Chapter 698 797 Stop the Eunuchs From Reviewing the Beijing Camp

Wei Guangde stood aside and watched the Qi Jiajun's drill for a long time, and finally understood their tactics.

How should I put it? It is indeed more advanced than the Ming army's current battle formation, but it is not universal.

Because the wars faced by countries like the Ming Dynasty, wars like the suppression of Japanese invaders, are not even wars.

If the army was in the early or mid-Ming Dynasty, it might be more difficult to suppress the Japanese, but it could still be easily won, because military formations had appeared in China a long time ago, and they were mixed-arms formations that emphasized mutual assistance.

In his opinion, Qi Jiajun's style of play is actually more suitable for training small groups of elite troops, such as scouts, similar to later generations of special forces.

However, for small scenes such as the suppression of Japanese invaders, Qi Jiajun's tactics were indeed very targeted.

What does this mean? It means that this set of tactics was thought up by Qi Jiguang based on the battlefield conditions and is very targeted.

Smart generals rely on their brains to fight and adopt different tactical configurations for different enemies.

Qi Jiguang was able to assess the situation on the battlefield and innovate a novel method of warfare, which made him a general worth winning over.

But thinking of wooing him, Wei Guangde sighed in his heart.

He recalled the records of later generations about Qi Jiguang, who later joined Zhang Juzheng as a "lackey".

It's not that he can't win over Qi Jiguang. In fact, right now, his contact with Qi Jiguang is far greater than Zhang Juzheng's contact with him.

Moreover, Wei Guangde also had Tan Lun, Qi Jiguang's old leader, a fellow countryman, and Yin Shizhen, a fellow countryman of Qi Jiguang, so he naturally had an advantage over Zhang Juzheng.

But he also knew that he could maintain a good relationship, but he could no longer treat Qi Jiguang like he treated Ma Fang and Yu Dayou, which was a taboo.

In the past, he had a low position, so it was okay to be close to some generals, but now that he was a cabinet minister of the Ming Dynasty, it was inevitable that Emperor Longqing would not think too much if he continued to be close to these leading generals.

The current emperor is already a bit strange to Wei Guangde, and sometimes he simply can't understand what he is thinking.

Perhaps because of the distance, when he was in Yuzhuan, he could see King Yu almost every day.

But now, let alone before entering the cabinet, even after entering the cabinet, he would only be able to see the emperor for three or four days.

With less contact, there is less understanding of the emperor.

Moreover, Wei Guangde had a vague feeling that it was right. It seemed that Emperor Longqing was slightly wary of these hidden ministers.

Li Chunfang seemed to have no desires and desires in the cabinet, and Emperor Longqing should be the most assured cabinet minister.

And he, Chen Yiqin, and Yin Shizhen had signs of forming a small circle, which he had facilitated in the early days of the emperor's accession to the throne.

However, compared with the past, the situation now has obvious changes from that time, that is, Gao Gong is gone.

At that time, Yu Zhuan's old people were divided into two factions. The most powerful one was Gao Gong, and the three of them together could not fight with him.

Wei Guangde had a vague feeling that Emperor Longqing seemed to be partial to Zhang Juzheng in the government affairs discussed in the cabinet in the past two months, and suppressed them intentionally or unintentionally.

Perhaps, this is the so-called "emperor's mind", which pays attention to balance.

Now that they are strong in the cabinet, Emperor Longqing chose to side with Zhang Juzheng to balance the strengths of all parties.

Thinking of this, Wei Guangde turned back to Zhu Xizhong and asked, "Where is Qi Jiguang now? Have you found out?"

"Over there at Shenshu Camp."

Zhu Xizhong said.

When they made their way to the general station, they had already sent out the captain who was familiar with the surroundings of the school grounds to look for traces of Qi Jiguang.

He is the person in charge here. What Wei Guangde and the others want to see, naturally it is most appropriate to consult him.

Waiting for a group of people to arrive at the training ground of Shenshu Camp, this is the outer area of ​​the entire school grounds. The terrain is flat and wide, suitable for cavalry drills.

But at this moment, several battalions of Shenshu camp were resting aside, while a group of people gathered together on the sidelines.

After they passed by, they saw Qi Jiguang talking to several lieutenants in the Shenshu camp. When they got closer, they could tell that he was angry about the poor service of the war horses.

Wei Guangde glanced at the war horses in the Shenshu camp around him and felt that they looked very good. He didn't understand why Qi Jiguang said the war horses were not good.

Their arrival naturally alarmed Qi Jiguang and others in the crowd.

Seeing that Wei Guangde was coming, accompanied by his immediate boss Zhu Xizhong, Duke of Cheng, and Tan Lun, the Minister of War, he did not dare to neglect and came over to salute immediately.

"What's going on? What's wrong with Shenshu Camp?"

After Qi Jiguang led other generals to salute, Wei Guangde asked.

"Mr. Wei Ge, Lord Admiral, Lord Rongzheng, the war horses of Shenshu Camp are not meticulous enough in horse materials.

Most of these war horses have an appearance, and they look extraordinary, but when they actually run, they are not powerful enough.

It doesn't matter for a short time, but if it lasts for a long time, the war horse will degrade and is no longer suitable for use as a war horse. It is really a waste. "

Hearing Qi Jiguang say this about his Shenshu Camp, Wang Shiying, the commander of the Shenshu Camp and the General's Office, became dissatisfied. He immediately walked out from behind Wei Guangde and said to Qi Jiguang: "General Qi, you must speak truthfully and with evidence. The war horses in my Shenshu camp are carefully raised, how could they not be meticulous?

You said the horsepower is not enough, that’s because you drive the boys to train all day long. If you practice too much, they will get tired. You can’t pass the responsibility to our Shenshu camp. "

In order to prepare for the first imperial review in a hundred years, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War allocated a large amount of materials to the Beijing Camp, including a large amount of horse feed, to ensure that the soldiers and horses could eat well.

However, despite Tan Lun's supervision, the soldiers' military rations and horse feed were naturally deducted a lot.

These things, everyone should just keep it to themselves.

But Qi Jiguang said at this time that the war horses were not good because of the horse feed, and Wang Shiying certainly didn't agree.

"Under the current situation, can we guarantee that there will be no problems in the review?"

Wei Guangde glanced at Wang Shiying, turned his head and looked at Qi Jiguang and asked.

"The review drill is barely OK, but it is hard to guarantee that there will be no mistakes. It is better to prepare better horse feed for the horses and accumulate horsepower."

Qi Jiguang lowered his head after Wang Shiying came out to accuse him of talking nonsense. At this moment, he wanted to evade the matter, but he thought that if something went wrong in the review, he couldn't bear the responsibility, so he reminded him in the end.

Wei Guangde knew that the military rations and horse feed were allocated in "full amount". He was in charge of this matter, including the Ministry of Works making fine armor and weapons. He also called several government offices to discuss this matter.

Now Qi Jiguang said that the horses were not good, of course he knew that someone must have been too harsh, and there were not many left, which affected the training.

However, he could not intervene too much in this matter, so he had to whisper to Zhu Xizhong, the admiral of the Beijing Camp next to him: "Duke Cheng, I supervised the things allocated by the court, and it should be said that they can guarantee the needs of training.

I think there should be some minor problems in the baggage camp.

It's a minor matter, please put the state affairs first and clean it up.

Before the grand review, please pay more attention to the horse feed of the war horses and the food and wages of the soldiers.

If there is a leak, everyone will be embarrassed."

Only top nobles like Zhu Xizhong can deal with these ruffians.

However, due to the complex distribution of power in the Beijing Camp, Zhu Xizhong's words are actually not effective in some matters.

Don't think it's impossible. Except for those transferred from outside, most of the generals in the Beijing Camp are the sons of the dukes and barons in Beijing. Duke Cheng wants face, but Duke Ying and Duke Ding don't want it?

And the marquisates and barons below.

For example, the current Linhuai Marquisate, although it is only a marquis, one level lower than the duke, but whether it is the Jiajing Emperor or the current Longqing Dynasty, the status of the Linhuai Marquisate has been rising, as if a new noble is born.

For such hereditary nobles who are in the emperor's heart, the Duke's Mansion is not willing to easily provoke.

Zhu Xizhong understood Wei Guangde's meaning. The Beijing Camp will handle family affairs by itself. No matter what, the review will be dealt with first. Of course, he chose to nod and accept it.

"Duke, do you still have the Qiulubai that I drank at your house last time? The taste is really unforgettable. When will you invite the nobles in Beijing to drink another cup together?"

Wei Guangde continued.

Zhu Xizhong glanced at Wei Guangde, smiled, and agreed immediately.

"Okay, it's better to do it today than to wait for a day, how about today?"

"Well, today is good. I'll bother you after visiting the Beijing Camp and returning to the city. Please ask Duke Chengguo to send someone to send invitations to each family."

Wei Guangde also said with a smile.

Zhu Xizhong certainly understood what Wei Guangde meant. He would not interfere in the Beijing Camp, but he would be in charge of the Grand Review, so today's banquet was actually to help him put pressure on other mansions to let them loosen their hands a little.

Wei Guangde was not looking for trouble, but helping to solve problems, and his character was recognized by Zhu Xizhong.

This kind of person can get along, and knows to take care of each other when there is something.

After talking about the matter here, Wei Guangde turned around and asked Qi Jiguang: "So is the Shenshu Camp resting or continuing training now?"

"Reply to the old man, it has almost rested, and it should be possible to continue training."

Qi Jiguang answered with a fist.

Qi Jiguang seemed to understand the previous conversation between Wei Guangde and Zhu Xizhong, but he guessed that it should be to solve the current problem, at least it won't get worse.

Soon, in the eyes of Wei Guangde and others, the command flag began to wave, and the three cavalry teams of Shenshu Camp began to practice charging and horse archery tactics.

Cavalry tactics training is much better than the formation of the five military camps. Everyone stayed here for a long time, and it was almost noon.

Zhu Xizhong sent people to bring cattle and sheep, and slaughtered them in a place in the parade ground. According to the rules of the army, a marching stove was set up and prepared.

Although it was made according to the military stove used by the army to march and fight, the lieutenant who copied the roasted cattle and sheep was obviously an expert in this. The beef and mutton were sent up, and Wei Guangde, Tan Lun and others ate them happily.

At this time, in addition to the cut beef and mutton, each person also had a pot of wine in front of him.

Although the military camp had the habit of not drinking, people sent it up, and Wei Guangde and Tan Lun didn't say anything. After all, there was no war, so there was no need to spoil everyone's interest.

Wei Guangde, however, couldn't help praising the roasted lamb leg, "This chef is very skilled, the meat is fragrant and tender, I'm afraid he is from the Beijing camp."

"Shandai, you are really wrong, he is from the Beijing camp."

Zhu Xizhong, Wei Guangde and Tan Lun were at the same table. When he heard Wei Guangde's words, he immediately laughed and said, "His ancestors have been firemen for generations. I have to call him to my house from time to time to roast lamb legs."

"Well, I remember it. Next time I feel hungry, I will send someone to contact the steward of the government office to help me find someone."

Wei Guangde smiled.

"Okay, okay, he is usually at my house. If you want to eat this good lamb leg, just send someone over."

Zhu Xizhong replied happily.

Well, Wei Guangde knew that this was another fireman who was paid for nothing in the Beijing camp. He didn't know if he was a military household, but he conquered the appetite of Duke Cheng with his skills, so he was probably serving in the Duke's Mansion on weekdays.

However, there were too many such things, and Wei Guangde was too lazy to take care of them.

After dinner, Qi Jiguang took them to watch the training of the Shenji Camp, and specially transported a batch of gunpowder to distribute them, and practiced actual combat shooting.

The gunners and cannonmen shot at targets a hundred steps away, and the "bang bang bang" sounded like firecrackers during the New Year, and the scene was very lively.

As for the target, it had already been broken into pieces under such a powerful firepower.

"It's still a little slow to fill the ammunition. In addition to the Portuguese machine, the general cannon and the bird gun need to be practiced again."

Wei Guangde didn't pay attention to the power, but paid more attention to the speed of the soldiers loading ammunition. He felt that the loading speed of these bird gunners seemed to be slower than his own.

Of course, he hadn't touched a bird gun for many years, and he didn't know if his hands were rusty.

But when he was in Bengshanbao, he fired a lot of bird guns, and the loading speed was still very fast.

"There are few opportunities for live-fire drills, so this is the case."

Qi Jiguang said a little embarrassedly.

"Well, I understand. I saw the Zhejiang soldiers you led earlier. The speed of loading bird guns there was very fast. The five-stage shooting was almost connected from beginning to end. It was indeed well practiced, and it was worthy of the name of the Qi Family Army."

Wei Guangde spoke, and his voice was not small, because at this time, the guns and cannons in the distant army were still roaring, and the sound would not be heard at all if it was quiet.

After the inspection of the Beijing Camp, Wei Guangde, Tan Lun and Cheng Guogong Zhu Xizhong returned to the city together, and went directly to Cheng Guogong's mansion. There was a banquet tonight to entertain the nobles who settled in the capital.

However, on the afternoon of the second day, Wei Guangde wrote a memorial to the cabinet, talking about the review of the Beijing Camp.

However, it was not what he saw and heard yesterday, but a suggestion for the court to amend a system of the Beijing Camp.

In the past, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty did not ignore the Beijing Camp. According to the system, a eunuch from the Imperial Household Department was sent to the Beijing Camp every three years to inspect it, and then report back to the palace to report what he saw and heard in the Beijing Camp.

However, this year, because Emperor Longqing planned to personally review the Beijing Camp, Wei Guangde hoped that this would become a system, and the emperor would review the Beijing Camp every three years.

There were many problems in the Beijing Camp, but the situation was too complicated. Wei Guangde hoped that by letting the emperor review it regularly, the results of the current Beijing Camp after rectification could be preserved, at least the tens of thousands of troops could be preserved.

If the emperor continued to send eunuchs to go around and come back to report verbally, God knows when what he, Tan Lun, and Qi Jiguang had done would fail.

Wei Guangde knew that after submitting the memorial, Emperor Longqing would summon him, and by the way, he would report what he saw and heard in the Beijing Camp, which would be a good thing.

Although there are still some problems, after yesterday's inspection, Wei Guangde already feels that this review should not go wrong. (End of this chapter)