Today, the ministers arrived at the square in front of the Meridian Gate before dawn. While they were waiting, they privately exchanged military information about the northwest. They were all whispering.
The capital cannot hide secrets. Regarding the deterioration of the situation in Jiuyuan City, as well as the fact that the officials and factory guards sent by the emperor before have returned, it is already known to everyone. Although the emperor has not come yet, they have communicated with him based on the past two years.
I knew very well that with the emperor's temperament, he would definitely be very angry.
What I'm angry about is not that I ran away from the battle, but that these dogs dared to return to Beijing privately without my orders. They really don't take me seriously. It's really intolerable.
The officials who ran back were also worried. However, they knew that they had already made up their reasons, and even asked the ministry to send notices in advance to report on their return. In this way, the emperor could not say anything.
They did not escape privately. They came back to handle business, which was equivalent to a business trip.
But they are not very sure that they can pass the test smoothly. After all, the past two years have proved that the emperor is not easy to fool.
Dong Dong Dong! There was a drum sound on the Meridian Gate.
Immediately, a censor came forward and shouted, "Quiet!"
This is the first drum, and the process of going to court has begun. At this time, it is strictly forbidden to whisper to each other, and you must tidy up your appearance, solemnly, and wait to enter the Forbidden City. The same is true outside Donghua Gate.
The court meetings in the Ming Dynasty can be divided into three types according to time: morning court, noon court, and three dynasties. Among them, the morning court is the most important. It also has the most and strictest rules.
Censor Chen Tang came out of the queue and shouted: "Get in line and check the tooth plates."
The bodyguards and the imperial guards immediately stepped forward and urged the ministers attending the morning court today to line up in five square formations in accordance with the regulations and the order of entering the Forbidden City. After the third tong drum sounded, they entered the Meridian Gate in sequence.
Jin Yiwei checked the tooth tag, verified that he was correct, and then left.
Dong-dong-dong! A second tom-drum sound came from the two towers of the Meridian Gate.
The Meridian Gate is also known as the Five Phoenix Gate. There are five towers above the city gate, and they are composed of connected corridors, which are called the "Five Phoenixes". There are bells and drums among them, one of the four divisions of the inner court.
The eunuchs of the Division were responsible for the management. When it was time to go to court, the Bell and Drum Division would beat the drums and bells, and then open the palace gate.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the officials of the upper dynasty, big and small, mixed together regardless of civil and military affairs, and it was very chaotic.
In order to solve this problem, starting from the 24th year of Hongwu, it was stipulated that the generals should be admitted first, then the close attendants, then the princes and princes, then the fifth government and the six ministries, and then the Tianfu and miscellaneous officials in Beijing.
In the first year of Tianshun (1457), because the guards and court officials were often crowded again, another stipulation was made that when the third drum sounded, two doors would be opened first, and the officials and military flags would be placed first, while the hundreds of officials would be waiting.
Queue up in order in front of the door and wait until the bell rings before opening the door.
The Han general of Jinyiwei shouted loudly: "Official and military flag schools, organize the queue."
At this time, the Han generals who need to serve as a guard of honor in the court meeting today must line up and wait to enter the Meridian Gate.
Soon after, the third drum sounded, and the officers and soldiers began to line up to enter the Meridian Gate.
After receiving preferential treatment, the cabinet elders, bachelors, nobles, clan members, and Hanlin bachelors were having tea and resting in the duty room behind Duanmen. At this time, they tidied up their court clothes and appearance, and after a good time, they came to the Meridian Gate to arrange their shifts. Standing in line waiting to enter the Forbidden City.
At this time, the honor guard had already entered the Meridian Gate and set up defense in Qianqing Gate Square in advance. They were the emperor's honor guard and also the emperor's bodyguard. They were responsible for protecting the safety of the court meeting.
Other civil and military officials are not allowed to enter at this time. They have to wait for the bell on the Meridian Gate to ring before they can enter in accordance with the prescribed order.
Li Biao and Qian Longxi were waiting in the queue. Li Biao said to Li Banghua, Minister of the Ministry of War: "This time we are going to the northwest. We in Donglin only have a third-rank official, the Minister of War, and the others are a few sixth-rank officials. If Your Majesty, If a fire breaks out today, do you have any countermeasures ready?"
Li Banghua said: "I asked them to come back and report on their work half a month in advance. I didn't ask them to leave the northwest theater. Instead, I asked them to come back and report on their work. After all, they have been there for a year, and it is time for them to give feedback on the situation ahead. .This is a normal business trip. Your Majesty can't find anything wrong with it even if you ask."
Qian Longxi said: "If they can't stay for a few days, they have to go back."
Li Banghua said: "How can Ming affairs be completed so quickly? Just put it off."
Qian Longxi nodded and said: "Looking at the information fed back from the front, there may be a risk of the entire army being annihilated in the capital camp. If Jiuyuan City is broken, they won't have to go. You estimate that there are 40,000 people defending the city. , how long can 240,000 people attack the city and hold on?"
Li Banghua sighed. In his heart, he did not want Uncle Dingyuan to fail. He was one of the few officials in Donglin who hoped that the imperial court would reorganize its armaments.
"It's hard to say. Uncle Dingyuan is proficient in military affairs and good at using troops. He also relies on a fortified city. It's hard to say. I guess that this time Gao Qiqian may have come back with the mission of asking for reinforcements. Otherwise, how could Gao Du Gong not I dare to offend His Majesty."
Qian Longxi and Li Biao looked at each other, and they also felt that Li Banghua's analysis was very possible.
After all, no matter how good Yang Fan is in fighting, he is not a god, nor is he possessed by Sun Wuzi.
There are conditions for defeating more with less. The disparity in strength is this great. 40,000 versus 240,000. Isn't that a joke? And it's infantry versus cavalry.
Not to mention Uncle Ding Yuan, even if the Marquis of Wu'an is resurrected, he will have to be blinded. When the Champion Marquis comes, he will have to run away.
They didn't pay attention to the so-called 20,000 regiment training. These people were caused by them and the Jin party to cause trouble. They knew exactly what level they were. As for the so-called great victory before, they believed that it was Yang Fan's attempt to counterattack them. , forced compilation and compilation of so-called results.
"If His Majesty wants to discuss whether to send more troops to the northwest today, we must oppose it," Qian Longxi said.
"After all, this Qing army has been half successful. Except for Liaodong and Gansu, which cannot be disbanded for the time being, the other nine-border military towns can be disbanded. At this time, it is the time to eliminate the weak and retain the strong, and strengthen the military strength of Liaohe and Liaodong. , you must not send elite soldiers to the northwest." Qian Longxi said.
The elite soldiers went to the northwest, and the Qing army just made wedding clothes for the emperor. These people fell into the hands of the emperor, not Donglin. Their work was in vain.
Li Biao stroked his beard and said: "Then the Jingying camp may suffer a lot of losses."
Qian Longxi said: "We can only let the Beijing camp hold on for a while. At least we must complete the work of the Qing army. At this time, we cannot lose the watermelon and pick up the sesame seeds."
Obviously, in Donglin's mind, their withdrawal of military power is the top priority. As for the life and death of the Beijing camp, in his opinion, it is not a problem at all.
They were very worried that the emperor had begun to strengthen his own army.