Chapter 884: More proactive external strategies!

After expressing his opinion, Gu Sansi bowed deeply to Ye Mingsheng, and then stood back in the queue...
Gu Sansi's words also reduced Ye Mingsheng's worries about the collusion between the Luoan court and the Golden Horde. After thinking for a moment, he looked at Zhao Han, the chief of staff.

Feeling Ye Mingsheng's gaze, Zhao Han also understood that as the chief of staff, he must express his opinion on this issue on behalf of the military, so he stood up decisively and said:

"General, although the population of the Golden Horde is small, it still has a lot of soldiers because of its system of all-powerful soldiers. According to the summary of various intelligence, I think the Golden Horde has about three Tiger Divisions and ten Eagle Divisions in standing force, with a total force of about 150,000!"

"If the Khan launches a war mobilization, the total military strength of the Golden Horde can be doubled to more than 300,000!"

"According to the intelligence from the General Staff, the Elunqin Steppe is still the focus of the Golden Horde. They have deployed a Tiger Division and five Eagle Divisions with a total of about 70,000 troops there. This is almost half of the Golden Horde's standing troops!"

“And currently there is only one Eagle Division in the Yongliang direction, with a total strength of only a little over 10,000. So judging from the troop deployment of the Golden Horde, I think the Golden Horde has no intention of moving south on a large scale in the short term…”

Listening to Zhao Han's opinions, Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly, then looked at Guo Zhiping, the deputy chief of staff.

As a relatively pure military general, Guo Zhiping's thoughts were not as profound as Gu San's. His original idea was that he supported the war with the Golden Horde because the Golden Horde was so arrogant. He wanted to use this opportunity to return to the field army and get rid of the embarrassing position of deputy chief of staff.

But after listening to Gu Sansi and Zhao Han's speeches, Guo Zhiping felt that his ideas might be a little inappropriate. After hesitating for a moment, he said:
"General, I think that regardless of whether the Golden Horde wants to intervene in the war between us and the Luoan court, our army must be prepared for the worst, that is, the Golden Horde's southward invasion. The Golden Horde, like the Luobi people, is a nomadic people who are good at cavalry combat. If we want to defeat them, we must vigorously develop our cavalry force!"

Although the meaning of Guo Zhiping's speech was very obscure, Ye Mingsheng still understood what he meant.

As the general who is best at cavalry combat in the Fengwu Army, if the cavalry force is to be vigorously developed, Guo Zhiping must be given important positions!
Ye Mingsheng nodded with a smile at Guo Zhiping's little thought. Looking at Ye Mingsheng's expression, Guo Zhiping also showed a glimmer of hope.

After listening to An Guo Zhiping’s opinions, Ye Mingsheng looked towards Cui Shao standing on his left with some anticipation. He believed that this old bureaucrat of the Great Zhou would definitely give him unusual opinions...

Cui Shao coughed lightly, then stood up and slowly spoke:
"I agree with Master Gu's opinion!"

"The purpose of Esdoan writing this personal letter to you is not to ask for conditions that our army must agree to, but to test our army's attitude!"

After repeating Gu Sansi's point of view, Cui Shao paused for a moment, then faced Ye Mingsheng's gaze and spoke solemnly:
"Especially your attitude towards the Robe people!"

"It seems that Esiduoan is using this handwritten letter to test the importance of Master Yongliang in his eyes, and then he will make the subsequent decision based on your reaction!"

After saying this, Cui Shao stood back in the queue, and everyone present seemed to understand something from his opinion.

Compared with Gu Sansi, Cui Shao spoke less, but he made Ye Mingsheng more aware of the strategic intention behind Asdogan's handwritten letter.

After thinking for a while, Ye Mingsheng instructed Zhao Han:
"Tell me about the Robe people!"

After receiving Ye Mingsheng's order, Zhao Han organized his words and introduced:
"After the fierce battle with the Kipchaks last autumn, the Robe people lost more than 30,000 soldiers and horses, and lost the western Elunqin steppe. It can be said that the loss was quite heavy. However, under the cover of our army's support firearms at the time, the Robe people still retained a considerable part of their manpower...

"And just this past winter, a snowstorm swept across the Erlunqin grassland, which made the already declining Luobi tribe even worse!"

"From what we know, the Robe people still have a standing army of 50,000 people. Facing the Golden Horde's Tiger Division and five Eagle Divisions with 70,000 troops stationed in the Western Elunqin Steppe, they can barely form a strategic balance!"

"Although the Robes were able to maintain unity in dealing with the Kipchak Khanate, with their successive defeats to the Kipchak Khanate and the loss of the Western Elunqin Steppe, Robes' internal problems became more prominent. Many people attributed the defeat to the Great Khan Arsalan's poor command and demanded that Arsalan take responsibility for the defeat and abdicate!"

"And the snowstorm last winter was also considered to be Arsalan's mistake that triggered God's punishment. Therefore, Arsalan's rule in Robe seems to be a little shaky!"

"There are even reports that the Golden Horde is waiting for civil unrest among the Robe people, so they can take advantage of the situation and completely annihilate the Robe people on the Elunqin steppe!"

After hearing Zhao Han's introduction, Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly, and then seeing that no one else had anything to say, he announced the adjournment of the meeting.

After returning to the study, Ye Mingsheng began to prepare to write a reply to Ai Siduoan·······················

First, he emphasized to Asdogan that Yongliang was the traditional and inherent territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and that those who violated the Great Zhou Dynasty would be punished no matter how far away they were. He demanded that the Golden Horde immediately withdraw from the occupied Great Zhou territory, severely punish the Khanate's tribesmen who invaded the Great Zhou Dynasty, and ensure that similar incidents would not happen again. Secondly, Luobi was the traditional neighbor and friendly partner of the Fengwu Army. The trade between the two sides was not subject to any third-party constraints and restrictions, and the Golden Horde had no right to comment on it.

In addition, Ye Mingsheng also urged Aisidogan to stop the war against the Robe people and the invasion of the Erlunqin grassland, so that peace can be restored to the grassland and the herders on the grassland can live and work in peace.

On the third point, Ye Mingsheng expressed his intention to strengthen trade exchanges with the Golden Horde and was willing to give the Golden Horde preferential trade policies.

However, based on the principle of diplomatic reciprocity, Ye Mingsheng also asked the Golden Horde to grant the same preferential trade policies and protect the personal and property safety of the Great Zhou merchants in the Golden Horde!

Although he said this, Ye Mingsheng still had to consider the ways and methods when it came to specific actions.

Ye Mingsheng currently does not plan to send the Fengwu Army into Yongliang. Firstly, although part of Yongliang’s land was occupied by the Golden Horde, the main cities and gathering points for the people are still actually controlled by the Luoan court. Therefore, the territory still belongs to the Great Zhou and is not controlled by the Golden Horde...
Secondly, according to the latest battle report sent by Yunbing, Yuan Song led the main force to confront Yang Chongqing in Pingyang, and the decisive battle between the two sides was about to break out. At this time, letting Yuan Song send troops into Yongliang would undoubtedly be a blind command, which would ruin the good situation of Fengwu Army in Yunbing. Ye Mingsheng was not so confused as to say this.

Third, Yongliang has very low economic and political value except as a strategic buffer. At this stage of the Fengwu Army, it is not the best time to conquer this place.

Of course, not entering Yongliang now does not mean that the Fengwu Army will not enter Yongliang in the future. In Ye Mingsheng's strategic plan, after he unifies the Great Zhou, Yongliang will be a strategic focus for him to deal with the powerful enemies in the north. The nomadic threat from the north has always been the most troublesome external force for the Central Plains dynasty.

Ye Mingsheng thought that it was time to put an end to this situation under his notice!

He and the Fengwu Army have the obligation to make the Lai Luobi and Cumans hospitable and good at singing and dancing!
In view of the complex and tense situation, Ye Mingsheng intends to implement a more active Luobei policy, that is, to better control the Luobei people through all-round means such as military, political and economic means.

The Luobi people have always wanted to obtain all-round material support from the Fengwu Army, such as firearms technology, food, pig iron, etc. Ye Mingsheng also intends to use these materials to influence the political changes within the Luobi people, so as to better win over, divide and control the Luobi people···································

However, although the Robe high-level officials represented by Robe Khan Arsalan wanted to strengthen trade relations with the Fengwu Army and gain more benefits from the Fengwu Army, they rejected the political influence exerted by Ye Mingsheng and still wanted to maintain the political independence of the Robe people.

This was unacceptable to Ye Mingsheng, so he had been restricting trade with the Robe people. He wanted to give them some benefits so that they would not completely cut off the idea of ​​obtaining material support from the Fengwu Army, but he also could not fully meet their needs.

This method of boiling a frog in warm water has been proceeding step by step under the leadership of Ye Mingsheng. Although Arsalan tried his best to prevent the political infiltration of the Fengwu Army, Ye Mingsheng's political influence still slowly penetrated into the Luobi people like spring rain.

However, in the autumn of last year, Ye Mingsheng's political tactics almost backfired. At that time, Esidogan personally led 100,000 main forces of the Cumans to invade the Elunqin steppe. Although the Robe people resisted hard and performed very bravely, due to the gap in comprehensive strength between the two sides, the western Elunqin steppe was lost and occupied by the Cumans.

At that time, due to the military defeat, the Robe people were in danger of total collapse. However, Ye Mingsheng later allocated a batch of firearms, food, armor and other supplies to the Robe people, which prevented the Robe people from a complete collapse.································
Otherwise, with the massive offensive of the Cumans at that time, they had a good chance of swallowing up the Robe people in one swoop. If that were the case, given the Cumans' wolfish and ambitious character, they might have already begun to eye the Great Zhou covetously, preparing to take advantage of the chaos to launch a large-scale attack to the south to fish in troubled waters!

Ye Mingsheng felt that it was his wave of strategic assistance at that time that made Asdogan realize the impact of the Fengwu Army's assistance on the grassland situation. This was why Asdogan specifically asked the Fengwu Army not to provide assistance to the Robe people in his personal letter to him.

Cui Shao’s words just now reminded Ye Mingsheng that the Golden Horde would definitely not be satisfied with occupying only half of the Erlanqin steppe. They would certainly continue to launch offensives against the Robe people, trying to completely eradicate the Robe people, their lifelong enemy, occupy the entire Erlanqin steppe, and become the overlord spanning the east and west of the grassland!
Although Ye Mingsheng did not like the Robe people, considering the interests of the Great Zhou, Ye Mingsheng had to protect the Robe people and prevent the Cumans from dominating the grassland. According to the current situation on the grassland, if Ye Mingsheng wanted to achieve this goal, he had to provide large-scale assistance to the Robe people.

Therefore, before providing large-scale aid to the Robe people, Ye Mingsheng must eradicate Arsalan and the group represented by him, and refuse to allow himself to politically influence the Robe nobles····························
Along with the Fengwu Army's aid must come Ye Mingsheng's political influence. Anyone who blocks Ye Mingsheng's will will end up dead!

What Ye Mingsheng needs is a hunting dog that is loyal to him and serves him, not a vicious dog with a treacherous mind ready to bite its master at any time!
Strengthening trade relations with the Cumans is Ye Mingsheng's means of controlling the Robe people!
Ye Mingsheng wants to let the Luobei people understand that the Fengwu Army’s help to you is not a matter of course. I can support you and give you help now, but as long as you disobey, I can support your opponents and enemies and put you in hell and pain.

After finishing writing the reply to Esideoan, Ye Mingsheng realized that it was already three quarters after noon and he felt a little hungry.

Bai Yuanyuan also sent her maid Xiao E to bring food to Ye Mingsheng, but because she was busy at the time, she was blocked outside by Ye Cheng.

Ever since realizing that Ye Mingsheng liked the meals from her small kitchen, Bai Yuanyuan often came to bring delicious food to Ye Mingsheng, which is also a major culprit for Ye Mingsheng's current weight gain.

However, Bai Yuanyuan used to come in person, and in addition to delivering meals, she also helped Ye Mingsheng take a nap. But now, because she is about to give birth, Bai Yuanyuan doesn't dare to run away, so she can only stay in the yard and let the maid Xiao'e bring meals to Ye Mingsheng.

Knowing that Ye Mingsheng didn't like extravagance, Bai Yuanyuan didn't cook too many dishes for Ye Mingsheng. She only prepared three dishes, namely boiled cabbage, braised spare ribs, and sweet and sour prawns.

Although the three dishes were not many, they were all Ye Mingsheng’s favorites. Hungry Ye Mingsheng started eating immediately, enjoying the pleasant feeling brought to him by the food···································
(End of this chapter)