Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 29 The Plague Strikes
What Zhu Yixi didn't know was that this prince, that is, Wang Wei, was called the "King of the South and North of Xu" together with Xu Guangqi, and he had close contacts with many missionaries, and published "Illustration of Qi Qi Qi Shuo".

Like Xu Guangqi, he paid attention to saving the country through practical learning.

And when it came to him, he was Sun Yuanhua's assistant in casting artillery and training soldiers. After Kong Youde's rebellion, he was implicated together with Sun Yuanhua, and his friends rescued him in many ways before he survived.

It can be said that in today's Daming, after Xu Guangqi's death, he is the only one who understands equipment and Western learning best.

Retired to the countryside for many years, Wang Wei is quite leisurely, but his heart to serve the country remains undiminished.

"The identity of the unknown little friend?"

Wang Yan's lips trembled, and he hurriedly asked.

"I am the chief medical officer of the Qin Army, who is also the head of the craftsman battalion, and is currently in charge of the red-clothed cannon."

Zhu Yixi hurriedly said.

"Qin Jun, Governor Sun!"

Wang Yan muttered a few words, his eyes became brighter and brighter: "I never thought that an old man who was half buried in the earth can still serve the country. What a happy event!"

"Go, go—"

Wang Yan grabbed Zhu Yixi's arm and said eagerly: "I'm too old, I still have to hurry up and serve the country."

"As long as the intruders are eliminated, why waste this body?"

"The prince understands the red cannon?"

Seeing his reaction, Zhu Yixi was overjoyed, and asked again: "Do you know how to flintlock?"

"Flintlock? Self-igniting musket?"

Hearing this, Wang Yan thought about it, and couldn't help but said: "In the eighth year of Chongzhen, Bi Menghou (Bi Maokang) once presented the "Illustration of Military Weapons" to His Majesty, saying that its flint ignites and is not afraid of rain, but it is magical and very difficult to manufacture. Several times, the court is empty and hard to control, that's all."

Bi Maokang?Zhu Yixi felt that this person was familiar, but couldn't remember it for a while.

I never thought that Wang Yan knew about flintlock guns, but what are the similarities and differences with western flintlock guns?
"Does the prince have this book?"

"This is the sharp weapon of the country. The old man likes skills, so he naturally has them."

"That's great!"

Zhu Yixi was overjoyed, he really found a treasure, this trip was not in vain, the flintlock gun and the red cannon were all solved.

Wang Yan was in a hurry to set off, but Zhu Yixi still considered his family and informed him.

The two adopted sons were quite worried about this and wanted to serve in Xi'an, while the concubine, Shen Shi, even asked the whole family to go.

In desperation, Wang Yan could only agree, and the move was a grand undertaking.

After informing the clan elders, younger brothers, relatives and friends, it took three days for the group to go to Xi'an City.

On the way, Zhu Yixi chatted with Wang Wei about military training.

Wang Yan once assisted Sun Yuanhua in military training, and even had close contacts with many missionaries. He knew quite well about the Portuguese and Spanish phalanxes:
"The formation of the Red Barbarians is neat and uniform, everyone is united, and there are many birds and guns, so for the enemy, after a few times of endurance, it will be crushed."

"Even if the Ming army had learned its formation, the damage in the early stage was quite high, especially the Jiannu who were good at shooting and had a thick shield to reach forward. Once all the arrows were fired, our army would be hard to resist. Without morale, we could only retreat. "

"That is to say, if you blindly learn from Fulang Robot, you will only be a toddler in Handan?"

Hearing this opinion, Zhu Yixi couldn't help feeling a little discouraged.

"That's right!" Wang Yan nodded and said, "Our army's morale is too low, it's hard to withstand the damage in the early stage, and it often collapses at the first touch, which can't solve the morale problem. This phalanx has only its shape, not its soul."

"I understand!"

Zhu Yixi nodded.

The key is people.

How could it be possible to develop into a Spanish phalanx with the current model where soldiers are sifted through like a sieve and soldiers are generals.

Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate the soul of soldiers from scratch, from the root.

To solve the problem of morale, first rely on rewards, and second rely on kindness. As for the issue of national righteousness, it is absolutely difficult for ordinary people to consider.

"Then don't know how to train soldiers?"

Zhu Yixi asked for advice sincerely.

Wang Yu pondered for a moment, then said: "When choosing a good general, you must use the villagers, and you must not use the rogues in the city."

"No matter how much food and salaries are needed, with military law, integrating firearms, and perfecting armor, the army can be completed in less than half a year. Although it is not necessary to fight the Eight Banners in the field, it is not a serious problem to guard the castle."

"Teach me!" Zhu Yixi nodded seriously. This insight is very clever.

These items may seem simple, but they are actually very difficult.

For example, even if Sun Chuanting's Qin army tried its best to search Shaanxi, even if it offended the entire gentry and common people, it still had to train soldiers, so the Qin army beat bandits like clouds and water.

Other armies, even elite frontier troops, have no money and food, and they still lose consecutive battles.

It is the most difficult to just get enough military pay.

Only when the military salary is sufficient can we have good generals, buy armor and have a strong army.

Otherwise, Zhu Yixi would have fled to Hanzhong long ago.

It is now the 16th year of Chongzhen. Whether it is the imperial soldiers and horses, or the bandits such as Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, they have all been upgraded and replaced.

Based on his cognition, he felt that Sun Chuanting's Qin army was so elite that he was tortured and killed by Li Zicheng in history. From this, it can be seen that Li Zicheng is not as weak as he imagined, and the Eight Banners may be stronger than imagined.

Thinking about the great cause of military training and inheriting the legacy of the Qin army, Zhu Yixi closed his eyes and began to think.

The more he thought about it, the more startled he became.

The carriage gurgles along, the uneven official road has long been in disrepair, and it is not much better than the country road, and the bumps are uncomfortable.

Suddenly, there were bursts of wailing in his ears.

Zhu Yixi was startled, and hurriedly opened the car window to look out, only to see the ditches on both sides of the official road, overgrown with weeds, lying one after another human body, with pale, swollen faces, moaning in pain.

"Big Head Plague—"

A cry came from next to his ear, and Zhu Yixi turned his head to see that Wang Yan was already bent over, gritting his teeth, with a shocked face.

"I just left last year, I never thought I would come again this year."

"It should have been brought by the victims."

Zhu Yixi made a judgment. Looking at the people who fell along the ditch, he was quite sad, but also extremely afraid.

In the era without modern medicine, the plague, or the plague, was tantamount to a death sentence.

Similarly, due to the chaos of order, the people who were once trapped in the village were able to wander around, which led to the spread of the plague.

And Zhu Yixi felt faintly uneasy in his heart: "This place is only more than thirty miles away from Xi'an City, and it's so serious. Then Xi'an can't escape!"

After only four or five days away, Zhu Yixi was extremely disturbed to receive such a huge "gift".

The city of Xi'an originally had a population of one million in the Ming Dynasty, but now it is only about [-]. If the plague is added, I don't know how many people will be reduced.

"Quick, act faster, don't stop!"

Zhu Yixi hurriedly gave orders with an extremely serious expression.

Wang Yan also sighed deeply: "How difficult is the fate of the country!"

(End of this chapter)