Late Han Zhao Tang

On May 1, Zhang Yu made an eastern tour to Zhongtiao Mountain and met with a new batch of students in the mountain school.

The first class of the Zhongtiao Army recruited three hundred young barbarian youths, who have long since graduated after years of study and are now engaged in the wars across the land. However, because Zhang Yu was busy with war and his ascension to the throne, and had no vested interests with central officials such as Zhong Yao, Du Ji, and Li Song, no one mentioned that the Zhongtiao Army was recruiting a second class of students.

Now that the court is gradually stabilizing, Zhang Yu, while establishing the Imperial Academy, also ordered the selection of one hundred men each from the six tribes of Qiang, Di, Cong, Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu, for a total of six hundred men. He also ordered the repair and expansion of the simple Zhongtiao Army's quarters and renamed it the 'Zhongtiao Military Academy'.

Among the 600 students recruited in the second phase, the graduates from the first phase were scattered across seven prefectures, namely Yi, Yong, Jing, Yu, Liang, Bing, and You. Therefore, they contributed a great deal to the recruitment process, either by returning to their hometowns to recruit younger generations or by going deep into the Yi tribes to recruit students.

Of the three hundred graduates in the first class, aside from the twenty or so who tragically died in battle, almost all of the remaining two hundred or so are serving in the army. Those with the least talent and opportunity have only risen to the rank of sergeant or cavalry officer. Those with exceptional talent and opportunity, such as Qiu Lang, who, through his merit in beheading Yuan Tan, was appointed Colonel of Valiant Might.

It is not difficult to see that, over time, the "military academy faction" will inevitably emerge in the military. While they may not wield as much influence as the founding nobles, over several generations they will inevitably become one of the largest forces in the military. Furthermore, officers and soldiers from the military academy faction have a very low probability of rebellion, and their average loyalty will certainly be higher than those who did not come from military academies.

If it weren't for the potentially enormous consequences, Zhang Yu would have considered sending his princes to military academies to cultivate a following among the regional princes. However, due to the horrifying nature of the news, Zhang Yu abandoned this idea.

Before Zhang Yu's inspection, the six hundred students were divided into twenty sections, with approximately thirty students in each section. The rules were the same as those of the Imperial Academy, with three dormitories: outer, inner, and upper, in a ratio of 10:3:2. However, unlike the Imperial Academy, the dormitories were rotated every six months, and not based on individual performance, but rather on competition between sections.

Individual performance will be compared in other ways, such as with corresponding rewards like money, horses, or private chefs, and will be taken into account when assigning jobs after graduation. After all, martial arts and academics are different; the former emphasizes martial skills but also values ​​teamwork, while the latter emphasizes talent and has a slightly weaker need for teamwork.

After a month of military training, the officers temporarily assigned students to the three dormitories based on their assessment results. Many of the officers and sergeants were graduates of the first cohort who had changed jobs, or wounded officers who had been demobilized. The officers in charge of the assessment were Li Song, Xu Huang, Zhao Yun, and Qiu Lang.

Qiu Lang was too young to sit with the other three generals. Zhang Yu mainly considered that Qiu Lang was the most outstanding student in the class. The assessment of officers included a class of graduates, which was meant to strengthen the bond between the new and old students.

"Your Majesty, ten outstanding students have come up to the stage!"

At Qiu Lang's suggestion, Zhang Yu, dressed in colorful armor and looking quite imposing, met with outstanding students during their military training.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

"No gift!"

Seeing the nervousness on the unfamiliar faces of the teenagers, Zhang Yu couldn't help but chuckle a few times. He then took the gifts from the servants and bestowed them upon the ten teenagers one by one.

The rewards were not particularly valuable, but they were practical. For example, the top three were given bows and arrows, the fourth to sixth were given long spears, and those below the seventh were given swords.

"When you senior students completed your studies and ranked among the top, I bestowed upon you armor. After several years of training, you are now appointed as captains!"
Zhang Yu pointed to Qiu Lang and encouraged the students, saying, "I hope to see you all here again every year, like Senior Qiu, to achieve great things and serve me!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"Since you are here now, it's fine to call me Headmaster!"

Zhang Yu patted the boy's head and said with a smile, "Although I do not teach you, you are still my students!"

The young men were unaware of the concept of being disciples of the emperor; they only knew that the title of "headmaster" was more intimate than that of the so-called "Your Majesty," so they all called Zhang Yu "headmaster."

Zhang Yu does not intend to hand over the management of the Zhongtiao Military Academy to anyone else, but rather he will serve as its headmaster. Before his death, he will hand it over to the new emperor. When the world is at peace, the military academy students will retain their status as "disciples of the emperor." Even though they are of non-Han ethnicity, with the emperor's support, they will not be suppressed too severely.

As for the accompanying officials, they were seasoned political veterans, well aware of the prestige of being "students of the emperor." If these military academy students were capable, their careers would likely be smooth sailing. If it weren't for the fact that these students were of non-Han origin, and that marrying one would be a laughingstock, they would probably all prefer to find more outstanding students as sons-in-law. After all, how many young men in the army could become captains like this?
Of course, the officials were unaware of this. In order to prevent military academy students from inheriting their positions, Zhang Yu stipulated that military academy students could not marry into wealthy families, and their children were strictly prohibited from enrolling in military academies.

Zhang Yu then walked up to a young man in black. Seeing that his appearance was different from that of the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribesmen, he asked, "Judging from your appearance, you don't seem to be a native of the northern frontier. Are you a Di or a Cong?"

"Reporting to the Headmaster, I am a Ba people, from Dangqu in Brazil!"

"What is your name?"

"When he was raised by his maternal family, he took his mother's surname, He. Now he has reverted to the surname Wang and his given name is Wang Ping!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu looked slightly dazed, never expecting that the military academy would recruit Wang Ping, a famous general of Shu Han, from among the Ba people.

"The Ba people are renowned for their bravery and fierceness. As you study at school, do not let down the name of the Ba people!" Zhang Yu encouraged him as usual. "I swear to serve the mountain chief to the death!" Wang Ping shouted, his face full of anticipation.

Wang Ping came from a poor family and had no choice but to rely on his maternal grandfather for a living. Although he was his maternal grandfather, he was inevitably discriminated against, otherwise he would not have changed his surname. At that time, Tang officials came to the tribe to recruit people. Wang Ping was eager to go out and make a living. Seeing that the benefits and treatment were very good, he simply sold himself to the Tang army.

Seeing Wang Ping and the other teenagers full of fighting spirit, Zhang Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Zhang Yu was always worried that there were too many northern nomadic peoples in the military academy, and that these peoples might form a terrifying network of relationships. However, with the conquest of the Qiang, Di, and Cong tribes, it became possible to recruit young men from these three tribes into the military academy, thus balancing the number of nomadic youths from the northern frontier. In particular, the Di and Cong tribes had customs that were not much different from those of the Han people, making them suitable targets for Sinicization.

As for whether there are concerns about the emergence of a Zhang Tang version of An Lushan due to the control of military power by non-Han people?
Zhang Yu can only be said to have introduced many powerful figures to balance the court, but he couldn't overcome the stupidity of the emperors who came after him.

After the commendation ceremony, as Zhang Yu stepped down to rest, Xun You stepped forward and advised, "Your Majesty's establishment of military academies to train officers is, in my opinion, a good thing. However, if the academies are filled with barbarians, I fear it is not a good thing. If the military academies have ten terms, there will be tens of thousands of students. After years of instruction, their martial arts and strategic skills will surely surpass those of recruited soldiers, and they will be the emperor's protégés. At that time, won't the officers and soldiers in the army be entirely barbarians?"

“The Hu people are generals and officers, and the Han people are soldiers. Isn’t Your Majesty’s arrangement absurd?” Xun You said bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu's face fell into deep thought. He had originally intended to transform the Zhongtiao Army into an Ottoman Imperial Guard specifically for ruling over foreigners and maintaining his own rule. However, through a series of actions, he gradually deviated from his original purpose, training these people as officers.

"Gongda's words are not without merit!"

After considering it for a moment, Zhang Yu said, "Those who are ranked outside the military academy or whose military skills are not outstanding will be organized into a separate army called the Zhongtiao Army after graduation. Among them, those who are not from the upper-level academy will not be allowed to serve as officers outside the military academy, while those from the middle-level academy will serve as officers in the units of the outer-level academy students."

After a pause, Zhang Yu added, "Order the prefectures and counties of Guanzhong to recruit two hundred strong Han youths. These Han youths will be specially approved to enter the school, and a total of eight hundred will be recruited in two phases. If we also count the Di, Cong, and Southern Xiongnu brothers in the school, then we will know that there are many Han people who understand the customs."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Seeing that Zhang Yu had patched up the loopholes in the military academy, Xun You praised with satisfaction: "The military academy training is arduous, and everyone is skilled in martial arts. With such young men as soldiers, our dynasty's martial virtue will not decline!"

Zhang Yu waved his hand and said, "Speaking of the Cong people, I remember that a minister once submitted a memorial in court, citing the low population density in Longyou, proposing to relocate the Cong people to various prefectures in Longyou. I wonder if this is true?"

"That's true!"

Guo Tu, with his good memory, said, "His Majesty refused to relocate the Cong people to Longxi, citing the recent fall of Bashu as the reason."

After a moment's hesitation, Guo Tu asked, "Does His Majesty intend to relocate the Cong people to Longxi?"

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Yesterday, Sun Zi submitted a memorial, in which he said that the customs of the Cong people are no different from those of the Han people. They are good at growing ramie and spinning and weaving, and their men are brave and fierce. However, the population of the counties in Longyou is sparse, with the Qiang and Di people making up almost half of the population. Therefore, if the Cong people can be moved to Longyou, their bravery can be used to deter the evil Qiang."

Xun You stroked his beard and said, "I think it is a feasible strategy to use the Cong people to intimidate the Qiang and Hu tribes. If the Cong people gather in Longcheng and are exempted from taxes for ten years, we can gradually recover the northern and Anding prefectures, and also intimidate the evil Qiang tribes in Longshang."

Although Zhang Yu made Chang'an his capital and largely resolved the issues with the Southern Xiongnu and the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes near the border, he did not restore the Shangjun and Beidi commanderies that had been abandoned by the Eastern Han Dynasty, nor did he restore the Wuyuan, Yunzhong, and Shuofang commanderies in the Hetao region.

Therefore, assigning the Cong people to various prefectures in Longxi, as well as Shangjun and Beidi prefectures, could strengthen the Tang Dynasty's deterrent power and experience in these regions. After all, although the Cong people had rulers, they lacked a unified central government. As a people with similar customs to the Han people, the Tang Dynasty could regard the Cong people as its own people.

The Cong people were brave and skilled in battle, and being an agricultural people, they could be used as a pioneering force. With the unification of the country, the pioneering work of the Cong people in the early years would facilitate the subsequent migration of Han people.

When the time is right, the local chieftains can be replaced by Han officials to govern the Cong people. Alternatively, they can serve as laborers in the military so that the Tang Dynasty can conscript them at any time to suppress the rebels.

"What are your thoughts on this, Gongze?" Zhang Yu asked.

Guo Tu said, "Although the Cong people are allied with our dynasty, it is not easy to get them to migrate. It is necessary for the Grand Master of Ceremonies and the Imperial Envoy Sun to relocate the Cong people together. In order to prevent the Cong people from revolting during their migration, the prefectures and counties along the way should provide them with food and fodder, and fertile land should be selected for them to cultivate. The country should also provide oxen for plowing and exempt them from taxes in order to make the Cong people happy."

"rational!"

Zhang Yu instructed, "Have the governor of Yongzhou select suitable places to live among the various prefectures. If there is a shortage of oxen, have the Ministry of Personnel find an opportunity to allocate them. The Bazhong Cong people have a registered population of no less than 100,000. If half of them can be relocated to Guanzhong, it will greatly increase the population of Yongzhou and Liangzhou!"

No one wants to move suddenly, so to persuade the Ba people to leave their homes, it's essential to work on their mindset. However, this alone isn't enough; economic subsidies and provisions along the way are also necessary. Otherwise, a large number of people will flee their homes, and many will die of illness during the migration. (End of Chapter)