The twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month in the eighteenth year of the Wanli reign.

The Ming Emperor Zhu Yijun summoned Yin Bingheng, the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Camp Military Affairs, Du Tong, the commander-in-chief of Baoding, Zhang Chen, the commander-in-chief of Changping, and Wang Huaxi, the commander-in-chief of Yongping, in the warm room of Huangji Gate.

These four are all famous veterans!

The first one is the old general Yin Bingheng, who was born in Qihe, Shandong Province. He and Qi Jiguang were known as the "two heroes of Shandong Province". Yin Bingheng came from a scholarly family. His father was a Jinshi in the 15th year of Hongzhi and served as the deputy envoy of the Censorate.

He was not good at studying, but became an officer with the help of his father. However, he did not live a life of idleness like other second-generations. Instead, he practiced martial arts diligently, went to Beijing to take the military examination, and ranked fourth. Thus, he officially began his military career of fighting battles in the south and the north!

Yin Bingheng once charged into the enemy camp three times in Xuanfu, wielding a sword. He cut off 27 heads of the Tartars. He himself was wounded several times, and his robe was stained with blood. He also led his army southward and became a close comrade-in-arms with Qi Jiguang. Because of his bravery in battle, he was honored as the "General of the Cavalry who Suppressed the Japanese"!

He was once trapped by Japanese pirates in Shidang Mountain, where he survived for three days and three nights by killing horses, eating horse meat and drinking horse urine. In several battles with the Japanese pirates, Yin Bingheng suffered more than fifty wounds, and even Qi Jiguang, who scratched him, couldn't help crying.

After the victory of the war against the Japanese invaders, Yin Bingheng and Qi Jiguang were ordered to go north again to train three camps. Qi Jiguang trained the Shenji Camp, and he trained the Wujun Camp. Later, Qi Jiguang became the general of Jizhen, and he became the general of Baoding.

However, Yin Bingheng did not have Qi Jiguang's ability to deal with social situations and make changes. He did not know how to find a backer and was made difficult by the governor of Baoding. He could only sigh helplessly: "I have fought against the Japanese in the south and the Hu in the north. I am not afraid of war, but I am afraid of pale-faced scholars." So he submitted petitions to resign three times and retired to his hometown in Qihe in the sixth year of Longqing.

When the country was in danger, Wanli thought of this old general who had been retired for 18 years. He urgently summoned him to Beijing and appointed him as the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Camp, commanding the three camps!

The second Baoding General Du Tong was from Yan'an. In the early Wanli period, he was promoted to the garrison commander of Qingshuiying by hereditary inheritance. He made many military achievements and was known for his bravery. Later, he was transferred to Yansui to be a guerrilla general, and then changed to a lieutenant general of Gubeikou. In the tenth year of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng recommended Governor Liang Menglong and promoted him to the deputy general of Yansui. In the fourteenth year, he was appointed as the deputy governor and served as the general officer.

Although his reputation is not as good as the former, he ranks high in the list of available generals left by Zhang Juzheng for Wanli. In the 17th year, Wanli personally transferred him to Baoding to protect the capital.

The third Changping general officer, Zhang Chen, was from Yulinwei. He rose from a private to a general. When he was still a squad leader, his superior was surrounded by the enemy and lost his horse. Zhang Chen rode alone to rescue him, shot the enemy leader, snatched a horse, and took his superior back to the barracks. From then on, he became famous.

He was a brave warrior, especially good at leading cavalry in frontal combat, and he had fought dozens of battles without losing a single battle. When the Mongols saw his flag, they turned around and ran away in fear. He was a famous general at the frontier!

The last one, Wang Huaxi, was from Zhangde. He had made outstanding contributions in resisting the Japanese invaders and suppressing the rebellion. In the third year of Longqing, he was appointed as the General of Conquering the Barbarians and the Commander-in-Chief of Guangxi. He had also retired and returned to his hometown, and together with Yin Bingheng, he was reinstated by Wanli.

Although Wang Huaxi's ability may not be as good as the above three, he is mature and absolutely loyal... Of course, this is also the person Zhang Juzheng left for Wanli.

~~

To be honest, Wanli was very concerned about military affairs. Mr. Zhang had taught him that being an emperor involves three things: military power, financial power, and official hat. He had to hold the reins firmly in his hands so that he could sit firmly on the throne.

But Mr. Zhang didn't expect that the three horses would break free so quickly...

Normally, the emperor should not personally meet with the general. But the Grand Secretary is in prison, the Ministry of War is shut down, and the nobles cannot be trusted.

Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi and Duke Chengguo Zhu Shimao were both found by the East Factory to have held important positions in the Xishan Group for a long time, so they went to the imperial prison to keep him company.

Although Duke of England Zhang Yuangong did not work in Xishan Group, his father, the late Duke of England Zhang Rong, had long served as the vice chairman of Xishan Group. His younger brother Zhang Yuande is still the deputy supervisor of Xishan Group...

Therefore, Wanli removed him from his post as governor of the military affairs of the Beijing camp and confined him to his home.

As for Xu Weizhi, the Duke of Wei in Nanjing, he was a disciple of Zhao Hao. Wanli had long ago dismissed him from his post as the garrison commander of Nanjing, allowing him to focus on filming.

"Of the five great dukes of the dynasty, I had to dismiss four! The four university scholars, the six ministries and the seven ministers were also wiped out!"

In the warm room, Wanli's heartbroken voice echoed.

"Look at those people! Which one of them is not a pillar of the court? Which one of them is not a descendant of the founding heroes who quelled the rebellion and received the emperor's grace for generations? If they die, my heart will be broken!" Over the past month, Wanli has lost a lot of weight. With a pair of dark circles under his eyes, he hoarsely said to the four famous generals in front of him:

"My ancestors handed the country to me, but I have turned it into this state. I am deeply distressed. I feel ashamed of my ancestors and the world. I wish I could dismiss myself!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down and take care of yourself!" The four generals knelt down hurriedly. It was the first time for them to see the emperor, and they were very excited. Seeing Wanli so sad, they also felt sympathetic.

"It doesn't matter to me. It's already come to this point. If I can use my life to restore the integrity of my ancestors' kingdom, I won't even frown!" Wanli said with great sadness.

"Your Majesty, don't do this!" The white-haired old general Yin Bingheng said with tears in his eyes: "My Celestial Empire still has millions of soldiers and sufficient money and food. It's just that we have always valued the north and neglected the south, so the Zhao rebels took advantage of us!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Huaxi also burst into tears and said, "As long as we wait for the Grand Canal to open next year, our army will be able to march south to quell the rebellion and recover the lost territory. It will be just around the corner!"

Zhang Chen and Du Tong also nodded, but did not dare to brag.

The two retired generals have been out of touch with the world for too long. The two of them are younger and have never left the army, so they still have some understanding of the strength of Jiangnan Group and the Coast Guard Fleet.

In fact, as long as you get a batch of Longqing-style guns, you will know what a terrible enemy you are facing. Those fire guns made in Jiangnan can actually interchange parts! It is simply incredible, and it is completely unimaginable how their craftsmen did it.

And the Coast Guard Fleet... Oh, it seems to have been renamed the Navy. After dominating the oceans for many years, it will definitely turn the Yangtze River into an insurmountable natural barrier.

But the emperor is almost depressed to death. Now is not the time to pour cold water on him. It is better to focus on encouragement.

~~

With the comfort of the two old generals, Wanli felt much better. He looked at Yin Bingheng and said, "After listening to the old general's words, I feel much more at ease."

After a pause, he continued, "There is only one thing. We cannot wait until next spring to start the war!"

"But Your Majesty, it's freezing cold out here. Sending our troops on a long expedition would be tantamount to seeking death." Yin Bingheng, who had been upright all his life, frowned.

"I didn't say to send the army on a long expedition." Wanli secretly reminded himself to be patient. Now he could only rely on these soldiers who didn't know etiquette.

As he spoke, he beckoned the four men to come forward, pointed to a map of the capital on the imperial desk and said, "The place I want to fight is right under my armpits! How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed?"

The four of them took a closer look and found that it was indeed Zunhua Prefecture.

People in the south of the Yangtze River call that place Tangshan City.

"This is the defense zone of Jizhen." Wang Huaxi said in a deep voice.

"Yes, General Yang Siwei of Jizhen will guard Shanhaiguan to prevent Qi Jiguang from entering the pass." Wanli said with a gloomy face.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to guarantee with my life that Qi Shaobao is absolutely loyal!" Yin Bingheng couldn't help but clasp his fists and said, "The Ming Dynasty cannot do without Qi Shaobao. Your Majesty can definitely rely on him as a pillar of support!"

"Qi Jiguang is the one Zhao Hao has always wanted to restore!" Wanli said unhappily, "For this, he has been competing with me for several years. In order to force Li Chengliang to surrender, he even went so far as to capture and kill the loyal chieftains who came to pay tribute in the capital, causing chaos in Jianzhou! It made me lose face!"

"It is said that 'a country needs a good general in times of crisis, and a loyal minister is known by its enemies'. Alas, it is a pity that my Li Taibao was forced to the Luo wilderness in the far west by Zhao Hao's deliberate plot..." Wanli sighed and said, "If he were still alive, I would have ordered him to lead the Liaodong cavalry south to destroy the damn Tangshan City!"

"Moreover, the East Factory has learned that after Qi Jiguang's generals retired from the army, 99% of them joined the Jiangnan Group! How can you make me believe that Qi Jiguang has no secrets with him?!" Wanli coughed and slowed down his tone, "Old General, I know you have been friends for many years, but if you face off on the battlefield, nostalgia will kill you."

"Your Majesty, I have remembered this..." Yin Bingheng was stunned by what Wanli said. Although he still didn't believe that Qi Jiguang would betray the Ming Dynasty, he couldn't refute it.

~~

Wanli's attack on Tangshan was not a reckless move, but was well thought out.

Firstly, the areas south of the Yangtze River have become independent. If the imperial court does not take any military action, the provinces in the southwest, northwest, and north will lose their fear and may follow suit and rise up.

At this precarious time, confidence is more precious than gold. As long as the provinces have confidence in the imperial court's suppression of the rebellion, the situation will not collapse, and there is still room for recovery. If the provinces lose confidence in the imperial court's suppression of the rebellion, then the ancestral foundation of 200 years will be destroyed, and they will die without a burial place.

Therefore, we must win a great and beautiful victory to boost the confidence of all parties in the court!

Aren't those damn civil servants just refusing to cooperate because they have no confidence in themselves? I will let them see that I, the Wanli Emperor, am invincible!

Secondly, he judged that Zhao Hao had established Tangshan City in order to drive a wedge into the capital and establish a forward base. In this way, once the real intention was exposed, the rebels could continuously land in Caofeidian on large ships and march straight to the capital!

Fortunately, God blesses the Ming Dynasty. This winter is extremely cold. The entire Bohai Bay is frozen, and even Caofeidian is covered with floating ice, making it difficult for the rebels to land.

Therefore, we must capture Tangshan before the end of the ice age in March to keep the rebels out!

In addition, I heard that Tangshan's steel production is greater than that of the entire Ming Dynasty, and there are thousands of acres of fertile land! For the court that lost the blood transfusion from Jiangnan, it is indeed a perfect compensation.

Zhao Hao was so arrogant that he left such a treasure alone thousands of miles away from Jiangnan. It can be seen that his level is also average...

"I have made up my mind. We will take over Tangshan before March. Everyone, get ready!"

ps. Damn, the water pipe was leaking today and I couldn’t fix it after repairing it for a long time... I’ll continue writing.