Mao Wenlong and Chen Jisheng's speculations about who would be in charge of Liaodong and continue the task of eliminating slavery and expanding territory, and what considerations the emperor would have, were not unreasonable.

It's a bit like a bidding war in later times. If you say you need 40,000 men to accomplish something that 30,000 men can do, what would the emperor think? How much more would the food, wages, and supplies cost?

The emperor hadn't said anything in the past few years, but judging by the cruel things he had done, it was clear that money was not so abundant. Now rebuilding Liaodong would require a huge amount of funds, and the number of troops would definitely be reduced or redeployed.

Of course, this cannot be nonsense. The emperor is not easy to deceive, let alone bully.

Oh, whoever can boast should do it, Chongzhen did so in history. As a result, not only did the Liao Dynasty not be pacified in five years, but the Jiannu even reached the capital.

Therefore, the number of troops should be both realistic and able to complete the task. If it is exaggerated, it will be a disaster; if it is not exaggerated, the emperor will definitely feel sorry for the money.

"General, how about subtracting another 6,000?" Chen Jisheng tentatively offered his estimate. "With our current firepower and equipment, 10,000 troops are more than enough to resist the Northern Tartars. Furthermore, the Northern Tartars' demand for horses makes them hesitant to resort to force."

Mao Wenlong stroked his beard, thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Let's just reduce the number by 10,000. 16,000 will fight the Jiannu, and 10,000 will defend the border. It will only take a few months to fight the Jiannu. If anything goes wrong, the garrison can hold out and wait for the main force to return."

After a pause, Mao Wenlong added, "As you said, the current firepower of our army is not something that the Jiannu and the Northern Tartars can withstand. We have fewer troops, but we have more artillery and stronger cavalry, so there is no problem at all."

The Pingliao Campaign not only recovered lost territory, but also boosted the confidence of the Ming army officers and soldiers.

No matter how fierce the Jiannu were, they could not withstand the shooting of lead bullets, let alone the bombardment of artillery. The court had sufficient supplies, and gradually formed a tactical style of fighting that relied on firepower to win.

Of course, the Ming army never gave up close combat and vigorously promoted the bravery of bayonet fighting.

Cannons are for long-range, muskets are for medium-range, and bayonets are for close combat. Only the Jiannu can withstand these three attacks, let alone the Northern Tartars.

Mao Wenlong and Chen Jisheng discussed and negotiated, and finally settled on a final force of around 26,000. This was both more reliable and would not overly strain the court's finances.

"When the Marshal comes to Beijing to meet the Emperor, he should also take the initiative to ask the Emperor to send a military supervisor." Chen Jisheng looked at Mao Wenlong and said another important thing.

Mao Wenlong lowered his eyes, understanding Chen Jisheng's intention. If he wanted to rule Liaodong, he naturally had to gain the emperor's trust and dispel his concerns about his generals holding their own troops.

Although after the establishment of the Dongjiang town, Wansui sent people from the Pacification Office to manage food, military law, and intelligence, in addition to not interfering with command, they also served as military supervisors.

But this may be a stopgap measure made by Your Majesty to improve the war situation. Now that Liaodong has been pacified, you are still not aware of it. Isn't it embarrassing for Your Majesty?

Even if the Emperor has no such intention, if you take the initiative to ask for a military supervisor, this gesture will win his favor and show that you are not domineering or arrogant.

After careful consideration, Mao Wenlong nodded in agreement and said slowly, "Your Majesty wants to implement the separation of military and political power in Liaodong and improve the status of military personnel. I will certainly reassure Your Majesty."

Chen Jisheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that it would take a lot of persuasion for Mao Wenlong to agree. He hadn't expected that he would be so happy to do so.

Come to think of it, the natural thing for you to do when you come to the capital to see the emperor is to satisfy him and leave a good impression on him. You don't have to be the commander-in-chief in Liaodong, but you must not make the emperor unhappy or worried.

The two chatted until the night was quiet before they finally finalized the matter. Feeling that there were no more problems, Chen Jisheng took his leave.

Mao Wenlong drank tea, calmed his mind, picked up his pen again, and wrote a letter of thanks.

Although he was about to leave, submitting this memorial was a procedure, and even if it would arrive in the capital later than him, it was something the minister had to do.

On the same night, in the dead of night, Xiong Tingbi, the governor of Liaodong, was also writing a memorial under candlelight, but it was a secret memorial.

Mao Wenlong was awarded a title and rewarded as the commander-in-chief in the campaign against Liao. However, Xiong Tingbi did not receive an imperial edict, but a secret letter from the emperor.

How many troops should be left to garrison Liaodong? Who would be the most suitable commander? How many miles of northward expansion should be made each year to be considered safe and appropriate...

The emperor's plan has been basically finalized, but he still needs to seek Old Bear's opinion on the details.

Xiong Tingbi knew why the emperor hadn't immediately rewarded Yuan Keli. Good things are worth waiting for, and this was a common explanation, reflecting the emperor's lack of final approval of the Liaodong commander.

In fact, there were several generals with the same official rank as Mao Wenlong, including Zhou Yuji and Cao Wenzhao of the Beijing Camp Cavalry, and Zhang Keda, the general of Dengzhen.

But they all had inherent weaknesses, in addition to seniority, they were not familiar enough with Liaodong. For Mao Wenlong, this was of course his advantage.

But if the emperor was not satisfied with Mao Wenlong, it was not ruled out that Xiong Tingbi would continue to stay in Liaodong.

It is not impossible for Xiong Tingbi to stay. As long as the emperor decides, he will naturally work diligently to complete the tasks of eliminating slavery and expanding borders.

After pondering and thinking, Xiong Tingbi chose his words cautiously. He recommended Mao Wenlong and decided to allocate 30,000 troops to guard Liaodong.

Xiong Tingbi didn't want to be too harsh on the enemy and make it difficult for the Liaodong commander, even if he would be the commander in the end.

"The reconstruction of Liaodong has not yet officially begun, but Your Majesty has already put border expansion on the agenda..."

Xiong Tingbi put down his pen, looked up at the map on the wall, and fell into long thought.

To the north lay the grasslands and Haixi, sparsely populated and hostile to the environment. However, the primary factor hindering the Ming army's northward advance was not these factors, but the transportation and supply of food and supplies.

Why was the Nurgan area designated as a vassal state, and why was the Nurgan Regional Command moved to Sanwanwei (present-day Kaiyuan, Liaoning) during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong?

The reason is actually very simple. The Nurgan area is cold and harsh, with inconvenient roads, and it is a heavy burden on the court's finances.

Xuanzong implemented a strategic contraction, abandoned Annan, relocated Nurgan, disbanded the personnel going to the West, and focused on recuperating the people. He can be called a wise ruler in terms of civil governance.

However, Xiong Tingbi disagreed with this move and believed that it was regrettable to implement a policy of contraction when the country was at its peak. Although border affairs were complicated, it was often inappropriate to handle them in the simplest way.

Sliding his hand upwards on the map, Xiong Tingbi estimated the distance. If the Ming army used Kaiyuan or Jianzhou as their base and expanded northward, with a fort every ten miles and a stronghold every thirty miles, advancing hundreds of miles would be no problem.

But considering the transportation and supply of materials, Xiong Tingbi lowered his finger again and set it at about a hundred miles.

The emperor's questions were difficult to answer accurately. What was the specific progress of the reconstruction of Liaodong, whether there would be good weather next year, and how much grain would be produced were all uncertain.

And if we expand the border to the north, we must use Liaodong as a base, and all these factors must be taken into consideration. How much would it cost the military and civilians to rely solely on exporting food?

Xiong Tingbi smiled wryly, thinking that he should explain all these issues to the emperor. He was aware of the emperor's eagerness to expand the border, but he couldn't be too impatient.

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