prosperous age

Outside Xuanfu City, the north wind was howling, flags were flying on the top of the city, and banners were waving under the city tower.

Today is the day of military drills in Xuanfu. Ma Fang and Ma Gui, who had just arrived in Xuanfu to take over as deputy general, stood on the city wall and looked at the new military camp that had been set up below the city.

"Sir, are these the soldiers trained according to Qi Yuanjing's training method?"

Ma Gui, who was standing beside Ma Fang, looked at the Ming soldiers below with surprise. They seemed to be in good spirits, but he was not sure whether it was because they were officers and soldiers under Ma Fang or for some other reason.

After arriving in Xuanfu, Ma Gui heard a lot of rumors about this Ming army of nearly 10,000.

These soldiers were the best and strongest soldiers from various guards in Xuanfu and had combat experience. They were selected by Ma Fang and incorporated into the new army.

Moreover, the soldiers in these three battalions have better food and drink than those in other garrisons, and the military pay they receive is 50% of the standard.

Yes, even the troops that Ma Fang valued the most could not get full pay, but only 50% of the standard for border troops.

The soldiers in the Liaodong camp where Qi Jiguang served could meet 80% of the standard.

However, even so, the income of the soldiers in Xuanfu Camp was more than twice that of the soldiers in the garrison, which was considered a high salary among the soldiers in the garrison.

"Yes, the Chariot Battalion and the Infantry Battalion are newly trained, and only the Cavalry Battalion has been modified on the original basis."

Ma Fang had always had the habit of drawing together his elite cavalry for training, and he would also concentrate the cavalry for combat.

Whether he served as the general in Datong or Xuanfu, he always had a cavalry team of four to five thousand people under his command to prepare for sneak attacks by Mongolian cavalry.

From time to time, he would lead his cavalry out of the border wall to the north and patrol the grassland.

Although every time he did so, he would be protested by "King Shunyi", he still enjoyed doing it.

"More than 5,000 people were drawn from the garrisons to form a chariot battalion and an infantry battalion, each with more than 2,000 people.

Two thousand seven hundred men were selected from the original cavalry battalion to form a new cavalry battalion, the rest were incorporated into the chariot battalion and the infantry battalion as scouts, and the rest served as the governor's standard camp.

But I am worried that with such a small number of people, how can we stop the Mongolian raid? "

Ma Fang looked at the cavalry camp below which was much smaller than before and said helplessly.

Since he took over as general, the cavalry troops under his command have never been less than 3,000 people.

However, according to Qi Jiguang's organization, the cavalry battalion had only more than 2,000 people, which was far too few.

This seemed a bit useless to Ma Fang, who had fought against Mongolian cavalry head-on many times.

A cavalry battalion of more than 2,000 people would find it difficult to withstand the charge of tens of thousands of Mongolian cavalry.

Even though the Ming army was well-equipped, it was difficult to break through the enemy's formation.

The Mongols in front of him would have at least 7,000 to 8,000 people, and at most tens of thousands, every time they came south to harass him. It would take four or five thousand cavalry to stop them from going south, and they would have to have infantry to form a formation for support.

"I've heard before that Qi Jiguang's army formations were mostly based on chariot camps, with infantry at the rear. The cavalry camps were only used to hold off the Tartars between the chariot and infantry camps, and to pursue them when they retreated. They did not fight the Tartars head-on."

To be honest, Qi Jiguang's fighting style is completely different from the common fighting style used by border army generals.

In field battles, border troops often formed infantry formations while using cavalry to harass and contain the enemy from left and right, rather than doing what Qi Jiguang did, where the cavalry only took on pursuit missions rather than engaging in head-on combat.

"Haha, there are hundreds of artillery carts, carrying more than 200 large and small Portuguese cannons, and hundreds of muskets. If we add the thousands of muskets of the infantry battalion, we can barely hold off the enemy.

However, with so many firearms, the baggage is also a big problem."

Ma Fang naturally understood the role of firearms. Although this thing was good and effective for defending the city, it would consume a lot of gunpowder and lead in field battles.

In this way, the Ming army had to carry not only a large amount of food and fodder, but also a large amount of gunpowder and lead, which put a sharp increase in the pressure on the Ming army's already limited transportation capacity.

This is also the reason why Qi Jiguang's new military camp also needs to be equipped with several baggage battalions. The baggage battalions transport supplies back and forth, otherwise they will not be able to support a major war.

In other words, Qi Jiguang's tactics could make defense foolproof, but it was far from enough for an expedition, and more baggage soldiers were needed to undertake transportation tasks.

This was too restrictive for Ma Fang, who was used to leading his cavalry into the grasslands and fighting wherever he could. Naturally, he did not like this way of fighting.

At this time, a fully armed general came up from the city and reported: "My Lords, the new army camp has been assembled. Please give us your instructions."

"Let's start practicing right away."

Ma Fang ordered loudly.

"As ordered."

The general agreed, then stood up and walked down the city wall. Soon, a fast horse rushed out of Xuanfu City and galloped towards the army.

Soon, Ma Fang and Ma Gui on the city wall saw the Ming army formation begin to move. The chariot camp and the infantry camp seemed to be mixed together and slowly moved towards the city. The cavalry camp was divided into two teams to guard both sides of the column.

The chariots of the chariot camp were divided into two columns, one on the left and one on the right, with the soldiers of the infantry camp in the middle.

As they got closer to the city gate, suddenly the military flags were waving in the army formation, and then two teams of cavalry, each with a thousand horses, suddenly accelerated and galloped towards the left front.

Ma Fang and Ma Gui were not surprised. Seeing this scene, they guessed that it was a demonstration of the cavalry's reaction when encountered an enemy attack.

Then, the two teams of cavalry joined together and continued to move forward, but less than three miles ahead they began to turn in an orderly manner. Then a burst of continuous musketeers broke out from the cavalry, and the sky above the cavalry camp was suddenly filled with green smoke, and then arrows were shot out from the cavalry.

After making a circle, the cavalry used the same method as before, conducted a demonstration, and then retreated towards the chariot camp.

At this time, the chariot camp had also undergone a major change, with the chariots being quickly assembled after the cavalry charge.

The first few chariots were placed horizontally, and the chariots behind them quickly followed and connected to each other. After a short while, they were connected to form a small city.

The gaps between the vehicles were also connected by iron chains, which Ma Fang and Ma Gui had known for a long time.

If they were attacked by enemy cavalry, even if they could get close to the carriages, they would not be able to break into the formation and would have to dismount and dismantle the chains with their bare hands.

Behind the iron chains, the Ming army infantry had already formed a team with shields and muskets, and the musketeers could hide directly behind the shields and shoot outside.

At the same time, there are wooden boards extending from the sports car, directly placed on the iron chains. This is a means to prevent the Mongolian cavalry from shooting arrows from a distance and killing the infantry in the army.

"It seems that military doctrine says that if there is no infantry battalion to cooperate in advancing, the chariot battalion can be connected with each other, and there will not be such a large gap."

Ma Gui nodded when he saw the soldiers in the chariot camp quickly forming a formation. He calculated the time and it was about time that the infantry would come into direct contact with the Mongolian cavalry.

However, it is remarkable to complete the construction of a mobile city in such a short time. It seems that they have been trained a lot.

As long as the chariot formation is formed, to be honest, it is much better to command and fight against the Tatar cavalry in such a formation than to be surrounded by infantry.

"He built this formation hastily, but it's pretty good to be able to build such a defense in such a short time."

Ma Fang was quite satisfied. If he took this group of infantrymen out of the border wall, he would not have to worry about being attacked by Mongolian cavalry.

As long as the cavalry can buy this little time for the infantry, the formation will become solid.

"Well, there are caltrops on the artillery carts, which can be thrown outside the formation, and wooden stakes can be used to reinforce the iron chains."

Ma Gui had also read the "Strategy" written by Qi Jiguang, but they also knew that it was necessary to strengthen the defense when encountering a tough opponent.

When the Mongols launched a group charge and quickly approached the Ming army's formation, they did not rush forward in a swarm of people. They would simply form a team before charging.

This period of time would give the Ming army a chance to catch their breath and strengthen the entire defensive line.

"In fact, it all depends on diligent training. Qi Yuanjing concentrated the limited military pay on these soldiers, so they will naturally work hard during training." Ma Fang understood why the new soldiers were not given more military pay so that they could be sent out to fight as they did in Liaodong.

In fact, it was not that he was unwilling to give more, but that the money allocated from above was so little that even if he spent it all, it would not be enough to pay his subordinates.

Qi Jiguang calculated the economics by withholding part of the military pay of the soldiers defending the city and giving it to the soldiers in the camp so that they could become the main force in the battle.

As long as the battle is won, there will be generous rewards.

I lost the fight, and it’s all over.

As for why Qi Jiguang could offer 80% of the salary while Ma Fang could only give 50%, there was nothing he could do about it.

Although Xuanfu and Liaodong both belonged to the frontier army, the Ministry of War paid them the same salary.

But in Xuanfu, the silver that the Ministry of War took out of the capital had already been lost once, and then it had to pass through the hands of officials such as the Governor-General of Xuanda, the Governor-General, and the Military Preparations Commissioner, so naturally only half of it was left.

This was only because Ma Fang had connections in the capital, so people were a little less ruthless for his sake.

Liaodong is a border town with a Liaodong governor above it and a military governor below it. It is even more lawless there and officials would not leave the city easily because anything could happen in the wild.

With fewer constraints and border generals watching closely, the officials there did not dare to act rashly, at least they had to save face.

Another reason is that there were frequent wars in Liaodong before, so there were many vacancies in the army.

This vacancy actually gave Qi Jiguang more room to maneuver.

In fact, there are also some in Xuanfu, but there are many garrisons in Xuanfu, so it is easy to replenish the troops. It is not like in Liaodong, because of the harsh cold climate and slow population growth, it is difficult to replenish the troops.

With the roar of guns and artillery in the chariot array, the exercise was drawing to a close.

In fact, Ma Fang and Ma Gui were looking at the reaction speed of the infantry battalion and the chariot battalion. After so much training, they only cared about the results of the exercise.

Ma Fang looked up at the sky. In two months, winter would come in Xuanfu.

If you want to go out of the border at that time, you will face many difficulties.

Ma Fang was defending his territory and liked to take the initiative, so he would march around the grassland with his strong men.

Such military deterrence is more effective than anything else.

At the very least, even if the Mongols had any ideas after observing them from afar, they would take the initiative to go somewhere else.

"The third battalion is almost done with training. I plan to take them out to the grassland for a walk at the end of the month."

Ma Fang turned and said to Ma Gui on the side.

"Sir, there is no need for you to work hard. I will take the people there."

In his early years, Ma Fang was also stationed in Datong, where he was asked to coordinate in the middle, to protect Xuanfu as well as Yansui and other towns.

Another characteristic of Ma Fang's leading his troops out of the grassland was that the time from decision to action would not exceed half a month, which was definitely an example of speed being of the essence in military operations.

Ma Fang didn't want to lead thousands of people across the border to show off his military power, only to fall into the Mongolian trap.

Therefore, the time and route of attack are uncertain, leaving no chance for an ambush.

"You should have guessed that the Ministry of War had transferred you here."

Ma Fang looked at Ma Gui and said with a smile, "I don't have much time left in the border town. This year I will see how you perform. If you perform well, I will recommend you to take over the position of the general commander of Xuanfu directly."

"Thank you for your cultivation, sir."

Ma Gui is not a flatterer, and he prefers to be straightforward when leading troops.

Most of the border town generals admired Ma Fang. After all, there were not many Ming army generals who dared to confront Altan Khan's army head-on in those years. The most important thing was that he was still alive and had a successful career.

"When the time comes, you will come with me. You will be in charge and I will just watch."

Ma Fang continued.

Ma Gui knew that Ma Fang was testing him to see if he could take over his job.

Ma Gui had no doubt at all about Ma Fang's recommendation.

Ma Fang has the support of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Cabinet in the capital, and his relationship with the Ministry of War is also very strong. Everyone in the border town knows this.

Ma Fang relied on his courage and fighting spirit to rise from a small soldier to a guerrilla fighter. After he became a deputy general guarding a route, he received many special treatments from the capital.

Food, military pay, and replenishment of military equipment and horses are definitely the most and the best, so as not to make others jealous.

The reason he dared to lead his troops into battle was because the logistics were adequately guaranteed.

Unlike other people, he has to calculate the allocation of money and food to defend a city.

It is somewhat exaggerated to think that the Ming army was corrupt from top to bottom.

There was not much money and food in the first place, and he had to ensure the protection of his own soldiers and guards. He also had so many guards and military forts under his command, so naturally he could only calculate the allocation and make it the premise of meeting basic survival needs. The border troops were living in poverty.

If they don't keep the money and food in their hands, when their lives really have to be risked, what can they do to boost morale?

Do you really think that you can save the country with just empty talk? You have to pay real money to get the soldiers to die for you.

Therefore, the military generals of the Ming Dynasty had to bear the stigma of drinking the blood of soldiers and also have their money and food withheld.

Of course, there are some who are greedy for money, but there are actually not many of them.

Otherwise, why would the garrison generals and lieutenant generals have to do their best to show off to the court, and why would their soldiers be willing to fight for them?

If you think about those mutinies, you will understand the reason because most of them were secretly instructed by lieutenant generals or generals.

"Keep this a secret. You prepare food and fodder in secret, and report to the Governor-General's Office when we set out."

Ma Fang lowered his voice and said to Ma Gui, "Although the north is already the territory of King Shunyi, we still have to be extra careful in what we do.

If he was really so submissive, why would the imperial court still station a large army in the border town? "

"That's what my lord said."

Ma Gui naturally knew this. It would be a good thing if Altan Khan did not come to attack, but the imperial court was still on guard.

"Let's go down and take a look at this batch of weapons."

Ma Fang took Ma Gui down the city wall and quickly arrived at the chariot formation on horseback.

Both of them were familiar with firearms, so what they looked at most was the condition of the firearms on the gun carriage, and they asked about the number of training firings and maintenance details.

Firearms are quite delicate and expensive, and their use, wear and tear, and maintenance are things that military generals need to pay close attention to.

"Huaiyi, I heard that Liaodong also built chariots specifically for transporting supplies?"

Ma Fang asked about the general who was leading the way.

"Yes, sir. There are now two camps of baggage camps in Liaodong and one camp in Jizhen. They were all trained in Jizhen in the early years."

The general then introduced the differences between baggage carts and artillery carts in great detail. (End of this chapter)