"I think the best strategy is to wait for the river ice to melt, gather troops in Yizhou first, and then stare at Zhenjiang, forcing the Jiannu to send troops on guard." Gou Zhenhuai, adhering to the combat strategy of cooperating with Liaoxi, was the first to speak up and make suggestions.
This was a normal arrangement, well-organized and the safest. However, it was different from what Mao Wenlong had expected. Since they were keeping an eye on Zhenjiang, wouldn't it increase the difficulty if the enemy was well prepared?
Chen Jisheng stroked his beard and pretended to think for a moment before saying, "General Gou's strategy is sound and prudent."
After a pause, he continued, "However, warfare is a matter of deception. Therefore, when you are capable, pretend to be incapable; when you are using an enemy, pretend not to be using it; when you are near, pretend to be far away; when you are far away, pretend to be near. I think we can be more proactive, using attack as defense and fighting as a means of decoy."
Oh, Mao Wenlong pretended to be surprised and stopped, then smiled and said to Chen Jisheng, "Tell me in detail."
Chen Jisheng was encouraged and began to talk freely, which was nothing more than deploying troops elsewhere to attract the Jiannu's attention. The deeper meaning was that if the Jiannu mobilized during the Liaozhen eastward advance, Zhenjiang might be left open and could be successfully attacked.
Gou Zhenhuai smiled and nodded from time to time, but he was a little skeptical. However, the plan sounded sound, so he didn't need to be stubborn.
……………………
The complexity of war is far from as simple as outsiders imagine; the amount of materials consumed is also astonishing and unbelievable.
But this is the guarantee of victory. The current investment will bring future returns, not only to the black soil of Liaodong, but to the entire Ming Dynasty.
No one believed that the Jiannu army, numbering only a few hundred thousand, would eventually sweep across the world and destroy the last feudal Han dynasty.
Because of this, Zhu Youxiao's full support puzzled and dissatisfied many people. After all, the emperor's "exorbitant taxation" harmed their interests, and they believed that the root cause was the Liaodong war.
Why was so much money spent? Was there corruption or misappropriation? Why didn't the war end quickly? With so many soldiers and horses, how many slaves were there? Why should we pay for the war? Liaodong is so far away, what business do we have?
It's weird, hateful, selfish, short-sighted... No matter what words are used, they cannot change the tragedy of history.
But Zhu Youxiao had the opportunity to change the fate of the Chinese nation and the historical trajectory of the Ming Dynasty. For this reason, even if he was cursed for eternity, he was not afraid and would never back down.
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