Drinking and selling mare's milk is also the rule of the Qing Dynasty ancestors. Let future generations never forget that the Manchus conquered the world on horseback. This mare's milk is fermented and brewed from mare's milk. The mare's milk is packed in leather buckets made of cowhide. Put the aged milk wine koji into it and place it in a warm place to ferment. Stir it with the juice of a wooden pestle several times a day. After a few days, it will become a slightly salty and sour horse milk juice with a slight aroma of wine, cool and delicious, and refreshing.
After drinking the mare's milk juice, Prince Gong Yixin first presented a memorial and said: "To your Majesty, this is the 800-mile express submitted by Zuo Zongtang. It is about the security of food routes. Please send someone from the imperial court to supervise the handling. Build roads and bridges to trap the Nien Army in the Shaanxi-Gansu area."
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun's thoughts turned around in confusion. Only then did he realize that he was still in the midst of tens of thousands of official letters. He couldn't help but do whatever he wanted. He took the memorial and looked through Zuo Zongtang's memorial that had been transferred from the military aircraft office. . Frowning, he focused on the extermination of the Nian Army and the Hui rebellion. He pondered for a moment. He couldn't figure out why Zuo Zongtang didn't mention the progress of the war. He rushed an eight-hundred-mile journey. He talked about food road security. It is now spring. Even the most difficult winter for the Qing army has passed. There is no shortage of food now. He still knows this very well.
"Prince Gong, didn't Zuo Zongtang now propose to slow down the advance, encircle, divide and disintegrate the various rebel bandits, and wait until summer and autumn before attacking again? It takes such a long time to prepare. Is it necessary to rush 800 miles away?"
Prince Gong Yixin Xunxun taught: "Your Majesty, Zuo Zongtang's memorial has profound meaning. Now the Qing army in the Shaanxi-Gansu region has pressed on the East Nian from three directions for a decisive battle. The imperial court's strategy of first Nian and then returning has not Changes, grain road protection, road construction and bridge building. In addition to eliminating the East Nian and revolting, the more important thing is to enter Xinjiang to fight. This transportation line is the lifeline. Now, although Zuo Zongtang has occupied the Hexi Corridor, it is now being returned to Xinjiang. The population was devastated by the war, and the total grain production dropped sharply. Without food and population, the Qing army could not hire any captains for each battalion, and the soldiers had no fighting capacity. How could they continue to advance."
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun did not wait for Prince Gong Yixin to continue. He cut off the topic and asked: "Prince Gong, when the army fights, it fights. What do you care about the elder husband? What do the people do to join in the fun? We Eight Banners disciples are indeed heroes. "
Prince Gong Yixin was very dissatisfied with Li Hongzao. He should not be the one to explain this kind of thing. In addition to letting Zaichun read the books of sages, Yixin should also understand the new organization of the Qing army. The organization of the Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty had already been established. It would have fallen behind. Otherwise, we would not have lost consecutive battles and entrusted the command of the encirclement and suppression of the back Nian army to the Han "Zuo Zongtang".
Although Emperor Tongzhi Zaichun is still mentioning the past of sunset, talking about the glorious history of the Eight Banners disciples, and looking forward to the Eight Banners disciples returning to their peak. That will have to wait until the day lilies are cold. Things must come one by one. Prince Gong Yixin still He patiently said: "Your Majesty, Ke Jingbo is now in Lanzhou and is reorganizing various armies. According to the military regulations "Chu Army Battalion System" that he used to train the Chu army, he has organized all the troops into twenty battalions. Infantry. There are 500 men in each battalion and 200 captains. Each cavalry battalion has 250 men. There are 100 captains and 250 war horses. The soldiers and husbands need 45 kilograms of food per month. The war horses need 150 kilograms of food and 360 kilograms of fodder per month. There is not enough fodder. Supplement with food. Cavalry accounts for a quarter of it. Now we need to prepare 20 million kilograms of food and grass. Prepare 3 months of combat rations and 3 months of reserve rations. Only in this way can we launch the summer and autumn offensive. The chief officer in an army is the transportation Soldiers, orderly soldiers and labor soldiers. A long way from thousands of miles away. Soldiers wear many hats. How can they only think about fighting. These are warriors who are proficient in all kinds of martial arts. In the past, we Eight Banners disciples could travel thousands of miles at a time by riding on war horses. Sweeping across the vast northwest. But now towns, high walls, mountains, rivers, and ravines have long blocked the cavalry path. It is impossible to advance the front with captured enemy grain and grass. Our Qing army is righteous. Every time we regain a place, we must provide relief to the victims and stabilize the local people's sentiments. Therefore, Zuo Zongtang's ideas on building roads and bridges are very necessary. When the roads are smooth, the flow of materials will be smooth, and the people will have rations. With the protection, livelihoods can be maintained. This is a long-term solution. On the contrary, once our Qing army leaves, the people will have no food or drink, and will rebel again, and the local government will collapse. Our army has spent so much money The places we fought down were in vain, and people's hearts were lost. Who would expect our troops to fight back?"
"Oh...I understand a little bit." Zai Chun listened with great interest. This was much more interesting than listening to Confucius's quotations from saints. He glanced at Prince Gong Yixin who was drinking tea to quench his thirst and asked: "Prince Gong .Then look at who should be assigned to take charge of Shaanxi-Gansu affairs."
Prince Gong Yixin put down his tea cup and took out a memorial from the memorial and presented it. Su Rong said: "Your Majesty, I suggest that Lin Shoutu be appointed as the chief envoy of Shaanxi Province. He will also be in charge of military camp transportation and supervise the Qingyang grain station. He will be responsible for it. Defense of the Northwest Army."
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun took a careful look at the majestic and stern Yi Xin, then said what he wanted to say in his heart and swallowed it again. E Niang Ci Xi and Emperor Yi Xin launched the "Xinyou Coup". Lin Shoutu participated in the meritorious service. .is a close confidant of E Niang. It seems that E Niang has known about this matter for a long time. There is no need to discuss it at the military aircraft.
Emperor Tongzhi Zaichun obeyed obediently. He sat upright and wrote the edict appointing Lin Shoutu. After finishing writing, he took a seal from the hand of the eunuch Liu Deyin and stamped it with a bright red seal with his own hands. This That is his power. It also needs to be stamped with the "imperial reward" seal of the Empress Dowager Ci'an and the "Tongdaotang" seal of the Empress Dowager Cixi before this edict can be officially issued.
Zai Chun asked: "Prince Gong, let me hear what you say. The Qing Dynasty's military system can no longer meet the current situation. All wars must use a new military system. Li Hongzhang replaced the old army with regiment training. Now the Huai Army has been restructured. Finished. Zuo Zongtang is also reorganizing military affairs in the northwest. Their army has abolished our Eight Banners military training system and turned it into elite soldiers and strong generals. The most capable Huai Army, Chu Army, and Hunan Army are all new-style armies. Then Can our other armies be like them?"
Prince Gong Yixin sighed: "The emperor can't do it. I also want to train all the soldiers and horses into elite soldiers and strong generals. But I have violated the ancestral rules. The disciple soldiers of the Eight Banners have formed an inherent pattern. I want to move the Eight Banners." The regulations. Wouldn’t it be a violation of heaven’s rules? No one in the court would agree. Those armies are mainly Han people. The soldiers recruited in other places, such as the Zhili area, are mainly Manchus. They will be soldiers from birth. Soldiers can't do other things. The court gave them land and sold it. Take history as a guide. Several generations have tried it. A man as ambitious as Sejong has nothing to do with those Eight Banners soldiers. You Don't let them serve as soldiers, but let the Han people serve as soldiers. Does this country still have the surname Aisin Gioro?"
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun said suspiciously: "Well, Prince Zhaogong, you said so. Are the Manchus unwilling to fight for their lives? Have they all turned into cowards?"
Prince Gong Yixin smiled bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, the Manchu people are still bloody. They can still fight and fight. But there are always advantages to something, and there are always disadvantages. The inheritance system is also prevalent in the army. Dragons give birth to dragons and phoenixes, and mice give birth to phoenixes. Their sons can drill holes. The positions of junior officers and mid-level officers have also been occupied by the descendants of Manchu officers. And these people have not been tested by blood and fire. They can only brag about their ancestors, Amma. How capable they are. You can fight hard. It is too difficult to find generals among these people. The bad ones start from the middle. What do you want the little soldier to become? It all depends on what those officers are."
Prince Gong Yixin did not tell the real reason for the weakening of the army. Even if he knew it in his heart, he would not say it. There are still essential differences between the Manchus and the Han. The Manchus are unwilling to give up their privileges, are unwilling to adapt, and are unwilling to learn advanced mechanisms. Failure to recognize that the world has fundamentally changed is the key.
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun looked at Yi Xin without saying a word. He was already an adult with mature thoughts. Death begins in the middle. It is an anecdote through the ages. There has never been such a saying. It sounded awkward. Prince Gong was confused. The interests of certain people must not be touched. The privileged class cannot be touched. The military restructuring is still far away. We can only settle for the next best thing.
Emperor Tongzhi Zaichun suddenly had an idea and thought of a temporary solution. He asked: "Prince Gong, since you said that the soldiers recruited in the Zhili area are mainly Manchus. No one can change this situation. And the bad habits in the old army There are quite a few. If you want to change it, but the people in the middle class won't agree, it's better to learn from Li Zhongtang's approach and start disarmament from the army in the Zhili area. The army in the Gyeonggi area will be reorganized. Some soldiers who have reached their service period will retire. The sons and nephews they want to replace will find a way to re-arrange their errands and use the vacant spots to train a new army. Let's start with a small scale pilot. Like the Chu army, it will be organized into a battalion. You can see if it works. "
What can a battalion accomplish? Yi Xin can only think that Zai Chun is piloting a new policy. The Royal Guards, like the Shanpu Camp, has trained a personal guard army to defend the capital. The empresses of the two palaces do not I would object to Zai Chun raising such a trivial matter.
Prince Gong Yixin did not forget to praise. He nodded approvingly and said: "Well, this is a good idea. Only you, the emperor, can think of it."
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun couldn't tell that Yi Xin was fooling him. He danced happily, thinking that he had accomplished a major event that would rejuvenate the country and bring peace to the country. He no longer wanted to leave the palace for a leisurely stroll. His mind was filled with who should he ask to handle this major event. Eunuch, Of course, he immediately rejected the idea of being a slave. He asked his classmates to do this kind of thing. It seemed that no one was willing to give in. He couldn't help but put his thoughts on the more than 200 people who had just passed the Jinshi exam. He thought to himself: Who can lift Xiang Yu's hand? The broken wheel inside.
Prince Gong Yixin saw Zai Chun's expression of joy and worry at one moment and his uncertain expression, revealing a naive expression. He couldn't help but smile and said: "Your Majesty, I have something else to ask you. The questions for the imperial examination of this subject are very wrong. It is not a test question on the Four Books and Five Classics. It makes many Jinshi unable to write. This matter will make it impossible for the court to explain to those students. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
Of course, Prince Gong Yixin could not first say that Emperor Tongzhi did something wrong. He first asked Zai Chun to give the reasons. Only then could he have a clear target and analyze the truth of a matter to Zai Chun.
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun had known this day would come. In the imperial examination, a partial question was asked that was out of touch with the Four Books and Five Classics. One-third of the candidates were confused. I don’t know how many Jinshi criticized him. They complained and muttered behind their backs. There would be no good words.
Emperor Tongzhi Zai Chun was a little clever. He thought of a good words and shook the table with his fist. He said angrily: "Prince Gong, I hate you so much. Why is it that a talent like Gong Zizhen is not allowed to enter the Hanlin after becoming a Jinshi and is idle in the cabinet? Zhongshu. It was a waste of twenty years for the capital to not be reused. Although Gong Zizhen was in dire straits, he still wrote repeatedly to criticize the evils of the times. Unfortunately, it was not accepted by Emperor Xuanzong and was reused. How good it is to say. "The anger of Kyushu relies on wind and thunder, and thousands of horses are silent." I'm sorry. I urge God to cheer up and send down talents of all kinds. Talents like Gong Zizhen are the talents I need. And the more the merrier. This dynasty is surrounded by enemies. There is no need for such people. They can only recite poems and chant poems, but they don't know the vast sea. Government nerds. I need those men shrouded in horse leather, like Zhou Peigong and Shi Lang, who can conquer all directions for me. Those Jinshi who don’t even know what the world is like. Prince Gong, tell me, they can change the backwardness and beatings of this dynasty. situation."
Prince Gong Yixin couldn't help but sigh and felt sorry for Gong Zizhen. He had a bad fate. He was born at the wrong time and he didn't know how to cultivate his moral character. Only those who can endure loneliness will be given important responsibilities. Just like Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang. After tempering and tempering his will at the bottom, he was forged into steel. He was only re-employed by his father when he was in his forties. Gong Zizhen liked to talk loudly. He thought Emperor Daoguang looked down on him. But he didn't know that his father liked to hire mature and prudent people. Unfortunately, he died of illness in middle age. .It also made my father sigh with regret.