I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 261 The Emperor's Strict Selection! The Young Wanli Emperor's Manifestation at the Military Training Grounds Outside Beijing

June 13th, after the regular court session.

Zhang Rong, the Duke of Yingguo and the chief instructor of Jingwu Academy, Liang Menglong, the deputy chief instructor and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Zhou Linshan, the deputy commander of the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Cavalry Guard, and Shen Nian were all summoned to the Wenhua Hall by the young Wanli Emperor.

Currently, 3,542 soldiers from the nine key border towns have gathered at the military camp on the outskirts of Beijing.

The primary task of the group was to select the thousand men with the greatest potential to become great generals.

Zhang Rong took the lead in bowing and said, "Your Majesty, the military records of the 3,542 soldiers are all in the Five Military Commands. Should we start with the military records, first eliminating those with poor character or from families of officials and military generals, and then determine the final thousand trainees through military and civil examinations?"

Zhang Rong is a steady and reliable person who had already planned out the selection process in advance.

Little Wanli shook his head slightly.

"Misconduct is a thing of the past; no one can guarantee they will never make a mistake. As for those born into families of officials or military generals, or those selected through unconventional means, they actually have a higher probability of producing generals. Besides, I don't trust those military records!"

As soon as these words came out.

Zhang Rong, Liang Menglong, and Zhou Linshan were dumbfounded, unsure of which to choose.

Shen Nian's eyes lit up.

The reliability of military registration information submitted from local authorities is indeed not high.

In addition, from the perspective of civil officials, moral character is the most important, followed by eliminating those with connections, so that ordinary soldiers have a better chance to stand out, and also prevent certain military families from becoming too powerful.

However, from the perspective of the young Emperor Wanli, moral character was not very important, because if moral character were used as the standard for measuring the ability of military generals, talented generals such as Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang would probably have been dismissed long ago.

This was also Zhang Juzheng's strategy for employing people: valuing talent over virtue.

As for those with connections, in the eyes of the young Wanli Emperor, they were also a reflection of ability. The probability of a military family producing a military officer was much higher than that of an ordinary military household.

How can the efforts of one generation of impoverished military families compare to the support of generations of military families?

The second and third generations of military families may include纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) and rascals, but they may also include generals and talented commanders.

The young Wanli Emperor wanted to cultivate generals who could win battles, not mediocre or stubborn generals who were of noble character but self-absorbed.

……

The young Wanli Emperor looked at Zhang Rong.

"Duke of England, tomorrow morning, you shall go to the military camp on the outskirts of the capital and have each soldier wear a badge on his waist that corresponds to his identity. Then, in accordance with the usual training methods of the Five Military Commissions, send several commanders of the Beijing Garrison, including commanders of a thousand and a hundred, to train them."

"Remember this! It's the same loose, sheep-herding training I've seen in the Beijing Garrison. There's no need for deliberate strictness. Otherwise, I'll punish you first!"

"I will order a group of Imperial Guards to infiltrate among them and, according to my standards, select a thousand students for the Elite Martial Arts Academy within ten days. As for what those standards are, you will know them after the selection is completed."

Upon hearing the phrase "training like sheep being let loose," Zhang Rong couldn't help but smile bitterly. The current training in the military camp was indeed terrible.

"I will follow Your Majesty's arrangements!" Zhang Rong said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"We will follow Your Majesty's arrangements!" Liang Menglong, Zhou Linshan, and Shen Nian all bowed at the same time.

Zhang Juzheng had communicated with Zhang Rong, Liang Menglong, Zhou Linshan, and Shen Nian about the Jingwu Academy.

It is rare to see Your Majesty so deeply involved in politics. We can listen to Your Majesty's words in everything. Even if Your Majesty's strategies are wrong, we will just treat them as practice and try our best to encourage Your Majesty.

Shen Nian had no objection to the young Wanli Emperor personally taking charge of this matter.

As the deputy chief instructor of the Jingwu Academy, his role was to inspire the soldiers' loyalty to the emperor and their patriotism.

Shen Nian doesn't speak much during training.

However, now that Shen Nian has become the deputy chief instructor, he will surely gain the soldiers' approval through his lectures, just as Qi Jiguang approved of Zhang Juzheng.

Only in this way can Shen Nian have greater power and do more for this era.

In the future, he will need to possess even greater power than Zhang Juzheng.

……

June 14th, dawn, military camp on the outskirts of Beijing.

Upon hearing the bugle call to begin drills, more than three thousand soldiers from the border town immediately rose from their barracks, dressed themselves neatly, and went to the drill ground.

They quickly assembled in teams of one hundred.

The first item in the training of soldiers in the Beijing garrison was always drill training.

dong dong dong!dong dong dong!
Amidst the beating of drums, the soldiers began to perform various formation drills and marching maneuvers according to instructions.

However, since the soldiers were unfamiliar with each other and the infantry and cavalry were mixed together, the formation was a complete mess.

However, the commanders in charge of the drills did not utter a word of reprimand, and simply let the soldiers complete a series of designated actions in a "makeshift" manner.

In short: the drills were like a play.

After breakfast, the soldiers' drills became more varied.

Some centurions led their soldiers to practice siege scenarios using ladders, battering rams, and other siege equipment; others led their soldiers to simulate reconnaissance scenarios by transmitting signals with flags and horns; still others led their soldiers to practice chariot formation tactics by riding onto four-wheeled war chariots...

After the morning session, the afternoon session focused on sparring between soldiers, such as fighting with wooden swords and blunt guns, and shooting with firearms.

At the end of the day, the soldiers were all somewhat dazed.

They had expected the training in the capital to be much more rigorous, but it turned out to be even more lenient than their daily training; they had expected to patrol and guard the inner and outer palaces, and occasionally be by the emperor's side, with the possibility of being promoted through special privileges, but the emperor never even appeared; they had expected that becoming soldiers in the capital garrison would mean much better food and treatment, but their staple food was still millet and pickled vegetables, not to mention pork, there wasn't even mung bean soup to cool them down in the summer...

In short, those who aspired to become "the emperor's personal guards" found their reality after a day of training to be completely different from what they had imagined.

At this moment, Shi Qing led more than three hundred Imperial Guards, mingling among the soldiers.

The elimination criteria set by Emperor Wanli were as follows: those who were lazy and undisciplined in training would be eliminated; those who loved to complain and gossip would be eliminated; those who bullied the weak and acted aggressively would be eliminated; and those who were withdrawn and taciturn would be eliminated.

To be a general or commander requires comprehensive abilities.

The young Wanli Emperor believed that limited literacy and reading of military books could be improved later, and that climbing the ranks in the army for the purpose of promotion and wealth was not a bad habit.

But once a personality is formed, it is difficult to change.

The difference between capable people and mediocre people mostly lies in their personality.

Therefore, he wanted to eliminate soldiers who he believed had no potential to become generals or commanders.

If there is any accidental injury, then it means we are not meant to be with him.

This was a method of personnel management that he developed under the influence of the Jiajing Emperor.

That evening, Shi Qing and other members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard recorded the identity tags of more than 600 people in a notebook and presented it to the Forbidden City.

These 600-plus soldiers were the first to be eliminated.

Emperor Wanli had absolute trust in Shi Qing, and he enjoyed the feeling of being in control of everything.

……

Early the next morning, at a military camp on the outskirts of Beijing.

At the beginning of the training.

Zhou Linshan, the deputy commander of the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Cavalry Guard, took the list of more than 600 soldiers and read their names one by one, announcing that they had been eliminated and must immediately remove their armor and go to the Nine Borders to rejoin their unit.

Among these eliminated soldiers were experienced officers and corps commanders, as well as firearms soldiers skilled in shooting from a hundred paces.

When they heard their names called, they all looked on in disbelief.

When some soldiers inquired about the reason, Zhou Linshan claimed that the list was personally selected by His Majesty, and then directly expelled them from the military camp.

Some soldiers felt that these people might be connected to the government, some felt that their training attitude was poor, and some felt that their families might have bribed the officials of the Nine Border Regions, so they were directly eliminated.

The soldiers came up with all sorts of reasons.

Over the next two days, hundreds more soldiers withdrew, which made everyone take the drills more seriously.

But what they didn't expect was that, in addition to their ability and attitude during training, their performance during meals, rest, and casual conversations with other soldiers also determined whether they were eliminated.

...In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of training.

In the military camps on the outskirts of Beijing, apart from the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) who had infiltrated, there were only more than 1,400 soldiers left. It was estimated that in two more days, only 1,000 would remain.

And at this moment, inside the Wenhua Hall.

As requested by the young Wanli Emperor, the eunuch Fang Ping presented him with a completed bar chart.

Fang Ping was able to stay by the side of the young Wanli Emperor and serve him.

On the one hand, it was because he was quick-witted, and on the other hand, it was because he was good at drawing various axonometric diagrams.

After experiencing the convenience of axis diagrams, the young Wanli Emperor wanted to find a eunuch who could draw them to serve him. There were some data that he did not want the officials of the outer court to know, including Shen Nian.

After Feng Bao discovered Fang Ping's skill, he recommended him to Emperor Wanli.

In Feng Bao's eyes, with Fang Ping around, Shen Nian would appear less frequently in front of the young Wanli Emperor.

Little did they know, Shen Nian was Fang Ping's tutor in the inner study hall.

This bar chart shows the elimination and retention of more than 3,000 soldiers selected from the nine key border towns.

Among them, Li Chengliang's troops had the highest number of soldiers eliminated, while Qi Jiguang's troops had the fewest eliminated.

This data is sufficient to demonstrate that the military appearance, discipline, and training attitude of Li Chengliang's troops were far inferior to those of Qi Jiguang's troops.

Li Chengliang valued his personal troops in battle, and was accustomed to promising his soldiers great rewards and ordering them to charge into battle, relying almost entirely on his personal prestige.

Qi Jiguang's troops were known for their "strict military discipline and fighting entirely based on discipline."

Based on the results of this troop elimination, the young Wanli Emperor will draft an analysis of the military discipline of the nine key border towns, which will be reviewed by the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet. This will not only demonstrate his abilities to them but also serve as a warning to the generals of the nine key border towns, prompting them to identify and address any shortcomings.

……

Two days later, only nine hundred soldiers remained in the military camp outside Beijing. Emperor Wanli immediately ordered Shi Qing to stop the selection process and led a group of Imperial Guards away from the camp.

These nine hundred people are qualified to be called students of the Jingwu Academy.

……

June 22nd, at dawn.

Military camps on the outskirts of Beijing.

Just as the eight hundred soldiers were nervously training, a convoy suddenly appeared outside the camp. About thirty or forty people dressed as cooks drove large flatbed carts toward the camp's kitchen.

The flatbed cart was loaded with rice, noodles, and vegetables, but what caught the eye most were the live pigs, the live sheep, and the jars of wine.

These soldiers had not touched meat or alcohol for a long time.

As the flatbed convoy happened to pass by the soldiers' training ground, some soldiers counted by eye that there were a total of eighteen pigs and eighteen sheep.

These pigs and sheep were allowed into this military camp, naturally to be prepared for them.

When the officers and soldiers of the nine important border towns won a battle, the standard for rewarding the soldiers was: one pig and two sheep for every hundred soldiers.

Today's offering is twice the original size, and it also includes a large quantity of thirst-quenching and fatigue-relieving beverages.

This made all the soldiers' mouths water, and they felt that today was different from usual.

Before long, a group of Imperial Guards entered the military camp and guarded a high platform directly in front of the drill ground.

after that.

Emperor Wanli, accompanied by instructors Zhang Rong, Liang Menglong, Zhou Linshan, Shen Nian, and others, arrived at the military training ground.

Upon seeing that it was the emperor's entourage, all the soldiers immediately knelt on one knee, and not one dared to raise their heads.

After a while.

The young Wanli Emperor led Shen Nian and the others slowly onto the high platform.

Chief Instructor Zhang Rong, Duke of England, held a document and announced the establishment of the Jingwu Academy to the nine hundred soldiers who were unaware that they were already students of the academy, as well as the selection of the dean and a group of instructors.

The soldiers knelt on the ground, their ears perked up.

Upon hearing that they would be training and studying at the Jingwu Academy as disciples of the Emperor, they were overjoyed.

If they graduate successfully, the emperor will be their patron, and their future will be limitless.

Immediately afterwards, Liang Menglong, the Deputy Chief Instructor and Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, announced the reasons why they were allowed to stay while the rest of the soldiers were eliminated.

Ability, personality, luck, and many other factors are involved, but personality plays the most significant role.

Those who remained, the young Wanli Emperor believed, had the potential to become excellent generals and commanders.

"Now, Your Majesty, the Dean of the Martial Arts Academy, will give instructions to everyone!" Zhang Rong announced loudly.

Immediately, the nine hundred soldiers shouted in unison: Long live! Long live! Long live!
The young Wanli Emperor nodded in satisfaction and said, "Get up, all of you!"

After the group of centurions and instructors in front of them stood up, the nine hundred soldiers all stood up at the same time, each standing very straight, looking straight ahead, not daring to look up at all.

The young Wanli Emperor looked around.

"I select soldiers based on the principle of 'better to have none than to have bad ones.' From this day forward, you nine hundred men will be students of the Elite Martial Arts Academy, and you will be my soldiers!"

My soldiers.

These three words are of extraordinary significance; they represent the highest honor for an ordinary soldier.

"From this day forward, I guarantee that your military pay will be paid on time and in full. I guarantee that you will enjoy the best living conditions in the entire Ming army. I guarantee that your parents, brothers, and sisters will no longer suffer any unfair treatment. I guarantee that as long as you are outstanding enough, you will have the opportunity for special promotion..."

The rain shower that Emperor Wanli bestowed gave the nine hundred soldiers a glimmer of hope.

"Of course, these guarantees are not given for nothing. You will undergo extremely rigorous training, and you will work a hundred times harder than the soldiers of the Nine Borders. My goal is to train you into excellent generals and pillars of the nation. You must understand the responsibilities you bear. If you do not disappoint me, I will not disappoint you either!"

……

"Long live! Long live! Long live!" the nine hundred soldiers shouted in unison once again.

Shen Nian looked at the young Wanli Emperor, who was standing tall with his chest puffed out, and couldn't help but smile with relief.

The entire set of words that Emperor Wanli just recited were written by him personally.

The young Wanli Emperor was very clever. He didn't spout clichéd rhetoric about loyalty to the emperor and serving the country to these soldiers. Instead, he talked about the benefits he could bring to them.

this is correct.

It is the best way to win people's hearts.

Profound truths still need someone like Shen Nian to explain them in detail.

Recently, the young Wanli Emperor has been trying to prove himself in front of Zhang Juzheng and Shen Nian, and he has been doing many things by himself.

This was the inevitable path for the young Wanli Emperor to assume personal rule. Although there was still a touch of childishness in his deliberate attempt to show off, the path he took was very correct.

Shen Nian was very satisfied with his actions.

……

Not long after, after Zhang Rong, the British public, finished reading the rules of Jingwu Academy.

The young Wanli Emperor announced that a banquet would be held at noon, during which he would eat and drink with the instructors and students. The soldiers could drink and eat meat to their heart's content at noon, and everyone would have a half-day rest in the afternoon. The training would proceed as normal the next day.

This move moved the nine hundred soldiers to tears once again.

Being able to drink and eat meat with the current emperor was enough to deter anyone in the village from bullying their family. When they were old and talked about it, even the local magistrates and gentry dared not underestimate them.

Duke Zhang Rong of England was so happy that tears streamed down his face.

He had a vague feeling that once the students of the Martial Arts Academy had grown up, the status of military officers would be elevated.

(End of this chapter)