Huangming

Chapter 192 Reform and Innovation: The Imperial Guards Display Their Power

Inside the East Warm Pavilion.

Zhu Youxiao accepted the blue-and-white lotus-patterned teacup presented by the attending eunuch, gently stroking the warm porcelain surface with his fingertips, and his gaze swept over the officials in the hall.

He slightly raised his hand, his voice unhurried: "My dear ministers have been speaking for quite some time, and you must be thirsty. Please have a cup of tea to moisten your throats."

"Your Majesty, we kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"

The civil and military officials in the hall responded in unison, and then carefully picked up the teacup.

Duke Zhang Weixian of England took a sip and his eyes lit up.

It turned out to be a newly harvested pre-rain Longjing tea, a tribute from this spring.

He felt a chill run down his spine: it seemed that no one in the inner court would dare to tamper with imperial items anymore.

Everyone took a small sip and immediately felt a pleasant fragrance on their lips and teeth.

Fang Congzhe's eyes lit up. This was the first time he had ever drunk such good tea in front of the emperor. In the past, when drinking old tea in front of the emperor, he had to force himself to praise the good tea, but now he didn't have to.

Finished drinking.

The officials gently placed their teacups back onto the vermilion-lacquered and gold-painted trays held by the attending eunuchs, stood respectfully with their hands at their sides, and awaited the imperial edict.

Zhu Youxiao then picked up the blue-and-white lotus-patterned teacup on the imperial desk and gently stroked the warm porcelain surface with his fingertips.

He took a sip, the clear tea soup gliding over his tongue, initially slightly bitter, then followed by a lingering sweetness.

"Good tea."

However, after finishing the fine tea, a hint of coldness flashed in Zhu Youxiao's eyes.

Thinking back to those audacious lackeys who dared to use stale tea to appease the emperor, those fools have now been either exiled to the South Sea or beaten to death in the Imperial Prison.

Now, no one in the Imperial Tea Room dares to tamper with the tribute tea.

If the emperor, the supreme ruler, cannot even afford a cup of fresh tea, what kind of dignity does this Ming Dynasty have?
Tea time is over.

Zhu Youxiao put down his teacup, his gaze sharp as he looked at Duke of Yingguo Zhang Weixian and Vice Minister of War Yuan Keli, and asked in a deep voice, "My two ministers, how is the reorganization of the Beijing Garrison going? How many soldiers are actually in the Beijing Garrison now?"

Zhang Weixian and Yuan Keli exchanged a glance, and Zhang Weixian stepped forward first to report: "Your Majesty, since the reorganization was ordered last year, more than 28,000 old, weak, and falsely registered soldiers have been dismissed. Currently, the three major camps have 73,000 registered soldiers, however..."

He hesitated for a moment, but still said with a forced smile, "However, there are less than 40,000 people actually practicing, and the firearms battalion is especially lacking in elites."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao asked, "So, the Beijing Garrison still has more than 30,000 nominal positions?"

Zhang Weixian nodded and said, "I'm afraid that's exactly right."

"Why haven't you addressed the issue of people receiving salaries without working?"

Faced with the emperor's questioning, before Yuan Keli could speak, Zhang Weixian knelt on the ground and, his voice trembling, reported:

"Your Majesty, please understand! It is not that we have not done our best, but there are three difficulties: First, the embezzlement of funds in the capital garrison is largely related to nobles and meritorious officials, and a thorough investigation may shake the morale of the army; second, the Ministry of War's accounts over the years are in disarray, and those who fraudulently claim funds all falsely report them as 'personal guards and soldiers,' and the investigation will take time; third..."

He stole a glance at the emperor's expression, gritted his teeth, and revealed the key point: "Emperor Shenzong tacitly approved this method in his later years to make up for the shortfall in the stipends of the imperial clan!"

The emperor frowned, clearly dissatisfied with Zhang Weixian's answer.

At this moment, Yuan Keli bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, please allow me to inform you that the problem of the empty salaries of the Beijing garrison is being resolved, but it needs to be done step by step. This matter involves a wide range of issues, and if we rush it, there may be unforeseen circumstances."

He paused, then took out an account book from his sleeve and presented it to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I have discovered three reasons for the lack of funds in the Three Camps: First, as the Duke said, many of the hereditary officers from noble families occupy nominal positions, with the Duke of Cheng's mansion alone having more than 600 personal guards registered under its name; second, the miscellaneous items such as horse allowance and armor allowance issued by the Ministry of War over the years are actually disguised forms of funds for the lack of funds."

"The most critical issue is that officers' official salaries are extremely low. A lieutenant general's annual salary is only 48 taels, and a battalion commander's is only 12 taels. Let alone supporting a family of servants, it is difficult to even maintain a decent living. The fixed monthly salary for soldiers is nine qian, but in reality, it is deducted at each level, and less than one-third is actually received."

Just like why so many officials in the Ming Dynasty were corrupt, it was because their salaries were too low.

The same applies to soldiers.

Especially for those who need to maintain household guards, they simply cannot afford to support an army without receiving some salary for doing nothing.

However, this is not a long-term solution.

A cold glint flashed in Zhu Youxiao's eyes. He slammed the teacup heavily on the imperial desk, the blue-and-white porcelain base striking the sandalwood with a dull thud.

"absurd!"

The emperor's voice was as cold as ice.

"The garrison system has deteriorated to such an extent that instead of trying to rectify it, you regard drawing salaries without working and supporting private soldiers as commonplace? During the Hongwu era, the Taizu Emperor used the garrisons to support a million-strong army; during the Yongle era, which of the elite troops who led the three expeditions to the northern deserts were not regular soldiers? When did our Great Ming Dynasty have to rely on generals' private armies to protect its territory?"

As he spoke, Zhu Youxiao grasped the Great Ming Code in front of him and said:

"It is clearly written in this ancestral rule that anyone who impersonates another or falsely reports the number of soldiers shall be executed immediately by the commanding officer! Emperor Shenzong's tacit approval was out of necessity, so why should it become a matter of course for me?"

Facing the enraged emperor, Yuan Keli took a deep breath and immediately reported:
"Your Majesty, please understand! The use of private soldiers is a last resort. The garrison system has long been in disarray, and less than five out of ten soldiers listed in the registers remain, with the rest being mostly old and weak. Even those on the registers receive less than 20% of their quota due to the layers of embezzlement by the prefectures, counties, and garrisons. Under the constant famine, many are unfamiliar with archery and horsemanship, and when they encounter the enemy, they crumble like scattered sand."

"On the other hand, the generals' personal guards can recruit their own strong men, and their provisions and pay go directly to them. For example, Li Chengliang's personal guards receive their full monthly pay of five taels of silver, along with fine horses and sharp swords, which is why they have been able to achieve repeated victories. This is not an exaggeration; the battle reports from Liaodong can prove it. In the Battle of Sarxu last year, eight thousand garrison soldiers collapsed as soon as they encountered the enemy, but it was Du Song's five hundred personal guards who fought to the death and refused to retreat!"

Seeing the emperor's uncertain expression, Yuan Keli suddenly lifted his robe and knelt down: "Your Majesty, I risk my life to offer this advice: the root of this problem lies in three things:"
First, the old system established during the Hongwu reign was no longer suitable for the times. Much of the military farmland in the garrisons had been seized by powerful local families, leading to widespread desertion among military households. Second, the Ministry of War's performance evaluation system had become lax. Promotions for generals were no longer based on military achievements, but rather on inflating troop numbers. Third, after the Yongle reign, in an effort to cut costs, the court tacitly allowed the use of fictitious salaries to cover actual pay!

After Yuan Keli finished speaking, the East Warm Pavilion fell into a long silence.

Finally, the emperor's voice broke the silence.

"The corruption within the court is so deep-seated, what does Minister Yuan think should be done?"

Yuan Keli looked directly at the emperor with his head held high, and said in a firm and resounding voice, "If Your Majesty truly wishes to eradicate this malpractice, please first accomplish three important tasks:

First, thoroughly investigate the accounts of the Five Military Commands and the Ministry of War over the years; anyone who embezzles funds, even high-ranking officials, shall not be pardoned. Second, revise the salaries of military officers; the annual salary of a lieutenant general shall be increased to at least five hundred taels of silver. Third, I request permission to pilot the new system in the Beijing garrison, eliminating vacancies and using actual pay to train elite troops!

Upon hearing Yuan Keli's words, Zhang Weixian's expression changed drastically.

Not
You and His Majesty have conspired together, haven't you?

How could someone say something like that?

Isn't this just a charade with the emperor?
really.

Hearing Yuan Keli's words, the emperor shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's not enough to just do this! We must also ensure that the soldiers receive their full pay and that weapons, equipment, and warhorses are not embezzled at every level. I intend to establish a 'Military Inspection Bureau' to specifically investigate military affairs!"

He swept his sharp gaze across the assembled officials and continued:

"Firstly, the Ministry of War, the Five Military Commissions, and the Military Censorate are ordered to re-compile the roster of soldiers based on their actual numbers, and to verify it every ten days. If any official is found to have falsely reported even one vacant position, the official in charge will be immediately dismissed and ordered to pay back 10 times the amount of the embezzled silver; if more than 10 vacancies are reported, the official in charge will be executed and his or her family property will be confiscated."

Soldiers can anonymously report cases of receiving salaries without working, and if the report is verified, the whistleblower will be rewarded with half of the salary involved.

Secondly, the soldiers' monthly pay was increased from nine qian to two liang, but they were required to sign in for drills every day. If they were absent for one day, three days' pay would be deducted, and those who were absent for ten consecutive days without cause would be expelled from the army.

The monthly salary of elite troops such as the firearms battalion and cavalry will be increased by 1 tael, but they must pass the quarterly examination. Those who fail will be demoted to ordinary soldiers.

Third, the three major camps eliminated all the old and weak, retaining only the able-bodied. Each soldier was required to be able to carry 30 jin (15 kg) of weight and march 20 li (10 km). Those unfamiliar with archery and horsemanship were transferred to auxiliary troops or dismissed.

Military supplies such as warhorses, armor, and firearms are directly registered and cataloged by the Military Inspection Bureau. Loss or damage will be investigated at each level, and those who embezzle will be prosecuted for stealing and selling military equipment.

Duke Zhang Weixian of England looked worried: "Your Majesty, suddenly imposing harsh laws may lead to a mutiny among the generals..."

"One hundred thousand fake soldiers? Ha! I'd rather have thirty thousand soldiers who are capable and willing to fight than these one hundred thousand parasites who are just drawing salaries without working!"

The emperor slowly rose, the gold thread on his dragon robe gleaming coldly in the candlelight: "I know how many people's livelihoods will be cut off by the reorganization of the capital garrison. I have the account books of the Duke of Cheng and the Duke of Ding—these noble families—in my mind!" "But now, the Jurchens in Liaodong are eyeing us covetously, and the chieftains in the southwest are stirring. Is the court spending millions in military funds every year to support these old, weak, and disabled people who can't even draw a bow?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Keli's eyes gleamed, and he immediately knelt down, slamming his forehead heavily onto the gold brick: "Your Majesty is wise! If you can abolish the nominal appointments and reorganize the military, within three years, I will surely train an iron army for Your Majesty capable of annihilating the Jurchens!"

Zhang Weixian lowered his head, his heart filled with unease and worry.

"The previous reorganization of the Beijing Garrison, which eliminated over 20,000 ghost employees, already incurred the discontent of the nobles, who privately complained and some even secretly sabotaged military affairs. Now His Majesty wants to start all over again, thoroughly investigate the accounts, revise salaries, and severely punish corruption… This is no reorganization; it's clearly an attempt to overturn the entire system of the Beijing Garrison!"

He glanced at the officials in the hall out of the corner of his eye and saw that some looked solemn, while others had shifty eyes, clearly each with their own thoughts.

"The nobles have controlled the capital garrison for generations, and the 'ghost salaries' have long been their 'lifeline.' Now that His Majesty is cutting off their source of income, how can they accept it? At best, they'll outwardly comply while inwardly defying him; at worst… I'm afraid something bad will happen to the capital garrison soon."

Thinking of this, Zhang Weixian felt a cold sweat trickle down his back.

"His Majesty is young and ambitious, determined to reform, but the problems within the capital garrison are deeply entrenched, and any change could have far-reaching consequences. If those hereditary military families are truly pushed to the brink, and they stage a mutiny, or secretly collude with the border troops to incite rebellion, the consequences would be unimaginable..."

He slightly raised his eyes to steal a glance at the emperor's expression. Seeing that Zhu Youxiao's gaze was cold and unyielding, his heart sank even further.

'Yuan Keli dares to speak frankly and offer advice because he relies on His Majesty's trust, but once this new law is implemented, it will offend the entire noble class! At that time, I'm afraid even I, the Duke of Ying, will be seen as a thorn in their side…'

He sighed inwardly, yet there was nothing he could do.

"Very well, since His Majesty has made up his mind, I can only do my best to mediate. I just hope this storm won't escalate too much."

Zhu Youxiao looked at the various expressions on everyone's faces and vaguely knew what they thought.

But some things shouldn't be avoided just because they are difficult.

The reorganization of the Beijing garrison has already gone through one round.

The most troublesome ones were swept away in the first round.

The rest are those who will endure.

If you take away these people's livelihoods, there will definitely be resistance.

However.
If these people weren't so clever, Zhu Youxiao wouldn't mind killing a few more.

Even nobles were no exception.

These nobles, to put it nicely, shared the fate of the nation; to put it bluntly, they were sucking the blood of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youxiao would absolutely not allow such a thing!
Having finished discussing military reforms, Zhu Youxiao turned his attention to another aspect: money!
Even a penny can stump a man.

How can you fight a war without money?
Zhu Youxiao turned his gaze to Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe and asked, "Minister Fang, how much silver is currently in the Ministry of Revenue's treasury? The Liaodong army's pay and the reform of the Beijing garrison both require money, and I want to hear the exact figures."

Fang Congzhe's hands trembled slightly in his sleeves, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead: "Your Majesty, since Li Ruhua entered the cabinet to take charge of the Ministry of Revenue, all the specific accounts have been handled by him. I am not very familiar with the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue."

Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly and said, "The Grand Secretary doesn't even know this?"

You, Fang Congzhe, are truly a slippery eel.

"My lord is guilty!"

Fang Congzhe hurriedly knelt down and confessed his guilt.

The emperor looked helpless, as he really couldn't punish Fang Congzhe.

He was willing to be a puppet prime minister. At this point, could you still criticize him for being incompetent?

Zhu Youxiao shook his head and could only say, "Alright, you may all leave. Duke of Yingguo and Minister Yuan, please stay."

Fang Congzhe and Liu Yiju had different expressions, but they had no choice but to take their leave.

After the two cabinet ministers left, Zhu Youxiao said to Wei Chao, "Summon Wei Zhongxian and Wang Tiqian in."

In no time.

Wang Tiqian and Wei Zhongxian bowed and entered the East Warm Pavilion, kneeling together five steps from the imperial desk.

With their foreheads pressed against the gold bricks, Wei Zhongxian and Wang Tiqian spoke with just the right amount of trembling: "This servant greets Your Majesty."

When everyone arrived, Zhu Youxiao began to speak.

"The British Duke hesitated just now, perhaps fearing that the reform of the Beijing Garrison would cause trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Weixian trembled and prostrated himself, saying, "Your Majesty is wise! I have three concerns: First, many of the hereditary military officers and nobles are involved with the 'ghost salaries' of the Beijing Garrison. If their source of income is suddenly cut off, some may resort to desperate measures, such as the rebellion of the Prince of Anhua in Ningxia during the Zhengde era. Second, of the 40,000 soldiers currently training in the Beijing Garrison, more than 30% are actually private troops of generals. If their masters incite them, a mutiny is inevitable."

He caught a glimpse of the cold glint in the emperor's eyes, and braced himself to continue, "What is most worrying is that since the reign of Emperor Shenzong, many generals of the capital garrison have been secretly colluding with border garrisons. Last year, the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu and Datong privately transferred three hundred elite soldiers from the capital garrison to the border. If the reforms affect their interests, I fear it could lead to a disaster of collusion between the inside and outside!"

The warm pavilion suddenly fell silent.

After a while.

Wei Zhongxian suddenly sneered: "Has the Duke forgotten? When 20,000 vacancies were eliminated this year, those nobles made the same threat. And what was the result? Under His Majesty's thunderous measures, the Duke of Cheng's mansion returned the embezzled six thousand taels of silver overnight!"

“Times have changed. His Majesty’s re-establishment of the military registers is clearly a complete severing of these people’s source of income. Before, it was just a matter of cutting off their flesh and bones; now, it’s like cutting off their arms and legs as well.”

Wang Tiqian sneered from the side and said, "They're just drawing salaries from the court without working, as if these salaries originally belonged to them. If anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll be the first to not let them off!"

"Wang Tiqian is right! Over the years, they have been drawing salaries without working and have done so with a clear conscience, as if the imperial court owes them something!"

Zhu Youxiao's gaze was like a knife, sweeping over the kneeling crowd:

"Let me make this clear today—among the nobles, there are indeed those who are skilled in battle, such as Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang. I will certainly give them important positions and bestow titles and honors upon them!"

"But those parasites who only know how to line their own pockets and bleed the soldiers dry, I will not only cut off their source of wealth, but also take their heads!"

After the emperor made his statement, Zhang Weixian immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao looked sharply at Wang Tiqian and asked in a deep voice, "Wang Da Dang, how is the reconstruction of the Western Depot progressing?"

Wang Tiqian bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, the Western Depot has recruited more than 12,000 elite agents, of whom 3,000 are skilled in investigation and covert operations, and another 500 are adept at infiltration and stealth."

After hearing Wang Tiqian's report, Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife as he turned to Wei Zhongxian: "Now that the Western Depot has been rebuilt, the Eastern Depot must not be neglected. Issue my decree!"

He suddenly raised his voice, each word like iron: "From this day forward, all agents of the Eastern and Western Depots shall be mobilized! Three squads of spies shall be stationed in each garrison of the Beijing Garrison, and two hundred elite spies shall be added to each of the nine key border towns. All matters, no matter how small, such as secret meetings of generals, unusual movements of soldiers, and transfers of provisions, shall be reported secretly every day!"

Wei Zhongxian immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed, his voice filled with ruthlessness: "This servant obeys the decree! The Eastern Depot has already planted seventy-two spies in the three major camps, and the spies in Liaodong, Xuanda and other places set off three days ago. If anyone dares to conspire to rebel, this servant will make sure they don't live past dawn!"

Not to be outdone, Wang Tiqian immediately followed up with, "Of the new agents recruited by the Western Depot, thirty percent are veterans who have retired from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I have already ordered them to disguise themselves as grain merchants and bodyguards and infiltrate the Nine Borders to investigate officers for embezzlement."

A cold glint flashed in Zhu Youxiao's eyes as he said, "Fine! I'd like to see whether their necks are harder or the swords of the Ming Dynasty are sharper!"

The candlelight in the warm chamber was violently shaken by the draft, casting the emperor's shadow into a grotesque silhouette that loomed over the kneeling crowd.

The back of Duke Zhang Weixian was already soaked with sweat, and he was holding his breath.

The Eastern and Western Depots' arrangement clearly indicates a thorough and radical purge of the Beijing Garrison!
No wonder His Majesty dared to reorganize the capital garrison; he came prepared!
With the Eastern and Western Depots keeping a close watch on the nine border garrisons of Beijing, what trouble could possibly arise?
He could almost see the fate of those nobles who wanted to cause trouble.

I'm afraid they won't even have a chance to cause any trouble before they're killed.

Your Majesty's imperial power tactics are truly terrifying!
Zhang Weixian stole a glance at the young emperor on the throne, and in the flickering candlelight, he vaguely glimpsed a terrifying imperial aura:
He was neither as sinister and profound as the Jiajing Emperor, nor as indecisive and patient as the Wanli Emperor. Instead, he resembled the Zhengde Emperor in his decisive and ruthless nature, and his brows subtly revealed the thunderous methods of the Taizu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and the ambitious drive of the Chengzu Emperor Zhu Di.

Such magnanimity reminds one of the brutal purge of meritorious officials during the Hongwu era and the glorious five expeditions to the northern deserts during the Yongle reign.

He felt a chill run down his spine, thinking to himself that the situation in the Beijing garrison was about to change.

but.
Perhaps only an emperor like him could clean up such a mess!
(End of this chapter)