Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 549: Rezoning of Jurisdiction
"That's a good strategy!" Xiong Tingbi nodded repeatedly. "But it would be difficult to spare 25,000 men from Shandong, right? Where would the court plan to transfer troops to fill this shortfall?"

Xiong Tingbi currently commanded over ten thousand reinforcements from Shandong. Most of these troops arrived in November of the 47th year of the Wanli reign, when Liao territory was devastated, prompting Xiong Tingbi to repeatedly send letters to the Ministry of War. Arriving early and on time, these Shandong troops were immediately dispatched by Xiong Tingbi to the frontline garrisons of Shenyang, Fengji, and Hupi. To this day, they have seen little movement, and continue to live a tedious life in the three garrisons, collecting food and wages while awaiting enemy attacks.

After these 10,000 soldiers were withdrawn, the already imperfect local defense system was immediately riddled with holes. To fill these holes, the governor of Shandong had to urgently draw strong troops from the garrisons across the country to replenish them.

"Only 10,000 standard-bearers and sailors from Shandong were transferred to the camp. The remaining 15,000 people are composed of soldiers from the Beijing camp and soldiers stranded in Tongzhou who are sent to aid southern Liaoning." Yuan Keli said.

"Hmm." Xiong Tingbi thought for a moment and was about to continue speaking when Governor Yuan Yingtai interrupted, "Did Li Qing just say that the court is planning to withdraw troops stranded in Tongzhou to aid southern Liaoning?"

"Yes." Yuan Keli turned his head and looked at Yuan Keli.

"Which province does this group of soldiers come from? Who is the general in charge of the troops? How many people are there exactly?" Yuan Yingtai asked three questions in a row.

"This team of soldiers is newly recruited from Zhejiang and Fujian, and has just been organized. The guerrilla commander in the camp is Huang Diaohuan. I heard from Sima Cui that the Ministry of War originally planned to send this team of southern soldiers to the troops under Chen Ce and Qi Jin." Yuan Keli thought about it.

"So it's that drill team," Yuan Yingtai nodded. "Okay, I get it. I'll go cross out this reinforcement later."

"Has the list been compiled in Liaodong?" Yuan Keli asked.

"It can't really be considered a roster," Yuan Yingtai explained. "Whenever reinforcements arrive, the Ministry of War will, as a rule, send a note to the Governor's Office in advance to notify them. After receiving the note, the Governor's Office will also make a note. But it's just a note. After all, the people haven't arrived yet, so there's no roster to be made. Haha," Yuan Yingtai smiled softly, "There's no need to make one now."

"I see." Yuan Keli also smiled.

"From the capital to Dengzhou, even at a forced march, it would take half a month. Once we arrive, the soldiers will need to rest and prepare. Li Qing, you just said the march was on the first of May." Xiong Tingbi pondered for a moment and asked, "By the time you set out, the troops from the capital camp had already departed, right?"

"Before I left Beijing, the Beijing troops had already finished their preparations and began their march towards Shandong," Yuan Keli also calculated. "Calculating the date, they should be almost in Dengzhou by now. Even if they haven't arrived yet, they will definitely be there by the middle of the month."

On the day Fang Congzhe explained his military strategy to the emperor, the administrative machinery of the capital began to operate with astonishing efficiency.

The cabinet drafted the decree, the emperor approved, and the inner court sealed it. Immediately afterwards, the Ministry of War mobilized troops, selected generals, and issued dispatch orders. The Ministry of Works and the Armory opened their warehouses to allocate military equipment and supplies, while the Imperial Horse Administration and the Imperial Household Department mobilized donkeys, mules, and packhorses to haul the military equipment and supplies, including the "General Cannon." Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Affairs dispatched troops to convey notices to prefectures and counties along the way to meet the transiting troops. The next day, the troops stationed in Tongzhou to aid southern Liaoning departed. On the third day, the troops stationed in the capital, transferred out of the capital under the pretext of preparing for the Japanese invasion, also left their base and headed for Shandong.

"Haha, they're really swift and decisive," Xiong Tingbi couldn't help but mutter to himself. There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. Two years ago, when he needed troops, the court hadn't been this efficient. The Ministry of War was dragging its feet on troops, the Ministry of Revenue was dragging its feet on grain, and it was practically driving people crazy.

"What did Brother Feibai say?" Yuan Keli didn't hear clearly.

"What I want to ask is, since your position as Zhenjiang's military commander was a fake, what will happen to Zhenjiang after you leave for Korea?" Xiong Tingbi stopped complaining in the blink of an eye. "Will it still be managed by the Liaohai Dongning Circuit?"

Yuan Keli recalled as he spoke, "The court's intention is to simply separate Zhenjiang from Liaozhen. Before the Korean guardians are withdrawn, Zhenjiang, Xuancheng, and other places will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the Liaodong Jinglüe, but will instead be under the Korean guardianship. At that time, Xuancheng, Zhenjiang, Yizhou, and the surrounding areas will be combined into a single circuit, known as the Dongjiang Military Preparation Circuit. This circuit will have a dedicated officer to guard against slaves and bandits, and will also oversee military farms and horse administration. In addition, the Dongjiang Circuit will have a deputy commander stationed in Zhenjiang."

This plan was an improved plan proposed by the chief minister Fang Congzhe and the second minister Ye Xianggao based on the emperor's basic idea of ​​"separating Zhenjiang and appointing a deputy general to garrison it."

Fang Congzhe and Ye Xianggao both believed that since the emperor had decided to send an official to Korea to oversee its affairs, Korea should not have a single Ming Dynasty official, the Korean guardian, in its territory. Even if Korea was a small nation, it was still a vast territory, and a single imperial envoy could not manage it all. At the very least, several provincial officials would be needed to assist in the oversight.

Fang Congzhe and Ye Xianggao have not yet decided how many provincial governors to appoint, but the one who will guard the Dongjiang military preparations is a must.

"This is indeed a good idea. It can avoid issuing orders to too many people. It's just a bit far away," said Xiong Tingbi.

"Indeed." Yuan Keli nodded. He had actually begun considering moving the garrison and the Crown Prince from the capital to Pyongyang once the situation stabilized. Hanyang was simply too far south to be a good place to support Liaodong. From Zhenjiang to Liaoyang was only a little over 300 li, while from Zhenjiang to Hanyang it was at least 800 li, a distance almost equivalent to walking from Shanhaiguan to Liaoyang. Even sending an express courier overnight would take three days.

"Since you're going to Wangjing to take charge, you definitely can't take on the responsibility of guarding the Dongjiang military preparations," Xiong Tingbi said, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Who is the court going to send to take over this assignment?"

"No one will be sent," Yuan Keli shook his head and said, "The emperor means that Gao Bangzuo, the current deputy governor of Liaohai Dongning Road, will be transferred to the post of deputy governor of Dongjiang Bingbei Road." The so-called transfer of the original official means that only the scope of management will be changed, while retaining the official title of Shandong Provincial Governor and Councillor.

"As expected." At this point, Xiong Tingbi could hardly have anticipated such an appointment. He even speculated that the emperor had probably already been conceiving of the national policy of supervising Korea and this appointment before sending Gao Bangzuo to Liaodong to fill the vacancy.

"Brother Feibai, is Gao Yidao in Liaoyang now?" Yuan Keli asked, "I want to see him."

"He's not in Liaoyang," Xiong Tingbi explained. "He separated from me about seven or eight days ago and went to Zhenjiang alone to oversee its defense."

"Seven or eight days ago? Wasn't that when the enemy withdrew? It's so urgent, is there an emergency in Zhenjiang?" Yuan Keli's expression became more solemn.

"Nothing's out of the blue yet. Old Wild Boar Skin has always been very cautious, and this time too. He didn't send anyone southward. Whether it was the main force attacking Shenyang or the smaller forces suppressing Fengji and Hupi, they all headed north through Fushunkou."

"Furthermore, the journey from Fushun to Zhenjiang is 600 miles of winding mountain roads. We've deployed numerous Night Guards along this route to scout out the enemy. If his army moves, our Night Guards will surely arrive before his troops." Xiong Tingbi twirled his fingers, making a calculating motion. "But the so-called art of war is about anticipating the enemy's moves and acting before them. Since I knew that Old Wild Boar Skin would one day attack Korea, why did I wait until he did before hastily sending Gao Yidao off?" "Fei Bai is absolutely right," Yuan Keli asked, "but what is this Old Wild Boar Skin? Is it a derogatory term for a slave chief?"

"Haha, a derogatory term?" Xiong Tingbi laughed. "It's kind of, and not really. In the barbarian language spoken by the Jurchens, 'Nurha' means wild boar. And 'Nurhaci' probably means someone as brave and strong as a wild boar. Li Qing, do you know where I heard this barbarian word's meaning?"

"Of course I don't know," Yuan Keli's eyes moved, and he shook his head and said, "Brother Feibai, who did you hear that from?"

Xiong Tingbi was really showing off. "I heard it from this old wild boar skin himself."

"Brother Feibai, have you met the chief?" Yuan Keli asked.

"I met him once." Xiong Tingbi nodded. "In the 36th year of the Wanli reign, I was ordered by the temple to inspect Liaodong. After taking office, the first major task I undertook was to investigate the case of the lost land in the expansion of Liubao, Kuandian. During the investigation, my team ran into the troops under the command of Old Wild Boar Skin. Haha."

Xiong Tingbi shrugged and smiled, then casually picked up the teacup and took a sip of the slightly cold tea. "To put it nicely, it was an encounter, but in reality, it was stalking. That wild boar, still in its prime at the time, had been following me from a distance with its men since I left Fushun Pass and entered Kuandian."

"He hid well, and my guards didn't discover his tracks until he was near Yagu Pass. Seeing his deeds exposed, the old wild boar skin came to me with his son and son-in-law, bringing with him fine mink furs, horses, and wine and meat. He said he wanted to make friends with me and wanted to treat me to dinner and wine. Although I refused his gifts, I accepted his hospitality. That's how I met him."

"What kind of person is Nurhaci?" Yuan Keli became interested.

"He was a little shorter than me, and when he smiled, he looked quite honest. His face was heavily wrinkled, and his skin was very dark, like the skin of a smoked pig. He had shaved his lower lip, leaving only a long mustache on his upper lip. His hairstyle was the typical Jurchen rattail." Xiong Tingbi's eyes were filled with reminiscence. "But he was very strong, and his archery was very accurate. He heard I was good at it, so he insisted on taking me out for archery fun. It was said to be fun, but it was actually a competition and a drinking game."

"Did Brother Feibai win?" Yuan Keli asked.

"I won, a small victory." Xiong Tingbi's expression became complicated.

"As expected," Yuan Keli was about to compliment him but was interrupted by Xiong Tingbi.

"He let me win, I'm sure of that," Xiong Tingbi said. "He's been fighting wars for most of his life, so his archery skills must be better than mine, who only enjoys archery after studying. I guess Wild Boar Skin wanted to intimidate me at first. The look in his eyes when he drew his bow was eagle-like and wolf-like. But when he saw that I was still quite capable and not a pushover, he turned to currying favor with me."

"At that time, I thought that this bandit would be a great threat to Liaodong. We should select elite soldiers and generals to eliminate him as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Wang Mang was humble at that time, and I was of low status and my words were not taken seriously. There were so many things involved in the court and the country. Few people listened to me." After speaking, Xiong Tingbi put down his teacup and couldn't help sighing.

"Alas." Yuan Keli sighed, his eyes dimming. "A wise man doesn't treat an illness that has already occurred, but rather treats a potential illness. He doesn't treat a disorder that has already occurred, but rather treats a potential disorder."

"As long as it's curable, it's fine. It's just a matter of using more medicine." Xiong Tingbi changed the subject. "What happens next? After we take control of North Korea, what do you plan to do, Li Qing?"

"Actually, I want to ask Brother Feibai what you are going to do next." Yuan Keli continued.

"Me?" Xiong Tingbi pointed at himself.

"The ultimate goal of supervising Korea is to protect Liaodong. The main purpose of my making such a big trip is to see the current situation in Liaodong and listen to the strategy of advancing into Liaodong." Yuan Keli said.

Xiong Tingbi looked Yuan Keli in the eye and said, "Then I have to pour a bucket of cold water on you first."

"Please pour it." Yuan Keli did not avoid looking at him.

Xiong Tingbi smiled softly and threw out a question: "Li Qing and Captain Lu should have heard the news of victory in Shenyang on their way to Liaoyang?"

"We beheaded 327 people. Over 4,000 enemies were killed. Countless supplies and engineering equipment were seized." Yuan Keli nodded. "This is the first major victory since the Liao Dynasty's fall."

"This is truly an inspiring victory," Xiong Tingbi said, his face lacking much joy. "But we've yet to inflict any damage on the enemy. Given the current overall situation, and the dynamics between us and the enemy, it's premature to even talk about recovering lost territory, or even attacking their base. Another reckless advance, a crushing defeat, and this newly stabilized situation will crumble. Therefore, for at least this entire year, Liao will generally remain on the defensive, attempting only advances in select areas until the opportunity arises."

Xiong Tingbi paused, then said solemnly, "Now that we've come to this, I'll make it clear. I hope you and I, the Minister of Finance, can at least reach a consensus on whether to defend the overall situation."

"I understand." Yuan Keli nodded solemnly, "When the Emperor left, he also told me to be cautious and not to be greedy for success or advance rashly."

Xiong Tingbi smiled knowingly. "Your Majesty is so wise, and if you, Li Qing, can understand this, then the enemy will be destroyed. Now, let me tell you my strategy. If you have any thoughts, please interrupt me."

"Please speak." Yuan Keli supported himself on the armrest of the chair and straightened his sitting posture.

(End of this chapter)