In early August, the 14 corps of the National Defense Forces stationed in Beizhili and various parts of Shandong reported to the Ministry of National Defense and basically completed the reorganization and intensive training of troops and equipment.

Tian Huixu, the secretary of the Ministry of National Defense, immediately reported to Liu Yan, Liu Yan was overjoyed, since then the Ming Dynasty has more than 670,000 elite mobile troops, even if the annual military expenditure alone will cost more than 43 million silver coins, this is also very worthwhile, because the value that these 670,000 elite troops can create is by no means something that can be measured by money.

At this time, in accordance with Liu Yan's deployment, the cabinet departments have transferred a large number of directors and attendants of various ministries to serve as candidates for members of the inspection team, and all the candidates have passed the preliminary screening of the books of various ministries and the re-screening of Liu Yan, and they have passed the test in terms of ability and conduct.

Subsequently, Liu Yan discussed with Shang Shu Tian Huixu of the Ministry of National Defense on the transfer of various armies of the National Defense Force.

First of all, Liu Yan proposed to give priority to meeting the deployment of troops in the north to defend against the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

At present, because Beizhili and various localities in Shandong want to replenish the strength of the 14 armies of the National Defense Force, the preparatory work for the establishment of the garrison troops in various localities has been postponed, and at the beginning of August, only two garrison battalions in Shandong have been prepared, namely the Laideng Battalion (Laizhou Mansion and Dengzhou Prefecture) and the Yanqing Battalion (Yanzhou Mansion and Qingzhou Prefecture), and the garrison troops in the rest of the localities are still being prepared.

After all, in the north of Zhili and Shandong, too many young and strong men have already been transferred just to prepare for the establishment of the national defense forces, and then to prepare for the establishment of garrisons in various places, the progress will be slowed down just by recruiting strong men.

Therefore, Liu Yan decided to transfer the First Army of the National Defense Army to the Eighth Army, that is, the teams of the battalions of the original New Army, all of which were deployed at various passes in the north.

tool

The body is as follows:

Chief Military Officer Chen Xun led the First Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Shanhaiguan, Chief Military Officer Wang Yue led the Second Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Funingwei, Chief Military Officer Zhang Yi led the Third Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Yongping Mansion, Chief Military Officer Wang Bo led the Fourth Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Xifengkou, Chief Military Officer Shen Tuo led the Fifth Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Jizhou Town, Chief Military Officer Miao Shao led the Sixth Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Qian'an, Chief Military Officer Xu Ming led the Seventh Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Zunhua, and Chief Military Officer Qian Liang led the Eighth Army of the National Defense Army to garrison Jielingkou.

The strength of these eight armies will be the basic strength of the north to attack the Manchus and recover Liaodong, and at this time, hundreds of thousands of elite national defense troops will be stationed on the Shanhaiguan-Xifengkou line, which can also deter the Manchus and keep Dolgon awake at night.

In this regard, the Wehrmacht Shangshu Tian Huixu had no objections, but was worried that such a large-scale troop movement would cause a strong reaction from the Manchus, and even gathered troops to go south to Shanhaiguan to confront the Wehrmacht armies.

Liu Yan said with a smile: "If Dolgon really has such courage, then Bengong can't ask for it, as long as the Manchu Tartars dare to go south, then it's good to fight!" ”

Tian Huixu laughed, it was true.

Subsequently, Liu Yan deployed troops to go south with the inspection team.

According to Liu Yan's plan, the inspection team is divided into four directions, that is, four inspection groups should be formed, each inspection group is composed of officials from various departments of the imperial court, with one person from the staff department as the team leader, and the number is about sixty people, that is, there are fifteen departments of the imperial court, each group is about four people, and it can be divided into four groups in one place to act at the same time.

As for the direction of the inspection team, Liu Yan proposed that Xuanfu Town and Shanxi should be taken as one direction, with the main attack on the west and Henan and Sichuan

In one direction, the main attack is in the southwest, and in the south Zhili and Huguang is the same direction, and the main attack is in the south.

The direction of the last inspection group is Beizhili and Shandong, mainly to inspect and accept the results of the implementation of the new policy and military reform in the two places, and this inspection group is not equipped with the national defense force.

"The Northwest Patrol Group set off with the Ninth Army of the Wehrmacht, the Southwest Patrol Group set off with the Tenth Army of the Wehrmacht, and the Southern Inspection Group set off with the Eleventh Army of the Wehrmacht."

Liu Yan said: "Jia Hongyu, the chief officer of the Ninth Army, Zheng Yi, the chief officer of the Tenth Army, and Han Qin, the chief officer of the Eleventh Army, are all our old men, and they are familiar with the officialdom, and they are very clear about the filth in the officialdom. ”

Tian Huixu nodded and said, "The elder is right, the three of them are indeed very suitable. ”

In addition, Liu Yan also carried out the necessary defense of Beijing City and Shandong, Beijing was naturally on guard against Qing troops who might go south, and Shandong was on guard against the Ming army in the south who were forced to rebel by the inspection team.

"The 12th Army of the National Defense Force will be stationed in Beijing City, the 13th Army of the National Defense Force will be stationed in Juyongguan, Gubeikou, and Jiangjunshiguan, and the 14th Army of the National Defense Force will be stationed in various parts of Yanzhou Prefecture."

Tian Huixu said: "Elder Ge, there is already a Yanqing garrison battalion in Yanzhou Mansion, even if there is a rebellion from the south going north, it can resist it, there is no need to specially mobilize a military army of the National Defense Force to be stationed there, right?" ”

Liu Yan said: "I never know my father's style when I am passively beaten! Mobilize an army in the past, if those military generals and gentry in the south, strong and strong, because of the New Deal and military reform

Because the inspection team went south and started a rebellion, then let the 14th Army go south and directly capture Nanjing City! ”

Tian Huixu was suddenly excited, this approach is indeed very similar to Liu Yan's style.

Tian Huixu recorded all of Liu Yan's deployments, and then drew up the Ministry of National Defense's troop transfer strategy, saying: "The subordinates will report to the General Staff, and the General Staff will issue an order for the transfer of troops, and then submit it to His Majesty Zhu for approval." ”

"Okay."

A few days later, the transfer orders issued by the General Staff were successively sent to the armies of the National Defense Forces, and the first to receive the orders were Xu Ming, Miao Shao, and Qian Yue, the three chief military officers stationed in Beijing.

"Go to Qian'an?"

At this time, Miao Shao, Xu Ming, and Qian Yue were drinking in the second-floor private room of a wine shop, Miao Shao looked at the order, and asked Xu Ming and Qian Yue, "Where are you going?" ”

Xu Ming raised the order in his hand and said, "I'll go to Zunhua." ”

Qian Yan took a sip of the pot of wine, and then said, "I'll go to Jielingkou." ”

"It's not far."

Miao Shao grinned and said: "The elder of the pavilion has arranged it like this, and it will be a few of us who will recover Liaodong in the future, and this is to leave a name in history!" ”

Xu Ming and Qian Jian also grinned and raised their wine glasses one after another.

Xu Ming said loudly: "Come on!" For our future achievements, let's have another toast! ”

Qian Yan's alcohol was the shallowest amount, and he was already a little drunk at this time, so he screamed and said, "Three glasses, three glasses!" ”

Two days later, the three of them each set out with the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Armies of the National Defense Army, and the three armies simultaneously left the city from the Chaoyang Gate of Beijing City and marched all the way to the east.

Three days later, the three armies arrived at the city of Zunhua.

Xu Ming and Deputy Chief Soldier Du Zhong

Dong Yun, general of the Ming and left battalions, and Lu Yuan, general of the right battalion, stood at the gate of the city, and more than 40,000 soldiers of the Seventh Army of the National Defense Army entered the city in a mighty manner.

Miao Shao and Qian Jian came with the deputy commanders and generals of the two armies to bid farewell to everyone.

Miao Shao laughed and said: "Let's say goodbye today, I don't think there is any accident, the next time we meet again, we will go north to Liaodong, you can train well here in Zunhua!" ”

Xu Ming smiled and clenched his fists and said: "That's natural, when the time comes, our brothers will go north together and plough Liaodong again!" ”

Then Miao Shao and Qian Jiao led the soldiers of the two armies to continue to march eastward, and after arriving in Qian'an, Miao Shao and Lu Ying, the deputy commander-in-chief, Wu Xingzhou, the general of the left battalion, and Bai Mingxun, the general of the right battalion, led their troops into the city and said goodbye to Qian Shao.

In the end, Qian Zhang, Zhao Dong and others led the army to the mouth of the boundary ridge and stationed there.

At the same time, Chen Xun also led his troops to arrive outside Shanhaiguan City, looking at the towering Guancheng, Chen Xun's heart was agitated, and he said to Guo Mingxu, the deputy chief soldier beside him: "I heard that the old dragon head of Shanhaiguan is the most famous, I must go and take a look." ”

Guo Mingxu said with a smile: "The town wants to see, there is time, I see that we are stationed in Shanhaiguan, the time is not short, and the next time we are transferred, it will be to go north to Liaodong and defeat the Manchu Dynasty." ”

"Haha!"

Chen Xun said with a smile: "That's good, I hope this day will come soon!" ”

"Let's enter the customs town."

"Hmm."

In the fourteenth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, Xu Da, the king of Zhongshan, was ordered to repair Yongping, Jieling and other passes, and then led troops to this place, with the ancient Chongqing Pass not controlling the key points, moved to build Shanhaiguan in the ancient Chongqing Guandong sixty miles, because it leans on Yanshan in the north, and connects the Bohai Sea in the south, so it is named Shanhaiguan.

Chief of Shanhaiguan

The city has been built by Hongwu, Chenghua, Jiajing, Wanli, Tianqi and Chongzhen six dynasties, consumed a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources, and spent 263 years before and after, built a military city defense system of seven cities in a chain and a line of the Great Wall.

At this time, Chen Xun led the army into the main city, and then together with the deputy commander-in-chief Guo Mingxu, he divided his troops to garrison seven large and small customs cities including the main city of Shanhaiguan, as well as the Great Wall defense system of Shanhaiguan.

More than 40,000 soldiers of the First Army of the National Defense Army were divided into troops to guard it, and Shanhaiguan was completely built into an insurmountable copper wall.

At this time, Chen Xun stood on top of the long Xiongguan, looking at it, the land in the north was very vast, and after looking at it for a while, endless desolation surged in his heart.

"Liaodong!"

Chen Xun sighed: "How many lives have the imperial court spent in Liaodong, and how much blood has been shed by the soldiers in Liaodong, but now it is still occupied by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, I don't know when the elder will give the order to go north!" ”

Guo Mingxu also sighed in his heart and said: "The elder once said: "If you go outside, you must first settle inside, this is an unshakable iron law. I think that when the inspection teams in various places complete the promotion and implementation of the new policy and military reform, it will be the day when we will lead the army to the north! ”

"I hope the patrol team is doing well!"

The words were divided into two ends, and at this time in Beijing, Liu Yan was listening to Chen Xinjia's report in the cabinet office.

"Elder Qiyuge, now all the armies of the Wehrmacht have been mobilized in place, and the ninth to eleventh armies of the Wehrmacht have also escorted the patrol groups to set off."

Liu Yan nodded and said: "Not counting the inspection teams that went to Beizhili and Shandong, the first stop of the other three inspection groups is Xuanfu Town, Henan Road, and Nanzhili, I hope they are."

There is good news. ”

Chen Xinjia said: "Rest assured, the three inspection teams are all elite soldiers and strong generals from all departments of the imperial court, plus they are accompanied by all departments of the National Defense Army, there will be no problems." ”

Liu Yan said: "I hope that if there is a problem with each inspection team, it will be a big problem, and we can only go all out to deal with it at that time." ”

In mid-August, the Ming court sent four inspection teams, accompanied by the strength of the three armies of the national defense army, to go to various places to implement the new policy and military reform policy.

At the same time, Liu Yan published an article in the name of the first assistant of the Ming Cabinet and distributed it in the form of a Tang newspaper, with the title "The Spring Breeze of Reform Swept the World, and the Clown Who Jumped the Beam Was Bound to Fall".

This article aroused strong repercussions in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, and the literati, officials, and gentry in various parts of the Ming Dynasty were soon divided into two factions, and launched a fierce debate on the new policy and military reform policies implemented by the imperial court.