The method proposed by the General Staff was to use the 12-pounder and 24-pounder howitzers as mortars for later generations, and after placing them in the trenches, the large firing angle of the howitzers was used to let the shells fall directly over the city walls. Without the Hochsky grenade filled with A-oil explosives or starch explosives, the power of this "mortar" tactic would be greatly reduced, and it would be difficult to cause lethal damage to targets in the city. But now, as long as thousands of high-powered flowering bullets fall into the trading city, it may be able to force the defenders of the city to disarm and surrender!

Thinking of this, Zhu Jishi asked with a smile: "Is the number of front-line grenades enough?" ”

Chief of Staff Liu patted his chest and smiled: "Enough, Luo Junqi brought 40,000 Hochsky grenades to the trading city, and there are the same number of Hochsky grenades stored in Tengger City." If it is not enough, it can also be transported from the rear to the front, and there are no less than 200,000 rounds of Khochsky grenades in the warehouses of the War Department! ”

It has been more than two years since the Ming military war, and naturally a large number of Hodchsky grenades have been stockpiled, and the production of such grenades is not too difficult, and there is no need for Lan Fangxing's factory, many small factories upgraded from handicraft workshops can produce the shell and tail (wooden) of Hodchisky grenades.

"Where's the rations? The three armies cannot go without food for a day, how long can the military rations on the front line last? Zhu Jishi asked again.

"That's enough for 2 months." Liu Jiong said, "The War Department has allocated funds to purchase a large number of cattle and sheep from various departments in southern Mongolia, and has also transferred a large amount of grain from Liaodong, which is being transported to the front line of the trading city. In addition, Luo Junqi had ordered the construction of four field fortresses around the trading city as the foundation of the siege of the trading city. ”

"Has the Russian-Tatar coalition that infiltrated the Mongolian steppes been found?" Zhu Jishi's tone had sunken. The battle of buying and selling the city was fought with patience and logistics. And the battle for Eastern Siberia. The key is also logistics. So this group of Russian-Tatar forces of unknown number. is what really gives Zhu Jishi a headache. Once they cut off the logistics line of the Ming army. It is dangerous to buy and sell the enemy's army in front of the city.

"Your Majesty, don't worry, this Russian Tatar cavalry can't become a big climate, because their combat effectiveness is not good, in the battle of Flying Wolf Castle, 1500 cavalry can't even take down a few hundred workers and hundreds of infantry."

Liu Jiong reassured. In the past few days, the General Staff Headquarters has received reports of two attacks by Mongolian tribes, and the perpetrators were all Eight Banner soldiers. The site of the incident was already close to the edge of the Gobi, very close to the logistics line of the Ming army and the railway construction site. However, the Ming army's response was also relatively fast. Cavalry was urgently dispatched from Beizhi, Rehe, Liaodong and other places to rush to Monan. At the same time, Han Si's 120,000 army also completed the strategic deployment on the grassland, divided into 10 roads, and searched from east to west.

"A guerrilla army has pinned down my 200,000 army, stirring up the grasslands of Mo Nan and Mo Bei, our opponent is not weak!"

Zhu Jishi said with a smile: "Fortunately, I cleaned up the old hair with the British, French and Tu, if we do it alone, it's really hard to say whether we can defeat others." ”

"That's the emperor's clever strategy, going to the army to fight and plotting, and then to fight and fight. The Russians are too far behind the emperor in this regard. "Liu Jiong's ability to fight is ordinary, but his ability to say good things is not bad.

Zhu Jishi smiled proudly. This time, the diplomatic effort was indeed in place. and is undefeated, but Maozi's skills in fighting are clever, and it always takes some effort to win. However, the Russian Tatar guerrillas on the Mongolian steppe are not a big problem, and now it is the Maozi Navy of the Ryukyus that is really uncertain, if it cannot be completely annihilated, the trouble is still not small.

"Have the captains of the six ironclads arrived?"

"If you go back to the emperor, you have already arrived, and you are waiting outside the Ten Thousand Gullies Pine Wind Palace."

"Okay, let them come in and see me at once." Emperor Zhu's words fell, and before Liu Jiong could turn around, he saw Weng Tonggong, the deputy minister of the imperial study, walking in in a hurry, still holding a telegraph in his hand.

"Your Majesty, it's an urgent report from Concubine Akiko, the Japanese shogunate Tokugawa Iekei died on the morning of August 3."

Shogun Tokugawa is dead! Although it is expected, it is definitely not good news for the current war against Russia, which is still in the warm-up stage!

"It's not the right time to die!" Zhu Jishi scratched his head, but he didn't reach out to answer the newspaper, "Tokugawa Ieyuki's position is still stable, right?" ”

Tokugawa Ieyuki is Takechiyo, and Tokugawa Iekei let him inherit the shogun and Tokugawa Governor, so he let him serve in advance and named Ieyuki. Probably hoping that he could bring luck to the Tokugawa family, right? However, Tokugawa Ieyuki, who was still a little hairy, did not receive the support of the Japanese court. Although he inherited the Tokugawa clan governor, he did not receive the announcement of the shogun and the elder Genji. The names of these two pillars of the samurai family still belong to the late Tokugawa Iekei.

Of course, the Japanese imperial court did not openly oppose the succession of the Tokugawa family by Iyoyuki. It's a procrastinating errand, and now it's finally dragging Tokugawa Iekei to death.

"The excerpt of the noble concubine only says that she is fighting for the position of the general of Seiyi and the elder of the Genji for the Tokugawa family." Weng Tongyi replied.

"Your Majesty, do you want the navy to visit Japan?" Liu Jiong reminded beside him.

Zhu Jishi shook his head: "The prestige of the Ming army is made by fighting!" Sending a few warships abroad will not have much effect, it is not as effective as the Russian fleet that completely annihilated the Ryukyus! Mullin, go and bring in the six captains of the ironclad ship. ”

Liu Jiong raised his hand and saluted, turned to leave. Zhu Jishi said to Weng Tongyi again: "Go to Mingzi to send an edict, if Iieyuki really can't become a general, then let Tokugawa Keiki go first, and Isayuki will be Keiki's successor, and now we must maintain stability in Japan no matter what......"

The so-called telegram is actually a telegraph plus sailing ship model, and now there is no water telegraph line connection between the Ming Dynasty and Japan, so the telegram can only be sent to Lushun, and then the telegram of Emperor Zhu is sent to Japan by speedboat.

It is not difficult to understand that Emperor Zhu wanted to maintain stability in Japan, and now more than 40,000 Japanese samurai were incorporated into the Ming army, ready to be used in Central Asia and Western Mongolia. If there is turmoil in Japan, where do these people still have the heart to fight for the Ming Dynasty? In addition, Emperor Zhu also wanted the Tokugawa shogunate to send a division of infantry to fight in Eastern Siberia. For example, Muravyov built more than one fortress like the Buying and Selling City! Even with powerful starch explosives, attacking such a fortress would have to pay heavy casualties.

If the Japanese army can be used to participate in the war, it will not only reduce the casualties of the Ming army itself, but also minimize the number of Japanese samurai - these people are not only the source of domestic instability in Japan, but also the capital of Japan's rise, if 108,000 people can die in this war, Japan can be stable for at least another 20 years!

Weng Tongyi didn't move when he heard this, but thought about it for a while, and reminded in a low voice: "Your Majesty, now is not the time for Concubine Ming to show weakness. ”

"Show weakness......" Zhu Jishi looked at Weng Tongyi with some puzzlement.

Weng Tongyi smiled faintly and said in a soft Wu Nong language: "Since ancient times, the matter of palace politics is more ruthless than determination, and it is often whoever can make a heart cross can laugh the most!" If anyone blindly shows weakness and retreats, the hearts of the people below will change, and those who originally supported their followers may also take refuge in their opponents.

The minister has studied the history of Japan, although the general of the Tokugawa shogunate wants the imperial court to seal it, but who is the general, the imperial court has no right to speak! This has been a practice for more than 200 years, and this time the Japanese court took advantage of the serious illness of General Iekei and the opportunity of the Tokugawa family to change the heir, I am afraid that it is to get involved in the issue of the succession of generals! If Concubine Ming retreats, then the prestige of the Japanese court will definitely increase greatly, and it will definitely have to make an inch of progress in the future, and make a fuss about the integration of public and military forces, and it is difficult to say whether Jia Xing will be able to become a general in the future. Therefore, Concubine Ming must not show weakness now. ”

What kind of person is Weng Tongyi, the emperors of the two dynasties in history, although they did not teach any Ming Jun, but they still have a set of skills to play with power - they are great Confucians, in addition to reading sage books, aren't they just studying power arts? However, Emperor Zhu doesn't like these own people's skills to play with his own people, and he doesn't need to engage in these things in his own court, so his skills are never revealed. (To be continued......)