Zhu Youxiao looked at the report on the money and grain collected by the Ministry of Revenue, as well as the data on clearing the military settlements, and then thought about the proceeds from the confiscation of property, and couldn't help but curse a few words.

Realizing the strength of the imperial court and the emperor's iron fist, the self-examination and self-correction of civil and military officials also proceeded relatively smoothly.

Of course, there are those who hope for the best, and those who continue to deceive. But what awaits them is the severe punishment that will follow.

I have given you a chance. If you don’t cherish it, don’t blame me for being ruthless.

Zhu Youxiao put down his tea bowl and said, "Wu Yongxian, the governor of Ji and Liao, has served his country with sincerity. I have awarded him a jade sceptre, a rhinoceros belt, and a hundred taels of silver."

Zhu Youxiao was not very satisfied with the initial appointment of Wu Yongxian, but facts proved that he could also make mistakes.

Since Wu Yongxian took office, he has led the army to repair border fortresses, which has been quite effective. He also organized the army and civilians to open mines to generate income, solving the problem of food shortages in Ji and Liao, saving the court a lot of expenses.

Zhu Youxiao was ruthless towards corrupt and incompetent officials, as well as those without actual work ability, but he was generous in rewarding and promoting those who worked hard.

In addition to Wu Yongxian, Dong Yingju, who was engaged in military farming and pacifying the people from Tianjin to Shanhai, was also commended and promoted by Zhu Youxiao because of his sincerity and hard work. He was promoted to Right Censor-in-Chief and continued to be in charge of military farming affairs.

Zhu Youxiao used both kindness and severity, and he did not want to be known as a harsh and ungrateful person.

Of course, Zhu Youxiao knew that there were more people cursing him behind his back now, but as the official atmosphere changed and he promoted and appointed more officials, this trend would be reversed.

Well, the most important thing is that you have to work hard and work harder to live a long life.

It’s great to be young. Not only can you outlast the old slaves, but you can also kill Huang Taiji.

When all those people who hate me have died and I am still alive and well, they won't even have the chance to write a book to criticize me.

Haha, just say, how infuriating this is!

………………Dividing line……………………

Shenyang.

Since the defeat and retreat in Guangning, the shadow of defeat hung over the Jiannu for a long time.

Victory and defeat are common in military affairs, but for the Jiannu, they do not have enough capital to bear such a failure.

After the Jiannu main force withdrew, they redeployed their defenses. Although they were able to curb the Ming army's harassment, they found it difficult to regroup and attack for a long time.

The most important thing is that the Jiannu still don’t understand the situation and don’t understand why this battle was frustrated.

It goes without saying that they were good at field warfare but poor at sieges. However, the ultimate defeat did not seem to be due to this. At least, the main cause of the defeat could not be attributed to tactics.

"The Ming army in Guangning reacted too quickly." Although the old slave never mentioned it in front of most beile and generals, he was always confused in his mind.

Another question the old slave had was, "The Ming troops in Dengzhen and Jinzhen, as well as Mao Wenlong's defeated remnants, moved at an unexpected speed—"

But no one could answer the old slave's doubts. The smooth progress at the beginning of the war and the sudden setback were such a huge contrast that the old slave could never let go.

The old slave now shook his head again, looking at the map hanging on the wall, anxious to know whether the spies he had sent out could obtain any useful intelligence.

"Father Khan." Huang Taiji walked into the room and bowed, looking exhausted.

The old slave nodded slightly, pointed at the chair, and asked, "I heard that the enemy retreated to Ningyuan and Juehua. What are they doing now?"

Huang Taiji waited for his father Khan to take his seat before he sat down respectfully and said, "The enemy has left a small number of outposts in Jinzhou and Dalinghe, so I can't get close enough for reconnaissance."

After a pause, Huang Taiji added, "However, I learned from some scattered Mongolians grazing their livestock that the main force of the Ming army is indeed stationed in Ningyuan and Juehua. Some time ago, they were even carrying out large-scale construction to strengthen the city."

The old slave turned his gaze to the map on the wall and muttered to himself, "What was the Ming army's intention in abandoning Guangning and other places? Were they afraid of our army, or were they abandoning Liaoxi in exchange for peace?"

Without waiting for Huang Taiji's reply, the old slave shook his head and said, "I am afraid, but it is absolutely impossible to exchange land for peace."

Huang Taiji pondered for a moment and said, "In my opinion, the Ming army's victory but retreat is really cunning and insidious, and they intend to lure our army."

The old slave nodded, agreeing with this statement.

If the Ming army still stayed in Guangning, separated only by the Liaohe River area, the Later Jin army's mobility would still allow them to find an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

However, the Ming army retreated to Ningyuan, leaving a large blank area, which made the Later Jin feel very uncomfortable and also lost the suddenness of the attack.

If the Later Jin army advanced to occupy the city and shorten the distance between the two armies, not only would their forces be dispersed, but the food and supplies needed to garrison the city, as well as the land transportation, would not be easily available to them.

You say that it would be enough to drive the Liao people from the occupied areas to farm, but what about the months between planting and harvest? Are they going to starve?

It was precisely because of such difficulties that the Later Jin Dynasty never occupied the blank area from Guangning to Jinzhou in history.

They waited for the Ming army to advance and "recover" the lost territory, build a city for defense, and then launch a sudden and swift attack. They would rob a few, kill a few, and then retreat across the Liao River again.

The old slave now has the same idea. He has no desire to send troops to occupy the large area that the Ming army voluntarily gave up.

The defeat in the Battle of Guangning meant that the Later Jin army was short of supplies; the Liaohe River, the Daling River, the Xiaoling River, the Sancha River and other rivers also made the Later Jin army's operations encounter many difficulties.

So, when winter came and the rivers froze, the old slave had already decided to send troops to fight again.

There was no other way. If they could not loot food, supplies, money, and silk, the survival of the Later Jin would be in question, let alone winning over the Mongolian tribes.

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