Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 191 The Emergence of Military Science in the Ming Dynasty

This is a newly built large common room on the west side of the Xiyuan Renzhen Hall, facing the Secretariat on the east side.

The house has not yet been named.

But if that day ever comes, then given His Majesty's preference, it will probably be called the "General Staff Office."

The room was simply decorated, even rudimentary, with nothing but a simple charcoal fire and a few hanging maps.

Dozens of officers from the Yongwei Battalion were scattered in a half-circle, facing Zhu Youjian across a huge wooden table.

On the large wooden table was a fairly good sand table, which showed the terrain and landforms of the Mongol campaign.

This was meticulously crafted by experienced officials and craftsmen who were transferred from the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs.

It was through this sand table creation that Zhu Youjian realized that the mathematical foundation of the Ming Dynasty seemed to be much higher than he had imagined.

It includes scale, mountain height calculation, slope calculation, etc.

In theory, it is possible to draw a contour map; all that's missing is a creative idea.

He has already instructed Sun Chuanting to gather a group of people with good mathematical skills to work on this matter.

Of course, being able to draw contour maps also requires frontline officers to have the ability to understand them, which can only be cultivated gradually.

……

"So that's it!"

"Only today did I realize what cavalry warfare is all about."

Zhu Youjian sighed with satisfaction, feeling a pleasant sensation as knowledge gently caressed his cerebral cortex.

He led the applause, and everyone immediately joined in with thunderous applause.

This is a refined affair of the new dynasty. Along with raising hands to vote, applause to show approval has become a new trend, spreading from the Secretariat.

Cao Bianjiao stood in front of the sand table, his face slightly flushed and his expression excited. He was clearly extremely proud of his previous discussion on cavalry combat.

A few days earlier, Zhu Youjian had ordered the instructors of the Yongwei Battalion to provide explanations of the battle tactics of the Mongols, Jurchens, and Ming troops.

Then, one hour each day was set aside for teaching—or rather, exchanging ideas—in this nameless, large common room.

It doesn't matter if it's rough; just keep talking and discussing, learn from others' strengths, and it will gradually evolve.

After several days of discussion, we have finally finished explaining the terrain, tribal structure, and related tactics for this battle.

However, there are still some shortcomings in the current discussions that he is not entirely satisfied with.

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment, then turned to Sun Chuanting, who was taking notes beside him, and said, "My generals know little about the factions and origins of the various Mongol tribes."

"This won't do. War is not just about swords and spears, but also about the battlefield."

“You explained the case very well yesterday, Sun Qing. Guo Ziyi of the Tang Dynasty single-handedly repelled the Uyghurs. While his reputation played a role, the key was his control over the interests and sentiments of the various factions within the Uyghurs.”

"The general in this room will become a commander-in-chief, a general, and a commander of tens of thousands of troops in the future, but he cannot only learn swordsmanship."

"Go find Huo Weihua and ask him to assign you the people from the Ministry of War's Office, and then compile a comprehensive genealogical table of the Mongolian tribes."

Sun Chuanting, with dark circles under his eyes, took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed to accept the order.

Looking at his haggard face, Zhu Youjian suddenly realized something and asked with a smile, "How many things do you have on your plate right now?"

Sun Chuanting's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately sensed something was wrong, but he could only honestly say, "I currently have four matters under my jurisdiction."

"First, the training and preparation of cavalry drill manuals; second, the training and preparation of wagon battalion drill manuals; third, the preparation of tactics and combat readiness of the nine border Mongol and Jurchen tribes; and fourth, the preparation of contour map surveying and detailed sand table..."

Zhu Youjian shook his head: "If we also include the Mongolian genealogy, then that makes five things."

"Hey, Sun Qing, you're too busy. You should tell me, what if you ruin your health?"

Sun Chuanting remained silent.

On the one hand, I was indeed overwhelmed with a lot of things in a short period of time and didn't have time to process them. I was still immersed in the joy of this new way of working and tasks, and almost forgot to eat and sleep.

On the other hand, these things were just too important. Almost every task was given a red flag, so how could he bear to say that he couldn't do it?

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, you select two people from the existing secretariat, and then have Yang Jingchen select two people from among the officials in the capital."

"Including you, there are five of us. Let's form a temporary military team under the Secretariat to oversee all the matters mentioned above."

"All rewards will be distributed according to the division of labor. You will only receive the credit for overall planning and coordination, and will be given two extra credits."

Sun Chuanting felt a sense of relief mixed with reluctance, but he still accepted the order with clasped hands.

Zhu Youjian said earnestly, "There is no end to the work. Do you understand how to divide the work? In the future, you should tell me about these kinds of situations earlier. You can't always wait for me to find out."

Sun Chuanting felt ashamed and dared not apologize.

Zhu Youjian shook his head, silently reminding himself that after the meeting, he should have Gao Shiming tally up everyone's workload.

Otherwise, these Ming Dynasty scholars would probably die without uttering a sound.

Your health is a minor matter; what if you fail to accomplish what I have entrusted to you?
Sigh... Being a leader is really not easy.

Zhu Youjian chuckled to himself before turning to Cao Bianjiao and saying, "Although there are still some details you didn't quite understand in your explanation, it was already very good. You can get 2 extra points for this round of testing."

Cao Bianjiao was overjoyed and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty."

He is currently ranked fourth, while there are only three spots for the top 100, making every point precious to him.

A difference of just one point can mean a world of difference after the next monthly exam!

Zhu Youjian then looked at the others, preparing to have them come up in turn to explain the Liaodong Jurchen's fighting methods.

However, his gaze swept over the crowd and settled on Zu Kuan, who was squeezed on the outside.

So that's how it is!

Zhu Youjian had another epiphany!
Without hesitation, he asked directly, "If cavalry warfare is as Commander Cao just said, out of a hundred men, only five are truly brave, and only twenty or thirty dare to fight. The rest mostly just shout and move against the wind..."

"So……"

He paused for a moment and looked at everyone.

"Is this why the generals of our Ming Dynasty's border army prefer to use personal guards?"

Before anyone else could react.

Zu Kuan seized this rare opportunity and shouted, "Your Majesty, I am just a servant by birth, I can answer this question!"

He shouted as he desperately pushed his way forward from the back of the line.

The crowd was thrown into disarray by his jostling, and they glared angrily at him. However, with the emperor present, none of them dared to act recklessly.

Some of the other servants were filled with even greater regret.

I'm a servant too! I can answer that too!
This kind of martial arts training is a huge disadvantage for those of them who come from humble backgrounds and have low levels of education.

It's fine if you don't have anything to say, but even if you do, you always speak incoherently, making His Majesty frown.

It's rare to have such a simple question; it's really a boon for that old black bastard Zu Laohei.

Zhu Youjian smiled.

Competition is a good thing; it allows one to see the truth and the most authentic facts.

He said, "Then come forward and say something."

Zu Kuan, beaming with pride, swayed his broad shoulders, causing the two men on either side to stumble, before loudly proclaiming:
“Your Majesty, unless it is a major battle, it is nothing more than scouting and spying on the border. Whether it is Jurchen or Mongol, they are mostly in groups of five or dozens, or at most hundreds of people in a group.”

"In battles like this, what is needed is elite troops. Therefore, only personal guards can be used effectively. Other cavalrymen are either too thin or too timid, and cannot be used effectively."

Even in the event of a major battle, the servants would still be the ones to lead the charge, while the rest of the men would merely follow along and shout orders.

Zhu Youjian nodded and continued, "Then such a brave warrior must be richly rewarded. Is the monthly stipend for household servants set by the court really enough?"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became quiet.

The people were simple-minded, but not stupid; most of them vaguely realized the danger of this problem.

Zu Kuan looked at Zhu Youjian's ambiguous smile, and his cheerful smile froze on his face.

Answer truthfully, I have done right by His Majesty, but I have failed the General.

If I give a false answer, I will be doing right by the General, but I will be letting down His Majesty and myself... General Zu... I'm sorry, I have my own future to strive for!

More importantly, even if I don't earn it, someone else will!

Having figured this out, Zu Kuan no longer hesitated, forcing himself to maintain a simple and honest demeanor, and continued, "Your Majesty's words hit the nail on the head!"

"If you want to support your household guards and warriors well, you need to pay them three or five taels of silver a month. And if the heads you cut off in battle can be verified by the Ministry of War, they will generally be paid in full without any deductions."

“A Jurchen head is worth fifty taels, and a Mongol head is worth twenty taels. Over a year, that’s quite a lot of income.”

"In addition, land should be allocated, large horses should be given, and wives and concubines should be rewarded."

Therefore…

Zu Kuan paused for a moment, then continued, "Therefore, many border officers embezzle funds, either by receiving salaries without working or by deducting monthly pay. Sometimes, they even deduct the pay of servants without horses."

"Some of the money he amassed was given to those civil officials, some was used for his own purposes, and the rest was used to lavishly support his servants."

After Zu Kuan finished speaking, he was secretly pleased with himself for his good judgment.

The matter of corruption in the border towns has already been addressed in the previous imperial examinations, so it shouldn't be a major issue.

But besides the civil and military officials, a portion of this money also had to be given to the supervising eunuch.

But he dared not say so, since it seemed that the civil officials' influence could no longer reach the Yongwei Camp.

But the eunuchs were still their nominal superiors, so there was no need for them to make themselves uncomfortable.

Zhu Youjian nodded and continued to ask, "So, are all generals well-off? And how much are they well-off?"

Zu Kuan replied without hesitation, "Of course we have to raise them. If we don't raise them, we're bound to lose in battle. Anyway, in our Liaozhen, we all raise them."

"Before the slave chieftain rose to power, there might have been people who did not keep servants or kept few servants, but they were either all killed or lost their official positions. In any case, as far as I know, there are no such fools in Liaodong now."

"As for how many to raise..."

Zu Kuan scratched his head, gave a simple smile, and then made an excuse for himself, "Before I came to the capital, I wasn't a high-ranking official, so I didn't know much. Some generals are more diligent and have more support, while others are less diligent and have less support. That's probably how it is."

Zhu Youjian nodded, having no further doubts.

Another piece of useful knowledge has been added!
Based on this, it seems that most of the officers and warriors he ordered to "pay tribute" to the Nine Borders were probably from his own group of retainers.

After all, they are by the side of their commander, and if they fight bravely, they are more likely to take down enemy heads.

No wonder!

After the last examination of corruption in front of the palace, Wang Tiqian actually reported that a quarter of the generals had sent letters to the nine border regions.

He initially thought that his methods of winning over and currying favor had failed with these ordinary soldiers.

It now appears to be only a quarter, which is already a great concession to Emperor Zhu.

Zhu Youjian shook his head inwardly, secretly planning to have Xu Yingyuan compile a chart of promotions for officers in the Yongwei Battalion.

But he showed no sign of it on his face, and simply smiled and clapped again, prompting dozens of officers to join in the applause.

After the applause subsided, Zhu Youjian said, "Captain Zu, I would add three points to your score for what you just said."

Zu Kuan was overjoyed and immediately began to use his rudimentary arithmetic skills to calculate his ranking increase.

He only ranked 46th in the last monthly exam, so he had no hope of breaking into the top three and vying for those three thousand-man positions.

But what about the commander?! That's someone I could really try to work on!

How can the captain of the Yongwei Battalion compare to the captain of Liaodong? He's practically a protégé of the emperor!

Before Zu Kuan could even figure out how many places he had risen in, Zhu Youjian continued:

"However, I must make it clear why I am awarding you points this time."

Zhu Youjian looked around at everyone and said seriously, "Of these three points, one is awarded to this explanation, and the other two are for Captain Zu's loyalty."

"Sincerity is the way of Heaven; striving for sincerity is the way of man."

As soon as he finished speaking, most of the martial artists in the room looked at each other blankly.

Zu Kuan was completely baffled. He only understood the word "loyalty," and the following classical Chinese phrases were like gibberish to him.

Only a few people, such as Sun Chuanting and Cao Bianjiao, seemed to be deep in thought, a hint of understanding flashing in their eyes.

Zhu Youjian looked at everyone's reactions and chuckled to himself, thinking to himself that he had really gone crazy from reading the Four Books lately.

Talking this to a martial artist is like casting pearls before swine.

He then changed his tone and said in the most straightforward way:

"What I mean is, I'm very happy that you can tell me the truth and not hide anything from me!"

"In matters of the dynasty, officials have always protected each other and covered up their secrets. Captain Zu's willingness to speak frankly and openly demonstrates his loyalty and dedication, which is exactly the kind of loyalty I desire! Let's give him another round of applause!"

Now everyone understood!

So that's what His Majesty was praising!
The officers erupted in thunderous applause once again, this time more enthusiastic than ever before.

Zu Kuan was so excited that his face turned red, and he looked around triumphantly.

This training exercise in the trenches is practically designed specifically to target uncultured people like him.

This was the first time he had received applause from His Majesty during the martial arts demonstration, and it was the second time!
This feeling is just too wonderful, hahaha! I think that I, Zu Kuan, might not be so unattainable as a commander...

Before the applause had even subsided, Gao Shiming, the Grand Master of Ceremonial, suddenly rushed over and handed over a thin sheet of paper.

Zhu Youjian took a look and immediately frowned.

The generals sensed something was wrong, and the applause immediately subsided.

Zhu Youjian looked at Gao Shiming, who nodded and said, "Your Majesty, all five special-grade documents have been verified and are accurate."

Zhu Youjian twirled the thin piece of paper, and after a moment, he smiled.

The generals immediately relaxed, and Zu Kuan grinned again, revealing his thick front teeth.

Zhu Youjian looked at everyone and smiled slightly.

"Just a little thing."

“An hour ago, Commander Ma broke camp and left the pass, heading towards Qingcheng.”

The generals in the hall immediately fell silent.

Zhu Youjian shook his head and said, "Let's end the martial arts demonstration here today."

"Taking this opportunity, I'll leave you with a question."

"Based on the details of the Mongol War presented by each of you military instructors over the past few days, each of you should write a battle strategy report according to the western front."

"To put it bluntly, it is this: if you were Governor Ma, how would you fight this battle?"

"The requirements remain the same as before, and must be simple, straightforward, and meticulous."

"Whoever wins the grand prize this time..."

Zhu Youjian stroked his sparse, newly grown beard and laughed, "Add five points!"

Having said that, he waved his sleeve and said, "Go and make proper preparations."

The generals came to their senses and realized that the martial arts exercise was over.

They all kowtowed and knelt to pay their respects, then formed two somewhat disorderly lines and left the nameless house one by one.

Only Zhu Youjian and Gao Shiming remained in the room.

Zhu Youjian took a step forward and looked at the sand table, which was slightly improved compared to the one Sun Chengzong had used in his previous exchange, but was still somewhat rudimentary.

His brows furrowed again.

He couldn't help but ponder the fragmented and unsystematic military knowledge he had just learned, and fell into deep thought.

I have given you all the support I can.

So... Ma Shilong, how will you fight this battle?
(End of this chapter)