Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 476 The Northern Expedition Plan

Lu Jin stared at the sand table and map for a long time without saying a word. Anyone who knew him well could tell that Lu Jin was interested in Bao Yu's idea.

Therefore, Feng Guoyong immediately reminded him.

"Your Highness, if you really intend to encircle the Yuan Emperor from both sides and keep him inside the pass, there are a few things you must pay attention to."

"You said."

Feng Guoyong immediately said, “First, we must pay attention to the Yuan court’s system of visiting the two capitals. Although the Yuan dynasty has entered the Central Plains, it still retains the nomadic customs of the barbarians of the grasslands. Every year, they migrate back and forth between Shangdu and Dadu. Usually, they go to Shangdu in February or March and return to Dadu in August or September.”

"Therefore, if you want to keep Emperor Yuan inside the pass during the Northern Expedition, it is best to send troops after October or even after November, so as not to come up empty-handed."

"In addition, it would be best to have the General Staff Intelligence Bureau strengthen its intelligence gathering on Dadu, so that if the Emperor Yuan is not in Dadu and the fish are not in the pond, then no matter how wide our net is cast, we will not be able to catch any fish."

Lu Jin nodded, then gestured for Bao Yu to introduce the situation from the intelligence bureau.

Bao Yu immediately explained, "Regarding the Yuan Dynasty's tours of the two capitals, according to the intelligence bureau, the last time the Yuan Emperor toured Shangdu was in the twelfth year of the Zhizheng era. This year is the thirteenth year, and the Yuan Emperor has not toured Shangdu since."

"According to intelligence analysis, the General Staff believes that after we crossed the river in the autumn and winter of the twelfth year, we cut off the grain supply to Dadu. The Yuan court's central government was short of food, which is why this year's northern tour was canceled. There are even rumors that the elephants that the Yuan emperor used to ride on his northern tours all starved to death this year."
"However, based solely on this year's situation, it is impossible to determine whether the Yuan court has completely cancelled the northern tours, or whether this year's events were merely accidental."

"Therefore, I agree with Prime Minister Feng's judgment. It would be best for us to launch a northern expedition in the autumn or winter. Even if he resumes his northern tour next year, we can wait for him to return. Let's take the latest possible time. Assuming he sets off to return to Dadu in September, he will definitely arrive before November at the latest. We can then launch an expedition around December."

“For example, if he arrives in Dadu in November, we have spies in Dadu who will send messages to Shandong by boat. As long as we confirm his return, we can immediately send troops.”

Lu Jin frowned upon hearing this and asked in return, "What if Little Iron Pot still doesn't make a northern tour next year?"

Bao Yu said again, "Then let's wait until February or March next year to see how things go and whether he will make a northern tour. If he still doesn't make a northern tour in February or March, I still don't recommend sending troops in the first half of the year, because Emperor Yuan's northern tour is to escape the summer heat. On the contrary, the northern border is bitterly cold in winter, so he will have to return to Dadu to spend the winter."

"Therefore, even if he does not make a northern tour in February or March, as long as it is not September, he may still go to Shangdu at any time. As for after September, the possibility is extremely small, because it will be cold in the north by then. By the time he gets there, it will probably be snowing, so what's the point of going?"
"So we have to wait until at least September. If he hasn't set off by September, then he doesn't intend to make a northern tour. We can then send troops then."

Everyone present nodded in agreement with Bao Yu's assessment. Lu Jin also nodded and said, "Then let's prepare to send troops in September. If he makes a northern tour next year, then let's wait until the end of October to send troops. Is there anything else Mr. Feng mentioned that we should pay attention to?"

Feng Guoyong immediately added, "Secondly, the climates in the north and south are different. Previously, our army mainly fought in the south, and the northernmost point we reached was only Shandong. If we are to launch a large-scale military operation in the north next year, we must prepare winter clothing for our soldiers in advance."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately looked at Li Shanchang, who promptly said, "This is not a problem. All the cotton-producing areas in China are now within Your Highness's territory. As long as Your Highness decides on the style of the military uniforms, we can start making them this winter. We have a full year to make the winter clothes, so it will definitely be in time."

So Feng Guoyong nodded and continued, "If there's no problem with the winter clothing, then all that's left is the timing and location for sending troops."

"Assuming that four armies launch a joint northern expedition, I think one army should be dedicated to attacking Shaanxi, and then one army should be used for each of Shanxi, Liaodong, and Hebei. However, the order of deployment should be carefully considered. It would be best to attack Shanxi first, or at least wait until Taiyuan is captured before sending troops to Liaodong, so as not to arouse the Yuan court's suspicion."

"Furthermore, regarding the landing site in Liaodong, I do not recommend choosing the Liaodong Peninsula as the landing location."

Lu Jin frowned and asked, "Why?"

"Because the primary task of the Liaodong Corps is to block the Lulong Road and Pinggang Road to the west, rather than to pacify Liaodong first. Assuming they land at Jinfuzhou (Lushun) at the tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, even without considering the enemies on the peninsula, just marching all the way from the peninsula to the Daning and Songzhou (Chifeng) line would be at least a thousand li. Even if they traveled fifty li a day, it would still take twenty days. In that time, Emperor Yuan might have already fled."

"Therefore, I suggest that the Liaodong Corps go directly through the interior of Liaodong Bay and land at Jinzhou. Landing here is closer to Daning and Songzhou (Chifeng), only 500 li away. Cavalry can reach them in just a few days, and infantry can march continuously for only ten days, which can blockade the northern foothills of Yanshan more quickly."

"Moreover, Jinzhou is the mouth of the Xiaoling River, and our army can also use the Xiaoling River to transport grain and fodder a certain distance inland by waterway."

"Furthermore, taking Jinzhou first will allow us to establish a stable base in Liaodong, stockpile grain and fodder in the city, and give our army a firm foothold," Feng Guoyong said, pointing to the sand table.

Lu Jin nodded in agreement, approving of his plan. "Landing in Jinzhou is indeed closer to Songzhou, but we are not familiar with the situation in Jinzhou. It is also too close to Liaoyang, the capital of Liaodong. If we land in Jinzhou rashly, we will easily be countered by the Yuan army in Liaoyang. Therefore, we need to make preparations in advance."

"Furthermore, landing in Jinzhou would require a longer sea route, and we need to investigate the safety of this route in advance."

After Lu Jin finished speaking, he looked at Bao Yu and said, "Have the intelligence bureau set sail from Dengzhou, Shandong, under the guise of merchants, to scout out Jinzhou first, and set up spies in Jinzhou. Before the main army sets out, be sure to find out a few things."

"First, how many troops are stationed in Jinzhou? Second, how is Jinzhou's defense? Third, is the sea route from Dengzhou to Jinzhou safe, and how many days does it take to travel there and back? Fourth, how many Yuan troops are in Liaoyang? We must find out these things before June next year so that we can formulate a more precise landing plan."

Bao Yu quickly agreed, "Yes, I will make arrangements immediately after the meeting. We will take action this winter and go there under the pretext of buying horses."

Seeing that Lu Jin had agreed to the plan to land at Jinzhou, Feng Guoyong then said, "There are three important time points in the overall troop deployment plan."

"First, Shanxi will take action. After Shanxi captures Taiyuan, Liaodong will land at Jinzhou."
"Second, after the Shanxi side captures Yanmen Pass and enters Datong, the Liaodong Army will simultaneously advance to Daning Road."

"Third, once the Shanxi Army enters Datong and the Liaodong Army captures Songzhou, the encirclement will be completed, and the Shandong Army will then begin its northern expedition to Dadu."

"In this way, as long as the three armies coordinate well, Emperor Yuan will have no chance of escaping!"

Lu Jin nodded in agreement, then said, "Let's begin preparations according to this plan. Now that we've newly conquered the grain-producing areas of Huguang and Poyang Lake, our grain supply should be more than sufficient. As for winter clothing, we have a year to prepare that too. However, before the Northern Expedition, we must first pacify the Central Plains. Don't forget, Liu Futong and Li Chahan are still waiting for us there. We must eliminate them by next spring at the latest."

At this moment, Xia Yu, who had been silent, immediately stood up and said, "Your Highness, before the Central Plains campaign begins, I suggest that an army group be transferred from Huguang to Luzhou. Currently, there are still loopholes in the encirclement of the Central Plains. We have enough troops in the north, but the defense line surrounding Liu Futong is not tight enough."

"If they fight to the death, it will be easy for them to break out from the direction of Luzhou. Even if they cannot directly attack Jiankang, as long as they escape from the encirclement, there will inevitably be another massacre."

Lu Jin nodded upon hearing this. Xia Yu's words had reminded him, so he thought for a moment before speaking.

"Then we will move Liao Yong'an's Third Army Group north to Luzhou, and Miao Daheng's Fourth Army Group will remain in Yiling (Yichang) to prepare for an attack on Sichuan and Chongqing."

"Liao Yongjian's 10th Army Group will continue to clear out the remaining areas of Huguang, and the battle must be completed by February next year; Chang Yuchun's 9th Army Group will leave one division to garrison Changsha, one division to garrison Wuchang, one division to garrison Nanchang, and one division to garrison Jiujiang, and will be responsible for assisting local civil officials in implementing the tiered tax system, and killing any who dare to misbehave."

"Before the Northern Expedition next year, Chang Yuchun's Ninth Army Group will be transferred north to participate in the war, and Liao Yongjian's Tenth Army Group will be responsible for attacking Guangzhou."

"Also, switch the two armies of the Fifth Army. Chang Yuchun and Wang Zhiyuan will go together, and Deng Shunxing and Liao Yongjian will go together. Let Deng Shunxing and Liao Yongjian go to fight in Hunan, and let Chang Yuchun and Wang Zhiyuan prepare to participate in the Northern Expedition."

Everyone was stunned when they heard Lu Jin's arrangement. Feng Guoyong said that one army group would be enough in the south, and two army groups would be used, one to fight in Sichuan and the other in Guangdong. They could also transfer another army group to participate in the Northern Expedition. They thought that Lu Jin would directly transfer an entire army group. Unexpectedly, Lu Jin transferred half of each of the First and Fifth Army Groups. What kind of operation was this?
Zhan Ding and Ning Anqing might not understand yet, but Feng Guoyong, Bao Yu, and Li Shanchang immediately understood Lu Jin's intention: Lu Jin was deliberately giving credit to Liao Yong'an and Chang Yuchun.

This issue is actually quite easy to understand. Personnel matters are politics, and the same goes for troop deployment. Choosing or not choosing someone has huge political implications.

Lu Jin started his business with the Chaohu Navy, and the Liao and Yu families were the two major shareholders of the Chaohu Navy. Now that the company is about to launch its Northern Expedition and go public, wouldn't it be ridiculous if Lu Jin didn't invite them to join the Northern Expedition?
They didn't participate in the most important Northern Expedition. How should they be rewarded when their contributions are recognized after the war? If the titles of the Liao and Yu families are not as high as those of Zhu Liangzu and Yang Jing, who joined later, how do you expect these two shareholders to feel?
Therefore, Liao Yong'an had to participate in the Northern Expedition, and he also had to share in the credit for the Northern Expedition.

As for Yu Tingyu, Lu Jin planned to send his Fourth Army to attack Shaanxi, which was also part of the Northern Expedition, but not in the direction of Dadu. However, his eldest son, Yu Tonghai, was the commander-in-chief of the Second Army Group and would participate in the Liaodong Campaign with Yang Jing, which was also an important part of the Northern Expedition.

This was also the promise Lu Jin made to Yu Tingyu: the Yu family would definitely have a place in the merits of the Northern Expedition.

Similarly, among the three Liao brothers, the eldest, Liao Yongjian, was sent by Lu Jin to fight in Guangdong, but the second brother, Liao Yong'an, was one of the commanders of the three armies of the Northern Expedition, and the third brother, Liao Yongzhong, was also the deputy commander of the Second Army. They would also participate in the Northern Expedition. In this way, after the war, both the Liao and Yu families could share the credit for the Northern Expedition.

Feng Guoyong understood Lu Jin's intention almost immediately, and said, "Yes, I will draft a military order immediately after the meeting to order the Third Army Group to move north."

Having determined the order of deployment for the Northern Expedition, Lu Jin then looked at everyone and asked, "Does anyone else have anything to say?"

The crowd looked at each other, and finally Li Shanchang stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I have two things to say."

"Please speak, Mr. Hyakushi."

Li Shanchang immediately said, "Firstly, the Provincial Administration Commission of Huguang. There was no plan to attack Changsha before this battle, but it has been captured. Moreover, Your Highness intended to divide Huguang into four or five provinces. As things stand, at least two new Provincial Administration Commissions need to be established in Hubei and Hunan. Therefore, we are still short of two Provincial Administration Commissioners. Please decide on the candidates for these two Provincial Administration Commissioners."

The provinces of the Yuan Dynasty were very large. Take Huguang Province for example, which included the area of ​​Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Guizhou, a total of five provinces. Now that they were to be separated, corresponding official positions should naturally be established.

Lu Jin thought for a moment and realized there weren't any suitable candidates. Currently, his territory included Anhui Province, where the Provincial Governor was Yan Shiguo; Jiangsu Province, where the Provincial Governor was Qin Li; Zhejiang Province, where the Provincial Governor was Bao Heng; Jiangxi Province, where the Provincial Governor was Qin Conglong; Shandong Province, where the Provincial Governor was Wang Guangyang; and Henan Province, where the Provincial Governor was Tao An.

Now that two new provinces, Hunan and Hubei, are to be established, the best candidates are naturally to be dispatched from the central government. Only these high-ranking officials in the central government truly understand what these newly annexed territories should be doing. As for the other local civil officials who have passed the imperial examinations, their tenure is too short. Being promoted to prefect is already an outstanding promotion. To be promoted directly to provincial governor in less than two years seems a bit excessive.

However, there don't seem to be any suitable candidates for sending people out from the central government.

Lu Jin looked at everyone present and suddenly called out, "Zhan Ding, how about you take on the role of Provincial Governor of Huguang for a while?"

Zhan Ding was taken aback when he heard this, not expecting Lu Jin to choose him. He did not refuse, but asked, "Didn't Your Highness intend to split Huguang into two provinces, Hunan and Hubei?"

Lu Jin immediately said, "Huguang is newly annexed, and people's hearts are not yet settled. Besides, the central government is short of people right now. Let's not separate them for the time being. Putting them all together will also be beneficial to tax system reform. You go and serve one term to stabilize the local area. It's not too late to separate them in the next term."

Zhan Ding immediately cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Highness, thank you for your trust. I will certainly live up to your expectations and stabilize the hearts of the people in Huguang as soon as possible."

"Okay, let's pack up and get ready to go after the meeting. Everyone else should go about their own business."

"Yes." Everyone immediately stood up and responded.

Following this military and political conference, in mid-November of that year, Lu Jin's order to mobilize troops was sent to Huguang. Miao Daheng learned that he could not participate in the Northern Expedition, but would instead lead an army to conquer Sichuan alone. This arrangement was somewhat unexpected for him, but it was also for the best. He was not Lu Jin's core subordinate, so he could not expect to gain such a great achievement as the Northern Expedition. However, the merit of conquering Sichuan alone was not small, and he was quite satisfied.

Liao Yong'an was absolutely obedient to Lu Jin. Upon receiving the order, he immediately assembled a large army and returned to Luzhou by naval vessels.

Chang Yuchun also began to arrange the garrisons in various places. He was relieved to learn that Lu Jin wanted him to participate in the Northern Expedition.

Just as various armies were heading to new battlefields, in mid-November, the Yuanwang exploration ship carrying Wang Dayuan and Chen Youliang also arrived at their destination, Java, and had already returned to Palembang from Java.

(End of this chapter)