Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 49 Skilled in weaponry, ready for battle!
A month later, Yuan Keli arrived in the capital. This time, Zhu Youjian had learned his lesson and did not summon him to court. Instead, he chose to meet him first in the Qianqing Palace to exchange information between the emperor and his minister.

"Minister Yuan has come from afar, and the journey must have been arduous; you must be very tired," Zhu Youjian said gently to the elderly minister, who was over sixty years old. However, Yuan Keli did not appreciate the compliment. He stroked his mustache and said angrily, "This old minister has heard that Your Majesty intends to abandon Liaodong?"

"The rumors have already reached Henan?!" Zhu Youjian exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s not just in Henan, it’s spread all the way to Jiangnan!” Yuan Keli said angrily.

"I really want to kill someone," Zhu Youjian thought to himself. Then he took a deep breath and said, "Minister Yuan has misunderstood me. I only did not adopt Wang Mingchu's strategy. How can you say that I want to abandon Liaodong? Do you also think that my Great Ming should use all the strength of the country to fight the Jurchens to the death?"

“Wang Zaijin is a stupid parasite,” Yuan Keli said disdainfully, then said seriously, “This old minister is dull-witted, but this matter concerns the very foundation of the nation, so I have no choice but to risk my life to offer my advice. I have heard that Liaodong has been in arrears with its pay for more than a year, and its military preparedness is in a state of disarray. I fear that the Jurchens may take advantage of this, so I humbly beg Your Majesty to make plans and arrangements as soon as possible.”

Zhu Youjian's expression also turned serious: "If I were to entrust you with the task of managing Liaodong, what would you do?"

"We must prepare our weapons and be ready for battle!" Yuan Keli solemnly declared.

"Now I am relieved. What I was worried about was that the generals were underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly. Please explain the strategy to me in detail."

"I observe that Liaodong has been in dire straits for a long time, its resources are exhausted, and it is difficult to sustain. In my opinion, the Jurchens will surely invade the border again within three years. I think Sun Chengzong's strategy of combining the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry with the Chariot Camp is very good. However, his move to build a large number of watchtowers is extremely foolish!"

The purpose of fortified cities is to cut off the enemy's retreat and supply lines, preventing them from easily crossing. However, the soldiers on these watchtowers are few in number, mostly infantry, barely able to defend themselves, let alone launch an attack. If the Jurchens invade, they can simply bypass the watchtowers; such fortifications are merely a waste of money and resources, and a disorganization of troops! If I were in charge of the military affairs in Liaodong, I would abandon the watchtowers and concentrate all my forces within the large city.”

"Can hiding in a big city really stop the Jurchens from moving south?" Zhu Youjian was skeptical.

Yuan Keli shook his head and said, "The Jurchen cavalry are as swift as the wind, capable of traveling over a hundred li a day, and it is difficult to stop them with just a city. However, the presence of large cities makes them wary and dare not venture too far."

The Jurchens raid southwards like the wind, making them difficult for our army to stop. However, they will return with large amounts of looted money, grain, and civilians, which will inevitably burden our army. This will allow our army to engage in open battle outside the city. If we win, we can annihilate the enemy; even if we lose, we can still recover most of the supplies and civilians. Thus, the Jurchens will make a futile trip, gaining nothing but losses, and will eventually be exhausted.

Moreover, the key to both offense and defense lies in having elite troops.

"The importance of military training is common knowledge. However, the national treasury is empty. What can we do?"

"When resources are scarce, we should weed out the weak and keep the strong, preserve the elite troops, and not seek great victories in war, but rather survival. We can also allow soldiers to cultivate land for self-sufficiency, thus saving money and grain. Of course, this is only a temporary measure; the fundamental solution lies in reforming the tax system. Bi Ziyan is exceptionally talented, and I hope Your Majesty will give him an important position."

"If the Jurchens invade via the Yanshan Mountains, wouldn't the troops in Liaoxi be too far away to reach them?" Zhu Youjian reminded him.

"This matter certainly requires careful consideration. We have been trying to contain the Jurchens by relying on the Chahar tribe, but Ligdan Khan is indecisive and cannot be relied upon. We should repair the Yanshan Pass and station a large number of troops there. In addition to the defenses outside the pass, the capital region also needs a strong army to protect it."

Your Majesty is aware that our Ming forces are stationed in multiple locations, allowing the Jurchens to concentrate their forces for an attack. As the saying goes, prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat, therefore, it is absolutely necessary for our army to take the initiative and launch an attack.

Mao Wenlong's troops in Dongjiang are quite capable, and the Korean territory should not be easily abandoned. Sun Chengzong's "three-pronged deployment" strategy still has its merits, but the defensive line needs to be adjusted according to local conditions. The navy is particularly crucial, as it can transport supplies and troops, and also harass the Jurchen rear, attacking their vital points. I request that the naval forces of Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Dongjiang be reorganized, using our strengths to attack their weaknesses.” Zhu Youjian took out a memorial and handed it to Yuan Keli, saying, “This is Mao Wenlong's memorial requesting supplies. The Ministry of War accuses him of falsifying troop numbers. What do you think?”

After reviewing the report, Yuan Keli said, "Mao Wenlong did indeed exaggerate the number of troops, but there are also hidden reasons. Dongjiang Town has taken in countless refugees and displaced people, and they need grain and rice to provide relief in order to calm their hearts. His actions were certainly wrong, but I implore Your Majesty to allow me to personally go to Pi Island to thoroughly investigate the matter and admonish Mao Wenlong. As for supporting Dongjiang Town, it is an established policy and should not be changed lightly."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian sighed and said, "Since I ascended the throne, I have been worried about Liaodong and have been unable to sleep day and night, fearing that I would fail the legacy of my ancestors. Now that Minister Yuan has explained the advantages and disadvantages, I am somewhat relieved. I entrust the important task of Liaodong to you."

Yuan Keli bowed solemnly and said, "Your Majesty does not consider me old or punish me for my arrogance, and has entrusted me with such an important task. How could I not be willing to die for you?!"

The following day at court, Zhu Youjian officially appointed Yuan Keli as the Liaodong Military Commissioner, in charge of military affairs in Liaodong, Jizhou, and Dengzhou-Laizhou, and also granted him the title of Minister of War.

After more than two months of debate, the selection of the Liaodong military commissioner has finally been settled. Although people had some reservations about the emperor's appointment, the rumors of "abandoning Liaodong" did not come true.

Yuan Keli was a man of strong character and a righteous indignation, which led to poor relations with other officials in the court, a stark contrast to Sun Chengzong's ability to navigate complex political landscape. In fact, the selection of such a military commissioner should have been based more on their ability to leverage resources. Yuan Chonghuan was originally chosen as the Liaodong military commissioner precisely because both Sun Chengzong and Wang Zaijin held him in high regard.

Zhu Youjian was unsure how well Yuan Keli could accomplish after taking the throne; only time would tell. In truth, according to his deepest thoughts, Huang Taiji's detour into the pass was something no one could stop, as it was a matter of raw power that strategy could not alter.

At present, Liaodong has only about 70,000 troops, divided among various places. Jinzhou has 10,000, Ningyuan has more than 8,000, Qiantun to Shanhaiguan has about 13,000, Guan Ning Army has 15,000, led by Man Gui and Zu Dashou, more than 3,000 elite cavalry, plus the 30,000 slipper troops on Pi Island.

The Jurchens could usually mobilize 60,000 to 70,000 cavalrymen, and with their all-out efforts, plus their auxiliary troops, they could easily field 100,000 cavalrymen. Cavalry is different from infantry. During the Battle of Sarhu, Nurhaci said, "No matter how many routes you come from, I will go in one direction," which was based on the high mobility of cavalry.

The initial deployment of the three armies was not problematic; the armies were only thirty li apart and could have easily encircled the Ming army. High mobility would have allowed them to outnumber the Ming and concentrate their superior forces to launch a strangulation attack. This is precisely why the Ming army faced such a difficult situation—they were severely lacking in mules and horses.

Southeastern chieftains rebelled, the northwest peasants rose up, the northeast was plagued by bandits, and the southeast was infested with Japanese pirates. Zhu Youjian had made all the necessary arrangements, but he didn't know what the final outcome would be, nor could he rush things. He just needed to keep playing music and dancing; reckless actions would only ruin things.

The money he begged from the various vassal kings has been arriving in his account one after another. Asking for money is indeed the most difficult thing in the world. These vassal kings are stingy and mostly only gave him a few hundred taels of silver to get rid of him. Some even complained to him about their poverty and that the court's annual salary was not paid in full.

Only a fool named Tang Wang gave him 30,000 taels of silver and asked him if it was enough. If not, he would sell some of the land in the palace to raise the money for him. Zhu Youjian was moved.

The last few dozen princes managed to raise a total of 170,000 taels of silver, but it wasn't enough to cover the carpenter's funeral expenses. Zhu Youjian was at a loss as to who to ask for help from.

It is actually a biased view to say that the princes ruined the Ming Dynasty. The princes were indeed wealthy, but in terms of the damage they caused to the Ming Dynasty, they were probably not as great as the gentry. Zhu Youjian planned to loosen the restrictions on the princes.

Level 4 Old Deng has 4 million-copy masterpieces. He is a ruthless person who lifts up the skirt of the wild sister and fights his way out of the suppression of the God Three!

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(End of this chapter)