The original plan given by the Yamen, the general manager of the military affairs department, was to release all the transport capacity in the customs in three batches within a month and hand it over to private horse and carriage companies, and the vacated baggage battalions would be sent outside the customs.
However, it was only mid-August, and more than 50% of the first replacement capacity was actually released, which was much faster than previously promised.
Why is it so urgent?
Shen Hao walked back and forth in the public house with his arms crossed, always feeling that something was wrong.
Suddenly, there was a silent vibration in my arms, which was a thousand-mile note. Shen Hao took out the Qianli Note and unfolded it, which was passed on by Wang Jian.
After Shen Hao finished reading, he felt even more uneasy.
The wounded would not be sent back so suddenly. Even if there were "multiple collisions" as Zuo Yuliang said before, the wounded would be recuperated at various supply points nearby. Because the long journey and bumps back home can make some seriously injured patients aggravate their injuries or even lead to death.
What? Critically injured? Very few people survive battles with barbarians without serious injuries, too few. Of course, keeping prisoners is not what the barbarians like to do. In this regard, the human race is actually similar. Even if they keep prisoners, it is for selling money, not for mercy.
Be merciful to your enemies? Only those literati who sit far away from the battlefield can say this. Anyone who has been in the military will sneer at such shameless remarks.
Now, according to the news from the previous convoy spies, there were a lot of injured people getting on the train immediately after the first batch of transport capacity was replaced. A camp of 1,000 people has a dozen wounded. If these wounded people were all returned from outside the customs, there is only one explanation: great changes occurred outside the customs, so that it was impossible to accommodate a large number of wounded people, and all the wounded who could walk were allowed to leave as a precaution.
Coupled with the fact that the border troops speed up the vacating of transportation capacity, it seems very urgent.
This situation can be called an emergency, so Shen Hao did not have time to conduct further verification and immediately reported the situation directly to the Jingxi Town Fushi Yamen. It is not terrible to be wrong, but it is terrible to miss something.
Simultaneously with this news, Shen Hao also asked Wang Jian to hand over four series of documents containing military affairs in the south for analysis.
...
Imperial City. An urgent report was personally delivered to the palace by Wen Mingju, the left minister of the Ministry of War. All the guards along the way felt the urgency from the left minister of the Ministry of War.
It wasn't that Wen Mingju couldn't hold his breath, but it was that the incident was too sudden. He was in such a hurry that he couldn't pretend to be nonchalant. Besides, Wen Mingju didn't think he could keep this kind of news a secret for long.
It was almost Youshi when I saw the emperor.
"Your Majesty, Zuo Yuliang, the general manager of the Southern Military Affairs Department, is reporting urgently!"
"Bring it!"
The emperor's face was originally pale and weak. When he heard the word "urgent report", he immediately sat up straight. As soon as he stretched out his hand, his aura suddenly surged. Two rays of light seemed to shoot out of his eyes, which made Wen Ming raise his knees and tremble. He knelt down immediately.
The emperor took the copper bar and unfolded it to see the rather scrawled writing on it:
On the night of the ninth day of August, around the time of Hai Zheng, 15,000 of our troops stationed on the front line of Jianchuan were attacked by a combination of infantry and cavalry from the barbarians on the opposite side. The leader was the heavily armed Long-tusked Elephant Tribe, coupled with the red-eyed wolf Tribe cavalry who cut the two wings. Our defenders suffered heavy losses and could only retreat thirty miles while asking for help from the Baektu Gorge in the middle section.
Around the beginning of Ye Chou, 5,000 cavalry reinforcements from Baektu Gorge encountered a barbarian ambush sixty miles away from the Jianchuan battlefield. After initial losses, they successfully counterattacked and defeated the barbarian ambush plan, but our reinforcements were also reduced by three-tenths. Four.
At about noon on the 10th day of August, reinforcements from Baektu Gorge met up with the remnants of Jianchuan, and it took two hours to retake the Jianchuan military stronghold. Now that the follow-up reinforcements have set off, they must stick to Jianchuan to prevent the entire front from moving back and destroying the current attack on the barbarian protrusion. Constraining situation...
However, now that the situation of a large-scale barbarian attack has been determined, my subordinates kowtowed from thousands of miles away, begging your Majesty to open the military talisman and grant your subordinates the courage to fight! My subordinates will definitely quell the barbarians for Your Majesty to protect the world!
This urgent report was meant for the emperor, so Wen Mingju hurriedly sent it to the palace.
In addition, this is a private message, and it is reported in the manner of Wen Mingju, the left minister of the Ministry of War, rather than a regular military emergency report.
Of course, there will be no shortage of red feather urgent reports, but behind this report note, not only will it be "sung into the palace" openly and openly, but it will also be copied to the six ministers and the left and right prime ministers' Yamen at the same time. By then it will be known to both the government and the public.
Now Zuo Yuliang came in advance to give the emperor reaction time, also out of respect.
However, a short urgent report made the danger of the situation in the south clearly displayed in front of the emperor.
Jianchuan missed first and was recaptured the next day. There were several fierce battles. In the end, if the cavalry reinforcements from Baektu Gorge had not resisted and killed the barbarian ambush along the way, the result would have been that Jianchuan was completely lost, and Baektu Gorge would have lost 5,000 mobile power, and Completely breaking the defensive posture of Jianchuan, Baektu Gorge, and Huzhuyuan, it may even cause the Jingji Dynasty to lose its current offensive and defensive rhythm points in the barbarian areas, disrupting all layouts.
Although the results were pretty good, the process was extremely dangerous.
And no one expected that during the confrontation in this kind of war, the other side would send its most elite heavy-armed impact force to the battlefield.
Each of the heavily equipped tusks will weigh more than four thousand kilograms! Even ordinary military stronghold gates may not be able to hold up when running at high speed. The emperor who led the last war with the barbarians still had vivid memories of this talented and terrifying race. The hand holding the copper bar trembled slightly, but he quickly stabilized it.
"call......"
The emperor took a long breath, as if he wanted to let out all the tightness in his chest.
"How many people still know the news?"
"At present, no one except my subordinates knows about it."
The emperor nodded, turned to the eunuch standing behind him and said, "Call Pang Ban, right away."
After giving the instructions, the emperor continued to ask: "You have come here several times before to advise that the transportation of baggage outside the customs is very slow. Can it be solved now?"
"It's been solved. Didn't you ask the inspectors in the Xuanqing Guards to adjust their powers before? Now the inspectors in the southern frontier army have taken the lead and removed the constraints of the inspectors, and the frontier army has followed suit. The supply battalions in the core defense area took the opportunity to move away, and now they have all been sent outside the pass. Now the construction of supply points from Zhuhuo Pass to Wuhu has been accelerated by nearly twice, and it will be completed by the end of this month at the latest."
"That's good. What about other preparations? How far is it from being fully prepared?"
"According to the plan drawn up by Zuo Yuliang and the Ministry of War, almost 70% has been completed."
The emperor's face looked better. A 100% certainty is only the best choice, and a 70% certainty is considered good.
"Hong Ling urgently reports that you can have someone sing and pass it on tomorrow. It will be a great meeting at that time to finalize the affairs in the south."
"Okay, Your Majesty."
