My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 319 "Memorial Requesting the Dispatch of an Imperial Censor to Investigate the Malpractices of the Capital Garrison"

The fact that the Beijing Garrison was exposed so quickly doesn't mean it was a makeshift operation.

The Beijing garrison was also well prepared, having developed a detailed plan and assigned tasks to all its officers to cooperate with the martial arts students in performing the play for three months.

However, the Beijing Garrison was not a monolithic entity, and the differences in understanding between the upper and lower levels inevitably led to an outcome like that of Sanlitun.

For centurions like those in Sanlitun, they were just receiving a salary without actually working and taking some small benefits, yet they had to directly serve Xia Zhongxiao and other martial arts students who were only nominally in office.

Zhang Baihu had to pay out of his own pocket to hire people to act in the play, and he also had to appease the emotions of the recruited refugees, otherwise how could he arrest them again if they ran away?
Every day, the moment he opens his eyes, he's spending money; Zhang Baihu's resentment is the greatest.

The upper echelons of the Beijing garrison spent a lot of time coordinating, but when it came to funding people, they were extremely stingy. As long as the tasks were assigned and the pressure was passed down to the lower levels, no one discussed how the grassroots garrisons would survive for three months.

Thus, Zhang Baihu took it upon himself to set up such an absurd trap in order to solve the troubles of his own garrison, in order to frame the military academy student who was of great concern to the Ministry of War.

For Zhang Baihu, this wasn't a foolish move, but rather a clever way to minimize his losses as quickly as possible.

Minister of War Cao Bangfu looked at Su Ze. From now on, Xia Zhongxiao's case would become the breakthrough point for the court to intervene in the affairs of the Beijing Garrison.

Su Ze also looked at Cao Bangfu and said:

"Grand Marshal, during their temporary assignments, the students of the Imperial Academy are all under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War, so this case should be handled by the Ministry of War."

Cao Bangfu and the officials behind him were all shocked. They did not expect Su Ze to so easily hand over Xia Zhongxiao, the key witness.

But Su Ze then changed the subject, saying:
“But Xia Zhongxiao is still a student of the Martial Arts Academy. If a student of the Martial Arts Academy is wronged, I, as the Dean of Academic Affairs of the Martial Arts Academy, should report to His Majesty and state the facts.”

Cao Bangfu immediately said:
"Of course, Xia Zhongxiao will not be wronged once he goes to the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War will definitely give him justice."

Xia Zhongxiao was surrounded by a group of officials from the Ministry of War as if he were a treasure. After boarding the Ministry of War's carriage with tears streaming down his face, Cao Bangfu also bowed to Su Ze and then quickly led his men back to the Ministry of War.

After the Ministry of War's men left, Luo Wanhua asked:

"Brother Zilin, why did you hand Xia Zhongxiao over to the Ministry of War? Aren't you afraid that the Ministry of War won't be able to investigate this case?"

Su Ze smiled and said:

"Even without Xia Zhongxiao in hand, it doesn't mean we can't solve this case. Besides, if the Ministry of War can't even solve this case, they shouldn't even think about reforming the Beijing Garrison."

"It would be most appropriate for the Ministry of War to handle matters concerning the Beijing Garrison."

Luo Wanhua nodded as well.

Su Ze continued:

"Brother Yifu, how's the report I asked you to investigate coming along?"

Luo Wanhua said:
“I had almost finished writing it, but the Sanlitun garrison where Xia Zhongxiao had his accident is more typical than the one we chose. Brother Zilin, please wait for me for two more days.”

Su Ze nodded and said, "Then publish it in the next issue of the Yuefu Xinbao."
-
Su Ze was right; the Ministry of War did indeed attach great importance to Xia Zhongxiao.

In order to clear his name, Cao Bangfu, the Minister of War, personally went to the Ministry of Justice and invited Di Xu, the head of the Ministry of Justice who was known for his brilliant case-solving skills.

Di Xu's thinking was also very clear. He first ordered the police to summon the courtesan who had falsely accused Xia Zhongxiao.

After some interrogation, they quickly found loopholes in her words and got the woman from the brothel to tell the truth.

The woman from the Jiaofangsi (a type of entertainment venue) also confessed that it was Zhang Baihu from Sanlitun who paid him to frame Xia Zhongxiao.

The Minister of War, Cao Bangfu, immediately issued an order to arrest Zhang Baihu of Sanlitun after falsely accusing the military officer sent by the imperial court.

However, the Ministry of War was a little slow this time. By the time the officials from the Ministry of War arrived in Sanlitun, Zhang Baihu had already "died suddenly from an illness."

It was clear that the news of Xia Zhongxiao being taken away by Su Ze had also been communicated to the Beijing Garrison. Since Xia Zhongxiao, a key witness, was under the control of the court, the remaining Zhang Baihu could only "die suddenly".

Upon receiving this news, Su Ze felt a slight sense of emotion.

The reason why the problems of the Ming Dynasty are so difficult to solve is that "we are all interconnected."

The Five Military Commissions Office was already like a sieve. Since Su Ze and the Ministry of War could have the Five Military Commissions Office relay messages, the Five Military Commissions Office would not only relay messages to Su Ze and the Ministry of War.

It can be said that most bureaucrats are masters of opportunism. Their primary responsibility is to absolve themselves of their duties and keep their official positions, while their secondary responsibility is to seek opportunities to associate with powerful figures for promotion.

Only then can we get down to business, and even then, we must avoid causing any trouble.

In short, among the officials of the Ming Dynasty, only a minority were ambitious and enterprising; most officials sought to avoid mistakes rather than achieve merit.

This is why reformers throughout history have always felt the need to tackle the easier issues first and then move on to the more difficult ones.

According to Su Ze's summary, reformers throughout history have gone through three stages.

Because when the reforms first started, they were reforming policies that everyone had a consensus on, so there was a strong public response and everyone was of one mind.

However, as reforms deepen, reformers will inevitably touch upon the interests of those who have already benefited, at which point the reforms will encounter resistance.

Even if there is resistance at this time, there are several clear opponents, namely the so-called "opposition". Reformers can defeat the opposition and continue to push forward with reforms.

If this stage is successfully navigated, the reformers will likely find themselves on the opposite side of most vested interests.

At this point, one will find oneself in a state of "drawing a sword and looking around in bewilderment," with obstacles everywhere and government orders consistently failing to be implemented, yet the source of these obstacles remains unknown.

At this point, there wasn't even anyone left to deliver a powerful blow.

Most reformers in history can only complete the first stage, and very few can enter the second stage.

In Su Ze's view, the reforms of the Ming Dynasty were still in their first stage, but the problem of the Beijing Garrison was already vaguely a problem of the second stage.

The Beijing garrison cut its losses to survive, and Zhang Baihu "died suddenly," bringing the case of Xia Zhongxiao being framed to an end.

The Ministry of War was very discouraged. They thought Xia Zhongxiao was a breakthrough point, but they did not expect the Beijing garrison to act so quickly and ruthlessly.

Cao Bangfu finally understood why the corrupt practices of the Beijing Garrison had persisted to this day, and why successive Ministers of War had been unable to resolve them.

Just then, a report was published in the Yuefu Xinbao newspaper.

"Grand Marshal, look! The Yuefu Xinbao has published an article!"

A trusted aide rushed into Cao Bangfu's office and handed him the latest copy of the "Yuefu Xinbao" newspaper.

Cao Bangfu took the newspaper; it turned out to be a report about the Sanlitun military garrison.

The report did not mention Xia Zhongxiao's case, but rather focused on the issue of the Sanlitun military guard receiving salaries without working.

This article is clearly in the style of Luo Wanhua's investigative editorial department; it starts by tracing the origins of the matter.

Sanlitun Garrison was originally a military garrison that did not require the imperial court to provide provisions. However, starting from the Chenghua era, the outskirts of Beijing began to prosper, and the military farms of Sanlitun Garrison were secretly seized and sold by military households. It was also from this time that the farmland of the Beijing garrison was continuously encroached upon, and the imperial court began to allocate military pay to Sanlitun.

From this time onward, the Sanlitun Garrison, which had already seen deserters, was full every year. Even during the Zhengde era, the garrisons in the suburbs of Beijing submitted a memorial to the court, saying that the sons of military households had a strong desire to join the army and hoping that the court would expand the garrisons.

Emperor Zhengde did not act rashly and did not approve the demand for expansion of the Beijing Garrison, but the annual military pay for the Sanlitun Garrison continued to rise.

Following this, Luo Wanhua conducted another investigation and found that of the 112 people recorded in the Sanlitun Guard Station's records, more than 70 of them were "fake people" who only existed in the household registration records.

Of the remaining fifty men, apart from the centurion and a few garrison officers, most of them were no longer in the garrison.

The military pay for these dummy soldiers was embezzled by Zhang Baihu and other garrison officers.

The military equipment in the Sanlitun garrison was basically all sold off by Zhang Baihu and his men, and the warhorses and livestock were rented out to merchants and farmers in the surrounding area.

It can be said that the entire Sanlitun Garrison was a paper tiger, completely incapable of fulfilling its important task of protecting the capital.

After reading the report, Cao Bangfu's face turned ashen.

The Ministry of War was aware of the problems with the Beijing Garrison, but they did not expect the problems to be so serious.

This is a common problem for all large organizations.

The higher-ups want to solve the problem, but they don't realize how serious it is.

The lower levels know where the problem lies, but they lack the ability to solve it.

The Ministry of War was staffed by civil officials who commanded troops. None of the Ministry of War officials had ever actually spent time in the military camps, and they had no idea how serious the problems in the Beijing Garrison were.

This is also the significance of this temporary assignment by the military supervisors. It was the first time that the Ministry of War had extended its reach into the garrison and guard posts in the capital, and then they witnessed such a shocking scene.

Cao Bangfu stood up, paced back and forth, and said:
"Commander Zhang is dead; we can't let this matter of him embezzling military funds go unresolved!"

"Now that things have come to this, the Ministry of War has no choice but to petition His Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Cao Bangfu had no choice. Other ministers could request a delay in the investigation, but the Ministry of War, as one of the responsible parties for the Beijing Garrison issue, had to take a tough stance at this time.

Cao Bangfu felt bitter. Ever since the Military Supervisory Commission, the Ministry of War had been led by Su Ze. Now Su Ze had completely exposed the problems of the Beijing Garrison, forcing the Ministry of War to follow him.

He truly was the most pathetic Minister of War in the Ming Dynasty!
-
At that moment, Su Ze was writing a memorial to the throne in the newspaper office.

The memorial was simple: Su Ze criticized the Six Ministries and the Censorate for their ineffective supervision, allowing the Beijing Garrison to spiral out of control.

"I have heard that the corruption in the Beijing Garrison is deeply entrenched, with the fraudulent use of funds for unauthorized purposes being particularly rampant. Yet, the officials in charge of the censorate and law enforcement have turned a blind eye to this, failing in their duty to investigate and punish such malpractices. This matter is of great importance, and I dare to speak frankly about it."

“The case of the Sanlitun Garrison published in the Yuefu Xinbao is shocking: the number of soldiers was completely fictitious. The account listed 112 soldiers, but less than half of them actually existed. More than 70 people were falsely reported to receive military pay.”

"All the weapons were destroyed; the armory, warhorses, and livestock were all sold off, leaving only an empty and dilapidated camp."

"This is not an isolated case; it is a microcosm of the chronic problems plaguing the Beijing Garrison. In the past, when border alarms were frequent, the Beijing Garrison had no troops available and had to rely entirely on the reinforcements from the nine border regions. The root of this problem lies here!"

After discussing the problems with the Beijing Garrison, Su Ze then began to criticize the Censorate.

"The Six Ministries and Thirteen Circuits possess the power of impeachment, yet they turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the abuses right before their eyes!"

"The practice of 'seeing white without reporting' and 'ghost employees' has been going on for years, yet the censors have never impeached a single general or impeached a single official, allowing corrupt officials like those in Sanlitun to live freely for over a decade!"

"This month's Yuefu Xinbao exposed the corrupt practices in Fangshan. The Science and Technology Bureau jointly attacked the newspaper, but instead condoned and ignored those who were truly corrupt to the country. This is putting the cart before the horse!"

Immediately afterwards, Su Ze began to increase the intensity of Ke Dao:
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you appoint an imperial censor to conduct a special investigation of the Beijing Garrison. In accordance with the old system of the Qing Dynasty's military censors, select an upright censor to thoroughly investigate the troop numbers, weapons, and provisions of each garrison. Any officer who makes false reports shall be dismissed and punished."

"Establish a new register to eliminate old abuses. Order the Ministry of War to work with the Five Military Commissions to re-establish the military register based on the current number of soldiers in each garrison. Send censors to audit the registers every quarter. Anyone who dares to conceal or falsify information will be punished according to military law!"

"Reassign the new troops from Xuanda and Zhigu to Beijing to prevent any incidents."

After Su Ze finished writing the memorial and handed it to Luo Wanhua, Luo Wanhua gasped and said after reading it:
"Brother Zilin, isn't this a bit too harsh?"

Luo Wanhua is a nice guy; he has already forgotten about the joint impeachment of the newspaper by science and technology officials a few days ago.

Su Ze nodded and said:

“Brother Yifu is right. There was just a death in Sanlitun. I’d like to add one more thing: when the Imperial Censor is clearing out troops, he needs the protection of the court’s capable soldiers. We must not let any more deaths occur.”

Luo Wanhua said:
"Brother Zilin, that's not what I meant."

"What does Brother Yifu mean?"

Luo Wanhua said:
"If the Beijing garrison causes trouble, how will the court handle the situation?"

Su Ze said:

"It is precisely because the Beijing Garrison has become so corrupt that this is the perfect opportunity to take action."

Luo Wanhua sighed:

"Brother Zilin, why are you in such a hurry? Can't we take things slowly?"

Su Ze shook his head and said:
“Brother Yifu, you have read the archives of the Hanlin Academy. You should know that during the reign of the late emperor, after the Gengxu Incident, the late emperor also took action to reorganize the Beijing Garrison.”

"The issue of the Beijing Garrison was already mentioned in the memorials submitted by officials at that time."

Su Ze recited the contents of these memorials directly from memory:

"The number of troops in the Beijing Garrison is inaccurate; of the 107,000 troops, only half remain."

“Since the Zhengde era, officials have accumulated excessive wealth and misappropriated funds for personal purposes. The amount of money and grain spent annually has exceeded 80 to 90,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) due to their monthly allowances and private labor service.”

Su Ze said again:
"The late emperor planned this slowly, sending Marquis Xianning, Qiu Luan, to reorganize the capital garrison. What was the final result?"

Luo Wanhua sighed, "If Qiu Luan had succeeded in reforming the Beijing Garrison, it wouldn't be in such a mess now."

Su Ze said again:
"Reform and reform are going against the will of Heaven. Opportunities are fleeting. Now there is a consensus in the court to make some changes to the Beijing Garrison. If we delay any longer, the opportunity will be lost."

"Imperial investigations are the prerogative of the Censorate and the Imperial Censorate. The Beijing Garrison has fallen to this state; do the Censorate and the Imperial Censorate bear no responsibility?"

Su Ze's memorial was indeed correct. Impeachment was indeed the power of the Censorate, but the fact that the problem with the Beijing Garrison had escalated to this point was because the Censorate had failed to properly exercise its power and allowed the problems with the Beijing Garrison to accumulate to this extent.

Although these are all issues accumulated over time, Su Ze's impeachment of the Science and Technology Bureau for "inaction" was indeed correct.

After Luo Wanhua left, Su Ze stuffed the "Memorial Requesting the Appointment of Imperial Censors to Investigate the Malpractices of the Beijing Garrison" into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Court" app.

(End of this chapter)