Huangming

Chapter 269 Pragmatism for National Prosperity: Firearms Innovation

Qianqing Palace.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion.

Lunch has just been set on the table.

Zhu Youxiao had just picked up the jade chopsticks and hadn't even taken a bite when he heard light footsteps outside the hall.

A young eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs carried a heavy box of memorials and entered, bowing slightly. He carefully placed the box on the low table beside the desk.

"Your Majesty, these are urgent documents that have just been delivered by various government offices."

Zhu Youxiao followed his gaze and saw that the memorials that had been piled up on the left side of the throne and had just been reviewed with vermilion ink had been taken away.

When the newly replaced box was opened, a thick stack of memorials was revealed, the edges of the pages curled, indicating that a considerable amount had been accumulated.

He shook his head slightly, a helpless smile playing on his lips.

I just finished dealing with a bunch of important military and political matters at the morning court session. I was hoping to take a break during lunch, but it seems that after lunch I'll have to pick up my vermilion pen again and continue to grapple with these memorials.

Being a diligent emperor is indeed not that easy.

Ordinary people can "work at sunrise and rest at sunset," but he, the emperor, had to work from dawn till dusk, rarely even having a proper meal.

"Let's leave it for now."

Zhu Youxiao withdrew his gaze and picked up a piece of crystal pork knuckle.

"Let's talk after I finish my meal."

Even so, his gaze involuntarily swept over the covers of the stack of memorials, and when he saw the words "Liaodong military pay" and "Yellow River flood situation," his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

With the heavy responsibility of governing this vast country weighing on my shoulders, I can't even take a moment's rest.

"Slave, please leave!"

The young eunuch withdrew in response, and the warm pavilion returned to silence, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks remaining.

As Zhu Youxiao chewed his food, he was already planning the order in which he would review the memorials in the afternoon.

The issue of military pay is the most urgent and must be addressed first; the flood situation concerns people's livelihoods and cannot be delayed either...

After quickly finishing his lunch, Zhu Youxiao pushed away his bowl and chopsticks and sat back down on the throne covered with a bright yellow cushion.

The newly replaced memorials on his desk were piled high. He picked up his vermilion brush, dipped it in vermilion ink, and his gaze fell on the top memorial about the Grand Canal. He had just written the word "read" when the light footsteps of Wang Tiqian could be heard outside the hall.

"Your Majesty, today's secret report has arrived."

Wang Tiqian bowed as he entered, carrying a sandalwood box in his arms. Inside were neatly stacked more than a dozen memorials, each sealed in a specially made brocade bag with the imperial seal affixed to the seal.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao immediately put down his brush.

He raised his chin, and Wang Tiqian placed the wooden box on the table and carefully opened it.

These secret reports were his "eyes" planted in various places, and were far more truthful than the official reports presented in the imperial court.

Those qualified to submit secret memorials to the emperor were either high-ranking officials guarding a region or trusted confidants of the inner court.

Sun Chengzong, Xiong Tingbi, Qi Jin, Tong Zhongkui, and others in Liaodong; Zuo Guangdou in Shandong; Xu Guangqi, Yuan Chonghuan, and Sun Chuanting in Shanxi and Shaanxi; and even the eunuch in charge of the Nanjing garrison—all of them were people he could trust.

Zhu Youxiao picked up a letter at random and saw that the seal was stamped with "Jiangnan Textile Bureau", so he knew that it was presented by the mining tax eunuch sent by the inner court.

The Jiangnan region, a prosperous area, has always been a major tax-paying region and also a place where factional strife is most intense. Those civil officials always criticize the mining tax eunuchs for being cruel, but they don't know how much silver these people secretly transfer to the imperial treasury, or how many civil officials' petty actions they keep an eye on for them.

As for why the eunuchs in charge of mining taxes still exist.

There's a reason for that.

Although Zhu Youxiao wrote in his enthronement edict that he would abolish the eunuchs in charge of mining taxes, the word "abolishing" was never something that could be done overnight.

After all, these tax inspectors, scattered throughout the country, are an important source of revenue for the internal treasury.

They were also the emperor's spies.

Therefore, he had already planned in his mind: those who exploited the people too much and aroused public resentment, or those who had meager incomes over the years, should naturally be eliminated under the pretext of the "new policy," which would both please the civil officials and earn him a reputation for "being considerate of the people's feelings."

Those in prosperous areas, where taxes can be collected steadily, will be allowed to remain for the time being.

One emperor and one courtier.

After the Jinyiwei and Dongchang thoroughly investigated these eunuchs who were collecting mining taxes outside the capital and confirmed that they had no major problems such as colluding with foreign officials or embezzling funds, Zhu Youxiao granted them a new authority—to deliver secret memorials.

In this way, they can keep an eye on local taxes and also act as eyes and ears, killing two birds with one stone.

This secret memorial from Zhejiang was written by the tax supervisor Niu Chao.

In his secret report, this fellow first went on and on about how the bayberries in Zhejiang were ripe, large and sweet. He had specially selected the best ones, filled a whole cart, and sent them to the capital by fast horse, estimating they would arrive in the next few days.

Finally, he casually mentioned, "All taxes in Zhejiang are normal, the region is peaceful, and there is nothing major."

As Zhu Youxiao looked at the secret memorial, which was almost equivalent to "reporting that he was safe," a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

These eunuchs may not have other skills, but they are masters at figuring out the emperor's intentions and showing loyalty.

He picked up his vermilion brush and wrote four words at the end of the secret memorial: "I understand."

He neither scolded him for making a mountain out of a molehill, nor praised him for being sensible.

Such innocuous expressions of loyalty should not be taken too seriously, but they should not be completely ignored either.

After all, these "informants" scattered across various provinces still need this subtle favor to maintain their connections.

After processing the secret reports from Jiangnan, Zhu Youxiao reached into the sandalwood box and took out the memorials from Shanxi and Shaanxi.

These secret letters are clearly of different weight.

Xu Guangqi's secret memorial was the most detailed, revealing the rigor of a scholar: he not only listed the acreage of sweet potatoes planted in Taiyuan and Datong, but also attached a hand-drawn map of the fields, marked "drought-resistant and high-yielding, equivalent to half a year's grain", and even mentioned that he had asked farmers to distribute the sweet potato vines to neighboring counties, and expected that the planting area could be expanded to 500,000 mu before the autumn harvest.

Xu Guangqi did not disappoint him. If this drought-resistant crop could be promoted in the north, it would be a great achievement.

He picked up his pen and wrote: "Very good. Order the Ministry of Revenue to allocate another 3,000 shi of grain seeds to help expand the planting."

Next, Yuan Chonghuan's secret memorial was opened.

The civil official's handwriting was strong and sharp, and he began by stating bluntly: "Yan'an Prefecture in Shaanxi Province has suffered from a severe drought for more than a year, leaving the land barren for thousands of miles. Three or four out of ten people have resorted to cannibalism, and the heretical cult 'Wenxiang Sect' has taken the opportunity to bewitch people, gathering tens of thousands of refugees deep in the Qinling Mountains, which may become a wildfire."

A roster was also attached at the end, listing the names of several active religious leaders.

Zhu Youxiao's brows furrowed instantly.

Cannibalism and rampant cults.

These eight words were like a red-hot branding iron, burning his heart with a heavy feeling.

Shaanxi is a crucial border region. If a peasant uprising were to break out, the Jurchens in the north could seize the opportunity to invade southwards, with unimaginable consequences.

He circled the three characters "Wenxiang Sect" heavily on the secret memorial and wrote in red ink: "Order the General of Shaanxi to immediately encircle and suppress them, and make sure to eradicate them completely! Also, order the Ministry of War to transfer 5,000 shi of military rations from Datong to aid Yan'an. Anyone involved in this cult shall be killed without exception!"

Finally, we looked at Sun Chuanting's memorial.

He neither complained nor took credit, but simply listed the actual figures for disaster relief: "Forty-two soup kitchens have been set up, consuming one hundred bushels of grain per day. However, the number of refugees is increasing daily, and the treasury is gradually emptying. The court needs to allocate grain and funds as soon as possible."

It also included a list detailing which counties and towns were most severely affected by the disaster and which officials were secretly embezzling relief grain.

Zhu Youxiao read through the lines one by one, concluding that Sun Chuanting was upright and would never exaggerate the extent of the disaster.

He immediately wrote at the end of the memorial: "Approval is granted for the allocation of 50,000 taels of silver from the Imperial Treasury and 30,000 shi of grain for the grain transport, to be escorted to Shaanxi by a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and delivered directly to the soup kitchens. The corrupt officials listed shall be thoroughly investigated by the Imperial Inspector, and those found guilty shall be executed on the spot."

After processing these confidential memorials, four or five notebooks with annotations in red ink had already piled up on the desk.

He summoned Wei Chao and extracted the two items that Xu Guangqi needed: grain seeds and disaster relief funds from Sun Chuanting. He said in a deep voice, "These two matters shall be handled jointly by the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Treasury. The grain seeds must be obtained quickly, and the silver and grain must be cleared. If anyone shirks responsibility or delays, we will directly use the Eastern Depot's warrant to arrest them."

Wei Chao bowed and replied, "This servant will take care of it immediately."

Finally, it was Liaodong's turn.

This month, there were an unusually large number of secret reports from the Liaodong direction.

Xiong Tingbi, Sun Chengzong, Qi Jin, Tong Zhongkui...

These important civil and military officials who were stationed in Liaodong all submitted secret memorials.

Zhu Youxiao picked up the books one by one and opened them, his eyes following the words as they flowed between the pages, as if he could see the flames of war thousands of miles away through these words.

Among them, Xiong Tingbi's secret memorial is the most profound.

This Liaodong military commander, known for his iron-fisted rule over the border regions, detailed one incident in his report: After the Jurchens' failed water attack on Shenyang, they did not retreat to their stronghold, but instead turned their guns around and launched a swift and decisive attack on the Chahar tribe.

Unable to withstand the attack, Ligdan Khan has sent envoys three times in succession to plead for help, his words earnest and sincere. In a secret memorial, Xiong Tingbi stated bluntly: "Although the Chahar tribe has a long-standing feud with our dynasty, and Ligdan Khan seemed hesitant during the Battle of Shenyang, the alliance remains in place; if the Chahar are destroyed, the Jurchens will have no more worries about their rear and will surely launch a full-scale invasion southward. The Liaodong defense line will be attacked from both sides, a truly perilous situation!"

He even attached a hand-drawn situation map, marking the Jurchens' marching route and the Chahar tribe's retreat direction with cinnabar.

Zhu Youxiao stared at the map, his eyes darting around.

Although he had lived in the capital for a long time, he knew that what Xiong Tingbi said was true.

The Chahar tribe was like a barrier between the Jurchens and the Ming Dynasty. Even if this barrier was not solid, it must not be allowed to collapse.

He pondered for a moment, then took a vermilion brush and wrote at the end of the secret memorial: "What Xiong Qing has proposed is absolutely correct. The matter of rescuing Chahar shall be handled by the strategist as appropriate, without needing to seek permission for every matter."

Zhu Youxiao had no desire to be the principal or to act as an airdrop commander.

Being far away in the capital, how could I possibly understand the ever-changing situation in Liaodong and the unpredictable nature of the battlefield as thoroughly as Xiong Tingbi, who was personally on the front lines?

At such a time, issuing decrees based on mere words spoken in court would truly be a disservice to the country.

The saying goes, "When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders." Trustworthy people should be given sufficient trust and authority.

This is the way to manage subordinates, and it is also the foundation for defending Liaodong.

After turning the pages of Xiong Tingbi's secret memorials, the next one is Sun Chengzong's.

This Grand Secretary, known for his prudence, didn't say much in his secret memorial; the whole thing revolved around one thing—he wanted money and provisions.

In his compromise, he meticulously listed the damage to the forts and strongholds outside the city after the Battle of Shenyang: "Seventeen beacon towers, including Hupi Post Station and Fengji Fort, have been destroyed. More than thirty feet of the city wall of Fushun Pass have collapsed, leaving the garrison without any defenses. They need to be repaired immediately, otherwise if the Jurchens attack again, the gates will be wide open."

Attached at the end is a detailed estimate, with everything from bricks and timber to the food rations of the craftsmen calculated clearly. The summary is: "Approximately 200,000 taels of silver and 50,000 shi of grain are required."

Zhu Youxiao looked at the figure of "two hundred thousand taels" and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He picked up a vermilion pen and wrote next to the work estimate: "The fortresses and stockades can be built to strengthen the border defenses, but there is no need to make them perfect. We should spend money and supplies where they are most needed."

He put down his pen and sighed softly.

The imperial treasury had already spent most of its money on disaster relief and military expansion, and now it simply could not afford any more extravagance.

Sun Chengzong wanted to build an impregnable fortress, but where would the Ming Dynasty find the resources to construct a "Maginot Line" outside Shenyang?
Instead of spending money on setting up defenses everywhere, it would be more practical to concentrate resources on building a few key strongholds.

Next up is Qi Jin's secret memorial.

In a compromise, he frankly reported the painful lessons of the previous battle: "In open battle against the Jurchen cavalry, our cavalry was powerless to fight back in a head-on confrontation. The three-barreled guns were too slow to reload, and often after firing one volley, they were caught in close combat, making long swords more effective; moreover, our warhorses were short and weak, and when charging, they could not withstand the enemy's heavily armored cavalry at all, and collapsed at the first contact."

His words were filled with shame, indignation and resentment. In the end, he pleaded, "Your Majesty, I implore you to dispatch skilled craftsmen to improve firearms, increase the supply of strong horses from the north, and allow me to reorganize the cavalry. If we can emulate the Jurchens' methods and combine them with the strengths of our firearms, we may be able to compete with them on the main battlefield."

Zhu Youxiao immediately wrote a reply: "The improvement of firearms is underway. As for warhorses, I have ordered people to secretly purchase them from the Mongol tribes. The first batch of 500 horses will arrive next month. You may draft the plan for the reorganization of the cavalry. After I have reviewed it, I will approve it if it is feasible."

After he finished writing, he closed the secret document tightly.

In the end, war is all about money.

In the Shenyang campaign, he had already invested two to three million taels of silver in Liaodong.

This was almost two years' worth of revenue for the Imperial Treasury, nearly emptying out the Ministry of Revenue as a result.

But this battle is clearly far from over, and the money to be spent in the future will likely only increase.

But no matter how difficult it is, the problems raised by the soldiers on the front lines must be solved.

Especially the modification of firearms.

The Ming army's advantage in firearms was not only not utilized, but was actually inferior to that of the Jurchens who used swords.

It's not that the tactics are bad, but that the firearms are not good enough.

Therefore.

Firearms reform is urgently needed!
Zhu Youxiao took a deep breath, looked up at Wei Chao who was standing in the corner of the warm pavilion, and said in a deep voice: "Go and convey the imperial decree that Sun Yuanhua, Zhang Tao, and Mao Yuanyi should come to the Qianqing Palace for an audience immediately."

"Yes, ma'am!" Wei Chao accepted the order and left.

The Ming Dynasty today is not without people who understand firearms.

Take Sun Yuanhua, for example. He was Xu Guangqi's prized student. He was deeply influenced by Western learning and was almost obsessed with the study of artillery.

Unlike ordinary civil officials who engage in empty talk about principles, this person firmly believed that "artillery is a practical skill for governing the world and the foundation for defending against enemies and strengthening the country."

Last year, after repeated efforts and persuasion from Xu Guangqi and Sun Yuanhua, Li Zhizao, then Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud in Nanjing, and Yang Tingyun, Vice Commissioner of the Jiangxi Provincial Surveillance Commission, generously contributed funds to purchase firearms from the West.

This matter was entrusted to Zhang Tao for specific handling.

Zhang Tao, being both a student of Xu Guangqi and well-versed in Western affairs, was ordered to travel to Macau and purchase four Western bronze cannons in one go.

To ensure that the cannons were usable and that the people knew how to use them, ten Portuguese technicians and translators were specially hired to escort the cannons northward. These blue-eyed, high-nosed foreigners are now temporarily residing in the artillery camp in the capital, becoming a rare sight in the Ming army.

Because of this connection, Sun Yuanhua and Zhang Tao actually held the most scarce Western firearms technology resources in the Ming Dynasty at that time.

The barrels of those four bronze cannons were engraved with intricate Western patterns, and their range and power far surpassed those of the local cannons. Zhu Youxiao had long regarded them as a powerful tool to break the deadlock in Liaodong.

As for Mao Yuanyi, he was by no means an ordinary person.

He comes from a military family; his grandfather was Mao Kun, a famous general who fought against Japanese pirates during the Jiajing era. His family's scholarly tradition goes without saying.

Unlike ordinary scions of noble families who indulge in poetry and wine, this person loved to stay in military camps from a young age, watching soldiers drill and touching the shapes of weapons. By his teens, he could make eloquent comments on the merits and demerits of various military weapons.

What is even more remarkable is that his "Treatise on Military Preparedness," compiled in the 47th year of the Wanli reign, is a magnificent work of 240 volumes. It covers everything from bows and arrows and armor to firearms, vehicles, and ships, from battle formations of past dynasties to border defense maps. It can be called an "encyclopedia" of military affairs in the Ming Dynasty.

Such profound knowledge of the past and present was extremely rare in the Ming Dynasty, a time of complacency and decadence.

Today, both Sun Yuanhua and Zhang Tao are working in the Ministry of Works' Construction and Maintenance Department, one in charge of firearms research and development, and the other in charge of introducing Western technology.

Mao Yuanyi worked in the Department of Military Affairs of the Ministry of War, where he was responsible for collating military books from various dynasties and considering military system reforms.

Although the three belonged to two different departments, they often interacted due to their shared understanding of military reform, and thus became the core force in the court to promote the use of firearms in the military.

Half an hour later, footsteps were heard outside the East Warm Pavilion.

Sun Yuanhua, Zhang Tao, and Mao Yuanyi have arrived.

"Your Majesty, I, Sun Yuanhua (Zhang Tao, Mao Yuanyi), respectfully wish Your Majesty good health!"

The three of them knelt down in unison.

Zhu Youxiao sat on the throne, his gaze sweeping over the three men. Seeing their earnest expressions, he raised his hand and said, "Get up, all of you."

After the three men bowed and stood still, he didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I summoned you here today to ask you about some matters concerning firearms."

The moment the word "firearms" was uttered, the eyes of Sun Yuanhua and the other two lit up instantly.

They have studied this subject for many years, hoping to gain His Majesty's favor and put their ambition of strengthening the army with firearms into practice.

Now, the opportunity has arrived!
"If we have any knowledge or information, we will tell you everything we know without reservation!" the three said in unison, their voices full of sincerity.

Seeing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded in satisfaction.

"Gentlemen, whether you are in charge of research and development in the Ministry of Works or serving in the military system in the Ministry of War, tell me, what is the state of firearms in our Great Ming Dynasty? Compared with the West, where do they fall short?"

After the three men pondered for a moment, Sun Yuanhua stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, although the number of firearms in our dynasty is large, their quality is uneven. The main force in the army is still the three-barreled gun and the general’s cannon. The three-barreled gun can fire three shots in succession, and its power in close combat is acceptable, but its accuracy is too poor. It is difficult to hit the target beyond a hundred meters. The general’s cannon is incredibly powerful, but it is extremely cumbersome and requires dozens of people to push and pull it. It is difficult to move even on muddy roads.”

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly solemn: "As for muskets and rifles, although they are slightly better than bows and crossbows, they still have many drawbacks. For example, muskets are prone to malfunctioning due to moisture in rainy weather; rifles have a range of less than a hundred paces, far inferior to the firearms of the Western barbarians."

Zhang Tao added from the side: "What Assistant Minister Sun said is absolutely right. When I went to Macau last year to purchase cannons, I saw Western technicians test-firing matchlock guns. They could penetrate three layers of iron armor at fifty paces away, and their loading speed was far superior to our army's three-barreled guns. The three-barreled guns could only fire a maximum of sixty rounds in half an hour, while their matchlock guns could fire one hundred and twenty to one hundred and eighty rounds. If it were a flintlock gun, the rate of fire could be doubled. It could also be used in the rain. It was truly amazing."

"Oh?"

Zhu Youxiao raised an eyebrow, recalling Qi Jin's mention in his secret memorial that the three-barreled guns would malfunction in the rain. A thought struck him: on that day, when it rained heavily outside Shenyang, the Ming cavalry was routed by the Jurchen cavalry precisely because their firearms failed.

Sun Yuanhua picked up the conversation and continued, "Even more impressive are the Western cannons. Although Your Majesty is already using the breech-loading cannon, their newly made 'Thunderclap Cannon' has a longer barrel, a much greater range than the breech-loading cannon, and is equipped with a sight, making it extremely accurate. I have calculated that at the same distance, the breech-loading cannon can hit three out of ten shots, while the Thunderclap Cannon can hit seven out of ten shots."

Zhu Youxiao listened quietly, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

He hates being like a headless fly, but now that he has a direction, he can work towards it.

The emperor slowly asked, "According to you, Western firearms are far superior to those of our Great Ming?"

Mao Yuanyi stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, it is not that they are far superior, but rather that each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Our Tiger Crouching Cannon is light and flexible, making it suitable for mountain warfare; the Hundred-Shot Cannon can fire dozens of rounds at a time, providing strong close-range suppression. However, in terms of range, accuracy, and rate of fire, it is indeed inferior to Western firearms.”

"Can this gap be bridged?"

Zhu Youxiao's voice suddenly deepened, and he stared intently at the three of them.

"Can our Great Ming Dynasty manufacture Western matchlock guns and flintlock guns?"

(End of this chapter)