If we just defend, not only will the defense line be too long, but the defending force will also be too weak, which will easily be broken through by the Jiannu and create an unfavorable situation.
He looked at Gou Zhenhuai with an inquiring look. Although Mao Wenlong didn't say anything, Gou Zhenhuai would not remain silent either.
Because such a passive defensive strategy does not conform to the actual situation of the Dongjiang Army, and is even contrary to the principles instructed by the emperor.
Gou Zhenhuai drew a half circle on the map and said, "To defend the entire Sinuiju, the defense line is really too long. I feel that since the elderly and weak people have to move away, it doesn't matter whether Sinuiju is defended or not."
After a pause, he added, "As for Manpu and Changcheng, I agree with Lieutenant General Chen's suggestion. We should only leave a small number of troops to guard and monitor them. If the enemy launches a large-scale attack, we can abandon them at any time."
Mao Wenlong also nodded slightly and continued to ask, "General Gou, how should our army act to counterattack the Jiannu's attack?"
Gou Zhenhuai smiled and said, "I think, let them fight their own battles, and we fight ours. Leave one division to defend Pi Island. With the support of the navy, the Jiannu can only watch helplessly. As for the other two divisions, why not go directly to southern Liaoning and join forces with the left and right divisions to attack the four guards of southern Liaoning."
The emperor's enthusiasm for the four guards of southern Liaoning was surprising and encouraging, as it meant that the court would provide strong material support.
The real idea of Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai is to defend first and then strengthen.
In fact, this was also the reason why Zhu Youxiao was influenced and realized that the four guards in southern Liao were crucial to the five-year pacification of Liao. He had known about this before, but not with such a strong sense or such importance.
Sun Chengzong, the Minister of War, clearly stated in his memorial: "To recover the entire Liao, we must first recover Jin and Haigai. The four guards are located east of the Sancha River, and they are the most fertile land in the entire Liao."
"Liaoxi is 700 li long, with mountains to the north and the sea to the south. Its width is no more than a few dozen li wide, and its narrowest is just over ten li. Its old capital, Liaoyang, is east of the river. However, the areas around Kaiyuan and Tieling are both close to the northern border and the land is barren. Only the four guards are fertile, and their proximity to the sea is why Liao is so rich."
Many military professors and military officers also held this view, believing that "if we enter from the four guards, we will be attacked by swords in the abdomen, and we will be pressed by Liao and Shen. If they arrive suddenly, we will be defeated."
Apparently, Sun Chengzong and his men attached more importance to the Four Guards of Southern Liao than Zhu Youxiao. This puzzled the emperor, who asked Sun Chengzong and his men to elaborate on the reasons.
After receiving a more detailed report, Zhu Youxiao realized that this was the difference in cognition between the two eras and that there was something wrong with him.
Black soil, Beida Granary, they don't exist! The Great Northern Wilderness does exist, but it's much more "barren" than he imagined.
The Liaodong Peninsula is divided by Changbai Mountain, and the right bank of the Bohai Bay is a narrow alluvial plain.
The Qianshan Mountains, which stretch from Lianshan Pass in Benxi in the north to Laotieshan in Lushun in the south, run across the entire Liaodong Peninsula, resulting in the western coast of the Liaodong Peninsula having a tortuous coastline, numerous harbors, scattered islands, and short rivers.
During the Ming Dynasty, the Siwei region was crucial to Liaodong, not only for its geographical location but also for its economy. As the saying goes, "Jinfu Haigai, both fertile and fertile," and "Jinfu Haigai Siwei, the most fertile land in Liaoyang, where all grain and fodder are stored."
To put it bluntly, the level of development in Liaodong is too low. The four guards in southern Liaoning are the best developed and produce a lot of grain. They can be called the granary of Liaodong.
If it is so important, why didn’t the Jiannu realize it, or why didn’t they pay enough attention to it?
In fact, this is not difficult to explain.
First, the Jurchens were a fishing and hunting people and were not good at farming; second, after the Jiannu rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, they won every battle and lived a comfortable life by looting. They also became powerful by looting. How could they appease the Liao people and let them pay attention to agricultural cultivation?
After Zhu Youxiao figured it out, he immediately took measures to remedy the situation and strengthened his support for the Dalian area.
Not only did he provide a large supply of weapons, ammunition, food and supplies, he also asked Teacher Yuan to transfer officers and soldiers from Dengzhen to support Dalian, and to defend this bridgehead with all his strength so that he could seize the entire four guards in southern Liaoning in the future.
Even if they could not occupy the entire area, they would at least destroy the local farming and harvest, leaving the Jiannu no chance to develop agricultural self-sufficiency.
You are not allowed to plunder, nor are you allowed to develop or expand production. Based on the wealth of the Later Jin Dynasty and the level of productivity at the time, there was no need to wait for the Little Ice Age. Even a small natural disaster or man-made disaster would be enough to starve the Jiannu.
Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai were informed of the emperor's strategic adjustments in secret reports. Therefore, they came up with the idea of joining forces in Lüda and expanding the occupied area in southern Liaoning.
Of course, they knew the rules of secret reporting better than anyone else, but it was not convenient to tell Chen Jisheng.
"As the saying goes, we shouldn't fight for the gains and losses of a city or a piece of land..." Gou Zhihuai looked at Mao Wenlong, blinked, and said, "Right, General Mao."
Mao Wenlong nodded vigorously and smiled, "If we lose the land but keep the people, both the land and the people will be saved; if we lose the people but keep the land, both the land and the people will be lost. General Gou is absolutely right, and I fully agree."
Looking at the map, Mao Wenlong said, "When the Dongjiang Army first attacked southern Liaoning, several sections of the coast were frozen, making it quite difficult. If this continues this winter, our army will land here or in Lushun and join forces with the left and right armies to attack Fuzhou."
The place Mao Wenlong was referring to was Dalian Bay. Because there are no major rivers flowing into the sea around Dalian Bay, the seawater has a relatively high salinity. Furthermore, Dalian Bay opens onto the Yellow Sea, making the water highly fluid and less likely to freeze.
However, such a landing would not be a copycat, but would be like a reinforcement of Luda. However, this was the safest approach, and the four-cooperation forces launching a major battle in southern Liaoning would be enough to make the Jiannu feel difficult.
"If we can jointly capture Lushun, we can also land safely in Zhenjinzhen and Liaozhen and fight together." Chen Jisheng felt that since they were going to fight head-on, the more troops they had, the better.
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