Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 283 Choice
Yang Weizhi and Zhang Huangyan were sitting in the lobby of the Yunnan Provincial Governor's Office.
Yang Weizhi looked at Zhang Huangyan opposite him and said

"After this, the Duke of Qian will not dare to hinder the military settlement. With the Duke of Qian here, we should be able to stabilize the chieftains."

Zhang Huangyan heard this, but his face was calm, and he said

"The Duke of Qian has great prestige among the chieftains, but in the end, they still have to rely on the imperial army to suppress them."

Most of the farmland seized by the army came from the Duke of Qian. The farmland seized from the chieftains was the land they had illegally occupied. The chieftains had legal land with title deeds, but the court did not touch it.
The lands seized from the chieftains were illegal in the first place. Now even the Duke of Qian, Mu Tianbo, had acknowledged the matter. The chieftains who had occupied the land privately dared not make trouble anymore.
The Ming court was at the height of its military might at this time. After seeing the Ming army slaughtering Sha Dingzhou's army under the city of Lin'an, who among the chieftains who followed the expedition dared to risk their lives for a little land?
Yang Weizhi saw Zhang Huangyan's calm expression, and after a moment of silence, he spoke again.

"Although the land required for the military settlements by the imperial court has been cleared, it is still not easy to implement the military settlement system."

"Governor Zhang wants to hold a special examination to select military garrison officials, but this has caused a lot of discussion in Yunnan Province."

"Many gentry have already written to the three ministries, saying that the imperial examination is a grand ceremony for selecting talents, and it is a solemn matter for the court, and we should not allow these villains to suddenly enter the court."

"All the gentry and scholars in Yunnan Province requested the three departments of Yunnan Province to submit a petition to stop the incident. The Yunnan scholars were also very dissatisfied with the matter."

Zhang Huangyan chuckled and said

"Why should they be dissatisfied? The imperial examination has no restrictions this time. If they think it will allow scoundrels to sneak into the court, they can just take the exam themselves."

"As long as they can fill up the military settlement quota, then those scoundrels they are talking about will naturally not be able to enter the court. I have never restricted their qualifications to take the exam."

The military garrison special examination opened by the Ming court in Yunnan Province this time has no restrictions. As long as you can read and speak Chinese and have a proper household registration certificate, even if you are a native of a native state, you can come to register and take the exam.

Whether you are a peddler, a local commoner, or a scholar, as long as you are under 40 years old, everyone can come to take the exam.
Although there were no restrictions on the Yunnan Province's special examination this time, after learning about the situation of the military officials, the serious scholars in Yunnan Province basically did not come to take the exam.

As long as they were a little younger and had a chance of passing the imperial examination, they would never participate in this special examination, because the military officials selected this time were actually under the command of the Yunnan Provincial Governor's Office.

They are the sons of sages, and they will be upright scholars who will assist the king and take care of the common people in the future. How can they serve as subordinates to a group of rough warriors at this time? If they really enter the officialdom as military officers, then all the fame they have earned after ten years of hard study will be ruined.
The Ming Dynasty has always respected civil officials. Even those who were born as Juren were regarded as extra-official and miscellaneous, and could not be on the stage. If they were demoted to a military position, they would never be able to hold their heads up in the court for the rest of their lives.

Although the students of Yunnan Province did not plan to participate in this special examination, they were still very dissatisfied with the special examination held by the court.
Gentry and common people must pass the imperial examination before they can enter the government. This is an ancestral system passed down since the establishment of the imperial court.
At this time, the imperial court allowed a group of people who were not even ordinary people to take the exam to become officials. How could this be feasible?
Yang Weizhi looked at Zhang Huangyan who looked casual, and knew that he didn't take the matter to heart.

In fact, Yang Weizhi also knew that no matter how many petitions the Yunnan gentry made, it would be useless. This matter was decided by His Royal Highness the Regent himself. Even if they were dissatisfied, what could they do? If they wanted to threaten His Royal Highness and the court, how many soldiers did they have?
After seeing the style of Ma Bao and others, Yang Weizhi and other officials from the three departments of Yunnan Province began to realize the difference between the court of Guangdong Province and the court of Guangdong Province.
All the officials in the three departments of Yunnan Province just let it go. Moreover, these gentry in the opposition, with the separation of civil and military affairs, will no longer be as timid as before when facing the civil officials and scholars after the military officials independently control the military power.

When Yang Weizhi thought of this, he no longer cared about those gentry who were willing to submit petitions. His face became serious and he mentioned another matter.
"After all, the imperial examination is the right way to get an official post. No matter how much the gentry make a fuss, it is not a big deal. However, the transformation of Lin'an Prefecture into a military prefecture has caused a huge shock in Yunnan Province. Governor Zhang must not take it lightly."

Yang Weizhi hesitated for a moment before speaking

"As far as I know, some scholars from Lin'an Prefecture have arrived in Kunming. The gentry of Lin'an Prefecture believe that the people of Lin'an Prefecture were coerced by Sha Dingzhou and forced to follow the bandits. It is extremely unreasonable for the court to label Lin'an Prefecture as a criminal state."

"They came to Kunming this time to plead for the people and ask the court to withdraw the order to restructure the military state. I heard that they have even prepared a blood letter from the people."

Zhang Huangyan's expression darkened when he heard this, and he said in a cold voice
"Pleading for the people? I think they are pleading for themselves."

Yang Weizhi heard this, but did not reply. He was silent for a moment and then continued
"Exempting the gentry from paying taxes is an ancestral system. After hearing about the new military settlement system, the gentry in Yunnan Province have been discussing it privately. This time, many gentry and former officials in Kunming City are quite sympathetic to Lin'an Prefecture. I'm afraid they will all support Lin'an when the time comes."

"This matter is of great importance. They have come to me before, but I have not yet expressed my opinion. If Governor Zhang wants to report to the court, he must do so as soon as possible. I can delay for him for a while."

Zhang Huangyan thought for a moment, then a stern look flashed across his face. He then said

"Thank you for telling me, Governor. There is no need to delay this matter."

"Ancestor's rules? How can a group of traitorous criminals have the nerve to mention the ancestral rules?"

"When the Sha bandits were rebelling, they sat back and protected themselves. Now that the court has driven the Sha bandits away, they are remembering their ancestral rules."

"These traitors are so bold. The Sha bandits are already in trouble, but these Lin'an bandits dared to collude with the Sha bandits to sneak into the city, intending to cause chaos in the city. These vicious bandits must not be allowed to stay."

Yang Weizhi's face froze when he heard this. He looked at the murderous young man opposite him but remained silent.

Zhang Huangyan's meaning is very clear. Those gentry in Lin'an, Kunming City, may not be able to wait until the day when they can take out the blood letter of the people.
Although Yang Weizhi disagreed with Zhang Huangyan's approach, he was unable to stop him at this time, so he simply kept silent.
Yang Weizhi was the governor of Yunnan Province, and was given the title of Right Vice-Chief Censor. Zhang Huangyan was the governor of Yunnan Province, and was also given the title of Right Vice-Chief Censor. The reason why the court arranged this was to prevent Yang Weizhi from interfering with Zhang Huangyan's actions.

At this time, the army of Yunnan Province was in Ma Bao's hands, and it was needless to say which side Ma Bao would lean towards. As a governor who only led three civil officials and had no military power, what could he do to stop Zhang Huangyan, the imperial commissioner who had the support of a large army?

Zhang Huangyan ignored the expression on Yang Weizhi's face, and continued to speak with a serious look on his face.

"The reform of Lin'an into a military prefecture is an imperial decree, and no one will be allowed to disrupt or interfere with it."

"Governor Yang, the fields needed for military settlements in various prefectures have been cleared. You are responsible for setting up military settlements in the remaining prefectures of Yunnan Province."

"After the Kunming Imperial Examination selects the military officials, I will go to Lin'an and personally be responsible for the transformation of Lin'an Prefecture into a military prefecture."

"I want to see which villain has the guts to disrupt the imperial court's plan."

The most troublesome thing about Yunnan Province's implementation of military settlements was the source of land for the military settlements. At this time, the fields had been confiscated, and the remaining thing was to recruit refugees to form military settlements and resume production. Although these things were cumbersome, they were not difficult.
The court set up military settlements this time, and all the land given to the people was free. Yunnan Province would also invest in the purchase of cattle and grain seeds, and lend them to the people to resume production first. With these conditions, there was no need to worry about not being able to recruit refugees.
Yang Weizhi looked at Zhang Huangyan, who had a determined look on his face, and suddenly said

"Governor Zhang, will the new system in Lin'an be extended to the entire province?"

As the governor of Yunnan Province, Yang Weizhi could not have been kept in the dark about the reform of Lin'an. Therefore, after Yang Weizhi took over as the governor, Zhang Huangyan informed him of the trial of the new system in Lin'an.

Yang Weizhi had been an official for many years, so he saw the core of the new system at a glance. After the three departments of Yunnan Province announced the military settlement system, the smart people in Yunnan Province also immediately discovered the inappropriateness of the new system.
It is for this reason that the gentry of Yunnan Province took the initiative to respond to the actions of the gentry of Lin'an Prefecture.

Today, the imperial court has turned Lin'an Prefecture into a military prefecture. Who knows if tomorrow the imperial court will turn the entire Yunnan Province into a military prefecture and implement the treasonous military settlement system?
"What the new system should be is up to the court to decide, and it is not my place to make any rash comments. I only know that Lin'an Prefecture must be transformed into a military prefecture, and no one can stop this."

Yang Weizhi looked at Zhang Huangyan, who had a determined look on his face, and spoke softly with a complicated expression.

"Governor Zhang, you know that once this system is implemented, you will be criticized by the gentry of the world and condemned by thousands of people."

Zhang Huangyan was silent for a moment, but suddenly said in a deep voice

"If it is beneficial to the people of the world and the Ming Dynasty, then it doesn't matter if I am criticized by thousands of people or even spit on by thousands of people."

“The merits and demerits of the past are in the hearts of people”

After Zhang Huangyan finished speaking, he did not stop and stood up and walked out of the hall.
Yang Weizhi sat on the chair, watching the young man walk away, his face was silent, and he remained silent for a long time.
Not long after Zhang Huangyan left, nine Lin'an gentry in Kunming were captured by Guijun soldiers in the city that night.
On the second day, these Lin'an gentry were verified to be from Lin'an, and were directly identified as Sha Dingzhou's rebels who had sneaked into Kunming and were trying to cause chaos in Yunnan Province again.

On the third day, the nine Lin'an gentry were taken directly to the execution ground and publicly executed.
Although these nine people have been crying out for justice, and the gentry in Kunming Prefecture have been trying to rescue them, it is of no use.
These Lin'an gentry were directly tried by the governor's office and personally guarded by the Gui army. The gentry in Kunming city could not even see them. At noon on the third day, these people were directly taken out of the government office and beheaded.
In Kunming City, the governor's office directly sentenced him to death, and the Tengxiang Army of Lin'an Prefecture was also taking action.
In Lin'an Prefecture, the three candidates and six students were directly raided by the Tengxiang Army, and later letters of secret communication with Sha Dingzhou were found in their homes.

The series of actions taken by the governor's office, such as stripping of official titles, confiscating property and beheading, completely frightened all the gentry in Kunming City. After Lin'an Prefecture sent the evidence of these people's secret communication with Sha Dingzhou, no one dared to speak up for these people in Lin'an Prefecture.
Lin'an Prefecture has been labeled a den of thieves and a criminal area by the imperial court because of Sha Dingzhou's rebellion.
At this time, Lin'an Prefecture was a bottomless pit. When the Shadingzhou Rebellion was about to be settled, as long as Zhang Huangyan and Ma Bao made up their minds, no matter how many people there were, they could be stuffed into the Lin'an pit and buried completely.

In the face of the crime of colluding with traitors, the status of a juren or jinshi is useless.

Who can decide whether they are really colluding with the rebels? It is naturally the Yunnan Provincial Governor's Office and the Admiral's Office who are suppressing the rebellion in Lin'an Prefecture.
If two government offices simultaneously identify a person as being in league with the rebels, then that person must be a rebel.

After the soldiers of Lin'an Prefecture brought the evidence of the crimes of these families, the gentry in Kunming finally stopped their protests and no one dared to say anything more about the reform of Lin'an.
After the Kunming gentry fell silent, the establishment of military settlements and the holding of the imperial examinations in Yunnan Province went smoothly without any obstacles.

Kunming City, Nanpingfang, Huafeng Tower

It was lunchtime, and the Huafeng Building was crowded with people. Two burly men in scarlet military uniforms walked into the building.

Liu Wang entered the lobby and immediately occupied a table by the window. He asked Zhang Rong to sit down and then pulled the servant next to him over.
Liu Wang sat at the table with a swagger, ignoring the fear on the boy's face, and said directly

"Bring up all your signature dishes and wine, but not the mushrooms. They have red umbrellas and white stems, and their colors are scary to look at."

The servant was furious when he saw that the big man dared to slander the mushrooms of Yunnan Province. However, when he saw that the big man's arms were thicker than his thighs, he finally suppressed his anger. However, his face was still full of indignation, staring at the ruffian who didn't know what was good.

Liu Wang was unaware of this and continued to speak loudly, "I want roast chicken, beef and mutton. If you have any fresh fish, you can bring them up too. Also, bring two jars of good wine. Hurry up, do you hear me?"

After Liu Wang finished speaking, he threw out a tael of silver ingots. The servant, who was originally a little indignant, saw the tael of silver ingots and immediately smiled. He bowed and nodded repeatedly, and then hurried down to serve the dishes.

After the Ming army captured Lin'an, the Shadingzhou rebels who were originally stationed at the Ge Ni Pass in Milezhou were instantly in chaos. Gao Wengui and Yang Wu took advantage of the chaos and attacked Ge Ni Pass at night, defeating the defenders in one fell swoop.

Gao Wengui and other loyal troops successfully entered Lin'an Prefecture after clearing out the rebels in Mile Prefecture.

In Yunnan Province, the military settlement system has been officially launched.
In order to ensure the smooth progress of the military settlement, Ma Bao ordered Gao Wengui and three thousand loyal soldiers to enter Lin'an City, while Ma Bao himself returned to Kunming with the Tengxiang Army to shock the people of Yunnan Province.
The Ming army had fought many battles since entering Yunnan, with almost no rest. Now that they had some free time, Ma Bao arranged for the soldiers of the Tengxiang Army to take turns to rest.

Liu Wang and Zhang Rong were given a rotating leave, so they were able to leave the Tengxiang military camp and wander around Kunming.

As the Gui army and Tengxiang army in the city began to take turns to rest, a large number of Ming army soldiers poured into Kunming, and this Yunnan capital became more and more noisy and lively.

The shop owners in Kunming love and hate these Ming army soldiers. These soldiers are really rich, but they are also really capable of causing trouble.

Since the Ming army entered Yunnan, it has won many victories and the rewards and spoils of war are also very generous.

Now, even ordinary soldiers in the Tengxiang Army could get 50 to 60 taels of silver, and the general officers like Liu Wang and Zhang Rong could get no less than 100 taels of silver for the captured spoils.

Liu Wang drank the rice wine in the bowl, and then he picked up the fried broad beans on the table and started eating. Liu Wang looked at the people passing by outside the window and said

"Before I came to Yunnan, I heard people say that Yunnan was a place full of miasma. I thought it must be a dangerous place with poor mountains and bad waters."

"I didn't expect that after entering Yunnan, I would find that there are more mountains and old forests here. The climate is quite good, even cooler than Guangdong Province."

"The scenery in Kunming is pretty good, and Dianchi Lake is pretty big, almost like the ocean in Guangdong Province. If I had the time, I could live here for a few years, that would be nice."

Zhang Rong, who was drinking the yellow chives in his bowl, heard what Liu Wang said, and his eyes flashed. He said softly:
"Since you like me, you can apply to stay in the army. You can stay as long as you want."

Liu Wang shook his head when he heard this and said

"That won't do. Yunnan Province is too remote. It will take months to reach Guangdong Province. We Central Plains people have to go back to the Central Plains eventually."

Zhang Rong's face froze a little when he heard this, but soon his expression returned to normal, and he continued to drink the rice wine in the bowl silently. Liu Wang, who was standing beside him, did not notice Zhang Rong's expression and said

"The climate in Yunnan Province is good, but the foreign soldiers are too cheap. The imperial court only gives half a tael of silver for each foreign soldier."

"Behind the city of Lin'an, I cut off more than a dozen heads in one go, and my armor was stained red. In the end, I only got seven or eight taels of silver, which is not even as valuable as a real Tartar. It's really unlucky."

At this time, all kinds of food and wine had been served. Cured chicken, roasted pork, braised beef, roasted ox tongue, steamed lake fish, and fried crispy cakes were served. Liu Wang grabbed the crispy cakes and braised meat and started eating with rice wine.
Zhang Rong would occasionally pick up some roasted meat and food from the table and eat with Liu Wang, but most of the time he would just sip the wine in the bowl.

After finishing most of the food and wine on the table, Liu Wang asked the servant to add a few more dishes of roast chicken and braised pork, then he wiped his mouth and began to drink slowly.

Liu Wang took a sip from the wine bowl and said

"I asked the instructor in our post earlier. With the heads I captured in Lin'an this time, the instructor said that my military merits are enough to be promoted to the rank of 100 commander. How about you? It should be soon too."

Zhang Rong fell silent after hearing this. After a while, a hint of determination flashed across his face. He suddenly put down his wine bowl and said:

"Liu Er, I'm ready to quit"

Liu Wang was stunned when he heard this. He was a little confused and asked subconsciously:

"Retreat? Where are you going to retreat to?"

"Military Envoy Zhu said that our Tengxiang Army has priority in selecting military officers for the Lin'an Prefecture. As long as we pass the literacy test, we can go. I plan to quit the army and go to Lin'an Prefecture to serve as a military officer."

Seeing that Liu Wang was still confused, Zhang Rong continued
"Military Envoy Zhu said that our Tengxiang Army is different from others. We are His Highness's imperial guards. If we go to Lin'an now, we can not only become military garrison officers, but also get 50 acres of land. I have decided that as long as I can pass the literacy test, I will withdraw from the Tengxiang Army."

Zhang Rong's expression became more determined when he said this, while Liu Wang beside him looked shocked and said directly:

"Are you crazy? You want to quit the Tengxiang Army?"

"Although we can get land in Lin'an, Envoy Zhu also said that we can also get land when we return to Guangdong Province in the future."

"The military garrison officer is not a good place to be. Although the military garrison officer is called a centurion or a thousand-household officer, I heard that the thousand-household officer is just a ninth-rank miscellaneous official, and the centurion officer is even less prestigious."

"Our Tengxiang Army is the imperial army. You and I are both capable and have a bright future in the army. What are you doing staying in this remote place in Yunnan Province?"

Zhang Rong shook his head when he heard this, his expression became more determined, and he said

"Back then, Lord Shun and the other great kings gathered in Yingyang. Wherever the army passed, not a blade of grass grew. We were foolish enough to join Shun's camp and become rebels."

"We have traveled all over the Central Plains over the past decade. First, we followed the Great Shun Emperor to rebel against the imperial court, then we surrendered to the Qing invaders and shaved our heads to become Tartars. Later, we followed Admiral Ma to surrender to the imperial court and became imperial guards. We have been fighting for more than ten years and killing people for more than ten years. When will this end? I just want to live a peaceful life now and don't want to fight anymore."

Liu Wang was furious when he heard this, and couldn't help but say

"The military envoy has already said that we will be given land in Guangdong Province as well. Even if you want to withdraw, you can still return to Guangdong Province. Didn't you say before that you would return to your hometown when you have the chance in the future? How can you return to your hometown if you stay in Yunnan Province?"

"What can we do if we go back to our hometown? When we went to the rebel camp, all the villagers followed us. There is no one left in our hometown anymore. What can we do if we go back?"

"Guangdong Province can distribute land, but who knows when it will happen? I don't want to wait any longer."

Zhang Rong saw that Liu Wang wanted to persuade him again, so he waved his hand to stop him and said

"This time the imperial court wants people to go to Lin'an to set up a garrison to supervise grain, which is a great opportunity. I am the general flag in the army. When I arrive in Lin'an, I will definitely be an officer of a thousand households. So what if I am a ninth-rank official? I am still an official."

"We were both just farmers who made a living from the soil. Let alone being an official, even a village clerk was a great man that we couldn't reach. Now that we have an official position, what is there to be dissatisfied about?"

Liu Wang looked at Zhang Rong's calm expression and knew that Zhang Rong had probably made up his mind.

But this made Liu Wang feel a little helpless for a moment. They had supported each other for more than ten years and had survived countless battles and escapes. Now that they saw a bright future ahead of them, Zhang Rong suddenly said he wanted to leave.
Liu Wang was silent for a long time, then he gritted his teeth and said

"In that case, I will..."

Zhang Rong looked at Liu Wang who was hesitant, and before Liu Wang finished speaking, he interrupted him and said

"It's my business if I stay. You don't have to follow me. Liu Er, you are different from me. You are a natural killer. You should stay in the army."

"The world is in chaos right now. The imperial court wants to fight the Tartars and restore the Central Plains. It needs soldiers like you who love to kill and dare to fight. People like you can only live happily in the army."

Liu Wang hesitated when he heard this, but after a long time, he still didn't say anything.

He had fought for more than ten years and killed people for more than ten years. He could do nothing except fighting and killing people. Now, he was suddenly asked to put down his sword and go to farm. He couldn't imagine such a life and was not interested in it at all.
Zhang Rong looked at Liu Wang, who had a troubled expression, but suddenly chuckled and said:

"Don't be so fussy. Those scholars are good at cheating and playing tricks. Your Highness is worried about them, so he asked me and other soldiers of the Imperial Guard to be the military garrison officers."

"You are serving His Highness in the army, and I am also serving His Highness in Lin'an. What's the difference?"

Liu Wang didn't say anything when he heard this, but just sat aside and drank big bowls of wine. Zhang Rong also stopped talking at this time, just accompanied Liu Wang to drink bowl after bowl of wine.
At this time, not only Liu Wang and Zhang Rong, but also countless soldiers in the three camps of the Tengxiang Army, the Loyalty Camp and the Loyalty Camp, were facing the same choice.

(End of this chapter)