A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 450

Seeing all parties scrambling to buy, Zhang Ruolin, Ma Shaoyu and other central officials sat still. They represent the imperial court, how can they shout like local officials?
And privately speaking, although this trip has the task of buying precision bird guns and sub-medicines from Wang Dou, Zhang Ruolin does not think that this is the main thing, and it is a big deal to do the private affairs entrusted by the soldiers.
Seeing everyone's appearance, Wang Dou laughed, and said: "Well, all of you follow me to the Fuzhong teaching ground."
There is a place for guards to practice in the general's mansion. The place is wide and there are all kinds of weapons on the shelves.
Wang Dou asked some guards to practice the blunderbuss, watching the blunderbuss smash the target dozens of steps ahead into pieces, Yang Guozhu and others showed envy and joy.Zhang Fuzhen and Zhang Ruolin were taken aback, they had heard for a long time that Uncle Zhongyong's firearms were sharp, and seeing them for the first time was indeed shocking.
With this kind of firepower, even if you encounter them wearing iron armor, you will surely die, right?
After watching the shooting of the blunderbuss, Wang Dou said to Yang Guozhu and the others with a smile, "Yang Shuai and the others, did you see anything?"
Yang Guozhu and the others didn't understand what Wang Dou meant at first, but they were all battle-tested people. They took the Jingbian army bird guns to look at, and took the fixed paper tube ammunition to watch. After a long time, Yang Guozhu sighed: "Donglu Zi medicine It is very powerful, we have some bird guns, I am afraid that the gun barrels will not be able to withstand it, and there is a fear of exploding the barrel, and..."
He looked at the blunderbuss in his hand, the size of the muzzle was almost the same. Although the blunderbuss made by his side were equally fine, the muzzles were different in size, so there must be a big problem.
In fact, everyone has seen this problem before, but they didn't pay attention to it at the time, because most of Daming's firecrackers are like this.
Only the casting of artillery will be stricter, and there are detailed standards and regulations on the caliber. However, due to the inherent concepts of stewards and craftsmen, there are still many muzzles of different sizes, which virtually increases the difficulty of supplying ammunition.
I didn't think much about it at the time, but when I compared it now, I saw the problem.
Yang Guozhu felt bitter in his heart, he had tried his best to emulate, is the gap between the two sides still so big?
After being reminded by Yang Guozhu, Wang Pu, Cao Bianjiao and others also saw the clues, and they were all dumb. Wang Tingchen touched his head and shouted: "What should I do? Could it be that there are powerful medicines, and they can't be used anymore?"
Zhang Fuzhen, the governor of Xuanda, couldn't sit still anymore, and called Yang Guozhu and others to the side to discuss.
Only Zhang Ruolin was still calm. If this problem happened, he would buy the bird gun belt and medicine together. If Wang Dou didn't have any in stock, it wouldn't be his fault.
Yang Guozhu and others discussed for a long time, Yang Guozhu came over and said: "Guoqin, can you sell us some bird guns?"
He sighed in his heart, most of the money he obtained back then, as well as the food and salaries that the court pulled out, were invested in the army, and life was already tight.He still made preparations for the purchase of the sub-medicine in many ways, but he didn't expect that the plan would fail to keep up with the changes and would exceed the budget again.
Although the town can make up for some, but it can't be too much, otherwise the other generals will inevitably say strange things.
Wang Tingchen also had a bitter face, and said to Wang Dou: "General Wang, it seems that I want to buy bird guns from you, but I have no money."
Seeing the bitter melon seed face of this bold man, everyone couldn't help laughing, and Wang Dou also shook his head and said with a smile: "Brother Wang, you and I are also close friends... How about this, I will give you two thousand blunderbusses every day. The bird gun is equipped with fifty rounds of medicine, General Xiao Cao is the same as the Wang Pu brothers. And Yang Shuai, I will give five thousand bird guns, and the same medicine."
"You don't have to take out the money for buying gunpowder guns. You can make up for it slowly in the future. I believe you. When you pay the bills, you don't have to use silver, rice, cloth, coal, iron, wood, and big stones." Anything is fine, as long as you give enough within a year."
Wang Tingchen and others were very moved by the words given to Wang Dou. Wang Tingchen's chest slapped loudly: "General Wang, I didn't say anything. If there is something to say in the future, your business is my business."
Cao Bianjiao said solemnly: "So is this."
Wang Pu said anxiously: "There is also me."
He proudly said: "Uncle Zhongyong, don't worry, the money and food for buying bird gunzi medicine will be paid within two months."
Yang Guozhu also said solemnly: "Guoqin, thank you very much."
Guo Yingxian shouted: "Haha, this is my good brother."
Seeing everyone's appearance, Wang Dou was delighted, he said: "You don't have to be like this, I will fight side by side with you when I go to Liaodong."
Seeing Wang Dou's behavior, Ji Shiwei's eyes flashed a look of relief, his son-in-law is getting better and better.
Zhang Fuzhen twitched his beard and remained silent, while Zhang Ruolin thought: "This Wang Dou will be able to attract people's hearts."
……
Sales and purchases are handled by their own staff, and it is still early for dinner, so everyone chatted in the teaching field.Wang Tingchen and the others were yelling and playing with weapons and blunderbusses. Yang Guozhu walked over and smiled at Wang Dou, "Guoqin."
Wang Dou also smiled and said, "Shuai Yang."
The identities of the two are a bit subtle at this time, but Yang Guozhu quickly changed the subject, with a worried look on his face, he said: "This time I went to Liaodong, I heard that the bandits and slaves poured out of the country, Guoqin thinks my teacher, what chance of winning?"
Wang Dou knew that the Ming army was defeated in history, but today is different.
He pondered and said: "In the past, slaves invaded the bandits, and my Chinese teachers were unstoppable. In the battle of Jinzhou, the slaves were closer to the border, and the location was convenient."
His eyes sparkled: "The strategy of the bandits and slaves is better than mine. Their strategy is to surround the spot and fight for reinforcements. We know the trap, but we have no choice but to fall into it."
Yang Guozhu nodded, with more worry on his face.
Wang Dou continued: "However, our side also has an advantage. Many new troops have been trained, and the morale is booming. As long as the soldiers work hard and keep the food and morals intact, the odds of winning are five or five."
In terms of combat power, in the Battle of Songshan, the Ming and Qing troops fought vigorously, and they were not as timid as they used to be when they did not dare to fight in the field and fled.Wang Dou's main concern is that the officers and generals who are going to the expedition are not in harmony, and the multi-party wrangling will cause harm.
All parties in the Ming army generally have different ideas, and internal conflicts are surging. For example, Xuan Dajun was at odds with Guan Ning's army.Miyun Commander Tang Tong, Ji Town Commander Bai Guangen, Shanhaiguan Commander Ma Ke and others were not easy to get along with.
There was also a conflict between the Supervisory Army and Hong Chengchou. After Zhang Ruolin supervised the army on behalf of the Ministry of War, he was domineering.
Moreover, although Hong Chengchou is humble and polite on the outside, he is actually conceited in his heart. His strategy is wrong. At that time, Ma Shaoyu and Zhang Dou reminded him, and Zhang Dou said: "Prevent him from copying me." Teacher, if you are a scholar, how would you know!" It means, I have been a supervisor for 12 years, you scholars, what do you know?
Many conflicts and discord are the drawbacks of going to the Ming army. On the other hand, the Qing army is generally of the same mind.
Wang Dou finally said: "The battle of Jinzhou will be a bloodbath, and it is more dangerous than the battle of Julu, so we need to be cautious."
Talking about the Battle of Julu, the two looked at each other, and they both felt warm.
Yang Guozhu suddenly let go, thinking why bother about Wang Dou's threat to him?He regained the calmness and boldness of a veteran who has fought a hundred battles, and laughed loudly: "The general died in a hundred battles, and the body was shrouded in horse leather, so what about the danger?"
His eyes were deep: "Back then my brothers and sons all died in battle in Liaodong. Every time I dream back, it's full of the same situation. Perhaps, I should have gone outside the customs long ago."
Wang Dou looked at Yang Guozhu, feeling sad. This general was still tall and strong, but he was more weathered. He was only in his 40s, and he looked a little old because he was worried about the military affairs.
Wang Dou knew that Yang Guozhu died in Songshan in history, although now... but Yang Guozhu said this, which gave him a bad feeling.
He said, "Shuai Yang, you..."
Yang Guozhu waved his hands and said in a low voice, "Ye Lan is lying down and listening to the wind and rain, and the iron horse and ice river are dreaming."
He patted Wang Dou on the shoulder: "Guoqin, you have to take care of my daughter."
Wang Dou asked in surprise, "Your daughter?"
It suddenly occurred to him that he was talking about Xu Yue'e. He heard that Yang Guozhu and his wife, He Shi, were very fond of her.
Just as Wang Dou was about to say something, Yang Guozhu had already walked away.
……
That night, Wang Dou entertained the group of people who came to Yongning with a banquet, and all the commanders gathered together, inevitably talking about the situation of fighting side by side in those years, from Dingzhou, Zhuozhou, to Julu and Pinggu.
In particular, Wang Tingchen drank a lot of wine. When talking about the battle of Pinggu that day, he was still dancing with excitement, slapping his legs and laughing: "...then Kong Youde still wanted to shoot at the general, but after a few rounds, his blunderbuss It just collapsed, wow ha ha ha..."
Everyone let go of their temper and drank in big bowls. Yang Guozhu let go of his knots, and he was very heroic. He would not refuse Wang Pu and Wang Tingchen's wine competition with him, and his face turned red when he drank.
Looking at the unrestrained appearance of these warriors, Zhang Fuzhen and Ji Shiwei are fine, but Zhang Ruoqi is disdainful, thinking that a warrior is just a warrior, he can't get on the stage, even Wang Dou is the same, it can't be changed without Feng Bo.
After the banquet, Yang Guozhu and others staggered away, and were sent back to the mansion by the guards to rest. Zhang Fuzhen and Zhang Ruoqi also left the officials.
Only Ji Shiwei stayed behind on the pretext that he wanted to talk to Uncle Zhongyong about the affairs of the town.
In fact, everyone knew that Wang Dou was his son-in-law, so they didn't tell the truth, they exchanged glances and left.
……
The two son-in-law and his son-in-law entered the study room. Ji Shiwei twitched his long beard and laughed: "Dou'er, I didn't expect you to be an uncle. This is something I didn't expect before. But you have achieved success and fame, so you can't treat me badly because of it." daughter."
Wang Dou said: "Father-in-law, don't worry, my son-in-law is not that kind of person."
Ji Shiwei nodded in satisfaction. Ji Shiwei was extremely dissatisfied with Wang Dou when Junjiao escaped from marriage, but now it seems that his daughter has outstanding vision.
The son-in-law chatted some gossips, and when it came to Wang Dou's soldiers' food and pay, Ji Shiwei sighed: "I originally wanted to get 5000 troops for you, including [-] cavalry, but now it seems that I can't do it."
Wang Dou nodded, although he didn't rely on the imperial court to raise soldiers, but his superiors could pull out food and grass, but they more or less supplemented his own soldiers' raising expenses.
The number of soldiers, especially the proportion of cavalry, has always been the existence of each town's generals fighting for their heads.
Take the cavalry as an example. In addition to a monthly salary of one tael or five dollars and five dou of rice, each soldier also has 24 taels of silver for horses and grass beans a year, and his armor is removed.
However, most of the infantry of the Ming army did not have armor. Except for the pistol soldiers who had cotton armor, the rest were at most given a piece of fabric waist armor or full armor, without armor leaves inside and out.Want to equip?Pay yourself.Therefore, the civil servants or eunuchs who are in charge of the inventory make a lot of money from it.
If you give yourself 6 more soldiers, even the infantry, you will have an extra [-] taels of silver in food and pay a year. This is not a small number.

(End of this chapter)