Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 334 Large-scale operations require strict discipline!

The war to recover Liaodong was, after all, a major battle fought with the full strength of the nation. To help the emperor better understand the battlefield situation, Zhu Xieyuan set up a sand table in the Wuying Hall. For a ruler like Zhu Youjian, who preferred to maintain the status quo, Zhu Xieyuan naturally couldn't expect him to be as skilled in warfare as the Hongwu and Yongle emperors, but surely he couldn't be completely ignorant either? While he was still alive, he wanted to guide him as much as possible.

Although the emperor had countless flaws, it was foreseeable that with such an emperor, the Ming Dynasty wouldn't fall anytime soon. If the emperor didn't become corrupt, he might even achieve a reputation for revival a decade or so later, at which point the emperor's close advisors could also earn a very good historical reputation.

The emperor was a sentimental person, and as long as his descendants didn't go too far, they should all be able to live quite well under his protection. Zhu Youjian and his group of old ministers might not have been on the same page in terms of their views, but both sides highly respected each other's character.

Even if the argument gets heated, at least there's no fear of the other party plotting harm. A true debate is one without threats to personal safety. If beheadings and confiscation of property are the norm, who would dare to speak the truth, and who would be willing to risk their lives for the emperor?
On November 3, Zu Dashou, the commander-in-chief of Guangning who was at the forefront of western Liaoning, sent an urgent report: the Jurchens had burned down Zhen'anbao and Xiningbao in the east of Guangning, as well as Xiaoheishanbao, Daheishanbao, Zhenyuanbao and other fortresses in the north. The Jurchens had completely withdrawn from western Liaoning.

In their haste to retreat, the slaves in these strongholds were massacred by the Jurchens, with thousands of victims. Because the corpses were mostly charred black, it was difficult to distinguish between men and women, Han and Yi.

Mao Wenlong, the garrison commander of Dongjiang, secretly reported that the Jurchens, driven to desperation, had chosen Daishan as their commander-in-chief. Daishan, in upholding military law, had executed several Eight Banner generals, and the banner chiefs had tacitly accepted this. This indicated that the fragmented Jurchens had reunited and their strength should not be underestimated. He warned the court officials not to be blindly optimistic.

Based on the new information from the front lines, Zhu Xieyuan removed several small flags belonging to the Jurchens in the Liaoxi Corridor and picked up several Ming army flags to plant. However, he gave up after thinking about it because he was not clear about the garrison situation of these fortresses. Mao Wenlong did not say anything; he was probably waiting for the opinion of the commander-in-chief, Yuan Keli.

Zhu Xieyuan analyzed with Zhu Youjian that the fortresses in the north were for defense against the Mongols and their restoration was necessary, while the fortresses in the east could be postponed. Now that the Jurchens in western Liaoning had been completely eliminated, the biggest obstacle to the next advance was the Liaoze River, which lay between western and eastern Liaoning.

Today, the northern part of Liaoze is largely dry. Liaoze is concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Liao River plain. The northern part is relatively easier to travel, but the northern route of Liaoze will inevitably be a key point of defense for the Jurchens. Taking the northern route is closer to Shenyang, but it will face the simultaneous attack of the two major cities of Liaoyang and Shenyang. The Jurchens have fortified cities to rely on, and being in the core area of ​​their rule, they will not have to worry about supplies.

The supply transport of Guan Ningjin was already difficult, and the long expedition along the northern route, followed by the supply of hundreds of thousands of troops, made the task even more arduous. However, if they took the Liaoze southern route, the road would be even more rugged than the northern route. The narrowest part of the southern route was only a few feet wide. If they were ambushed by the Jurchens, even an army of hundreds of thousands would be unable to deploy.

However, it is winter now, and the Liaoze and beaches are frozen. The southern route, which is usually impassable, may now be passable. In fact, if the weather is cold enough, it is not impossible to cross the Liaoze. But the problem is that more than 200 miles of the Liaoze is an uninhabited area, and you may even get lost if you venture in rashly.

The best way is actually to transport troops by sea, sending the entire army to southern Liaoning as a forward base. However, the Bohai Bay is not suitable for sailing in winter. Coastal ice, sea ice, winter cold waves, and fog caused by the temperature difference between seawater and air will all pose threats to navigation.

It's not entirely unusable, but large-scale transport is impractical. Plus, with supplies and such, the sheer volume might not be enough to transport even by next year. Spring and autumn are suitable for shipping in the Bohai Sea, but the experience at Sarhu taught them that spring is not suitable for fighting in Liaodong, as rain and mud would be devastating to the Ming army's firearms units.
The destructive power of the sudden cold snap in spring even exceeded that of the harsh winter. When the temperature dropped sharply, the Ming army was not prepared with winter clothing. Their clothes got wet and were even less able to keep warm, and many soldiers froze to death.

In summer and autumn, it was even worse. The Liao River has existed for thousands of years. The reason it exists is because the Liao River basin is densely covered with waterways, and the terrain is fragmented. The Ming army's wagon formations still cannot be deployed, and the army will be exhausted by crossing the river halfway time and time again. When the White-Spear Army fought the Hun River, it was attacked halfway across the river.

Therefore, the only option for conquering Liaodong was the most counterintuitive winter season, when cavalry could roam freely across the Liaodong plains. The quality of the Ming army's elite cavalry had caught up, but their numbers were still far inferior to those of the Jurchens. Including the Beijing garrison troops that had crossed the Great Wall, the Ming army now had about 20,000 cavalry outside the Great Wall, which could hold back 30,000 Jurchen cavalry. Any more than that would be impossible to deal with.

In terms of mobility, the Ming army remained at a disadvantage. To avoid a repeat of the disastrous situation of being defeated piecemeal by the Jurchens when they divided their forces for an advance, the Ming army could not split its troops. Regarding the cavalry, Yuan Keli and his staff reached a consensus: this limited cavalry must be used to protect the wagon corps and infantry formations.

The Guan Ning cavalry are fond of indiscriminate fighting. They charge into battle in droves, and if they can't win, they run away in a flash, completely disregarding the lives of their comrades. In this battle, the cavalry are not allowed to attack without orders. Those who disobey will be punished even if they win!
Zhu Youjian agreed with their views, was willing to endorse Yuan Keli, and even plagiarized the classic saying: "In large-scale military operations, discipline must be strict!"

In this Northern Expedition, Yuan Keli's orders served as the supreme wartime directives. Even the Ministry of War was not allowed to interfere with frontline command. Any generals who openly disobeyed orders or feigned compliance could be executed first and reported later. Even if they temporarily escaped punishment, they would be held accountable after the war. Zhu Youjian did not want to lose the war because of the ridiculous reason of his own people dragging him down.

If Yuan Keli were to die in the line of duty, Sun Chengzong would take over command; if Sun were also to perish, Lu Xiangshan would take command of the army and carry out the retreat. There was no clear battle plan, as the most knowledgeable civil officials and the most capable military commanders familiar with the Liaodong environment were all outside the Great Wall. Discussing the battle plan in the court would be putting the cart before the horse.

The Ministry of War's task was to continuously transfer troops from within the Great Wall, and work with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to find ways to meet the supply needs of the front lines, while Zhu Youjian was mainly in charge of "meowing." The current military discussions on the sand table were merely for amusement. Zhu Xieyuan deduced that Yuan Keli was most likely to launch a forced crossing from the south, bypassing Liaoze and advancing along the coast. Hearing this, Zhu Youjian suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, hoping he wouldn't be that unlucky.

Taking advantage of the winter, they will force their way across the Liaoze River along the coast. Next year, or sometime later, they will withdraw their troops, first stationing them in southern Liaoning, and then calmly withdrawing by sea. Therefore, this territory in southern Liaoning is crucial for the recovery of Liaodong; having it or not makes a world of difference in the approach to the war.

Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) had remarkable foresight; the initial administrative center of the Dingliao Garrison was located in Jinzhou. However, using this tactic now ultimately reflects the decline of the Ming Dynasty.

During the Tianqi era, the entire Guanjinning defense line only had 9,000 horses. Zhu Youjian managed to amass 20,000 cavalrymen over the years through captures, purchases, and breeding.

If the Ming Dynasty had hundreds of thousands of cavalry at present or in the early Ming period, there would be no need for such trouble. They could have simply borrowed the route through Mongolia from Jizhou to fight the Jurchens, and incidentally also beaten up the Mongols and recovered the Yuan capital!
(End of this chapter)