"Yes!"
Xiao Ruxun said slowly, "Before the war started, I used the skulls of the Northern Barbarians that I had previously obtained to build three monasteries on the plains to threaten and intimidate the Northern Barbarians. Some of the Northern Barbarians left during the process of moving south. When they arrived outside of Sha Hu Kou, there were about five hundred thousand of them.
The number of people who were scared away was not small, and there were even more who did not intend to move south. They were all near Guihua City. More than half of the Tumut tribe had been killed by me, and the living space that was created was just right for them.
However, they did not settle down and work in peace and contentment. Lord Fang, it is because it is now spring and the weather is getting warmer. The weather is no longer cold, and the Northern Barbarians no longer have the motivation to move south. However, they did not stop moving south. When winter comes this year, if the weather is as cold as last year, does Lord Fang think that these Northern Barbarians will continue to move south? "
The answer to this kind of question was very obvious, and there was no need to refute it.
Even Sun Chengzong, who had not been on the battlefield before, could understand that if this year's winter was as cold as last year's, the Northern Barbarians would definitely move south again, and the intensity of their movement would not be lower than last year's.
"Governor-General Xiao, what do you mean?"
Fang Shoushi began to understand Xiao Ruxun's meaning.
"In this war, not only must we wipe out the enemies in front of us, I will also lead the army to kill our way out of the Great Wall and directly attack Guihua City. We will wipe out all the Northern Barbarians and Tumut survivors that have gathered in Guihua City, and make it impossible for them to move south again. This war will decide the northern borders for the next ten years!"
Xiao Ruxun fiercely slammed his fist on the table. The generals below him all clenched their fists, and their faces were filled with excitement.
"This … this …"
Fang Shoushi was speechless.
How many years had it been since the Daming officially sent out troops on a northern expedition?
How many troops were needed? Could the rations keep up? How much supplies do we need?
"It just so happens that we don't have to worry about the problem of rations right now. I've obtained several grain storage caves in Shanxi's Datong, and the rations inside are piled up like mountains. I've already ordered the cooks' army to start making rations for the army. There won't be a problem with rations, but the problem is the military equipment, sabers, spears, swords, halberds, armors, and firearms. Not a single one of these can be lacking. Now that we have a stockpile, I have the confidence to fight this battle. Lord Fang, do you have enough military equipment?"
The gazes of the generals shifted to Guardian Fang again. Guardian Fang opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
His brain had yet to react.
It was Sun Chengzong who reacted.
"Governor, sending troops to the north is a serious matter. Should we inform the imperial court and let them know about this?"
Xiao Ruxun looked at Sun Chengzong and then looked away.
"I've already reported this matter to the imperial court, but they still haven't given me a reply. It's already been more than a month. Lord Fang, you don't know about this?"
Fang Shoushi blinked and said, "I don't know about this. The Ministry of War didn't tell me anything?"
Xiao Ruxun frowned.
It had already been a month. There shouldn't be no reply. The Emperor knew about this and allowed it. He also planned to fully support this attack. However, for some reason, the imperial court still didn't give him a reply.
Could it be that they were busy dealing with the Jin merchants and didn't notice this matter?
That was very possible!
Since he couldn't figure it out, Xiao Ruxun decided not to think about it anymore.
"This is a matter of national importance. Opportunities are fleeting. Now that the military equipment is complete, the rations are sufficient, and the morale of the soldiers is high. Everyone has the courage to fight. Moreover, the Northern Barbarians are defenseless. If the army were to attack, they would definitely reap an unprecedented harvest. I can't miss such a good opportunity."
Xiao Ruxun's tone was very firm.
"This …"
Fang Shoushi was stunned once again.
Xiao Ruxun … Was he planning to send troops to the north without the approval of the imperial court? This wasn't a battle from Shanxi to Datong. It was a battle to attack the territory of the Northern Barbarians. It was a battle that hadn't been launched for many years.
How many years had it been since the Daming Dynasty organized an attack?
And from the looks of it, there would be quite a number of them.
"For this battle, I've decided to send out all the cavalry. With the Liaodong Iron Cavalry as the main force and the Taiyuan Yulin Cavalry as support, we'll attack Guihua City after defeating the Northern Barbarians. We won't give the Northern Barbarians any time to react. We'll end the battle quickly and annihilate the Northern Barbarians in Guihua City!"
Xiao Ruxun's heroic words were very powerful. The generals were stimulated and cheered. Guardian Fang was petrified and couldn't say a word. Sun Chengzong, on the other hand, had a good mental endurance. He immediately said, "Governor, this is a serious matter. If we're going to the north, we'll need a lot of cavalry! Does the Daming Dynasty have that many cavalry now? "
Li Rusong slammed the table and was about to stand up to refute Sun Chengzong when Xiao Ruxun stopped him.
Then, Xiao Ruxun looked at Sun Chengzong.
"The Liaodong Iron Cavalry, Yulin Cavalry, and Taiyuan Cavalry have more than 30,000 people. I'll choose a batch of warhorses from the captured warhorses. I'll choose soldiers who know how to ride but don't have enough horses to ride them. With 40,000 cavalry, we'll directly attack Guihua City!"
"This … I …"
Sun Chengzong instinctively felt that something wasn't right. "But the imperial court hasn't given a clear answer on this matter. Shouldn't the Governor be cautious?"
"Cautious? If we continue to be cautious, should we wait for the Northern Barbarians to attack the south this winter? Wouldn't it be better to finish this battle in one fell swoop? "
Li Rusong couldn't stand it anymore and retorted, leaving Sun Chengzong speechless.
Xiao Ruxun waved his hand and gestured for Li Rusong to stop talking. Then, he looked at Sun Chengzong.
"This is the best plan for now. In order to prevent the Northern Barbarians from continuing to attack the south and ensure the stability of the northern borders, I'll definitely send troops when the time is right. For the sake of the country, a general can't obey the emperor's orders when he's outside!"
Xiao Ruxun waved his hand, stood up, and raised his cup.
"Everyone, the Daming Dynasty hasn't launched a large-scale expedition against the Northern Barbarians for many years. All along, it's these Northern Barbarians who have been robbing the Daming Dynasty, stealing our money and food, and humiliating our people. This time, we'll definitely kill our way over and crush them. We'll return what they've done to us a hundredfold! Cheers! "
Xiao Ruxun took the lead and drank his cup of tea.
The generals were so excited that their blood was boiling.
"Cheers!"
They drank their tea one after another.
It was very strange. It was clearly tea, not alcohol, but it had a better effect than alcohol.
Sun Chengzong felt like he was invisible. No one noticed him.
And Fang Shoushi thought so too.
At this moment, Fang Shoushi realized that Xiao Ruxun did understand etiquette. However, he was even more domineering. He was the Governor, and his position was above him. He had full authority to control the troops of the four towns. Although he was a civilian Inspector-General and the Ministry of War hoped that he could restrain him, but …
If he didn't give him the authority to restrain him, how could he restrain him?
The Emperor fully supported this person. Shen Yicheng didn't dare to go against the Emperor's orders. He didn't dare to send an army supervisor, but he wanted him to restrain him.
If he didn't give him any authority, how could he restrain him?
This person was not only domineering, but also had such high prestige. The army only had eyes for him. When had they ever had eyes for him? He had just arrived and was here to give money. He didn't have any prestige or foundation. How could he restrain him?
Moreover …
From a strategic point of view, Fang Shoushi had to admit that Xiao Ruxun was right.
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