Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Although the naval proposal was finalized, Zhu Cilang did not feel any relief. Worry about the long-standing problems of the Beijing garrison had quietly taken hold of his mind.

His gaze swept over the huge map on one side, and his voice rang out again:

"Once the navy is formed, it should advance by land and sea in conjunction with the Beijing garrison, and strike directly at the heart of the enemy."

The enormous investment required for this grand plan instantly materialized in his mind as specific amounts of money, supplies, ships, and personnel.

But the suffocating reality—

What has become of the Beijing Garrison, which was supposed to protect the capital region and recover lost territory?

He paced slowly, then posed a puzzling question:

"Since the Battle of Sarhu, the nation's fortunes have declined like the sun rising over the past twenty-five years."

"Thinking back to Emperor Taizu's northward expulsion of the Mongols at Buyur Lake, and Emperor Chengzu's five campaigns against the northern deserts, inscribing their achievements on Yanran Mountain—how magnificent and awe-inspiring!"

"And now, the Jurchen barbarians have breached the Great Wall, and bandits have invaded the capital!"

He turned around abruptly.

"Gentlemen, you are all well-versed in military strategy and history. Do you know the crux of the problem: 'raising a million soldiers but having no strength to fight a single battle'?"

Shi Kefa took a half step forward, his voice heavy with sorrow:

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 202ᴋᴋs.ᴄᴏᴍ]

"Your Majesty! The decline of military affairs did not happen overnight—"

"Firearms soldiers abandoned their guns and fled in the face of battle, leaving their names blank on the garrison registers."

"Last month, during an inspection of the river defenses, it was discovered that some naval forces were using pleasure boats from the Qinhuai River as warships. What's even more reprehensible is..."

He coughed suddenly.

"The man sitting in the Five Military Commands Office is Xun Gui, whose beard and hair are all white, yet he holds the position of Director of Longjiang Pass."

Shi Kefa became more and more excited as he spoke.

Cheng Zhu stepped forward with a solemn expression:

"Your Majesty is wise!"

He described in detail what he saw.

"The warhorses of the Jurchens were all taken from the Khorchin grasslands. I once saw captured enemy horses in Dengzhou. Their horseshoes were inlaid with reverse nails so they could break through ice. When they charged while wearing armor, they were like an iron wall pushing forward."

"In contrast, the horses procured by the Imperial Household Department for our cavalry in the capital have some with missing teeth and blindness. Last month, during the cavalry's military exercises, more than half of the riders needed servants to help them mount the saddle."

As Cheng Zhu spoke, his face was full of worry and indignation.

Ma Shiying stroked his beard lightly, pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty, ever since the Jurchens usurped the title, there has been a saying in the army: 'If the Jurchens number less than ten thousand, they are invincible if they number ten thousand.'"

"Although these words are unfounded, they reveal the ferocity of the Jurchen cavalry and further demonstrate the fear in our army's hearts..."

"What you have said is all true."

Zhu Cilang interrupted Ma Shiying, strode into the hall, pointed to the hanging map, and glanced over the old Liaodong territory.

"Since the fall of Guangning, the Jurchen cavalry has broken through our lines like a flood breaching a dam, all because our army has stubbornly adhered to the old formations."

"The Jurchen cavalry had three key moves to break through enemy lines—"

"Light cavalry raided and disrupted our morale, heavy armored soldiers overwhelmed the wagon camp, and finally the standard-bearer infantry finished off the remaining enemy forces."

He glanced around at his ministers. Shi Kefa frowned, Cheng Zhu's eyes suddenly darkened, and Ma Shiying's fingers twitched slightly in his sleeve.

In the silence, Zhu Cilang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile:

"I have devised a plan, a new formation, that will make it difficult for their iron cavalry to unleash their armored charge."

He thrust his weapon heavily into the wolf-head emblem, a symbol of the Jianzhou cavalry:

"Do you all think that the Jurchen cavalry advances like a wall, invincible and unstoppable?"

He turned around abruptly, his robe sleeves billowing in the wind:

"My new formation does not avoid their sharpness, but focuses on exhausting their strength; it does not break their armor, but focuses on breaking their momentum."

"Let their iron cavalry crumble like mountains, they shall enter this formation—"

Zhu Cilang slowly closed his five fingers, as if crushing a walnut.

"He was also smashed on his head and bled profusely, becoming a trapped beast in a quagmire."

"What do you mean by 'invincible with ten thousand'? They're just a bunch of Tartars with broken necks."

His words carried a hint of contempt, a kind of strategic confidence that showed disdain for the enemy.

Following that, Zhu Cilang explained his new battle formation in detail, which made the cabinet ministers present nod in approval and their eyes gradually show excitement.

Gao Hongtu also looked excited, but then said with concern:

"Your Majesty's wisdom and foresight are truly admirable!"

"However... the Beijing Garrison is riddled with problems, and is full of nobles and redundant officials. The other day, I saw at Xiaoling Guard that a captain ordered his soldiers to carry his sedan chair to escape the summer heat."

"Such unruly individuals are unlikely to grasp the essence of His Majesty's divine formation, and may even hinder important matters."

The atmosphere inside the hall was somewhat somber.

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over Gao Hongtu, finally settling on Shi Kefa:

"Emperor Taizu maintained an army of a million men without costing the people a single grain of rice. Now, the capital garrison is so corrupt. If these parasites are not removed, how can we talk about a new formation?"

"Minister Shi!"

"Your subject is here."

Shi Kefa hurriedly stepped forward.

"Draft an imperial edict."

Zhu Cilang's tone turned serious:

"The 'Eliminate Redundancy Order' was promulgated. All hereditary military officers of the Five Military Commands and the Beijing Garrison were required to go to the Xiyuan Grand Parade Ground for examination within three days."

"Whoever can draw a bow with a draw weight of three stones and travel eighty li in a day will be retained!"

He paused briefly.

"Those who fail the examination—those empty shells from the Five Military Commands—are all to go and guard the ancestral tombs."

"What I need are generals who can lead new formations, not Xun Gui who rides a skinny horse and carries an embroidered spring knife."

The moment this order was issued, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

Though there was no sound, an invisible pressure permeated the air.

Ma Shiying took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed deeply:

"His Majesty!"

He first praised,

"Eliminating redundancies and eliminating abuses is indeed a good policy, and I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's wisdom."

His tone then turned serious:

"However, the new formation is profound and complex. The Beijing garrison has long been unfamiliar with battle formations. Hasty training may lead to chaos and a loss of morale."

"Moreover, hereditary titles have far-reaching implications, and their sudden elimination may cause public outcry and unrest in the court."

"In this perilous situation, if internal strife arises and the enemy seizes the opportunity to invade, the nation will be in grave danger! I humbly beg Your Majesty to reconsider and plan carefully."

Shi Kefa stepped forward hastily, his voice filled with worry:

"Your Majesty! Grand Secretary Ma's words are prudent; I second that!"

He looked at Zhu Cilang with earnest eyes.

"However, such drastic measures are like scraping bone! A swift and decisive approach risks causing unrest and jeopardizing the grand plan to reorganize the army and recover Liaodong. I humbly beg Your Majesty to consider this carefully!"

The hall was completely silent.

Zhu Cilang was well aware of the difficulty of this purge, but the reality was that it was urgent:

"What you gentlemen have mentioned—the risks, public opinion, and entanglements with old systems…"

"However!"

This sudden turn of events was earth-shattering!

"Will the Jurchen's iron hooves halt their advance because of the uproar I've caused?"

He turned around abruptly.

"The Ming Dynasty of today is no longer in a time of peace and prosperity. It is terminally ill and can only be cured with drastic measures."

"To reorganize the Beijing Garrison and rebuild the backbone of the three armies! For the fallen Liaodong and the people of China suffering terribly! This will never waver!"

"Minister Shi!"

"Your subject is here!"

Shi Kefa bowed respectfully.

"The examination will be held as scheduled in three days at the West Garden training ground!"

Zhu Cilang spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Those who are absent without cause will be considered to have neglected their duties! Those who fail the assessment will be dealt with according to the law!"

He was chilled to the bone:

"Anyone who dares to collude to obstruct, incite, outwardly comply but inwardly defy, or sabotage the new policies..."

Zhu Cilang placed his hand on the imperial desk.

"I will order the three judicial departments to investigate and punish this matter strictly in accordance with the Great Ming Code, without any leniency."

A gust of wind quietly swept into the hall, causing the map to sway slightly.

Zhu Cilang's gaze fell once again on that expanse of white mountains and black waters:

"Reorganize the capital garrison, forge blood-stained blades; unite the navy, and be ready for battle at any moment."

He pointed to the area on the map that had been occupied by the Jurchens.

"Once the foundation is solid, the new formation is initially complete, and the campaign will proceed by both land and water—"

"That will be the day when I and my ministers lead the royal army to recover our lost territories, sweep away the enemy's graves, and wipe away the national shame."

Images of a combined land and sea assault to strike at the heart of the enemy's territory flashed through his mind.

It was as if one could already see the iron-blooded elite troops, their banners fluttering around the new military formation, crushing the Manchu Eight Banners cavalry in the blood-red sunset.