The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 250 White Mountains and Black Waters
As soon as Zhu Rong entered the Ministry of War, he jogged over, his attitude quite respectful. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "This humble servant, Zhu Rong, greets the Grand Councilor."

"General, there's no need for such formalities. I've summoned you today because Xianmu has some questions about the Da Ning Guard."

"If any minister in the central government has any questions, I, your humble servant, will answer them without hesitation."

An ordinary Minister of War would not be worthy of Zhu Rong's attention, but Li Xianmu was no ordinary minister; he was practically a prime minister.

To put it bluntly, with Li Xianmu's current power, he could send Zhu Rong home to raise pigs with just a word, so Zhu Rong naturally wouldn't dare to offend him.

In fact, Zhu Rong, as the garrison commander, was not of low rank. Although the commander-in-chief, like the governor, was appointed temporarily, just as most governors held the title of censor of the third or fourth rank, the commander-in-chief held the title of vice governor of the second rank.

Zhu Rong was the commander-in-chief of Daning Town, the most important of the nine border regions, and also held the title of deputy governor-general of the first rank.

However, military ranks have always been worthless. It was common for a second-rank military officer to be inferior to a fourth-rank civil officer. This was not to mention the resources controlled by both sides, but mainly because high-ranking military positions were too common.

The highest rank a civil official could reach was the Seven Ministers, a rank of the second grade. If they received further favor and additional titles, they could become like Yu Qian, a rank of Junior Guardian, a first grade official.

The military officers in the Five Military Commissions alone had ten first-rank military commanders, and there were dozens of first-rank and second-rank military officers throughout the Ming Dynasty.

A commander of a thousand households is a fifth-rank official, a commander of a hundred households is a sixth-rank official, but a county magistrate is only a seventh-rank official. With this kind of official system, it is considered normal for a military officer to be three ranks lower than a civil official.

The result of such indiscriminate bestowal of titles was that high-ranking military officers were treated worse than dogs, so Zhu Rong's humble attitude was understandable.

Li Xianmu pointed to the seat next to him, and Zhu Rong sat down. An official brought tea, and steaming hot tea rose up.

Li Xianmu then spoke up, "The reason I summoned the general today is to inquire about the situation in Daning Town, as well as the Jurchen tribes in the area between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River. Of course, if the general feels that other tribes are also worth mentioning, you may also elaborate."

“Please ask, my lord. I have been stationed in Daning for twelve years and am very familiar with the situation of Nurgan Regional Military Commission, Daning Guard, and Daning Garrison.”

Li Xianmu could hear the confidence in Zhu Rong's words; it was clear that he truly understood the local situation, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to speak so confidently when questioned by his superiors.

"How many troops are currently available in Daning Town and Nurgan Regional Military Commission?"

Zhu Rong immediately knew that Li Xianmu was not asking about the garrison soldiers who farmed the land, but about the elite troops who trained every day. After a quick calculation, he said, "Reporting to the Grand Councilor, if we include some of the Mongol cavalry who are summoned, there are about 8,000 cavalry and 12,000 infantry."

Li Xianmu's brows furrowed immediately. No wonder the garrisons of the Nurgan Regional Military Commission couldn't meet their own needs every year and had to transfer grain from the capital.

During the height of the Tang Dynasty, the elite troops in Anxi numbered only 24,000, yet the Nurgan Regional Military Commission alone had 20,000 elite troops!

Can we really use that many?

Zhu Rong had been observing Li Xianmu's expression and knew immediately that he had made a mistake. He quickly added, "Minister, many of the elite troops in the Nurgan Regional Military Commission are Jurchens recruited directly from the local area. These Jurchens live a hard life and, with a little training, they become excellent soldiers. Therefore, the number of troops truly belonging to the court is not that many."

The Nurgan Regional Military Commission was a region under tributary control, and this situation was common.

Li Xianmu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Does General Zhu know why, among all the generals who came to the capital, only you were personally received by me?"

"This humble servant is dull-witted and does not know."

"Because Daming is the thorn in the side of our Great Ming in Liaodong. Between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River, there have always been many strong people. People from the Xianbei, Jurchen and the eastern Mongols have often struck the Central Plains. They should not be underestimated."

Zhu Rong agreed, saying, “The winters in the area between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River are long and the weather is freezing cold. The living conditions are extremely difficult. Their physique may not be stronger than that of the Han people, but their fighting spirit is extremely strong. In my experience over the years, only the Guangxi soldiers can be compared with them.”

The true strength of ancient elite troops lay in their daring and fighting spirit; the more they fought, the stronger they became.

The advantage of elite veterans over new recruits lies in the fact that they have experienced too much life and death and have become indifferent to life and death.

In modern times, a spoiled soldier might be able to fight back with weapons, but in ancient times, he would have been certain to die.

When Qi Jiguang was training his troops, he said that he would give priority to miners who could endure hardship and were at risk of losing their lives at any time, then people from the mountains, and then poor farmers.

Those sons of merchants and urban elites were not wanted; as for idle thugs, only the Song army would take them.

Zhu Rong probably knew what Li Xianmu was worried about, and immediately patted his chest and said, "Your Excellency, there is no need to worry. The Jurchens of Jianzhou are the most numerous in the Nurgan Regional Military Commission. They are obedient and dare not have any thoughts."

As for the more distant Jurchen people, there has been no news of any gatherings, and they pose no threat to the Ming Dynasty.

Li Xianmu, however, remained unperturbed and said in a deep voice, "When the Central Plains dynasties were powerful, they never worried about external enemies; it was just a minor ailment."

The Central Plains and foreign enemies are like the Dao and the Demon, waxing and waning. Every time the Central Plains becomes strong, they either decline or are defeated and weakened by the Central Plains.

When the Central Plains decline, foreign enemies will rise up and deliver a fatal blow to the Central Plains dynasty.

My concern is not for the present, but for the future. Today you mentioned that the mature Jurchens have joined the Ming army, while the unmarried Jurchens are not under the court's jurisdiction. This makes me even more worried.

Zhu Rong was speechless. He was just a general in charge of fighting battles; it wasn't his place to discuss such important matters.

Li Xianmu, however, did not think so. After thinking for a moment, he said to Zhu Rong, "When the General returns to Liaodong this time, I will suggest to His Majesty that a governor be sent to Nurgan Regional Military Commission to understand the local situation, and then see if a long-term plan can be developed. Well then, aren't you going to see His Majesty? Come with me to the palace."

Zhu Rong was taken aback. "Doesn't entering the palace require an audience with His Majesty?"

Li Xianmu smiled slightly but said nothing.

Zhu Rong immediately realized he had spoken out of turn. Those rules were for them, the officials outside the capital. How could Li Xianmu and the others be treated the same?

They didn't linger at the Ministry of War any longer. The two of them rode together in a carriage to the palace. Zhu Rong slightly lifted the carriage curtain, his face showing some emotion.

Seeing this, Li Xianmu asked with a smile, "General, it's been a long time since you've returned to the capital, hasn't it?"

Zhu Rong sighed, "Yes, it's been five years since I last returned to the capital. Da Ning is bitterly cold, unlike the bustling capital."

"Yes, harsh and cold places are not suitable for living. Jiangnan used to be a poor and desolate place, but now it has become a land of fish and rice. But Liaodong is still that harsh and cold place."

Li Xianmu had heard his father say that the land below Liaodong was very fertile and suitable for cultivation, and once the land was successfully reclaimed, it would be excellent fields.

But that place is too cold, with five months of winter and extremely thick snowfall, requiring a massive amount of charcoal for heating. Maintaining the current population is just right; any more and it simply cannot be sustained.

Apart from his northern expedition, Li Xianmu had never been to Liaodong, while Zhu Rong had ventured deep into the region and explained to Li Xianmu many things that outsiders did not know.

These circumstances further solidified Li Xianmu's idea.

The carriage moved at a considerable speed and soon arrived before the imperial city. After verifying his identity, he went straight into the palace. Zhu Rong proceeded with great caution, and Li Xianmu's evaluation of him improved even further.

As the son of the former Duke of Cheng, Zhu Rong was also considered a member of a noble family. Many members of noble families were somewhat arrogant, after all, he was a genuine member of the imperial family.

But Zhu Rong was not like that.

He believed that barring any unforeseen circumstances and with further resource support, Zhu Rong's career would undoubtedly advance even further.

When Zhu Gaochi heard that Li Xianmu had returned and that he had brought Zhu Rong, the general of Da Ning, directly into the palace, he immediately took it to heart, recalling the threat that Li Xianmu had mentioned many times about the area between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River.

In a side hall of the Hall of Literary Glory, Grand Secretary Yang Rong and Marquis Huang Huai held court, while Zhu Gaochi reviewed and approved memorials.

Li Xianmu walked into the hall, and the palace servants knelt down in a flurry. The two of them went straight into the hall.

Zhu Gaochi looked at Zhu Rong and laughed loudly, "This must be my General Commander of Da Ning."

"Your subject, Zhu Rong, Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Left Army and General Commander of Daming, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

"Rise, my dear minister." Zhu Gaochi then looked at Li Xianmu, "Mingda brought you into the palace so urgently, there must be something important to discuss?"

"Zhu Qian Shi, please tell me about the situation in Liaodong."

Zhu Rong then reported the situation that he had just reported to Li Xianmu to the emperor in detail.

When Zhu Gaochi heard that the Ming Dynasty had begun to use Jurchens and Mongols on a large scale for defense in Nurgan Commandery, his expression turned somewhat grim.

With Li Xianmu constantly by his side offering guidance, he naturally knew that this meant that if the barbarian army of Nurgan Commandery began to rebel, the Ming Dynasty's rule in the area could collapse rapidly.

Rebellion is very likely to occur. Since the establishment of the Provincial Administration Commission in Jiaozhi, it has been quelled three times, but rebellions still occur from time to time. Will the Nurgan Regional Military Commission be an exception?

Yang Rong and Huang Huai also frowned. Zhu Gaochi looked at Li Xianmu and said, "Mingda, since you have come to the palace, you must have some ideas on how to solve this problem?"

Li Xianmu said with a wry smile, "Does Your Majesty regard me as a god? So many heroes throughout history have failed to find a solution, how could I possibly solve it so easily?"

"These are just some ideas, and I hope Your Majesty will correct them."

"Just tell me."

Li Xianmu cleared his throat and said, "I believe that these surrounding barbarians can be divided into different types."

The most troublesome of them are the Mongols, who have their own identity, a glorious history, have established a powerful empire, and even have their own writing system and culture.

Even though the Mongol Empire has long since perished, its descendants still want to follow in Genghis Khan's footsteps and rebuild the Great Mongol Empire.

Therefore, it would be very difficult to subdue the Mongols.

However, the Jurchens were different. Their most glorious period was during the Jin Dynasty, but it was only the glory of one tribe. There was no mutual recognition among the Jurchens, so the Jurchens as a whole did not pose as great a threat as the Mongols.

Now that we've identified the problem, we can treat it accordingly!

(End of this chapter)