Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he probably still felt a little unsafe, so he looked at Ouyang Lun and said solemnly: "Ouyang Lun, don't think that I don't know your ability. Although you are a civil servant, you have your own unique attainments in fighting!"

"From conquering the Japanese pirates to guarding Peking, and then to suppressing the rebellion in the four southern provinces! All of this was done by you, Ouyang Lun!"

"The Prince of Yan and the Prince of Xiang conquered Yunnan, Xu Huizu followed Feng Sheng to quell the rebellion in Yunnan, and even Lan Yu led troops to conquer the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Where was your presence absent from these battles?!"

"It's not a mistake to let you be the military advisor, and it's not an injustice to you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's words were very firm, and he did not give Ouyang Lun any chance to speak. It can be said that he completely blocked Ouyang Lun's retreat.

"Your Majesty, I didn't say I couldn't do it, I just didn't have the time!"

Ouyang Lun was speechless. I just don’t want to do it, I didn’t say I can’t do it!
"No time? Nonsense, you are so young, if you do more things every day, you will have time! You are so young but you act like an old man!"

"Anyway, you have to do it whether you want to or not!"

"That's it."

Zhu Yuanzhang is going to take a tough approach now, and he doesn't even want to pretend.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang, this stubborn old man, Ouyang Lun was so angry!
It turned out that it was not the old people who became bad, but the bad people who became old. Zhu Yuanzhang was such a person. Once he made up his mind, no one could change his mind even with thousands of oxen and horses.

It seems like I can’t get rid of this crappy job of being the army’s military advisor. It’s such a headache!

Of course, if Ouyang Lun continued to insist on not being a military advisor, he would probably be able to get away with it in the end. However, doing so would be disobeying the imperial edict, which would be equivalent to giving Li Shanchang and others an excuse to report him. He had just had a group of officials from the Huaixi Party severely punished.

If the other side seizes this opportunity, they will beat me to death, and Zhu Yuanzhang will probably add insult to injury when he is angry.

Forget it.

Although being the military advisor of such a large army is troublesome, it is not without its benefits.

For example, if I become the military advisor of this army, I will definitely go to the battlefield. If I go to the grassland, I can see my wife Asuna and son. It seems that it is a good idea to travel at public expense.

Thinking of this, Ouyang Lun immediately decided to agree.

"I accept your order!"

Ouyang Lun cupped his hands and said.

"Your son obeys your command. This time, I will personally lead the army to defeat the Northern Yuan Dynasty in one fell swoop!"

When Zhu Biao saw that Ouyang Lun agreed to be the military advisor, he felt relieved and quickly bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"I accept your order!"

Lan Yu's expression looked extremely unnatural.

For him, the good news was that he successfully joined the army to conquer the Northern Yuan Dynasty and served as the vanguard, but the bad news was that he was not the supreme commander. The Emperor Zhu Biao had to lead the army in person, and even the military advisor was his old rival Ouyang Lun!

This made Lan Yu feel very uncomfortable, but he couldn't compete with Emperor Zhu Biao for the command now, right?
Moreover, he himself certainly did not want to be a military advisor, so Lan Yu had no other choice but to accept it. If he really refused, then he, Lan Yu, would definitely be the one who would be replaced.

"Okay, now that this matter has been decided, let's end the court meeting here today!"

"Retreat!"

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty, please leave!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's decision was completely beyond their expectations.

Although the court meeting was over, Ouyang Lun, Lan Yu and others were kept by Zhu Biao and all taken to the Fengtian Hall.

Although the power gap between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Yuan Dynasty is now as huge as heaven and earth, it is extremely difficult to completely destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

Inside Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Biao was somewhat excited. You know, this time he was leading the army in person, and as an emperor he didn't have many opportunities to lead the army in person. Zhu Biao was also very confident this time. This time, he had the general Lan Yu and the military advisor Ouyang Lun, plus the support of the Ming Dynasty's strong national strength. Zhu Biao really didn't know how he could lose.

"My dear ministers, my father has already made the final decision in the court meeting. I will rely on you to lead the army in person this time!"

Zhu Biao looked at the officials from the Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, Military Advisor Cabinet and other departments in the hall.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. With me here, it will not be a problem to destroy the Northern Yuan Dynasty!" Lan Yu said, patting his chest.

"Your Majesty, if you lead the army in person, you will surely be able to win the battle and completely eliminate the Northern Yuan Dynasty!"

"We will do our best to support Your Majesty!"

Except Lan Yu, other officials also expressed their opinions.

"Brother-in-law Ouyang, what do you think?" Hearing so much support and compliments, Zhu Biao was a little flattered, but he still set his sights on Ouyang Lun, because Zhu Biao knew that if he really wanted to win this time, his biggest reliance was not Lan Yu or other officials, but his brother-in-law Ouyang Lun! "Does your majesty want to hear the truth or a lie?" Ouyang Lun asked.

"Of course it's true!" Zhu Biao said with a smile.

"Since Your Majesty asked me to tell the truth, I will tell you the truth!" Ouyang Lun said immediately: "As the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, I know that it is very difficult to completely eliminate the Northern Yuan Dynasty. There are many reasons and they are complicated."

Forehead.
When Ouyang Lun said this, the originally lively atmosphere in the hall became tense.

Zhu Biao was also stunned, but he did not interrupt Ouyang Lun, but listened silently.

Ouyang Lun continued, "First, although the Northern Yuan has retreated to the northern desert, its foundation has not been broken and it still retains considerable strength. The mobility and combat effectiveness of the Mongolian cavalry should not be underestimated. They are familiar with the grassland terrain and are good at guerrilla warfare, which often puts our Ming army in a passive position when pursuing. The remaining forces of the Northern Yuan rely on the vast grasslands and deserts to form a natural barrier. It is difficult for our army to extend its supply lines, and the logistical pressure is huge."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao said, "Brother-in-law, regarding logistics, didn't you do a great job during the last expedition against the Northern Yuan Dynasty? There were no problems with logistics at all. It was because you were in charge of logistics last time that gave Lan Yu the opportunity to defeat the main force of the Northern Yuan army!"

Ouyang Lun nodded, "That's true, but last time we relied on the help of the people to catch the Northern Yuan off guard. This time, the Northern Yuan will definitely be prepared. I'm afraid it won't work if we try like last time."

this.
After hearing Ouyang Lun's words, not only Zhu Biao, but also other officials such as Lan Yu were stunned.

They indeed overlooked this point. After all, Ouyang Lun's logistical ability was too outstanding, so they didn't even think about logistical issues.

"Brother-in-law, what you said makes sense. This time I am personally leading the army, and logistics is indeed a problem." Zhu Biao nodded, "Brother-in-law, please continue."

"Well." Ouyang Lun said slowly, "Secondly, the Northern Yuan Dynasty had close relations with the surrounding tribes, especially with the Mongolian tribes such as the Oirat and Tatar. These tribes sometimes submitted and sometimes rebelled, forming a complex diplomatic situation. The Northern Yuan Dynasty used these relationships to continuously obtain resources and support, and was even able to unite with other tribes to harass the border of our Ming Dynasty. This strategy of "the enemy advances, we retreat, the enemy retreats, we advance" made it difficult for our Ming Dynasty to completely eradicate the threat of the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

"Even though we have been trying to win over the grassland tribes over the years, and my wife Asuna's tribe is the most successful example, most of the tribes still support the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

"Furthermore, the climate in the Mobei region is harsh and the environment is difficult. For our Ming soldiers, long-term garrison or expedition is extremely difficult. The severe cold in winter, the scorching heat in summer, and the raging sandstorms not only put a great burden on the soldiers' bodies, but also pose a severe challenge to the maintenance of weapons and equipment. The Northern Yuan army has long adapted to this environment and can use the weather and terrain to deal with our army.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty also faces many problems. Years of war have consumed a lot of manpower and material resources, the treasury is empty, and the people are exhausted. If we want to completely eliminate the Northern Yuan Dynasty, we must invest more resources, which will undoubtedly increase the burden on the country and may even cause civil unrest. At the same time, there is no consensus within the court on the northern expedition. Some people believe that we should focus on defense and consolidate the border, rather than blindly pursuing the complete elimination of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

Finally, although the political structure of the Northern Yuan Dynasty was loose, its leaders still had a certain appeal. Especially among the Mongolian tribes, the Northern Yuan Dynasty was regarded as a symbol of orthodoxy. This ideological cohesion enabled the Northern Yuan Dynasty to revive repeatedly in adversity. Even if our army could temporarily defeat the Northern Yuan Dynasty, it would be difficult to completely destroy its spiritual pillar.

In summary, it is not easy to completely eliminate the Northern Yuan Dynasty. This is not only a military contest, but also a game of politics, economy, diplomacy and other aspects. As the chief minister of the cabinet, I know that this matter needs to be considered in the long run and cannot be rushed. Your Majesty will personally lead the expedition this time, and you need to take steady steps to gradually weaken the power of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, so that you can finally completely eliminate the Northern Yuan Dynasty! "

When Ouyang Lun finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Fengtian Hall had become tense.

"Humph!"

"If we follow what you said, Prince Consort Ouyang, then we should just stop fighting the Northern Yuan Dynasty and negotiate peace with it directly!" Lan Yu said unconvinced.

"Lan Yu, Brother-in-law Ouyang is my military advisor for this expedition against the Northern Yuan Dynasty. You must respect him! If you dare to contradict me again, I will use military law to punish you!" Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

"I know I was wrong." Facing such a strong Zhu Biao, Lan Yu was obviously a little uncomfortable. After being stunned for a moment, he lowered his head.

"Don't tell me, tell my brother-in-law Ouyang. He is the military advisor now!" Zhu Biao said.

"Prince Consort Ouyang, I was wrong. I shouldn't have contradicted you." Lan Yu said helplessly.

"Yeah." Ouyang Lun nodded lightly without caring too much.

"Brother-in-law, since you have analyzed these things in such detail, you must have a plan to deal with them! Tell me now!"

"This is my first time leading an army in person, I must win and not lose!"

Zhu Biao said a little nervously.

Ouyang Lun could understand Zhu Biao's nervousness, so he didn't beat around the bush and said directly: "Your Majesty is leading the army in person to completely solve the problem of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. This is a blessing for the country and the people! However, the problem of the Northern Yuan Dynasty has been accumulated for a long time and cannot be solved overnight. I think that if you want to completely solve the problem of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, you need to take a long-term view and coordinate the overall situation to achieve twice the result with half the effort. The following are several strategies for your majesty to decide:
First, use war to support war, divide and disintegrate. Although the Northern Yuan retreated to the northern desert, it was not a monolithic entity. Although tribes such as the Oirat and Tatar had an alliance with the Northern Yuan, they had different interests and deep contradictions. Your Majesty can send envoys to divide them, lure them with benefits, and intimidate them, so that they will cause chaos within. At the same time, our army can adopt the strategy of "using war to support war", utilize the grassland resources of the Northern Yuan, supply them locally, and reduce the pressure of logistics. Treat the tribes that surrender well, make them work for us, and gradually weaken the foundation of the Northern Yuan.

Second, we should take steady steps and advance cautiously. The area of ​​Mobei is vast and the climate is harsh. If we rush in, we may be trapped by the enemy's guerrilla warfare. I suggest that when Your Majesty personally leads the expedition, we can take a steady approach, advance cautiously and gradually. Every time we occupy a place, we should build a city and set up defenses, cultivate land and raise soldiers, and consolidate the results of the war. In this way, we can not only reduce the space for the Northern Yuan to move, but also provide a stable rear for our army to avoid the danger of being alone in the deep.

Third, wait for the enemy to tire out and lure them into a decisive battle. The Northern Yuan cavalry is highly mobile and good at guerrilla warfare, but they are short of food and grass and cannot sustain a long-term battle. Your Majesty can adopt the strategy of "waiting for the enemy to tire out" and use elite troops to hold key positions to lure the main force of the Northern Yuan to attack. When they are exhausted, you can then attack with lightning speed and annihilate their living forces in one fell swoop. If you can lure the enemy into a decisive battle, you will be able to greatly shorten the course of the war.

Fourth, consolidate border defense and maintain long-term peace and stability. The trouble of the Northern Yuan Dynasty lies not only in its military threat, but also in its long-term harassment of our borders. Your Majesty, in addition to the expedition, must also strengthen border defense construction, build Wucheng, add guard posts, and cultivate land and guard the border. At the same time, encourage border residents to open up land and develop border trade to make the border areas prosperous and stable. In this way, we can not only cut off the idea of ​​the Northern Yuan Dynasty going south, but also expand the territory of our Ming Dynasty and lay the foundation for eternity.

Fifth, win people over with virtue and turn enemies into friends. Although the Northern Yuan is an enemy country, its people are also common people. When Your Majesty personally leads the expedition, you can strictly order the soldiers not to kill innocent people or rob the people. The surrendered Northern Yuan tribes should be properly settled, and given land, cattle and sheep, so that they can live and work in peace. In this way, we can not only demonstrate the benevolence of our Ming Dynasty, but also disintegrate the people's hearts of the Northern Yuan, so that their tribes will come back one after another, and the threat of the Northern Yuan will naturally be eliminated.

Your Majesty is wise and powerful. If you lead the army in person, you will surely boost morale and frighten the enemy. However, I still implore Your Majesty to put the country first and the people first, and to win in a steady manner, and not to rush for success. The troubles of the Northern Yuan Dynasty did not come about overnight, and it will take more than one day to completely solve them. Only by coordinating the overall situation and taking every step carefully can we achieve success in one fell swoop and eliminate future troubles!

I am willing to do my best to assist Your Majesty and join hands in this great cause, so that the borders of our Ming Dynasty will be forever secure and the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe!"

After saying that, Ouyang Lun bowed to Zhu Biao.

quiet!
After hearing what Ouyang Lun said, not only Zhu Biao was stunned, but even Lan Yu and other officials were stunned.

At this moment, in their eyes, Ouyang Lun's aura had changed, as if he was possessed by Zhuge Liang! !
Zhu Biao strode forward excitedly and grabbed Ouyang Lun's hand, "Brother-in-law, my good military advisor, with you in this battle, I will definitely be victorious!"

"Don't worry, we'll do whatever you say this time! I, Lan Yu, and all the expeditionary forces will obey you!!"

"If anyone doesn't listen, I will beat them severely with a stick!" (End of this chapter)