Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 883 Offensive and defensive changes
Inside the Ming army camp, the conversation between Wang Shouren, Zhu Hui, and Pang Qing continued.

Wang Shouren said: "The Tatars' demands are certainly not to retain their territory... Perhaps they want to divide the territory with the Ming Dynasty and govern it, pretending to be friendly, and then plan to invade the Central Plains after they have developed and recovered their strength."

"Therefore... it is only natural that Zhang Guojiu disagreed with their request."

"Maybe so."

Pang Qing smiled and thought to himself, "Wang Shouren is indeed extraordinary. I didn't even explain it to him in detail, yet he was able to guess the gist of it."

The Taoist priest told me that Batu Mongke's demand was to withdraw from southern Mongolia and not enter southern Mongolia for thirty years in exchange for the Ming Dynasty withdrawing its troops... He also voluntarily handed over some of his people and tribes to the Ming Dynasty, allowing them to become self-reliant and no longer be under the Ming Dynasty's control.

But how shrewd is the second son of the Zhang family?
How could we not have realized that the Tatars were just making excuses?

Thirty years without entering the southern desert?
This means that the outcome of this war was not the complete pacification of the grasslands, but merely a thirty-year peace buffer period.

“Since you knew from the beginning that the talks were unsuccessful and that it was impossible to meet the Tatars’ demands, why did you even bother to negotiate?” Wang Shouren then asked.

Pang Qing said, "I think that Zhang Guojiu's original idea was to make the Tatars completely submit, rather than to let them... carve out their own territory and govern themselves, right?"

"is it possible?"

Wang Shouren frowned.

Could it be that Zhang Guojiu was rather naive, believing that the Tatars would accept conditions that amounted to near annihilation? Surrendering without even fighting?

Pang Qing smiled and said, "Many things cannot be judged solely by their results; the entire process is crucial. The negotiations were intended for those tribes on the edge of the grasslands, to let them know that the Ming Dynasty possesses the demeanor of a superior celestial empire, and that our aim is not to completely eradicate them. We gave them a chance, but their little prince... simply didn't know what was good for him."

Who are we talking to?

Of course, it was meant to be discussed with the Ming emperor and his ministers!

It was also meant to be seen by all the tribes of the grasslands!

Without discussing the matter, we could simply launch a direct attack, or even exterminate the entire clan, which would appear to be without justification.

What I want is a legitimate reason to eliminate you!

Furthermore, negotiations allow one's own side to conserve energy and prepare for war, effectively wear down the morale of the Tatars, and sow discord among other tribes.

Meanwhile, they were also waiting for the troops from Lizi Province to arrive so they could rest and regroup in preparation for the final battle.

Pang Qing thought to himself, "It seems that this son of a Hanlin scholar is really amazing. He can understand things pretty well just by guessing. But he only understands the changes in the battlefield situation and basic human relationships. He doesn't understand the political landscape of the court and people's hearts... It's hard for him to make a comprehensive assessment like that second young master of the Zhang family."

But even so, it's already quite remarkable.

Of course, no matter how high your birth is, you can't compare to the second young master of the Zhang family, not to mention that kid... he's simply a prodigy.

Zhu Hui asked, "So... what are Zhang Guojiu's arrangements for our group?"

"The three forces combined into one."

Pang Qing smiled and said, "Minister Li will issue a general command order. Please obey the overall situation and join our army. During the war, our main offensive tasks will be handled by the central army under the command of Zhang Guojiu... It is said that the Tatars have already begun to gather their forces, and a major battle could break out at any time..."

"What!?"

Zhu Hui asked with a curious look, "Didn't they all run away? Why are you talking about regrouping?"

Pang Qing said, "How could the Tatars easily admit defeat? Many tribes in the eastern Mongolia have already submitted to the Ming Dynasty and are willing to obey orders and proclamations without daring to disobey in the slightest. However, the tribes in the north and west are stubborn and are still waiting to fight a decisive battle with our Ming Dynasty."

"Currently, the Tatar central army is still led by the Chahar tribe under the command of the young prince Batumonke, with an estimated force of forty to fifty thousand soldiers."

Zhu Hui asked in surprise, "The Tatar prince... only has... forty or fifty thousand troops left?" Wang Shouren quickly asked, "Is the information accurate? These forty or fifty thousand should be the Tatars' main force, right?"

“I have never been to the front lines and am not very familiar with the specific battle situation.”

Pang Qing explained with a hint of regret on his face, "However, judging from the current situation, this should be the last of the Tatars' resources... They have even brought out their long-forgotten homemade guns and cannons, built strongholds and fought a war of attrition, and are entrenched in one place, just waiting for the Ming army to come and attack."

Zhu Hui laughed and said, "Haha, this is really strange. The Tatars actually found a place to cower and wait for our army to attack? The balance of power has shifted..."

Pang Qing said, "The Tartars are out of options. They have launched several strong attacks, but none of them have been effective against our army. Their strengths in light cavalry archery and heavy cavalry charges have been ineffective, so they have no choice but to retreat. However, we cannot let our guard down. After all, the Tartar cavalry is still very powerful and their mobility is unparalleled."

"clear."

Zhu Hui responded first, then looked at Wang Shouren and asked, "Brother Wang, what do you say?"

Wang Shouren pondered for a moment and said, "No wonder the Tatars wanted to fight and negotiate at the same time. It seems they were preparing for a retreat... In extreme cases, they might retreat to the wilderness of the North Sea or even the northwest."

"In the past, they could choose to avoid battle and not engage our main force, in exchange for the Ming army being exhausted and retreating on its own... Now they have realized that the small force of a few hundred men dispatched by Zhang Guojiu has already overwhelmed them. In the future, if a similar-sized imperial army patrols the grasslands, they will have nowhere to hide..."

"These perilous circumstances forced them to choose such a difficult coping strategy."

"sinister?"

Zhu Hui looked bewildered and asked, "Our army clearly adopted a strategy of open warfare, overwhelming the enemy with superior strength. Where is the danger? Brother Wang, what are you talking about?"

Pang Qing laughed: "Young Master, it is certainly righteous for our army, but for the Tartars, the situation is indeed more perilous than ever before. Young Master Wang's insight is extraordinary."

He then turned to Wang Shouren and said solemnly, “Just as you said, the Tatars are now in dire straits! In the past, they scattered and fled, and the Ming Dynasty could not do anything to them, but now we can send out a few thousand men at will and wipe them out. Where can they hide?”
"Hiding in one place for a final, desperate struggle may be their last chance."

Zhu Hui sighed, "Now I finally understand... The tactics the Tartars used in Yinshan are no longer effective. Who told Zhang Guojiu to be so powerful? He dared to chase and attack thousands of people with only three or four hundred men. In the future, when they advance into the grasslands, they won't need to make a big fuss at all. A few hundred men can run rampant without any fear."

"Speaking of which, this can be considered a precedent set by Brother Wang and me, letting the Tartars know the might of our Great Ming army, right?"

Upon hearing this, Pang Qing couldn't help but look over.

I thought to myself, "Why are you bragging like this?"

Did the Tatars' cowardice stem from you and Wang Shouren leading troops across the grasslands?
Ultimately, it was the imperial troops, armed by the young imperial uncle Zhang, that were advancing relentlessly!

Wang Shouren said, "The Tatars are entrenched in one place, forming a tortoise formation. Does Zhang Guojiu have a way to break the formation?"

"hehe."

Pang Qing laughed, and instead of answering, asked, "Do you have any?"

Zhu Hui said, "Is there even a need to ask? That kind of yellow gunpowder was much more powerful than black gunpowder. Just plant some... and the Tartars would be blown to their wits' end."

"The Tartars are really out of their minds. The whole army is huddled together. Do they think their target is too small? Or do they think that with their makeshift mounds and forts behind them, they have the strength to fight us to the death? They're dreaming!"

Pang Qing smiled.

It's as if they're saying, "Look, I don't even need to explain the tactics the second young master of the Zhang family will use. You yourselves already know where the breakthrough point is."

With powerful firearms and gunpowder, everything else falls into place, and it would make little difference whoever was in charge.

But the prerequisite is that you have to research those new firearms and gunpowder, which can only be done by the second young master of the Zhang family.

(End of this chapter)