The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 175 Strategic Policy
Wang Jiayin's death was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves among the leaders.

For a moment, the tent was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was stunned by the news and remained speechless for a long time.

The messenger sighed and pleaded with Jiang Han to send troops to support him, his voice choked with tears.

However, Jiang Han did not reply immediately. He simply said in a deep voice that this matter was of great importance and that he needed to discuss it carefully with his soldiers before making a decision.

Although the messenger was extremely anxious, he knew that the matter was of great importance, so he could only stay in Shanzhou City for a few days and patiently wait for Jiang Han's reply.

After this incident, Jiang Han naturally had no intention of continuing his conversation with the leaders and could only dismiss them.

He then sent someone to summon several battalion commanders and Zhao Sheng, the clerk, to discuss the matter together.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy, but the people inside still felt heavy-hearted.

"Let's all speak,"

Jiang Han spoke first, breaking the silence in the tent. His gaze swept over everyone.

What are your thoughts on this matter concerning Wang Jiayin?

"Wang Ziyong's messenger has traveled a long way to ask for help. Should we go or not?"

Upon hearing this, the people in the room all looked troubled, clearly finding the problem quite difficult to solve.

Old Li was the most outspoken of men. He scratched his head and said in a muffled voice:
"General, if you ask me, we'd better not get involved in this mess."

"We finally managed to break out of the government troops' encirclement and captured Shanzhou City. At least we have a place to shelter from the wind and rain to spend the winter."

"Why bother traveling all the way to Huaiqing Prefecture and fighting to the death with the government troops?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shao Yong nodded in agreement:
"I think Lao Wai is right."

"We have suffered heavy casualties in our counter-encirclement campaign, and the entire army is exhausted and at its last gasp."

"The most important thing right now is to let the brothers rest and recuperate, and to seize the time to repair the weapons and armor."

"It will also help relieve the tension that everyone has been under for the past six months, fighting on all sides."

Jiang Han nodded slightly after hearing this.

It seems that these generals who lead troops have similar ideas to mine.

Sending troops is definitely out of the question.

Jiang Han had barely managed to drive back Cao Wenzhao, Zuo Liangyu, and the others, so how could he possibly travel thousands of miles again with his remaining troops to infiltrate Hong Chengchou's encirclement?
Besides, he had no connection with the newly appointed Wang Ziyong.

Moreover, according to Jiang Han's memory, Wang Ziyong did not accomplish much, and he would die of illness in the army in the sixth year of Chongzhen's reign.

All things considered, it will only take about a year or two.

It would be unwise to waste one's precious strength on a leader who is destined to fail.

But Jiang Han still harbored doubts.

What if I stand idly by and these people get wiped out by Hong Chengchou?
He understood the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" (meaning that if one's lips are gone, one

If this group is wiped out, the imperial court can concentrate all its efforts on dealing with us.

By then, Jiang Han will be all alone.

Zhao Sheng, who had been silent to the side, seemed to notice the worry between Jiang Han's brows, so he coughed lightly and tentatively asked:
"General, are you worried that the survival of the Eastern Route Rebel Army will affect our future situation?"

Jiang Han nodded and sighed:

"Yes, I'm afraid they won't be able to withstand the government troops' encirclement and suppression."

“If the rebel army in the east is wiped out by the government troops, then Hong Chengchou will be free to deal with us, and our lives will be difficult.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng smiled slightly and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:
"While what you say makes sense, I think you don't need to worry too much."

"Didn't more than 30,000 troops of the Eastern Route Rebel Army escape?"

"Moreover, over the past few months, the commander-in-chief should have a clear understanding of the fighting capabilities of these rebel armies."

"Apart from that one who was somewhat capable, the rest were just a bunch of rabble."

He paused and continued:
"Instead of leading troops to rescue them, we should focus on expanding our own strength."

"What the commander-in-chief needs to consider now is where to go for our several thousand men."

After listening, Jiang Han nodded and then revealed his plan in detail:
"I've thought about it. Let's rest in Shanzhou for a month first."

"Then, while the Yellow River is still frozen, we'll march back to Shaanxi from Tongguan!"

Everyone was shocked when they heard this. What? Back to Shaanxi?
Li Laowai was very puzzled and asked:

"General, we finally managed to fight our way out of Shaanxi, why are we going back now?"

"Isn't this just walking into a trap?"

Jiang Han waved his hand, signaling him to calm down, and explained:
"Times have changed. In Shaanxi today, the number of officers and soldiers is simply insufficient."

"Hong Chengchou is currently leading the main force of his army in the Qingyang Prefecture area of ​​Henan, busy besieging and suppressing Wang Ziyong."

“Apart from the border troops who are still guarding the border wall, I estimate there aren’t many officers and soldiers left in the whole of Shaanxi.”

"We can take this opportunity to seize Guanzhong!"

"Once we take the grain from Guanzhong, we can continue to recruit soldiers and expand our ranks."

Jiang Han paused, then added,

"Don't forget, there are quite a few border soldiers stationed in the three towns of Ningxia, Guyuan, and Gansu."

"Those people are probably a bunch of starving bastards. When the time comes, we'll bring our grain and raise our banners, and we can just recruit them all!"

Upon hearing this, the officers in charge of the troops nodded repeatedly, fully approving of Jiang Han's plan.

However, Zhao Sheng had some different opinions:

"General, recruiting soldiers is fine, but we must be wary of spies." "The lesson of Wang Jiayin is still fresh in our minds."

"What if the government troops resort to their old tricks again, sending spies to infiltrate our army and sow discord?"

Before Jiang Han could answer, Li Laowai said casually:

"Isn't this simple?"

"In our army, every aspect of food, clothing, and supplies is better than what the imperial court provides."

"With three full meals a day, plus a monthly salary, I don't believe they could possibly have any thoughts of rebellion!"

Zhao Sheng shook his head and said with a wry smile:

"Commander Li is mistaken."

"Food, clothing, and daily necessities are certainly one aspect, but the problem is that some people may not be satisfied with simply being fed and watered."

He looked around at everyone and continued:

“Take Wang Jiayin as an example. Would his cousin Wang Guozhong be starving or cold? I doubt it.”

"The Ming Dynasty has been established for 263 years, and the dynasty's prestige still remains."

"The promises and official positions offered by the imperial court still hold considerable appeal for many people."

"Think about it, if you were a lowly soldier, and the imperial court said that as long as you were willing to defect and help the court to suppress the bandits, you would be granted a hereditary title of commander of a thousand households afterward, wouldn't you be tempted?"

Li Laowai was taken aback by the question and quickly retorted:
"I am utterly loyal to the Commander-in-Chief. Even if the court were to offer me the rank of General, I would never relinquish it!"

Zhao Sheng sighed:

"Of course I trust Commander Li, but what about the men below him?"

"Won't those newly recruited surrendered border troops be tempted?"

"If a spy were to emerge, the consequences could be unimaginable."

Zhao Sheng's words were reasonable and well-founded, like a bucket of cold water, which chilled everyone present to the bone.

Silence fell in the room once again.

Yes, even a powerful bandit like Wang Jiayin died because of the betrayal of his confidants. Who can guarantee that there will never be a traitor among their own men?

Jiang Han frowned, tapping his index finger lightly on the table.

This is indeed a critical issue. If not handled properly, Wang Jiayin's fate could very well be repeated in his case.

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Han finally spoke slowly:
"These kinds of things are impossible to prevent, and we can only try our best to prevent them from happening in the first place."

"Alright then, I've decided to create a new position called 'Commander' in the military."

Commander? Everyone looked puzzled.
Jiang Han explained:

"This command will be given to each village as a junior officer."

"My idea is to appoint a commander in addition to the squad leader for every ten soldiers."

"Moreover, each team has a team leader, each post has a post leader, and each division also has a division leader, with each level responsible for its own tasks."

"The commander is responsible for observing the soldiers' hardships, understanding their thoughts, guiding the atmosphere within the unit, and explaining the discipline and principles of our army."

"In wartime, they are responsible for acting as military supervisors, monitoring the battlefield, urging combat operations, and severely punishing those who desert in the face of battle or undermine morale!"

In fact, the position of Commander existed in the military system of the Ming Dynasty.

In the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, after the Tumu Crisis, Yu Qian, the Minister of War, presided over military reforms. In order to reorganize the army, he established the position of Commander, who was responsible for issuing orders and enforcing military discipline.

In addition, Yu Qian also promoted the leadership of the border defense governors to rehire retired military officers and military graduates who had not been given substantive positions, and to form a "military association" with them, along with military officers and students of various levels.

One purpose was to train military officers to fill the huge shortage of officers caused by the Tumu Crisis;
On the other hand, it was also to actively cultivate the initiative of the various small units of the Ming army in combat.

Unfortunately, despite the good idea, it couldn't overcome the problem of unpaid wages.

Jiang Han added this position to emulate the role of cultural workers in the military in later generations.

He hoped that through these specially trained commanders who went deep into the grassroots, he could accurately convey his thoughts, ideas, and military regulations to every soldier at the most basic level.

This will maximize morale, enhance the organization and discipline of the troops, and reduce the chances of soldiers defecting or surrendering.

After deciding on this matter, Jiang Han turned to Zhao Sheng and instructed him:
"Secretary Zhao, go back and compile the statistics."

"Gather all the soldiers who are highly conscious and literate."

"I plan to use this time to train them into commanders and then send them to various departments in the army."

Zhao Sheng's spirits lifted, and he quickly bowed and replied:

"Understood, Commander!"

But then he changed the subject and asked:

"General, since we've decided to go to Shaanxi, could we consider entering Sichuan from Guanzhong and establishing a base there?"

Jiang Han nodded:

"I do indeed have this intention. Sichuan, the land of abundance, is indeed a good place to establish a foundation."

"However, this matter needs to be considered carefully."

"Sichuan has been fighting for nearly 20 years, from the Bozhou Campaign to the She'an Rebellion."

"Perhaps there are quite a few capable and brave soldiers in the Sichuan Army."

"So, let's plan ahead."

"After you return, inform your soldiers that if they encounter local Sichuanese, especially those familiar with the geography and customs of Sichuan, they should try to keep them in the army and treat them well."

"These people might be able to serve as our guides when we enter Sichuan in the future."

(End of this chapter)