Looking at Fu Youde, Zhu Xiong Ying asked, "Duke of Ying, who is currently guarding Kaiping Guard?"
Fu Youde immediately replied, "Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan."
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded in satisfaction. The location of Kaiping Guard would later become the Xilin Gol League region, which belonged to the Beiping Military Command.
This place was conquered in the early years of the Hongwu reign. After the subjugation of Nahachu and the Battle of Buyurhai by Lanyu, the position of Kaipingwei became very important.
Although there are no tall city walls here, and the people and soldiers are mostly in the open fields, this area would naturally be a key target for plunder if the Mongols marched south.
Zhu Xiong Ying roughly sorted out these matters and had a general idea of what was going on. "Duke Ying, the Xiongnu, Khitan, or Mongols mostly invade the border in the autumn and winter. We must not be careless."
Fu Youde immediately became full of confidence, "Your Highness, if the remnants of the Yuan dare to trespass on the border, our Great Ming army will surely make sure they never return."
Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and nodded; he now shared that confidence. The Ming army was no joke; it was a powerful, battle-hardened force. When the Mongols faced the Ming army, they were basically beaten to a pulp.
Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Xu Yun Gong and asked, "In the autumn and winter, the north is bitterly cold. Have our border troops prepared enough heating supplies?"
Xu Yungong immediately knelt on one knee, quite proudly, "Your Highness, there is plenty of coal, and with the addition of firewood, the border troops have almost no fear of the cold."
Zhu Xiong Ying was quite satisfied with this answer; it seemed he had done something.
There's still a market for coal briquettes, and it wouldn't be a problem to distribute them to some border troops. In fact, it's not just the border troops; ordinary residents can also use coal briquettes, as the cost is at least as low as, if not higher than, firewood.
What the Ming Dynasty needed was to control coal mines. It didn't mind promoting the technology of making coal briquettes, since there were many cold and harsh areas, and many border troops and people in the north used to rely more on firewood for heating.
After a day of meetings, Zhu Xiong Ying breathed a sigh of relief and could finally rest.
In fact, during the nearly one month since he arrived in Beiping, Zhu Xiong Ying had not made any major moves. He did not intend to launch a large-scale attack or anything like that. There was no need for him to be in a hurry.
Once things are sorted out and the foundation is solid, then we can consider doing other things. This is what Zhu Xiong Ying believes is the right approach.
Zhu Xiong Ying cracked his neck and said, "Have the Duke of Wei and Song Zhong come over, prepare a banquet, and invite the Duke of Zheng."
Wang Chengen immediately accepted the order and hurried to invite Xu Yungong and Chang Mao. These two sons of founding heroes would, barring unforeseen circumstances, have an even closer relationship with Zhu Xiong Ying—they were practically family!
As for Song Zhong, the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard currently under Zhu Xiong Ying's control, he should not be underestimated.
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