Ming Dynasty's border defense strategy, from fighting to defending, did not change in a day or two.
In other words, this is a stage that every dynasty must go through.
When a country is first founded, its national power may be weak, but its internal affairs are often clear and the founding king must be first-class in terms of prestige, ability, and strategy.
Therefore, after a short period of recuperation, they often have to be tough and proactive in border wars.
Although there were special situations like the Song and Song Dynasties, this was basically the case for the unified dynasties represented by the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Decades or even centuries later, the dynasty's bad governance began to emerge, and various problems such as official administration, people's livelihood, and taxation came one after another. It was inevitable that more and more energy would be spent on internal affairs.
In contrast, in terms of border defense strategy, it is natural to move from taking the initiative to attack to building a defense line.
During the Hongwu and Yongle dynasties of the Ming Dynasty, there were several northern expeditions, which severely depleted the country's national strength. During the Zhirenxuan incident, we had to rest and recuperate, focus on internal affairs, and turn from chaos to rule. However, the price paid was that we had no time to take into account the too long border defense line. Do not move inland frequently.
Therefore, it is said that it is easy to conquer a country but difficult to defend it. This is the truth.
Although it is somewhat disrespectful to say this, in a sense, the Emperor's personal expedition can be regarded as a complete change in Ming Dynasty's border defense strategy.
After the Battle of Tumu, in terms of national strength, it would be difficult to start another large-scale battle within a few decades. At the same time, the court officials also realized that the Ming Dynasty no longer had an absolute advantage when facing the grassland tribes. .
Coupled with the shortcomings of the military garrison, corrupt officials, shortage of officers and soldiers, the expansion of feudal lords, local unrest and the occurrence of various natural and man-made disasters, there has been a consensus among the court that border defense should be a priority. Focus on keeping.
Yu Qian is a typical representative of them. Although the nine-sided strategy he proposed was opposed by many courtiers, it failed to come to fruition in the end.
However, the reason why the ministers objected was that they felt that the waste was too great and that large-scale construction projects should not be carried out at this time. They were not opposed to Yu Qian's overall idea.
On the contrary, the idea of a nine-sided town has been recognized by many ministers at the specific operational level.
As Yu Qian, the Minister of War, if this is the case, we can see the court's civil and military attitude towards border defense strategies.
Of course, in addition to this, the civil war also gave the court ministers an excellent excuse. This is also the reason why Zhu Qiyu did not directly express his position in the court although he wanted to use troops.
If the words are not made clear, there is still room for everything. However, if it is made clear, a large number of ministers will be designated to move out the Yin Jian of the civil war, and then a group of remonstrating ministers will be cleared.
This time it was even more so. Before Zhu Qiyu could open his mouth, he was blocked by Chen Xun.
On the surface, this statement means that we don’t know whether the news is true or false, and we need to find out the details before making a decision, but in fact, it means that we want to wait and see what happens.
Ye Xian's death is certainly a good thing for the Ming Dynasty, but it also depends on when. If it was during the civil war, Ye Xian's sudden death would naturally be a timely help.
But now that the war has ended, Ye Xian has been defeated, Oara's vitality has been seriously injured, and there are Tatars as enemies. At this time, Ye Xian's death will certainly be a heavy blow to Oara, but for the Ming Dynasty, it can only It’s just the icing on the cake.
Therefore, after calming down, the elders quickly realized that instead of caring about what happened in Wala, it was more important to restrain the emperor's possible desire to move.
You know, in the previous civil strife in Tatar, the Haraqin tribe and the Wengliguot tribe put pressure on the Xuanfu, which already gave the emperor the hint of a fight. Now I heard that the same thing happened in Oara, and he died first. Maybe some ideas will pop up.
Therefore, after Chen Xun finished speaking, Mr. Zhu Ge, who had been keeping a low profile in the cabinet for some time, also came forward.
"Your Majesty, I think what Chen Shangshu said is reasonable. The civil strife in Oara is a good thing for our Ming Dynasty. The captives and thieves are constantly fighting each other and wearing out each other, so that the border can be peaceful. Now that they are conquering each other, we, the Ming Dynasty, just have to wait and see. That’s what it has changed.”
"The top priority is to properly resolve the Xuanfu matter. Now, the attitudes of the Kalaqin and Wengliguote tribes have changed, blaming Agadoerji and Chahar tribes for the death of Totuo Buhua. , in this case, the reason for asking for an explanation will no longer exist."
"It was mentioned in the memorial of Jin Shangshu that Yang Jie took the initiative to ask for help and said that within three days, he could persuade the two armies to withdraw. If Yang Jie could really accomplish this, the crisis in Xuanfu would be resolved and the border could return to peace. .”
"Therefore, I believe that for the present plan, I should do my best to support the Xuanfu negotiations and resolve the border issues as soon as possible."
On the border war, Mr. Zhu Ge has always held opposing views. This idea should be said to be in line with the views of the vast majority of the court. Of course, it is unknown whether there are other reasons behind it.
But these words still make sense. At least, they were agreed by many ministers present.
However, there was a small hole hidden in these words, so that after Zhu Jian finished speaking, the other ministers looked at him with a hint of weirdness.
Of course, you can see it, but no one has the idea to point it out.
However, to their surprise, after hearing Zhu Jian's words, Jing'an Bo Fan Guang, who rarely spoke in the court, said:
"Your Majesty, I think we should not let down our guard. Yang Tongzhi first arrived at the Xuan Mansion. Although he won the first battle, the captors were cunning and easy to repeat. There is no way to be 100% sure. What Jin Shangshu said in the memorial was not a military order. Rather, we should try our best to see if we can get the two troops to retreat, or we still have to see what the two troops think."
"In my humble opinion, these two groups have been playing tricks on Chen Bingxuan for a long time outside the city. I am afraid that this letter was delivered to His Majesty."
Strictly speaking, Fan Guang is a standard military general. He is different from the old noble families who were granted titles in his early years and have been immersed in Beijing for many years. Fan Guang has spent half of his life on the battlefield. For him, fighting on the battlefield is all about fighting. , much better than court affairs.
Therefore, Fan Guang has always been very low-key in the court. Even though he is trusted by the emperor, he is the admiral of the capital camp, and after Ren Li's death, he took over the governor's office of the Chinese Army. He is now the most powerful person among the military officials. However, he Still, his presence in the DPRK is not strong.
He rarely expressed his opinions on many political matters in the court, even those involving military affairs. Therefore, his sudden opening surprised everyone.
However, after thinking about it, they understood.
Nowadays, apart from Fan Guang, the emperor's most important military minister is Yang Hong, the Marquis of Changping. Zhu Jian's words just now seemed to have no problem, but they dug a hole for Yang Jie.
You must know that in Jin Lian's memorial, not a word of what Yang Jie said was deleted. Yang Jie's original words were to strive to have the army outside the city retreat within three days.
However, when it came to Zhu Jian's mouth, he took the initiative to ask Ying to retreat within three days.
Once this statement changes, the nature becomes somewhat different.
If Yang Jie succeeded, then everything would be fine. However, if he failed and failed to persuade the two armies to retreat, then this small change in statement would easily make Yang Jie's impression different. Big discount.
Although the imperial court still does not admit that Yang Jie was behind the many changes that occurred on the grassland, rumors have already spread.
Everyone in the court had different views on Yang Jie. Some people felt that Yang Jie was so brave at such a young age and had a bright future.
However, some people felt that Yang Jie acted recklessly and was not prudent enough. He was quite happy making trouble on the grassland, but the trouble he caused still required the court to deal with it.
It was a lot of luck that he was able to come back safe and sound this time, but there was no guarantee that it would be the same every time.
If Yang Jie really died on the grassland, it would be a troublesome matter for the court.
Now, Yang Jie has been sent to assist in the negotiations. All of the ministers present are astute people.
Although they only read the memorial and did not visit the scene in person, it was enough for them to infer that Yang Jie's series of actions were actually a subtle competition with Jin Lian for the dominance of the negotiations.
Of course Jin Lian also saw this, but because Yang Jie was really effective in doing things, he finally made a concession and was willing to temporarily delegate power to Yang Jie. However, it was inevitable to report the truth.
In fact, this is the reason why many ministers just heard the pitfalls in Zhu Jian's words, but did not express any reaction.
This young man is indeed a bit too showy!
Fan Guang may not be good at fighting in court, but as a military general, he naturally knows about military orders. Yang Hong is not in Beijing now, so he naturally has to stand up and make the matter clear.
Of course, this was just a small twist. Although the ministers present were a little surprised, they didn't pay much attention to it and quickly focused on business.
Because at this time, the emperor also asked.
"What does Fan Qing mean by this?"
This was obviously a question about the letter. Fan Guang pondered for a moment and then answered.
"Your Majesty clearly knows that during the Tatar civil strife, Agadolji first attacked and killed Totu Buhua. After the failure, Totu Buhua fled to the Gorros tribe and was killed by Shabhutan."
"Subsequently, under the banner of revenge for Totuo Buhua, the Kalaqin tribe and the Wengliguot tribe attacked and killed Agadoerji, who was called the protector, but in fact it was to control the Khan's court and cultivate new puppets. Because of this matter, the two groups are also vaguely hostile."
"Because of this, the internal situation in Tatar has become complicated. The Chahar tribe is under the jurisdiction of Aghadorji. Because of its traitorous behavior, it is hostile to many tribes, especially the Asov tribe, which has almost become a mortal enemy."
"The Ordos tribe wants to maintain a balance and is friendly with both the Karaqin tribe and the Wengliguote tribe, and wants to benefit from it. The Horqin tribe is implicated by the Gorros tribe and is in an awkward position."
"Almost all the ministries are hostile to each other, and the war is about to break out. Although for some unknown reason, each of them restrained themselves in the end, but as far as the actual situation is concerned, there is only one way to solve the complex relationship between the ministries today, and that is..."
"Choose a great Khan who will convince everyone!"
Zhu Qiyu's face was calm and he spoke softly.
The more chaotic the situation, the more important order is. With the current chaotic situation in Tatar, if you want to stand out, you need to gain as much power as possible to defeat the opponents.
The so-called righteousness and identity, in essence, is the orthodoxy recognized by most people. That is, in the case of different positions, if you master the righteousness and identity, you can maximize the power that is free in the middle zone, or the worst. , and can also significantly reduce opponents.
Therefore, regarding the current chaos in Tatar, the top priority is to determine the ownership of the Khan position as soon as possible.
This ownership will definitely not satisfy everyone, but as long as there is ownership, the positions of all tribes can be determined and the chaos can be solved. This method is not uncommon.
Although the Ming Dynasty has always called the tribes on the grassland with titles such as bandits and thieves, after all, the other party has also settled in the Central Plains. It is impossible for them to remain the same as they were hundreds of years ago, knowing nothing.
Squeezing the letter in his hand, Zhu Qiyu said with a meaningful smile on his face.
"It seems that what this Tuogusi Mengke really wants is the Ming Dynasty's recognition of him..."
"Your Majesty is wise, that's exactly what it is!"
Fan Guang continued to hold his hands.
"Nowadays, there are disputes in the grassland, and each one has established a khan position. The Karaqin tribe supports Togusi Mengke, the Wengliguote tribe supports Makoguljis, and the Chahar tribe supports Chuktaji. In addition, the If there is no trouble in Oala, you must first support him in the name of Grand Master."
"These people may have names or strong tribal support. In addition, in this incident, the various ministries are involved in complex relationships. Without external intervention, it will be very difficult to determine the ownership of the Khan position in a short time."
"However, if you have the support of the Ming Dynasty, Tuogusi Mengke can quickly win over people's hearts and win the throne. After all, His Majesty has opened a mutual trade. In the past two years, the Tatar tribes have obtained a lot of materials through the five major tribes, some of which Small tribes have even gradually formed dependence. If the Ming Dynasty expresses its position, it will definitely give Tuogu Simeng the most powerful bargaining chip in the fight for the Khan position."
Once the window paper is pierced, many things can be connected in series.
As soon as these words were said, the ministers present also reacted.
No wonder Tuo Gu Si Meng wrote this letter so politely, but it turned out that he was asking for help from the Ming Dynasty. After thinking about it carefully, he wrote this letter as the crown prince established by Tuo Tuo Buhua Khan, and what he said , emphasizing loyalty to the emperor and justice.
The reason for this is simply to declare that he is the orthodox heir to the throne of Khan.
Now that Tuotuo Buhua is dead, he sent a letter in this capacity. If the Ming Dynasty responds, it will be regarded as recognizing his identity as the heir to the throne.
With this bargaining chip, he can fight for a lot of power, and, as Fan Guang said, Daming's attitude represents real interests for many tribes in the grassland today, and it represents whether they can In Ming's hands, he continued to receive a steady stream of supplies from the mutual market.
If you say so...
The elders looked at each other and came to a conclusion in their hearts.
Perhaps, this letter represents... Now, is Tatar begging for the Ming Dynasty?
(End of chapter)
