Chapter 554: Offense and defense change! I've offended someone!
On the eastern foot of the Yin Mountains, on the ancient Baidao Road that has existed for thousands of years in the Daqing Mountains.

Ahead of the ancient road is the Mo Nan grassland.

Wang Chonggu, the governor-general of the four towns, rode on horseback and pointed at a platform on the side of the road.

Yan Shaoting smiled slightly, said nothing more, and followed Wang Chonggu to the side of the road.

"Since Governor Wang came here with his army today, he has been hesitant to speak several times. I wonder if he has any suggestions. Please enlighten me."

When they reached the roadside, Yan Shaoting looked at Wang Chonggu with a smile, then dismounted and walked to the edge of the platform with whip in hand.

Below is the Dong River, which flows across the Daqing Mountains with increasingly rapid water flow as the season changes.

If he kept driving forward, he would be able to step onto the grassland in just a few miles.

Wang Chonggu also got off the horse, put the whip under the saddle, walked to Yan Shaoting with a smile, bowed and bowed slightly.

"The general is very kind."

"This time the imperial court is deploying troops and formulating national policies. The great general has accomplished a century of achievements. Although I am in charge of the four towns, I am the deputy general of this expedition. The general is above me, and I am below him. I dare not call myself the governor in front of the general."

This is being too cautious.

Yan Shaoting narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Wang Chonggu: "Governor Wang is a wonderful person. This time, I sent troops to fight, and appointed Governor Wang as my deputy, all because of what I asked for from Minister Yang in the capital. Although the governor is the deputy, if there is no governor to lead the troops from the four towns from west to east, I am afraid that in the battle under Daqing Mountain, my army will suffer more casualties and the war will be longer."

After saying this, he looked at Wang Chonggu with scrutiny, the sound of the East River flowing at the foot of the mountain filling his ears.

Victory is not so easy to win.

And what he said was actually not wrong.

Although Yan Hu was fearless and led the Dragon and Tiger Army to block the Mongols at the mountain pass where Guimaochuan turned, and then he led a large army to rush there, and together with the Shenji Battalion that came from behind, they surrounded the Mongols from the front and rear, and defeated most of Xin Ai Huang Taiji's troops.

However, the Anda tribe also stationed tens of thousands of troops at the foot of the Daqing Mountains as backup.

At that time, it was impossible to end the previous war as easily as written in the memorial sent to the capital by relying solely on Qi Jiguang's Shanzi Camp.

It was thanks to the arrival of Wang Chonggu and his 24,000 soldiers that the final battle at the foot of the Daqing Mountain in Qiantao was possible.

Wang Chonggu remained cautious, shaking his head with a guilty look on his face, and explained in a low voice: "I am glad that the battle went smoothly this time. I was originally ordered to garrison the Black Mountain line to prevent the Mongols from escaping to the west. I led the troops eastward, which was against the general's previous military order. Fortunately, everything went well and the battle went smoothly. I dare not take credit for it."

Yan Shaoting just smiled faintly.

As the two of them exchanged words, the fact that Wang Chonggu had led 20,000 troops eastward without any orders was revealed.

Soon, Yan Shaoting asked slowly, "But the governor said earlier that Yan Hu's whereabouts are unknown this time, and there might be a big surprise. I wonder what that means?"

Wang Chonggu raised his head and looked at Yan Shaoting.

The young man in front of him really gave him too many surprises.

He had lived in the border town for many years and had never thought that a task like recovering Hetao could be accomplished so quickly.

But now the facts are before our eyes.

For the first time in decades, the Ming army marched so safely and steadily through the Yinshan Mountains and headed towards the grasslands in the north.

Wang Chonggu bowed again: "Because of the general."

There was a hint of smile in his tone.

Yan Shaoting said softly, with a suspicious look on his face: "How is it because of me?"

"Because the general made the final decision to recapture the Hetao area, the army was ordered to head north, and the troops went north into the south of the desert."

Wang Chonggu spoke calmly and his thoughts were clear.

He smiled and explained: "This time, the general led his army out of the pass to conquer the bandits, expel the Tartars, and recover the Hetao area. The general used the troops like a god, combining the strange and the regular, and won by the regular and the unusual. But the Mongols are not fools. The general used the troops like this, and marched to this point. Don't the Mongols know what the general is up to? Don't they know our dynasty's determination?"

The expression on Yan Shaoting's face gradually became more interesting.

He stamped his foot and smiled.

Wang Chonggu observed the other's expression and continued, "It's still the official statement. The Mongols are not fools. The Mongols did lose this battle and lost the Hetao area. The general continued to use troops north of Yinshan Mountain. We naturally knew that the general wanted to clear the south of the desert, and the Mongols could see it clearly. Our dynasty's military has always had the saying of temporarily avoiding the sharp edge and looking for another opportunity to fight. The Mongols have had exchanges with our Central Plains for thousands of years, so they naturally understand this principle."

On the ancient road ahead, there were sounds of horse hooves coming from the opposite direction.

Yan Shaoting looked in the direction of the sound and saw Qi Jiguang, the vanguard of the army, riding his horses with his personal soldiers.

He looked at Wang Chonggu and asked, "Does the Governor mean that the Mongols will now choose to avoid our attack and flee to the northern desert?"

Wang Chonggu saluted and said, "General, you have a good eye. I think if the Mongols can understand this, they will definitely avoid your attack and not fight against our army. Instead, they will flee to the northern desert, or even... flee to the western regions, and then look for a day to reorganize and grow stronger, and then plan to return and invade the Central Plains again."

After explaining your reasons.

Wang Chonggu smiled and said, "That's why I'm so sure that General Longhu will lead his troops deep into the grassland alone this time, and he won't encounter any strong enemies, so there won't be any problems. And General Longhu's entire battalion is composed of cavalry, rushing into the grassland, stirring up the Mongolian tribes in the south of the desert, showing the power of our royal army, and maybe even attracting the small Mongolian tribes on the grassland to surrender. In this way, wouldn't it be a big surprise for the general?"

At this moment.

Qi Jiguang had already ridden his horse to the platform. He dismounted and walked over briskly.

He looked at Wang Chonggu with curiosity, and bowed to him.

Qi Jiguang then asked loudly, "Since the Qin and Han dynasties, whenever the Central Plains was strong, there would be tribes from the grasslands coming to surrender. This has been a tradition for thousands of years. Why did Governor Wang say that if a small Mongolian tribe came to surrender this time, it would be a surprise for the general?"

Seeing Qi Jiguang rushing over from the front army, Yan Shaoting immediately gave him a look.

Wang Chonggu also bowed in return, smiling: "General Qi pointed it out, I do mean this. Although the grasslands would surrender when the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains was prosperous. But the reason why I said this this time is because the general is using troops, and the intention now is to lead our dynasty to switch from defense to offense. If not, why would the general pacify the Hetao area and send troops north of Yinshan Mountain?"

Let me stop here.

Wang Chonggu turned his head and looked at Yan Shaoting: "I guess the general wants to see the Great Wall of the Qin and Han Dynasties north of Yinshan Mountain. He wants to restore the Great Wall of Qin and repeat the Wei and Jin Dynasties. North of the Great Wall of Qin, on the grassland, set up troops to guard the city, with the city walls parallel, use troops every year, and plunder the north from time to time, so that our northern border will be peaceful forever."

Yan Shaoting raised his eyebrows.

This Wang Chonggu really saw through his entire plan.

I don’t understand military affairs, but I know a lot about them.

The classic saying, the best defense is offense, is not just empty talk.

Today, the Ming Dynasty is gradually reviving and becoming stronger.

The time had come for the Central Plains' military thinking in the north to change, and the time had come for the fight with the Mongols to switch from offense to defense.

The Mongols could invade and plunder southwards every year.

From then on, the people in the Central Plains could naturally use the Hetao area as their rear base, and then cooperate with the Great Wall and military garrisons north of the Yin Mountains to plunder and forage in the north from time to time.

Do your best to destroy the Mongolian forces. Only in this way can we stop the Mongolian invasion from the root.

As for developing and changing the Mongolian people's productivity and production methods, that's bullshit.

The people of the Ming Dynasty have not yet changed their productivity and production model, so how could it be the Mongols' turn?

At this juncture, a military transformation is the only solution.

When the Central Plains has developed to a sufficient extent and the local mode of production has undergone a real transformation, it will be possible to abandon military means and turn to other methods to transform the Mongols on the grasslands.

Don't do things that are leaps and bounds.

This is a lesson learned through blood and tears.

The right path is to honestly use the experience summarized by our predecessors and do things down to earth.

Qi Jiguang, who had rushed over from the front army, glanced at Yan Shaoting and then said with a smile: "That's why Governor Wang said that the Mongolian tribes' surrender was a surprise to the general. I think he based his words on this."

Wang Chonggu smiled and waved his hands: "I really mean this. If the general really wants to reverse the offensive and defensive situation between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia, he must control the Hetao area to cultivate war horses, then repair the Qin Great Wall as a link, build a city north of the Great Wall, recruit Mongolians who have surrendered as the vanguard, and look for opportunities every year to use troops in the northern desert."

Qi Jiguang opened his mouth slightly and was about to speak.

Yan Shaoting suddenly smiled and said, "Governor Wang is really a man of insight. He saw through my plan. Now that our dynasty has restored the system, we have pastures to breed good horses. The king's army will no longer suffer from the poor quality of war horses, and can also drive out the grasslands and fight against the bandits."

Wang Chonggu immediately nodded and clasped his fists, saying: "This humble official respects the great ambition of the general. This restoration is also entirely due to the great general's contribution. The great general's plan, this humble official hopes to realize it as soon as possible. However..."

After all the flattery, Wang Chonggu pretended to be hesitant.

Qi Jiguang took a look and was moved. He cooperated with Yan Shaoting who was not ready to ask: "I wonder what Governor Wang is worried about?"

Wang Chonggu shook his head and said, "It's not a concern. In recent years, the Anda tribe has been the most powerful on the grassland. But now that the Anda army of 100,000 has been defeated, I think it will be difficult for the Anda tribe to control the other tribes on the grassland this time. In the future, the Anda tribe will at most hold on to the western part of the grassland, while there will be other tribes such as the Tuman tribe in the east. If there is no more hero on the grassland, the general will naturally have nothing to worry about in the north of the Yinshan Mountains. But my concern is not the north of the Yinshan Mountains, but the nine borders of our dynasty."

After finishing speaking.

Wang Chonggu looked deeply at Yan Shaoting.

He believed that the young man in front of him could understand what he meant.

Qi Jiguang also closed his mouth and looked sideways at Yan Shaoting.

But Yan Shaoting just smiled and said, "I still remember the instructions given to me by the late emperor before he passed away. When the late emperor was alive, he announced to the world three things: measuring the land, clearing the army, and compiling a list. This time, I will fulfill the late emperor's will and recover Hetao. The court will naturally place troops and guards in Hetao and relocate the people to farm and graze. In this way, there will be no need for towns such as Shanxi, Yansui, and Guyuan. The defense of the border wall here will be from the back to the front."

Having said that, Yan Shaoting looked at Wang Chonggu and sneered.

He said in a cold tone: "I think Governor Wang wants to say that although I have made a contribution by winning this battle, I will also offend a lot of people. Especially those who have been relying on the border wall to gain benefits for so many years."

Recover Hetao by yourself.

The imperial court planned to set up military guards in Hetao and relocate the people.

The first thing to be affected is that Shanxi Town is no longer useful.

Then there is Yansui Town and others.

The interests, benefits and activities involved are countless.

War is always an extension of politics.

Political changes will in turn lead to war.

All people in the world come and go for the sake of profit.

For soldiers at the border, their benefit lies in food and wages, while for generals at the border, their benefit lies in the defense of the border walls.

He did win the battle and recaptured Hetao, but as Wang Chonggu said, he actually offended a group of people.

In the future, without border threats, those border town generals will have nothing to gain, so how could they thank Yan Shaoting?
When it comes to war, the generals of the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty are the ones who most hope it will happen every year.

Without war, there would be no strategy for the nine frontiers, and there would be no huge amount of food and wages that the court allocated every year with all its national strength.

This time the knife hit the Mongol's neck.

But it also hit the generals of the nine borders.

Thinking of this, Yan Shaoting suddenly had an idea. He thought about why Emperor Xianzong had regained the Hetao area but lost it in a very short time.

Although the official reason was that the court failed to set up garrisons and relocate the people in time.

But only God knows how much conspiracy is behind this.

He even thought of the Yan family.

During the Jiajing period, many people in the court proposed to recover the Hetao area and set up border guards to reduce the burden on the nine borders.

I'm sorry, but I have to say that it was the Yan family who opposed this voice at that time.

What kind of people were the Yan family at that time?
It goes without saying that there is something really going on here.

The Nine Frontiers are an extension of politics, but they are also driven by human interests.

Seeing that Yan Shaoting had reacted, Wang Chonggu also put away the smile on his face and bowed: "Wang Chonggu is not talented. Although I have served as a border town in recent years and have been promoted because of the border town, I dare not forget the teachings of the teachers when I was studying in the past, and I dare not forget the grace of the late emperor to promote me. Although the general is young, he has great ambitions and is planning for the country for eternity. Now the war has stopped, but people's hearts are more anxious than when the two armies are facing each other. I dare not and cannot not speak out."

Yan Shaoting twirled the whip in his hand, looked at Qi Jiguang, and then glanced sideways at Wang Chonggu.

He was thinking about the intention behind Wang Chonggu's words today.

There is no early rise without profit.

Wang Chonggu kept talking about his teacher's teachings when he was studying and the grace of the late emperor.

But if you don't ask for anything, it's pure bullshit.

Something moved in my heart.

Yan Shaoting suddenly spoke up: "A few days ago, the court received news that the emperor has summoned Tan Lun, Yu Dayou and others to the capital. I guess that the emperor wants to use Tan Lun, Yu Dayou and others to go north to guard the nine borders..."

That’s all I have to say, to be brief and to the point.

He also stared at Wang Chonggu with a gloomy look.

Even though he had some guesses about Wang Chonggu's true intention, he refused to say it out loud.

Just wait for the other party to speak first.

…………

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(End of this chapter)