Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 185 To Fight or Not to Fight?! Zhu Youjian's Choice! (Thanks to Alliance Leader Xu_Yao~)

The young eunuch dared not delay and jogged over to present the telegram.

Gao Shiming took the envelope, walked quickly to the bookshelf, took down the thick book, and began to translate it one by one.

Sender: Jiajiadingsi (Ma Shilong, General of Datong, exclusive identification number)
Time of dispatch: Yi Bing Ding Geng (6th day of the 10th month of the 7th year of Tianqi, Mao hour)

Recipient: Jiajiajiajia (The Great Ming Supreme Invincible Yongchang Emperor himself)
The message reads: Jia Ding Si Bing, Zi Yin Ding Mao...

Gao Shiming flipped through the codebook, translating the encrypted content word by word:
"The Battle of Jining Haizi... Tiger Chief... if he wins... then... the final battle... or... in... Qingcheng... Your subject... requests... to fight in... Qingcheng."

After translating, Gao Shiming carefully checked it again before looking up and repeating:

"Your Majesty, a telegram from General Ma Shilong of Datong: If Tiger Chieftain wins the Battle of Jining Haizi, the final battle may be fought in Qingcheng. I request permission to fight in Qingcheng!"

Zhu Youjian did not speak, but strode to the huge map in the hall.

His gaze quickly locked onto several key locations on the complex map.

(Attached is a summary map of this battle, showing troop movements by both sides. The battle is about to take place at Jining Haizi. Ma Shilong predicts that Ligdan Khan will win, and then takes the opportunity to escalate the conflict to Hohhot. He intends to fight not at Jining Haizi, but in Qingcheng, i.e., Hohhot.)
Qingcheng is on the left, Jining Haizi is on the right, and Datong Town is below.

The three locations form a triangle, but the section from Jining Haizi to Datong is slightly shorter, while the section from Qingcheng to Datong is slightly longer.

Qingcheng, also known as Zhaocheng or Banshengcheng, was named Guihuacheng by the Ming court.

Qingcheng refers to the city built with blue bricks, Zhaocheng refers to the numerous Tibetan Buddhist temples surrounding it, Banshengcheng refers to the rammed earth construction technique using wooden planks, and Guihuacheng is the name bestowed by the Ming Dynasty.

But in any case, it is now the capital of the Tumed Right Wing of Mongolia.

The Mongols in the Hetao region recruited Han Chinese to cultivate the land and then built a large number of Buddhist temples, creating a settlement area.

Zhu Youjian suspected that he was the Hohhot of later generations?
After all, from a geographical perspective, this is indeed a rare place suitable for settlement in the Mongolian grasslands.

Zhu Youjian's mind was in a mess. His first reaction was to go through several names of the city and the meanings behind them.

He immediately chuckled self-deprecatingly, shaking these chaotic thoughts out of his mind.

Zhu Youjian had a deep conversation with Ma Shilong before leaving Beijing.

But the effect of that "interview" was actually quite limited.

At that time, Zhu Youjian had just ascended the throne. Although he demonstrated extraordinary abilities in finance, personnel, and official document processing thanks to his knowledge from later generations, he was a complete novice when it came to military affairs.

War? He knows nothing!
His understanding of warfare in this era was mainly accumulated and learned gradually after the third daily lecture.

Choosing Ma Shilong was the best solution he could make at the time.

This person came from the Shaanxi garrison and was a military officer, so he could be described as both literate and skilled in martial arts.

He then served as a guerrilla commander in Xuanfu, Shanxi, then as deputy commander-in-chief of Yongping Town, commander-in-chief of the Santun Camp in Jizhou, and finally commander-in-chief of the Shanhaiguan region in Liaodong.

Along his journey, he had dealt with almost all the forces of the northern grasslands.

The names of the tribes involved in this battle—Tumet, Harachin, Doyan, Chahar—all appeared in his military career.

Only he had enough connections, prestige, and experience to integrate the Man Gui troops transferred from Liaodong and the arrogant and fierce generals drawn from various towns around the capital.

As for the so-called "defeat at Liuhe" in historical records, a battle involving several hundred people, Zhu Youjian did not take it to heart.

Moreover, the battle was shrouded in mystery. The navy failed to arrive on time, yet no one was punished afterward. The shady dealings involved were probably more fascinating than the battle itself.

But... what good does knowing all this do?

Ma Shilong had six thousand cavalrymen, but how many of them were elite warriors capable of fighting, and how many were just a worn-out, incompetent force? He didn't know!
What were the troop strengths of Ligdan Khan and the Prince of Shunyi in the great battle at Jining Lake? Thirty thousand? Fifty thousand? Or one hundred thousand? He still didn't know!

A thick fog.

This is the true face of war.

Now, Ma Shilong's request for service is right in front of him. What should he do?
His request was rejected, and he was ordered to immediately join the battle at Jining Haizi, to join forces with the Shunyi Prince and other tribes of the Mongol right wing to jointly encircle and annihilate Ligdan Khan of the left wing?

Or should we agree with his judgment?

Instead of watching Ligdan Khan defeat or even crush the Shunyi King, the Ming army waited in ambush and then delivered a fatal blow to the pursuing Ligdan Khan after the Shunyi King retreated to Qingcheng.
The former option carries less risk, allowing the Ming Dynasty to share the spoils of victory with the Tumed tribe. However, the integration and control of the Mongol right wing after the war would inevitably be significantly hampered.

The latter carries extremely high risks, but also comes with extremely high rewards. Once successful, the Ming Dynasty will descend upon Qingcheng as a savior, and will then gradually seize control of the entire Tumed tribe through a series of means such as trade, tribute, and rewards.

With this victory, the stalemate in the north will be broken.

After that, there will be ample room for maneuver regarding whether to win over or attack Ligdan Khan, and regarding the Later Jin's probing in the Mongolian region.

But... what about the risks?

How long can Qingcheng hold out? Will the Shunyi King suffer a crushing defeat, ultimately leaving the Ming Dynasty to fight Ligdan Khan alone?
Did Ligdan Khan already realize the movements of these 6,000 Ming cavalrymen and set a trap?

Can we win? If we can't win, how will we handle the situation?

Countless questions arose one after another, swirling in Zhu Youjian's mind. War is a matter of vital importance to the state.

So-called foolproof plans are nothing but self-deception; true decisions often hinge on the smallest of margins.

This was a high-stakes gamble, wagered on the blood and flesh of countless soldiers and the fate of the Ming Dynasty. And he was the gambler who had to roll the dice.

Gao Shiming stepped forward and said softly:
"Your Majesty, three Class A telegrams have been sent in succession. The two subsequent telegrams have also been verified, and their contents are consistent with each other without any discrepancies."

Zhu Youjian remained silent, as if he hadn't heard.

Gao Shiming then asked:

"Should we wait for the urgent document delivered by 300 li? Based on the distance, it should arrive the day after tomorrow. Presumably, Governor Ma will provide more detailed information in the document."

Zhu Youjian remained silent.

A more detailed explanation? He could roughly guess what it contained.

It simply involves providing some supporting evidence to explain why he made such a risky strategic decision.

But the opportunity is fleeting, and by the time the official document arrives, it may already be too late.

Seeing this, Gao Shiming offered another suggestion:
"Or, should we convene the cabinet, the six ministries and nine ministers, and discuss this together?"

This time, Zhu Youjian finally reacted.

He slowly turned around, the tense lines on his face relaxed, and he even revealed a faint smile.

"Discuss it?" he asked softly. "In the end, it's destined to come to nothing. If everyone gives their opinion, then no one will take responsibility."

"On such a momentous matter, only I can truly make the decision!"

His gaze was calm and profound, as if he had pierced through the thick fog and seen the final outcome.

"Send a telegram."

Zhu Youjian looked at Gao Shiming and said, word by word.

"The only thing I have with Ma Shilong is four characters."

"Let go! Go! Do it!"

Gao Shiming said no more, nodded heavily, turned around, picked up the codebook, and quickly translated the four words into a telegraphic code of only eight characters.

Then, he took the translated telegram, hurriedly turned around and left the hall, handing it to the anxious guard waiting outside the door.

Watching his attendant mount his horse and ride away quickly, Zhu Youjian finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He opened his palms and realized that they were covered in sticky sweat.

"Damn it, it must be a problem with this body. What haven't I seen in my past life!"

Zhu Youjian cursed inwardly, haphazardly attributing his nervousness to Chongzhen.

He composed himself, smiled at Gao Shiming who had returned, as if the decision concerning the fate of the nation was merely a casual review of an ordinary memorial.

"Come on, let's continue our discussion. Bring up the official documents of the officials reinstated in Southern Zhili; I want to take a closer look."

……

The sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar in front of Chengtianmen Gate.

A guard carrying a command flag galloped from the West Garden, forcefully throwing the message onto the high wooden platform and shouting with all his might:
"Top-level telegram! Five in quick succession!"

The guards on the wooden platform dared not be negligent in the slightest. They caught the message, turned around, raised the red command flag in their hands, and waved it vigorously.

Starting from Chengtianmen in the capital, it extends westward along an unseen route.

Six hundred and seventy-four miles, fifty-four radio stations.

One after another, red flags fluttered in the clear sky.

The first top-level military intelligence telegram sent by Emperor Yongchang of the Ming Dynasty is speeding toward Datong at a speed that is ahead of its time.

Seven characters, arriving in one hour!
-
[Ding~ System Notification]

The hidden storyline for "Triumph in the Desert" is now open, as all prerequisites have been met.

[Dear beta testers, if you wish to participate in this battle, please go to Datong Town and find General Ma Shilong to register.]

This battle is high-risk and is limited to players of the rank of Military Merit, specifically those holding the rank of Sixth Grade Cloud Cavalry Captain or higher.

(End of this chapter)