Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

"Court adjourned!"

It was already noon when I walked out of Fengtian Hall.

Standing atop the high steps, Zhu Qiyu looked down upon the many palaces of the Forbidden City, a complex mix of emotions welling up within him.

On his first day on the throne, he faced the problem of an empty treasury.

Fortunately, the internal treasury is well-stocked, which can solve the immediate crisis.

But he knew this was just the beginning.

The real challenges are yet to come.

How to reform the deeply entrenched fiscal system.

How to increase income without increasing the burden on ordinary people.

How to balance the interests of the royal family, officials, the military, and the people...

Xing'an asked softly, "Your Majesty, shall we return to the Qianqing Palace for dinner?"

Zhu Qiyu shook his head: "Let's go to the Wenhua Hall first. I want to check on the progress of Yu Qian's reorganization of the Beijing garrison. Have the imperial kitchen send lunch to the Wenhua Hall; keep it simple."

"As you command."

Walking along the palace path, Zhu Qiyu pondered his next plan.

With the financial problems temporarily alleviated, the next priority is to ensure that the Beijing Garrison quickly achieves combat readiness.

Although Shi Heng, Sun Tang, and Fan Guang have been appointed as camp commanders, it remains to be seen whether they can fulfill their duties.

In particular, Shi Heng is brave but not loyal, so we need to find a way to win him over and keep him in check.

The establishment of training officers was a strategic move he made within the military.

Although Yu Qian suggested trying it out first, Zhu Qiyu already had a complete plan in mind.

What he wanted to build was an army that was truly loyal to the country and the emperor, not a private army of some general.

Cheng Jing quickly caught up from behind and whispered, "Your Majesty, Lu Zhong is requesting an audience outside the palace, saying he has important matters to report."

Zhu Qiyu paused: "Summon him to the Wenhua Hall to see me."

"Yes."

Inside the Wenhua Hall, Zhu Qiyu had a simple lunch, and Lu Zhong arrived just as he put down his chopsticks.

"Your subject, Lu Zhong, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, pays his respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."

"I am well, please rise. What urgent matter is it?"

Lu Zhong glanced at the eunuchs attending him but remained silent.

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand: "You may all leave."

"This servant takes her leave."

After all the eunuchs had left, Lu Zhongcai said, "Your Majesty, when I was investigating Wang Zhen's associates, I discovered some account books that involved the financial transactions between many ministers in the court and generals in border towns."

Among them were Wu Ning, the Right Vice Minister of War, and Fang Ying, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Datong.

Zhu Qiyu's eyes narrowed: "Where are the account books?"

Lu Zhong took out a thin book from his bosom and handed it to Zhu Qiyu.

Zhu Qiyu took the booklet and quickly flipped through it, his brows furrowing more and more as he read.

The ledgers detailed how Wang Zhen and his faction used border garrison commanders to falsely report troop numbers and resell military equipment.

How were the ill-gotten gains distributed among officials in the imperial court?

The sheer amount of money involved and the wide range of people affected are shocking.

"Wu Ning..." Zhu Qiyu remembered this person; he had reported military intelligence at the court meeting today.

Zhu Qiyu closed the booklet, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Lu Zhong, do not make this public for now."

Continue the covert investigation and verify the personnel, amounts, and times involved one by one.

Remember, it must be done in secrecy; do not alert the enemy.

Lu Zhong hesitated for a moment: "Your Majesty, these people are embezzling military funds, leaving the border defenses weak. Should we...?"

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand: "I know they deserve to be killed, but now is not the time."

With the Oirat army pressing in, the capital needed to be stabilized.

Once the Oirat are defeated, I will settle accounts with them myself.

You did a great job.

Remember, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is the emperor's eyes and ears, but these eyes and ears must be both sharp and cautious.

What I need are capable people, not cruel officials who only fabricate charges and create wrongful convictions.

Lu Zhong was startled and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered!"

"Go."

After Lu Zhong withdrew, Zhu Qiyu sat alone in the Wenhua Hall.

The account book in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. It contained not only records of corruption, but also the root cause of the decline of the Ming army.

He thought of Yu Qian and his own military reforms.

All reform proposals must be based on purging corruption within the military.

Otherwise, even the best system will be devoured by parasites.

Xing'an's voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, Minister Yu has arrived."

Zhu Qiyu collected his thoughts and said, "Summon them."

Yu Qian strode into the hall, and just as he was about to bow, Zhu Qiyu spoke up: "No need for formalities. How are the three major camps doing?"

Yu Qian continued to perform the rites before reporting: "Your Majesty, the initial reorganization of the three major camps has been completed."

From 200,000 people, nearly 70,000 were selected who were young, strong, and had combat experience.

Currently, each battalion has an actual strength of 21,000 men, with the excess being used as auxiliary soldiers and miscellaneous laborers.

The Third Battalion has now begun training according to the new drill manual and will hold a swearing-in ceremony and parade in five days.

Zhu Qiyu perked up: "Great! How's the selection of the training officers going?"

Yu Qian: "The Hanlin Academy has recommended twelve people, from whom I have selected six. Two will be temporarily assigned to each camp, and they have already entered each camp yesterday to begin their lectures."

However, Shi Heng had some complaints about the instructors, saying they interfered with training.

"Tell him that the instructor is personally appointed by me, and it is his duty to preach loyalty and righteousness and boost morale. He must not obstruct him. If he still has any complaints, let him come see me."

"I obey your decree."

Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian: "Minister Yu, what do you think of my decision to refuse to expedite the collection of annual taxes?"

Yu Qian said solemnly, "Your Majesty is wise. The people are the water, and the ruler is the boat. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it."

"Your Majesty, upon first ascending the throne, places great importance on establishing trust with the people; this is the foundation of governing the country."

Zhu Qiyu nodded, then walked to the huge map of the Ming Dynasty's territory hanging in the hall: "Minister Yu, how long do you think the Inner Three Passes can hold out?"

In addition to the outer Great Wall, which consisted of nine garrison defense lines, the Ming Dynasty also had the inner Great Wall, which consisted of Juyong Pass, Zijing Pass, and Daoma Pass.

The so-called Inner Three Passes are Juyong Pass, Zijing Pass, and Daoma Pass.

Historically, Esen failed to gain any advantage in Datong and Xuanfu, and eventually attacked Beijing from Zijing Pass.

Yu Qian also walked to the front of the map and pointed in the direction of the three inner passes: "If Esen wants to break in through the main gate of the three passes, I estimate that I can intercept him for at least ten days."

If Beijing could send troops there, it wouldn't be impossible to keep Esen out of the pass.

However, the Inner Three Passes have fallen into disrepair over the years, and many places have developed gaps.

I have already ordered Sun Xiang and others to expedite the repair of the Great Wall.

However, the battlefront was too long and time was too tight.

The troops at each pass are currently insufficient to defend the entire front.

If Esen fails to capture the main pass after a prolonged siege, he will surely enter through these damaged sections.

Therefore, my conclusion is that Esen will definitely attack the walls of Beijing.

The three passes could only hold out for a few days.

The reason Zhu Qiyu raised this question was because he had received another report from his ministers that day.

He proposed strengthening the defense of the three inner passes and forcing Esen to occupy the area outside the passes.

We must prevent war from taking place outside Beijing.

Zhu Qiyu could only sigh at this, saying that she was very naive and simple-minded.

However, Yu Qian's military talent caught Zhu Qiyu's eye.

He had already anticipated Esen's attack route, and even the outcome.

In fact, Esen entered the pass through Zijing Pass.

He launched a two-day assault on Zijing Pass.

Zijing Pass held off Esen's army thanks to the staunch defense of Han Qing and Sun Xiang.

Finally, Esen learned from the prisoners about several points of damage.

They sent a small team into the Great Wall through these damaged points, launching a pincer attack on Zijing Pass.

Even so, Han Qing and Sun Xiang led a group of loyal soldiers to hold out for two more days before finally sacrificing their lives for their country.