogs. , and fled. Don't say that there are 100,000 troops in western Liaoning. Even if there are millions of people, they will definitely suffer the battle of Feishui, the same fate as the army of the former Qin Dynasty!"
In the past twenty years, the biggest gain of the Great Rebellion was the defeat, one after another, and they were all so fast that they suffered from indigestion.
The main reason is that he is afraid of the enemy, is afraid of being beaten by braids, and suffers from "braid phobia" that is difficult to cure in the short term.
If you want to cure it, you must first find two guys who are not afraid of death. Age is not important, what is important is courage.
Another prerequisite is to be able to find ways to fight to the death, and not to have a hundred thousand people stewed randomly by a wave of pigtails...
