Li Banghua's thin body swayed in the wind, his gray beard had long been blown into disarray by the wind, and his red eyes and sallow cheeks made people feel worried.
The cabinet affairs are busy. Can this elderly man in his seventies cope with it?
Just as Li Banghua was about to kneel, Chongzhen hurriedly excused him, "Lord Li is old, so when you meet me in private in the future, you will be exempted from the monarch-subject etiquette."
"Your Majesty, that's not right! Although I am old, I still have to follow the rules."
"Don't refuse anymore." Chongzhen said without letting anyone refuse.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Banghua swallowed his saliva, took out a piece of paper from his arms, and said, "Your Majesty has an urgent report. Liu Fangliang led his 40,000 troops to leave Hejian Prefecture and head straight to the capital."
Chongzhen sat on the dragon throne, calm as water.
Here we come!
What is meant to come will eventually come.
Li Zicheng was trapped outside Juyongguan by Tang Tong, and Liu Fangliang would definitely go to support him.
After Juyongguan was captured, the troops gathered together to attack Beijing.
Chongzhen asked: "Lord Li, what do you think of the cabinet?"
“The cabinet has not yet discussed it.”
"Then let's discuss this here."
Soon, Fang Yuegong, Fan Jingwen and Qiu Yu also came to the Qianqing Palace.
Fang Yuegong spoke first: "Your Majesty, Heju is less than 400 miles away from the capital. Based on Liu Fangliang's marching speed, it will only take five days to reach the capital. I think we should find a way to slow him down. This will not only buy time for the military and civilians in the capital to train, but also allow Tang Tong to hold Juyongguan for a few more days."
Chongzhen first nodded and then shook his head. Fang Yuegong’s theory was fine, but it was just a theory.
How to do it? Who will do it? How to mobilize the army? How to deploy the troops?
Not a word!
This is a typical example of intellectuals ruining the country.
But we can't blame him. This is just like buying a house and decorating it. The person responsible for the design doesn't do the work, and the person responsible for the work doesn't design.
After the installation was a mess, the designers blamed the workers, and the workers scolded the designers.
The only victim was the owner.
Chongzhen is the owner who was taken advantage of!
In the court, those who talk don't do anything, while those who do do something but don't talk will talk.
Once he follows the ideas of the civil officials, the military generals and the emperor will be deceived.
Evil feudal dynasty!
Fan Jingwen knew the truth behind this. He was now also the governor of the Beijing camp. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I think we should send a cavalry to attack Liu Fangliang. Whether it succeeds or not, it can delay his march. If we are lucky enough to burn his food and grass, Liu Fangliang's troops will retreat without a fight."
Qiu Yu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I think this matter should not be discussed with the cabinet. We should go to the three camps to find those military officers and listen to their opinions."
Li Banghua saw that the atmosphere was a little cold, and immediately said: "Your Majesty, this matter does need to be discussed in the long run. I suggest that the generals of the three major camps, the Five City Military Department, the Jinyiwei, the Dongchang, and even the Yongwei Camp be gathered together for discussion."
Chongzhen nodded with satisfaction.
These people finally thought ahead of him, "OK, summon all these people to the Palace of Heavenly Purity immediately."
Soon, everyone arrived.
As Li Banghua read out the contents of the urgent report, these generals frowned.
Fan Jingwen was the governor of the Beijing Camp, and he felt ashamed, so he said: "Lieutenant General Li of the Fifth Army Camp, Lieutenant General Zhang of the Divine Machine Camp, and Lieutenant General Wang of the Divine Special Camp, all of you can give us some advice. There is no right or wrong in this matter, and His Majesty will not punish anyone for what they said. Now is the time for the court to recruit people, so please give us some advice."
Each of the three major camps in the capital has a deputy general, starting with a second-rank military officer, followed by a lieutenant general and a third-rank military officer.
The deputy general of the Three Thousand Camps was full of fat. He took a half step forward after looking around: "Your Majesty, I think you don't need to do anything. If he attacks the capital, I will defend the city. If he attacks Juyong Pass, I will lead a group of troops to attack his baggage train from the rear. Once the baggage is lost, the morale of the army will also be lost."
Chongzhen nodded. What the fat guy said made some sense, but not much.
The enemy could easily divide the 40,000 troops into two groups, one to guard against reinforcements from the capital, and the other to attack Juyongguan.
If you do this, the fat guy will be helpless.
etc...
Most of the soldiers in Shenshu Camp are cavalry. What kind of horses can withstand the pressure of such a body size?
Without waiting for Chongzhen to ask, Lieutenant General Li of the Fifth Army Camp curled his lips at Lieutenant General Wang and said, "Your Majesty, I think the most urgent task is to fortify the city and clear the fields! Move all the people within a hundred miles of the capital into the city. First, it can replenish the troops, and second, it can prevent the bandits from getting supplies. Over time, they will be cut off from food and grass, and the bandits will retreat on their own!"
Chongzhen raised his eyebrows and looked at the other person carefully.
Lieutenant General Li is a burly man of medium build, with a hint of murderous intent between his brows.
On the surface, he seems to be a smart and capable man, but as for what's in his heart... Chongzhen doesn't want to guess, nor can he guess.
The method proposed by Lieutenant General Li is indeed feasible.
The bandits' supplies are 30% bought and 70% robbed! As long as the source is cut off, the logistics supply will be seriously affected.
On the surface, war is fought for people, but in reality it is fought for money and food.
It was precisely because of the lack of money and food that Chongzhen in history suffered a complete defeat!
Minister of Revenue Fang Yuegong stood up and shook his head: "Deputy General Li's plan is not appropriate!"
"Relocating the people will cost a lot of money. The imperial court is already struggling to make ends meet. If we increase this expenditure, the treasury will soon be stretched to its limits. If the people resist, forced relocation will cause a civil uprising!"
Lieutenant General Li glanced at Fang Yuegong and asked, "Minister Fang, how much does it cost for our court to recruit a soldier?"
"Currently, the young and strong ones are given 4 taels, and the others are given 3 taels."
"Then do you know how much it costs for the bandits to recruit soldiers?"
Fang Yuegong stroked his beard and thought carefully, then asked tentatively: "Two taels? One tael? Or not a penny?"
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