Seiwa

Chapter 118 The Emperor's Northern Tour 3

boom!boom!boom!

Several loud bangs in succession blasted the morning fog in Peking.

On the outskirts of Beiping, the Jinwu Guard, the Banner Guard, and the Habayashi Guard set up guards of honor, and the Jin Yiwei guarded them with swords.

The court officials accompanying the Son of Heaven on his northern tour looked calm, but their ears were buzzing, and their eyes were fixed on the place where the black smoke and dust rose. It fell and hit the ground hard.

The smell of gunpowder could be smelled in the air, and everything seemed to be played back in slow motion, and the shock in everyone's hearts was beyond words.

The civil servants and generals under Emperor Yong Le are no strangers to firearms, even if they have not seen them with their own eyes, they know how powerful firearms can be.

The scene in front of them overturned all their previous cognition.

It is so powerful that it can break wood and crack rocks, how can flesh and blood resist it?

Before the gunpowder smoke completely dissipated, several personal guards of the Son of Heaven had galloped to the explosion site and recovered the wooden figure that had been blown into several sections.

The broken parts of the wood were scorched black, and irregular pieces of iron, sand and stone were embedded.There was also a pungent smell of gunpowder.

The broken wood was in Zhu Di's hands, and the only people who could get close to it were Zhu Neng, Duke of Cheng, Shen Xuan, Marquis of Dingyuan, and a few others.The rest of the generals, including Zhang Fu, could only stretch their necks and take one more glance.

While watching, there was a lot of discussion.

"Is this Huo Lei?"

"It's so powerful."

"The Ordnance Bureau also has supervision, which is far less than this."

"God bless Daming to get this divine weapon."

Military generals are concerned about the power of firearms, civil servants never leave Tianyou with three sentences, and auspiciousness with five sentences.Although the perspective is different, the positive evaluation and affirmation of the Ming Dynasty version of the grenade are the same.

Zhu Di called Zhu Gaoxu to the front, looked at the second son who was more stable than before leaving Nanjing, patted Zhu Gaoxu on the back, and smiled very heartily.

"My son is very good."

Zhu Di is the son of heaven, the emperor on horseback who kills without batting an eyelid, and also a father.

Zhu Gaoxu's offer of fire and thunder made him face in front of civil servants and generals. As the king of a country, he was happy, and as Zhu Gaoxu's father, he was even happier.

The son is promising, which father will be unhappy?

Look, this is my son, who mounts his horse to fight, leads troops to raid the formations, a first-class titan.Dismounting to train soldiers, making firearms, still unambiguous!

Squinting at the courtiers, are you envious?

Envy is useless, and envy is even more useless!

It should be understandable for a father who is proud of his son to occasionally have a brain twitch.

"My father, this is not the work of my son and minister alone."

Zhu Gaoxu is dressed in the uniform of the king of the big red county, and riding on a bay red horse, he looks even more handsome and handsome, with unparalleled arrogance.Even the civil servants who supported Zhu Gaochi had to admit that in terms of appearance, Zhu Gaochi was indeed inferior to Zhu Gaoxu, even if the crown prince reduced his breadth.

The selection of officials by the imperial court depends on their looks, and only handsome and unrestrained people can be ranked in the temple. This is the rule set by Emperor Hongwu.

Emperor Yong Le prefers a tough appearance, like his own son, which seems to be reasonable...

"Oh?" Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaoxu and motioned him to continue.

"My father, Huolei was originally made by the craftsmen of the Daning Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau. My son heard about it from the third brother's letter and ordered the Kaiping Wei Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau to try it out. It was found that the power is indeed stronger than that made by the Military Weapons Bureau. Order the patrol border You can carry it with your army, and you can still get away calmly when you encounter Tartar rangers several times your own. You can also alert the bunker defenders with the sound of explosions, and the smoke is a warning."

Zhu Gaoxu has a serious expression, and he is meticulous when talking about border defense work.Zhu Di listened very carefully, and occasionally asked a few questions, but he could always ask the key points. If Zhu Gaoxu hadn't put his heart into it, he might have been caught on the spot.

After several times of coping, Zhu Di became more and more satisfied, and Zhu Gaoxu secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

Ever since he was ordered to prepare for the border, he has made up his mind to make a show of doing everything by himself, and now it finally pays off.

From February onwards, the bunkers of the guards, the lookout piers, and the enemy towers on the city walls were all reinforced one by one.

The frontier army's food and salaries, weapons, and military shoes with looped jackets are even urged every few days.

Jiang Pingbo, Chen Xuan, who was ordered to transport food and salaries by boat, and the former military governor, Qian Shixuanxin, were urged to be the first and the second.

It's not that they deliberately delayed, it was related to the frontier defense of the northern border, and even if they were too brave, they would not dare to tamper with the food and salaries of the frontier troops in Liaodong and Kaipingwei.In fact, the risk of sea transportation is quite high. If you don’t go to sea in the right month, the risk is too high. In case of big waves, the entire ship’s food and salary will sink to the bottom of the sea, and the soldiers will feed the fish.

Without waiting for the food and salaries shipped by sea, the military and commercial villages had limited harvests, and the local people still lived on the government's food relief. The food was really not enough, so Zhu Gaoxu had to find another way.

Gather the generals and brainstorm ideas. The soldiers are used to being simple and rough. If they want to fill their stomachs, there are only two most effective ways, hunting and robbing the Tartars.

There are countless prey on the grassland, killing them all will destroy the ecological balance, and it is more in the interests of the frontier army to rob the Tartars.

The Tartars are allowed to go to their own borders to thresh grain and grass, but they are not allowed to go to the grasslands to tie up cattle and sheep?

It doesn't make sense.

Reciprocity is the only way to achieve sustainable development.

This idea was instilled in Zhu Gaoxu by Zhu Gaosui through letters.

The original words come from the mouth of Xingning Bo Meng Qinghe.After Zhu Gaosui heard it, he thought it made sense, and Zhu Gaoxu saw it, and he also thought it was true.

Putting aside the psychological burden, all kinds of foreshadowing and preparations are done, what are you waiting for?Just one word, grab.

Do a good job of camouflage, bring a long knife, and step on the horse.

If you can grab it, you can grab it, if you can't grab it, you will run, and you will fight on the move.

It is said that Zhu Gaosui learned about this from Uncle Xingning, and Zhu Gaoxu once again took it seriously.

Before Chen Xuan’s boat division went north, the Tatar tribes on the grassland, especially those who often went to the border guards to thresh grain and grass, became lambs in the eyes of the frontier soldiers. Living standards plummeted.

In contrast, the living standards of the Kaiping Frontier Army are soaring along with their combat effectiveness, and when it comes to Tatars, everyone's eyes shine.

The robbery was carried out in secret, not only the court didn't know about it, but the three guards of Duoyan who were beside him also didn't know anything about it.

In the early Ming Dynasty, it was common practice for frontier troops to go deep into the grasslands to patrol. Who would have thought that the guerrilla generals of the Ming Dynasty, representing justice, would put on leather robes over their looped jackets, buckle their leather hats, and pretend to be foreigners to carry out the criminal activity of robbery?

All because of Meng's slip of the tongue several times.

Can or by chance?Only God knows.

After many times of training, the robbery skills of the Kaiping Frontier Army have reached the peak. Even without the help of Tatar leaders such as Timur and others, they are still very sure that they can deceive the three guards of Duoyan. To Guilichi's head.

Guilichi can't do it, and Mahamu doesn't?

Such behavior is definitely not in line with the external image of the Ming Dynasty. The county king who took the lead in robbing his neighbors will be scolded bloody by the officials. Zhu Gaoxu will not tell his father in front of outsiders, but can only report in private.

After Emperor Yong Le praised his son, he sighed, why didn't I think of such a plan at the beginning?

It can be seen that with neighbors and bosses like Zhu Di, Tatar and Wuliangha really shine brightly, which is an extraordinary reminder.

After Zhu Gaoxu reported the work to Zhu Di, Zhu Neng and other generals also circulated the broken wood, and began to study the ignited fire mine again.

A hollow iron ball the size of a fist, filled with gunpowder, and equipped with a fuze, can be so powerful, it is really amazing.

Meng Qinghe hadn't been called by the emperor for the time being, so he simply acted as a commentator for everyone present.

Zhu Neng and Xu Zengshou proposed whether the shape of Huo Lei could be changed to make it easier to carry and throw, while Zhang Fu extended the possibility of transforming the solid iron ball of artillery into flowering bombs.

"If such a fireball is shot by a mighty general, its power will be unmatched."

Hearing Zhang Fu's words, Meng Qinghe couldn't help clicking his tongue.Looking at Zhu Neng and the others frowning first, then suddenly realizing, and then eager to try, Meng Qinghe scratched his head unconsciously.

Could it be that following Emperor Yongle's northern tour, the appearance of the Shenji Battalion will also be brought forward?

With the national strength and technological development level of the Ming Dynasty, it is not impossible to organize a "modern" thermal weapon force.

After all, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty would not order to replace the firecrackers in the army with bows and arrows, but to do it quietly, "don't let it happen".There is only half a spoonful of people who can do such a brainless thing.

Looking at the momentum of discussion by Zhu Neng, Zhang Fu and others, Meng Qinghe would like to remind that with the inspiration of Huolei, it shouldn't be too difficult to make flowering bombs.What should be concerned at the moment is the artillery attack.

Without a stable barrel, no matter how sharp the shell is, it is useless.

In order to make up for the immaturity of the iron-making process, and to enhance the stability of the artillery, most of the artillery in the early Ming Dynasty were short and fat, and all of them were simple, thick and strong.Even the tiger crouching cannon made by the underground arsenal organized by Dao Yan is not as good as Qi Jiguang's era in terms of craftsmanship.

In order to increase the power of firearms, it is necessary to first strengthen the stability of artillery and firecrackers.In this way, improving ironmaking work and strengthening forging technology is the top priority.

Thinking of this, Meng Qinghe scratched his head again.

He is not from an engineering background, and most of the inventory in his mind comes from non-academic channels, and many of them are still very unreliable.It's like knowing the general direction of history, but not being able to pinpoint the main events at each stage.

Therefore, in order to realize the technological revolution of firearms, more professional talents are needed.

There must be many skilled craftsmen in the military battle bureau, military weapons bureau, and miscellaneous manufacturing bureaus in various places.It is said that Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Industry has a lot of research on the process of smelting, maybe you can ask for advice?

Shaking his head, it's not appropriate for him to come forward.In the previous verbal battle, he almost offended the civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty. If he dared to post a post to the officials of the six ministries, he would definitely end up in the face.

His gaze turned to Zhu Gaoxu who was reporting to Emperor Yongle, and then glanced at Zhu Gaosui who had been summoned.

These two can give it a try.

Speaking of the most suitable candidate, it was actually Zhu Gaochi.Among Emperor Yongle's three sons, he had the strongest relationship with civil servants.

Meng Qinghe frowned. Judging from the current situation, asking him for help was not a good idea.

"Uncle Xingning, the emperor has summoned you."

Zheng He came over and interrupted Meng Qinghe's thoughts.

Concentrate his mind, he really likes to think about it, he has not drawn the horoscope, and he is thinking about where to draw it.

However, since he has made up his mind to take Zheng He's voyage to the West, and if possible, he will go to America for a walk, and it is imperative to strengthen the artillery power of the fleet.

Who knows what will be encountered on the way to the ocean?

Plan ahead and consider the worst. Not to mention being fully prepared, it is always possible to take care of most of the details.

If you can land on the American continent first, maybe history will change accordingly.

During the Little Ice Age, will the cultural retrogression after the splendid civilization still appear?

Meng Qinghe didn't know.But he is willing to work hard for it.

History sent him to this era, from a small shrimp struggling to growing pincers, without waving a few times, it is really unreasonable.If you can't pinch people, it's good to pinch the air a few times and listen to a few sounds.

Following Zheng He to Emperor Yongle, Meng Qing and Natou bowed.

"I pay respects to Your Majesty."

"stand up."

Zhu Di was in a good mood, with a smile in his eyes, and his face was flushed.

"I've heard from Gao Xu that Uncle Xing Ning is dedicated to the country and makes great contributions again. I'm very relieved."

"Your Majesty praises me, but I don't dare to be a minister. I just did my duty, and the great credit should go to the King of Gaoyang County and the Third Prince."

Meng Qinghe is very humble and sincere.

It is said that with Zhu Gaosui's support, his work in Daning City can progress so smoothly.

Thanks to the efforts of King Gaoyang in Kaipingwei, sharp firearms really came out.

"Great merit should be the first to recommend the two princes."

Zhu Gaoxu divided the merits, Meng Qinghe declined, and proposed Zhu Gaosui by the way.

The two Zhu Gaoxu brothers were very embarrassed to be praised by Zhu Di again, and pulled Shen Xuan out again. If Marquis Dingyuan hadn’t supported the food and sent troops to support the frontier army’s activities of trapping cattle and sheep in the desert, they would not have been praised by the emperor repeatedly .

Therefore, credit must be divided, and rewards must be divided as well.

"I am very happy that you can do this."

Zhu Di was very emotional and decided to reward all four people, including the craftsmen of the Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau who participated in the transformation of firearms, and the frontier army.

"Your Majesty is wise, long live my emperor!"

If there is a reward, of course I have to thank you.

This time, together with Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui, hundreds of people were rewarded for offering firearms.

Emperor Yongle even made Zhu Gaoxu the King of Han and Zhu Gaosui the King of Zhao in advance. The fiefdoms have not yet been decided, and only the salary will be increased by a thousand shi.

The decree was delivered to the capital, and the courtiers were shocked.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui were crowned king suddenly, but the crown prince was still the crown prince. Thinking about it better, it was the emperor's intention to make him the crown prince.Thinking of the worst, the Son of Heaven has completely hated the Son of Heaven.Two younger brothers became kings, but he was left alone, what an embarrassing position.

Along with the decree to seal the king, there were rewards for Shen Xuan and Meng Qinghe.

Specially entered Shen Xuan Guanglu doctor Zhuguo, Jialu Qianshi.Posthumously, Shen Xuan's father, Shen Liang, was given the title of Duke of Anguo, and his mother was Mrs. Anguo.

Give Meng Qinghe gold and silver colored banknotes, Wenqi cloth and silk.Posthumously gifted Meng Qing and his father as earls, made his mother uncle madam, and rewarded him with jade cards and brocade clothes.

The Northern Parallel Department, the Daning Capital Division, and the Kaipingwei Commander Division each received rewards.

The military officer will be promoted, the frontier army will be rewarded with salary, and new looped jackets, summer clothes, and food notes will be issued.

The ambassador and deputy envoy of the Miscellaneous Bureau each rewarded 30 taels of silver and [-] ingots of banknotes.

Depending on the size of the craftsman's merit, there is a difference between rewarding silver, banknotes, and silk.

Taking this opportunity, Emperor Yong Le distributed the previously suppressed favor to Meng Qinghe in disguise.

The officer still hasn't been promoted, but the rewards of gold and silver, as well as the posthumous title of Meng Guangzhi, are big pies from the sky.

It is completely different for a son to have a noble and a father and a son to have a noble.

Not to mention the Meng Wang family, even Meng Qinghe's two sisters-in-law's status has been imperceptibly improved.Although she doesn't have the identity of a married woman, she won't be underestimated.Third Sister Meng and Fifth Sister Meng will also have a much smoother future.

Meng Qinghe tried his best to control his expression, but he couldn't suppress the upturned corner of his mouth.In the next few days, he had a smile on his face every day, and when he saw certain civil servants who were not easy to deal with, he also greeted them with a smile, so that the other party raised the first-level alarm, fearing that Xing Ningbo would set a trap for them again.

"Uncle Xing Ning is grateful for Mu Tianen, the heart of a child."

Zhu Di's comments on Meng Qinghe were very positive, many of which were credited to Zheng He's beating the side drums and saying good things.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui are happy for the king, and they can understand Meng Twelve Lang's mood very well.When the three of them get together, they can often have fun for a whole day, grinning from the corners of their mouths to their ears, and their white teeth gleaming.

At this time, the servants and personal guards who followed the three of them would silently turn their heads.Either look up at the sky, or look down at the ground.In short, the prince and the earl were smirking relative to each other, and they were determined not to see it.

Meng Qinghe's good mood continued.

Zhu Di summoned him to ask a question, and when he played the match, he also had a burst of inspiration, and his eloquence was sharper than ever.

When Zhu Di asked about the Tatar issue, the military general basically advocated "sending troops to discuss", while civil servants paid attention to convincing people with reason, but they were not opposed to sending troops.

Shen Xuan didn't say anything, but seemed to agree with Zhu Neng's idea of ​​sending troops.

Meng Qinghe tugged at the corner of Shen Xuan's clothes, "Master Hou, and Wala..."

"Wala?"

Shen Xuan raised his eyebrows, expressing his understanding, and then said, Your Majesty, it's not enough to just beat the Tatars, let's take care of Wala by the way.

Zhu Di deeply agreed, and Zhu Neng, Zhang Fu and others applauded loudly.

The civil servant was thinking about how to write a pen and write it down, so that justice would be on his side.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui rubbed their hands together, and the eyes of the leader of the three guards of Duoyan, who was fortunate enough to observe, shone green.

After robbing Tatar, go to rob Wala?

One word, good!

Three words, very good!

Six words, it couldn't be better!

Meng Qinghe was dumbfounded, he just wanted to remind Shen Xuan that he could suggest to the emperor, and also sent an envoy to Oala to send a seal letter with a few random sentences in it, the purpose was only to arouse the vigilance of the Tatars and confuse the water even more.

How could the result be interpreted as even Wala had to fight?

"Lord Hou, that..."

Meng Qinghe wanted to correct it, but found it was useless.Except for him, from the emperor down, including civil servants, all have blue veins in their necks, all excited about the war.

This is not normal!

It doesn't make sense that the Qingfenglangyue Hanlin Shidu is so belligerent.

A question mark appeared on his head, and his wrist was suddenly grabbed.The heat came through the sleeves, Meng Qinghe was taken aback, and quickly looked at Zhang Fu who was the closest, even though the other party didn't notice, his heartbeat still accelerated unconsciously.

The big red unicorn suit, the delicate hem, and the slender fingers clasped around his wrist.

Meng Qinghe struggled subconsciously, but his fingers were even more forceful, his head was sweating in anxiety, but Shen Xuan suddenly let him go.

Heaving a sigh of relief, under the cover of his sleeves, he pinched the place where he could hold it just now, and the base of his ears turned red.

It seems that there is still a temperature that does not belong to him.

Yang Duo, who was standing a little far away, suddenly raised his head, looked at the positions where Shen Xuan and Meng Qinghe were standing, the corners of his lips were tightly pursed, and a flash of thought flashed in his eyes.