Sun Chuanting and Lu Xiangsheng left, and Zhu Cixiang looked at the four leaders of the National Defense Army.

Zhang Shize is currently the only veteran among the generals of the National Guard Army. Ever since Cao Bianjiao joined the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, he has actually become the soul of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

The British Duke Zhang Shize, the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, had much fewer opportunities to lead his troops in person. He was mainly responsible for the defense of the capital.

However, Zhang Shize had no complaints about this. Compared with Zhu Chunchen, the Duke of Chengguo, and Xu Yunzhen, the Duke of Dingguo, who were all executed, Zhang Shize was much luckier.

Sitting in the capital and not having to go into battle, he was the biggest beneficiary of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry's military exploits. Why wouldn't the young British Duke be reluctant!

"Everyone, the National Protective Army has been training since the recruitment expansion. Now that the training is basically completed, I am ready to reorganize the four divisions of the National Protective Army."

Zhang Shize, Sun Yingyuan, Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji were all stunned.

They didn't know how Emperor Shenwu would reform the four divisions of the National Guard Army, and they all set their sights on the young emperor.

Seeing that they were a little confused, Zhu Cixi smiled lightly and said:

"In the past, the number of the National Guard Army was limited, and it was very convenient to command operations. Now the four armies have reached 50,000.

The total strength of the National Defense Army has exceeded 200,000. If we still follow the old combat methods, it will be very difficult to command in large-scale battles.

In order to facilitate command and deployment, I decided to reorganize the National Defense Army.

But before that, I have something to discuss with Mr. British, and I hope Mr. British can understand."

After hearing the emperor talking about himself, British Duke Zhang Shize hurriedly stood up and held his hands in his hands:

"Your Majesty, please tell me, I will definitely do it!"

"Ai Qing, just sit down and answer!"

Zhu Cixi stood up and walked to Zhang Shize, helping him sit on a chair.

His move moved Zhang Shize's eyes to reddening, and he became more determined to swear allegiance to the Ming Dynasty and Emperor Shenwu to the death.

Zhu Cixiang turned back to the main seat and took a seat, and continued:

"I am very pleased that the British Duke's lineage has been loyal to the Ming Dynasty for generations. The British Duke is also the only Duke in the capital at present.

I appoint the British Duke as the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, who is mainly responsible for the recruitment and training of troops across the country.

However, I have to step down from the position of commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of the National Protectorate Army, but still serve as Minister of Military Aircraft and participate in the handling of important military affairs of the Ming Dynasty. What does Ai Qing think?"

Zhu Cihong gave the British Duke Zhang Shize the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Army not in vain, but as the highest official in charge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Army.

However, he was also relieved of his title of commander of the National Guard Army's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. His official position became even greater, but he lost the right to lead troops.

The appearance of the Fifth Army Governor's Office preceded the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. It was the military leadership organization established by Zhu Yuanzhang. Its earliest name was the Great Governor's Office.

The purpose of its establishment was to strengthen Zhu Yuanzhang's control over the army.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Zhu Yuanzhang joined the Red Scarf Army commanded by Guo Zixing to overthrow the corrupt rule of the Yuan Dynasty.

During his time in the Red Scarf Army, Zhu Yuanzhang fought bravely and had strict military discipline. Zhu Yuanzhang himself became the left deputy marshal of the Guo Tianxu Department of the Red Scarf Army.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang personally recruited troops from the Chuzhou and Hezhou armies of the Red Scarf Army, Zhu Yuanzhang became the de facto leader of the Guo Tianxu Department of the Red Scarf Army.

If you want to establish hegemony, you must strengthen your absolute control over the army.

Emperors such as Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, Li Shimin, and Zhao Kuangyin were able to unify the country.

The reason is that when these emperors served as commander-in-chief, they had a strong army loyal to them.

This is no exception for Zhu Yuanzhang.

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang faced many powerful enemies at that time. Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen and others were all Zhu Yuanzhang's enemies, and they also faced military threats from Bei Yuan.

This made it necessary for Zhu Yuanzhang to build an army that was absolutely loyal to him and achieve absolute control over the army.

In order to integrate his own military strength, Zhu Yuanzhang changed the Privy Council to the Governor's Palace, which later became the Governor's Palace of the Fifth Army.

Before Zhu Yuanzhang's restructuring, the military and political forces he commanded included Shao Rong and other non-direct lineage generals.

After the restructuring, Shao Rong and other non-lineage generals were strongly controlled by Zhu Yuanzhang, thus strengthening Zhu Yuanzhang's unified leadership of the military and political forces.

After the restructuring, Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Zhu Wenzheng as the governor-general. Zhu Wenzheng was Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew. In the ancient patriarchal society, one family had one surname, and his nephew was also considered a family member.

Allowing his nephew to participate in the core leadership of the army was equivalent to Zhu Yuanzhang establishing a true leadership core in the era of ancient patriarchal society.

Through a series of integrations, Zhu Yuanzhang achieved absolute leadership of the army through the Metropolitan Governor's Office, which was later the Fifth Army Governor's Office.

This laid a solid foundation for the independent establishment of the Ming Empire in the future.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang set up a military department in the center, which was a natural product inherited from the previous dynasty.

Before the establishment of the Ming Empire, the Metropolitan Governor's Office was the unique military leadership organization of Zhu Yuanzhang during his founding period. It naturally became the military leadership organization of the Ming Empire.

This gave rise to the strange phenomenon of the Ming Empire's two military leadership agencies, the Ministry of War and the Five Military Governor's Office, coexisting at the same time.

After abolishing Zhongshu Province and further expanding imperial power, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately reformed the Ming Dynasty's military leadership system.

In order to prevent excessive concentration of military power from causing generals to support their troops and rebel, Zhu Yuanzhang split the Metropolitan Governor's Office into the Five Army Governor's Office.

It has five subordinate governor's offices: front, rear, left, middle and right. The Fifth Army Commander's Office is the collective name for the five front, left, center and right governor's offices. The five military governor's offices are in charge of the country's military and garrison posts.

In order to disperse the power of the governors, Zhu Yuanzhang set up the official positions of left and right governors, governors and magistrates in each governor's office, and the chief judge of the central military governor's office was the chief judge of the fifth army governor's office.

With the continuous improvement of the Fifth Army Governor's Office under Zhu Yuanzhang's establishment, Zhu Yuanzhang, who had already firmly established himself on the throne, achieved complete and absolute control over the army.

There is no contradiction in the existence of the Fifth Army Governor's Office and the Ministry of War. Zhu Yuanzhang divided the functions of the two institutions in extremely detailed ways.

The Ministry of War has the power to appoint and remove generals in the army, promote them, and train the army, but it cannot command the army to fight.

Although the Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies has the functions of commanding troops in combat, managing farmland, controlling military status, and selecting generals, the Governor-General of the Five Armies does not have the power to dispatch troops.

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The division of responsibilities between the Ministry of War and the Fifth Military Governor's Office is clear, and the power of the army is firmly in the hands of the emperor through integration.

In the era when Zhu Yuanzhang was comprehensively strengthening imperial power, he reformed the Fifth Army Governor's Office so that the Fifth Army Governor's Office and the Ministry of War could exist at the same time.

It is of great practical significance for Zhu Yuanzhang to strengthen his imperial power, especially to strengthen the emperor's absolute control over the army.

He made important contributions to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the unification of the country after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the Northern Expedition to Mongolia, and the stabilization of the national situation.

Both the Fifth Army Governor's Office and the Ministry of War were severely corrupted by the end of the Ming Dynasty. In order to get rid of dependence on the Fifth Army Governor's Office and the Ministry of War, Zhu Cihong established the Military Aircraft Department.

Now the highest military center of the Ming Dynasty has become the Military Aircraft Department. The emperor serves as the leader of the Military Aircraft Department, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Army and the Minister of War are also involved.

In the future, whether troops are mobilized or commanded, they must go through the Military Aircraft Department. Without orders from the Ming Military Aircraft Department, the generals cannot mobilize any army, except for special circumstances.

Lu Xiangsheng, Sun Chuanting, Zhou Yuji, Sun Yingyuan, Huang Degong and Zhang Shize are the original members of the Military Aircraft Department.

Now that Cao Bianjiao has entered the Military Aircraft Department, there is one more Military Aircraft Minister. Together with Emperor Shenwu Zhu Cixiang, the Military Aircraft Department currently has eight people.

In fact, after Cao Bianjiao came to the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, Zhang Shize rarely led the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry into battle. Zhang Shize was not stupid. He knew that his fighting power was not as good as Cao Bianjiao's, so he was already prepared for this.

Sure enough, today the new emperor officially removed him from the position of commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Although Zhang Shize felt a little disappointed, he soon regained his composure.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth Army Commander-in-Chief is in charge of military training across the country, and the Minister of Military Aircraft Department is the center of power in the Ming Dynasty. Zhang Shize knew that he was still in a high-ranking position and hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude:

"Thank you, Your Majesty. As a minister of the Ming Dynasty, as long as I can contribute to the resurgence of the Ming Dynasty, even if your Majesty asks me to serve as a general banner, I will be willing to do so!"

As a noble Ming Dynasty official, Zhang Shize strongly supported Zhu Cixiang at the beginning of their supervision of the country and personally led the Shenshu Battalion to fight with the East Palace Guards. Zhu Cixiang still valued Zhang Shize very much.

The removal of Zhang Shize from the position of commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was not because Zhu Cihong no longer trusted the British Duke, but because Cao Bianjiao was more suitable for this position, and Zhu Cihong had to know people well and make good use of them.

Seeing that Zhang Shize had no unpleasant thoughts, Zhu Cixiang nodded happily:

"My dear, I am sorry. Since you have no objection, I will formally appoint Cao Bianjiao as the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and concurrently as the Minister of Military Aircraft of the Ming Dynasty Military Aircraft Department."

Zhang Shize hurriedly handed over his hand:

"Your Majesty, Zhang Shize, would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness on behalf of General Cao!"

Zhu Cixi smiled and nodded:

"Come here, let me tell you that Cao Cao has transformed into a dragon!"

"According to the order!"

Soon, Cao Bianjiao, who received the notification, quickly entered the Qianqing Palace. Seeing everyone and the emperor there, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to salute:

"The minister has turned into a dragon and is here to meet Your Majesty!"

Zhu Cixiang smiled slightly and said:

"Without ceremony, I have appointed you as the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and entered the military aircraft area. Take a seat!"

"ah……"

Upon hearing this, Cao Bianjiao hurriedly bowed down and thanked him:

"Thank you for Your Majesty's grace. As long as I can serve the country in the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, I am not capable of commanding the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. The British Duke is the most suitable!"

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was developed from the East Palace Guards. Most of the generals were members of the original East Palace Guards, and the leader was the famous British Duke. Cao Bianjiao really never thought that he would replace the British Duke.

Cao Bianjiao was surprised and happy to hear that Emperor Shenwu appointed him as the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, but thinking of the British Duke Zhang Shize, he still chose to decline.

Zhang Shize chuckled and said:

"Boy, your majesty is wise. My prince has other appointments, so don't be polite..."

Seeing what Zhang Shize said, Cao Bianjiao stopped trying to shirk the blame and hurriedly thanked him:

"Thank you for Your Majesty's grace. I am willing to lead the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to follow Your Majesty, wipe out the bandits, flatten the slaves and regain the lost territory!"
To be continued...