The relationship between the nomads on the grasslands and the Han people has always been like this. When the Han people are strong, they will be honest and conduct equal trade with you. But once the Han people are a little weaker, these barbaric peoples will treat you. Soldiers were deployed on the border, and even swords were pointed at the Central Plains to massacre the people. From the earliest Xiongnu to the later Uighurs and Turks, to the Khitan, Jurchen and Mongolia, every nomadic nation has a deep hatred with the Han nation.
For the current Ming Dynasty, the biggest enemies are naturally the Mongolian tribes in the north and the newly rising Houjin in the Northeast. One is an old opponent who has always fought wars and peace for two hundred years, and the other is always looking at areas where they can be beaten in recent years, and has been a thorn in the side of several soldiers. So when Tang Feng ordered the use of troops against the two enemies, the entire Ming Dynasty was unprecedentedly united. This may also be a benefit of the increased power of military commanders in the court.
After two years of recuperation, the Ming Dynasty's treasury already had more than ten million taels of silver. Coupled with the grain accumulated in the official warehouse, the Ming Dynasty already had enough capital to fight against these two henchmen. . However, sufficient supplies are not the most critical thing. To fight against the nomads who have always been fierce and good at fighting, the Ming Dynasty also needed an elite army and strong confidence.
With regard to these two points, Ming Dynasty still has some difficulties. Although the combined strength of the various military posts in the Ming Dynasty is a very large number, they can only be regarded as militiamen after all. They usually only farm in the fields, and at most they practice a few times a month. It is really impossible to resemble real soldiers. Just as brave and good at fighting. This also makes it difficult for troops drawn from other places to have the confidence to win, and their morale will be much weaker than that of the enemy.
Fortunately, Tang Feng already had a way to deal with this. He no longer wanted to compete purely with the enemy for bravery and life. It was time for those firearms that cost a lot of manpower and material resources to appear. When the elites drawn from various places arrived one after another, Tang Feng selected them again. He singled out the young and strong sergeants with good eyesight and steady hands, and then organized them together to carry out musket shooting. Tryouts. This time, he will invest in the largest firearms in history to completely defeat the Mongols and the Jin Kingdom, two nations that are proud of their cavalry.
While these troops were still conducting pre-war training outside Beijing, battle reports from Liaodong and Datong continued to arrive. Although these two groups of people said something very similar when they went to war, on the battlefield, when faced with the tight defense of the Ming army, it was still difficult to achieve good results.
Although Datong does not have as many experienced generals and battle-hardened elite soldiers as Liaodong, it is not too difficult to defend. Because the enemies they faced were not the brave and capable Jin cavalry, nor the Mongolian cavalry that once roamed across Eurasia, but just some Mongolian troops that were not much stronger than themselves.
This is a normal phenomenon. During these years of peace, all ethnic groups in Mongolia have lived a peaceful life. Although they still have the nature of hunting, their ferocity has become much less fierce. Moreover, Mongolia is now just an alliance of various tribes, and it is difficult to unify military orders, which also reduces their combat effectiveness. In addition, there is another point that cannot be ignored, that is, the various Mongolian ministries now have quite a lot of internal conflicts, and they can no longer work together as they did back then.
This is still the countermeasure Tang Feng set up at the beginning. When they were conducting normal trade with Mongolia, Tang Feng proposed to give them more silk, porcelain, and exquisite gold and silverware to corrupt the leaders of each tribe. Now that this strategy has begun to bear fruit, the gap between the rich and the poor within Mongolia has also begun to widen. Many herdsmen are struggling to make a living, but the leaders have a house full of gold and silver. How can we make everyone really willing to work for these leaders? Sometimes, sugar-coated bullets can do more damage than real armies.
With these reasons and the solid city wall of Datong as the backing, it would not be difficult for the Ming army to block the Mongolian attack. However, looking at the Mongols who were constantly killing them, the Ming army defenders who had not fought well for some days were still a little scared, which was reflected in their battle report at the end. Not only did they give detailed information about the offensive and defensive situation, but they also asked the court for help again, hoping to send enough troops to Datong as soon as possible to repel the invading enemy.
As for Liaodong, the situation is much simpler. There have been countless wars with the Jin people, and the Liaodong soldiers were not surprised. They should defend themselves how to defend. In the past few years, there have been a lot more artillery in Liaodong, which are sharp weapons newly researched by the Firearms Bureau and the Shenji Battalion in the capital. This time, these new weapons quickly played their role. Both in power and range, they were far superior to the previous general cannons. This caused the unprepared Jin people to suffer a big loss. They had not yet touched the city wall. On the other side, many people were killed.
It was not until this time that Hauge, the commander of the Jin Army,I understand why my grandfather, father and uncle all suffered huge defeats in Liaodong before. It was not because I was not strong enough, but because the enemy was too strong. However, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. The young Hauge was not intimidated by several defeats. He was still trying every means to attack Jinzhou, an important town in Liaodong, but he no longer attacked forcefully as before, but began to attack strategically.
After reading the battle report of Liaodong, Tang Feng smiled happily. The Ming Dynasty has never lacked generals who are good at fighting. Now Man Gui and others in Liaodong are all veterans who have experienced hundreds of battles, and the youthful spirit of Wu Sangui, Sun Chuanting and others are enough to keep the enemy outside the city wall.
But this time, Tang Feng¡¯s purpose was not just to stop the enemy, he also had greater ambitions. So in the court, Tang Feng once again reiterated his intention to send troops to these two places. The court, which has been unified ideologically, is now just discussing one issue: which enemy should be dealt with first?
Many generals in the DPRK have different views on this. Some people said: "Today's Mongolian army is far inferior to the Jin in terms of combat power. We should do the hard first and then the easy. Defeat the Mongolian army that is easy to deal with first, and then the Jin will Now that we are fighting alone, it will be much easier for us to win when the time comes.¡±
But some people have different views on this: "No! I think we should fight the Jin first. As long as we kill them and retreat, the Mongolian army will naturally retreat without a fight, and then we will save a lot of trouble."
Of course, there was an even more special and heroic suggestion: "In my opinion, we should send troops on both sides at the same time. With the current strength of our Ming Dynasty, we can defeat both enemies at the same time, so why do we have to separate them?" What about before and after?¡±
These military attach¨¦s, who either knew a little bit about military affairs or could only talk about military affairs on paper, were chatting in the hall until they heard other people being confused. For a while, they really couldn't come up with an appropriate method.
Tang Feng watched for a long time, knowing that if he allowed these people to continue arguing, there might not be a result even if the Jin people went to Beijing. Because the public is right when they talk to each other, and the mother-in-law is right when talking to her mother-in-law, neither of them can convince the other. So after having his own idea, Tang Feng coughed. At that time, the entire hall fell silent, and everyone's eyes fell on An Guogong, who now held all military and political power.
"The Mongols attacked this time mostly because they were seduced by the Jin people. In fact, many of them themselves did not want to be enemies of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, the situation in Datong is much more stable than that in Liaodong. I am not I don't think it is necessary to send troops for reinforcements immediately." Tang Feng glanced at everyone and saw that no one dared to raise objections before continuing: "Although the Jin people did not get any advantage in Jinzhou for a while, we cannot take it lightly. Liaodong is so so It is large and has many cities. If they change their attack target, it will be very detrimental to us, so I think our focus should still be on the Jin Army.
"Furthermore, what Mr. Feng just said is right. Mongolia now only relies on others. Once the Jin people are defeated, they will retreat without fighting. We don't need to value them too much. What I mean is to send troops. Liaodong, this time we must completely defeat the Jin people and cripple them. Do you have any different opinions?"
Of course, no one dares to speak against Duke An Guo, and when it comes to fighting the Jin people, many civil and military officials in this palace cannot compare with him. He is a person who has never been defeated in several contests with the Jin people.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Tang Feng nodded: "In that case, we can arrange for everyone to rush to Liaodong. This battle with Jin is related to the national destiny of our Ming Dynasty and our future foreign policy, so this I will personally lead the troops to Liaodong to fight the enemy!"
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of the officials in the palace changed. Some were surprised, some were pleasantly surprised, and some were worried. It was very exciting. This was beyond the expectation of everyone present. Whether it was the military commander system who was close to Tang Feng or the civil servants who still harbored evil intentions and had to compromise because of the force of the situation, they could not believe that Tang Feng would do what he did. Such a decision comes.
You must know that Tang Feng's status is no longer what it used to be. He is the person who holds the real power of the entire empire. Not to mention that going to Liaodong to participate in the war will always be more or less risky. Just because of his departure, the unrest caused by the lack of officials in the capital to suppress it is not what Tang Feng wants to see. You must know that the current stable situation in the capital is mostly due to Tang Feng's personal prestige. If he is gone, some people may take action.
"My lord, think twice!" Someone immediately advised them. They had just felt the joy of being an official, and they didn't want to be knocked back to their original form in the blink of an eye. However, the hearts of the civil servants jumped fiercely, and they all thought that the opportunity had come. Everyone looked at Tang Feng, waiting for his reaction.
Tang Feng seemed not to notice the different looks from everyone, and just said: "This is the decision made by my father-in-law, and it will not be changed again. In three days,After that, I will personally lead the army to Liaodong, you don¡¯t need to say anything anymore! "
Now that Tang Feng has made up his mind, no matter who wants him to leave so that he can take the opportunity to do something, or who doesn't want him to leave, no one dares to persuade him. The discussion in the court changed from where to send troops to how to provide logistics and select soldiers. It was also very lively, but most people were no longer focused on this matter.
"My lord, your decision is too hasty and risky. Although the situation in the capital seems to be stable, there are actually many people who are dissatisfied with you. If you leave at this time, I'm afraid something will happen here. There's trouble." When Tang Feng called Bai Liangfeng and several other people from the Jinyi Guards to give instructions, Bai Liangfeng, who already knew the palace's decision, hurriedly advised.
After hearing this, Tang Feng just smiled faintly: "You will report to me the current situation in the capital every day, how could I not know?"
"In that case, why do you still" After seeing Tang Feng's calm smile, Bai Liangfeng seemed to understand his intentions, and he swallowed back the persuasion that came to his mouth.
Tang Feng was still very satisfied with their performance. He nodded with a smile and said, "This is the real reason why I asked you to come today. You listen to me, after I take people out of the capital" Tang Feng slowly said He explained his plan again, which surprised the people in Jinyiweidu in the hall. After a long while, they all nodded and agreed.
"Remember, no one else should know about this. No matter which side they seem to be on now, do you hear clearly?" Tang Feng finally gave his instructions very carefully. Seeing him like this, those people naturally did not dare to slack off at all, and nodded repeatedly to show that they had taken the Duke's words to heart. Tang Feng nodded with satisfaction and let them leave.
In the next two days, no matter what the officials in the DPRK and China were thinking, on the surface it seemed that everyone was in unison. Everyone was making preparations for sending troops to Liaodong. Food and grass were soon loaded onto large trucks. , took the first step, and the selected elite soldiers also began to gather in one place, just waiting for Tang Feng's order to set off at any time. This time, Tang Feng will lead 120,000 troops to Liaodong. In addition to the 70,000 elite soldiers selected from various places, there are also some troops from the three major battalions in the capital, which can be regarded as elite soldiers and generals. In addition, those firearms were also pulled out from various armories and distributed to the hands of the soldiers. This time in the battle in Liaodong, there will inevitably be a situation that is very different from the past.
On the seventh day of November in the second year of Zhengyuan, when the cold wind was getting stronger, Tang Feng personally led 120,000 soldiers out of the capital and headed straight for Liaodong. On this day, in addition to the officials in court, those who left the city to see him off were Many people also walked out spontaneously. Although they have a humble status, they also know the importance of this battle. Whether the Ming Dynasty can no longer be invaded by enemies in the north depends on this battle.
Late at night two days later, as Tang Feng took away most of the people, the city of Beijing seemed particularly deserted. The cold weather and the imposed curfew also made this late night no different from usual. But in fact, there is an undercurrent quietly surging today, and the source of the undercurrent is in the residence of Huang Liji, the current chief minister of the cabinet.
At this time, in the lobby of his home, many officials were wearing bright red official robes. They all looked at him solemnly. Some people were trying to persuade him: "Master Huang, why don't you want to serve me for the Ming Dynasty?" How can he devote himself to the common people in the world? Tang Feng, a traitor, has no king and no father. He not only monopolizes the government, but also changes the national policy of the Ming Dynasty for hundreds of years at will. It is really despicable. Now he is just because of his lack of foundation. That's why he didn't have his heart. When he really kills the Jin man this time, his reputation will be even greater. By then, I'm afraid he will become the thief who usurped the throne!"
"Yes, Mr. Huang, we can never allow such a person to control the government anymore. Now he has just asked Da to leave the capital. It is time for me and the people who eat the emperor's salary to come out to protect our Ming Dynasty. What are you still hesitating about?" Woolen cloth?"
All the officials had the same view and continued to persuade Huang Liji, which made him even more shaken. As the cabinet minister who succeeded Zhou and Wen in this position, Huang Liji originally did not want to be an enemy of Tang Feng, because he knew that without Tang Feng's recommendation, he would not be able to sit in this high position. As for the actual power, He's not too greedy either.
However, under the persuasion of many officials, Huang Liji finally compromised, because he knew that everyone was determined to start a war with Tang Feng while he was away from the capital. The reason why they come to me is that they just want someone who can take the lead and be important enough. Even if they insist on not agreeing, these people will still make a decision, and when the time comes, they will end up being different from each other.
Seeing that Huang Liji nodded and agreed, all the officials were overjoyed and repeatedly praised Mr. Huang as worthy of being the pillar of the country.
"But what should we do? Although Tang Feng has left, he still retains many close associates in the capital. If our actions are blocked by them, I'm afraid"
"Master Huang, don't worry about this. We already have a detailed plan. What we have to do now is to rush into the palace to see the emperor. As long as we have the Holy Purpose at our disposal, we will say that Tang Feng is a rebellious minister and traitor. Even those of his None of my subordinates would dare to risk the world to oppose us. Then we will issue an order to deprive Tang Feng of his military power, and everything will be under control." Someone immediately came up with a seemingly perfect plan.
"What about the war in Liaodong and the north? If there is a change in our government, it will probably affect the situation there."
"Lord Huang, whatever you gain must come with a loss! Now the real trouble for my Ming Dynasty is this rebellious minister Tang Feng. As for Mongolia and the Jin Kingdom, we can negotiate peace with them for the time being, and we can make plans later."
After everyone made up their minds, they followed Huang Liji out and rushed to the palace. But what they didn't notice was that in front of Huang Liji's door, several agile men had already left before them.
After a while, a homing pigeon flew into the sky and headed northeast