First Minister of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 443 The fifth step, the Northern Expedition

"Guan Duo is far away in Koryo, and he can't do anything alone. Without our support, he would have collapsed long ago. The last time a wounded soldier from the Central Route Army participated in the Lord's Enthronement Ceremony is a clear proof that this man can't run away." Zhang Ximeng said with a smile.

He said so, naturally with full confidence.In fact, as these wounded soldiers returned to their hometowns, Zhang Ximeng arranged for them to write some letters, mainly to report that they were safe, and then let the merchants who delivered the supplies send them to Korea and hand them over to the soldiers of the Northern Expedition.

Although it is a letter of peace, but always talk about what you have seen and heard, talk about the situation at sea, and tell them what your future is like... Some of them got the land and chose to settle in Daming, and some got the land deed of Daming.

Fang Guozhen's fleet travels there every two to three months, sending all kinds of news over there.

Can Guan Duo stop it?

Can't stop it!

It is precisely because of these good news that the morale of the Central Army has been maintained, and it will not collapse. After all, there is still a Ming Dynasty, and there is still hope!

But the problem is that the more you know, the less this army belongs to Han Song.

Why do some soldiers say that it is a pity that the Great Seal is not Zhu Yuanzhang's?

Zhang Ximeng has always liked to work from the bottom up, water dripping through stones, and the pot of porridge for the Northern Expedition Central Route Army is almost cooked.

"Sir, Guan Duo and the others are in Korea right now. If we support Guan Duo, will it anger Gao Li? If they join hands with Yuan Ting, wouldn't it become a serious problem?"

Zhang Ximeng smiled faintly, "My lord, do you know the survival wisdom of the Korean people?"

Lao Zhu frowned slightly, "We don't know about this, I think they are just ordinary people, so what's so strange?"

Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "My lord, we always say that heaven is healthy, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement. We are talking about self-reflection and self-examination. We are all focusing on ourselves, because as long as we do our own things well, there will be no solution." It’s something that can’t be done. But Goryeo is different, they are a small country. Even if they use all their strength, they still can’t resist the destiny. So they have to look up to the big country and ask for the protection of the big country in order to survive.”

"That's why they believe that big things are small with benevolence, and small things are big with wisdom. To put it simply, as long as the big country is well served, they will probably be safe and sound!"

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he couldn't help being furious and said, "So that's how it is!"

Speaking of which, Zhu Yuanzhang still knows a little about the situation in Goryeo these years.In the harem of the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, there were many Korean beauties. Among the eunuchs, there were many Korean eunuchs. There was even a Korean army in the Yuan army. They even participated in the siege of Gaoyou, and it is said that they fought fiercely and tenaciously.

In the past, Lao Zhu didn't understand it, but now that he thinks about it, this Gaoli is really a filial son of the Yuan Dynasty, loyal and loyal!

"Sir, Gao Li is so filial to Da Yuan, how to separate them, do you need to coerce or lure?"

Zhang Ximeng said: "My lord, if you are a warrior who would rather die than surrender, you should understand it with reason and move you with emotion. But when facing a dog, you just need to scare it, and that's it. If they have big things to do, just tell them, who will be able to deal with it?" It’s a big country, and these people will kneel down on their own initiative.”

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a while, it was really unique, and he found it very interesting...even though Zhang Ximeng refuted so many Confucian views.But some things are still rooted in the bones and cannot be changed at all.

For example, compare your heart with your heart, for example, don't do to others what you don't want to be done to others.

The habit of the Central Plains Dynasty has always been that I treat you well, and in exchange for your loyalty to me, you give me a little tribute, and I will give you ten times more generously, so as to win people's hearts.

It is hard to say whether this behavior is right or wrong, after all, it is rooted in our cultural habits and thinking patterns.

But most small countries obviously don't think so.

Dignity is a luxury, only a big country deserves it. As for a small country, from the beginning to the end, what they want is to survive. Things like dignity are too extravagant for them to afford.

Therefore, facing a small country, one must learn another way of thinking...Zhu Yuanzhang naturally opened a new door, and the more he thought about it, the more interesting he became.

"Sir, from this point of view, we should have a different strategy for dealing with the small barbarian countries around us in the future."

Zhang Ximeng smiled modestly: "It's hard for me to say, but you can try it with Goryeo to see if what I said is right or wrong?"

Old Zhu frowned again and again, and said in a deep voice: "Tell Liao Yongan, let him lead a hundred warships, join the fleet of the King of Yue, and go to Korea as an envoy... By the way, the envoy will choose Yang Xian and let him go there , Tell Gao Li that Shangguo is back! Let them rein in the precipice as soon as possible and reform themselves, otherwise when the heavenly soldiers arrive, they will be destroyed!"

The subordinates agreed and went to pass the decree immediately.

Liao Yong'an also mobilized the navy, Yang Xian also came from Yingtian, and set off with the order... It's just that Yang Xian is a little bit embarrassed, this order is not easy to say!

Zhu Yuanzhang was already murderous, but his real intention was only one sentence: Your father is back!

In terms of brevity, among all the national books, it is unprecedented.

Zhang Xiang made a move, it really is extraordinary!

As long as Goryeo still has some face, it is estimated that there will be a war, and I have to talk to Liao Yongan and Fang Guozhen, let them prepare for the war, and don't be careless.

After dealing with the Korean side, Zhang Ximeng and Zhu Yuanzhang still focused on Mao Gui from Shandong.

Compared with Guan Duo's awkwardness, Mao Gui made no secret of it, learning from Zhu Jiajun's approach.

His achievements are obvious, and the difficulties are also obvious.

This is where Mao Gui is helpless.

There are many powerful families in Shandong, and his foundation is not enough. It is very difficult to completely eradicate the influence of the big families.

Moreover, the Yuan army also put its troops on him, launching frequent attacks, and the internal clans were also holding back.

The most terrible thing is that his actions also angered some people inside Han Song, who frequently complained in front of Liu Futong, attacking and smearing.

As a result, Mao Gui was overwhelmed and overwhelmed.

Fortunately, in the direction of Huaixi, Daming firmly supported him, provided food, weapons, and trade, and spared no effort.

Things have gotten to this point, even if Mao Gui is unwilling to submit to Daming, he probably won't be able to.

Of course, Mao Gui's subordinates also have 20 million people, and they are the elites of Han and Song Dynasties, and they also occupy a province. If they want to swallow it smoothly, they still need to put in some effort.

All in all, Han Song himself was alienated from morality, and Zhang Ximeng kept poaching the wall, and it has become a crumbling house.

One kick and it will collapse.

And the person who kicked this kick was Chahan Timur!

In fact, when Guan Duo defeated Liaoxi, another Northern Expeditionary Army had to enter Ningxia Road, just to avoid the sharp edge of Chahan Timur.

In other words, the Northern Expedition West Route Army was also defeated.

Chahan Timur didn't even chase down and kill Li Wu and Cui De of the West Route Army. Instead, he personally commanded the troops and went straight to Hulao Pass. After capturing Hulao Pass, the army was divided into two groups, north and south.

Attack from both sides of the Yellow River in a pincer shape.

The soldiers and horses from Shaanxi were also transferred out of Hangu Pass, and the soldiers and horses from Shanxi crossed the Taihang Mountains and the Yellow River to join forces at the foot of Bianliang City.

And Chahan Timur personally stationed in Xinghuaying in the west of Bianliang City, commanding various armies to build camps around Bianliang City and besiege Bianliang.

At this moment, Chahan Timur has hundreds of thousands of soldiers in his hands, and there are many generals under his command, all of whom are ruthless characters who can fight.

There is no way, those who cannot fight have long been eliminated.

You can think that these Yuan armies are fierce and brutal, worse than animals, but you cannot deny their strength and ferocity.

In the past few years, Liu Futong made a three-way Northern Expedition, and fought vigorously. Although the foundation of the Yuan court was shaken, he also trained a powerful landlord army for the Yuan court.

What's interesting is that Chahan Timur was also well versed in the principle of building a stronghold and fighting a dull battle. He built camps from all sides and besieged Bianliang.

Faced with this situation, Liu Futong sent troops many times to try to defeat the Yuan army, but unfortunately not only failed, but also lost troops and generals, further weakening his power.

How generous the Northern Expedition was at the beginning, how embarrassing the defeat is now.

It was only a few months before and after.

When Zhu Yuanzhang came to the throne, Liu Futong was still aggressive and questioned him.As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang defeated Chen Youliang and accumulated enough strength.

But the situation in the Central Plains has plummeted and the ground is broken.

First, the Central Route Army of the Northern Expedition was defeated in western Liaoning, and then the West Route Army of the Northern Expedition was driven to Ningxia Road... Then the Hulao Pass Gate was captured, and an army of several 10 yuan besieged Bianliang.

Liu Futong's only hope is Mao Gui from Shandong.

But there was a lot of rift between them and Mao Gui before, now transferring Mao Gui to Kaifeng is no less than bringing Grand Master Dong to Beijing, this is a fatal matter, how can he agree?

The "Great Song Zhongliang" that Zhang Ximeng gave Liu Futong back then really lived up to everyone's expectations. When Han Song was facing the crisis of subjugation, they performed as well as they did when the Song Dynasty fell.

Zhu Yuanzhang saw all these things in his eyes. To be honest, the situation changed faster than he imagined... He contacted Ming Yuzhen, hoping to join forces in the Northern Expedition. He planned to send troops from Nanyang to seize Tongguan and block Yuan soldiers in the pass. Prevent them from aggressively attacking the Central Plains.

God is sorry to see, Zhu Yuanzhang really has no selfishness, all for the sake of the great cause of the Northern Expedition.

He had already seen that Liu Futong couldn't hold on anymore.

But Ming Yuzhen came up with the operation of dividing Huaxia equally, Liu Futong was also guarding against him like a thief, and Lao Zhu was also anxious.

But when you think about it, you know, people are so suspicious of Mao Gui, how can they give Lao Zhu a good look?

In a short period of time, the situation changed, and Bianliang almost became an isolated city.

King Xiaoming is already in danger.

"Sir, you see the overall situation in the Central Plains as it is, what should we do first?"

Zhang Ximeng said: "Our first step is to say that nothing will happen, Liu Taibao can rest easy."

Zhu Yuanzhang was startled, and said, "Then, what about the second step?"

"The second step declares that the Yuan soldiers may be coming in menacingly, but we believe that the great master of the Song Dynasty, who has gone through countless tests, can successfully defeat the ferocious enemy."

Lao Zhu's face changed slightly, and he pondered: "Third, what about the third step?"

"The third step is to say that Bianliang is dangerous, but in a hurry, we can't do anything."

Old Zhu shook his head and sighed, "You want to watch Liu Futong and Han Liner die!"

"That's right, at the fourth step, you can declare that if only you could have done something, it's too late now."

Old Zhu raised his brows, "Sir, let us watch from the sidelines?"

"No, there is still a fifth step...Northern Expedition!" Zhang Ximeng smiled.

Chapter 444 Six Dukes

Zhu Yuanzhang stayed in Huguang and did not respond to Tian for a long time, because he was dealing with military affairs.Otherwise, immigration, attacking powerful people, and dealing with temple property, the people below can do these things very well.There is no need for him, the emperor, to spend too much thought.

Only the most important military affairs, Zhu Yuanzhang did not dare to relax at all, even Zhang Ximeng avoided the military affairs in a principled way.But Lao Zhu was unwilling to let Zhang Ximeng be so idle, so he brought Zhang Ximeng over and asked him to be responsible for compiling the textbooks.

This matter fell on Zhang Ximeng, and he was also a little confused.

If you say that Zhang Ximeng doesn't understand military affairs, that's definitely wronging him. On the contrary, almost all the generals respect this Mr. Zhang.

But if you say that Zhang Ximeng is a multi-talented general who can win a decisive battle thousands of miles away, then you are overestimating him, and it is simply nonsense.

Zhang Ximeng also knew his level, so after thinking about it, he recruited Xu Da and Feng Guoyong, and the three of them were in charge of editing together.Zhang Ximeng was only responsible for the outline and drafting of the style and specifications of the teaching materials.Then it is filled by these two big talents.

Zhang Ximeng temporarily divided the teaching materials into three subjects, including infantry, cavalry, and firearms.

Zhang Ximeng is really a layman on the part about water warfare, and it's not that important, so I put it in the back...for now, let's work on these three subjects.

The three of them also cooperated tacitly and complemented each other.

For example, Zhang Ximeng was responsible for explaining the war, focusing on the big picture, while Xu Da took out his many years of command experience, combined with specific battle cases, analyzed it, and then summed up the experience and included it in the textbook.

Feng Guoyong is an all-rounder in both civil and military affairs. He understands military strategy better than Zhang Ximeng, and he is better at writing than Xu Da... For such an outstanding talent, it is natural to pick up what is missing and fill in the gaps.

While compiling the book, Zhang Ximeng was also able to exchange his experiences with the two generals.

Gradually, Zhang Ximeng discovered Xu Da's uniqueness. Although Zhang Ximeng was familiar with him before, it was no different than this time. He specialized in exchanging military affairs, and he was open and honest, all on the table.

Xu Da's command genius was not born with him, even after he followed Zhu Yuanzhang, he began to think about military affairs... Every time there is a war, Xu Da has to carefully survey the terrain, observe it personally, and then keep drawing maps in his mind .Sometimes I think so much that I forget to eat, as if I have lost my mind.

But as long as Xu Da figured it out, there was no doubt that there would be no suspense about the outcome of the battlefield.The Battle of Hezhou, the Battle of Jinling, the Battle of Hangzhou, the Battle of Hukou... After each battle, Xu Da will review his pre-war plan based on the feedback from the battlefield. As time goes by, the war is really what Xu Da expected That way, there's very little in and out.

In addition to summarizing tactics, Xu Da also formulated corresponding tactics for different arms, such as cavalry, infantry, pikemen, sword and shield soldiers, and firearm battalions, and had a way to deal with them.

After Zhang Ximeng chatted with Xu Da, he found that these experiences were too important, so he encouraged Xu Da to write them out, let Feng Guoyong polish them, and Zhang Ximeng revised them into a manual.

They made a copy here, and asked all the generals to learn from it.

Let's discuss the deduction together to see who is better!

Not surprisingly, Xu Da completely defeated everyone, even Chang Yuchun was in vain!

"This, this is just talking on paper! I'm not convinced. If I have the ability to pull people together, fight with real swords and guns, and fight on the battlefield, I don't believe it. I will always lose!"

Xu Da said with a sullen face, "If you want, you can compete in the martial arts practice."

"No!" Chang Yuchun flatly refused, "Then, what's the difference between that and talking on paper? You just saw my weakness, no matter how you practice, I'm no match for you... But on the battlefield, adapt to the situation, I often Yuchun naturally has a way to win."

Xu Da didn't quarrel with him at all. Could it be possible that each of them could lead 5000 people and kill one of them to bleed like a river?

At this time Zhang Ximeng smiled, "Chang Yuchun, I agree with what you said, you really have the ability to perform supernormally, an antelope with horns, and a fairy flying out of the sky."

Chang Yuchun was immediately overjoyed, "Thank you Zhang Xiang for your compliment, Zhang Xiang has given me a lot of words."

Zhang Ximeng smiled faintly, shook his head and said, "I'm not talking to you, I'm just saying that people like you are precisely the ones that need to be eliminated from the Ming army in the future!"

Chang Yuchun's eyes widened suddenly, his face was full of astonishment, and the other generals also laughed, Feng Guoyong even said: "That's right, he brags about 10 people running around the world all day long, saying how brave he is, it makes people look at him It's uncomfortable, just kick him out!"

Chang Yuchun was in a hurry, "Master Zhang, you can't listen to their nonsense! These are mediocre mediocrity, and to really go to the battlefield, I still need something different like me."

Zhang Ximeng waved his hand, "Chang Yuchun, I agree with your ability, but what I want to say is that our Great Ming cannot rely on one or two talented generals. In fact, military generals of all dynasties have this problem. With the rise of a generation of famous generals, sweeping Eight wastes, the world is invincible. When this group of generals fades away and the warriors are outnumbered, the combat power will decline severely. Even at the beginning of the founding of the Zhao and Song Dynasties, no matter whether infantry or cavalry, they were not afraid of Khitan. The loss was exhausted, and when it came to the Chanyuan Alliance, they were suppressed and beaten."