The Prosperous Era of Longwan

As if he thought of something, Chen Ju suddenly said to Wei Guangde: "If the emperor asks you whether to go to the Ministry of War, you'd better not agree."

Chen Ju said this out of concern, and Wei Guangde smiled when he heard this.

He would definitely not go to the Ministry of War unless the emperor really forced him to go. After all, once he entered there, his hope of joining the cabinet would be slim.

He believed that Emperor Longqing would not be like this. Although the Minister of War was an important minister in the imperial court, the ultimate goal of a scholar was always to join the cabinet.

The carriage quickly arrived outside the imperial city. Once here, the Wei family's carriage could not get in.

Wei Guangde and Chen Ju had no choice but to get out of the car, get on the carriage in the palace, and then continue walking inside.

Chen Ju took Wei Guangde to Qianqing Palace. Wei Guangde was waiting in front of the palace gate, while Chen Ju went in to repeat the order.

Soon, Chen Ju came out and took Wei Guangde directly in.

In a palace, Wei Guangde met Emperor Longqing.

At this time, the emperor's skin was a little dull, his eyelids were drooped, he looked very lethargic, and he looked exhausted both physically and mentally.

"His Majesty."

After Wei Guangde stepped forward to salute, Emperor Longqing just raised his hand to let him get up.

"You know what happened in Shanxi. Tell me, what should I do to increase the combat effectiveness of the border troops? To prevent similar incidents from happening again?"

Emperor Longqing didn't hide anything from Wei Guangde and asked directly.

Sure enough.

Wei Guangde thought to himself, then lowered his head to think.

To strengthen the combat power of the Ming army is difficult to say, but it is also simple to say simple.

In fact, as long as there is only one way to solve it, the military problem can be completely solved.

That is to give money, enough money to the soldiers, and full pay. The soldiers will work hard and their combat effectiveness will increase.

But even if the imperial court can allocate all the money and wages, the soldiers may not be able to get it, and they will only gain some weight.

Well, Wei Guangde can pat his chest and "whisper" and say that he has never received military pay, but he dare not say that he has not spent it.

Where did you get the money to study?

Where did you get the money to take the exam?

And where did the money come from in the early days of his career?

It's not just because his father more or less deducted some military pay. After all, his family is actually not clean. If this matter comes to the forefront, he will also suffer.

It's just that my house has never been so dark, and I have to make sure that my subordinates can have a bite of food and not go hungry.

Unlike some generals who don't care about the life and death of their soldiers at all.

This is also the reason why the hundred households in Bengshan Castle can still have some combat power.

Therefore, you can't talk about the money directly. The impact will be too great if you talk about it. If you don't make trouble, you will be kicked out of the team.

"What? You don't want to tell me the truth?"

After Wei Guangde was silent for a while, Emperor Longqing asked impatiently.

"Your Majesty, I don't dare."

To deceive the emperor is to deceive the emperor. This crime cannot be admitted, but the emperor must answer what he says. How should I say it?

"Your Majesty, after thinking about it for a while, this matter should be related to the lack of training of the soldiers."

Immediately, Wei Guangde explained the current situation of the border troops. He had inspected Jizhen a few years ago and knew that the Ming Dynasty's army lacked training. It would be good to have a big drill once a month.

Many of the soldiers in the guards were just given some clothes and weapons when they entered the camp. Sometimes they even didn't have these things, because the Ming army had given the soldiers a piece of silver to prepare armaments very early, and asked them to prepare them themselves.

It is a hereditary military household, so many people join the guard with the armor and weapons used by their fathers.

As for whether the money has been seen or not, who knows?

The chief will only say that he has already given it, but who dares to say that he has not seen it?

In fact, the money must be there, but I don’t know how many layers it has been floated down, so it is definitely not enough.

In front of the emperor, Wei Guangde could only explain the lack of combat effectiveness of the soldiers by using the lack of training.

"Insufficient training? Now that you know the reason, do you have a solution?"

Emperor Longqing asked again.

When he was in Prince Yu's Mansion, when he encountered trouble, he would either ask Gao Gong or Wei Guangde. He had developed a habit.

But no matter what, Wei Guangde's qualifications are a problem. He has been promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and he will have to wait for further promotion.

In fact, in just two months, there was only one Chen Yiqin in the cabinet, which already made him feel constrained in speaking and doing things.

Xu Jie, he couldn't believe it anymore, and he even vaguely planned to get this person down in his heart.

It's just that he can't do it this year, when he ascends the throne for the first time and needs veterans to maintain stability in the government.

Otherwise, while he and Gao Gong were fighting, he should have approved Xu Jie's resignation.

The solution, of course, is to train the soldiers hard.

However, Wei Guangde knew that the way Emperor Longqing asked him was not to ask the Ministry of War to supervise the towns. That thing was no different from the paper for wiping your butt.

"Choose your general."

Wei Guangde was not helpless, and immediately said: "It is safest to choose a general who is good at training soldiers in the military formation to be responsible for this matter."

"Then tease Yu Dayou to come back?"

When Emperor Longqing heard what Wei Guangde said, he suddenly thought of a person.

"Yu Dayou?"

Wei Guangde was stunned. Yu Dayou must be able to train soldiers, but training the proud soldiers of the border town is an offending job.

"Your Majesty, General Yu is still working to exterminate the Japanese pirates Zeng Benben in Guangdong. If he is transferred at this time, I am worried that I will miss the mark."

Wei Guangde didn't want Yu Dayou to go north, so he said.

There are many advantages to keeping Yu Dayou in the south. First, he can understand the situation in the south through letters with Yu Dayou. Secondly, he feels that when Fujian opens the sea, the imperial court needs to form a strong naval fleet in the south to protect it.

There were not many generals in the Ming Dynasty who knew how to fight with water, and Yu Dayou was one of them.

Who are the generals who are famous for their role in suppressing Japanese invaders in the south?

Yu Dayou, Qi Jiguang, Tang Kekuan and others, but only Yu Dayou has the ability to command the navy.

If he is transferred to the north, who will the navy be handed over to?

"Can't Yu Dayou?"

Emperor Longqing stared at Wei Guangde and asked suspiciously.

Seeing the emperor's expression, Wei Guangde had no choice but to express his thoughts.

Knowing that it was because of the navy, Emperor Longqing's expression improved.

"Then who do you think is suitable?"

Since Yu Dayou is not good enough, let him recommend someone else. There are so many military generals in the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible to find one.

Since Yu Dayou couldn't do it, Wei Guangde naturally thought of Qi Jiguang. He seemed to have been the commander-in-chief of Jizhen. Maybe he was originally assigned to this position.

Thinking of this, Wei Guangde immediately reported Qi Jiguang's name.

"Fujian Chief Military Officer? Qi Jiguang? How is his military training?"

Emperor Longqing knew about this man and he also knew that he had made great contributions to suppressing the Japanese. However, in the past, his eyes were focused on Yu Dayou and he didn't pay much attention to other people.

"Similar to Yu Dayou, he has great merits, but he is good at land battles but not good at water battles."

Wei Guangde replied, "It's just right for him to be transferred to the north."

Therefore, Wei Guangde told everything about Qi Jiguang recruiting soldiers in Zhejiang and training the Qi family army.

“It’s not appropriate”

Unexpectedly, Emperor Longqing frowned and said after hearing Qi Jiguang's history.

Wei Guangde was a little surprised. He never expected that Emperor Longqing would give an "inappropriate" evaluation after hearing Qi Jiguang's glorious history.

"Your Majesty, why can't Qi Jiguang be transferred to Beijing to be responsible for the training of the Ming army in the north?"

"Didn't you just say that? He is very good at training troops, but he is very picky about the sources of troops."

Emperor Longqing replied: "The Ming army in the north is a hereditary military household with a small number of recruits. What if he can't train it?"

Is it possible to recruit all the border troops from Zhejiang?

And you also said that the Zhejiang soldiers trained by Qi Jiguang were very well paid, and the court could not afford them. "

Emperor Longqing's answer left Wei Guangde speechless for a moment.

He only knew that Qi Jiguang had led soldiers from the guard station to suppress Japanese pirates, but the results were very poor. Later, he chose to recruit troops in Yiwu, Zhejiang, and then trained them according to his own methods. The trained soldiers were very good at fighting Japanese pirates.

According to Emperor Longqing's wishes, it was really possible that Qi Jiguang would not be able to train soldiers from the North. Otherwise, he would not have to specifically recruit soldiers from Zhejiang, and would just select them directly from the guards.

Wei Guangde was not very clear about the reason. He only heard that the soldiers he recruited from Yiwu were obedient. As long as they were given enough money, they could train however they wanted, with very few complaints.

The same is true on the battlefield, because the soldiers come from the same place, most of them are familiar with each other, and they have a high degree of trust in each other, so even if they attack the strong with a weak force, they can maintain their position without chaos.

Although Emperor Longqing seemed to have asked a very good question, Wei Guangde remembered that Qi Jiguang was stationed in Ji Town, and then no Tatars came to invade for a long time, allowing the Ming army to stabilize the entire border town.

By the way, there seems to be another person named Li Chengliang. I know him because it is said that Houjin Nurhaci once worshiped him. Although he was eventually backlashed, it was only after Li Chengliang became old and frail.

When Li Chengliang was in his prime, he seemed to have severely suppressed the surrounding Mongols and Jurchens in Liaodong.

Now, let's put Li Chengliang's affairs aside and think about how to choose generals and who to send to train the Northern Ming Army.

Wei Guangde lowered his head and thought for a long time. Based on the newspapers he had read and the news he had heard, he really could not find a more suitable candidate than Qi Jiguang.

Otherwise, we can only let Ma Fang return to Beijing and take on the responsibility of training troops?

Ma Fang is also very good at training troops. Otherwise, the Xuanfu army would not be so powerful. Last year, there were more than 10,000 people chasing and killing tens of thousands of Tatars.

Thinking of Ma Fang, Wei Guangde could only shake his head in his heart.

Ma Fang is not a person willing to give up his power.

Previously, Governor Xuanda wanted to divide his troops, but he directly rejected him and asked him to come back to train troops and lay down his soldiers, fearing that it would cause his dissatisfaction.

Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you. Wei Guangde knows this very well.

Even if Ma Fang really gives up his position as the chief military officer of the Xuanfu, he will still be resentful towards him, especially knowing that he was the one who brought it up.

Real soldiers prefer to lead troops outside rather than hang out in the capital and wait to die.

"Your Majesty, I think that although there are many generals in the Ming Dynasty, except for Qi Jiguang, I am afraid that there is no one else who can train troops. The main reason is that he is the only one who has nothing to do for the time being. The current Japanese pirates have been forced by Yu Dayou. Went to Guangdong."

Wei Guangde reminded.

Qi Jiguang is famous and now serves as the chief military officer of Fujian, but it seems that there has been no Japanese rebellion in Fujian for some time.

"Moreover, the Qi family army he trained is said to be very powerful. It would be better to transfer some of them to the capital to guard the capital as a squadron, and the rest to stay in Zhejiang and Fujian to guard against Japanese pirates."

Wei Guangde continued.

"But I'm worried that he won't be able to practice it."

Emperor Longqing still had this worry, but Wei Guangde did not resolve his concerns.

"Try it, and if it doesn't work, consider replacing it."

Wei Guangde had no choice but to say.

Emperor Longqing thought for a while and then asked: "What position will I be assigned when I am transferred to the capital?"

After searching his memory, Wei Guangde quickly replied: "It can be arranged in the Shenji Camp of the Beijing Camp first. As far as I know, his father was once a staff general of the Shenji Camp. Letting him take charge of the Shenji Camp can also be regarded as inheriting his father's legacy.

Look at the results of his training. If it is good, you can consider a new official position. "

Emperor Longqing did not continue to dwell on this issue. In Wei Guangde's eyes, he just nodded slightly, and then the topic turned to him.

"Previously, you submitted a petition to transfer a few people out, but the cabinet objected. When the petition was handed over to me, I also supported the cabinet's wishes."

Hearing Emperor Longqing talk about this matter, Wei Guangde was suspicious in his heart, but his face remained calm without any change.

"Your considerations are right. Zhengfu told me that there is no rush."

"I am very careful in handling affairs and ruined His Majesty's important affairs. I am guilty of this."

Wei Guangde had no choice but to bow.

"You are not guilty of any crime."

Emperor Longqing did say directly, "Some people go too far. I like your approach very much."

Wei Guangde did not answer, but bowed more respectfully.

"As for what I just said, you go down and think about it again. If you are sure that Qi Jiguang is suitable, let Yifu give me a message."

"I understand."

Wei Guangde replied, but there is a high probability that it will not change. Only Qi Jiguang is suitable for this position. He will talk to Chen Yiqin about it later.

Wei Guangde made up his mind and heard Emperor Longqing say again: "Also, in a few days, I plan to exchange the positions of you and Zhengfu. At that time, the matters in your hands will be handed over to Zhengfu. He goes on to do it."

When Wei Guangde left the Qianqing Palace, he was in a happy mood. The last words Emperor Longqing said to him actually meant that he would be allowed to join the cabinet.

The transfer from the Ministry of Personnel to the Ministry of Rites seems to have weakened the authority, but the benefits are self-evident.

With the qualifications of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel, Wei Guangde's door to the cabinet is close at hand, and he only has one step left.

Obviously, because of Gao Gong's departure, Emperor Longqing became more dependent on them, the old people of Yuzhuan. Currently, there is only Chen Yiqin in the cabinet, and it is difficult for him to speak on his behalf in the cabinet. He urgently needs to increase his voice in the cabinet.

Of course, Wei Guangde roughly guessed the purpose of doing this, which was also to prepare for the expulsion of Xu Jie.

Although he was not very successful in secretly attacking Xu Jie's disciples in the official department, his approach was approved by the emperor. The purpose of replacing Yin Shizhen may be to temporarily hide Xu Jie through this method.

After all, he has already taken action, and Xu Jie will definitely pay more attention to him in the future, and it will be difficult to think of any big moves.

As for letting him hand over the matters in hand to Yin Shizhen, naturally he would continue the relevant preparations, circle people one by one, and then directly hand over the list to Yin Shizhen and let him take action.

He happily left the palace and returned to the Ministry of Personnel, and asked Lu Bu to go to the Ministry of War to copy Qi Jiguang's resume and battle report. Wei Guangde wanted to study this person carefully, at least he would have something to say when he was asked next time.