In December of the sixth year of Chengshun, taking advantage of the last moment of winter this year, Luo Zhixue held a strategic meeting in Jinling City for the upcoming Northeastern Campaign next year.
Strategic matters in other directions were also discussed at the meeting.
The basic core is to concentrate on destroying the Dongji people first when other external conditions are basically stable.
For this reason, the strategic meeting also required a certain degree of restraint in other directions, and the scale must be controlled if an attack is to be launched.
For example, in the past year in Sichuan's western Sichuan, northern Yunnan and other regions, there have been many conflicts between the local army troops stationed there and the chieftain forces in the Kham area.
The current situation in Kham and Tibet is very complicated. In addition to the local chieftains, there are also various local temples, various sects, and the Mongolian branch of the Desert who are descendants of the Oara people have entered the area.
Because the situation was quite chaotic, even the Chu Empire could not figure out the specific situation on the other side.
However, this chaotic situation also allowed the local Chu army to see the opportunity to increase the actual control area. Therefore, in the past year, the Chu army in Sichuan and Yunnan gradually tested and controlled many Kham areas, which also attracted local The resistance of the chieftain troops led to armed conflict.
Well, that's right, the small and medium-sized conflicts in the Kham region are not because the chieftains on the opposite side are so bold that they dare to attack Sichuan and northern Myanmar under the control of the Chu Empire, but because of the expansion of the Chu Empire.
At this strategic meeting, the high-level officials asked for restraint and scale control, which meant that the armies in these areas should exercise restraint and not fight too hard, causing the situation to become completely unstable and triggering a large-scale war on the Western Front.
There are no external threats to the southern route such as Myanmar and Vietnam, and the Chu army has no interest in marching through the tropical jungle for the time being...
Well, it's not that Chu Jun didn't want to, but the local geography and climate environment were really bad.
When they attacked the remnants of Ximing in Yunnan, the Chu army had pursued the remnants of Ximing into Burma, and captured several Burmese towns along the way, pushing the empire's border to the south for dozens of kilometers... But this time There were few combat casualties in pursuit operations, but the non-combat casualties were huge.
The huge non-combat casualties made it difficult to even maintain the garrison strength locally, let alone continue to increase the strength for expansion. Therefore, since this pursuit operation, the local Chu army has given up on continuing to expand southward!
I can't even stay in such a shabby place...
Based on this, generally speaking, there is no problem with border defense in the south and southwest. If there is, it is because the Chu army is bullying others...
As for the sea, the Chu Empire earlier had conflicts with the Portuguese because of the issue of Macau. Later, it had relatively fierce conflicts with the Spanish and the Dutch because of the issue of Fusang trade. Finally, it had fierce conflicts with the Spaniards and the Dutch because of the issue of Taiyuan Island. There was a lot of conflict between the Spanish and the Dutch.
However, these conflicts have subsided for the time being. The main reason is that the interests of maritime trade are too huge, so everyone is actually reluctant to break up directly.
Secondly, although the Great Chu Empire took back Macau, it also began to expel the Spaniards and Dutch on Dayu Island, which resulted in poor relations between the Great Chu Empire and the above three countries.
However, the Chu Empire also adopted a policy of liberalizing maritime trade.
Many coastal ports such as Guangzhou, Quanzhou, and Ningbo have relaxed trade restrictions, allowing foreign merchant ships to enter and trade legally.
As for the Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch, their direct purpose of doing these things along the Chinese coast and occupying Macau or Damuan Island is not to expand their territory. They are not arrogant to that extent...
Their purpose is to conduct maritime trade with the Chu Empire and Fuso!
The Dutch and Spanish have chosen to establish colonies on the deserted Daguang Island in recent decades, just to better trade with China and Fusang.
Because the sea was prohibited in the early Ming Dynasty, and coastal maritime trade was basically monopolized by pirates represented by Zheng Zhilong, neither the Spaniards nor the Dutch could directly trade with Chinese ports.
Why didn’t the Portuguese occupy Tai Muang Island before? Because they had land in Macau and could trade directly!
To put it bluntly, people are here just to make money.
Under this situation, when the Dachu Empire expelled their forces, although they encountered some resistance, their determination to resist was not very strong. They are currently trying to solve the problem through negotiation, which is exactly what they thought. His attitude has softened, so the leaders of the Chu Empire have also maintained a certain degree of restraint.
At present, the relationship between the empire and the above-mentioned three countries maintains a situation of fighting without breaking. As for the Taiyuan Island issue, if nothing unexpected happens, it will be resolved through negotiations in the near future.
The reason for this situation is purely because the relationship between the Chu Empire and these three countries is very complicated and cannot be judged simply as enemies or friends.
Everyone needs each other to maintain maritime trade. At the same time, the two sides are also competitors in maritime trade, especially in the hugely profitable Fuso trade and Nanyang trade.
Based on the current maritime situation, the Chu Empire's coastal security in the south can also be guaranteed, and the empire's senior officials do not need to pay too much attention in this direction.
On the western front, the Yarkand Khanate, which currently controls the west of Jiayuguan, has good relations with the empire. The empire has continuously obtained many war horses from them, especially some excellent war horses and even stallions and mares from Central Asia.
At the same time, in order to support this country, which has a relatively good relationship with the empire, well, it can be said that it is currently the only foreign country that has taken the initiative to have good relations with the empire to resist the invasion of Jungar from Mongolia in the west, the empire's senior officials also specifically allowed them to release Export licenses for some firearms and ironware have been issued.
A large number of armors, swords, spears and other cold weapons from the Great Chu Empire, as well as matchlock guns, have begun to enter the Yarkand Khanate and are used in internal suppression wars and against the Jungar invasion.
On the whole, as long as the Yarkand Khanate is immortal, the overall situation on the western front can be maintained, and the Zhungeer tribe in Mongolia, the desert, which threatens the most, will not be able to get through.
In this way, the security of the empire's external environment on the Western Front, Southern Front, Southwest Front and coastal areas has been guaranteed, and there is no need for large-scale use of weapons.
In this way, the Da Chu Empire could concentrate its efforts to defeat the Dongji people!
In order to better launch the campaign against the Dongji people, it was also to further adjust the field army, border defense headquarters, campaign headquarters, provincial garrison headquarters and other systems that were already somewhat chaotic.
The border defense headquarters and campaign headquarters with strong regional attributes and local names were reorganized into group armies.
At the same time, a large number of B-division and other border defense forces that originally belonged to the Border Defense Command and Campaign Command and did not have mobile combat capabilities were transferred to the provincial garrison headquarters.
From now on, each group army will focus on field operations, and the forces under its jurisdiction will be A-class divisions or B-class divisions with mobile combat capabilities.
The Provincial Garrison Command focuses on internal suppression, border security patrols, and garrisoning in key areas.
At the same time, they do not belong to each other!
This one is not subordinate to each other, and it also has the consideration of preventing the emergence of local feudal towns and balancing military power!
If this was not the case due to the inconvenient communication and transportation, if Luo Zhixue established a local military authority to oversee all the military forces in the area, it would probably cause big trouble in the future.
Based on better external expansion in the future, changing the current somewhat confusing situation of authority is also to check and balance the military power in peripheral areas and avoid a situation where one company is dominant.
Luo Zhixue finalized this reorganization principle and based on this plan.
The Shaanxi-Gansu Border Defense Command was reorganized into the First Group Army, responsible for commanding the A-class divisions in Shaanxi and Gansu as well as some B-class divisions with mobile combat capabilities.
Xuanda Border Defense Command was reorganized into the Second Army.
The Northeast Campaign Command was reorganized into the Third Army.
Subsequently, the Fourth Army was established in Sichuan in the south and northern Myanmar to take charge of the local troops and be responsible for the war in the Kham area.
In southern Yunnan, southern Guangxi and other regions, the Fifth Army was established to take charge of local field forces and be responsible for wars in Burma, Vietnam and other directions.
In the pan-Jiangnan area, the Sixth Army was established.
In the Huguang and Henan areas, the Seventh Army was established.
Under each group army, there are corps or directly managed divisions, brigades, regiments and other field forces.
The twenty-seven first-class divisions, eighteen second-class divisions with mobile combat capabilities, fifteen cavalry brigades, and seven independent field or heavy artillery regiments of the Dachu Empire Army will be organized into the above-mentioned seven armies respectively.
Among them, 27 first-class divisions and 18 second-class divisions, according to the current jurisdiction and the enemies or potential enemies they face, will be divided into two or three divisions with a strength of 30,000 to 50,000. Several cavalry and independent artillery regiments were the basic principles, and a total of nineteen field armies were formed.
According to this policy, if any large-scale military operations are launched in these directions in the future, they can directly attack the enemy through these six group armies, instead of having to contact the provincial garrison headquarters and various provincial garrison headquarters as in the past. It is very troublesome for the army to coordinate.
In this series of reorganizations, it is actually not very troublesome, because there will be no changes to the troop locations or tasks, let alone changes to organizational tactics. What will change is only the high-level command system.
Luo Zhixue only needs to issue a few imperial edicts and adjust the high-level command authority.
After this reorganization of the high-level command system, the Chu Empire has entered the final stage of preparations for the war against the East Conquerors.
During the Spring Festival of the seventh year of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue hosted a banquet for officials in the newly renovated Jinling City Palace. During the banquet, Luo Zhixue once again emphasized the importance and necessity of recovering Liaodong and other areas.
On the 18th day of the first lunar month of the seventh year of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue held an imperial defense industry expansion meeting in the meeting hall of the Imperial House in Jinling City. At the meeting, Luo Zhixue asked the arsenals under the Ministry of Industry and supporting defense enterprises to give full play to their initiative. , expand the production of national defense products, ensure the quality of national defense products, and let soldiers use good guns and cannons, wear warm clothes, and sleep well!
On the 23rd of the first lunar month of the seventh year of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue summoned several key officials from the taxation department and the finance department in the back garden of the Imperial Palace in Jinling City. While enjoying the plum blossoms, Luo Zhixue told them to do a good job in taxation. During the conversation about work and the financial budget, Luo Zhixue said that every copper plate and every grain of food in the treasury was provided by the hard work of the people of the empire. Extravagance and waste must be put an end to it, and we must not spend it if we can. We must ensure that there is no fiscal deficit, and we must ensure that we have money and food in our hands at all times.
No matter what kind of trouble you encounter, you must be able to come up with enough money and food to solve the problem as soon as possible.
Chen Xingkai, the God of Wealth of the Da Chu Empire and the emperor's money bag, said on the spot: With the huge profits confiscated in the past few years, the national treasury has been in surplus. At the same time, after the recovery of people's livelihood last year and this year, the domestic agricultural, industrial and commercial industries have recovered. Rapidly, and at the same time, post-war relief expenditures have declined, and the fiscal surplus is expected to further expand this year.
"Five Dynasties Rivers, Mountains and Winds"
In addition to the various expenditures in the fiscal expenditure budget this year, the financial system has reserved at least 30 million taels of funds, which can be used for any possible emergencies at any time.
On the 26th of the first lunar month of the seventh year of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue summoned the staff of the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and talked about the development of Di Bao. Luo Zhixue asked the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs to attach great importance to the subsistence allowance, especially the development of the Dachu Di Bao, which is open to everyone. Ensure that the content of Dachudi Newspaper is positive, healthy, and interesting, and it must become a newspaper that is popular with the public and conveys healthy values to the public.
On the 29th of the first lunar month of the seventh year of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue summoned the person in charge of the Dachu Empire Grain Corporation. Luo Zhixue instructed that the only meaning of the existence of the grain company was to ensure the stability of grain prices, not only to ensure that the people could eat, If we can afford food, we must also let farmers sell their grain at a good price.
It is necessary to coordinate various law enforcement agencies such as patrol police, tax patrol police, and internal affairs departments to severely crack down on grain hoarding and reluctance to sell, and crack down on illegal activities such as driving up grain prices.
On the third day of February in the seventh year of Chengshun, Luo Zhixue crossed the river to the north bank to review and inspect the First Guards Division, which had completed the change of equipment and had undergone half a year of hard training. They were about to take a naval ship to the northern front line.
And they were also the last main force to go north.
During the review, Luo Zhixue was wearing a dark blue military uniform with dragon patterns that was unique to him. His sleek head was wearing a military hat-style hard-topped gold silk military hat with a shorter brim. He also wore the Emperor's Sword at his waist. Riding a tall brown-red Central Asian horse that was paid tribute by the Yarkand Khanate.
Riding his horse slowly through the queue in the winter sun, Luo Zhixue looked at the soldiers and nodded slightly from time to time!
The soldiers looked up at Luo Zhixue with fanatical eyes!
But the whole process was silent, only the gentle sound of hoofbeats from the horse under Luo Zhixue's crotch echoed in the playground!
Finally, Luo Zhixue turned back to the high platform in front of the array. Still on horseback, he looked at the new commander of the First Guards Division, Major General Miao Chengshan, and said, "I am waiting for your victory report!"
The young Major General Miao Chengshan replied loudly: "I will live up to your Majesty's expectations!"
——
On the third day, the soldiers of the First Guards Division set sail from Jinling City on a large number of ships, along with their equipment and a large amount of ammunition and other logistical supplies, and then headed all the way to the north by sea!
At the same time, in Shanhaiguan, at the former Northeastern Campaign Headquarters and now the Third Army Headquarters, a meeting of senior generals was also taking place.
Army General Zuo Yingzhe, the former second commander of the Northeast Campaign and current commander of the Third Group Army, presided over the meeting. His subordinate deputy commanders, chiefs of staff, commanders of various armies, and some division commanders attended the meeting. Even the Seventh Army, which was far away in the Liaodong Peninsula, Army Commander Bai Yangrong took a navy ship across the Bohai Sea in advance and rushed to Shanhaiguan to attend this meeting.
Lieutenant General Song Qilin, chief of staff of the Third Group Army, was using the baton in his hand to introduce the situation to everyone on the large military map on the wall.
"So far, based on the various investigations of our army, it has been basically determined that the enemy's troop deployment is currently concentrated in two places, one is the Liaoxi Corridor area opposite us, and the other is in the Liaodong Peninsula area. Although there are troops deployed in other directions, they are not many. The grassland area north of the Great Wall is mostly composed of local Mongolian tribes, and they are in nomadic form. They will not assemble without large-scale war!"
"And our main enemy is the enemy's heavily armed group in this area of the Liaoxi Corridor!"
"They used Jinzhou City as their rear area and Guangning as their strategic frontier, and deployed a large number of troops in various cities along the Western Liaoning Corridor."
"They don't have many troops on the front line in Jinzhou. They were mainly attracted to the Liaodong Peninsula by the Seventh Army. The remaining troops there are estimated to be only about 20,000."
"The Guangning Zhongqian Post directly opposite us is their strategic frontier, with at least 30,000 troops deployed, many guns and cannons, and about 7,000 to 8,000 cavalry."
"Behind the Guangning Central Front Post, that is, the Guangning Front Guards, is the core of their frontline strategy, with at least 50,000 troops deployed."
"They have deployed a total of at least 100,000 troops around these two forward cities, as well as many surrounding fortresses!"
"In addition, once we launch an attack, there will be at least 30,000 troops in the Ningyuan area behind Guangning who can be reinforced at any time. Judging from the distance and the speed of their gathering of troops, they will be able to reinforce them within three days at the latest. ."
"In other words, once we launch an attack on Ningyuan, we will have to face at least 130,000 enemies!"
"In terms of military strength, there are not only the main force of their Manchu Eight Banners headquarters, but also the Han Eight Banners composed of the Liaoxi armies that they incorporated and the Ming army that surrendered before. In addition, there are also the cavalry of the Meng Eight Banners to assist in the battle!"
"It is worth noting that the total number of their cavalry in this direction is not expected to be less than 30,000. About half of them are composed of the Mongolian Eight Banners, a small number are the original Liaoxi cavalry, that is, the Han Eight Banners, and some are Manchu Eight Banners. cavalry."
"There will be no less than two hundred long-barreled artillery pieces of various types. Most of their artillery units and most of the troops equipped with muskets are from the Eight Banners of the Han Dynasty."
"Based on our past experience in fighting the Ming army, our colleagues in the group army staff unanimously believe that the Han Eight Banners will be our important breakthrough point in the battle. As long as we can defeat the Han Eight Banners' guns, especially their artillery, Once the troops are destroyed, it will be easier to fight later."
"Without the support of artillery firepower, no matter how many heavy infantry or cavalry they have, they will never be our opponent!"
Speaking of this, Lieutenant General Song Qilin, Chief of Staff of the Third Group Army, showed a smile: "Not to mention us, even the frontier troops of the Ming Army in the past, with the support of a large number of light artillery, were able to defeat the cavalry with purely cold weapons. ."
"Considering the need to fight against the enemy's cavalry after annihilating the main force of the enemy's guns and artillery, we also followed the example of the previous Ming army and increased the number of equipment and mobility of the two-and-a-half kilogram field artillery, and at the same time increased the number of horse-drawn equipment. ."
"So the core of this battle is to destroy their artillery force quickly and decisively in the early stage. As long as their artillery force is destroyed, the follow-up will be simple!"
"Of course, the premise is that they take the initiative to come out and fight with us in the wild. If they don't come out and choose to defend the city, then we should stick to the old rules and blast them with heavy artillery all the way!"
After looking around, Lieutenant General Song Qilin continued: "According to the enemy's troop deployment and our strategic goals, our troop deployment has also been adjusted accordingly!"
