I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

February 13th, afternoon, the weather was dry and cold.

Ministry of War, Minister's Office.

Shen Nian sat at the large table, reading very carefully the "Plan for Establishing a Firearms Battalion" submitted by Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

This plan was finalized before the end of the year.

The project underwent more than 30 revisions during this period, and also incorporated suggestions from border generals such as Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang.

The main task of the firearms battalion was to research and improve firearms, specifically muskets and cannons.

Before the establishment of the firearms battalion, there were three main government departments responsible for researching and improving firearms.

One was the Weapons Bureau among the Twenty-Four Bureaus of the Inner Court, another was the Ordnance Bureau under the Ministry of Works, and the third was the Divine Machine Battalion in the Beijing Garrison.

However, these three government departments were mainly engaged in manufacturing and maintenance, and rarely produced any surprising inventions or creations.

The Imperial Armory was skilled in forging ironware, and the firearms it produced were mostly used by palace guards. They were the most expensive to manufacture, but their quality was undoubtedly the best.

The Ministry of Works' Ordnance Bureau was responsible for supplying all the weapons to the regular army and overseeing the production of weapons for local garrisons; firearms were just one part of this process.

As for the Shenji Battalion, they were soldiers who used firearms in combat. They trained with firearms and over time, they developed the ability to repair them.

After the establishment of the Firearms Battalion, it will absorb the strengths of these three government departments, and even recruit clerks and soldiers from the Ministry of Works and the Divine Machine Battalion, making them members of the Ministry of War's Firearms Battalion.

Emperor Wanli issued an edict stating that "the preparation of the firearms battalion shall be handled by the Ministry of War," which meant that the focus of future firearms research and improvement would be placed on the firearms battalion.

The focus of this strategy is research and development.

It will absorb all those skilled in casting firearms from the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, including those in iron smelting, gunpowder manufacturing, and fire-starting tube improvement.

The plan is to establish a research and development team of about 2,000 people, with benefits and compensation far exceeding those of ordinary soldiers.

After reading the "Plan for Establishing a Firearms Battalion", Shen Nian stamped his seal and signed his name on it.

He was very satisfied with this strategy.

After that, Shen Nian began to peruse the documents from the Ministry of War.

Shen Nian knew that he had theory but no practice and only focused on "metaphysics," lacking a thorough understanding of the specific affairs of the Ministry of War. Therefore, his next goal was to spend two months reading through all the major events, important memorials and documents submitted by the Ministry of War over the past three years.

In this way, when problems arise in the Ministry of War that require reform, he will be able to offer concrete suggestions and strategies.

Therefore, Shen Nian decided that for the next two months, unless there were other important matters, he would stay in the Cabinet Office before noon and in the Ministry of War Hall after noon.

In order to solidify the new law, he needed to control the power of the Ministry of War.

……

On February 17th, around noon, the daily lecture ended.

Shen Nian returned to the cabinet office.

Knowing that Shen Nian had been busy with the affairs of the Ministry of War, Zhang Juzheng handed over most of the memorials that needed to be drafted to other cabinet ministers.

However, Shen Nian still needed to review some important political matters.

Wang Jia, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, was skilled at organizing matters. Every day before noon, he would present Shen Nian with a list of important government affairs and topics of great interest to the common people, which greatly improved Shen Nian's work efficiency.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon.

Shen Nian, who was sitting on the large chair, rubbed her temples to relieve some of her fatigue before standing up.

Time for lunch!
Just then, Wang Jia, a scribe in the Imperial Secretariat, rushed into Shen Nian's room from outside, panting, and said, "Your Excellency, something bad has happened... something bad has happened! The meritorious officials of the Five Military Commissions and the officials of the Ministry of War have started fighting at the Ministry of War, involving nearly twenty civil and military officials!"

"What? Why are they fighting?"

"I...I...don't know!" Wang Jia gasped for breath.

Shen Nian stood up and said as he walked out, "Quickly inform Wang Youtang of the Ministry of War, and also inform the Duke of Yingguo, the Duke of Dingguo, and... and the Earl of Zhangwu who oversees the military affairs of the capital garrison!"

Currently, the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War jointly manage the Beijing Garrison, but due to the power of the Ministry of War, the Five Military Commissions have been virtually rendered powerless.

The Five Military Commissions only had the authority to manage the military registers, training, and hereditary military officers of the garrisons, plus the authority to train the soldiers of the Beijing Garrison.

To put it bluntly, the Five Military Commissions were more like stewards of the Ministry of War. They could only do what the Ministry of War told them to do, and had no decision-making power whatsoever.

The relationship between the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War has always been strained, and this is not the first time they have quarreled and fought.

But this time there were nearly twenty people, which surprised Shen Nian.

Shen Nian guessed that the conflict between the two sides was most likely due to the management of the Beijing garrison.

The Beijing Garrison was jointly managed by the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War.

Currently, Yang Bing, former military governor and Earl of Zhangwu, is in charge of the military administration of the Beijing Garrison, while Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, assists in the administration of the Beijing Garrison.

Although Wang Yi'e was an assistant administrator, he had the support of the young Wanli Emperor and the cabinet, so he was often able to control the Earl of Zhangwu.

To resolve such disputes, it is necessary to summon the leaders from both sides; otherwise, it will be difficult to completely resolve the issue.

Upon hearing this, Wang Jia said, "I've heard that the ringleaders of this fight are the Earl of Zhangwu and Wang Youtang of the Ministry of War!"

"what?"

Shen Nian's mind was in a mess, and she felt increasingly incredulous.

Although the Ministry of War held more real power than the Five Military Commissions, the heads of the Five Military Commissions were all nobles. Under normal circumstances, Wang Yi'e would have to bow to Yang Bing, the Earl of Zhangwu, first.

After all, meritorious officials were nobles from outside the Ming Dynasty and enjoyed special privileges.

If lower-ranking officials were to fight, it was nothing unusual; arguing and fighting were truly a characteristic of the Ming Dynasty's officialdom.

But when these two started the fight, the matter escalated completely.

Shen Nian immediately strode out of the cabinet office.

At the same time, the four Grand Secretaries Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Shen Shixing, and Wang Xijue also stepped forward.

They had all heard the news and found it unbelievable.

A quarter of an hour later.

When the five cabinet ministers arrived at the Ministry of War's front courtyard, the fight had ended, but the scene before them astonished them all.

The Ministry of War's front courtyard was divided into two factions.

On the left are officials and clerks from the Five Military Commands, numbering at least thirty.

Leading the group were not only Earl of Zhangwu Yang Bing, but also the over-sixty-year-old Duke of Dingguo Xu Wenbi and Duke of Yingguo Zhang Rong.

Standing behind these three were the officials of the Five Military Commissions' Records Office, including the clerks, judges, and a group of unranked clerks.

These people all seemed to have been involved in the fight; some had injuries on their faces, their hair was disheveled, and their clothes were torn or had footprints on them.

Even the collars of Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi and Duke Yingguo Zhang Rong were torn, and a faint bloodstain even appeared on Zhang Rong's cheek.

On the opposite side, almost all the officials and clerks of the Ministry of War were present.

Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who was the leader, was beaten the worst. His official robes were torn, and he had bruises on his left eye and behind his lip, which were getting bigger and bigger.

Upon seeing the arrival of the five cabinet ministers, neither side tidied their appearance nor stood up to pay their respects, clearly intending to show the five ministers the extent of their injuries.

Between the two sides stood a group of Imperial Guards wielding knives, their clothes even bearing gray footprints.

At this moment, both sides still had anger in their eyes. If it weren't for these Imperial Guards, they might still be fighting each other.

The five cabinet ministers all had solemn expressions.

Seeing this scene, they could imagine how intense the fight had been.

"Summon the imperial physician immediately!" Zhang Juzheng shouted, then walked up to Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi and Duke Yingguo Zhang Rong.

These two were of high status, and even Zhang Juzheng had to bow to them when he met them.

"You two dukes, were you also involved in this fight?" Zhang Juzheng asked with great suspicion. The two men were over sixty years old and had been mainly responsible for royal sacrifices in the past two years. Logically speaking, no matter what happened, they should not have acted so impulsively.

Duke Zhang Rong of England said irritably, "We came to mediate the fight, but we never expected to be dragged into this mess. We have utterly disgraced the officials of the Ming Dynasty today!"

After saying that, Zhang Rong glared at Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who was sitting opposite him.

Immediately, Wang Yi'e stepped forward and said, "Five Grand Secretaries, this fight was caused by me, but... but it is not entirely my fault."

After Wang Yi'e finished speaking, he looked at Yang Bing, the Earl of Zhangwu, opposite him, and gestured for him to stand up as well.

Marquis Zhangwu, Yang Bing, stepped forward and said, "Yes... I... struck first, but I had no choice but to act. The Ministry of War... has gone too far!"

Yang Bing looked aggrieved.

The burly man in his forties clenched his fists, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Zhang Juzheng looked around and said, "Duke of Yingguo, Duke of Dingguo, Earl of Zhangwu, and Wang Yi'e, all of you, come with us to the front hall. We'll sit down and talk. The rest of you, please stand here and do not move or speak!"

"Yes!" Both groups bowed simultaneously.

Immediately, the four followed the five cabinet ministers into the front hall.

After everyone took their seats, Zhang Juzheng first glanced at Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of War who had been beaten the most, and then at Yang Bing, the Earl of Zhangwu, who looked aggrieved. He paused for a moment and said, "Earl of Zhangwu, you tell us the details of this matter. Be sure to be detailed and factual. After you finish, Wang Youtang can supplement your account."

Immediately, Zhangwu Earl Yang Bing stood up and recounted the ins and outs of the fight.

"Five Grand Secretaries, Duke of Yingguo, Duke of Dingguo, this is how it all started. This morning, the Ministry of War sent me an official document requesting the Shenji Battalion to cooperate in the preparation of the Ministry of War's Firearms Battalion. The preparation of the Firearms Battalion was personally approved by His Majesty, so the Beijing Garrison should naturally cooperate fully. However, this Wang Yi'e... he... he's bullying us too much!"

"If the Ministry of War's official document had ordered me to coordinate with the Shenji Battalion, which is skilled in casting and repairing firearms, to hand over the task to the Ministry of War, I would have done a great job. However, Wang Yi'e did not take me, the Earl of Zhangwu who is in charge of the military administration of the capital garrison, seriously at all. He directly drafted a list of personnel and asked me for people."

"After carefully reviewing the list, I realized that if all these soldiers were handed over to him, the Shenji Battalion would likely have to rely on the Ministry of War to repair any damaged firearms in the future. While the Shenji Battalion can hand over personnel, it also needs to train. This matter should at least be discussed with me, rather than being ordered directly. He is merely an assistant in charge of military affairs in the capital, and only a Right Vice Minister. What right does he have to order me around?"

"So, I took two judges, one clerk, and one clerk from the former military governor's office to confront him. And do you know what he said? He said that he was acting on His Majesty's orders, and if I objected, I should go to His Majesty. He also claimed that the Shenji Battalion's drills were always firing blanks, using the sound of explosions to deceive His Majesty and the court. I couldn't stand it, so I started arguing with him."

“During the argument, I accidentally knocked his hat off. In a fit of anger, he summoned all the officials from the Ministry of War, including the assistant ministers, ministers, and clerks, into the hall and forced me to apologize to him. How could I possibly apologize to him? So we all started pushing and shoving each other.”

“The Ministry of War has many people, so although they dare not kill the five of us, they still try to push us out of the Ministry of War’s office. We gradually retreated, but… but… but this Wang Yi’e’s words were really too harsh. He said that our Five Military Commands were all drawing salaries without working, and now we are even obstructing the new policies. He wants to go to His Majesty to impeach me!”

……

Beside him, Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, kept shaking his head, anxiously opening his mouth to speak, but was glared at back by Shen Nian.

"Soon, the five of us were pushed out of the Ministry of War by a group of officials. As a military officer, it's not shameful for me to lose an argument to a civil official, but if I can't even win a fight, where will I put my face if word gets out? So I immediately called on the officials of the Five Military Commands to argue with them again... and then... and then we started pushing and shoving each other again."

"Five Grand Secretaries, I have already been very restrained. If you really put all your strength into it and pick up your weapons, all of these men from the Ministry of War will be lying on the ground!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhengmao glared and said, "You think you're so great! If you hadn't restrained yourself, all five of us would have been knocked to the ground by you too. Tell the truth, stop showing off!"

Zhangwu Earl Yang Bing slightly pursed his lips.

“When we were shoving each other, the Duke of Dingguo and the Duke of Yingguo arrived. They came to break up the fight, but Wang Yi’e thought they were there to help me fight them, so he immediately tried to push us all out. Then the two dukes were also squeezed into the crowd. We only stopped the conflict when the Imperial Guards rushed in. We were just shoving each other, we didn’t fight!”

……

After listening to what Yang Bing, the Earl of Zhangwu, had to say, Zhang Juzheng looked at Wang Yi'e, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Wang Yi'e strode out and shouted, "He's spouting...nonsense! That's not true at all!"

"My five ministers, the reason I drafted the specific personnel list is simply because, as the assistant in charge of the military administration of the capital garrison, I am very familiar with the situation of the Shenji Battalion. In order to complete the preliminary preparations as soon as possible, if the Earl of Zhangwu has any objections, he can discuss them with me. However, after he came to the Ministry of War, he adopted a questioning attitude, and immediately accused me of being too arrogant, and then tried to beat me."

"My five ministers, take a look. The footprints on my official robe, the bruises around my eyes and mouth—can these be caused by pushing and shoving? These people from the Five Military Commissions are going too far. If it weren't for the officials from the Ministry of War stopping me, I might have been beaten to death in the Ministry of War. They are completely unreasonable and extremely ruthless!"

"And then there are the Duke of Yingguo and the Duke of Dingguo. I don't know who told me, but a group of officials from the Ministry of War beat up the Earl of Zhangwu and insulted the Five Armies Commandery. They walked into the Ministry of War and shouted that they wanted to beat me up and drag me to see His Majesty. If I hadn't been protected by the officials of the Ministry of War who formed a human wall, I'm afraid I would have been beaten to death before I even got to the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the five Grand Secretaries. It's really tough for me to prepare for the firearms battalion!"

……

And at this moment, inside the Wenhua Hall.

Upon hearing of the brawl between officials from the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War, Emperor Wanli quickly ordered Feng Bao to go to the Ministry of War to investigate. He then scoffed, "Hmph! All the officials think I'm immature, but they're not much more mature than I am!" (End of Chapter)