Before dawn, the Xuanjiawei military camp was already filled with soldiers standing in neat rows.
On the stage for selecting generals, Pan Rong, Wu Hai, Dong Quan, Zhang Zuo, and Cao Bing stood shoulder to shoulder.
The five people are the five thousand households that Xuanjiawei is mainly responsible for.
Among the five people, there was no question of who had a higher or lower status, and they were all directly commanded by Zhu Ying.
And among the five-person rooms, there is also a ranking.
Counting from left to right, the person ranked first has a little more say among the five people.
This ranking is not fixed. Instead, at the end of every month, there will be a military exercise. Whoever leads the team that wins first place will naturally stand in the leftmost position.
The person currently standing on the far left is Dong Quan.
Of these five people, except Cao Bing who was the son of Cao Zhen, the other four were once generals under Lan Yu.
After he was recommended, Zhu Ying accepted him without any hesitation and made him a captain, as if he was training him as his confidant.
Of course, the military men recommended by Lan Yu, including Cao Bing, were not people with connections who could be easily dealt with.
They can almost be said to be the five most outstanding people among Lan Yu's descendants.
Whether in terms of military talent or bravery in combat, he is extremely outstanding and is not simply a person with connections.
Lan Yu was also very particular about this point, because anyone who had come into contact with the Crown Prince would understand that someone like the Crown Prince would only bring humiliation upon himself if he used nepotism or tricks in front of him.
No one could or dared to fool a crown prince who started from scratch and dominated the Western Regions.
Even though Cao Bing did have a relationship with Cao Zhen, he was still the best among all the Huaixi nobles, or even the descendants of all the military generals and nobles in the Ming Dynasty.
Not only does he not have any of the temperament of a second-generation kid, but he actually has a strong military talent.
It sounds strange that Cao Bing was a captain in Xuanjiawei, but Cao Zhen didn't even know the situation of Xuanjiawei.
The fact is, since entering the Xuanjia Guard, almost no one has the right to take a rest.
Since its establishment in March, Xuanjiawei has been adopting a closed management system, with continuous training every day without any rest.
Anyone who cannot accept this will be directly eliminated from the Xuanjia Guard.
However, anyone who can come to the Xuanjia Guard, even if he is the smallest soldier, is extremely outstanding among all the soldiers, and his qualities are comparable to those of the Xiaoling Guard.
Although it is hard and difficult, but so far no one has been eliminated, only those who meet the standards will be promoted.
The so-called promotion is that soldiers below the rank of centurion are directly promoted to other guards to serve as centurions. However, in the eyes of the internal members of the Xuanjia Guard, this is no different from being kicked out.
Because this quota is not given to the most outstanding one in each team, but only the bottom one will be appointed as a centurion.
Almost everyone is trying desperately to stay.
"Brother Dong, please say a few words. Your people were the best in the competition last month."
Wu Hai next to him said with a smile.
The night was filled with darkness and the cold wind was howling. The only light around was the torches swaying in the wind.
The soldiers below were like sculptures, standing still and without any sound.
Dong Quan hesitated for a moment, waved his hand and said, "Why don't you let Brother Bing tell us? We are just rough guys, but we are not as knowledgeable as Brother Bing."
After these words were spoken, the other two nodded in agreement.
Although Cao Bing is the youngest among the five, he has been well-read since childhood, and is naturally much better than those who grew up in the military camp.
Seeing this, Cao Bing did not delay. He clasped his fists to express his gratitude and took a step forward.
"Today is a very important day for us Xuanjia Guards. I'm sure you've all heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will lead the thirty-six guards around the capital and the generals of the Five Military Governor's Office to observe our military exercise today."
"It has been a hundred days since the establishment of the Xuanjia Guard. During these hundred days, I have seen every brother. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has given us the best treatment. We have meat for three meals a day, and the portions are large enough to keep us full."
"Of course, none of our brothers are cowards. Even if we fainted during training, no one retreated."
"After a hundred days of hard training, today is the time for the test. Whether you can bring honor to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and demonstrate all the training you have done depends on your results today."
"Don't let us down, and don't let His Royal Highness down."
There were no loud roars, no enthusiastic shouts, and no neat and loud slogans.
Cao Bing's voice echoed in the darkness. More than 5,000 people were quiet and peaceful, like a sleeping lion.
If you listen carefully, you can hear the heavy breathing, and if you look closely, you can see the burning gaze in the eyes of each soldier.
The day and night training, as well as reading and learning to read every night, not only made these soldiers extremely strong, but any one of them could stand on his own.
After Cao Bing finished speaking, he glanced at the soldiers below the stage who were in the dark and could not see clearly, and waved his hand.
Boom boom boom!!!
The footsteps of all the soldiers began to sound. According to the usual training, they were divided into five teams and began training, or in other words: warm-up.
In the palace at this moment.
"Grandpa, you don't have to go in such cold weather." Zhu Ying said helplessly.
He had previously proposed to take all the commanders to watch the Black Armor Guard military performance, but he didn't expect that the old man would also go today.
"Why? We can't go and see it yet." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.
Zhu Ying could only reply, "Grandpa, of course I'll go and see you, but this is outside the city, and in this weather, I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."
Zhu Yuanzhang patted his grandson on the shoulder and said, "I know you are filial, but I am not an old man who can't move his legs. I am strong and healthy. These colds are nothing."
"Besides, we always hear Jinyiwei say how powerful your Xuanjiawei are. This time, at least we can broaden our horizons and see with our own eyes how majestic the soldiers trained by our eldest grandson are."
After hearing this, Zhu Ying naturally had no reason to refuse.
But he turned and asked, "Then the morning court."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Originally, I was planning to send an imperial edict directly to Duanmen, asking them to follow me to see your Xuanjia Guard, but when I think about it, I realize that these old officials are in much worse physical condition than us."
"If we really want to get everyone over there, there will be a group of people lying on the ground and unable to come out tomorrow. That's unnecessary, so forget it."
When Zhu Ying heard this, he was a little surprised.
Because this is very unlike Zhu Yuanzhang.
When will the old man start to care about the life and death of his civil officials?
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang's transformation had a lot to do with Zhu Ying.
The tyranny and murder in the past were caused by many factors.
The first three major cases, such as the Hu Weiyong case, were inevitable results because the prime minister's power was too great and had already overwhelmed the imperial power.
How could a man like Zhu Yuanzhang accept such a situation? Naturally, he would kill as many people as possible.
As for the case of the empty seal, it was a provocation to the imperial power by middle-level officials, and Zhu Yuanzhang felt that he had been deceived.
There is no need to say much about the Guo Huan case. The reason why it involved so many people was that Zhu Yuanzhang took the opportunity to sweep away corrupt officials across the Ming Dynasty.
By the time it came to Zhu Ying, those who should be killed had actually been killed almost all, and those who should be dealt with had basically been dealt with as well.
It's just that because Empress Ma passed away earlier and the Crown Prince died suddenly, he missed them too much over the years, which led to his extreme personality, irritability and explosiveness.
Coupled with the government affairs, my mind is always tense and I can get angry at any time.
He also encountered the death of Crown Prince Zhu Biao. He lost his wife and grandson in middle age, and his son in old age.
The appearance of Zhu Ying was a huge surprise for Zhu Yuanzhang.
The most beloved eldest grandson has returned, and he is still so outstanding. He handles government affairs, regulates military affairs, and fills the national treasury. He is very good in all aspects, especially in terms of national wealth, which is much better than himself.
This made Zhu Yuanzhang's originally tense mind gradually begin to relax, and he felt a new sense of sustenance in his heart.
There is no doubt that Zhu Yuanzhang himself had a very good physical foundation.
Historically, even though he reached that level, he still lived until the 31st year of Hongwu, at the age of 71.
In the Ming Dynasty, people lived very long lives.
Now, under Zhu Ying's careful care and with the change in his mental state, Zhu Yuanzhang is naturally healthier.
Just a few days ago, news came from the harem that the beauty Zhang Xuanmiao was pregnant with a dragon seed.
In October this year, Zhu Ying will have a younger uncle, or aunt.
With a calmer mind, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally became less harsh. In addition, his eldest grandson's consideration for his ministers and the holding of the Duanmen breakfast led to some changes in Zhu Yuanzhang.
At this time, in the Duanmen Gate, when he heard that His Majesty had sympathy for the minister's frailty and that he did not need to follow him to watch the military exercise,
Many old ministers shed tears of gratitude and shouted thank you for Your Majesty's grace.
Many of these ministers had experienced the dark period of the Hongwu court. After more than ten or even twenty years of darkness, such a ray of dawn was a real touch to them.
When the dragon sedan is traveling, there is a charcoal brazier inside, which is very warm.
Zhu Ying raised his hand to open the jade curtain of the window, and looked at the many governors, associate governors, assistant governors, and commanders of the garrisons who were riding horses outside, his eyes flickering.
"Grandson, are you imitating the style of our Ming Dynasty generals?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked with a smile.
Zhu Ying shook his head and said, "What my grandson saw was that the generals had the will but not the strength."
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly, but soon relaxed his brows.
Liu He, who was standing next to him, shuddered all over, panicked, and hurriedly added some charcoal to the brazier.
The royal charcoal is made from special trees. It not only has no peculiar smell when burning, but also has a light and pleasant scent like aromatherapy, which has the effect of calming the mind.
Especially when it is first burned, the aroma is particularly strong.
Liu He naturally didn't dare to interrupt, so he could only put some effort into these small matters.
The main thing is that what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said was too horrifying.
What this means is that those generals are old and can no longer do their job.
But those generals are from the same era as Your Majesty. When Your Majesty frowned, Liu He's heart was lifted.
Isn't this a veiled statement that Your Majesty is old?
How could a man as talented and ambitious as Your Majesty accept old age? This is a big taboo.
Zhu Ying's inspiration seemed to have caused a small crisis, but this crisis disappeared without a trace when Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.
If it were someone else, they would have skinned him and stuffed him with straw, but if it were the eldest grandson, of course he would just laugh it off.
"Does your eldest grandson have any other ideas?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked without any concern.
Zhu Ying replied calmly: "My grandson thinks that if the army wants to maintain its efficient combat capability, the main direction is to develop younger people."
"As the saying goes, a master can be defeated by a random punch. After reaching the peak value in the forties, a person's physical fitness will gradually begin to decline. Even if a person has rich combat experience, it is difficult for him to maintain his physical strength."
"And when generals get older, the most important thing is the valuable battlefield experience. My grandson's military school has not made any significant progress so far."
"So we thought about letting these older generals semi-retire, so that they no longer have to work so hard, and instead pass on their life experience to the new generation of soldiers through teaching."
"In this way, the soldiers of our Ming Dynasty can be passed down from generation to generation for a long time, and they can maintain efficient combat effectiveness and have rich experience."
The three major colleges have been established for a long time.
But in reality it has never really developed, it's just a name.
For example, the Agricultural School was almost run by Zhu Su alone, not to mention the Craftsmen School, which was all dealing with matters related to matchlock guns.
The military academy has only made some progress on the Xuanjiawei side, and the system is being continuously improved.
This time, Zhu Ying also wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to provide more young soldiers with new channels for advancement.
The nobles occupying high positions have almost blocked the promotion channels for the middle and lower levels. This is unhealthy and many soldiers have lost their motivation.
Secondly, as I just said, young soldiers, with sufficient learning, can grow faster and become the backbone of the new generation of the Ming Dynasty.
"What a great military inheritance." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a laugh.
"Since ancient times, it has been difficult to sustain military affairs. It is often the times that make heroes. This method of yours, my great grandson, can protect the great Ming army and make it strong without fear of foreign invasions."
In today's world, all schools of thought are abolished and Confucianism is the only one respected, which is very unfriendly to military strategists.
Among the current generals, except for those who are the sons of generals, very few are truly trained. Looking at the entire Ming Dynasty, there is no place for training.
Generally speaking, the descendants of military households can gain merits on the battlefield and obtain the position of military officer. This is also the only source.
What Zhu Ying proposed was to form the concept of an orderly inheritance for the entire army, just like the literati.
After the Xuanjiawei Army's performance this time, Zhu Ying would take this opportunity to recruit all the governors, associate governors, assistant governors, and deputy governors, including many older commanders, to the military academy.
Just like the Imperial College, it continuously supplies high-quality middle-level military officers to the Ming Dynasty.
The Military School should no longer be called the Military School, and should be renamed the Military Academy. The candidate for the dean should naturally be the old man.
"I am old now, so let my eldest grandson be the dean of this academy."
Along the way, Zhu Ying and Zhu Yuanzhang kept chatting about the Military Academy. When Zhu Yuanzhang heard that he would be the dean, he smiled and said.
He even wanted his eldest grandson to bear this honor.
Zhu Ying replied, "Grandpa, how can this be possible? Your grandson is so young, how can he have any qualifications? And for the academy, it is best for you to take the position."
"My grandson is too young to convince the others. Besides, if grandpa were to become the dean, all these commanders, generals and governors would be scrambling to get in."
Hearing these somewhat flattering words, Zhu Yuanzhang responded with a smile.
Next to the dragon sedan were the guards of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and then Lan Yu, Cao Zhen, Feng Sheng, Fu Youde and other dukes followed on horseback.
Hearing the laughter and chatter of His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince coming from inside, although they couldn't hear what they were talking about, Lan Yu, Cao Zhen and others were also very excited.
At dawn, a group of hundreds of people arrived outside the Xuanjiawei camp.
All the generals dismounted, and the dragon sedan chair moved unimpeded all the way to the generals' platform.
When Zhu Ying walked out of the dragon sedan, many Black Armor Guards who had been waiting for a long time, like statues, knelt on one knee and shouted:
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May His Royal Highness live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years!!!"
When Zhu Ying heard this, his eyes moved and he couldn't help but look at Cao Bing, who was also kneeling on one knee with his fists clasped beside him.
At this time in the Ming Dynasty, it is not popular to shout "Thousand Years Old" or something like that.
Although shouting things like "Thousand years old" and "Long live the emperor" had already become popular during the Wu Zhou period of the Tang Dynasty.
It’s just because of the delicate relationship between emperors and crown princes in many dynasties, so the word "Qiansui" is rarely mentioned.
Now that this has happened, most people would not have thought that among the five thousand households of the Xuanjia Guard, there was only Cao Bing.
Cao Bing knelt on one knee, his head lowered so that his face could not be seen. Only he knew how nervous he was at the moment.
This was indeed something he proposed on his own initiative, and it was also recognized by other thousand households.
Cao Bing has a keen political sense, and he understands very well how important His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is to His Majesty.
Among the five captains of Xuanjia Guard, Cao Bing has always worked very hard due to his age. He knows that he could get this position thanks to the nepotism of his father and the Duke of Liang.
That's why I'm trying to find a new way at this time, hoping to gain the attention and favor of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
At least, in future reforms, he will not be kicked out of the core of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
I have to say that Zhu Ying was in a very good mood after hearing so many soldiers shouting "Long Live the Lord".
After patting Cao Bing on the shoulder, Zhu Ying went to take the old man off the dragon sedan chair.
Feeling a gentle pat on his shoulder, Cao Bing was overjoyed and felt stable.
"Greetings to His Majesty, long live His Majesty!!!"
As Zhu Yuanzhang came out, the soldiers shouted again.
"All soldiers, stand up!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After getting down from the dragon carriage, Zhu Ying supported the old man and went up to the stage to review the generals.
The reviewing platform at the Xuanjiawei military camp is very different from those at other military camps. Because of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, it is relatively luxurious.
First of all, it is covered on three sides, like a wooden house, and is three meters high.
There is a desk and chairs on top.
After going up, you can sit and watch, with a panoramic view. There are braziers lit around to keep warm.
In comparison, others could only stand and watch.
This is also why Zhu Yuanzhang did not allow civil officials to come. Ordinary people really could not bear it.
With the sound of drums, the military exercise officially began.
The military exercises of Xuanjiawei are naturally very different from those of other garrisons.
The five thousand households were divided into five teams, occupying five areas respectively.
Behind their area, there are five flags in red, orange, yellow, green and blue.
The ultimate goal of the military exercise is to defend one's own area and seize the flags of others.
The weapons are naturally mainly wooden swords and wooden shields.
And the fighting is also extremely real.
Around the training ground, there are hundreds of doctors who have been prepared in advance, as well as a large number of golden wound medicines and bone-setting masters, who are always ready.
This opening alone shocked all the generals.
This is going to be a real fight.
So this is the military exercise of the Xuanjia Guards.
In this kind of training environment, it is almost equivalent to continuous fighting and growth. No wonder such soldiers are so outstanding.
"Well, this arrangement by Grandson is really an eye-opener for us."
With just one glance, Zhu Yuanzhang saw the key.
The biggest difference between regular troops and ragtag troops, in an era dominated by cold weapons, is nothing more than morale and rules.
Morale is an extremely mysterious thing, and is affected by many factors.
But there is no doubt that the morale of an excellent army is absolutely very high.
Maintaining high morale is something a good general needs to always consider.
As for the Xuanjia Guards, their morale was boosted by drill.
Such military exercises must be conducted frequently, and long-term multi-person fighting will ensure that the morale of all soldiers is maintained at a very high critical point at all times.
Once they actually got on the battlefield, everyone was full of energy and bravely charged forward, having already won three points at the start of the battle.
And the tactics, or military formations, currently used by the five parties.
It can also make it easier for generals to command, and over time, the soldiers will become very familiar with changing the military formation.
The advantage of a military formation is that it can stimulate the abilities of all soldiers to the greatest extent.
Use the strong to attack the weak, and use the many to defeat the few.
"Brother, did you see that? That's my son."
Cao Zhen, who was standing next to Lan Yu, said excitedly.
Compared with the Black Armor Guards, the soldiers under his command really had no resistance at all.
Even if there were more than 5,000 people in his garrison, the chances of winning would be very slim when facing the more than 1,000 people under his son's command.
As someone who had spent most of his life on the battlefield, Cao Zhen could see the difference at a glance.
But he was his own son, and there was no trace of jealousy in Cao Zhen's tone and eyes, only strong pride.
Lan Yu watched intently, not paying attention to Cao Zhen next to him.
As a famous general, he naturally knew very well what the Xuanjia Guard in front of him represented.
This is completely different from the previous soldiers. It is a new training mode. The elite soldiers trained in this way are as easy to use as one's own arms. They only need a little running-in, and the combat power they burst out is immeasurable.
Originally, Lan Yu had reached a peak in military operations and training troops, but also reached a bottleneck.
However, the current Xuanjiawei has refreshed Lan Yu's consistent ideas and pattern.
This is the peak ceiling of cold weapon combat from later generations.
Lan Yu was greatly inspired, it was like opening up the world anew.
At the same time, all the generals, whether they were the governors, associate governors, or assistant governors of the Five Military Governors' Office, or the commanders of various garrisons.
As he watched the Black Armor Guards getting ready to start, he almost held his breath, for fear of disturbing them due to excessive breathing.
"Your Highness, you are truly...a man favored by heaven."
Feng Sheng carefully checked among the Xuanjia Guards and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Fu Youde next to him nodded heavily.
As the three drums sounded.
All the Black Armor Guards finally took action.
kill!!!
Five roars were heard and the flag bearers waved.
The transition from extreme stillness to extreme movement made everyone's blood boil.
The soldiers formed a wall and rushed forward. In a five-way fight, no one retreated at all and they charged forward fiercely.
The wooden sword shattered and the wooden shield flew away.
There was even more blood spreading in the air, which was particularly conspicuous under the sunlight against the snow-white ground.
This is not a military exercise at all, it's clearly a real battle.
Even in a melee, you can see that the rules are very clear. No one fights alone. We form groups of three or five. You go up and I protect you, and he fills in when he is lacking.
What's more, with the help of his teammates, he could leap and kick someone a dozen feet away.
"What kind of monsters are these?"
There was a garrison commander who couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
The soldier who was kicked ten feet away and bumped into several people fell to the ground, but in the blink of an eye he got up, roared and joined his own team again to fight.
Such scenes were played out in every corner of the battlefield.
There were more than 5,000 people, all of them were brave warriors with a strong ability to withstand attacks. They seemed invincible and kept fighting, which was horrifying.
What is most frightening is in such a melee situation.
These soldiers, who seemed to be blood-thirsty, were very rational.
The commanders roared, the flag-bearers waved, and the military formations changed without any awkwardness, and no soldiers deserted.
This is the most rare thing. It is incredible that the army formation can be maintained in such a fierce battle situation.
Many generals were present, including Lan Yu, Cao Zhen, Feng Sheng, Fu Youde, as well as other meritorious military generals and various governors-general.
Everyone is asking themselves this question.
If the soldiers led by me encounter such an enemy, is there any possibility of victory?
The answer is yes.
There was not even the slightest chance of winning, it was a complete crushing from all aspects, like the difference between a strong man and a child, there was a world of difference.
You have to know that everyone here has made contributions on the battlefield, and most of them have grown from being a soldier to where they are today.
The soldiers they led were currently the most powerful and elite troops in the entire Ming Dynasty.
But in front of the Black Armor Guards who were trained under the leadership of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, they were like paper.
"I heard that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was an army called Xianzhen Camp, which had more than 700 soldiers, all of whom were well-trained and equipped with armor. They were able to defeat any enemy they attacked."
"I think it's just like what's in front of me, but the Crown Prince has such soldiers under his command, more than 5,000 people."
Feng Sheng looked at the unpredictable situation on the battlefield and said with emotion.
Lan Yu beside him added: "Duke Song, don't forget that all the members of the Black Armor Guard are not only good at foot combat, but also good at riding and shooting when they are selected. For example, the Xiaoling Guard can shoot with a bow on horseback, and only those who can hit two out of three targets can be selected."
"The Black Armor Guards' rear camp has several thousand war horses, so cavalry training is a must. It is probably because the losses in cavalry battles are too great that they will not be included in the military exercise."
"And His Royal Highness the Crown Prince values firearms. The matchlock muskets are in the Black Armor Guards, so they must have had a lot of training."
"The military exercise we witnessed today is only the tip of the Black Armor Guard iceberg. What His Royal Highness wants us to see is not only the strength of the soldiers, but also the strict discipline."
At this moment, Lan Yu's expression and tone were completely different from what he usually looked like.
There is not the slightest bit of rebelliousness, only eyes as calm as water and a rapidly working brain.
Being able to become a famous general and having even greater momentum than Shangguan Fengsheng, he is not just a person of fame.
Currently in the Ming army, the only ones who can communicate and discuss in this regard are Feng Sheng and Lan Yu.
After listening to this, Feng Sheng agreed deeply with it.
At this moment, a full hour had passed since the military exercise began, and the soldiers on the field were gradually beginning to show signs of fatigue.
This has come to the final critical moment.
None of the generals felt cold, because the blood in their bodies was boiling due to the fighting of the Black Armor Guards.
Even Zhu Yuanzhang was not sitting at this moment. He stood up and watched carefully at some point.
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