Having nothing to do on a rainy day, Zhao Zhen summoned two members of the Zhao clan, one was the ordnance officer Zhao Yannian, and the other was the baggage officer Zhao Yan.
When choosing personal guards for the emperor, Li Changli overcame all objections and sent these two Zhao clan members to catch swords outside the emperor's tent. Both His Majesty the Emperor and Zou Tong were very satisfied.
"Wufang, Ducheng, you two are both elites in our royal family. Have you ever done anything unspeakable in the Yunzheng Army?"
Zhao Zhen asked very directly. He didn't need to be secretive in front of his own people. He had his own considerations when sending the royal family's children to the Western Beijing Army.
The two men who had taken off their armor paused and said: "Reporting to the head of the family, everything is well with the army in the west of Beijing. It's just that I can't become the general who leads the army as you hope. It's really a disservice to the emperor."
Zhao Zhen was wearing a soft robe today and was leaning on the brocade couch casually. Hearing what Zhao Yannian said, he frowned and said, "But Yun Zheng doesn't allow it?"
Zhao Min smiled bitterly and said: "The reason why I got it back to the family master is not because the general refused, but because there are so many talented people in the army in the west of the capital. It is because of the incompetence of the ministers and others that I did not become the general of the unified army.
The two weak ministers had no choice but to find another way, one to study ordnance, and the other to study money and food, and this is how they achieved their current position of control.
The head of the family, Wei Chen thinks that more of the outstanding children of my royal family must join the Western Beijing Army, and given time, one of the children will definitely stand out!"
Zhao Zhen played with the wine glass in his hand and said, "I heard that whoever wants to join the Western Beijing Army must start as a pawn. Is this true?"
Zhao Yannian cupped his hands and said: "It is true. There are only two of the fifty thousand people in the Western Beijing Army who did not start as soldiers. One is a general and the other is a supervisor!
In addition, they all achieved their current position after going through hundreds of battles. Even Su Shi, a disciple of the commander-in-chief, slept in the open at Lianglangshan Mountain outside Yanmen Pass for half a year and built the Lianglangshan Fortress.
The general joins the army with him, but his rank is still that of a centurion. When meeting the two ministers, he still has to march with etiquette."
Zhao Zhen laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "They really treat everyone equally. Doesn't he have any preferential treatment for you royal family members?"
Zhao Min looked at the emperor and didn't understand why he said this. He thought for a moment and held up his hands and said: "The general has said it first. If you want preferential treatment, you can work as a casual official in the military station, whether it is the farming camp at the foot of Shuibo Liang Mountain or the Eagle's Nest."
You can go to any place close to the heart of the country or to the manufacturing plant near Dujiangyan, and you can get preferential treatment there, but in the army, there is no room for accommodation.
Wei Chen has been in the Jingxi Army for four years, and he also agrees with this military law. The selection of military generals cannot be careless, and the incompetence of one general and the death of a thousand troops cannot happen in the Jingxi Army."
Zhao Zhen looked at the dark faces of Zhao Yannian and Zhao Min and sighed: "It's really hard on you. Royal nobles could have been riding horses in Tokyo with light fur, but you have gone through hardships in the army. You are all from the Zhao family."
What a good boy.
As you know, when the death certificate of the soldiers in the Western Beijing Army was delivered to my family’s desk, the chill in my heart rose from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.
I still remember the words above: General Yun Zheng of the Western Beijing Army bows at the feet of Mr. Zhao Zhen, the head of the Zhao clan in the capital. Your nephews Zhao Yong and Zhao Han were killed in the battle of Rock Slope in Yihai in the fourth year of Jiayou. Zhao Yong
, Zhao Han's troops intercepted the Xixia defeated army and fought to the death, creating favorable conditions for the army to encircle and suppress the Han thief Zhang Zhi. When the remains were cleaned up after the war, Zhao Yong had nine wounds on his body, and Zhao Han took out eleven arrow clusters from his body.
In the chest and abdomen, there is no one who can surpass their courage. What these two people have done is a tribute to the country.
Yun Zheng only hopes that the heroic souls of the soldiers are not far away to comfort his father and elders and not to be too sad..."
Thinking of Zhao Yong and Zhao Han, Zhao Yannian and Zhao Han couldn't help but burst into tears and kowtowed: "Brother Yong was originally the most promising person in our royal family to become the commander-in-chief of the army. However, in the battle of Ranshipo, all our troops participated in the battle. On the battlefield
Flesh and blood flew everywhere, arrows flowed like a torrential rain, and the ghosts and gods were moved by the brutal fighting between the two sides.
At that time, there was not a single soldier in the Western Beijing Army who did not participate in the battle. Even the general led the cavalry to charge into the battle in person. After two days of hard fighting, Zhang Zhi's troops were completely surrounded and annihilated. The Western Beijing Army also suffered 40% losses in the battle, and almost everyone
Injured..."
There were also tears in Zhao Zhen's eyes. He patted his wife and sighed: "Why did my good son fall so easily..."
Zhao Min saw the emperor's sadness and said quickly: "The general has a famous saying: No one is safe on the battlefield, and no place is safe. Since you go to the battlefield, you must have the consciousness to die in battle. Those who are worried about being injured should not go to the battlefield.
.”
Zhao Zhen calmed down and asked, "Didn't you deliberately send them to die?"
Zhao Yannian smiled bitterly and said: "It is true that we sent them to the most dangerous place deliberately, and it was also requested by Brother Yong and the others.
According to the military, as long as they are talented, they must be sent to a furnace for training, then placed on an anvil to be tempered, and finally quenched to become a qualified general.
Even if you die, you will have your back. As long as you come out alive, you will be a qualified hero!
His Majesty told Wei Chen and others in the early years that it was necessary to forge a powerful army of the royal family. Wei Chen and others also followed your request. Over the years, six members of my royal family have died in battle.
There are still twenty-one people alive. Wei Chen dares to say that these twenty-one children are more than enough to serve as junior officers in the army. It’s just that we don’t have a backbone. There is no one in the royal family of the Song Dynasty who can truly unify the twenty-one children.
characters appear.
Therefore, I have the courage to ask the family master to send his best sons into the army. In less than ten years, our royal family's own iron army will be formed."
"Ten years?" Zhao Zhen smiled bitterly and asked Zhao Yannian and Zhao Min to retreat. He looked at the ceiling of the military tent and murmured to himself: "Ten years?"
"Far water cannot quench the near thirst..."
When Zou Tong saw the storm outside the military tent, he covered Zhao Zhen with a blanket, knelt on the floor and listened to the thunder outside with Zhao Zhen.
The sound of thunder became more and more rapid, and when a string of muffled thunder rolled over the head, Zhao Zhen whispered: "After all, we still have to use the method of raising Gu to select generals!
Zou Tong, the general has come to see me!"
Yun Zheng burst into the emperor's military tent with a wet body, and found that the emperor was looking at the violent storm outside with his hands behind his back. He stood at the foot of the steps with his fists clasped, waiting for the emperor to speak.
The army was stationed high up, so they were not worried about any flash floods. The water flowing on the cliff opposite had formed a majestic waterfall, and the water hit the boulders with a loud sound.
"Qing Yun, is there a quick way to become a general?"
Yun Zheng rolled his eyes in circles, trying to get some hints from Zou Tong, but Zou Tong was kneeling on the ground taking care of a small stove preparing to make tea, and he couldn't get any hints.
After thinking about the wording for a while, he said: "To encourage others to thrive will only damage the foundation and is not advisable!"
Zhao Zhen said expressionlessly: "I visited the Liao Emperor's Pishi Army. It is indeed an army capable of conquering and fighting, so I also want to reorganize the Royal Guards. What do you think? Don't use it to praise the Japanese army.
I’m so angry.”
Yun Zheng remembered that the emperor had just summoned Zhao Yannian and Zhao Min and understood what he meant, so he handed over his hands and said: "It would be good if the royal family could have an army that is good at fighting.
However, Your Majesty cannot compare the newly formed Imperial Guards of our dynasty with the Pishi Army of the Liao Kingdom. In the view of Wei Chen, the Pishi Army is not a strong army.
Over the past few days, Wei Chen has gradually collected some military reports about the Song Dynasty army's raid on Yahe River, and then found that these Pishi troops could not effectively protect the Liao Emperor."
Zhao Zhen smiled and said, "How do you say this?"
"A mob of more than 12,000 people was able to force the Emperor of Liao to escape in panic at the Duck River. If Queen Xiao Guanyin hadn't blocked the hidden arrow with her body, the Emperor of Liao would have defeated Bintian long ago.
The Pishi Army looks mighty but actually has no fighting power. One hundred thousand people surrounded and suppressed more than 10,000 people on the ice, but they paid more than three times the price. Although these people refused to retreat, as individuals they were qualified, but as individuals
They are unqualified as an army."
“Where is the disqualification?”
"I didn't know how to be vigilant before the war, and I couldn't react quickly during the battle. During the battle, I only knew how to fight to the death but forgot about the military formations, advance and retreat that the army should have. If that army comes to attack Your Majesty at this time, I am sure that I will be able to defeat you in one
If the battle ends within an hour, they will have no chance of reaching His Majesty."
Zhao Zhen nodded in approval, and then asked again: "I am going to build the skeleton of the Imperial Guard with the royal family as the backbone. What does Yun Qing think?"
"Yes, Wei Chen thinks that Zhao Yannian, Zhao Min and others have matured. Although they cannot be said to be qualified generals, in any case, the four words "experienced in hundreds of battles" are still correct when applied to them. They will help Your Majesty build an army.
The skeleton is still more than enough.”
Zhao Zhen smiled and said: "Zhao Yannian and Zhao Min both claim that they can only serve as assistants and not as generals. Can Marquis Yun think of a qualified candidate for me?"
"The royal guards can only be members of the royal family. The ministers are not very familiar with the children of the royal family, and only a dozen or so people in the Jingxi Army are barely aware of them.
Zhao Yannian is a man with a delicate mind and can make subtle contributions, but he lacks perseverance and perseverance, so he is indeed not qualified to take on important responsibilities. Now it is just right for him to serve as the Ordnance Officer in the Western Beijing Army.
As for Zhao Min, he actually has the same personality. Such a person is also an excellent candidate to manage grain and fodder, so he is now the grain and fodder officer in the Western Beijing Army. Even in large-scale events such as the alliance meeting, he can handle it in a clear and logical manner, but
As a general, there are some shortcomings."
Zhao Zhen suddenly laughed, pointed at Yun Zheng and said: "Don't all the children of my royal family have the same personality?
Since you said that all the royal children lack the qualifications to become a general, what would you think if you use the method of raising gu to select the general Ai Qing?"
After hearing the emperor's words, Yun Zheng couldn't help but said word for word: "If you choose a general like that, your Majesty can only choose poisonous generals, but not qualified generals. If you really choose one, for the sake of the Song Dynasty
For Jiangshan's long-term consideration, His Majesty would have been better off preparing his ministers for a duel with him on the battlefield!" (To be continued)