prosperous age

"Investigate what kind of cannons they are and where they came from, as soon as possible."

Qi Jiguang was somewhat surprised that the Japanese daimyo could produce more than two hundred cannons.

It should be noted that the Imperial Guards had previously stated that Japan had very few cannons.

Now that Japan has actually assembled ten artillery units, how could Qi Jiguang not take it seriously?

Upon receiving the intelligence, Qi Jiguang immediately reported it to Wang Xijue while simultaneously ordering the Embroidered Uniform Guard to quickly ascertain the details of the Japanese pirates' artillery.

Japan is unlikely to be able to manufacture or mass-produce artillery on its own. Knowing the source would allow us to cut off the supply at its source.

Japan could produce its own iron cannons and cannons. Qi Jiguang had actually seen these things in person before, as they were all captured by the Ming army during the war.

Although the arquebus was slightly more powerful than the matchlock gun, its range was its disadvantage.

Therefore, when engaging in firefights with the Japanese arquebusiers, the Ming arquebusiers could easily defeat them as long as they maintained their distance.

Qi Jiguang had already issued this order to the commanders of each battalion, instructing them to maintain distance from the Japanese army during battles and to use the range advantage of muskets and cannons to defeat the enemy.

As for the large-caliber cannon, before technological breakthroughs were made, that is, before this type of large-caliber individual firearm evolved into a grenade launcher, its power was actually very limited. After Qi Jiguang tested it a few times, he stopped paying attention to it.

The large cannon can be considered a last resort for Japan between arquebuses and cannons. Since they couldn't build large cannons, they could only build the small cannons that they could manufacture.

Just as the envoy sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to make contact left the tent, someone else came in to report: "General, the reinforcements from Jizhou have arrived at Aomori Port. One infantry battalion has already disembarked, and the rest of the troops are waiting to disembark in turn."

"Understood. Pass down the order to give them two days to rest. Further military orders will follow."

Qi Jiguang nodded. The Jizhou garrison had sent more than 17,000 men this time, which could be considered a strong army.

The key point is that this force is not organized as a garrison, but rather consists of battalion soldiers of about three thousand men, organized according to his infantry and cavalry battalion structure, which makes it very easy to use.

He wasn't worried about how much the withdrawal of 20,000 troops from Jizhou would affect the defense of Jizhou. He had served as the commander-in-chief of Jizhou and had trained tens of thousands of new recruits during his tenure.

Although 20,000 men were taken to Liaodong afterward, the remaining tens of thousands of men, along with the personnel drawn from the garrison troops in the past two years, restored the Jizhou garrison to its original state.

With nearly 20,000 people transferred away this time, there are still 50,000 left. If used properly, Jizhou can be kept safe.

Qi Jiguang was unaware of the current situation in the border town, as tensions had risen again due to the Mongol tribes fleeing south to escape disaster.

It is well known that the Ming Dynasty implemented the garrison system, but in fact, the garrison system had already undergone many changes during the Yongle period.

During the Yongle reign, in order to strengthen control over local areas and border defenses, Emperor Chengzu of Ming began to dispatch military officials as generals to garrison local areas.

During the Xuande and Zhengtong reigns, the system of garrison commanders was gradually extended from border and coastal defense areas to the interior and capital regions.

Therefore, "in all the important places in the world, officials were appointed to command troops to guard them. Those who were in charge of a region were called garrison commanders; those who guarded a route were called commanders; those who guarded a fort or city alone were called garrison commanders; and those who guarded a city together with the general were called assistant commanders. There were also titles such as admiral, supervisor, inspector, guard, leader, and anti-Japanese.

From the Longqing era to the early Wanli era, garrison troops were generally established in all provinces and border areas across the country.

The garrison troops in various towns were mainly drawn from the guard posts, but a considerable number of soldiers were also recruited.

The garrison troops were organized in battalions as their basic unit. Their organization was called a military camp, and the soldiers were called camp soldiers.

There was no uniform regulation regarding the number of soldiers in military camps in different regions and towns.

From the corps commander to the battalion commander, the troops under their command could form independent battalions, with varying numbers and sizes, unlike the uniformity of the garrison troops.

Regardless of the organizational structure, the Ministry of War generally assigned around 3,000 men to each battalion.

The new recruits trained by Qi Jiguang were also basically organized according to this number.

For example, the infantry battalion of the Ming army's new recruits now has a total of about 2700 soldiers.

Among them, there were 1080 arquebusiers, accounting for 40% of the total battalion strength. Including rocket launchers, about 50% of the soldiers in the battalion used firearms.

Qi Jiguang's cavalry battalion had the same organizational structure as the infantry battalion, with a total of 2700 officers and soldiers.

Among them, there were 432 musketeers and 432 quick-draw gunners. Each battalion was equipped with 60 tiger-squat cannons and 180 gunners, totaling 1044 gunners, accounting for 38.7% of the total battalion strength. Including rocket operators, the soldiers in the cavalry battalion who used firearms also accounted for about 50% of the total strength.

In addition, there were wagon battalions and supply battalions. The wagon battalion had more than 3,000 soldiers, while the others generally did not exceed that number.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, believed that an army of 5600 men per battalion was the optimal size for combat troops.

However, with the widespread use of firearms, the Ming Dynasty has reduced the number of its combat troops to 3000, but it is still able to maintain a strong fighting force.

Qi Jiguang began to adjust the deployment, preparing to send the six newly arrived battalions of soldiers out to join the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had infiltrated Kyoto, Japan, were trying to obtain the latest Japanese war plans, especially their expected start time.

Although the cannons have been assembled by the Japanese daimyo, it will take time to transport them to Kansai. Therefore, using this gap to gather intelligence on Japan has become the top priority for the Embroidered Uniform Guard recently.

In a private residence in Kyoto, a short man was reporting on the rest he had just learned about.

According to Ito Keize, his master, Shibata Katsuie, had said that the attack on China would need to be postponed for more than a month, and that the artillery transport for the Hojo and Uesugi clans was too far away and might take a month and a half.

However, it seems that Hideyoshi Hashiba believes he can first assemble a force of over a hundred cannons to engage our army, and then wait for reinforcements to arrive.

Behind the desk sat an elderly man in his fifties. Although he was still quite energetic, he could not hide the signs of old age.

After the man finished speaking, he asked after a long while, "So you mean the war will start around February or March?"
"Won't the other daimyo object to this delay?"

"I'm not sure about that, but according to information gathered from various sources, Japan still has enough food to support its more than 400,000 troops for half a year."

The man replied.

"It's amazing that it lasted this long."

The old man muttered something to himself, then asked, "Have you found out where those cannons came from?"

"They were all purchased privately from foreign merchants. Usually, a deal could be made for one or two cannons, but the foreign merchants were greedy and would ask for prices of over a hundred gold coins, and they would also insist on very strict quantities."

Based on our assessment, it's highly likely that they were secretly bought from Portuguese merchants, with a small quantity also originating from Spanish merchants.

In fact, although the Governor-General of Goa explicitly prohibited the sale of cannons between Portuguese merchants and Japan, the merchants, driven by profit, were still willing to secretly sell cannons to Japan when there was a huge premium.

As for how to explain the disappearance of the artillery, that naturally involves the trench scope.

Haojing can cast cannons. By secretly ordering from there, one can dispose of old cannons from ships to the Japanese and then replenish them from Haojing.

Exchanging old cannons for new ones can generate a huge profit, and it's hard for merchants to resist their greed.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had initially suspected this, questioning the location of Hao Jing's artillery factory.

Now, it's simply a matter of aiming in that direction more clearly.

"This matter must be reported to the imperial court, so that Xiangshan County must intervene in the production of the Haojing artillery factory and supervise the flow of artillery."

The old man said, "The Portuguese, they can only get cannons from the trenches."

Considering that dozens of Japanese ships arrive every year, it must have been quite an achievement for Japan to have secretly amassed over two hundred cannons in the past few decades.

"Go down and continue gathering information, preferably in greater detail."

The old man said something.

After everyone left, the old man summoned a clerk, who wanted to send a message to the capital.

"Send a message to the capital in secret: the Portuguese may be reselling anti-tank cannons to Japan. Have Xiangshan County stop them as soon as possible." "Yes, Commander."

The registrar bowed and quickly left the room.

Meanwhile, in the cabinet in the capital, Wei Guangde was reviewing memorials submitted by local authorities when Lu Bu suddenly rushed in and whispered to Wei Guangde, "Master, we just received news from the Ministry of Rites that Grand Secretary Zhang's father has passed away."

"Oh, is the information accurate?"

Wei Guangde immediately put down the memorial in his hand and looked at Lu Bu to ask.

"The Ministry of Rites received an urgent report from Pingyang Prefecture and took it as fact."

Just as he finished speaking, Zhang Siwei's clerk on duty also rushed over to request an audience.

As soon as the man entered, the clerk hurriedly reported that Grand Secretary Zhang had received a letter from his home and that he had come to ask for leave on Grand Secretary Zhang's behalf.

"Understood. Go down and divide the memorials in the duty room into two parts, one for me and one for Grand Secretary Shen."

Wei Guangde waved to dismiss the people on duty in Zhang Siwei's room, then sighed and said, "The cabinet definitely needs to fill vacancies now, otherwise this job can't be done."

"Master, should I go and invite Elder Shen over to discuss this matter?"

Lu Bu asked in a low voice.

Now that Zhang Siwei has returned to his hometown to observe mourning for his parents, the cabinet is essentially a one-man show run by Wei Guangde and Shen Shixing.

Given Shen Shixing's attitude toward Wei Guangde during this period, it is clear that the appointment of cabinet ministers is actually based on Wei Guangde's attitude. Whoever he favors can be appointed to the cabinet.

Lu Bu was thinking that Wei Guangde would arrange for all his confidants to be brought in, so that the master's position as chief minister would be more secure.

However, Wei Guangde didn't see it that way. If he really brought his confidants into the cabinet, his position as Grand Secretary would begin to shaky.

Although the Wanli Emperor was young, he was not stupid. He should have been very clear about how to maintain the stability of imperial power.

"Hehe, you can go now. The matter of appointing new cabinet ministers is not something a lowly clerk like you can interfere with."

Wei Guangde smiled and waved for him to leave.

At this point, the memorials had lost their appeal, and Wei Guangde had no interest in reading them. The images of those people began to reappear in his mind.

Yu Youding has been working hard to get into the cabinet for a long time, and he will definitely be on the recommended list.

Yu Youding was from Zhejiang. Like Shen Shixing, he was the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination in the forty-first year of the Jiajing reign. Zhang Juzheng had recommended him before he left, saying that he could serve as a cabinet minister.

It should be said that he was a very shrewd and sophisticated person. He had a good relationship with Zhang Juzheng and Shen Shixing, and recently he had also been leaning towards Wei Guangde.

Wei Guangde was certain that if such a person were on the recommendation list, Emperor Wanli would certainly accept him.

At least, when Shen Shi was acting as the second assistant, Yu Youding's involvement could, to some extent, reduce his own power.

Xu Guo, from Shexian County, Huizhou Prefecture, was also a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of that year. His official career was smooth and steady, and he was clearly aiming for promotion to the Grand Secretariat.

Because there were many wealthy merchants in Huizhou Prefecture, they provided him with considerable assistance in his official career in the capital.

His career path, from Hanlin Compiler, Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, shows that his hometown clan played a significant role in his career.

Previously, some people had contacted the Wei family and recommended him.

However, Wei Guangde remained noncommittal at the time and did not express any opinion.

This time, it seems appropriate to include them on the list and see what Emperor Wanli would choose.

After all, although Xu Guo did not participate in attacking Zhang Juzheng during the incident of seizing the opportunity to mourn, he saw off Wu Zhongxing and Zhao Yongxian, who impeached Zhang Juzheng, afterward, thus placing himself on the opposite side of Zhang Juzheng.

At the time, Zhang Juzheng wanted to get rid of him and send him to a local post, but Wei Guangde stopped him and allowed him to continue serving as an official in the capital.

That's why Xu Guo was close to him before, after all, he had done him a favor.

If Emperor Wanli chose him, it would mean that he still harbored resentment towards Zhang Juzheng and might continue to retaliate.

Two of the three spots were already filled, leaving only one. After much deliberation, Wei Guangde finally decided to add Wang Jiaping to the list.

Yes, although it was discussed within the cabinet, Wei Guangde was basically able to finalize the list.

He believed that as long as Yu Youding's name was mentioned, Shen Shixing would not object.

As for why it was Wang Jiaping, that involves maintaining a balance.

Wang Jiaping was considered his student. He became a Jinshi in the second year of the Longqing reign. That imperial examination was the first time Wei Guangde had participated in it, and Wang Jiaping was the one he selected.

In officialdom, Wang Jiaping navigated between him and Zhang Siwei.

On one side was his mentor, and on the other was his fellow townsman. He was from Shanxi, so naturally he didn't offend either side, showing a remarkable ability to navigate social situations skillfully.

If Wei Guangde had no intention of using him before, after getting rid of Zhang Siwei, Wei Guangde didn't mind giving him a chance.

If Wang Jiaping's name appears on the list of recommended candidates, Zhang Siwei might also lend a hand, and perhaps Emperor Wanli would agree to it to maintain balance.

These three candidates seem to have nothing to do with Wei Guangde, and may even pose a certain threat to him, yet they are somehow related to him.

So in the afternoon, when Shen Shixing came over, the two first agreed to go to Zhang's residence together to pay their respects, and then inevitably talked about the matter of the cabinet sending people.

"Yes, I was also thinking about it today. It's time to fill vacancies in the cabinet, otherwise the pressure on you and me will be too great."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"Does Your Excellency have someone you fancy?"

Shen Shixing asked.

"Hehe, the entire court is full of pillars of the state."

Wei Guangde joked.

These words were spoken by the Wanli Emperor, meaning that he was very satisfied with the diligence of his court officials.

However, when these words were circulated, the officials only smiled privately.

"Hehe, Your Excellency, you can't possibly bring the entire court into the cabinet."

Shen Shixing replied with a smile.

"Okay, enough joking."

Wei Guangde smiled and shook his head, then said seriously, "I intend to send Yu Youding, Xu Guo and Wang Jiaping up. Does Ru Mo have any objections?"

Wei Guangde, once he started speaking, filled the list of nominees, making Shen Shixing's smile somewhat awkward.

But he quickly regained his composure and smiled, saying, "The Grand Secretary is right, Ru Mo has no objection."

"Then we will submit this matter to the emperor tomorrow, and then convene a cabinet meeting to discuss the selection of a candidate."

Wei Guangde smiled. (End of Chapter)