The first time in history

The Ministry of War is the department of the imperial court that manages the army and fights wars. The current Minister of War, Ren Hongjun, is in mourning at home, and the Left Vice Minister Cao Junjie is temporarily acting as the Minister of War.

In the Xuanhe Hall, candlelight flickered, and light and shadows danced between the carved dragons and painted pillars. Song Gaozong Zhao Gou sat solemnly on the dragon throne, his eyes revealing a trace of fatigue and worry. Not long after, Cao Junjie, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, hurried into the hall, saluted, and stood respectfully aside.

Zhao Gou coughed lightly, breaking the silence in the hall: "Minister Cao, I summoned you here today. I'm sure you know why."

Cao Junjie bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I guess it's about the border situation and the use of personnel."

Zhao Gou nodded slightly: "Yes. Now the border situation is becoming increasingly tense. The Jin soldiers and Liao soldiers are like tigers and wolves, and they often invade our border. The Jin soldiers are extremely fierce, burning, killing, looting, and leaving a mess wherever they go; the Liao soldiers are also capricious and repeatedly invade. The people of our Great Song Dynasty are suffering terribly. Every time I think of this, I can't sleep at night."

Cao Junjie frowned and said, "Your Majesty, I am also aware of the critical situation on the border. Although our Song army has fought hard, it is still struggling due to its long-term weakness."

Zhao Gou slowly stood up, paced and said: "This time I noticed a person, Qian Mingduo, the prefect of Jiankang. He was originally a civil servant, but in the recent anti-bandit operation, his performance was amazing.

He deployed troops and generals, and made careful plans step by step, showing his ability to plan and strategize, just like a general who is well versed in the art of war. I think that the Song Dynasty is in need of talents now, and Qian Mingduo must be used. "

Cao Junjie showed hesitation: "Your Majesty, Qian Mingduo is indeed talented, but he is a civilian, and he may be opposed by the ministers in the court if he leads troops to resist the enemy. Moreover, the way to lead troops is different from suppressing bandits, and the enemies on the border are more fierce and cunning."

Zhao Gou stopped and looked at Cao Junjie firmly: "I know the difficulty, but the situation is critical now. If we don't make an exception to appoint talented people, how can we resist the foreign enemies? Qian Mingduo can foresee the opportunities in suppressing bandits, accurately judge the battlefield situation, and is good at employing people. These qualities are also extremely rare in the army."

Cao Junjie pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the enemies on the border, especially the Jin soldiers, have extremely elite cavalry that come and go like the wind. When fighting, they often charge at our defense line with intensive attacks. The Liao soldiers are good at surprise attacks and outflanking, and both are not easy to deal with. Although Qian Mingduo is capable, he still needs to have a countermeasure when facing such an enemy."

Zhao Gou nodded slightly: "I understand, that's why I discussed this with you. I think we can give Qian Mingduo some time to train the army and formulate tactics based on the characteristics of the Jin and Liao soldiers. Minister Cao, you have been in the Ministry of War for many years and are familiar with military affairs. What suggestions do you have?"

Cao Junjie bowed and said, "Your Majesty, if you want Qian Mingduo to lead the troops, you can first mobilize some troops from the prefecture to his command. At the same time, strengthen intelligence gathering and be fully aware of the movements of the Jin and Liao soldiers. In addition, you can build fortifications in strategic locations on the border to deal with enemy raids. If Qian Mingduo wants to train the army, he must focus on the soldiers' physical fitness and discipline, especially training to fight against cavalry."

Zhao Gou returned to the dragon chair and sat down: "Minister Cao is right. I heard that Qian Mingduo attached great importance to the training of soldiers and the boosting of morale during the suppression of bandits. He was able to share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers and won their hearts. I believe he will have his own set of methods in training the army."

Cao Junjie continued, "Your Majesty, we also need to consider the issue of food and supplies. In border warfare, logistical support is crucial. Once the food and supplies are insufficient, the morale of the army will be disrupted."

Zhao Gou's eyes were stern. "I will instruct the Ministry of Revenue to make proper arrangements for food and fodder. We cannot let the soldiers go to war on an empty stomach. Minister Cao, you can set out today to meet with Qian Mingduo, tell him what I mean, and listen to his own thoughts."

"I obey your order." Cao Junjie bowed and left.