According to the edict, because Prince Bao Guogong and Prince Taishi Lan Yu of Pingyi Wuwei County died on the battlefield for state affairs. Your Majesty, I will abstain from court for three days to express my condolences.
The civil servants thought that the emperor was not in the mood to handle government affairs because of Lan Yu's death, but they did not know that in the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yunxi summoned the core members of the Ming Dynasty's military group for a military meeting.
Different from talking to civil officials, the meeting was held in the main hall of Qianqing Palace, which was more solemn and solemn. Zhu Yunxi sat high on the throne, and the military ministers were divided into two groups, all sitting on round stools.
The door of the Qianqing Palace was closed, and Deng Ping led the honorary guards outside the door to guard it. Even the chief steward Wang Bashi and others had to stand far away and were not allowed to approach without the emperor's instructions.
This is the rule of the Ming Dynasty. When the dynasty was first established, this was how the emperor and the prince summoned the generals to discuss war.
Zhu Yunxi wore a red dragon robe with gold printed threads and a black wing gauze crown, with a face as deep as water.
The military ministers were clearly divided on the left and right. On the left was Wei Guogong Xu Huizu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, and on the right was General Longhu Ping'an who had just returned to the capital to take charge of the chief military officer of the Beijing camp.
Later, Wu Gao, the Marquis of Jiangyin, Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing, Li Jian, the Prince-in-law, the Commander-in-Chief, Zhou Xing, the registered military officer, Liu Zhen, Zhang Wenjie, Fang Kuan, etc.
Dozens of generals in their prime are the backbone of the Ming Dynasty's military generals today. Among them, Liu Zhen, Zhou Xing and others were specially transferred back from the frontiers by Zhu Yunxi earlier, filled the army in the capital, and took up posts in the Governor's Mansion as staff officers.
Although these generals cannot compare with the illustrious military exploits of the founding Huaixi heroes, they have also been in the frontier army for more than ten years and have fought hard battles and seen real blood.
Of course, in addition to these people, there are also meritorious veterans such as Wuding Marquis Guo Ying, Jingchuan Marquis Cao Zhen, Yuexi Marquis Yu Tongyuan and other meritorious veterans. However, these veteran military marquises are only listening to check for deficiencies.
In addition, Cao Guogong Li Jinglong, Zheng Guogong Chang Sheng, and Bao Guogong Lan Chun also participated in the meeting.
The only civil official was Rujun, the Minister of War.
There was silence in the palace. All the generals were wearing python robes, but they were also in a state of solemnity.
Everyone frowned and thought carefully before the emperor spoke.
Today's battle has not been seen for some time. Is the emperor going to send troops somewhere?
"How about Song Sheng, the commander-in-chief of Gansu Town?"
Zhu Yunxi suddenly spoke. After a brief moment of astonishment, the military officials in the palace immediately understood what the emperor meant. The emperor was asking about the town of Gansu.
These warriors may not be so quick in other places, but when it comes to military matters, they are like human beings.
The general met Zhu Yunxi's gaze safely and spoke slowly, "Song Sheng is a distinguished general of the country and has been fighting with the army since he was a child. He is mature and has a tough mind."
In other words, Song Sheng, the chief military officer of Gansu Town, is considered a member of the Huaixi Honorable Group, but he does not have a title.
In the last sentence, he is an experienced man with a tough mind. To put it bluntly, he is an experienced soldier, he is not afraid of death and cannot be defeated or defeated.
"How many soldiers are there in Gansu Town?" Zhu Yunxi asked again.
"Back to the emperor, there are fifteen guards in Gansu town, with a total of ninety-six thousand soldiers. This does not include King Su of Lanzhou, who has fifteen thousand soldiers under his command..." Wei Guogong Xu Huizu said .
But before he could finish speaking, Zhu Yunxi on the throne interrupted directly, "What I'm asking about is the number of combatable soldiers, not the military register of your military governor's mansion!"
"This..." Xu Huizu was speechless for a moment.
"Your Majesty, is he going to check the accounts of the border troops?" All the warriors were secretly frightened, and their backs felt cold.
Wuding Marquis Guo Ying secretly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, it is an old habit of frontier troops to take empty pay and pretend to be paid. But Gansu is an important city on the nine frontiers, and even with these shortcomings, it does not dare to go too far. I have been patrolling for the twenty-eighth year of Hongwu.
Regarding the military affairs of Gansu and Shaanxi, the number of combatable soldiers in Gansu Town should be 80% as recorded in the military register!"
"Eighty percent?" Zhu Yunxi's face looked a little ugly.
It had only been thirty years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and foreign troubles at the border were still there, but there were already such hidden dangers in the army. They were taking empty pay, pretending to be leaders, withholding military pay, and embezzling the fields of the guards...
The emperor looked bad, and the military officials were even more uneasy.
We are all military ministers, and there are only a few ways to get money. Everyone is well aware of the tricks involved. Some generals who have served in the border army are secretly calculating whether their butts are really clean.
But there are also people who are secretly speculating about the true meaning of the emperor's inquiry about Gansu Town.
Gansu in the Ming Dynasty was not a province, but a town. It was not a town within a town, but a border town.
Gansu is located on the border, with Qinghai to the west and the intrusion of Fanyi forces in Tibet to the south, and to resist the invasion of Mongolian forces in the north. As the saying goes, it controls the Dalu in the north, the Huiyi in the west, the Fans in the interior, and the Qian Valley in the south.
There are no counties or counties.
It was a nail set by the Ming Dynasty between the Northern Yuan and Tubo, severing the alliance between the Northern Yuan and Tubo. It was also an important external trade channel, connecting the Western Regions and transporting distant places.
It is also an important pass for the Ming Dynasty to impose economic sanctions on the Northern Yuan and Tubo, and it is also the gateway to Shaanxi. Without Gansu Town, the enemy can go eastward along the Qilian Mountains and threaten Shanxi.
The reason why Gansu Town was set up and heavy troops were stationed was because it learned the lessons of the Han and Song Dynasties. During the Western Han Dynasty, once the Xiongnu occupied the Hexi Corridor, they completely cut off the connection between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions. In the Song Dynasty, it was precisely because the Hexi Corridor was occupied by the Xixia, so
It has always been at a strategic disadvantage.
Seeing that Zhu Yunxi was silent and looked very unhappy, Ping An's eyes tilted slightly and fell on the face of Cao Guogong Li Jinglong next to him.
The latter met Ping An's eyes and lowered his eyes, placing his hands on his knees and tapping his fingers slightly.
"Your Majesty, there are 80% soldiers in Gansu Town, and the external attack may not be enough!" Ping An said slowly, "But the defense is as stable as a rock. There are fifteen guards under it, all built on the mountain and surrounded layer by layer.
Even if foreign enemies come, without several times the number of troops, they will not be able to take advantage of our Ming Dynasty."
"If there are fewer troops coming, we won't even need the reinforcements from Lanzhou and Shanxi. The cavalry from Gansu Town can surround the enemy with just one roundabout!"
It is undeniable that although the Ming Dynasty's army had some minor problems at this time, it was extremely capable and dared to fight.
First, because the emperor did not value civility over military affairs, second, there were many famous generals in a hundred battles, third, money and food were provided in place, and fourth, the equipment was good.
"Your Majesty wants to use troops in Gansu?" Ru Yu, Minister of War, said, "If so, I ask your Majesty to be cautious. It's not that I'm afraid of war, but that Gansu is connected with Tubo in the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and tea and horses are traded. It's not only important to me in the Ming Dynasty.
The place where war horses come from is also the lifeblood of Northern Yuan and Tubo."
"If our government suddenly raises troops, I'm afraid that the two sides will have no chance of survival and will unite, which will be detrimental to our Ming Dynasty!"
"It is said that two fists are difficult to defeat with four hands. To deal with border affairs blindly by fighting and using troops is not a good strategy for long-term peace and stability!"
This is an old saying for the country. War is the last option for the country's external affairs. If it can be solved by other means, use other means. Of course, if the opponent is weak and can be bullied at will, that is another matter.
It is commonly known as picking the softest persimmons. Only in this way can the benefits of the war be maximized.
"It's not that I want to use troops in Gansu, but that I suspect..." As he said that, Zhu Yunxi looked at the military ministers and smiled slightly, "Someone covets my territory of the Ming Dynasty!"
As soon as the words fell, everyone felt lighthearted.
"Damn, I thought I was going to check the accounts, and I was so scared that my hair stood on end. It turns out that someone is blind and wants to cause trouble!"
"Isn't it just fighting? This is what everyone does, just on the wheel and knife, who is so damn blind!"
"God bless, the emperor will not check the accounts..."
The military ministers breathed a sigh of relief, and the expressions on their faces became much more lively.
Cao Zhen, the veteran killer, was the first to jump out, "Your Majesty, who is it? Who is tired of living and coveting the territory of our Ming Dynasty? Although I am old, please lead the troops and kill that guy!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, are they Tatars? If they don't make you happy during the Chinese New Year, I will make them unhappy for the rest of their lives."