After listening to Uncle Ying Cheng's explanation, Huang Qiong looked at the old count who had almost exhausted all his strength after saying these words, with mixed feelings in his heart. I don't know whether I should punish him or reward him. If things were really as he said, the old earl knew that the consequences were likely to be extremely serious, but he still chose to stand still, so that he could be said to be devoted to the country.
Huang Qiong didn't know Li Jiedushi, the envoy of Longyou, very well. But he could tell from the guilty look in the Privy Councilor's eyes when he was selecting the general that he was probably not someone who could be entrusted with such a big responsibility. In this way, the old earl's worries were not unfounded. Thinking of this, Huang Qiong said in a deep voice: "Old Earl, is there no other general in the Xijing camp who can replace him?"
In response to Huang Qiong's question, Ouyang Jie shook his head with a wry smile and said: "The left-behind yamen in Xijing were originally set up for the northwest. Don't look at the fact that there are four departments here, the Privy Council and the Palace Department, with the same level as the capital. But because the actual power is limited, so It has always been regarded as a nursing home by the officials of the DPRK and the Central Government, and those officials who have some connections are not willing to come, and now all the government offices are incomplete."
"In the Ministry of Rites, there is only one minister leading two chief ministers, plus a few ministers, and there is not even a minister. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry both have one minister, one minister, and two chief ministers, leading a group of fifty or sixty people. There is not even a doctor who can't be promoted to a foreign minister. As for the household department, it is fully equipped, but they are all people who are depressed in Beijing and are sent here to retire. "
"There is only one envoy in the Privy Council, not even a deputy envoy. As for Lao Chen, the prefect of the palace, the staff is the most complete among all the yamen in Xijing. But both the horse and infantry armies command envoys, and both the horse and infantry armies command envoy Lan Tiannan Chang Yuan. , followed Liu Jiedu of Shaanxi to Yan'an Prefecture to take charge. If he didn't follow to coordinate and take charge, it would be difficult for Liu Jiedu alone to command the troops in the Xijing Camp."
"Now that the old minister is so ill again, it is really difficult to handle military affairs. The infantry commander Qingjiang Bo Ma Liangzuo has to handle the daily affairs for the old minister. Moreover, although Ma Liangzuo is an earl, he is appointed as the infantry commander in front of the Xijing Remaining Palace. The commander has never been on the battlefield. He is also very rigid and can handle daily military affairs, but it is difficult for him to lead the army in combat."
"As for the commanders of the three battalions, their ranks are all below that of Li Jiedu. When they arrive at Longyou, they will also be under his command. Your lord, unless it is the veteran who refuses to send troops, there is really no general in the army. This soldier It cannot be launched. However, the selection of the 20,000 veterans of the army has been completed, and they are all elites selected by the third battalion. As long as the general appointed by the imperial court arrives, he can go out at any time. "
After saying that, Uncle Ying Cheng coughed violently again and tried to stand up, but failed several times. Seeing this, Huang Qiong hurriedly stepped forward and helped him back onto the chair. After a moment of silence, he said: "The old earl has worked hard for the country, and I know it. Don't worry, I have not blamed the old earl, and I will not hold the old earl responsible for this. The old earl can rest in peace and recover."
But the Yingcheng uncle, after hearing Huang Qiong's words, slightly shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, I have already heard from my colleagues about your performance during the suppression of the rebellion in Zhengzhou last year. Your Majesty can know people and be kind. I am very pleased to have the courage to let go in employing people and leave the affairs to capable people. I am very relieved to hand over the 20,000 troops to the prince."
"However, He Yuanfeng is brave enough, but strategy is not his strong point. When he goes to the battlefield, his eyesight is still a little bit shallow. Moreover, this person is a cavalry person and is good at using horse troops to fight. He is still a little unfamiliar with the temperament of infantry. The most important thing is that He has a somewhat impatient temper. Although he is good at using cavalry for sneak attacks, the details are often unsatisfactory. What worries me most is that he is eager for success."
"This person, Tuoba Jiqian, has been seen by me several times before. He can definitely be called a momentary hero. He is also extremely insidious. Judging from his actions during the Ningxia rebellion, this person is very good at using ambushes when using troops. He Yuanfeng is Personality, I am afraid that he may not be his opponent. Therefore, when the prince goes to Longyou, he must grasp the overall situation and must not let him underestimate the enemy and advance rashly, otherwise he will miss the important event. "
He Yuanfeng came from the Xijing Camp. The old count led the Xijing Camp for nearly ten years. As an old boss, I know his strengths and weaknesses very well. Although I don't know He Yuanfeng's real advantages and disadvantages very clearly. But as He Yuanfeng's immediate boss for many years, Huang Qiong believed that the old earl's words were definitely not unreasonable. After Uncle Ying Cheng said these words, Huang Qiong felt a little heavy.
Regarding the old earl's advice but thorough analysis, Huang Qiong nodded solemnly and said: "Old earl, please don't worry, I will remember your words of wisdom for the country. Old earl , you have led the Xijing camp for nearly ten years. You must be well aware of the capabilities of the generals in the army. Can you recommend some generals to me to make up for He Yuanfeng's shortcomings?"
But after hearing Huang Qiong's words, Uncle Ying Cheng remained silent for a long time. After a long time, he said: "Your Majesty, He Yuanfeng is not a narrow-minded person. Although his eyesight is a bit shallow, he is not the least bit intolerant of others. He is still very aware of his own weaknesses in abilities. He is also a person transferred out of the Xijing Camp. , it would be more appropriate for him to choose this candidate himself.
After seeing that Ouyang Jie had almost exhausted all his strength to say these words, he no longer had the strength to speak. Huang Qiong nodded slightly and said nothing more, let alone asked any further questions. He just slowly walked out of the spacious living room in front of the palace, and nodded to the few Ouyang Jie's soldiers waiting outside the door, asking them to go in quickly to serve Ouyang Jie.
He also ordered Fan Jian to ask Doctor Li to take Ouyang Jie's pulse. He found He Yuanfeng in the side hall who was handing over to Ma Liangzuo, the former commander of the Xijing Palace and the infantry commander, and asked him to pick a general from the Xijing Camp to be his after taking over the 20,000 elite soldiers selected from the Xijing Camp. deputy. Make all preparations today, and the army will set off for Qingyang Mansion early tomorrow morning.
He had been waiting outside, accompanied by Deputy Envoy Jiedu, and rushed to the imperial envoy's cabin that had been prepared for him to rest. Just when Huang Qiong left the Yamen in front of the palace and was about to get on his horse and leave. Ouyang Jie, a private soldier, hurried over. He respectfully handed it to Huang Qiong, a box and a large volume of pictures. He said it was Ouyang Jie who repeatedly told him to give it to His Royal Highness.
He took the box and the picture with great care. After pondering for a moment, Huang Qiong said to the soldier: "Go back and tell the old man, I understand his thoughts. Tell the old man, it doesn't matter if the sky falls. Recuperate with peace of mind, and don't think too much. There will be many things in the court in the future, and we need to learn from this respected veteran. When I return from Longyou, I will have a drink with the old count. "
After saying that, after getting on his horse, Huang Qiong turned back and stared at the small but solemn Si Yamen in front of the palace for a long time. But he didn't say a word until he left. In fact, Huang Qiong originally planned to rest at the Si Yamen in front of the palace tonight so that he could set off with the army early tomorrow morning. But I had never thought before that the old earl was so seriously ill.
With so many people in his party, living in the Si Yamen in front of the palace might disturb the old general's recovery. So I decided to go back to the government and arrange a rest for myself. It would be more appropriate to let a professional like He Yuanfeng handle the matter of dispatching troops and generals before departure. I have indeed accumulated some experience in the First World War in Zhengzhou, but I am far from comfortable with this kind of military matters.
For professional matters, it is better to let more professional people do it. Although the ambassador is said to be in charge of civil and military affairs, as the old man said, he is in charge of the overall situation. It does not mean that you can interfere in the specific affairs of any party at will. I don't know much about military affairs at all. Just don’t pretend to be an expert there and meddle in everything at will.
After returning to the Jiedushi Yamen and his own quarters, Huang Qiong had a hasty meal, then opened the wooden box that the old uncle gave to him and saw a booklet inside. Seeing this booklet, Huang Qiong hurriedly opened it and read it carefully. This booklet contains extremely detailed descriptions of Ningxia's mountains and rivers, geography, and some folk customs. It even details where there is water and where there is a lack of water.
In the excerpt, the old earl also provided some suggestions for the counter-rebellion based on his understanding of the Dangxiang people from his many years of guarding the northwest and the situation of Tuoba's subsequent migration. Although I didn’t write much about my opinions in this regard, I fully expressed my true intentions. The old earl's core opinion is to fight steadily and step by step, and never underestimate the enemy and advance rashly.
The old earl believed that it was absolutely correct for the British king to deploy heavy troops in the northern Shaanxi area at the junction of Shaanxi Road and Ningxia Mansion. Compared with Longyou Road, which is now barren and whose vitality was damaged by severe drought last year and the first half of this year. Shaanxi Road, where it is easier to obtain some supplies, is very likely to become the main destination for the rebels to eat. Moreover, Ningxia Prefecture can only be partially self-sufficient in food and grass.
There was a severe drought in Longyou last year, and Ningxia Prefecture was the hardest hit area. Although the imperial court transported a large amount of grain into Ningxia Mansion in order to relieve the disaster. Moreover, as the rear area of Dingyuan Prefecture, Ningxia Prefecture also hoarded some food and grass for the frontier troops. However, these grains and grass are not enough to sustain them for a long time. The number of rebels has now reached hundreds of thousands. He asserted that in another half month at most, the rebels might run out of food.
Moreover, when the army advances, the rebels will definitely not sit back and wait to be beaten. For the current rebels, food is obviously more urgent than horses. The Shaanxi Road, which still has some surplus food, is very likely to become the target of the rebels' next strategy. The army was mobilized to cooperate with the local guards and deployed at the junction of Shaanxi and Longyou. The main force was pressed step by step, forcing the rebels to fight decisively with the government troops for food.
Although there is a huge disparity in the strength of the two sides, with the elites trained for a long time in the Xijing camp, they can naturally deal with hundreds of thousands of poorly trained rebels. However, two points need to be noted. One is that there are also some Dangxiang tribes in Beiliao. Since Tuoba Jiqian did not trust the Han people, in order to increase his strength, he would most likely send people to lure those party members in Beiliao to surrender.
Different from the Dangxiang people in Daqi, who have almost completely transformed into semi-farming and semi-nomadic, the Dangxiang people in Beiliao still retain their nomadic customs. Compared with the Dangxiang tribes in Lingzhou, which have been heavily sinicized, these Dangxiang people in Beiliao have more sturdy folk customs and better riding and shooting skills. Ningxia Prefecture and Bei Liao are connected by mountains and rivers, and the only barriers are the Yellow River and Helan Mountain.
Although there are thousands of border troops from Dingyuan Prefecture to block it, in such a large area, the Dingyuan Prefecture frontier troops who are currently under attack from both sides may not be able to stop it. Once these people submit to Tuoba Jiqian, their strength will increase significantly, and they can even be said to be even more powerful. He hoped that the King of England, who was fully responsible for the appointment of an ambassador for the counter-insurgency, would pay more attention to this point and must not be careless.
