Once the war machine started, it would not easily stop, and once it stopped, it would not easily start again because it was too heavy, too heavy.
From the moment Xiao Ruxun decided to start it, the machine would not stop until it achieved its goal.
While mobilizing the army, Xiao Ruxun did not forget to do something else.
Previously, time was very tight for the battle in the north, so Xiao Ruxun did not think of it and hurriedly took a ship to the north, leaving his Blackwater troops in Burma. As a result, they were tricked by Shen Yicheng.
Now that he thought about it, if he had been more careful and brought some of the Blackwater troops that had made great contributions in Luzon to the capital, he would not have faced such a situation.
On the political path, he was still relatively inexperienced.
Xiao Ruxun reflected.
Shen Yicheng had used the Imperial Bodyguard to harm him very badly. Now, Xiao Ruxun also wanted to let his Blackwater troops show their strength, and there was no need to stay in a place like Luzon.
The first official task that Xiao Ruxun gave Blackwater was to instigate defection. The goal was the first line of defense that he would encounter when he went north to attack Shen Yicheng.
Liu Gu in Sichuan, Deng Zilong in Yunnan, Chen Lin, the Navy Admiral active in Fujian and Guangdong, and Cen Dalu, the leader of the Wolf Soldiers who had fought side by side with him and formed a deep friendship.
If nothing unexpected happened, these four forces would become the first line of defense to stop him from going north. Xiao Ruxun's route to the north was generally by sea and land. It was imperative that the army of more than one hundred thousand soldiers split into two or three routes.
There was no need to talk about the sea route. After dealing with the Guangdong Navy, Shen Yicheng would not have the strength to compete with the Zhennan Army's navy. The entire coastal area would be Xiao Ruxun's sphere of influence.
Like the Japanese pirates, Xiao Ruxun could use a large navy to attack the coastal area at any time. Shen Yicheng would not be able to fight back, and Xiao Ruxun would not give him a chance to build a navy.
The Ming Army's shipyards were basically in the Jiangnan area. As long as Xiao Ruxun moved his army north, he would inevitably first take the main port, then attack the interior, control the southeast coastal area, and snatch away Shen Yicheng's money bag.
This required the Guangdong Navy and Chen Lin not to make an enemy out of him. Otherwise, Xiao Ruxun really couldn't bear to kill off the soldiers of the Guangdong Navy who had fought side by side with him. If they were willing to cooperate, that would be for the best.
The land route was the same. Yunnan was preparing to attack Myanmar, so a counterattack was imperative. A battle had to be fought here.
In terms of the attack route, Xiao Ruxun planned to choose Siam and Vietnam to march into Guangxi and meet up with the Wolf Soldiers. Then he would go all the way north and cooperate with the navy and the Marine Corps to sweep the entire southeast. Here, he needed the Guangxi Wolf Soldiers, who were the strongest force in Jiangnan, to not be enemies with him. In this case, Xiao Ruxun would be able to advance quickly.
If he let the navy cut off the Yangtze River route and abolish the Jinghang Grand Canal's grain transport, Shen Yicheng would be anxious. When he was mobilizing his troops, he could directly sweep his hometown and confiscate property in the name of eliminating rebels and punishing evil. This would make him go crazy.
The southeast was Shen Yicheng's base. Abolishing his base would be equivalent to half of Shen Yicheng's paralysis. Without the support of the Jiangnan grain transport, how long could the natural and man-made disasters in the north last these few years? How much grain did he, Shen Yicheng, have in his hands to use? How could the grain in Jiubian be maintained?
At that time, Shen Yicheng would be suddenly attacked and suffer from a lack of food. He would have to seek a decisive battle with his main force. What Xiao Ruxun was least afraid of was a decisive battle, even if Shen Yicheng mobilized the Liaodong Iron Cavalry.
From a military point of view, Xiao Ruxun felt that the current Jiangnan was a broken net that could be torn apart no matter how hard it was torn. There was no elite force that could be compared with the Zhennan Army. Rapid advancement was a very normal thing. The real force that could fight with the Zhennan Army was the Garrison Army in Jiubian.
However, the relationship between these armies and Xiao Ruxun was not shallow.
Therefore, Xiao Ruxun personally wrote a letter to Chen Lin, Deng Zilong, Liu Da, and the leader of the Wolf Soldiers, explaining the pros and cons. He wrote to them about his own experience and what Shen Yicheng had done, hoping that they could join him to set things right and fight against the traitors in the north.
At the same time, it was crucial to analyze the current situation for Chen Lin and the others.
Eradicating Xiao Ruxun was the first step for Shen Yicheng, and eradicating Myanmar was the second step. What about the third step?
It was about eliminating dissidents and centralizing power. Military power was the most important thing. These high-ranking generals had either fought their way to the top in the Ningxia Campaign, the Korea Campaign, or the Dongwu Country Campaign. They had accumulated military merits in these major wars and were then promoted.
These three wars were commanded by Xiao Ruxun. They were all inseparable from Xiao Ruxun. Not to mention Chen Lin, Liu Da, Deng Zilong, and Cen Dalu had all fought with Xiao Ruxun in the Korea War.
This was the main point that Xiao Ruxun wanted to persuade them.
Through these few major battles, the military generals that suddenly rose up were all under Xiao Ruxun's command. They had cooperated with Xiao Ruxun and fought side by side with her. They would definitely become a target of fear for the imperial court.
They might not kill you now because they need you. However, if I, Xiao Ruxun, die, Myanmar will be gone, and the imperial court will no longer be a threat. Do you think they will make a move on you?
They will definitely want to compensate you now and stabilize you. When the time is right, they will remove you from your positions and take away your military power. This way, you will not be able to fight back.
Don't forget, the civil officials have something on you. Previously, they did not do anything to you because of your military merits. However, as time passes, they will dig up old scores to settle with you. When that time comes, no one will speak up for you. What will you do then?
Point out the relationship between the lips and the teeth, and then reminisce about old times with them.
I have gone on this northern expedition only to kill Shen Yicheng. I do not want to kill you. We are all brothers who have fought side by side on the battlefield. Now that Shen Yicheng has deposed His Majesty and committed all sorts of crimes, his court is not the court we need to be loyal to, and the Emperor we need to be loyal to is not the puppet of this Shen Yicheng!
You must understand the nature of this matter. This war appears to be a conflict between me and Shen Yicheng, but in reality, it is a conflict between the generals and the civil officials. We have been suppressed by them for more than a hundred years. It is time for us to stand up and restore the glory of Hongwu and Yongle, right?
As long as you agree to advance with me, Yunnan and Guangxi will be at your fingertips. With this as the foundation, we can advance north. Is there anything we cannot do? Is there any army in Jiangnan that can fight against us?
Will they not surrender at the mere sight of us? Will it still be difficult to attack the capital and rescue His Majesty? Will it still be a dream for all of you to become famous and have wives and children? Will riches and honor be far away? Do you still need to live cautiously under the eyes of the civil officials?
He carefully folded the letter that was full of provocation and then handed it to the most elite men of the Blackwater army.
"This is top secret. If you are discovered before you can deliver it to them, do you know what you should do?"
Xiao Ruxun looked at these elites.
They nodded.
"Commit suicide to thank Silang for saving our lives and giving us a new lease on life!"
"If you live, there is no need to talk about glory and wealth. If you die, I will take good care of your families, wives, and children. Even if I die, I will make arrangements for them in advance. There are thousands of words, but there are only four words: take care and rest assured!"
The men immediately knelt.
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