The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

People who had no chance to join the army or go to the front lines could only support the court financially.

This time, the imperial court did not levy the three taxes, nor did it find any excuse to increase miscellaneous taxes. From gentry to ordinary people, everyone generously contributed.

Some generous gentry donated over a hundred taels of silver each, while ordinary people donated ten or eight coins to the government. Some landlords and philanthropists, who were originally stingy, also donated a lot for the sake of their reputation.

When the local government offices tallied up the donated silver they had received, they found that it was more than what they had received from the regular collection of taxes.

Newspapers from various regions reported the total amount of silver donated in each region, and some government offices sent telegrams to the capital later than local newspapers.

But after the newspapers were published, the general ledgers of local government offices began to send reports to the capital.

The emperor and his court officials immediately realized the importance of the newspaper.

Xue Shao went even further, writing a memorial praising the newspaper industry across the country and proposing that the court support the development of the newspaper industry, while also proposing that the Ministry of Rites should supervise the newspaper industry.

Yu Qian also recognized the newspaper's role in supervising officials and the people, and supported Xue Shao's suggestion.

However, this matter was only a secondary issue in the current military operation. Both the emperor and the officials kept their findings to themselves, focusing on military matters.

The money raised from all over the country was partly sent to the capital, and partly ordered to be used locally to purchase military supplies such as rations, cotton-padded clothes, cotton quilts, and sugar to be transported to the border.

When Pan Jun brought Miao Zhen out of the grassland, the two sides had already fought three battles. The Ming army was unstoppable, not only defending against the Oirat's first attack, but also counterattacking and driving the Oirat army deeper into the grassland.

This time, Pan Yun did not directly intervene in the war.

She carried the burden of karma, and the side effects of her direct involvement in the war were significant.

She was able to succeed three years ago because the defeat in the war brought about the prayers of the people across the country, which made up for the karmic debt she had incurred from the killings.

People often think that merits and demerits can offset each other, and she used to think so too. But after that incident, she vaguely felt that it was not possible. After breaking through two levels in a row, she finally realized that merits are merits and demerits are demerits, and the two cannot offset each other.
Merit and karmic debts are naturally excluded as well.

The sins she committed cannot be offset by any amount of good deeds she performs; the heavenly lightning will seek justice for those lives one by one.

Yu Qian clearly didn't want her to get too involved.

Her ability to establish an intelligence system and ensure the smooth flow of information across the country and on the battlefield was the greatest support she could provide for the war effort.

If Yu Qian were to interfere further, seize military power from the court, and strengthen his own authority, he would become wary.

The same applies to all officials.

So when they saw that Pan Yun didn't interfere too much, the officials breathed a sigh of relief.

But no one expected that Pan Yun would not appear, yet the army would still enshrine her.

Especially during battles at the front, before setting off, they would pray in the direction of the capital and Sanqing Mountain, hoping that the Imperial Preceptor and the God of Sanqing Mountain would protect them and that they would return victorious and safe.

This was the case for everyone from soldiers to brigade commanders, and generals like Yang Hong did not stop it in order to maintain morale.

Those soldiers who had paid homage to the Imperial Preceptor and the God of Sanqing Mountain were even more courageous, and went to the battlefield brave and fearless.

Sometimes it's just that amazing; fearless charging actually increases the chances of survival.

When the casualty rate was tallied at the front, the soldiers became even more convinced that the Imperial Preceptor and the God of Sanqing Mountain were secretly protecting them, and the belief in them grew even stronger in the army.

At the same time, thanks to the telegraph machines laid out by the imperial court and sent by Pan Yunjia to various places, the whole country was connected by an intelligence network.

With Yu Qian in charge of the central government, he collected intelligence from various regions and made unified arrangements. All the manpower and resources in the country were used to serve the army, while intelligence from the grasslands and borders was also transmitted to the capital. Yu Qian made unified deployments, and the efficiency of troop deployment was more than a hundred times higher than before.

Almost immediately, the border generals would receive the order as soon as he issued it.

Border generals can also receive intelligence transmitted back from the grasslands in the first instance.

Their scouts hid on the grasslands, constantly monitoring the movement of Oirat troops. There was no need for anyone to risk their lives to deliver messages; a single secret report was enough for both the capital and the border to receive the intelligence and make the corresponding troop deployments.

Esen quickly discovered the anomaly.

It seems that the Ming Dynasty can always guess his troop deployment. On several occasions, the army has been lying in ambush on the road, waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Esen initially suspected that there were Ming spies in the army and changed his mind several times, but the Ming were still able to find out their marching route.

Esen was furious. He ordered a purge of spies in his army and sent out a large number of scouts to clear out the population along the way.

Along the way, the army could not find any human habitation within a radius of fifty miles. Of course, to avoid leaks, they would not drive them away, but would simply kill them.

The Ming spies had no choice but to flee for their lives, and could only determine their marching route by clearing out the herdsmen along the way, making intelligence gathering increasingly difficult.

Despite the difficulties, intelligence was still being sent back one after another.

After Emperor Hongwu unified the country and recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, the national pride of the people of the Ming Dynasty, which had been suppressed for many years, arose spontaneously.

Seventy years have passed since the reign of Hongwu, and the Ming Dynasty has always stood at the top of the world. Therefore, the fact that the late emperor was captured and killed during his personal expedition three years ago was regarded as the greatest shame by the people of the Ming Dynasty. Even Deng Maoqi and others who had previously rebelled vowed to avenge this shame.

Oh, this time Deng Maoqi and others have also been transferred to the front line to fight on the front lines.

He rebelled, but he was fighting for the interests of his fellow villagers and resisting exorbitant taxes. He could rebel, but what right did the Oirat barbarian tribe have to cause trouble on the border?
The Ming Dynasty always treated the Oirat Mongols with great courtesy. Every year, so many delegations came, and the court provided them with money and supplies. They were treated even better than the common people of the Ming Dynasty.

It is only natural for them to rebel, but what gives them the right to rebel?

Not only did he rebel, but the court also blamed him for the failure of the late emperor's personal campaign, claiming that he had caused trouble and tied up a large amount of the court's military and financial resources, which was why the war against the Oirat Mongols was lost.

fart!

The late emperor led hundreds of thousands of troops out, but he failed to manage them properly, and instead blamed them. He didn't even blame the court for allowing corrupt officials to run rampant and for imposing heavy taxes that drove them to rebellion...

This time, he was going to show them that when it came to loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, these "traitors" were no less loyal!
As long as the court treats them fairly, they will be loyal and brave.

In terms of their contributions to the country, these people are by no means insignificant.

With this mindset, Deng Maoqi led the incorporated rebel army to fight bravely and made many outstanding contributions. They fought their way up and his military achievements finally matched his official position, and the opposition to him from the court and the public also decreased.

Like Deng Maoqi, Yang Hong was also holding his breath.

At this time, Yang Hong, as the general commander of the eastern counterattack, was also seeking revenge.

Three years ago, in that great battle, his son Yang Jun was cowardly and afraid of death, which led to the defeat of the army and put the late emperor at a disadvantage, damaging the reputation of both father and son.

To atone for his sins and appease the court's anger, Yang Hong had no choice but to send Yang Jun into the Tiger Legion during the Ming Dynasty's counterattack. This was a suicide squad; given Yang Jun's abilities, without special protection, he would have been killed instantly. Yang Hong withdrew his guards, and indeed, Yang Jun died on the battlefield, his death gruesome. Only then did the court and the emperor avoid implicating the Yang family because of Yang Jun. However, Yang Jun received no posthumous compensation, and in the evaluation of everyone's gains and losses, his mistakes were still pointed out.

For the past three years, Yang Hong has lived in a state of depression. He knows that there are many opinions in the court about his continued presence in Xuanfu. It is only because Grand Secretary Yu supports him and the Imperial Preceptor has not objected that he has been able to maintain his position.

If he fails to win this battle, even Grand Secretary Yu will no longer favor him, and the Imperial Advisor...

Yang Hong always felt that the Imperial Advisor both liked and disliked him.

He had a keen intuition that if he were to lose, the Imperial Advisor's favor would vanish, and once it did, the Yang family would be doomed.

Therefore, from the beginning of the war, Yang Hong was on high alert. He knew Grand Secretary Yu's character and the Grand Preceptor's likes and dislikes, so he wanted to achieve victory at the lowest possible cost.

Yang Hong was a steady general, and with all his strength, he advanced steadily on the eastern front, putting pressure on Esen's eastern army. Chen Huai on the western front was even more ruthless; he formed a vanguard cavalry that roamed the grasslands. Meanwhile, Kuang Ye on the central front quietly caught up with the two of them.

The battle raged until the twelfth lunar month, when it was temporarily halted due to the cold weather.

Esen took the opportunity to propose peace talks to the imperial court.

The imperial court did not respond.

Because the cabinet and officials disagreed, a decision could not be made immediately.

The emperor did not want to negotiate, so he said directly, "Negotiations are possible, but only if you send Esen's head."

Cabinet and officials: ...

Would Esen offer his own head in peace talks?
Your Majesty, if you don't want to negotiate, just say so. Why beat around the bush? Aren't we all on your side?
Yu Qian also did not support peace talks, but he was not as tactful as the emperor. He said, "Since it is to avenge our humiliation, we cannot let it go so easily. Otherwise, if word gets out, foreign vassals will only think that our Great Ming is easy to bully. They think that as long as we fight a battle and admit defeat, we can let bygones be bygones. If this continues, the border will be incompatible and it will be detrimental to the people's livelihood."

Yu Qian suggested, "Why not press our advantage and take this opportunity to strike the Oirat Mongols hard, show our national power, and let the world know that our Great Ming is not to be trifled with. Once we start, it won't end just because they say so!"

"Excellent!" The emperor slammed his hand on the dragon throne, his eyes gleaming. "They set the beginning, so the end is up to us!"

"But the weather is freezing cold today, which is not conducive to fighting, and the casualties among the soldiers are enormous! Your Majesty, please think of the soldiers. Since the Oirat are willing to negotiate, why not sit down and talk? Even if it is delayed until the thaw next spring, it would be better."

"Foolish!" Yu Qian shouted. "We suffer from the bitter cold, but the Oirats suffer even more! This battle must be won quickly, and we must subdue them before spring and end the war!"

The military officers in the ranks also scorned the civil official who had just made the suggestion: "Spring plowing will begin after the spring. Dragging the war into spring plowing will only be more detrimental to our Great Ming. Just as Grand Secretary Yu said, we should fight a quick battle now. Your Majesty, this humble general requests permission to lead the army to Outer Mongolia!"

"All you care about are battle merits, not the lives of your soldiers!"

"I am the general!"

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers. You are trying to use the lives of ordinary soldiers to make up for your achievements."

The argument escalated to the point where someone even questioned Yu Qian: "Does Grand Secretary Yu intend to make a name for himself in history while disregarding the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers? Little does he know that a hundred years from now, he will be nailed to the pillar of shame, and all warmongers will meet a terrible end!"

Yu Qian was also quite angry. He was stubborn and not one to tolerate things, so he immediately started arguing: "The Ming Dynasty's border defenses have been neglected. This is a golden opportunity to establish our authority. One battle can ensure peace on the border for twenty years. Why not do it?"

"The peace you speak of requires the bones of hundreds of thousands of soldiers to be piled up, and the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers to achieve your political achievements!"

Pan Yun sat in the Imperial Observatory listening to their argument, and couldn't help but click his tongue and shake his head.

She didn't want to listen, but they were arguing so loudly and their breathing was so mixed that it was affecting her cultivation.

After thinking for a moment, Pan Yun took out a tortoise shell, and with a forceful pull, the shell cracked open as she wished.

She summoned the official in charge of spring and handed him the tortoise shell, saying, "Send it to the main hall and say that it is the will of heaven that I divined for this war."

The Spring Official was overjoyed at first sight and quickly accepted it with both hands, exclaiming, "This is extremely auspicious!"

Pan Yun nodded: "Go ahead."

The official was delighted as he carried the tortoise shell to the main hall.

She believed that fate could be manipulated, because she believed that human effort could overcome fate.

Otherwise, why would cultivators cultivate?
The officials didn't understand tortoise shells, but the Spring Official did. He enthusiastically explained the meaning of each pattern on the tortoise shell to everyone.

This crack represents the opportune moment, which is destiny. If you don't seize the opportunity, it will never come again.

Upon hearing this, all the officials remained silent.

Opposition instantly halved, and the pro-war faction immediately gained the upper hand.

Yu Qian felt relieved and his expression softened as he said, "However, since the Oirats have proposed peace talks, we should give them a chance. As Your Majesty said, let them send Esen's head before we talk."

When the letter reached the Oirat army, Esen was furious and immediately led his troops to continue attacking the Ming army.

The Ming Dynasty, having rested and prepared for the enemy's advance, won five consecutive victories, forcing the Oirat army to retreat and lose half of its territory.

At this very moment, the Oirat, which had suffered defeats for days, finally collapsed and rebelled in the dead of night, directly attacking Esen's tent.

Esen fled with his personal guards, but less than two days later he was reported by the herders on the grasslands, who then ambushed him in an abandoned herder's hut and killed him with a hail of arrows.

The herdsman who reported him was one of those who had been slaughtered during Esen's march but managed to escape. His entire family had died at the hands of Esen's army, so when he saw Esen fleeing, he immediately reported him to the pursuing rebels.

Esen died, and the Oirat army was thrown into chaos.

Yang Hong took the lead in sending out troops, and without stopping, they advanced northward and eastward, while the western route also advanced northwestward.

Kuang Ye felt that the grassland was vast and sparsely populated, which was not conducive to the stationing and management of troops, so he wanted to stop.

But the armies on both the eastern and western fronts showed no sign of stopping, and refused to accept his telegrams; even the capital remained silent…

Kuang Ye was a former official in the capital, and had previously served as the Minister of War. He was very familiar with this kind of operation and knew that the court must be arguing because they couldn't make up their minds.

But while they could argue, the army could not stop.

Because if he stops, the two armies will penetrate deep into the territory and could be surrounded.

For their safety, he had no choice but to continue leading his troops northward.

Kuang Ye was extremely frustrated. This was different from his political views, but his character and sense of morality wouldn't allow him to stop.

He could only lead his troops to keep up with the advances of the eastern and western routes. By the time they realized what was happening, the Oirat army had already been driven into the desert, and the boundless grasslands were left behind. (End of Chapter)