Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 349: The Ming Army’s Dilemma! The Jurchens Surrender!

The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs.

To ordinary people, the smoke of war thousands of miles away seems like a dream far away in the horizon, out of reach.

But for the Ming Dynasty court, every move on the battlefield was of great importance and could affect the entire body.

To a large extent, its direction will determine the future direction of Ming Dynasty's national policy and rewrite the trajectory of national destiny.

Ever since the Jianzhou Jurchens assembled an elite force of 20,000 and came aggressively, but were defeated and fled in panic by the 3,000 new troops led by Zhu Neng, the three Jurchen tribes were like frightened birds, and never dared to rashly gather a large force to confront head-on, and instead adopted the tactic of frequent harassment with small forces.

Inside the New Army's tent, Lan Yu, Zhu Neng and a group of generals were discussing the war in a solemn atmosphere.

"It is not a good idea to drag it on like this. In my opinion, our army should advance lightly, actively seek opportunities to fight, and completely annihilate the main force of the Jurchens in one fell swoop."

A general frowned, his tone full of anxiety and impatience, and muttered: "I have been in the army for many years, and I have never seen such a fighting style."

"We clearly have the strength to travel hundreds of miles a day, but now we have to travel with the road builders and endure constant harassment and attacks from the enemy for no reason. We are exhausted. If this continues, the morale of the army will sooner or later be shaken!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many generals in the tent nodded in agreement, and whispers arose one after another.

Previously, Zhu Neng led his army to defeat the main force of the Jianzhou Jurchens. That battle was fought with great enthusiasm and everyone felt extremely happy.

But who could have expected that the frequent subsequent attacks by this small group of enemy forces would become a major concern for them!
After all, even though the new army has superior combat power, the soldiers are made of flesh and blood, not steel.

The Jurchens' erratic invasion tactics made it difficult for anyone to rest as long as the guns and cannons sounded, even though the new army adopted a strategy of taking turns to defend.

As time went on, everyone naturally started to complain.

"What you said is absolutely true!"

Another general said, "Wars are fought for money and food. The court has spent countless silver and money to quell the rebellion of the three Jurchen tribes."

"Our army is stagnant here. Every day the war is delayed will cost a huge amount of silver."

"We must not dawdle so slowly in our march to break this deadlock. We must send our elite cavalry to charge in swiftly and directly to Huanglong, catching him off guard."

"With the powerful fighting power of our new army, how can the Jurchen tribes fight back? What are you hesitating about?"

Other generals also offered their opinions enthusiastically, saying in unison: "Yes, General, we can't go on like this. Give the order quickly!"

"Light cavalry advances and strikes directly at Huanglong!"

"The last general is willing to be a pioneer!"

"I am also willing to serve you!"

"I beg you to go into battle!"

……

For a moment, all the generals in the big tent were excited and asked to go into battle.

Lan Yu sat high up in the throne, his eyes stern as he slowly swept over the generals below, but his expression was still uncertain, as if he was struggling internally with both his conscience and his desires.

After a while, his eyes fell on Zhu Neng, who was sitting at the front, as if he wanted him to express his opinion.

"The court has already made a plan on how to fight this war, and the Military Affairs Office sends official instructions almost every day. It would be inappropriate if we arbitrarily change the court's established strategic guidelines." Zhu Neng frowned slightly and spoke carefully.

"But now we are the ones charging and fighting on the front line!"

A general immediately retorted loudly, "The Military Affairs Office is far away in Jinling City. How can they know the actual situation here? How can we allow them to point fingers and give remote commands from the rear?"

"I will be outside, and I will not accept your order!"

Another general immediately echoed, "Military situations are changing rapidly. Since we have been ordered to lead the troops to fight, we should shoulder the responsibility of commanding the battle. How can we be conservative and rigidly follow the plan of the Military Affairs Office to deploy troops step by step? Wouldn't that be a waste of opportunities and a road to self-destruction?"

"That's right! The Military Affairs Office is thousands of miles away. If we follow their plan, this opportunity will be gone in a flash. We can only watch helplessly and miss the chance!"

"Faced with the current situation, we must act decisively and attack bravely to uproot the main force of the Jurchens in one fell swoop, so that they will never dare to covet our Ming territory and harass our army again!"

"Speaking of the Military Affairs Office, everyone, please remember that the general is also the Minister of Military Affairs, and he is the top-ranked Minister of Military Affairs! The general is in the tent right now, why should we listen to the orders of the Military Affairs Office?"

"Yes, General Zhu, you are also the Minister of Military Affairs. Why do you have to listen to people like those in Jinling City?"

The generals spoke one after another, but their attitudes were firm and unified.

Everyone felt that they should speed up their advance and launch a swift and violent attack on the Jurchens, striving to completely defeat the three Jurchen tribes as quickly as possible to relieve the suffering of being harassed day and night.

"General, please give the order!" A general clasped his hands together and asked earnestly.

"General, please give the order!"

"General, please give the order!"

"General, please give the order!"

In an instant, the sounds of requests came one after another and never stopped.

Lan Yu said nothing, looking as if he was still in deep thought, with no emotion visible in his deep eyes.

At this time, Zhu Neng stood up, saluted, and said in a deep voice: "General, I think there is no problem with the battle plan formulated by the Military Affairs Office. The army should still advance slowly and not rush rashly."

"The most important thing right now is not to fight a decisive battle with the Jurchens, but to supervise the craftsmen to repair the cement road and transport the food!"

The big tent suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Zhu Neng had just expressed a different opinion, and everyone thought he was just afraid of the power of the Military Affairs Department.

But at this time Zhu Neng clearly proposed to fight according to the original plan, which is a different matter.

After all, he was the deputy commander-in-chief. Apart from Lan Yu, he had the most respected position in the tent.

For a moment, the generals did not dare to refute casually. They all looked at Zhu Neng with inquiring eyes, to see what his reasons were.

Zhu Neng slowly glanced at the generals and said calmly, "The three Jurchen tribes are located in the cold north."

"It is now the season of spring and snowmelt. The melting ice and snow has made the road ahead muddy and difficult for vehicles and horses to travel."

"Although our new army is extremely powerful, its fighting method is mainly based on firearms."

"As you all know, cannons are extremely heavy and require a large amount of bullets and shells to fight."

"If the wheels get stuck in the mud, it will be a big problem to transport supplies, and it will be difficult to deliver ammunition to the front line in time."

"Without bullets and shells, it will be difficult to pursue the main force of the Jurchens or even defend the camp."

"So the imperial court formulated a strategy of building roads while advancing the army."

"As long as there is a steady supply of logistical support, the new army will be invincible."

"Otherwise, the new army will be in trouble in no time, and the consequences will be disastrous."

As soon as he finished speaking, a general could not hold back and immediately retorted: "During the snowmelt season, the roads are muddy and difficult to travel. Isn't it the same for the Jurchen soldiers?"

Zhu Neng looked at the general with a sharp gaze and said calmly: "Don't forget that the three Jurchen tribes are locals. They have lived and multiplied here for generations and have long been accustomed to the climate and road conditions here."

"We have come from a long expedition, and our troops are exhausted, while they are well-rested and have taken advantage of the geographical situation."

His voice was steady and powerful, like the collision of metal and stone, making a loud sound when it hits the ground.

Another general immediately stood up, looking worried, and said, "But the constant attacks from the three Jurchen tribes are unbearable for our soldiers. If this continues, I'm afraid the morale of the army will be unstable!"

Zhu Neng held his head high and said in a clear voice: "Our army is indeed in trouble, but do the Jurchens feel good about it?"

"In the past half month, the Jurchen soldiers have attacked our army a total of 107 times, and our army has shot and killed more than 3,000 of them, and countless others have fled with injuries."

"And our army has suffered almost no casualties in the past half month." "The most uncomfortable thing now is that it is difficult to have a good rest."

"Marching and fighting is meant to be hard."

"If you can't even endure this little bit of hardship, then why are you fighting this war?"

"The current situation is just about holding on!"

"Let's see who can last longer!"

"The cost of the Jurchen invasion was so high, and the results were almost zero. They can't hold out for long."

"Our troops just didn't get enough rest, and you're worried about their morale being unstable."

"The Jurchens have suffered so many casualties and have been defeated in every battle. Can their military morale be stabilized?"

"As long as our army builds momentum and advances slowly, I don't believe that the Jurchen soldiers will be determined and fight to the death."

"Won't their people be in panic and their army lose its morale?"

"On the contrary, I feel that the Jurchens are now at the end of their strength and will not be able to hold out for much longer."

clap clap clap!
As soon as he finished speaking, Lan Yu clapped his hands, his eyes full of admiration.

"well said!"

"Now it's just a matter of who can last longer."

"Our army just suffered a little hardship and fatigue, and there were no casualties. What does it matter?"

The generals were all shocked. Was the general persuaded by Zhu Neng?
They all wanted to speak up and continue to advise, but they saw Lan Yu raise his hand, signaling everyone to be silent.

"Although the strategic guidelines of the Military Affairs Department were sent in the name of the Military Affairs Department, in fact, they were the intention of His Majesty. It was sent through the Military Affairs Department only after His Majesty personally inquired and approved them."

As soon as these words were spoken, the generals swallowed back the words they were about to say.

If it is decided by His Majesty himself, then they really just need to follow it honestly.

The army that set out on this expedition is a new army. All the generals are elites trained by the Ming Military Academy. They have an almost blind worship and absolute recognition for His Majesty the Emperor.

Since Your Majesty thinks so, then there must be no problem.

Worried that the generals would not believe him, Lan Yu took out a letter with a solemn expression.

"This is a letter written to me by your Majesty himself."

"Your Majesty made it very clear in the letter that this expedition to the three Jurchen tribes is not simply about defeating them and making them surrender."

"The most important thing is to completely conquer the three Jurchen tribes."

"Incorporate the territories of the three Jurchen tribes into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and have officials sent by the imperial court to govern them."

"To completely eradicate the old system of the three Jurchen tribes, we must not just defeat their main force and subdue them."

"If that happens, perhaps one day the three Jurchen tribes will rebel again."

"That is not allowed by your majesty!"

"Your Majesty also said that the Ming Intelligence Bureau is currently launching a psychological warfare and overall warfare against the three Jurchen tribes."

"As long as we hold on, I believe it won't be long before the three Jurchen tribes collapse and surrender."

When the generals heard this, they all responded and shouted in unison: "Since this is your majesty's will, we will hold our ground."

Lan Yu let out a sigh, and his tense expression relaxed a little.

The most important thing at the moment is to persuade the generals and stabilize the morale of the army.

He originally thought this would be very difficult.

Unexpectedly, after the Emperor was brought up, the generals stopped making noise.

really.

The new army soldiers and generals trained at the Ming Military Academy have a deep-rooted admiration for Your Majesty.

I just don't know how long this battle will last.

His eyelids drooped, his eyes full of fatigue.

Speaking of which, Lan Yu hasn't had a good night's sleep in the past half month.

at this time.

Suddenly, a rapid alarm sounded outside, breaking the brief calm.

"Enemy attack!"

As the voice sounded, Lan Yu's sleepiness was immediately swept away, and his eyes instantly became as sharp as an eagle.

The next moment, a soldier rushed in from outside the tent door, went straight in, knelt down with a plop and reported: "General, we have found tens of thousands of Jurchen soldiers ahead, slowly coming towards our camp."

The faces of all the generals changed.

During this period of time, Jurchen soldiers continued to invade the Ming military camp.

But each time there were only a few hundred people or a smaller scale, and the invasion was mostly carried out under the cover of night, launching surprise attacks in the dark!

Why are so many troops being dispatched in broad daylight today? Are they going to have another main battle with the Ming army?

This is something everyone has been longing for!

Thinking of this, all the generals were excited, rubbing their hands, and eager to give it a try.

Lan Yu suddenly stood up from the main seat and walked out with big strides.

In the open area ahead, there were tens of thousands of Jurchen soldiers, marching towards the Ming army camp like a dark cloud.

Lan Yu picked up the telescope and looked carefully.

However, they found that although these people were carrying weapons, they were not in combat mode, their steps were loose and they had no fighting spirit.

They were clearly heading towards the Ming army camp, but it looked like an ordinary march, with no intention of fighting at all.

There was no murderous look on their faces as there should be before a battle. Instead, each of them showed deep boredom and fatigue.

Their eyes were empty, they seemed extremely numb, and their morale was extremely low.

Lan Yu was secretly surprised and frowned slightly, trying to guess the deeper meaning of the Jurchen's action.

At this time, the Jurchen army stopped.

A rider on a fast horse galloped out from the army and headed towards the front of the Ming army camp.

He ran all the way to the military camp before dismounting.

Several soldiers immediately raised their guns and aimed at the man.

He knelt on one knee, saluted, and shouted loudly:
"Ahachu, the leader of the Huligai tribe of the Jianzhou Jurchens, has led his army to surrender to the Ming Dynasty!"

……

(End of this chapter)