I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 322 Martial Arts Lesson Demonstration! Shen Nian: Martial arts address the symptoms, literary arts address the root cause.

The daily lecture ended on October 11th.

More than twenty military officers from the five Grand Secretaries, the Ministry of War, and the Five Military Commissions arrived at the Wenhua Hall.

The military officers specifically requested to be present at the hearing.

They couldn't believe that Shen Nian, who had barely touched the affairs of the Ministry of War since entering officialdom and had only received the assignment to give a trial lecture yesterday afternoon with virtually no time to prepare, could still deliver such a captivating lecture on military strategy.

Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Shen Shixing, and Wang Xijue were filled with curiosity, eager to hear what surprises Shen Nian could bring them.

In this kind of setting, the absence of surprises is clearly not Shen Nian's style.

The young Wanli Emperor was fond of watching a good show and enjoyed seeing friction between civil and military officials.

He would be even happier if he could make the military officer suffer a setback.

The teaching level and knowledge displayed by these military officers truly disappointed the young Wanli Emperor.

……

After a while.

Civil and military officials stood in two rows, and the young Wanli Emperor also came to the throne.

After the officials finished their greetings, the young Wanli Emperor announced loudly, "The trial lectures on martial arts can begin!"

Just as Shen Nian was about to step forward, Zhang Rong, the Duke of Yingguo who was in charge of the Left Army Commandery, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, there are rules for trial lectures. Military officers are limited to 'The Art of War,' 'Six Secret Teachings,' and 'Three Strategies.' Grand Secretary Shen should also abide by these rules; otherwise, no matter how well he speaks, he cannot be considered excellent!"

After speaking, Zhang Rong blushed, but still stood up straight.

Hear this.

Smiles appeared on the faces of Emperor Wanli, Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and others.

Zhang Rong was usually very kind to Shen Nian.

However, today's matter involves the reputation of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions, and he did not want to be embarrassed. In addition, he knew that Shen Nian could make anything he said sound interesting, so he specifically mentioned the rules again.

Xiao Wanli looked at Shen Nian and asked, "Shen Qing, is there a problem?"

Shen Nian strode to the center of the hall and said loudly, "Your Majesty, no problem. What I want to talk about is the third chapter of the Six Secret Teachings, namely, the Military Teachings: Civil Warfare."

Upon hearing this topic, the officials couldn't help but perk up.

The Six Secret Teachings, also known as the Six Secret Teachings of Taigong or the Art of War by Taigong, was compiled from dialogues between Jiang Taigong and King Wen and King Wu of Zhou.

Officials all believed that the section of the Six Secret Teachings most suitable for Shen Nian to discuss was actually the Section on Literary Teachings.

The "Wen Tao" is full of strategies for governing the country and employing people, and how to win the hearts of the people, so it leans towards planning; while the "Wu Tao" focuses on practical strategies.

at the same time.

Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Jiang Zun, the Director of the Department of Military Affairs of the Ministry of War, instantly became tense.

Because the two of them had the same topic as Shen Nian!

The two men served as a point of reference; if Shen Nian spoke exceptionally well, they would be even more embarrassed.

“Let’s begin!” said the young Wanli, sitting up straight.

Shen Nian took a step forward and looked around with a serious expression.

At this moment, apart from the four Grand Secretaries, all the other officials couldn't help but stand up straight, subconsciously feeling as if they had returned to school as students.

That's Shen Nian's aura!

He possessed an air of gentlemanly refinement, and when he spoke in court, most officials dared not interrupt.

Shen Nian adjusted his breathing and said loudly, "King Wen asked Taigong, 'What is the method of civil warfare?' Taigong replied, 'There are twelve stages in civil warfare... If these twelve methods of civil warfare are mastered, then we can raise an army to attack enemy states, and we will surely win the battle.'" (See the image; further details regarding word count are omitted).

"In my opinion, these twelve methods of verbal attack are no longer applicable to external forces, but can only be used for internal self-reflection."

"There are three reasons. First, there are no powerful states surrounding the Ming Dynasty. Second, the harm caused by internal strife is greater than that caused by external strife. Third, civil warfare is not a substitute for military warfare, but should replace military warfare."

Shen Nian's opening remarks were straightforward and full of practical advice, without any fancy techniques.

All the civil and military officials could understand Shen Nian's meaning.

Given the current state of the Ming Dynasty, the twelve-section method of military strategy in the "Six Secret Teachings" was indeed of little use.

Shen Nian's opening remarks were clearly different from the trial lectures given by Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, and Jiang Zun, the Director of the Department of Military Affairs of the Ministry of War.

When the two discussed this topic, they delved into the details of the twelve methods of civil warfare and explained how the generals of the nine border regions adapted them.

Shen Nian stated frankly: "Abandon external use, use it only for introspection."

The military officers were not unaware of this, nor were they unable to think of it.

But if we abandon the series of methods of verbal warfare left by our ancestors, what method should we adopt?

The military officers knew that some of their strategies and tactics were ineffective, but since they couldn't think of anything better, they had to make do.

They could understand the first two reasons Shen Nian gave, but they were curious about how Shen Nian's third reason could be valid.

Shen Nian continued, "Your Majesty and your colleagues are surely aware of the first two reasons, so I will not go into detail. Now I will talk about the third reason."

"Why do I say that civil warfare is not a prelude to military warfare, but should replace military warfare?"

“Wenfa” means to attack others through literary means.

"Now, our dynasty faces potential external threats from the Mongol tribes in the north, the Jurchen peoples in the northeast, the Tibetan tribes in the northwest, the chieftain tribes in the southwest, and even the Japanese pirates who may re-emerge due to the revival of maritime trade..."

"In terms of military force, the army of our Great Ming is not afraid of either side and can afford to fight. However, once military force begins, there are no winners. Even the smallest battle will inevitably result in casualties and will cost a lot of money. At present, based on the strength and current situation of our Great Ming, we should adopt a more suitable approach of civil warfare. Below, I will mention a few methods."

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Upon hearing this, the officials couldn't help but crane their necks.

Some even stood on tiptoe and pricked up their ears, drawn to this military theory they had never heard of before.

"Firstly, there is the cultural war, or cultural conquest. Currently, while maritime trade is important, culture is paramount. We must export our language, clothing, food, housing, customs, and habits to other cultures, encouraging them to adopt them. Once their customs and traditions resemble ours, they will naturally become one family. Conversely, if their habits differ, they will forever harbor resentment..."

"Secondly, there is the trade war, which is also a resource war. Compared to the northern barbarians, our dynasty lacks warhorses; compared to overseas regions, our dynasty lacks silver, lacquerware, spices, etc., while they lack tea, cloth, porcelain, medicinal herbs, etc. If we can completely control overseas trade, we can strangle other countries and tribes, making it more costly for them to wage war..."

"Thirdly, the battle of technology, or technological warfare. Do you all remember the Song Dynasty's heavily armored cavalry, the Western Xia's Iron Falcons, the Liao Dynasty's Iron Forest Army, and the Yuan Dynasty's heavy armored cavalry? Why are there no heavy cavalry now? Because of the maturity of firearms, which are the natural nemesis of heavy cavalry... In the future, what may defeat cavalry is not a more powerful cavalry, but another kind of technology. Therefore, technology is very important. The court should not only provide funding to support technology, but also continuously absorb technology from overseas countries..."

"Fourth, the battle of public opinion. A just cause represents justice and the will of the people. As the Ming Dynasty prospers, we should also promote our national prestige abroad, so that people in overseas countries will yearn for the lives of our people..."

"The most suitable way for a large country to deal with a small country is to control it and set rules. This is the essence of the policy of civil warfare, which makes them unable to leave the Ming Dynasty and need to rely on the Ming Dynasty for survival. In this way, wars will be reduced a lot."

"My attitude toward war is that we should not fight unless absolutely necessary. If we do fight, we should plan for the long term and launch the war only on the premise that the Ming Dynasty will not be in chaos, the people's livelihood will not be affected, and the national treasury will not be drained!"

……

"If civil campaigns cannot stop the war, then war must be used to stop the war. The use of force should always be the last resort, but we must not underestimate the power of force or the importance of the army, because it is the last line of defense for the Ming Dynasty. It must be as solid as the Great Wall and must be able to win with a single blow. This is the most cost-effective way to wage war!"

Shen Nian looked at the young Wanli Emperor and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that these methods of civil warfare are what you should be considering and should plan ahead with your officials. A ruler should have a long-term vision and proceed step by step. As for how to fight and what formation to use, that is a matter for the generals to consider!"

……

After saying that, Shen Nianchao took two steps back, which meant that he had finished his trial lecture.

Shen Nian's explanation wasn't actually very profound. In short, he used a series of new literary techniques to thoroughly explain the essence of war.

War is not about fighting, but about the distribution of benefits.

The method of literary warfare that Shen Nian mentioned is the most cost-effective way to distribute benefits.

Shen Nian's brilliance lies in his ability to articulate the new nature of the Wenfa (a military strategy), and through this art, he teaches the young Wanli Emperor what war is and how the Ming Dynasty should treat its neighboring countries in the future.

He made the young Wanli Emperor understand that a wise ruler must plan for the long term with a vision spanning a hundred years, so that the Ming Dynasty can last a long time.

What Shen Nian said was exactly what a monarch should learn, and it was also what he wanted to promote and implement in the future.

The other military generals all talked about strategies and methods that generals and commanders should learn.

In comparison, Shen Nian's level is at least three levels higher than theirs.

Furthermore, from Shen Nian's relaxed tone, everyone could tell that Shen Nian was merely testing the waters.

The young Wanli Emperor could not hide the smile on his face.

He could tell from the faces of the officials below that Shen Nian had won a complete victory.

Emperor Wanli greatly admired Shen Nian's ability to detach himself from the subject matter, a level of insight that even Zhang Juzheng sometimes struggled to achieve.

Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Wang Xijue, and Shen Shixing all wore smiles.

The method of warfare that Shen Nian described is the most suitable for the Ming Dynasty at present, and it is also the best way to ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

……

At this time.

Led by Duke Zhang Rong of England and Vice Minister Liang Menglong of the Ministry of War, the military officers all bowed and clasped their hands in greeting to Shen Nian.

This action demonstrates that the military officers were completely convinced of the superiority of the officers.

The young Wanli Emperor said, "It seems that I can only continue to trouble Minister Shen to serve as my military instructor!"

“It is my duty to teach Your Majesty, and I am deeply honored!” Shen Nian said, bowing.

At this time.

Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, may I ask Grand Secretary Shen a question?"

"Okay!" Little Wanli nodded.

Wang Yi'e bowed slightly to Shen Nian and said, "The northern nomadic peoples who live by following the water and grass and the Jurchen people who live in the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River and live by fishing and hunting have existed for thousands of years. The former believe in the Eternal Heaven, while the latter believe in shamanism and tribal traditions. They do not respect Confucianism and believe in Confucianism. They have never been Sinicized. Moreover, they have had a common goal for generations: to enter the Central Plains. To deal with these barbarians, I am afraid that verbal warfare is useless. We can only suppress them by force!"

Wang Yi'e paused for a moment, then added, "The reason I have this concern is that after Grand Secretary Shen's remarks today, I'm afraid a cultural war and a trade war will break out, but they won't have any effect. So I would like to ask Grand Secretary Shen to explain."

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

"It's not that rhetoric is useless, but rather that the gap between them and us is not large enough!"

"Both the Mongols and the Jurchens were skilled in horsemanship and archery because they were primarily nomadic hunters. When I was talking about technological warfare earlier, I said something like, 'In the future, what might defeat cavalry is not a more powerful cavalry, but another kind of technology.'"

"If one day our firearms and artillery develop to the point that defeating their cavalry is as easy as hunting; if our planting, breeding, and weaving techniques enable the Ming Dynasty to possess ten times more grain, cloth, and livestock than it does now; if our living standards, ease of travel, commercial order, and the happiness of our people far surpass theirs... if they... if they do not come closer to us, the gap between us will be like the gap between us and monkeys in the forest; they will inevitably face extinction..."

"Of course, this timeframe could be a hundred, two hundred, five hundred, or even a thousand years, but if we start planning now, we can achieve this day sooner!"

……

Officials all knew that Shen Nian liked to make empty promises during his lectures.

They couldn't imagine how firearms could be improved, how grain yields could be increased tenfold, or how the world could be improved.

But what Shen Nian said gave them the impression that all these specific methods were in Shen Nian's head.

Actually, Shen Nian had already restrained herself from speaking.

He believed that with him around, the First Industrial Revolution would surely unfold with the Ming Dynasty at its center, and that once the "steam engine" was available, the world's development would accelerate rapidly.

"Been taught a lesson!"

Wang Yi'e bowed to Shen Nian, not quite understanding, but firmly believing that Shen Nian's strategy was correct.

at this time.

Jiang Zun, a senior official in the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs, stepped forward, cupped his hands towards the young Wanli Emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask Grand Secretary Shen a more practical question."

Seeing the military officers below eager to try their skills, the young Wanli Emperor seemed poised to stump Shen Nian with his questions.

"Shen Qing is to serve as my military instructor, not yours. If you have any questions, you can discuss them below!" Little Wanli looked at Jiang Zun and said, "This is the last question!"

Jiang Zun was overjoyed.

His question was particularly appropriate for this occasion, and would not have been suitable for asking in court or in private.

Jiang Zun cupped his hands to Shen Nian and said, “Currently, the military strength of our Great Ming is mostly deployed in the Nine Garrisons. The most serious problem in the Nine Garrisons is that the soldiers are owned by their generals, and there are many private armies and family troops. Not only are soldiers in the Nine Garrisons called by these names, but even the common people in the country call them by these names. This is a great hidden danger in the Nine Garrisons. The soldiers in the Nine Garrisons are all soldiers of the imperial court. How can they have private names? May I ask Grand Secretary Shen, how should we avoid this hidden danger?”

Upon hearing this question, the young Wanli Emperor and his officials all cautiously looked at Zhang Juzheng.

This situation exists because of Zhang Juzheng's indulgence.

However, Zhang Juzheng relied on his ability to make border generals such as Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang obey his orders.

Without Zhang Juzheng's suppression, military commanders like Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang, who held significant military power, would either have been transferred or forced to retire.

This is a very difficult question to answer, and there is currently no proper solution.

If the military commander is replaced, the fighting capacity will immediately collapse, and chaos will easily break out in the nine border regions.

Shen Nian paused for a moment before replying, "Soldiers belong to their generals, and the rampant private armies and personal troops are not the fault of the generals of the nine border regions, but rather a result of the rigidity of our dynasty's military system. At present, this is not a problem at all, because not a single general of the nine border regions is disloyal to the court or to His Majesty."

"As for how to resolve this, the answer is already clear: His Majesty proposed the establishment of the Martial Arts Academy. Several years later, most of the generals in the military camps and garrisons across the land will be graduates of the Martial Arts Academy and students of the Emperor. In that case, no military general will dare to usurp power or plot rebellion."

Upon hearing this, the young Wanli Emperor immediately straightened his back.

His initial proposal was to establish an internal military force, but later, at Shen Nian's suggestion, it was changed to the Jingwu Academy.

Currently, the establishment of the Jingwu Academy has become the most outstanding new reform policy proposed by Emperor Wanli since he ascended the throne.

Jiang Zun couldn't help but admire Shen Nian's wisdom.

Shen Nian's answer did not mention Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang, but referred to all the generals and commanders of the nine border regions in general, in order to prevent the two from being transferred.

Furthermore, answering this question with the talent cultivation goals of the "Jingwu Academy" made the young Wanli Emperor feel extremely proud, which can be described as a rather sophisticated form of flattery.

"Thank you for your answers, Grand Secretary Shen!" Jiang Zun returned to the queue.

If he had any further doubts, it would involve suspecting that Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang were using their military power to their advantage and were plotting a rebellion.

He would never dare to raise such suspicions without a single piece of evidence.

"Cough...cough..."

The young Wanli Emperor coughed twice, looked down, and said, "That's all for today!"

(End of this chapter)