You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 359 The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled voluntarily resign from their posts!
The third day, early morning.

Just as dawn was breaking, the sound of drums suddenly resounded throughout the inner city.

Liu Lu, who was still fast asleep, was startled awake.

"My lady, what's going on outside?"

Liu Shu was still sleepy.

"That's the drumbeat for the Xishan Camp to muster troops. Quickly, put on your armor, take your bows, arrows, swords, and spears, and ride to the Xishan Camp outside Desheng Gate to assemble."

"Oh my, as expected of our Eight Banners, they are so particular."

……

Half an hour later.

Xishan Camp.

"Listen up, all new bannermen! If you cannot accept your new life, this is your last chance to leave the banner. Make your decision within fifteen minutes!"

A number of people voluntarily withdrew their flags, but not many, only three or four hundred.

There are probably very few people in this world with a conscience and a bottom line.
"Time's up, close the camp gates."

"By order of the Grand Secretary, starting today, the Xishan Camp will resume regular military training. Military training will be conducted in the morning, ideological training in the afternoon, and soldiers will go home to sleep with their wives in the evening. After every four days of training, soldiers may rest for one day."

"By order of the Grand Secretary, the Eight Banners of the capital will be the first batch of the United Empire's armed forces to be reorganized."

Following the abolition of the Eight Banners General Administration Office and the implementation of vertical management, reorganization was finally put on the agenda.

The reorganization was intended to reduce the barriers between the various banners.

The 15000 new and old bannermen were reorganized into 50 regiments, each with a captain and a deputy captain. The ratio of new to old bannermen in each regiment was roughly one to one.

The old bannermen were all cavalry archers, while the new bannermen were all infantrymen in full armor.

The training process was extremely brutal.

The old guards, carrying spirit-injecting sticks, roamed around, using beatings as a form of instruction.

abuse!

Beaten!

Even multiple people beating one person!
The veteran soldiers were enthusiastic about it, while the new soldiers gritted their teeth and persevered. Although it was brutal, the training was very effective, and the new recruits' individual military skills improved rapidly.

The Eight Banners organization, which was on the verge of collapse, miraculously came back to life.

As Lu Xun said:

The spirit of the Showa era, with its long history, still shines brightly across thousands of years, guiding countless passionate young men to forge ahead.

……

Yuquan Mountain.

Chiang Kai-shek's temporary palace was a restricted area in the capital.

Dozens of spies planted among the new bannermen continuously sent intelligence, covering the training situation of the Xishan Camp, the ideological trends of the old bannermen and the new bannermen, various unexpected events, and family conflicts in the inner city.

Jiang Qingyun was very satisfied.
The old bannermen regained their sense of superiority by ruthlessly exploiting the new bannermen, which greatly reduced their resentment and increased their loyalty.

Xinqi Ding dared not speak out against his anger.

Family conflicts frequently occur among Manchu families in the inner city, with quarrels, fights, and even violence happening one after another. The root cause is that it is unclear who the father of the child in the woman's womb is.

The deconstruction of the Eight Banners has been mastered.

Soon~
The latest directive was issued, and a notice titled "Voluntary Retreat of Flags" was posted at the entrance of the alley.

"The Eight Banners were the elite of the nation. The criteria for measuring the Eight Banners were: loyalty, elite status, and identification with the nation."

"As long as you are loyal enough, as long as you are elite enough, and as long as you identify with the United Empire, you are a qualified member of the Eight Banners. In other words, if you do not meet these three conditions, you do not belong to the Eight Banners."

"For the long-term benefit of the empire, there should be a mechanism for the Eight Banners to withdraw. Those weak, decadent, and lacking in vigor should voluntarily withdraw from the Eight Banners and give up the resources they occupy."

"The Eight Banners must always be young, always elite, and always full of vigor."

The crowd was in an uproar.

The older bannermen had some reservations, because they too would grow old one day, but the bannerwomen and the new bannermen wholeheartedly supported it.

……

Suppress first and then raise.

Just when the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled were filled with anxiety, good news arrived.

"The Grand Secretary has requisitioned vast tracts of fertile land in Zunhua and Yongping. After the banner system is abolished, each of you will receive 50 mu of land. Moreover, you will not have to pay taxes to the government on these 50 mu of land, nor will you have to perform corvée labor." "This abolition of the banner system adheres to three principles: first, voluntariness; second, preferential treatment; and third, setting a precedent."

Zunhua Prefecture and Yongping Prefecture are located northeast of the capital. If Sony were to send troops south to plunder, these two places would be the first to be affected.

The Manchus know best the methods of the Grand Secretary!

If you don't listen, the consequences will be severe.

Soon~
The elderly, infirm, and disabled who voluntarily relinquished their land bid tearful farewell to their families and embarked on a path of self-reliance. Although they had 50 mu of land, it was ultimately not a guaranteed source of income.

……

In just half a month, all the bannermen over 40 years old and bannerwomen over 30 years old in the inner city voluntarily left the banner and reluctantly left the capital amidst the cheers of gongs, drums and firecrackers.

The Eight Banners do not support the elderly and weak, the idle, or the useless.

The number of Manchu bannermen in the capital city plummeted to 4.

This population of 4 includes 15000 bannermen, 20000 young bannerwomen, and 5000 children who are yet to come of age.

The fears of the Manchu bannermen in the inner city that the court would take the opportunity to cut off their guaranteed stipends did not materialize; the stipends were distributed as usual, without any reduction.

The monthly salary remained the same, but the number of people in the household decreased, which meant that the family's finances were unprecedentedly wealthy and their purchasing power was unprecedentedly strong.

The original Chongwenmenwai Street market was completely relocated to Chongwenmennei, where goods became extremely abundant and supplies were plentiful, making it convenient for Manchus to consume nearby.

During their days off, the flag bearers would flock to the area and spend money like crazy, buying whatever was expensive or rare.

The abnormal consumption patterns in Beijing have reached an unprecedented level of prosperity.

The teahouses and theaters in the inner city always featured the same theme: Chiang Kai-shek was wise and powerful, cared for the Eight Banners, and had the world in his heart.

Under the repeated manipulation, beating, and soothing by Chiang Kai-shek's invisible hand, the Eight Banners of Beijing were completely transformed into a docile yet ferocious group.

He was compliant with Xiao Jiang.

Cruel to others.

Their temperament is most similar to that of guard dogs in nature; obedience to their masters is ingrained in their genes.

Jiang Qingyun's plan is very clear:
The political function of the Eight Banners was downplayed, the military function was strengthened, and the family values ​​of the Eight Banners were weakened.

Banner soldiers must be able to fight, and banner women must be able to give birth. The brutal military training must start from childhood, so that the Eight Banners can be transformed into the Sparta of the United Empire!

If you're deficient, replenish your blood.

If there's too much blood, bleed it out.

……

Another year has passed, and it's the tenth day of the tenth lunar month.

Jiang Qingyun meticulously planned the first military parade of the United Empire, also known as the Forbidden City Military Parade, with the aim of demonstrating strength and intimidating all sides!

The stands were packed with guests.

Representatives from Fujian: Feng Xifan, Zhou Quanbin, and Zheng Xi.

Representatives from Yunnan and Guizhou: Liu Wenxiu and Li Sixing
Guangdong Representative: Shang Kexi
Representative of the Chahar tribe: A cousin of Khan Abunai

Representative of the Khorchin tribe: A grand-nephew of the Empress Dowager
In addition, there are many other representatives such as Zhu Youlang, Ma Jixiang, Zhang Huangyan, Huang Zongxi, Zhang Dai, Fang Yizhi, Ma Bao, and Liu Xuanchu.

On the city wall, an official from the Ministry of Rites loudly introduced:

"My lords, the first and second formations marching toward us now are composed of officers and soldiers of the Eight Banners of the capital."

……

The first formation was composed of fully armored cavalry, perfectly aligned.

When they reached the front of the Meridian Gate, the leading officer shouted, "Kill!"

All the knights drew their swords in unison, pointing them at a 45-degree angle to the sky, letting out a collective roar, their horses thundering, their military might astounding.

When it comes to bloodlust, the Eight Banners have never lost.

The second formation was a heavy infantry pike formation.

When the formation was 50 zhang away from the Meridian Gate, the leader shouted, "Kill!"

All the soldiers in the square immediately laid their spears flat, changed from a slow walk to a jog, their steps heavy, their armor plates clanging, their formation intact, and their steps in perfect unison.

Heavy infantry was the specialty of the Eight Banners.

In the stands~
Zhou Quanbin, the trusted general and representative of the Prince of Yanping, was captivated by the sight. He was very interested in the Eight Banners heavy infantry and cavalry archers, and unconsciously regarded them as the hypothetical enemy of the Iron Man Army.

(End of this chapter)