Ming Dynasty: Summoning game players at the beginning

Chapter 203 Your Majesty’s Opinion
He allowed Yang Sichang to mobilize an army of 100,000 to encircle and suppress the Qihuo bandits, thinking that he could accomplish the task in one battle, or perhaps inflict severe damage on the bandits, forcing them to be trapped in several cities, and finally completely wipe out the bandits by the end of the year.

Even if the bandits roamed in other provinces, Zhu Youjian could accept it.

After all, the bandits only run away because they cannot be defeated. If they cannot be defeated, it means that the government army still has the advantage in combat power, and it is only a matter of time before the bandits are wiped out.

But they didn't expect that the bandits had already learned the news as soon as the four troops moved.

The government troops in the west and south were defeated one after another?!
Although Zhu Youjian did not understand military affairs, he knew that each army had tens of thousands of fierce soldiers.

Even if tens of thousands of pigs were released from the pigsty, it would take the enemy army a few days to hold them captive. How could both armies be defeated within ten days?

Did the traitor leak the military intelligence of the officers and soldiers, or did they take over both armies?
In the past, if the suppression of bandits failed, Zhu Youjian would just curse the civil and military officials for their incompetence - he was used to receiving negative news about wars and defeats every year.

But now the Black Flag Battalion suddenly appeared, like a star descending from the sky. The victory in suppressing bandits and pacifying the enemy gradually raised Zhu Youjian's psychological expectations.

For Zhu Youjian, an ordinary defeat was no longer tolerable.

What's more, among the four armies fighting the bandits, two suffered crushing defeats and one was slow to react. Only the Black Flag Battalion achieved an extremely brilliant victory, and it recaptured three cities in a row within just a few dozen days.

When the report was sent, the main force of the Black Flag Camp had already surrounded Xinyang.

If the elite troops of the Black Flag Camp were still there, it would not be impossible to sweep across southern Henan, cross the Huai River and recapture Runing.

Unfortunately……

"Lord Li, how loyal you are to your country! Even with your arrow wound still not healed, you still led your troops to recover the lost territory. While doing so, you also sent a detachment to rescue Nanyang!
Those were 2,100 brave Black Banner soldiers, newly trained by Li Aiqing with great effort. They didn't die in Liaodong, didn't die in the southwest, didn't die in the anti-bandit war, but because of incompetence, they refused to open the city gates and were completely wiped out by the bandits' night attack!

Two thousand one hundred loyal men who served their country were all gone just like that! I wonder how many families in southern Henan are in mourning!

The bandits captured the Black Flag reinforcements' commander alive and tortured and humiliated him in front of the Nanyang defenders. That commander preferred death to surrender, even claiming the Ming dynasty would last for thousands of years and that the Ming dynasty would endure for generations! Every time I think of this, I feel like a thousand arrows piercing my heart!

Zhu Youjian suddenly roared loudly, "Where is Song Yihe, the man who killed the Black Flag reinforcements?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Song Yihe has arrived in Luoyang. Commander Yang Shien and Commander-in-Chief Yang Sichang are both missing." Minister of War Fu Zonglong replied respectfully.

Zhu Youjian immediately ordered his trusted eunuch to lead the imperial guards to capture Song Yihe and exterminate his entire clan!
"No, Your Majesty!"

The Left Censor-in-Chief gave advice and advised that it was only right to punish severely the defeated, but excessive punishment would be disheartening. Who could guarantee that they would not make the same mistakes in the future?
Beheading for defeat is a horrifying punishment and makes people tread cautiously on thin ice. If beheading is upgraded to extermination of three generations of the clan, how can the local governors dare to work wholeheartedly? Instead of doing their utmost to protect themselves, what good will it do to the country?
However, Zhu Youjian completely ignored him and denounced Song Yihe for killing the Black Flag reinforcements, saying that he was a traitor who had brought disaster to the country!

Two thousand one hundred families are waiting for him to "seek justice". How can he relieve the hatred in the hearts of the soldiers' families if he doesn't wipe out Song Yihe's three clans!
"Anyone who dares to plead for this incompetent insect will be punished by me!"

Zhu Youjian was breathing heavily and rapidly, his chest heaving violently as if a heat wave was churning in it. His hands were clenched tightly into fists, and his face was visibly flushed, like a cooked crab.

A sharp-eyed official nearby saw this and hurriedly advised: "Your Majesty, please take care of your health!" Other officials and accompanying eunuchs also echoed him.

"It doesn't matter!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, picked up the teacup and took a big sip, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled the turbid air in his body.

He suspected that if he had not been in his twenties or thirties and in the prime of his life, he would have been angered to death by these mediocre ministers.

After venting, the terrible state and military affairs still need to be dealt with. As the king of a country, it is always his mission to preserve the foundation laid by his ancestors.

"The rebel army has occupied the Central Plains and is difficult to control. Our strategy of encircling and suppressing them from all sides has failed. Most of the governors and governors have died in the battle. Your Majesty, please instruct us on who should take over the position of commander-in-chief to suppress the rebels." The Minister of War said.

"I think Lu Xiangsheng can take over..."

"No!" another person objected. "Lu Xiangsheng is currently pursuing the Western bandits and the Chuang bandits in the southwest. He's too busy to handle them. How can he possibly wipe out the bandits in other places?"

The Minister of War took the opportunity to suggest that Shaanxi Governor Ding Qirui be transferred to take over the command of the army. This person was previously recommended and promoted by Yang Sichang and had made many military achievements.

Seeing that this person was knowledgeable about military affairs and was a talent recommended by his "confidant", Zhu Youjian immediately approved him.

In addition, Lu Xiangsheng was removed from his post as Governor-General of the Three Borders and appointed as Governor-General of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, to concentrate on hunting down the western bandits.

The vacant position of Governor-General of the Three Borders was appointed to Zheng Chongjian, who had once served as the governor of Ningxia.

The posts of governors in Henan and Huguang must also be filled quickly so that a second wave of troops can be organized as soon as possible to encircle and suppress the beggars. This time, we must learn the lesson of "defeating them one by one" and gather heavy troops to advance together.

Alas, Zhu Youjian lamented in his heart that the bandits inside the pass had to be suppressed, but the vicious enemies outside the pass had not been eliminated yet.

As of now, 30% of the training salary levied this year has been received, and the plan to recruit and strengthen training in the nine border areas has just begun.

According to reports from military garrisons in various places and Hong Chengchou, it would take at least one or two years to go out and actively fight against the Eastern Tartars. It would be best to train elite infantry and cavalry for two years in peace, so that it would be safe.

However, Zhu Youjian was too impatient to wait. Furthermore, the Black Flag Battalion was bringing him more and more "surprises." He was only willing to give Hong Chengchou another year, no, nine months.

Zhu Youjian demanded that Hong Chengchou bring him good news within nine months, even if it was only to recover a small amount of territory east of Jinzhou.

Zhu Youjian wondered with deep sorrow why all the governors and governors-general he had appointed were good-for-nothings. Even the best loyal ministers and righteous men would be wasted by them.

"They all have the same brains and arms, and they all eat the money and food I give them, so why is it that the Black Flag Battalion always wins for me, while the other government troops always lose, lose, lose?"

The officials remained silent, pretending to flip through the documents, but in fact they were waiting for the emperor's next sentence.

Zhu Youjian said that since these civil and military officials were all good-for-nothings, it would be better to reopen the Grand Marshal's Office and appoint General Li as the Grand Marshal, in charge of all military forces at home and abroad, and pour a large amount of money and food resources into General Li's hands.

The Liaodong Town wastes more than four million taels of military pay every year. Even if we take half of it, we can give General Li two million taels of silver to train 50,000 elite Black Flag soldiers a year.

After the elite troops were trained, they were mixed with tens of thousands of "shrimp soldiers and crab generals" and within half a year they defeated the Qihuo bandits, and after another year and a half they defeated the Eastern Tartars.

By then, the world will be at peace and the three taxes will be exempted. So what would be the harm in promising General Li the title of Marquis or even Duke?

Zhu Youjian's idea of ​​"breaking the jar" was immediately rejected by everyone.

They knelt before His Majesty and exhorted, "Absolutely not! Your Majesty!"

The post of Grand Marshal was abolished at the beginning of Taizu's founding of the country. Reopening the Grand Marshal's Office at this time would violate the ancestral system.

Moreover, the authority to command all military forces at home and abroad is a must for a usurper.

Even if General Li has no intention of usurping the throne, what if his subordinates taste the "sweetness" of holding power and are reluctant to give up the authority of the Grand Commander, and insist on giving General Li the yellow robe?
The Black Flag Battalion is now famous throughout the world. If General Li trains 50,000 elite soldiers, who can stop them if the Black Flag Battalion rebels?

Moreover, the Imperial Censor and the Imperial Guards have recently heard rumors about the Black Flag Camp.

Everyone said that the Black Flag Battalion was the savior of the world, and that General Li was given a mandate from heaven, so he should take a high position to rectify the country, wipe out the bandits, pacify the Eastern Tartars, and finally replace the decaying Ming Dynasty and change the dynasty.

This rumor has spread fast and wide in recent months.

Even though the officials and the emperor knew that someone was maliciously slandering the Black Flag Camp's reputation and trying to alienate the relationship between the emperor and his subjects, they couldn't help but feel suspicious after hearing it so many times.

Even Zhu Youjian, who believed in Li Mu deeply, could not help but become suspicious.

He felt that the loyal and righteous General Li would not rebel, but he did not know whether the arrogant and brave generals under his command would have evil thoughts.

Even if it is to protect the safety of General Li, his power cannot be allowed to expand again, otherwise the balance between the monarch and his subjects will be unbalanced, and there will be endless troubles.

"I understand. Since the Grand Commander-in-Chief is unavailable, I will promote General Li to the rank of Left Commander-in-Chief of the Central Military Commandery, give him the seal of the General Suppressing Bandits, and oversee military affairs in Henan, Huguang, and Jiangbei..."

General Li was originally a second-rank military officer, and now he has been promoted to the first-rank left general, and is also holding the seal of the general who suppresses bandits. Although his authority is not as great as that of the general, he has absolute authority in his jurisdiction.

Any general who holds a seal is also called a "military general". He can command the mobilization of all civil and military officials, troops and civilians within his jurisdiction. He can suspend officials below the fifth rank at will and impeach officials below the third rank at will. Although he cannot execute first and report later, he has power beyond that of most military officers and even some civil officials.

The important official was slightly stunned. It turned out that this was the true intention of His Majesty.

He used the issue of the Grand Commander to distract everyone's attention, and then made a less exaggerated proposal to make a "concession", making it difficult for the ministers to refute it.

This is what the house-demolishing effect is.

So the ministers had to make some adjustments and said that since General Li’s authority was to be increased, his military power would also be reduced.

It would be better to transfer several thousand elite Black Flag soldiers to Shanhaiguan in the north, so that they can serve as the vanguard in defeating the Eastern Tartars in the future.

"Well, that's a good idea. However, Lord Li has recently captured several cities and lost two thousand elite soldiers. It will take time to train the troops hastily. Give him three months."

Three months later, the elite Black Banner troops were dispatched north to reinforce Liaoxi. This would not only strengthen the border troops, but also dispel the recent rumors about Li Aiqing.

Li Aiqing is loyal to the country, but these rumors are intended to drive a wedge between the monarch and his subjects. I will not be fooled! The Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Guard will conduct a strict investigation. Anyone who dares to spread rumors will not be spared!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

……

While the emperor and his ministers were making the decision, Li Mu, who was besieging Xinyang, sneezed, feeling that someone had just said something bad about him.

(End of this chapter)