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Chapter 1357 A chill on the back
"This isn't the first time we've worked together. You should know very well what kind of person I am. I've been an orphan since I was a child. If I hadn't been taken in by the Haihu Company, I would have frozen, starved, or died of illness long ago. Every day I'm alive now is a bonus."

Since I've already made money, why should I want to make more? My current salary is enough for my family to live on, and even if I were to die in battle, I would receive a pension from the General Staff Department, so my children would never have to beg for food again.

But I don't have much talent, and I'm unlikely to achieve great things in the future. This isn't self-deprecation, but rather His Majesty's wise words. I also believe His Majesty has a keen eye for talent; becoming a captain is already the best I can do.

Climbing any higher might not be a good thing for me. The higher the position, the greater the responsibility. If I mess things up one day, it will not only implicate my family, but also put His Majesty in a difficult position.

I might as well give up climbing and serve a few more years in a down-to-earth manner. Once I've served enough years, I can apply for retirement and go work on cargo ships in the maritime command. That way, I won't have wasted His Majesty's years of teachings. I can just be a useful person.

When we were young, His Majesty said that it's not shameful to live a mediocre life, as long as you do your best within your capabilities and don't cause trouble for others. However, it's very dangerous to be unaware of your own abilities, blindly pursue wealth and status, and always think that something is better than something else.

His Majesty does not wish for all the children of the Haihusi to become pillars of the nation. He only wishes that we follow our own paths, live our own lives, and not cause trouble for others or His Majesty. This would be enough to repay the kindness of raising us.

So from a young age, we are always thinking about what we can do. Those who are bold and adventurous can join the army to fight for the country; those who are timid and do not like fighting but are cautious and meticulous can become minor officials who do writing and calculation.

Those with quick minds and good grades can become master craftsmen and engineers; those who have no advantages can become teachers in new schools in various prefectures and counties, passing on the knowledge they have learned over the years to students, which is not a waste of their lives.

But you're different. Not only are you born a marquis, but you also have a sharp mind and enjoy thinking things through. This is a gift from heaven, and it absolutely shouldn't be wasted. The higher the position, the greater the power, and the more things you can do, which will help you achieve your lofty ambitions.

If all the credit is given to me, I'll definitely get promoted and transferred. The thought of becoming the Commander-in-Chief makes me panic. I have no idea how to even begin. Rather than living in constant fear, I'd rather not do it at all.

I've discussed this with Commander Gao, and he agrees. We'll divide the credit into three parts. We were both just following orders and completing the task meticulously. Please be understanding, Deputy Commander!

Why insist on pushing away the credit that's already in your hands? Wu Bing gave a whole set of reasons, then solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Setter, without the slightest reluctance, his eyes full of expectation.

"...Gao Dusi was also from Haihusi?" Setter was dumbfounded. This was the first time he had ever heard of a soldier who didn't like to make military achievements.

But after thinking about all the things I've done in the navy over the years, it doesn't seem like nonsense. Some officers really don't care much about making meritorious contributions and are exceptionally indifferent to fame and fortune.

“Yes, he was five years ahead of me. He wasn’t an orphan, but his parents sold him to human traffickers, and he almost ended up in the palace as a castrated man. Luckily, Eunuch Wang discovered it early and stopped him, and he joined the Maritime Affairs Department after that.” “Alright, we’ll do it your way. But there’s one thing I need to make clear beforehand: you can write it like this in the official document to the Naval Staff, but I need to submit a separate memorial to His Majesty explaining the inside story. I don’t know what the specific outcome will be.”

At this point, Setter finally understood something that had puzzled both him and his brother: why there was never any factionalism or power struggles in the Ming Dynasty's army.

The elder brother believed that the emperor was skilled at managing his subordinates. Through layers of surveillance by the Statistics Bureau, the Advisory Office, the Eastern Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he nipped any signs of trouble in the bud, which prevented the court and the army from being filled with factions and fighting each other as they had in the past.

He believed that it was thanks to the new learning and the new imperial examination system that the small circles of teachers and students and fellow students were fundamentally severed, and that the old problems were changed by the addition of strict laws and punishments.

However, after listening to Wu Bing's words, they realized that they and their brother, along with many court officials and generals, might have been wrong. The fundamental reason why the emperor had held absolute power and controlled the government and the army for over thirty years without any chaos was not the law, nor the supervisory institutions, nor the new imperial examination system, but the people!
Within the Ming Dynasty court, prefectures, counties, and army, there was a very special yet inconspicuous group: those from the Haihu Si (Sea Household Office)!

This group has existed for only a few years after the emperor ascended the throne, and has never stopped. Every year, a fixed number of students graduate and then naturally enter the grassroots departments of the court and the army. A few of them also enter the royal academy for further study.

No matter where they go, this group remains almost silent, rarely revealing their Haito-sabi origins unless they are very close to someone. There is no such thing as people from the Haito-sabi origins taking care of each other. Even after spending several or more than a decade with them, it is difficult to learn the details.

But it was this group of people who laid the foundation for the unspoken rules of the court and the military. They were like countless incarnations of the emperor, always adhering to the education they received in their childhood, quietly observing the subtle changes happening around them, and then encouraging some things and suppressing others through their own actions.

This group of people are Emperor Jingyang's true supporters, and most of them will never change their minds. This is because they have endured hardships that are difficult for ordinary people to understand, suffered pain that most people have no chance to bear, and experienced the warmth and beauty of humanity when they were most vulnerable and helpless.

Having experienced such dramatic ups and downs, their desires and pursuits will differ from those of ordinary people. Emperor Jingyang not only saved their lives but also taught them how to survive and provided them with a stage to fully showcase their talents.

Therefore, Emperor Jingyang is everything to them. Even if they know that some of his actions are questionable, they will still support him firmly and are even willing to give their lives for him.

What's even more frightening is that these people are not just blindly loyal fools who are only trying to repay a debt of gratitude. They have received a very systematic education since they were a few years old, and even if they did not go on to study at the Royal Academy after they grew up, their knowledge was still quite good.

This group of brave, resolute, disciplined, faithful, knowledgeable, idealistic, ambitious, and experienced young people are like emperors incarnate, spreading the ideas they have received since childhood to various places for free.

At the same time, they are like the emperor's loyal guards, constantly watching everyone around them and showing no leniency when they discover anything unusual. Moreover, this group has been expanding by thousands of people every year for over thirty years!
(End of this chapter)