In the inner hall of the Qianqing Palace, the three British princes and grandsons, the military ministers Chen Ce and Wang Zaijin, and the four generals of the Yulin Army were all present.
In front of them hung a map of Liaodong and the Mongolian grasslands.
In the middle is a huge sand table.
The six colors of flags in the sand table are basically full, which clearly shows the forces outside the Great Wall and the areas where the Ming army is stationed.
Zhu Youxiao was holding a black slender stick at this time and standing next to the map.
The civil servants and military generals stood on both sides with the sand table as the center, watching the emperor analyze the current situation.
"This year's winter will be colder and longer than in previous years."
"According to the information I have obtained so far, at least 7,000 slaves will die this year due to cold and hunger."
"This is definitely a very painful blow to the Jiannu slaves with a population of less than 100,000."
"Therefore, I also conclude that Boarhide will definitely lead his troops southward again this year, relying on plunder to obtain their scarce supplies such as grain, salt, iron, cloth, etc., to ensure their strength."
"As for the Horqin tribe, the situation will not be any better than that of Jiannu. It may even be worse."
"Last year, the slaves crossed the Yalu River, burned, killed, looted, and kidnapped many young people to serve as slaves. There was also some replenishment in terms of supplies and food."
"If Jiannu goes south, then Horqin, who is an ally of Jiannu, will definitely accompany him."
"And the snow in Liaodong will not melt away until summer comes at the earliest. In other words, if Lao Nu wants to send troops, it must be after summer."
"Today I have summoned you to discuss matters to conquer the Jian slaves and the Mongolian Horqin tribe, and to preemptively attack and seize the initiative in the war."
"You all should share your opinions and views on how to fight this battle."
"Let me give you an explanation first. This time I will use the military power of the three major border towns of Datong, Xuanfu, and Liaodong, plus the troops of the King of Shunyi and my Yulin Army."
"I launched such a large-scale war with the intention of completely killing and annihilating the Horqin and Jiannu tribes. I will not recruit or accept surrendered soldiers, and I will destroy their race."
The Zhang family's grandsons and military ministers were stunned on the spot when they heard the emperor's words. Apparently they did not expect that the emperor would summon them for such a big event.
Especially for Wang Zaijin, His Majesty also mentioned this matter yesterday. I thought he was persuaded by them, but today he has issued a death order.
Does he really not know whether to oppose or support? Does His Majesty really not know how difficult the Ming Dynasty is now?
Could it be that His Majesty didn't listen to a word of the earnest advice he and Cheng Guoxiang gave yesterday?
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
After hearing what Wang Zaijin said, Zhu Youxiao also knew what he was thinking, and said before he could speak first:
"Da Sima, I know what you are thinking. I listened to what you and Da Sinong said yesterday."
"Since I have called you here today to discuss the matter of sending troops, I must have thought carefully about it, so you should stop admonishing me."
"You are also a man who knows how to fight. You'd better think carefully about how to fight this battle."
Seeing this, Wang Zaijin could only give up and retreated helplessly.
Although I don’t know why His Majesty is so confident, he is really not optimistic about sending troops to conquer the slaves next year.
But the generals don't think so. They lead more than 100,000 troops in the military camp and train day and night, just for the purpose of fighting, right?
And from what His Majesty meant, it was obvious that he wanted to play a big game. The main force participating in the battle alone was already astonishing.
The three major military towns of Datong, Xuanfu, and Liaodong, plus the Yulin Army and the surrendered Mongolian tribes.
Such a scale is directly compared to the powerful period of the early Ming Dynasty, the Hongwu period of the Northern Conquest of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, and the Yongle period.
You must know that such a battle is rare in a hundred years. It can be said to be an excellent opportunity to make military exploits.
These generals know the fighting strength of the Yulin Army best.
Especially Cao Wenzhao, he was the only one among the four who had fought head-on with Jiannu, and more than once.
He naturally understands Jiannu's strength.
When training and performing martial arts competitions, he would often compare the Yulin Army and Jiannu's army in his mind.
Nowadays, the Yulin Army is well-equipped, with an armor coverage rate of over 70%. The firearms and cannons of the Shenji Battalion have not only been improved and increased in power, but there are also many newly developed ones.
More importantly, the quality is guaranteed, so the sergeants can use it with confidence.
Therefore, in his opinion, although the combat effectiveness of Jiannu's army was not weak, it was still far behind the Yulin army at this time.
"Your Majesty, how many Tartars are there in Jiannu and Horqin?"
"Your Majesty directly mobilized the most elite troops from the three towns of our Ming Dynasty. Is there any possibility of defeat in this battle?"
"From my perspective, our Ming army only needs to divide its troops into two groups, go all the way out of Datong Xuanfu, pass through the Monan grassland, and directly attack the habitat of the Horqin tribe."
"As for the old slaves in Jianzhou, I suggest that the four major battalions should be the main force, supplemented by the Liao army, and go out of Fushun Pass, attack Sarhu Pass, and go straight to the lair of Jianzhou."
"The Shenji Battalion's Hongyi cannon doesn't need ten cannons to blast away the pass built with earth and wood, leaving nothing behind."
"Although what you said makes some sense, it has many loopholes and impossibilities."
"Liaodong is not like Guannai and grasslands. It is mostly deep mountains and old forests, and the roads are also rugged and narrow. It is not an exaggeration to say that it has eighteen bends."
"Not to mention the heavy Hongyi cannon, even the Fran cannon will be greatly restricted. Regardless of whether it can be used, it will not become a worry and burden to our army."
"Your idea of advancing troops in two directions at the same time is not wrong, but the tactics are not feasible. The geographical environment of Liaodong is too restricted, which is not suitable for the use of artillery or the march of large armies."
"Fortunately, you are from the Liaodong frontier army. Your understanding of the geographical environment of Liaodong is not as good as mine, a person who has never been outside the customs."
Although he is known as the best general in the late Ming Dynasty, Cao Wenzhao obviously has not fought as many battles and experienced various scenes as in history.
Moreover, he was only in his twenties at this time, but he already had impressive military exploits and a very high official position.
Zhu Youxiao was also afraid that his talents would be limited due to the environment, so he did not hesitate to explain to him and give him some pointers.
After hearing the emperor's words, Cao Wenzhao realized that he was too whimsical and replied with a hint of resignation:
"Your Majesty taught me a lesson, and I feel ashamed."
After Cao Wenzhao hit a wall, other generals no longer dared to speak easily.
Zhu Youxiao was not in a hurry and waited patiently. He did not rush them, but waited for them to think carefully and discuss with each other.
As a general, you must learn to formulate your own strategies and tactics, rather than just follow the imperial decree and fight stupid battles.
Otherwise, what is the difference between such a general and a pig?