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Chapter 836 The Emperor's Ambition

However, the location chosen by the emperor was not very suitable. Compared with Lanzhou, which was located in the border area, Xi'an was more suitable for being a military stronghold in all aspects. It was connected to the Northern Dusi in the north, not far from Lanzhou in the northwest, Sichuan in the southwest, and Henan in the east, with convenient access in all directions.

"Xi'an is certainly a good choice, but it is too far behind Lanzhou, which is not conducive to future development. Let me test you. After the threat from the northeastern border is resolved, where will be the most disadvantageous to the Ming Dynasty next?"

But Hong Tao disagrees with Yuan Keli's point of view. It's not that Xi'an is not good enough, but that the two have different expectations for the future. This is not a good thing. Once discovered, it must be corrected immediately. Only when the understanding is unified can the strength be used together.

"…I think it should be here! Ever since Chen Yongbin passed away, the chieftains in Yunnan have shown signs of making moves again. The root of this is not in Yunnan but in Myanmar."

Hearing this question, Yuan Keli stood up and walked to the large map. He looked for the direction and his finger crossed the Ming border and landed accurately on the northeast side of the Bay of Bengal.

"Well, yes, Li Qing's vision is becoming more and more comprehensive. Myanmar is indeed a hidden danger. But if we want to solve the problem in Myanmar, we should not rely on the army, but on the navy.

I have carefully read the map of Yunnan surveyed by Liu Shimin, and have discussed it with Ruan Xiangjiang of Annan. According to them, Yunnan is all about mountains and valleys to the south, with forests and giant trees blocking out the sun, poisonous insects and miasma all year round, and it is extremely difficult for non-local natives to adapt.

If the army attacks from north to south, the loss of personnel and materials will be huge, but it will not be able to effectively control the situation, which is not worth the loss. Instead, it is more advantageous to land from the sea, set up a port and build a strong city, and draw the attention of the Burmese to the sea."

Hong Tao first affirmed Yuan Keli's progress and that he was finally willing to shift his focus from domestic to foreign countries. Then he denied his point of view and elaborated in detail the reasons for not attacking Myanmar from land. To sum it up in five words: the benefits are not enough!

"It would be more convenient to go by sea...but the Marine Command only has four guards, and only two can be mobilized. Isn't the force too weak?"

It is said that a wise man can understand things at a glance. Yuan Keli had a talent for military affairs. After changing his mindset, he felt that it would be easier to launch an attack from the sea. However, he felt that the navy was short of manpower and the army could not board ships for long voyages.

"Well, when fighting, don't just focus on yourself. You have to learn to take advantage of all favorable conditions. According to Ruan Xiangjiang, Burma, Cambodia, and Siam are not very harmonious with each other. They often fight each other. In addition, India in the west often intervenes, and the contradictions are quite deep. Think about it carefully. Are you familiar with it?"

I was just about to praise Yuan Keli for his strong ability to understand and listen to different opinions, but when I heard such a stupid question, I immediately felt that the chief of the general staff was a bit slow to respond. But it was difficult to criticize him in person, so I continued to ask questions. If you can answer it, you will be forgiven, but if you can't answer it, you will be punished for multiple crimes!
"...Your Majesty, are you planning to follow the example of the Le and Nguyen families of Annan?" As the Chief of the General Staff of the Ming Dynasty, Yuan Keli found the correct answer after a little thought.

In fact, he shouldn't even think about it. Not only did he participate in the design of the raid on Thang Long Prefecture, he was also the culprit for the long-term confrontation between the North and the South in Annan. How could he be forgotten so quickly?

"Hehehe, a good method doesn't necessarily have to be unexpected every time. Some methods can still be used and are very effective even if they are shouted out in advance so that everyone knows about them.

Burma, Cambodia, and Siam have no high utilization value except for the large timber for shipbuilding, so the Ming Dynasty does not need to risk its life to occupy them. It only needs to let the local natives kill each other once or twice every few years, reduce the population as much as possible, and increase hatred, so that they will not pose a threat to the Ming Dynasty.

The real threat to the Ming Dynasty lies here! If the trade route to the Western Regions cannot be opened, the development of the new policy will be seriously affected. But it is not easy to open this road and firmly control it. Every city from Suzhou to the west may be an enemy. "Seeing that Yuan Keli understood, Hong Tao stopped explaining in detail. It is difficult to learn well, but it is very easy to learn bad things. I have taught him once and practiced it once. It would be too much if he couldn't learn it again.

But another question must be made clear, that is, where the Ming military power should be tilted in the next few years. As the finger moved from Myanmar to the northwest, across the U-Tsang region, it finally stopped at a large blank.

"...Your Majesty, do you want to emulate the achievements of the Han and Tang dynasties to open up the Western Regions?" Yuan Keli deliberately took a half step back, looked at the direction carefully, and after confirming the location the emperor pointed to, his face looked a little heavy.

"It shouldn't be called imitation! They only opened up the area for a short time, but didn't make full use of it, nor did they maintain long-term stability, wasting national strength in vain. I plan to completely incorporate the Western Regions into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, not as a vassal state or a temporary military governor, but like the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

Now, Li Qing, do you know why I want to set up the gunpowder factory and machinery factory in Lanzhou? In fact, according to my opinion, it is most appropriate to build the factory in Suzhou Wei. It's a pity that it is a border, so let's wait a few more years!"

Hong Tao was very annoyed by the expansionist policies of the Han and Tang dynasties. They took a lot of effort to conquer the country, but they did not carry out any ethnic integration and development. They just treated it as a vassal state. If they did not want to build it, why did they attack it in the first place? Just to vent their anger or for prestige?
Although he also wanted to control the Western Regions, he had very clear goals and detailed means. Every inch of land he occupied would be made Ming from the root, and no other historical and cultural remnants would be allowed on it.

This would be hundreds of times more difficult than setting up a few protectorates and getting a bunch of small countries to submit, but it would be more stable. As luck would have it, I had the time and was not afraid of slowness. Even if it took a hundred years to achieve my goal, I could tolerate it.

"…The west is occupied by the various tribes of the Oirat. It is far away from the Central Plains and the local customs are unfamiliar. If we want to maintain long-term peace and stability, we can only use thunder and lightning methods. However, if we do this, we may have to fight for two years, and the future is unpredictable."

Of all the ambitious court officials, Yuan Keli supported the emperor's plan in principle, and none of them did not want to be remembered for generations like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.

But Yuan Keli was a down-to-earth official who was good at comparing the strength of both sides. He was unwilling to take too much risk for his personal reputation and put the country in danger.

As for the conquest of the Western Regions, he still thought that the conditions were not yet ripe, mainly because the emperor's requirements were too high. It was possible to defeat or even crush the various tribes of the Oirat with the current capabilities and numbers of the army, but he had no idea how to govern such a large area of ​​land and people with different cultures and ethnicities.

If we cannot find a more reasonable and practical solution, we should not start a war lightly. Otherwise, it is easy to start a war but difficult to stop it.

"Don't worry. Once we have dealt with the various Jurchen tribes in Liaodong, it won't be too late to discuss the Western Regions issue. But I think it's time for the General Staff to shift its focus there. Intelligence comes first before troops move."

Facing the questions raised by Yuan Keli, Hong Tao did not give an answer for the time being. It was not that he had no other choice, but it was too big a commotion and it was not appropriate to disclose it in advance, lest it cause unnecessary panic before anything was done.

(End of this chapter)