Huangming

Chapter 74 The Liaodong Discussion, Recruiting Soldiers to Enter the Capital

A day in the life of a Ming Dynasty emperor was simple, monotonous, and boring.

Aside from attending court, participating in political discussions, and studying, it seems there's nothing else to do.

No wonder the Ming Dynasty emperors had all sorts of hobbies, such as carpentry, alchemy, and debauchery in the harem.

Purely boring.

Especially now, Zhu Youxiao has no nightlife, and he can't even experience choosing a person by flipping through "green head cards". He just sleeps after the lights are turned off at night.

From this perspective, everyone in later generations was happier than this emperor:

While scrolling through short videos on my phone, I play games in the air conditioning. I can see all kinds of beautiful women, and when I feel like it, I can open a sexy online dealer dealing cards and start my "artistic work."

They were truly living a life of debauchery and decadence.

Of course, this doesn't mean there weren't places for the emperor to entertain himself in the palace.

For example, Zhu Youxiao could go boating in Xiyuan Garden, and Beihai and Zhonghai were places for the royal family to enjoy pleasure boats and fish. Emperor Zhengde once held "ice games" on the ice.

However, considering his own water-soluble properties and his recent violent attacks on foreign officials, Zhu Youxiao decided to let the matter drop.

Now that he has more free time, he either practices the Five Animal Frolics and learns the Eight Pieces of Brocade, or he studies medical books such as the Inner Canon of Medicine, the Classic of Difficult Issues, the Treatise on Febrile Diseases, the Materia Medica, the Essentials of the Golden Chamber, the Pulse Classic, and the Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces.

Try to treat minor illnesses yourself.

As for serious illnesses?

He has a regular schedule, practices moderation in health, and is young; he shouldn't have any serious illnesses.

In addition to that, he reviewed memorials, summoned his ministers for questioning, and diligently governed the country.

In recent days, Zhu Youxiao has become increasingly knowledgeable about the situation in the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, the more you understand, the more of a headache it becomes.

Previously, he controlled the Imperial Horse Stables, so he could be said to have no worries in the Forbidden City.

However, if one wants to spread one's influence to both Northern Zhili and Southern Zhili...

It is imperative to completely control the Beijing Garrison.

Regarding the issue of the Beijing garrison, Zhu Youxiao summoned Sun Chengzong, who was about to go to Liaodong, and Yuan Keli, whom he had promoted exceptionally, for a dialogue.

After Sun Chengzong opened his heart to the emperor, he was already seen as an isolated official.

Upon entering the East Warm Pavilion, he immediately knelt down and paid his respects to the Emperor.

Not long after Yuan Keli was reinstated, he was promoted again by the new emperor, and he felt only gratitude.

At this moment, we also solemnly bow.

"Your Majesty, I, Yuan Keli, the Minister of the Imperial Treasury, respectfully wish Your Majesty good health!"

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "Both of you are my right-hand men, please rise."

Wei Chao was very astute and knew who the emperor's trusted ministers were. He brought over a round-backed chair and said to the two men, "His Majesty has been thinking of you two. Please have a seat."

The two sat upright in their armchairs, their backs ramrod straight, looking like students waiting for the principal to reprimand them.

"Minister Sun, I know you have practical talents, so I have appointed you to inspect Liaodong. Once you arrive in Liaodong, you and Xiong Tingbi, the Liaodong Military Commissioner, must work together to resolve the Liaodong issue. If you discover any problems, report them to the emperor immediately."

Sun Chengzong nodded immediately.

"Liaodong is in grave danger, and I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust."

Send Sun Chengzong to Liaodong to investigate, not to make any progress, but only to ensure that the situation in Liaodong does not deteriorate as completely as it has in the past.

"Taicang is empty, and Liaodong is extremely wasteful. When you make a decision, you must also consider the country's capabilities. We must not resist the Jurchens, only to have the people exploited to the point of rebellion everywhere."

Sun Chengzong's expression changed after being pointed out by the emperor. He did indeed intend to overhaul the defenses, but he hadn't yet written a memorial on it. He never expected His Majesty to be able to foresee the future.

After pondering for a moment, Sun Chengzong simply presented his strategy for defending against the enemy to the emperor.

He bowed and reported, “Your Majesty, I do have a plan to repair the city and strengthen the border. Repairing the city and building forts will certainly cost money, but if we consider it over several years, it will be of great benefit. In the past, Emperor Wu of Han built Shuofang City, which, although it required a lot of troops, ultimately eliminated the threat of the Xiongnu; Emperor Taizong of Tang established Shoujiang City, which, although it cost millions, ultimately saved the border troops from being stationed.”

Today, the fortresses in Liaodong are dilapidated and in ruins. Enemy cavalry can arrive in the morning and evening. Every year, the cost of conscripting soldiers and supplies exceeds one million. If we could repair the battlements, dredge the moats, and connect the beacon towers so that they are visible from a distance of one hundred miles, we could fortify the walls and clear the fields when the enemy arrives, and launch a surprise attack when they retreat. In three years, we could establish a permanent fortification.

This is what is meant by "though the cost of labor is enormous, the savings in military expenses are substantial; fewer soldiers are lost, and the foundation of the nation is strengthened." We humbly submit this to Your Majesty's judgment!

Zhu Youxiao slowly said, "There is no city in the world that cannot be breached. Even the strongest fortress can be breached from within. It is extremely costly and the logistics cannot be guaranteed. If it is breached, wouldn't the cost of construction be enormous, the amount of money spent be huge, the number of soldiers be lost, and the foundation of the country be weakened?" Historically, Sun Chengzong used Shanhaiguan as the rear and Ningyuan and Jinzhou as the front line to build a deep defense system.

Dozens of fortresses of varying sizes were built along the route (such as Dalinghe Fortress and Songshan Fortress), and troops were stationed there to cultivate land, forming a strategic posture of "defense as offense".

In the short term, there were indeed considerable results. The battles of Ningyuan and Ningjin both ended with the Jurchens being defeated and the Ming army victorious.

However, the defensive line consumed a great deal of silver, yet it could not inflict significant damage on the Jurchens; it could only defeat them, not annihilate them.

In addition, corruption among officials and military families, serious land annexation, failure of military farming, and desertion of garrison troops meant that the Ming Dynasty's version of the 'Maginot Line' was only impressive on the outside.

Later, the Jurchens adjusted their strategy.

Huang Taiji repeatedly bypassed Shanhaiguan, broke through Xifengkou and Qiangziling, and advanced directly towards Beijing, besieging Jinzhou and Songshan, cutting off supply lines, and forcing the Ming army to fight in the field.

What is called permanent stability only lasts for a few years.

“Building fortified villages is a stalemate. Minister Sun, you need not worry about defeat when you go to Liaodong. With me behind you, no one can impeach you.”

In fact, Sun Chengzong adopted a defensive stance because he was afraid of making mistakes.

It wasn't just Sun Chengzong; all the generals of the Ming Dynasty were like this: they sought to avoid mistakes rather than achieve merit.

Because if you make a mistake and lose the battle, you will be stripped of your title and demoted to the lowest rank. Even worse, your head will be sent to the nine border regions, and your family and clan will be exterminated.

Who can stand this?
Sun Chengzong nodded.

"Your subject will heed Your Majesty's instructions."

After discussing the Liaodong issue, Zhu Youxiao immediately moved on to the main topic of the meeting.

"The Beijing Garrison was originally a powerful army that guarded the capital, drove out the Tartars, and protected the people and the borders. However, in recent years, its combat effectiveness has been inferior to that of the border troops. What is the reason for this?"

During the Yongle era, the Beijing Garrison was extremely powerful. When Zhu Di led five expeditions against the Mongols, he intimidated the various tribes of the grasslands, and it was the Beijing Garrison that he led.

Now, let alone conquering the Mongols, we'd be grateful if we could just hold onto Beijing.

By the time of Emperor Chongzhen, the Beijing garrison collapsed as soon as they encountered the enemy, and the city of Beijing could not be defended for even a single day.

The Beijing garrison was as flimsy as paper.

Without hesitation, Sun Chengzong replied, "Your Majesty, the problem stems from the false reporting of troop numbers, desertion of military households, neglect of training, and outdated equipment."

He pointed out the pros and cons: "Ordinary reforms may be difficult to implement, but there is only one way to solve this stubborn problem."

Zhu Youxiao's eyes lit up, and he asked, "What method is it?"

Sun Chengzong sat upright and replied, "Deploy border troops!"

After saying that, Sun Chengzong immediately began to explain.

"I observe that the ills of the capital garrison are not a recent phenomenon. The military register is ineffective, with the old and weak filling the ranks; armor and weapons are rotten and decaying, and the drill grounds are overgrown with weeds. If ordinary selection methods are used, corrupt officials will likely manipulate the system, and treacherous individuals will secretly collude, ultimately proving to be a futile attempt to stop the fire."

Zhu Youxiao frowned and asked, "Then can the border troops be relieved?"

"Your Majesty is wise."

Sun Chengzong bowed and continued, “The soldiers of the nine border regions have long been exposed to the elements, like blades tempered by the north wind, their sharpness naturally enhanced. In the past, the Tang dynasty relied on the Shence Army to quell the imperial guards, and Emperor Taizu of Song sent elite troops from the palace guards to train the local troops. Now, if we select the valiant soldiers from Xuanfu, Datong, Jizhou, and Liaodong to guard the capital, we can firstly weed out the weak and retain the strong, and secondly, deter traitors. Furthermore, if the capital garrison observes the border troops' drills, it will be like a sick and weak man seeing a tiger or rhinoceros; how could they dare to remain idle and complacent?”

Yuan Keli clapped his hands and replied, "What Lord Sun said is excellent! In the past, when Qi Nantang trained the Zhejiang troops, he always first executed the lazy soldiers to establish his authority. Now, using a battle-hardened army as a whetstone to remove the rust from the Beijing garrison is truly like a butcher carving up an ox, penetrating the spaces between the bones with no thickness."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao had already made up his mind.

"Your words of advice on governing the country are deeply appreciated by me. The entry of foreign troops into the capital is not only a means of strengthening military preparedness, but also a way to break the shackles of national defense. I hereby order the Ministry of War to immediately propose the deployment of 3,000 southern troops (Zhejiang troops) and 500 former troops of the Qi family to the drill ground. I will personally oversee their deployment!"

PS:

Tomorrow at 4 PM, I'll write 10,000 words—plenty to keep you entertained!
The follow-up reading concerns the competition between the three rivers.

Please be sure to read the latest chapter tomorrow!
In addition, some readers have said that the emperor acted too hastily. Actually, it's not too bad. Right now, he's only targeting the inner court. The operation against the Beijing garrison is still in the preparation stage and hasn't been carried out simultaneously. There are still follow-up moves to come.

As for why the pressure was so intense, that's foreshadowing.

Please be patient and wait and see; the truth will come out in due time.

(Actually, it's because there are too few updates.)

(End of this chapter)