After opening the letter, Xiong Tingbi read it quickly, and the expression on his face gradually changed from relaxed at the beginning to more and more serious.
The letter from the emperor was an imperial edict. Although it was a private letter, it was equally important.
In this letter, Zhu Youxiao first affirmed Xiong Tingbi's military achievements; secondly, he praised Xiong Tingbi for not betraying his trust. But at the end of the letter, he talked about the key point of the matter.
Xiong Tingbi was well aware of this; His Majesty had clearly warned him to be cautious. At this moment, he must remember that pride leads to defeat. His mission was to secure Liaodong. As long as Shenyang and Liaoyang were not lost, nothing else mattered. He should not dream of sending troops or attacking. The Ming could not withstand another defeat; safety was paramount.
Xiong Tingbi knew that His Majesty feared a repeat of the Battle of Sarhu. A similar defeat would completely destroy the Ming's power in Liaodong. At that point, they would simply be on the defensive. If Shenyang and Liaoyang were lost, the Jiannu would have a clear path westward, ready to attack Mongolia at any moment. The Ming could only watch, powerless to stop them.
In the original history, the only person who could play a restraining role was Mao Wenlong of Pi Island.
Because of the presence of Mao Wenlong and Yuan Keli's support in Denglai, they were able to contain Huang Taiji and prevent him from going west to fight Mongolia, or at least from fighting with all his strength.
After Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong, Mao Wenlong's men completely surrendered to Huang Taiji. This allowed Huang Taiji to completely let go, whether it was attacking Korea in the east or attacking Mongolia in the west, without any constraints.
Under such circumstances, the war situation became increasingly unfavorable.
What Zhu Youxiao wanted now was not to recapture Liaodong. With the power Xiong Tingbi had, it was simply impossible to recapture Liaodong. Even if he could win a few battles, it would not have much strategic significance, so Zhu Youxiao did not allow him to act rashly.
If we get carried away by this victory, we will easily make bigger mistakes.
The Liaodong army's morale is high now, simply because they won the city defense. This is different from a field battle. The Liaodong army lacks resilience and will not be able to withstand a truly difficult battle. In other words, fighting with favorable conditions is no problem, but when the wind is against them, problems are likely to arise.
When Xiong Tingbi saw the letter, he had an unknown expression on his face.
In fact, Xiong Tingbi was also very happy during this period. Although he was not arrogant yet, he had already begun to look down on the Jiannu.
In Xiong Tingbi's view, Nurhaci was already dead, and the Jiannu were still lingering, not posing a threat. Once he had a good grip on the situation, he would surely be able to recapture Tieling, Kaiyuan, and Qinghe. By then, the Jiannu would be completely blocked by him.
The recent expansion of military forces had actually already foreshadowed this. Xiong Tingbi wanted to test the waters.
Putting down the letter in his hand and looking up at Liao Zhong, Xiong Tingbi said, "Are the Jinyiwei watching me?"
You know, in the Liaodong army, there are many people who serve as military supervisors. Besides the eunuch Wei Chao, there is also this Jinyiwei in front of us. The Jinyiwei suddenly changed people before the war, and this must be the reason.
In fact, Xiong Tingbi shouldn't have asked this question, but he couldn't help it. He was a straightforward person and didn't like to keep things to himself.
After glancing at Xiong Tingbi, Liao Zhong was silent for a moment before saying, "We haven't been given any orders from the capital, except to report back promptly. This is also our duty. His Majesty still has great trust in the Marshal."
After hearing this, Xiong Tingbi felt much better. He was now very worried about the emperor's suspicion.
If His Majesty did not trust him, he would have a hard time in Liaodong. The reason why he was able to create such a situation in Liaodong was largely because of His Majesty's trust in him. Money and food were never lacking, and all kinds of new equipment were constantly being sent to Liaodong.
The main reason why this battle was able to achieve such great results was that so many artillery pieces were added in Liaodong.
As long as I don't lose His Majesty's trust, everything will still be in time.
Liao Zhong looked at Xiong Tingbi and said directly, "General, you know the current situation in the army. Many people think that the Jiannu are not a threat. But during the Battle of Sarhu, the Jiannu were even weaker than they are now, but what was the result?"
"Your Majesty, it's not that you don't want to fight, it's just that the timing isn't right. Just last year, a rebellion broke out in Shandong. Over the past year, there have been numerous disasters and famines across the country, including several earthquakes. The court is short of funds and food, and simply can't afford a major war. As a trusted minister of Your Majesty, the Marshal should understand your majesty's intentions."
In fact, Liao Zhong shouldn't have said these words. It's just that seeing Xiong Tingbi working hard in Liaodong, Liao Zhong couldn't help it.
These matters were not considered a big secret among the Jinyiwei. The Jinyiwei's former commander, Xu Xianchun, had also been dismissed. They knew more about the situation in the court.
If the imperial court had not made some money in Shandong this year, it would probably have been another difficult year.
Therefore, Liao Zhong's words of advice to Xiong Tingbi can be regarded as heartfelt words.
"Your Majesty may not know this, but His Majesty only eats four dishes and one soup for every meal in the palace, and hasn't had any new clothes in six months." Liao Zhong looked at Xiong Tingbi and continued, "Your Majesty has always been frugal. Construction on the palace has been halted to save money and pay for military expenses."
"Over the past year or so, Liaodong's military expenditures have never been in arrears, and have even been overpaid. Food and wages have always arrived on time, and all kinds of military equipment have also been delivered to Liaodong in a timely manner. All of this costs money."
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