"Marshal Mao is a great marksman." Gou Zhenhuai was the first to cheer, and the other generals followed suit.

Mao Wenlong waved his hands vigorously and said with a smile: "Hey guys, if I can't hit you again at this distance, won't my eyes be dizzy and my hands be shaking? It's time for me to go home and retire."

Although he said this, Mao Wenlong was still in a very happy mood and carefully put away the imperially bestowed short gun.

Although those above the rank of commander had been granted imperial weapons, all of them were short muskets, the ones used by Zhang Pan and the others were merely slightly prettier in pattern, yet the materials were still steel.

The deputy general's short gun has a silver handle, and the one at the town commander level is inlaid with gold and is also exquisitely carved.

As for the gifts bestowed by the emperor, it doesn’t matter how much they are or how valuable they are.

Even if the emperor gives you a big pancake as a reward, it is a great favor that can make people excited. The emperor is thinking about you and is worried that you will be hungry. This kind of affection is more important than anything else!

But the levels are divided into different levels, which is both a sign of respect and an incentive.

Isn't Mao Wenlong's golden-handled pistol enviable? Well, work hard, and perhaps you too can achieve such success in the future.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Mao Wenlong called all the generals in to discuss matters. Everyone knew that the general had received the emperor's order and needed new arrangements, so they all took their seats and waited for the general to speak.

Mao Wenlong ordered his personal guards to bring tea, then said with a casual smile, "Those who like to smoke are welcome to do so. There's no need to be restrained. We're all soldiers, and being rough and straightforward is our nature. Here, Marshal, there's no need to be so particular."

The generals laughed, and only when Mao Wenlong lit a cigarette did the smokers dare to move. Soon, plumes of smoke rose from the room.

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Mao Wenlong coughed dryly and said in a deep voice, "This year will be the year the counterattack begins. The siege and blockade must be intensified, and the battle with the Jiannu must be escalated. Not only must their supplies be deprived, but their military strength must also be continuously weakened."

Mao Wenlong stood up and pointed at the map on the table with a pointer. He said, "The Lüda area is now stable. From this base, we can advance towards Fu, Hai, and Gai Prefectures and strive to capture all four or three of the Liaonan Guards."

The pointer turned in another direction and pointed at the Zhenjiang area. Mao Wenlong continued, "The Zhenjiang area will be what the Dongjiang headquarters will strive to seize, so as to form a corner with Liaonan, or even connect them together."

After stating the military objectives he was striving to achieve, Mao Wenlong looked at the generals, sat down, smoked a cigarette, and said, "If you have any ideas, feel free to tell us."

Mao Chenglu looked at the others, and it seemed that they all had something to say, but someone raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking him to start.

Scratching his head, Mao Chenglu weighed his words carefully before grumbling, "General, I feel our army may not have sufficient manpower, and I don't know how long it will take to replace our muskets."

Mao Wenlong nodded slightly and said, "Lord Yuan has already mobilized troops from Dengzhen to assist our army in defending the occupied areas. This way, places like Luda, Pidao, and Tieshan won't take up too much of our manpower."

After a pause, Mao Wenlong continued, "As for the replacement of muskets, that's no excuse for our army not to launch an attack. We'll use whatever the imperial court has. Does that mean we won't dare to fight the Jiannu with swords, spears, and bows and arrows?"

"I understand." Mao Chenglu was scolded by his adoptive father and became obedient, but he still glanced at the guy who raised his eyebrows. He was using him as a scapegoat, what a bastard.

Deputy General Gou Zhenhuai smiled and said, "The imperial court is fully committed to developing new muskets. In six months, even if we can't fully equip them, at least one-third of our Dongjiang Army will be equipped with the new weapons. Excluding the spearmen, sword and shield soldiers, and the artillery, we'll have nearly the entire army equipped."

Mao Wenlong nodded, agreeing with this conclusion, and added, "The power of the old muskets is still considerable in defensive battles. They can be reasonably deployed and utilized, and there is no need to discard them all."

"Also..." Mao Wenlong pointed his finger, emphasizing, "In the Battle of Shiheyi, the chariot battalion demonstrated its considerable power. The Ministry of War has already sent us blueprints, requesting that our army manufacture large quantities of equipment locally."

The generals were whispering among themselves. Mao Wenlong said to himself, "Military and civilian forces, mobilize together to build two thousand vehicles as quickly as possible. Each division will be equipped with five hundred, and the rest will be kept as reserves."

"That's not difficult." Deputy General Chen Jisheng, receiving a glance from Mao Wenlong, smiled and said, "When the military participates in the construction, we must pay attention to those who are skillful and dexterous. If there are any malfunctions during future use, we can repair them ourselves, or even forge replacements on site."

Chariot camps were no strangers to the generals. The army already had many vehicles to defend against cavalry charges and carry artillery and supplies. It was just that now, with regulations and designs, they were more powerful and practical.

Seeing that the generals had no objection, Mao Wenlong began to arrange the work.

In addition to these, the court ordered each brigade to expand its army by 1,000, and to allocate horses and artillery to each brigade to improve the mobility and field combat capabilities of the troops.

Another huge investment! The generals didn't say it, but they understood it in their hearts. The court's strong support was naturally to win more battles and kill more Jiannu.

…………………………

Ningyuan.

After playing with the gold-handled flintlock pistol, Xiong Tingbi had almost sorted out his thoughts. He spread out paper and picked up a pen to begin writing a secret memorial to the emperor.

Compared to the admiration and surprise of Zhang Pan and the others, Xiong Tingbi knew a great deal more. He couldn't claim to know all of the emperor's plan to pacify Liao, but at least he understood the general idea.

But Xiong Tingbi was also surprised. He was surprised that the emperor, so young, could be so calm. It was this calmness that the Jiannu feared the most and was the most difficult to deal with.

In his latest secret report, the emperor agreed to Xiong Tingbi's plan to advance and would send an additional 10,000 troops to Liaozhen within three months. These 10,000 troops included those transferred from Jinzhen and the 6,000-strong Flying Cavalry Battalion from the Beijing Camp.

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