My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 302 Reviewing the Three Armies

Before we knew it, it was December of the fourth year of the Longqing reign.

This winter is colder than last year, and wealthy families in the capital have started heating their walls much earlier.

However, the school buildings of the martial arts academy were still bustling with activity.

On December 10th, the emperor, accompanied by the cabinet and the Ministry of War, will visit the Military Academy to watch the military drills.

Hearing such a lineup, even Zhu Shikun from the Duke of Cheng's mansion became nervous.

His elder brother, the current Duke of Cheng, Zhu Shitai, even summoned him back to his residence and told him that the emperor and all the officials attached great importance to the military exercise this time, and that the Duke of Cheng's residence must not be disgraced.

The elder brother also subtly indicated that His Majesty would send military academy students to the capital garrison next year to "meet with the emperor," a meaning that top noble families like the Duke of Cheng's mansion naturally understood.

The interests of the Beijing Garrison naturally involved the Duke of Cheng's mansion as well.

Once you reach the rank of Duke, you will have no shortage of wealth and honor; you will truly live and die with the nation.

However, for the Duke of Cheng's mansion, this small benefit was nothing compared to the emperor's favor.

The nobles were well aware of how much the military supervisors were valued by the emperor.

Whether the students of the Military Academy could ultimately forge a path within the almost restrictive military system of the Ming Dynasty depended entirely on the future of this first cohort of students.

If some of them could achieve military merit and be granted titles like Qi Jiguang, then for all the martial artists in the world, there would be another path to success.

Zhu Shikun remembered his elder brother's teachings.

As the second son of the family, the title of Duke of Cheng was irrelevant to him.

His original life trajectory was to serve as a noble son guarding the emperor and obtain a hereditary military position through family connections.

Perhaps in Zhu Shikun's generation, they could still maintain a wealthy life by relying on their kinship with the Duke of Cheng's family.

However, nobles have many collateral branches, and if their offspring are unworthy, this fortune will be exhausted in two or three generations.

Zhu Shikun had seen too many fallen noble sons.

The Jingying (京营) was the last path that the old Duke Chengguo (老成国公) had planned for his son.

Therefore, Zhu Shikun was determined to perform well in this martial arts demonstration and strive to leave a deep impression on the emperor and his ministers.

While the military prison was bustling with activity, the Shen family's garment workshop was also busy.

To rush the production of new military uniforms for more than 100 martial arts students, the Shen family's clothing shop hired tailors in the capital at high prices in order to finish the work before the martial arts exercise. In the end, they even offered an exorbitant price of one silver dollar per person per day.

Even so, the construction period is still very tight.

Finally, it was said that a young lady from Shen Shixing's wife's family came up with a solution: to divide a set of new military uniforms into several parts and cut and make uniforms for people with similar body shapes together.

They further separated the cutting and sewing processes, and then assigned someone specifically to make the ribbons.

And so, the garment workshop and dyeing workshop worked day and night, finally completing all the military uniforms before the military exercise.
-
"The squad leader looks so imposing in that outfit!"

Dressed in a new military uniform, Xia Zhongxiao stood in front of the mirror in the Zhengguan Hall of the Military Academy, twisting his body to admire his "heroic posture".

Li Rusong ignored him. Xia Zhongxiao had the physique of a typical ancient warrior, which would be considered a "big stomach" in modern terms.

Li Rusong marveled at the skillful hands of the tailors in the capital, who were able to wrap Xia Zhongxiao inside with fabric.

In contrast, Li Rusong had the typical build of a northerner: a square face, tall stature, and looked upright and heroic in the new military uniform.

That military uniform is really impressive.

Li Rusong imagined how surprised his father would be when he appeared before him with such a cavalry force.

At that moment, Li Rusong felt a deep sense of gratitude for the emperor's favor.

Beyond the "imperial favor," Li Rusong gained a deeper understanding of the Ming Dynasty and became increasingly proud of his identity as a citizen of the Ming.

Li Rusong made up his mind that once he returned to Liaodong and saw those Jurchen rebels again, he would chase them to the ends of the earth and exterminate them all!
Unlike Li Rusong and other sons of military families, the sons of noble families preferred the style of the new military uniforms.

Liu Jinchen, the heir apparent of the Earl of Chengyi, tried on the clothes and couldn't help but exclaim, "These are the clothes that we warriors should wear! Those civil officials have no idea what to wear on the battlefield!"

Zhu Shikun said coldly:

"The military uniform you're wearing was designed by Dean Su."

Liu Jinchen was stunned for a moment. Ever since his father had publicly hit him with a bamboo stick, he had developed a great fear of Su Ze's name.

Zhu Shikun then looked at Liu Jinchen and said:

"Your riding skills are the worst in our class. In a few days, the old man from Chengyi will come to watch the martial arts demonstration. Brother Liu, aren't you afraid of getting a beating when you get home?"

Zhu Shikun's words caused everyone to burst into laughter.

But Liu Jinchen's face turned pale, and he quickly pulled Zhu Shikun aside and said:
"Ban Zheng, please help me!"

Zhu Shikun said:
"I'm also preparing to give you special training, but let me make it clear beforehand that if you fail to complete the training, you will be court-martialed."

Upon hearing Zhu Shikun mention military law, Liu Jinchen subconsciously touched his buttocks.

But he thought that if he made a fool of himself during the martial arts demonstration, his own father might beat him to death.

He said quickly:
"As long as we don't fall behind, we'll accept military law!"

With Liu Jinchen taking the lead, the remaining students who were not up to standard in riding also approached Zhu Shikun. Zhu Shikun used the same method: he first made a three-point agreement with them, stipulating that they must train according to Zhu Shikun's training plan, or they would be punished by military law.
-
For the next few days, the entire martial arts academy was filled with deafening shouts, so loud that even the neighboring Imperial Academy couldn't keep up with the studies.

Zhu Juntang got up with dark circles under his eyes. The Martial Arts Supervisor next door never rested day or night, and he was woken up several times during the night. Even now, the commands from the Martial Arts Supervisor's manual were still echoing in his head.

Zhu Juntang arrived at the canteen, his head still spinning. He accidentally bumped into the person in front of him, and when he looked up, he saw a middle-aged man in an official robe.

Zhu Juntang recognized the man as Huang Wenbin, the newly appointed Doctor of the Five Classics at the Imperial Academy. He quickly apologized and bowed to Huang Wenbin.

Huang Wenbin was also yawning. Before coming to the Imperial College, he had just been transferred back to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in the capital from another place, and he didn't have the money to buy property in the capital.

Huang Wenbin was transferred to the Imperial College because he saw that the Imperial College had buildings for professors, which would save him the expense of renting a house.

Unexpectedly, the professors' dormitory at the Imperial College was separated from the military academy by only one wall, and Huang Wenbin was unable to sleep almost all night.

"Dr. Huang."

Huang Wenbin, still half asleep, recognized Zhu Juntang. He seemed to be surnamed Zhu and was a student favored by Shen Li, who had just passed the imperial examination.

Seeing Zhu Juntang's haggard appearance, Huang Wenbin felt a sense of sympathy and started chatting with Zhu Juntang:
"Dr. Huang, are you also having trouble sleeping because of the noise from the martial arts disciplinary committee?"

"Is it the same for you, sir? I heard that the scholars at our Imperial Academy have been forced to move out due to the noise. Are you still living in the school buildings?"

Huang Wenbin was speechless. He thought that Zhu Juntang was a handsome man, but he was not good at talking. If he had money to live off-campus, would he still be crammed into the school dormitory of the Imperial College?

"Forget it," Huang Wenbin said. "Zhu Juntang just passed the imperial examination; he has no idea how difficult it is to be an official in the capital."
"Just bear with it for two more days. His Majesty will be visiting the Martial Arts Academy the day after tomorrow, and the academy should be on holiday after the martial arts exercise."

Zhu Juntang also breathed a sigh of relief.

Huang Wenbin then asked:

"Our Imperial Academy is also going on holiday soon. Zhu Sheng, are you going home?"

Like the Imperial Academy and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Imperial Academy also had summer and winter holidays.

The winter break starts in mid-December and lasts until February.

This is also why Huang Wenbin chose to come to the Imperial College: there's less work, meals and accommodation are provided, and there are nearly four months of vacation a year.

Zhu Juntang said with a somber expression:

“After my father passed away, I had no relatives left in my hometown.”

Huang Wenbin felt somewhat ashamed, realizing he had inadvertently touched on Zhu Juntang's sore spot.

Zhu Juntang quickly adjusted his mood and said:

"Dr. Huang, my good friend Zhang Chun went to Penghu to serve as the provincial education commissioner. A few days ago, he wrote to describe the scenery of Penghu. It turns out that Penghu is like summer all year round, and even when it is bitterly cold in the capital, it is still sunny."

"Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles, so I wrote to Brother Zhang to say that I plan to visit Penghu when the Imperial Academy is on holiday."

"Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles" is a slogan put forward by Su Ze in the Yuefu Xinbao, calling on scholars not to be confined to their studies, but to travel more and combine the knowledge in books with their travel experiences.

When Su Ze was lecturing to the students of the Imperial Academy, he also encouraged them to take advantage of the holidays to travel and learn more about the local customs and culture of various places in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Juntang received Zhang Chun's letter and felt his enthusiasm for working in Penghu, so he also had the idea of ​​going to Penghu.

Huang Wenbin's heart also stirred.

After the Imperial Academy closes for the holidays, it will be inconvenient for him, a Doctor of the Five Classics, to continue living in the school dormitory. However, the rent in the capital during the holidays is shockingly high, not to mention the expenses for the New Year and heating.

However, if they go back to their hometown, the time spent on the journey is all spent on the road. Nowadays, when officials do not travel on official business, they have to stay at the local inns, which is also a huge expense.

What if we leave the capital for the New Year?
"The ferry tickets to Penghu must be expensive, right?"

Zhu Juntang shook his head and said:
“Merchant ships frequently traveled between Laizhou and Penghu, and the ticket price was not high. If scholars were willing to help with paperwork on board, they could get a discount on their ticket.”

Hearing this, Huang Wenbin made up his mind and said to Zhu Juntang:
"Mr. Zhu, I am also planning to visit Penghu. I can accompany you."
-
December 10th, Military Supervisor.

In December, the capital city was bitterly cold, but the military training grounds were shrouded in flags.

The Longqing Emperor wore a specially made blue military uniform, a cotton robe with silver buttons, leather riding boots with a sash, and the gold emblem on his cap gleamed in the thin winter sun.

The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the Minister of War, and the Duke of Cheng, along with other nobles, followed closely behind the imperial carriage. Dressed in crimson, purple, and blue official robes, they emerged from the palace and proceeded in a grand procession toward the Military Affairs Bureau.

When the emperor traveled, the roadsides in the capital were under strict security.

The officers in charge of enforcing martial law this time were drawn from the capital.

These constables were also dressed in uniform black official robes, whistling and carrying wooden sticks.

These trained police officers are more civilized in their enforcement than before; they don't deliberately drive people away as long as they don't enter restricted areas.

"Long live!"

The people began shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Although the shouts from the people along the street were not uniform and contained various accents, to the Longqing Emperor, this was much more exciting than the shouts at the court assembly.

The emperor even stood up from his imperial carriage and waved his hat to the surrounding people, which elicited a deafening roar of "Long live the emperor!"

Su Ze followed at the back of the civil and military officials' procession, and the cheers from the people were truly heartfelt.

After the Longqing Emperor took the throne, the Japanese pirate raids were quelled, the war in the northwest was quickly pacified, and maritime trade was reopened.

In feudal times, these qualities alone were enough to be considered those of a wise ruler.

This has been the case for most of history. As long as the emperor doesn't cause trouble and the people can eat their fill, it's considered a great and prosperous era.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty changed even more in this time and space.

According to Su Ze's memorials, at least in the capital, the people's lives were in the most prosperous and hopeful golden age in thousands of years!
The people of the capital were genuinely calling for the emperor's life; they truly hoped that Emperor Longqing would live to be a hundred years old.

Fortunately, the military police station was only a few roads away from the palace, and the patrol battalion finally completed its guard duty.

When the Imperial Military Academy opened its gates, Xu Wenbi, the Deputy Director and Duke of Dingguo, dressed in a new military uniform, led instructors in similar uniforms to line up in front of the academy to welcome them.

The Duke of Dingguo, who usually spent his days worshipping at various temples, really looked like a soldier after putting on his military uniform. He instinctively straightened his back and led the instructors to perform the grand ceremony of paying homage to the emperor.

However, the Longqing Emperor seemed to have become addicted to it, and he directly said:
"My dear minister, you need not stand on ceremony. Today I am inspecting the military headquarters, so a military salute will suffice."

Xu Wenbi had also served as the emperor's personal guard. He quickly led the instructors in giving a military salute, and then welcomed the emperor and civil and military officials into the military training camp.

The temporary grandstand from last time has been dismantled, and the Ministry of Works has already built a permanent reviewing stand.

When the Longqing Emperor ascended the reviewing stand, and the officials followed, the palms of the military students below were sweaty.

The cavalry unit was divided into two lines. Zhu Shikun, the squad leader of the first cavalry squad, and Li Rusong, the squad leader of the second cavalry squad, stood at the front of the line on horseback.

In fact, the drill ground was quite a distance from the reviewing stand, and Li Rusong and Zhu Shikun couldn't see the emperor at all.

They could only vaguely see a person dressed in the same blue military uniform as them, surrounded by civil and military officials.

Needless to say, this is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Rusong's heart also stirred with excitement. To be able to show his face in front of the emperor was something even his own father had never accomplished.

Zhu Shikun's feelings were even more complicated. He knew that the person standing beside the emperor was his elder brother, and there were many other meritorious officials on the stage whom he knew.

Thinking of this, Zhu Shikun glanced at the cavalry unit beside him.

Liu Jinchen had been training hard these days, and had even been flogged by Zhu Shikun, but he dared not complain at this moment, because he knew that if he did not perform well today, he would probably be beaten even more severely.

As expected of the Grand Priest of the State who had presided over numerous sacrificial ceremonies, Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi showed no stage fright on such an occasion.

The positioning and procedures on site were all rehearsed by Xu Wenbi himself the day before. Now, following the procedure, he rode his horse across the parade ground and finally stopped below the reviewing stand, addressing the emperor:

"Your Majesty, I, Xu Wenbi, the Deputy Director of the Military Supervisor, hereby personally inspect the completed military preparations of the three armies!"

Looking at the perfectly aligned martial arts students on the drill ground, the Longqing Emperor felt a surge of pride and exclaimed:

"Open the book!"

(End of this chapter)