The redeployment and reassignment of the garrisons was something Zhu Yunying absolutely needed to do well. This was something he had indeed discussed with the military officers of the Five Military Commissions beforehand, and it was not something that could be taken lightly.

Perhaps the garrison system of the Ming Dynasty in its mid-to-late period was merely a shell of its former self, with countless examples of military households deserting their posts. However, judging from the current situation, even if some desertion still occurs, it is extremely rare. Moreover, the current garrison system is more beneficial to the Ming Dynasty than it actually is—that is the reality.

Xu Huizu, Lan Yu, and Fu Youde, the three great military leaders, stepped forward. They were unlikely to object much to carrying out Zhu Yunying's orders. However, how to reduce, merge, or adjust these positions was something they needed to discuss.

Zhu Yunying looked at Li Jinglong and said, "Cousin, what do you think?"

Li Jinglong was, after all, the Duke of Cao, although it seemed he had been somewhat 'laid off' by Zhu Yunying. However, no one could find fault with him; Li Jinglong remained one of the most prestigious dukes in the Ming Dynasty, and was frequently summoned and rewarded by the retired emperor and the current emperor. Sometimes, Li Jinglong would also be sent on missions.

The handsome Li Jinglong approached the map and said, “Your Majesty, I believe what the Duke of Liang said is inappropriate.”

Lan Yu glared at him. "Although I served under your father back then, I don't think I'm any less capable than him. If your father hadn't been the Emperor Emeritus's nephew, would I have had so many opportunities? Besides, look at my record over the years—it's no worse than your father's!"

Your father wouldn't say much to us these days, let alone a young boy like you!

Li Jinglong didn't care and continued, "What the Duke of Liang said is mostly about abolishing or dismantling the garrisons, but Your Majesty. If that's the case, there will definitely be unrest in the Northwest."

Lan Yu was displeased and rebuked him directly, "Have you ever fought a war or have we ever fought a war?"

Zhu Yunying also had a headache dealing with Lan Yu. His talent was undeniable, but while his temper seemed to have somewhat subsided, it was only to a limited extent; he often couldn't control his explosive temper.

Li Jinglong remained unmoved and said, “Your Majesty, we should establish more garrisons in the northwest. The remnants of the Tartars are becoming increasingly troublesome, and they are skilled in archery and horsemanship. Our Ming Dynasty is mostly composed of infantry, and if the Tartars raid, we may find it difficult to resist them.”

"That shows you don't understand warfare!" Lan Yu immediately said dismissively, with a hint of disdain. "It's precisely because those Tartars are on horseback that we should abolish these garrisons. These are just military households engaged in farming; if His Majesty needs manpower, we can simply withdraw these people!"

Li Jinglong immediately retorted, also speaking earnestly, "Your Majesty has lofty ambitions and hopes to conquer the northwest. During the Han and Tang dynasties, the Western Regions were under the jurisdiction of the Central Plains. This area is inhabited by many barbarians, as well as other tribes, and their customs are quite different from those of the Central Plains. If we withdraw from the garrisons now, those Tartars will gradually encroach upon our territory."

Lan Yu's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "If those people come, we'll fight them! It would be best if they occupied the land and raised cattle and horses; we'll go and take them back! We won a great victory before, and we brought back quite a few oxen and horses for our Great Ming."

Lan Yu's meaning was clear: it wouldn't be bad if the Tartars seized control of the Western Regions, since those people would inevitably become nomadic. According to Lan Yu, once the court recovered, it would be necessary to reclaim the Western Regions. Then, the cattle and horses raised by the Tartars would belong to the Ming Dynasty!

Fu Youde, mature and prudent, said, “What the Duke of Liang said is true. The Western Regions are indeed good places to train warhorses. Our Great Ming now has horse breeders in the north. If we take back the Western Regions, the Tartars will not be able to cause any trouble.”

Just as Lan Yu thought the 'veteran general' truly understood him, Fu Youde continued, "In my opinion, if some garrisons are abolished, the Tartars will inevitably advance. In recent years, the Tartars have suffered from the cold and have only managed to put up a stubborn resistance by relying on the Western Regions. If the court cedes those places, the Tartars will surely recover their strength much faster."

As Lan Yu stared blankly, Xu Huizu also said, "I also think that we should establish more garrisons and military farms in the Western Regions, just like the Duke of Qian did in Yunnan. Only by encouraging agriculture and educating the people can we win their hearts and minds."

Lan Yu's idea was to cede some territory, essentially letting the Tartars help the Ming Dynasty raise horses. Once the time was right, they could simply seize it, which was obviously the easiest and least stressful thing to do. He felt this also suited the Ming Dynasty's powerful and invincible military strength, so there was no need to care about minor skirmishes.

Clearly, Lan Yu was considering things from a military perspective; a simple and direct approach suited him perfectly. If someone was disobedient, he'd just attack. If someone rebelled, he'd suppress them with his troops. As for the Tartars and the like, the Ming army was strong and well-equipped; Lan Yu's biggest fear was that the Tartars would flee three thousand miles away before even seeing the Ming army.

As for matters of governance, he clearly didn't care much about them, and that was something Lan Yu didn't need to worry about at all.

Li Jinglong, however, said to Zhu Yunying, “Your Majesty, what the Duke of Liang said can indeed solve the immediate problem. However, our Great Ming Dynasty must conquer the Western Regions, so we cannot allow the Tartars to stay there for long. Changing customs is not something that can be done overnight. Let’s leave the garrisons and settlements to cultivate land and open households to increase the Han population, so that we can relocate people in the future.”

Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "What my cousin said is exactly what I was thinking. It is indeed a strategy for governing the country!"

Not letting Li Jinglong directly lead troops into battle is certainly not a problem. However, letting him serve as a strategist and offer advice is also not a major issue. Although Li Jinglong hasn't fully mastered Li Wenzhong's skills, his grasp of the overall situation is still stronger than many mid- to high-ranking generals.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!