Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1125 Idea
Since Sun Hao was already interested, he naturally asked Zhu Mincheng about his current preparations. Zhu Mincheng did not hide anything from Sun Hao and told him the truth.

When he learned that although Zhu Mincheng now had the support of the emperor and the prince, and had no shortage of money and food, and that the emperor had promised to compensate him in various aspects when he went to sea to establish his fiefdom, Zhu Mincheng was most in need of people who could be used.

As he said, Zhu Mincheng won over several classmates and also managed to trick a few scholars into making preparations, which could barely be counted as his "civil and military team". But whether it was the sons of nobles in the military academy or the scholars he mentioned, the reason why they followed Zhu Mincheng to take this risk was that they had no better future due to their own limitations, and because they were young, they also had the idea of ​​venturing out, but it was difficult for these people to really be of great use.

After all, to put it bluntly, these people are all rookies, who have neither fought in wars nor have practical experience in governance. It is still unclear whether they can be used in the New World. This is also the reason why Zhu Mincheng just lamented that he valued the two generals, Da Cao and Xiao Cao, but could not get them. In his opinion, civil affairs can be put aside for the time being. After all, it doesn't matter what the overseas fiefs do. The people under his command have no experience to train, and he, Zhu Mincheng, also understands these things. He will find a way to solve it slowly.

But the military aspect is more important. To put it bluntly, going overseas is to expand territory. Apart from the title of being appointed by the Ming Dynasty, all the territories, including the people, had to be conquered by Zhu Mincheng himself.

Although I heard that the native tribes in the New World were not strong in combat, and that the Western countries were able to occupy large tracts of land with only a few hundred or even a thousand people, it was also a territory obtained through war, right? Since we have to fight, the military ability of the soldiers under our command, especially the generals, is very important. Zhu Mincheng himself and the few military school classmates he had worked hard to win over were not enough to be confident.

After listening to Zhu Mincheng's story, Sun Hao thought about it carefully and suddenly had an idea, but he did not say it directly. Instead, he asked Zhu Mincheng two questions.

The first question was how the imperial court resettled the captured bandits, including their generals, after they had been wiped out. Although Sun Hao had heard a little about this, he didn't know much.

"Most of the bandits were disbanded and resettled in various places, especially the hundreds of thousands of people who were sent to Mongolia in the beginning. Currently, the largest number of people are from Tumed. In recent years, many have also gone to Chahar. This was decided by your majesty. In your majesty's words, this can be used to integrate the Mongols in the north and our Ming people, and then assimilate these Mongols through farming on the grasslands and other methods." Zhu Mincheng didn't understand the other party's intention in asking this, but he still answered the question.

"I know all this, but Your Highness, ordinary bandits are fine, but what about the bandit leaders?"

"Oh, that's what you're talking about." Zhu Mincheng smiled and said, "After suppressing the bandits, the court has also made arrangements for the surrendered generals. Except for those who committed serious crimes and were punished according to the law, the other generals who surrendered voluntarily were not held accountable. Among them, Gao Jie, the former general of Jizhou, is one of them. Not only did the court use him, but he also made contributions in this Liaodong battle. Now he has been awarded the title of Earl and transferred to Liaodong as the general."

"In addition, there is Zhang Xianzhong of the General Council Office. Although he does not have an official military position, he has a corresponding military rank. In addition, there are four adopted sons of Zhang Xianzhong who also serve in various armies."

"Your Highness, are you talking about Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, and Ai Nengqi?"

"Brother, do you also know these four people?" Zhu Mincheng asked with a smile.

Sun Hao nodded slightly. He learned the names of these four people from his father when he was accompanying Sun Chengzong. Back then, the bandits were causing chaos in the Ming Dynasty, and Sun Chengzong was also worried in Gaoyang. In order to prepare for another war for the country, he had a good understanding of the situation of each group of bandits and privately commented on the advantages and disadvantages of these bandits.

Zhang Xianzhong was a bandit leader who was second only to Gao Yingxiang, the King of Rebellion, and on par with Luo Rucai at the time, so Sun Chengzong naturally paid a lot of attention to him. He also conducted an investigation and analysis of the generals under Zhang Xianzhong. As Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi were Zhang Xianzhong's adopted sons and the four most capable fighters under him, how could Sun Chengzong let them go?
Recalling Sun Chengzong's comments on the four men, Sun Hao continued to ask: "Let's not talk about the others for now. What is Li Dingguo's position now? Where is he?"

"This..." Zhu Mincheng thought about it and finally remembered this person. If he had not followed the prince to assist in handling some government affairs over the years, and if he had not been in the military school for a few years, he would not have been able to answer this question.

"During the previous battle to destroy Luo Rucai, Li Dingguo was transferred to work under Gao Jie. Later, he made great contributions and was promoted from a captain to a guerrilla. I don't know what happened to him afterwards. Maybe he is still under Gao Jie. In this Liaodong battle, Gao Jie's Jizhou army was one of the main forces. Logically, Li Dingguo should have followed Gao Jie to Liaodong, right?"

"This person can be used!" Sun Hao said seriously.

"Brother, how did you know that this person could be used?" Zhu Mincheng was stunned and asked quickly.

Sun Hao told Zhu Mincheng that when Sun Chengzong was alive, he had evaluated Li Dingguo and believed that although Li Dingguo ranked second among Zhang Xianzhong's four adopted sons, he was the strongest among the four in terms of both ability and combat record.

Moreover, Li Dingguo was not only capable, but also had a pure heart. Sun Chengzong once lamented why such a talent did not serve the court but became a bandit and fell into the hands of Zhang Xianzhong. Although these words had passed for many years, Sun Hao still remembered them clearly.

"Since Your Highness wants to employ someone, I think Li Dingguo can be employed by Your Highness. My father once said that Li Dingguo is very capable. He is not only good at leading troops and has made many military achievements, but also knows about political affairs. And the most important thing is his identity. He is different from General Gao Jie. Gao Jie surrendered on his own initiative, and he led his troops to escape from the bandits and surrender to the old man Wang Rong in Shanxi. In addition, Gao Jie's wife Xing Qiaoer is said to be the adopted daughter of the old man Wang Rong. In this way, Gao Jie is naturally very different from Zhang Xianzhong and others. This is also the reason why the court can reuse Gao Jie." Zhu Mincheng nodded slightly, admitting that what Sun Hao said was right. Gao Jie surrendered directly to Wang Rong, which can be said to have directly changed his fate.

You must know that Wang Rong is not an ordinary person. He is not only Wang Jinwu's father, but also his father's uncle. In other words, he is the great uncle of Song Wang Zhu Mincheng.

After joining Wang Rong, Xing Qiaoer became Wang Rong's adopted daughter, and thus became one of his own. Later, Gao Jie served under Sun Chuanting as a general for the same reason. This was also arranged after Zhu Shenzhui and Wang Rong discussed it. When Zhu Shenzhui entered the capital in the name of Jingnan and took control of the government, he later ascended to the throne as emperor. Gao Jie assisted Sun Chuanting in stabilizing the northwest, and thus completely became a key figure in the new emperor's team.

Sun Hao continued, "Li Dingguo followed Zhang Xianzhong to surrender to the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Zhang Xianzhong was almost cornered by our soldiers. If he had not surrendered, one can imagine what would have happened to him. This is why the court did not use him much after Zhang Xianzhong surrendered, and only gave him a nominal military rank. As for his four adopted sons, the court gave them official positions but separated them for resettlement. Even if Li Dingguo was very capable, his future in the Ming Dynasty would probably be limited given his family background."

"Li Dingguo's previous status destined him to be in an awkward situation in the Ming Dynasty. Your Highness can check his current situation. If he is not in a high position and is not doing well in the army, you might as well try to win him over. In this way, Li Dingguo can be used by Your Highness. After Your Highness becomes a vassal, you will have a general who can be of great use. Wouldn't the previous problem be solved?"

Zhu Mincheng's eyes suddenly lit up. Sun Hao was right. This was indeed a way. He knew that Li Dingguo could beat him. It was a pity to put such a powerful general in the Ming army. Moreover, Sun Hao pointed out Li Dingguo's embarrassing identity. With his background, it would be difficult for him to become a lieutenant general, let alone a general. If he could get him under his command, wouldn't the problem of lack of military talents be solved?

Thinking of this, Zhu Mincheng wanted to return to Beijing immediately to check Li Dingguo's situation, and then ask his father to transfer this person to him.

Just when Zhu Mincheng was excited, Sun Hao asked again: "Except for Li Dingguo, it is not enough to have a general without soldiers. If my guess is correct, even if Your Highness goes to the vassal state, the number of people he can bring with him is limited, right?"

"Of course. The New World is thousands of miles away from Ming Dynasty. The Beiyang Navy has just explored the route to the New World and returned. According to the people who came back, it takes at least two months to travel through Ming Dynasty. Not only is there a risk, but the cargo capacity is limited due to the sailing time."

"I have calculated that according to the manpower Your Majesty has given me, I can only take about 2,000 people at a time. Among these 2,000 people, there are only about 1,000 soldiers, and the rest include sailors, craftsmen, subordinates, clerks, etc...."

"Then, Your Highness, don't you think that these thousand soldiers are a little too few?"

"There's nothing we can do about it. Although there are fewer people, they can still be used. As long as we get a foothold there first, we can gradually immigrate from the Ming Dynasty and conquer the local ethnic minorities for our own use. The problem can be solved eventually." Zhu Mincheng said with a wry smile.

"In that case, let me give you an idea."

"Senior brother, please tell me."

Sun Hao said: "Now that the war in Liaodong has ended, the next issue for Liaodong is the follow-up disposal and resettlement. Although I don't know the court's follow-up arrangements for Liaodong, one thing is certain, that is, the issue of the elite Eight Banners of the Jiannu."

"Although the Jiannu no longer exist, the Eight Banners still exist. If these people are not properly resettled, there will be problems. Even if they are broken up and resettled separately, these people are good at fighting. It would be a pity to do so..."

"Brother, do you mean to use the Eight Banners for my own purposes?" Zhu Mincheng asked hurriedly after hearing this.

Sun Hao smiled and nodded, "Why not? The court is going to deal with these Eight Banners anyway, so why not select some of them and let Your Highness take them overseas. My father said that the Eight Banners are good at fighting and are one of the strongest armies today. Moreover, the Eight Banners system is different from our Ming system. These people are indeed cruel, but once they recognize their master, they are loyal. As long as Your Highness holds a knife in one hand and a gentle hand in the other, Your Highness's ability will surely be used by Your Highness. With these people in hand, Your Highness can command a thousand people over there as much as ten thousand people. What do you think?"

"Yes!" Zhu Mincheng slapped his thigh and suddenly became excited.

(End of this chapter)