Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 209 As expected, Zeng Xian was the main force! [Seeking monthly votes]

Zeng Xian was not someone who resisted firearms.

On the contrary, he also made great strides in the use of firearms during his fight against the Tatars.

He pioneered the "train" tactic, which was equipped with 200 rockets, one large and one small repeating cannon, eight thunderbolt guns, and two handguns. When facing the Tatar cavalry charge, the train would fire its guns, cannons, and arrows simultaneously.

Even when the enemy troops reached the chariots, they could not damage the armored chariots in the slightest. Instead, the soldiers around the chariots used long spears to stab the horses' hooves and pick off the cavalry.

He also invented the "slow-fire cannon" and the "ground cannon".

The "slow-fire cannon" already had the prototype of a time bomb, while the "ground cannon" had the prototype of a landmine.

All of this caused the Tatar cavalry great suffering. Not only did they use several thousand soldiers to block the gates, but they also launched a surprise attack on the enemy's main camp, causing it to collapse.

At the same time, he also attached great importance to the training of special forces, and built an elite force of 5,000 men, known as the "Zeng Family Army".

He personally taught the troops how to deploy their troops, fire firearms, and engage in combat and bayonet fighting. He conducted drills in a real combat setting, with a small exercise every day and a large exercise every five days. Under his leadership, the "Zeng Family Army" repeatedly achieved military exploits.

But that all happened later.

At this time, Zeng Xian's only notable military achievements are the suppression of the rebellions in Liaoyang and Guangning.

Moreover, Zeng Xian did not advocate the all-firearms type of troops like Yan Maoqing. His tactics emphasized the combination of cold weapons and firearms, long weapons and short weapons, so that he could attack from a distance and defend at close range.

Therefore, upon hearing Shen Kun's words, he felt as if he had just heard a joke that was not funny at all.

"Gone……"

Shen Kun and Gao Gong were not only blushing, but also felt their faces burning slightly.

Although they followed Yan Maoqing's instructions and carried out the training meticulously, they still hadn't fully grasped Yan Maoqing's vision.

Now, even General Zeng, whom I deeply admire, had the same reaction after hearing about the configuration of the Heroic Battalion.

The two of them felt embarrassed and ashamed again, thinking that Zeng Xian might look down on them.

However, they were quite loyal and did not immediately shift all the blame onto Yan Maoqing, but silently took on all of it... After all, Gao Gong had said that Yan Maoqing was not very magnanimous.

"I see."

Seeing that the two were behaving very humbly, and even somewhat embarrassed, Zeng Xian did not express any opinion in front of them.

He simply nodded slightly, giving the two a tolerant smile that showed he was allowing the younger generation to make mistakes.

Understood!
Now I completely understand!
As expected, Wang Zongxian was right. On the surface, the Emperor ordered me to transport grain and military supplies to them, but in reality, he ordered me to come and support them.

This was not an insult to me, but rather an opportunity for me to make a name for myself!

An army like theirs might be able to deter some rural villagers, but if they encounter any major upheaval, such as a mutiny of a regular army or a well-organized attack, they would probably collapse immediately.

When that time comes, it will be my turn to emerge out of nowhere and turn the tide!
"General Zeng, why don't we order the soldiers to start training first, and then have General Zeng observe and see if there's anything we can suggest?"

Gao Gong immediately straightened his chest and bowed, saying...

He felt that even though the configuration of the Hero Battalion seemed somewhat incongruous, he and Shen Kun had been training the troops diligently recently, and there were some commendable aspects that could vindicate them.

For example, obedience and discipline.

They strictly followed Yan Maoqing's orders, focusing on training in loading and firing muskets, formation maneuvers, and assassination.

The rest of the time was spent focusing on obedience and discipline, which is how the number of people was gradually reduced from the initial 6,000 to 2,000.

These remaining soldiers were all elite troops who obeyed orders without question, and were fully capable of advancing without stopping the drumbeats.

Furthermore, the "three-stage attack" tactic mentioned by Yan Maoqing has now been fully formed. Although it is still unknown how it will perform in the face of the enemy, at first glance, the appearance and morale of this army are quite impressive.

If Zeng Xian had seen them training, perhaps he would have changed his opinion of this army...

"No need, I have official duties to attend to."

Zeng Xian didn't give them a chance at all, he just smiled and said,

"I wonder where Minister Yan is now. I'll go see him first and discuss the date of the sacrificial ceremony with him, so as not to delay important matters."

In his mind, just by looking at the composition of the troops, he could already conclude that the army was doomed.

If one were to say he had any compassion, it would only be out of sympathy for these two thousand strong and capable men of the Ming Dynasty.

If a general is incompetent, the whole army will be exhausted.

These young men in the Imperial Household Department don't know how to train soldiers, let alone how to wage war. These men of the Ming Dynasty are incredibly unlucky to have followed them on their campaigns.

However, Zeng Xian was not their commander-in-chief, and with the departure date approaching, he couldn't say anything.

Instead of focusing on their own tasks, they could lead their own "supply army" to emerge like divine intervention in times of danger, saving the lives of most of them.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Kun and Gao Gong immediately understood that Zeng Xian was directly rejecting the "Heroic Camp," and their hearts sank again, yet they still had no choice but to bow and reply:
"At present, Minister Yan is on duty at the Ministry of Personnel."

……

The office of the Imperial Household Department.

"Wei Chen accepts the order."

Yan Maoqing had just received an imperial edict from Zhu Houcong urging him to lead his troops to Shanxi as soon as possible to suppress the White Lotus Rebellion.

In the imperial edict, Zhu Houcong also set a date for him.

In layman's terms, he had already instructed the Ministry of Rites to check the auspicious date, and five days later would be an auspicious day to send troops to suppress the bandits. He ordered him to perform the sacrificial ceremony and set off before 3:45 AM on that day, without fail.

Besides.

Zhu Houcong also assigned him a person, requiring him to bring Yan Shifan along this time.

Furthermore, Yan Shifan was given the official position of deputy envoy, tasked with the responsibility of pacifying and securing the people.

Yan Maoqing felt that Zhu Houcong's inexplicable decision was very problematic. Sending Yan Shifan to pacify and reassure the people was a pretense; the real reason was to have him go along and gain some credit for Yan Song... Perhaps Zhu Houcong was even thinking that he was being given some face because of his kinship with the Yan family!

Yan Maoqing believed that this was a win-win situation for Zhu Houcong.

Firstly, this could cover up Yan Song's fault for incompetence and allow him to be reinstated based on his past merits;

Secondly, it saves me face and makes me feel grateful.

The so-called "pacification and reassurance" is probably only aimed at satisfying Yan Song's own desires.

In any case, Zhu Houcong didn't really intend to demote Yan Song. He sent Yan Song to Datong as magistrate because he was reluctant to part with this minister who had been extremely useful to him before...

"Hehe, you're overthinking it, you silly Zhu."

After Yan Maoqing returned to his duty room with the imperial edict, he shook his head and laughed.

"If Yan Shifan follows me, he still wants to gain merit and hopes to use this opportunity to reinstate Yan Song. He is simply delusional."

"Even if I can't brand Yan Song and Yan Shifan as members of the White Lotus Rebellion, I'll definitely drag them back to their hometowns with me when they retire..."

However, he could also see that Zhu Houcong had specifically issued an edict to urge him on this matter and had given him an ultimatum.

It is probably because the situation in Datong has become increasingly unfavorable, and even the ministers in the court have realized Zhu Houcong's true intentions and have begun to exert their influence, thus shifting the pressure onto him.

Therefore, this trip to Shanxi should have a good chance of facilitating his goal of retiring and returning to his hometown...

Just as I was thinking this.

"Report!"

The minor official hurried over to report:

“Minister Yan, Zeng Xian, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, has come to pay his respects.”

"Zeng Xian?"

Yan Maoqing snapped out of his daze, immediately got up and walked outside.

"I must go and greet them myself!"

When it comes to Zeng Xian, Yan Maoqing naturally cannot help but show him respect.

In his mind, Zeng Xian should be considered a famous general of this dynasty who could be ranked alongside Qi Jiguang. It was just a pity that he was born at the wrong time and was not good at understanding the emperor's intentions.

Let's just put it that way.

If we disregard other factors and focus solely on selecting generals for the Ming Dynasty to fight against foreign enemies...

In Southeast Asia, Qi Jiguang is the most suitable candidate, while in the North, Zeng Xian is the most suitable.

If the two can get full support and not be swayed by the political situation in the court, they can ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty and prevent the enemy from making any progress!
……

“This time, Imperial Censor Zeng has truly been humiliated.”

Yan Maoqing personally welcomed Zeng Xian into the main hall, ordering someone to prepare tea as he spoke with a broad smile.

"What merit or ability do I possess to dare to allow Imperial Censor Zeng to provide support from the rear? Your Majesty's arrangement is truly beneath my dignity and makes me feel extremely uneasy."

"Minister Yan, there is no need to be modest. His Majesty has his reasons for making such an arrangement."

Zeng Xian also replied quite politely,

"Yan Butang is so young to hold such a high position, so he must have strengths that others cannot match."

"Furthermore, Minister Yan is a third-rank official, while I am merely a fourth-rank Vice Censor-in-Chief. Even if we only consider rank, Minister Yan should be the commander-in-chief on this trip. In any case, it cannot be said that he has humiliated me."

Zeng Xian was naturally good at making polite remarks.

However, he was proud of himself, and when he first met Yan Maoqing, he noticed that Yan Maoqing still had a childish look on his face.

Thinking back to the incongruous troops that Yan Maoqing had trained at the Jixia Academy, and knowing that Yan Maoqing would have to rely on his "supply army" to save his life in the future, he couldn't help but put on airs.

This made his demeanor when he said these words seem less like a subordinate addressing a superior and more like a senior addressing a junior or an elder addressing a younger person.

However, he is now over forty years old.

Yan Maoqing was only in his early twenties. In this era, Yan Maoqing was indeed about the same age as his son. If it weren't for the officialdom, he would indeed be considered a junior in front of him.

At this moment, Yan Maoqing's attitude was quite humble, his words were pleasant to hear, and he knew his own limitations.

This made Zeng Xian put on airs while also feeling a touch of admiration in his heart.

After all, people who are so young and have such a smooth career in officialdom, who can even be described as rising rapidly, usually find it difficult to maintain a calm mind. They would probably be very arrogant.

Therefore, he has temporarily forgotten the three things that Wang Tingxiang had told him a few days ago.

He was currently debating whether or not to offer Yan Maoqing some advice.

This would make him realize how ridiculous his "incongruous" hero camp was. Although he would still have to rely on his own supply troops for rescue if something went wrong in the future, at least it would prevent him from becoming a laughing stock of the entire court. Consider it a favor to him.

While talking.

The clerk has already brought in the tea.

"Imperial Censor Zeng, please have some tea first."

Yan Maoqing didn't care about Zeng Xian's behavior at all, and still stood up with a smile on his face to personally invite him.

Zeng Xian felt more and more that Yan Maoqing was a sensible young man. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then made up his mind to say...

"Minister Yan, I just returned from the Jixia Academy and took the opportunity to observe the results of your recent troop training..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Maoqing straightened his chest, blinked, and asked:

"What does Imperial Censor Zeng think?"

(End of this chapter)