Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 311: The Greatest Emperor in the History! The Art of War, Defeat the Jurchens!
Since Zhu Yunhuan became emperor, the status of several of his confidants has also risen.

Although the positions of several people have not been adjusted because the coronation ceremony has not been held yet, and their ranks have been downgraded to the ninth rank by Zhu Yunhuan due to the last "beauty pageant" incident, the officials in the court are all respectful to them.

Everyone knows that after the new emperor officially ascends the throne, several people will definitely be promoted and given important positions.

"See Your Majesty!"

As soon as they walked in, the four of them bowed at the same time.

"Come here, everyone." Zhu Yunxun said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After the four of them expressed their gratitude, Fang stood up.

Zhu Yunhuan ordered again: "Come here, please take a seat."

Then a eunuch came over and brought four chairs.

After the four of them thanked him again, they sat down.

"Your Majesty," Yang Rong spoke first, "There are many rumors about Your Majesty among the people right now. Many of them are absurd, slandering Your Majesty and tarnishing Your Majesty's eternal reputation."

"I think it should be strictly prohibited."

Zhu Yunhuan couldn't help but look at Yang Rong deeply.

It was Yang Rong who personally spread these rumors in the capital.

Obviously, in Yang Rong's view today, the effect has been achieved and it is time to step on the brakes.

"Jiang Li also told me about this just now."

"A small number of ignorant people are talking nonsense. They really need to be educated, but not too much."

"When the government arrests someone, they are detained for three days, given a strict lecture to make them realize their mistakes, and then released."

Zhu Yunhuan saw that the four of them all looked surprised.

I know that in their hearts, they all think that such punishment is too light, like a child's play.

Then he continued, "Since the common people like to spread rumors about me, then you should spread more."

"They can spread bad rumors about me, and you can also spread good rumors about me."

"When I was the King of Wu, didn't some deity say, 'When the King of Wu is established, the world will prosper, and the world will be stable from now on; there will be peace for 800 years!'"

"This is a frame-up that Huang Zicheng and others came up with."

"But now is a good time to dig it out and pass it on."

"Ordinary people have heard too much of all kinds of news, good and bad, all kinds of stories."

"Finally, everyone gradually became numb."

"They can't tell the difference between real and fake, and there's no need to tell the difference between real and fake."

"It all depends on whether the court's policies are good and whether life is getting better and better."

“The scale in my heart should be weighed according to its height and weight.”

Ancient emperors usually took popular rumors, especially those that slandered and attacked them, very seriously.

However, Zhu Yunhuan, who had experienced the era of information explosion in later generations, did not agree with this.

Moreover, the best way to deal with rumors is not to refute them, but to emphasize that they do not exist and to arrest those who spread them.

After all, once something is spread privately on a large scale, it is impossible to stop the spread of the news by arresting a few people.

It will only get bigger and bigger.

Just like Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, he could not stop the rumors against him.

Yongzheng unprecedentedly wrote a book called "Records of Awakening to the Great Truth" to defend himself.

As a result, apart from making the obscure struggle for imperial power public for discussion in front of the world and becoming an important research material for later historians, the role of refuting rumors and clarifying things was completely the opposite.

The more you explain, the darker it becomes.

The most effective way for a person to clarify rumors about himself is to create new "rumors".

People’s attention span is limited.

Ordinary people are not experts or scholars.

They will not consult too much information, analyze and judge, and distinguish true from false and right from wrong.

When new rumors appear, their attention is drawn to them.

Soon I forgot what happened in the past.

As more and more "rumors" surround this person, people will gradually feel that many of the rumors surrounding him are boring and unreliable. Who knows which one is true and which one is false?
Even those who have the energy to collect various information will be confused.

In the end, you can only choose to believe some of the rumors based on your own "position".

Other "rumors" were refuted.

This is exactly what Zhu Yunhuan wanted to achieve.

This has confused the common people, and in the end, their criteria for judgment have become a simple and plain "good or bad".

Is he a good emperor? Are our lives getting better and better?
Since he is a good emperor and our lives are getting better and better, all the bad rumors about him are false!

Even if there is irrefutable evidence before my eyes, I still don't believe it.

It must be fake!

Zhu Yunhuan’s purpose of refuting the rumors was truly achieved.

If the people believe that he is a good emperor, they will naturally support him and spontaneously defend themselves against rumors that are unfavorable to him.

Even if Zhu Yunhuan really did something extremely treasonous, so what?

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, killed his brother and imprisoned his father. Isn't he still a wise ruler admired by later generations?
Yang Rong's heart trembled.

Although he had not experienced the era of information explosion in later generations, he was an extremely smart man and instantly understood what Zhu Yunhuan was thinking.

This is not difficult to figure out.

It also shows Zhu Yunhuan's absolute belief in being a capable monarch.

Only because he believed that he could become a capable monarch like Li Shimin, or even far surpass Li Shimin, could he be so confident and ignore the rumors that slandered him.

Your body and name will be destroyed, but the rivers and mountains will flow forever!
As long as he can accomplish great and earth-shaking achievements after becoming emperor, today's stigma will only become a laughing stock in the future!
Yang Rong, Yang Shiqi, Xia Yuanji and others were all shocked.

If Zhu Yunhuan wanted to be a famous emperor throughout history, then these ministers who assisted him would also become wise ministers throughout history.

Isn't this what Confucian scholars seek throughout their lives?

"I understand!" Yang Rong said respectfully.

At this time, Yang Shiqi stood up and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, the plan to attack the three Jurchen tribes has been preliminarily drawn up by the Five Military Commandery and the Ministry of War."

"I have taken a look. Are the troops used too many? Is the cost a bit too high?"

After saying that, he handed over a draft plan for deploying troops.

Although Yang Shiqi was a civil official, as Zhu Yunhuan's regent, at his level there was actually no distinction between civil and military officials.

The general plan for deploying troops is a strategic plan, which will be read and discussed by all court officials.

The specific details of deploying troops are what the generals and commanders who lead the troops have to do.

Zhu Yunhuan took it and looked at it.

This plan was generally made in accordance with his instructions.

A total of eight brigades of new troops were mobilized for this expedition against the three Jurchen tribes, with 3,000 men in each brigade, for a total of 24,000 men.

At the same time, two naval forces totaling 6,000 people were arranged to provide support.

In other words, the total number of troops deployed by the new army alone was as high as 30,000.

Today, it is clear to everyone in the government and the country that the new army's combat effectiveness is far superior to that of the old army.

Before the expedition to the Northern Yuan Dynasty, everyone thought it would be a war that would destroy the country. However, Zhu Yunhuan only sent two brigades of new troops, with a total of 6,000 soldiers and horses, and defeated the Northern Yuan Dynasty in one battle.

The three Jurchen tribes today are still far inferior to the Northern Yuan Dynasty in terms of strength.

Therefore, in the eyes of many court ministers, the Ming Dynasty only needed to deploy two brigades of new troops at most to defeat the Jurchens.

After all, war costs money.

Especially when the new army fights, it seems that they win happily, but the cost is really high!
Artillery fire and pouring bullets are all just a waste of money!

It costs much more for the new army to fight a war than for the old army.

In other words, under the financial means of Zhu Yunhuan, the Ming court now has the ability to raise large amounts of silver and mobilize large amounts of resources to support the war consumption of the new army.

Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty court really could not afford to support several new armies.

too expensive!
In fact, even for the original old army, 30,000 elite cavalry was a very exaggerated number.

Even though the Ming Dynasty court would mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops for battle at any time, in reality, the number of truly elite cavalry might not necessarily be 30,000.

An army of hundreds of thousands of people often includes many poorly trained soldiers and even logistical laborers.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in total.

This has already mobilized the entire Ming Dynasty.

At present, 30,000 new troops have been mobilized to conquer the three Jurchen tribes. In addition to the logistical support personnel and the old troops for coordination, the total number of people has reached more than 100,000.

Because of the problems of artillery fire and bullet consumption, the logistical support of the new army was much more complicated and larger in scale than that of the old army.

The expedition to the Northern Yuan Dynasty avoided this problem by using a large number of chariots. But everything can only happen once.

The terrain of the three Jurchen tribes is completely different from the endless grasslands of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

The tactics that were suitable for dealing with the Northern Yuan Dynasty might not necessarily be suitable for attacking the three Jurchen tribes.

Soldiers have no constant momentum, and water has no constant shape.

When commanding troops in battle, it is necessary to formulate different tactics according to local conditions.

The new army had excessive consumption and complicated support. Therefore, many people in the court believed that the scale of military operations against the three Jurchen tribes should be reduced to reduce the court's military expenditure.

Yang Shiqi also held this view.

Only when you become the head of a household do you realize how expensive firewood, rice, oil and salt are.

Every point you can save is a point.

It is really too expensive to send so many new troops to fight the three Jurchen tribes.

“Can’t cut it!”

Zhu Yunhuan rejected Yang Shiqi's suggestion without hesitation.

"The expedition to the Northern Yuan Dynasty was a gamble in itself."

Zhu Yunhuan explained: "At that time, the Northern Yuan Dynasty had never seen the new army and did not know how to deal with it."

"They were careless and underestimated the enemy the first time they engaged in battle."

"Our army was able to achieve such a great victory in this battle, and the muskets and artillery certainly played a great role."

"But it also has a lot to do with the fact that the Northern Yuan Dynasty was unfamiliar with and did not understand the new army."

"Otherwise, as long as the Northern Yuan Dynasty adopts a tactic of avoiding battle, the New Army's carriages will not be able to catch up with the Northern Yuan army, and they will only be able to sigh helplessly and return empty-handed in the end."

"The expedition to the Northern Yuan Dynasty was able to win the battle by taking the enemy by surprise."

"But this kind of thing can only happen once and never again."

"The three Jurchen tribes border the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

"Our army's brilliant achievements on the grasslands and the news about the new army have long been heard by the three Jurchen tribes."

“Our army can no longer rely on surprise attacks to achieve victory as it did in the past.”

"The three Jurchen tribes will definitely come up with a way to deal with the new army."

"Besides, the terrain of the three Jurchen tribes is complex and cannot be compared with the grasslands."

"When we go on an expedition to the three Jurchen tribes, we must be steady and cautious, step by step."

"That's why I mobilized a large army and attacked the three Jurchen tribes with the force of a mountain."

"What we want is a fair and square plowing of the field."

"No matter what schemes and tricks he has, he will be helpless in the face of the absolute suppression of our army's strength."

Zhu Yunhuan paused and explained, "Warfare is a major issue for a country. It is a matter of life and death, a matter of survival and destruction. We must pay close attention to it."

"Taking risky actions is a helpless move when one is weak."

“Never get complacent with victory.”

"Reducing the size of the military deployment will, on the surface, appear to cost less."

"But if we win the battle, then it will be easy to talk about."

"If we lose the war, not only will all the military expenditures we have invested be wasted, but it will also greatly dampen the morale of our army."

Zhu Yunhuan said with a serious face: "Under the current situation, military reform and disarmament are still in progress."

"The new army is the ballast of the Ming Dynasty and the top priority."

"The new army cannot be defeated, and will never be allowed to be defeated."

"As long as we can ensure that we can achieve complete success in one battle and pacify the three Jurchen tribes in one fell swoop, spending a little more money will not matter."

Yang Shiqi's heart trembled.

He had never really thought deeply about the consequences of the new army's defeat.

After all, since the establishment of the new army, its achievements have been too brilliant and dazzling.

Six thousand new troops swept across the Northern Yuan Dynasty. What a terrifying fighting force!

The Northern Yuan Dynasty was far more powerful than the three Jurchen tribes. If the six thousand new troops could defeat the Northern Yuan Dynasty, they could naturally defeat the three Jurchen tribes as well. This was his idea.

However, he overlooked that war is not a simple comparison of power.

The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing.

One wrong decision could turn the tide of victory or defeat.

The topography, climate, and environment of the three Jurchen tribes were completely different from those of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

We cannot simply copy the experience of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

After all, winning is the most important thing.

It's worth it even if it costs a little more.

If we lose the battle, or if the two sides are in a stalemate and cannot take the city, then we will be in trouble.

All the investment will be wasted, and the morale of the military and the people will suffer a severe blow.

Besides, the current Ming Dynasty is not unable to come up with the money.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. It is my fault that I am too narrow-minded." Yang Shiqi retreated.

Yang Rong stood up and asked, "Who does Your Majesty plan to use as your mentor to pacify the three Jurchen tribes this time?"

Zhu Yunhuan did not say anything, but turned around, took out a map from under the table and slowly spread it out.

Then he pointed at the map and said:

"To attack the three Jurchen tribes this time, we will not only have to mobilize the Ming army, but also the troops from various tribes on the grassland."

"Since they have already surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, it is only natural for them to send troops to help the Ming Dynasty fight."

"Eight new brigades will march towards the three Jurchen tribes from the northwest, southwest, and south."

At this point, Zhu Yunhuan paused, pointed to Japan from the map, and asked, "Are the troops sent to Japan ready to set off?"

The Ming Dynasty wanted to establish a military base in Japan to "protect" Japan. This was something that the two sides had already discussed.

However, the speed of the new army's construction and expansion was far behind Zhu Yunhuan's ambitions.

The newly established armies all have their own tasks.

For a moment, there was no way to mobilize troops to go there, so they had to leave it alone for the time being.

Anyway, Japan has been beaten into being very honest and obedient.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty also sent officials to supervise the Japanese government and "help" the two kings of Japan handle government affairs.

In the short term, there is no need to worry about Japan developing any rebellious intentions.

But this time cannot be delayed too long.

Otherwise, those villains in Japan who fear power but lack morality will inevitably have bad thoughts.

"Everything is ready. Once your Majesty's coronation ceremony is over, the army will be ready to set out."

"We plan to send two new brigades, 6,000 soldiers, to garrison Japan."

"The Japanese have already built ports and fortresses, waiting for our Ming army to move in."

Zhu Yunhuan nodded slightly and said, "When they reach Japan, we can also send a troop of soldiers to cross the sea and help attack the three Jurchen tribes."

Several people were slightly surprised.

Your Majesty, aren't you paying too much attention to the three Jurchen tribes?
The tribes were not particularly powerful, and the place where they lived was also bitter and cold.

Is it necessary to make such a fuss?
Of course, they didn't know what Zhu Yunhuan was thinking at the moment.

The Jurchens... wasn't the later China destroyed in their hands?

If we don't root them out and eliminate them completely now, they will become a serious problem in the future.

What's more, it's easy to defeat the opponent.

However, since the three Jurchen tribes were so backward, establishing effective rule there was the most troublesome thing.

This is also the purpose of mobilizing heavy troops.

But there is no need to tell them clearly at this time!

"As for the commander of this troop." Zhu Yunhuan raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Isn't my great uncle, Duke of Liang Lan Yu, returning to Beiping?"

"He will be in charge this time, with Zhang Fu and Zhu Neng as deputy commanders, and we will lead the army to wipe out the three Jurchen tribes!"

"Tell Lan Yu that this expedition against the three Jurchen tribes is to incorporate the northeastern land into the territory of our Ming Dynasty."

"If anyone from the three tribes is willing to surrender, the Ming Dynasty will naturally warmly welcome them."

"If you are stubborn and resist the Ming Dynasty army, you will not be allowed to stay."

……

(End of this chapter)