When Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai were summoned to the imperial court and entered the palace, it was already the third day after they arrived in Beijing.

Entering the palace, Mao Wenlong was also shocked by the magnificent and majestic royal building.

You have to know that even though he has been through hundreds of battles and is now the town commander, he also started from the grassroots and caught up with the opportunities, and then gradually gained power.

In terms of his background, Mao Wenlong was neither a military scholar nor a civil scholar. It is said that he was just a household soldier of Li Chengliang and had a past relationship with the old slave Nurhaci.

So, let alone the Imperial Palace, he might not even have been to the capital. Mao Wenlong tried to remain calm, but he was probably just pretending, afraid that others would laugh at him for being a country bumpkin.

Led by the palace maids, the two came to the Qianqing Palace and were first led into a side hall to wait. The emperor was summoning important officials.

The two entered the side hall and were surprised to find several large sand tables arranged in two rows. A closer look revealed that the left side represented the southern coast, including the South China Sea islands; the right side encompassed the northern region, stretching farther than either of them had ever seen.

Walking slowly through the aisle between the two rows of sand tables, Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai both turned their gaze to the right side to take a closer look.

Liaodong, the Great Wall, the Mongolian tribes... these are not unfamiliar, but the sand table covers more than just these.

"Mobei..." Gou Zhenhuai could not hide his surprise and pointed his finger.

Mao Wenlong nodded vigorously, his gaze shifted to Liaodong and then extended northward. He was shocked by the vastness of that area.

Following Mao Wenlong's gaze, Gou Zhenhuai also looked over, blinked, and his expression of surprise became even more intense.

"I didn't expect..." Mao Wenlong said slowly in a low voice, "The area north of Liaodong is so vast. The remnants of the Jiannu can still move further north."

Gou Zhenhuai nodded gently, lost in thought, and after a while he said uncertainly: "Your Highness doesn't necessarily mean to destroy the slaves. Expanding the territory to the north is the top priority, right?"

Realizing Mao Wenlong's gaze was on him, Gou Zhenhuai continued to explain, "If we want to destroy the slaves, it would be easier to mobilize elite soldiers and generals to follow the example of the champion cavalry and march six times to conquer the Wolf's Lair."

Huo Qubing excelled at employing large-scale cavalry formations, enabling rapid maneuvers and long-distance raids. While this tactic dates back to the Han Dynasty, it remains equally applicable to modern warfare. At least, that's what Gou Zhenhuai believed.

Moreover, by making detours and penetrating deep into the enemy's territory, and encircling and inflicting a devastating blow to the remaining Jiannu, a large amount of supplies can also be saved.

Mao Wenlong's eyes flashed, and he also thought of the crux of the matter. The emperor once said that advancing from Liaodong to the bitter cold lands of the north should be feasible at a rate of 100 miles per year.

A careful analysis of the emperor's words shows that he not only wants to eliminate the remnants of the Jiannu, but also reveals his determination to expand the territory.

Nurgandusi was the largest expansion area the Ming Dynasty had ever seen. Obviously, the emperor wanted to at least achieve this goal, and even surpass the achievements of the Yongle Emperor.

Thinking of this, Mao Wenlong's gaze remained on the sand table, staring at the mountains and rivers on it, pondering how to conform to the emperor's will in his next response.

Gou Zhenhuai felt the same way, thinking that the emperor's asking them to look at the sand table before summoning them had a profound meaning.

Inside the main hall, the newly appointed Liaodong Governor, Wu Yongxian, was giving his final report to the Emperor. Regardless of who would take over the military command of Liaodong, he would rush to Liaodong after leaving the Emperor today.

This was something that had been decided long ago and had little to do with Mao Wenlong's trip to Beijing.

During his stay in Beijing, Wu Yongxian selected capable officials from the Ministry of Personnel whom he recognized. At the emperor's instruction, he also studied and discussed the agricultural development of Liaodong with agricultural experts such as Xu Guangqi.

As for his meeting with Mao Wenlong, it was also arranged by the emperor. Having a leadership team that combines civil and military talents is of great significance to Liaodong.

In other words, if Mao Wenlong was arrogant and domineering, the emperor would not hesitate to replace the commander of Liaodong as long as Wu Yongxian made such a comment.

Because, as Gou Zhenhuai and Mao Wenlong guessed after looking at the sand table, the emperor's current goal is not just to eliminate the remnants of the Jiannu.

The emperor had already estimated the speed of the continuous northward expansion. He wanted to consolidate the occupation, fill it with immigrants, and develop and build it, not just a gust of wind sweep or the previous kind of restraining rule.

"Your Majesty, regarding agriculture, I will follow the Right Councillor's advice and mobilize the people..."

The emperor nodded slightly at Wu Yongxian's reassurance, a smile on his face as he slowly said, "Then I am relieved. The great disaster is not far away, and all the arrangements and responses are justified. It is a blessing for the Liao people that Mr. Wu can trust and implement them faithfully."

Wu Yongxian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will complete the reconstruction of Liaodong in three years and make it prosperous."

What worried the emperor the most was that some governors and governors-general did not take his warnings and arrangements seriously and still followed the old ideas.

For example, in agriculture, Liaodong grows cold-resistant and drought-resistant crops such as potatoes, rye, and corn on a large scale. Even in the event of a major disaster, the harvest will not be completely lost.

However, continuing to grow crops such as wheat and rice is not only laborious and time-consuming, but will most likely result in nothing in the end.

The emperor's demands were modest: he would leverage the vast black soil of Liaodong to compensate for the poor harvests with the sheer volume of land. Even if self-sufficiency was unattainable, the less grain imported from overseas, the better.

Wu Yongxian certainly knew that the agricultural planting plans brought by the Liaodong officials sent by the emperor himself, such as Chen Zilong, the right councilor, were formulated by the emperor himself.

If he had shown even a hint of disbelief in the impending disaster, the emperor would not have appointed him as the governor of Liaodong.

What the emperor needs now are obedient officials, not stubborn and self-righteous officials.

"Three years—" The emperor paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for good news from Lord Wu."

As he spoke, the emperor signaled a palace attendant to bring a secret report box and handed it to Wu Yongxian, saying solemnly, "If there is anything important, you can use this box to make a secret report, and have someone from the Pacification Office deliver it urgently."

Wu Yongxian bowed and took it. Knowing that being able to enjoy such treatment was a sign of the emperor's trust, he knelt down to express his gratitude.

The emperor gave Wu Yong some more rewards and comforted him before letting him leave.

The hall became quiet. The emperor drank tea and sorted out his thoughts before asking the palace servants to summon Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai to the audience.

"Your humble servant, Mao Wenlong (Gou Zhenhuai), pays homage to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long, long live the Emperor!"

Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai entered the hall, did not dare to raise their heads, and knelt down to pay their respects.

The emperor smiled faintly, and after the two men had finished their greetings, he said in a gentle voice, "My two beloved ministers, please stand up."

"Thank you, long live the emperor."

Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai stood up and bowed, still not daring to look up.

"Please take a seat." The emperor's voice echoed in the hall again, his tone calm, which made Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai relax a little.

After expressing their gratitude, the two of them sat down on the embroidered cushion with their bodies leaning sideways.

The emperor looked at Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai. Gou Zhenhuai had changed a lot after not seeing him for several years. His skin color had become darker and he looked more worn.

But this was the first time I saw Mao Wenlong. Although he was a military general, he was not that big and strong.

I heard that Mao Wenlong also told fortunes for a living. Is that true? The emperor pursed his lips slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.