Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Whether the path is correct or how the people support it, ultimately these are matters for those in the rear.

Ultimately, the outcome of a war depends on the front lines.

Especially in this era, before industrialization is complete, almost all armies are disposable; once they are all wiped out, they cease to exist.

Before the new army was fully trained, Zhu Youjian needed the Guan Ning Army to continue to hold out. Even if they suffered defeats, they still needed to deplete enough of the Eight Banners' elite troops.

Sun Chengzong presided over the reorganization and training of the Guan Ning Army, which was to implement the command order and assembly meeting as required by the imperial court.

Ensure that all troops are organized in an orderly manner, so that even in defeat, they remain calm and inflict sufficient losses on the Jurchens.

The large-scale decisive battle that had been planned was replaced by small-scale skirmishes.

You Shilu, the Liaodong Commander-in-Chief, said:

"Judging from the Battle of Niuzhuang, our army was good at defense but not good at offense."

"The Guan-Ning Army has not fought a large-scale field battle for many years, and the conditions for a decisive battle with the Jurchens are not yet met."

It is a fact that even he himself did not have the confidence to lead tens of thousands of troops in a decisive battle.

A forced attack might end in defeat, like Zhao Shuaijiao's, due to various unexpected changes.

At this point, Sun Chengzong was no longer thinking about achieving victory in one battle; ensuring that he would not be defeated was his biggest goal.

With such strong support from the emperor and Yuan Keli, for him to risk another attack and suffer defeat would be irresponsible to the emperor and would also betray the expectations of his old friend Yuan Keli.

Therefore, he did not blame You Shilu for his words, but instead humbly inquired:
"General You, what do you suggest we do?"

"You decide how to fight!"

This was a requirement from the imperial court, and the division of labor was very clear.

Although You Shilu was filled with trepidation, he had no choice but to answer without hesitation:

"One of the contingency plans sent by the General Staff was to establish a large camp at the mouth of the Liao River and advance steadily along the river."

"The main force behind this plan is the navy. Does the navy have the capability to implement it?"

Yu Zigao was also a member of the Frontline Committee. Given that Zhao Shuaijiao had been killed in battle and that Bi Zisu and He Kegang remained behind, he was ranked among the top three on the front lines.

Besides Sun Chengzong and You Shilu, even Hou Shilu, the general of Tashan, was half a rank lower than him.

Upon hearing that You Shilu intended to rely primarily on the navy, Yu Zigao immediately beamed with joy and said:
"The navy has long been fully prepared for this battle."

"All navigable waterways have been thoroughly explored."

"The places along the way where forts could be built were also marked."

"The army can easily advance along the river, building fortifications."

Upon hearing this, You Shilu applauded and immediately gave the order:
"Then please send ships to transport the Guan Ning Army battalions over one by one."

“Build a fort every twenty li or so, and use the forts to advance to Niuzhuangyi.”

Yu Zigao took out the map, calculated for a moment, and said:

"It is about 150 li from the mouth of the Liao River to Niuzhuang. There is a fort every 20 li or so. Including Niuzhuang, eight forts need to be built."

“Each fort is garrisoned by 3,000 men, so 24,000 troops are needed.”

"Is the Guan Ning Army not enough? Our navy and the Dong Ning Army can send more people."

Sun Chengzong neither agreed nor disagreed, while You Shilu explicitly refused, saying:

"Being not."

"After removing 10,000 vanguard troops, the Guan Ning Army still has 40,000 men."

"There are also four thousand Eagle Flying Army soldiers sent by the imperial court, and ten thousand soldiers from the Beijing Garrison."

"Mobilizing over 20,000 troops is more than enough; there's no need for additional reinforcements." Clearly, they don't intend to have the navy and Dongning army send troops to compete for merit.

The Guan Ning Army now feels that the defeat at Niuzhuang was a disgrace and wants to avenge it.

If they can only avenge themselves by relying on the navy and the Dongning army, how will they ever be able to hold their heads high again?
Therefore, You Shilu refused without hesitation, believing that with his more than 50,000 soldiers, he could already hold back the main force of the Jurchens.

On the contrary, if there were too many soldiers, he simply wouldn't be able to command them all. By dividing the troops, he is reducing the pressure on him to command.

After Hou Shilu left with 24,000 troops, You Shilu only had 30,000 elite soldiers under his command.

These 30,000 men were the elite of the elite, each one selected from the best, possessing the courage to fight the Jurchens in open battle.

In particular, the 14,000 soldiers sent by the imperial court were all modern troops equipped with the latest firearms.

With them, You Shilu was still confident of a decisive battle against the Jurchens. If the Jurchens dared to come, he was willing to rely on his camps to fight the main force of the Jurchens head-on.
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The strategy was submitted to the Privy Council, and the members of the War Committee discussed it extensively.

This strategy seems extremely prudent, but it's a bit too prudent.

At this rate, when will the Ming army be able to advance to Shenyang and drive the Jurchens out of Liaodong?
Chief of Staff Yang Sichang said:

"After the defeat at Niuzhuang, the generals in Liaodong were a bit too cautious."

"If we advance to Shenyang according to this strategy, we will need to build nearly thirty fortresses."

"Leaving aside the cost of food and money, the number of soldiers needed to garrison the fortress is 70,000."

"The Ming Dynasty cannot mobilize so many troops to garrison the fortresses."

Logistics Minister Min Mengde objected even more strongly, shouting:
"This strategy is utter nonsense. Where would the imperial court get so much money and grain to support them in building fortresses?"

“Sun Chengzong and his men have run out of ideas, all they know is how to build fortresses.”

Other members also had differing opinions, with some agreeing and others disagreeing.

Yuan Keli was willing to trust Sun Chengzong, but the opposition from the heads of the General Staff and the Logistics Department prevented him from making a decision directly.

The only recourse is to appeal to the Emperor for a decision.

Zhu Youjian almost burst out laughing when he saw the strategies of the generals in Liaodong.

Although this strategy was proposed by You Shilu, it clearly reflected the style of Sun Chengzong. Under his leadership, the generals in Liaodong became accustomed to this way of thinking.

In the past, this method would not have been impossible; Zhu Youjian could have gritted his teeth and endured it.

However, when the Jurchens cast the red-coated cannons, he felt the cost was too high.

Zhu Youjian retrieved the message sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard's secret agents and said:
"The Ming Dynasty's firearms are advancing, but the Jurchens are not idle either."

"They found skilled craftsmen among the surrendered people and Koreans in Liaodong to imitate the Red-Clothed Cannon."

"The test launch was completed in January of this year, giving us the capability to breach fortifications."

This news shocked Yuan Keli, who realized things were in trouble.

The fact that the Jurchens might cast cannons in red robes was something the emperor had warned about long ago.

Although some officials did not believe it, the Academy of Military Sciences still made preparations based on this and designed a fortress that could defend against the Red Coat Cannon.

Construction of this type of fortress has begun, and it has been applied to the barbicans of the newly opened city gates in the capital.

Its defense is very strong, but its high price means it will never be widely adopted.

It was impossible for the Ming Dynasty to build twenty or thirty fortresses along the Liao River.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian rejected the plan to build forts along the river and instead asked them to lower their requirements and build more small villages with a thousand garrisons.

This ensures that the Jurchens will find it difficult to breach the city, yet it's not without a chance. (End of Chapter)