In the artillery exercise range, more than 600 soldiers from the Beijing Battalion were responsible for maintaining order in the venue, and there were 1,000 troops on each side who were in formation to assist in completing the inspection and training of military arts.
"Your Majesty, I will ask you to show off your performance today. If a flag is raised on the battlefield, you must give some indication. I am waiting for you."
Zhang Heling had a rare opportunity to brag in front of Zhu Youtang, as if he was already a master in the military.
Zhu Youtang looked at him with a strange look, saying, "Why are you so crazy? What nonsense are you talking about?"
Zhang Yanling asked: "Brother, what does pulling out the flag mean?"
Zhang Heling said: "Isn't it just that the two sides are fighting, and whoever takes out the other side's flag wins?"
"Ha ha."
Zhu Houzhao laughed when he heard this, "Uncle, are you stupid? Do you think military training is a game of chess? Capture the flag? Things on the battlefield can be solved by a flag, then everyone can be crowned a prince and become a prime minister. Haha." "
In terms of not saving face, Zhu Houzhao can be regarded as a typical murderer who never hides his emotions.
Zhang Heling looked confused, as if his outlook on life had been subverted.
I was still waiting to show off my Capture the Flag performance, but the results told me that it was just my fault?
"here we go."
Wang Qiong walked over from Zhang Zhou's side and said to Zhu Youtang respectfully.
Zhu Youtang said: "The 12 regiments of Yinghou and Bo are divided into two groups, the east and west. They will go into battle first with cavalry and archery. Heling, you and Yanling will also come."
"Isn't it just riding and shooting? Capturing the flag is much easier than you think, boss. Boss, I'll show you."
Zhang Yanling showed great confidence while mocking her brother.
In his own opinion, I have killed enemies on horseback. How can I lose face by riding a bow and horse?
…
…
Ideals are one thing. After getting on horseback, reality can teach these normally pampered ministers a lesson.
Riding horses in line still requires assistance, but when you mount your own horse and complete basic slashing and archery... there are many martial artists present who are unable to complete these most basic training movements.
"Look, Father, someone has fallen off the horse!" Zhu Houzhao pointed excitedly into the distance, feeling as if they were not as proud as me.
The inspection had just begun, and it was just basic movements, but already the distinguished minister was embarrassed in front of others, not to mention how ugly Zhu Youtang's face was.
I had expected that you would make a fool of yourself, but it wouldn't be so ugly, right? You are the generals leading the capital camp. If the foreign barbarians come to attack, do you expect a group of generals who know how to fall from their horses to lead the troops to attack and kill them?
Am I not fooled by lard?
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."
The mounted archery begins. Each minister rides to the designated place. The prescribed action is to ride the horse and shoot with a bow, and then...
The situation happened again.
This time, most of the ministers could only stop their horses... and then finish the bow shooting. Some of the arrows fell directly to the ground after pulling the bow, or some shot only a few steps away... …
For such a big target, not to mention shooting at it, even if it hits the surrounding area and scrapes past, there are very few of them.
The thirty or so first-class ministers completed the bow shooting, each shooting three arrows. Only six people successfully shot one target, and two people shot two arrows.
The picture comes out.
Zhu Youtang simply couldn't bear to watch it. He expected it to be bad, but it was still amazing.
"Second shift, come on!"
It was the turn of the relatives to come on stage, and this time it was even more lively.
Many people can't even mount a horse, let alone shoot on horseback. Although the Zhang brothers look very useless, they are very few who can ride a horse and gallop. However, when it was their turn to shoot, the Zhang brothers couldn't even draw an arrow. Not to mention stopping the horse and setting an arrow.
Some horses collided with each other, while others led the horses to complete the archery. Because the target was about forty steps away from the stop line, and the bows and arrows were relatively hard, most people couldn't even pull the bows open due to their arm strength.
Among this group of people, even Cui Yuan, who had previously wanted to express himself well, was struggling to support himself. He was rarely able to complete the basic movements, but the reality was cruel. His three arrows did not even touch the edge of the target.
"oh oh!"
Even so, the soldiers from the Beijing camp were still acting as the atmosphere team to cheer up the group.
But the initial encouragement seemed to be a bit of a joke in the middle and later stages.
It sounded more like heckling.
…
…
"Is this the inspection I expected? Is there anyone else like it?"
Zhu Youtang no longer needs to avoid taboos in front of Zhang Mao, Ma Wensheng, Xie Qian, Zhang Zhou and others.
But Zhu Houzhao is still there...
"Father, are these the only ones?"
Zhu Houzhao was also puzzled.
I have always thought that the Ming Dynasty officers and men had ambitions that they could not express, and they all looked like grandma's legs. Do you still expect them to help me conquer the world in the future?
Li Rong, who is responsible for supervising the inspection, said: "Your Majesty, most of the generals have not yet appeared."
This means that even if the ministers are incompetent, at least there are ordinary generals.
Zhu Houzhao smiled and said: "Yes, the British Duke and the others haven't done it yet."
Zhu Houzhao didn't like to watch the performances of ordinary generals, he just wanted to watch the excitement, and in his opinion, those who were not qualified should get out early and make room for those behind.
"Old man..."
Zhang Mao's face was dark, and he knew that his end would not be good.
"Your Majesty, you don't have to be so humble now. Go ahead."
Zhu Youtang also made sarcastic remarks.
No one else can, so you, Old Man Zhang, still want to hide? When Xiyuan was young, he hit three out of three shots. Now it's time for you to boost your military morale.
"Old minister accepts the order."
Zhang Mao also fell into the category of taking the bull by the horns. Along with him, Zhu Hui, the Duke of Baoguo, was also put on the shelf.
The two brothers were both brave in the past, but now Lian Po is old. Even if they have the spirit of being an old man, time has passed, and time has worn away the physical fitness and fighting spirit of the two brothers.
"drive!"
Zhang Mao rode his horse and took the lead. He only looked awesome. He bent his bow and set an arrow. It was impossible to show off on purpose, but he could shoot out from a distance of seventy or eighty steps. Only one of the three arrows hit, and the other two arrows missed. almost.
Forget about hitting the bullseye directly.
Zhu Hui's situation is similar, he is also one of three, but Zhu Hui's riding posture can be more exciting.
"Father, you are hit, it's pretty powerful. Those young ones are not as good as the old ones."
Zhu Houzhao's words made the people around him feel ashamed. Fortunately, Zhu Hui and Zhang Mao each hit an arrow. If they missed, these two guys could resign on the spot to apologize.
"Generals from all the capital camps will come here in turn. If you have any skills, please come forward."
Zhu Youtang looked impatient.
It seems that everything will have to wait until Zhang Zhou finally comes to cover up his ugliness.
…
…
The martial arts performance was still going on, and Zhu Youtang was a little too lazy to watch.
The situation of ordinary soldiers is not much better. They usually neglect training. This is not something that the soldiers in the Beijing camp can decide by themselves. Zhu Youtang also has to bear a lot of responsibility for letting the Beijing camp occupy the troops when he has nothing to do.
So Zhu Youtang also seemed very upset.
"...Those who don't come are said to be sick. If their bodies can't bear it, then they won't receive their salary from now on. I don't want to see them again!"
Zhu Youtang was in a bad mood and his tone was naturally very serious.
Zhang Mao and Zhu Hui had just returned to the viewing platform. When they heard this, they felt a little embarrassed, especially Zhang Mao... who always liked to excuse himself from official duties by saying he was ill?
Moreover, Zhang Mao was also known as a mean sergeant, and his bad deeds were etched in the annals of history and everyone knew about it.
"Father, another group has arrived, they seem to be the elite knights from the Yanwu Hall."
Zhu Houzhao became excited. The leaders looked familiar to him. He had basically seen them when he went south to Nanjing. They could be said to be the elite of Zhang Zhou's guard force.
Two hundred cavalry came on horseback. The team did not look very neat, but it had great momentum.
When the two hundred cavalry arrived at the predetermined location, they reined in the horses and stopped them in a very uniform manner.
After stopping, they formed two rows. The first row fired a volley of "bang bang bang..." and the hundreds of straw men in front of them were hit with dry grass everywhere. Then they were still in the first row and fired the second round. This time their target was the straw man 200 steps away, and most of the straw men were directly scattered.
The second row came up, and it was the same. They could still complete two rounds of shooting at the straw man nearly 300 steps away.
After this scene, the entire audience was stunned.
That's not all.
The two hundred cavalrymen continued galloping towards the next shooting point, which was only a hundred steps along the way. They arrived in a blink of an eye, but the soldiers had already completed the replacement of projectiles.
Two rows of riders and four rounds of shooting allowed the Ming emperors and ministers to experience what it means to be crushed by the torrent of the times.
…
…
As the two hundred fine knights left the stage, no one could speak casually.
Even Ma Wensheng and Xie Qian, who were critical of Zhang Zhou in the past, seem to want to re-examine Zhang Zhou.
Zhu Youtang originally planned to rely on rifled cannons to hide his ugliness, but it seems that he no longer needs to do so.
These two hundred cavalrymen had already taught everyone a good lesson in front of nearly all the military generals in the Ming Dynasty.
"Father, you are so awesome. In comparison, cavalry and archery are too weak."
Zhu Houzhao rediscovered the meaning of martial arts and even praised Zhang Zhou with restraint.
Even Zhang Mao and others felt that the young prince had hit the point.
It's not that we are not good at it, it's that cavalry and archery have fallen behind. Such a big change cannot be transferred based on one's ability in cavalry and archery. Even if Lu Bu is pulled out of the grave, he will still have to be defeated.
Zhu Youtang said with a smile on his face: "Bingkuan, tell me, how long did it take you to train them?"
Zhang Zhou looked around at everyone present, and then said: "This is not the result of my training, but the training of the Yanwutang instructors. The Yanwutang instructors have such abilities. After mastering the tricks and other things, they can follow the divine instructions on their own." The advantages of campfire weapons and well-designed tactics. I just made a mistake."
"Yes, yes." Zhu Youtang seemed to agree with this very much, "Wang Bo'an was promoted by you. He can be said to be flexible and adaptable on the battlefield."
Li Rong smiled and said: "Thanks to Cai Guogong for solving the problem. Without it, all of this would not be possible."
"Um."
Faced with such almost naked flattery, Zhu Youtang did not respond too much, also considering that he wanted to help Zhang Zhou build up his character.
Zhu Youtang asked: "Then Bingkuan, what should I take the exam next? Please give me some answers."
Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty, today I, like Ma Shangshu and Mr. Xie Ge, are all here to watch the ceremony. How can we overstep our bounds?"
Li Rongdao: "Your Majesty, do you think this is okay? Since the power of the Shenji Battalion has been seen by all the princes and generals present, it would be better to change today's strategic and military examination to the Shenji Battalion's tactics."
"It makes sense. In the future, we rely on traditional military methods to deal with the Tatars and other foreign barbarians. The power is not mine, so we should use our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. I agree."
Zhu Youtang was very happy.
I finally found something that makes me look good, and I still have to rely on Bingkuan for this kind of thing.
Zhu Houzhao said: "Father, my son also has many ideas about this, and he also wants to participate in the school examination."
This time, Zhu Youtang was not used to this kid's faults, and said coldly: "Don't mess around. Inform them of the exam questions, prepare pens, ink, paper and inkstones for them, and let them write military policies on the spot."
"According to the order." Li Rong, as a supervisor, participated in the examination and happily accepted the order.
Zhu Houzhao felt that he had missed a chance to show his face, and seemed very unwilling to do so. He pointed at Zhang Mao and said, "What about the two of them?"
For Zhu Youtang, it is enough to have Zhang Zhou to earn face now. There is no need to take risks with Zhu Houzhao. As a strict father, he will not worry about his son's feelings every time.
He said coldly: "Today's exams are for the martial arts generals of the Beijing Camp and others, and there are also students from the Yanwu Hall. You are not among them, so you are not qualified to take the exam. As for the British Duke and the Baoguo Duke, they are not only the examiners, but also with It’s no different from ordinary exam takers.”
Zhang Mao had already cursed in his heart, who did I provoke? Want me to take the exam with a group of subordinates?
And let me, an old guy who spent half his life in the military, hold a pen! It’s so disrespectful!
…
…
The military policy exam has begun.
An examination booth was temporarily set up outside the artillery performance range. Everyone, regardless of whether they had been to the Yanwu Hall or not, had to take part in this assessment.
Many people have not picked up a pen for many years and do not know what to write. They are still subject to this kind of propositional assessment.
It is impossible to hand in a blank paper. Just write a few sentences to express your loyalty to the emperor... I am willing to push the artillery to the front line and die to repay His Majesty's kindness...
When military policies with various answers were presented to the emperor in person, Zhu Youtang almost wanted to kill these people with cannons.
"With such sincere words, it seems that I have hindered their desire to serve the country!"
Li Rong said: "Your Majesty, there are still people who have written very well. This formation is very detailed."
"Um?"
Zhu Youtang took the one recommended by Li Rong and read it, and couldn't help frowning.
Zhu Houzhao on the side took a look and said with a smile: "Hundreds of cannons in formation to fight? The Tatars are not stupid, do you think they will be like a straw man, used as a wooden stake to be slaughtered by others?"
Zhu Youtang looked at Li Rong sideways and didn't say anything, but the meaning was obvious. Even the prince could find faults. Presumably this strategy of not talking about the actual situation but only talking about taking the initiative to form a large formation was just talk on paper. I don't need to say it clearly, right?
…
…
There were too many test papers, and Zhu Youtang himself had only a limited understanding of them. In the end, they were mostly reviewed by Zhang Zhou and Wang Qiong.
Zhu Youtang himself continued to watch the training in the Beijing camp.
"Who is that?"
When it was the turn of the two sides to set up a battle formation, there was suddenly an army below. Under the guidance of a certain general, the lineup was neat and suitable for both offense and defense.
Li Rong took a look, but he was too far away to recognize it.
Then Zhu Hui said: "It seems to be the consort of the eldest princess Yongkang."
"Cui Yuan? Not bad."
Zhu Youtang also didn't expect that the person he admired was his brother-in-law, not a veteran general who had experienced many battles.
"Where is his military policy?"
Zhu Youtang asked.
Wang Qiong came closer and said, "The response to the military affairs plan of Princess Yongkang's consort can be said to be excellent."
Cui Yuan's examination paper was then presented.
For Wang Qiong, this is equivalent to "loving disciple".
I'm still in the hospital, typing on my phone. I typed some last night and will finish it tonight. The bilirubin is too high, along with a series of high indicators. I have had more than a dozen tubes of blood drawn, and there are still ten tubes waiting for me tomorrow morning, with a variety of test items. But I know that the main cause is biliary obstruction, that is, gallstones. I was admitted to the hospital yesterday and had an appointment for an MRI tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. The results will be available the day after tomorrow. I have been given liver-protective injections in the past few days. What kind of liver-protective medicine should I take? My blood pressure reached 167 systolic, my symptoms were not relieved, and I was tortured by a lot of tests. If it is gallstones, surgery is necessary, either stone removal with gallbladder preservation or gallbladder removal. I will definitely choose the former, but I am not sure about anything. Anyway, once the operation is done, the self-expense will be 20,000 yuan plus... The location is Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital... I advise you not to overeat. I only eat one meal a day. I eat a lot and have a lot of fat. I am still a fat man (188, 230 pounds) , too little exercise... My wife went back tonight, and I also wanted to go home. The hospital is only more than 3 kilometers away, but I thought of taking blood in the morning, so I was left alone. It’s difficult, let me share my experience with you. My skin is itchy at night, and I may not be able to fall asleep. There is an indwelling needle in my hand, which makes it inconvenient to do anything. I look back at my phone, prepare for tomorrow’s update, and set aside time to take time off for surgery (I can get three points a month with my points. Day off), typing on my phone is too slow...
(End of chapter)
