"This has nothing to do with whether the war is going well or not. Shi Qing is a smart man, and he will not make any mistakes in defending the city. The reason why things went wrong... I heard that the Mongols came with bad intentions this time, so they have a lot of resources at their disposal. !They have iron artillery!”
When Fang Guosan said this, Zhan Hui was surprised and immediately asked: "Iron artillery? That thing... how could the Mongols have it!"
Guo Ning's rise from a frontier soldier to an emperor was so fast and fierce that many people had to admit Guo Ning's military prowess and subconsciously find other reasons for their surrender.
For example, the gunpowder weapons used extensively by Ding Haijun in Shandong are regarded as the secret of Ding Haijun's victory over the enemy. If the power of gunpowder weapons was exaggerated, to the extent that one shot could destroy dozens of miles, then it would be impossible for Ding Haijun to surrender without help. It's natural.
Later, with the continuous victory on the battlefield, the use of this weapon became more and more frequent and skillful. Many soldiers went from being in awe to understanding it, and gradually came to rely on it as a guarantee of victory.
The more so, the fact that iron artillery was used by the Mongols brought a greater shock.
"It is difficult to prepare gunpowder for iron artillery, and it is not easy to raise raw materials. I established a special firearms bureau last year. How much gold and silver have been invested in it, how many skilled craftsmen are thinking of ways, but up to now I have not heard of any increase in output. The Mongols are all people who drink blood from raw materials. How can they compare with us? All the craftsmen they have were plundered from the Central Plains a few years ago. If they didn't rely on slave craftsmen, they wouldn't even be able to make iron. How would they make iron artillery? Skill! Even if there are craftsmen, without raw materials, technology, and stable production factories...did the gunpowder and shell fall from the sky?"
At this point, Zhan Hui swallowed: "Is it possible that the Mongolians have some new gadgets, but they may not be as powerful as those in the Central Plains? The brothers guarding the border did not check for a while, were frightened, and talked nonsense. ?”
This is also a question that Zhan Hui puts his heart into. After all, losing an important frontier town is not a trivial matter. If the soldiers who escaped back made the enemy stronger, they would be able to reduce their own guilt.
"It's not nonsense."
Liu Erzu said: "The people from Linhuang Mansion are still being interrogated. I don't have any new news here. However, there were urgent reports from Hongzhou, Yuzhou, Zijingguan, Qingbaikou and other places, saying that the Mongolian army moved south with a partial division and broke into the mountains. .”
"What's special about that piece?"
"There was a bandit named Wuxian at Qingbaikou who fled south and gathered many people along the way. According to them, the Mongolian army relied on the power of iron artillery to capture many mountain strongholds one after another. Moreover, the Mongolian weapons were in large quantities and it was useless to use them. No scruples, the vanguard is capable of explosions and fires, and it is easy to destroy the city and attack the stronghold."
Everyone at the table gasped.
Someone asked doubtfully: "Firearms can determine the outcome of a battle when used at critical moments. We have regulations in our own army. How can we use special weapons regardless of whether we fight a bad battle or not?" Will..."
"The man named Wu Xian, after arriving in our territory, donated the fragments he picked up in a certain village... The fragments were rushed 800 miles to Zhongdu. Several relevant yamen sent people to see them, and they all said that they were indeed true. They were pieces of iron exploded by gunpowder. Some master craftsmen speculated that although the scale was different, the power was similar. Perhaps the Mongols encountered some adventure during the Western Expedition, which is unknown."
The table was silent for a while.
After a while, someone looked around and whispered: "Maybe that was what Genghis Khan relied on when he returned from a foreign land. Now that the Mongols have such a sharp weapon, their strength is probably much stronger than before!"
The soldiers were wary from the bottom of their hearts towards the Mongolian army that had decimated the Central Plains.
Everyone here has witnessed the invasion that destroyed everything during the Zhenyou period. Even if Guo Ning led his troops to fight against it, the process of each battle is so dangerous and the losses are so heavy. Human lives are constantly being used to cushion the sword. The trampling of the horse's hooves, to this day, when people in the military academy listen to the review, they can't help but be horrified.
In the past two years, many of the old members of the Red Coat Army have served in northern Xinjiang. When they occasionally returned to resume their duties, they told their old bosses about the thrills and hardships of drinking horse blood on the grassland, being chased and strangled by light cavalry, and people falling to the ground like arrows in withered grass. Horrifying and surprising.
The Mongolian army that drinks blood is so terrifying. What will happen to the Mongolian army that can produce magic weapons in large quantities? With such weapons in hand, it will be more powerful than a tiger?
In the final analysis, this is not Shi Qing's problem. Rather, there is something wrong with the imperial government's policies.
Previously, the emperor first led troops to the north to provoke, and then deliberately spread rumors that he would reduce the military strength in northern Xinjiang. This was obviously to lure the enemy. Anyone who knows the story of the confrontation between the Central Plains and the grassland can understand his approach. It was nothing more than a reduction of the Jin Dynasty. Ding Zhice reappeared, and he just took the opportunity to wait for work.
When Guo Ning led his army deep into the country, the Mongols pushed out a group of improvised forest men to deal with it, and even ridiculously planned out the Han army's formation. That battle was probably the easiest victory for the Central Plains army on the grasslands.
The too easy victory led the court to underestimate the war potential of the grassland. And so many overt and covert spies went deep into the grassland every year, but they did not discover the trump card of the Mongolian army at all.
As a result, luring the enemy was too successful.
As the saying goes, if you can't give up your children, you won't be able to trap the wolf. But the imperial court had no intention of abandoning the children. In the past few years, the Tunbao, Tuntian, workshops and pastures were dotted all over northern Xinjiang. Some of them were funded by the imperial court, and some merchants and military officers set up trading firms to run them. It's all a matter of personal preference, how could it be allowed to be eaten up by wolves?
But what the imperial court originally planned to lure was a wolf with slow claws and skinny bones. Now it is a pack of wolves with steel teeth and iron claws. You know, the size of the wolf pack is terrifying, and the steel teeth can really chew iron. mud!
Now, let alone the child really falling under the wolf's teeth, Orion himself is under great threat!
How to cope?
Shi Qing was guarding Linhuang Mansion, so he was the first to suffer misfortune. If someone else had been there, would the result have been better? Everyone has worked hard to become rich, so don't they understand each other's abilities?
No one can handle it! We are in big trouble now!
Thinking of this, Shi Gui, who had previously complained about Shi Qing's inability to fight, sighed.
So much money invested in Northern Xinjiang in advance will probably be wasted. This loss is really heartbreaking. But compared with the loss, after all, the safety of one's own family is more important.
He spilled half a glass of remaining wine on the ground and murmured: "Don't blame me, I'm a rough man and can't speak. I'll burn paper money for you later. If there is real turmoil in the north, I will miss you when I return to Mount Tai!"
"Going back to Mount Tai? That won't be a big deal...it won't be a big deal right now. However, we have to take care of the things at home in advance." Someone responded.
Another person said: "After this news spreads, I'm afraid there will be chaos in Zhongdu. We need to cheer up the old brothers who are looking after the homes and homes. We are the ancestors of thieves, so we must not let the little thieves steal our homes."
"There are also boats!" Another person added: "If the Mongols rush to Zhongdu City, how fast can their cavalry run to outflank them? We have to prepare a few boats! Don't leave Tianjin Prefecture, transfer them to Tongzhou!"
These veterans had plans for any emergencies, and they immediately made several suggestions. Several others were also racking their brains to think of anything to add, but they didn't notice that Liu Erzu's face was getting darker and darker.
It was ugly and had turned livid.
While they were discussing, several more people crowded together and stood at the door of the hall. They were also former generals of the Red Coat Army, but their status was even lower and they did not dare to come in without being greeted.
Seeing the scary look on Liu Erzu's face towards the hall door, some people were secretly surprised and pulled their companions to retreat. Unexpectedly, their heels hit the threshold and there was a thud.
Only then did Liu Erzu notice them and called them to sit down.
A circle of people crowded around and sat down next to each other.
Because there were more people, Fang Guosan, Zhan Hui and others couldn't talk about the contingency anymore, and the originally lively discussion suddenly stopped.
When Liu Erzu looked around, he felt that all his subordinates who frequently came and went were here, so he raised his chopsticks and pointed: "Eat meat."
The whole roast lamb on the table was already cold. Zhan Hui glanced at it and laughed dryly: "I'm full of sorrow, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat it. If you have an appetite, please go first."
"Eat them all for me!"
In response to his casual remark, Liu Erzu shouted angrily.
Amidst the shouts, Liu Erzu stood up, stared at everyone present and said coldly: "In the next long time, you should all eat roasted mutton, boiled mutton and the like. I specially found a cook from Northern Xinjiang to cook it. If any of you don't
Once you get used to this kind of taste, you’ll want to take more bites!”
Dozens of eyes suddenly focused on the roasted lamb.
The roasted lamb, which was originally steaming hot, has now cooled down. The oil on the shiny skin has begun to condense into white lumps, mixing with the blood that has not yet dried. Even the pleasant meat aroma has gradually come out.
Get some odor.
When it comes to eating, of course you can eat it. When the Jurchens were forced into the mountains in the early years, everyone even ate wild mice with gusto. If you can have mutton to eat, whether it is raw or cooked, it will be a good life only for the immortals in the sky.
However, everyone present has enjoyed wealth and wealth in recent years, and has also been able to move around and recuperate. It seems a little unaccustomed to eat a sheep with condensed fat in this late autumn when the chill is getting colder.
What's more, what Liu Erzu just said...
Zhan Hui was a subordinate of Yang An'er. He had mixed with Liu Erzu and others earlier, and he had a vague sense of supervising the army. He was also used to his status being higher than ordinary leaders, and Liu Erzu treated him politely.
Being yelled at by Liu Erzu sharply, he felt a little embarrassed and continued to laugh: "Marshal, what do you mean by this? Why should we eat mutton more often?"
Liu Erzu's eyes passed over his face and then stared at the other generals one by one.
When he was young, he was not famous for his martial arts, but he was famous for his good temper and good popularity. Because he was not tall and his back was a little bent, when the heroes who first went to Mount Tai saw him, some regarded him as an old farmer, and some regarded him as an old farmer. He was treated as a servant.
When he got older, the injuries caused by running around and fighting in the past began to show up, and the physical damage gradually became apparent. No matter how much daily maintenance he took, it was useless. Since this year, Liu Erzu's whole body has obviously become thinner and collapsed, and he has no dignity at all. .
But his eyes were full of awe, as if he was lashing out at everyone with his eyes, making people dare not even look up.
"You people are all rich now. But who gave you your wealth? Why did you get the wealth? Why did you kneel faster than others when facing the emperor of the dynasty? Why did you hear something about the Mongolian Army? There is so much noise, do you just want to apply oil on the soles of your feet?"
The more Liu Erzu spoke, the angrier he became, his beard trembling, and his voice getting louder and louder: "With your virtues, you might as well stay in Zhongdu. Don't care about the wealth given by Zhou Dynasty. Just go to the grassland and join the Mongols! Go to the grassland. Become a Mongolian dog and eat mutton every day!”
"That's not the case... If you like being a dog, you could have become a Jurchen's dog back then, and you wouldn't have to suffer so much later." Fang Guosan replied in a low voice: "Besides, being a Mongolian dog can If you can’t eat meat, who knows? What if you can only eat shit?”
"You don't want to be a dog? Then what do you want to do when you are so timid? You are leisurely on weekdays, and that is the emperor's preferential treatment. But now the war is about to start, and the army's decrees are all there, and you can gather all the ministries at any time to form The army is on the march. Who dares to waver at this time? Do you want to test the sword of the military judge?"
At this point, Liu Erzu threw the mutton-cutting knife heavily on the table: "I advise you, no one should have such a lucky idea, and don't bother the military judge. You are all from Taishan, and I, Liu Erzu, can't afford it. This responsibility... if anyone wavers, you can try my sword here to see if it will be unfavorable!"
The knife that was thrown out turned out to be a dagger made by the Zhou Army. This kind of dagger was produced in large quantities and of very high quality. The spine of the knife was thick and straight, the blade had a clear arc and was extremely sharp. After the blade penetrated the table, it almost Penetrating, the blade trembled slightly, and a halo of light traveled on the blade.
The eyes of the dozens of people around the big table followed the halo up and down, and their faces flickered.
The so-called support of people's hearts is a mysterious thing. The big leaders who were dragged in by the Ding navy regime are different from the warriors who have followed Guo Ning through life and death for a long time. Since the situation in the north is deteriorating rapidly, Zhou cannot be allowed to deal with it lightly. My mind will inevitably wander.
But after all, Liu Erzu was one of the top leaders in the Red Coat Army, and his prestige was enough to suppress anyone. Once he showed his sword, everyone present was in awe.
Moreover, it is true that everyone is tied to the interests inside and outside the court. Who wants the Zhou Dynasty to suffer a loss, and who really expects the Mongols to give them a bite of meat?
"Roasted sheep is a good thing. But I would rather go out with the army and eat my own roasted sheep on the grassland."
Fang Guosan chuckled twice and said softly: "When the Mongols come, everyone's losses will be huge. Some people have even damaged the coffin, and they are in a bad mood, so they will inevitably talk nonsense. However, let's
They are all sensible people and will not delay business. Marshal, don’t worry!”
Liu Erzu turned to look at Shi Gui.
Shi Gui immediately said: "Marshal, don't worry!"
Next to Shi Gui, when Liu Erzu looked at him, Zhan Hui also said: "Marshal, don't worry!"
In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people all made their decision. Liu Erzu did not hold back and immediately ordered them to reorganize the troops and horses of their headquarters. In fact, the troops and horses under their management will not slack off in daily training. But these people have been pampered for a long time, and they are about to become nervous.
He is in a combat state, so he has to work hard to refresh himself.
