Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 78 Musket or Bow and Arrow?

On the drill ground of the Brave Guard Battalion, flags fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, and the sounds of thousands of soldiers drilling blended into a deep hum.

Zhu Youjian, dressed in a practical outfit, sat upright on the school platform, his gaze calmly sweeping over the formations practicing below.

Frankly speaking, even though the reward and punishment regulations have been issued, there doesn't seem to be much change compared to the last review.

The ranks of the squads remained uneven, but under the officers' reprimands, they showed more effort and spirit than usual.

Only the teams led by Sun Yingyuan remained as orderly and disciplined as ever, standing out among the many teams.

Zhu Youjian was not surprised by this.

No reform can be accomplished overnight; the seeds sown must wait several days before they sprout and grow.

We'll check back when the rewards and extra meals are distributed to confirm how compatible modern reward and punishment methods are with the Ming Dynasty.

He sat quietly on the platform for a while, and seeing that all the teams were practicing seriously, he did not stay any longer and got up and walked down from the platform.

Gao Shiming and Xu Yingyuan followed closely behind him, one on each side.

Not far away, next to Shichahai, there was a small training ground set up separately, which was a place for him to practice martial arts.

The morning breeze, carrying moisture from the river, caressed my face, creating shimmering waves that were truly refreshing.

Various weapons are displayed here, the most eye-catching of which is a row of bows of different specifications.

Zhu Youjian walked to the weapon rack and took down a twelve-strength Kaiyuan Bow.

He recalled the memories in his mind, assumed a horse stance, held the bow in his left hand, gathered strength in his right arm, took a deep breath, and slowly drew the bow.

The bow made a slight "creaking" sound under his strength, and he maintained the posture steadily until the bowstring was fully drawn, without his arms trembling at all.

After a moment, he slowly lowered the bowstring back.

Throughout the entire process, his breathing was steady and his movements were fluid, clearly demonstrating considerable skill.

According to the standards of the Ming Dynasty, one force is equal to nine catties and six taels. Twelve forces translate to a pulling force of nearly one hundred and ten catties.

But how many pounds that would be equivalent to in later times, he, a modern man who had never shot an arrow, had no idea.

Zhu Youjian repeated this process several times until he felt his limbs and bones were fully relaxed and his forehead was slightly sweaty. Only then did he exhale a long breath and put the powerful bow back in its place.

Yes, this powerful bow with twelve strength was merely a tool he used to cultivate his strength and loosen his muscles, not for actual combat.

In conventional warfare, bows with less than four strength cannot penetrate armor, while bows with five strength are already considered adequate, or even quite good, and bows with six strength can even be considered valiant warriors.

—As for the 12-strength bow, no fool would use a bow of that level in actual combat. The weight of the bow would negate the kinetic energy it provides, making it a losing proposition.

Seeing this, Xu Yingyuan, who was standing nearby, quickly handed over a Five-Force Bow with a big smile on his face.

This is the bow that Zhu Youjian truly intends to use today.

Zhu Youjian took the bow and then drew an arrow from the quiver, nocking it on the string.

He looked at the target standing eighty paces away, squinted, aimed for a moment, and then suddenly let go!
"Whoosh-"

The arrow soared through the air with an eerie arc, finally striking a tree a few steps from the bullseye with a sharp "thud."

Zhu Youjian remained expressionless, drew his arrow again, and put the bow into the air.

The second arrow also missed the target.

He frowned slightly, but didn't seem anxious.

“Xu Yingyuan, seventy steps.”

"As ordered!"

The target was quickly moved seventy paces away, and Zhu Youjian tried again, but the result was still not ideal.

"Sixty steps."

This time, the arrow finally hit the target with a "thud," though it only barely grazed the edge. A faint smile appeared on Zhu Youjian's face.

He wasn't in a hurry to succeed; he simply calmed down and shot arrow after arrow.

He shot with great seriousness and focus, as if the whole world consisted only of the bow in his hand, the target in front of him, and the arrow flying through the air.

Thanks to the muscle memory left by this body, he was able to get started very quickly.

In the first dozen or so arrows, the hit rate gradually stabilized at seven or eight out of ten.

But after twenty arrows, his stamina began to decline, and waves of soreness and numbness came from his arms. His accuracy also plummeted, and he even became unsteady when drawing the bow.

When the last arrow in the pot was shot out, Zhu Youjian finally stopped, slowly stretched his limbs, and fell into deep thought.

Modern people know that firearms will eventually replace bows and arrows, and machine guns and barbed wire even brought an end to the era of cavalry.

But in reality, the Later Jin, armed with bows and arrows, defeated the Ming army, which was equipped with a large number of firearms and cannons.

Is it a problem with the quality of the military equipment? Or is it a problem with the training and morale of the soldiers?

Or perhaps it is the result of a series of complex factors such as the balance of power between the two sides, battlefield mobility, and logistical support?

Should we intensify archery practice to match the strengths of our competitors? Or should we head straight for the answer and continuously strengthen the tactical system centered around muskets?
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but none of them had an answer.

You can't just rely on wishful thinking; you have to consult the experts of this era.

“Gao Shiming,” Zhu Youjian suddenly spoke.

"Your subject is here," Gao Shiming, who had been standing quietly to the side, immediately bowed and replied.

"A few days ago, an order was issued to select elite officers from various border towns to go to the capital. When will they arrive?"

Gao Shiming pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, the distances to various places vary. For those as far away as Shaanxi and Liaodong, even with fast horses, it will take at least a month to deliver the message. For those as close as Jizhou, Xuanfu, and Miyun, judging by the time it takes, it should arrive in the capital in one or two days."

Zhu Youjian nodded, his gaze sweeping across the shimmering river to the faintly visible mansion on the opposite bank.

"Is the Duke of England's residence on the other side of the river?"

Gao Shiming followed his gaze and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Hmm." Zhu Youjian withdrew his gaze and calmly instructed, "After the vanguards and officers from each town arrive in the capital, they shall all be assigned to the Yongwei Battalion."

"At that time, first test their martial arts skills, and then, based on their abilities, appoint them as captains or squad leaders. You should personally go to the Five Military Governor's Office to discuss the documents, personnel, and salaries involved in this matter with Duke Zhang Weixian of England."

"In addition, have him draw some brave and fierce men from various parts of the Beijing garrison to fill the ranks of these newly appointed generals."

Zhu Youjian turned to Xu Yingyuan and said, "When the time comes, you will be in charge of verifying the personnel transferred in. They must meet the standards of the Yongwei Battalion. We would rather have none than use inferior ones."

"Your subject (servant) obeys the decree." Gao Shiming and Xu Yingyuan responded in unison.

Zhu Youjian had his own plans.

Placing these officers, who came from border towns and had truly seen blood, into the Beijing garrison was like letting a pack of wolves into a sheepfold.

On the one hand, we can learn from their experience to summarize and reflect on the current battlefields in Liaodong and Mongolia.

On the other hand, it can also bring a sense of crisis to the "locals" in the Beijing garrison.

As for Duke Zhang Weixian of England...

Since you're afraid I'll follow the example of the Wanli Emperor, what about yourself?

Can he truly live up to my expectations?

Even if you can...

So, after nearly a century of peace, how many of these nobles in the court are still capable of serving?

(End of this chapter)