unclear

Chapter 962 The Bear is Coming 3
As the emperor, Hong Tao no longer had to play too many tricks in the imperial court meetings and compete with the ministers in wits and courage. The ministers who could compete with him left one after another, and the remaining ones were basically promoted by him, so he could make his words count.

But he still hoped that the court officials attending the meeting would express their opinions as much as possible, discuss and even argue with each other. As long as they stuck to the facts and did not mix in too many personal attacks, it was okay to quarrel in person.

The effect of this was not very obvious at first, but gradually it became apparent. The court officials became more and more accustomed to focusing on practical matters, thinking about how to get things done, and no longer worried about speaking out of turn.

Of course, he still has to make the final decision, and he is also required to give the final explanation when there are controversial or unclear issues.

This time Russia's eastward expansion requires him to step forward and make a comprehensive analysis. Although Tan Mingming has collected a lot of intelligence about the Russian Empire, he still cannot explain the whole thing clearly, and he is even unclear about the nature of the Cossacks.

"After listening to your Majesty's explanation, I understand much more. The Russians are just trying to scare the tigers and throw stones to test the water. So our dynasty cannot show too much weakness. We should give them a wake-up call to make them give up their covetous hearts!"

Ye Xianggao left, and Yuan Yingtai took the position of the cabinet's chief minister. There were fewer pure flattery links, but the horses were still there. This position seemed to have magic power, whoever sat on it would have honey in their mouths, and their words would immediately become very pleasant to the ear.

"That's right, we must let them know our dynasty's attitude and put away their greed!" Sun Yuanhua, who had just opposed sending troops north rashly, immediately changed his attitude 180 degrees after hearing the emperor's speech.

"Your Majesty, there is one thing I don't understand. The Outer Khalkha tribes did not originally belong to our dynasty. What reason should we use to make the Russians give up their eastward advance?" Not everyone wanted to change their stance according to the situation. Someone at the end of the table stood up and asked the emperor a question directly.

Judging from the pattern on the chest patch of his court dress, he should be a third-rank official, but his skin color, hair, and facial features are very different from those of a Han Chinese. He is also very fat, and the peacock on the patch is pushed up by his big belly, making it look even more lifelike, as if it will jump out of the clothes at any moment.

Baron Marcos de Silva, once a Spanish nobleman and later the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Taxation of the Ming Empire, has now become a Cabinet Minister, specializing in handling some economic issues for the emperor.

"No, the imperial court will not stop the Russians from advancing eastward!" Looking at the fat black man with gray hair and beard, Hong Tao grinned and gave a very affirmative answer.

"..." As a result, all the ministers present looked at each other in bewilderment. After talking for so long, and almost analyzing the other person's privacy, the result was not to interfere. What was the point of holding a meeting? Why not just say it directly?

"The three marquises of Inner Mongolia are all relatives of the Outer Khalkha tribes. I can't stop them from visiting their relatives. If they happen to encounter a fight between relatives and outsiders, it is human nature to help them."

Sure enough, the emperor did not just call the ministers to tease him out of boredom, but he already had a solution. It just didn't sound so fair, and it felt like he was pretending to be ignorant.

"This method is very clever! If the three Inner Mongolian marquises win, it means that the Tushetu Khanate has risen up in resistance. If they lose, our dynasty will have a reason to send a large army north to seek justice for the Inner Mongolia Special Region!"

But some people did not think so. Yang Sichang, the Minister of Rites, immediately spoke up and praised the emperor's brilliant plan.

"Wen Ruo is absolutely right. You are worthy of being my Minister of Rites!"

Hong Tao immediately responded and gave a thumbs up. Once upon a time, this official who entered the officialdom through the imperial examination was still full of the aura of an old-school scholar, and always liked to regard morality as the highest rule in foreign affairs. But after more than ten years of influence, he finally realized the true meaning of diplomatic work and no longer regarded lying, sweet words and treacherous deeds as shame. This is a cause for celebration!

“Your Majesty, if all the Oirat tribes send troops together to assist the Dörburt tribe, it will not be easy for the Tushetu Khanate and the Three Marquises of Inner Mongolia to win alone.

I think we should send envoys to the Chechen Khanate to explain the interests to them and let them join forces with the Tushetu Khanate. Forget about the Zasaktu Khanate, they will probably take the opportunity to send troops to harass the Tushetu Khanate. "

Seeing the emperor's smug look, Li Ruzhang quickly stood up and asked another question. He was a cabinet minister who relied on military merit rather than literary talent, and was similar to Silva, only filling in the gaps for the emperor on professional issues.

"The Grand Secretary is worrying too much. The three marquises of Inner Mongolia are just an initiator. A group of guards dressed in herdsmen's clothing will be dispatched from the Northern Military Commission to accompany them. This will be enough to deal with the Durburt and Zasaktu Khan tribes.

The rest of the Oirat Mongols have no chance to intervene. They have been harassing Hami and Turpan in the south for many years. It is time to settle accounts with them thoroughly! Tan Mingming, the General Staff should have a plan in this regard, and it is time to improve it as soon as possible.

I have only one request, that the names of the various tribes of Wala be completely erased. Luzon and the southern part of the Annan Special Zone are undergoing large-scale land reclamation, and Port Shalien and Port Enniao also need a large number of immigrants. Capture as many as you can and send them all over to settle down. "

Is Li Ruzhang's reminder right? It is true. If we only rely on the Inner Mongolian cavalry to reinforce the Tushetu Khanate, we may not be able to defeat the Durbert and Zasaktu Khanates. But Hong Tao still has a backup plan. Who stipulates that the Inner Mongolian cavalry must be all Mongolians? Anyone who changes into herdsmen's clothes can count.

The Oirat Mongols need not worry, as they have no chance to take sides. After enduring for nearly ten years, it is time to bring northern Xinjiang back to the Ming territory, and the shallow oil fields in the Karamay area should also be mined on a large scale.

"I obey your order..." When Tan Mingming heard that they were going to launch a large-scale military campaign against the Mongols, his face flushed with excitement. There was no need to perfect any battle plan. The General Staff had been doing similar work over the years and updating it every year, always ready for the emperor's order.

"This time I..." But Hong Tao hadn't finished speaking.

"Your Majesty..." As soon as he said three words, all the court officials stood up, looking anxious.

"...I will not personally go out to meet the enemy. The three tribes of Oirat only have a total of 200,000 people. It is not worth it for me to travel so far. Tell Du Wenhuan and Ding Shun of the army not to underestimate the enemy and rush forward, nor to be too worried about gains and losses and shrink back. Once the plan is thorough, go for it boldly."

Hong Tao knew what they were going to say. They didn't want him to lead the army in person again. In fact, he didn't plan to go. Compared with naval warfare, land warfare was too hard and the pace was too slow, which didn't suit his temperament.

The current Army Commander-in-Chief Du Wenhuan and Army Chief of Staff Ding Shun are both veterans who have been through many battles. If the strength accumulated over ten years is still not enough to win a victory in one blow, then the army should undergo a major change from top to bottom.

(End of this chapter)