The Ming Dynasty's Spokesperson

The distance from the capital to the Yalu River is 1,500 miles, and there is no shortage of horses, so the speed of expedited official documents can reach up to 600 miles per day.

A few days later, the capital received a reward, and the King of Korea, Lee Sun, began to transport some of the property he carried across the river.

However, at the same time, Lee Sun directly complained to Emperor Wanli, saying that the Minister of State Affairs Lin Tailai bullied the vassal.

Emperor Wanli sent the eunuch Chen Ju, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household, to the State Affairs Office to ask Lin Tailai about this matter.

Lin Tailai replied: "We can't let Korea sit idly by and do nothing.

But now Korea has no soldiers and no food, so we can only let its monarch and ministers take out gold and silver, which is also a contribution.

Otherwise, what else can Korea do?"

Emperor Wanli just asked symbolically, and Eunuch Chen got a reply from Lin Tailai and turned to leave.

At this time, Lin Tailai suddenly heard again: "There is another matter, I hope the eunuchs can report it to the emperor.

When I was inquiring about military intelligence before, I heard that there should be a huge copper mine in Korea, and its scale should be far larger than the mines in the Ming Dynasty."

Eunuch Chen: "."

Can you, Lin Jiuyuan, be more clever? If you, Lin Jiuyuan, are willing to enter the palace, what can these eunuchs do?

"Where is the mine?" Eunuch Chen asked.

Lin Tailai answered very schemingly: "This copper mine is close to the border and is almost within reach of the Ming Dynasty. In the past, when Chengzu was in power, it was still under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty."

Eunuch Chen nodded. This news should allow the emperor to eat an extra bowl of rice today.

However, Lin Tailai added: "Although the copper mine is very close to Liaodong, it is separated by the territory of Jianzhou Jurchen, which is a bit of a hindrance."

Eunuch Chen did not take it seriously. If the emperor really wanted a super large copper mine, he would just let those savages get out.

In this way, the early military expenses were temporarily solved, and then the most important and difficult problem was the food and grass problem.

A few tens of thousands of stones of military rations would be enough for the army to spend for two or three months. On paper, the number seemed small, and the Ming Dynasty did not lack this amount of military rations.

But the biggest problem was actually the transportation problem, which had to be transported thousands of miles away bit by bit.

Thinking of this, Lin Jinglüe wanted to scold the king and ministers of Korea again.

This bunch of rubbish can't be relied on at all. When the troops are sent out, they can't even get food from the land. They have to rely on the Ming Dynasty to transport it.

In the early stage, it was okay in the northern area near the border of the Ming Dynasty. In the middle and late stages, the further south you go, the more difficult it is to supply military rations.

So Lin Jinglüe is now more concerned about the supply problem in the middle and late stages, and is thinking about whether it is possible to transport grain from Dezhou Warehouse and Linqing Warehouse on the canal to Denglai, and then transport it from Denglai to Korea by sea.

This is another complex systematic project. If it is feasible, a specialist should be sent to Shandong to be responsible.

After the preliminary work had some clues, the Jinglüe Shogunate issued a recruitment order to recruit shogunate members.

The principle is to select people based on their talents (crossed out), regardless of their background. At the same time, they are also required to be physically strong and able to adapt to long-term work in other places.

At the same time, based on his own impression, Lin Jinglue continuously petitioned the court to recruit a group of deputy generals and above, including Ma Gui, Dong Yiyuan, Dayun and other famous generals.

Not surprisingly, this list has attracted great attention among the military officers. If the expedition goes smoothly, it will be a great achievement, and all these generals will surely be rewarded.

In the Ningyuan Earl's Mansion, a pair of middle-aged and elderly military officers looked at the list of generals and frowned.

Because there is no one with the surname Li on this list of generals!

"It shouldn't be." The middle-aged military officer Li Rusong couldn't help muttering to himself, "How could I not use my Li family as a general?"

The Li family has been guarding Liaodong for more than 20 years, and his father was dismissed at the end of last year. Today, most of the Liaodong generals are from the Li family.

If troops are sent to Korea, even if they have to be transferred from other border towns, the main force will definitely be the Liaodong Army, and the rear base of the army must be Liaodong.

So no matter from which angle, how can we not use the Li family who are familiar with the Liaodong Army?

The elderly military officer Li Chengliang looked at Haodaer hesitantly, "Are you really brothers with Lin Jinglie? Are you deceiving your father? Why doesn't he use the Li family?

Or have you been slack in recent years and sent him fewer gold, silver and human parameters?"

Li Rusong replied: "This is not a matter of money at all. Brother Lin must have some considerations."

Li Chengliang's eyes returned to the list of generals and officers, pointing to a name and said: "In this list of recruited generals, Ma Gui has the highest qualifications and prestige.

Is it possible that Lin Jinglie wants to use Ma Gui To be the commander-in-chief of the whole army, I, the Li family, will not be used, so as not to affect Ma Gui's prestige. "

Li Rusong, who knew Lin Tailai better, thought for a while and said, "There is another possibility that Lin Jiuyuan does not want to set up a commander-in-chief to command the whole army."

Li Chengliang seemed to have heard a fairy tale and said in surprise, "If there is no commander-in-chief, who will lead the troops to the front line? Who will directly command the troops from all directions?"

In Li Chengliang's cognition, civil officials, whether they are called governors or governors-general, are all characters who sit in the rear.

The commander-in-chief and the general who lead and command the army on the front line, and even go to the battlefield to kill the enemy, are still the commanders such as the generals.

For example, in this expedition, the generals should sit in Liaodong in the rear, and the generals are responsible for leading the troops to fight in Korea.

So if the army is dispatched, there is no general such as the "commander-in-chief of military affairs", isn't that a joke?

Even in novels and storybooks, they know to create a role of the general of the army.

Li Rusong smiled bitterly and said: "What father said is common sense, but has father ever seen the civil servants and supervisors who first attacked the city? Lin Jiuyuan was the one who didn't follow common sense.

So I estimate that Lin Jinglue will not sit in the rear in Liaodong this time, but will personally lead the army into North Korea.

If this is the case, what is the need for a general to oversee military affairs?

Lin Jinglue can shoulder these related responsibilities, and having another general in charge of the entire army is completely redundant. "

Li Chengliang: "."

Are you already old and completely unable to keep up with the times?

After thinking for a while, Li Chengliang asked again: "If our Li family wants to be the governor-general, can we win against him?"

Li Rusong answered truthfully: "It's difficult! Unless the emperor has full support, but now the emperor definitely believes in Chonglin Jiuyuan."

Li Chengliang sighed: "If we send troops from Liaodong, if my Li family is absent, wouldn't we become a laughing stock?

But it’s really hard to guess Lin Jinglue’s thoughts. You can visit Lin Jinglue, don’t beat around the bush, and ask him directly what he thinks. "

On this dark and windy night, Li Rusong sneaked into the Lin Mansion and saw that an internal meeting of the Xinxin Society was being held, so he sat in the hall and waited.

A quarter of an hour later, Lin Tailai appeared, and Li Rusong said straight to the point: "Today, I saw that the shogunate was recruiting generals. Why are my Li family members missing?"

Lin Tailai seemed helpless and said: "I don't know who should be appointed as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong between my father and you.

So I might as well not use it at all, so as not to hurt the harmony between your father and you. "

Li Rusong said without thinking: "Old man, he is already this old, of course. Please don't change the topic first. Why?" Lin Tailai thought about it for a long time, and then said: "Because you and the female straight chieftain of Jianzhou The relationship with Nuerhachi is so good.”

Li Rusong never expected that this was the reason why Lin Tailai didn't use the Li family. Listening to this, Lin Tailai also wants to deal with the Jianzhou straight women?

He had known for a long time that Lin Tailai seemed to have always disliked the Jianzhou female straight women. Last time, he had inexplicably beaten up the Jianzhou female straight envoys.

But unexpectedly, Lin Tailai still regarded the Jianzhou women's straight as a thorn in his flesh, and even when he was about to send troops to fight the Japanese pirates, he still didn't forget to deal with the Jianzhou women's straight.

"Why is this?" Li Rusong asked.

He really couldn't understand this kind of hatred. He was sure that the straight women in Jianzhou had never offended Lin Tailai at all.

Lin Tailai replied: "In the past two years, Nuerhachi has unified the women in Jianzhou. Now he has seventeen Niulu and five thousand elite soldiers.

In the Hudi outside the Great Wall, this is considered a very considerable force. Can we turn a blind eye to the threat from the Ming Dynasty border area? "

Li Rusong argued: "Nu'er Hachi has always been respectful, and the court also gave him many rewards."

Lin Tailai said disdainfully: "What do you mean by being deferential to the court? Is it because you are deferential to your Li family?

Even if you appear to be submissive on the surface, it is just to gain the connivance of your Li family, so that you can continue to annex the female straight tribes, strengthen your own strength, and then stand on your own!

I know that your Li family regards him as a thug who controls Hu Di, but he is also using your Li family. By the time the tail is too big to fall off, it will be too late! "

"How can it be so serious?" Li Rusong insisted, "My brother is too exaggerated."

Let alone the Li family and his son, anyone today would not think the problem was serious.

If it were not for the special relationship between the Li family and Nuerhachi, and the fact that the Li family still had great united front value, Lin Tailai would not have said these words in vain.

So Lin Tailai added: "When the Japanese soldiers invaded Korea, the slave Hachi, who was adjacent to the Korean state, once petitioned to 'kill the Japanese slaves and serve the dynasty.'

But they were firmly rejected by the Korean monarchs and ministers. They would rather wait for the soldiers of tomorrow than to be rescued by the Hu soldiers who were close at hand. "

Li Rusong didn't understand why Lin Tailai mentioned this, "Isn't this a clear indication of Nuerhachi's intention to contribute to the country?"

Lin Tailai chuckled and said: "Nu'erhachi is just talking and showing off on purpose. He will not confront the Japanese soldiers head-on for the sake of Korea.

Now he has an opportunity to truly contribute to the country. Do you think he is still willing to work hard? "

Then Lin Tailai pulled out another military report and said to Li Rusong: "I received military information a few days ago. After the second Japanese regiment captured Hamgyong Province, the commander-in-chief Kato Kiyomasa led 8,000 Japanese soldiers to cross Doman from North Korea. River (Tumen River) to attack the tribes of Haixi Nuzhi.

I have already given an order to Hachi, the slave of the neighboring Jianzhou Nuzhi, to send troops.

Either look for Kato Kiyomasa and encircle and siege him from behind; or cut off Mamanjiang's retreat and trap Kato Kiyomasa to death in Nuzhihu. "

Li Rusong conceived a map of the situation in Northeast China in his mind and nodded frequently: "That's exactly what it should be."

At this time, the Jianzhou Nvzhi territory was a bit like a triangle, with the sharp corners pointing downward, sandwiched between the Hercynian Nvzhi in the north, Korea in the east, and Liaodong Dusi in the west.

Lin Tailai added: "Regarding these two plans, Nuerhachi can make an ad hoc decision based on the actual military situation, and does not insist on a certain one.

What's more, Nuerhachi has five thousand fine cavalry and is fully capable of executing the orders I gave.

So, I didn’t make things difficult for him, right? My instructions are completely reasonable, right? "

Li Rusong nodded again and said, "There is no need to embarrass anyone. They are indeed very reasonable military orders."

"Then the Li family, don't be anxious. Just wait and see what surprises Nuerhachi will bring us." Lin Tailai finally said.

Half a month later, Lin Jinglue called Li Rusong to the shogunate again and asked Li Rusong to read the latest military reports.

Kato Kiyomasa's troops defeated Buzhantai, the chief of the Ula tribe of the Haixi Jurchens, and killed 900 people.

But a few days later, Kato Kiyomasa's troops were besieged and pursued by the coalition forces of the Haixi Jurchens, who shared the same hatred for the enemy. After being defeated, they broke through the siege and fled back to Korea across the Tuman River.

But Li Rusong read the military report over and over again, and did not see Nurhaci and Jianzhou Jurchens.

Lin Tailai sneered: "Nurhaci neither encircled Kato Masaaki nor blocked the retreat route of the Tuman River.

Probably to preserve his strength, so he kept his troops on the sidelines.

If he had been more active and acted according to instructions, Kato Masaaki would not have been able to escape back to Korea so easily.

Do you still think that Jianzhou Jurchens are obedient dogs?

Is Nurhaci's original intention to strengthen himself or to guard the border for the Ming Dynasty?"

Li Rusong was silent, holding the military report tightly in his hand, almost shredded.

Lin Tailai said confidently: "I dare to make a bet with you. Nurhaci will definitely send troops to Haixi Jurchens next, and first nibble away at those tribes that have been severely weakened by Kato Masaaki's attacks."

Why is Lin Tailai so confident in making a bet? Because that's what Nurhaci did in history.

The Liaodong Army fought to the death in Korea, while Nurhaci of Jianzhou Jurchens made a fortune in the rear, annexing the tribes of Haixi Jurchens step by step.

The Ming Dynasty, Japan, and Korea fought fiercely, and the big winner was Jianzhou Jurchens.

In this time and space, Lin Tailai became a minister of strategy. If he didn't keep an eye on Jianzhou Jurchens, he would be a shame for the time traveler.

Li Rusong raised his head and said, "I won't bet with you. Nurhaci will definitely do that."

Lin Tailai asked again, "What do you think now?"

Li Rusong could see that Lin Tailai was not kidding when he went to such great lengths, and he was obviously forcing the Li family to choose one of the two.

Either you protect a dog that starts to do things on its own, or you lose Lin Tailai, a friend who has become a general and a prime minister.

So Li Rusong thought twice and said, "It was my father who raised Nurhaci, not me."

The subtext is probably that I am not familiar with him.

Lin Tailai immediately promised, "Since you are so conscious, I will request to recruit you as the general of Liaodong."

Li Rusong's mind began to work frantically. How should he explain to his father when he returned home? Why was the general of Liaodong, whom he had been looking forward to reappointing, taken down by his son?

Then he heard Lin Tailai whispered, "Perhaps after some time, the emperor will also want to exterminate Jianzhou. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Li Rusong: "."