Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

On the 20th day of the third month of the first year of the Jingtai reign, in Ganzhou City, Gansu Province.

Fan Guang stood on the city tower, gazing at the vast northern landscape with a furrowed brow.

He has been in Ganzhou for over a month.

He has barely had a good night's sleep in the past month.

It wasn't because of the war, but because of those deep-rooted and complex problems.

The emperor trusted him and promoted him to the position of General of Gansu Garrison, entrusting him with the task of reorganizing this important border town.

Also present were Deputy Commander-in-Chief Han Cheng, Garrison Eunuch Cheng Jing, Governor Shen Yi, and Governor-General Wu Ning.

At first, they thought that it would be very easy for the five of them to come together.

But when they actually started doing it, they realized how difficult it was.

On the 28th day of the first lunar month, Fan Guang and his party arrived outside Ganzhou City for the first time.

They waited outside the city for two hours before the city gates opened.

General Ren Li was not even seen.

The next day, Fan Guang took Han Cheng to the General's Mansion.

The guards at the General's Mansion did not dare to stop him when they saw him.

However, Ren Li did not conduct official business in the main hall, but in the back hall.

Fan Guang waited for half an hour before Ren Li slowly came out: "Oh dear, General Fan, you've kept me waiting."

I'm so sorry, I had some backlogged military affairs to deal with last night and went to bed late.

Suppressing his anger, Fan Guang cupped his hands and said, "General Ren, regarding the handover..."

Ren Li waved his hand: "General Fan, don't be in a hurry."

The affairs of the General's Office are numerous and complex; the account books, military registers, and grain registers all require time to organize.

General Fan, please rest for a few days. Once the town is properly settled, I will send someone to invite you."

Fan Guang frowned slightly: "How many days will it take?"

Ren Li thought for a moment: "Three to five days, ten days at most."

Fan Guang's eyes narrowed: "Alright, then I'll wait for General Ren's news."

Three days later, Fan Guang went to the General's Mansion again.

Ren Li did meet with him this time.

However, his attitude was even more perfunctory: "General Fan, I'm really sorry."

Those account books were old and in disrepair and needed to be rewritten.

"Wait a few more days, just a few more days."

Fan Guang looked at him with an unfriendly expression: "General Ren, I have been ordered to take office and cannot delay."

If General Ren is truly overwhelmed, this town can send people to assist in the organization.

Ren Li's expression changed slightly, then he smiled and said, "General Fan is overthinking it. This town will handle it properly."

General Fan, please wait patiently at the post station. I will personally deliver it to you once everything is ready.

Fan Guang knew that further discussion was pointless, so he got up and took his leave.

After leaving the General's Mansion, Han Cheng whispered, "General Fan, he's deliberately stalling."

Fan Guang nodded: "I know."

"So what do we do?"

After a moment of silence, Fan Guang said, "Let's go, let's go check out the military camp first."

The guards at the camp gate immediately saluted upon seeing the two of them: "Greetings, General Fan! Greetings, Deputy General Han!"

Fan Guang nodded: "This town needs to inspect the military camp. Lead the way."

The garrison commander looked troubled: "This... General Fan, General Ren has ordered that no outsider may enter the military camp without his permission."

Fan Guang retorted angrily, "Outsiders? Are we outsiders from this town?"

The garrison soldier quickly smiled apologetically: "That's not what I meant."

However... however, General Ren has given orders.

Anyone entering or leaving the military camp needs his handwritten order.

"If General Fan wishes to conduct an inspection, perhaps he should first obtain a warrant from the General's residence?"

Fan Guang snorted coldly: "Fine! I'll go get the warrant right away!"

Half an hour later, Fan Guang arrived at the military camp again with Ren Li's order.

This time, the garrison did not obstruct them again.

But what Fan Guang and Han Cheng saw upon entering the military camp infuriated them.

The barracks were dilapidated, and many didn't even have doors.

The playground was deserted, and the equipment was overturned and lying in disarray.

Several soldiers were squatting in the corner sunbathing, and they didn't get up to salute him when they saw him.

Han Cheng walked up to a soldier and asked, "Where are your centurions?"

The soldier glanced at him lazily: "The centurion has entered the city, saying he's on business."

Han Cheng suppressed his anger: "And what about your commanders?"

"Lord Qianhu has also entered the city."

Fan Guang angrily rebuked, "Why aren't we training today?"

The sergeant smiled and said, "General Fan, our battalion hasn't had any drills for three months."

General Ren said that since there was no trouble at the border, training was a waste of energy, and it would be better to let the brothers rest.

Fan Guang clenched his fist.

He turned and walked towards the barracks, looking at each room one by one.

Some of the barracks were completely empty.

In some of the barracks, several sickly soldiers lay in bed.

Some barracks were filled with miscellaneous items.

He pushed open the door to a larger barracks, where several horses were kept.

An old soldier followed behind him and whispered, "General Fan, this is Commander Wang's horse."

He said it was safer in the military camp than being raised outside.

Han Cheng finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Is the military camp a place for raising horses? Where do the soldiers live?"

The old sergeant smiled wryly: "Some soldiers are crammed into other barracks, while others rent houses outside. Anyway, nobody cares."

Fan Guang walked out of the barracks and looked at the dilapidated scene, feeling a sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart.

Are these the soldiers he will be leading from now on?

Cheng Jing's situation was more delicate than that of Fan Guang and Han Cheng.

The eunuchs stationed in the garrison were essentially the emperor's eyes and ears.

In this remote border town far from the capital, the words of the garrison eunuch could be interpreted to some extent as an imperial edict.

Moreover, he was the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs before he came here.

If placed more than a hundred years later, he would be the second-in-command of the Ming Dynasty.

But the eunuchs in charge of those imperial shops didn't take him seriously at all.

On his second day in the city, he entered a royal shop.

There were many employees coming and going from the shop, and it seemed to be doing exceptionally well.

As soon as Cheng Jing entered, a plump middle-aged eunuch came forward to greet him: "Oh dear, Eunuch Cheng, what an honor to have you here! Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly!"

Cheng Jing recognized this person; he had seen him when he first entered the city.

It was the head eunuch of this imperial shop, named Liu Yu.

Cheng Jing said calmly, "Eunuch Liu, you're too kind. I'm here on imperial orders to inspect the imperial store and would like to see the accounts."

Liu Yu's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "Of course, of course, please follow me, Eunuch Cheng."

He led Cheng Jing to the back room and ordered someone to serve tea.

Then he personally brought over a stack of account books: "Eunuch Cheng, these are the accounts for the entire year of last year. Please take a look."

Cheng Jing flipped through the account books, page by page.

On the surface, the accounts are clear.

On a certain day of a certain month, how many kilograms of tea were purchased, and how much silver was spent?

On a certain day of a certain month, how many kilograms of tea were sold and how much silver was earned?

Balanced income and expenditure, reasonable profit.

But Cheng Jing came prepared this time.

He closed the ledger and looked at Liu Yu: "Eunuch Liu, these accounts are quite well done."

Liu Yu smiled and said, "You flatter me, Eunuch Cheng. I just do business honestly and without any mistakes."

Cheng Jing nodded: "Then let me ask you, last September you bought three thousand catties of iron."

But the total weight of the iron pots and iron farm tools sold was only one thousand jin.

Where did the remaining two thousand catties of iron go?

Liu Yu's smile froze.

All imperial shops across the country were uniformly managed by the Imperial Horse Administration.

Before Cheng Jing came, he was the Grand Eunuch and concurrently the Director of the Imperial Horse Administration.

I had written down all the import and export records for Gansu Town for the past year before I even arrived.

Cheng Jing continued, "Last January you brought in 500 jin of gunpowder."

Only 100 jin of fireworks and firecrackers were sold.

Where did the remaining 400 jin of gunpowder go?