I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 293 Unrestricted Warfare

Chapter 293 Unrestricted Warfare

Wang Wenzhou feigned emotion and said, "Brother Zhu, your magnanimity and kindness towards me are unforgettable. Back when King Zhuang of Chu broke the tassel, I would have been just like Tang Jiao back then, willing to give my life for you and charge into battle."

King Zhuang of Chu once hosted a banquet for his ministers. In the midst of the revelry, the candles suddenly went out. Tang Jiao pulled at the robe of a beautiful woman. The woman tore off the tassel from his hat and told King Zhuang. King Zhuang ordered all his ministers to remove their hat tassels, then relit the candles and continued drinking. They parted in high spirits. Three years later, the states of Jin and Chu went to war. Tang Jiao fought bravely, leading the charge in all five battles, ultimately defeating the Jin army and securing victory. From then on, Chu became powerful.

Zhu Youjian, of course, knew the story of King Zhuang of Chu breaking his tassel. He smiled bitterly and said, "Wang Wenzhou, you bastard, are you praising me or mocking me? Tang Jiao only touched King Zhuang of Chu's beauty, but you slept with my Consort Tian. How can these be the same?"

Wang Wenzhou was not lying this time. He asked himself, if he and Zhu Youjian were in the same position, he wouldn't care about anything else. If someone dared to cuckold him, even if he didn't kill Zhu Youjian, he would make Zhu Youjian wish he were dead.

Zhu Youjian spared his life, regardless of whether it was for personal gain or out of friendship. Wang Wenzhou was truly moved by Zhu Youjian's decision. He resolved that, with his understanding of historical events and his knowledge of later generations, he would wholeheartedly assist Zhu Youjian in revitalizing the Ming Dynasty and preventing him from becoming a ruler who would bring about the downfall of the nation.

"If you do not betray me, I will not betray you," Wang Wenzhou silently recited in his heart.

"Hurry up and pack your things. I'll find you a highly respected deputy envoy to go to Liaodong. Alright, you may leave. I want some peace and quiet," Zhu Youjian said calmly.

Wang Wenzhou thought for a moment and then said, "Brother Zhu, there's no rush to negotiate peace. It's not good to make deals that everyone is eager to make. We need to get the Tartars to take the initiative to negotiate peace with us."

Zhu Youjian smiled wryly and said, "If the troops in Liaodong could defeat the Tartars, would I still go against all the objections and make peace even though it is so difficult and I am willing to go to war with all the civil and military officials?"

Zhu Youjian suddenly wondered if he had trusted the wrong person. How could Wang Wenzhou say such idiotic things?

Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Brother Zhu, I have a plan that will surely make the Tartars take the initiative to negotiate peace."

"Oh?" Zhu Youjian quickly said, "Tell me about it."

Wang Wenzhou said, "When two countries are at war, apart from the battles on the battlefield, any other aspect that can weaken the opponent is a battlefield."

Zhu Youjian nodded and said, "I understand. What do you mean?"

Wang Wenzhou continued, "I want command of the Liaodong Imperial Guard, and I request that Your Majesty grant me two thousand death row inmates. I want to use them to undermine the Tatar people's resolve to fight against the Ming Dynasty. In the past, the Tatar people liked to fight against the Ming Dynasty because they came to plunder it. As long as they won a battle, they could steal a lot of good things. Our Ming army is already doing well just to defend against the Tatar attacks; we haven't won a battle in a long time."

Zhu Youjian nodded and said helplessly, "Yes!"

Wang Wenzhou said confidently, "As long as the emperor gives me two thousand death row inmates who are willing to risk their lives, I can crush the morale of the Tartar people in their fight."

"How should we strike?" Zhu Youjian asked.

Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Life for life! For example, one day, in a market with a large flow of Tartars, a brave warrior from the Ming Dynasty shouted: 'Those who offend the Ming Dynasty, though far away, shall be punished.' Then, without hesitation, he detonated the explosives strapped to his body, killing many Tartar civilians."

Wang Wenzhou continued, "For example, on a dark and windy night, a minor Tartar official and his entire family were slaughtered by the warriors of our Great Ming. On the wall, several large characters were written in blood: 'Those who dare to do evil for the Tartars will have no place to be buried!'"

This is essentially a terrorist attack, and of course, it's also a tactic. In Wang Wenzhou's timeline, a military theorist from our Celestial Empire proposed this concept, calling it "unrestricted warfare." It shares similarities with terrorist attacks—both involve the weak attacking the strong, or in other words, inflicting significant losses on the enemy with minimal cost.

Zhu Youjian asked doubtfully, "Would this really make the Tartars negotiate peace? Wouldn't it only deepen the Tartar people's hatred for our Great Ming Dynasty?"

Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "As long as there are more incidents like this, the Tartar people will live in constant fear. Because no one knows when they will suddenly die in the street. Of course, this is only part of the tactic. The most important thing is that we send people to destroy the Tartars' crops!"

Wang Wenzhou continued, "The winter wheat in Liaodong has already been planted. If we send people to pour oil on it, a single fire can burn down an entire area. Destroying the seedlings now will prevent the Tartar people from harvesting grain in the autumn. As long as we defend well and prevent the Tartars from entering the pass to plunder, many Tartars will starve to death."

Zhu Youjian nodded; he understood somewhat.

Wang Wenzhou continued, "After destroying their grain income, I will spread the word that as long as they negotiate with us, their grain can certainly be sold to friendly nations. At that time, when the Tartars propose peace, we can bargain and still put on a show of arrogance in front of the people, making it seem like the Tartars are afraid of us and that's why they negotiate with us, not that we are afraid of the Tartars!"

"Haha!" Zhu Youjian slapped the table excitedly and said, "Good! I will hand over all the death row inmates in the country to you! In addition, I will also hand over the command of the Liaodong Embroidered Uniform Guard to you! My Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard also has daredevils. If death row inmates are not good enough, or not elite enough, you can use the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If that is still not enough, I can also send people from the Eastern Depot to you to command."

The reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei) is not good in later generations, mainly because civil officials have always held the power of discourse. However, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a complex entity within the Ming Dynasty, involved not only internal affairs but also external ones. For example, during the Imjin War (Japanese invasion of Korea), the Embroidered Uniform Guard also participated in the war.

Both the Ming and Qing dynasties defended their vassal state of Korea, but the difference between the two was significant. During the Imjin War (the Korean War), the Japanese Sengoku army was terrified and scattered when they saw the Imperial Guards charging towards them! In contrast, the Manchu Qing dynasty, with its long queues, fired a few shots at the Japanese during the First Sino-Japanese War and then fled. This explains why Korea used the Ming dynasty name until the 268th year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, until the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War.

Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Brother Zhu, rest assured, within a month, I guarantee that I will make the Tartars cry and beg us to make peace."

"Haha..." Zhu Youjian laughed heartily. He was fortunate not to have killed Wang Wenzhou that day; had he, it would have been a true loss to the Ming Dynasty. With a brilliant strategist like Wang Wenzhou, the Ming Dynasty would surely rise again!

"Phew..." Wang Wenzhou finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Zhu Youjian loved his country more than his women. Everyone has a different priority. For Wang Wenzhou, his children were definitely number one; he would do anything for them. For Zhu Youjian, the Ming Dynasty was the most important thing.

"If you do not betray me, I will not betray you! Wang Wenzhou, as long as you can pacify Liaodong, I will definitely grant you the title of a hereditary prince!" Zhu Youjian said excitedly.

"Brother Zhu! I'm determined to become this prince!" Wang Wenzhou said confidently, patting his chest.