After less than half an hour, Gao Pingshi finally explained to the three young masters from the Ministry of Revenue roughly the current strength level of the Ming Dynasty's border army. The three ministers nodded repeatedly to express their understanding.
This time, Cheng Wen did not speak immediately. Instead, Hu Zhili said with great emotion: "When it comes to military discipline, it is indeed the first thing a strong army should possess."
Gao Pragmatic smiled and said: "Military discipline is the basis for all tactics to be implemented, but military discipline alone is not enough for the final change in tactics. Technological progress in ordnance will more directly bring about adaptive changes in tactics, and only such changes will bring about Come up with new tactics to help our military gain an advantage over our enemy."
At this time, the three ministers had completely surrendered to Gao's pragmatic ability to know soldiers. After hearing this, Cheng Wen asked: "So, now do we have any... tactical changes to deal with the Mongols? In addition, the situation in Gansu is now extremely dangerous. , I wonder what Rixin thinks of it?”
"Know yourself and the enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles." Gao Pragmatic nodded and said: "Burihatu is indeed a talent, but no matter how much he learns from me, there are some things that he cannot change.
Not to mention anything else, let’s talk about artillery. The Ottoman Empire also had artillery, but Jinyiwei's intelligence did not mention that the Ottoman Empire provided Chahar with artillery trade. Whether it is due to inconvenient transportation, the treasure of the broom, or other reasons, Jin Yiwei has not mentioned it so far, and Gansu's memorial has also mentioned it.
With only muskets but no artillery, Burihatu's weaponization would not be complete, and there would be many tactics that could not be used on the battlefield. According to my guess, the two Gansu guards were wiped out this time, most likely because they were caught off guard or sent troops recklessly.
Next, as long as Gansu can stick to its defense and prevent Burihatu's method of digging tunnels and blowing down the city wall, even if the Mongolian army lacks artillery, even if there are 100,000, they can only besiege but cannot attack.
In this way, large cities such as Ganzhou and large fortresses such as Zhenxibao should not fall, but some land and water stations and small and medium-sized forts may suffer considerable losses. In addition, the Mongolian army did not have to worry about logistical supplies when sending troops in the past, but now that it has begun to use firearms, Brihatu will not be able to leave the rear for a long time. Once it cannot break through the big town within a few months, even if it robs some Wubao Station, But I'm afraid I can only retreat. "
Cheng Wen thought for a while, nodded in agreement, and then asked: "According to what Rixin said, compared with the Mongolian army, our army mainly has more artillery. So the difference in the method of combat is the use of artillery?"
"Yes, but this is about the details of the formation of troops. I can't explain it clearly for a while. I will discuss it in detail with you another day when I have time." Gao pragmatically saw that it was getting late, so he changed the topic and said : "Let's get back to business and discuss matters such as weapons, food and grass first."
This time Cheng Wen did not interrupt again and seriously reported on the various material preparations that Gao Pragmatically explained before. Hu Zhili and Zhao Yumin added some details.
】
After hearing this, Gao Pragmatic was quite satisfied and explained: "The previous preparations will not be changed and will continue to be implemented with quality and quantity. In addition, in view of the addition of musketeers to the Chahar Department, we also need to make corresponding responses. , there are several important points in terms of materials, you may wish to note them down."
So Gao Pragmatic asked to prepare some drugs to treat gunshot wounds and lead poisoning, and then equip the preparing Western Expedition Army with military doctors who knew how to treat these injuries.
At the same time, he also asked to increase the proportion of artillery in the Western Expeditionary Army. Of course, the Ministry of Revenue is mainly responsible for paying for procurement and preparing for storage nearby - nearby does not mean placing it near the capital, but transporting it to Gansu by the Ministry of War after procurement. , the Ministry of Revenue will prepare warehousing in Gansu.
Finally, Gao Pangshi said that although Gansu is not in a critical situation this time, the losses to small and medium-sized Wubao Stations everywhere must be considerable. In this way, instead of waiting for the Ministry of War to come up with statistics and then make arrangements, the Ministry of Household Affairs should make some preparations in advance and collect materials, money and food in advance, and transport them together when the time comes, so as to prevent local soldiers and civilians from being short of food and clothing.
As for the specific requirements for the above, Gao Pragmatic said that he would go to the Ministry of War to discuss it. The three ministers also attached great importance to this and agreed one by one. Just do what you say. After Gao Pingyi finished his duties at the Ministry of Household Affairs, he immediately transferred to the Ministry of War.
The six yamen were very close to each other, east of Yujie between Chengtianmen and Damingmen, so Gao pragmatically arrived at the Ministry of War very quickly.
Although Gao Jingshi is neither the senior minister in charge of the Ministry of War nor does he work part-time in the Ministry of War, the Ministry of War is one of the main spheres of influence of the Shi School, and everyone knows Gao Jingshi, the former senior official. As soon as he arrived at the Ministry of War, he was welcomed in. Without even a briefing, he was directly invited into the courtyard where Da Sima was.
Song Yingchang, then Minister of War, had already learned the news and hurried to the gate of the courtyard to greet him.
Gao Pragmatic was pressed for time, so he waved his hand to avoid unnecessary pleasantries, and went directly to his signing room with Song Yingchang. The two of them were seated separately as guest and host. A junior official from the Ministry of War's General Affairs Office had already brought tea, snacks, dried dates and fruits, and invited the senior high-room man to drink tea and warm himself up.
Gao Pragmatic first informed Song Yingchang of the Ministry of Revenue's preparations for the Western Expedition, and then said: "Gansu was originally a poor town. In the past, it was the slowest to change its clothes among the towns in Jiubian. In recent years, Chahar has fled to the west. Yarkand and Gansu officers and soldiers have accelerated the pace of changing their equipment. However, as far as I know, the proportion of firearms in their army is still at the bottom of the list.
This time, taking advantage of the east wind of the Western Expedition, I have decided to improve their firearms level, but I don’t know if Grand Sima thinks so? "
It is impossible for the Minister of the Ministry of War to disagree with this matter, but Song Yingchang still asked one more question after agreeing: "I just don't know if the Ministry of Revenue has enough money?"
Gao Pragmatic waved his hand and said: "You don't have to worry about money. I have everything under my control, and I will never let the Ministry of War lose face and go to various arsenals for credit. The main responsibility of the Ministry of War is to understand the detailed local armaments situation, and then formulate a supplementary and The replacement plan, especially telling me exactly how much ordnance I need.”
Song Yingchang didn't care about Hu, and immediately raised his hands and said: "Since the elder has given the order, the Ministry of War will make statistics immediately, and there will be a reply within three days at the latest."
Even though the matter had been discussed here, Gao Pragmatic asked again: "What does Brother Tonggang think of the current war situation in Gansu? I heard that many people in the capital think that Burihatu has been working hard in Yarkant for several years. I’m afraid Gansu won’t be able to withstand the unification army’s invasion this time?”
"There is such a statement, and it can't be said to be an oversight. The situation in Gansu..." Song Yingchang seemed to be trying to find a suitable statement, but in the end he just sighed, looking a little weak. However, Gao Pragmatic's eyes were burning, and he seemed to insist on hearing his explanation.
Song Yingchang had no choice but to smile bitterly and said: "Let's just talk about the current urgent matter. At the moment, the hateful army from Burihatu can't be dealt with by Xu Sanwei Guang and Gansu alone? Does Li Zhijun want to go to Gansu? If so? If we go, where will we mobilize the troops and where will we mobilize the money and food? After the mobilization, will Hetao covet our Shaanxi emptiness? In addition, once the governors of the three sides really go to Gansu, can they cooperate properly with the governor of Gansu? What if something happens? Discord, how should the court balance it?"
Song Yingchang asked a lot of questions casually. This was not because he was deliberately looking for trouble, but because Gansu's problems are indeed complicated and these problems have been around for a long time. If I have to say it, the seeds of problems have been sown from the very beginning of the establishment of the nine-sided system.
In the early Ming Dynasty, in order to resist the invasion of the northern Mongolian forces from the south, the imperial court began to set up military towns on the northern border and garrison troops for defense. By the Xuande period, a long and solid defense line was established on the Ming-Mongolia border: starting from Liaoning Town in the east and ending at Gansu Town in the west, nine military towns were adjacent to each other to support each other.
At that time, the Mongolian tribes that threatened the northern border defense were mainly stationed in three places: "One is in Hetao, near Yansui; one is in the north of Weininghaizi, near Datong; one is in Qingshan at the north entrance, near Xuanfu." Among them, they were stationed in the Hetao area. The Mongolian tribes are the main targets of defense in the three sides and four towns of Shaanxi.
In order to resist the Mongolian tribes in the Hetao area, "during the Hongzhi period, the general system was established in Guyuan and jointly signed with all towns in Shaanxi." Since then, the four towns of Yansui, Ningxia, Guyuan, and Gansu in the northwest region have formed a common defense area due to military reasons.
In the military defense area of Shaanxi's three sides and four towns, the general minister of Shaanxi's three sides is responsible for unified dispatch. It has overall control over the three sides of Shaanxi and has jurisdiction over the military affairs of the four towns of Shaanxi, Yansui, Ningxia and Gansu. The inspectors in each town are under its control. In the tenth year of Hongzhi's reign, one of the general ministers first discussed the establishment. In October of the same year, Wang Yue, the censor of Zuodu, was appointed to control Gan and Liang.
At that time, the post of general controller held by Wang Yue did not cover the three sides of Shaanxi Province, and his jurisdiction was only part of Gansu Town. In the eleventh year of Hongzhi, the official title of "General Control of Trilateral Military Affairs" began to appear, but its specific jurisdiction was not very clear. Since Wang Yue left, the post of chief executive has been vacant for three consecutive years.
Until September of the 14th year of Hongzhi, because the northern Mongolian tribes destroyed the walls of Huamachi and looted Guyuan, Anhui and other places, the Ministry of War recommended the Minister of Household Affairs, Qin Hong, to take charge of the military affairs of Shaanxi, Guyuan and other places. In the seventeenth year of Hongzhi's reign, "the thieves were unable to trap themselves", so Qin Hong recalled the household department.
Since then, the post of chief executive has been established based on local circumstances. For example, in the 18th year of Hongzhi, the Mongolian tribes destroyed the border wall at Liuyang Dun in the north of Huamachi, captured Qingshui Yingbao in Lingzhou, and looted Guyuan, Anhui and other places again.
For this reason, in the first year of Zhengde, Yang Yiqing was appointed as the general commander, responsible for governing Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Yansui. In the tenth year of Zhengde's reign, Chen Tianxiang took charge of the military affairs of the three sides of Shaanxi as the admiral. Since then, the military affairs of the three sides of Shaanxi were occasionally under the jurisdiction of "admirals". In May of the same year, after Peng Ze, the then admiral of Shaanxi Trilateral Military Affairs, resigned from his post, the post of Shaanxi Trilateral Military Affairs became vacant again, this time for five years.
It was not until the first year of Jiajing that the post of Shaanxi Trilateral Controller appeared again, and was held by Li Yue, the left minister of the Ministry of War. Li Yue assumed the post of chief executive, and his task was to deal with the Yibula intrusion.
In the second year of Jiajing's reign, "the emperor said that things were peaceful in Shaanxi, and he took the ax and returned it to the court." In November of the third year of Jiajing, Meng Chun, the right minister of the Ministry of Personnel, appointed two general ministers, one to take charge of Xuanfu and Datong, and one to take charge of the three sides of Shaanxi.
The establishment of the Shaanxi trilateral general system was mainly for the timely defense of Turpan's invasion. In December of the same year, the Shaanxi trilateral general system was restructured into the admiral. In August of the seventh year of Jiajing, the Shaanxi Trilateral General System was formally established. In the fifteenth year of Jiajing's reign, the Shaanxi Trilateral General System was renamed Governor-General.
Since then, the governor-general of the three sides of Shaanxi has been responsible for the military affairs of the three sides and four towns of Shaanxi. It can be seen that the Shaanxi Trilateral General System was discussed in the early tenth year of Hongzhi and became customized in the fourteenth year of Hongzhi.
During this period, the main task of controlling the three sides of Shaanxi was to defend against the southward invasion of the Mongolian tribes. During this period, there were always vacancies in the three sides of Shaanxi Province. Once the northern Mongolian tribes moved southward in large numbers and the defense on the three sides became urgent, the imperial court immediately appointed the general commander and gathered troops from the four towns for defense.
When the Mongolian army temporarily retreated and the military situation on the three sides eased slightly, the commander-in-chief immediately returned to Beijing and resumed his duties. However, from the 14th year of Hongzhi to the 3rd year of Zhengde, the jurisdiction of the trilateral ministers of Shaanxi Province did not involve Gansu Town.
Gansu Town did not join the Shaanxi Trilateral Defense Zone at the beginning, which was related to the path of the Mongolian invasion of Hetao.
As far as the entire three sides and four towns of Shaanxi are concerned, Gansu Town, located in the western border, is not a key defense area. The defensive focus of Shaanxi's trilateral ministers and trilateral governors was initially concentrated in the Huamachi area. Because this area is an important entrance for the Mongolian tribes to invade the three sides of Shaanxi, it is stipulated that "the governors of the three sides will personally visit Huamachi in May and June to mobilize Yan, Ning Qiyou and other troops to Pinglu City and other places to defend it." .
At this time, Gansu Town played a supporting role in the entire Shaanxi Trilateral Military Defense Zone, and its main role was to assist the three towns of Shaanxi, Yansui, and Ningxia. It was not until the fourth year of Zhengde that Gansu Town was officially included in the trilateral jurisdiction of Shaanxi Province due to defection via Gansu Town and occupation of the West Sea.
In the early Jiajing period, Turpan's power expanded into Jialiu Pass, and border emergencies began to appear in the western part of Gansu Town. During this period, due to the border defense situation of being surrounded on three sides, the Gansu town had no time to support the Hedong town. The towns on the three sides of Shaanxi also switched from unified coordination to special area self-defense.
From then on, the three sides of Shaanxi General Control had to be responsible for defending against the invasion of Yibula and Turpan, and Gansu Town naturally became a key area for defense.
In the Shaanxi trilateral defense area, the northern Mongolian tribes are mainly stationed in the Hetao area, close to Yansui. Its invasion path is mainly from Yansui into Ningxia, and then from Ningxia to the Gansu border.
Just after Gao Pragmatic discussed this topic with Song Yingchang, Song Yingchang asked someone to send "Gansu War and Defense Map". This is a set of system diagrams, not only showing the current situation, but also diagrams from past years.
Gao Pragmatic looked at it carefully and found that from this set of pictures, it can be seen that in the 23rd year of Jiajing, the route of the Beilu from Ningxia to Gansu Town was mainly divided into three routes:
One is from Ningxia Zhenjinglu Guard Lutang Lake entering the boundary, invading Hongchengzibao, Zhuanglangwei, Zhenqiangyibao and other places; the second is Ningxia Helan Mountain entering the boundary and invading Liangzhou Guard and Gulang Guard Qianhu Station , Zhenfan Guard and other places; thirdly, Yiji Nai and Ulu Nai entered the border and invaded Zhen Yi Suo, Gaotai Suo, Suzhou Guard and other places.
Among these three routes into the border, the route from the Helan Mountains in Ningxia was formed in the early Jiajing period. By the middle Jiajing period, it had become one of the main routes for northern Mongolian tribes to invade Gansu Town southward.
In the 10th year of Chenghua, Xu Tingzhang, the censor of Ningxia, and Fan Jin, the governor of the city, repaired the wall on the east side of the river, forming a 387-mile Great Wall from Huangshazui to Huamachi. This Great Wall played an important role in resisting the southward invasion of Mongolian tribes in the Hetao area. For the time being, there have been no large-scale invasions by Mongolian tribes on the three sides of Shaanxi.
Until the 14th year of Hongzhi, the Mongolian tribes in the Hetao area broke down the wall from Huamachi and invaded southward, plundering Guyuan, Anhui and other places. The destruction of the border wall east of the Hetao resulted in the loss of the barrier defending the Mongolian tribes in the Hetao area, and the three-sided border crisis in Shaanxi became critical.
After Yang Yiqing took office, he immediately suggested rebuilding the wall east of the river. However, the repairs caused hardship to the military and civilians and caused widespread resentment, and the repairs did not achieve good results. The next year, Yang Yiqing claimed that he was ill and was relieved of his official duties, and the rebuilding of the wall near Huamachi was temporarily suspended. After that, the Mongolian tribes in the Hetao area continued to break down the walls from the Huamachi area and invaded Guyuan and other places.
In the first year of Jiajing, the northern Mongolian tribes destroyed the border walls of Yuanshan Erdun, Shijing Erdun and other places, and invaded the area as far south as Jingzhou. During this period, the Mongolian tribes invaded the Hetao territory basically from Huamachi to the south, and the scope of intrusion was mainly Ningxia, Guyuan and other places.
Seven years after Jiajing, Helan Mountain became a new route for Mongolian tribes to enter. On the 15th day of the first lunar month of that year, the Mongolian tribes crossed the Yellow River from Zhenbeiguan in Ningxia and traveled south along the Helan Mountain.
At this time, Gansu Town, located south of Helan Mountain, became a dangerous area, and the garrison commander Hang Xiong and others were preparing for defense at Zhenqiang Fort on the eastern edge of Gansu Town. However, because Hangxiong underestimated the enemy, the Mongolian tribes plundered Zhuanglang and Ningxia.
In this regard, Wang Qiong, the Secretary of the Three Sides of the General System, said that "Taolu crossed the river on ice and entered the village from Helan Mountain in Ningxia, and Liang began here." But in fact, as early as August, the Mongolian tribes stationed outside Piantou Pass had crossed the river from behind Helan Mountain and stationed at Zhuanglang to plunder.
Since then, the Gansu town area has been invaded by Mongolian tribes many times. In August of the eighth year of Jiajing's reign, the Mongolian tribe's Altusi entered Zhuanglangjing from Helan Mountain in Ningxia, lived there for ten months, and invaded Hongchengzi wantonly. In the ninth year of Jiajing, in order to deal with the intrusion of Mongolian tribes on Gansu Town, Wang Qiong, then the Shanxi Trilateral Minister of Shaanxi Province, proposed to build a wall in Helan Mountain, add castles in Dashagou and other places, and station troops.
In fact, there used to be a side wall near Helan Mountain: from Zhenyuanguan Shanzuitun to Hengcheng, it was 185 miles long and had 36 piers and abutments, but it had been abandoned for many years. Wang Qiong gave up the restoration of Zhenyuan Pass at the northern end of Ningxia Town and chose to dig and build a trench where Helan Mountain connects to the Yellow River in the south, making Helan Mountain a new defensive boundary.
However, the trenches at the Helan Mountains failed to prevent the Mongolian tribes from moving south. Later border ministers also criticized Wang Qiong's actions: "Ningxia is adjacent to the barbarians behind the mountains, and the Helan Mountains are also bounded by Wang Qiong's abandonment of Zhenyuan Pass. Xinbian, and Helan Mountain was occupied by the captives, causing the towns of Yan and Ning to suffer to this day."
At this time, Helan Mountain has become a key point. The invasion route of the Mongolian tribes in the Hetao area is to enter from Helan Mountain, attack Gansu Town behind the mountain, and reach Zhuang and Liangwei in the northeast area of Gansu Town. This means that Gansu Town, Yansui Town, and Ningxia Town have become the key areas of invasion by the Mongolian tribes in Hetao, and the border crisis in the northern part of Gansu Town has intensified.
Among the four towns on the three sides of Shaanxi, Yansui and Ningxia towns are the northern gateway, while Gansu town is the western barrier. The three are at odds with each other and jointly defend the hinterland of Shaanxi town.
Before Zhengde, the main defense targets on the three sides of Shaanxi were the northern Mongolian tribes, so the troops were mainly concentrated in the towns of Yansui and Ningxia. However, as the piers and platforms were abandoned, the forts moved inward, and the armaments were weakened, it became easier for the northern Mongolian tribes to break through the border from Ningxia and Yansui towns and invade Hexi.
Therefore, when the towns of Yan and Ning encountered large-scale invasions by the northern Mongolian tribes, Gansu soldiers and horses were often mobilized to come to the rescue. Beginning in the seventh year of Zhengde, there were Yibu La in the west of the town of Gansu Province, disturbing Shufan, and the little prince in the north was chasing and crossing the river. The Mongolian tribes were pressing against each other on both sides, and were suffering from acanthus on both sides. However, at this time, Yibula was still regarded as a "remnant bandit in Hexi", and border officials looked down upon him.
There are always police in Hedong, and many Gansu town officers and soldiers are stationed in Hedong, which also results in the situation that Gansu town soldiers are few and weak.
It can be seen from this that during this period, the Mongolian Little Prince tribe located in the north and approaching the Hetao area was the key defense target of the entire three sides and four towns of Shaanxi, while Yibula occupying the West Sea was not regarded as a border threat. Therefore, the number of troops in Hexi, whose defense target is Yibula, is significantly smaller than that in Hedong, whose defense target is the Little Prince tribe.
At this time, military defense was still focused on Hedong, but border officials were aware of the raging crisis in Hexi. In the 16th year of Zhengde's reign, Xu Ming, the then governor of Gansu Province and deputy capital censor, mentioned in a memorial that the shortage of troops in Hexi Province. Xu Ming advocated reserve troops for the Hexi Guards in advance, which was after realizing that the border troubles in Hexi Province were becoming increasingly serious. In the second year of Jiajing's reign, Chen Jiuchou, then governor of Gansu, once again reported the shortage of troops.
At this time, the imperial court also began to face up to the problem of military personnel in Hexi, and allocated internal funds to Gansu Town to recruit soldiers. The border officials also gradually changed their contemptuous attitude. From the previous "not to rely on neighboring soldiers" to advocating coordinated defense preparations, "the commander-in-chief and minister Li Yue were ordered to stay in Gansu temporarily to supervise the patrol officers in the same town, mobilizing military supplies, and taking photos." Fight and defend. The Qi soldiers from the Yan and Ning towns and the imperial officers and soldiers from Gan and Liangbei all listened to the instructions, and still ordered the deputy commander-in-chief Lu Jing to fight against the invaders."
With the expansion of Yibula forces in the Qinghai area, the distribution of food and troops in the Gansu town's guard station has also been adjusted. In August of the seventh year of Jiajing, the Mongolian tribesmen led more than 10,000 tribesmen across the ice from behind the Helan Mountains and crossed the river. They met with the Mongolian tribes behind the Zhuanglang Mountains and tried to intimidate the Western Sea Yibula and rush westward into Hami.
In this way, the Mongolian tribes could be surrounded from three directions: north, south, and west, that is, Gansu was attacked from three sides.
At this time, Gansu Zhenzhuang Langwei was surrounded by Mongolian tribes, and its importance became increasingly prominent. Later, in May of the ninth year of Jiajing and in April of the tenth year of Jiajing, Zhuanglang encountered large-scale invasions and plunders one after another, and it became a place of military conflict in Gansu Town. Therefore, Wang Qiong, the then admiral of Shaanxi Trilateral Military Affairs Department, proposed to set up an additional branch guard road in Zhuanglang to be responsible for the military food in Zhuanglang and Zhenqiang areas.
Since then, Gansu's towns and villages have moved eastward, and the food supply has also tilted toward Zhuang and Liang. In May of the ninth year of Jiajing, Yibula from the Qinghai area went north via Zhuanglang. "From the West Sea, he followed Guangwu Ying to Chimukou in Helan Mountain, demolishing the wall at the southern boundary of Ningxia and entering. He rode with 40,000 to 50,000 people, flying dust for dozens of miles. , slightly fearless." At this time, the Mongolian tribes from the north also entered Zhuanglang from the west, and police were stationed in the north and south of Gansu Town.
To this end, Wang Qiong, the Secretary General, requested that the guards guarding Taozhou from Panxiu in Liangzhou be sent back to the original guard, and 200 people from the original Hezhou guards be transferred to Shajingyi and Kushuiwan east of Zhuanglang. This increased the military reserves in Zhuang and Liang areas.
In February of the 10th year of the Jiajing reign, Li Chengxun, Minister of the Ministry of War, asked the Mongolian tribes to plunder the bandits from the Western Sea. The intruders had to pass through Zhuanglang. Therefore, he suggested that "either set up dangerous barriers and set up distant scouts to clear the wilderness so that the captives could not be plundered; or gather troops to intercept and kill them." , so that the two bandits cannot interact and become a trouble for Zhuanglang."
In the 20th year of Jiajing, Yang Shouli, the governor of Shaanxi Province, proposed to set up additional guerrillas in Xi'an Prefecture with three thousand troops. The main purpose was to support Lanzhou, Jinglu Guards, and Zhuanglang Guards, that is, the Hexi area, and the defense target was "behind Hetao Mountain" ", that is, the Tatar bandits in the West Sea behind Zhuanglang Mountain.
This series of proposals fully shows that the military defense of Gansu Town has begun to tilt eastward. For this reason, among the thirteen illustrations in "Gansu Zhan Zhan Zhan Lue" that Song Yingchang showed to Gao Pangshi, the illustrations of the two forts of Hongchengzi and Zhenqiang were specially added. It can also be seen that Zhuang Langwei This area becomes the focus of the depiction.
Gao Yingshi listened carefully to Song Yingchang's details of Gansu's defense situation. He already guessed what he wanted to say, so he pointed at the Zhuanglangwei area and said: "Tonggang means, Li Wen (the governor of the three sides at the time) Don’t go to Ganzhou, just go to Lanzhou, Zhuanglang and Liangzhou?”
Song Yingchang nodded and said: "I think this is exactly what Yingchang meant."
Gao pragmatically asked calmly: "What's the reason?"
Song Yingchang said: "Although Gansu is one of the towns on the three sides of Shaanxi, because the governors of the three sides rarely come to Gansu, the military affairs of Gansu are often solely responsible for the governor of Gansu. Although Li Wen once followed Zheng Luo into Qinghai and had considerable military exploits, but I have never been to Gansu in person.
If he comes to Ganzhou in person this time as an army commander, no matter what his original intention is, he will definitely usurp the power of the army. At that time, if the two of them have different opinions, the coordination of Gansu's armies will inevitably be abnormal... Now Gansu is already weak in the face of the Burihatu army. If there is another internal dispute among our army, how can we not be defeated? This one. "
Gao Pragmatic was noncommittal and just asked: "So, what about the second one?"
"Secondly, Mr. Yu Guange has recently allocated money and grain, and sent people to purchase camels and other livestock. At the same time, he has built a large number of heavy vehicles. It can be seen that the imperial court has planned to use troops in the northwest, but it still needs to be properly prepared.
In this case, we must choose a main storage place for the Western Expedition materials. When it comes to the western expedition to Yarkand, it would be best if the supplies could be stored in Suzhou. After all, that is the closest place to the outside of the Great Wall. Otherwise, it can also be stored in Ganzhou...
However, this time the Burihatu army was even able to attack Suzhou with one blow, and even supported the army to fight to the gates of Ganzhou City. This shows that the defense of Gansu Province near Turpan is not tight enough, and it is really dangerous to store a large amount of materials here.
This is not the case in Lanzhou, Zhuanglang, and Liangzhou. This is the place where Gansu is closest to Shaanxi on three sides. The large and small Songshan Mountains in the east were also restored by our army after the Northwest Rebellion, and a border wall was built. It can be said that it is both strong and close, suitable for storing grain and weapons.
In this way, if Li Wen is first transferred to the Zhuanglang area, he can not only provide logistical support to Xu Sanwei for the recent battles, but also allow him to make preliminary preparations in advance to store what is needed for the Western Expedition, and can also avoid The possible command conflicts between him and Xu Sanwei can be described as killing three birds with one stone. "
Gao Jingshi nodded slightly, but still did not agree. Instead, he looked at the map carefully for a while and asked again: "I think there should be a 'third' in Kirigang, right?"
"Old Ge has a sharp eye, and there is indeed a third one." Song Yingchang took a deep breath, pointed to the Ordos tribe in Hetao, and said: "After the rebellion in the northwest was put down by Mr. Ge, Bo Shuketu was placed under house arrest by King Shunyi. But over time, there have been many protests within the Ordos ministry, asking King Shunyi to release Boshu Ketu.
At the same time, this ministry has also reported to the court many times, stating that they have sent elites to fight with us in the Ming Dynasty several times. Even though Boshu Ketu was guilty in the early years, now the ministry has paid the price, proved its loyalty, and requested the emperor's decree to release him. Bosho Ketu.
Under this circumstance, and considering that the imperial court may also dispatch cavalry from the Ordos tribe to accompany the expedition, I thought it was time to release Boshu Ketu and return to his tribe.
However, after all, this person has a previous crime, and it is difficult to determine how well his rebellious character has been polished. Therefore, when he is released, there is still a need for the three parties in Shaanxi to be more vigilant and not to be careless. In this way, the governors of the three sides should not be too far away from Guyuan...Gansu is too far, but Zhuang Lang can still take care of it. "
It has to be said that Song Yingchang's level is indeed much higher than that of Zhou Yong. At least he considers the problem quite comprehensively and does not just look at it from a military perspective. According to his words, there are reasonable considerations in all aspects such as political influence, military arrangements, and personnel dispatch. He is indeed a central talent.
Gao Pragmatic was very pleased and finally expressed his position: "Tonggang is aware of every detail and considers everything. He can be said to be a capable minister. The above statements are all reasonable, and I am deeply gratified... In this case, the Ministry of War can discuss this matter. Merge the memorials in order to obtain the Holy Spirit's approval, and our cabinet will naturally express its approval in the draft."
Song Yingchang was very excited when he saw that Gao Pragmatic completely agreed with what he meant, and he immediately agreed. However, after a pause, he still couldn't help but said: "Li Cixi (Li Wen, courtesy name Zongqi, Hao Cixi) was a Jinshi in the 41st year of Jiajing. His advisor at that time was former Prime Minister Guo Anyang Gong. There is obviously something wrong with this transfer order from the Ministry of War. The idea of allowing him to intervene in the command of Gansu is not because he is foolish enough to judge a gentleman's heart with a villain's heart... I am really worried about the resentment in his heart. I wonder if Mr. Ge can write to him to explain something to him, so as to prevent him from having a different intention in the central place. , have a grudge against each other?"
The "former prime minister Guo Anyang Gong" mentioned by Song Yingchang was Guo Pu. Guo Pu was Gao Pragmatic's teacher, and he happened to be Li Wen's teacher during the midterm exam. Therefore, Gao Pragmatic and Li Wen could theoretically be regarded as brothers. , asking Gao Pragmatic to write a letter explaining the reasons for such an arrangement by the Ministry of War, can indeed prevent Li Wen from feeling resentful towards Song Yingchang and even the Ministry of War.
Some people may be curious, as Song Yingchang was the Minister of War, how could he be afraid of Li Wen, a governor of the three sides? In fact, this is not a question of whether to be afraid or not, but a question of avoiding unnecessary trouble.
And there is a deeper reason here: Li Wen was a Jinshi in the 41st year of Jiajing, but Song Yingchang was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Jiajing. This means that Song Yingchang is not as qualified as Li Wen and is a backward official in the officialdom, so he must be polite.
In addition, what is the relationship between Guo Pu, the examiner in the 41st year of Jiajing, and Gao Gong, the examiner in the 44th year of Jiajing? Almost all their disciples are now in the Real School. If there is a conflict between Song Yingchang and Li Wen, is that ridiculous? To avoid conflicts between the two of them, it is obvious that as Gao Gong's nephew and Guo Pu's close disciple, Gao Jingshi is the best mediator among them, and Gao Jingshi's status is sufficient.
Gao pragmatic smiled and said: "Tonggang, don't worry, Li Cixi is not such a small-minded person, and I will also personally edit the book and explain the reasons for him."
"Thank you so much, Ying Chang."
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Thanks to book friend "Cao Mianzi" for your reward and support, thank you!
Thanks to book friends "First Login", "Model Lollipop chlg", and "Book Friends 20220326145804701" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
Thanks to the book friend "Didi Kaka Club" for supporting 9 monthly tickets, thank you!
ps: As expected, I fell asleep last night. I checked the code in the morning and found 1k7. I was planning to make up for one chapter in the afternoon, but it turned out to be more fun, so I simply merged the two into one and merged today's first chapter. in one piece. In this way, I will update another chapter tonight and it will be ok.
Well, I owed quite a lot before, and I feel like I will be a bit nervous this month and my head will hurt...
