Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 393 The Heart of the Player Must Be Ruthless

Unlike Sun Chengzong's calm and composed report, Mao Wenlong's memorial, while also exuding a sharp and ruthless spirit, was more characterized by a confident and composed demeanor.

The letter paper was clean, the ink deep and steady, as if one could smell the salty sea breeze and the lingering smoke after the roar of heavy artillery.

"Your Majesty's grace is boundless, granting me the power to 'act expediently,' which is a prime example of the 'clear intent' in the second of Your Majesty's 'Nine Military and Political Articles'! If I cannot deeply understand Your Majesty's holy intention of 'using the Dongjiang River as a foundation to build a strong city in the enemy's heartland; using artillery fire as a plow to flatten Liaonan,' then even a death ten thousand times would not be enough to repay Your Majesty's grace!"

The report also began with a precise interpretation of the emperor's intentions.

Zhu Youjian granted him enormous autonomy not to make him a elusive dagger, but to make him a deeply embedded iron stake in the enemy's heart, one that could not be pulled out or broken!
Based on this, we will attract and eliminate the Jurchen forces.

"Your Majesty's teachings have been followed. At the beginning of the war, we used the fourth method, the 'living map,' and dispatched elite night scouts with guides to explore the strengths and weaknesses of southern Liaoning. We finally chose Tieshan outside Lushun as the foundation for our southward advance from Dongjiang Town. This place is surrounded by the sea on three sides and backed by mountains on one side, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is in line with Your Majesty's teaching that 'preparation is the key to success.'"

"Then I supervised the three armies, sparing no effort, working day and night to complete the task. We dug three deep trenches and built high earthen walls in front of Tieshan, and then set up gun and cannon positions. In accordance with the sixth principle of 'making a timely decision,' we deployed all six Hongyi cannons and twenty Frankish mother-and-child cannons that Your Majesty had transported by sea to the strategic pass."

"As expected, fifteen days ago, about eight thousand Jurchen troops from the Bordered Blue Banner came to encircle and annihilate them with great momentum. Their cavalry charged like a surging tide."

"Your Majesty commands the firing! The six cannons roared in unison, their sound echoing for miles! Wherever the shells landed, men and horses were mangled, blood and flesh flying everywhere! The Jurchen vanguard immediately collapsed. Their infantry formed ranks and launched a fierce attack, only to be met with a dense barrage of fire from our breech-loading cannons. A single volley was enough to carve up a hundred paces of ground. Although the Jurchens were fearless in the face of death, under the crossfire of our army, they charged three times, only to be routed three times. Corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers!"

"Seeing the situation was hopeless, Amin hastily retreated. In this battle, our army killed over three hundred Jurchen white-armored soldiers and over a thousand red-armored soldiers, captured hundreds, and seized countless horses and weapons. Our army, relying on its strong defenses, suffered no more than a hundred casualties. After this battle, the Jurchens were intimidated by the power of our artillery and have not dared to make any rash moves for the past ten days, only daring to monitor from a distance and not daring to approach. The foundation of Lushun is now as solid as Mount Tai!"

Next comes a deeper level of strategic thinking.

"Currently, the flooding is severe, which also affects the advance of the army. However, I believe that this is exactly what I want. Our army can take this opportunity to strengthen the city's defenses on the one hand, and use small units to emulate Sun Tzu's method of 'public trial of grievances' to spread the Emperor's grace, punish the chief culprits, and win over the hearts of the people in the nearby villages."

"Your Majesty, your subject Mao Wenlong is well aware that the responsibility of Dongjiang lies not in reckless advance, but in containment. The longer our army remains in Liaonan, the less likely Huang Taiji will dare to divert troops from Liaonan northward or westward, much less commit the entire nation's strength to a decisive battle against General Sun and General Man. He must be on guard day and night, constantly worried that our heavy artillery in Dongjiang might roar again! This strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' is also Your Majesty's brilliant stratagem to 'keep the enemy awake at night'!"

After reading it, Zhu Youjian let out a long sigh.

Steady! Accurate! Ruthless!
This is the eastern front he truly desires! An unshakeable strategic foothold!

……

If the reports from the southern and eastern fronts brought Zhu Youjian some comfort, then the third secret letter from the northern front caused him to frown deeply.

The secret letter was written by Man Gui, the General of Xuanda. The handwriting was messy but forceful, and it was filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Your Majesty's will is absolute, ordering me to submit to the barbarians and join forces with Ligdan Khan. Though I may die ten thousand times, I dare not disobey. However, the ambition of a wolf and the nature of a dog and sheep are ultimately incorrigible!"

The secret letter begins with Man Gui venting his volatile temper.

He detailed his fierce conflict with Ligdan Khan over command.

He wanted to follow His Majesty's second "clear intention" and third "thorough investigation" principles, and through meticulous reconnaissance and planning, use elite cavalry to strike directly at the logistical heart of the remnants of the Khorchin army.

Ligdan Khan, the arrogant Mongol Khan, only wanted to use his overwhelming military superiority to launch a grand and honorable battle to demonstrate his prestige as the "common ruler of the Mongols".

The two had a heated argument in the royal tent.

"At that moment, my blood boiled, and I wished I could immediately behead this scoundrel before the tent to uphold the dignity of the nation! However, upon reflection, I remembered Your Majesty's seventh instruction, 'Only by working together in harmony can great things be accomplished.' I feared that my anger alone would ruin Your Majesty's overall encirclement strategy. Therefore, I gripped the hilt of my sword and stormed out!"

"Your Majesty! In Article Seven, you said: 'Do not bicker or interfere with each other.' But now, although I and Ligdan Khan are in the same camp, we are acting independently and our orders are not communicated! His troops, seeing our Ming generals being humiliated, also show contempt. They do not think about defeating the enemy, but only about plundering all day long. This is not a 'cooperative and united army,' but a rabble!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to make a decisive judgment! I may endure this humiliation for a time, but the army cannot be without a commander for even a day! If Your Majesty trusts me, please issue a decree appointing me as commander-in-chief to control the northern armies! If Your Majesty has other considerations, I will have no complaints. However, if this internal strife is not resolved quickly, our northern army will collapse on its own even without the Jurchens attacking! At that time, not only will we fail to relieve Your Majesty's worries, but we will also become a laughingstock of the world!"

When Zhu Youjian removed his fingertips from Man Gui's tightly sealed letter, the air seemed to freeze.

Every word on that paper was like a flickering flame, filled with anxiety, anger, and helplessness, burning Zhu Youjian's nerves.

Sun Chengzong's steadfastness is like Mount Tai, a cornerstone of the nation.

Mao Wenlong's ruthlessness is like a sharp blade, a force that can break through enemy lines.

One of them practiced benevolent rule, and the other practiced tyrannical rule. Both of them were the most perfect embodiment of his "Nine Military and Political Principles" and the most faithful extension of his will.

Their reports gave Zhu Youjian a sense of solid control and composure over the overall situation.

However, Man Gui and Ligdan Khan
His meticulously constructed three-line encirclement, with the northern line being the most crucial iron pincer, was about to break apart before it could even clamp down on the enemy.

Man Gui was loyal and brave, and he adhered to his own "Nine Articles on Military and Political Affairs". Even in a fit of rage, he could still recall the sacred teaching of "working together in harmony". Such a character is extremely rare among border generals.

He was not unaware of the overall situation; his strategy of "attacking their key logistics points" coincided with Zhu Youjian's strategic intentions.

Lin Danhan was arrogant and greedy, but his ambition had not died.

He longed to use the power of the Ming Dynasty to revive the glory of the Golden Family, and he certainly had the strength to hold back Huang Taiji's main force.

Neither of them is wrong.

Man Gui adhered to the duties and strategies of a general.

Lindan Khan acted according to his instincts and interests as the overlord of the grasslands. Zhu Youjian pinched his brow hard.

He recalled the seventh rule: "Make sure that all generals work together in harmony, do not fight amongst themselves, do not interfere with each other, and do not stand idly by."

He wrote these twelve characters in the hope that his generals would prioritize national affairs and set aside their personal opinions.

But at this moment, Zhu Youjian realized that his alliance with Lindan Khan was the most vivid counter-evidence of this seventh point—discord between generals and commanders leads to problems due to an overabundance of people.

"It was I... who thought too simply," Zhu Youjian reflected to himself.

He underestimated the intensity of the clash between two vastly different cultures and two deeply ingrained ways of thinking.

"Somebody come!"

The thunder of the throne is about to fall.

"Issue two secret decrees from me!"

"Firstly, to Ligdan Khan." Zhu Youjian smiled, a smile containing reassurance, enticement, and a calculated insight into human nature. "Tell him that I have already reprimanded Mangui for his 'rudeness.' But I also want him to know that what I want is not a bluffing victory, but to completely shatter Huang Taiji's backbone! Ligdan Khan is an eagle of the grasslands. Even an eagle uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, let alone a tiger?"

He paced back and forth, his voice becoming low and seductive.

"I asked him, did he want to be a reckless brute who squandered his troops on the front lines, even if he won a Pyrrhic victory, but also destroyed the very foundation of the Chahar tribe? Or did he want to be a wise man who could achieve the greatest results with the least cost, and be the first to rush into Shengjing to seize the gold and silver treasures in the Later Jin treasury?"

"I have a solution for him that satisfies both sides!" Zhu Youjian's voice boomed again. "He will personally lead the main force to garrison on the west bank of the Liao River, creating the appearance of a decisive battle to attract and contain Huang Taiji's entire main force! Meanwhile, Man Gui will lead the most elite cavalry of our Great Ming Dynasty, like a poisoned dagger, to carry out the most dangerous flanking maneuver for his commander-in-chief, penetrating deep behind enemy lines, burning their supplies, and cutting off their retreat!"

"At that time, the enemy's morale will be thrown into chaos and collapse. All Ligdan Khan needs to do is wave his command flag and drive his invincible Mongol cavalry in a fierce and satisfying attack to achieve a great victory! This plan will not only allow him to show off his supreme prestige as the commander-in-chief in a head-on battle, but also achieve the practical effect of winning by surprise. I wonder what he thinks?"

A startling light flashed in Qin Liangyu's eyes.

clever!

That's absolutely brilliant!
This strategy, seemingly to elevate Lin Danhan to the position of commander-in-chief, actually cleverly divides military power in two.

Lin Danhan was in charge of momentum, responsible for drawing fire and creating momentum on the main battlefield; Man Gui was in charge of benefit, responsible for delivering a fatal blow behind enemy lines.

In this way, the two are nominally superior and subordinate, but in reality they are parallel forces, each with their own duties and no one under their command, yet their fates are intertwined, and they must closely coordinate to defeat the enemy.

This satisfied Ligdan Khan's ambition and desire for fame, and also brought Man Gui's military talent of raiding and infiltration to its fullest potential!
"Secondly, to Man Gui!" Zhu Youjian's voice instantly turned stern and iron-like.

"Tell him that I have avenged him and seen his report advising me to proceed cautiously. Very good! I know his loyalty and courage! But I also want him to remember the second half of Article 7 of the Nine Military and Political Regulations: 'Do not hinder, do not interfere, do not stand idly by!' I ask him, is the big picture in his eyes just about winning a verbal battle or deciding who is in charge and who is secondary?"

"Tell him to put away his reckless courage! Investigate thoroughly and plan meticulously, calculate every single detail of the long-distance raid! I have entrusted him with the most crucial task on the northern front: to kill the enemy! He is the knife I have hidden in my sleeve!"

"If he dares to complain to me about personal honor or disgrace again, or dares to have any disputes with Ligdan Khan over trivial matters, thus delaying my opportunity and ruining my important plans, I will remove him from his post as governor and send him back to the capital to be a lowly soldier guarding the city gates!"

"I grant you the authority to act first and report later! A thousand-mile raid can happen in an instant; you don't need to consult me ​​on every matter. You can make your own decisions! I am in the capital, and all I care about is the result!"

One rises, one falls; one pulls, one strikes.

Like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, or like thunder in winter.

They reasoned with Lin Danhan and tempted him with benefits, bestowing upon him empty fame and elevating his dignity.

He appealed to Man Gui's emotions and threatened him with force, granting him real power and placing high hopes on him.

"You may all step down." Zhu Youjian waved his hand, his voice revealing a deep weariness. "Act according to the imperial decree without fail."

"My lord, I obey your order!"

Qin Liangyu and the other generals bowed and accepted the order, then slowly withdrew from the tent.

When only Zhu Youjian and his personal eunuch Wang Chengen remained inside the tent, the overwhelming aura that seemed capable of supporting the heavens and the earth slowly receded like a tide.

Zhu Youjian exhaled a long breath of stale air, a breath that seemed to carry the sandstorms of the north and the bloody, rusty smell of Liaodong.

He slowly closed his eyes and leaned wearily against the cold back of the royal chair.

The throne is cold, and power is lonely.

The cold, hard numbers of casualties reported still weighed on his heart like a boulder, making it hard for him to breathe.

But he knew he could not, and absolutely could not, be consumed by grief and indignation.

Because he is the one who plays the game.

On the chessboard, every piece has its value: the chariot, horse, cannon, pawn, and elephant.

For the final victory, for that unshakeable foundation, he must learn to endure the harsh sounds of any piece being exchanged or broken!
(End of this chapter)