Chapter 847

The Emperor also knew this.

He dared to lead the campaign in person only because he was certain the Great Ming army would win, that Guo Deng would hold Datong, and that the two hundred thousand soldiers he brought would earn him glory—but now things were different; a venomous snake lurked behind them, ready to strike at any moment.

So the Emperor wanted to return to Jingcheng.

The Duke of Ying did not oppose the Emperor's return to Jingcheng—it was his very goal—but he opposed the Emperor taking all two hundred thousand men with him.

The Duke of Ying sat below the Emperor, ignoring the danger of Wala forces infiltrating their rear, and discussed only the mobility of the two hundred thousand troops.

Warfare is not about having more men.

More men bring the danger of unwieldiness: orders are hard to transmit, soldiers struggle to execute them precisely, and if one side falters, disaster follows.

Especially since their return to Jingcheng would stretch their formation as long as it was on the way here.

Therefore, stationing part of the army in Datong as reinforcements not only saves Datong but also relieves their burden.

The Duke of Ying did not mention Guo Deng's concealment of military intelligence; he merely remarked: "Guo Deng is a general suited for defense—he holds cities well in peacetime, but lacks offensive prowess in war. Datong's front is too long; he may be overwhelmed. Since Your Majesty has come in person, the army must engage the northern barbarians, or the campaign loses its purpose—how will the Shi Guan judge you in the annals?"

The Emperor, too, feared the pen of the Shi Guan; hearing this, his heart stirred, and he asked gravely: "What men does the Duke of Ying suggest remain, and how should they fight?"

"Three men may remain with Guo Deng to defend the Datong front," said the Duke of Ying: "Prince Consort Commandant Jing Yuan possesses offensive acumen—he should be appointed General of Datong, replacing Guo Deng in command."

He added: "Also appoint Marquis Wu Jin Zhu Mian as Left Wing General, assisting Jing Yuan in defending Datong, and Marquis Ping Xiang Chen Huai as Vanguard…"

The Emperor interrupted him: "Jing Yuan as General of Datong? Zhu Mian and Chen Huai both have greater military merits—how can they serve under him? That is inappropriate."

After a pause, the Duke of Ying said: "In wartime, one must act with flexibility. Guo Deng has governed Datong for years; no one has a more suitable status to override him and command Datong's troops than the Prince Consort Commandant."

Guo Jing was Wang Zhen's man; Guo Deng and Wang Zhen had a murky, entangled relationship.

Others feared Wang Zhen and dared not decide; now they needed a commander who could defy Wang Zhen's orders, act independently, and command the respect of the generals.

No one was more suitable than Jing Yuan.

Even if Jing Yuan erred, could the Emperor kill his own uncle-in-law?

With this consideration in mind, the lower generals would dare to act boldly.

He did not want the reinforcements left in Datong still obeying Wang Zhen's orders—could that little brain command an army?

Thinking of the chaos along this journey, the Duke of Ying felt chest pain.

And yet so many generals, from Jingcheng to Datong, had been reduced to trivial chores—unable even to properly assign their own troops, entirely at the mercy of Wang Zhen's half-baked arrangements.

Had he not retired years ago and held only advisory power without authority, he would have scolded them all long ago.

The Duke of Ying could not scold the generals directly, nor could he openly defy the Emperor—he could only hint and teach indirectly.

But clearly, the Emperor did not understand—or perhaps he understood, yet had his own plans.

He said: "Why not leave Zhu Yong, the Central Army General?"

The Duke of Ying replied: "Precisely because he is Central Army General, he must remain by Your Majesty's side to receive your commands."

The Emperor pursed his lips and asked: "How many troops does the Duke of Ying think should remain in Datong?"

"One hundred thousand."

The Emperor frowned.

The Duke of Ying lowered his eyes: "What number does Your Majesty deem appropriate?"

"One hundred thousand as the main force—appoint Zhu Yong as Central Army General to command overall, Zhu Mian as Left Wing General, Chen Huai as General of Datong, and have them fight alongside Zhu Yong."

The Duke of Ying's temper began to rise; he felt his patience had grown worse lately, that he was so easily provoked.

He pulled at his mouth and asked: "Then Jing Yuan…"

"Jing Yuan will lead the Emperor's Vanguard, advancing ahead to scout the route."

That would shatter his entire plan—without Jing Yuan holding the front, who would dare "act independently when away from the sovereign"?

It meant that after all these arrangements, Wang Zhen and the Emperor still held the roles of Central Army General, Left Wing General, General of Datong…

But which of them could fight? Which knew how to command?

To entrust command to them was to extinguish all hope.

Only by giving it to Jing Yuan could the generals dare to stretch out their feelers, to think at all.

The shield was placed right before their eyes as the vanguard, the shield turned into a spear—this strategy…

The Duke of Ying forced himself to suppress his rage and settled for a compromise: "Your Majesty, since Zhu Yong is Central Army General, he must accompany you—why not leave Kuang Ye?"

"Kuang Ye is a civil official," the Emperor said, startled, looking at the Duke of Ying. "And he holds no military authority—how can you assign him to remain?"

"Though he is a civil official, he has accompanied Wang Ji on several campaigns, and as Minister of War, he is both wise and courageous—he is far more suitable to remain than Zhu Yong."

The Emperor and the Duke debated for over an hour inside the room, while the vanguard had already marched ten miles—only then did the Emperor's order arrive.

Zhu Yong remained Central Army General, leading the main force to escort the Emperor back to Jingcheng.

Kuang Ye was appointed General of Datong, Marquis Wu Jin Zhu Mian as Left Wing General, Chen Huai as Vanguard, all to defend Datong together.

Jing Yuan was assigned to lead the Emperor's Vanguard, advancing ahead to clear the path.

The Emperor left eighty thousand troops under Kuang Ye's command, ordering him to hold Datong.

When the Duke of Ying stepped out of the Emperor's courtyard, he looked as if he had aged ten years.

Yet he hurried without pause, barely waiting for the Emperor's order to be issued before sending men to urgently summon Kuang Ye, Zhu Mian, and Chen Huai.

"Tell them I have a plan to repel the enemy—ask them to come quickly."

The imperial procession was still packing, not ready to depart for at least an hour.

Zhu Mian and Chen Huai were both generals who deeply respected the Duke of Ying—they arrived first.

But the Duke of Ying raised his hand to stop them from speaking, gesturing for them to wait behind the screen, silent, until Kuang Ye entered—then he said: "It was I who proposed that Your Majesty leave Kuang my lord."

Kuang Ye looked at the Duke of Ying in surprise, his expression grim.

The Duke of Ying asked: "Do you not wish to remain?"

Kuang Ye: "The Emperor's safety is paramount. Since enemy forces lurk behind, we must not scatter our troops—only send out the vanguard and dispatch scouts in all directions to gather intelligence. First, escort the Emperor safely back to Jingcheng, then deploy border troops to deal with the Wala."

The Duke of Ying nodded: "Kuang my lord's plan is prudent."

"Why then, does the Duke of Ying...?"

"My lord only knows one side, not the other," said the Duke of Ying. "The Emperor's safety is important, but Datong is equally important."

The Duke of Ying was a military general; in his view, defending the border was as important as the Emperor's safety, so any arrangement he made must proceed with both objectives together.