Chapter 409 Building a city?
Gao Gong dragged his tired body and followed the eunuch into the Wenhua Palace.
Over the past few days, Gao Gong has become even thinner, and the skin on his face is almost no longer able to hold any flesh. He looks completely different from the fat man he used to be when he was a Hanlin scholar.
Now all the officials in the capital call this Gaoge elder Mr. Ao.
Gao Gong felt happy when he heard this nickname. Nao Xianggong was the nickname given to Wang Anshi by officials in the Song Dynasty. Being able to be ranked alongside this famous reformer in the Northern Song Dynasty can better express his attitude towards promoting new affairs.
But these days, Gao Gong felt more and more that the country's affairs were difficult.
Things in politics never change instantly.
This is why when gambling on the fate of the country, we always look forward to using military victory to solve political problems.
Fighting is difficult, but compared with politics, the difficulty of fighting is nothing.
Just like a gambler who has been losing money, it is too difficult to find a winning strategy and slowly repay the money. It is more realistic to start a war stud and gamble your life.
But the problem now is that Southeast does not want to fight the Ming army at all, and the new Ming army in the three towns does not have the confidence to fight Southeast.
Things can only stay so frozen.
Now all the food in North China has to be thrown into the bottomless pit-like battlefield in Shandong.
There is also constant bad news in Huguang. Although the Southeast New Army entered Wuchang City, it was unable to attack other areas of Huguang.
However, this army that penetrated into the heart of the Ming Dynasty still affected the collection of summer grain in Huguang this year.
The Yangtze River route was cut off in the middle, making the cost of transporting grain much higher for the Ming Dynasty.
The main political issue in the Ming court was that it was hard to get rid of, and the gourd lifted up when the gourd was pressed.
In the Wenhua Hall, Emperor Longqing, who was sitting high on the throne, also lost some weight.
The emperor's face was abnormally flushed, and his spirit was also a little listless.
After the three assistant ministers of the cabinet and the six ministers entered the Wenhua Hall, the emperor couldn't wait to ask:
"Have the southeast thieves really created something that can fly?"
Yang Bo, the chief minister of the cabinet, could no longer pretend to be dead at this time. He stepped forward and said:
"Reporting to your Majesty, according to the investigation of Tianjin Guard, the Southeast Bandits have indeed created a device capable of flying. Someone also witnessed three soldiers of the Southeast Bandits walking out of the device. This device can not only fly, but also It can carry people."
The emperor was horrified and said: "Dago is not far from the capital, what if this thing flies to the Forbidden City?"
Sure enough, what the emperor was afraid of was not the effect of the hot air balloon on battlefield reconnaissance, but worried about himself safety.
When enemies can fly in the sky, the walls of the capital and the Forbidden City cannot provide the emperor with a sense of security. This is the biggest panic in the court today.
Seeing the emperor's appearance, Gao Gong could only stand up and say:
"Your Majesty, the thing made by the southeast thieves is actually not a mysterious fairy weapon." "
This is just a large Kongming Lantern."
Hearing the Kongming Lantern . , the emperor immediately understood, and the Aoshan lanterns were let go. The scene of a thousand Kongming lanterns rising into the sky still remained in the emperor's memory. He also praised Qingyuan Bo Li Wei, who organized the Aoshan Lantern Festival.
Gao Gong continued: "Just like the Kongming Lantern, the aircraft in the Southeast can only rise and fall, but cannot control the direction of flight in the sky. Landing in the market outside the Dagu Bastion should be the result of the aircraft losing control." "So although the Southeast
can If you take people up to the sky, you won't be able to fly over the Forbidden City. Your Majesty, don't worry."
Emperor Longqing finally felt a little more relieved. He looked at the ministers again. Yang Bo, the chief minister of the cabinet, said:
"If your Majesty is not worried, You can build city defenses in Tianjin and build beacon towers between Tianjin and the capital. Once traces of aircraft from the southeast are discovered, immediately alert the capital, so that your majesty can feel at ease." Emperor Longqing was overjoyed when he heard this, but Gao Gong immediately said
:
" No!"
"Southeast has only a thousand troops stationed in Tianjin. To build city defenses for these thousand people is too much investment. It is better to train a new army to station in Tianjin." The new army of the
Ming Dynasty originally planned to train thirty towns, but when After training three towns, Mingting's finances were already overwhelmed.
There is nothing that can be done about it. Training new soldiers is inherently expensive. Unlike the self-destructive hereditary military household system before the Ming Dynasty, new soldiers have to be given money and ammunition.
The cost of manufacturing qualified muskets was also high for the Ming Dynasty. It was not yet able to produce lightweight and airtight cannons, and had to purchase them from foreign businessmen.
In this way, the cost will naturally be higher.
Nowadays, Southeast has only trained six brigades of new troops. With Ming Ting's financial resources, it can no longer afford to train the new troops in the fourth town.
Gao Gong has been running around, hoping to form the fourth town of the New Army as soon as possible. This time he took the opportunity to propose a plan to form a New Army.
But Yang Bo, who has always been a good man, immediately objected.
"Each new army added to a town is a long-term expense, and raising and recruiting troops is also costly. Building city defenses in Tianjin only requires a one-time investment. In the future, only a small number of soldiers from the Beijing camp can be sent on duty. They can also monitor the movements at sea and prevent the southeastern thieves from coming again. Attacking the capital at sea is the only way to achieve a permanent solution."
Gao Gong immediately retorted:
"Mr. Yang Ge, the real solution is to train the new army to recapture Taku."
Yang Bo was very tough this time and refused to give in at all. Said:
"Recapture Taku? Then let Mr. Gao Ge lead the troops to try it himself!"
The chief minister and the second minister of the cabinet had such a quarrel that other ministers could no longer watch the show.
Li Chunfang, the fourth assistant, immediately said: "Whether we want to train a new army or build a city defense, we should ask His Majesty to judge."
Everyone looked at the emperor, and the emperor on the throne also hesitated.
The thousand southeastern soldiers stationed in Dagu have always been a thorn in the emperor's side.
With the Daku Bastion, the southeastern army may land from the sea at any time, and it only takes one day to reach the capital.
Emperor Longqing really didn't want to continue hunting westward.
But the last Battle of Dagu had completely shattered the military morale of the Ming court.
Li Chengliang refused to lead his troops to attack the Dagu Fort, and the generals on all sides were unwilling to lead their troops.
The soldiers were frightened when they heard about the Daku Bastion, and the soldiers of the Tianjin Guards refused to even leave Tianjin City, let alone attack Daku.
The emperor looked at his first assistant, then at Gao Gong, and finally decided to use the old method.
"Let the Ministry of Industry send capable ministers to Tianjin to repair the city defenses." "
According to Mr. Yang Ge's wishes, set up a beacon tower between the capital and Tianjin to observe the movements of Dagu at any time."
Yang Bo's face was full of joy, while Gao Gong's face was gloomy.
In Dagu City, no one was injured in the last Kuafu test, and the damage to the hot air balloon was not serious.
Li Yangong had someone replace the winch with a stronger and more reliable one, and had someone sew the balloon in preparation for the second test.
Gao Wuguan asked doubtfully: "Why do we need to test it in Dagu?"
Li Yangong said: "This is the plan of the staff department. First, the weather conditions in the north and the south are different. We need to make a test of the hot air balloon's ability to withstand wind in the north. Test."
"The second purpose is to intimidate Ming Ting."
Gao Wuguan nodded and said: "It is true that Ming Ting will definitely be frightened when he sees Kuafu. This is tantamount to increasing Ming Ting's power in Dagu. We should invest in the defense of the border and reduce the pressure on the Shandong front line."
Li Yangong nodded and said, "Brother Gao, you don't know that the pressure in the southeast is also great now." "The
Governor has said more than once that the expansion in the southeast is too rapid, whether it is administrative or military We have not kept up, and now we need to digest the areas we have already occupied."
Gao Wuguan also nodded. Starting from this year, except for Guangxi and Wuchang, which were sent to the door, Southeast is only digesting the areas that have been controlled and occupied.
Even after entering Wuchang City, they did not expand their results and attack other areas of Huguang.
Gao Wuguan knew very well that the new army was different from the army of the old era. The expansion of the army could not be completed with a mobilization order from the Governor's Office.
The new army requires soldiers with higher quality, which is not only physical quality, but also cultural quality.
Musketeers need strict discipline, the ability to understand orders, and a spirit of unity and cooperation.
The requirements for gunners are even higher. They need to be able to write and calculate, which is higher than the arithmetic level required by ordinary accountants. Not to mention naval officers whose training cycle is longer.
The graduation cycle for junior officers at the Nanjing Army School is four months. Including post-term refresher training, training a qualified mid-level officer requires an average of seven months of full-time study, plus at least half a year of practical training in military camps.
The graduation period for junior officers at Fuzhou Naval Academy is eight months. These eight months are just basic crew courses. To become a qualified ship commander, you also need to study astronomy, geography, oceanography, and meteorology. , ballistics and many other disciplines, and also requires rich navigation experience.
Such terrifying training costs make even the affluent Southeast have a hard time.
Not to mention the long-term rent and tax reduction campaign implemented by Su Ze in the Southeast to liberate the huge agricultural population from the bondage of the land, but the workshops have not yet been able to provide enough tax revenue. During such a transformation period, the Southeast also needs a lot of time to digest.
Li Yangong said: "The only thing that the staff is not sure about now is whether the Ming court will build static defense fortifications in Tianjin or expand and train new troops to strengthen Dagu's defense line." "In order to consider the future decisive battle in Shandong, the Ming court will train new
troops The military will be in some trouble, which will increase the pressure on the Jianghuai defense line."
Gao Wuguan smiled: "Don't worry about this. With the Ming Dynasty's urine, they will definitely build city defenses in Tianjin."
Li Yangong asked doubtfully: " Why did Brother Gao make such a judgment?"
Gao Wuguan said with a smile: "This is because the staff does not understand the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty."
"Don't understand the civil servants? Why civil servants?"
Gao Wuguan said: "My father once talked to me about this One of the major drawbacks of the Ming Dynasty's military was the construction of city defenses."
"Why is this?"
The Marquis of Linhuai family has been away from the court for a long time. Li Yangong's father only regained the title, and his family is still a distinguished noble who has been stationed in the south for a long time. Naturally, he lacks understanding of the Ming Dynasty.
Gao Wuguan said: "My father said that looking at historical records, almost all civil servants who have made achievements in military affairs and can be promoted will have records of how many meters of city walls they built, how many cities they renovated, how many fortresses they built, and they all have records. Because of these meritorious services, he was promoted and recorded in the records as a famous minister."
Of course Li Yangong had not read the records, but he asked doubtfully: "Isn't this the work of a capable minister? Isn't it good to build a city wall? "
Gao Wuguan said: "Building city defense is not a problem. The problem is that building city defense has become the assessment standard. This is the problem." "?" "To
deal
with the northern border troubles is nothing more than two methods: training troops and building city defenses." "
Troop training. You have to practice things yourself, offend the soldiers and gentry, and raise supplies and supplies. If there is a problem with the soldiers you manage, you will be accused by the court. If you bring out too elite soldiers, you will be jealous of the court." Li Yangong was silent
. His family is noble, so he naturally understands this truth.
"Building city defenses is different. How many meters of city walls have been built, how many fortresses have been built, these can all be seen, and they are all real contributions." "The imperial court will not be suspicious, and the local government has also built city defenses because of them
. The project can bring benefits, and the builders can easily be recognized and promoted by the court, so of course they choose to build city defenses."
Li Yangong thought for a moment, and compared to the thankless training of troops, building city defenses did seem to have more benefits.
It's no wonder that the Ming Dynasty built so many city defenses in the north, but they still couldn't stop Anda's invaders.
Gao Wuguan added: "There are some benefits to building city defense."
"What?"
"My father said that not everyone can handle this military training. It is easy to get thousands of troops, but hard to find one general. You guys The art of war is passed down from generation to generation in these noble families. It is not easy to produce a famous general. Not to mention that many of the ministers have never read military books before. How can they become masters of the art of war all of a sudden? Do you think everyone is a genius like the governor? Genius?"
Li Yangong nodded.
"But it is much easier to build city defenses. The secret lies in the funding."
"Funding?"
Gao Wujian nodded and said, "If we can get support from above and the Ministry of Industry is willing to give money, even a pig can build the city defenses." It's pretty. When the time comes, it will be reported to the Ming court for approval, and you will be promoted based on your merits. This is much more convenient than training soldiers." "
When Yan Song and his son were in power, they promoted many of their own people with this trick. Obviously They have never led troops to fight, but they can get the reputation of 'knowing soldiers'." "
And those officials who really know how to lead troops will never be promoted in their lives if they cannot get support from the top." "
Between training troops and building city defenses , the Ming Dynasty will definitely choose to build city defenses."
Li Yangong said with emotion: "Your father is really a great talent. If he can see these problems, can't he change anything?"
Gao Wuguan lowered his head and said: "It is because he knows the problems that he cannot My father will be in pain only if he changes."
"These problems are hard to get rid of, and he alone cannot change them." "
And there is the biggest deadlock in these problems."
"A deadlock?"
Gao Wuguan said, "This is what I learned when I arrived in the southeast. What comes to mind is why the Ming court has so many problems and why these problems have become a dead end. The biggest problem is this dead end - the emperor." "What does this have to do with the emperor?" Gao Wuguan said: "The emperor,
the
world He is an independent man."
"Whether he is a wise king or a foolish king, they all belong to one person. Their enemies are the clan, the nobles, the relatives, the eunuchs, the aristocratic families, the powerful, the civil servants, the generals, the common people, and the Foreigners belong to the world."
"Everyone knows that training soldiers is the best, but soldiers cannot give the emperor a sense of security."
"Useless city defenses and fortresses can give the emperor a sense of security."
"If Brother Li sat on the throne, what would you choose? Uncontrolled officers and soldiers, or silent city walls and fortresses?"
Li Yangong was stunned.
"No matter who the Mingjun or the Holy Lord is, they are all just Dufuer."
Gao Wuguan said no more and looked towards the distance in the direction of the capital.
Sure enough, Qian Duo, a protégé of Yang Bo, the chief minister of the cabinet, and the minister of the Ministry of Industry, took charge of Tianjin's military preparation, organized Tianjin's city defense, and built a beacon tower between the capital and Tianjin, even reporting the developments of the Dagu Fort to the capital.
After Qian Bingbei took office, he immediately started a large-scale construction project and recruited a large number of civilians to build the city wall.
The most exaggerated thing is the beacon tower. Qian Bingbei went crazy to repair the beacon tower. The people nearby were miserable and called him "Qian Fenghuo".
Such a ridiculous move earned Qian Duo praise from everyone in the Ming court, praising him for his ability to know soldiers.
Gao Gong was powerless to deal with such a result. He could only focus on new affairs.
At the same time, in the backyard of the Southeast Governor's Mansion, Su Ze and Lu Gang looked at the complex machines in front of them.
Fang Aizhu stepped forward and lit the machine. Su Ze poured water into the pipe and the flames started burning.
Lu Gang opened the pressure relief valve, and the connecting rod connected to the piston began to rotate slowly.
"Captain! It's successful!"
Lu Gang looked at Su Ze excitedly, but Su Ze shook his head and said,
"It's still early! Only such a large combustion chamber can generate such a small amount of power, which can't even drag a mule machine. Not enough."
Su Ze was a little troubled. The principle of the steam engine was very simple. After solving the process of airtight pipes, he quickly made this prototype machine.
However, Su Ze studied liberal arts before traveling through time and did not know the blueprints of steam engines at all. The steam engine he made was too inefficient and was obviously not a commercial version improved by Watt.
Such a steam engine has no advantage at all over water power.
During this period of time, Su Ze has been developing the [Mechanical Processing] skill in the workshop, but there is still a long way to go before reaching Level 15.
Su Ze extinguished the steam engine and began to think about how to improve the machine.
In the workshop in Hangzhou, machinist Ren Fu, who had received investment from Second Master Yu, looked at the complex machine in front of him and lit the coal in the combustion chamber.
It's really not a fat bird's trick. Some operations are just a matter of stance.
Social problems are just like treating diseases. There are no textbook typical symptoms that can be cured by medicine.
A real serious disease is one in which multiple diseases are entangled together, and thousands of factors hinder each other, and in the end the medicine will be ineffective.
(End of chapter)