Xu Huizu had just arrived in Anbian when he began gathering his generals and preparing for the upcoming great battle.

Qiu Fu was very excited and volunteered to Xu Huizu, saying, "General, I am willing to sign a pledge. With my five thousand cavalry, I will surely capture Shegu County and march on Tongchuan Prefecture."

"General, it would be best if the vanguard were led by me!" Zhu Neng immediately shouted. "I am skilled in commanding troops and am brave and capable in battle. This time, the vanguard will inevitably encounter the enemy's main force, and I am the most suitable to lead them."

Qiu Fu, Zhu Neng, and Zhang Yu all distinguished themselves during the Northern Expedition, rising from mid-ranking military officers to high-ranking generals and being ennobled for their merits. However, this was far from enough for them; they also dreamed of hereditary succession and becoming dukes.

Xu Huizu also had some knowledge of these three individuals.

Zhu Neng was the youngest of the three, and could be described as the bravest in the army, always leading from the front whenever facing a strong enemy. Zhu Neng was similar to Qiu Fu, both being exceptionally brave and skilled in tough battles and arduous struggles.

Zhang Yu, on the other hand, is skilled in strategy and is dignified and resolute; he is a talented leader.

Looking at his men, Xu Huizu's expression turned serious. "You think you can conquer Shegu County with just five thousand cavalry? The enemy knows that Shegu County is the gateway to Gangwon Province. If Shegu County is captured, Gangwon Province will be wide open. How can they not gather a large force?"

Zhu Neng immediately spoke up, "General, Shegu County is just a small, undeveloped county. The city walls are mostly rammed earth and not very high. I only need two thousand cavalry, two thousand infantry, and five hundred Shenji Battalion soldiers. I can first bombard the city, let them retreat to Tongchuan, and then lead my troops to annihilate that defeated army in the field."

Before Qiu Fu could say anything more, Xu Huizu had already given the order, "Alright, then you will be the vanguard this time. Qiu Fu and Zhang Yu will organize the soldiers, and once Zhu Neng has captured Shegu County, Qiu Fu will head straight for Tongchuan County. Zhang Yu will lead the vanguard army to besiege the Protector-General of Huaiyang, trapping the enemy in this city!"

In the north of Gangwon Province, Shek Gol County, serving as a gateway, has already amassed a portion of its troops. However, Tongcheon County, located behind Shek Gol County, is situated at a higher elevation and has also amassed a considerable force there. As the center of northern Gangwon Province, the Huaiyang Protectorate is about to deploy a large army, intending to prevent the Ming army from advancing directly on Cheorwon and threatening Gyeonggi Province.

Zhang Yu seemed somewhat confused and immediately asked, "General, does this mean I'm leading a large army to besiege Huaiyang?"

Xu Huizu nodded and looked at Zhang Yu, saying, "When besieging Huaiyang, we must not allow the soldiers there to retreat to Tieyuan."

Zhang Yu seemed to understand. It appeared that the general had made some changes to the war strategy. In previous battles, the army did not actually mind the retreat of the Goryeo soldiers. What the Ming Dynasty wanted was a relatively intact city.

Therefore, in some battles, when the enemy realized they could not hold out and chose to retreat, the Ming Dynasty army was unwilling to suffer too many casualties, so they often chose to "leave a way out".

But this time it seems different. This time it seems there is a desire to inflict casualties on the enemy, and it seems that they really intend to give the Goryeo army a greater blow and pressure.

Looking at the three generals eager to fight, Xu Huizu said, "If there is enough gunpowder, we can naturally blow up the city. If we encounter any stubborn soldiers, we need not show mercy. As for the obstinate ones, you can act as you see fit."

Qiu Fu and Zhu Neng's eyes lit up at this. They weren't actually very enthusiastic about capturing prisoners. They preferred to cut off the enemy's heads and gain merit in battle, and they didn't want their soldiers to have to be divided up to guard those barbaric Goryeo people.

Zhang Yu nodded silently. It seemed that the imperial army was determined to push the war into Gyeonggi Province by summer.

Now we need to speed things up. If we can advance to Gyeonggi Province now and capture Gaegyeong before winter, things will go much more smoothly. This can be seen as the Ming Dynasty's step-by-step approach to completely bring Goryeo into its territory.

Zhang Yu and his men were even more confident, because a steady stream of gunpowder, muskets, and even cannons were being transported over, so the army's firearms were relatively plentiful.

Although there were considerable losses in the previous battles, the firearms were quickly replenished during this period of rest and recuperation.

One has to admire the emperor's preparations. The Ministry of Works in Beiping produced a large quantity of gunpowder and firearms, all of which were transported to Liaodong. Clearly, all of this was preparation for this war, aimed at a more efficient conquest of Goryeo.

Xu Huizu was not careless; he was a rather steady and cautious man. Unlike Lan Yu or Fu Youde, who were fierce in leading troops, Xu Huizu might not achieve extraordinary feats in battle, but barring unforeseen circumstances, he was unlikely to suffer a major defeat. His steady and methodical approach to warfare also bore some resemblance to Xu Da.

However, to say that the student surpasses the master would be an exaggeration. Xu Huizu's talent is quite good, but he is still far inferior to Xu Da, and even less so to Li Wenzhong and others. If it weren't for his special status, it would be difficult for him to surpass Lan Yu, Fu Youde, and others.

Regardless, Xu Huizu is still trustworthy. He is indeed one of the most reliable generals under Emperor Ying Shi, and one of the pillars of the Ming Dynasty's military.

As Xu Huizu prepared, Fu Youde's expression became even more solemn. He said to his 'youngest son' Fu Rang, "A few days ago, a letter came from Yingtian. Your eldest brother accompanied His Majesty the Retired Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince on an inspection tour of the region."

Fu Rang smiled, and the young military officer said, "After all, my elder brother is the son-in-law of the retired emperor, so it's not surprising that he accompanies the emperor."

“It’s only because His Majesty tolerates your impetuous nature that you’re so free-spirited,” Fu Youde said with a smile. “We don’t need to worry about your elder brother’s affairs. If you can make a contribution this time, His Majesty will surely bestow upon you a title, given his magnanimity.”

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