The 60,000-strong army of the Praetorian Guards finally set off. For this dispatch, under Gao's pragmatic advice, the imperial court specially posted a notice to announce the dispatch time, and allowed people from the capital and surrounding areas to visit the camp in the north of Beijing. This attracted more than 100,000 people to watch, and hundreds of people. The envoys from the vassal states—they were all the envoys who came to pay tribute and pay New Year greetings, and they were specially reserved until this time.
This was more than a simple war, not a simple dispatch of troops. Gao Pragmatic wanted to promote the national and military might of the Ming Dynasty in such a public way.
The "Beijing Times", "Sea Trade Weekly", and "Practical Science News", which were established one by one in the past few years, conducted intensive reports on this troop dispatch in advance, and used the "Tea Doctor Reading" system in various teahouses in the capital as a means to make this news Various analyzes were conducted on the causes of the war, preparations, pre-war analysis, and post-war prospects.
Of course, these analyzes are not all based on the real situation. True and false strategic deception is essential, but 70% of them are still true, especially in terms of various analysis items of the current situation, almost all of them are true. real.
This not only includes the various revitalization reforms of the imperial court in the past twenty years since I was granted tribute, but also includes the possible military forces used in this dispatch. In fact, there is nothing worth concealing. Several newspapers and periodicals have been established for several years, and some The basic information has been made public for a long time, and there is nothing to keep secret.
For example, Xuanfu has 130,000 soldiers, Datong has 120,000 soldiers, Shanxi has 70,000 soldiers, Liaodong has 180,000 soldiers, Jizhou has 180,000 soldiers, Changping has 60,000 soldiers, Baoding has 40,000 soldiers, and forbidden There are 60,000 soldiers in the Guards. Even the common people in the capital still have many treasures.
If there is really any topic worth discussing, it is probably only such as "How many troops will each town send?" and "How long will it take Gao Jinglue to defeat the Meng Yuan Dynasty?" Overall, public opinion in the capital was basically well controlled. No one thought that the battle would be lost. The questions were just how to win and how long it would take to achieve victory.
Of course Gao Pragmatic knew that this would put some pressure on himself, but his concern was not his own pressure, but he hoped to use this war to change the old thinking among the people that the national war had nothing to do with them - this kind of thinking in the Qing Dynasty The final stage is called numbness.
In other words, Gao Pragmatism aims to use this war to awaken the national spirit and build social consensus. In order to achieve this goal, he believes that it is completely worth it to bear some pressure.
At the same time, Gao Pragmatic also wanted to use this troop dispatch to shock the vassals and governors, letting them know that the power of the Ming Dynasty is not just a casual saying, "My Ming Dynasty carries millions of armors." He wanted them to clearly understand how elite these "Armored Millions" were and how real they were before them, becoming a mountain they could not cross.
Don't say you can't cross it, you shouldn't even think in this direction! Even if you just think about it, you should feel that it is difficult for a person to stand up if the two forces are fighting!
In order to achieve this goal, the Imperial Guards sent out troops to display almost all their belongings in public.
The Guards has also made minor adjustments since its establishment. It now has five towns from the first to the fifth, with a quota of 12,512 officers and soldiers in each town. Each town is composed of five branches: infantry, horse, artillery, engineering, and supplies.
The headquarters of the Guards consists of one corps headquarters, one guard battalion directly under the corps (equivalent to a regiment), one cavalry reconnaissance battalion directly under the corps, two independent artillery battalions directly under the corps (heavy artillery reinforcement battalions), and two engineer battalions directly under the corps. .
Overall, there are a total of 62,560 people in the five towns of the army, 5,630 people in the troops directly under the army, and 68,190 troops were actually dispatched. Actually it's not 60,000, it should be 70,000.
So what is the specific strength of each town in terms of equipment?
Taking the First Town of the Imperial Guard as an example, the town is equipped with 6,880 Wanli Type II bayonet rifles, 1,680 Wanli Type II lances, 54 Army No. 3 guns produced in Jinghua, 24 Army No. 2 guns produced in Jinghua, and Army No. 1 guns produced in Jinghua. 6 guns (not carried this time), 6,712 war horses and draft horses (3.2 horses per cavalry, 3 are actually assigned, and the rest are directly used by the military reserves and artillery trailers), 826 side chariots and baggage vehicles, all personnel Armor (there are many styles due to different types of arms, including light, heavy, long and short types).
Simply put, if this configuration improves the level of guns and artillery, just in terms of equipment ratio, let alone 1592 now, even in 1892, it would still be at the level of the main force of the great powers.
As a result, the people of the capital and envoys from various vassal states and Jisi areas saw hundreds of light and heavy artillery and artillery carriages heading north under the escort of infantry and artillery.
More than 8,000 heavy cavalry wearing Mingguang armor and riding straddle-mounted war horses surrounded the army headquarters. The main formation of the Chinese army had eye-catching banners with the words "Mongolian Economic Strategy High" on one side and "Qi, Commander of the Ming Imperial Guards" on the other. The quilt is fluttering high in the spring breeze that turns from warm to cold.
Although there was a magnificent carriage in the main formation of the Chinese army, the owner of the carriage, Meng Yuan, who was known as "the best literary commander in the world", was a pragmatic man but was not sitting in the carriage. On this trip, he was wearing a bright red suit and riding a python, riding on a tall white horse with golden armor, and walked side by side with the commander of the Imperial Guard, Marshal Qi Jiguang, who was dressed in military uniform.
Of course, they are said to be riding side by side, but sharp-eyed onlookers will definitely notice that Marshal Qi, who has excellent riding skills, can always control the horse to walk slightly behind Gao Jinglue, and never overtakes him at all.
The only thing that was slightly different from what the onlookers originally thought was probably the expressions of these two people.
The Ming Dynasty also had such a thing as "stereotypes". Ordinary people generally think that when a civil servant faces a military general, he should have a serious look on his face, as if the other party owes him tens of thousands of taels of silver and he still hasn't paid it; while when a military general faces a civilian minister, he should look trembling, even with his waist bent at all times. , when answering questions, you should nod your head like a chicken pecking at rice.
However, everyone was surprised to find that Marshal Qi looked serious and solemn throughout the trip, while Gao Jinglue was smiling and chatting and laughing all the way. Judging from Gao Jinglue's movements and expressions, it seemed that he had been commenting on the appearance of the Imperial Guards and spoke highly of him. Although Marshal Qi next to him often bowed and nodded slightly when replying, there was no flattery on his face.
This is really an eye-opener for ordinary people. Thinking about what Dr. Tea often said when reading newspapers, Gao Jinglue objected to "treating generals as lackeys" and emphasized that "anyone who contributes to the country should be treated as a pillar." I can't help but think a lot more. Thoughts and admiration.
The continuous cannons, the flashing bayonets, the endless flow of war horses, and the fluttering military flags all spoke of the majesty of the Ming Dynasty and stimulated the senses of the melon-eaters.
Many people began to involuntarily raise their arms and shout: "Da Ming - Mighty!"
Finally, all the "Great Ming - Mighty" chants began to turn into a chorus, and the momentum was so overwhelming that it shook the eardrums of many envoys and changed their expressions slightly.
When the Annan envoy was the first to raise his right arm and shouted "Ming Dynasty - Mighty", envoys from the Jin Kingdom, the Korean Kingdom, the southern Xinjiang countries, the Jurchen tribes, Duogan Dusi, Wuszang Dusi and other places also came. I was so busy that I started to "joy". There were even many envoys from small Southeast Asian countries, as well as Nurhachi's half-brother Mulhaqi, who represented the left guard of Jianzhou.
"The majestic battle formation is out of the north of the Great Wall..." Among the Imperial Guards, Marshal Qi Jiguang sighed: "Twenty years ago, how could the general dare to have such extravagant thoughts? We, the Ming Dynasty, can be as powerful as we are today, so we have the grace of our ancestors, Wen Zheng. Before the trend was made public, Xiao Guicao, the two ministers of Enxiang Dongye and Fengpan, followed suit, and it was really thanks to the power of Situ. Following the light but not the talent, the only thing is to follow the instructions."
"Shuai Qi's words are serious." Gao Pragmatic, still smiling, said: "The policies of the world's governance are long-lasting. Without the foundation laid by the three generations of chief assistants, how can we talk about today's military power? I often think that those who hold the power of the country should have one thought. : The success does not have to be mine, the success must be mine. If we can manage in this way, why worry about the disobedience of the people, the instability of the country, and the instability in all directions? Therefore, if this battle is successful, the achievements of the three previous prime ministers should be especially remembered."
"Success does not have to be mine, success must be mine..." Qi Jiguang murmured once, and immediately said solemnly: "The last general once heard, 'Examine the pattern to determine the prosperity and decline of a life; look at the complexion to determine the end of the year. Blame it. 'Now that I have listened to Situ's teachings, I will know that I have great ambitions and have been taught by Ji Guang."
"How dare students teach?" Gao Pragmatic shook his head, suppressed his smile, and said seriously: "Qi Shuai has known students for many years. You should know that students may have some experience in strategy, but they have no in-depth study of tactics. Therefore, although the students are fighting For the sake of strategic planning and military affairs, Commander Qi still needs his unstinting guidance...Now that the war is about to begin, do you dare to ask Commander Qi for advice?"
Of course Qi Jiguang knew that Gao Jingshi could only listen to half of what he said. After all, it was such a decisive battle that determined the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, and it was a battle that had been planned with great concentration many years ago. With Gao Situ's acting style, how could he not make a decision? Not only is there definitely a strategic plan, there are definitely more than one or two combat plans.
However, he felt that Gao Situ's words were not entirely modest. After all, it is impossible for someone who masters the strategy of hundreds of thousands of troops to think about specific tactics for each general's combat mission. This aspect should be the business of the front-line generals themselves. When it comes to front-line combat, Qi Jiguang is ranked second, but no one in Ming Dynasty dares to say that he is first.
Qi Jiguang actually had a plan for this, so after listening to Gao Pragmatic's words, he said: "I wonder how Situ thinks Chahar will deal with this battle?"
Gao pragmatically said: "I think there are only three possible ways to deal with Chahar: one is to concentrate the troops, fight all the way, and toss and turn, so as to tire me out and win; the other is to be like the Yongle period when the old wisdom is lost, and I advance If I retreat, I will re-occupy the old territory. In this way, our army will suffer huge losses in the expedition, and Chahar may appear to be in a state of embarrassment, but it is difficult to injure its roots. Third, if you do not fight me, you will flee to Transkalkha and the old forest capital to preserve your strength. Looking for momentum to rise again.”
Qi Jiguang smiled slightly: "So, in this battle, except for the first one, the last two methods are to avoid fighting with our army, with the intention of using down our supply line as a magic weapon, leaving it to be calculated in the future. And even if the first The only way to do this is to avoid the sharp edge of our main force and win by delaying. As for attacking me all the way, it is nothing more than showing their unwillingness to show weakness."
Gao Pragmatic nodded and said: "Our army is enough to assemble several armies this time, and each army is no less than one hundred thousand. Even if we face the entire army of Chahar and Outer Khalkha alone, we will not fall behind. This is so interconnected. And since we are like each other, as long as we don’t show any flaws, it will actually be even more difficult for them to break through first.”
"That is to say, the most likely choice for Tumen is to avoid being strangled by our army and repeat the situation of Chengzu's victory in the northern expedition, but Mongolia can always resurrect." Qi Jiguang said: "In this case, our army will The essence of war is now clear, that is, we cannot be satisfied with defeating or expelling, but must annihilate or form an organized system to surrender!"
"Of course." Gao Pingshi said happily: "In order to achieve this trend, what can Qi Shuai have to say?"
Qi Jiguang sighed: "The best way was actually to follow Li Weigong's old wisdom, not only to set up nets from all directions to encircle, but also to raid the Khan's court with elite soldiers, kill people and behead them, and defeat the enemy with one blow.
However, although the Tartars are clumsy in wits, they now have talents like Burihatu. According to the final analysis, this person may have read about this battle and deliberately prepared for it. Therefore, although the strategy of surprise attack may not be unusable, it cannot be done with only three thousand elite cavalry like Li Weigong. Otherwise, if Burihatu sees through it, This is a bad move. "
Gao Pingshi was not surprised by Qi Jiguang's answer, and said with a smile: "What Qi Shuai said is true... but I wonder if there is any sequel?"
Qi Jiguang smiled and said: "Looking at today's grand dispatch of troops, the general will think that even if our army does have a strange plan for this battle, Situ will definitely not be willing to do it."
"Oh? Why did Qi Shuai say this?" Gao pragmatically asked with a smile.
"No one else, it's just because Situ is not only seeking victory in this battle, but also wanting to build momentum for the Ming Dynasty." Qi Jiguang said with bright eyes: "The Art of War says: Victory in a hundred battles is not a good thing; subduing the enemy's soldiers without fighting is a good thing. also.
The last general, Guan Situ, sent out troops today not only to defeat the Northern Yuan Dynasty, but also to use this victory to intimidate the whole country and frighten the barbarians before the chaos. In this case, if I send out hundreds of thousands of troops, but in the end only rely on a sneak attack to win, how can I spread my divine power throughout the world?
Only by setting up a dragnet to make Bei Yuan cornered, and even fighting to the death will be of no avail. He can only lead his neck and kill him. Only in this way can he win over the concubines of all countries in the world.
Therefore, I will venture to make a guess: Situ will not rely on strange skills or strategies in this battle, but will fight the lion against the rabbit, spread nets on all sides, and defeat it with the force of a majestic formation! "
Gao Jingshi laughed loudly, pointed at Qi Jiguang, and praised: "My parents are the ones who gave birth to me, and Qi Shuai is the one who knows me." Qi Jiguang didn't even dare to say so, Gao Jingshi added: "Since Qi Shuai knows my intentions, he must have the full plan." This is my plan."
Qi Jiguang said: "This battle is important. I think Tumen and Burihatu are well aware of it and have prepared for it. They are in the north and I are in the south. Even if our army is large, it is difficult to arrange an encirclement on all sides." , In fact, most of them can only form a three-way pincer attack from east to west and south.
Once the north road is clear, it will become a situation of surrounding three towers. They will still have the opportunity to attack one of our troops to see the strength of our army, or to boost their military morale with a small victory so that they can survive for a long time. At this time, our northern road is empty, and they still have a chance to escape by relying on the superiority of cavalry. It will be very difficult for our army to pursue them, and it will be difficult for our army of hundreds of thousands to be effective.
In order to prevent such a situation from happening, the key to the final battle is to quietly move northward with a strong army, block the way of their northward escape, and wait for the Tumen to run into them. "
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