Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 323 Rules are rules
In the original history, Ma Bao had jumped back and forth between the Ming and Qing dynasties many times, and even participated in suppressing the anti-Qing rebels for a time, with his hands stained with blood.

However, his life experience was also full of twists and turns. Later, when he followed Li Chengdong to return to the Ming Dynasty, he witnessed the ridiculous party struggles within the Yongli court and the infighting between the Wu and Chu factions, and felt deeply indignant.

After being advised by loyal and righteous people in Guangdong, he finally came to his senses and resolutely devoted himself to the anti-Qing cause.

Even after the fall of Guangdong, Ma Bao still held on to his belief in resisting the Qing Dynasty. He was forced to retreat into the deep mountains and dense forests of northern Guangdong, living a difficult guerrilla life.

Even though he had to join forces with his former enemy, he still refused to bow to the Qing army. This tenacious will made Zhu Cilang pay more attention to him.

In Zhu Cilang's view, Ma Bao not only possesses outstanding military talent, but also has the potential to grow into a famous general.

However, although Ma Bao currently has the ability to lead troops in battle, he lacks a strategic vision. This kind of general who has not yet fully grown up is exactly the target that Zhu Cilang most wants to cultivate.

What he needed was a general who was both loyal and reliable and could gradually demonstrate his talents on the battlefield.

And Ma Bao is just such a rough jade worth carving.

On the day of the inspection, Zhu Cilang wore military uniform and went to the front military camp in person.

The army was in neat order, the battle flags were fluttering, and the soldiers lined up in neat rows with bright eyes and high morale, as if the whole camp was filled with a high-spirited atmosphere.

Ma Bao followed closely behind, occasionally reporting to Zhu Cilang in a low voice about the various preparations.

"Your Majesty, the equipment needed for the army's battle has basically been distributed." Ma Bao said as he walked:
"The distribution of supplies to each battalion, division, department, and bureau has been checked one by one. The muskets that were previously in short supply have now been replenished.

In addition, the four-pounders and tiger squat guns assigned to each battalion were replenished the day before yesterday, but the number of shells is slightly insufficient. I'm afraid we'll have to replenish them again before the battle officially begins."

Hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded slowly. He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over the ranks of soldiers being inspected, and said in a steady and dignified voice:

"I will have someone take care of the ammunition replenishment immediately. Nothing is trivial in the military, especially artillery ammunition. Shortages must not occur during wartime."

Ma Bao hesitated for a moment and continued to report:
"Your Majesty, more than half of the troops under my command are reorganized from scattered soldiers. These soldiers should have been issued with cotton armor and swords and spears, but they have not yet been fully issued.

If we can't replenish it before the battle, I'm worried that this will pose a hidden danger to the subsequent operations."

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang thought for a moment and said:
"I understand. These armors, swords, and guns will definitely be replenished as soon as possible. However, you should also know that hundreds of thousands of troops across the country are in need of additional equipment, and the iron materials in the north have long been exhausted. All available resources have been concentrated on the front lines.

High-quality iron and steel from Guangdong and Fujian are being shipped in at a rapid pace. Don't worry, the armor and shells will be in place before the decisive battle."

Hearing the emperor's promise, Ma Bao felt relieved.

He cupped his hands and said:

"Your Majesty is wise and wise, and I will definitely live up to your trust!"

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly and continued to inspect the barracks. He noticed that the soldiers were lined up in exceptional order, and some even had eager eyes.

He turned to Ma Bao and said:

"The army's morale is high. It seems you have put in a lot of effort during this period."

Ma Bao smiled modestly and replied:

"Your Majesty, I dare not slack off. However, some of the new recruits in the army still need training, especially these soldiers who were temporarily recruited from other places. Their training progress needs to be accelerated."

"The key to a new recruit's growth lies in two points," Zhu Cilang paused and continued:

"The first is drill, the second is actual combat. Drills can help them quickly adapt to the rhythm of the military, while actual combat can truly temper their courage.

You have to remember that war is not about striving for perfection, but about using these people to make the impossible possible."

Upon hearing this, Ma Bao nodded repeatedly, secretly admiring the emperor's profound understanding of military affairs.

He realized that this young emperor was not only a ruler who controlled the world, but also a strategist who was well versed in the ways of the battlefield.

The pattern of this battle was that the Qing army held the defense line, while the Ming army took the initiative to attack.

Between Gaizhou and Haizhou, there are large and small fortresses, each of which is a tough nut to crack, and the consumption of artillery in the battle will probably reach an unprecedented scale.

Zhu Cilang stood on the high platform, his eyes sweeping over the neatly arrayed army, with both anticipation and some hidden worries in his heart.

He turned his head slightly, looked at Ma Bao standing beside him, and said in a deep voice:

"General Ma, you will be the vanguard of the Gaizhou battle, and you have a heavy responsibility. Have you all received my orders? The training of the musket troops must be accelerated, and there must be no slackness!"

"I understand!" Ma Bao clasped his hands together with a solemn expression.

Zhu Cilang nodded, and his tone became more serious:

"The intelligence from the Military Intelligence Department has confirmed that the Qing army recently dispatched several musket units from Shenyang. These units are all soldiers looted from Korea, and each unit has over a thousand soldiers.

The muskets these troops are equipped with are no less powerful than ours. If we are not careful in a confrontation, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Bao's expression became even more solemn.

He nodded heavily and bowed again:
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will intensify the training of our musketeers and prevent the Qing army from gaining any advantage in a direct confrontation!"

Afterwards, Zhu Cilang inspected the military camp and reviewed the troops one by one until the sun was setting. Then he and Ma Bao came to the military arsenal near Shimen Pass.

This is a logistics reserve specially set up by Ma Bao's front army. It stores spare armor, swords, guns, muskets, cannons, as well as unused gunpowder, artillery shells and other strategic materials, which are specifically for wartime consumption.

Zhu Cilang did not directly give orders to the guards or generals, but walked into the warehouse himself and carefully checked the situation inside.

He walked randomly to different corners of the warehouse, sometimes bending down to check the bolt of the musket, sometimes touching the neatly stacked armor, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

The accompanying personal guards and ordnance officers also followed behind him, checking the maintenance status of the stored materials one by one and counting the quantity.

"General Ma, don't worry too much," Zhu Cilang said calmly while checking.

"It's the same wherever I go. It's not just your vanguard, it's also Zhang Huangyan's center, Chang Denggui's rear, and Li Xiaolin's navy. They're all the same."

Having said that, he stopped, picked up a matchlock rifle, and gently stroked the texture of the gun with his fingertips. His expression gradually became serious:

"If there are mistakes elsewhere, I might be able to pretend I didn't see them. But if there are problems with the weapons, if they are missing or broken, and if they directly threaten the lives of the soldiers, then that would be a joke to the great cause of resisting the Qing. If I really discovered it, and someone dared to abuse their power for personal gain, commit fraud, or steal from the company—"

He shifted his gaze from his rifle and scanned the crowd present. He paused, his voice low but resounding:
"I will never let you off easily!"

"Yes!" Ma Bao stood straight and spoke in a loud voice, but a thin layer of sweat had already seeped out of his forehead.

He originally thought that this inspection was just a routine matter, but Zhu Cilang's meticulous inspection was obviously not a formality.

Seeing that Ma Bao looked a little nervous, Zhu Cilang raised the corners of his mouth slightly and suddenly changed the subject:
"Ma Bao, do you know why I came first to inspect your troops?"

As soon as these words came out, Ma Bao's heart suddenly tightened.

He pondered for a moment, but did not dare to answer rashly. He could only bow his head and clasp his fists and said:
"I...I don't know!" As he spoke, he felt cold sweat gradually pouring out of his back.

Zhu Cilang looked at Ma Bao's appearance and couldn't help but chuckle, then put the rifle in his hand back on the rack.

He walked slowly to Ma Bao, stretched out his hand to help him up, and said softly:
"General Ma, there's no need to be so nervous. I just wanted to test whether you could guess my intention."

"I am stupid and dare not guess what Your Majesty is thinking!" Ma Bao lowered his head, looking even more uneasy, and did not even have the courage to look at Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang laughed out loud, patted Ma Bao on the shoulder, and said in a gentle tone:

"General Ma, I have chosen you as the vanguard not only because your troops are known for their bravery, but also because you are loyal and reliable, setting an example for the rest of the troops. I trust you, so I am the first to inspect your troops.

Now, do you understand my intention?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Bao's face showed both shame and excitement.

He quickly knelt down, clasped his fists again and said:
"I will live up to your majesty's trust and fight to the death to recapture Gaizhou for the Ming Dynasty and wipe out the enemies outside the Great Wall!"

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, looked around at everything in the warehouse, and said in a low but firm voice:
"Remember, the battle for Gaizhou is not just about Gaizhou itself, but about the future of the entire Ming Dynasty. You absolutely cannot lose."

"General Ma, you are aware that many generals in the army are quite critical of you." Zhu Cilang looked around the armory, his tone calm but with a hint of meaning:

"They think you're incredibly lucky to be leading a military battalion at such a young age. Some even privately speculate, wondering what 'clever trick' you've pulled that even I could be 'fooled' by you!"

Zhu Cilang turned around, took a few slow steps, put his hands behind his back, and looked towards a corner of the warehouse filled with weapons and armor. He seemed to be talking to himself, or waiting for some response.

He suddenly stopped and looked back at Ma Bao with a smile on his face:
"Tell me, do their statements make sense?"

The armory was completely silent, the air stagnant. The accompanying officers and attendants all held their breath, their expressions filled with surprise, suspicion, and nervousness, even their postures stiffening.

Upon hearing this, Ma Bao's heart tightened and he quickly bent his body even lower, almost half-kneeling.

He lowered his head and said nothing, with beads of sweat already oozing out of his forehead. He was obviously shocked by Zhu Cilang's words.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Cilang suddenly burst into laughter, and his laughter echoed particularly loudly in the empty armory.

He laughed a few times, then changed his tone again, with a hint of joking in his voice:

"Haha, I can only say that they are truly blind! The most powerful general of our Ming Dynasty is right here, right before my eyes! If he is just a mere battalion commander, wouldn't that be a waste of his talent?"

After saying that, Zhu Cilang strode towards Ma Bao, patted him on the shoulder heavily, raised his head and laughed heartily, his face full of complacency.

Then he strode out of the armory with his head held high, leaving the soldiers standing there.

Ma Bao still maintained a hunched posture with his head lowered, motionless, as if he had even deliberately lightened his breathing.

However, when the crowd gradually dispersed and no one was paying attention, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, and the smug look in his eyes showed that he was satisfied with this test.

A few days ago, Zhu Cilang chose the camp led by Ma Bao as the "first stop" for his first inspection.

Ma Bao's camp became famous because of the great victory in the "Battle of Jinan City", but it also attracted the jealousy and dissatisfaction of many generals. Zhu Cilang had already made plans for this.

He conducted a thorough inspection of Ma Bao's battalion with extremely strict standards, and found dozens of problems, big and small, such as whether the distribution of military equipment was standardized, whether the training was on time, whether the logistics accounts were clear, and even whether the soldiers' military posture was up to standard.

Under a series of rigorous interrogations, Ma Bao remained remarkably calm.

He accepted Zhu Cilang's criticism without complaint and quickly ordered his subordinates to make corrections one by one.

Whenever Zhu Cilang raised a problem in public, he not only did not refute it, but took the initiative to take responsibility. His attitude was humble but not servile, demonstrating strong execution ability.

This kind of cooperation made Zhu Cilang nod secretly, and also made the generals who were watching the fun behind the scenes gradually lose interest.

Through this inspection, Zhu Cilang not only stopped the generals in the army from criticizing Ma Bao, but also further tested Ma Bao's loyalty and execution ability.

After the inspection, Zhu Cilang publicly praised Ma Bao in front of the entire army:
"My battalion commanders are like this, they are the soul of the Ming army! If the Ming Dynasty can be revived in the future, all the generals must follow General Ma's example."

These words made Ma Bao's position in the army more stable, and those who had once questioned him had to shut up temporarily.

After all, if even Ma Bao can cope with the standards that His Majesty personally criticized, what can others say?

However, Zhu Cilang's real intention was far more than that.

He knew that Ma Bao had joined Gao Jie's army and was a representative figure outside the new army system. This was precisely the important reason why he was willing to promote Ma Bao.

Zhu Cilang would never allow his army to become the "family army" or "hereditary army" of certain generals. In order to maintain the vitality and competitiveness of the field army, he had to break down the barriers of internal factions and continuously introduce outstanding generals from outside.

Ma Bao was the first person he operated on.

What’s even more interesting is that when Zhu Cilang raised the inspection standards to the point where they were so strict that even Ma Bao’s battalion almost “crashed”, many generals secretly rejoiced.

However, when these strict standards were applied to them, all the joy turned into endless pressure.

Your Majesty is so harsh on Ma Bao, let alone others?
From now on, anyone who dares to complain about Your Majesty's promotion of new people will be asking for trouble.

Zhu Cilang knew this very well, and he sneered in his heart:

"What I want is the rules of the army, not the old relationships of certain people."

(End of this chapter)