Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 791 Tang Sai'er's Organizational Strategy
Zhu Wenkui and the others weren't entirely at ease with the people Tang Sai'er had brought, as they had arrived rather quickly. However, Tang Sai'er said that this was actually a normal pace. If transportation and communication were better here, they might have been able to arrive even faster.

She explained that building a complete administrative system for conscription and training soldiers, like the Wu King's Palace had done before, would take time. But her approach wasn't about training an army from scratch, so it wasn't actually that difficult.

In this instance, the main task is to organize existing military forces and incorporate them into their own army. Therefore, the focus is not on how to train troops, but on how to persuade them to join their ranks.

The easiest to deal with are the prisoners from before. Because after the defeat, these people had nowhere else to go.

Although named the Prague Legion, the number of Prague citizens among its soldiers was relatively small. Some were conscripts, but in reality, the army was formed through an agreement between the Prague City Council and several surrounding towns, uniting with powerful lords who then recruited their subjects. To attract more soldiers and gain greater bargaining power, the Prague City Council spent considerable sums bribing the lords. Therefore, while the lords were nominally "allies" and the soldiers were conscripts, their situation was practically no different from that of mercenaries.

The rest were guards from Prague and other towns, as well as other hired mercenary groups. These were the most "standard" mercenaries. Although mercenary groups might be employed by the city long-term, the mercenaries weren't considered citizens, and might even have been recruited from elsewhere just days before. The city council didn't care about this.

On the Ming army's side, there were also many experienced veteran mercenaries. Some, like Jessica, had not only served in the military but also organized their own mercenary groups, possessing a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of the game. Before departing from Dadu, Tang Sai'er specifically sought them out to inquire about this information. At the time, everyone assumed she simply wanted to understand the enemy as much as possible to better defeat them. Little did they know, she had considered so much even back then.

After summarizing the information, Tang Sai'er discovered that the army here didn't pay soldiers much. Most mercenaries also didn't have the habit of saving money.

The veterans told her that in the Alemanni region, very few mercenaries could save money. Most risked their lives on the battlefield, trying to acquire some spoils, then squandering them, only to risk their lives again until they died. In comparison, although everyone said Italians weren't good at fighting, those who wanted to settle down and build a career were somewhat envious of their Italian counterparts. Because their companies were much more legitimate, and their industries were more standardized.

Over the years, quite a few people have indeed accumulated wealth and even social status, eventually succeeding in "landing" in Italy, buying property and settling down to become citizens, gentry, or even public officials in the city-state. For example, the famous Sir Hawkwood rose from an unknown ordinary soldier to become the highest-paid man in Florence, owning estates in multiple locations. In Europe at that time, even with the slimmest probability, such upward mobility was incredibly attractive.

However, in the Alemanni region, the conditions are not so favorable.

Often, it's not that everyone is inherently evil. From an outsider's perspective, these people generally have little to do with morality, and they themselves don't feel they have anything to defend themselves—after all, in this line of work, if someone dares to swear to everyone that they haven't killed innocent people or robbed civilians, then they are either not only noble but also extremely powerful, like the knights in stories, and could become a Paladin; or they are extremely thick-skinned and very good at deceiving people, and could become an archbishop.

However, often, it's impossible to "learn to be good." Not all mercenaries derive pleasure from burning and killing; on the contrary, they plunder because they would starve if they didn't. Similarly, while Italy was in chaos, the city-states maintained relative stability, and some areas were even quite prosperous. In the Alemanni region, such stability was nowhere to be found, as one could be caught in the crossfire of another's war at any moment and wiped out entirely. It was better to just spend and enjoy the spoils.

Some mercenary groups even bring their families along, migrating like nomadic tribes. While this is inefficient, it's at least slightly safer. Often, the huge camps behind the army's lines include these people.

This is why the Ming army is actually very attractive to veterans who want a peaceful life. It's one of the few organizations that can provide a stable environment. While fighting on the front lines, at least they have a place to settle down. If they want to continue fighting, there are opportunities for promotion; if they want to return to a peaceful life, they can choose to retire—all of this seems basic, but for most mercenaries, it's an extremely rare opportunity.

Now, these soldiers have neither money nor food on them. In fact, not only do they themselves lack the resources to sustain everyone in their army, but the biggest problem after the original army was defeated and scattered is that they simply cannot survive.

At this point, the surrounding people would no longer allow them to plunder. The harm caused by defeated soldiers could even exceed that of a regular army; but conversely, the local residents were also the most ruthless towards them. Given the opportunity, every town and village would try to "clean out" these people. Similarly, this behavior is difficult to judge morally, because sometimes it wasn't even about revenge, but simply a matter of life and death.

Therefore, Tang Sai'er believed that as long as the basic conditions were met, recruiting these people would be very simple, and even a relatively cost-effective option. Back in her hometown in the Central Plains, recruiting defeated soldiers involved considering issues such as whether they could be controlled, whether they would rebel, and whether the supplies provided would meet their demands.

According to her, many military households actually participated in their rebellion. In fact, these people were the backbone of the rebel army's fighting force, because the oppression they suffered from officials was no less severe than that of ordinary people.

Zhu Wenkui was surprised by this, because in his memory, the military was a separate organization, and various actions requiring the mobilization of military households were not under the jurisdiction of local civil officials. But Tang Sai'er told him that the division of power was only theoretical. Although military households and civilian households were not managed by the same government office, it was too easy for officials to collude to achieve a common goal. In this regard, they were very proactive, and it was impossible to stop them by setting up any system. Therefore, military households often had to not only undertake military duties, but also fill quotas for other work, making their burden even greater. Moreover, their management was stricter than that of civilians, and there was no way to shirk responsibility and reduce the pressure. As a result, many military households also joined the religion, trying to band together to resist their unscrupulous superiors. There was already a tradition of organized martial arts training in the area, and with these people joining, the speed of formalization accelerated even further.

When the uprising actually began, quite a few military households within the sect ultimately hesitated and did not participate. However, those who did not join the rebellion also lacked fighting spirit. Soldiers in various defense zones frequently slacked off or even deserted, making it much easier for them to maneuver.

However, the out-of-town military households transferred by the court were not so easy to deal with. Tang Sai'er and her comrades had once defeated the vanguard of the Ming army marching south, and they felt that these men's tactical style was quite different from that of the local garrison soldiers. Their fighting spirit was far stronger than that of the local military households. The Ming soldiers captured by them were often unwilling to surrender. When Tang Sai'er asked them why, they all said that their families were still in Yan (present-day Beijing), and that they had always received favors from the court, with their food, clothing, and daily necessities provided by the court. When they encountered injustice, the army would also stand up for them. To betray the garrison and join them would be a betrayal of their trust.

These events left a deep impression on Tang Sai'er, so she always felt that the experience passed down by her grandmaster could not be completely copied, because many things changed with the times. For example, compared to persuading and mobilizing the masses, organizing military households was much more difficult. This was completely different from the situation her grandmasters faced when persuading the military households of the Great Yuan Dynasty.

Upon arriving here, she was somewhat surprised to find that soldiers were actually quite easy to persuade. Mercenaries generally lacked loyalty to their former employers, and often harbored resentment. Moreover, their needs were very low; they didn't even expect to fill their stomachs. Just organizing themselves to avoid being relentlessly hunted by the surrounding locals was enough. There weren't many things to worry about here, as many mercenaries were simply wandering and risking their lives in a foreign land. Their opposition to their former employers had little to do with their hometowns—if they were lucky enough to still have one.

As for what happens after the incorporation... with battles raging one after another, there's not much time for idle thoughts. If we win, the mercenaries will be convinced, temporary supplies will return to normal, and the entire army will become "regular"; if we lose, then there's no need to worry about these issues...

Therefore, Tang Sai'er found that, compared to the troublesome people of the Central Plains, this place was actually more conducive to her utilizing her experience.

After dealing with the soldiers, the others were actually quite easy to handle. Her investigation revealed that most of the minor nobles weren't as concerned with trivial matters as they appeared. They were just like ordinary people, desiring only a stable environment.

Tang Sai'er told the others that, according to her mentor and her own observations, in most societies, the most combative people are those in the lower and middle classes. The lives of the lower classes are more difficult and volatile, making them more prone to impulsiveness. Under the official order, these people are even more vulnerable and therefore more reliant on unofficial organizations for protection.

These characteristics, ironically, motivate them to join clandestine organizations, as many already have a strong tendency to form associations. This makes them easily recruited without much hesitation, making them ideal as pioneers in early operations. However, to truly succeed, these individuals alone are insufficient. Moreover, their ideas and habits may not necessarily benefit the organization's future development, as many are somewhat extreme and lack vision, easily causing trouble due to momentary impulses. This is an experience left to her by her founding mother.

However, the middle and lower ranks, who possessed the strongest fighting power, were not easy to organize. Or rather, most of the time, it wasn't the White Lotus Sect that "developed" them, but rather the government that actively forced them into this position. This was because these people often had more concerns; they preferred to preserve their status and wealth rather than disrupt the existing order. They valued environmental stability and had certain requirements regarding a "decent" lifestyle and moral principles. Even if maintaining this "decentness" was sometimes difficult for their class, requiring a facade, and their "morality" was partly based on hearsay or deliberate imitation, and not necessarily sound...

This was quite evident in the Ming Dynasty. And in Europe, it was even more pronounced. Because social classes were much more clearly defined, roles were easily discernible, differences between people were readily apparent, and positions were much clearer, eliminating the need for observation and guesswork.

She discovered that many minor nobles opposed the Wu vassal state, likely because the propaganda of the lower-ranking Hussite clergy corresponded perfectly with the old Wu king's letter. These radical clergy often made startling pronouncements during their sermons. This might be partly because their audience consisted of lower-class believers, and partly because they genuinely lacked political education, appearing as naive as true believers. Therefore, they hadn't truly considered the political implications or the consequences of their words…

According to these people, the Great Judgment is coming, and the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother will send people to uphold justice. All heretics, villains, and false prophets in the church will be punished. They also assured the believers that someone will soon come to lead everyone to destroy all the nobles and establish an earthly kingdom of equality for all. The believers should act as the vanguard of the king and prepare for this moment.

Therefore, some religious communities have actually begun the practice of "establishing a heavenly kingdom on earth." People revel all day long, announcing the abolition of hierarchy and private property. Some fundamentalists even advocate the views of early doctrines, advocating the elimination of all family and marital relationships—these are common claims of radical Christian cults. Basically, every time there is a disturbance, it is this kind of demand, so everyone is quite familiar with it.

Many other communities, while not as radical as that, also declared their desire to abolish the lords and forbid them from oppressing the people. At this point, the old King Wu issued a bizarre edict, stating that he also supported the reduction of the power of the lords. This essentially endorsed the radicals and addressed the biggest fear of the lords, large and small. And just like that, a chaotic and inexplicable war broke out…

(End of this chapter)