The Prosperous Era of Longwan

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 have to be used, and combat effectiveness can only be improved by increasing proficiency through extensive use.

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 my 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 clasped his fists at Tan Lun when he entered the door and said, "Brother Zili, you said so, just write a note if you have anything to do.

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'm just going to stay up all night."

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, meaning it was impossible for a large corps 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 for more than 2,400 miles. After walking around such a long defense line, I found that many places lacked garrison defense. 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 ever 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 straight in along this route.

In this case, the Ming army on the border did not pay much attention to the small group of captives.

If you have the chance, ambush a wave and earn a head in exchange for credit and silver.

If there is no chance, just let it happen.

The local government didn't even bother to report such small conflicts.

Wei Guangde knew this before, but since it didn't affect the overall situation, he pretended not to know about it.

But now that Tan Lun was talking about it, Wei Guangde looked at him with narrowed eyes and asked, "What do you think, Brother Zili? Can you solve this problem?"

"I plan to defend along the Great Wall very difficultly. It is advisable to select key points and prioritize them. We will divide them into twelve routes, and build one pier every hundred steps or three or fifty steps, for a total of three thousand.

Each one costs fifty gold. The platform is three feet high and twelve feet wide, and can accommodate fifty people. If nothing happens, guard the wall, and if there is a police officer, attack. If you set up dangers on both sides, you can be safe. "

Tan Lun immediately said what he had been thinking about these days, not only because he saw the Great Wall, conducted on-site surveys along the route, and made a decision after repeatedly comparing it with maps.

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

Think about it, there is a saying in later generations, that is, Sun Chengzong built the Ningjin 200-mile defense line, which eventually brought down the Ming Dynasty.

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

Hong Jie just headed west, passing through Mongolia, and easily bypassed this solid defense line and reached Gyeonggi.

Although from a military point of view, Hong Ji's marching route was very risky, but if you truly understand the comparison of the power of the three kingdoms at that time, you will find that in fact it was not a big risk, but it was a masterstroke.

Mongolia was the weakest country at that time, and due to internal divisions, it was almost completely dominated by the Jianzhou Jurchens. Lin Danhan, apart from being more verbal, actually no longer had the strength to compete with Jianzhou for territory.

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

However, thanks to the tip-off from the traitor group-Shanxi merchants, Hong Ji had already figured out the internal situation in the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, what seems to be a dangerous move is actually the result of blocking intelligence from within the Jianzhou Jurchens, in order to highlight Hong Ji's wisdom and prowess.

What's more, there were too many similar battles in later generations, and fortifications were of little use.

With this preconceived view, Wei Guangde immediately shook his head and said: "Instead of spending huge sums of money to build the pier you mentioned, it would be easier to use the money to train a strong army to deter Xiao Xiao."

"That's not what Shandai said."

Tan Lun immediately said anxiously: "Fifty people for each pier can prevent the small group of Tatars from easily invading the border. According to my calculation, there are about 3,000 piers on the 12th road. We will plan them slowly according to priority, even if The court could only allocate thirty thousand taels of silver a year, and five years was enough to complete the construction of this project.

As for the soldiers, they are assigned by the guards. According to the principle of proximity, soldiers are willing to stay close to home. Although the mountain road is difficult to travel, it is better than living in a military camp hundreds of miles away from home. "

"The imperial court is in financial difficulty. You expect the imperial court to allocate 150,000 taels of silver. I'm afraid it will be difficult."

Since money was mentioned, Wei Guangde also used financial difficulties as an excuse, "Even if the court can allocate the money, Datou is afraid that Ji Liao will have to provide the money himself."

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

Who knew Tan Lun suddenly said.

"Um?"

Wei Guangde suddenly felt like he had been deceived by Tan Lun. Of course, this old boy knew that the imperial court was in financial difficulty. He just said what he said to himself on purpose, and started bargaining when he was used to it.

Originally, he didn't want to do this project. He thought it was a waste of money and people, but when Tan Lun was asked to do it, it changed from whether it could be done to how much money he would give.

"Brother Zili, are you plotting against 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 got to know their lives, but every year I was always attacked and robbed by a group of Tatars.

By the time the strong men from the village where they gathered and the surrounding sergeants rushed over, the group of Tatars had already reached the side wall.

You also know that the imperial court does not allow people to cross the border wall without authorization, and those who disobey will be punished as prisoners of war. You can only watch them leave with the looted things and people.

With these piers and platforms, these Tatars will no longer be able to enter and exit our border at will, and the people will be able to live in peace and contentment. "

"If you arrange people along the Great Wall, Ji Liao's already tight military strength will be even more stretched. This requires 15,000 people."

Wei Guangde thought about it and built these piers according to Tan Lun's wishes. In addition to defending against small groups of Tatars crossing the border, it seemed that they could also be used as a supplement to the Great Wall beacon fire.

I didn't hear Tan Lun say that the pier is divided into twelve lines, which are both defensive fortifications and a powerful tool for communication and warning.

"It has been roughly estimated that the reduction of troops at dozens of passes is only a few hundred people at each place, so it should be no serious problem."

Tan Lun explained.

Naturally, he has to think carefully about these.

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

Wei Guangde asked.

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

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 be interested in 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 purchase 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 also 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 Shanhaiguan garrison 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 after thinking about it, it seemed like it was true.

The current Shanhaiguan Pass is just an important pass for Jiliao, and is far from the focus of the Ming army's defense in the future. Therefore, there are only more than a thousand permanent troops stationed in Shanhaiguan Pass, 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 anything 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 both Jizhen Ming army, but one is for garrison, and the other is for garrison and general. 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 other way. There are only a few major generals in Shanhaiguan. At critical moments, they still rely on a stone pass to save lives, and the military positions are also different.

But if Tan Lun's wishes were followed and the official position of Shanhaiguan garrison was promoted, and the power and responsibilities of Yiyishi were not properly divided, it would be easy to cause trouble.

"I plan to request that Sandaoguan and Si'eryu Second Fort, which are under the jurisdiction of Cutting a 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 me. 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 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.