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The key point is that with Xiong Manzi's brute force, even if they suffered casualties and captured Youtunwei City, what would they gain? What practical significance would it have if they simply chopped off Xiong Manzi's head?
I know the biggest weakness of the Later Jin Dynasty, and that is its small population. The 60,000 troops dispatched this time are already close to the limit.
If the casualties are heavy but the gains are small, the Later Jin will collapse after doing this losing business a few times.
Are the Mongol tribes coming to surrender truly sincere? This old slave knows better than anyone that without food, property, and slaves to win over, who will listen to you and follow you?
Therefore, the strategy adopted by the Later Jin was to rob the Ming Dynasty and then use the loot to win over the Mongol tribes. It was a simple strategy, but it was very effective in history.
However, in order to sustain this strategy, two conditions must be guaranteed: first, sufficient military strength must be possessed; second, every battle must yield gains.
To explain it more clearly in modern terms, the input-output ratio of each battle cannot be inverted.
Given the financial resources of the Later Jin Dynasty, one major defeat could cause serious damage, and two or three major defeats would almost make it impossible for them to recover.
By then, the Ming Dynasty would not have to take any action. Genghis Khan's great-great-great-grandson Ligdan Khan, who ran faster than rabbits, and other Mongolian tribes would pounce on them like wolves and crush the Later Jin Dynasty into the dust of history.
Therefore, when the Ming army took up its current posture, it told me very clearly that unless I broke a few of your teeth, you would never be able to break the city or plunder.
Even if your teeth are broken, you may not be able to capture a strong city; even if you capture the city, you may not be able to steal much.
According to intelligence, Guangning City has abundant reserves, including armor, equipment, silk and cloth... Youtunwei City is a granary with hundreds of thousands of stones of rice and beans.
According to the previous plan, conquering any of them would recoup the cost and make a fortune. But now, the decision of which one to conquer is giving me a headache and making it difficult to make.
Unable to bear the silence in the tent, Manggurtai turned to Li Yongfang and asked accusingly, "Prince Fushun, before we set out on the expedition, weren't the Sun Degong and the internal supporters you promised us already arranged?"
Li Yongfang lowered his head, feeling both helpless and aggrieved. He whispered in defense, "Sun Degong played a significant role in the great victory at Shaling. As for the lack of movement after returning to the city, and the lack of information from those within the city, I don't know the reason."
"Hmph, Han people are unreliable." Manggurtai rolled his eyes with disdain on his face.
The old slave raised his head, glared at the brutish man, and said, "The battlefield situation is ever-changing. How can everything go smoothly as planned? The city defenses are tight. How can we easily find out what's going on inside?"
Li Yongfang was the one who was responsible for the espionage and instigation of rebellion. This old slave knew very well. Therefore, he spoke up for Li Yongfang to reassure him.
Huang Taiji stroked his chin, thinking, and said, "Wang Huazhen is timid and willing to be a turtle. It is unlikely to lure him out of the city. As for Xiong Manzi, he abandoned the surrounding forts and stubbornly defended Youweitun. I think he believes that our army is short of food and grass and cannot stay under the city for long."
The old slave watched intently, agreeing deeply. However, the Ming army's clumsy, defensive tactics were difficult to break.
Huang Taiji pondered and said, "Attacking cities is not our army's forte. It is better to temporarily ignore Guangning and Youtunwei City and attack directly from behind. Da Linghe, Jinzhou, Songshan, Xingshan..."
The old slave shook his head slightly and said, "If it were just Wang Huazhen, this plan might work, but Xiong Manzi might not be so honest. If he leads his troops out of the city to aid Guangning while our army is deep in Liaoxi, and we unite our forces, we'll be very worried."
After a pause, the old slave continued, "If we leave troops to guard the two enemy locations, perhaps it will be possible..."
Just as he said this, the personal soldiers came in to report, and the great prince Daishan sent someone to deliver an urgent military report.
The old slave asked the man to come into the tent, took the military report and unfolded it to read. His face immediately turned bad, and he frowned as he passed the military report around to everyone in the tent.
After reading the urgent report, Huang Taiji's face changed color. He stroked his forehead and remained silent for a long time.
Li Yongfang read the urgent report, frowned, and said, "Khan, a large number of Ming navy troops have appeared on the sea south of Youtunwei, and there are signs that they are heading up the Sancha River. It is obvious that they are going to reinforce Youtunwei City."
"It's just that..." Li Yongfang paused, a puzzled look on his face. "How could it be so fast? This shouldn't be possible!"
The old slave stroked his beard, also confused, and said, "Judging from the timing, there is indeed something strange."
Huang Taiji speculated, "Could it be the Ming navy from Juehua Island? They are the closest and will obey Xiong Manzi's orders."
If it was the navy from Juehua Island, the reinforcement to Youtunwei could be almost ignored due to its small number. But if it was from Tianjin or Dengzhen, the deployment would have to be reassessed and changed.
Li Yongfang thought for a moment, then stood up and saluted, "Khan, I want to go and see it for myself."
The old slave pondered for a moment and said, "Yongfang, go quickly and return quickly. Just gather intelligence and don't take any risks."
"I won't bother with that." Li Yongfang bowed again and turned to leave the tent.
The old slave waved his hand and said, "You guys go back now. Once the information is confirmed, we can make a plan later."
Manggurtai and Huang Taiji stood up, bowed, and left.
………………
The night is deep, and Guangning City stands tall, as if covered with a veil of mist under the hazy moonlight.
Xiong Tingbi had just finished inspecting the city defenses and returned to his office and residence at the foot of the city, which was a small courtyard that had been requisitioned.
After lighting the lamp, Xiong Dajinglüe spread out paper and picked up his pen to start writing the memorial.
While Zhu Youxiao was conveying the secret decree, he also asked the eunuch to bring the contact code and a few questions that puzzled him.
"In ancient times, when garrisons were made in a certain area, the local people were employed. There was no such thing as purely recruiting foreign troops. However, if only foreign troops were recruited, they would not be able to sustain the army for long. Why did Xiong Qing think that the Liao people were untrustworthy and unusable..."
That’s right, this is what Zhu Youxiao was wondering.
If the Liao were unusable, why was Dongjiang able to contain the Later Jin for so long? Didn't the Liao have a strong hatred for the Jiannu, giving them a combat bonus?
As for simply dispatching foreign troops to fight in Liaodong, firstly, they are unfamiliar with the geography and climate; secondly, it is too costly and difficult to implement in the long term.
Of course, Zhu Youxiao also had his own analysis and judgment. In the secret letter, he clearly wrote whether the problem could be solved if the families of Liao soldiers and generals were resettled inside the pass.
To put it bluntly, you're a hostage. You violated military discipline, you cowardly fled, you surrendered to the Qing army, aren't you afraid of implicating your family?
Just like Zu Dashou, who surrendered and then escaped, surrendered again and then escaped again in history.
In Zhu Youxiao's view, it was not a false surrender, nor was it a decision made out of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, nor was it a decision made to stay useful and serve the country. It was a decision made entirely out of necessity and for the sake of his family and relatives in Liao.
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