The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 311 Yang Yiqing

Tang Hao succeeded.

His Majesty the Emperor opened his mouth and officially rebuilt the five prefectures.

It is not actually appropriate to call it a reconstruction, because the five prefectures and government offices and other institutions still exist, they were just in name only before.

The Five Military Governor's Office was in charge of all the garrisons in the capital except the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, and the garrisons of the various military governors outside the capital. Its main responsibilities were to lead the troops in battle, train the army, manage military farms, manage military registration, select generals, etc.

All matters concerning the succession, preferential treatment and preferential treatment of hereditary military officials, itinerant officials and local officials are reported to the government, which then forwards them to the Ministry of War for selection. After the selection is made, the government sends the information to the capital and guards. The selection, appointment and treatment of leading officials are all handled by the Ministry of Personnel.

Other matters such as imperial edicts for military officers, training of infantry and cavalry on land and sea, cleaning and replacement of the army, salaries, garrison fees, garrison equipment and vehicles, military intelligence, maps and documents on the border, firewood, charcoal and reeds were transferred to relevant agencies for joint handling. Each government office only had the power to command troops, and the power to mobilize troops lay in the hands of the Ministry of War. Whenever a war broke out, the emperor would order a general to lead the soldiers of the garrisons under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Governor's Office to go to war with seals. When the army returned, the seals would be returned to the court, and the soldiers would return to the garrisons.

In short, the Five Ministries themselves are a military organization dedicated to serving military officers and soldiers with military honors. In particular, the Five Ministries are in charge of the appointment, dismissal and promotion of military generals and nobles, have the qualifications to recommend, and cooperate with the Six Ministries and Hundreds of Departments to maintain the normal operation of the court.

This is the significance of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's establishment of the Five Military Commanderies.

Tang Hao led the newly appointed governors into the five government offices, and then sat down in the main seat without any hesitation.

Following them were high-ranking military honors such as Duke of Yingguo Zhang Mao and Duke of Baoguo Zhu Hui, who also served as military governors. Next were Qiu Yue, An Guo, Chang Kuohai and others. At this moment, Tang Mu was still guarding Jeju Island, waiting for Korea to agree to trade in the East China Sea.

Tang Hao glanced at everyone and began to arrange tasks.

"Don't be too happy yet."

"We don't know yet whether the Ministry of War will interfere!"

This sentence directly poured cold water on everyone, and the previous joy turned into worry.

They had witnessed with their own eyes the methods used by the civil officials and gentry.

Even if His Majesty the Emperor had spoken out to rebuild the five ministries, I was afraid that the civil officials and gentry would not hand over their power so obediently, and the first to be affected would be the Ministry of War.

"What we have to do next is to take back the authority that the five governments should have one by one."

Leading troops to fight is a special case. Only when encountering a war would the emperor order a general to be the commander-in-chief and to lead the soldiers of the garrisons under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Commandery to go to the battlefield with seals.

Training the army was a special task assigned by the court. For example, in the 19th year of Hongwu, the emperor ordered Shang Huo, the deputy governor of the former military governor's office, to go to the two military governorates of Henan and Shandong to train soldiers and horses. This kind of special task also included other matters such as engineering construction, local farming, recruiting soldiers, and transporting military food, all of which served the war.

Therefore, apart from these two, the basic powers of the five ministries are mainly in the last three.

"The first step is to seize the land!"

Tang Hao looked at Ma Yong and Deng Boyan.

"Tuntian is the guarantee of the army's interests."

"Military settlements can ensure the interests of soldiers, but most of the military settlements in the world today are occupied by powerful gentry, so I hope that you two can take a firm grip on this matter. I will ask His Majesty the Emperor for permission to appoint you two to tour the country to investigate military settlements. Whoever dares to occupy military settlement land will either have to return the land or have their property confiscated. Do you understand?"

Ma Yong and Deng Boyan hurriedly bowed and accepted the order without any objection.

The two of them were able to be conferred the title of marquis this time, all thanks to the merits of Marquis Zhongshan. This marquis is a hereditary marquis, not just some random person!

From now on, the two of them have entered the core layer of the Ming Dynasty's central power, which is enough to bring honor to their ancestors.

Ma Yong was fine, after all, his family had no previous inheritance, but Deng Boyan was different, as he was the descendant of Deng Yu, a famous founding general.

Deng Yu was born with a strong build and extraordinary bravery. At the age of sixteen, he led troops to fight against the Yuan Dynasty. Later, he led more than 10,000 troops from Xuyi to join Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, who gave him the name Deng Yu.

Later, this famous general followed Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang across the Yangtze River, conquered Taiping and Jiqing, and went straight to Zhenjiang. He made many military achievements and was promoted to Marshal of Guangxing Wing. Later, he moved to western Zhejiang and defeated the Yuan army many times. He was promoted many times for his accumulated military merits, and served as the assistant to the Privy Council, the assistant governor of Jiangxi Province, the right chancellor of Jiangxi Province, the deputy governor of Huguang Province, the right imperial censor, and the right imperial tutor of the crown prince.

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Deng Yu followed Xu Da in the expedition to Gansu, defeated the Northern Yuan army, and surrendered the Tubo and U-Tsang tribes. He was promoted to Ronglu Doctor, You Zhuguo, and Weiguo Gong. He later died of illness in Shouchun in the tenth year of Hongwu. He was posthumously named King of Ninghe, with the posthumous name Wushun, and was enshrined in the Taimiao.

To be honest, Deng Yu's achievements are undoubtedly among the top among the famous generals of the founding of the country.

The old Deng family was also listed as a duke family because of Deng Yu’s contribution to the founding of the country. The descendants inherited the family name from generation to generation, and it can be said that they reached the peak of their lives.

However, when the title was passed down to the second generation, when Deng Yu's son Deng Zhen inherited the title of Duke of Shen, he was implicated by Li Shanchang. Deng Zhen was killed because he was his grandson-in-law who had usurped the title.

So far, the Duke of Wei had been passed down from generation to generation; the Duke of Shen had been passed down from generation to generation, and the old Deng family had completely lost their title.

Until this moment, because of the strong support of Marquis Zhongshan, Deng Boyan was able to be awarded the title of Marquis of Jining for his contribution in pacifying Japan, which was of great significance to him.

Therefore, even now, Deng Boyan's eyes were red, and his eyes were full of fanaticism when he looked at Tang Hao.

The matter of military farming was handed over to Ma Yong and Deng Boyan, so Tang Hao could rest assured for the time being.

The next thing was the military registration management. Tang Hao looked at Qiu Yue and Zhang Mao.

"Grandfather, I think you will have to take care of the military registration yourself."

"I will personally go to find Yang Yiqing and ask for the military records of each military garrison. Then Qiu Yue, you will be responsible for checking these military records. Tianci and Jizu will cooperate with you to find out the bad apples, whether they are those who are collecting salaries without paying or those who are concealing the facts and not reporting them. We must find out the specific military situation of each military garrison!"

Qiu Yue nodded subconsciously, then looked at the old Duke Zhang Mao.

It would be better to let the old man do this kind of thing of clearing up the military register. He has nothing to do anyway, not to mention that he has been in charge of the work of a scholar such as compiling history before, so he is considered to be experienced.

Zhang Mao glared at Tang Hao unhappily. He even arrested his able-bodied men. This grandson-in-law really had no respect for the elderly.

But he could also understand it. After all, the five governments were short of people now, especially those who could stand on their own.

People like Ma Yong and Deng Boyan are all young military heroes trained by Tang Hao through his repeated battles on the battlefield. They are still lacking in terms of military merit, not to mention their qualifications, so people still need these old nobles to take charge so that they can feel at ease.

At least Zhang Mao, Zhu Hui and others also felt Tang Hao's respect for them and he did not directly sideline them as old nobles.

Then comes the last item, which is the selection of generals.

"As for the list of meritorious soldiers this time, including those from previous campaigns, you should prepare a detailed list as soon as possible. This marquis will be responsible for negotiating with the Ministry of Personnel. It would be best if these men could earn a position as officers in the garrison. Each military division needs to be inducted by our own people."

"Rebuilding the Five Prefectures is not as simple as having only one central authority. All the prefectures in the world must obey the orders of the Five Prefectures and recognize their leadership. Otherwise, there will be no point in rebuilding the Five Prefectures!"

After hearing this, everyone nodded repeatedly, saying that this was reasonable.

In the past, the five ministries were in name only, and civil officials and gentry had already extended their hands into the local garrisons.

For example, Bian Xiong, the commander of the Shandong Military Region, came from a family of officials. He climbed to the high position of the commander of the Shandong Military Region step by step with the help of the Bian family of Hejian. Later, he colluded with civil officials and gentry to engage in corruption and profit, and even secretly engaged in smuggling trade with Japanese pirates.

Finally, Tang Hao looked at his confidants.

"After today, most of you will have your own responsibilities, either taking charge of a task or guarding a region."

"Whether you are ennobled or appointed as a general, this is what you deserve after following me in battles for so many years. But there is one thing I hope you remember: do not forget your original intention and do not collude with the gentry. Otherwise, don't blame me for not remembering our friendship!"

What is your original intention?
Of course, it is to defeat the gentry!
This is a red line that Tang Hao cannot tolerate.

He didn't want the military merits he brought out, who had just shown some promise, to collude with the gentry for money and benefits!
If someone really did this, Tang Hao wouldn't mind killing him with his own hands!
The military heroes nodded subconsciously and kept this matter firmly in mind.

“The days are long!”

"The Northern Tartars have not yet been pacified, we still need to work hard!"

"I don't want to see any of you missing when I send troops to the Northern Tartars in the future!"

After hearing this, the generals' blood boiled and they all looked at the Marquis of Zhongshan with fanatical expressions.

Perhaps, following Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao is the best choice they have ever made in their lives!

Just at this moment, someone came to report that the Minister of War Yang Yiqing had come in person.

Tang Hao's mouth twitched when he heard that, but he still had to meet him.

After all, no matter what, if the five prefectures want to rebuild, it still depends on the opinion of the Grand Marshal.

If someone is determined to make trouble, it will be a big trouble.

Soon everyone tactfully left and went about their respective tasks.

Tang Hao met with the Minister of War Yang Yiqing in the duty room of the yamen. The Grand Marshal walked in with a grim face.

"I want some tea!"

"No!" "Tang Hao, you bastard!"

"This really doesn't happen!"

Tang Hao spread his hands helplessly.

"The Fifth Mansion has just been rebuilt, there is nothing here, it's not that I won't give you something to drink!"

Hearing this, Yang Yiqing also sighed and sat down silently.

"Are you really planning to rebuild the Five Prefectures?"

"I think you are also aware of the dispute between the government and the ministry before the Tumu. Why do you have to do this?"

The dispute between the prefecture and the ministry, the prefecture refers to the Five Military Commissioners' Office, and the ministry refers to the Ministry of War, one of the six ministries.

Both the Hongwu and Yongle dynasties emphasized military power over culture. After all, due to the influence of war, military generals and nobles played a more important role.

After Yongle, the Renzong and Xuanzong dynasties stopped fighting and started anew with the people, and military generals and nobles lost their role. Previously, Emperor Taizong Wendi Zhu Di established a cabinet, which restricted military power and also lost the power to mobilize troops. After the death of Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji, the cabinet took part of the military power on the grounds that Emperor Yingzong was young. The cabinet supervised the six ministries, and the Ministry of War naturally benefited a lot from this. After tasting the sweetness of controlling military power, the Ministry of War naturally had greater ambitions, which was to control more military power and even seek to control military power.

A great opportunity soon came. During the Battle of Tumu, under the leadership of Emperor Yingzong Zhu Qizhen and the powerful eunuch Wang Zhen, the elite troops accumulated by the Ming Dynasty for decades came out in full force and followed the emperor in person to lead the army.

This naturally includes several important figures in the army, that is, several important generals and military officers who were still able to control the army at that time, headed by Duke Yingguo Zhang Fu, including Taining Hou Chen Ying, the son-in-law of the governor Jing Yuan, Pingxiang Earl Chen Huai, Xiangcheng Earl Li Zhen, and the 200,000 elite troops they built and led, which were eventually wiped out in Tumu Fort because of Wang Zhen's misguided command.

Next came the Battle of the Defense of Beijing. The capital was empty, the Five Military Governor's Office was in name only, and the Ministry of War held the power to mobilize troops. Yu Qian was given the task and transferred troops from the Zhili and Shandong garrisons to set up a strong line of defense near Beijing. He eventually repelled Yesen's Wala cavalry and defended half of the Ming Dynasty.

From then on, the selection and appointment of military officials, military training, and even garrison and border defense were all under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War. Since the Five Military Commandery was an ancestral system, the Ministry of War still gave them some symbolic face, allowing them to nominally manage military household registration and military farming, but in fact they had no real power. In short, it was in name only.

"The dispute between the government and the ministry is actually a dispute between the civil and military officials."

Tang Hao took over the conversation and said: "There have always been civil and military struggles in the courts of every dynasty. This is normal and healthy."

"So even if there is a dispute between the prefectures and the ministries, it is not a big problem. But if the five prefectures are abolished, the military generals and nobles will also be abolished. What will be the result?"

"What will be the result if the civil officials and gentry control the government and hold great power?"

what's the result?
Someone has already said it.

The military and civilians all over the world are impoverished, and the people are penniless!
This is the result of civil officials and gentry controlling the government!

Yang Yiqing also understood this truth.

It is simply that the gentry and the rich have seized too many benefits from the people and embezzled too many benefits from the country, which has led to this predicament.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I am worried that you will act rashly and ruin the current situation."

"The Ming Dynasty can no longer withstand the turmoil!"

Tang Hao sighed when he heard this.

Of course he knew that Yang Yiqing was not a corrupt official. On the contrary, he always took the interests of his country and family as his own responsibility.

The two seemed to be incompatible on a daily basis, but they both had a common goal, which was to hope that the Ming Dynasty could get back on track. This was the basis for the two to sit down and talk at this moment.

"It's actually quite simple. We need to rebuild the five prefectures and ensure the interests of the officers and men. This will inspire the officers and men of the three armies and restore the combat effectiveness of the garrison troops."

"The civil officials and gentry controlled the government, and they tried every means to weaken the fighting power of the Ming army. In addition, they deliberately suppressed the promotion of military generals and nobles. The soldiers saw that there was no hope of promotion and the rewards were pitifully small. Who would be willing to fight for the Ming army on the battlefield? The fighting power is getting worse and worse, which is the norm!"

Yang Yiqing couldn't refute this point.

He used to be the commander-in-chief of three borders and was very familiar with the nine border military garrisons.

Because of the deliberate suppression by civil officials and gentry, military equipment and supplies were of inferior quality, and money and military pay were often not paid on time. Therefore, the soldiers in the nine borders had long been dissatisfied with the court, and instead supported the generals of these military towns.

At least the general can ensure our interests, while the court does not care about our lives. This is what people want.

If this continues, there will definitely be chaos in the Nine Borders, and there may even be separatist regimes like the Mu family in Yunnan that are difficult to eliminate!

"The reason why I rebuilt the Five Prefectures is to give the soldiers hope again."

"The five ministries will ensure their interests, guaranteeing that they will be rewarded for their meritorious service and compensated for their deaths in battle. Only in this way will the soldiers of the three armies be loyal to the court."

"If we continue to let the civil officials and gentry do what they want, it will sooner or later lead to mutinies. All the soldiers in the world, whether they are garrisons or border troops, will lose hope in the court and become dissatisfied with it. Then the Ming Dynasty will soon be destroyed!"

Tang Hao looked at Yang Yiqing solemnly.

"Da Sima, you have led soldiers in battles before, so I think you know how difficult the situation of the lower-level soldiers is."

"Such a Ming dynasty would always be confined to the Great Wall, facing the looting and harassment of the Mongolian barbarians, and would never have the capital or confidence to go beyond the Great Wall."

"Because the soldiers have no morale, and they are unwilling to fight for the Ming Dynasty!"

If you can't even guarantee the most basic interests of your soldiers, and can't even guarantee compensation for their deaths, who would be willing to fight for you?
Yang Yiqing nodded silently, and then asked the question again.

"Tell me about your measures!"

"If it's reasonable, I will do my best to cooperate."

Tang Hao nodded and told his plan.

"The first step is to establish military farms."

"Military settlements are the guarantee for soldiers to support their families, but they have long been occupied by the gentry, the rich and powerful. I intend to take these military settlements back first. No matter who they are, they must either return the land or have their property confiscated!"

"Yes!" Yang Yiqing nodded.

Military farmland is the foundation of the military's survival.

The soldiers in the garrisons spend three parts of their time on farming and seven parts on cultivating land. Without land, how can they support their families?
"The second step is to clear the military!"

"Because of the corruption and occupation of labor by the garrison officers, a large number of them have deserted, and these garrison officers have taken the opportunity to embezzle the salary. I intend to take this opportunity to clean out a group of garrison officers and make an example of them, and then place the meritorious officers in these garrisons!"

Yang Yiqing looked at Tang Hao deeply.

"Does your majesty know?"

To put it bluntly, what Tang Hao did was equivalent to planting his own cronies!
"Of course!"

Tang Hao naturally heard the hidden meaning in Yang Yiqing's words.

"Grand Marshal, rest assured that the reconstruction of the five prefectures has been carefully discussed with Your Majesty."

That being the case, there's not much to say.

Anyway, the Emperor trusts the Marquis of Zhongshan very much and is willing to hand over the world's military affairs to the Marquis of Zhongshan. Yang Yiqing is too lazy to be the bad guy and anger the Emperor for no reason.

"The third step is the Nine Border Military Town."

"I intend to take some measures to boost the morale of the soldiers and civilians in the Nine Borders, at least to let them see that His Majesty the Emperor has always remembered them."

"For example, those refugees who were rescued after being abducted, if they have no parents or wives, will be directly recruited into the army and called upon to kill bandits; those who have family property will still follow the Ning family, and those who are willing to join the army after leaving the Ning family will be directly recruited into the army..."

"We can also recruit indigenous soldiers from the nine borders to assist the officers and soldiers in killing the enemy. The principle is that those who are willing to serve will be verified for their age and given three taels of silver and horses and equipment. They will be organized into teams to work with the government troops to kill the bandits, and those who have made contributions will be promoted and rewarded as usual. Those who are determined to return to farming can stay if they wish and be named as imperial guards. They will be given one stone of grain per month, and will be removed when they are old..."

"In addition, rewards and punishments should be clearly defined. Soldiers and civilians in border towns who behead one captive will be given thirty taels of silver. Those who wish to be promoted will be promoted as required. The rest of the people will be given hats and belts, named as volunteers, and their corvée service will be restored. If they gather together the villagers to behead more than five captives, the leader will be promoted to the post of governor. Those who take back the captives will be rewarded with four-tenths of the captives. This incident should be stopped and not repeated..."

Tang Hao and Yang Yiqing chatted for a long time, and by the time the conversation ended, it was dark.

Yang Yiqing looked at the Marquis of Zhongshan with a complicated expression, then nodded and shook his head.

"Lord Tang, don't let down His Majesty's trust!"

"The Ministry of War will fully cooperate with you!"

(End of this chapter)