novelSusiti Chapter 4 How to Deal with the Rakshasa
Chapter 4 How to Deal with the Rakshasa
Liu Yulong stepped down from the throne, walked to the large table where the maps were displayed, and picked up a thin wooden stick from the table:
"Everyone come here, I'll plan the operational direction for the next few years, even the next decade."
Liu Desheng used to do this often. The two large tables and map in front of everyone, as well as the wooden stick in Liu Yulong's hand, were all things that Liu Desheng used to use frequently.
Everyone was very familiar with this scene, and seeing it made them feel at ease and secure. They quickly bowed to Liu Yulong to apologize and accept their orders, and then walked together to the table.
Liu Yulong circled the Han territory with his stick:
"When our great-grandfather was alive, he campaigned east and west for thirty years, almost wiping out all the traditional barbarians surrounding the Han Dynasty."
"The Central Plains of the Han Dynasty are now as stable as Mount Tai."
"If it were the Han, Tang, Song, or Ming dynasties, and the north and west were in such a state, the imperial court could rest easy."
"But we can't relax yet."
"Because barbarians from even more distant Europe have arrived, or rather, their numbers have increased."
"They came here in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, occupying land and ruling over the areas surrounding our China, oppressing the local people."
"The situation around the Han Dynasty is now quite tense."
"First, there are the Rakshasa people to the north, who are stirring up trouble in our northeast, due north, and northwest."
"Although our great-grandfather arranged for soldiers to deal with them in Ili, Baikal (Lake Baikal), and the Heilongjiang River basin."
"But my great-grandfather also said that these Rakshasa people will not give up."
"The Rakshasa people originated in the very cold and damp northeastern Europe, and the warm land under the southern sun had a fatal attraction for them."
"They dream of having rivers and ports that don't freeze in winter."
"Their ancestors and future descendants throughout history will continue to encroach southwards with unwavering determination."
"But if the Han Dynasty continues to wage war in the north and west, it will already be a losing proposition."
"We currently have no way to directly attack the heart of the Rakshasa Kingdom."
"Even the border between us and them is already far too far from the Central Plains."
"The transportation costs of military supplies are too high, and most of the food is wasted on the long journey."
"Without sufficient supplies, it is impossible to organize large-scale battles; we can only fight shoddy wars."
"The key point is that these places are very desolate and barren, and it would be of no benefit for the Han to continue to conquer the local people."
"Most soldiers were also unwilling to be stationed and patrolled in such places for a long time."
"Therefore, we can only adopt an offensive defensive strategy against the Rakshasa people on our northern and western borders."
"The Rear Military Governor's Office arranged for several small-scale armies to mobilize the local people on the frontier to engage in a long-term struggle with the Rakshasa people."
"Even though the battle is tough, we must keep fighting, otherwise we will only continue to lose territory."
What Liu Yulong said was true. Liu Desheng had said similar things before, and the nobles present all agreed.
The nobles and their ordinary officers and soldiers really didn't want to continue fighting in the north and west, as those places were simply too desolate and cold.
The Han Dynasty's current northern and western borders, namely the border areas between Siberia and the Central Asian steppes, have reached the limit of the logistical transportation capabilities that the agricultural era could support.
Before the advent of transportation tools in the industrial age, if the Han Dynasty wanted to continue its outward expansion, it could only establish strongholds outside its borders and provide basic military supplies locally.
However, the local population was sparse and the resources were very scarce. The local people could only make a living by fishing, hunting and herding, which was not enough to support a large army stationed there.
Therefore, before the Industrial Age, there was no way to directly control them; at most, they could maintain their power through expeditions and the fur trade, much like the Rakshasa.
Both the Han and the Rakshasa were very weak in these areas, and both sides could only continue to fight piecemeal battles.
For either the Great Han or the Rakshasa to gain an advantage in these areas, the key lies in who can control more local inhabitants and thus obtain basic military supplies from them.
The Han people had a certain advantage in this regard, as they could find enough translators through the Shanxi people and Mongols. The Han people also resembled the Rakshasa people more in appearance than the Rakshasa people, and they could provide better trade goods.
While Liu Desheng was rebelling in the Central Plains to rebuild the Han Dynasty and gradually destroy the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the Luosha people in the north seized the opportunity to organize their forces to move south and east, intending to seize the Heilongjiang River basin and the Ili region.
After Liu Desheng took control of the Central Plains and Mongolia, he immediately sent people to these places to fight against the Russians. With the cooperation of the local people, he drove out the Russians and pushed the border line beyond the old border line between the Russians and the Manchus.
However, in the eyes of Xun Gui and the officers present, Liu Yulong's understanding and analysis of these situations were not the most important thing; what mattered most was the character and ability that Liu Yulong himself demonstrated in the process.
Liu Yulong, as a prodigy, a young emperor who ascended to the throne at the age of eighteen, possessed a clear and calm mind, which was crucial for a rising dynasty.
Although Liu Yulong clearly leaned towards the military, he was also aware of the threat posed by the Rakshasa people and agreed with the Taizu Emperor's judgment.
But he was not ambitious or eager for quick success, nor did he immediately declare his intention to conquer the Rakshasa and eliminate future troubles.
He knew that it was impossible to do so. Forcibly conquering the country would only result in wasting resources and manpower, and could even affect the stability of the country.
At the same time, he did not directly overturn the late emperor's edict, thus avoiding internal division among the officials who followed the late emperor.
In the future, his position can be used to mediate the conflict between the military general Xun Gui and the civil official.
The new emperor's character perfectly matched the expectations of the nobles, and everyone felt that this was exactly how the great-grandfather should succeed him.
With such a prudent new emperor at the helm, the Han Dynasty's rule and territory were naturally secure, and the future status of their descendants was virtually guaranteed.
So everyone happily nodded in agreement.
"Your Majesty is wise; this is how it should be done."
Pei Chengdong, the commander of the Rear Army Commandery, was a young founding general from Cao County, Shandong Province.
Since Liu Yulong had assigned some specific tasks to the Rear Army Commander-in-Chief's Office, Pei Chengdong also stepped forward separately, clasped his hands, and accepted the orders.
"Your subject obeys!"
The high-ranking military officers observed Liu Yulong's reaction, and Liu Yulong was also observing their reaction.
Most people were in good spirits, and many had satisfied smiles on their faces; overall, they were quite positive.
Liu Yulong demonstrated his stance, and the military officers responded positively, further increasing the trust between the two sides.
Seeing that the military officers were willing to cooperate, Liu Yulong proceeded to make further arrangements:
"The Right Army Commandery also has work to do..."
Liu Yulong drew a circle along the Chinese coast with the stick in his hand, and then drew another circle in western Europe.
"In the eastern part of the Great China, the climate is relatively warm and humid, the resources are abundant, and the population is dense. It should be said to be the place where the dragon rose."
"Between the westernmost part of the continent, the land where Europeans rose to power, lies the Western Regions and Anxi, the most desolate and difficult-to-cross area on the entire continent."
"It is very difficult for us to deploy a large army here, and it is equally difficult for the Rakshasa to fight in these places."
"But once the army crosses this area, the situation will actually improve, because they will be able to obtain supplies from the enemy as much as possible."
"Therefore, the key to offensive defense is to absolutely prevent the Rakshasa from crossing this area."
"We cannot allow the Rakshasa to gain resource-rich strongholds in the East, otherwise their threat to us will increase dramatically."
"We need to establish an isolated buffer zone in these areas."
"The key is the Kazakhs who have already submitted to the Rakshasa. We cannot let them completely side with the Rakshasa; we must keep them in a state of submission to both sides."
"The Right Army Governor's Office established a Kazakh Guard and assigned a group of troops to garrison in Kazakh cities."
"Maintain contact with the Russians and Kazakhs in these cities, protect the Kazakhs from unilateral oppression by the Russians, and thus prevent the Russians from completely controlling the Kazakh region."
Historically, there were almost no other forces in Central Asia that could compete with Russia. After the Qing Dynasty occupied the Western Regions, it had neither the ability nor the interest to continue westward expansion, which led to Russia gradually annexing Central Asia.
Now, if the Great Han intervenes and provides even a little assistance to the Central Asian countries, it will significantly increase the difficulty for Russia to annex them, and at least delay the process for several decades.
Once the Han Dynasty had a railway connecting the Western Regions, Russia would no longer be able to completely annex the Central Asian countries.
These countries will serve as a buffer zone between the Han Dynasty and Russia.
The commander of the Right Army Commandery was Yao Wenxue, a native of Xiangyang, Hubei, and the son of Yao Zhifu, a major leader of the White Lotus Rebellion. At this moment, he quickly stepped forward, bowed, and accepted the order.
"Your subject obeys."
Liu Yulong continued to directly instruct Yao Wenxue:
"Unless the Rakshasa attack first, there is no need to fight them directly."
"This army is intended to serve as a deterrent force, forcing the Kazakh region to maintain a neutral status quo for an extended period."
"If the Rakshasa coerce the Kazakhs, then help the Kazakhs fight against the Rakshasa."
"If the Kazakhs show any intention of siding with the Rakshasa, threaten and warn them while immediately requesting reinforcements from the Western Regions."
"The Western Regions Military Command of the Right Army Governor's Office is always ready to fight."
"If that situation really arises, then there's no need to ask me for orders separately anymore; you can go directly to the front lines."
"We must make the Kazakhs and Russians understand that if they show any inclination to unite, a great war will break out immediately!"
"At the same time, the main battlefield will definitely be in Kazakhstan."
"Tell them clearly that this is the will of the Han emperor, and also the will of 500 million Han people!"
"Did you understand?"
As Yao Wenxue listened to these instructions, he instinctively felt a sense of awe, realizing that the emperor's requirements were so similar to those of the founding emperor.
In other words, they would use the simplest and most straightforward language to explain to the generals leading the troops what their core strategy for this operation was.
This way, generals can fight without worrying about their families or their decisions going against the emperor's will.
Yao Wenxue sighed inwardly, then immediately stood at attention again, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liu Yulong, and accepted the order:
"Your Majesty, I understand! Your Majesty, I obey! I will absolutely not allow the Rakshasa to control the Kazakhs!"