Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai were shocked. They didn't expect the emperor to be so shrewd and actually take the retro path.
Dividing the land and granting titles, isn't that what feudal lords are? That seems to have happened thousands of years ago, and it hasn't happened since the Tang Dynasty.
The world is so big, and there's so much land. Whoever grabs it gets it. There are plenty of fiefdoms overseas, so it's a good excuse to expand your territory.
The emperor did not explain in detail and turned to Gou Zhenhuai to give instructions.
Only Dongjiang Town remained in the Liaodong War Zone, but it was divided into two parts: the East War Zone and the West War Zone, with the Liao River as the boundary.
The Western War Zone, centered in Guangning and with Yizhou as its outpost, served as a backup for the naturalized Inner Khalkha tribes. Its main mission was to support the naturalized Mongolian tribes and resist the attacks of Ligdan Khan.
The Eastern War Zone is centered in Liaoshen and has Jianzhou as its outpost. It is the base for advancing northward and eliminating the remnants of the Jiannu.
The troop deployment of the two war zones is of course stronger in the Eastern War Zone than in the Western War Zone. The main forces of the Eastern War Zone are the naturalized Flying Cavalry Battalion led by Man Gui and the Flying Cavalry Battalion and Lance Cavalry Battalion led by Cao Bianjiao and Fan Hualong.
The troops in the Western Theater Command were fully equipped with cavalry, infantry and cavalry, and their main generals included Zhang Pan, Yang Guozhu, Liu Xingzuo and others.
Mao Wenlong was the commander-in-chief, Gou Zhenhuai and Chen Jisheng were deputy commanders, responsible for the Western and Eastern War Zones respectively. In other words, the three senior generals of Dongjiang Town remained basically unchanged.
But this arrangement also has a deeper meaning. Gou Zhenhuai came from the Pacification Division and is good at conspiracy, which is more beneficial to the division of the Wa tribe among the Mongolian tribes.
Chen Jisheng had fought countless battles with the Jiannu, and his calm character and ability to advance northward and advance step by step should also be his strengths.
As the commander-in-chief, Mao Wenlong spent most of his time in Shenyang, commanding the battles.
The emperor outlined his deployment plan, glanced at Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai, and asked with a smile, "My dear ministers, do you have any additional comments or suggestions?"
Mao Wenlong quickly bowed and said, "Long live the wise and mighty Lord. I feel that everything is perfect."
The transfer of generals was normal, even though he was not consulted in advance, and some of those transferred were his close associates. But in Mao Wenlong's view, this was also a test for him.
Border commanders, far away from the imperial court, feared most the accusation of being arrogant and unruly.
Besides, Dongjiang Town was the army of the Ming Dynasty, and he was a general of the Ming Dynasty. How could he dare to show dissatisfaction and arouse suspicion of appointing cronies?
Gou Zhenhuai also nodded in agreement. The decision had been made. It might not be the emperor's intention, but it was definitely the result of consultation with the Ministry of War.
The emperor did not explain much. He was the emperor, and asking just one question was already a condescension. Saying more would seem strange.
Of course, if Mao Wenlong objected to the transfer of generals, he would not have to return to Liaodong. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that Mao Wenlong regarded this as a test.
Seeing that everything was fine, the emperor rewarded the two men with clothes and valuables, and they thanked him and left.
The hall became empty. The emperor closed his eyes slightly, leaned back on the dragon throne, thought for a while, and then stood up and left.
The situation in Liaodong was basically settled. What remained was to rebuild, store food and supplies, build ships and warships, and advance northward step by step.
As for the extermination of slavery, it was a task that was easily accomplished.
The emperor felt relieved. Although the financial pressure was still there, it was no longer a matter of national survival, and he had many ways to make money.
After leaving the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the emperor went directly to Concubine Zhang Yu. The two adorable little princesses were his favorites now. He missed them after not seeing them for two days, and felt like he had lost something if he didn't hold them for three days.
"Father!"
"Father!"
When the two delicate little girls cried in baby voices and threw themselves into the emperor's arms, the emperor's heart was about to fly and he felt the happiest and most comfortable.
Whenever this happened, Concubine Zhang Yu would look at him with a smile on her face, not saying much, her heart filled with joy.
The more stable the throne is, the more peaceful the world will be, and the happier his women and descendants will be. They will not suffer the displacement or even death of the end of the dynasty.
The emperor smiled happily, gently caressing his daughter's little face, feeling that he had accomplished a great feat: prolonging the life of the Ming Empire and enabling millions of Ming people to live in peace.
…………………….
The emperor wanted to expand the territory and resume Chengzu's expansion strategy. The first people to understand it were not the court ministers or the Liaodong officers and soldiers, but the navy led by Shen Yourong.
The traditional name of the Ming Dynasty, "Navy", has not changed in the past few years, but there have been divisions in terms of authority and nature.
Needless to say, the inland navy is still retained; the near-shore navy, that is, the old naval force of the Ming Dynasty, is decreasing in number year by year, while the newly formed East China Sea Fleet and South China Sea Fleet are constantly expanding.
There are more than 30 large and medium-sized ships and more than 200 artillery pieces every year, and the number will basically not be less than this.
Over the years, the two major fleets of the Ming Dynasty each had more than 200 large and medium-sized ships. If small ships were included, the total number exceeded 500.
The three major military factories, the Beijing Firearms Bureau, the Guangzhou Arsenal, and the Nanjing Arsenal, through the flow of talent and complementary advantages, hired Portuguese technicians and were able to cast red cannons (long-barreled cannons) and short-barreled garandos for warships.
The red-haired cannons that were originally planned to be equipped to the army for offensive purposes were only partially deployed in Ningyuan before all of them were transferred to the two fleets.
Because, with flintlock muskets and bayonets, as well as other small and medium-sized artillery, the Jiannu were able to defeat the enemy, and the bulky and expensive red cannon could not play a greater role.
Even the Red Cannon was not cast and equipped in large numbers for the two fleets. However, a lot of Galang Cannon was produced, and the cost was much lower than that of the Red Cannon.
Such a large number of troops gave the emperor some peace of mind. Although it was not certain that they could defeat the Western Yi fleet in Asia, they were enough to defend against the enemy along the coast of Ming Dynasty.
Just when the emperor had finished arranging the post-war affairs in Liaodong and had just enjoyed a few days of leisure, a piece of information made him frown again.
According to reports from maritime merchants and spies planted in various Southeast Asian nations, the Dutch were preparing to dispatch a fleet to the South China Sea. Their target, of course, was not the Ming Dynasty, but the Portuguese in Macau.
The Dutch believed that the Portuguese's occupation of Macau was not a war with the Ming Dynasty, as they had taken it from the Portuguese. Based on the Ming Dynasty's attitude towards the Portuguese, they could also gain a foothold in Macau.
What kind of bullshit logic is this? After receiving the information, the emperor rushed around the hall in anger, unable to understand the Xiyi people's thinking.
After thinking for a while, he shook his head and sighed helplessly. This was also the fault of the Ming court, and even more so the fault of the Ming emperor, for giving the Western barbarians such an impression.
The Dutch occupied Penghu a few years ago, but although they were defeated by the Ming navy, they relied on their numerical and manpower advantages, which obviously did not make the Dutch realize their mistakes.
Because of this, they are making a comeback.
It seems that if they are not taught a profound lesson, they will not understand that the foreign policy of the Ming Dynasty has changed.
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