Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 129 A Thousand Riders Descend South of the Yangtze River

Qi Yuan shook his head helplessly.

Huang Degong embodied the typical mindset of a Ming Dynasty military leader. Did he truly believe that the Mongols were unusable?
No, he just felt that the Mongols could not be used for his own purposes.

Since his journey to the capital, where he repelled a million rebels and fought alongside His Majesty against Dorgon, achieving great military exploits and being granted the title of Marquis of Zhenbei, he has become the foremost figure in the Ming army.

Born into a military family and having risen through the ranks in the army, Huang Degong had many shortcomings and was deeply influenced by the ideology of military leaders.

If His Majesty hadn't established a new military system, the entire Beijing Garrison would have been Huang Degong's long ago.

It's fortunate that His Majesty is a skilled and capable general, with military achievements surpassing even Huang Degong's; otherwise, he might not have been able to suppress him.

But Huang Degong still clung to that old mindset, never considering combat effectiveness, only loyalty, or rather, loyalty to him.

Zhu Youjian saw things clearly, which is why he instructed Qi Yuan to follow Huang Degong closely and try to change his mindset.

He didn't even bring the generals provided by the system when he went to Jiangnan.

Qi Yuan had no choice but to accept it.

However, in terms of position, title, and military achievements, he was completely overshadowed by Huang Degong.

Faced with Huang Degong's words, one can only offer gentle advice.

"Huang Shuai, soldiers all need to be trained. No one is born knowing how to be a soldier."

Huang Degong, however, completely disregarded the way out Qi Yuan had offered, and pointed at the Mongol light cavalry, angrily shouting, "General Qi, do you see this? Absolutely no military discipline! How can you train good soldiers?!"

"If you ask me, it would be best to recruit soldiers from Shuntian Prefecture. After defeating the rebel Li Zicheng, His Majesty reduced the army by a million. Just recruiting 20,000 would be enough for three battalions of the new army!"

"Commander Huang, you also rose from the ranks. You know what those old scoundrels and military households are like. Besides, we are selecting and training the Imperial Guards for His Majesty, not filling positions in the capital garrison." Seeing this, Qi Yuan was too lazy to offer any more leeway and went straight to Huang Degong's face, telling him to put away his little schemes.

He then went straight to the west stable and had the accompanying clerks, envoys, and military officials begin selecting soldiers.

……

Three poles in the sun.

May a hundred tables be lined up in front of the Great Parade Ground of the Three Thousand Battalions.

Dozens of Mongolian men lined up at each table to have their height measured.

This was Song Ye's idea. Since we were going to recruit soldiers, we might as well do a thorough investigation to find out exactly how many troops were in the capital and to understand the true nature of the Mongols.

In front of a table.

A short man shouted anxiously, "Though I am only five feet one inch tall, I can chase after a yellow sheep for three days without sleep!"

When the clerk from the Beijing garrison, who was in charge of recording, shook his head, the man actually pulled out a dagger and was about to cut his own boot heel.

"Wait!" Qi Yuan rode forward. "Take off your boots and check your feet."

The man suddenly panicked.

Two officials stepped forward, one helping the man up and the other taking off his boots.

The Mongolian man blushed when the three-inch felt padding inside his sheepskin boots was pulled out.

Qi Yuan turned to the clerk and said, "Write it down, his name is..."

“Bater of the Chahar tribe,” the clerk immediately added.

Qi Yuan nodded, "Yes, Batel is good at long-distance raids, and he is a candidate for night-time inspection."

Huang Degong, who was watching closely from the side, muttered under his breath, "They certainly know how to win people's hearts."

Qi Yuan ignored him and walked straight to the center of the training ground.

Eight barriers have been erected there.

The first barrier was a low wall twelve feet high, the second was a horse trap covered with straw mats, and then there were iron caltrops, fire rings, a log bridge, a mud pit, tripwires, and finally a triple chevaux-de-frise.

Hundreds of instructors from the Beijing Garrison stood on both sides, swords at their sides and charcoal pencils in their hands.

A Mongolian man, over five feet six inches tall, is tumbling in the arena.

In the Ming Dynasty, one foot was approximately 31 centimeters, so five feet and six inches was equivalent to 1.73 meters in later times.

Don't think this number is low; this is the late Ming Dynasty, and nutrition is already inadequate.

Then came the Little Ice Age, and the grasslands suffered disasters almost every year. The Mongols, who were bullied by the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchens, were among the shortest people, even shorter than ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty.

The standard height for the Left and Right Jinwu Battalions is five feet seven inches, or 1.77 meters.

Even Qi Yuan felt that the entire Beijing garrison couldn't muster 20,000 men.

However, he strongly supports height restrictions.

It's not just because they are tall, strong, and have strong fighting ability, but also because in this day and age, most people who can grow to this height are from good families, have military discipline, have family support, and have normal values.

An army composed of men from good families is always among the strongest in any era.

The same principle applies to the Mongols.

Of the 40,000 Mongol light cavalry, only 7,000 men with a height exceeding five feet six inches were selected.

Those who can grow to this size are almost all experts.

But it is not absolute.

Qi Yuan also specifically ordered the clerks in charge of the selection to record the special skills of these people.

For example, those skilled in lassoing and herding should be noted down separately and assigned to the Imperial Horse Ranch. Those skilled in tracking prey and hunting, like Batel, should be assigned to the Night Scouts, and the Night Scouts can choose for themselves.

Another group of individuals with exceptionally outstanding physiques, capable of wearing three layers of heavy armor, were selected separately to form the Shock Cavalry Division.

The training ground was limited in size, and the eight temporary checkpoints could only accommodate a maximum of 500 people at a time.

The seven thousand Mongolian men could only be divided into fourteen groups.

A batch will finish very soon.

Another five hundred people walked up to the checkpoint.

As is customary, the chief examiner stood before the crowd and cracked his riding whip, announcing, "Those who pass three tests stay, those who pass five tests are classified as Class B and can become squad leaders, those who pass eight tests are classified as Class A and can become platoon leaders, and those who fall off their horses are out!"

The Mongol cavalry at the front of the column burst into laughter.

A man with gold teeth patted the horse's neck and shouted, "Wolf cubs on the grassland are born on horseback. This low wall isn't even as high as my wife's breasts!"

Before he could finish speaking, the examiner cracked his whip again.

"Enter!"

The man with the gold-plated teeth immediately spurred his horse to charge.

As he approached the low wall, he suddenly pulled hard on the reins.

The warhorse reared up, its front hooves slamming heavily on the wall, its hind hooves pushing off the ground, and it flipped over like a nimble cat.

The Mongolian troops erupted in cheers, and even Abunai clapped and laughed.

Qi Yuan frowned as he looked at Ji Shixiang, "The fancy obstacle course takes too long; on the battlefield, it would have been riddled with arrows long ago."

Halfway through the test, the eight-obstacle course finally showed its power.

Half of the Mongol cavalry chose to detour around the barbed wire formation, and one daring one even tried to leap over it on horseback, only to have his horse riddled with blood from the thorns.

To make matters worse, when crossing the fire ring, a dozen or so cavalrymen, in an attempt to show off their bravery, deliberately lingered inside the ring, setting their entire warhorses ablaze.

Qi Yuan and Huang Degong frowned deeply as they watched, the latter even shouting so loudly that it startled crows into flight, "Do you think the Imperial Guards are just for acrobatics? If the next one dares to delay again, he will be punished for jeopardizing military operations!"

The Mongol cavalry then put away their playful attitude and focused on passing the test.

It wasn't until the mud pit test that the Mongols' superior horsemanship truly became apparent. A lean man, stuck in the mud on his horse's belly, suddenly turned sideways, grabbed the horse's tail with one hand for leverage, and managed to pull the heavy warhorse out of the mud pit.

Qi Yuan circled a number heavily on the roster, saying, "This person's skills are good enough to be assigned to the Winged Cavalry."

At midday, 6,000 out of 7,000 people were selected to pass the preliminary examination.

There will be a second round of interviews, but that's just to see which branch of the military is best suited for each person.

There will be no more layoffs.

Just as Huang Degong was about to announce the rules for the second round of examinations, Abunai suddenly stepped forward and bowed deeply, saying, "General Huang, I have a favor to ask."

"speak."

"I wish to request a nominal position in the Imperial Guard," Abunai said, his Chinese suddenly becoming fluent. "I don't need a salary, just a place on the roster with the rank of commander of a thousand." He pulled a gold saddle ornament from his sleeve. "This was from Ligdan Khan back then."

Huang Degong raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Does the Great Khan know the rules of the Imperial Guards?" Qi Yuan suddenly interjected. "Those who join the Imperial Guards are allowed to have their families live in the capital."

Abunai paused for a moment, then suddenly unfastened the golden sword from his waist. “Thanks to His Majesty’s mercy, my third son has been granted the privilege of studying at the Imperial Academy. I would like to entrust this ancestral golden sword to the general for safekeeping.”

Huang Degong and Qi Yuan exchanged a glance, and finally accepted the golden knife. "The Khan may hold the honorary position of Assistant to the Imperial Guard, but shall not interfere in military affairs."

"Great! That's perfect!" Abunai's face flushed with excitement.

He has now been granted the title of King of Chahar, and the entire southern Mongolia has joined the Ming Dynasty; there is no turning back now.

But he was afraid. Everyone knew that he had earned his throne through the legacy of his ancestors. With so many tribes and people in Southern Mongolia, and him being the rightful Khan of Southern Mongolia, if anyone harbored rebellious intentions or did anything outrageous, it would ultimately come back to haunt him.

Even if everything goes peacefully, what if the powerful emperor above feels uneasy and thinks he can't control Mongolia, and wants to get rid of him?
It would be better to hurry up and join the Ming Emperor's Imperial Guard now, firstly to show your stance, and secondly to personally hand the Emperor a knife.

If you want to kill me, it's just a matter of lifting a finger, so don't doubt me.

Now that he has the position of advisor to the Imperial Guard, as long as the current emperor is not confused and has not committed any heinous crimes, he can take advantage of the mighty Ming Dynasty to avenge the murder of his father and brother!

Amidst the puzzled looks of Huang Degong and Qi Yuan, Abunai left happily.

The final test was scheduled for the hour of You (5-7 PM).

After announcing the rules for the second round of interviews, Huang Degong prepared to leave.

Qi Yuan stopped him, puzzled. "Isn't Huang Shuai going to watch the selection process?"

As Huang Degong mounted his horse, he replied, "Anyway, we've already picked them out. With you here, that's enough. I still need to go back and see Minister Wang to see if we can get some men from the Duke of Ying to deal with Li Zicheng. Otherwise, relying on the Beijing Garrison doesn't seem to be enough."

Qi Yuan was even more confused. "Huh?"

"What merit or ability does Li Chuang have? Having those eight thousand iron cavalry is not enough; he also needs to transfer troops from the three thousand battalions."

Huang Degong paused in his mounting motion, looking at Qi Yuan in bewilderment, "What? Eight thousand iron cavalry?"

……

……

at the same time.

Ten miles outside Bazhou City.

The newly appointed magistrate, along with dozens of officials including the county magistrate's assistant, were anxiously waiting.

There was also a hastily erected yellow tent and incense table on the side.

The newly appointed magistrate, Zhao Mingde, was informed an hour earlier that His Majesty's imperial procession was about to arrive and that he should prepare to greet him.

Prior to this, Zhao Mingde had no idea that Zhu Youjian had already left the capital.

Zhao Mingde's hand, clutching the handkerchief, trembled violently, and the front of his blue satin shirt was soaked with sweat.

When he stood on tiptoe to look for the third time, dust finally rose from the end of the official road.

Five hundred elite guards in brocade robes swept across the yellow earth like a crimson tide, their flying fish robes gleaming blood-red in the setting sun, and the gilded dragon patterns on the scabbards of their embroidered spring knives were so dazzling that one could hardly open their eyes.

"The Emperor has arrived! All officials kneel to welcome him!" The commander's shout sent a shiver down everyone's spine.

He quickly knelt down and buried his head, not daring to make the slightest movement.

Of the five hundred Imperial Guards, one hundred remained to keep watch around the area, while the other four hundred were deployed along the road to Bazhou County.

After a while, the deafening sound of hooves rang out, and only five hundred Xuanjia Iron Cavalrymen trampled the earth, surrounding a white horse.

The man on the white horse at the front was only wearing a military uniform and a golden crown, revealing a face with angular features worn down by the winds and sands of Liaodong.

Zhao Mingde pressed his forehead against the scorching yellow earth, and heard the sound of horses' hooves suddenly stop in front of the incense table, the sound of metal scraping against metal mixed with the heavy breathing of warhorses.

"Zhao Mingde, the magistrate of Bazhou?"

The voice sounded younger than I expected.

Just as Zhao Mingde was about to look up, a pair of mud-covered boots suddenly appeared in front of him.

"I remember you." Zhu Youjian removed the iron arm bindings and threw them to his personal guards. The white cloth wrapped around his wrists was stained with a faint blood. "In the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, your 'River Management Strategy' angered the old stubborn official in the Ministry of Works so much that he smashed his teacup."

He didn't remember anything. It was just that before he even arrived, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already thoroughly investigated Bazhou's affairs.

However, these words brought tears to Zhao Mingde's eyes.

That year, his fingers turned purple from the cold under the corridor of the examination hall. In the policy essay he copied, he denounced the embezzlement of river works funds by clerks. He never expected that it would reach the emperor.

I never expected that I would be remembered by this extraordinary and powerful emperor.

Just as he was about to express his gratitude, he suddenly saw the emperor leaning closer, and the scent of ambergris mixed with the smell of rust wafted towards him.

"Get up and speak." Zhu Youjian gestured for him to stand up. "You've placed this incense table too far from the city. Are you perhaps afraid I'll see something?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not!" Zhao Mingde's knees buckled, and he caught the county magistrate frantically gesturing with his eyes, "It's really, really that porridge is being distributed in the city, and we fear we might disturb Your Majesty's presence."

"Providing porridge is a good thing." Zhu Youjian mounted his horse, and the black-armored cavalrymen quickly made way for him. "Wang Chengen, take some men and clear out twenty grain carts."

The whip suddenly pointed at Zhao Mingde, "Someone, take Magistrate Zhao for a ride."

Without giving anyone time to hesitate, a black-armored rider spurred his horse forward, bent down, and pulled Zhao Mingde up.

Then the earth-shaking sound of horses' hooves rang out again.

The county magistrate's sedan chair was left far behind.

Zhao Mingde gripped the front of the saddle, the whistling wind filling his ears.

As he turned past the willow grove by the moat, he clearly saw the emperor frowning as he stared at the newly reinforced rammed earth of the city wall, where a breach had been smashed by bandits a month earlier.

The porridge stall was set up under the gap, with thirty iron pots steaming.

The men in short jackets dropped their wooden spoons and ran when they saw the armored cavalry.

However, they were stopped by the Imperial Guards who were already prepared.

Hundreds of imperial guards rode straight to the soup kitchen without even going around it.

The Xuanjia cavalry were positioned on both sides, forming two steel walls.

They isolated the terrified crowd from the area.

Zhu Youjian walked to the basket where the grain was stored, kicked it open with the tip of his boot, and the golden millet spilled onto the bluestone slab.

"Old grain mixed with sand, moldy rice diluted with water." The emperor bent down and picked up a pebble that was hard on his hand. "Magistrate Zhao, is this the porridge distribution you were talking about?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was incredibly eerie.

The officials distributing the porridge were terrified, and the sound of them kneeling down filled the air.

(End of this chapter)