Chapter 541: The Big Devil Combination of the Beijing Camp takes office!
Time passes silently like a mountain stream.

As the reign title was changed to Longqing, the Ming Dynasty gradually began to show some new signs of life.

As for Qi Jiguang's arrival in Beijing, although it did not cause much sensation or impact, it also attracted a wave of attention.

After all, the arrival of tens of thousands of veteran soldiers from the Shanzi Camp, who had fought in the southeast for several years to eliminate Japanese pirates, into Beijing was a big event for many people.

At least the Minister of War Yang Bo was busy with this for several days.

How to place these Shanzi Camp soldiers, whether to station them outside the city or in the South City camp, where to get the money and food, and how to manage these soldiers were all troublesome issues.

For the nobles who occupied various positions in the Five Military Commanderies in the capital, Qi Jiguang, who was in charge of tens of thousands of elite soldiers, was also a person they needed to be wary of and also someone they needed to be close to.

Qi Jiguang was selected by the previous emperor and was also loved by the new emperor.

What’s more important is that the Yan family also attaches great importance to Qi Jiguang, and they have the support of the newly appointed cabinet minister Hu Zongxian in the court.

Anyone with eyesight can see it.

As long as Qi Jiguang keeps up the good work and continues to lead the Shanzi Battalion to win military merits on the battlefield, promotion and title will basically be a foregone conclusion.

but.

As a newly promoted junior minister began to fulfill the new duties assigned by the emperor, he started to serve as an advisor to the cabinet.

Then one day, when the emperor and his ministers were discussing matters in Wenhua Hall with the cabinet counselor, he produced a memorial, requesting Qi Jiguang, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Zhejiang Military Command, to come to the capital to train troops.

Ever since.

Qi Jiguang, a brave general who had just entered the capital, was appointed as the second-rank deputy governor of the Central Military Governor's Office, and was temporarily in charge of the training of the Beijing camp.

However, the eldest son of the Duke of Yingzhou, the guerrilla general and officer of the Shanzi Camp, Zhang Yuangong, was awarded an additional title of commander of the Beijing Guard Command by the emperor. He still served as an officer of the Shanzi Camp and was under the jurisdiction of Qi Jiguang.

There is nothing wrong with this will.

Zhang Yuangong was originally from a noble family, and the various honors he received were not included in the normal promotion sequence of the court.

His title of the third-rank commander of the Beijing Guard Command was more of an honorary title, with more honor than reality. The people under his command were still one of the four combat battalions of the Shanzi Camp, with a total of more than 2,000 people.

However, after the young minister asked for the title.

Qi Jiguang finally extricated himself from the mansions of nobles in the capital and officially moved into the military camp in the capital, avoiding the various endless banquets hosted by nobles in the capital.

Along with him, Yan Shaoting, the newly appointed Junior Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Assistant Manager of the Beijing Camp's Military Affairs, also moved into the Beijing Army Camp.

"This time the inspection of the soldiers in the camp is almost over."

"There are 17,352 soldiers who are too old. All of them must be removed from the Beijing camp."

"In addition, there are vacancies accumulated over the years, totaling 26,637 people."

In the Beijing Army’s main camp, in the central army tent.

Gu Huan, Marquis of Zhenyuan, Governor-General of the Military Affairs of the Capital Camp, and Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, was wearing heavy armor and sitting high on the throne of the general.

In the tent in front of him, many generals from the Beijing camp were seated.

Yan Shaoting sat nearby and reported the data of the recent investigation of soldiers in the camp by the Ministry of War and the Beijing Camp.

Then he glanced at the many Beijing camp generals present.

These people had different facial expressions.

Some people looked angry, while others looked worried.

Yan Shaoting glanced again at Qi Jiguang who was sitting opposite him.

He continued, "According to the original rules, these 17,352 old soldiers have begun to be retired to local garrison stations. On the one hand, they are resettled to prevent them from being left alone and causing trouble, and on the other hand, they are also filling the vacancies in the garrison stations. The Ministry of War has also begun to check the garrisons in various places. Let's not talk about the benefits that many people have gained over the years, but the garrison land they have taken in should also be spitted out. Otherwise, it's not just that the court cannot resettle the old soldiers, but we, the noble families, will have no one to rely on in the future, and we will have to bow our heads to a seventh-rank county magistrate."

As he said these words.

Many of the noble generals present also had complicated expressions.

In fact, the logic is very simple.

The more they ate from the military farms, the more profit they naturally made, but the combat effectiveness of the officers and soldiers in the garrisons was also bound to decline, and they would not be able to lead the army to establish meritorious services.

face.

Sometimes people lose it themselves.

Gu Huan above knocked on the table, his face cold: "Regarding the late emperor's will to clear the army, I don't care what other places think, but if anyone dares to make trouble in the Beijing camp, I will personally go to the emperor to ask for permission to remove all those who cause trouble. If they dare to make trouble, the court can save a lot of money and salaries for the nobles!"

What he said was a bit harsh.

The noble generals present all bowed their heads.

If what Marquis Zhenyuan said was really to be done, the so-called saving of money, food and salaries would mean stripping the titles of these people.

This is a matter of fact.

Gu Huan spoke to calm the situation.

Yan Shaoting continued, "As for the vacancies accumulated over the years, there are as many as 26,637 soldiers, which I had not thought of beforehand. Now, according to my discussion with Minister Yang of the Ministry of War and Elder Hu, we can only recruit soldiers from the garrisons in Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, southern Shanxi, southern Hebei and other places, and then place the old soldiers in the camp there. However, it will take at least half a year to make up for the shortage. By then, we can just let these soldiers stay in the Beijing Army Camp to protect the capital."

There are more than 10,000 old soldiers and a shortage of more than 20,000 vacancies.

After various reforms, the Beijing garrison, which originally had only a few hundred thousand soldiers, now has only fifty or sixty thousand available.

This time, the Beijing Camp dismissed more than 10,000 old soldiers, and to fill the vacancies, a total of more than 40,000 new soldiers were needed.

This is also why Yan Shaoting said that it would take more than half a year to recruit new soldiers, and after that they could only stay in the capital.

Because he couldn't expect to wait until this batch of new soldiers were recruited before requesting to go to the battlefield.

Then the only ones that can be used are the remaining 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers and horses in the Beijing camp.

And you can’t take them all away at once.

This is similar to his previous calculation that only 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers could be withdrawn from the Beijing camp.

"General, the rectification of the Beijing camp, the replenishment of soldiers, and the training of troops are all urgent matters. We all understand that we dare not hinder the new policies of the court, let alone disobey the will of the emperor. But we have to do so many things at once, and more than 40,000 vacancies have to be transferred from various places. Will our Beijing camp be too busy to handle it? Will the locals also have opinions, and it will inevitably cause chaos at that time?"

Inside the tent, an armored general spoke slowly and asked tentatively.

Yan Shaoting and Gu Huan looked over in the direction of the sound.

He was a general from a noble family, serving in the Beijing camp.

So Yan Shaoting glanced at old man Gu Huan.

He had discussed this with the old marquis earlier and decided that he would be the one to handle matters involving nobles in the Beijing camp.

Gu Huan's face immediately darkened.

"trouble?"

"Haven't you caused enough chaos and trouble over the years?"

Gu Huan showed no mercy to the other party. He slammed the table and asked, "Why do we need to reorganize the Beijing camp now? From the late emperor to the emperor, why do we need to clear the army? Isn't it because there are too many chaos and troubles in the army of my Ming Dynasty now?"

The man lowered his head, but there was a clear look of dissatisfaction on his face.

Gu Huan snorted coldly and said, "When I think of the time of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu, the Ming army was mighty and invincible, the army was united, and military orders were carried out smoothly. How many years have passed? The local garrisons have been corrupted, and the Beijing army has been repeatedly reformed, so that military generals like us have to be controlled by civil officials. You still have the nerve to talk nonsense?"

"What is honor? It doesn't mean that just because your fathers and ancestors followed the ancestors and sacrificed their lives, you can sit back and enjoy wealth and honor!"

"A noble man should put state affairs first, stabilize the country with military force, and be a role model in the army."

Gu Huan bluntly reveals the reasons and current situation of the imbalance between civil and military affairs in the Ming Dynasty.

And what he said was almost a slap in his own face.

after all.

He was also a nobleman. But Gu Huan continued, "Over the years, you have taken so many benefits and occupied so many military farms. The emperor and the court have no intention of pursuing you. But after taking so many benefits for so many years, it is time to stop now. When all the military farms are occupied by you, when all the military farms become tenants of your families, when the officers and soldiers can no longer lift swords and guns, I am afraid that my Ming Dynasty will not be far from being destroyed. By then, how much wealth and glory can you people still have?"

No one in the tent dared to speak again.

Gu Huan also eased up a little: "The emperor and the court are reorganizing the Qing army, not to kill you, nor to kill me. The Beijing camp will be strengthened, the guards will fight again, and when the country is attacked, we will be able to lead the strong soldiers and brave generals to fight. If you want wealth and glory, you can go to the battlefield to get it yourself. The emperor has never been stingy with rewards for people like us."

Ding dong.

As Gu Huan's voice fell.

Yan Shaoting threw a golden coin from his sleeve.

The gold coin with the Ming Dynasty gold treasure and the emperor's image on it spun around on the table under the gaze of everyone, and finally slowly stopped.

Yan Shaoting also spoke slowly: "I petitioned the emperor a few days ago to change the Ministry of Revenue's Treasure Banknotes Department to the Ministry of Money, set up gold shops in the two capitals, and spread them all over the country. This matter has been decided. The court is building a mint in Changping. According to the rules, the Ministry of Revenue will account for 70% and the treasury will account for 30%. You can rest assured that when the emperor rewards the nobles and military generals, it will no longer be treasure notes and spices, but real gold and silver coins. As long as you dare to fight the enemy and make contributions, this real reward will naturally not be less!"

Inside the tent, Gu Huan was blushing.

Yan Shaoting also took the opportunity to play the good guy and promised benefits.

As he mentioned that the court was going to reform the currency system, all the generals in the tent stared at the gold coin he threw out with shining eyes.

Gu Huan knocked on the table again.

"If you want this reward, then be honest and follow the rules set by the emperor and the court."

"Now the Beijing camp is being reorganized, old soldiers are being cleared out, and vacancies are being filled. Everyone, please cheer up."

"Commander-in-Chief Qi has also fought against the Japanese pirates in the southeast for half his life. He has come to Beijing with merit. Now he is ordered to train the Beijing camp. I don't care what you think. Commander-in-Chief Qi and his Shanzi Camp will be your instructors from now on. If anyone disobeys military orders, don't blame me for beating you with a stick afterwards."

"You can also try and see if the Emperor will approve your impeachment of me."

Those who originally had some hidden thoughts also completely lost their temper.

Everyone knows that Lord Gu was deeply favored by the late emperor, otherwise he would not have allowed Gu Huan to be in charge of the grain transport so many times. Even though this offended many gentry and civil officials in the southeast, the late emperor never changed his mind.

Later, he served as the governor of the Beijing camp for a long time.

This kind of trust is rare among the nobles in the court.

Although there is a new emperor in power now, his favor has only increased.

I heard that people in the palace are already discussing whether they should take advantage of this opportunity to reorganize the Beijing camp and then let Lord Gu go to the battlefield again to gain some real military merit, so that the title of Marquis Zhenyuan can be changed to a duke like the Duke of Zhenguo.

Offended Gu Huan?

I'm afraid he will be cut off from the group of nobles.

A newly promoted commander of the Beijing Guards named Zhang, who was also present today, smiled and said, "My father gave us some instructions when we entered the camp today. When the affairs of the Beijing camp are settled in the next few days, my father will hold a banquet at home to entertain you all. By the way... Mr. Xu and Mr. Zhu will also be there."

As soon as Zhang Yuangong opened his mouth, everyone in the tent couldn't help but twitch their lips and eyes.

The three dukes of the current dynasty were in charge, silently watching the movements of the Beijing camp from behind. Not everyone wanted this kind of attention.

But the three dukes want to hold a banquet.

This is another huge temptation.

In the blink of an eye, inside the main tent of the Beijing camp, there appeared men with red faces, white faces, people holding sticks, and people giving dates.

They used both kindness and force, coercion and inducement, one after another.

As Gu Huan stood up, he waved his hand.

The Beijing camp, which had served as young soldiers for decades, finally launched a vigorous and enthusiastic wave of training.

Then the people of the entire Beijing city saw an extremely rare scene.

Every day before dawn.

The sound of war drums began to be heard in the Beijing army camps inside and outside the city.

Then countless officers, soldiers and generals put on their armor and gathered in the parade ground.

Every day, these officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp had to run around the camp for a full ten miles before returning to the camp for dinner.

After the meal, we cleaned the barracks, swept the entire camp, and pulled out the weeds outside the camp.

After finishing these things, the next step is to let all flowers bloom.

Crawling in the quagmire and climbing high poles took turns.

Next came the military sword drills. Chopping with a sword a thousand times was the basics, and holding a spear flat for a quarter of an hour was the starting point.

This was followed by military formation drills and the unique training methods of the Qi family army.

This will continue until it gets dark, and then each camp will start eating.

Can I take a rest after eating?
That is obviously impossible!

The literacy class is on, and everyone must attend.

The teacher was sent by Changping Academy.

After the literacy class, Qi Jiguang added an extra half-hour marching training class at night.

According to Governor Qi, the Beijing Army will have to fight the wolves on the grassland head-on in the future. The Beijing Army will be more ruthless and brutal than these Mongols. They will fight the Mongols when they are marching and fighting, and they will also surprise attack them when they are sleeping.

You may ask whether this training method, which aims to kill people even if it doesn't kill them, will lead to backlash from the officers and soldiers?

Not without.

But with a wave of the hand of the right vice minister of the Ministry of War, meat was included in every meal of the three meals a day in the Beijing camp.

This little bit of suffering doesn't seem so bitter.

It was just a hardship for the officials in the Ministry of War. They had to quarrel with the people in the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department every day, and then had to obey the orders of the Right Vice Minister and snatch batches of meat from the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department.

Bang!

Several horse-drawn carriages stopped at the Beijing Camp Parade Ground.

Yan Shaoting held his head high and lifted the oilcloth on the carriage.

He faced the soldiers of the Beijing camp who were all turned into mud figures on the parade ground, holding up a loud speaker and said, "Do you know what this is?"

"Meat~~~~"

The soldiers shouted weakly with desire in their eyes.

Yan Shaoting shook his head: "It's beef! Fresh beef. Don't ask me where I got all this beef! I'm just telling you, after today's training, there will be plenty of beef! As long as you don't die from the training, then train me to death. In addition, the 100 best trainers today can each take home 10 kilograms of beef!"

The officers and soldiers, who had been well-trained and experienced, suddenly burst into a huge roar.

However, these officers and soldiers who were attracted by the beef looked at Yan Shaoting with fear.

crazy!

It's really crazy!
Now the entire Beijing camp looks at Yan Shaoting and Qi Jiguang as if they were two big devils.

Demon King Qi would train them to the point of extreme ecstasy every day.

Demon King Yan would find different ways to seduce and lure them every day. As long as they slacked off a little, he would immediately change his methods and force them to continue training with gritted teeth.

This feeling of love and hate, wanting and not wanting, is played out every day throughout the Beijing Army.

The reputation of Yan Shaoting and Qi Jiguang as the great devils of the Beijing camp also spread quickly.

It became a hot topic in the capital for a while.

…………

Monthly PassMonthly Pass
(End of this chapter)