《明史·列传·卷一百四十七》
又提出分三方布置的策略：广宁用马步兵在河上设立壁垒，凭山川形势打击敌人，牵制敌人的全部兵力；天津、登、莱各港口建置水军船队，乘虚打入敌人南方的驻地，动摇他们的军心，这样敌人势必有内顾之忧，辽阳就可以收复了。
帝亦从之。至六月，廷弼入朝，首请免言官贬谪，帝不可。乃建三方布置策：广宁用马步列垒河上，以形势格之，缀敌全力；天津、登、莱各置舟师，乘虚入南卫，动摇其人心，敌必内顾，而辽阳可复。
He also proposed a strategy of deploying in three parties: Guangning would use cavalry and infantry to set up barriers on the river, rely on the natural features of the mountains and rivers to attack the enemy, and contain the enemy's entire force; the ports of Tianjin, Deng, and Lai would build up naval fleets, take advantage of the enemy's weak defenses to invade their southern bases and shake their morale, so that the enemy would inevitably have concerns about their own affairs, and Liaoyang could be recaptured.