New Shun 1730

The truth of reality is cruel.

Most people have heroic spirit, and they still live bravely after knowing the cruel truth.

Du Feng is no exception.

Although he is young and grew up in a place not as big as the circle of honorary officials in the capital, he still understands this truth.

After carefully considering Liu Yu's words, he sighed and smiled bitterly: "What you said is very true. It's nothing more than a gamble, and it doesn't matter if you lose the gamble. As you said, I have a foundation to learn those things, and it shouldn't be difficult. But... now I only have the merit of seizing the cannon, I really don't know if the merit can make up for the fault."

Liu Yu smiled and dismissed the others, leaving the two of them.

"That's the second thing I want to say. If we don't make some achievements after coming out, it would be a shame for us to have come such a long way."

"Now this achievement is neither big nor small. It's enough for me, but not enough for you. I just don't know if you two have the courage to do another big one with me?"

Jiao Laobutu knew that Liu Yu didn't want to go back like this. After hearing what he said, he asked: "Are you going to take down the castle of the Rakshasa?"

"Yes."

"What's there to be afraid of? But you need to think long-term. If you mess up the big thing, not only will you not make any achievements, but you will also make mistakes. If the Rakshasa people find out in advance that we intend to start a war..."

"Don't worry about it. I have my own plan."

After the two finished talking, they turned to look at Du Feng together.

Du Feng suddenly realized.

When he first met Liu Yu, Liu Yu said: I'm not your father, why should I help you regardless of the consequences?

Thinking about it again at this time, he felt that what he said was very right.

Anyone could have taken the cannon from the Rakshasa people that day, so why did Lord Liu give the credit to me?

Now that I think about it, the reason why I have this face is because my father is the commander of the Handoriwei City.

This is the real reason... Du Feng thought, I am afraid that Lord Liu had been thinking about it when we first met.

What is the meaning of using merit to atone for sin? It is obvious that he is holding me as a hostage, using my fault of robbing the caravan as a price, and asking my father to use his current official position or even his life to gamble with him.

Since we have to take down the castle of the Rakshasa people, this number of people is definitely not enough.

The palace soldiers of the Handoriwei must be mobilized, but Liu Yu is not qualified to mobilize them, and no one will listen if he mobilizes them. Only his father's words can be used.

In an instant, Du Feng's previous beautiful fantasy about the world collapsed.

Although it was not good before, at least there were still a few stars in the dark sky.

It seems that Liu Yu, who was born into a noble family, could endure hardships, knew a little bit about everything, and did not look down on the lower-level soldiers, was still like a shining star in the dark night.

Now, that shining star was also covered with a layer of black cloth. It was so dark that Du Feng could not bear to look directly at it.

Seeing that both of them were staring at him, he smiled bitterly for a long time and said, "I am willing to do it. I believe my father is willing to do it for me."

When Liu Yu heard Du Feng mention "father", it was obvious that this kid was very "smart", so he comforted him, "Don't worry. I always make plans before doing things. The dukes of my family for several generations dared to gamble on this, what are you afraid of?"

Du Feng said nothing more, and was very tactful not to ask Liu Yu what to do specifically.

In the next few days, Liu Yu sorted out the maps he drew, and after carefully comparing those snatched from Bai Ling, he re-drew several copies.

Including the investigation report along the Heilongjiang River this time, the dissatisfaction of various tribes with Luosha, and the hope of tribute in exchange for protection, he wrote a second memorial together.

This memorial had many more words than the last one, and it contained seven or eight maps.

This was related to the post-war negotiations between the Duke of Qi and the Russians, so he did not dare to delay. He sent three people back first to deliver the memorial along the post station, and he led his people to slowly move forward behind.

…………

When the second memorial was sent, Emperor Li Gan was not in the capital.

The imperial carriage had already left Shanhaiguan and was about to reach Tieling.

It was announced to the outside world that it was not to fight, but to accept the pilgrimage of the Mongolian tribes. Accompanying the emperor were the prince of the Borjigin family who was confined in the capital, some meritorious officials and generals in the capital, and the emperor's personal guards.

In fact, this was a personal expedition.

For the emperor, how to fight the battle on the front line and how to arrange the troops were not what he should consider.

He was not as confident as the Zhao Song family, who ordered the battle map to be followed by the front line.

What he had to consider was what to do after the battle.

What if we lose?

What if we win?

With all these considerations, this time the imperial expedition has a different flavor.

Li Gan agrees with the analogy Liu Yu made in front of Duke Qi: the war in the northeast is like two strong men holding feathers and tickling each other.

The outcome of this battle is not a big problem.

Li Gan did not think he would fail. After all, he had people build post stations, maintain roads, and build ships a few years ago.

This time, the Beijing camp artillery, the elite soldiers of the old fifth camp, the palace soldiers and light cavalry of the Songhua River, and the elite sword and shield soldiers of the Fujian Navy were mobilized.

The Luosha people are at most three to five thousand people.

If this is still unsuccessful, it is not a matter of negotiating the border with Luosha, but considering moving the capital and running away...

What Li Gan has to consider is what to do after winning?

This victory is not just a simple war in the northeast, but a series of wars in the northeast and northwest.

That is, the entire northern border war.

The war in the entire northern Xinjiang was one: the rise of Junggar led to the worries of Khalkha Mongols, the eastward expansion of Tsarist Russia led Khalkha to consider surrendering to Russia or surrendering to the Mongols, and Dashun had to defeat Tsarist Russia to prove to the Mongols that it was the real thigh, and then it could go west to help Khalkha Mongols destroy the traitor Junggar who violated the "Khalkha-Wala Code", which was to suppress the rebellion.

When the emperor reached this age, there was no fantasy of elixir of life, let alone a dynasty that would last forever.

All Li Gan thought about was his name in the history books in the future.

There were too many things to do and too many things to consider.

After the battles between Northeast Rakshasa and Northwest Junggar, at least three or five marquises, seven or eight earls, and a dozen viscounts had to be prepared... This was still the least.

After all, meritorious service should be rewarded, and this endless war could not be reluctant to confer titles.

Considering the title, Li Gan had to plan ahead.

The original balance between the old nobles and civil officials will be completely broken by this battle.

Another new force that can break the balance will emerge, that is, a bunch of new noble titles that will be newly conferred in this battle.

Most of these new titles are definitely not the children of the old nobles.

Rather, they are young people who have gradually emerged in the northwest and southwest in recent years.

The emperor can distinguish between nobles, military generals, new nobles, and old nobles.

Take the Ming Dynasty as an example. Qi Jiguang started as a fourth-rank commander, hereditary.

But in the eyes of the emperor, that is not called noble.

After the Tumu Fortress of the previous dynasty, Shi Heng, Jiao Li, Shi Ju and other frontier generals were truly conferred titles. After completing the most difficult step from hereditary military generals to noble officials, these military generals can be called noble officials, that is, new nobles.

How to deal with the balance in the court at that time; how to choose the person in charge of the army between the new and old nobles; how to use the old nobles, new nobles, and civil officials to play against each other, this is the problem that Li Gan has to consider.

There are too many experiences from the previous dynasties, and there are many examples of learning from history in the previous dynasties.

Li Gan has read too much and roughly tasted some truths.

The old nobles share the same fate with the country, and there is basically no problem with loyalty. They will not be idle and rebel. Once they rebel, they will not use others, and the cost of rebellion is too high.

The old nobles may have problems when they are appointed as the crown prince, which often involves the next generation's team. If there are too strong ones, they will be eliminated at that time.

However, the old nobles started as honor guards, and they were sent out as generals. They have never been trained at the grassroots level.

Relying on them to fight a war is likely to result in a Tumu Fort.

Relying on them to train the Beijing camp is even more ridiculous.

After all, the difference between people is not big, it is just a matter of probability.

The number and ability of talents who are born in a closed circle are ultimately not as good as those selected from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and even more so than thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge.

The new nobles do not die with the country, but they need to complete a transformation from frontier generals to nobles - not just in terms of official rank, but in terms of thinking style, the art of compromise with the imperial power, and the familiarity of the next generation starting to serve as guards beside the emperor.

It is unlikely that the new nobles will be granted the title of duke. If there is a loophole in the succession of the throne, why don't these nobles who have been granted the title of earl and viscount try their best and make new contributions?

Unlike the old nobles, these new nobles are really good at fighting, otherwise they would not stand out.

Sending them to Beijing will certainly break the balance, but it can indeed train the Beijing camp.

This is a difficult choice.

The Beijing camp is to suppress the local areas, and it needs to be very strong.

But if the Beijing camp is controlled by the new nobles, the emperor will not be at ease, and the stronger it is, the more at ease it is.

The emperor is at ease with the old nobles, but the old nobles can train the Beijing camp into a joke, and they can't suppress the frontier generals.

The old nobles have been guards since childhood and have grown up with the emperor. At least there is a close relationship, which is also easy to control and manipulate. After a long time, they can roughly know each other's temperament.

The new meritorious officials are purely based on military exploits. They are very distant from the emperor and have high prestige in the army.

I am afraid that if there is such a thought, it is not about rebellion, but the prince's side is a big problem.

At that time, it is inevitable to follow the old path of mutual checks and balances among civil officials, eunuchs, and military generals.

However, the lessons of the previous dynasty told Li Gan that this path is not feasible, and he will be beaten to shit in the later stage.

And relying solely on civil officials to control the army and control the military with civil officials... not to mention the opposition of the old nobles, the combat effectiveness of the army and other issues.

At that time, it is difficult to control a single civil official, which is far less controllable than the emperor playing offshore balance.

After overall consideration, Li Gan focused on training a few from the younger generation of old meritorious officials.

Whether it is a mule or a horse, take it out for a walk, hoping that there will be a few capable fighters among these young generations.

It is more reassuring to rely on the old nobles to preside over the Beijing Camp, as combat effectiveness ranks behind loyalty and the throne.

It is best for those new nobles not to get involved in the affairs of the capital, and wait for a hundred years until the new nobles become old nobles, and then gradually enter the capital.

Otherwise, if the new nobles enter the capital, the emperor will definitely choose civil officials and eunuchs to share power, otherwise he will be restless, and the lessons of the previous dynasty made Li Gan not want to do so.

But there are also problems for the younger generation of these old nobles to go out for experience.

The old nobles have been in charge of the Beijing Camp for a long time. Let alone prestige in the army, at least their connections are tangled.

After the younger generation has gained experience, if there are really a few talents, they will have a higher prestige due to their family's previous relationship, and I am afraid that they will be too big to be removed.

After thinking about it, Li Gan felt that if he wanted the nobles to take charge of the army, there must be at least two conditions.

First, there must be capable fighters among the old nobles, not all of them are useless.

The system of primogeniture ensures that the nobles cannot raise poisons. They either hope that a capable fighter will emerge from the eldest son, or they can only select a few from the second sons of the nobles to train. But this training can only be done by the emperor, not by the nobles themselves - the favor is from the emperor, not from your father, your father is a bad father who does not give you the title.

Second... As an emperor, you must have enough prestige in the army so that you, the emperor, are no longer an empty symbol.

Only in this way can you rest assured that the capable sons of the old nobles will be in charge of the Beijing camp, and the new nobles will be in charge of the border army outside to check and balance. Use the powerful Beijing camp to suppress the border generals, and use the border generals to threaten the old nobles in the Beijing camp.

This does not require sending civil officials to share power and eunuchs to monitor.

Relying on the emperor's prestige is enough.

For example, Zhu Yuanzhang, who fought and killed those meritorious officials and generals, killed them at will. Do you need civil officials to check and balance and eunuchs to share power?

For example, Zhu Di personally led five expeditions. Rheumatism paralyzed his limbs, and he even needed Renzong to pass on his message to him when he went to court, but he still led the expeditions in person. This was to maintain the emperor's prestige in the army and suppress those who had outstanding military achievements.

Later, Xuanzong also had to send troops to fight and patrol the border many times.

It was not the so-called inheritance of the ancestral system, but because this was what the emperor had to do under the system of meritorious officials in charge of the army. Otherwise, he would simply give up the military power and let the civil officials lead the army, and let the meritorious officials become rich. If the meritorious officials were retained and the military power was still there, the emperor had to lead the expeditions in person. Even if new blood was constantly injected to maintain the combat effectiveness of the Beijing camp for the new nobles, the emperor could still suppress it.

Until the Tumu Fort was built, the emperor's personal expedition became absurd, and no one in the court would allow it.

After that, the emperor no longer had prestige in the army; the old nobles proved to be a bunch of rubbish; the new nobles had traitors like Shi Heng; so it was natural to use civil officials and eunuchs to control the army - someone had to manage the army, let the rubbish manage it? Or let the border generals who had a history of treason? Or let the eunuchs and civil officials - the emperor's mind was always clear, and he was not fooled by anyone.

Li Gan didn't want to go through the same old path again, and Wala was no longer the Wala it used to be, and Tumubao shouldn't be.

Since this was a battle that mobilized the elite of the whole country, and it was a battle in which two strong men tickled each other with goose feathers, then it was a good choice for the emperor to lead the army in person.

The prestige after this battle can be maintained by going on another expedition in the northwest war in the near future.

Otherwise, once the northwest war is over, a lot of arrogant soldiers and brave generals will be awarded some marquises, earls, and viscounts. But the emperor is just an empty symbol, and if he has no prestige in the army... then wait for chaos.

In addition, there is also the idea of ​​using the military to subdue Mongolia and let Mongolia choose to surrender after seeing this battle. It is also very good to go to the front line and the grasslands in the upper reaches of the Heilongjiang River in person.

Even if there is no war, since he is the emperor, as long as he goes on the battlefield for a few rounds, it will be prestige.

I originally thought that as soon as the war started, I would directly let the leaders of various Mongolian tribes come to the front to pay homage, watch the battle, and intimidate them with military power, so that they dare not rebel, and kill the Rakshasas to warn Mongolia.

However, after receiving the detailed memorial from Liu Yu before, Li Gan hesitated... If the attack on a bastion really resulted in heavy casualties and the battle was really as Liu Yu predicted, it would be better not to ask the Mongolian nobles to watch the battle, otherwise it might be counterproductive.