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Chapter 373 Talking on the Picture

Is this enough to consider? It's obviously not even close. Playing chess pays attention to taking one move, counting two moves, and counting three moves, and the same goes for fighting. The victory or defeat of a battle is only at the tactical level. As the controller of a country, it is not enough to only see the tactics, but also to see the gains and losses at the strategic level.

Specifically speaking, it means what will be the consequences if the battle is successful, and how will it end if it fails. If you want to figure all this out, you must understand the whole picture of your opponent.

Let’s talk about the Jurchens first. In terms of threat to the Ming Dynasty, Hong Tao believes that the Jurchens are not as high as the Mongols. The reason is simple. The contact area between the two parties is very narrow, limited to the vicinity of Shanhaiguan. This requires the consent of the Mongols, otherwise the Jurchen army will not be able to even touch Shanhaiguan, and there will naturally be no great threat without contact.

Let's talk about Mongolia. If the various Mongolian ministries can become a whole, then the Ming Dynasty will have no time to deal with the Jurchens. 90% of its troops will have to be placed on the northern defense line, which may not be enough.

It is a pity that since the Beiyuan regime retreated to Mobei, the various Mongolian ministries have become like scattered sand. All kinds of mushrooms have emerged in an endless stream, but no one can respond to them all. Instead, the struggle for power has become more intense.

A few years ago, Lin Dan Khan came out. It is said that he has a straight lineage and is a direct descendant of Genghis Khan. It's a pity that Genghis Khan has been dead for hundreds of years. Nowadays, except for being talked about when choosing the position of Khan, his deterrent effect is basically zero.

Lin Danhan was only twelve years old when he came to the throne. He was a standard young master, no matter how pure his bloodline was, it would be in vain. Only the Chahar tribe is under its control, and the Karaqin, Horqin, Nekalkha, Tumut, and Ordos tribes in Monan still operate independently.

Under such circumstances, if the Ming Dynasty army attacked a tribe in Monan, other Mongolian tribes would have a lot of reasons to enjoy themselves, and they might even take advantage of it. The possibility of uniting to fight against the outside world is slim.

If you think about it this way, this sneak attack has neither political risk nor strategic danger, and it is a very profitable business. If he wins or draws, the Ming Emperor can gain both fame and fortune. The Ming court avoided the possibility of an alliance between Mongolia and the Jurchens, which saved them from a lot of trouble in the future, which was also a big gain.

If you lose, at most you will lose some marine guards. The emperor can accept it, and the court is more happy to watch the fun. Anyway, the navy is not under their control. It is completely the emperor's private army. It would be better if they were all lost.

In fact, there are some deep-seated benefits that are difficult for outsiders to think of, such as allowing Marine Guards to quickly mature in the battle of blood and fire and become a truly powerful army. Some of the soldiers who have experienced large-scale battles can become grassroots officers after returning, further expanding the size of the Marine Guards.

Another example is to allow citizens to enhance their confidence in fighting foreign enemies and increase their cohesion, which in turn affects the speed of the rollout of the New Deal. People will always blindly believe in the strong. An emperor who often wins and can bring food and clothing to everyone is not easily overthrown.

Wang Chengen conveyed the emperor's will 100%, and Zhang Ran carried out it thoroughly. Yuan Keli and Li Ruzhang were unlucky, and were sent to Bei'anmen overnight. The emperor was also unlucky. He was woken up just after Yinshi and went to Xiyuan with sleepy eyes.

"Ah... get on your back and find a place to sit by yourself. It's my fault that I didn't think this through well. My original intention was to let you enter the palace during the day, but unfortunately a few words were missed, so we had to talk by candlelight at night."

The Qingfu Hall where Emperor Jiajing practiced Taoism in Xiyuan had been converted into a reception room. It was here that Hong Tao met Yuan Keli and Li Ruzhang, who were tired of life. He was yawning while talking. He went to work in the chemistry laboratory at Long Live Mountain a little late last night and was seriously sleep deprived.

"Your Majesty has worked hard day and night and has yet to complain. How dare you say you are tired." Yuan Ke immediately found a chair to sit down, and his polite words were very perfunctory. Li Ruzhang had less contact with the emperor and was more nervous. Even when he sat down, he still exerted force on his legs and waist.

"Things are indeed a bit urgent. It's already the end of July. I plan to use troops against the Beibei at the end of September. I want to hear your opinions." Hong Tao didn't beat around the bush and stated his intention straightforwardly. "Ah..." Even though Yuan Keli and Li Ruzhang were mentally prepared, they were still shocked by this concise and concise expression, and even shouted out inappropriately.

"I've been busy up until midnight for a long time, so all I can do is get you and me!"

Seeing his two most capable and capable generals being frightened into this state, Hong Tao was inevitably a little disappointed. It seems that from being beaten to beating someone, it is easy to change weapons, equipment, strategies and tactics, but it is difficult to change the psychological state.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. It is my duty to enlist in the army and go into battle to kill the enemy. However, the combat effectiveness of the border troops is worrying. A hasty attack may not be effective. On the contrary, it will only increase the enemy's arrogance. If I can only lead the navy and marine guards out of seclusion, we can fight!" "

Li Ruzhang was worthy of being a professional soldier. No matter how smooth he was, he was not as calm as a scholar. When he heard the emperor's obvious sarcasm, he immediately couldn't help but defend himself. It was not that he was timid, but that the frontier troops were not strong enough.

"Well, that's good. Then I will let you lead the Marine Guards into battle." Unexpectedly, the emperor agreed on the spot without any hesitation.

"..." Not only was Li Ruzhang a little confused now, but Yuan Keli was also bored. The two kept talking with their eyes, trying to figure out what the emperor had in mind.

"Come, come over here and have a look. I have never been in battle with real swords or spears, so I have to talk about war on paper first. You two, please listen to what I said is wrong and point it out immediately, otherwise it will be the crime of deceiving the emperor. "

Along with Hong Tao, who came to Xiyuan in the middle of the night, there were more than ten servants and the Cuju team led by Wang Chengen. While the three of them were talking, they were also busy in the back hall.

At this time, the bed has been moved to the middle, and the fence guard has been removed. Only the bed board is left as a large table, with a lone scroll of colorful brocade placed on it. In the middle is a jade axis, which is the highest level of imperial edict. But I have never seen such a large edict, nearly seven feet wide and a thick volume.

"Look!" Just when the two people were stunned and at a loss, the emperor stepped forward and pushed with one hand. As the scroll slowly opened, it was covered with white flowers, and only the middle and lower parts were painted with winding lines.

"...This is Jizhou Town...This is Miyunwei...Shanhaiguan?" Li Ruzhang was still the first to speak. He was already familiar with Bian Town, and with the study and familiarity of nautical charts in the past few years, he immediately I saw the clues.

"Yes, this is the map of Mongolia's left wing that I made based on the sea chart. It's just not finished yet, but it can be used." Although this map is only less than one-tenth complete, and the middle and upper parts are all empty, but Hong Tao was still full of pride when he said it.

(End of this chapter)