Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 614 Troop Deployment (Part 2)

"What a blockhead!" Zhang Changyin glared and scolded, "Your men are for reinforcements; North Korea's defense must ultimately be the responsibility of the North Koreans themselves."

"What, what do you mean?" Liu Qian still didn't quite understand.

Zhang Changyin's cheeks felt slightly flushed, but fortunately, his complexion was dark, so no one noticed the sudden blush. "What else could it mean? Just because you went to Yiju doesn't mean the Korean soldiers there are no longer usable. Whatever they were doing before, just let them continue doing it!"

Commander Liu shrank back and chuckled awkwardly, "So, after we arrive in Uiju, all the local Koreans will be under my jurisdiction?"

"Nonsense! If you don't care about them, why would you expect them to care about you?" Zhang Changyin frowned, as if Liu Qianzong's question had made him lose face.

Commander Liu could certainly hear the impatience in Zhang Changyin's words, but he still braced himself and continued to ask, "If I have a disagreement with the local North Korean officials, how should my department handle the matter?"

Zhang Changyin was stunned. He couldn't answer the question, so he looked at Gao Bangzuo beside him, but Gao Bangzuo was also hesitant to answer, so he shifted the question to Yuan Keli through his gaze.

Yuan Keli, without hesitation, continued, “The Celestial Empire is the superior nation, and Korea is a vassal state. The distinction between tributary and vassal, superior and inferior, is a fundamental principle of Heaven, needing no further explanation. All generals shall act in accordance with the clear orders of their superiors, and the subjects of Korea shall also obey the commands of their garrison commanders under these clear orders. In these extraordinary times, anyone who disobeys orders, regardless of whether they are Chinese or foreign, shall be treated as a traitor or spy.” Having said this, Yuan Keli looked around at the generals: “Orders must be obeyed, prohibitions must be enforced, that is all. Is there anything else you do not understand?”

"Understood!" Mao Wenlong quickly stood up and took the lead in responding.

"Understood!" The other generals were a beat slower, but they responded in unison.

"Go on," Yuan Keli gestured downwards.

Mao Wenlong, Zhang Mingshi, and Bai Zaixiang sat down again, while the officers who did not have seats, such as the captains, lieutenants, and garrison commanders, lowered their hands and continued to stand with their heads bowed.

"Commander Li." Zhang Changyin swallowed hard, first giving Commander Liu a disdainful look, then glancing at Commander Li standing next to Commander Liu.

"Here!" Compared to Liu Qianzong, Li Qianzong was already mentally prepared, but when he was called on, his scalp still tingled for a moment.

"After the army crosses the river," Zhang Changyin said, raising his baton and pointing at the map, "your troops must continue south until they take over the defenses of Longchuan, Tieshan, and other places. Especially here," Zhang Changyin pointed with his baton to a mountain pass roughly east of Longchuan and north of Tieshan, "your troops must strengthen defenses here to prevent the Jurchen rebels from bypassing the Yizhou defense line and raiding southwards.

"Where is that?" General Li asked.

“I don’t know,” Zhang Changyin rolled his eyes at Li Qianzong again. “Once you get there, just ask the locals yourself.”

Zhang Changyin wasn't unwilling to answer; he genuinely didn't know. For a long time, the Ming Dynasty lacked a deep understanding of the terrain of Korea. The most recent large-scale survey was during the nearly thirty years of resistance against Japanese pirates and aid to Korea. Moreover, that survey focused on Pyongyang, the capital, and southern Korea, areas of frequent warfare, and was far from accurate enough to pinpoint every mountain pass, city, or fortress. Yuan Keli and his team were able to specifically point out this mountain pass during previous military councils only because the map depicted two thin, intersecting mountain ranges. As for whether the pass could be bypassed, how easy it was to bypass, or where it would lead afterward, they knew nothing.

"Yes," Li Qianzong replied awkwardly.

"Xu Zhongjun." Zhang Changyin finally looked at his Zhongjun Qianzong.

"Yes, sir!" Xu Qianzong replied immediately.

"After crossing the river, your unit will set up camp here, and I will also take up my headquarters here." Zhang Changyin pointed to an open area by the river, south of Yizhou and north of Longchuan. This place was very abstract on the map, not only because it didn't even have a place name, but also because the river that cut through the land was so wide. Its exaggerated width was comparable to those long, narrow mountain ranges. But in any case, the place Zhang Changyin pointed to could be considered the middle area of ​​the defense zones under the jurisdiction of the two commanders, Li and Liu.

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys!" Xu Zhongjun responded without any questions, which greatly pleased Zhang Changyin.

"I have finished explaining my instructions," Zhang Changyin said with a fawning smile, handing the baton back to Gao Bangzuo.

"Guerrilla General Zhang, please go back and sit down." These arrangements had already been discussed in the recent military meetings, and Gao Bangzuo had nothing to add.

"Yes." Zhang Changyin clasped his hands in greeting, first bowing to Yuan, Gao, and Lu, before turning to walk to his seat. Before taking his seat, he didn't forget to glare at the two captains, Li and Liu, who were standing behind his chair.

Zhang Changyin wasn't so arrogant as to forbid his subordinates from asking questions; he simply disliked being questioned by them at large meetings where high-ranking officials and colleagues from other departments were present. It made him feel incompetent in managing his subordinates and embarrassed him. In Zhang Changyin's view, a nod was sufficient in such situations; questions could be asked later.

"Guerrilla Mao." Seeing Zhang Changyin sit down, Gao Bangzuo turned his gaze to Mao Wenlong.

"Here!" Mao Wenlong stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Come and tell me about your department's arrangements." Gao Bangzuo held up his baton and once again adopted a presenting posture.

"Yes!" Mao Wenlong, like Zhang Changyin, first loudly accepted the order, then walked to the table and bowed to Yuan Keli and Lu Wenzhao respectively. After the two nodded in response, Mao Wenlong walked to Gao Bangzuo and took the wooden baton.

"Commander Chen!" Mao Wenlong was already in a good mood, and with Zhang Changyin leading the way, he was hardly nervous, only a little worried. He was worried about whether the letter he had sent to the capital would be effective.

"Here!" Chen Jisheng, a centurion of the left division under Mao Wenlong, immediately responded with a fist salute upon hearing the call.

"The area from Xuanchuan to Dingzhou is your unit's defense zone." Mao Wenlong, holding his baton, lightly gestured and pointed out the area from Xuanchuan to Dingzhou. "Once you arrive, your unit must quickly scout the terrain, build fortifications and set up checkpoints, and make sure to secure the area, preventing enemy scouts from penetrating too far!" "Your subordinate obeys!" Chen Jisheng's eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression, but at this moment, he simply agreed without raising any questions.

“Commander Shen!” Mao Wenlong then looked at Shen Shikui, the commander of the right wing.

"Here!" Shen Shikui shifted his body slightly so that he could see the map clearly.

"The area from Guizhou to Bochuan is your unit's defense zone. After arriving, your unit must quickly build forts and outposts to establish a defensive line and prevent the Jurchen rebels from launching a large-scale southward offensive from Shuozhou. Once the situation stabilizes, your unit, together with my central army, will gradually advance northward to control Shuozhou." Mao Wenlong's command baton slid south from Guizhou to Bochuan, finally stopping on the north bank of the Qingchuan River. The Qingchuan River was the endpoint of their two battalions' movements and also the boundary of the Zhenjiang Circuit's defense zone.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Shen Shikui always did whatever his superiors told him to do, and this time was no exception. He had no idea what the place Mao Wenlong had assigned him was, and even now, he couldn't fully make out the map that became very abstract after crossing the Yalu River.

"Commander Mao." Mao Wenlong only looked at his commander, the centurion, last.

"Here!" The response was exceptionally crisp and forceful.

Mao Wenlong's commander of the central army was named Mao Chenglu. He was both Mao Wenlong's cousin and his adopted son. Unlike Mao Wenlong, he was not born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, but rather belonged to a branch of the Mao clan that had migrated to Anshan in earlier years. If one had to consider the closeness of blood relations, this cousin was closer to Mao Wenlong's uncle, Mao Dechun, who had passed on the hereditary title of centurion of Haizhou Guard to Mao Wenlong. However, when Mao Dechun died, Mao Chenglu had not even grown into a human form yet, so the blessing of being adopted did not fall to him.

When Mao Wenlong adopted Mao Chenglu, Mao Wenlong's own son, Mao Chengdou, had not yet been born. Therefore, Mao Wenlong had once considered following his uncle Mao Dechun's example and passing on his insignificant hereditary title of Haizhou centurion to Mao Chenglu. However, since Mao Chengdou had already been born, this possibility was legally and permanently eliminated. Nevertheless, Mao Chenglu himself didn't mind. A true man doesn't cling to a life of ease; now was a time of great war and great need for capable men. Rather than inheriting his stepfather's hereditary title, Mao Chenglu preferred to earn a high-ranking official position himself.

Some time ago, Mao Wenlong had considered sending Mao Chenglu to the capital to deliver a message and money to his uncle, Master Shen. However, he reconsidered. The capital and Zhenjiang were two thousand li apart, a round trip of four thousand li. Even traveling at top speed, day and night, it would take nearly two months. There was no way Mao Chenglu could return to Zhenjiang before the troops were mustered. Moreover, Mao Chenglu had already appeared before Yuan Keli several times. If Yuan Keli suddenly asked about Mao Chenglu's whereabouts, Mao Wenlong would be left standing there awkwardly.

Mao Wenlong wasn't sure if Uncle Shen could help him take over smoothly, but if the powerful Yuan Da Guardian noticed something amiss and became disgusted with him, then forget about taking over; he'd probably be begging for food elsewhere soon.

After much deliberation, Mao Wenlong decided to have someone else deliver the message, and Mao Chenglu was left behind until now.

Mao Wenlong moved the tip of his command baton back to the position in Guizhou. "After crossing the river, your troops will be stationed and fortified in Guizhou, and I will also take up my post here."

In reality, Dingzhou was the center of the defense zone designated by Yuan Keli for Mao Wenlong, and Guizhou, located in a mountainous area with inconvenient transportation, was not convenient to reach from any direction. Mao Wenlong chose Guizhou as his base simply to demonstrate a fearless and aggressive stance to Yuan Keli and Gao Wenlong.

Mao Wenlong understood very well that relying on those connections alone was not enough; if he wanted to rise to the top, he had to produce real achievements.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Mao Chenglu was still in a state of confusion, and could only instinctively accept the order.

"I have finished explaining the arrangements." After finishing the military deployment, Mao Wenlong handed the baton to Gao Bangzuo. However, unlike Zhang Changyin, he did not smile obsequiously; his expression remained solemn.

"Guerrilla Mao, please go back and sit down." Gao Bangzuo took the baton but showed no intention of passing it on.

Now, Zhang Mingshi's Zhejiang Army Battalion has been in place as a replacement force and does not need to move. The only thing they need to do now is to send the notice of the relocation and change of command to each city, fortress, border, and wall. Bai Zaixiang's Youyang Battalion had already sent out all the tasks two days ago.

"Yes." Mao Wenlong clasped his hands in greeting and, like Zhang Changyin, bowed to Yuan, Gao, and Lu before turning to walk to his seat.

Mao Wenlong sat down, and Gao Bangzuo looked around at everyone. "Do any of you generals have any further questions?"

No one responded for a moment, and everyone in the hall silently lowered their heads.

Just as Gao Bangzuo put the baton back into the slot on the map stand and was about to sit back down, Chen Jisheng, who had been deep in thought since responding, slowly raised his hand.

"And then what? What should we do next?" Chen Jisheng asked, his head drooping and his voice trembling.

The first person to respond to this question was not Gao Bangzuo, nor Chen Jisheng's superior Mao Wenlong, but Zhang Changyin, who was sitting next to Mao Wenlong. Upon hearing the question, Zhang Changyin was first relieved, then delighted. In his view, since Mao Wenlong's subordinate was also asking a question on such an important occasion, he was no longer the only one who was "incompetent in managing his subordinates."

"What after? Commander Chen, please explain more clearly." Gao Bangzuo asked in confusion, which made Zhang Changyin even happier. Under his secret joy, his resentment towards Commanders Liu and Li seemed to have subsided considerably.

"Once all units are in position," Chen Jisheng glanced at Bai Zaixiang subtly, "which battalion will Supervisor Yuan lead to continue south?"

Like many other generals present, Chen Jisheng listened attentively and thought deeply.

The imperial edict was clearly about major events concerning the entire Korean peninsula, but the arrangements made earlier were limited to the area north of Pyongan Province. After these arrangements, Mao Wenlong's guerrilla battalion and Zhang Changyin's reinforcement battalion became Korean garrisons, while Zhang Mingshi's Zhejiang soldiers would replace Mao Wenlong's guerrilla battalion as the backbone of the defense of Zhenjiang.

In his view, the only troops still operational were the local soldiers of Youyang Commandery. Chen Jisheng felt that Yuan Keli would not send local soldiers to Hanyang to capture the king, but he couldn't think of any other possibilities. After all, there were only so many troops around Zhenjiang at the moment, and if more were to be drawn, the only option would be to send the city's garrison troops, which was obviously even more unlikely.

"Commander Chen, there's no need to worry. The court has already made arrangements for this matter," Yuan Keli explained under everyone's gaze. "Before I left the capital, the court had already dispatched 15,000 troops to Shandong. In addition, the court will also recruit 10,000 troops from Shandong. These 25,000 troops will cross the river by boat tomorrow, when you are crossing the river, and will arrive in two routes directly at Pyongyang and Hanyang. At that time, someone will come to meet me at the Qingchuan River."

These words shocked the generals once again. They then realized that the troops present were merely a detachment, while the main force monitoring North Korea had already assembled in Shandong!
(End of this chapter)