Chapter 247 The Importance of Dali
Chapter 247 The Importance of Dali
Strategic high ground?
Li Jinglong was confused by what he heard, and kept looking at the map on the side.
Trying to find where Dali is and where the so-called strategic high ground is.
Xu Zengshou found Dali very easily.
But the map hanging in the military tent was just a simple plan view, not a topographic map.
So he couldn't see why Dali was in a strategic location.
But Mu Ying understood that whether it was the Ancient Tea-Horse Road or the Shu-Shendu Road, Dali was an important city connecting the southeast, northwest, and northeast of Yunnan in the Ming Dynasty.
It is located in the northwest, with extremely high terrain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a key place in central Yunnan.
Mu Ying's face was calm, and he spoke calmly:
"only these?"
Lu Yunyi pursed his lips, his expression cold, and spoke lightly, but the bloodshot eyes and fatigue could not be concealed no matter what.
"Reporting to Lord Mu, I believe that if Dali exists, Kunming exists, and if Dali does not exist, Kunming does not exist.
Once Kunming is lost, the entire strategic location of Yunnan Provincial Administration will be lost.
A hundred years ago, Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, used the strategy of Wufu to destroy the Southern Song Dynasty.
The strategy they adopted was to attack the Dali Kingdom, then capture Kunming and then go straight into Guangxi, the heartland of the Southern Song Dynasty. From then on, the Southern Song Dynasty had no chance of recovery.
And now, our Ming Dynasty has been fighting in Yunnan for nearly twenty years.
Such a huge amount of money was spent on repairing the garrisons, building the city, and setting up the Xuanwei Office, just to guard against the old events of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Dali is the capital of the late Dali Kingdom. Now Luchuan has 300,000 soldiers and horses.
Although it is far inferior to the three-pronged attack by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty to destroy the Song Dynasty, it should not be underestimated.
Once Dali fell, the northwest barrier of the entire Yunnan Provincial Administration would disappear.
Whether we march into Kunming, or march northwards along the Shu-Shendu Road to Sichuan, or march into Tibet along the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, these are losses that the Ming Dynasty cannot afford.
By then, Luchuan will become a major threat to the southwest of the Ming Dynasty."
After a pause, Lu Yunyi's face became extremely solemn, and then he said in a deep voice:
"Your Excellency Mu, when I was in the capital, news came from the north that Yesudier had obtained the seal of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
Now he has ascended the throne in the land of Wala,
If the trouble in the southwest could not be stopped, Yesütier would certainly follow the trend and move south, and the two would merge.
Cut off the entire western part of the Ming Dynasty, and the twenty years of foundation of the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed.
Therefore, I believe that even if 100,000 people died in Dali City and all the scouts in the front army were killed, Dali City could not be lost.
I would like to go to Dali City first and attack and kill the enemy."
The atmosphere in the military tent was so solemn that one could hear a pin drop.
Li Jinglong and Xu Zengshou looked confused at this moment.
Where is the Shu-Shendu Road? Where is the Ancient Tea-Horse Road? Why is Dali Prefecture so important? Why is Kunming important?
Now it is a threat to the southwest, why is it related to the Northern Yuan Dynasty and the old Yuan Dynasty?
The two looked at each other and could see the confusion in each other's eyes.
Mu Ying, who was guarding the southwest, understood these words and could no longer hide his admiration. He nodded slightly and said calmly:
"Very good. Some good friends in Beijing have written to me.
Frankly speaking, your talent is not limited to leading troops in battle, but also the ability to see the overall situation.
I heard you are from the north? The generals who have been stationed in Yunnan for many years may not know what you said before.
"Reporting to Lord Mu, I am a border resident of Qingzhou."
Mu Ying nodded slightly, with a smile on his face:
"Fortunately, our Ming Dynasty has been investing its forces in the north. If Qingzhou fell into Nahachu's hands, he would have an extra general under his command."
Lu Yunyi pursed his lips and said in a deep voice:
"Reporting to Lord Mu, my humble father was a juren in the third year of Hongwu.
You have taught me a lot since I was young, and taught me the laws of the Ming Dynasty, which has made me what I am today.
If Qingzhou becomes Nahachu's territory, I may not know where to herd my sheep."
"Hahahaha, okay, okay,
No wonder Wang Bi said that you are very capable and eloquent, and much more interesting than other generals in the army.
You are so young, why do you speak so maturely? "
Mu Ying showed a bit of weirdness on his face, and then looked at Li Jinglong:
"Jiujiang, thank you for your hard work these years. Although you look old-fashioned, that's just an act. You..."
Mu Ying looked at Lu Yunyi, frowning in thought:
"I don't think I'm pretending. I'm really mature beyond my years. Is there really such a thing as being born with knowledge?"
Lu Yunyi's pupils suddenly contracted and his whole body tensed up. At this moment, his fear of Mu Ying had reached its extreme.
Mu Ying is best at long-distance raids and defeating the enemy with fewer troops, which is also a reflection of his intelligence.
After just a few words, his past was exposed.
The Twin Walls of the Ming Dynasty are worthy of their reputation.
Seeing that Lu Yunyi was slow to speak, Mu Ying's eyes flashed with a hint of teasing:
"Could it be that what Ben Hou said is right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the solemn atmosphere in the military tent disappeared in an instant, replaced by a funny and weird atmosphere.
Lu Yunyi gently raised his hand and scratched his head, and said in a deep voice:
"Reporting to Lord Mu, it is said that children from poor families grow up early. My family was not well off when I was young, so this may be the reason."
Mu Ying nodded and asked:
"Wasn't your father a juren in the third year of Hongwu? Didn't he become an official?"
"Reporting to Lord Mu, my father said frankly that the officialdom was dark and he did not want to be an official. Now my father has opened a school in Qingzhou to teach and educate people."
"Oh?" Mu Ying straightened his back and nodded repeatedly:
“Your father had such insight in the third year of Hongwu, so it is natural for you to have such knowledge.
You are right. I want to send you to Dali to defend it with Feng Cheng.
The Governor's Office sent me a letter with your battle plan.
I have already read it, and it does make some sense.
But I have some doubts, can the soldiers of the front scout unit really achieve this level? "
Mu Ying's expression changed from smiling at the beginning to being serious now.
If the front army scouts really have such capabilities, then the problem that is most troubling him now will be solved.
Not only can all the harassing soldiers outside the three prefectures be killed,
You can even take the initiative to open up a battlefield, charge into enemy territory and seize the initiative before Luchuan gathers its troops.
Instead of waiting for the arrival of follow-up troops as we are doing now and then using force to overwhelm them.
Lu Yunyi's figure became serious, and he spoke decisively:
"Reporting to Lord Mu, I have done corresponding training in Yingtian.
We also practiced mountain warfare while traveling on the water.
Please rest assured, Lord Mu, I will definitely be able to wipe out the threat from Luchuan, which belongs to Dali, in one fell swoop."
Lu Yunyi's voice was so sonorous and powerful that Li Jinglong, who was standing beside him, felt excited for no reason, as if he was sure to win the battle.
Mu Ying also saw the burning fighting spirit and confidence in Lu Yunyi's eyes, smiled, and nodded gently:
"Well, you are indeed a young hero of our Ming Dynasty. Let's do this. Rest for a day tomorrow and then set off for Dali Prefecture."
Then, Mu Ying added:
"This day is not a reward from me, but something you have fought for.
If you move fast, you will be able to rest. If you move slow, don't blame me for being merciless and forcing you to move forward."
At this moment, Li Jinglong quietly touched his crotch, feeling somewhat relieved.
Fortunately, he still had one day to rest. If he had to travel for seven consecutive days, he would have suffered a lot.
Mu Ying stood up, looked around and wanted to leave.
When his eyes swept over the map spread out on the table, he was stunned.
He then walked over quickly and picked up the map.
This map is the troop movements of the Ming Dynasty and the direction of Luchuan's advance predicted by Lu Yunyi during the march.
All the gathering places finally stopped at Dingbian, which made Mu Ying look thoughtful. He said in a deep voice:
"What is this map used for?"
Lu Yunyi walked over, and Li Jinglong and Xu Zengshou also came over. Lu Yunyi glanced at the map and replied:
"Reporting to Lord Mu, this is the route I speculated on during my free time on the road."
Mu Ying glanced at him, somewhat surprised.
Then he cast his eyes on the map and soon frowned.
On this map, Jingdong Prefecture has been completely occupied by Luchuan.
In the Battle of Jingdong in the 18th year of Hongwu, although the Ming Dynasty was defeated and lost most of the control of Jingdong Prefecture near the southwest,
But after three years of fighting, Jingdong Prefecture has been partially recaptured by the Southwestern Army.
Even because of the poor land in Luchuan and the long supply lines,
Some important cities are now in the hands of the Ming Dynasty.
But now the map in front of him directly set the battlefield at the throat of Dali Prefecture. The meaning of this made Mu Ying fall into deep thought.
"Do you think Jingdong Prefecture cannot be defended?" Mu Ying's face was solemn.
Lu Yunyi's face froze, and a hint of hesitation flashed across his eyes. After a moment, he spoke in a deep voice:
"Reporting to Lord Mu, fighting in Jingdong means using one's own weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths.
I have seen Luchuan's performance in the battle of Jingdong when I was in Yingtian.
Whether it is the elephant soldiers, javelins, or the slave soldiers gathered in Luchuan, they all pose a great threat to our Ming Dynasty.
Jingdong is full of mountains and forests, and the terrain is rugged.
This is particularly disadvantageous to our Ming cavalry, so I think this battle,
Luchuan Silunfa will certainly repeat the old story of Jingdong and end the war with a huge number of javelins.
If the Ming Dynasty refuses to defend here, even if it can hold on, it will suffer heavy losses.
It would be better to fight to the death in Dingbian, the two empty valleys.
Under this terrain, our Ming cavalry can charge freely without any shackles.
However, Luchuan Silunfa's elephant army is extremely large. If they were to use infantry to fight against them, there would be countless casualties.
We can take advantage of their elephants' lack of mobility.
Use cavalry to distract them, repeatedly make detours, and wipe out the guards on one side. When all the guards are scattered, the elephants will be useless.
After hearing this, Lu Yunyi and Mu Ying frowned.
Xu Zengshou, Li Jinglong and Guo Quan who had just arrived were all confused. Where was Dingbian?
After looking at the map for a long time, Mu Ying sighed and said in a deep voice:
"I never thought that you, a northerner, would know so much about the topography of the southwest. You must have put in a lot of hard work.
This was the initial decision of Xiping Marquis's Mansion, to abandon the entire Jingdong Mansion.
Use the infantry to defend the east side of Lishe River, while our elite troops will focus on guarding Dali Dingbian. "
Lu Yunyi looked normal, not at all surprised by this.
No matter how a war ends,
There are at least a dozen different ways of fighting in the early stages of the war, and they are not always the same.
These established tactics may be combined to form a strange combination.
But it doesn’t matter, as long as we can win.
Mu Ying continued to speak, his face solemn, looking at Lu Yunyi:
"Even if Jingdong cannot be defended, the Southwest Barbarian Expedition Army still has to defend it. At least we have to do our part there. This is the key."
Mu Ying looked at Li Jinglong and asked:
"Jiujiang, you stay in Yingtian all day, did you know that?"
Li Jinglong pursed his lips. He finally encountered a problem he knew about, but he couldn't be happy.
He also sighed and said in a deep voice:
"Uncle Mu, even if it is just to stop the gossips, you shouldn't let the soldiers die."
Mu Ying's expression turned a little colder:
"To retreat without fighting is considered surrender, and to fail to help someone in danger is considered treason. Remember these two points when marching."
Li Jinglong didn't know what to say. He saw the open and covert struggles in the court.
In recent years, the prerequisite for winning battles and getting promoted is to make no major mistakes, but to make minor mistakes constantly.
Whether it is retreating without fighting or not helping someone in need, both are taboos in the military.
Lu Yunyi also fell silent. In the military report he was reading,
In the battle of Jingdong in the 18th year of Hongwu, the 20,000 people who defended Jizhai were surrounded by the Silun Fa group and were beyond rescue.
But Feng Cheng still led the elite cavalry of Yunnan Prefecture to rush to the rescue, but was ambushed and lost nearly half of his troops. Qianhu Wang Sheng was killed in the battle, and even he escaped with half his life lost.
Afterwards, the court not only did not reprimand him, but instead praised him and even promoted him.
If he did not go to rescue them, he would be derelict in his duty as the acting commander of Yunnan.
Even if he was Feng Sheng's nephew, the court would have killed him.
And this is just watching someone in danger without helping. If you retreat without fighting when encountering the enemy, the consequences will be even more serious.
Mu Ying looked at Lu Yunyi and saw that his face was heavy. He spoke in a deep voice:
"The war in the southwest is different from the war in the northern border, so the Yuan Dynasty has too little control over this area.
As a result, there were many chieftains, and they all bullied the weak and feared the strong.
If we were to be defeated without a fight, they would stir up who knows what kind of storm."
Seeing that their faces were still a little heavy, Mu Ying smiled and said:
"Did the troops see it when they entered the city through the gate?"
There was a flash of confusion in Li Jinglong's eyes, while there was a flash of brilliance in Lu Yunyi's eyes. He raised his head suddenly, and the heaviness in his heart disappeared completely.
If there are enough third brothers, Jingdong Mansion will definitely be defended!
Seeing him like this, Mu Ying immediately laughed and reached out his hand to point at him:
"Boy, no wonder Lan Yu said you are full of bad intentions."
Li Jinglong looked at Mu Ying, then at Lu Yunyi, still looking confused. What happened?
Mu Ying shook the map in his hand and looked at Lu Yunyi:
"Can I take the map?"
"Reporting to Lord Mu, just take it. I have memorized everything written on this map."
Mu Ying looked Lu Yunyi up and down and asked:
"How many days have you not slept?"
"Reporting to Lord Mu, three days."
"You're so weak after not sleeping for three days? You're still young, so stay away from girls."
This time it was Lu Yunyi's turn to be confused.
He is now busy with military affairs all day long and his sexual interest in women has been reduced to the lowest level. How can he stay away from them?
"Hahaha, okay, okay, have you eaten?" Mu Ying laughed and asked.
"Not yet, Uncle Mu. I was planning to go to your house for lunch at noon, but unfortunately, I fell asleep."
"Then let's go. Take your maps and follow me to my home for dinner."
Mu Ying spoke with a smile, looked at everyone present, and then walked out silently.
Liu Heiying stood there in a daze, not knowing whether he should go or not.
Lu Yunyi walked over and patted his belly:
"What are you doing standing around? Let's go."
"Ah? I'm going too."
Lu Yunyi rolled his eyes at him:
"Hey Black Hawk, you are a high-ranking official in Daning, a real fourth-rank official, not a black kid selling melons."
After hearing this, Liu Heiying showed joy on his face and nodded repeatedly:
"Let's go."
The two most important strategic locations of the Ming Dynasty were Xuanda and Yunnan.
As long as these two places are defended, the Ming Dynasty will not perish.
I have something to do tonight. I'll send it off early.
Well, I almost forgot to set the timer.
(End of this chapter)