Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 196: Recruiting the Four Qilin Sons
Faced with Gao Yigong's personal appeal, the four brothers Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo and others all had their doubts in their hearts, and because of the open and covert struggle between Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo for the leadership of the remaining Western Army, they quickly split into two factions.

After all, this is a major event that determines the future fate of tens of thousands of troops and tens of thousands of families. Both Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo hope to take the lead and establish their unquestionable prestige in the army.

After Gao Yigong's persuasion, Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu were both inclined to accept the surrender, especially Liu Wenxiu, who was very much looking forward to the "right path" described by Gao Yigong.

But Sun Kewang did not trust Gao Yigong. He was originally of bad temper and was brooding over the feud between the Ming court and the Western Army. It was not just that he was wary of the appeasement, but he simply did not believe what Gao Yigong said.

Of course, this is a very normal thing. Even Li Dingguo was quite skeptical about the credibility of the Ming court. He just believed in Gao Yigong.

As for Ai Nengqi, the youngest of the four brothers, he always opposed and doubted his eldest brother Sun Kewang because of his trust in him, which made it impossible for Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu to promote the development of appeasement.

Although Sun Kewang was the leader among the four brothers at this time due to his past military achievements and his seniority as the eldest brother, he also had to get the support of Ai Nengqi in order to compete with Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu. This is the logic of the operation of power.

Outside the big tent, the night breeze was blowing gently, the shadows of the trees were swaying, and from time to time the cries of crows could be heard, making the camp seem even quieter. However, inside the big tent, the atmosphere was still solemn, and the four people had different thoughts.

Although Liu Wenxiu's proposal was supported by Li Dingguo and finally got the approval of Sun Kewang and Ai Nengqi, things did not end so simply.

As soon as Li Dingguo finished speaking, Sun Kewang stood up, walked to the door of the tent, looked at the night sky in the distance, and said:

"His Majesty has just passed away, leaving these tens of thousands of brothers in the hands of the four of us. We must consider everything carefully and absolutely not let our brothers fall into danger."

However, Li Dingguo did not give in. He still sat in his original position, his eyes stern and he said in a sarcastic tone:
"If the Ming court's offer of appeasement is truly insincere, or even if there's even the slightest flaw, I, Li Dingguo, will resist with all my might for the sake of my brothers."

Seeing Sun Kewang's attitude again, Liu Wenxiu frowned slightly and said worriedly:
"But if we don't accept the imperial court's offer, the future of our remnant army will be bleak! We can't trust the Ming court's offer completely, but we must give it a try."

Ai Nengqi had been silently watching his elder brother Sun Kewang. Although he had some doubts about the opinions of both factions, he still trusted Sun Kewang's decision and then said:
"Brother, you've never made a mistake since we arrived in Sichuan. Previously, in Chengdu, you led the four of us and saved the lives of the entire army. This time, you will definitely lead us out of this predicament."

It can only be said that although the four men had different thoughts, they still shared a common understanding of the dire situation the Western Army currently faced. The Ming court's offer of appeasement was a double-edged sword. If the blade was pointed at them, the four men, like tens of thousands of Western Army soldiers, would all be plunged into an abyss of no return.

"Let's not talk about the past anymore. This was a joint effort by the four of us. It wasn't just my effort." Sun Kewang suddenly turned around, sat back in his original seat, and said:

"The issue of appeasement has been delayed for a month. It's time to make a decision."

Upon hearing this, Li Dingguo glanced at Ai Nengqi and couldn't help but feel admiration in his heart. Among the four brothers, only he could make Sun Kewang change his mind with just one sentence.

He did not miss this great opportunity and immediately changed his tone, saying excitedly:

"Brother, Wenxiu is right. We should first send someone to investigate Gao Yigong's background and discuss with him the conditions for surrender. This way, we can see the sincerity of the Ming court and then make a decision."

After hearing this, Liu Wenxiu immediately nodded in agreement and waited for Sun Kewang to agree.

Although Ai Nengqi still had his doubts, he saw that Sun Kewang had wavered, and Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu were trying their best to persuade him, so he immediately stopped opposing the surrender and said to Sun Kewang, "Brother, why don't we do as Third Brother suggests and give it a try?"

"Brother, I am willing to go to the Ming camp." Liu Wenxiu wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so he immediately volunteered.

At this point, Sun Kewang naturally had nothing more to say, so he had to pretend to persuade Wenxiu to stay, frowning and advising: "Wenxiu, you can't go. It's extremely dangerous to enter the Ming camp. If anyone should go, it should be my eldest brother!"

"Big brother, you must not go. If the Ming army breaks their promise and detains you in the camp, how will we, the tens of thousands of brothers, cope?" Liu Wenxiu immediately shook his head.

"If anything goes wrong, Second Brother must stay and help. As long as I'm here, there's no reason for Fourth Brother to go."

Sun Kewang listened and looked around. The four brothers once again felt that they were in a life and death relationship. They immediately made the decision:

"Okay, this time, Big Brother will make the decision. Wenxiu will go to the Ming camp to meet Gao Yigong and see if the Ming court is sincere. If Gao Yigong dares to do something bad in secret, I, Sun Kewang, will never forgive him!"

Liu Wenxiu agreed, "Don't worry, big brother. Even if Gao Yigong does something bad behind our backs, he can't hold us back."

Although Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo both agreed with Liu Wenxiu's decision to go and explore the situation, they were both wary of the Ming army and even thought about taking the initiative if the situation was not right.

After all, it is hard to say that there is no danger for Liu Wenxiu to leave the camp and go to Gao Yigong's base, but for the future and destiny of the Western Army, one of the four brothers must go to find out Gao Yigong's sincerity and find out whether the remaining troops of the Shun Army have really been treated preferentially.

The night wind was blowing gently, and there was silence everywhere inside and outside the Western Army’s camp.
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Five days later, in the temporary palace in Yuezhou Prefecture, Zhu Cilang sat on the dragon throne, his brows slightly furrowed and his eyes deep. He had just received an urgent military report from Gao Yigong, the general of the Loyalty Camp stationed in Chongqing.

In this urgent military report, Gao Yigong explained the specific circumstances of the recruitment of the Western Army. Through negotiations with Liu Wenxiu, he understood that both he and Li Dingguo were willing to accept the recruitment, but for their own safety, they also put forward harsh conditions:
"The Western Army demanded that the court immediately provide the army with food and armaments after recruiting them, and that land in Chongqing be allocated for their soldiers and their families to cultivate. They also stressed that the soldiers' treatment should be comparable to that of the 'Loyal Camp' and that they have a certain degree of autonomy."

Zhu Cilang sneered after reading the military report and had the eunuch beside him read it to the ministers in front of him. Due to the complex situation in the court and Liu Wenxiu's insistence, Gao Yigong did not dare to agree easily. Zhu Cilang also needed to consult with the ministers in the court.

After all, it was impossible for him to make such a big decision in private as to pacify the rebels who had been causing chaos for many years, and it was even more impossible for him to not only go through the cabinet, but also determine the direction of the matter in the process of questioning the ministers.

He raised his head and looked at the ministers in the hall, his eyes like torches, and said in a deep voice:

"If Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, Ai Nengqi, and others wish to accept the surrender, they must adhere to the imperial court's regulations. The military organization can remain the same as the 'Loyal Camp,' but they must accept the imperial court's reorganization, adding a training corps, a logistics department, and a military affairs department. Each unit must be stationed in a separate area."

Before Zhu Cilang finished speaking, the ministers below had already begun to whisper. After the successful experience of reorganizing the "Loyal Camp", Du Yinxi was full of confidence in this recruitment of the Western Army. He immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. If the Western Army is not reorganized, it will ultimately be difficult to control. I agree with your Majesty's strategy."

However, He Tengjiao looked unhappy. Because of the transfer of the garrison in Jiujiang, he was still in Yuezhou Prefecture to coordinate and had not returned to Jiangxi. During this period, he had been connecting with people up and down, wanting to perform well in front of Zhu Cilang, but unfortunately he was always overshadowed by Du Yinxi.

Now, when he heard the Western bandits put forward such excessive conditions for appeasement, Zhu Cilang also showed a hint of dissatisfaction and immediately stepped forward to object:

"Your Majesty, the Western Bandits are a rebellious army causing chaos in the country. Not only are they refusing to accept the imperial court's offer of appeasement, but they've also imposed such harsh conditions. This is clearly a delaying tactic. You must not trust them! If these rebellious bandits are not eliminated, there will be endless trouble. I believe that we should order Gao Yigong to take strict precautions and not rashly appease them."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, but did not express his opinion. Instead, he turned to the other ministers and asked, "My dear ministers, what are your opinions?"

However, after Li Banghua left Yuezhou and returned east to Nanjing, the ministers in the temporary palace had formed two factions headed by Du Yinxi and He Tengjiao. Although some people had a say, their weight was not enough.

Du Yinxi saw this and stepped out again, bowed to Zhu Cilang and said:

"Your Majesty, although the Western Army once went astray and became what Elder He called a traitor, they are now turning over a new leaf. Your Majesty has always won the hearts of the people with virtue. In this situation, why bother to start a war again?

Moreover, their power should not be underestimated. If they can be successfully pacified, they will be able to enhance our military strength and add another barrier to defend against the Qing army's southward advance in southern Sichuan.

I believe that some of their conditions should be agreed to, but as Your Majesty has said, the various divisions of the Western Army must be reorganized so that they can be fully brought under the control of the court."

After hearing this, He Tengjiao sneered and retorted:
"While what Lord Du said makes sense, this so-called Western Army is, after all, a bunch of bandits. How can we trust them so easily? They can put forward such harsh conditions today. If the court agrees, will they make even higher demands tomorrow?

If it were just a higher demand, that would be fine. As long as they were loyal, there would be nothing wrong with it. But I'm worried that if the court agrees, they'll grow stronger and turn against us. Will the court still be able to control them then? "However, Du Yinxi didn't give in. After hearing this, he shook his head and said,
"Lord He, that's wrong. While the Western Army's demands are somewhat harsh, the court doesn't have to agree to all of them. If appropriate compromises can be made, mutual benefit and trust can be achieved. And the reorganized Western Army, like the 'Loyalty Battalion,' will become part of our army. No matter how powerful it becomes, it will be under the control of the court."

"Hmph, Lord Du, you only see the benefits of appeasement, but ignore the risks. Could it be that after Lord Du succeeded once in appeasement, he has forgotten the lessons of the previous great commanders who repeatedly failed in their attempts?"

He Tengjiao paused, then turned his head away and snorted with disdain, "This so-called Western Army is not a righteous army, but a rebel army. Their recruitment itself may be a conspiracy. If we don't take strict precautions, there will be endless troubles."

Zhu Cilang's heart was in turmoil as he listened to the argument between the two ministers in front of him.

He was well aware of the huge potential of the remaining Western Army, and he also knew that Sun Kewang was actually more difficult to pacify than Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu and others. Moreover, if the four brothers could not be pacified, once they entered Yunnan, it would definitely be bad news for the Ming Dynasty.

You have to know that at this time Zhang Xianzhong had died in battle. Without the suppression of this "madman", each of the four brothers was a rare talent. After Wang Yingxiong led the Sichuan troops into Yunnan, he had been fighting with the chieftains. He was definitely no match for these "Four Kirin Sons". He even had to transfer troops from Huguang to the west for aid.

But if this is true, then the original Northern Expedition plan will inevitably be postponed, and the Qing army will have more opportunities to recover, which is something Zhu Cilang does not want to see.

If he could successfully pacify the Western Army, Zhu Cilang would be able to greatly enhance the Ming Dynasty's power in southern Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. Not only would he be able to quickly stabilize the situation, but he could also launch a new offensive in this direction. His Northern Expedition next year would focus on Sichuan.

Of course, he also knew that the conditions proposed by Sun Kewang and others were too harsh, especially the issue of so-called "autonomy". If they were agreed to, the authority of the court would be seriously weakened, which was something he would never allow.

Zhu Cilang pondered calmly, constantly weighing the pros and cons. Although the war between the Ming and Qing dynasties had temporarily come to an end, the current situation remained extremely complex, and any wrong decision could lead to serious consequences.

After all, while He Tengjiao's objections were motivated by other reasons, his concerns were not without reason. To the Ming, the Western Army was essentially a rebel force and could not be easily trusted. He knew that He Tengjiao was absolutely loyal to the Ming.

Soon, amidst the anxious expressions of the crowd, Zhu Cilang raised his eyes again and looked at the ministers, his gaze firm, and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Du, Lord He's words are all valid. This matter is of grave importance. I will absolutely allow Gao Yigong to continue negotiations with the Western Army, but he must adhere to the principles of the imperial court. We can discuss the issue of money and food, but there is absolutely no room for negotiation regarding the reorganization and deployment of the army. Especially since the unrest in Yunnan has not subsided and Huguang also needs to strengthen its troops, the Western Army must disperse its garrisons after accepting the offer."

Seeing Zhu Cilang's decision, Du Yinxi immediately clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I will go to Chongqing and fully cooperate with General Gao to ensure the smooth progress of the pacification campaign."

Although He Tengjiao was unwilling, seeing Zhu Cilang's firm attitude, he could only bow and say:
"Your Majesty is wise, but I still hope that Lord Du will act with caution and prevent these rebels from causing further trouble. Don't disregard national interests for the sake of false reputation."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly to show his understanding of He Tengjiao's concerns, and he naturally agreed to Du Yinxi's request. When it comes to appeasing the peasant army, no one can do better than Du Yinxi, especially not discriminating against and calculating the peasant army and disrupting the peace talks. I'm afraid even Li Banghua can't do it.

Zhu Cilang then discussed the specific terms of appeasement with the ministers before him. He would never make any concessions on issues involving the authority of the imperial court. At the same time, he also asked Du Yinxi to remain flexible in the negotiations in order to reach terms of appeasement acceptable to both sides.

The pacification of the Western Army played a crucial role in Zhu Cilang's upcoming Northern Expedition plan. It was the wisest option under the current circumstances, buying precious time for the Ming Dynasty's Northern Expedition. He must do his utmost to facilitate this.

Of course, Zhu Cilang did not completely trust the four brothers Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo. He knew that these four brothers were rare talents. If used properly, they would definitely become heroes of the Ming Dynasty's revival in the future. However, this happened after the four brothers accepted the amnesty.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang also instructed Zhou Shixian and Gao Yigong to send the Jinyiwei and scouts to closely monitor the movements of the Western Army to ensure that they could take quick action if any unusual movements occurred.

Although the four brothers Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi showed their willingness to accept the amnesty, they were once rebels against the Ming Dynasty after all, so Zhu Cilang could not completely relax his vigilance.

As the discussion on the appeasement was concluded, the ministers withdrew, and only Jinyiwei Commander Zhou Shixian remained in the palace. As the imperial consort of the Ming Dynasty and the commander of the Jinyiwei, he had access to intelligence inside and outside the court, and was also well aware of the situation of the officials in the court.

He quickly walked to Zhu Cilang's side and reported to the young emperor who was in charge of the entire Ming Dynasty the military intelligence and official trends in various places that had just been reported back by the Jinyiwei spies.

"Your Majesty, what Prime Minister Li and Lord Du said earlier is correct. Corruption has occurred among the soldiers in various local camps, even in the Beijing camp. This is especially true in the local camps in Guangdong and Guangxi, Fujian, southern Jiangxi, southern Zhejiang, and eastern Zhejiang. Due to rampant corruption, lack of logistical supplies, low morale, and inadequate military training, they cannot even meet the most basic training requirements.

If it weren't for Your Majesty's early decree to leave enough food and money in the area so they could have food to eat, I'm afraid the previous incident of plundering the people would have happened again."

Zhou Shixian paused, then continued, "And the corruption among local officials involved is equally difficult to eradicate."

Zhu Cilang listened with a solemn expression, and then asked, "What is the situation in the court?"

Zhou Shixian continued, "The situation at court is not optimistic either. Despite Your Majesty's repeated orders and strict precautions, corruption has never ceased. Some important officials have formed cliques for personal gain, hindering Your Majesty's reforms. The Jinyiwei are currently gathering evidence, and once the time is right and Your Majesty issues the order, these bad apples will be immediately eliminated."

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded slightly. He had actually expected this.

After all, corruption wasn't a problem that only emerged in the later years of a dynasty. It's just that in the early years, when the tide was rising, no one knew who was swimming naked. But once the population grew and resources became scarce, conflicts would become acute, even irreconcilable.

At this time, the dynasty was also faced with various problems that had accumulated over the years, which led to a continuous decline in the central government's credibility and its control over the local areas.

By rebuilding the Jinyiwei, Zhu Cilang regained his understanding of the local situation, but many things could not be solved just by knowing them.

You have to know that no matter what kind of system it is, they are all living people. If he wants to take action, he must be prepared and quick enough, especially since he is now in a period of transition between the old and the new.

"Shixian, continue collecting evidence and don't alert the enemy. When the time comes, I will definitely deal with these corrupt officials and will not show any leniency." Zhu Cilang said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shixian immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely live up to your trust."

Although the various secret reports collected by the Imperial Guard revealed numerous problems within and outside the Ming court, Zhou Shixian remained confident in the future of the Ming Dynasty, given Zhu Cilang's attitude. After breaking out of Beijing, he had no doubt that the Ming Dynasty would be revived under Zhu Cilang's rule.

Of course, when he spoke, he was still very careful, fearing that his words would anger Zhu Cilang. Even though he was a prince consort, a royal relative, and a meritorious official who had accompanied Zhu Cilang in escaping from Beijing, he did not dare to forget that "serving the emperor is like serving a tiger."

As Zhu Cilang listened to Zhou Shixian's report, he gradually formed a plan in his mind. He understood that if he did not quickly rectify the military discipline of the local camps and eliminate corrupt officials, his continued expansion of the army would be affected, both in terms of manpower and financial resources.

After all, with Zhu Cilang's substantial expansion of the army, the replenishment of the Palace Army, the Beijing Camp, the Left Town Camp, and the Loyal Camp could no longer be met by 10,000 or 20,000 boatmen. Zhu Cilang had to establish a complete military system from the central government to the local level to ensure the healthy development of the Ming army.

However, the management of local military camps is much more difficult than that of the central army. Zhu Cilang, Li Banghua, Du Yinxi, and the generals of the Five Military Commandery have not come up with any good ideas until now, and the matter has not made any progress at the court level.

"Shixian, the soldiers in the camps in various places are not in the central government, so it is very difficult to reorganize them. You have read so much military intelligence collected by the Jinyiwei, and you have also read the military books I gave you. Do you have any good ideas?" Zhu Cilang suddenly asked.

Zhou Shixian was shocked when he heard this and replied:

"Your Majesty, I believe that to rectify the local situation, we don't need any good strategies. As long as we can ensure that the local authorities cannot deceive their superiors and hide the truth from their subordinates, then things will be easy to handle."

Zhu Cilang's brows twitched slightly after hearing this. He waved his hand and said, "Go on!"

"So, I believe that the most crucial issue here is actually people. Your Majesty could start by rectifying the officers and officials of the local camps and bringing those corrupt officials to justice. Only in this way can we truly enforce military discipline and eliminate corruption. Then, improving logistics, strengthening training, raising morale, and ensuring the army's combat effectiveness will be a natural progression."

"Hahaha!" Zhu Cilang nodded and praised immediately after hearing this, "Shixian, you are right. It seems that I have been overthinking it. When it comes to matters related to people in this world, there are no such things as brilliant plans or good strategies. Instead of continuing to hesitate, I might as well start to rectify the situation immediately.

However, the Imperial Guard is crucial in this matter. You must deploy them quickly. In areas where these problems are serious, the Imperial Guard must strengthen oversight to ensure the court's reform measures are fully implemented."

"Your Majesty is wise. I will do my best." Zhou Shixian immediately bowed and clasped his fists.

(End of this chapter)