Yan Chunsheng, the Duke of Xingguo, has always been in the capital. He does not need to come to the capital from other places to receive orders.
Today, he is the right commander of the Central Military Command and the admiral of the Three Thousand Battalions.
Li Jin's son Li Yuan has already been granted the title of Earl of Chicheng, and today he also came to the Fifth Army Commander's Mansion.
Here, the important ministers of the five mansions are now gathered together. Li Yuan is only twenty-four. Although he has the title of earl, he was brought here by Lu Bing. Li Yuan is currently staying at the Jinyiwei Special War Camp, and his current military rank is only captain.
But Li Yuan was a student of Yan Chunsheng. After being led by Li Quanli to participate in the Northern Expedition in the 11th and 12th years of Jiajing, he returned to the capital and entered the military camp first.
Seeing such young faces, Guo Xun felt nostalgic for a moment: This time, it is the young people who have made meritorious deeds.
He sat in the most important position, and his military position was the Left Governor of the Central Military Governor's Mansion. Based on his age alone, his qualifications were slightly ahead of Yan Chunsheng.
However, both of them are Dukes of the country, and both hold first-grade military positions, with the rank of general.
Sitting in his seat and waiting quietly, Guo Xun saw Zhu Yue, Zhu Qi's son, who served as a general in the Shenji Camp. Zhu Qi restored the title of Baoguo Gong, but he was expelled from the world and was rewarded for his merits.
The one who went up, his son Zhu Yue, could still only inherit the title of Marquis of Funing.
Zhu Qi has been dead for three years.
Li Quanli left the year before last, and his son Li Yingchen also only took the title of Marquis of Xiangcheng, not the Duke of Xiangguo, which Li Quanli was awarded. Li Yingchen stayed in Shenji Camp, but he was not qualified to attend this meeting today.
Instead, Gu Huan, the son of Gu Shilong, the first newly-named Duke of Jing in the Jiajing Dynasty, came. He was thirty-nine years old and was now the governor of the Chinese Army's Governor's Mansion and the camp officer of the fifth military camp.
Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty has gained five more princes, only two of them are still alive.
Guo Xun is already sixty-seven.
Fast forward twenty years, when he was favored by His Majesty and his blood was boiling, he was in his prime and wanted to give it a try.
Then, he was punished for the Guangdong and Guangxi case and the Li Fuda case, and made meritorious service in the sixth year of Jiajing, the eleventh and twelfth years of Jiajing.
Now may be his last chance: to arrange things well this time and make some more contributions so that his son Guo Shouqian can still be the Duke of this country.
When everyone was gathered, he sat up straight. His lips moved, his gray beard trembled, and he spat out a few words: "Today's meeting will first sort out the border areas, provinces, pro-army forces, and the three major camps in Beijing.
, the available combat power of Nanjing Zhenwu Camp. The number of soldiers, types of arms, equipment status, and generals who are willing to fight."
He spoke very simply, and he glanced at the crowd: "The military has been reformed for many years, and we have made great efforts. Now, the great success is coming. I am not afraid to tell you that the military affairs meeting has decided that as long as the big plan is successful, this time the Duke's position will be approved by His Majesty.
Just pass this number."
Guo Xun stretched out his right hand and spread his fingers.
Li Yuan couldn't help but stare: Can he create at least five more new Dukes?
"It's over fifty!"
Guo Xun knew what they were guessing. Except for a few people in the five mansions who were qualified to participate in national policies, no one else knew this information.
As a result, the official hall where the meeting was held was suddenly silent, and then there was the sound of incredible breathing.
"Therefore, we must first confirm the strength of the armies of the Ming Dynasty again." Guo Xun looked at them, "They must be able to travel thousands of miles and dare to fight. They must be mobilized and trained together. The types of troops, equipment, and the willingness of the generals are all indispensable.
! You may be admired generals, and you may also have your own calculations, but you need to remember: how big the reward your Majesty promised, and how big the punishment will be if you are a coward and ruin things! Let’s start, starting from the third camp in Beijing!”
After the military reform of the Ming Dynasty, the standing troops were divided into three categories: border defense army, territorial army, and mobile army.
Among the border defense forces, there are not only the elite border defense armies of Qinggan, Hetao, Xuanning, and Jiliao, but also the three naval divisions of Beiyang, Dongyang, and Nanyang.
The mobile army consists of the three major battalions in Beijing, the Zhenwu Camp in Nanjing and the Yangtze River Navy.
The provinces in the hinterland have territorial armies ranging from several thousand to more than ten thousand.
The total standing force is 600,000, plus the special operations battalion and the special service Qianhu Station under the Jinyiwei, the two major sea and land companies and the River Transport Bureau, the Shipping Bureau, Huang Mingji Shipping Bank, Daming Bank, Railway Bureau, and Tongyi Bureau
Waiting for the escorts of some special enterprises, ordinary security forces under the Public Security Department system, Ming Dynasty is about to make a huge move. This time, we cannot just look at the superficial strength.
Because we are going on an expedition, we have to fight in many unfamiliar environments.
For different regions, the combination of arms and the combination of generals in the army need to be considered comprehensively.
The war does not start at the same time, so we need to get the bottom line first, and then the military affairs conference and the five government offices will come up with plans. We must also start to mobilize and train together when necessary, and replenish and replace equipment when it is necessary.
The purpose of getting to know the generals who are based on their willingness to go to war is to discuss tactics.
This major matter was discussed by the staff at the military affairs meeting.
In Wuying Hall, Zhu Houcong is also here.
Over the years, through border trade caravans, people from the foreign inspection factory have scouted countless places outside the territory.
The reported data is certainly not accurate, but it can generally produce a suitable sandbox.
Now there is a huge sand table in the room of the main hall of Wuying Hall, covering not only Mobei, but also Outer Yunnan, Nanyang, the Western Regions, Northeast China, Korea, and Japan.
Among them are the distribution of important cities, with different small flags planted in them.
Surrounding the sand table with Zhu Houcong were Xia Yan, Tang Shunzhi, Yang Bo, and Tang Shaozong's grandson, Tang Shilong, who had been taught by the emperor since he was a child.
Tang Shaozong was promoted to the title of Lingbi Marquis for his meritorious service in the expedition to outer Yunnan. After his death, his son was not very good, so he was demoted and granted the title of Lingbi Bo. If Tang Shaozong's son could not make any achievements, Tang Shilong would only be a county magistrate when he ascended the title.
Now that the monarch and his ministers were discussing the strategy of war, Zhu Houcong couldn't help but look at Tang Shunzhi: "You said you have the power to sweep. Now that you have heard the account from the State Council, why not talk about how to sweep?"
Xia Yan stroked his beard and smiled.
There is no conflict of interest between him and Tang Shunzhi. In any case, he is the general staff officer, and Tang Shunzhi is still very young. During Xia Yan's term, Outer Yunnan surrendered, Hetao was recovered, and the Northern Expedition reversed the situation in one fell swoop. But now, there is still
During Xia Yan's term of office, how could he be short of credit this time?
So he gave the stage to Tang Shunzhi, why not sell him this one?
Tang Shunzhi pointed to North Korea and Japan on the sand table: "North Korea will definitely be in chaos this time, but it can be left behind. After seizing Tsushima Island and the four Japanese Kyushu Kingdoms, North Korea will be surrounded by the Ming Dynasty. Japanese territory
The land is long and narrow, and the sea territory is extremely wide. The elite naval forces are all out, and they are fighting on land. In the mountainous and narrow terrain of Japan, the Yuanyang camp still uses swords to fight against them. The Japanese army with a small horse is not a sweeping force, what is it?
"
"One is constantly fighting for power, and the other is fighting for hegemony. What are these two things I'm asking about?" Zhu Houcong frowned, "Luzon also controls the main sea route. In the future, we must guard against foreign enemies coming from the east sea. Luzon must
It needs to be taken down. The Ming Dynasty knows very little about that place. Let’s not talk about the sea. With the strength of the Ming Dynasty’s navy, it will definitely not suffer losses at the moment. It can always seize the stronghold and claim the kingdom.”
He pointed at several places: "The important ones are Outer Yunnan, Jiaozhi, Tubo, north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, and Mobei!"
Tang Shunzhi looked at Yang Bo and asked with a smile: "Wei Yue has been a military governor in Nanyang for several years. Do you have any advice about that place?"
Judging from Yang Bo's resume, the emperor's future arrangement for him is probably to assist the emperor's eldest son, and he will have to stay in the south for a long time.
Yang Bo opened his mouth and said: "The vassals in Outer Yunnan are still in the form of large, medium and small tribes, each forming a unified system. They are organized into superficial kingdoms based on loyalty and submission, and the boundaries are even more unclear. In Pingwai Yunnan, the area around Jiaozhi is naturally land and water.
Let’s go forward together. Your Majesty, I think there are a few critical points.”
"speak."
Yang Bo also stretched out his hand and pointed: "The fertile soil in the North Jiaozhi Valley should be regarded as the real soil of the Ming Dynasty. South Jiaozhi, Champa, Ayutthaya in Siam, Mengyang in Upper Burma, Dongyu in Central Burma, and Lower Burma
In Bago, these places were taken, and those deep mountains and dense forests were surrounded by the Ming Dynasty and the new vassal state. In the car, the Ming Dynasty was friendly. Princess Lanna was His Majesty's concubine and the mother of the prince. One of them returned to his native land, and the other was granted the title of vassal.
If the state helps it expand to the Mubang Mountains, then the southwest will be unobstructed. It can not only control Tubo, but also open up the vast sea, and can help it to explore Guawa and other Southeast Asian islands."
Zhu Houcong looked at Tang Shunzhi again: "Where are the Western Regions and me?"
"The Western Regions and Mobei are far away, with seas of sand, snow-capped mountains, and ice fields, making them unsuitable for expeditions by infantry and artillery armies. To solve the difficult problems in the Western Regions and Anhui, I believe that the crux lies in Tubo."
Xia Yan had no choice but to speak: "Tubo is too easy to defend and difficult to attack. It always comes from heaven and earth."
"Because it is easy to defend but difficult to attack, Tubo has always been unwilling to be alone. After taking Qinghai, Monk Zang frequently went to Qinghai to preach Buddhism, and many border people believed in it. I agreed to introduce the Yellow Sect into the grassland, precisely because Tubo can help it threaten Turpan,
Threatening the Ming Dynasty." Tang Shunzhi bowed to Zhu Houcong and said, "Your Majesty, I will avoid fighting for a few years. To deal with the Khan Court, the best way is to force him to fight and eliminate his main force first. To attack Tubo, we only need to feign an attack first. I
The answer is that we have to send the main force to contain the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Houcong was thoughtful: "I promise that I will rescue Tubo?"
"Tubo has a doctrinal dispute with Chagatai, which is now gaining momentum. For Tubo, if the Western Regions can be converted to Buddhism, then the Western Regions and Mobei will be able to believe in the Yellow Sect. They will use the teachings to rule the people.
, the more believers, the stronger the power. Therefore, Mansuer was caught between the Khan Court and Tubo who had already formed an alliance, and he had to face the Ming Dynasty. He was most willing to see the Ming Dynasty cut off the troubles first. The Ming Dynasty pretended to attack Tubo, Mansuer
I will definitely sit back and watch, choosing the opportunity to turn to the Ming Dynasty, trying to have both sides."
Tang Shunzhi said his judgment, and then pointed at Mobei: "I have worked hard to force the Western Regions to become the enemy of the Ming Dynasty, so that the Ming Dynasty will face threats to the north and west for tens of thousands of miles, and maintain the status quo under fear, waiting for good opportunities.
.If there is any sign that the Ming Dynasty will devote all its efforts to liberate Tubo, Mansuer will definitely switch sides again, and is even willing to return the homeland of the Seven Guards of Guanxi to the Ming Dynasty, and still establish a foothold in the Western Regions based on the Silk Trade Road. I know that the Ming Dynasty’s military power is extraordinary, how can we sit back and watch the Ming Dynasty
Do you really want to get rid of Tubo?"
Zhu Houcong looked at the vast Western Region on the sand table and then at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, pondering the difficulty in his mind.
"Fake attack?" He shook his head, "If we didn't really have the intention to destroy those monks and nobles in Tubo, I'm afraid I wouldn't have given me the chance to easily destroy his main force."
And if we really want to conquer Tubo, how easy will it be?
When the Han Dynasty was strong and the Tang Dynasty flourished, they could only adopt special strategies against Tibet. Under today's technical conditions, the terrain of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is too advantageous.
So Zhu Houcong asked Tang Shunzhi again: "Tell me again, how will Tubo be swept away?"
That day, Tang Shunzhi boasted too much, and now Zhu Houcong uses this to retaliate against him from time to time.
The combat power of the Ming Dynasty's army is indeed unparalleled for a while, but marching operations are not just a simple arithmetic of combat power. Nowadays, the logistics conditions have been improved due to the addition of many large ships on the sea, but on land, especially the terrain conditions are dangerous
On land, things are still not optimistic.
No matter what grand strategy is agreed upon now, in the end it still needs to be fought with real guns.
This specific strategy needs to be considered now.
Tang Shunzhi laughed: "Because Tubo is easy to defend and difficult to attack, if the Ming army is trapped on the plateau and has the possibility of being defeated, Anda can take the bait. Although Mansu'er will not send troops to help Tubo, it is still a good idea to use the road to help Anda.
It can be done. Your Majesty, the Hetao, Xuanning cavalry and Tatars have only been training in the past few years. Although the cavalry also brought blunderbuss and small cannons, I still know very little about the changes in weapons over the years.
"
He held out four fingers: "Explosive cannons converted into mine cannons, a large number of grenades, a large number of telescopes, a special operations camp. In addition to guarding the land and calming the people in Hetao these years, I have been thinking about new tactics at other times. The expedition is not easy, but
Precisely because it is easy to get into trouble during an expedition, there are tactics that use defense as offense to defeat the enemy and destroy their courage. One is called the minefield formation, and the other is the technique of capturing the king."
Xia Yan couldn't help but look at him: The art of capturing the king... is very rebellious.
Zhu Houcong was very interested: "Tell me in detail."
Landmines are nothing new under today's more systematic military development system of the Ming Dynasty.
It has existed for a long time. In various messy records, traces of this thing can even be found from the Qin Dynasty. Even Zhuge Liang also used it, although it is only an unofficial history in the story of the Three Kingdoms.
However, during the Song Dynasty, there were official historical records of the Eight Classics.
"Wu Jing Zong Yao" and official history all record that the Song Dynasty used tribulus fireballs, thunderbolt fireballs, and explosive cannons in actual combat. They could be buried underground or thrown from the top of the city.
More than a hundred years ago, in the "Fire Dragon Sutra" written in the early Ming Dynasty, this thing has been improved: "The bomb is made of pig iron, on an empty stomach, put medicine in a pestle, put it into a small bamboo tube, and thread a fire wire inside.
A long wire is used to pass through the fire trough, which is the only way for the bandits to choose. Dozens of them are buried in the pit. The medicine trough is connected to the steel wheel and covered with soil to prevent the thieves from knowing it. When the engine is started, it vibrates, and the iron pieces are flying, and the flames are soaring into the sky... Artillery
When it is burned, the sound is like thunder, shaking the city and causing the earth to collapse; smoke rises into the sky; many soldiers are frightened to death; when the fire is extinguished, no ashes are left behind.]
Now that the emperor attaches great importance to firearms, the Ming Dynasty naturally began to play new tricks with these firearms.
Mine cannons have been improved, and hand grenades have been used in actual combat and are now manufactured on a large scale. Similarly, at that time, telescopes were only used by senior generals to view battlefield conditions, but the manufacturing quantity now is not at all the same as before.
Tang Shunzhi explained his "mine array" in detail.
To put it simply, since it is difficult to travel too far with overly heavy new guns in places with dangerous terrain or too vast areas, it is better to use lighter firearms.
Then, combined with the reconnaissance advantage brought by the telescope, try to create an ambush battle that is beneficial to your own side.
If a large number of landmines can be planted in certain terrains, and when the enemy encounters them when they are pursuing or marching, they will be instantly stunned and disrupted. After the landmines are grenades, and then they can chase and shoot the remaining soldiers, then such a battle can be done.
It's much easier to fight.
Zhu Houcong frowned: "How can the enemy not set up reconnaissance cavalry when marching? The enemy will pay more attention to places where it is easy to set up ambushes. I am afraid it will not be easy to lure the main enemy force into the mine array."
"Therefore, it is necessary to use it appropriately and adapt to changes." Tang Shunzhi was very confident, "Your Majesty, the uniforms of the generals have been greatly improved. When we reach Mobei and Tubo, it is not impossible to fight in the winter months. If we delay it until winter, we will still be in a dilemma.
The enemy will naturally make a misjudgment. If it snows heavily, a night of wind and snow will cover up the traces of mines."
"... I won't talk about the specific application. But as long as you learn a lesson once, people will naturally remember it. If you use defense as offense, you will win, but you still have to advance in the end."
"This is what I call the technique of capturing the king." Tang Shunzhi said again, "In the battle of Hetao, Duke Xingguo led the special warfare camp and made the greatest contribution. I have been studying the technique of special warfare for these years. I thought about it,
The special operations battalion does not need to be used to gather together to overcome difficulties. The best use is to form a team of three or five to assassinate important officials. Your Majesty, as long as you can hide behind enemy lines and use superb martial arts and sophisticated weapons, if those dignitaries die
Despite the casualties and injuries, the foreign vassals were not able to appoint new officials as quickly as the Ming Dynasty, and they were still in good order."
Zhu Houcong couldn't help but opened his mouth: beheading tactic?
Yang Bo's eyes lit up when he heard this: "It makes sense! Most of the outer vassals are a mob, and the thieves and chiefs will disperse as soon as they are removed. If there is chaos in the rear, it will be much easier for the army to clean up. But the special operations camp is full of Han people, I'm afraid it will be very difficult
It’s hard to sneak in. If you succeed, it’s not easy to evade capture.”
Tang Shunzhi bent down again: "Since we have to deal with Japan and Korea first, and then travel to Yunnan and Jiaozhi, there is still time. Your Majesty, many Shan and Mon people have migrated away from Tibet, and the Hu people and Mongolian people in the Western Regions have also moved away.
There are a lot of them. If you want to handle this matter well, you need to work out a peaceful method and recruit some people to cover it up. I believe that with two or three years of work, pretending to be businessmen and guards, you can get in. With special
As long as you have the skills to manage a few battle camps, it is not difficult to evade them for a while. After all, whether it is Tubo, the Western Regions or Mobei, they are all vast and sparsely populated."
"...continue to discuss and continue to think about it."
What Yang Shen needs to plan is the food and salary and internal operation support required for this ultra-large-scale operation that may last for ten years in the future, while the military affairs conference needs to make targeted troop allocation and deployment based on future opponents and battlefield environment.
Strategic and tactical research.
After setting these, Ming's war machine can begin to operate at full capacity.
It will take time to decide what kind of special equipment the Ordnance Park will produce, and what kind of tactics will be mobilized and coordinated by various forces to jointly practice.
The one who least needs to worry about these aspects now is the Marine Corps.
Over in Zhigu, Tianjin, new docks are already being dug, and more and more warships are gathering outside the military port.
On the island of Taiwan, eight thousand marines from the Beiyang and Dongyang Marine Divisions have been assembled to prepare for the expedition to Japan with the fleet.
After all, you have to log in eventually.
"One year, practice hard on this island! Just in time to eliminate the bandits who are still causing trouble in Taiwan!"
Xue Han himself was here, and he said hoarsely: "After seizing Tsushima Island, the Yuanyang Battalion of Hanhaihou Lian will also send an elite army to conquer Japan with the army! The marine soldiers under the Navy cannot be ridiculed by the famous Yuanyang Battalion.
Holding back!"
He waved his hand on the high platform: "The reward is generous! I tell you clearly that in the future, many of you will be able to be Hou Bo in Japan! Japanese women are delicate and respectful, and high officials and riches are waiting for you to enjoy! But if you can
Those who follow me can only be elite soldiers trained in this actual battle to suppress bandits!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The first roar of the Ming Dynasty's war machine came on this island that was newly determined to operate.
Its terrain is very suitable for marines and marines who rarely have the opportunity to actually fight.
When they came out a year later, the Japanese side was also instigated by Yan Shifan and Wang Zhi, causing more frequent wars in the Kyushu and Four Kingdoms areas.
At that time, with the full support of huge resources, perhaps the first steam ironclad ship could be trial-built.
Xue Han's eyes lit up.
At first, his father suggested that he go to the Shipping Bureau, but now, he has embarked on a very bright and bright path.
If he can achieve great success in destroying the country in this battle, he will also be able to obtain the position of Duke as promised by His Majesty!
To guard the outer vassal, it is the hands of the generals and the arm of the prince!
Taiwan is isolated overseas and has been abandoned by the Ming Dynasty for many years. Now it has not completely become the real land of the Ming Dynasty.
There are always some people who prefer to be a local emperor and dominate.
Now, hiding in the mountains, they are facing the disaster of annihilation, while the Ming army is just training troops.