The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 387: Don't attack the Western Regions, attack India

King Qin’s advice?
Everyone's expressions became serious.

Zhu Chong's report was delivered half a month ago, and everyone's response to his battle results was mediocre.

At most, they would say that the King of Qin was brave and good at fighting, and then feel sorry that he went astray.

The main reason is that it is too far away and lacks a sense of immersion.

Even among the cabinet members, few could understand the significance of this war.

It’s not their fault. Only a few people know about the Empire Plan now, so it’s normal that they don’t understand it.

But those who knew about the plan were very excited.

This was a battle to gain a foothold. Only by winning this battle could the Qin State gain a foothold in Anxi.

Similarly, this is also a key battle in the empire's plan. Winning it will achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Chen Jingke was excited but also surprised.

Zhu Chong’s ability is too strong.

That's Timur.

It was unexpected that they defeated Timur head-on in a field battle despite a five-fold difference in troop strength.

Although Chen Jingke always believed that the Ming Dynasty could defeat Timur.

But the other party is the overlord of Anxi after all, and he still respects him very much in his heart.

I didn't expect Zhu Chong to make such a big move at once.

What is a fighting nation?
This is the real fighting nation.

If our ancestors were not strong in fighting ability, how could they have dominated the Yellow River Basin from a small tribe and then established the Celestial Empire?

Archaeologists discovered a Great Wall in Xiangyang that is more than 4,000 years old. It was used by southern tribes to deal with the expansion of China.

Everyone understands the final result without me having to say it.

Anyway, everything on this land has been integrated into China, and we have all become one family.

During the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, each of them had its combat effectiveness at full capacity.

Then he brought total disgrace to Song.

Now, the Ming Dynasty has finally regained its former confidence and fighting power.

Zhu Biao did not hesitate at all in responding to his brother's request for help. He satisfied all of it and even doubled the amount with a wave of his hand.

However, everyone was hesitant about his suggestion that Zhu Gang send troops to take over the Western Regions.

Rest and recuperation is the main theme of the first five-year plan.

The Ming Dynasty was undergoing constant internal changes, and it took time for everyone to adapt to the new system.

Everyone should be cautious about starting a war at this time.

Besides, the Ming Dynasty was not really free of war.

The barbarians in Yunnan were constantly rebelling. If it weren't for Mu Ying's painstaking efforts, chaos would have probably occurred long ago.

Even so, the court needed to invest a lot of resources in governance.

Then there is the grassland, the encroachment plan had already begun the year before last.

Using concrete fortresses as their strongholds, they occupied the grasslands bit by bit, squeezing the living space of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

This plan took up too much of the Ming Dynasty's energy.

The first is the production of cement. Given the level of productivity in ancient times, the cost of this thing was too high.

In order to meet the demand, the imperial court opened several cement factories, and the death rate of workers was terrifyingly high.

But no one felt sorry for him, not even Chen Jingke.

Because the employees in these factories are not ordinary people of the Ming Dynasty.

Most of them were slaves brought from Japan and Ezo, and a small number were captured from other places.

The Ming Dynasty openly prohibited the slave trade and the use of slaves, and even slaves had to be under contract.

However, the private purchase and use of slaves has always been the norm.

Chen Jingke did not object to this, as some jobs were destined to be dangerous.

He knew very well which one to choose: killing others or killing his own people.

He knew better that he was a Chinese and that he only needed to be responsible to China.

world?

Sorry, only when China is well established can it be capable of considering the world's problems.

Openly banning the slave trade and not allowing the arbitrary capture and enslavement of innocent natives, and only targeting specific ethnic groups, was already his greatest mercy.

Well, everyone knows which ethnic group will be targeted.

In short, too many resources were invested in building fortresses on the grassland and producing cement and other materials.

After the fortress is built, other supporting facilities need to be built and troops need to be stationed there, all of which require massive amounts of resources.

Secondly, Yesüder was not stupid and would not sit there and wait for death. He frequently launched attacks on the fortress.

There are constant frictions on the northern border and the two sides have entered a tug-of-war.

Although the Ming Dynasty had the overall advantage, more and more fortresses were built every day, and most of the southern part of the desert was under its control.

However, this kind of tug-of-war consumes the most national strength, and the resources invested by the Ming Dynasty are incalculable.

Zhu Gang's side was also in turmoil.

From time to time, he sent troops from the Hexi Corridor to attack tribes such as the Oirat, continuously depleting the enemy's strength.

And his mission is not only about strategic security, but also about local construction.

Due to disorderly development, a large area of ​​the Hexi Corridor has become desertified.

It is necessary to restore vegetation as much as possible before the Little Ice Age arrives.

The four words "planting trees" are easy to say but extremely difficult to do.

It can only be said that the hole left by the Song and Yuan dynasties was too big, and the climate left too little time for the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty had to spend more energy and race against time to fill the hole.

Under the guidance of Chen Jingke, all aspects of the Ming Dynasty have flourished in recent years.

Although they earned a lot of money, they had even more places to spend it. In fact, the imperial court had never been rich.

Fortunately, after three years of light taxes and levies, the people have gradually recovered some of their vitality.

No one wants to easily destroy the good situation that has been achieved with great difficulty.

No one knows what the outcome will be after the Western Region Front is opened.

If the war goes smoothly, it will be fine. But if it turns into a stalemate, it will be disastrous for the Ming Dynasty.

So if you can avoid war, try your best to avoid it.

If fighting is unavoidable, try to postpone it as much as possible.

This is the consensus of everyone.

Even people like Geng Guang, who entered the cabinet because of his support for reform, believed that war should not be started in the short term.

As for Chen Jingke...it was he who proposed the recuperation plan, so naturally he was inclined not to fight.

but……

"We can't just deal with problems in a rigid way. Although recuperation is a major plan, we can't just ignore the opportunity when it comes."

He expressed his attitude with this sentence.

If the opportunity is really right, you should fight.

Hearing this, Qiu Guangan swallowed back the words he had prepared and changed his words:
"The Ministry of Revenue has made a budget. The Ming Dynasty can launch a medium-sized campaign without affecting people's livelihood."

Everyone turned their eyes to Xu Da, as he was the one who knew the most about war.

Xu Da said with some contempt: "We didn't understand Timur's strength before, and we always regarded him as an equal opponent. Now look..."

Having said this, he paused and didn't finish his words, but everyone understood his meaning.

Either a mule or a horse came out for a walk.

The King of Qin took him out for a walk and found that he was just a mule. "Besides, they are now facing internal and external troubles and are unable to take care of the Western Regions..."

"The Chagatai Khanate alone is no match for the King of Jin."

"Even if the battle goes badly, it will be at most a medium-sized battle."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone knew the final result.

However, some procedures still need to be followed. Chen Jingke continued:
"Actually, you don't have to worry. It will take at least two years to recover the Western Region."

Then he explained: "According to the intelligence from the King of Qin, Timur has just ended a five-year war with the Golden Horde, and his strength has been greatly depleted."

"We lost many soldiers and generals in the battle with the King of Qin. This time, quelling the internal turmoil is also a huge drain on the national strength."

"It will take him at least two years to recover his strength before he can start the next war."

Why was it possible for Timur to recover his strength and launch the next war in just two years?

Why did the Ming Dynasty, which had a greater national strength, need five years to recuperate?
The reason is simple. Timur plundered his subjects unilaterally, and his internal construction was basically zero.

As long as the people below have a stutter, the others will be ignored. Naturally, resources can be collected faster to launch a war.

The Ming Dynasty was different. It had to do internal construction, improve the administration of officials, and improve people's livelihood...

Even if a war is launched, the impact on the people must be minimized as much as possible.

Therefore, the Ming Dynasty needed a longer time to recover.

But this does not mean that the Ming Dynasty had no choice but to do this.

If the situation were forced to that point, the Ming Dynasty could still adopt an economic policy of draining the pond to catch all the fish.

Then they fight year-round without a break for twenty, thirty, or even fifty years.

However, there is no need to do so at the moment.

Chen Jingke continued, "I speculate that the war between Timur and the Golden Horde will begin in two years."

"By then our first five-year plan will have ended, and it will be a good time to send troops to recover the Western Regions."

Two years later?
Upon hearing this time, the expressions of Geng Guang and others immediately became relaxed.

Instead, Zhu Xiongying said dissatisfiedly: "Why two years later? Timur is now caught in civil strife and unable to take care of the Western Regions."

"If we send troops to conquer the Western Regions now, we can reap the benefits when he goes to war with the Golden Horde in two years."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "No, no, if we conquer the Western Regions now, Timur will be attacked from both sides by your second uncle and third uncle."

"He is not stupid. Under the circumstances, it is impossible for him to go to war with the Golden Horde."

"So, we have to create a safe environment for him."

Xu Da nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. We must make Timur believe that his rear is safe..."

"In order to plunder resources as quickly as possible, Timur is likely to increase his plunder of the Chagatai Khanate's resources."

"This will inevitably weaken Chagatai's strength, and it will be easier for us to win if we send troops."

"Moreover, excessive exploitation will also cause dissatisfaction among the people."

"When we send out our troops, it is very likely that we will only need one or two victories before the people will welcome our army with joy."

As I said, the people at that time had no concept of ethnicity.

It doesn't matter to them whether the Ming Dynasty rules them or Chagatai Khan rules them.

They will follow whoever treats them well.

Timur wanted to suck the blood of the Chagatai Khanate, so Chagatai Khan could only exploit the people desperately.

Since the people of the Western Regions cannot survive, they will naturally make the most correct choice.

If this situation really occurs, it will be much easier for Ming Dynasty to govern the Western Regions in the future.

This principle is not complicated, and Zhu Xiongying naturally understood it. He could only give up the idea of ​​sending troops immediately in disappointment.

At this time, Chen Jingke spoke again: "However... although it is not suitable to attack the Western Regions now, it is a perfect time to attack Tianzhu."

Zhu Xiongying's eyes lit up and he asked, "Tell me quickly, why is it appropriate to move Tianzhu?"

The others also looked at him. Aren’t they talking about Anxi and the Western Regions? Why did they suddenly talk about India?
Xu Da had a thoughtful expression.

Chen Jingke explained: "After three years of preparation, the Prince of Yan's Mansion has become very strong and capable of launching this war."

"The Prince of Yan has learned a lot and is capable of taking charge of the overall situation."

"With the assistance of Master Daoyan, it will be no problem to take down Tianzhu."

"Once Timur learns that we are attacking India, he will feel more at ease to go to war with the Golden Horde..."

Geng Guang questioned: "I don't doubt the strength of the Prince of Yan's Mansion, but Tianzhu is also a big country, I'm afraid it will be difficult to fight."

"Besides, we are outsiders. Will their people accept our rule?"

Chen Jingke smiled and said, "If it were any other country, it would indeed be difficult to fight, but India is an exception..."

Not to mention the combat effectiveness of this country, China's record against them can be called a miracle in military history.

In ancient times, one man destroyed their entire country, and now four warriors defeated their two elite battalions.

He also left a famous saying: Not only did the enemy refuse to surrender, but they also dared to fight back against me.

Hearing this, people who don’t know would think we have the advantage in numbers.

And India uses the caste system...

"Their ruling class, the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas, are all foreign Aryans."

“Even the third class of Vaishyas, the commoners, are Aryans.”

"The local indigenous people, who make up the majority of the population, can only be regarded as the fourth-class Shudras, which are at the bottom..."

"You can only work in the menial job of serving others."

"Below the Shudras, there is a fifth class, belonging to the level of untouchables, not even qualified to be slaves..."

"After the Prince of Yan defeats them, don't make drastic reforms for the time being. Use the caste system to stabilize the regime first."

After defeating them, the caste system continued to be used, and the Ming people were naturally high caste.

If the system remains unchanged, the people at the grassroots will not care who is king.

Maintaining the old system would be more beneficial to Yan's rule.

Wait until the time is right to carry out reforms, completely abolish Indian culture, abolish the caste system, etc.

As for why the caste system is not retained...

Chen Jingke's goal is to promote Chinese culture. If he does not abolish Indian culture, the Prince of Yan's Palace will be assimilated by the other side in a few dozen or hundreds of years.

Then the fun will be great.

Moreover, the caste system is by no means a good thing. If it is not abolished, it will cause trouble if it is introduced into the Ming Dynasty.

"I think the Yan Palace can take over the entire Tianzhu territory within three to five years and establish a stable rule."

"By then, the King of Jin will have conquered the Western Regions, and the King of Qin will have sufficient strength in Anxi..."

"The Ming Dynasty can attack from three directions at the same time and take over the entire Anxi."

"By then, the Ming Dynasty will no longer have to worry about enemies from land."

After hearing this plan, Geng Guang and others looked at each other in surprise.

They are not stupid. How could they not understand by now that the imperial court already had a comprehensive plan for the Western Regions?

The King of Qin went to Anxi not for exile, but as a move to implement the entire strategy.

And it seems that this move is right again.

Even if they did not understand military affairs, they knew the strategic significance of Zhu Chong's foothold in Anxi.

If we take over India, Timur will be trapped from three sides and will have no chance of escaping.

It's obvious that this plan was created by Chen Bandu.

Like an antelope hanging its horns, outsiders will not be able to see the answer until the day it is revealed.

Zhu Xiongying said excitedly: "Okay, this plan is really great. Immediately give an order to Fourth Uncle to send troops to Tianzhu."

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but nod. From this perspective, now is indeed a good time to attack India.

(End of this chapter)