Ever since the Liaodong war zone gradually restored the Nurgan and Daning regional administrations, many people have seen clearly that the emperor wanted to repeat the prosperity of the time of Taizu or Chengzu.
Areas like Dongshengwei, Ningxiawei, etc., all the territories that were once established as guards and then abandoned, will be the first areas to be restored.
But this could not satisfy the emperor. Mekong Province, Dongfan, and the occupied Burma all showed the emperor's ambition to expand his territory.
While the Northwest War Zone was expelling the Mongols and repeating the Dongsheng Guard, mobilization and preparation also began in the Liaodong Military Region.
The present-day Tongliao area was the closest position to the Chahar tribe that the Ming army advanced on. After several years of development, the Han, Manchu, and Korean immigrants had settled here and built it into a stable base.
Intelligence about Huduntu's westward expedition had already been learned, and the Ming army's mobilization and preparation were to raid its lair, occupy the former territory of the Chahar tribe, and completely eliminate the threat of Huduntu to Liaodong.
To call them a threat is to flatter them. Although the Chahar tribe still has tens of thousands of troops, in terms of real combat power, the Ming army's flying cavalry and spear cavalry, only 10,000 are enough to sweep across the land.
Hu Duntu must have seen the gap and did not dare to easily provoke the powerful Liaodong army that defeated the Jianlu and had high morale.
However, the Ming army's patience with the Chahar tribe had obviously given Hu Duntu the illusion that the Ming court did not want to go to war. After all, the grasslands were vast, and even if the Ming court seized them, it would be difficult to station troops there to govern.
As the right-wing Mongolian tribes were not as strong as the Chahar tribe, the Ming court did not take action against them and still gave them rewards as usual.
With this judgment, Hu Duntu decided to march westward to defeat the right-wing Mongolian tribes, so as to realize the grand ideal of unifying Mongolia and win the city reward from the Ming Dynasty.
Of course, he didn't know that the Ming court was oppressing and luring him to attack the right-wing Mongolian tribes, so that they could reap the benefits.
The Ming army had been preparing for a military attack on the Chahar tribe for several years, and it could be said that it had well-trained soldiers and sufficient food, and had been planning for a long time.
Kong Youde took the letter from the messenger, unfolded it, and a smile slowly appeared on his face. He handed it to the deputy general and said, "Finally, we have waited for this day. It's time to go to war."
The deputy general read the letter and said with a smile, "The commander-in-chief is too cautious. He has to mobilize General Yang's troops and recruit the naturalized Mongolian tribes."
Kong Youde shook his head and said, "If we send out such a large force, I'm afraid we will not only seize the Chahar garrison, but also go west to defeat Huduntu."
"Solve the problem of the Mongols south of the desert once and for all?" The deputy general pondered for a moment and said, "That's a possibility."
Kong Youde gently shook his whip and said, "The Flying Cavalry and the Spear Cavalry already total 6,000 men, and there are also 10,000 Mongol allies. Perhaps we should also add the troops from the right wing of the Mongol tribes. Well, even if the Northwest Military Region doesn't send out troops, we are confident of defeating Huduntu."
"I heard that Hu Duntu has the imperial seal?" The deputy general narrowed his eyes and said, "If we can seize it, it will be a great achievement."
Kong Youde smiled and said, "Don't think too much about it for now. Winning the battle at hand is also a good opportunity to make achievements. Although there are still battles to be fought in the future and the Mongolian tribes in the western and northern deserts need to be subdued, it will probably take a long time."
Hu Duntu's plan to unify the Mongol tribes was clearly a fantasy, even a joke. But the emperor's ambition was incredibly large, and he was realizing it step by step.
The troops of Kong Youde and Yang Guozhu have been waiting here for several years to suppress the possibility of Hu Dun Tu advancing eastward.
Generals such as Zhang Pan, who were also in the Liaodong war zone, continued to advance in the east and incorporated hundreds of miles of territory into the territory of the Ming Dynasty. His official rank had been promoted to deputy general.
In comparison, Kong Youde and others were naturally eager to achieve merit and promotion, and the only way to achieve their goals was to fight.
In the distance, war horses were galloping, dust was rolling, and thousands of Ming cavalry were galloping and conducting intensive training.
Among these cavalrymen there were both veterans and new recruits; both Han Chinese, Mongolians, and even Manchus.
Several years had passed since the pacification of Liao, and the hatred forged during the war had gradually weakened. The Khorchin and Inner Khalkha tribes had naturalized, and the Manchus had also naturalized. The increased interaction in residence, daily life, and trade had also gradually reduced the barriers between the ethnic groups.
The key is the increasing assimilation in clothing. The Manchus naturally do not want to be discriminated against. Naturalized Mongolians and Koreans who live together or live next to the Han people also change into Han clothing for greater convenience.
If this situation continues for a few years, I'm afraid that no one will be able to tell the difference between different ethnic groups unless it is spoken out.
After the probation period, those who truly became citizens of the Ming Dynasty naturally did not want to be seen as outsiders and were proud to integrate into the lives and customs of the Ming people.
It is this kind of fusion that the emperor hopes for.
The Han people, with their time-honored civilization and large population, are bound to be the majority in a multi-ethnic country. They should radiate a brilliant light, attracting other ethnic groups to join and integrate. This is the correct approach.
After the cavalry training was completed, they returned to the camp to rest. Several officers came to report in according to the rules to evaluate the results and shortcomings of the training.
"You need to be more skilled at charging. It's not about faster is better, but you need to be flexible and adapt according to the situation on the battlefield."
Kong Youde pointed at an officer and said, "Your troops are moving too fast. They haven't corrected their old flaws. Our cavalry tactics emphasize collective combat, not individual prowess."
"Yes, I will try my best to correct it." This officer was a Manchu. His personal martial arts skills were impeccable, but when it came to leading troops in battle, even when cooperating with his comrades, he could not just do it casually.
Kong Youde nodded and said, "Don't worry about your horse being slower than your opponent and getting hurt in a collision. We kill the enemy with swords, not head-on collisions."
"Sir, can we reduce the armor so that the cavalry's hacking movements will be smoother?" An officer wiped the sweat from his face and made a suggestion.
Kong Youde shook his head and said, "Our army's advantage lies in its strong armor and powerful weapons. The damage done by the Mongolian bows and arrows to lightly armored soldiers cannot be ignored. The heavier the body, the fewer casualties. Casualties are inevitable in war, but it is our responsibility as commanders to ensure that soldiers return home safely as much as possible."
"The Chahars are primarily light cavalry. While they're fast, they're no match for our musketry and cavalry in a head-on engagement," the deputy general said. "On the grasslands, we don't compete in speed; that's their strength."
Kong Youde smiled and said, "We will also have cavalry from various Mongolian tribes to assist us in this battle. If it's a cavalry battle, we'll leave it to them."
The Ming army only focused on the large-scale fighting, while the cavalry let the Mongols fight each other. The Chahar tribe had few troops left and their morale was low, so their fighting ability should not be overestimated.
Therefore, attacking and occupying the former territory of the Chahar tribe was not difficult in reality. However, the next military action would be a real battle with the Hudun Rabbit on the westward expedition.
The emperor was determined to take advantage of the opportunity to march westward to completely eliminate this great threat from the northern nomadic people and make the Mongolian tribes south of the desert submit and assimilate.
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