My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 273 Martial Arts Supervisor Demonstration
On the day of the competition.

The training ground of the Military Academy was very large. When the Ministry of Works built the Military Academy, it specially built a viewing platform on the training ground.

Li Rusong, dressed in wooden armor, stood on the training ground, watching Su Ze lead a group of ministers onto the viewing platform.

A son of a hereditary official in the Beijing Garrison turned pale with fright when he saw the ministers accompanying Su Ze onto the stage.

Li Rusong immediately recognized the important official who was talking to Su Ze as the Duke of Dingguo, Xu Wenbi, who had attended the opening ceremony of the Military Academy.

It was not surprising that Su Ze could summon the Duke of Dingguo, since Xu Wenbi also served as the deputy supervisor, so it was normal for him to come here to observe the ceremony.

Li Rusong asked in a low voice, "Do you know those officials?"

The new centurion, surnamed Jin, stammered as he spoke:
"The man next to him is Minister Cao of the Ministry of War."

Upon hearing the title of Minister of War, Li Rusong almost knelt down.

What rank is the Minister of War? He's someone even your own father would tremble at.

Jin Baihu's next words completely stunned Li Rusong.

"On the other side of Su Hanlin is Grand Secretary Zhao."

The martial arts competition attracted a Duke, the head of all officials, a Grand Secretary, and a Minister of War.

Looking at the crimson official robes on the viewing platform, Li Rusong hadn't expected Su Ze to cause such a big fuss.

"That is the Duke of Cheng."

Beside the viewing platform, Li Rusong saw a middle-aged man who looked similar to Zhu Shikun. He was the current Duke of Cheng, Zhu Shikun's elder brother.

“That’s the Earl of Chengyi, Liu Jinchen’s father.”

Li Rusong was numb at this point. Was Su Ze trying to wipe out all the nobles and important officials in one fell swoop?

It can be said that all the high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty related to military affairs were gathered on the viewing platform.

Is it worth it?
Li Rusong's original plan was shaken.

"Brother Li, what should we do?"

Li Rusong was a ruthless man, and at this moment his reckless spirit kicked in. He gritted his teeth and said, "What do you mean, what do we do! Stick to the original plan, beat up the instructor first, then surrender!"

Standing on the viewing platform, Su Ze looked at the ranks on both sides and knew that the outcome was already decided.

On the battlefield, having more people is useless.

On the side of the hereditary nobles, even their formation was chaotic. Although Li Rusong had managed to develop a simple infantry-cavalry coordination formation through his family's training, there was absolutely no tacit understanding between them.

On the other hand, the instructors and their sons of noble families formed a "Mandarin Duck Formation," while the sons of noble families formed a "Three Talents Formation," creating two separate formations, one in front and one behind.

With the Mandarin Duck Formation in front, this is the elite's method of defeating the enemy.

First, use elite soldiers to break through the enemy lines. The soldiers following behind may be of lower quality, but as long as we can press our advantage, it will be fine.

Su Ze made a special trip to the Ministry of War to invite Cao Bangfu, which was his initiative because of the conflict between the Military Supervisory Commission and the Ministry of War.

At the same time, he also hoped that the Ministry of War would recognize the role of the Military Supervisory Commission.

After Su Ze offered him a way out, Cao Bangfu quickly followed suit and personally led a group of Ministry of War officials to show their support.

The future destinations of the graduates of the Military Academy will still be arranged by the Ministry of War.

Whether or not the Military Academy can become a cradle for cultivating military talents in the Ming Dynasty is equally important.

Just like the imperial examination, once people discovered that the promotion of students in the Military Academy was faster than other paths, naturally more and more people would come to study at the Military Academy.

Just like the Academy of Architecture founded by Su Ze, it has now become a necessary diploma for promotion in the inner court, on par with studying in the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Cao Bangfu, the Minister of War, had also served as the Governor-General of Jiliao, and he was quite proficient in military affairs.

After glancing at the formations of both sides, Cao Bangfu was somewhat satisfied.

Although they were clearly new recruits, both sides' formations were quite effective, indicating that the military supervision had indeed been somewhat effective.

Immediately following the call of Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi, the martial arts competition within the training institute began.

The meritorious officials had not fought in many years, and those present were enjoying the spectacle. The instructors and sons of the nobles included their relatives, so they naturally began to cheer for the other side.

Zhu Shikun glanced at his elder brother on the stands, then turned and issued the order:

"Don't look up, keep up!"

Zhu Shikun was the commander of this "rear army". With nearly a hundred people moving around, dust was flying everywhere, and Zhu Shikun could not see the situation in front of him at all.

However, after a few orders, the ranks returned to order, and everyone moved forward according to their positions in the drills, while those at the front of the ranks only needed to follow the vanguard.

Order eliminated the sense of panic, and Zhu Shikun now understood why those tedious marching trainings were necessary; soldiers who didn't train couldn't even march properly!

On the other side, Li Rusong rode his horse, leading his elite flank troops away from the main camp. But when he managed to create some distance, he found the main camp in disarray, having only traveled halfway.

Li Rusong was furious and sent messengers back to the main camp to urge the troops to march, but this only made the main camp more chaotic.

Li Rusong hadn't originally intended to rely on the main force. His strategy was to have the main force hold off the enemy, while he would use his elite cavalry to launch a flanking attack, defeat the enemy, and then regroup with the infantry of the main force for a counterattack.

The number of instructors and sons of meritorious officials was too small to form a cavalry force.

Since the infantry could not catch up with the cavalry, the enemy could only fight against their own infantry.

This was a tactic Li Chengliang often used in Liaoyang: to deliver a decisive blow by launching a surprise attack with elite cavalry.

This tactic proved incredibly effective against the Jurchens. In Li Rusong's view, cavalry was the decisive force on the battlefield.

Seeing the performance of both sides, Su Ze knew that the outcome was already decided.

He then turned to Zhao Zhenji and Cao Bangfu and said:
"Grand Secretary Zhao, Minister Cao, what do you think of the students of the Military Academy?"

Zhao Zhenji and Cao Bangfu both nodded.

They certainly wouldn't demand the most elite troops from the Military Academy, but the ambitious spirit of the students was still immediately apparent.

That's how the army works. Maybe these students from the Military Academy aren't elite now, but if they keep this up, they'll soon become elite.

Cao Bangfu also admitted that Su Ze's method was indeed good.

After two years of training, these officers will be much stronger than the original garrison officers.

In many places, the local garrisons themselves did not need to fight tough battles; maintaining order and suppressing bandits was enough.

Su Ze then said to the two of them:

"Grand Secretary Zhao, Minister Cao, the Ministry of War must also be having headaches over the problems with the Beijing Garrison, right?"

The two nodded.

The issue of the Beijing Garrison is the issue of the expenditures of the Ming Dynasty's Beijing Garrison.

After the promulgation of the "Longqing Accounting Records", the problem of the huge expenditure of the Beijing Garrison was placed before the emperor and his officials.

As the Minister of War, he naturally had to bear the responsibility for the out-of-control expenditures of the Beijing Garrison.

Of course, the emperor knew that the out-of-control expenditures of the capital garrison were not Cao Bangfu's responsibility, but rather a problem accumulated over the centuries.

However, since the emperor demanded changes, the Ministry of War naturally had to take action and at least produce results.

This is also a headache for Cao Bangfu.

The reason why the Beijing garrison issue is difficult to resolve is that it involves a large number of people.

The Beijing garrison nominally numbers over 100,000 troops; if unrest were to occur, it would threaten the very foundation of the nation.

In fact, all the officials in the court understood the crux of the problem. The biggest problem with the Beijing Garrison was that it was drawing salaries without actually working.

Many soldiers on the roster of the Beijing garrison were "ghost soldiers," existing only in the Ministry of War's ledgers and receiving their pay on time each month.

These accumulated problems are deeply rooted and are so tangled that there's no way to even begin to address them.

Su Ze said, "The problem with the Beijing Garrison is, to put it bluntly, a problem with people. To solve the problem, we still need manpower."

Zhao Zhenji and Cao Bangfu both nodded.

Investigating the "ghost soldiers" requires manpower, and rectifying the discipline of the Beijing Garrison requires manpower. It is precisely because the Ming Dynasty simply lacks the administrative capacity in this regard that this problem is so difficult to solve.

Su Ze said, "My lords, what do you think of the students at the Martial Arts Academy?"

Zhao Zhenji frowned, while Cao Bangfu shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Su Ze said in a low voice:

"Do you two think that the students of the Imperial Academy are involved in the problems of the Beijing Garrison, and that's why you can't take action?"

Cao Bangfu nodded slightly.

The issue of the Beijing Garrison ultimately stemmed from the fact that it was connected to the nobility.

Of course, the nobles of the Ming Dynasty would not personally engage in such a thing as consuming the blood of soldiers.

They could draw salaries without working and profit from the Beijing Garrison, forming a huge network of vested interests, with the nobles at the top of this network.

For example, Xu Wenbi, the Duke of Dingguo, was the commander of the Five Armies of the Beijing Garrison, and he was responsible for all the problems of the Beijing Garrison.

If we go further, the fact that nobles control military positions while the capital garrison becomes corrupt and decadent is partly due to the deliberate indulgence of civil officials.

This also means that the military officers completely relinquished their voice in the court, and this financial expenditure was implicitly considered as the court's way of appeasing them.

In other words, from the emperor to the court officials, no one in the Ming Dynasty really wanted the Beijing Garrison to be combat-ready.

What truly displeased the emperor and his court officials was that, with increasing indulgence, this financial hole was growing larger and larger, threatening the entire nation's financial security.

Su Ze actually understood this principle as well.

He did not intend to resolve the Beijing garrison issue immediately.

Su Ze said:

"My lords, what I need to do is not to completely eradicate the Beijing Garrison."

"I believe that at the end of this year, we should send the students of the Imperial Academy to the Beijing Garrison for a three-month internship."

“They will all inherit military positions in the future. Firstly, they can learn about the situation of the Ming Dynasty's military camps, and secondly, they can learn about the current corrupt state of the Beijing Garrison’s grassroots level, thus helping the Cabinet make decisions.”

When Su Ze proposed this plan, Zhao Zhenji and Cao Bangfu both nodded in approval.

As I said before, to solve a problem, you must first understand the specific problem.

Although these students of the Imperial Academy came from hereditary official positions and noble families, they were still young.

Young people are often energetic and idealistic, and they may not be willing to conform to the ways of their grandparents and parents and be content with the status quo.

Who wouldn't want to achieve great things after learning a skill?

As long as we can grasp the situation at the grassroots level of the Beijing Garrison and propose corresponding reform measures, even if we have to give up some benefits, it can save the Ming Dynasty a considerable amount of expenses.

If we save a little here, we can save more elsewhere and use it in more useful places.

Zhao Zhenji said:
“Zilin’s method is mature and prudent, and I also think it is acceptable.”

Since the Grand Secretary has spoken, Cao Bangfu also said:

"I will go back and discuss this with my department. In addition, this matter also requires the approval of the Five Military Commands."

Hearing this, Su Ze knew that Cao Bangfu had accepted in principle, and he immediately said:
"Su went to the Duke of Dingguo's side and said that next year, the students of the Imperial Academy would be sent to the grassroots level of the Beijing Garrison to serve as captains for three months of practical training."

The first squad of the Beijing garrison consisted of fifty men. The squad leader was equivalent to a battalion commander or centurion, which was the lowest-ranking officer with an official title. Those who could study at the military academy naturally met this requirement.

The Five Military Commissions naturally wouldn't refuse this request.

During the conversation, the winner was already decided on the training ground.

Li Rusong stared blankly at the routed troops. In the end, he still couldn't understand why his own infantry main force, which clearly outnumbered his troops, would collapse so quickly.

Li Rusong, riding his horse, saw the instructor's Mandarin Duck Formation charging forward, and then his own infantry main force was scattered.

Li Rusong hurriedly led his cavalry back to provide support, and then they ran into the army of the sons of meritorious officials.

It's clearly the simplest Three Talents Formation, it's clearly those spoiled noble sons I usually look down on, it's clearly cavalry against infantry, so why can't I break through the Three Talents Formation?
When the instructors' Mandarin Duck Formation returned to attack again, Li Rusong's cavalry also collapsed.

What impressed Li Rusong even more was the power of the instructors' "Mandarin Duck Formation"!

The entire Mandarin Duck Formation was a highly efficient war machine, quickly sweeping away these novice cavalrymen.

These instructors may not be as strong as the warriors under their fathers, but together they are definitely the most terrifying weapon on the battlefield!
The sons of hereditary officials on Li Rusong's side were dejected, while the sons of meritorious officials who had been carried to victory were extremely excited.

So this is how wars are fought!

Zhu Shikun looked excitedly at the wooden sword in his hand, reliving the scene of him killing people.

At first, he was a little flustered, after all, the enemy outnumbered his own four to one, and these sons of hereditary officials were stronger than the sons of meritorious officials.

But after Zhu Shikun got used to the battlefield, he gradually calmed down and began to command the troops according to the methods taught by Chen Liang.

Use commands to stabilize morale, correct soldiers who make mistakes, and then just do the task at hand as instructed by the instructors.

As dust rose from the training ground, Zhu Shikun advanced.

Zhu Shikun advanced as the instructors' troops broke through the infantry formation of the vocational school students.

As Li Rusong led his cavalry in a charge, Zhu Shikun changed his formation.

Then Li Rusong's cavalry was defeated.

Zhu Shikun suddenly realized that military strategy wasn't so mysterious after all, and that he could probably learn it himself.

Zhu Shikun made up his mind to listen attentively in class from now on and to learn how to train the army like the instructors. The competition was over.

The sons of noble families were dejected, while the nobles on the viewing platform applauded with satisfaction, praising the martial arts instructor for his excellence.

His own spoiled nephews and nieces actually performed just like the elite soldiers on the training ground, and they're even trained by the martial arts academy!

Zhao Zhenji and Cao Bangfu were even more knowledgeable about military affairs than these nobles, and they could naturally see that whether they were sons of hereditary officials or sons of nobles, they were all greenhorns.

The new recruits only said that they lacked battlefield experience; in terms of discipline and military bearing, they already surpassed the elite troops in many places.

The fact that the Military Affairs Bureau has achieved such results in such a short period of time has far exceeded the expectations of the Cabinet and the Ministry of War.

Zhao Zhenji and Cao Bangfu began to seriously consider Su Ze's proposal to send military students to the Beijing Garrison next year to understand the situation at the grassroots level and gradually reform the garrison.

However, in addition to these original military reforms, Su Ze had already entrusted Qi Jiguang to experiment with and summarize training manuals related to the new firearms.

In his last reply, Qi Jiguang said that the manual for the new type of firearms had been almost completed.

Having already established his authority within the military academy, the next step is to promote the new firearms manual.

After all, the future belongs to firearms.

And these students from the Military Academy will become the first professional officers of the firearms era!

(End of this chapter)