Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 51: The Organization of the Palace Army (Two in One)

Zhu Cilang stayed at the Nanjing Jingying camp for two days, and received orders to send the official documents originally sent to the palace directly to the military camp.

Although Li Benshen, Hu Maozhen, Tian Xiong and Bai Yongfu brought their servants with them, they still needed people from the Ministry of War to organize and contact them in recruiting new soldiers and supplying military supplies. These were all arranged personally by Zhu Cilang, and he also had to keep the Beijing Camp firmly in his hands.

Not only that, he also personally gave the names of the four new camps, namely "Wuwei Camp", "Wuyong Camp", "Wuyao Camp" and "Wufen Camp".

During this period, the Ming army's military organization was quite chaotic. The Beijing camp, border troops, local standard camps, and garrisons each had their own system, and were even influenced by the personal preferences of local generals. This made it more difficult for local troops to cooperate with each other in combat.

However, the local armies more or less referred to Qi Jiguang's training strategies in the north, and even the layout of the battlefield formations can be seen. The shadow of Qi's army in the north can be seen. The same is true for the southern army, but because of different combat missions and different geographical situations, there are considerable differences between the two sides.

Li Benshen and Hu Maozhen's methods of commanding troops came from the Shaanxi border army, Tian Xiong was from the Xuanfu army, and Bai Yongfu was from Liaozhen. The new camps they each formed with their servants must have their own characteristics.

After Zhu Cilang arranged the money and food for the reconstruction of the Nanjing Beijing Camp, he immediately set off on the third day and rushed to the Palace Army base outside Nanjing City.

During a break on the road, he saw that Shi Kefa was still holding back something, so he called him aside. Shi Kefa had now become the most loyal and good person in the court because of Ma Shiying's sharp confrontation.

Now, the Nanjing court is in need of people. Zhu Cilang does not want these ministers who are in favor of war, can get things done, and have strong bottom lines and principles to retire in anger as they did in history, allowing the positions in the court to be occupied by treacherous people.

"Do you still think it's wrong for me to rebuild the Jinyiwei?" Zhu Cilang asked the stubborn minister.

"I dare not!" Shi Kefa bowed slightly, clasped his hands and replied.

"If you don't dare, then who are you showing this expression to?" Zhu Cilang snorted coldly, then said:

"The Jinyiwei hasn't been rebuilt yet, and Zhou Shixian has already achieved such results. If it is rebuilt in the future, don't you think it will be of greater help to the court, the Northern Expedition, and the revival of the Ming Dynasty?"

"I am just worried," Shi Kefa paused, and finally said, "If the Jinyiwei deceives their superiors and subordinates, everyone in the court will be in danger, which will ruin the whole thing."

"With me here, how dare Zhou Shixian allow the Jinyiwei to cause trouble?" Zhu Cilang shouted in a completely unquestionable tone. However, he quickly restrained his emotions and said quietly:

"Master Shi, it seems you don't believe I can control the Imperial Guards!"

"I dare not!" Shi Kefa was shocked when he heard Zhu Cilang deliberately address him as "Lord". He responded very awkwardly, but after pausing and recovering his composure, he immediately said:

"Your Highness traveled south in times of crisis and restored order. You are a sage ruler rarely seen in history. However, to govern the world, one must win the hearts of the people with virtue. Why must you end up like this?"

"Conquer people with virtue?" Zhu Cilang looked at Shi Kefa, who clasped his hands and bowed at the waist. Then he shook his head and smiled, "Didn't Master Shi read all the words in the sage's book? Which sage ever said that conquering people with virtue alone, without the support of power or profit, can pacify the world?"

"." Shi Kefa was speechless for a moment.

"Everything depends on human effort. Whether the Jinyiwei is a powerful tool for the revival of the Ming Dynasty or a disaster, it all depends on how I use them.

Just like Ma Shiying, you Shi Kefa think he is hateful, but to me, he is a useful talent. In the future, it will not only be officials from Nanjing who will enter the cabinet. By then, maybe you will also think that Ma Shiying has a good side. "

Shi Kefa understood what Zhu Cilang meant. It was impossible for the cabinet to always be composed of people who shared the same political views as him. Even people who originally shared the same political views as him would turn against each other because of certain things. However, he still could not accept a treacherous person like Ma Shiying.

"I understand. I will definitely put aside my prejudice regarding the Jinyiwei. As for Ma Shiying, I will also put aside my past grudges with him." Although Shi Kefa said that on the surface, he still disagreed in his heart.

"I know what you're thinking. I'm not trying to convince you this time. I just want you to focus on your work and work for the welfare of the country and the people. In this world, is there anything you can do as you please?" Zhu Cilang sighed, then smiled bitterly.

"That's why I need the Imperial Guard, I need Ma Shiying, I need you, Shi Kefa, I need Gao Hongtu, and even more so, I need Mr. Meng."

Upon hearing this, Shi Kefa suddenly sensed the bitterness hidden in Zhu Cilang's words. But before he could say anything, Zhu Cilang waved his hand, signaling him to continue on to the Palace Army's headquarters.

Rebuilding the Beijing Camp and reviewing the Palace Army were things Zhu Cilang had to do before ascending the throne. Only in this way could he determine the appointments of the various troops upon ascending the throne to show his favor.

Soon, the group arrived at the Palace Army's base in the north of Nanjing. Although Chang Denggui had not received orders in advance, the Palace Army had strict military discipline and the barracks were not easy to enter. Zhu Cilang and his group were stopped on the outskirts.

Finally, after reporting along the way, Chang Denggui led the newly appointed captains of each camp out of the camp to welcome them personally, and reported to Zhu Cilang the current organizational status of each camp of the Palace Army.

"Your Highness, the more than 3,000 boatmen who followed the army south, the other 2,000 boatmen who eventually reached Huai'an, and the more than 3,000 young and strong men recruited from Nanzhili, nearly 8,000 soldiers and horses have been reorganized. Currently, the various battalions will not be organized into thousand-man headquarters, but will be organized into departments and bureaus as the basic organization.

The Tianwei Central Camp, Tianwu Left Camp, Tianfen Right Camp, and Tianqi Rear Camp granted by His Highness have now been basically established. The battalion officers of each camp have not been appointed yet, but each flag team, bureau, and department have already appointed temporary officers.

These officers are composed of two parts. One part is the officers and elite armored soldiers under the command of me and General Chen, who mainly serve as battalion commanders and hundred commanders. The other part is the leaders of the various trackers who performed outstandingly during the southward journey, who mainly serve as flag commanders, and a small number of them serve as hundred commanders.

Under the adjustments made by Chang Denggui, the commander-in-chief of the Palace Army, each battalion has basically established its organizational framework, but the final selection of officers will still take some time.

Now, the Palace Army has three combat battalions and one cavalry battalion under its command. The main generals who followed Zhu Cilang all the way to Nanjing since the breakout from Beijing have all been promoted. However, if they want to make further progress, they still have to be personally assessed by Zhu Cilang in three months.

Although most of these officers and soldiers have battlefield experience, Zhu Cilang has to see them in person to determine whether they have the ability to lead troops.

After all, the positions of battalion commander, captain and battalion commander are not suitable for just any servant.

"How is the literacy of the reserve officers in each battalion, and how are they doing in reading military books?" Zhu Cilang asked after listening to Chang Denggui's report.

"We have already bought Qi Shaobao's New Book of Effectiveness, Records of Military Training, and Miscellaneous Collections of Records of Military Training, all of which are available around Nanjing. Even though most people can't read well nowadays, many details of training are based on past experience." Chang Denggui bowed again and clasped his hands.

These books were very popular in the late Ming Dynasty and could be bought everywhere, especially by military officers of the Ming Dynasty. Anyone who could read would buy one or two copies to read.

After hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded and then ordered:
"The issue of officers learning to read must be expedited. In addition to fully notifying all officers of the specific requirements for appointment and dismissal, a ranking system must be established within ten days.

Those reserve officers who are in the top five, regardless of rank, will have the opportunity to see me directly in three months. If they are in the bottom five, no matter what, they will only be promoted to flag commander at most, and will also be fined three months' military pay."

"Yes!" Chang Denggui clasped his hands together, without questioning Zhu Cilang's order. Zhu Cilang's primary concern was the training and appointment of officers, which was also intended to establish his absolute leadership over the army.

At this time, the title was just used to scare people. Although Chang Denggui and Chen Fu could both be granted the title of Duke based on their merits, it could not actually be used that way, otherwise they would not be able to be granted another title if they made meritorious contributions in the future.

"In addition, the soldiers will first be trained in the most basic formations and physical fitness, and personal skills training will also be intensified. They will first be made to understand the sound of bugles and drums. The remaining training will be carried out after officers of all levels are selected.

For specific training, you will carry out it based on your own battlefield experience and the records in the military manuals. Remember, as long as you don't die from training, train until you die. Within three months, I must see a completely different look on them."

"Here!"

Although Zhu Cilang had received modern military training and learned a lot of military tactics in his previous life, the era he lived in was too far away from the late Ming Dynasty.

During this period, cold and hot weapons were still used in combination, and cavalry was still the strongest military force on the battlefield. The things Zhu Cilang learned later in life could not be said to be completely useless, but many of them were indeed useless.

After all, any method of training and employing troops needs to be linked to the quality of the soldiers and their weapons and equipment. Qi Jiguang's highly practical military tactics are undoubtedly the most suitable for this era and are also the most mature and effective method of training troops in the current Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Cilang planned to use this as a foundation to train the boatmen he recruited and the young men selected from the Beijing Camp into his first strong army. Then, he would combine his later learning and his foresight on the military changes of this era to improve the army, including standardization, systematic training of soldiers, training of officers, and establishment of training units.
Of course, the construction of the "Ming Dynasty Royal Military Academy" will be gradually carried out in the future, and the talent base has not yet been established.

The current financial resources of the Nanjing court are not enough to support nearly 100,000 troops in various provinces and tribes in the south, and at the same time have the spare capacity to allow Zhu Cilang to train 100,000 strong soldiers at once.

Moreover, training soldiers requires not only money but also people. Zhu Cilang now has less than a hundred veterans, as well as the new recruits these veterans have just brought up, and some officers selected from the Fengyang Standard Camp, the Huaiyang Governor's Standard Camp, and the Nanjing Beijing Camp. He can only train a maximum of 10,000 new soldiers.

If more old-school officers are recruited, the bad habits of other armies will inevitably be brought to the Palace Army and will not be curbed.

According to Zhu Cilang's army building plan, the Palace Army, as the core main field army under his command, will be composed of combat battalions, cavalry battalions, and firearms battalions.

The combat battalion is mainly composed of infantry soldiers, and currently uses muskets, spears, swords and shields as its main weapons. It is also equipped with light artillery such as tiger squat cannons and French cannons. The full strength of the battalion is more than 2,600 people.

The Tiger Crouching Cannon and the French Cannon were capable of being produced by Ming Dynasty craftsmen. As for the four-pound cannon that would be more powerful and more suitable for field battles in the future, it would have to wait until officials recruited craftsmen from Guangdong, Fujian, and even Macau.

The cavalry battalion's main weapons are bows, spears, swords and axes. In the future, it will also be equipped with lighter tiger squat cannons that fire shotgun shells. The basic organization is not much different from that of the combat battalion.

Zhu Cilang even planned to equip some of the cavalry battalions with muskets in the future, but the productivity of the firearms workshop is far from keeping up. This plan, like the four-pound cannon, is still in the conceptual stage.

Moreover, with the war horses Zhu Cilang currently possesses, excluding the scout horses needed by each army, he can only muster a cavalry force of one thousand at most.

In addition, his troops must also have baggage transport battalions, navy, etc. These are necessary supplements to the main combat forces. They may not be conspicuous in the war, but they are all indispensable. Otherwise, the power of combat soldiers, muskets, artillery, and cavalry will be difficult to exert.

Among them, Zhu Cilang had no idea about the navy. He did not trust the Nanjing water camp. Those ships could be used, but the soldiers were useless. He planned to win over the Zheng family and then transfer the Zheng family navy in Fujian to Nanjing.

Zheng Hongkui and Zheng Sen, one has prestige and the other has unlimited potential. It will be no problem for them to build an invincible navy by then.

Now, for the reorganization of the army, the most urgent issue is the corresponding firearms equipment. Although there are still many swords and guns in the Nanjing arsenal, most of the old and backward artillery and muskets are unusable. Whether it is large artillery or small and medium-sized artillery to be equipped to each battalion in the future, Zhu Cilang still has to find a way to organize production.

However, this matter could not be rushed. Zhu Cilang still had to coordinate with various departments, recruit craftsmen from Guangdong and Fujian, and especially send envoys to Macau to recruit a mercenary group to assist him in building bastions in Jianghuai and training firearms troops.

Now, the construction of the Palace Army is just the beginning. The training, supply, weapons and equipment of the army are all problems that Zhu Cilang needs to solve.

In particular, the resettlement of the military and their families has always been in irreconcilable conflict with the local people.

These more than 10,000 troops and more than 20,000 family members who accompanied them have now all been settled by Zhu Cilang in the suburbs of various prefectures and counties, basically in battalions, and will later be dispersed to several surrounding prefectures for training.

Their camp construction, food and salary supply, as well as supporting weapons and equipment, military uniforms and tents were nominally allocated by the Nanjing court.

Zhu Cilang wanted to make the most of these people and also had to think about reducing the burden on the troops. If a child was over fourteen years old, he would also be counted as a member of the adult population.

After all, if these men were raised for another two or three years, they could be sent to the battlefield or work in workshops, which would reduce the burden on the army's pensions. Furthermore, soldiers like these would be absolutely loyal.

Of course, the funds allocated by the Ministry of Revenue were only a part of the total amount and could not meet all the needs of the army. Zhu Cilang was unable to directly increase the salaries of the Palace Army and could only supplement them through the internal treasury.

Otherwise, he would have to raise the military pay standards of other armies, otherwise the morale of the troops would be shaken.

To train an elite soldier from scratch, at least thirty-five taels of silver are needed in the first year, and fifty taels for cavalry. However, the current military salary standard of the Ming Dynasty is not enough, especially when training according to the requirements of strengthening the army.

If the silver allocated by the Ministry of Revenue is to meet the equipment standards of a strong army, the soldiers will have to starve to death. If the soldiers are to be well fed, the weapons and equipment in their hands will be useless.

If the officers continue to be corrupt, the soldiers may not only starve, but also lack high-quality weapons, let alone maintain high-frequency training.

This is why the generals in the late Ming Dynasty adopted servants. After they embezzled the military pay they received, they could only equip a small number of servants. Then, more than a hundred servants would lead thousands of "refugees" with incomplete armor and weapons to fight.

The cost of training and maintaining the field army during this period was extremely high. A regular force of 100,000 required at least 4 million taels of silver a year to maintain training and combat.

In the current financial system of the Ming Dynasty, for every additional one million in taxes collected by the national treasury, at least two to three million would go into the pockets of officials and gentry. More than half of the taxes collected with great effort would be embezzled by officials at all levels, and it would be a blessing if half of the money and grain issued from the national treasury could reach the hands of the soldiers.

This is the financial problem of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Cilang must reform it, but the ice is three feet thick and it didn't freeze overnight. He cannot solve these problems in a short time.

Fortunately, he still had nearly two million taels of military pay donated by enthusiastic members of the Zhu family and Huai'an salt merchants. Before he reorganized the financial and taxation system of the Nanjing court, these military pay and the silver allocated by the Ministry of Revenue were enough for him to build a strong army of ten thousand people from scratch.

　Thanks to book friend Yuekenlu Dazhuang for the reward.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)