In the second hall of the government office, Xue Lu still asked for the second time in a questioning tone: "Zhang Ye's cavalry was defeated? He was in... that place..." An aide next to him reminded: "Shichang Bay.
"
This is not because Xue Lu neglected his duties. He knew the location of his cavalry. It’s just that the place where he was stationed last night was so ordinary that most people didn’t pay attention to the name. If it weren’t for Zhang Wei’s cavalry troops,
More than 3,000 people suffered heavy casualties in Shichangwan overnight and collapsed like mountains. If you think about it, you may never be lucky enough to be mentioned by government officials.
Yu Qian seemed to be a lot tired in one morning, and his face looked a little sallow. What made him feel uncomfortable at this time was not only the news of the defeat, but also the addictive atmosphere. He suddenly lost a large group of cavalry soldiers, and the government
Everyone inside was silent and said little.
Yu Qian suddenly had the feeling that the place was like a pool of stagnant water, without any vitality. The old carved windows, mahogany chairs, and the civil servants and military generals sitting on them all looked like elderly people. Everyone looked serious.
However, all of them seem to be very dignified, and their words and deeds are decent and steady. It is difficult for you to find any flaws in them, but they are very awkward to use.
The Ming Empire has been established for almost 60 years. In the unified Central Plains dynasty, she is still very young. However, since the Yongle period, the military system of the guards has shown a trend of solidification. The generals at all levels are like the ones in this room.
There are several chairs, and the same people are always sitting on them. Occasionally, some people will be crowded out and replaced with new faces.
This inexplicable feeling made Yu Qian feel a little tired and tired. Perhaps he himself was not much different from everyone else. Although he was less than thirty years old, his sitting posture was more stable than others, and he had an official air all over him.
Even officials with gray hair and beards did not dare to underestimate his magnanimity; and he followed the same path, seeking a career in the imperial examination, hanging with important officials in the court, and always observing the trend of the officialdom. Some of the dreams he had when he was young seemed to have disappeared for several years.
I remembered it.
After a while, Yu Qian finally recovered from this low mood. The reality is very simple: in the Ming Dynasty, people who were stronger than ordinary people in terms of intellectual talent and other aspects were willing to be officials. This way not only could they gain wealth, but also
There is always one thing you want, whether it is social status, fame, etc.
"In the opinion of Marquis Wuyang, is it impossible to repel the rebels without cavalry?" Yu Qian asked cautiously.
Xue Lu frowned and said: "With neither artillery nor cavalry, it would be extremely disadvantageous to fight with infantry alone. Anyone who has led troops knows that using infantry as the first heavy force to form an formation is usually to break the enemy's force.
The formation is the key point; the next strategy is to engage the two armies to kill and injure the enemy soldiers and horses, forcing them to be unable to bear the casualties, so that they lose morale and collapse, and take advantage of the situation to cover up the killing. Now the rebel infantry is waiting with sharp firearms and can wear iron armor within a hundred steps. The two armies are facing each other.
We are at a definite disadvantage before we even engage the enemy, and it is really difficult to win with this kind of tactics."
Yu Qian nodded slightly in agreement. Although he was not a military commander, he could imagine the situation on the battlefield. It should also be credible that the rebel firearms could penetrate armor with a hundred steps. Not only Xue Lu, but also Zhu Yong confirmed it in actual combat, and Lian Jin Yiwei mastered it.
The same is true for the news.
Gradually, some people finally began to come up with some ideas. Some people said that the main force should be withdrawn into Changde, Wuling and other cities, rely on fortifications to hold on, and then order Changsha to send more cavalry for reinforcements; but no one dared to pat their chests and guarantee that dozens of cannons would be deployed.
Under attack, the city defense can hold out until reinforcements arrive. Moreover, Changsha is not the territory controlled by the officers and generals present, and there is no guarantee whether they can rush for reinforcements in time. It is even harder to guarantee that the rebels will be defeated.
War mobilization in this era was very slow, especially in farming countries. Theoretically, Huguang Province can assemble an army of 100,000, but in normal times it is difficult for any important town to maintain such a large number of troops, and most of them are scattered on the military fields of various guards. Even among civilian military households, it takes a certain amount of time to gather together and form a large army to recruit. Neither the governor nor Wuyang Marquis are immortals. They cannot get an army to Changde to reinforce it within a few days, and they must defeat it. Enemy forces with superior firepower.
On the surface, everyone is constantly making suggestions, but the situation has become even worse after the First World War at Shichangwan.
The discussion ended without any results, and the cannons outside the city were still roaring. At this time, the six doors that were intimidating to ordinary people also trembled under the sound of the cannons. Yu Qian looked solemn on the way to the governor's residence after leaving the government office. .
He privately said to Wang Jian who was accompanying him: "Perhaps we should be fully prepared before going to war with the rebels. The time is not yet ripe. The more than 10,000 soldiers in Changde Prefecture are the main force of the prefectures in western Huguang. There is no need to be buried here. "
Wang Jian hurriedly advised: "Students believe that the officers and generals in Changde have not lost their fighting spirit. If they retreat without a decisive battle, it seems that our officers and soldiers are afraid of a traitor, which will damage the authority of the officers and soldiers... It is impossible to tell anyone." It doesn’t sound good.”
Wang Jian claimed to be his student in front of Yu Qian, but in fact he did not really teach him, but just followed him out of respect.
Yu Qian understood the good intentions of Wang Jian's words. He was not really afraid of losing the dignity and reputation of the army, but actually he was thinking about Yu Qian. Losing a city and losing land was a huge crime. If Yu Qian ordered the abandonment of a mansion, and the mansion was There were originally more than 10,000 defenders... This kind of thing is really difficult to explain in the official circles of the imperial court. Simply doing this is not as good as defending the city and defeating it. In this way, there will be more people who should be responsible for failing to defend the emperor's city. .
If the city was not defended, although the governor, as a senior official who controls the military and political affairs of a province, also bears certain responsibilities, Xue Lu, the military officer in charge of military affairs, is also involved. Even people from the Third Division of Wuchang can also be punished with salary; and The prefect of Changde Prefecture, as the chief of the first prefecture, has the greatest responsibility to control the territory under his jurisdiction, and he cannot escape the blame. If something goes wrong, if the governor is evil-minded, he can find a scapegoat to solve the problem, such as Zhao, who seems to have no backing in the court. Prefect.
After Yu Qian returned to the hotel temporarily, he sat on a stone in the yard for a long time. Sometimes he was meditating, sometimes he raised his head and sighed. Wang Jian always stood respectfully next to him, never leaving.
The servant made a cup of tea and brought it to him. He looked closely and saw that there was a chip on the edge of the cup lid. Last night, a girl accidentally knocked the teacup. At that time, she was busy saying that she wanted to get a new one, but Yu Qian said that it would not affect the use. Ask the girl to stay.
After a long time, Yu Qian finally calmly said to Wang Jian: "Go and tell Marquis Wuyang, tell him my order, and ask him to prepare as soon as possible and formulate a strategy for the army to withdraw from Changde."
Wang Jian was stunned for a moment, knowing that his mentor had already made up his mind, but he still couldn't help but remind him again: "Do you really want to give this order? Maybe Mr. Xue and others want a formal document with a seal."
Yu Qian looked up at the endless sky and said calmly: "Everyone knows that the best way right now is to retreat temporarily to preserve the strength of these more than 10,000 soldiers for future encirclement and suppression, instead of being buried here needlessly. But there are always people who want to To shoulder this responsibility, Yu Mou asked himself whether he can still bear this responsibility. If someone wants to use this to say something in the future, let others say it. I just want to have a clear conscience."
After hearing this, Wang Jian bowed deeply and said with great respect: "Student, please obey."
Soon Xue Lu, the prefect Zhao Min, General Tan Yousheng and Ma Dai all came to the hotel to see Yu Qian. They didn't even bother to have lunch. These people were not fools in either civil or military affairs. They knew that Yu Qian was here.
Take the initiative to take the blame for them.
People's hearts are full of flesh, so Yu Qian actually blocked the gun. Some military generals were grateful and asked to lead the army to fight as a vanguard to see the consequences. But Yu Qian had already made up his mind and said calmly to everyone: "I am an officer.
The governor of Huguang is not concerned about Changde alone. Huguang is in troubled times, and Zhang Ning's rebels are not the only ones who suffer. The governor's officials have their own arrangements, and the generals just follow the orders."
Everyone saw that Yu Qian's face was expressionless, as if he was hiding a deep secret. There were many people who saw this and thought too much, wondering whether Wuchang was threatened by the King of Han, so all parts of Huguang should try to preserve their strength.
Under this situation, Yu Qian insisted on giving the order, and everyone readily agreed to plan the withdrawal of the army from Changde Mansion.
However, as soon as they came out, Wang Jian caught up with him and paid his respects to Xue Lu: "Just now, the Marquis and others left, my mentor said a few words, and I thought I should tell the Marquis." Xue Lu said: "Mr. Wang, please
explain."
"My mentor said that a man is a man who can bend and stretch. There are few people in the world who know how to give up, and even fewer who know how to advance and retreat." Wang Jian said.
While Xue Lu and others were thinking about this sentence, Wang Jian said again: "The governor is not willing to let the soldiers die needlessly. He hopes that the generals will know their shame and be brave, so that they can be brave enough to make achievements in the future to avert the shame of the past."
After hearing this, Xue Lu suddenly looked solemn. He glanced at the hotel door and bowed respectfully to the door. The other officials and generals were much more exaggerated. Magistrate Zhao was already kneeling at the foot of the steps and burst into tears, choking.
: "Your Majesty, you have a face of stone and a heart like a Bodhisattva. I just wish I could be a book boy under his old man's door and learn the secrets of inner cultivation! Your Majesty, you are not only a role model for us officials, but also like the reborn parents of the officials and the people..."
…”
Zhao Min was born in a poor family and worked his way up to the prefecture level. He was wearing a red robe and it was impossible not to understand what was going on. On the one hand, he was excited because he was grateful for escaping from death. On the other hand, he also had respect for Qian in his heart.
.
Some people say that if you want to know whether a friendship is true or false, you can try it with money; but in the officialdom, merits and demerits are more effective, and it is the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm. Zhao Min had to accept it.
Not long after, Xue Lu also issued a reprimand in the army: From Gaodu to Chenzhou and then to Changde, the officers and soldiers were defeated again and again. Only the battle of Lizhou was a small victory. The rebels and the generals all bear the responsibility.
If the rebel army cannot be wiped out and the place is pacified, everyone present should apologize to the emperor instead of shamelessly shirking responsibility.