A country at this stage cannot be subdued by a few simple battles. The king, nobles and people have all tasted the taste of hegemony and generous benefits, and will never give up easily.
Xu Da pondered for a moment and said: "When Wei Chen visited the southwest two years ago, I remember hearing about this country's military system."
"In wartime, we are soldiers, and in our leisure time, we are farmers. We draw one from every three men or one from every five men. When marching and fighting, there is no such thing as marching in formations, and there is no way to form formations to face the enemy.
During the war, there are horses in front, elephants in front, and infantry in the back. The elephants are armored and carry the war tower on their backs. They carry large bamboo tubes on both sides and place dozens of short spears in them. Those riding the elephants can use them to stab. "
"The elephant soldiers are fierce and difficult to stop, especially for those who have never seen an elephant." Xu Yungong further explained: "But after all, they are just livestock. They are afraid of fire and sound. As long as they are prepared in advance, they can be restrained."
When Xu Yungong accompanied the army to conquer Yunnan, the King of Liang also had elephant soldiers under his tent, but the number was not large. At the beginning, they posed a great threat to the Ming army, but later they were not worth mentioning after they mastered their habits.
Moreover, elephant soldiers are difficult to raise, and they occasionally hurt people and rush into the formation. In Xu Yungong's opinion, the harm outweighs the benefits. However, many countries in the southwest are very fond of breeding elephant soldiers in the army.
Zhu Biao nodded slightly and then asked, "How about the armor?"
On the battlefield, armor is the most important thing. Xu Da only heard about it when he inspected the southwest, but did not study it carefully. After all, the imperial court had not recovered even Yunnan at that time, so it did not need to care about Luchuan, a country outside the border.
"The rumors are mostly about leather helmets and bronze armor. I don't know if they are true."
Xu Yungong responded: "Exactly, there are many copper and iron mines in his country, and iron is easy to rust in the hot weather. Therefore, the armor of the Luchuan people mostly has copper armor, or copper and iron are mixed with each other. Their soldiers mostly use spears, spears, and crossbows. They are good at They use javelins, no strong bows, and no firearms."
Luchuan already had mines, and they controlled the trade routes between Central and South Asia, so they had considerable financial resources, so their armor coverage rate was extremely high.
Zhu Biao narrowed his eyes and ordered: "Tomorrow, go to the Firearms Manufacturing Department outside Beijing to see if there may be something you can use."
"promise."
With the support of Zhu Biao and the personal supervision of Chu King Zhu Fan, the development of firearms was amazing. However, because the firearms were not easy to maneuver and there were no great battles, they have not been revealed.
But when it comes to the Luchuan issue, both an elephant and an iron-clad one, Zhu Biao will naturally not continue to hide it.
Xu Da's eyes lit up. As a pillar of the Great Ming Dynasty, he naturally knew many things that ordinary officials did not know. When he returned to Beijing last year, he visited the Firearms Manufacturing Department with the imperial companion once.
If it can really be used, then this battle in the future, or most external battles, will be much easier.
………
Zhu Biao sent his wife and children back to the East Palace, changed his clothes at the same time, and then walked slowly towards Jinshen Palace, thinking about the silver mine in Japan.
After entering the palace, Lao Zhu was talking to the Minister of Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment. He heard a few words about the issue of corruption in officialdom. After a brief greeting, Zhu Biao sat down in his seat to review the memorial.
Not long after, the two ministers resigned. Old Zhu stood up angrily and walked around twice. Zhu Biao was not surprised. His father was just angry. How come there were people who were not afraid of beheading and skinning, and would rather ruin the lives of everyone in the family? Do you have to be greedy for money?
"Biao'er, this Zhang Guanglie is not someone who can be the minister of Dali Temple. He can be an imperial envoy of the imperial censor."
It is good to be honest and honest, but stubbornness is also very annoying. There are many corruption cases that have been tried by the Ministry of Punishment, but Zhang Guanglie has dismissed them all for lack of this and that, and the Ministry of Punishment's jail can no longer be closed. .
Zhu Yuanzhang is now using heavy laws to combat corruption. What he wants is thunder, not procrastination, which reduces the most important deterrent effect.
If it were anyone else, they would have been swept away long ago, but Dali Temple has always been reserved for the prince to cultivate close talents. Lao Zhu had to take care of his son regardless of anything else.
"My son originally planned to let Yan Donglai regain control of Dali Temple after he recovered, but unexpectedly, Yan Donglai followed Mingsheng to Sichuan to take up his post."
"Since my father feels that Zhang Guanglie is not suitable to be in charge of Dali Temple, he should be sent as an imperial envoy to inspect the drought in the north. The position of Minister of Dali Temple can be succeeded by Cen."
"Well, that's good, let's do it this way."
Yu Cen, the current left minister of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs, can be regarded as an old minister from Conglong. He is honest and steady, and is good at criminal justice and people's livelihood. He is only nearly sixty years old. Fortunately, he is in good health and has no symptoms.
It is enough to hold the position for several years. When Guo Chong and Li Jin have enough qualifications in the center, they can take over smoothly. I think with Yu Cen's character, his father will be comfortable with it.
"What did the Xu family say about Luchuan?"
After Zhu Biao stood up and answered, he waited for his father to sit down before following him: "My son, I asked Yungong to go to the Firearms Manufacturing Department tomorrow."
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said: "I am finally willing to use it. Good, it will just let the Southwest Fan Kingdom see what the power of the divine weapon is."
"The small country of Luchuan has a crude political system. Almost every time the throne changes, there will be a lot of internal fighting. The power of local officials is also a bit too great. The military and government are integrated, and it is easy for vassal and town separatism to occur. Coupled with the magic soldiers, The power of firearms, hum.”
"By the way, speaking of which, it will be time for you to perform the crowning ceremony next year. We have already asked the etiquette department to make arrangements, and your uncle will preside over it."
"My son has already been favored by his father to participate in political affairs, so there is no need to worry about the crown ceremony."
According to the weekly system, men are crowned at the age of twenty. The so-called crown ceremony is the beginning of the ceremony. This is because the ancient saint kings wore heavy crowns. Respecting the crown is why etiquette is important, and etiquette is the foundation of the country!
During the Zhou Dynasty, when the reigning king passed away, the eldest son could take the throne regardless of his age or age, but if he was underage to perform the crowning ceremony, he could not rule personally. King Cheng of Zhou succeeded King Wu when he was young, but the Duke of Zhou took over as regent until he came of age. Qin Shihuang Emperor Yingzheng ascended the throne of Qin at the age of thirteen, but it was not until he was twenty-two years old, with a crown and a sword, that he took charge and conquered the six kingdoms.
This means that the crowning ceremony is a qualification for adulthood. Without the crowning ceremony, one cannot govern people.
It is said that most of the princes in the past dynasties could only be slightly involved in political affairs after the crown ceremony. In fact, they were subject to many restrictions and restrictions from the emperor.
But it was different with Zhu Biao. Whether or not he should perform the crowning ceremony was no longer a matter of importance.
Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said: "The five rituals of the former Yuan Dynasty are all performed according to national customs. However, the sacrifices are slightly based on the ancient times. The crown ceremony has been difficult to practice for hundreds of years. You are the prince of the East Palace and you should set an example for the world."
"My son has been negligent, but my father is far-sighted."
…………
Early the next morning, after Xu Yungong saw his daughter, he hurried to the firearms manufacturing department outside Beijing, but was blocked outside the door and could not enter. Even if he said it was approved by His Highness the Crown Prince, the guard would not enter. Let people in.
"Your Majesty, please don't embarrass us. We really don't dare to let him go without the Crown Prince's warrant."
Xu Yungong also knew that they were responsible, so he drove back to Beijing to go to the East Palace to ask the prince for a handwritten letter. He met the King of Chu who looked unhappy just halfway through.
"I have met His Royal Highness the King of Chu."
Xu Yungong dismounted and saluted neatly, and Zhu Fan also jumped off the horse and went up to him and gave him a gentle beating: "You ran there before dawn. Why, can the Firearms Department have something more precious than your daughter's piece of jade? "
"His Highness was joking. Luchuan was looking at him with eager eyes. The ministers were also anxious, thinking that even if they have some magic weapons, they must be familiar with the drills with the soldiers. If the arrangements are made as early as possible, there will be less casualties during the war."
"That's a pity. I also want to see the southwest."
As he spoke, Zhu Fan took out the handwritten letter from his arms and said: "It happened that Liu Jin came out of the palace to deliver a message to you, so I intercepted it, thinking that I would come with you. Unexpectedly, when I asked at the door, you had already set off. "
"But take it. The Department of Firearms is very strict now. Even I, the king, can't take you in and out at will without a handwritten letter."
"Excuse me, Your Highness."
The two of them got on their horses and galloped towards the Firearms Department, escorted by a group of light cavalry from the Imperial Guards Department. The hawkers who were carrying their money back and forth on the road were already used to it. At this time, it was when Prince Chu was going to the Yamen, so he had to stay away.
……………
(End of chapter)
