Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Zhang Pu has arrived in Tongzhou?"

How is he doing there?

In the palace, Zhu Youjian, who had convened a meeting of the high-ranking members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, asked the question casually.

Monitoring the movements of key figures has always been an important task of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, especially for figures like Zhang Pu who were under the emperor's close scrutiny.

After serving the current emperor for several years, the current high-ranking members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard all understand:

The more the emperor values ​​someone, the more closely he monitors them. He might even assign guards to openly protect and spy on them.

If anyone thinks these people are favored by the emperor and foolishly covers for them, they will be reprimanded by the emperor. They may even have their loyalty questioned, wondering if they are truly loyal to outsiders.

Zheng Shiyi, of course, wouldn't make that mistake. He took out the intelligence records of the Embroidered Uniform Guard from this period and replied:

"Zhang Pu arrived in Tongzhou three days ago and is currently conducting research at the Tongzhou Arsenal."

"Two of the researchers he recruited came from the Security Academy, and the intelligence came from them."

"According to them, Zhang Hanlin was very popular in Tongzhou, and craftsmen and engineers all treated him as one of their own."

This is the benefit of Zhang Pu leading his employees to fight for their rights last year. Most of the work registration system, lifetime employment system, and eight-hour work system he proposed have been implemented at the Tongzhou Arsenal.

Although the credit wasn't his, the workers at the Tongzhou Arsenal still felt a sense of kinship with Zhang Pu.

A literary star spoke on their behalf and asked questions in a friendly manner. Naturally, they did not treat Zhang Pu as an outsider and told him everything they knew without reservation.

Zhu Youjian nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this, which was why he sent Zhang Pu over there.

Compared to others, Zhang Pu had a deeper understanding of workers and paid more attention to protecting their rights when formulating management systems.

He hoped that Zhang Pu could summarize a feasible system to promote the Ming Dynasty's transition from the agricultural era to the industrial era.

After praising the work of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhu Youjian asked curiously:

"How did a student from the Safety Academy end up becoming a researcher?"

"Is this how your Embroidered Uniform Guard lets talented people go? Zhang Pu didn't even look at his background before hiring him?"

Qi Changguo, the Southern Commander in charge of the safety academy, said:

“Zhang Hanlin recruited researchers, and the selection process was completely open, modeled after the selection of probationary officials in the Hanlin Academy.”

"The students in these two safety schools are all statistics majors, and they are quite skilled in mathematics. After they passed the exam, they were recruited."

"As for why I feel at ease, it's probably because Zhang Pu took the two of them as his disciples and became their mentor."

Mentors and students have a formal mentor-apprentice relationship, which, according to the recent classification of mentor-apprentice relationships, is like that of a ruler and his subjects, or a father and son.

After Zhang Pu accepted these people as his disciples, he naturally trusted them completely. Regardless of where they came from, anyone who dared to betray them would be violating moral principles and would be despised by the world.

Even the Imperial Guards speculated that the messages relayed by these two students from the Security Academy might have been authorized by Zhang Pu.

Zhu Youjian also had some suspicions about this, and instructed:

"Don't force intelligence agents to spy on teachers and parents; that goes against common sense."

"We accept their messages if they want to, but we don't force them if they don't."

"These people have the ability to get into the Academy of Sciences, which shows that they have potential. They should be cultivated in the long term and treated as potential talents."

"As long as they remain loyal to me and contribute to the maintenance of the Ming Dynasty, do not be harsh on them."

Having established this principle, Zhu Youjian ordered Zheng Shiyi to transfer similar personnel to the Second Secret Intelligence Bureau, where they could remain silent for extended periods and only be responsible for major intelligence.

To monitor Zhang Pu, other personnel were assigned.

Zheng Shiyi carried out the order, and Zhu Youjian then turned his attention to the matter of the Safety Academy, inquiring about it:
"Have all the students from the safety training program found jobs?"

"These people are all professionals; we mustn't let them out carelessly."

Qi Changguo hurriedly replied:

"Most of them have entered the Embroidered Uniform Guard for internships, while others have entered other government departments."

“These people are literate and have professional knowledge, making them much more useful than ordinary clerks.”

"Minister Min of the Logistics Department asked me for logistics majors just a few days ago, promising that anyone who entered the Logistics Department would be given an official position."

This was something he was quite proud of, because the Embroidered Uniform Guard was often ostracized by various government departments.

The logistics minister was naturally very pleased that the students from the safety academy were being demanded by him.

Zhu Youjian was also somewhat proud, because he had personally arranged the curriculum of the Security Academy, and even served as its dean of education. Although few of the students from this academy passed the imperial examinations and it ranked only in the middle among the nine major academies in the capital, they were very efficient and practical talents.

It seems that Min Mengde also realized this. Overwhelmed by logistical matters during the war, he did not hesitate to use his position as a Privy Councilor to demand students from the academy.

Considering the indeed busy affairs of the logistics department, and the need for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to infiltrate the military, Zhu Youjian said:
“If he wants some, we’ll give him some, and we can also send students there for internships.”

"If you perform meritorious service, you will be granted the rank of Commandant of the Guards and go to the army to serve as a civilian officer."

"Also, didn't the General Staff request any students?"

"Does the Martial Arts Academy and Martial Arts Research Institute have many highly skilled martial artists?"

Qi Changguo could only smile wryly and reply:
"No, Minister Yang never mentioned it."

"Most of the battle achievements made on the front lines now are made with firearms, and very few are made through martial arts."

"The martial arts department no longer requires students to hone their martial arts skills; they only train them in shooting."

"It is said that the Privy Council was quite dissatisfied with this batch of military graduates, believing that their training in archery, swordsmanship, and stone lifting was useless, and instead arranged for them to practice shooting."

This is a disconnect caused by the rapid development of military technology.

Under the full impetus of Zhu Youjian, the army of the Ming Dynasty had already moved into the age of firearms.

The victory in the Battle of Daning also led to a consensus among the high command of the army that brave and combative soldiers had been phased out.

However, the martial arts examination still required koalas to be drawn, swords to be wielded, and stones to be lifted. While these skills were not entirely useless, they were no longer practical for use on the battlefield.

Therefore, the martial arts graduates of this year's imperial examinations are not valued and all of them have to be sent to martial arts schools for further study.

Zhu Youjian sighed at this:
"If even the martial arts scholars are like this, let alone the warriors of the martial arts tournament."

“These people are to be recruited by you and given proper training in the safety school.”

"Those who are truly unwilling to become officials should be allowed to join the civilian armed forces."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard could set up several security companies as an external force."

They were instructed to pay close attention to these talented individuals, ensuring their upward mobility was not blocked and preventing them from rebelling out of resentment.

The local armed forces were very useful, especially since Zhu Youjian needed them to do the dirty work.

Thinking of the ongoing tug-of-war in Liaodong, Zhu Youjian said:
"The winners of this martial arts tournament should be awarded official positions as appropriate."

“Those skilled in mounted warfare, in particular, can form their own battalion and be sent to fight in Liaodong.”

"If someone sacrifices their life for the country, they will be granted the status of a martyr."

"Like the soldiers who died in battle, they will be granted land in Liaodong."

"You must spread the word properly, so that those military men don't feel that the imperial court doesn't value them."

Qi Changguo and the others responded in unison. Zhu Youjian then gave them some other instructions before letting them go.

The martial artists who came to the capital to participate in the martial arts tournament were immediately eager to compete for the title of the world's number one warrior after seeing the news published in the "Safety Report".

Ji Jike, the previous champion of the martial arts world, is now the president of the martial arts association and one of the emperor's martial arts instructors.

But he was not the most illustrious. The ones most envied by the common people were Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, Liu Zongmin, Zhang Xianzhong, and others who led their own battalions.

Zhang Xianzhong, in particular, was granted the title of Earl of the Western Sea for his achievement of recovering thousands of miles of land, which inspired many martial artists to participate in the martial arts tournament.

Not to mention established figures like Chen Yuanyun in Beijing, generals such as Zhu Wende and Ma Ke selected from the army, and those who rose to prominence from the common people, such as Yuan Shizhong and Tian Jianxiu, all gathered in the capital.

Their reputation isn't as widespread as the previous Warriors, but their strength is certainly not lacking.

Everyone harbored ambitions, hoping to lead a battalion like their predecessors and achieve great things, such as being granted official titles and ranks.

Their predecessors, such as Zhang Xianzhong and Gao Yingxiang, shed their sweat and blood on the Liaodong battlefield.
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As May arrived, Heilongjiang had completely thawed, and the long-planned trip to Horqin finally began.

In order to win this battle, Kong Zhenyun, who was appointed as the Inspector General of Heilongjiang, braved the cold winter wind to contact the Chahan tribe and finally persuaded Ligdan Khan to send troops to besiege Nen Khorchin together with the Daxi Camp, Heilong Camp, Heihe Camp, Heishui Camp, and Mohe Camp.

This time, Kong Zhenyun's goal was not only to contain them, but he planned to take over the area completely when the main force of the Jurchens marched south.

The addition of Ligdan Khan not only relieved the Ming army of the danger of being attacked from both sides, but also gave their offensive against the Khorchin a sense of righteousness on the grasslands.

The Khorchin's betrayal of the Khanate was something that angered Ligdan Khan. Disregarding the war in the northern deserts, he personally led 20,000 elite troops to participate in this campaign.

The Hohhot tribe, which had been threatened by him, gained a respite and sent people to the Rus' Kingdom for help.

The situation in the northern desert became even more chaotic, attracting numerous forces. (End of Chapter)