Chapter 694 793 Tan Lun's Request

Wei Guangde has noticed the advantages of the Fran cannon. If a large number of Fran cannons are equipped with well-trained gunners, and are commanded by generals with experience in this field, at least the prototype of a nearly modern army will be born. .

In fact, both Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou realized the firepower advantages of concentrated firearms.

Not only these two famous generals, even many generals and generals in the Ming army actually have experience in this area. This is why Qi Jiguang's memorial says, "The skill of bow and arrow cannot be stronger than that of the enemy, and you want to win with it." .

Long-range fire strikes have actually been used in wars since the pre-Qin period.

Crossbows have always been regarded as a strategic force of a country's military. During the Song Dynasty, crossbowmen developed even more. Not only did the proportion of equipment increase, but the technology and range of crossbows also improved rapidly.

It's just that it's difficult to train archers, and due to political reasons, the Song army's combat effectiveness has never been high.

In the Ming Dynasty, most of the Ming army attached great importance to this kind of firepower projection, but their eyes were still fixed on crossbows because of the shooting frequency.

The emergence of the Fran cannon finally caused a major change in their confidence in crossbows.

Unfortunately, due to the unspoken rules of the imperial court from top to bottom, the generals were not interested in training troops and meritorious service to be promoted at this time. They were more willing to embezzle the gunpowder allocated by the superiors than to use it to train soldiers.

Firearms all need to be used. Only by using them extensively to increase proficiency can combat effectiveness be improved.

Only people like Qi Jiguang look down on that little money, and would rather earn money through their heads.

Of course, even with free wages, Qi Jiguang also took money.

Since Qi Jiguang didn't want to stay in the capital camp for rectification, Wei Guangde let him go. Anyway, he looked down on his little merit, and some people were jealous.

More than half a month later, Tan Lun's inspection was finally completed and he returned to the capital.

When Tan Lun entered the capital, he first went to the Ministry of War to hand over his errands. He also had to report on the border patrol and describe the situation of border defense in a few days.

However, after leaving the Ministry of War Yamen, he called the chief attendant, whispered a few words, and sent him away.

In the evening, Wei Guangde came back from a banquet. As soon as he entered the house, the housekeeper Zhang Ji came over.

"Sir, it's half tea time for Mr. Tan."

Zhang Ji reported the situation in the house in a low voice.

Wei Guangde nodded and said, "Well done, I'll go back to the backyard, wipe my face, change clothes and go there."

In the afternoon, Wei Guangde received news from home that Tan Lun wanted to see him in the evening.

Although he didn't know what was going on, Wei Guangde still wrote a note to his home. Because he had already agreed to a banquet in the same year in advance, the meeting time between the two could only be postponed.

After Wei Guangde washed up in the backyard, put on his regular clothes and went to the study, he cupped his fists at Tan Lun and said, "Brother Zili, you said you are the same. If you have anything to do, just write a note."

You've been sleeping outside for a month, and when you come back, you come over all night and don't even know how to get a good rest. "

"Shandai, I'm getting more and more frightened by this trip to Ji Town, so I won't bother you all night long."

Seeing Wei Guangde come in, Tan Lun also stood up hurriedly.

Although Wei Guangde's official position was higher than that of Tan Lun, he was a senior in the imperial examination and he was too old, so in front of these fellow villagers, Wei Guangde could not put on the airs of a senior citizen.

"What's the problem with Jizhen's defense?"

Wei Guangde was shocked when he heard that Tan Lun said that he was looking for him because of his trip to Jizhen.

A few years ago, he also visited the Jizhen Great Wall with people from the Ministry of War. Although some places were in disrepair, from his perspective, it didn't seem to be a big problem.

Most of the places where the side walls were damaged were in difficult terrain.

Although some people may think that such a place is not conducive to enemy raids, it is still easy to break in if the side wall is seriously damaged.

But in fact, the real situation is that a small number of Tatars came in and had no impact on the entire Jizhen defense line of the Ming army.

The terrain was difficult, which meant that it was impossible for a large army to attack.

How much effect do hundreds of individuals have on the war between two countries?

In places where large armies can be mobilized, the Ming court's defense buildings are still very complete, so it is not necessary to keep the border walls intact at all times.

"Shandai, the towns of Ji and Chang stretch from Shanhaiguan in the east to the border town in the west, stretching more than 2,400 miles. With such a long defense line, I walked around and found that many places lacked garrison defense. Most of them They all rely on a wall to stop the enemy.

But you also know that although the area where the Great Wall is built is very dangerous, many places can still be accessed by thousands of people. However, due to the terrain, no one has walked through it before, and the border troops did not pay much attention to it and did not make many arrangements. It was defended by soldiers and horses, with only a few patrolling soldiers. "

Hearing what Tan Lun said, Wei Guangde exclaimed: "Brother Zili, you don't think the Ming army can cover the entire Great Wall, do you?

You also know that the Great Wall of Guangji Town is two thousand miles long. If it is fully equipped with sufficient sergeants to guard it, how many manpower will it take? This is simply impossible. "

"Shandai, of course we can't tightly defend the entire Great Wall, but we can't continue like this. The soldiers can find a dangerous place and enter and exit the border wall at will."

Tan Lun also said anxiously.

In fact, the so-called Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty could only prevent civilians from leaving the fortress, and it could also prevent tribes outside the fortress from entering the border wall to herd sheep. As for stopping the Mongolian army, it was more difficult.

The so-called passes are all located on passages that have existed since ancient times. City defenses were built at strategic locations to prevent the Mongolian army from advancing along this route.

Since this is the case, the Ming army on the border is not very concerned about the small group of enemy cavalry.

If there is a chance, they will ambush them and earn a head in exchange for credit and silver.

If there is no chance, they will just let it go.

For such small conflicts, the local authorities are too lazy to even report them.

Wei Guangde knew about this before, but because it did not affect the overall situation, he just pretended not to know about it.

But now that Tan Lun mentioned it, Wei Guangde squinted at him and asked, "Brother Zili, do you have any ideas? Can this problem be solved?"

"I plan to make the defense along the Great Wall very difficult. It is advisable to choose key points and consider the urgency. Divide it into twelve routes, and build a tower every hundred steps or thirty or fifty steps, for a total of three thousand towers.

Each tower can cost fifty gold. The tower is three feet high and twelve feet wide, and can accommodate fifty people. If there is no emergency, guard the wall. If there is an alarm, attack. Set up dangers on both sides to ensure safety."

Tan Lun immediately said what he had been thinking about these days. It was not only because he saw the Great Wall, but also made a decision after walking along the line and repeatedly comparing it with the map.

When Wei Guangde heard about the construction of towers, his first reaction was to oppose it.

Think about it, there is a saying in later generations, that is, Sun Chengzong built a two-hundred-mile defense line in Ningjin, which eventually dragged down the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, Sun Chengzong built a large number of fortresses in Liaodong to resist the attacks of Jiannu, exhausting the financial reserves of Wanli and Tianqi dynasties. However, this line of defense ultimately failed to save Liaodong and the Ming Dynasty.

Hong Dai simply went west, passing through Mongolia, and easily bypassed this solid line of defense to reach the capital.

Although from a military point of view, Hong Dai's marching route was very risky, after truly understanding the power comparison of the three kingdoms at that time, you will find that it was not a big risk, but a good move.

Mongolia was the weakest at that time, and under internal division, it was almost completely taken advantage of by Jianzhou Jurchen. In fact, Lin Danhan had no strength to compete with Jianzhou for territory except for his powerful mouth.

The only variable is actually the internal military strength of the Ming Empire.

However, with the tip-off of the traitor group-Jin merchants, Hong Dai had already figured out the situation inside the Ming Dynasty.

So it seems to be a risky move, but it is actually the result of blocking intelligence from the Jianzhou Jurchens, which can highlight Hong Dai's wisdom and bravery.

Moreover, there are too many similar wars in later generations, and defensive fortifications are not very effective.

With this preconceived view, Wei Guangde immediately shook his head and said: "Instead of spending a huge amount of money to build the tower you mentioned, it is easier to use this money to train a strong army to deter the villains."

"Shandai, that's not what you said."

Tan Lun immediately said anxiously: "Fifty people on each tower can prevent small groups of Tartars from easily invading the border. According to my calculations, there are about 3,000 towers on the twelve routes. We can work slowly according to the priorities. Even if the court can only allocate 30,000 taels of silver a year, five years will be enough to complete the construction of this project.

As for the scholars As for soldiers, they are assigned to the nearest guard post. According to the principle of proximity, soldiers also want to be closer to home. Although the mountain roads are difficult to travel, it is better than living in a military camp a hundred miles away from home. "

"The court is in financial difficulties. It is difficult to expect the court to allocate all the 150,000 taels of silver."

Since it comes to silver, Wei Guangde also turned to the financial difficulties. "Even if the court can allocate silver, the bulk of it will probably be paid by Ji Liao itself."

"If I take over Zhao Bingran's position, I will try my best to coordinate the silver, but the court must first allocate at least 50,000 taels of silver."

Who knew that Tan Lun suddenly said.

"Huh?"

Wei Guangde's heart jumped. He was fooled by Tan Lun. This old guy certainly knew that the court was in financial difficulties. He said that just now deliberately for him to hear, and when he habitually talked about it, he started to bargain.

Originally, he didn't want to do this project, as he thought it would be a waste of money and time, but after Tan Lun did this, the question of whether it could be done became how much money to pay.

"Brother Zili, are you trying to trick me?"

Wei Guangde said unhappily.

"Shandai, when you patrolled the border, you probably didn't visit many villages near the border wall, right?"

Who knew that Tan Lun said: "I went to several places this time and learned about their lives. There would always be a group of Tartars who came to rob for a while every year.

When the able-bodied men in the village where they gathered and the surrounding soldiers rushed over, the group of Tartars had already run to the vicinity of the border wall.

You also know that the court does not allow people to cross the border wall without permission. Those who disobey will be treated as collaborators with the enemy and can only watch them leave with the stolen goods and people.

With these watchtowers, these Tartars will be extinct and it will be impossible for them to enter and exit our border so casually, and the people can live in peace and contentment."

"You deploy people along the Great Wall, and the already tight military force of Ji and Liao will be even more stretched. This requires 15,000 people."

Wei Guangde thought about it and built these watchtowers according to Tan Lun's idea. In addition to defending against small groups of Tartars crossing the border, it seems that it can also serve as a supplement to the Great Wall beacon fire.

Didn't I hear Tan Lun say that the towers were divided into twelve lines, which were not only defensive fortifications, but also a powerful tool for communication and warning.

"It has been roughly estimated that there are dozens of narrow passes, and the reduction of troops at each place is only a few hundred, so it should not be a big problem."

Tan Lun explained.

He naturally had to consider these carefully.

"You want me to speak for you when someone in the cabinet brings it up?"

Wei Guangde asked.

"I hope Shandai can also mention it when he meets His Majesty and help speak."

Tan Lun said, "Normally, Your Majesty should have summoned me to court in the past few days when I return to court, but from what I have observed during this period, Your Majesty does not seem to care about government affairs, and instead relies more on the cabinet to handle government affairs.

This is a good thing, but I am also worried that Your Majesty will not understand the true intentions of the ministers and make other judgments. "

"Two days ago, His Majesty ordered the Ministry of Revenue to spend tens of thousands of taels of silver to buy gems and pearls, but Ma Shangshu rejected it. Now you want the court to allocate money to build piers and platforms in Jizhen. The timing is not right."

Wei Guangde smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Then this matter can be slowed down for now. It's not urgent for a while anyway. Another matter needs to be dealt with as soon as possible."

When Tan Lun heard the conflict between the Hubu and Emperor Longqing over money, he immediately knew that submitting this memorial in a short time would make it difficult for the Hubu and make His Majesty feel unhappy, so he added.

"Is there anything else?"

Wei Guangde wondered.

"Shanhaiguan is the throat of Ji Town, but the imperial court only has one garrison here, and the troops are insufficient. I would like to submit a report to promote the garrison of Shanhaiguan to the rank of participating general, and at the same time increase the garrison of troops and horses."

Tan Lun said.

"Shanhaiguan?"

Wei Guangde heard Tan Lun mention this and thought about it, it seemed to be true.

The current Shanhaiguan is only an important pass for Jiliao, and is far from the focus of the Ming army's defense in the future. Therefore, there are currently only more than a thousand soldiers and horses stationed in Shanhaiguan, guarded by one guard.

"As long as the Ministry of War has agreed on this matter, it will be presented in a memorial. Your Majesty will generally not reject it."

Wei Guangde said, "But I remember that there are generals stationed at Yiyishiguan next to it. If something happens at Shanhaiguan, they always ask for help from Yiyishiguan. How do you plan to deal with the relationship between the two?"

The relationship between the upper and lower ranks of the Ming army is relatively clear. Whether it is Shanhaiguan or Yishiguan, they are all Ji Zhen Ming army, but one is for garrison and the other is for garrison and general, so it is clear at a glance.

Therefore, the Shanhaiguan garrison must accept the orders of Jizhou General Soldier and the orders of Yishiguan, even if Shanhaiguan is not included in the jurisdiction of Yishiguan.

There is no way, there are only a few major generals in Shanhaiguan, so they still rely on a stone pass to save their lives at critical moments, and the military positions are also different.

But if Tan Lun's intention is to promote the Shanhaiguan garrison to an official position, and the power and responsibilities of Yiyishi are not properly divided, it is easy to cause trouble.

"I plan to request that Sandaoguan and Sieryu Second Fort, which are under the jurisdiction of Cutting a Piece of Stone, be transferred to Shanhaiguan. Since there are very few soldiers in the fort, it is appropriate to order the generals to recruit soldiers on their own to prepare for war. Basically, we must ensure that The number of troops at Shanhaiguan City Pass reached two to three thousand."

After Tan Lun finished speaking, he looked at Wei Guangde.

"It's silver again."

Wei Guangde smiled bitterly and said: "Brother Zili, you have found so much money for the imperial court just by going out.

No wonder you came to my place. Originally, these matters were discussed by the Ministry of War and then reported to the cabinet. Then the cabinet would be free to discuss them. "

"I knew that it might be rejected by the cabinet, so I told you first. When the time comes, the cabinet will also bother to talk about the loan."

Tan Lun said cheerfully, he knew that now the court only considers saving money.