Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 127 Fifth Brother, what are you doing here? (7000)

The Southern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang changed the Yiluan Division to the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the fifteenth year of the Hongwu reign, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has become an indispensable government agency in the imperial court.

Its power reached its peak during the Jiajing era, which was of course thanks to Lu Bing.

As the brother-in-law of the Jiajing Emperor, Lu Bing enjoyed the emperor's deep trust. Relying on the emperor, his power grew increasingly large after he took command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to the point that the court officials were on edge.

However, things changed during the Wanli reign. Various forces became more complex, and the Eastern Depot gradually rose to prominence.

Now, even the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has to kneel and kowtow when he sees the head of the Eastern Depot.

It was late spring, and the vermilion gate of the Northern Garrison Command was half-closed. The stone lions in front of the gate were covered with a layer of dust, but the plaque above still gleamed with tung oil.

The saying goes, "The north hall arrests people, the south hall grinds their bones."

Compared to the Northern Garrison Command, which was in charge of prisons and arrests, the Southern Garrison Command's office was noticeably less imposing, and there were far fewer officials coming and going.

The Zhang family's carriage stopped directly at the gate. The Imperial Guards guarding the gate immediately frowned and stepped forward to stop them, but when they saw the appointment document handed to them, they were almost scared to death.

"So it is you, Chief Censor Nantang. I was presumptuous."

The Imperial Guard immediately bowed respectfully and ran into the yamen to report.

Before long, before Zhang Yunxiu had even stepped into the gate of the Southern Garrison, he heard a very enthusiastic voice.

"Zhang Tongzhi! Hey! Your Excellency Tongzhi, you've finally arrived!"

The newcomer was a man in his thirties, wearing a scarlet round-collar shirt, a black gauze helmet, and carrying an embroidered spring knife at his waist.

Zhang Yunxiu had seen the other party before and recognized him at a glance as Liu Shouyou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Upon hearing the way the other person addressed him, Zhang Yunxiu paused for a moment, then frowned deeply.

"Why does Commander Liu address me as 'Sir'?"

Even if you are favored by the emperor and your father is Zhang Juzheng, Liu Shouyou, you're going too far with your flattery.
How could a commander address a deputy prefect as "sir"? Isn't he ashamed?

"No, no, I dare not call myself Commander. Please retract your words, Magistrate Zhang."

Liu Shouyou quickly waved his hand and said.

"Why?" Zhang Yunxiu was completely confused by the other person.

Liu Shouyou sighed: "Zhang Tongzhi probably doesn't know about the Embroidered Uniform Guard. My full title is General Zhaoyi and Acting Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I am not the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The difference between the fourth and third ranks must not be overstepped."

Zhang Yunxiu was taken aback for a moment, and said with some confusion, "The person in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but merely a fourth-rank official?"

"This..." Liu Shouyou was somewhat embarrassed. "I was appointed a commander of a thousand households through imperial favor, but I am truly dull-witted. After so many years, I have only barely managed to rise to the position of assistant commander. As for why the Embroidered Uniform Guard does not have a commander position..."

He hesitated, but then, remembering Zhang Yunxiu's identity, he continued.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is under the supervision of the Eastern Depot. Once they reach the third rank, they are considered important officials in the court, so naturally they are."

Seeing Liu Shouyi's conflicted expression, Zhang Yunxiu finally understood.

It turns out that since the Jiajing reign, the position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has become very rare. This was clearly an intentional move to reduce the overall rank of the Embroidered Uniform Guard so that the Eastern Depot could better control it.

Nowadays, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is basically managed by the Eastern Depot, and Liu Shouyou is just an clerk.

It wasn't until after the eleventh year of the Wanli reign, when Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao lost power, that Liu Shouyou passed the imperial examination for military affairs and became the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a first-rank official position.

At this point in time, the other party was merely a fourth-rank official.

This is quite intriguing. So what exactly did Emperor Wanli mean by bestowing these honors upon himself?
Therefore, he himself, as the Assistant Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was now the highest-ranking official in the Embroidered Uniform Guard in name only.
Was the emperor's arrangement truly just a spur-of-the-moment decision?

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yunxiu keenly sensed something was wrong and said evasively.

"Even so, it's not quite appropriate. Liu Qianshi has been in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for many years and is certainly a senior officer. Besides, General Zhaoyi is a military officer of the third rank. Although it's a bit of a nominal position, there's no need to treat him with the courtesy due to a subordinate."

Even if he were truly superior to the other party, Zhang Yunxiu would not rashly admit it.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard seems to be a bit murky; who knows what hidden dangers lurk within? They'd be happy to take on this hot potato.

Seeing that the young Zhang Yunxiu actually looked like a seasoned veteran in officialdom, Liu Shouyou was somewhat surprised. He cupped his hands in a gesture of regret and said...

“Zhang Tongzhi is absolutely right; I am rather confused.”

As he spoke, he became even more wary of this newly appointed deputy prefect.

As Zhang Yunxiu entered the inner hall, Liu Shouyou, knowing that the other party was coming today, had already prepared a whole host of things.

Even the uniforms of the Imperial Guards and a brocade dagger were neatly arranged in the duty room.

Zhang Yunxiu inherited his father's slender physique. Although he was young and not very strong, he looked quite dashing in the uniform of a third-rank Imperial Guard.

Liu Shouyou couldn't help but flatter him, saying, "Zhang Tongzhi's third-rank leopard robe really reminds one of the demeanor of Lu Bing, the former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It seems that Zhang Tongzhi's wisdom and resourcefulness will lead to achievements far surpassing those of Lu Bing."

When talking about the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Ming Dynasty, Lu Bing is undoubtedly one of the most powerful figures. Zhang Yunxiu's background is similar to Lu Bing's, which naturally leads to speculation.

Zhang Yunxiu frowned and said, "Governor Lu's death is quite suspicious."

Historical records state that Lu Bing died "suddenly." Although he was already fifty years old, he was in the midst of a power struggle. Such a bizarre death inevitably makes people speculate.

Liu Shouyou's expression suddenly froze, and he awkwardly explained.

“This Assistant Magistrate is naturally very different from Governor Lu.”

It seems that this is an admission of Zhang Yunxiu's guess.

Zhang Yunxiu narrowed his eyes, thinking that perhaps asking his father, Zhang Juzheng, would provide a definitive answer to this historical mystery.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Shouyou led Zhang Yunxiu on a tour of the Southern Garrison Command, and brought all the centurions, captains, and lieutenants of the Southern Garrison Command to pay their respects to Zhang Yunxiu.

After all, Zhang Yunxiu, as the Deputy Commander of the Southern Garrison, was, in a sense, the true commander of the Southern Garrison.

Given his rank and status, it wouldn't be impossible for him to take charge of the Northern Garrison Command; it all depends on how Zhang Yunxiu weighs it.

After a brief exchange, Liu Shouyou continued to explain the situation to Zhang Yunxiu.

"Our Embroidered Uniform Guard, excluding the Northern and Southern Garrison Divisions, consists of five units of officers, approximately eight or nine thousand men, twenty-four supervisors, two hundred clerks, and five hundred city patrolmen."

"Over ten thousand people?" Zhang Yunxiu stopped, somewhat hesitant, and scrutinized the other person with a questioning look. "Is that all there is in the capital?"

Liu Shouyou broke out in a cold sweat at that look and quickly explained.

"These are those recorded in the roster. If there are any unregistered commoners, there are probably only six or seven thousand of them."

Despite his dissatisfaction, Zhang Yunxiu kept staring intently at Liu Shouyou. Liu Shouyou felt a chill run down his spine and for a moment even felt that this Zhang Tongzhi was more oppressive than his father.

Liu Shouyou sighed and said, "Let me be frank with Zhang Tongzhi. In reality, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is rife with empty salaries. The actual number of people officially employed and paid by the court is only five or six thousand. There are over ten thousand on the official register, and another ten thousand or so unregistered commoners. This only includes the areas around the capital, not the entire Ming Dynasty."

By examining just one example of the corrupt officials in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, one can see the extent of the decay that had occurred in the Ming Dynasty during the Wanli era.

Of course, this level of bureaucracy did not mean that the various officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were enriching themselves.

A large part of the reason is the arbitrary appointment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard by emperors throughout history.

Hereditary military officers could be appointed as Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards). Craftsmen favored by the emperor, or even those who were favored by the emperor, could all be appointed as Jinyiwei.

These people receive salaries but are incompetent, so the Embroidered Uniform Guard has to recruit more commoners to do the work.

Over time, this formed a huge group, to the point that the imperial court could no longer even afford to pay their salaries.

Since the first year of the Wanli reign, Zhang Juzheng had been vigorously reforming the bureaucracy and eliminating redundant officials, but he found it difficult to deal with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The biggest problem is that there are too many interest groups involved, including many hereditary military officers and sons of noble families. But can they be eliminated?
If we don't fire them, are we supposed to fire the Imperial Guards who handle the work below them?

For reasons unknown, Liu Shouyou poured out his heart to Zhang Yunxiu.

"Last year, the Grand Secretary instructed me to properly handle the affairs of the Southern and Northern Garrison Commands. The Southern Garrison Command is responsible for supervising the manufacture of military equipment, while the Northern Garrison Command has the power to train imperial guards and manage the imperial prison. However, both are somewhat incompetent."

"They also have the power of investigation. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is under the control of the Eastern Depot, but without the power of investigation, how can the Embroidered Uniform Guard carry out its duties?"

"In each of the thousand-household garrisons and commandant posts, the hereditary military households receive meager salaries, making it difficult to survive."

Zhang Yunxiu squinted and scrutinized the other person. He had reason to suspect that this old guy wanted him to clean up this mess.

He kept his eyes down and didn't have the time to argue with this person about power; there were clearly more important things to do right now.

When the two returned to the office, there was already someone waiting inside.

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu looked extremely anxious. As soon as he saw the two enter the office, he immediately stood up and said something.

"Liu Qianshi, I need to immediately deploy the Imperial Guards. There's some trouble in the western part of the city. The White Lotus Rebellion is causing a real nuisance. That Liu..."

But before he could finish speaking, he froze on the spot.

"Shiyuan? What are you doing here, kid? I've been looking for you. Come with me right now! These White Lotus rebels are becoming increasingly lawless. If this continues, they might even dare to rebel in the capital!"

He recognized Zhang Yunxiu standing to the side and immediately walked over.

But after saying this, he frowned deeply and looked Zhang Yunxiu up and down.

"Shiyuan? When did you put on this third-rank leopard robe? Don't be ridiculous. Wearing official robes haphazardly can cost you your head."

He stared intently at Zhang Yunxiu's third-rank official robes. A very obvious difference was that these robes were in a true color, a bright red woven with gold, which was much more elaborate.

His own clothes were crimson, which, although a type of red, was darker than bright red, making him naturally inferior to others. This fourth-rank tiger robe also seemed to lack a sense of majesty.

This infuriated Zhang Jianxiu. His younger brother was better than him in everything except official rank and martial prowess, where he far surpassed his brother.

Zhang Yunxiu said last time that he was a Tongzhi (a high-ranking official), and I thought he was joking, but I didn't expect him to be serious.

It seems that Liu, the Assistant Magistrate, was also coerced.
Zhang Jianxiu was immediately enraged and said, "Shiyuan! Your father is bedridden, yet you are becoming increasingly absurd. Official robes are not something you can wear casually! What if others see you like this?"

But before Zhang Jianxiu could finish speaking, Liu Shouyou suddenly interrupted him.

"That... doesn't Zhang Qianshi know?"

"Don't know what?" Zhang Jianxiu's heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he was unable to accept it.

Liu Shouyi asked with a puzzled look, "Didn't Vice Commissioner Zhang see the imperial edict issued by the court?"

Zhang Jianxiu said helplessly, "I've been leading my brothers around the capital to hunt down White Lotus rebels lately, so I really don't have time to sit in court."

Apart from the time at the clinic, Zhang Jianxiu had been leading his Jinyiwei officers on reconnaissance missions everywhere. He was determined to surpass Zhang Yunxiu.

But I never expected that.
Seeing Zhang Jianxiu's stiff expression, Liu Shouyou misunderstood and, with a beaming smile, quickly cupped his hands and said.

"It's not too late to know now. Congratulations, Vice Commissioner Zhang. Just a few days ago, His Majesty issued an edict appointing your younger brother, Zhang Shiyuan, as the Assistant Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Today, I am showing Assistant Commissioner Zhang around. From now on, your younger brother will be the Chief Censor of the Southern Hall."

You two are both officers in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, one a Vice Commander and the other a Deputy Commander; it's truly enviable!

"I"

Zhang Jianxiu's face turned red as he suppressed a surge of frustration and spoke with difficulty.

"Thank you very much, Vice Commissioner Liu. This is a great favor from His Majesty."

Zhang Jianxiu's feelings were complicated.

Half of him was delighted; Zhang Yunxiu had joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which would naturally provide him with more assistance in his future endeavors.

The other half, however, was unwilling to accept this. Both of them had been bad at studying since childhood and were disliked and punished by their father.

Zhang Jianxiu had previously been outshone by Zhang Yunxiu in terms of literary talent, a fact he readily acknowledged.

But even though he entered officialdom first, his younger brother's official rank eventually surpassed his own!
His gaze was complicated as he looked at Zhang Yunxiu and sighed heavily.

"Shiyuan, I didn't expect this."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yunxiu's face hardened.

"Zhang Sizhe! Use your job title when you're at work!"

Liu Qianshi held a "leadership position," but Zhang Jianxiu was a full rank below him, so how could he address him by his given name?
Brother, that's really outrageous!

　There will be another chapter at 8 o'clock.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)