Chapter 847
Game
The emperor was aware of this as well.
He dared to personally lead the expedition only because he was certain that the Ming army would win, that Guo Deng would defend Datong, and that the 200,000 soldiers he brought would bring him glory. But now things are different. There is a venomous snake lurking behind them, ready to pounce and bite him at any moment.
So the emperor wanted to return to the capital.
The Duke of England did not oppose the Emperor's return to the capital, which was his original intention, but he opposed the Emperor taking more than 200,000 people with him.
The Duke of England sat below the Emperor, not discussing the danger posed by the infiltrated Oirat army from the rear, but only the mobility of the 200,000-strong army.
In war, having more people does not necessarily give you an advantage.
With a large number of people, there is a danger of them becoming too powerful to control. Orders are difficult to convey and soldiers are unable to accurately carry out orders. If any party makes a mistake, it will be a disaster.
In particular, their return to Beijing will be marked by a very long procession, just like when they came.
Therefore, placing a portion of the army in Datong as reinforcements would not only save Datong but also relieve them of their burden.
The Duke of England did not mention Guo Deng's concealment of military intelligence, but commented: "Guo Deng is a general who is good at defending the city in peacetime, but he is not good at advancing in wartime. The defense line of Datong is long, and I am afraid that he will not be able to cope with it. Since His Majesty has personally led the expedition, the army must fight against the Northern Hu. Otherwise, it will not live up to its name. How will the historians comment on it in the future?"
The emperor, too, feared the historian's pen. Upon hearing this, his heart stirred, and he asked in a deep voice, "Duke of England, who do you think is suitable to stay, and how should we fight?"
“Three men can remain to lead three teams to guard the Datong defense line with Guo Deng,” the British said fairly. “The Imperial Son-in-Law, Commander-in-Chief Jing Yuan, has the wisdom to advance and can be appointed as the General Commander of Datong to defend the city in place of Guo Deng.”
He further stated, "I hereby appoint Zhu Mian, the Earl of Wujin, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Left Wing, to assist Jing Yuan in defending Datong, and Chen Huai, the Earl of Pingxiang, as the Vanguard..."
The emperor interrupted him: "Jingyuan is the commander-in-chief of Datong? Zhu Mian and Chen Huai's military achievements are both higher than his. It's not appropriate to have them serve under him, is it?"
After a pause, the Duke of England said, "In times of war, one should act expediently. Guo Deng has been operating in Datong for many years. If one wants to bypass him to command the Datong army, there is no more suitable position than the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant."
Guo Jing was Wang Zhen's man, and Guo Deng also had an ambiguous relationship with Wang Zhen.
Others were afraid of Wang Zhen and dared not make decisions. At this time, a commander was needed who could not obey Wang Zhen's orders, could make decisions independently, and could be trusted by the generals.
There is no one more suitable than Jingyuan.
Even if Jingyuan made a mistake, could the emperor really kill his uncle?
With this concern in mind, the military officers below dared to act freely.
He didn't want the reinforcements left in Datong to still be under Wang Zhen's command. With that little brain, how could he command a large army?
Thinking about the chaos along the way, the British Duke felt a pang of heartache.
So many military officers, having come from the capital to Datong, were doing nothing but trivial tasks. They couldn't even properly deploy their soldiers, relying entirely on Wang Zhen's half-baked abilities to make haphazard arrangements.
If he hadn't been retired for many years and only served as an advisor without any real power, he would have given them a good scolding long ago.
The Duke of England couldn't scold his military officers, much less turn against the Emperor, so he could only teach him indirectly.
But clearly, the emperor didn't understand, or perhaps he did understand but had his own plans.
He said, "Zhu Yong is the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army, why not order him to stay?"
The British official said, "It is precisely because he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army that he must remain by His Majesty's side and await His Majesty's command."
The emperor pursed his lips and asked, "Duke of England, how many people do you think should be left in Datong?"
"One hundred thousand soldiers."
The emperor frowned.
The Duke of England lowered his eyes and asked, "How many do you think is appropriate, Your Majesty?" "One hundred thousand will be the main force. Zhu Yong will be appointed as the commander-in-chief of the central army, to oversee the overall situation. Zhu Mian will be appointed as the commander-in-chief of the left wing, and Chen Huai will be appointed as the commander-in-chief of Datong, to fight alongside Zhu Yong."
The British man's temper began to flare up; he felt his mental state had been deteriorating lately, and he was getting angry so easily.
He smirked and asked, "Then the well source..."
"Jingyuan led the vanguard of the imperial army, taking men ahead to scout the way."
Wouldn't that shatter his plans? Without Jingyuan to protect him, who would dare to "disobey the emperor's orders when in the field"?
This is equivalent to, after a series of arrangements, Wang Zhen and the emperor were still appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army, the Commander-in-Chief of the Left Wing, and the Commander-in-Chief of Datong...
But between Wang Zhen and the emperor, who was the better fighter?
If they were given command, there would be absolutely no hope.
Only when given a well source will the military generals dare to extend their tentacles and even begin to think.
Using someone as a shield to be used as a weapon, placing them right under our noses as the vanguard, and using them as a gun... this strategy...
The Duke of England, struggling to suppress his anger, could only compromise: "Your Majesty, since Zhu Yong is the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army, he should be by your side. Why not order Kuang Ye to stay behind..."
“Kuang Ye is a civil official,” the emperor said, looking at the Duke of Ying in surprise. “And he has no military power, so how can we order him to stay?”
"Although he is a civil official, he has followed Wang Ji on several expeditions and is also the Minister of War. He is both wise and brave, and he is more suitable to stay than Zhu Yong."
The emperor and his minister discussed the matter in the room for more than an hour, and the vanguard had already marched ten miles before the emperor's order was finally issued.
Zhu Yong remained the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army, leading the main force to escort the emperor back to the capital.
Kuang Ye was appointed as the General Commander of Datong, Zhu Mian, the Earl of Wujin, was appointed as the General Commander of the Left Wing, and Chen Huai was appointed as the Vanguard Commander. Together they guarded Datong.
Jingyuan led the vanguard of the imperial army, clearing the way ahead.
The emperor left 80,000 men to Kuang Ye, ordering him to defend Datong.
When the Duke of England emerged from the Emperor's courtyard, he looked as if he had aged ten years.
But he walked in a hurry, not daring to stop for even a moment. Almost as soon as the emperor's order was given, he sent someone to quickly invite Kuang Ye, Zhu Mian, and Chen Huai over.
Tell them that I have a plan to repel the enemy and ask them to come quickly.
The imperial carriage is being prepared; it will be at least an hour before they depart.
Zhu Mian and Chen Huai were both military generals who greatly admired the Duke of Ying and arrived the fastest.
The Duke of England raised his hand to stop them from speaking, telling them to wait behind the screen and not to talk. Once Kuang Ye entered, the Duke of England said, "It was I who suggested that His Majesty keep Lord Kuang."
Kuang Ye looked at the Duke of England in surprise, his face somber.
The British duke asked, "Does Lord Kwong not want to stay?"
Kuang Ye: "His Majesty's safety is of utmost importance. Since there are enemy troops in the rear, we should not disperse our forces. We should only send out a vanguard and order scouts to investigate the enemy's situation in four directions. We should first send His Majesty back to the capital, and then send out border troops to deal with the Oirat army."
The British Duke nodded: "Lord Kwong's arrangement is very prudent."
"Then why is the Duke of England..."
“Lord Kwong only knows one side of the story,” the British official said. “His Majesty’s safety is important, but harmony is equally important.”
The Duke of England was a military general, and in his view, defending the borders and the emperor's safety were equally important; therefore, he would arrange for both to be carried out simultaneously. (End of Chapter)