The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

After Zhu Youtang arrived at the port, he felt in very good spirits, and it seemed that all the illnesses that had plagued him before were now completely cured.

Over the past few days, he kept asking Zhang Zhou questions. It was a rare opportunity to spend time with Zhang Zhou outside the palace, and he seemed to be enjoying this relaxing time.

Recently, what he has been most concerned about is military affairs. It seems that after leaving the capital, he wants to be an omnipotent emperor and plans to lead Zhang Zhou to the army in person. Although he does not even have a specific goal, this does not stop him from dreaming.

"Bingkuan, I have been studying the map recently when I have nothing to do, looking at the scenery of the four seas. The mountains and rivers are only on this map, which always makes me feel regretful, especially in the north. Large tracts of mountains and rivers belong to the Tartars and have not been incorporated into the territory of the country. I feel regretful."

Zhu Youtang acted helpless just to inspire Zhang Zhou to help him realize his dream.

Zhang Zhou said: "The four seas will all belong to the Ming Dynasty sooner or later."

"I think your words are enough. Others said them to comfort me, but you are different. If you say it, it will definitely help me achieve it. I am sure of this." Zhu Youtang said, "Bingkuan, where do you think we should start from to destroy the Tartars in one fell swoop? I have thought about it, but I can't find an answer. Maybe you are the only one who can answer it."

Zhu Youtang's eyes were eager at this moment.

That look seemed to be saying to Zhang Zhou, "Calculate for me quickly which route I will take when I pacify the grassland in the future. If you tell me in advance, I will follow the route you told me in the future."

Zhang Zhou said seriously: "In my opinion, it doesn't matter where we go. The Tatars will avoid the sharp edge of our Ming army, will wait for an opportunity to attack, and will disrupt the rear. We should not send troops to one place. In the future, we must attack in an all-round way. All forces will march into the grassland to form a siege."

"Yes, yes, it is wrong to take one route. We should launch an all-out attack. But I want to know, which route should I take with my troops?"

Zhu Youtang was still very persistent and wanted to get an answer.

This time Zhang Zhou shook his head sincerely, indicating that he didn't know.

Zhu Youtang laughed and said, "You really can't even comfort me. You are trying to please me, but why can't you say something pleasing to me at a time like this so that I can sleep well at night? But it doesn't matter, that's just your personality."

Zhang Zhou said, "Your Majesty, I don't mean to offend you. It's just that... when we really go to the grassland to pacify it, it doesn't matter which route we take. Your Majesty leading the army in person will be enough to create momentum. The Tatars will probably surrender without a fight. Where the king's flag is, that is where the spirit of the Ming soldiers is. What difference does it make?"

"That's right, that's right." Zhu Youtang continued to laugh, "Even if I lead the army in person, I can't fight the main force of the Tatars head-on. I have to avoid it. As a king, I am here to provide them with spiritual strength, not to do anything on the battlefield."

Zhang Zhou said: "I can fight for your majesty."

"No need for you." Zhu Youtang said, "With your ability, you can plan and fight from thousands of miles away. Why do you need to go into battle in person? There are many capable people to dispatch troops on the spot. Why do you need to do that? You can just stay by my side and enjoy the joy of victory with me."

Speaking of this, Zhu Youtang didn't seem to have so many obsessions anymore.

He no longer has to think about where to lead his troops to the battle. It doesn't matter where he leads the troops from. In the end, he will just be the cover and spiritual leader. He doesn't have to worry about the charge into battle. The troops from all directions will clear everything for him.

……

……

Zhu Youtang pulled Zhang Zhou to the side of the map and continued to study military affairs.

Seeing that the emperor was in high spirits, Zhang Zhou seemed to be deliberately pouring cold water on him and said, "Your Majesty, in the past two years, the Tatars will not be content to be trapped on the grassland and will continue to invade."

Zhu Youtang asked, "Is there any gap in the defense of the northwest? Tatars, do we still have a chance?"

Zhang Zhou said: "It is precisely because there are no gaps that the Tatars will definitely attack. In the northern border war, the Ming soldiers were always on the defensive in the pass. When the Tatars could attack from anywhere at any time, the soldiers of the three armies had to be dispersed everywhere, so the elite troops could not gather in one place. The Tatars would concentrate their superior forces to attack. And use their mobility to make the border soldiers exhausted to deal with."

"Too."

Zhu Youtang said, "You said before that the Tatars are known for their mobility. After our Shenjiying's firearms became more powerful, they have to use this mobility to avoid direct confrontation with us. But there is nothing we can do. Who can blame the Ming horses for not being as good as theirs? There is nothing else on the grassland, but there are still many good horses. Bingkuan, is there any way to make them come and have no chance to escape?"

Zhang Zhou shook his head and said, "From a short-term perspective, it is not possible. We can only deal with it as it comes."

Zhu Youtang said, "Yes, we are like a wealthy family with a courtyard, waiting for bandits to attack. No matter what, it is difficult to prevent it. We have to wait until the Tatars come to respond. Even if we can let the border troops attack, the Tatars will avoid fighting, so there will be a stalemate. Bingkuan, we have to think of a way... Where will they come from next time?"

Zhu Youtang's eyes became eager again.

Previously, the question was how Zhang Zhou would pacify the grassland in the future, but the question now was more practical, which was where the Tatars came from.

Since you have to dispatch troops to various places on the border of the Ming Dynasty, why don't you figure out the invasion route of the Tatars in advance? When the Tatars come, just wait for them to tire themselves out.

For Zhang Zhou, this question was a bit... beyond the scope...

In the past, everything would have been easy to plan. Without the butterfly effect he created, the Tatars would have followed the course of history and invaded from the places where wars had occurred in history. He would have only needed to take precautions one by one.

But as his influence on the Ming Dynasty and the grasslands grew, the Tatars' strategic thinking became very different from before.

It is no longer possible for them to fulfill their promises step by step according to the history books, and there will be many more on-the-spot reactions, which Zhang Zhou cannot predict at present.

"Your Majesty, human hearts are unpredictable. I cannot make an accurate judgment now, but one thing is certain, that is, the Tatars will definitely seek a breakthrough from the west of Ningxia. Their goal will no longer be to come to Yansui. As for Xuanda, it is not a good choice for them to violate the border at present." Zhang Zhou said.

Zhu Youtang followed Zhang Zhou's instructions and pointed on the map, saying, "Is this the right place? Then... the troops that were previously dispatched to the northwest are still in Ningxia, so the Tatars should not have much of a chance."

Zhang Zhou said, "But your majesty has already transferred the Duke of Ying and others back to the capital." "This..." Zhu Youtang thought for a moment and said, "I also transferred troops from Datong to Ningxia later, but I haven't heard any news in the past few days. I don't know if the troops have arrived on time."

Zhang Zhou pointed to the northwest map and said, "From what I have seen, if the Tatars really want to attack, they will definitely bluff. They will disrupt the sight and hearing of our border soldiers, make some feints in the east, and then send troops to plunder Ningxia and other places..."

Zhu Youtang searched around on the map, finally pointed at the location of Huama Pond and asked, "Bingkuan, do you think it's here?"

Zhang Zhou nodded and said, "Very likely."

This is not a random guess by Zhang Zhou, but in history, the Tatars' several border raids after the 14th year of Hongzhi were all launched from Huamachi. Obviously, from the perspective of the grassland tribes, Huamachi is a very special place, which is a good place for the Tatars to attack or defend.

Maybe this place is not the best, but it is the best choice under certain circumstances. It may also be that Dayan Khan Batu Mongke, the backbone of the Tatars, likes to attack from here because it is close to the main position of his central army and their grazing location, and it is closer to the Feng Shui treasure land they think is more suitable for their development.

Zhu Youtang said, "I was rash. I just wanted to transfer Zhang Tingmian back and let him be an idler. Now it seems that he should stay in the northwest for a while longer. If the Tatars take the opportunity to attack us, it will not be a good thing. However, I think the Tatars have just disturbed Huamachi and will not come again."

Having said that, Zhu Youtang felt a little relieved.

The Tatars had just attacked Huamachi after the New Year and had achieved victory. After their withdrawal, the Ming Dynasty's defenses would definitely be strengthened. The possibility of the Tatars invading at this time seems not very high.

Zhu Youtang may have felt that this topic was a bit disappointing, so he said, "Bingkuan, aren't we currently deploying troops in Liaodong? Let's put the Northwest's affairs aside for now, and tell me about Liaodong's deployment plan. I want to know how important this place is. I also know that if we want to pacify the grassland, we must first eliminate those unstable factors. Liaodong will be completely pacified sooner or later. I want to learn all this from you... What you say is more useful than anything else..."

……

……

Just as Zhang Zhou and Zhu Youtang were talking by candlelight at night, discussing military affairs in the northwest and Liaodong.

The military situation in the east and west of the Ming Dynasty was also changing. The Tatars had begun to gather troops in Huamachi. At the same time, some early warning messages began to be sent eastward from the vicinity of Huamachi.

As the commander-in-chief of the three borders, Wang Qiong was in Yansui, but he was concerned about the military changes in Ningxia.

Then he felt that the Tatars' coming was so fierce that it didn't seem like just a nuisance, but more like a full-scale invasion.

It was at this time that he received battle reports from the Xuanda front, and was told that the Tatars had sent troops to harass Xuanfu and Datong. As the general commander of Xuanda, Wang Shouren postponed sending troops to Ningxia on the grounds that local military affairs were tight. This was why Ma Yi's 3,000 elite cavalry had not yet set off.

"Sir, the situation is not good." Shen Ying mentioned this to Wang Qiong when he delivered the battle report that day. "If the Tatars really want to attack, they will definitely choose one place. There are so many reports of the war, some of which are true and some are false. It seems that the Tatars are still determined to take over my border fortresses and plunder my people, livestock, and property."

Wang Qiong said: "In my estimation, the Tatars are also having a hard time this winter."

Shen Ying nodded and said, "We have attacked the Tatars several times, and we have won great victories on both the eastern and western fronts. The Tatars have lost so much wealth, it would be strange if they can live a good life. For us, it is now a spring famine, and for them, it is even more so."

Wang Qiong sighed, "So it's not that they want to invade or not, but they have no choice."

Shen Ying said with a slightly suspicious look: "Don't they know that there is actually no point in doing this? They can't steal much from us? If they come, they might even lose their lives?"

Wang Qiong said, "If you were the person in charge of the grassland, and the people were barely getting enough food, and the livestock were dying of starvation due to lack of fodder, what would you do?"

"Learn to lead troops to attack the Ming Dynasty?" Shen Ying asked.

"Yes." Wang Qiong nodded. "Whether the plan succeeds or not is not important to them. The key is to unite against the common enemy. Only when we send troops to attack the Ming Dynasty will their internal strife be the least. Otherwise, they will just kill each other."

Shen Ying suddenly realized, "No wonder they dared to come even though they knew they were going to die. They are afraid of internal strife... But even if that's the case, are there no other tribes targeting them? There are so many tribes on the grassland, it shouldn't be that every tribe is coming to attack us, right?"

Wang Qiong said, "With the same goal, whoever betrays the covenant will be attacked by other tribes. It just so happens that they can't get any advantage from the Ming. When they retreat without being defeated, won't those tribes who are tempted by other things become their targets?"

Shen Ying said angrily, "It seems that they want to use the war with our Ming Dynasty to eliminate dissidents?"

Wang Qiong also pointed at the hanging map and said, "The Tatars are likely to send troops from Ningxia's rear guard, and there is a high possibility that Huamachi will attack."

"Then we should send reinforcements." Shen Ying said, "If we don't send now, it might be too late."

Wang Qiong said: "We can't take care of Ningxia. Even the defense of Yansui has been tightened. There are still a large number of herdsmen in the Hetao area. Some newly built fortresses also need to be guarded. Where can we draw troops to help Ningxia now?"

“Then…” Shen Ying was obviously a little worried.

Wang Qiong looked very reserved and said, "I have already sent a letter to Ningxia, asking them to dispatch troops from all places to help. If they are really unable to do anything, first ensure that the passes in various places are not harassed. The defenders in various places should do what they can. The Tatars are coming with great force this time. In the battle in Ningxia last year, we relied on Yang Yingning and the Marquis of Jingshan. I don't know who to rely on this time."

Shen Ying asked, "Isn't there still that eunuch Liu Jin?"

"Rely on him?" Wang Qiong said helplessly, "He is just the prince's long-time attendant and has no actual combat experience. At most, he only knows some paper-based skills. Even if he really has the ability, Hua Ma Chi will not give him a stage to display his abilities."

"Without so many soldiers and food supplies, the best option for him should be to withdraw to the Ningxia rear guard station, or to hold his ground."

"The possibility of the Tatars attacking the fortress is not great. As long as he stays inside the fortress, relying on the sharp artillery and the barrier of the city walls, he can still wait for the Tatars to withdraw." (End of this chapter)