Chapter 1465: The Composition of the Eastern Expedition Army

"Not bad. The man you picked has both brains and drive — he's the kind of material that gets things done. That puts my mind at ease. With the two of you handling this, it should go well."

"Thank you for your praise, Chancellor!" Kong Zhang also rose and bowed to the Chancellor.

"Alright, you may withdraw as well. I have other state affairs to deal with." The Chancellor again gestured for him to leave. "Remember, the dynasty's established practice is to reward merit generously, but transgressions are also punished without fail. I have already shown you the reward; if the job is not done well, I will also show you the punishment."

"This humble official understands! This humble official takes his leave!" Kong Zhang also gave a deep bow, then turned and left the side hall.

Just as the Chancellor was summoning Kong Zhang and Zhou Pu, listening to their reports and giving them confidential instructions, outside the city in the great army encampment, the Courageous and Diligent Viscount Zhao Song — the man designated to soon become the commander of the Great Han's expeditionary force against Japan — was once again granted an imperial audience.

However, this time His Majesty did not summon him alone; the several staff officers who had been transferred back with him were also summoned together.

Although being granted another audience by His Majesty was an immense honor, Zhao Song appeared somewhat weary. There was no helping it — he had barely rested these past few days, so his complexion was terrible, and even his eyes were somewhat swollen. It had taken tremendous effort just to keep his eyes from closing, and he had to forcefully rally his spirits to face this audience.

The others were just as weary as he was, but since they had met His Majesty far fewer times than Zhao Song, who had previously served as a guard, that immense sense of honor easily drove back the fatigue, and they appeared far more spirited than Zhao Song.

The moment they saw His Majesty, they uniformly rendered a military salute first, then knelt down together. "Long live His Majesty! Long live, long live, ten thousand long lives!"

"All of you, rise. Find somewhere to sit." Looking at Zhao Song's dark-ringed, haggard face, His Majesty frowned slightly, seeming somewhat concerned. "It seems these past few days have truly been hard on you."

"To serve His Majesty, we would die without regret!" Zhao Song and the others shouted in unison.

These were words from the heart. These men had all gotten their chance to rise in the world precisely because they had joined the Zhao family army early on. Without His Majesty, heaven only knew where they would still be suffering — they might even have long since become corpses among the refugees. How could they have ever reached this day?

Their sentiments were not an isolated phenomenon. Within the army, nearly all the high-ranking officers harbored this same sense of gratitude and indebtedness. Thus, His Majesty's prestige within the military was exceedingly high; orders were always strictly obeyed and prohibitions heeded. He alone could confidently station various heavy troop contingents on the outer frontiers without worrying about any irregularities.

"Enough, you're all this tired, what need is there for ceremony? Hurry and sit." His Majesty watched them with great concern, and only after they had taken their seats one by one did he slowly sit down himself.

This was a side chamber, the place where His Majesty ordinarily discussed military matters with his key ministers. In the center of the room stood a large table, upon which a large-scale map was now spread out, while in the corners of the room were placed sand tables and other documents.

After everyone was seated, attendants came forward and placed a bowl of meat stew before each person.

"This is fresh mutton stew. The flavor is quite good — drink up, all of you. In this freezing weather, we'll discuss proper business once you've finished."

His Majesty was the first to pick up his spoon and ladle a mouthful of the stew for himself. After His Majesty had personally begun, the others also started drinking their soup one after another.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Once the steaming hot meat soup had been poured into their bellies, the original chill and fatigue were dispelled together. These soldiers all felt their spirits lift, and even their sitting postures straightened.

After everyone had finished, the attendants came back in and took away the bowls, and the side chamber returned to the solemn atmosphere of before.

"How has the planning gone these past few days?" His Majesty raised his head and looked at his officers. "How much progress has been made?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, these past few days we have been studying in detail, diligently familiarizing ourselves with the situation in Japan… and we have now gained some modest insights." Zhao Song answered cautiously. "However, since we previously had too little understanding of Japan's circumstances, it is, after all, theorizing behind closed doors. Some things may not fully align with the facts."

"A bunch of people theorizing behind closed doors right now — I didn't expect you to produce anything brilliant." His Majesty waved his hand dismissively. "As long as you are willing to get moving, I am at ease. Your minds are all sharp enough; once you get moving, you'll always come up with some solutions! Alright, since you now have insights, tell me about them?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhao Song felt a surge of nervousness inside, then hesitantly stood up. "In military affairs, the foremost principle is knowing both yourself and the enemy. Before setting out to war, the most important thing is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. Therefore, these past two days we have been continuously studying the intelligence we have obtained on Japan, and we have already formed some preliminary judgments on the strengths and weaknesses of the two armies…"

"Continue."

"Since our army intends to make an enemy of Japan, the Tokugawa Shogunate, which now dominates Japan, will naturally be our greatest enemy. Although the Tokugawa Shogunate cannot compare with our imperial court, it nonetheless holds vast territories and populations, and also possesses a system where the upper and lower ranks cooperate. Its military has a multi-layered structure; if fully mobilized, it could even deploy over two hundred thousand men… Without a doubt, compared to the size of our single brigade, the number of men the Shogunate can send to meet us in battle this time will far exceed our own. This will be our army's greatest disadvantage…"

Although what he described was daunting, Zhao Song's face showed not a trace of fear; instead, he seemed to have a well-thought-out plan.

"Oh, that is indeed an enormous disadvantage…" His Majesty gave a wry smile. "Asking you to fight one against ten, or even more — it truly is hard on you."

"Your Majesty, although we are at a disadvantage in numbers, the advantages our army holds are even more numerous. Therefore, your servant is, on the contrary, extremely confident!"

Zhao Song suddenly raised his voice, then looked at the Emperor with head held high. "Your Majesty, our army has four advantages.

First, wars have never been won by those with more men; rather, victory depends on who is more elite. Since our army's founding, we have fought continuously year after year. Our officers and men have endured years of battle and slaughter; they are united in purpose, officers and soldiers alike stake their lives on orders, and discipline is strict. The Japanese army, on the other hand, has not fought a war in nearly twenty years since the Shogunate was first established. Under prolonged peace, their military preparedness has long grown lax. Moreover, the Shogunate's first two generations of Shogun have now passed away; the third Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, has never been on the battlefield and is surely unversed in military affairs. The enemy's upper and lower ranks are bound to be disunited, and their command will inevitably be sluggish.

Second, our army's weaponry — including firearms and cannons — is far superior to the enemy's. According to the intelligence we have now obtained, the majority of the Japanese army uses weapons like swords and spears. A minority use firearms, but they are crudely made, of extremely low power, and even lack accuracy. They call them 'iron cannons,' but they are now inferior to even our army's worst firearms. Therefore, when the two armies clash, even if the enemy outnumbers us, our firepower will actually be stronger than theirs. Based on our experience fighting the Manchus and Mongols, after enduring our army's fierce strikes, they will certainly struggle to hold their battle lines and may even collapse rapidly.

Third, our navy holds absolute superiority and can reap the benefits of maritime transport and maneuver. Japan is a long, narrow island nation, with all regions bordering the sea. Thus, relying on our navy, we can shift our forces anywhere and strike at any point. The Japanese army, however, can only exhaust itself rushing back and forth across that long, narrow landmass, unable to concentrate its strength. It will be forced to dash about wearily everywhere, setting up passive defenses, and will even be unable to concentrate too many troops on a single battlefield, unable to bring its greatest strength — its numerical advantage — into play.

Fourth, our army acts on His Majesty's command, dispatching a great force to chastise an insubordinate nation, spreading our national might across the four seas and proclaiming our Heavenly Mandate to all directions — our cause is just and legitimate. The Shogunate, on the other hand, as a vassal that has sidelined its sovereign, is inherently unjust and illegitimate; they are rebellious ministers and treacherous villains. At the same time, the Shogunate seized the realm by force, yet powerful clans still persist in various regions, holding their own territories. They possess private armies and harbor resentment against the Shogunate. Thus, given any opportunity, they will secretly stir up trouble to oppose the Shogunate. This will not only divide the Shogunate's forces but also prevent them from devoting their full strength to dealing with us. With their hearts divided, how can they stand against us?"

After delivering this long, unbroken torrent of words, Zhao Song's face was brimming with confidence. He raised his head and looked at His Majesty. "Your Majesty, holding so many advantages, what is there to fear even if our numbers are far smaller? Your servant shall surely capture the Japanese army for Your Majesty!"

"Hahahaha…" His Majesty had been listening to his words in silence. Only after he finished did His Majesty finally burst into laughter. "Interesting… point by point, you've said quite a lot. Zhao Song, you're becoming more and more eloquent."

"It is not that your servant is eloquent; this is the conclusion your servant and the several staff officers reached after days of joint planning." Zhao Song lowered his gaze slightly, no longer daring to look directly at His Majesty. "When we first received this assignment, we were still somewhat uneasy, deeply afraid that poor preparation would ruin Your Majesty's grand undertaking. But after detailed study, we are now, on the contrary, extremely confident. In this campaign, our army will surely be victorious!"

"Good!" His Majesty lightly rapped the table. "I hope you are not just speaking with your lips, but will truly realize this. Do you already have a concrete operational plan?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, we now have a draft." Zhao Song paused for a moment, then took a few pages of paper from his assistant and respectfully presented them to His Majesty. "At present, we must first organize the composition of the troops. This brigade will consist of three regiments at full strength. Compared to ordinary regiments, each will be reinforced with elite companies. It will also be assigned a cavalry battalion composed of three knight companies, plus an additional allocation of fifty cannons, as well as a support force of two thousand men from the logistics regiment and the engineering regiment."

"Isn't a single cavalry battalion too few?" His Majesty asked with some doubt.

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