Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 127 Grand Parade

Wang Yuncheng guessed correctly. Although Jin Shenghuan was not in a hurry, he was unwilling to give up the power to command the troops and accept the supervision of civil officials and the manipulation of the court again.

When it comes to greed for power, Jin Shenghuan is much more serious than Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong and others. He wants the court to replenish his troops and armaments, but he also wants to independently control these troops and become a local commander like Zuo Liangyu who only obeys orders but not deployments, and is not subject to the constraints of the court.

It can only be said that after these military leaders of Zuozhen tasted the power and experienced the feeling of not being oppressed by civil officials and constrained by the court, they were unwilling to give it up, just as the civil officials resolutely resisted any policy that undermined the policy of "suppressing the military with civil officials."

Wang Yuncheng's contact was quite successful. Zuo Menggeng had made serious false reports and was very worried that the matter would be exposed and he would be punished by Zhu Cilang. He responded actively and sent his most trusted general Ma Shixiu to make the contact.

Ma Jinzhong had been badly defeated by Ma Shixiu and was very wary of this deputy general under Zuo Liangyu. When he saw the other party coming on behalf of Zuo Menggeng, he immediately understood what this meant.

At the same time, he also understood that Ma Shixiu's previous kindness to him and his flattery of He Tengjiao were just a show to test the attitudes of all parties. In fact, he was still loyal to Zuo Liangyu.

Xu Yong, Li Guoying and others also responded. They were also unwilling to count the number of troops, but neither of them dared to make a big fuss. They only sent trusted servants to come.

These military leaders did not think too far ahead. Even Zuo Menggeng, who was about to be transferred to the Beijing camp, actually just wanted to delay the matter and use the money and food allocated by the court to build up the troops to cover up the previous false report.

But Zhu Cilang is not so easy to deal with. When necessary, he doesn't even mind drawing his sword and killing people, chopping off a few heads to let these military leaders know that in front of him, some things cannot be bargained.

Early the next morning, under the arrangement of He Tengjiao and Yuan Jixian, Zhu Cilang entered Jiujiang City with his army that had been fully assembled outside the water gate in the north of the city, surrounded by the crowd.

After Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong and others sent their servants to summon the troops stationed in various places, they soon returned to Zhu Cilang. They hid the little tricks they had done behind the scenes tightly, for fear of being noticed by the Jinyiwei.

At the same time, the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians who had originally come to welcome the emperor were all dismissed and returned to the city. When other people in the city heard the news that the emperor was moving his throne, they also rushed to watch. The main roads of Jiujiang City were crowded with people.

He Tengjiao originally arranged a ceremony to welcome the emperor, but Zhu Cilang also had his own arrangements. He would not miss any opportunity to demonstrate his military power. In the end, the ministers would naturally follow the emperor's wishes, and there was no room for negotiation.

Zhu Cilang had prepared many methods to suppress these military leaders. Naturally, he hoped that the action of "rectifying the army and counting the troops" would go smoothly. This time, he entered the city to shock the generals of Zuozhen in terms of military morale.

So what if we have ten times as many troops? In front of the real emperor's personal army, they are nothing but chickens and dogs!

The soldiers of the Palace Army were basically trained in Yingtian Prefecture, and had experienced the "Jianghuai Defense War". Their momentum had long surpassed that of the past. The towering walls of Jiujiang City and the tens of thousands of people flocking in did not cause any emotional fluctuations among the soldiers entering the city.

Chen Fu looked at the noisy crowd outside the city, the officials and runners who were maintaining order, and then looked at the civil servants and soldiers on the top of the city. He couldn't help but admire He Tengjiao in his heart. He really knew how to get things done!
"General Chen, the servants of the commanders of the various camps in Zuozhen are all in the city. When we enter the city, they will definitely be able to see everything clearly." Zhang Huangyan rode his horse to the side of Chen Fu and said.

After hearing this, Chen Fu nodded and said, "Okay, let's completely break these guys' rebellious intentions this time and let them see clearly how capable they are!"

The Jinyiwei had long noticed the tricks of Ma Jinzhong and Wang Yuncheng. Zhu Cilang deliberately delayed for a day in order to lure them out of their hole and catch them in one fell swoop.

When everything was ready, the Palace Army quickly entered Jiujiang City from the north gate, and then completed the deployment of the entry team in the city wall.

The soldiers of the local battalion on the city wall were attracted by the sound of drums and trumpets, and they all lay down on the wall to peek. They looked at the soldiers of the Palace Army in shining armor and strict formations in the city, and their mouths were all opened wide.

As the loud slogans of the officers of the Palace Army were heard, there was another small response in the city wall, which made the soldiers in the local camps stunned. They had never seen such a neat, solemn and meticulous army.

Among these soldiers who were peeking, there were naturally spies hired by Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong and others, and even a few of their personal soldiers. When they saw the army in front of them, they all had expressions of surprise on their faces.

Soon, a drum sounded in the city wall, and the vanguard of the Palace Army appeared on the main road of Jiujiang City. More than 200 cavalrymen in the vanguard advanced slowly, holding flags of various colors, and the sound of "da da da" horse hooves echoed in the streets.

Then, under the gaze of countless extremely excited and enthusiastic people in the city, the main combat soldiers of the Palace Army were all armed with sharp weapons and marched forward to the beat of drums. Zhu Cilang's imperial camp was in the center. Chen Fu, Lin Changfu, Zhou Shixian, Zhang Huangyan and other main generals of the army also rode out of the city gate on horseback.

Accompanied by the loud sound of drums, bursts of loud singing came from the city gate.

"The cannons roared, and the soldiers bravely advanced, bracing themselves, and fought with all their might!

"Advance! Advance! The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are full of vigor and will not rest in peace until we have recovered the lost territory and annihilated the Tartar invaders."

Amid the majestic singing, the soldiers of the Palace Army and the Imperial Camp were wearing shining armor. Zhao Zhengdong walked in front of the team, holding the Palace Army flag high, just like the day he returned victorious from the Huaibei battlefield.

In front of him were the mighty cavalry, and behind him were the armored soldiers of the Palace Army. At this moment, their faces were full of excitement and pride.

The whole army sang the military song together, and countless people paid attention, which greatly satisfied his sense of military honor. These are all part of the cultivation of the army's sense of honor.

Zhu Cilang attached great importance to the spiritual construction of the army. The core task of the teaching team was to enhance the spiritual strength of the army and improve the combat awareness of the soldiers. The passionate lyrics of "Triumph Song" would subtly enhance the courage and belief of the soldiers.

The ranks of the Palace Army marched out of the city wall in an orderly and orderly manner, without any disorder. Long spears stood upright in the ranks, with the heads of the Tartars stuck on the tips. Together with their iron armor shining with golden sunlight, they exuded a solemn and majestic murderous aura.

“The horns blared like drums urging the troops to battle. The wind and clouds changed color, murderous aura surged into the sky, and the soldiers were as fierce as tigers.

"Go! Go! With the enemy's head in hand, their armor stained with blood, the white mountains and black waters, the land of the Ming Dynasty, all shout, 'Long live the land of the Ming Dynasty!'"

The people on both sides of the street at the north gate of Jiujiang City looked at this mighty army, and they were all very surprised, as if they were stunned. The scene was silent, with only loud singing echoing.

The civil and military officials in the city who were following He Tengjiao to welcome the emperor had complicated expressions and frowns on their faces as they looked at the well-equipped team marching in the street to the sound of drums and trumpets, with a neat formation.

There is no need to mention Zuo Menggeng. Under his command, Zuo Zhen's army could not even defeat Huang Degong. But even Ma Jinzhong, Wang Yuncheng, Jin Shenghuan and others, the soldiers under their command, except for the elite ones, were not good at fighting.

This was only possible because He Tengjiao had already distributed a large amount of armor, weapons, food, and horse fodder, which gave their troops their current strength. Otherwise, their combat effectiveness might not even be considered, and they would only be slightly stronger than those of the garrison troops.

Now, seeing the Palace Army, a powerful army that could defeat the main force of the Eight Banners, these military leaders felt mixed emotions. Xu Yong and Li Guoying's eardrums were constantly impacted by the singing. They looked at each other and no longer dared to have any evil thoughts in their hearts.

The two were even a little worried that the Jinyiwei would find out about their sending of trusted servants yesterday. If Ma Jinzhong and the others didn't know what was good for them, they wouldn't be able to clear their name even if they jumped into the Yellow River.

Although Zuo Liangyu set an example for them and encouraged them to dare to deal with the court, they were actually just a group of military leaders who went with the flow. Each of them was trying to take advantage of every opportunity to maximize their personal interests.

In other words, they had no firm beliefs and all their decisions could change at any time. Now, seeing the scene of the Palace Army entering the city, the attitudes of these military leaders changed immediately.

Ma Jinzhong and Wang Yuncheng had not expected what would happen today. They were no longer as resolute as before and even began to waver, fearing that their secret collusion with various parties would be exposed.

The army has always respected the strong. When they saw the gap between themselves and the Palace Army, they saw a powerful Ming Dynasty court. How could they dare to have any other unreasonable thoughts?

"The sound of gold resounds, the battlefield is closed in victory, singing and dancing in triumph, red flags fluttering wildly.

"Go forward! Go forward! The people celebrate, welcoming the national salvation. Lamb and fine wine, commemorate our generation, the people celebrate the restoration."

In the sunlight, the clanging armor plates and the densely packed, high-raised weapons, with terrifying heads held high, marched through the streets and alleys, with singing, drums, bugles, horse hooves and footsteps mixed together.

The people of Jiujiang City on both sides of the street looked at the unprecedented army in front of them and were stunned for a long time. It was not until the singing stopped that they finally reacted. Finally, no one knew who took the lead, but the crowds on both sides suddenly burst into thunderous cheers.

"Master Wang is mighty, Master Wang is mighty!"

"Long live your Majesty, long live, long live your Majesty!"

"Master Wang is mighty, Master Wang is mighty!"

"Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!" The cheers grew louder and louder, and tens of thousands of Jiujiang residents lined the streets, kneeling and bowing in adoration, their voices resounding through the air. Although the Qing army didn't launch a full-scale attack on the city, they still laid siege to it, laying siege for over ten days. For a time, the city was in a state of panic.

During those days, the troops in the city who withdrew from Wuchang did not make them feel at ease. Instead, the news of victory coming from Jiangbei continued to boost people's morale.

From a certain perspective, the people in Jiujiang City had long been thinking about Emperor Dingwu. Now that they saw his true appearance, their cheers and shouts of applause turned into huge waves.

Zhu Cilang rode on his horse, looking at the people on both sides and nodding from time to time. The officials and yamen runners organized by He Tengjiao were now lined up in two rows, kneeling on the side to separate the people. He Tengjiao and a group of civil and military officials were all respectful and waiting at the intersection ahead, making the authority of the Ming Dynasty even more solemn.

This atmosphere continued to spread until the Palace Army stopped. Zhu Cilang led several generals around him and a group of civil and military officials from Jiujiang City into the temporary palace. Most of Jiujiang City was in an uproar.

Zhu Cilang's original intention was to make a big fuss and show those military generals who had second thoughts that he, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was the one that the people wanted. He Tengjiao's arrangement had basically achieved his goal.

Zhu Cilang was not idle either. He began to review memorials and arrange military and political affairs in the palace that day, especially the arrangements for the military parade in the next two days, which was what he cared about most.

Looking at the complicated expressions on the faces of the generals Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong, Wang Yuncheng, and Xu Yong, Zhu Cilang found it funny when he thought of how stunned they would be when they saw the performance of the Palace Army a few days later.

Amid the tense atmosphere in Jiujiang City, time quickly arrived at the early morning of the third day. Yuan Jixian and a group of military generals who were ordered to lead troops to participate in the drill arrived early at the gate of the largest military camp in Jiujiang City - "Beidaying" to wait for the emperor.

Zhu Cilang, under the protection of a large group of armored soldiers and Jinyiwei led by He Tengjiao, Lin Changfu, Zhang Huangyan, Zhou Shixian and others, also came to the place where the army was conducting today's military exercises.

Chen Fu led the soldiers of the Palace Army to start the action early. When he entered the Beidaying, flags were already flying on the training ground, soldiers were standing at attention, and soldiers from each camp were lined up in an orderly manner according to the orders of their respective generals.

The incident happened suddenly, and the soldiers of the various camps in Zuozhen had less than three days to prepare. Many soldiers complained about this, especially those officers who were originally preparing to take their turn to get money outside the barracks.

But His Majesty is here in person, and the military orders are as firm as a mountain. No matter how dissatisfied these officers and soldiers are, they can only complain privately in their hearts, and then obey orders and participate in today's exercise.

However, many of them had just arrived in Jiujiang City from their original military camps yesterday and were not aware of the specific situation. They only heard that this exercise was a show of force from His Majesty to the generals of each camp, and they were all very angry.

They were all the confidants of these generals, and they had heard some gossip from others. Coupled with the private instigation of various generals, they were naturally hostile to such a show of force.

This is what the so-called private soldiers are!

But no matter what their attitude was, they could not stop Zhu Cilang from doing what he wanted to do. At this time, the Beidaying training ground was gathering the five armies of the Zuozhen Army and nearly 20,000 soldiers including the Palace Army.

This military camp was newly built by He Tengjiao in order to defend Jiujiang City against the long-term siege of Ajige's army. It can accommodate 30,000 troops for training and garrison, and its area is very large.

Of course, these six armies, totaling nearly 20,000 soldiers, were not to be trained together, but rather one at a time. When one army participated in the review, the others watched from the sidelines.

Zhu Cilang was wearing a golden gilt armor at this time, with a dragon flag flying high on the platform. On his left and right were He Tengjiao, Yuan Jixian, Yan Qiheng and Chen Fu, Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong, Jin Shenghuan, Xu Yong, and Li Guoying. Behind him were his confidants Zhou Shixian, Zhang Huangyan, Lin Changfu, and behind them were the fully armed imperial soldiers.

Compared with the contented officials on the left, who even looked like they were about to laugh at a joke, and the confidence of Chen Fu, Zhou Shixian, and Zhang Huangyan, Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong, Jin Shenghuan and others all had worried expressions and furrowed brows.

After the entry ceremony a few days ago, they no longer had any hope for the outcome of this "grand military parade" and even became worried, fearing that the soldiers under their command would make mistakes and be caught.

But when Zhu Cilang wanted to review the army, they had no way to do it. The situation was completely beyond their control. They could only watch as the military power that was originally in their hands was taken back step by step, but they could do nothing.

The most terrifying thing about the whole incident was the cautious approach taken by the young emperor Zhu Cilang. Although he clearly had the upper hand, he still insisted on justifying everything and did not give them any chance to act recklessly.

In contrast, they had no power to fight back, and even though they knew what the other party was going to do, they could only watch.

As soon as the Si hour arrived, drums and trumpets sounded in unison on the parade ground. The soldiers from the six divisions then entered the designated positions on the parade ground in turn according to the flags arranged at the beginning. The Beidaying was filled with the clamor of people and horses.

In front of Zhu Cilang, flags were flying, drums were beating, horses' hooves were clattering, and footsteps were heard incessantly. Among the soldiers who entered the training ground, except for the Palace Front Army which had a strict formation, the formations of the other five armies showed varying degrees of chaos while marching.

This was just a drill on the parade ground. If it were on the battlefield, such an army would probably have no strategic offensive capabilities and would rely on fierce battles to defeat the enemy head-on.

In other words, if there was no threat from the navy's artillery in the "Battle of Nankang", Oboi would have been forced to lead his troops to break out in such terrain, and the Ming army would have only needed to defend the mountain pass and then use cavalry to consume and contain the enemy. It is hard to say what the final outcome of the war would have been!
The Palace Army once again displayed their extraordinary momentum as they entered the parade ground. Their uniforms were neat, and they looked well-trained and aggressive.

Among them, the most eye-catching are still the two groups of cavalry allocated by the Tianqi Camp. They are dressed in yellow and black armor, with red tassels and black helmets on their heads. They all have a majestic look and are now moving together on both wings of the infantry formation.

After these 2,000-plus infantry and cavalry arrived at the designated position, they quickly reorganized themselves on the spot under the command of their officers. Finally, they shouted "Tiger" in unison, which was so powerful that it even frightened some of the marching formations to a standstill.

Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong, Jin Shenghuan and others looked at the deployment of the Palace Army and the high level of skill displayed during the formation, and roughly guessed that this was trained according to the training method of Qi Shaobao.

In fact, they also knew the training methods recorded in Qi Jiguang's series of military books, and had even read the corresponding military books. Both "Records of Military Training" and "New Books on Effectiveness" were very popular in the late Ming Dynasty. Almost every military general had some understanding of them, and had even read the full text.

However, knowing the theory and actually putting it into practice are two different things. Qi Jiguang's method of training troops has strict requirements on the number of soldiers, food, and military supplies. Without sufficient financial strength, it is impossible to achieve it.

The Palace Army primarily practiced a modified version of Qi Jiguang's "Mandarin Duck Formation," based on the Mandarin Duck Formation. This modified Mandarin Duck Formation was flexible and applicable to a wide range of situations, ranging from small-scale battles in the mountains to large-scale corps operations.

However, the disadvantage of the Mandarin Duck Formation is that it has extremely high requirements for soldiers and requires the coordination of multiple weapons. It is not suitable for quickly training a large number of field armies, and the logistical supply requirements for the army are very high.

But once they are finally trained and tested in actual combat, they will become an invincible army that can even compete with the heavily armored soldiers of the Qing army on the plains.

You know, the Zhejiang soldiers in the bloody battle of Hunhe were not actually the complete version of Qi Ji's army, but they still caused huge casualties to the Qing army while fighting alone.

Seeing this, Zuo Menggeng, Ma Jinzhong, Jin Shenghuan and others became even more depressed. They didn't even need to watch the subsequent drills to know the gap between their own troops and the Palace Army.

In fact, Zhu Cilang ordered a grand military review in order to have a pretext for "disciplining the army and counting the troops", and the reason he "disciplined the army and counted the troops" was to train the tens of thousands of troops under Zuo Zhen into such a strong army.

However, if the control of the army is completely in the hands of these military leaders, and empty salaries and corruption are rampant in the army, then his plan to strengthen the army will never be realized.

Soon, the other five troops also entered the training ground. Xu Yong and Li Guoying's troops were the first to receive supplies and had been reorganized in northern Jiangxi for more than half a year, so their performance was relatively better.

Although the thousands of elite soldiers under Zuo Menggeng and Jin Shenghuan were not considered weak among the Ming army at that time, and there was no major chaos during the marching of the army formations, the gap between them and the Palace Front Army was obvious at a glance.

Although the cavalry of Ma Jinzhong and Wang Yuncheng were more powerful than other infantry, they pale in comparison to the elite troops of the Tianqi Camp who had been fighting against the Eight Banners cavalry for more than half a year.

The poor source of soldiers, insufficient food and fodder supplies, long-term withholding of military pay, lax military discipline, and short training time, all these factors combined made it undoubted that the Palace Army was a crushing force for them.

Zhu Cilang looked at everything in front of him and knew that he had come to the right place. These elite soldiers in Zuozhen were actually not useless. In fact, most of them were elite soldiers who had been bred through more than ten years of chaos in the interior of the country. As long as they were properly trained, they could also become a strong army.

But only he could do this. Zuo Menggeng, Jin Shenghuan, Ma Jinzhong and other unreformed military generals could not do it. He Tengjiao, Yuan Jixian and other civil officials who were not knowledgeable about military affairs could not do it either.

Amid the rumbling sound of drums, with Zhu Cilang's order, the soldiers of the Palace Army began the military review drill on the parade ground.

Zhu Cilang looked at the soldiers in front of him who were demonstrating battle formations such as engaging the enemy, charging, breaking through formations, encircling, and harassing, and nodded in approval. After experiencing many battles with the Eight Banners Army, the combat skills of the soldiers of the Palace Army became more and more proficient, and even during drills, they were full of murderous aura.

More than 2,000 infantry and cavalry advanced and retreated freely under the command of drums, trumpets and flags. Red tassels fluttered and iron armor rang on the parade ground, creating a solemn and murderous atmosphere. Even the musketeers in the army fired a round of muskets. The tremendous power of the volley of turtledove-foot guns frightened the war horses under Wang Yuncheng's command and made them restless and neighing non-stop.

(End of this chapter)