I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 299 The biggest variable
Qi Jiguang wore armor with mountain patterns and fish scales, a red robe on the outside, a phoenix-wing iron helmet on his head, and a green-bladed sword on his waist. He walked up to the city wall on the east side of Xinghua City with Xu Wei.

In front of us was a vast grassland that stretched as far as the eye could see, with a few winding rivers flowing, like a few strokes of a fine brush painted on the green carpet.

"Wen Chang, those people in the Surveying and Mapping Bureau are really good at choosing places. The location of Xinghua City is very important." Qi Jiguang sighed and pointed to the northwest. "Look, less than a hundred miles to the northwest is the old site of Kaipingwei. Further northwest is the Gobi Desert.

Xinghua City was built on the hillside of Xiama Mountain, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. It also happened to control the three source rivers of the Luan River. Less than a hundred miles to the east were the source rivers of the Huang River and the Tu River.

If our army builds cities along the Huanghe River and Tuhe River and meets up with Xinghua City here, it will be like a pair of iron pliers, trapping the Liaohe Hetao area.

If the Chahar people want to come in again, they must first ask if our iron pliers can crush them to pieces!"

Xu Wei stroked his beard and looked into the distance.

"Although our plan is an open one, Tumen Khan is no mediocre person and will certainly not fall for it easily. However, he is not a resolute and courageous person, and we have hidden spies around him who will play a role from time to time and disrupt his decision.

I guess he would have hesitated for a long time and dared not act rashly."

Qi Jiguang agreed with Xu Wei's analysis, "Yes. Tumen Khan has Altan Khan to the west and us to the south. Both sides are eyeing him covetously. He doesn't have enough capital. If he loses too badly, it will be difficult for him to turn things around."

"Qi Shuai, you just mentioned Altan Khan. I am a little worried about him."

"What are you worried about?" Qi Jiguang turned around and asked with a serious face and a little nervous.

"Tumen Khan wants to break the impasse, and Altan Khan is the best surrogate. As long as Altan Khan turns against me and the Ming Dynasty and sends troops to attack Datong and Xuanfu, our army will definitely divide its troops to resist, and Tumen Khan will be able to survive."

Qi Jiguang became even more nervous, "Did Tumen Khan send anyone to lobby Altan Khan?"

"yes.

In the past few years, Altan Khan made a lot of money by opening up trade with the Ming Dynasty. With a sizable fortune, he gathered materials, summoned skilled craftsmen, and made surveys everywhere. He chose a good place in the shadow of the Daqing Mountain and on the bank of the Yellow River, saying that he wanted to build a city with eight towers and glazed gold and silver palaces.

It seems that Altan Khan enjoys a comfortable life and has no intention of fighting. But he is an old fox who has been roaming the southern desert for decades, annexing dozens of tribes, and is cunning and treacherous.

When the Ming Dynasty attacked the Chahar tribe, he should understand the principle of "the lips are cold and the teeth are broken."

Qi Jiguang took two steps forward, stepped on the wall, and asked in a deep voice: "So, is it possible that Altan Khan would declare war on our Ming Dynasty?"

"According to the intelligence collected by the Border Investigation Department, Tumen Khan sent envoys to persuade Altan Khan. Thirty percent of his sons, nephews and trusted ministers advised him to join forces with the Chahar tribe and go to war against the Ming Dynasty. Forty percent advised him to maintain the status quo and not to start a war lightly.

Another 30% remain neutral. Students analyzed that Altan Khan was still hesitating and was still evaluating the consequences of going to war with the Ming Dynasty.

Qi Jiguang nodded, "Altan Khan has always hoped that the Ming Dynasty would open up border trade. In the 44th year of Jiajing, he finally traded with the Ming Dynasty after much effort. Once the war breaks out, the border will be closed and may not be opened for 20 to 30 years.

Altan Khan really needs to weigh the consequences of this in his mind."

Xu Wei also took two steps forward, stretched out his hand to support himself and stomped on the wall, "No matter what, Altan Khan is the biggest variable."

"Indeed, has the court responded?"

"The latest court report says that the Military Administration Office sent a letter to the court, transferring the Minister of Rites Fang Fengshi to be the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and the Governor-General of the Gan and Ning military affairs, and transferring the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War Wang Chonggu to be the Governor-General of the military affairs in Datong and Xuanfu, Shanxi."

"It is a good thing to transfer Lord Jianchuan to the three towns of Shanxi!"

As they were talking, the city gate slowly opened and a group of cavalry ran out. Xu Wei looked up and asked, "Are the people from the surveying team going out again?"

"Yes. Recently, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory has produced a theodolite, a great tool for sailing and sea travel. The surveying team also uses it to survey mountains, rivers, and determine longitude and latitude positions, and then plots them on the map in proportion, which is very accurate.

They have already mapped four-fifths of the land, and in three or four months they should be able to complete the mapping of the entire Hetao area. By then, when the war breaks out, it will be clear at a glance.”

"Report!"

Some military students came running up in a hurry.

"what's up?"

"Li Chengliang, the commander of the Right Route, has an urgent report that the Chahar tribe attacked Balin City a few days ago."

Qi Jiguang and Xu Wei hurriedly asked their attendants to bring a map and spread it out on the ground on the city wall. The two of them knelt on one knee and crawled on the ground to look at the map for a long time.

"Balin City is located at the Huanghe River." "Balin, Tongliao, Suidong, Chaoyang, Jianping, the castles we are building in this area have all been harassed by the Chahar tribe. But it's strange that only this castle has not been attacked by the Chahar tribe at all?"

Qi Jiguang slapped his palm on the map, "Chifeng City! The fortress on the upper reaches of Tuhe River is located in the center of the Liaohe Hetao area. It is also a major road connecting Liaoxi, Luanhe, and Huanghe areas.

It seems that the Chahar tribe is planning a major operation, and the target is Chifeng City!"

Xu Wei nodded: "It is possible. Although Tumen Khan will not easily send all the main forces of the Chahar tribe into the Liaohe Hetao area, he will not sit and wait for death. It is still possible to send 10,000 or 20,000 troops as a detachment to destroy one or two of our castles under construction."

Qi Jiguang, wearing armor, stomped against the wall, swayed twice, and finally stood up. He said to the military school: "Pass the order down and gather all the generals for a meeting immediately!"

"Yes!"
-
In the Qinzheng Hall of Xiyuan, Zhu Yijun stood in front of a huge map of the Nine Northern Frontiers, with his hands cupped in his sleeves and resting on his abdomen, his eyes fixed on a black dot on the map.

That is the Khan City that Altan Khan spent a huge amount of money to build, located at the foot of the green mountains.

Zhu Yijun knew that after a few years, this Khan City would be completed. Because the city wall was made of blue bricks and looked blue from a distance, the local Mongolian people gave it a beautiful name, "Kukuhetun", which is transliterated as "Hohhot", meaning "blue city.

The Ming Dynasty would name it Guihua City.

Naturalized city!
Now Altan Khan has become the biggest variable in the situation in the north.

According to the intelligence collected so far, Altan Khan was drinking and having fun with the young and beautiful Sanniang in the royal tent.

The entire Tumed tribe lived in peace and prosperity, enjoying a leisurely and carefree life.

But the more this happened, the more worried Zhu Yijun became.

Altan Khan was a great hero, although he was old and preferred quietness to activity. But how could he sit back and watch the Ming Dynasty destroy the Chahar tribe without doing anything?
Although he has not read the Book of Han, he should understand the simple truth that if one's lips are cold, one's teeth will perish.

The Tumed tribe is now at peace, but who knows whether the cunning Altan Khan will gather strength in secret and seize the opportunity to strike a heavy blow to the Ming Dynasty.

He must be restrained!

Don't give this old guy any time.

Fang Fengshi, who succeeded Gan Ning as Governor-General, summoned him to the Western Garden before leaving the capital to give him instructions in person.

But Qinghai is a bit far away, and distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. Maybe the news from Qinghai could reach the Tumed king's tent, and Altan Khan might have already taken action.

It doesn't help!

We also have to find a way to set off a thunder bomb in his tent in the heart of the Tumed tribe!

"Your Highness, Wang Daokun handed over the sign at Xi'an Gate."

"Send him in."

"Yes."

"Qi Yan, take this map." Zhu Yijun hesitated for a moment and waved his hand, "Forget it, put it here first. I will summon Wang Daokun in the next room!"

"Yes!"

Zhu Yijun went into the next room, lifted up his collar and sat down on the chair at the top, silently thinking about Wang Daokun's resume.

This person is a knowledgeable and talented official. I wonder if he can complete the task assigned to him?

You only regret not having enough talented people when you need them!
This kind of thing was most suitable for Xu Wei and Pan Yinglong, but they were located in the north and south respectively, and served as military advisers and went on expeditions with the army.

I had to find someone else.

After much deliberation, we finally selected three candidates. Unfortunately, the first two had talent but were not decisive and ruthless enough in their actions.

I don’t know if the third candidate, Wang Daokun, can meet my requirements.

"Your Highness, Wang Daokun has sent a message."

(End of this chapter)