Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 377: The Qing Army and the Return to the North

The so-called full assistance actually means that these few remaining Zhongwei military officers carried out the Qing army in accordance with the Futai Xianpai issued by Sun Chengzong, that is, to clear the military households according to the military register to supplement the serious shortage of garrison soldiers.

Starting during the Hongwu reign, numerous military households in garrisons across the country deserted their native places, a practice clearly illegal. To ensure a sufficient number of soldiers in the garrisons, the imperial court dispatched officers to recapture deserters. However, the treatment of the garrison households was deplorable, and the hereditary garrison officers were generally inhumane. Eventually, desertions became so numerous that even the troops sent to recapture them began to desert.

In order to fill the vacancies in the garrisons on a large scale, individual conscripted troops were transformed into a widespread, institutionalized Qing army. In the first month of the third year of the Xuande reign, the emperor submitted a petition to the Ministry of War, now the Ministry of War in Beijing. He ordered the recommendation of fourteen officials, including the Imperial Secretary and Supervisory Censor, to travel throughout the country to clean up the military ranks. Subsequently, in the sixth and seventh years of the Xuande reign, two more conscripts were sent to clean up the troops. By the Zhengtong reign, the dispatch of Qing army censors had become a system, with regular rotations. Forty-seven years ago, in the second year of the Wanli reign, the imperial court issued a decree merging the duties of Qing army censors with those of the Circuit Inspectorate, and no more Qing army censors were dispatched. This is why the garrisons, despite their decay and the constant desertion of troops, persisted for so long.

Of course, incorporating the duties of the Qing army censors into the circuit censors did not mean that only the circuit censors could execute the Qing army. The imperial edict Sun Chengzong received from the emperor clearly stated that he, as the Tianjin governor, had the authority to supervise Tianjin's military affairs. Therefore, his order to the Qing army was not considered an overstepping of his authority.

Sun Chengzong, knowing full well that the imperial court would disband the three Tianjin garrisons and merge them into one prefecture, still ordered the Qing army to replenish their garrison personnel. Besides quickly filling the governor's barracks, he also wanted to restore Tianjin's military settlements and reserve a relatively cheap labor force for the upcoming city construction and port construction. If he relied solely on hired labor, considering the average daily labor rate at the Tianjin docks was only three or four cents per person, the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver he had amassed would be too much to sustain. He could no longer ask the emperor for money.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhengping was stunned for a moment, then raised his glass and toasted to Sun Chengzong and Mao Yuanyi. "There's no such thing as great assistance. We, the unsophisticated, are simply following the instructions of Sun Zhongcheng and Mao Youji."

"Shen Zhenfu is too modest," Sun Chengzong did not want to condemn anyone with one stroke. Moreover, during this period, the military officers of the garrison were indeed very obedient. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they obeyed orders as if they were at one's own will. If possible, he hoped to keep these people in Tianjin to continue their work. If he were to replace them with a new group of people, he would have to spend time and effort to get used to them again. So, he also raised his glass and took over to speak for Shen Zhengping. "This is the first time that Sun has taken charge of the local area. Without the cooperation of local officials, it would be impossible for him to sort out the local people's sentiments and contact the imperial envoy so quickly. Shen Zhenfu, all the thousand households, Sun would also like to take this opportunity to toast you a glass."

Lu Wenzhao was a man of quick wit, so how could he not understand Sun Chengzong's hint? So, he changed his previous indifference and took the opportunity to raise a toast with Sun Chengzong to curry favor with the military officer of the garrison.

"Oh my." Shen Zhengping smiled broadly. "Zhongcheng, your Excellency, this is truly a burden to me. How can I possibly be a good official?" The five captains followed him in pouring wine and raising their glasses. Their brows were still furrowed, but they were much looser than before.

The guests and hosts were all in high spirits as the banquet ended. The sun, which had been shining brightly, began to set. The officials left the Jinmen Tower and exchanged a few compliments before Lu Wenzhao bowed to Sun Chengzong and said goodbye. "Master Sun, I will take my leave now."

Sun Chengzong politely invited him to stay, saying, "Why not rest in Tianjin for a day before leaving?"

"I also want to drink and chat with Master Sun all night long. But the criminal is still waiting to be brought to justice, so I won't bother you anymore." Lu Wenzhao bowed.

"Since Vice Captain Lu has made up his mind, I won't try to persuade you to stay." Sun Chengzong returned the greeting with a bow. "I'll take you to the dock."

Lu Wenzhao declined politely, saying, "Master Sun is busy with official duties, and I don't have any information. I am already ashamed to stop and disturb you. How can I continue to trouble you?" Although Lu Wenzhao stopped in Tianjin just for this meal, on the surface, he stopped the boat to take away the prisoners he had captured before.

Logically, Sun Chengzong should have insisted on seeing him off, and Lu Wenzhao should have accepted the offer. After all, the distance between Jinmen Tower and the dock was only a few miles, and a round trip wouldn't take much effort. But then Shen Zhengping jumped out and said, "Since that's the case, let me escort the imperial envoy back to the ship!"

When he jumped out, the five captains at the end of the team also became nervous. They watched silently, fearing that Sun Chengzong or Lu Wenzhao would refuse.

Shen Zhengping's behavior was very rude, and Sun Chengzong could have scolded him directly, but Sun Chengzong did not express his opinion at this time. He did not even change his expression. He just took a small step to the side and gave Shen Zhengping the position facing Lu Wenzhao.

Lu Wenzhao glanced at Sun Chengzong without leaving any trace, then smiled faintly and said, "How can I have the nerve to trouble the God to pacify you?"

"No, no, I've just finished my work. I'm free anyway, so it's my honor to give you a ride." A pleading look flashed across Shen Zhengping's face. Although Lu Wenzhao smiled at Shen Zhengping a few times at the table and exchanged a few glasses of wine, it wasn't enough to reassure him.

"In that case," Lu Wenzhao smiled softly. "Then I'll trouble you to appease me."

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Shen Zhengping not only wanted to take Lu Wenzhao to the dock, he even became Lu Wenzhao's coachman.

Shen Zhengping sat at the front of the carriage, holding the reins, and next to him sat a general flag officer. Shen Zhengping had a deep impression of him. It was General Luo, the flag officer who had previously held him under house arrest for several days.

At the banquet just now, General Luo and the other accompanying Jinyi officers were eating with great enthusiasm. Aside from the occasional toast with their superiors, they were constantly shoveling food into their mouths. Whether it was meat or vegetables, once the food entered their mouths, they devoured it with a few large mouthfuls before swallowing it down. Their eating manners were as if they were afraid of running out of food; it was completely devouring etiquette. Compared to them, the captains of the garrisons sitting at the same table were as cautious as quails, constantly paying attention to the conversation at the head table and rarely picking up their chopsticks.

Now that Luo Zongqi had eaten his fill, he yawned the entire way. Even the bumpy road and the occasional jolt didn't bother him at all. Shen Zhengping felt as if all he needed was a pillow and Luo Zongqi would fall asleep. Lu Wenzhao, the only passenger in the sedan, closed his eyes the moment he got in, showing no interest in speaking.

As soon as the carriage crossed the drawbridge and drove out of the Acropolis gate, Shen Zhengping couldn't hold back any longer. He turned to look at Lu Wenzhao, who was resting with his eyes closed, and called out softly, "Lu Shangcha."

Lu Wenzhao opened his eyes in response, but didn't respond to Shen Zhengping's gaze. He stared quietly out the other car window, and after several breaths, he said, "If Shen Zhenfu has anything to say, please come in and sit down." As soon as Lu Wenzhao finished speaking, Luo Zongqi reached out. "Give me the reins." Shen Zhengping suddenly noticed that Luo Zongqi had stopped yawning in an instant, and the fatigue in his eyes had completely disappeared.

"Then thank you for your help." Shen Zhengping carefully handed over the reins, bent down and got into the carriage, sitting opposite Lu Wenzhao.

As soon as he sat down, he immediately put his hands into his arms.

"Shen Zhenfu, if you're looking for banknotes, don't take them out. Just keep them in your pocket." Lu Wenzhao sat upright, his hands resting steadily on his thighs. His sword lay in the empty seat beside him.

"This..." Shen Zhengping's hand hesitated for a moment, but he still met Lu Wenzhao's gaze and slowly took out the banknote. "I know that these three thousand taels of silver are not worthy of your status. Please accept it for now."

Shen Zhengping had nothing to do with being honest and upright. But he wasn't in charge of the grain transport or the military farms, so he had no way to commit excessive corruption. The three thousand taels of silver were pooled together by Shen Zhengping and the five captains who rallied around him.

Lu Wenzhao didn't answer, but asked: "Shen Zhenfu, do you have any small change on you?"

"Yes, yes!" Shen Zhengping hurriedly untied the purse hanging from his waist and handed it to Lu Wenzhao along with the banknotes. Lu Wenzhao reached out, but only pinched the purse with three fingers, not touching Shen Zhengping's banknotes at all. "These are the norm. You can keep the rest." Lu Wenzhao picked up a few chunky coins from the purse and then returned the purse to Shen Zhengping.

Shen Zhengping stood there in a daze. He really didn't understand what Lu Wenzhao meant.

"Shen Zhenfu, you don't need to bribe me at all." Lu Wenzhao weighed the silver in his hand. "But if you insist on me accepting your silver to feel at ease, then I will accept this." Lu Wenzhao's gaze lingered on the silver for only a moment before shifting to Shen Zhengping's face.

"Here..." Shen Zhengping was speechless because of Lu Wenzhao's bluntness. He held it in for a long time, and finally had to take back the banknote. Shen Zhengping tightly grasped the banknote and said with embarrassment: "I am sorry for being rude."

"Shen Zhenfu, do you have anything else to say?" Lu Wenzhao asked with a smile.

"Yes." Shen Zhengping seemed to be confirming, but also seemed to be sighing.

Lu Wenzhao waved his hand silently, signaling Shen Zhengping to speak.

"We," Shen Zhengping paused and continued, "I and the other five captains all want to know how this case will end. In other words, whether this case will eventually affect us."

Lu Wenzhao shook his head and uttered three words softly: "I don't know."

Shen Zhengping's eyes widened, and he felt dizzy. Since the day Lu Wenzhao arrived in Tianjin, Shen Zhengping hadn't had a good night's sleep. Even though Liu Qiao, a captain from the Eastern Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who came to transfer the prison, and Tian Zhen, an imperial censor from the Censorate who came to check the accounts, hadn't done anything to him, Shen Zhengping still felt uneasy.

He risked everything and shouted at Lu Wenzhao, "Lu Shangcha! Whether you want to live or die, can you give us a definite answer?"

"I really don't know. I can't give you a definite answer." Lu Wenzhao still shook his head, but this time he gave a sincere explanation: "I'm just a deputy captain, and my influence is limited. I don't know who will interrogate the criminals after they arrive in Beijing, or how they will be interrogated. This is not something I can control."

"If you need to take care of it." Shen Zhengping quickly replied, but was interrupted by Lu Wenzhao.

"You don't need to take care of it, and there's no way to take care of it. I won't help you with it." Lu Wenzhao said.

"I, this..." Shen Zhengping was about to cry.

Lu Wenzhao continued, "I, Lu, don't consider myself a good person, but I'm not the kind of person who would burn bridges after crossing them. No matter what, you have helped me after all. As long as this case can stay in my East Office, I will do my best to protect you. But if there is an order from above to transfer this case to other yamen, then I will be powerless to do anything." At this point, Lu Wenzhao actually laughed.

Shen Zhengping could see that Lu Wenzhao was giving a wry smile. He had thought it was a footnote to his "powerlessness." Shen Zhengping was only half right. Little did he know that Lu Wenzhao was actually unsure, and feared that the case would be transferred to another yamen due to factors beyond his control.

Shen Zhengping felt a little comforted. He bowed and said, "If I can get through this, I will come to thank you."

"No need to come and thank you," Lu Wenzhao waved his hand. "Just do your job well in Tianjin."

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As they were talking, they arrived at the pier. Although the sky was still bright, the sun was already setting in the west.

Lu Wenzhao jumped out of the car with his sword, and Shen Zhengping followed him out.

"Shen Zhenfu, please go back. There's no need to see me off." Lu Wenzhao looked at the official ship still flying the Jinyiwei flag from afar.

"If I can't escort you all the way back to Beijing, I should at least escort you to the ship." Shen Zhengping's face had turned a little more red than before. "We've already reached the dock, so please allow me to stay the whole way."

"Then let's go." Lu Wenzhao smiled softly and said nothing more. He and Shen Zhengping walked straight towards the official ship, one in front and one behind. The military officers in brocade uniforms who had attended the banquet with Lu Wenzhao also gathered behind them and followed closely.

Official uniforms carried their own authority, not to mention the fact that Shen Zhengping was escorting a squadron of standard-bearing soldiers. As they advanced, the laborers and vendors along the way automatically made way for them. The crowds gradually dwindled, and by the time they reached the official ship, the procession was completely deserted. Only General Lu Jianxing, who had disembarked to greet them, and another small flag officer, who wasn't wearing an official uniform, remained.

"Greetings, Your Excellency." Lu Jianxing and the flag officer saluted Lu Wenzhao together, and naturally ignored Shen Zhengping standing next to Lu Wenzhao. It was not until Lu Wenzhao glanced at Shen Zhengping that they completed the salute: "Greetings, too, to Shen Zhenfu."

"Is there anything going on?" Lu Wenzhao looked around and asked as usual.

Lu Jianxing glanced sideways at the flags hanging from the mast. "Never mind the situation, no one even dared to approach." The Jinyiwei flags fluttering in the wind, like their official uniforms, carried an aura of seclusion. At the docks, peddlers and hawkers automatically stayed away, and no boat dared to dock in the river.

"Yes." Lu Wenzhao looked at Shen Zhengping again. "Shen Zhenfu, would you like to go aboard and say hello to Commander Shen?"

"No, no." Shen Zhengping quickly shook his head and bowed. "I will take my leave now. I wish you all a safe journey, Imperial Envoys."

Lu Wenzhao did not respond. He stepped directly onto the gangplank and boarded the ship with a group of officers in embroidered uniforms.

(End of this chapter)