Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

When news of Zhao Shuaijiao's death and the vanguard's crushing defeat arrived, Sun Chengzong was completely dumbfounded.

He never expected that he would be hit with such a blow so soon after the start of the Liaodong campaign.

This unexpected defeat reminded him of the Battle of Liuhe.

The defeats were all due to absurd reasons.

"Am I just unlucky, or am I incompetent?"

Honestly, Sun Chengzong felt that this defeat was even more frustrating than the Battle of Liuhe.

The Battle of Liuhe could be attributed to misleading false intelligence and untimely naval coordination, but the Battle of Niuzhuang was lost because the commander was hit by a stray arrow, leaving him at a loss for words.

He now has doubts:
Is it because Heaven doesn't want me to perform good deeds, so it sends down disasters?

Admiral You Shilu said:

"Commander, what do we do now?"

"Should we withdraw the remaining troops? There are still three or four thousand men in Niuzhuang!"

Sun Chengzong, who was in the midst of self-doubt, was immediately alerted upon hearing this, realizing that now was not the time for self-pity.

If you are defeated on the battlefield, at most you will be dismissed from your post by the imperial court.

However, if one ignores the consequences after defeat and deliberately gives up, leading to even more serious consequences, then one might end up like Yang Hao, being publicly executed by the emperor.

He didn't want to end up like Yang Hao, so he needed to pull himself together:
"Contact Niuzhuang immediately and ask how many days they can hold out."

"And who is in command of the soldiers from Niuzhuang now?"

You Shilu immediately replied:
"Before General Zhao set out with his troops, he appointed Tong Hanbang to guard the stronghold."

"It was he who rallied the defeated troops and saved nearly three thousand people."

"According to his message, Niuzhuang has stored enough supplies for 10,000 troops to last for ten days, and now there are more than 3,000 people, which can last for a month."

"He has repelled several invasions by the Jurchens and has held out for a month without fear."

This result gave Sun Chengzong a boost of spirits, knowing that the vanguard had not been completely wiped out.

But considering that even a guerrilla general could hold his ground with his remaining troops, he was at a loss for words when it came to Zhao Shuaijiao's proactive attack:
I made the wrong choice again, appointing an inappropriate general.

Zhao Shuaijiao's aggressive tendencies make him an unsuitable candidate for building and defending fortresses.

Now that Tong Hanbang has demonstrated his abilities, he naturally intends to give him an important position and immediately issued the order:
"General Tong Hanbang was promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of the soldiers of Niuzhuang."

"No matter their rank, everyone else must obey Tong Hanbang's command."

"From now on, Tong Hanbang will be the forward commander."

Give Tong Hanbang full authority and let him guard Niuzhuang Village.

The next step, whether to send more troops to Niuzhuang to build a fortress or to end the war, requires a decision from the imperial court.

Sun Chengzong was very worried that when news of the defeat reached him, he would be dismissed from his post as before, and the Liaodong campaign would come to an abrupt end.

However, he dared not conceal the news of the defeat.

During the last Battle of Liuhe, there were even rumors in the capital that 100,000 soldiers had been lost.

Learning from this lesson, Sun Chengzong reported the information from Niuzhuang to the imperial court in its entirety, along with the original documents.
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When the Privy Council's Wartime Committee received the report, there was an uproar. They had only been the wartime cabinet for a few days when they encountered defeat.

It is easy to imagine how much of a blow this was to the Privy Council, and how disappointed the government and the public were.

If any ministers take the opportunity to attack, will the emperor cancel the wartime committee?

For a moment, everyone looked at Yuan Keli, hoping he would make a decision.

Yuan Keli had been busy for several days in a row and was clearly a little tired.

He looked at the report, closed his eyes, and pondered for a long time before finally sighing and saying:

"Please present your report!"

"His Majesty is still waiting!"

"I will personally go to the palace to explain."

He took the initiative to undertake this difficult task and went to the palace to meet the emperor.

The other Privy Councilors felt a sense of relief upon hearing this, followed by a feeling of shame—

When they actually encountered problems, they realized more deeply that Yuan Keli was the backbone of the organization and that the Privy Council could not do without him.

Yang Sichang, overcome with fervor, wanted to enter the palace with Yuan Keli, but the words stuck in his throat.

This made him sigh after Yuan Keli left, feeling that he was still quite far from being a prime minister:
With great power comes great responsibility.

"I do not yet have the courage to bear the weight of the world!"

I have gained a deeper understanding of the opening chapters of "The Art of War".
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At this time, Zhu Youjian was also reading "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, especially its opening chapter:
Sun Tzu said: "War is a matter of vital importance to the State; a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."

The Zuo Zhuan states: "The most important affairs of the state are sacrifice and war."

"War is indeed a matter of great importance to the nation!"

They have a deep understanding of this and are aware of their own military shortcomings:

He was not a military emperor like the Taizu or Chengzu emperors; he had never even been on the battlefield.

Even with the foresight of later generations, it's nothing more than theoretical strategizing and building an army.

In a real war, you need a knowledgeable commander.

Therefore, he appointed Yuan Keli as wartime prime minister, giving him full authority to oversee the war effort.

They also hoped to use this war to establish rules and absolve the emperor of military responsibility.

Compared to him, other emperors who grew up in the inner palace were less adept at military affairs.

It's highly probable that an emperor will emerge who doesn't understand military affairs; those who do are the exceptions.

To prevent this from harming the country and being eliminated in the ensuing great struggle, Zhu Youjian decided to appoint ministers to assist him and assume the war responsibilities that belonged to the emperor.

However, whether the appointed ministers are competent is truly worrying.

Zhu Youjian did not doubt Yuan Keli's loyalty, but he was not entirely confident that Yuan could lead the Ming army to victory.

The defeat at the Battle of Niuzhuang perfectly illustrates this point.

Having received the news, Zhu Youjian was now calming his emotions.

He knew that he must not act rashly at this time, and at the very least, he could not let his ministers see that he was guilty.

When Yuan Keli came to pay his respects, Zhu Youjian had completely suppressed his emotions. After listening to the report, he calmly said:
"As the prime minister during wartime, what is your opinion on this?"

"I entrust the war to you; do not have any concerns."

The text explicitly refers to Yuan Keli as the prime minister, thus clarifying his position.

Yuan Keli is now the undisputed number one figure in the imperial court; even the Grand Secretary doesn't have as much power as him.

Yuan Keli was deeply grateful for the emperor's high regard for him. At the same time, he felt guilty, believing that he had failed the emperor's trust.

However, since things had come to this point, he would not let it affect his judgment, and said:
"Although the Battle of Niuzhuang was lost, it did not harm the overall situation."

"The reason why the imperial court built a fort in Niuzhuang was to force the Jurchens to fight and find an opportunity for a decisive battle."

"Now that the Jurchens have mobilized, the court can continue the war according to the previous plan."

This is the overall strategy that determines whether to continue fighting.

Zhu Youjian nodded and said:

"Since you say you can fight, then let's continue fighting."

"The imperial court has made so many preparations for the Liaodong campaign; we cannot let a small defeat of a few thousand men wipe out all the investment." "Since the Jurchens have mobilized, then send troops to fight them until they can no longer continue!"

The general strategy for the Liaodong campaign was determined: fight until it could no longer be fought.

Prior to this, neither victory nor defeat would affect this strategy.

The Ming Dynasty was determined to outlast the Jurchens and test their ability to sustain the war.

Zhu Youjian believed that the Ming Dynasty, which had already been partially mobilized, had the strength to overwhelm the Jurchens.

Having successfully persuaded the emperor to continue the war, and even discovering that the emperor was more resolute than he was, Yuan Keli was invigorated and continued:

"We must fight in Liaodong, but we cannot fight entirely according to the previous plan."

"According to information from spies in Shenyang, Huang Taiji mobilized six of the Eight Banners."

"Only the Plain Blue Banner and Bordered Blue Banner remained, and they were not entirely of one mind with him; they did not go to rescue Horqin."

"In that case, I think we can let the Guan Ning Army hold back these six banners, and let the troops from Heilongjiang and other places conquer Khorchin."

“Even when the two blue banners are mobilized, we will seize the opportunity to capture them and cut off the branches of the Jurchens.”

This changed the Guan Ning Army's role from focusing on the main force to seize the spoils, to containing the main force of the Jurchens and allowing other armies to take the spoils.

In the past, the Guan Ning Army would never have agreed to this; they were generally full of confidence before setting out on the expedition.

However, after Zhao Shuaijiao died in battle, it became much easier to assign them this task.

Other Guan Ning troops have realized that the Jurchens are not so easy to defeat.

Given this, the Guan-Ning Army's choice became to first use the Dongjiang Army and others to weaken the Jurchens.

They can weaken the Jurchens before engaging them in a decisive battle.

Zhu Youjian listened to Yuan Keli's plan and nodded repeatedly, praising it:
"The situation on the battlefield is constantly changing."

"You are able to adapt to changing circumstances, which is already as skillful as Yue Fei's application of the principles."

"I am at ease entrusting this war to you."

Continue to clearly express support for Yuan Keli and strengthen his confidence.

He even planned to spread the message, "I trust you to handle things," to let the court and the public know his intentions.

Yuan Keli was deeply moved and felt that the current emperor was a good emperor who knew how to recognize and appoint capable people.

However, thinking of Sun Chengzong, he hesitated for a moment and then said:

“Commander-in-Chief Sun is competent in organizing troops, but he is really not familiar enough with military operations and warfare.”

"I believe that the Frontline Committee in Liaodong should bear a greater responsibility."

Clearly, he also noticed Sun Chengzong's shortcomings in commanding battles and believed that military generals should be given more power.

Zhu Youjian shared this view, and he greatly appreciated Yuan Keli's initiative in bringing it up, agreeing with it:

"The Frontline Committee does indeed bear a heavier responsibility."

"But the situation on the front lines is constantly changing, and we need someone in charge."

"Thus, Sun Chengzong, the military governor of Liaodong, was appointed as the chief military commander, responsible for military and political affairs."

"The logistics situation at the front and whether or not to fight are all the responsibility of the General Protectorate Army."

"You Shilu, the Liaodong Admiral, was the commander-in-chief. After the General Protectorate Army decided to fight, it was his responsibility to decide how to fight."

"The commander-in-chief's deployment of troops should not be disturbed, and the general's guard should also cooperate."

The responsibilities of Sun Chengzong and You Shilu were clearly defined, and the commanding officers were given greater command authority.

The dual-command system in the military is being further refined and improved.

At this point, Yuan Keli no longer cared about upholding the power of civil officials and wholeheartedly agreed. He added:

"General Zhao's death in battle was also partly due to command responsibility."

"Your Majesty, please issue a clear decree forbidding officers from being sent into battle."

Zhu Youjian hesitated for a moment and asked:

"As I have said before, each army must establish a command order, and if the previous commander is killed in action or unable to perform his duties, the next commander shall take over."

"Has Zhao Shuaijiao devised a command order for this battle?"

"Has the officer who should be in charge taken over command?"

Yuan Keli was speechless, because he had no idea about the relevant information.

However, judging from the chaos in the army after Zhao Shuaijiao's death, it was clear that no one stepped forward to take command.

If Tong Hanbang hadn't taken the initiative to leave the camp to provide support and stabilize morale, even more people might have died.

Therefore, he could only say:
"Perhaps a command order was drawn up, but not many people in the military paid attention to it."

"The Guan Ning Army is an old army, and it still retains many old military habits."

"The servants led by each general do not obey orders from others at all."

Zhu Youjian immediately showed anger on his face and said in a hateful voice:

"It is precisely because the old army is incapable of fighting that I have reorganized and trained the new army."

"It's alright if the Guan Ning Army is capable of fighting; I can be lenient with them."

"But now that they've been defeated because of their old military habits, what reason do they have to resist reorganization?"

After angrily denouncing the Guan Ning Army, Zhu Youjian arranged for:
"Have Sun Chengzong organize a debriefing meeting to summarize the lessons learned from this defeat in their entirety and make improvements accordingly."

"Anyone who dares to resist will be immediately dismissed and exiled overseas."

Clearly, he could no longer tolerate the current state of the Guan Ning Army and was eager to reorganize and train them even during wartime.

He wanted the Guan Ning Army to know that their era was over and that they now had to obey the imperial court's command and embrace the new era.
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After receiving Yuan Keli's reply, Sun Chengzong clearly understood the emperor's subtext.

The imperial court will not delve into the responsibility for this defeat, but the Guan Ning Army must take a stand.

After much painful reflection and fearing for his reputation, Sun Chengzong immediately convened a meeting of the front lines.

The meeting not only clarified the responsibilities of the General Protector and the Commander-in-Chief according to the imperial court's orders, but also ordered all armies to carefully summarize their experiences and learn from their mistakes.
"In the Battle of Daning, the Dongping army completely defeated 7,000 Jurchen troops."

"In the Battle of Niuzhuang, the Guan Ning Army, with its nine thousand elite troops, suffered a crushing defeat against the Jurchens."

"Now is the time to make changes. All armies must undergo reorganization and learn from the lessons of the Battle of Niuzhuang."

The system of command order and dual chief officials mentioned by the emperor should be thoroughly implemented.

The servants must also be organized according to regulations, and can no longer be so disorderly, like a private army.

The rule that officers at the battalion level and above are discouraged from charging into battle was reiterated. Even Man Gui, the most formidable general of the Ming Dynasty, was cited as an example, pointing out that he now rarely personally leads the charge.

Further discoveries revealed oversights, such as Zhao Shuaijiao retaining his surname on the flag and privately displaying the character "Zhao." The system of designation flags was reiterated to prevent the enemy from discovering more information from them.

The bloody lessons learned on the battlefield forced the Ming army to improve. Under the pressure of impending battle, the Guan Ning Army had no choice but to make changes.

Upon learning of this, Zhu Youjian was quite satisfied with Sun Chengzong's attitude. He also approved Sun's request to provide compensation to Zhao Lüjiao.

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhao Shuaijiao died fighting for the Ming Dynasty, and he did so by taking the initiative rather than fleeing.

If such a general is not given a proper reward, it will discourage many people. Even if he has shortcomings in ability, he must still be praised.

Following the example of how Emperor Chengzu handled Qiu Fu's death in battle, Zhu Youjian bestowed the hereditary title of commander upon Zhao Shuaijiao's descendants, but stipulated that they be relocated overseas. He also granted them posthumous honors and permitted the establishment of a shrine for their worship.

Zhao Shuaijiao's descendants were deeply grateful and, responding to the emperor's call, voluntarily became hereditary viscounts and went overseas to establish fiefdoms.

Other fallen soldiers also received appropriate compensation. The Guan Ning Army was not discouraged by this defeat; instead, they actively reorganized and prepared for revenge. (End of Chapter)