The Mongolian tribes were beaten to a pulp by the Jianlu, and the Jianlu were beaten to a pulp by the Ming army. Logically speaking, the Mongolian tribes were definitely no match for the Ming army.

But opponents are different, and there may be times when their tactics conflict with each other.

For example, in terms of horseback archery, the Mongolian tribes were still the best. Despite the Jianlu's boasting, most of their victories were not achieved by horseback archery, but by bravery and hand-to-hand combat.

In terms of armor protection, the Jianlu were superior to the Mongolian tribes. However, in terms of mobility, the Mongolian tribes were superior to the Jianlu.

More importantly, the mobility of the Mongolian tribes has always been a headache for agricultural peoples.

They don't have fixed cities, and live wherever there's water and grass. If you want to attack them, you have to find them first. How can you compete with the Mongols in speed with your baggage and food in the vast grasslands?

The Jianlu were different. They had cities and farmland. When the Ming army pushed forward, they either defended them or gave up.

Therefore, going deep into the vast grasslands or even the desert is a very difficult task for the army of the farming nation, and many of them suffered defeat as a result.

Not to mention other dynasties, even during the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, famous generals such as Xu Da and Feng Sheng suffered defeats on the grasslands and ultimately failed to completely eliminate the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

Of course, the emperor had his own plan, which was similar to that of Liaodong, which was to advance steadily, build roads and cities, and gradually penetrate deeper into the grassland.

Retaking Qiantao was only the first step in pushing the Great Wall's defense line northward, gradually turning the area north of the Great Wall into a buffer zone, preventing nomadic peoples from easily rushing in and looting.

The reason why the emperor was not in a hurry was very simple. A major disaster was an extremely powerful weapon, and its impact on nomadic peoples was no less than that on the Ming Dynasty.

Due to the unusually cold weather, snow and frost disasters, the grasslands moved south, and facing the ever-increasing strength and combat effectiveness of the Ming army, the best option for the Mongolian tribes to survive was surrender.

Unable to defeat them in battle and unable to rob them, facing a major disaster, the Ming Empire only needed to stop the horse market and the Mongolian tribes would be destroyed.

Sun Chuanting's expression returned to solemnity, and he warned in a deep voice, "Don't underestimate any enemy. Underestimating the enemy is a major taboo for a general. Don't you know that?"

The generals hurriedly bowed their heads to receive instruction, and even though they didn't care much, they pretended to.

"We've conquered Champa, conquered Burma, and advanced into Liaodong. We've all been receiving frequent reports of success." Sun Chuanting glanced at the generals, his tone still serious. "If we were to suffer defeat, how would we save our dignity?"

Cao Bianjiao lowered his head, blinked his eyes, and spoke first: "What the lord has taught us is that in the first battle in the northwest, we can only win and not lose. We must fight to the death and boost the prestige of our northwest army."

"Don't worry, sir." The generals echoed.

Sun Chuanting hummed a sigh of relief, then turned to the cavalry unit training in the distance. His tone softened slightly as he spoke, "In this year of great disaster, the imperial court's investment of money and supplies is truly unfortunate. We, the soldiers, should relieve our rulers and fathers of their worries, fight on the battlefield, and serve our country with all our loyalty."

"Yes, we will follow your teachings." Cao Bianjiao took the lead again, and the generals echoed him like insects.

Sun Chuanting rolled his eyes secretly, knowing that these young officers were all arrogant, especially those assigned from Liaodong. They had experienced fighting with the Jianlu and did not take the Mongolian tribes seriously.

In fact, compared with the left-wing Mongolian tribes, the right-wing Mongolian tribes had a much better life.

Through Altan Khan's tribute, the Ming Dynasty opened eleven border trade ports, enabling the right-wing Mongolian tribes to live a comfortable life through trade.

After a century of pampering, the fighting power of the Right Mongol tribes declined significantly. In history, they were beaten badly by Ligdan Khan's Western Expedition.

This is the serious consequence of prolonged peace. Many countries and peoples throughout history have experienced similar things.

Therefore, even when the world is at peace, one must often take out the knife and sharpen it. The emperor's knife is the army, and sharpening the knife is like fighting a war. It is easy to understand.

Sun Chuanting knew the emperor's thoughts and his grand ambitions.

Subjugating the Mongol tribes was only the first step in a grand strategy. The emperor's attention was also focused on the Western Regions, which had been abandoned by the Ming Dynasty, and he wanted to repeat the grand prestige of the Han and Tang dynasties.

The Northwest Military Region was to be established after the recapture of the frontier. This meant that the entire northern defense line of the Ming Dynasty, from the northeast to the northwest, would change its strategy from passive defense to active offense.

"Kill!" The cavalry charged forward. Gao Yingxiang chopped down the straw bundles with a knife, and he and his comrades still maintained a neat horizontal row.

The powerful horn blasted, and the cavalry, moving from fast to slow, gathered at the assembly area. The training was over, and it was time to rest.

Although each cavalryman was sweating and exhausted, he had to take good care of his horse first. It was his second life and his most loyal partner on the battlefield.

"The pay will be paid tomorrow, and I'll treat you all to a drink." Gao Yingxiang put his warhorse in place and walked with several comrades, talking and laughing loudly.

With the skilled horsemanship he acquired as a horse dealer, Gao Yingxiang is now a minor flag officer. His generous personality has also made him many friends, and he treats his subordinates like brothers.

"Sir, please send some home." A soldier said with a smile, "We can't let my sister-in-law and nephew go hungry."

Gao Yingxiang waved his hands and said, "They won't starve. I sent them back last month. I haven't smelled alcohol in a month."

Paycheck is the happiest day for officers and soldiers. They have received their salary, so why not be happy?

It has been a reality for several years that soldiers are wealthy and willing to spend. Many businesses have set their sights on this consumer group.

Daily necessities like tobacco and alcohol, as well as restaurants and eateries, are the places most frequented by soldiers. Especially restaurants, even a visit once a month is rare. For men, eating and drinking is almost in their nature.

"When are we going to fight?" the soldier asked expectantly. "Look at them. If they take down Champa, the bounty alone will be enough for more than half a year's pay."

Gao Yingxiang turned to look at the soldier, surprised, "Who told you there were so many?"

"If not six months, it must have been two or three months." The soldier scratched his head and said, "Those officers and soldiers from Liaodong know that the imperial court is never stingy with rewards for victory."

Gao Yingxiang nodded repeatedly, expressing his belief, and said, "I think it will be soon, around the beginning of next spring. Yeah, it's probably around the same time."

So far, the goals and plans of the military operation have been kept secret, and except for a few generals, middle and low-level officers and soldiers are completely unaware of it.

Although the Mongolian tribes in the Qiantao area were not strong, the Ming army intended to seize them through military action and had no intention of negotiating to get them back.

The establishment of the Northwest War Zone was a great start, both to establish authority and to achieve strategic objectives.

As for using the horse market as a threat, the imperial court did have such an idea, but the generals in the Northwest War Zone did not think so.