Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1222 Governors-General
Zhu Shenzhui is now extremely satisfied with Zhang Xianzhong and greatly admires everything he has done in Burma.

Sending Zhang Xianzhong as an envoy to Burma was a risky move for Zhu Shenzhui. After all, Zhang Xianzhong came from a different background. He was a bandit who had rebelled after being granted amnesty. Although Zhang Xianzhong had received a title and official position from the court and had been very well-behaved in the capital for years, who could guarantee that he wouldn't have any ulterior motives?
However, Zhu Shenzhui ultimately decided to send Zhang Xianzhong to Burma. He did this partly because he valued Zhang Xianzhong's strategic vision and abilities, and partly because he wanted to take this opportunity to see whether Zhang Xianzhong was still loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

After all, the Ming Dynasty of today is different from the Ming Dynasty of the past. In the past, the Ming Dynasty was plagued by natural disasters and man-made calamities. If the rebels did not rebel, they would not be able to survive. In addition, the court continued to increase the Liaodong military tax due to the war in Liaodong, making it impossible for the people in the northwest and the Central Plains to survive. Under such circumstances, it was natural for them to rise up in rebellion.

Zhang Xianzhong wasn't born to rebel, especially since he was originally a border soldier of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, his rebellion after accepting amnesty was somewhat understandable, because the court had gone back on its word, failing to provide supplies or pay after the amnesty, leaving tens of thousands of people to fend for themselves. If he were Zhang Xianzhong, he would have rebelled too; he couldn't just starve to death like that.

But things are different now. With the continuous recovery of the Ming Dynasty's national strength, although it has not yet reached the golden age of the reigns of Emperors Renzong and Xuanzong, it is much better than before. Moreover, the Ming Dynasty's revival is evident to all. Emperor Zhu Shenzhui is in his prime and can sit on the throne for at least another ten years. As for Crown Prince Zhu Minlan, he also has the qualities of a wise ruler. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty can maintain its prosperity for at least thirty years. If the grandson of the emperor is also like this, then the Ming Dynasty will be worry-free for three generations. Under such circumstances, only a fool would take the huge risk of rebellion.

Moreover, Zhang Xianzhong was no longer a penniless rebel leader; he was now the Earl of Dingbian, a General of the Cavalry, and a councilor of the General Council of the Ming Dynasty. As a member of the nobility, even if his birth was inferior to others, his title and official position were real. Furthermore, Zhang Xianzhong now had descendants. His youngest son, Zhang Zhongyi, had gained imperial favor at a young age, receiving honors and a name personally bestowed by the emperor. After his death, the title would pass to his son, ensuring the Zhang family's continued existence and prosperity alongside the nation. Why would a shrewd man like Zhang Xianzhong abandon his hard-won wealth and the continuation of his lineage to risk rebellion?
"Zhang Xianzhong has made such a great contribution, he must be rewarded, but what should be the reward?" Zhu Shenzhui pondered. Promotion was impossible. Zhang Xianzhong was already a first-class Earl of Dingbian, and the next promotion would be to Marquis. Although the Ming Dynasty's titles were divided into three classes, even a third-class Marquis was not an ordinary title. Moreover, Zhang Xianzhong's background was a constraint. If Zhang Xianzhong were promoted from Earl of Dingbian to Marquis of Dingbian, not only would the civil officials in the court oppose it, but many military generals would also oppose it.

If he didn't promote the noble title, the only options were to have the title inherited without change or to manipulate the military rank. However, Zhu Shenzhui thought this was also inappropriate. Since Zhu Shenzhui reformed the nobility system, he stipulated that, except for the hereditary titles of the founding nobles and the Jingnan (Zhu Di) nobles, all other titles conferred afterward would be inherited at a lower rank.

This included not only nobles but also members of the Ming imperial family. Even hereditary titles were subject to strict restrictions upon succession. Succession required passing examinations and assessments; those who were not qualified or lacked the necessary abilities could only inherit the title at a lower level, or it could be passed on to another heir in the family. This was intended to address the problem of the sons of nobles in the Ming dynasty being complacent, enjoying a life of ease and complacency without any ambition. The same principle applied to the imperial family.

Therefore, hereditary titles are now very rare. Even Wang Jinwu's title is not hereditary, let alone others. If Zhang Xianzhong's title were changed to hereditary, there would certainly be many opponents, which would not be good for Zhang Xianzhong himself.

The issue of military rank is also problematic. Zhang Xianzhong is now the General of the Cavalry of the Ming Dynasty, a rank equivalent to a lieutenant general in later times. Moreover, Zhang Xianzhong's promotion from General of the State to General of the Cavalry was relatively recent, and it was due to the Liaodong Campaign. Zhang Xianzhong's proposed siege tactics enabled the Ming army to successfully capture Shenyang, thus eliminating the Jurchens in Liaodong in one battle. This led to his promotion when Wang Jinwu recommended merits to his generals.

From this perspective, although Zhang Xianzhong had made contributions, his achievements were not actually that great, especially compared to the generals who directly participated in the Liaodong campaign. To be honest, his merit was somewhat questionable. However, considering the practicality of Zhang Xianzhong's proposed tactics and his actual position as a member of the General Staff, Zhu Shenzhui intended to set a benchmark and use his merits to determine the status of the General Staff and enhance its influence. This is why Zhang Xianzhong's military rank was promoted by one level.

Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong's military rank is already quite high. The rank of General of the Cavalry is considered a high-ranking military position in the Ming army. Above General of the Cavalry is General of the Golden Guard, which is equivalent to a senior general. Currently, there are not many people in the Ming army who hold the rank of General of the Golden Guard; only Wang Jinwu, Zhou Anmin, Hei Yunlong, Qin Liangyu, Wu Xiang, Zheng Zhilong, Cao Wenzhao, Cao Bianjiao, Zheng Hongkui, and three other nobles.

Among these people, aside from the three nobles whose titles were merely nominal, Zheng Zhilong's rank of General of the Golden Guard had been stripped, and he now retained only a hollow title while under house arrest in the capital. Zhou Anmin's military rank was rather special; he did not actually command troops but was responsible for intelligence and logistics. Wu Xiang, Cao Wenzhao, and Cao Bianjiao were in the same situation; they served in the General Staff Headquarters but were not generals with actual military positions. Wang Jinwu was the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, so his military rank held little significance for him. Qin Liangyu was already old, and her rank was more of an honor than a real position. Therefore, only two people actually commanded troops: Hei Yunlong and Zheng Hongkui.

Hei Yunlong is currently the Commander-in-Chief of Xuanfu, in charge of the armies of Xuanfu and Datong, and responsible for the defense and military affairs of the northern border. Although the situation in Mongolia is different from before, even fathers and sons, brothers, still need to be prepared for defenses beyond the Great Wall. You know, even during the Yuan Dynasty, didn't Kublai Khan build the Great Wall to defend against his relatives on the grasslands?
Zheng Hongkui was in charge of the navy, which was currently the focus of Ming Dynasty's development. Apart from the Beiyang Navy and the Nanyang Navy, the remaining ocean-going navy was under Zheng Hongkui's command. Moreover, Zheng Hongkui held a very high position in the navy and had considerable influence in both the Beiyang and Nanyang Navys. In addition, he had made many meritorious contributions and had been sent as an envoy to Europe, so it was most appropriate for him to be in charge of the newly established ocean-going navy fleet.

Compared to these individuals, directly elevating Zhang Xianzhong to the rank of General of the Golden Guard would also be inappropriate. This would be similar to changing Zhang Xianzhong's title to hereditary succession, inevitably causing immense opposition. How would other generals view it that a mere surrendered general, a former bandit leader who had roamed several provinces, would surpass most Ming Dynasty generals in rank?

This would not be good for Zhang Xianzhong, but rather a bad thing. Not only would Zhang Xianzhong become the target of public criticism, but it would also alienate the generals in the Ming army, an outcome Zhu Shenzhui certainly did not want to see. Therefore, since neither noble titles nor military ranks could reward Zhang Xianzhong, the only option was to find a way to reward him through his military position.

Such merit should not be left unrewarded, lest it chill the hearts of the people. However, finding a way to reward him through military postings is not so easy. It would be inappropriate to send Zhang Xianzhong to a local post as a general or to the border to oversee military affairs in a region. Even though Zhu Shenzhui believed that Zhang Xianzhong would never rebel against the court again, there would certainly be many who would oppose such an arrangement.

"Since Burma has leased Dagon, our Ming Dynasty can station troops in Burma. What do you think about letting Zhang Xianzhong stay in Burma?"

"Does His Majesty mean... to let Zhang Xianzhong lead troops in Burma and station them there?" Zhou Anmin asked hesitantly.

Zhu Shenzhui nodded and sighed, "Zhang Xianzhong has made great contributions, and I cannot fail to reward him. However, his background is a constraint, and it would be troublesome if I rewarded him. I'm afraid I can't change his title or military rank, and even his military position would be difficult to arrange."

Looking at Zhou Anmin, Zhu Shenzhui continued, "You are the Left Chief of the General Staff Department, the de facto head of this department. In this respect, Zhang Xianzhong is actually your subordinate. Since Zhang Xianzhong has now made a breakthrough in Myanmar, why not take this opportunity to let him stay there? Anyway, he has already dealt with the Myanmar royal family and is quite familiar with them. Rather than sending someone who doesn't understand Myanmar, it's better to use him directly."

“Dagon is a good place. It’s a good choice for our Ming Dynasty to station troops here. Letting Zhang Xianzhong take charge of the Dagon affairs can be considered a reward for him. What do you think?”

"This..." Zhou Anmin thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I understand. This way, we can make some changes to the military rank to show our appreciation, and no one will object. It is indeed a good method. However, Your Majesty, I think it is a bit unreasonable to justify the transfer under the name of the General Staff Department. Moreover, the garrisoning of troops in Dagong must be justified. Otherwise, the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War will not be able to issue official documents..."

"No need to worry about that." Zhu Shenzhui waved his hand and said, "I have thought about it carefully. In the future, the dispatched troops will not be under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War. This is foreign affairs, not domestic affairs. Didn't I set up the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry) to manage overseas affairs before? In the future, if there are similar situations, the General Staff Office and the Zongli Yamen will coordinate directly and be directly responsible to me."

"Isn't this inappropriate?" Zhou Anmin was shocked. The emperor was planning to bypass the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War! Although the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry) was in charge of foreign affairs and the General Council was one of the highest military institutions in the Ming Dynasty, if this were done, not to mention the Five Military Commissions, the Ministry of War would strongly oppose it, and the cabinet would probably not agree either.

“What’s wrong with it?” Zhu Shenzhui said calmly. “It’s nothing more than military power and troop movements. If I don’t transfer regular soldiers from the Five Military Commands and the Ministry of War to Burma, wouldn’t this matter be settled? I remember that the military reforms in recent years have established a retirement mechanism, and in the last two years, there have been soldiers retiring and being resettled. In addition, there have been reorganizations and adjustments to local garrisons, and quite a few soldiers have been dismissed.”

"Since there are soldiers who have been demobilized from the army, then the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry) should coordinate, and your General Staff should intervene to directly select some people to go to Burma and hand them over to Zhang Xianzhong. There doesn't need to be too many people at the beginning. Let's send a thousand people first, and then select some more suitable ones later. The final quota should be around three thousand to three thousand five hundred people. I think this number is just right. It is enough to garrison Dagong. As for what to do later, we can adjust it according to the specific situation."

After saying that, Zhu Shenzhui seemed to remember something else and said to Zhou Anmin, "In addition, if the title is not correct, it will not be proper. What you just reminded me of is also correct. When the time comes, we can just give him the title of Governor-General of Dagong through the Zongli Yamen. This title is not in the official establishment of the court, but belongs to the temporary position of the vassal state stationed abroad. The Zongli Yamen can issue the document. In addition, Zhang Xianzhong's position in the General Council will be retained. He will be promoted from Councilor to Right Vice Councilor, and at the same time, a Left Vice Councilor will be added. When you go back, please draft a list of a few more people and I will approve it. This way it will be much more appropriate."

(End of this chapter)