Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

Chapter 97 The Most Elite Cavalry of the Ming Dynasty

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Li Dingguo nodded vigorously: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. The navy's main purpose is harassment. If we encounter an undefended area, I can also land and plunder it."

Li Dingguo was originally a bandit who fought as a guerrilla, so he was naturally very familiar with looting and guerrilla warfare. Moreover, this kind of landing and looting was much easier than the sieges and looting he had done in the southwest. As long as reinforcements came, he could immediately retreat to the sea and escape. No matter how many cavalrymen there were, they could not catch up with him.

If the cavalry do not withdraw, they will simply sail their ships to find another landing point.

"Hongyuan is right. That's exactly what I meant. There's not much point in defending Pi Island to the death. The navy should fight a war of attrition with the Jurchens."

After saying that, Zhu Jian pointed to Jinzhou Guard: "After the military operation, Pi Island and Jinzhou can be attacked at the same time. If they cannot be defended, they can retreat to the sea, mainly to kill and destroy the Tartars' farmland."

The Jurchens already had a shortage of food. As long as they destroyed the military farms on a large scale and launched attacks everywhere to keep the Jurchen cavalry busy, they could regain the initiative in the war.

Zheng Sen nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. When does Your Majesty think war can begin?"

Zheng Sen was a passionate and ambitious young man, with his mind full of thoughts of serving his country and bringing peace to the world.

As Zheng Sen finished speaking, Li Dingguo also looked at Zhu Jian. He also wanted to know the approximate time so as not to be caught off guard. As a surrendered general of the peasant army, if he failed to make a good impression in the first battle, he would definitely face a lot of criticism in the court. Although he felt that the emperor could protect them, he still preferred to speak based on military merit, especially towards those arrogant scholar-official groups, whom he disliked.

"I think the earliest we can expect to see them is around the autumn harvest. By then, the Jurchens will have ample supplies and a strong army, and they will definitely launch a war."

Zhu Jian's idea was to let Huang Taiji make the first move. As long as Huang Taiji besieged Jinzhou, his strategy would be half successful.

Zheng Sen and Li Dingguo nodded in agreement. After thinking for a moment, Li Dingguo asked, "I wonder if Your Majesty could allocate a thousand warhorses to the navy?"

Li Dingguo was skilled in commanding cavalry and wanted to form a thousand cavalrymen as the spearhead after the landing. Although this would allow them to attack Liaodong and capture warhorses, it was not a very safe option, and infantry would still be needed for the first wave of landing operations.

Zhu Jian nodded slightly: "When I return to the capital, I will allocate two thousand warhorses for you, and equip you with weapons and gear according to the standards of the Three Imperial Guards. As for the soldiers, you will recruit and train them yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingguo's eyes lit up. The Emperor's Imperial Guards were elite troops, and with a thousand cavalrymen on these two warhorses, he could venture deep into Liaodong and cause some trouble. However, he did not show it and quickly said, "This humble general thanks Your Majesty for your trust."

Zhu Jian then looked at Zheng Sen and Li Dingguo and instructed them, "If it is impossible, do not force it. Your safety is the most important thing."

"Yes!" the two replied, clasping their hands in a fist salute.

"The navy will add another 10,000 landing troops, under the direct command of Li Dingguo, and 1,000 landing cavalry will also be selected from among them," Zhu Jian said.

Now that there are more warships, there is a greater need for naval forces. It would be a waste to use the navy as a landing force, so the marine corps is now commanded by Li Dingguo.

"As you command!"

Zheng Sen and Li Dingguo were overjoyed. The navy had a total of 30,000 men, all fully staffed and paid, and the warships were fully equipped with firepower, enough for the two of them to show their skills.

Zhu Jian, who was accompanying the emperor, gave the two men a further admonition, rolled up the map of Liaodong, and handed it to them: "I will return to the capital tomorrow, and the affairs of the navy are entrusted to you two!"

"Your Majesty, we will certainly not fail in your trust," Zheng Sen and Li Dingguo said firmly in unison.

The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, Zhu Jian led eight thousand cavalrymen from the Three Imperial Guards out of the naval camp and headed towards the capital.

The journey to the capital is 1,600 li. Zhu Jian wants to see how long it will take while ensuring the army's combat effectiveness. This is a practical test of the cavalry's fastest attack speed to prepare for future battles.

They galloped all the way, changing horses but not riders, and did not rest except when they needed to rest and replenish their food.

Eight days later, Zhu Jian led his army to the outskirts of the capital. When the city walls came into view, Zhu Jian secretly noted that if there was no fighting, they should advance at full speed. The three guards of the Imperial Guard could maintain a speed of 200 li per day, which was the speed of two horses. If they could reach the speed of three horses, they could speed up, carry more supplies, and increase the distance of their raids.

In an open space five miles from the capital, Inspector Zhu called out, "Zhou Yuji, Hu Dawei, inspect the remaining grain and fodder."

After replenishing his supplies at the Dengzhou-Laizhou naval camp, Zhu Jian headed north without any further supplies. Therefore, he needed to determine how much food was required to travel 200 li per day.

Before long, Hu Dawei and Zhou Yuji arrived before Zhu Jian one after the other. Zhou Yuji cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, we are out of food. The food was used up yesterday evening, and the soldiers marched this morning on empty stomachs."

Despite running out of provisions last night and traveling through the night, the soldiers did not complain. It wasn't that there was nowhere to replenish their supplies, but rather that the emperor had intentionally withheld them, seemingly to test the cavalry's ability to launch surprise attacks.

Zhu Jian also knew that these soldiers, who were paid full pay and received high benefits, wouldn't start mutiniing just because they went hungry for a meal, but if they were without food for a long time, things could get very different...

"Seven days?" Zhu Jian muttered to himself, then shook his head: It should be six days round trip. Without supplies and two horses fully loaded with provisions, they can only advance a maximum of seven hundred li before having to turn back, and they cannot engage in prolonged battles along the way.

Hearing Zhu Jian muttering to himself, Hu Dawei came over and whispered, "If His Majesty could carry dried meat, salt blocks, and mare's milk as provisions, he could travel even further."

Hu Dawei was a Mongol who had been by the emperor's side all this time. The emperor had never looked at him or these surrendered Mongol soldiers with their families with any strange eyes. This was completely different from other governors, viceroys, and generals. Hu Dawei felt a sense of belonging and identification with the emperor, so he was more willing to provide the emperor with everything he knew, especially the conditions and logistics for surprise attacks by the Mongol cavalry.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jian's eyes lit up. The rations that Hu Dawei mentioned were high-energy rations, unlike the ordinary grain biscuits supplied at the Dengzhou-Laizhou naval camp. Carrying these would reduce volume and weight and increase the time available for consumption.

"Dawei is right, I understand. You should lead your soldiers back to Xishan to cook and prepare food. Come to Wuying Hall to see me tomorrow."

"As you command!"

After saying this, Hu Dawei led 7,000 soldiers back to the Xishan camp to meet up with Sun Yingyuan, who had returned earlier to deliver the silver. Zhou Yuji then led less than 1,000 Shenwu Guards back to the capital with Zhu Jian.

Among the three Imperial Guards, the Divine Valiant Guard and the Divine Valiant Guard were stationed in the Western Hills, while the Divine Might Guard was stationed near the Temple of Heaven in the outer city of the capital. The Divine Might Guard was a double-paid army, with several dozen of its soldiers receiving triple pay. It was an absolutely elite force, without exception, only smaller in number.

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