There are still two weeks left for the exam, and I will continue to study hard. After listening to the detailed lectures and intensive training, my head is so full!

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Liu Lishun is a role model, as is Wen Anzhi, as well as Wei Guangwei and Ni Wenhuan, the governors of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and Xia Zhongshi, who rose from merchants.

There were countless military generals who were promoted rapidly. Most of the generals in the nine border areas were from martial arts backgrounds or were promoted and appointed by the emperor himself.

From civil officials to military officials, more and more civil and military officials have gathered around the emperor.

Although many of them were truly talented and knowledgeable, many were promoted simply because they were obedient and implemented the court policies and the emperor's edicts to the letter.

The power of role models is infinite, and the path to promotion is not that difficult. This naturally attracted more people's attention and attracted more people to work hard to perform and get closer to the emperor.

To explain this situation in the simplest terms, it is "a new emperor, new ministers", or "what the leader likes, the subordinates will do."

The emperor has always had the right kind of ministers, no matter if they are loyal or treacherous, frank or flattering.

If you want to get into officialdom, you have to know the emperor's preferences and understand his thoughts. Otherwise, you won't be able to stay in office for long and will be kicked out sooner or later.

In fact, this has nothing to do with loyalty or treachery, nor is it about integrity or treachery. Loyal and upright ministers are good, but which treacherous minister does not have outstanding talents?

In Zhu Youxiao's view, ministers who can complete the tasks assigned by him, do not violate the law, and are flattering and fawning are more to his liking.

However, officials who claim to be righteous, talk about benevolence and morality, and are always willing to speak out against the emperor are of no use if they cannot do their job well.

The most obvious example is the Donglin Party officials in history. They were unable to ease the financial difficulties and improve people's livelihood, and they were unable to defeat the Jiannu and protect the country's peace. Instead, they just stubbornly opposed the emperor.

What with the appointment of a crown prince, what with the three major cases, he kept finding faults with the royal family every day, trying to gain the reputation of being loyal and upright, but it was completely useless.

Is it really necessary for you to butt in and comment on the emperor's family affairs? You always exaggerate and quote scriptures at every turn. If you have time for that, you should do something serious.

Anyway, Zhu Youxiao had made up his mind. He was in charge of his own family affairs, and no one would get angry if they interfered.

As for family matters, the royal family naturally prioritized offspring. Yu'er gave birth to two daughters, but Concubine Wang Liang and the Queen's bellies grew bigger and bigger.

Zhu Youxiao remembered that in history, Queen Zhang Yan seemed to have given birth to a boy, so of course it couldn't be tampered with now.

Thinking of the Queen, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but pursed his lips, revealing a hint of a smile. He looked up and ordered, "Go to Kunning Palace at noon and tell the Imperial Kitchen to send the meal there."

Zhang Yan and Concubine Wang Liang cared more about the unborn child than the emperor did. In the imperial palace, it was almost an unchanging rule that a mother's status depended on her sons. Even if she gave birth to a princess, it was far better than having no children at all.

Zhu Youxiao had decided on this spur of the moment, without informing Zhang Yan in advance to avoid her being too busy to welcome him. It was just right for him to have lunch in Kunning Palace, then take a nap with the plump empress in his arms, kissing and caressing her, and satisfy his little cravings. It was a wonderful experience.

But things in the world are always unexpected, and God often interrupts people's good things.

Before Zhu Youxiao could even get up, Wang Tigan hurried in and presented him with a secret memorial. If it was a normal memorial, Zhu Youxiao could have delayed it, but when he saw it was from Xiong Tingbi of Liaodong, he dared not delay.

After checking the seal, Zhu Youxiao opened the secret memorial and read it carefully.

It has been explained before that although there are still several months of preparation time for the winter and spring counterattack next year, the harassment of the Jiannu cannot be stopped. They must be kept in no peace and their savings and strength must be continuously consumed.

However, Xiong Tingbi's battle plan exceeded the scope of the raid set by the emperor, which made Zhu Youxiao frown slightly. After thinking for a while, he stood up and walked to the sand table in the corner of the hall, concentrating on thinking.

According to the number of Ming troops dispatched, it would not be too risky to advance directly to Haicheng River or even besiege Haizhouwei.

As Xiong Tingbi had analyzed and judged, the Jiannu were unlikely to deploy too many troops to fight across the river, as that was a major taboo in military strategy. Therefore, the Ming army should have no problem advancing steadily to the Haicheng River.

Attacking Haizhou City was also feasible based on the artillery possessed by the Ming army.

Moreover, in addition to the Red Cannon, the Ming army also had other means of breaking into cities, such as tunnels and external blasting techniques mastered after the emperor's instructions and martial arts experiments.

But the Ming army launched its attack too early, Zhu Youxiao felt. Once a war breaks out, it can't be stopped just because someone wants to. Should the Jiannu just passively defend Liaoshen and let the Ming army tighten the noose?

If the Jiannu launched a large-scale attack, the force they could use to support the Ming army group in southern Liaoning would be very limited.

First of all, the cavalry of the Beijing Camp will not set out until autumn. Secondly, the Mongolian tribes and the naturalized cavalry camp are also preparing to set out at that time. Lastly, the transportation and storage of ammunition and supplies have not been completed.

These two forces could not be ignored and could even be considered the key to victory. They could not only firmly pin down the Jiannu's forces, but also wait for an opportunity to attack and achieve victory.

Ammunition and supplies were the main reason why Zhu Youxiao did not want to fight a big war. If they were consumed at a high intensity, they would not last too long. He felt that it would be a case of starting well but ending badly.

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