Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 289 Defense
"Maintaining 50,000 elite troops in Shaanxi is essential, not only to guard against the Tatars in the north, but also to deal with the Yarkand Khanate and the Oirats in the west, and the Khoshut tribe in the southwest.

If these areas are not brought under the rule of the imperial court, they will sooner or later become hidden dangers."

Zhu Cilang's expression was stern, and his tone was firm. He analyzed carefully:
"Especially along the line from Tianshan Mountain to Qilian Mountain, we must occupy those farming areas, relocate military households, and ensure a stable supply of military rations.

We can also set up basic workshops there. Only in this way can we ensure long-term stability in Shaanxi."

His words hit the nail on the head. Although the Jinyiwei had not yet completely infiltrated these areas, Zhu Cilang had already outlined a strategic blueprint for the future with the memories of his previous life.

After listening to this, Li Guo frowned slightly and asked with some doubt:

"Have the Jinyiwei penetrated deep into the northwest?"

Zhu Cilang nodded, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He didn't intend to explain too much, but took the opportunity to put some pressure on Li Guo:
"Shanxi's field troops must also be maintained at around 20,000 to effectively deter the Mongols south of the Gobi Desert. At the same time, we must ensure the submission of the three Khalkha Khans to prevent the situation from getting out of control."

"According to intelligence, the Mongolian tribes are now beginning to reunite after the defeat of the Qing Dynasty.

We must win over some of the small tribes and divide them before they can regroup."

Zhu Cilang stood up, pointed at the map on the table, and said slowly:

"Shaanxi's mission was to deal with the Oirats, Khoshuts, and the Khanate of the Western Regions, while Shanxi was to hold back the Mongol tribes in the south and north of the desert.

These tribes are difficult to deal with from head to toe, and we can then defeat them one by one, or control them through a strategy of division."

Zheng Zhilong pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement. Under the guidance of his advisers, he had a clearer understanding of the situation in the north.

"If we want to completely eliminate the threat from the north, Mongolia must become our ally." Zheng Zhilong said in a low voice, his tone revealing his foresight.

Zhu Cilang looked at him and continued:

"As for Northern Zhili, the battle in Liaodong must also be put on the agenda, and the troop strength must be maintained at around 40,000."

"Liaodong is different from other regions in that it not only has an important geographical location but also has large tracts of fertile land.

The resources there have not been fully developed. Once occupied, it will not only ease the population pressure in the Central Plains, but also provide sufficient food supply and solve the potential famine problem."

Zhu Cilang ran his finger across the Liaodong region on the map with a firm gaze, as if everything there was under his control.

Li Guo opened his eyes wide in surprise when he heard this:

"Is the land of Liaodong so fertile?"

"That's right," Zhu Cilang nodded.

"Liaodong is not just a frontier, it can become an important granary for the future of the Ming Dynasty.

Migrating a large number of people there and reclaiming wasteland can not only ease domestic social pressure, but also provide us with sufficient military supplies.

We must ensure that Liaodong is included in our territory."

Li Guo frowned and thought:

"It's hard to imagine that such a precious land was abandoned by the Tartars."

"The Tartars really don't know how to use these lands. Wherever they pass, it's almost desolate."

Zhu Cilang sighed, a trace of indignation flashed across his face:
“But this just gave us an opportunity.”

“Indeed, Liaodong’s strategic position is of great importance,” Zheng Zhilong added.
“It will not only have a profound impact on the situation in Northeast Asia, but will also ensure the empire’s food security.

Once those lands are reclaimed and reclaimed, they will be enough to feed millions or even tens of millions of people.”

Zhu Cilang's eyes were sharp and his tone was firm:
"Liaodong is not only a military fortress, it is also an important part of our reconstruction of the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. As long as we recapture Liaodong, coupled with the solid defenses of Shaanxi and Shanxi, the threats from the northwest and northeast will no longer be a problem."

Li Guo pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly, agreeing with Zhu Cilang's plan.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. We must not only strengthen our military and defenses, but also ensure the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty through the rational development of our territory."

Zhu Cilang smiled slightly and said slowly:

“In today’s situation, we cannot just focus on the war at hand.

We must fundamentally resolve the problem and not rely solely on military force. We must also use political and economic means to comprehensively consolidate our territory."

Zheng Zhilong and Li Guo looked at each other and saw deep thought in each other's eyes.

They all understood that the young emperor before them was not only a man of great talent and strategy, but also a man of foresight and vision.

"Liaodong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Northwest China, Northeast China, every piece of land has its strategic significance."

Zhu Cilang put away the map, his eyes determined:

"As long as we proceed steadily and steadily, the world will surely be unified."

The atmosphere in the hall was tense. Although Zhu Cilang's voice was calm, it contained unshakable determination.

Zhu Cilang smiled faintly, then continued:

"The world should be ruled by builders, not by those who only know how to destroy."

Zheng Zhilong pondered for a moment, then said:

"Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Northern Zhili require over 100,000 elite troops. Northern Zhili is relatively well-served, with both sea and grain transport, allowing for food and supplies to be delivered directly from the fertile land of Jiangnan.

However, if Shaanxi and Shanxi maintain such a large military force at the same time, they may be able to hold out in the short term if a war breaks out, but over a long period of time, the local areas may find it difficult to withstand it.”

Zheng Zhilong knew clearly that after the reorganization of the army, the general division of labor would be that he would guard Shanxi, Li Guo would command Shaanxi, and Zhang Huangyan would be responsible for northern Zhili.

The situation in Shaanxi is slightly better, with supplies provided by the two towns of Gansu and Ningxia, so its role, especially in sea transportation, must be fully utilized.

Otherwise, where would he have a place in the New Dynasty?
His biggest concern is whether the supply of materials can keep up.

Zhu Cilang sighed softly, his eyes fixed slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he spoke:
"To deal with the Mongols, we cannot rely solely on force. War is only one of the means of deterrence; what is more important is division and unity.

We have too many things that the Mongols want, such as cigarettes, tea, gold and silver, which are all the materials they are eager for.

We only need to skillfully utilize these resources and win a decisive victory at a critical moment to fundamentally weaken their power."

He paused, raised his brows, and looked determined:
"Right now, the Mongols need to be temporarily appeased. The top priority in Shaanxi and Shanxi is to resume production. It will take at least one to two years to reorganize our troops and prepare for war. We can't rush.

But the threat posed by the remnants of the Qing dynasty outside the Great Wall must be dealt with as quickly as possible; there can be no delay."

Li Guo smiled coldly, with a hint of disdain in his tone:
"The main force of the Qing dynasty has been annihilated by us in the interior. They are currently hiding in Liaodong and can't cause any major trouble. With only 20,000 men, we can completely wipe them out. Unless they can send all their children to the battlefield, their struggle will be in vain."

Zheng Zhilong nodded in agreement, but also interrupted to remind:
"The most critical battlefield remains in the northwest."

Although the two men trusted Zhu Cilang on the surface, they couldn't help but remain a little wary in their hearts.

Zheng Zhilong knew that the allocation of troops and resources was a matter of great importance to the overall situation. If the situation in the northwest was unclear, the military reorganization plan would face more uncertainties. This was exactly what they were worried about.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang calmly retorted:

"The situation in Liaodong is not as simple as you think. The Tartars may not dare to confront us head-on for the time being, but their retreat does not necessarily mean destruction.

It's very likely they'll retreat all the way north, even colluding with the Russians and learning their bastion defense system. If that were to happen, things would become even more complicated."

As soon as Zhu Cilang finished speaking, the atmosphere around him became a little solemn. The situation in Liaodong seemed stable, but there were undercurrents behind it.

If the Qing Dynasty and Russia united, the situation would be reversed in an instant.

The Russians' bastion defense system is strong and cunning. If the Qing Dynasty masters this technique, they will build a new line of defense in Liaodong, greatly hindering the Ming Dynasty's eastward expansion plan.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong frowned slightly, thinking about Zhu Cilang's worries.

He was certainly aware of the difficulty of the bastion system. Once the Qing Dynasty learned this defensive method, it would not only prolong the war, but might even make Liaodong an impenetrable barrier.

Zhu Cilang continued:

“So we not only have to deal with the remnants of the Qing dynasty, but we also have to prevent them from receiving external assistance.

The Russians are a hidden danger that cannot be ignored. They have coveted Liaodong for a long time. If we ally with the Qing Dynasty, we will face even more severe challenges.

This is not a short war, but a long-term struggle that concerns the fate of the nation."

He turned his gaze towards Li Guo and Zheng Zhilong, and said in a low and powerful voice:
"Right now we must concentrate our efforts to ensure the swift pacification of Liaodong, while also closely monitoring Russian movements.

Warfare doesn't just take place on the battlefield; the diplomatic front is equally important. We must prevent any external forces from interfering in the Liaodong war."

Zheng Zhilong pondered for a moment and nodded:
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. We cannot take it lightly. The Liaodong issue is indeed not to be underestimated. We should first ensure internal stability, and then use diplomatic means to contain Russia and prevent them from taking advantage of the opportunity to intervene."

Li Guo was a little impatient, but he had to admit the complicated situation in Liaodong:
"We in Liaodong really can't let our guard down. Although the Russians haven't officially taken action, they've been secretly spying on us. If we don't prepare early, there will be endless trouble."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, having already made up his mind:

"The war in Liaodong must be resolved as soon as possible. We cannot give the Tartars and Russians the opportunity to join forces. Next, I will accelerate the reorganization of the army and send spies to closely monitor Russian movements.

At the same time, we must accelerate the recovery of production to lay a solid foundation for future wars."

He changed the topic and said:

"As for the northwest, the Mongolian tribes haven't posed a threat yet, but we can't let our guard down. Our next priority is restoring production and strengthening our war preparedness.

When the time is right, we will use our military force against Mongolia."

Zheng Zhilong and Li Guo exchanged glances, each secretly impressed by Zhu Cilang's strategic thinking. This young emperor was truly exceptional, not only able to orchestrate the overall military situation but also to navigate politics and diplomacy with ease.

"Your Majesty is wise." The two said in unison, but each of them was thinking about their future action strategies in their hearts.

At this point, Zhu Cilang took the initiative to mention the issue of military reorganization that Li Guo and Zheng Zhilong were most concerned about:

“When reorganizing the army, General Li, you can select the best troops from the existing forces, and the deficiencies can be supplemented locally.

The imperial court would allocate funds to establish an officer school in Shaanxi to ensure the systematic training of officers.

The same is true for Zheng Qing's family. If Fujian lacks soldiers, they can also recruit soldiers from the local area, and the court will also allocate funds to support the construction of the Officers' Academy."

He paused for a moment and looked at the two generals with a firm gaze:
“Although your army will still be under your command, the officer academy, workshops, and the entire logistics system will be centrally planned and managed by the imperial court.

Local garrison troops are dispatched by local governments to ensure a reasonable distribution of forces."

Zhu Cilang continued:

"As for national affairs, they will be decided by the Cabinet through unified consultations in the future. The Cabinet members will still be us, and no one will have the power to make arbitrary decisions."

Li Guo and Zheng Zhilong both understood the profound meaning of Zhu Cilang's words.

The core purpose of reorganizing the army, in addition to streamlining military strength and saving military expenditure, is more importantly to gradually take back the military power previously delegated to local governments through this reorganization.

They had already anticipated this.

However, for Li Guo and Zheng Zhilong, such an arrangement was not unacceptable.

After all, they had no ambition to fight for the highest imperial power. What they valued most was their status in the court and their voice in the cabinet.

As long as they can ensure that they have seats in the cabinet, control military power, and especially have veto power, then when necessary, they can still check and balance Zhu Cilang's decision-making and ensure that their own interests are not harmed.

Li Guo also agreed with Zhu Cilang's arrangement in his heart. For them, the military reorganization plan was an inevitable trend. It could not only reduce unnecessary expenses, but also make their troops more elite.

The court's unified management of logistics and workshops actually reduced a lot of their burdens.

Moreover, as long as they still hold the command of the army, they can accept this situation.

At this point, Zhu Cilang identified the two largest non-staff forces in the court, the navy and the land, which was crucial for ensuring the stability of the Ming Dynasty's borders and promoting military reorganization and reform.

Next, the more important thing is the agenda of the conference to establish the new dynasty. Many policies and systems will be finalized at this conference.

The decision made on the surface may only take a moment, but behind it are countless consultations, disputes and interest games.

In fact, many things have already been agreed upon in private, otherwise they would never be brought to the table for discussion.

After these consultations were completed, Zhu Cilang did not stop. To ensure the stable rule of the new dynasty, in addition to military reorganization and reform, it was also necessary to further consolidate the structure of the court.

Therefore, he decided to meet Zheng Sen in person.

Zheng Zhilong controlled the navy of Fujian. Although it was nominally under the imperial court, in actual operation, it had considerable independent power of action.

Zhu Cilang understood that the navy, a key force, was crucial for the stability of the new dynasty. Especially in the face of possible external threats in the future, maritime power was indispensable.

"Zheng Sen is the key force that restrains Zheng Zhilong. If we can fully integrate the Zheng family into the imperial system, it will greatly enhance our ability to deal with external threats."

Zhu Cilang secretly calculated in his heart that in this way, he would not only ensure the strategic layout in the north, but also prepare for the coastal defense in the south.

(End of this chapter)