General Yu Dayou had been engrossed in military affairs his entire life and had long heard of Zhu Mo’s formidable firearm corps. Seeing a hundred men standing ramrod straight outside the camp, each with a long musket on their back, over a foot longer than a standard firearm, a box at the rear, and wearing leather ammunition belts, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"Chancellor Zhu, is this the firearm corps that achieved merit beyond the frontier and repelled Anda? Truly a formidable force! I have seen the firearm corps of the Franks, and they were far inferior to these..."
Zhu Mo thought to himself: "You certainly know your stuff. It seems you've had plenty of sea battles with the Portuguese?"
He replied jokingly, "What do you say, General Yu? If I gave you a thousand musketeers, would you have the confidence to wipe out the wokou?"
General Yu Dayou chuckled but did not answer.
At this moment,
He saw only his nephew.
That half-smile, so much like his sister!
His eyes welled up, and he sighed, "Firearms alone are not enough. I hear Chancellor Zhu also has something called 'Iron Bodhisattva' cannons? If we had twenty or thirty of them, I would be fully confident!"
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Oh?
Zhu Mo and Zheng Qin exchanged a smile.
Zhu Mo said, "I am here precisely for that..."
He looked around, pondered for a moment, and then abruptly changed the subject, "General Yu, you've heard about what's happened these past two months, haven't you? What are your thoughts?"
Since Li Wen’s in-depth discussion, Yu Dayou had placed his full trust in his nephew, knowing his unwavering commitment to saving the Great Ming. He naturally didn't want to conceal anything, and his understanding of the anti-wokou situation was more profound than anyone else's. He knew that there was a unified front, both internal and external. Thus, he spoke frankly:
"Chancellor Zhu, my efforts to resist and eliminate the wokou are known to all in the world, but no one knows how I eliminated them! The current situation is precisely what I have worried about most for the past twenty years...
Think about it, why would internal and external forces advance together? Why did so many events occur while the wokou remained holed up and unprovoked? Young Master Zhu, forgive my bluntness, but this is all the machinations of Yan Song and his son! For the past twenty years, they have been the inside agents for the wokou. Every time the court was about to launch a complete eradication, these two would cause trouble... This time, they have gone all out!
To my knowledge, the wokou have also mobilized almost all their forces. Although Ōtomo Sōrin is a daimyo of six provinces, it would be very difficult for him to recruit a few thousand more ronin. As for the fleet of the Franks, from Maccallum to here, with over fifty ships, there won't be any more...
Chancellor Zhu, this is the decisive battle! If the wokou win, then the Great Ming will likely lose half its territory..."
Hiss!
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Zhu Mo did not expect him to see so clearly and couldn't help but look at him a few more times. Yu Dayou, seeing Zhu Mo's sharp and intelligent eyes, was reminded of his deceased sister and couldn't help but sigh with melancholy.
Zheng Qin, however, was unconvinced and retorted, "General Yu, perhaps you exaggerate? Can the wokou really destroy half of the Great Ming? Can they truly occupy the territory south of the Yangtze? Our Great Ming navy may be weak, but in land warfare, we have never feared anyone!"
Heh heh,
Yu Dayou merely smiled indifferently and said,
"The wokou number over ten thousand this time, plus various mountain bandits and pirates, I estimate there are about a hundred thousand... You are not familiar with naval warfare. You do not know that warships anchored near the coast can control the land. Although they cannot penetrate far inland, within a hundred li, it can be said that nothing will grow... General Zheng, you can ask Chancellor Zhu, and he will explain. If we truly lose this battle, the provinces of the southeast will become states within a state..."
His entire life, he had been explaining to others the control of land by naval warships, but no one had ever listened. Although he felt a bit animated at this moment, seeing Zheng Qin's ignorance, he lost the desire to continue.
Unexpectedly,
Zhu Mo added, "Zheng Qin, don't disbelieve him! A state within a state doesn't necessarily require troops to occupy it. If the wokou can break through the gates of the Great Ming, and with the influence of maritime trade, if everyone in the southeastern provinces flock to it and ignore the court's decrees, wouldn't that be ruin?"
Zheng Qin seemed to understand but still hadn't fully grasped it.
Zhu Mo was too lazy to explain further. He took Yu Dayou into the camp and said with a smile, "General Yu, I've come with an idea for encircling and annihilating the wokou. I'd like to ask if it's feasible?"
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General Yu Dayou was his uncle, and there was a natural closeness. Seeing him humbly seek advice, he felt gratified and led them into the main tent.
Zhu Mo pointed at the map and clearly explained the plan, indicating each artillery position, and asked, "What do you think? Is my strategy feasible?"
Yu Dayou felt that his nephew had indeed matured considerably. His deployment of troops was gradually becoming more organized. If executed as planned, not only could they eliminate the wokou, but they could also establish a firm foothold. At the very least, taking the Zhoushan Islands would be no problem.
However, the wokou were incredibly cunning, all seasoned and fierce fighters, and it was not so easy to deceive them. Moreover, the power of this 'Iron Bodhisattva' remained a question. With all these doubts, how could he answer? He could only smile and say,
"When it comes to warfare, it all boils down to one thing: let the enemy make the first move, and then you find a way to counter. This is called controlling the enemy, not being controlled by the enemy... In my opinion, the wokou will most likely make the first move, within ten days or so. Once the wokou make their move, we will surround and intercept them, and finally lure them to the Zhoushan area..."
Thinking of this,
He felt deeply concerned and suddenly said, "Chancellor Zhu, speaking of which, we have no time to waste. After some preparations in the next couple of days, we must depart for Hangzhou immediately... Do you know? Zhang Jing boarded a ship and headed north seven or eight days ago..."
Oh...
Zhu Mo suddenly realized: If Bi Jian had left, it meant the wokou were truly going to act...
He knew Yu Dayou was an excellent strategist and was very familiar with the wokou. He nodded and said, "General Yu, I have the same feeling. It has been nearly two months since the defeat at Taizhou. All the necessary groundwork has been laid. It is indeed time for the 'heavy hitters' to enter the fray directly..."
Yu Dayou nodded, his heart heavy: For this battle of destiny, the Great Ming has sent my nephew? Is this heaven playing a trick, or a deliberate arrangement?
...
At the same time,
The capital, Yan Manor late at night.
Zhang Jing had reported all major affairs. Luo Longwen had also returned to the capital, leaving Yan Maoqing to remain in charge of Qiantang. Besides the family retainers, Yuan Wei and Guo Pu were deeply trusted by Yan Song and sat beside Yan Shifan.
Tonight,
Yan Song was in an unusually good mood, perhaps the best he had been in years.
With his hands behind his back, he examined the four characters he had just written and finally revealed a satisfied smile, murmuring, "Yuanfeng, Zhi Fu, what do you think? Is this calligraphy satisfactory?"
Yuan Wei and Guo Pu were naturally much more skilled than the retainers. They immediately recognized the profound artistry, calling it a rare masterpiece from Yan Song’s lifetime.
Yuan Wei sighed sincerely, "My Lord, your calligraphy is a testament to a lifetime of dedication and mastery, truly superb! I believe there hasn't been such excellent craftsmanship in the Great Ming for the past decade..."
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Guo Pu also praised:
"Brother Yuanfeng, what I admire most is not just the calligraphy, but Grand Secretary Yan's composed demeanor... Look at these four characters, 'Yu Mo Yuan You,' they exude a profound and mature aura, truly possessing the spirit of ordaining destiny for the empire. Indeed, it is a work that will be remembered for generations to come..."
Hahaha,
Yan Song laughed and said, "Zhi Fu, you flatter me..."