Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 270: Going South and Building Standards

After leaving the Command Headquarters with a mixture of relief and trepidation, Lu Wenzhao went to the Tianjin Weizhong Qianhusuo Office. The Zhongzhong Office was responsible for the city's defense; as long as the Zhongzhong Office was under control, the defense of the city would be secure. Lu Wenzhao decided to stay there until he returned to Beijing to report.

"Land messenger! You're here!" Liu Zuyao, the chief captain of the Zhongzhong army, immediately stood up to greet Lu Wenzhao upon his arrival. Beside Liu Zuyao stood a sturdy and powerful captain in embroidered uniforms. This captain had been with Liu Zuyao since the day they entered the city.

"Captain Liu." Lu Wenzhao raised his hands and clasped them together, bowing slightly as a return gesture.

"You have come to my humble place. Do you have any instructions?" Liu Zuyao bowed his body with a very humble attitude, and the words "honesty and fear" almost overflowed from his face.

"Can't I come and sit here?" Lu Wenzhao swaggered over to the seat where Liu Zuyao had sat before and sat down.

"Oh my! Look at what stupid shit I'm saying. Of course I can. Of course I can." Liu Zuyao grabbed a yamen runner and stuffed a small silver ingot into his hand. "Have someone make tea for the runner, and buy some snacks. We can't let the runner sit around doing nothing."

"Thank you for the expense, Captain Liu." Lu Wenzhao did not refuse.

"It's not easy for you to come here. If I don't serve you well, I won't be able to sleep tonight." Liu Zuyao's words were not entirely flattery.

"Don't stand there." Lu Wenzhao said casually.

"Okay. Thank you for the seat." Liu Zuyao originally wanted to sit in the seat closest to Lu Wenzhao, but it was already occupied by Lu Jianxing. Liu Yaozu had no choice but to sit next to Lu Jianxing.

Soon, the yamen runners brought tea. Liu Zuyao jumped up from his chair as if he had been pricked by a needle, rushed forward to grab the tray, and brought it to Lu Wenzhao. "You two, please have some tea."

Lu Wenzhao raised his chin but did not speak.

"I'm on duty. Can I ask you something?" After enduring for a long time, Liu Zuyao finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"You asked, but I may not answer you." Lu Wenzhao stretched out his index finger, pressed the edge of the teacup holder, and moved the entire teacup to the side.

Liu Zuyao was stunned, his lips opening and closing several times, but he finally asked with a brave face, "Who is this Governor Sun?"

"Oh. Of course he's the Chief Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate. What else could he be?" Lu Wenzhao shrugged. "Didn't you meet him yesterday?"

The notice drafted by Lu Shanji to reassure the people and the army was posted by Captain Liu.

"Yes, I've seen it before. But this... oh my." Liu Zuyao's facial features were squeezed together, and his face was full of ravines. If there was a gust of dust, it would probably be covered with dust. "This humble official is so itchy."

Since its establishment, Tianjin Garrison had never seen such bizarre events. First, the Jinyiwei angels descended to earth but came up empty-handed. Then, the Shenzhengfu of the Zhenfu Division implicated all the officials of the Zhihuishi Division without any reason. Because of this case, the imperial court unexpectedly re-established the Tianjin Governor, who had been dismissed for over twenty years, without any war. However, upon arriving, the newly appointed Governor Sun immediately arrested the suspects but showed no interest in conducting a trial. Most terrifying of all, the imperial soldiers he brought with him surrounded the Experience Division. It was clear they were planning to conduct a check.

Liu Zuyao really wanted to consult with the other captains, but each captain was currently accompanied by at least three Jinyiwei. They kept watch in shifts for twelve hours a day. It was called protection, but even a fool knew it was surveillance.

"Are you hiding something?" Lu Wenzhao gave Liu Zuyao a teasing look.

"Of course not!" Liu Zuyao firmly denied.

"You're not guilty of anything. Have you eaten too much?" Lu Wenzhao tutted. "Didn't the notice say, 'Those who are not aiding and abetting the tyrant and harming the people will be exempted from punishment even if they have contact with the guards?' Just be at peace. Don't worry about it and make yourself uncomfortable."

"Oh, you're right." Liu Zuyao had no choice but to sit with Lu Wenzhao.

After wasting more than an hour in the Qianhusuo Office, a Jinyiwei flagman dressed in the uniform of a seventh-rank military officer, led by a yamen runner, hurried to the room where Lu Wenzhao was.

"Master Qianhu!" Xiaoqi saluted with his fists clasped.

"Yan Xiaoqi?" Lu Wenzhao opened his squinting eyes and asked, "Any news?"

Yan Xiaoqi was an officer transferred by Lu Wenzhao to guard the Weicheng Post Station.

"Yes." Yan Xiaoqi walked to the desk and handed over a thin envelope. "An order from Beijing."

"Okay." Lu Wenzhao took the envelope but didn't open it immediately. Instead, he turned his head to look at Liu Zuyao and said, "Captain Liu, go out for a walk, get some sunshine, and stretch your legs."

"Yes, I'll go right away." Liu Zuyao's eyes twitched. It was raining outside, so where was the sun?

Only after the Jinyi captain accompanying Liu Zuyao closed the door did Lu Wenzhao open the envelope and spill the letter. Unfolding it, Lu Wenzhao discovered it was still signed by Luo Yangxing, the acting governor of the Eastern Office. The order was concise, consisting of only a few lines. But after reading it, his expression changed immediately.

"Sir, do the higher-ups want us to go back?" Lu Jianxing came closer.

"No." Lu Wenzhao folded the order and put it in his arms. "Commander Luo didn't ask us to go north, but to go south."

"Heading south?" Lu Jianxing asked puzzledly, "Where to, and what to do?"

"Go to Hangzhou and capture Shen Caiyu."

"That fat pig Shen Caiyu is in Hangzhou." Lu Jianxing was startled and asked, "Who leaked the secret? Why not arrest them all?"

"The order only says to arrest Shen Caiyu. It doesn't say anything else." Lu Wenzhao stood up and walked to the door, picking up his cloak and hat from the hanger. "Don't overthink it, don't say anything, just follow the admiral's orders."

"Are we setting off now?" Lu Jianxing nodded sternly.

"Don't worry. I have to go to the headquarters office and inform Sun Youqian about this matter." Lu Wenzhao put on his hat and went out, and Lu Jianxing followed him immediately.

"Going on!" Liu Zuyao immediately came to meet them after the three of them left. "Leaving now? How about I treat you to lunch?" "Eat by yourself." Lu Wenzhao just glanced at him and left without looking back.

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After leaving the Zhongqianhu Office, the three Jinyiwei split into two groups and left. Lu Wenzhao and Lu Jianxing rode through the mud on horseback to the Commandery Office, while Yan Xiaoqi returned to the post station to continue his duty.

This heavy spring rain seemed to be against the two of them. A sudden downpour fell on the road, but when they entered the main hall and took off their soaked cloaks, the howling wind accompanied by the rain almost died down immediately.

"Sun Youchen." Lu Wenzhao bowed.

Sun Chengzong was writing something behind his desk. Seeing Lu Wenzhao come in, he casually pulled out a piece of paper to cover the letter in front of him. Then, he stood up and walked to Lu Wenzhao and asked, "Deputy Captain Lu has been away and returned. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. But I have an extra errand here, so I have to say hello to you first." Lu Wenzhao replied.

Sun Chengzong pulled out a hard-sealed envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lu Wenzhao. "This is a memorial to the court. When you leave later, could you please stop by the post station and mail it for me?"

Lu Shanji, who was checking the military household register, couldn't help but frown when he heard this. He thought: Using the Jinyiwei as messengers is too arrogant.

However, the "messenger" himself showed no displeasure. Lu Wenzhao resisted the urge to open the envelope and handed it to Lu Jianxing. He smiled knowingly at Sun Chengzong and said, "Okay. I'll go there later."

"What mission did Deputy Captain Lu receive?" Sun Chengzong changed the subject and joked, "If you need help from the Governor's Office, I'm afraid I won't be able to spare anyone to help you for a while."

"It's hard for us to help you." Lu Wenzhao shook his head, looking apologetic. "We are leaving Tianjin."

"So fast!" Sun Chengzong couldn't help but frown. Although the basic order in the city was still in good order, this was largely due to the suppression of the Jinyiwei.

He had to allocate more than half of his men to guard the houses of the convicted officials, oversee shipping at the docks, and guard the Lijingsi to prevent water damage. If the Jinyiwei were to withdraw now, he couldn't say whether the situation in the city would get out of control.

Suddenly, Sun Chengzong wanted to curse Cui Jingrong. He had gone to the Ministry of War to request a division of Beijing troops. But Cui Jingrong flatly refused, citing a lack of precedent. He said giving him two divisions was already an exception. Could this situation be repeated? Other governors-general could directly mobilize local personnel upon their arrival, but the Tianjin Three Guards were being disbanded entirely.

Sun Chengzong's resentment was interrupted by Lu Wenzhao. "Actually, I'd love to help you. But the East Office has assigned me an errand to the south."

"Go south?" Sun Chengzong asked without hesitation, "What for?"

Lu Wenzhao hesitated for a moment, and finally decided that it would be okay to tell Sun Chengzong about the matter, so he handed the envelope he had been hiding in his arms to Sun Chengzong. "You can read it yourself."

Sun Chengzong took out the letter and flipped it open. After scanning it for a moment, he said meaningfully, "This case is truly complex. You haven't figured it out for so long, and I've already gotten some clues since I arrived."

"." Lu Wenzhao did not respond and silently took the envelope from Sun Chengzong's hand.

"When are you leaving?" Sun Chengzong sighed.

"Although the order wasn't urgent, we can't stay here too long." Lu Wenzhao didn't give a clear answer, but said, "If there's anything you need us to do, feel free to ask. If we leave, you'll be the only one holding on here."

"Okay." Sun Chengzong thought for a moment and said, "Please do me one last favor."

"What's the matter? Just give me your orders." Lu Wenzhao responded without hesitation.

"Draw the brave and build the standard."

The so-called "establishing a standard" means to prepare to build a standard-bearing battalion directly under the jurisdiction of the governor and the governor-general.

There are three main uses of model soldiers.

First, they provide protection when the commander-in-chief tours the cities and forts under his jurisdiction. Weng Wanda, who first established the model troops, once said: "When at home, train and know each other's ways; when out, follow your own and use them to prevent encountering the enemy."

The second was to wait for an opportunity to kill the enemy. After the governor-general and governor-general’s standard soldiers were successively established, the standard soldiers gradually became the main combat troops, and the drawback of the garrison system where soldiers did not know their generals was gradually reduced.

Finally, there's the issue of suppressing subordinates. Before the establishment of the Model Corps, generals and commanders were separated. Governors and governors-general were commanders with power but no troops, and it was common for their generals to disobey orders. After the Model Corps was established, governors and governors-general could assume greater responsibility and suppress subordinates, eliminating the need to be passive in matters such as mobilizing troops or responding to mutinies.

The standard soldiers originated from and were born out of what were called personal soldiers in the old days. Before the appearance of standard soldiers, personal soldiers of military officers, officers and even eunuchs were basically followers who were given by grace or requested.

During the Hongwu reign, Emperor Taizu granted retinues of as many as one hundred or as few as two soldiers to dukes, marquises, and earls who had rendered great service to the state, as well as military officers below the rank of superior rank. During the Zhengtong and Zhengde reigns, military officers and eunuchs serving in remote areas, as well as some highly valued military officers stationed in Beijing, could receive a certain number of personal retinues. For example, Guo Jing, the eunuch who guarded Datong during the Zhengtong period, petitioned for the selection of 500 cavalry as his personal retinue, and his request was granted.

During the Zhengde reign, the eunuch Zhang Yong, the governor-general's guard, and the admiral Yang Yiqing, who were sent to Ningxia to quell the rebellion, also had an entourage of several dozen nobles and over 500 followers. However, regardless of the number of these personal guards, they did not possess the qualities of a regular army. This was a coincidence.

It wasn't until the Jiajing period that border threats reached unprecedented levels, and the existing military system was no longer adequate to cope with the Mongol forces, which were constantly raiding the border and even directly threatening the capital. The central government and local governors and governors gradually realized the need for military reform, establishing elite regular armies directly under the governors and governors to serve as the primary combat force and model for all other armies.

In the 21st year of the Jiajing reign, the de facto leader of the Right Wing's 30,000 households, Altan, refused to submit a request for tribute and plundered Shanxi, reportedly killing over 200,000 men and women. In the 29th year of the Jiajing reign, Altan led his troops directly to the gates of Beijing, but was unwilling to breach the walls, instead plundering the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the Ming commander, Qiu Luan, avoided a fight and allowed the chieftain to plunder, leading to the Gengxu Incident, which resulted in countless casualties.

The threat of near-catastrophic disaster forced the devotedly spiritual Emperor Jiajing to temporarily postpone his plans for ascension. He instead focused his energy on strengthening the city's defenses and strengthening the border defenses. In the 24th year of the Jiajing reign, Weng Wanda, the governor of Xuanda Shanxi, devised a clever workaround, even without explicit imperial orders, by selecting a thousand bannermen to serve as direct commanders. This precedent for the establishment of standard soldiers.

After the 25th year of the Jiajing reign, standard-bearing battalions for governors and governors-general were successively established, from the Nine Borders to the southeast, and from the border areas to the interior. Standard-bearing battalions gradually became a customary practice. The reason it's called a "custom" rather than a "custom" is that even though the standard-bearing battalions of governors, governors-general, and even generals in various regions became independent units with official roster and imperial rations, no emperor had ever promulgated a clear-cut system like the "Guardian System" to establish their existence. The imperial court simply repeatedly authorized governors and governors-general through imperial edicts, had the Ministry of War compile roster and rations, and had the Ministry of Revenue's grain officials provide rations, thus establishing standard-bearing battalions with varying numbers of soldiers and different organizations in various locations.

Since there was no clear system, there were no restrictions on the source of soldiers for the standard soldiers. Authorized governors and governors-general could either draw guards from the garrisons to form a standard soldier, order their generals to select elite soldiers to form a standard soldier, or recruit soldiers to form a standard soldier. Of course, no matter which form the standard soldier was established, the corresponding expenses were generally supported by local tax grain and tax silver. If local revenue was insufficient, they could submit a petition to the emperor, but if the emperor did not approve it, or if the Ministry of Revenue had no money or could not get the money, the governors and governors-general could only find a way out on their own.

Sun Chengzong, the Tianjin governor, lacked a general commander, so he couldn't rely on ready-made troops. His only options were to mobilize guards or recruit soldiers. Previously, thanks to the support of the Imperial Guard, Sun Chengzong had planned to straighten out the local finances and then directly recruit soldiers. But now that the Imperial Guard was heading south, he could only recruit strong soldiers from the five Tianjin military bases.

(End of this chapter)