The best defense is offense. Perhaps we could take the initiative and disrupt Altan's potential decisive battle plan?
The thought flashed through Zhu Mo's mind, and he immediately blurted out, "Commander Ma, you are injured. Are you still able to fight at this time?"
Ma Fang snorted, "How can I not? It's just that I don't know who we are fighting now. Are we going to kill the refugees ourselves?"
His emotions suddenly erupted.
Zhu Mo, however, had a stern face and said in a deep voice, "Fighting the enemy we just repelled..."
What?
The retreating enemy?
What did that mean?
At this moment, Zhu Mo had just thought of a way to compensate. After careful calculation, he felt he had some basis, and his mind gradually calmed down. He said,
"If we fear the enemy, do they not fear us? If they can invade, can we not go beyond the frontier? If they surprise us, can we not surprise them?
There is only one good plan now. Commander Ma, immediately lead the elite troops to pursue the fleeing enemy. In my opinion, since they are exhausted, they will definitely lower their guard after leaving the frontier. At this time, they are likely recuperating somewhere beyond the frontier, waiting for Altan's army to gather from various places... If Commander Ma pursues them now, their morale will surely collapse, and they will flee without fighting. Altan will then have to postpone his attack...
During this period, I will consolidate the two prefectures in my capacity as imperial envoy. I will properly deal with the arrogant soldiers and generals, the traitorous princes, and the Yan family's henchmen. Perhaps Altan will abandon the idea of a large-scale invasion. What do you two think?"
Li Wenjin thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Brilliant! The Tatars are exhausted and should not be far away. If Brother Ma suddenly attacks, they will surely be scared out of their wits! However, there is one point: Brother Ma should only harass them and absolutely not go too deep, preferably not too far from the outer fort..."
Ma Fang was usually rough, but when it came to matters of war, he became meticulous. After silently pondering several times, he couldn't help but praise him greatly—
This child actually possesses such extraordinary talent? Even Elder Brother Yu and Elder Brother Qi wouldn't be any better at leading troops than this!
Based on his experience, the Tatars were probably no more than three hundred li from the border at this time, likely recuperating near the White Sea, waiting for Altan to mobilize his main forces from various regions. This was a window of opportunity, and if he were given enough elite troops, he would surely reach them within three to four days...
His confidence grew as he thought, and he blurted out,
"Good! This plan is feasible. I will leave the capital by fast horse tonight, and after two days, I will gather the troops and march beyond the frontier. I should be able to catch up within seven days... At that time, the enemy will surely flee in disarray, and I will pursue them to the Datong area, coordinating with the outer fort to deter the enemy on the left flank. In this way, both lines can be covered, and Altan will be difficult to deal with for the time being!"
The three looked at each other and smiled. The age gap suddenly disappeared, and a brotherhood forged in shared life and death arose, fostering a sense of closeness.
At the same time,
Li Wenjin and Ma Fang couldn't help but murmur—
This nephew has a great reputation. I thought he was all flash and no substance, but he turns out to be a natural-born general! Alas, Sister Yu can rest in peace now...
At this moment,
The four sat down. A sliver of a moon hung in the sky, and a bright star happened to be directly in front of the moon, like a bow and arrow.
Zhu Mo looked up and murmured, "Good, so good! Venus entering the moon signifies the enemy can be destroyed... Brother Ma, your journey will surely be successful!"
The three nodded simultaneously, filled with a suppressed excitement. They felt that fighting alongside their sworn nephew this time was like stepping into another era, and the ingenious plan was extremely brilliant. For a general's entire life, they couldn't resist the urge to test their mettle.
...
With a preliminary plan,
Zhu Mo felt as if he had found a guiding star in the night sky, and his thoughts gradually opened—
In fact,
As Liang Menglong had said, the fortress defenses in Xuanda after the Gengxu Incident were already quite good. Just around Datong, there were over eight hundred military forts. If it weren't for the traitor, it would not be easy for the Tatars to pose a serious threat; at most, they would plunder and destroy the outer屯堡 (túnbǎo - fortified villages/garrisons). As for a decisive battle, Altan had no confidence in facing such defenses.
Therefore, even if Yan Song colluded with him, he could only create a situation for a decisive battle. However, this pressure was enough to change internal affairs. Yan Song would fully utilize this momentum to transform it into internal pressure and strangle the reforms at their inception...
As a generation's formidable figure, Altan's actions were indeed a signal to the Ming opposition, especially the Yan family, to understand his intentions. As long as the Yan family also made a move, Altan would not hesitate to raise a large army...
But if the Ming army, in turn, displayed strong willpower and deterrence in combat, Altan would reconsider the overall situation and perhaps abandon the idea of stifling Ming reforms. The balance between the two sides could be maintained, of course, provided it was based on deterrence. And deterrence, besides heavy troops, also relied on weapons and strategies.
Strategies and tactics are merely techniques that can only be effective temporarily. For example, Ma Fang's proactive attack could disrupt Altan's deployment. But who was Altan? He was a formidable figure, not so easily dealt with. If he were to launch a major invasion, he would attack Ma Fang fiercely, and Ma Fang would definitely not be able to resist...
Therefore, Ma Fang's proactive attack was merely to buy time for the overall rectification. Perhaps in a month, at most three months, Altan would advance towards the Xuanda prefectures, forming an unprecedented decisive battle situation.
And during this period, were there any other ways?
Zhu Mo considered several, such as bribery and negotiation, but none were effective. After much thought, he finally returned to the most fundamental thing—
Weapons!
The only thing that could deter Altan, perhaps, was—
Firearms,
More advanced firearms, creating a sudden contrast, making Altan feel an astonishing variable, thus preventing him from taking risks.
Only after being fiercely deterred would Altan come to his senses, fully recognize Zhu Mo's prowess, and clearly see that the Ming reforms would not cease and Yan Song's downfall was inevitable. Only then would he abandon the idea of stifling the Ming's revitalization reforms.
And once better firearms were available, even in small numbers, as long as they were used properly, they could still greatly shock Altan. Even if a decisive battle was already in motion, there might still be room for salvation...
Regarding Ming firearms, he recalled that many experts had analyzed that Ming firearm technology was actually leading, but for various reasons, it had not been mass-produced.
He had always remained non-committal on this point, and this time, the truth of this conclusion would directly determine his fate.
...
Zhu Mo became calmer as he thought.
In any case, this was the only path forward. Whether it succeeded or not depended on heaven, and also on the Ming's own foundation. If it truly failed, what else could be done?
At this moment,
He thought of the traitor and wanted to understand the internal situation of Xuanda so he could deal with it effectively. Thus, he asked again,
"Prince Raoyang is just a prince. The greatest prince in Datong is still the Prince of Dai. Does the Prince of Dai not care? If we calculate, that Prince Raoyang is also a junior of the Prince of Dai, isn't he?"
Hmm, hmm,
Ma Fang nodded and said, "Lord Zhu, the Prince of Dai is a good prince, but unfortunately, alas... let my second brother explain!"
Li Wenjin continued,
"The Prince of Dai is indeed good, but unfortunately, he cannot withstand the 'pillow talk'... At first, he also restrained Prince Raoyang, but later, who knows what spell the Princess of Dai cast, the Prince stopped caring..."