Xie Qian did not mention Shen Xi's return to the court to Empress Dowager Zhang. After repeated thinking, he finally realized that it was meaningless to mention this matter in front of Empress Dowager Zhang... Although Empress Dowager Zhang has certain power, she does not like to inquire about the affairs of the court. Now that Liu Jin is in power, the emperor supports him personally. If he wants to defeat Liu Jin, he can only start with the emperor's trust.

Let’s talk about the northwest, after the beginning of spring, there were several heavy snowfalls.

Compared with the beautiful scenery of fireworks in the south of the Yangtze River, the grass is growing in March, the snow in the north is still flying in March. Chenxi didn’t know that the spring in the northwest was so cold. It turned out that he thought that the earth should thaw in March, but the weather did not go as expected. The snow fell more than usual this spring, which hindered Chenxi’s training plan.

Lin Heng and Wang Lingzhi have been supervising cavalry to practice riding and shooting.

The modified Folang machine musket is closer to the shotgun. The attack distance of this weapon is only thirty or forty meters, and the effect is very good in close combat, but the key is that it is inconvenient to load ammunition, and the weapon must be fought at close range to play a role, and the actual combat effect is not satisfactory.

Think about it, if you fight with the Tatars, the Tatars' cavalry is unique, with a range that exceeds that of muskets, and the melee Tatars are very brave. The Ming cavalry suffered casualties after the Tatars' cavalry for one round, and their positions were in chaos. Next, they had to wait until the enemy approached before they could fire a shot.

If the enemy fails to get into a trap, keeps riding and shooting in the distance, or simply gets shot and then launches a fierce charge, the Ming cavalry has no time to load and then fight in close combat. Both of these results will lead to the Ming army's defeat.

On the ninth day of the third month, Chenxi was in heavy snow and watched Lin Heng and Wang Ling train.

Because the road was blocked due to heavy snow, cavalry training was carried out in the training ground in Yulin City.

In the huge field, a group of twenty cavalrymen are conducting riding and shooting training.

After riding a horse about 200 meters, the cavalry shot at the designated location and hit the straw man targets set up thirty meters away. This is the most basic requirement.

Lin Heng and Wang Lingzhi have been training cavalry for a while, but the effect is not good. They can only hit the target with only one or two shots while marching, and more often they release targets, and even occasionally cause injuries to their own people.

The ten groups of cavalry who participated in the training today were all elites drawn from the three-sided cavalry. The effect was so poor. Chen Xi shook his head repeatedly and called for a stop to the drill.

Lin Heng rode his horse to the high platform where Chen Xi was, and then knelt on one knee after getting off the horse: "I don't have good training in my vocational school, please punish me."

Chen Xi got off the platform, helped Lin Heng up, and comforted him: "General Lin doesn't have to blame himself. He has only been training for more than ten days, and his current results are already very good. I just saw it. The range and accuracy of the musket need to be strengthened. At the same time, the weather today is not good, and the wind is very strong, which affects the performance of the soldiers."

"It's better to do this. The musket training is suspended. The next cavalry training will focus on riding and shooting...that is, archery."

After issuing the order that the cavalry temporarily stopped training muskets, Chen Xi was full of anger. After all, in the matter of making muskets, including the industrial park in Wuchang Fucheng, he spent a lot of manpower and material resources, but now he has not had the expected effect, which makes him unacceptable.

Lin Heng immediately sent an order to ask the soldiers to return to the camp to rest. Then he took Wang Lingzhi to the central army tent temporarily set up on the training ground in Chenxi.

There were not many people in the tent. In addition to the commander Chen Xi, there were also the Yansui general Zhang An who accompanied Chen Xi to inspect and Gu Dayong, the eunuch in charge of the army.

After seeing Lin Heng, Zhang An comforted: "Bozhi, you have trained very well. If you let me come, you may not have the current results in such a short time. After all, most cavalrymen have never been exposed to muskets before."

Lin Heng blamed himself: "General Zhang doesn't need to comfort him. I know that he has not done well enough, it doesn't matter how long it takes."

Chen Xi stood behind the Shuai Case, holding a book of accounts in his hand and said loudly: "The book of money and grain expenses for Sanbian in the past two months has been made. After paying the salary of the officers and soldiers, there is still a surplus. The official decided to increase investment in weapons development and allocate 100 craftsmen. If you don't do anything else, you will specialize in researching and improving firearms."

Gu Dayong questioned: "Sir, since there are certain problems with cavalry musket training, it is probably inappropriate to increase capital investment in this regard?"

When it comes to decision-making issues, Zhang An, Lin Heng and others basically do not participate in opinions. Such matters can only be decided by civil servants. As long as Chen Xi, the three-sided general manager, makes up his mind and get the consent of the eunuch in the military supervision, there is no need to submit everything to the court.

Chen Xidao: "Since I have invested a lot before, I don't care about adding a part. If Eunuch Gu thinks there is something wrong with this matter, I can submit a memorial. My official has a clear attitude towards this. Perhaps it was because I was too optimistic before that the musket still cannot play its due role..."

Zhang An quickly said: "Your Majesty, don't blame yourself. In my opinion, this musket is very effective. You have such a powerful lethality if you fire ten feet out. If you are in close combat, the firearm covers a very wide area, and there will be no living mouths in front of the soldier two feet in front of him..."

Chen Xi shook his head and sighed: "General Zhang said that is right, but on the battlefield, how many opportunities do the soldiers have to fight the Tatars within two meters? Moreover, with the speed of cavalry propulsion, if the two sides are in close contact, will the spear be effective or the musket be useful... You must first admit the shortcomings in order to make progress."

"As for how to transform the muskets in the next step, I have already figured out the drawings, which involve several new spare parts. I have discussed the manufacturing method with craftsmen before. There is a special workshop for casting. I believe that the next batch of muskets will have a longer range and more convenient loading..."

Gu Dayong and Chen Xi had no holiday and had a good temper. He asked hesitantly: "Can you really guarantee that the next batch of muskets will be better than this batch?"

Chen Xi smiled and said, "Weapons need to be continuously improved. If the next batch of muskets still fail to meet the requirements after the test fire, they will stop casting and will not waste too much money. As for the ones that have been produced... leave it for infantry use. Not to mention it for field battles, I have used it in Tumu Fort, the capital and the southwest. The effect is very good, and it is even more amazing to use it to defend the city. The Tatars must dare to attack the city and keep it so that they will never return."

Gu Dayong was frowning before, afraid of taking responsibility, so he thought about Chen Xi's words carefully and his eyes lit up: "What the lord said is that these firearms may be insufficient for cavalry use, but it's better to defend the city. With this thing, I'm afraid the Tatars have been... not right, and they can't attack the city for hundreds of years."

Zhang An and Lin Hengda were inspired, but Chen Xi disagreed.

If the city was defended with a fire gun, there would be no tragic situation in the 16th year of Hongzhi. At that time, there were many new and old fire guns and Folang cannons in the city, but they were basically left to the shelves, so that after the Tatars successfully defrauded the city, these powerful firearms did not work.

Therefore, if you don’t see how advanced the weapons are, the key is whether there are people who can use them.

Since Chen Xi made the decision, Gu Dayong no longer objected to Chen Xi's opinion and said goodbye with Zhang An and left. Lin Heng returned to the camp to formulate the next training plan. There were only two brothers left in the coach's tent, and Wang Lingzhi seemed much more lively.

"...Senior brother, it's so tiring. I've been training firearms these days, and my hands and feet are no longer in control. It's far less than swords, guns, swords and halberds." Wang Lingzhi complained.

Chen Xi asked: "You can't train the new firearm well, either?"

"Yes." Wang Lingzhi nodded honestly.

Chen Xi pondered for a while, and then did not talk about training with Wang Lingzhi. Instead, he talked about family matters and asked about his situation in the past few years.

Wang Lingzhi said with a bitter face: "Senior brother, you still said that I haven't been back for several years. In the first two years, my father said he wanted to find a daughter who is of equal status for me to get married. It's already gone. I'm not young anymore."

Chen Xi joked: "Why, do you want to get married and have children?"

The honest Wang Lingzhi's face turned red and hesitated and couldn't speak. When he was a teenager, he said absurd words that he wanted to live with Chen Xi and Lin Dai. After he was tempered in the army for a while, he understood many truths and gradually became enlightened.

Chen Xidao: "I thought about this problem before. What do you think of Zhu Shan?"

"who?"

Wang Lingzhi blinked and didn't react for a while.

Chen Xi knew that Wang Lingzhi had few opportunities to meet Zhu Shan, so he described Zhu Shan's general characteristics. Wang Lingzhi waved his hand: "Senior brother, no, no, I have a grudge with Zhu Shan. I had said before that I would compete with her who is more powerful, but she... Well, I won't say anything anymore. Didn't you harm me if you asked me to marry her?"

Chen Xi didn't expect that Wang Lingzhi was so repulsive to Zhu Shan. He smiled bitterly and said, "You can do whatever you want, even if you think about it, you may not be able to succeed. I haven't asked about the situation at home recently. Maybe he's already married."

Wang Lingzhi murmured in a low voice: "Someone wants such a barbaric woman?"

Although the sound was small, it still fell into Chen Xi's ears. Chen Xi just mentioned it by chance. Since Wang Lingzhi had no intention, he would not force it.

...

...

Half a month passed in a blink of an eye, and Chen Xi learned about the incident of sending people to come to the house on March 25th.

At the same time, the news that he was going back to the capital was delivered. The transfer letter from the Ministry of Personnel had reached the Bitou Pass, and the messenger was about to arrive in Yansui Town soon. Chen Xi knew that he had become the Minister of War first, which made him laugh and cry.

"I worked hard from Huguang to the northwest. It was only half a year before I was transferred back to Beijing. What is this statement? Is there no one else in the court to serve as the Minister of War?" Chen Xi was very helpless about this.

In order to avoid fighting with Liu Jin head-on, Chen Xi took great pains to try his best. He had been trying to transfer to local officials before. This time he was transferred to the northwest, and Chen Xi also planned to take root for a long time. In order to achieve this goal, he did not hesitate to suggest to Xie Qian and took the initiative to investigate the deficit of money and grain in the northwest.

As soon as the review pass was passed, Chen Xi had to return to the capital to serve as the Minister of War.

The official was very high, but Chen Xi was in a difficult situation because he knew that this was a hot potato. Returning to the court meant he had to be a head-on enemy with Liu Jin, and if he didn't go back, he would be unable to explain to the emperor.

Unless the Tatars invade the border at this time, they can save the imperial court's appointment, but it is obviously unlikely.

"...Xie Laoer seemed to be afraid that I didn't know he had spoken for me. What does it mean to write this letter? Tell me about the dragon and tiger den in the capital, and I will die forever after I go back?"

Xie Qian's letter was delivered a few days in advance than the imperial messenger. Chen Xi felt very uncomfortable when he saw it. Xie Qian was obviously adding fuel to the fire.

You should know that although the people of Chenxi are not in the capital, they know the overall situation of the court better than anyone else.

Liu Jin's abusing power was almost caused by him. Chen Xi himself never thought of fighting Liu Jin himself because he believed that Liu Jin's failure had objective factors. Now, when Liu Jin was most favored, he showed his sharpness. It seemed like shooting himself in the foot if he wanted to defeat Liu Jin.

On the second day of April, news of Chen Xifeng being transferred back to Beijing spread throughout Yulin Guard.

All civil and military officials on all sides knew that Chen Xi was promoted to the Minister of War.

The civil servants and generals who came to congratulate the government that day almost broke the threshold of the Governor's Mansion. Even if Chen Xi didn't want to return to Beijing from the bottom of his heart, he would still deal with these people with a smile and accept hypocritical congratulations.

What surprised the Northwest officialdom was that Zhu Hui, the Duke of Baoguo who had just returned to the capital, was to serve as the three-sided general system again.

It was like a joke that Zhu Hui confessed many officials from three sides and asked Wang Shouren to check, almost offending everyone. He thought he would never set foot in the northwest again in his life. Unexpectedly, when he turned his face, Zhu Houzhao transferred him back to work as a businessman.

After Chen Xi met local officials, he did not leave these people to the Governor's Office for the promotion banquet, but left behind Lin Heng, Wang Ling's theory and military training.

"...Why is Duke Bao coming back to the northwest again?"

Lin Heng was very worried. Before, Zhu Hui and Chen Xi borrowed someone, but Chen Xi ignored him, and then returned to Beijing in shame. This time, Zhu Hui made a comeback and became Lin Heng's boss. He was very worried about being revenge by Zhu Hui.

Chen Xidao: "General Lin doesn't have to worry, Duke Bao shouldn't come back."

Lin Heng asked in surprise: "Why did sir?"

Chen Xi sighed: "If I knew that I would offend so many people and would be targeted after I came back, how could I choose to accept the appointment? Even if I was sick, Duke Bao would never set foot in the northwest again. Just do your job well, and don't worry about the threat from Duke Bao..."

Lin Heng heard this and was skeptical. He trusted Chen Xi very much, but he felt that Zhu Hui might not reject this beautiful man who could take bribes on a large scale.

Wang Lingzhi asked casually: "Since the Duke of Baoguo is not here, who will serve as the three-sided general system?"

Lin Heng also looked up at Chen Xi, wanting to know the answer.

Chen Xi thought for a while and said, "I guess it is the ministers who have made achievements on the three sides, such as Yang Junmen and Wang Zhongcheng, who are all possible. They have been in the northwest for many years and have led the military and political affairs of the northwest as governors. They are very familiar with the matter here. If I ask me to recommend it, I will definitely recommend these two people."

Lin Heng nodded: "After returning to the court, he directly took charge of an important yamen like the Ministry of War. It is rare for him to be an adult to be old."

Chen Xi smiled. This is not rare, it is simply unique.
Chapter completed!