Di Ming

Chapter 179 Why Wait Ten Years!

Xiong Tingbi was the top scholar in the military examination. If he had entered officialdom through military means, he should have started as a captain, a garrison commander, or even a deputy garrison commander.

If it were a traditional garrison system, it should have started with at least a hundred households.

Granting him the rank of seventh-grade captain seems like an insult.

But this position of battalion commander far exceeded Xiong Tingbi's expectations. His previous expectation was only a ninth-rank patrol inspector.

Because he was not a hereditary military officer like Qi Jiguang, and had no powerful connections, it was already quite an achievement for him to be granted a substantive ninth-rank post.

Moreover, this commander of Chuishan was a dispatched battalion with an independent defense zone, and his power was incomparable to that of an ordinary commander.

The commander of Chuishan was stationed in Zhenjiang to defend the Zhenjiang section of the south bank of the Yangtze River. He had 740 soldiers under his command, and he and the commander of Sanjiangkou were stationed in the north and south respectively.

For Xiong Tingbi, being the commander of the Chuishan Battalion, with his own independent defense zone and more than 700 soldiers, was a very good start.

Unfortunately, the Ming Dynasty valued civil affairs over military matters. Many martial arts graduates, skilled in martial arts but lacking support, could only start as squad leaders, generals' servants, or platoon leaders. Even those who died on the battlefield couldn't rise to the rank of official. Those who survived, old and frail, were lucky enough to become patrol inspectors.

Zhu Yin handed the imperial edict to Xiong Tingbi, smiling as he said:
"Brother Feibai, you've already become the battalion commander of Chuishan. Congratulations! Go to the Military Selection Office of the Ministry of War in Nanjing to collect your official credentials, and you'll be ready to take up your post."

He effortlessly helped Xiong Tingbi obtain a substantial military post.

What is this? Power!

Zhu Yin is now a top scholar in the provincial examination. Although he has not yet taken office, he already has the power to influence the future of others. This is power!

Xiong Tingbi excitedly accepted the appointment document, solemnly cupped his hands, and said:

"If it weren't for Brother Zhihu's recommendation, even if I had worked hard for ten years, I might not have had a chance to use my talents. Brother Zhihu is my mentor."

Zhu Yin thought to himself: How could you have schemed for ten years? You abandoned martial arts for literature and studied the eight-legged essay, and you became a top scholar in the civil service examination and passed the imperial examination.

He chuckled and said, "This is also because Brother Fei Bai is a martial arts champion, proficient in martial arts, and truly a rare talent. Otherwise, even if I strongly recommended him, the court would not have appointed him."

"In the end, it all comes down to Brother Feibai's own abilities."

That's the truth. If Xiong Tingbi hadn't held the title of top scholar in the military examination, Zhu Yin would have had a hard time securing this position for him.

A military examination title is of little use without someone to promote it. But if someone does promote it, it becomes very useful.

Zhu Yin added, “According to the court’s rules, Brother Fei Bai’s term of office is limited to a maximum of one year. As long as he does not make any mistakes, he can obtain the honorary title of Zhongxian Colonel and the meritorious title of Wuqiwei.”

The military officers in the Ming Dynasty had four systems: garrison officers, actual vacancies in military camps, honorary military officers, and military merit ranks.

Previously, the most important rank was the garrison post; now, the most important rank is the actual vacancy of the battalion commander. The honorary military rank was used to determine salary levels, while the military merit rank was the military rank.

With the establishment of vacant positions for battalion commanders and above (including battalion commanders), it is only natural that honorary military officers and military merit ranks would be awarded next.

Xiong Tingbi was very grateful to Zhu Yin. He had always been arrogant and disdainful of others, offending many people in the process. But when faced with the young Zhu Yin, he was truly convinced of his worth.

However, he never dreamed that it was Zhu Yin who would cut off his path to becoming a civil official.

Of course, he was extremely talented and had studied since childhood, becoming familiar with classics, history, and military texts. Even if he hadn't studied the eight-legged essay and hadn't become a civil servant, it wouldn't have diminished his status as a man of both literary and academic talent.

Xiong Tingbi said, "Brother Zhihu, I am deeply grateful and there is no need for words of thanks. I will go to the Ministry of War to collect my official credentials and take up my post. I will take my leave today."

"Brother Feibai, wait a moment," Zhu Yin said. "The officers in the army have always been fond of the rich and disdainful of the poor; this is a bad habit in the military. If you want to do something for the country, at least on the surface, you must blend in with the crowd."

After saying this, he ordered Kangxi to find Ning Caiwei and give her one hundred taels of gold.

Ning Caiwei was very generous and immediately sealed one hundred taels of gold and twenty neatly arranged gold cakes. In addition, she thoughtfully sealed an extra twenty taels of silver.

There were also two brand-new sets of clothes and shoes, both of which were decent outfits.

Zhu Yin handed the gold and silver to Xiong Tingbi, saying with concern:

"Even a hero can be brought down by a single penny. No great man can move an inch without money. Brother Feibai, with your fervent enthusiasm and lofty ambition, how can you be hindered by money?"

"You must not refuse these gold and silver. Pay off your debts, support your family, and take care of other matters. But if you are focused on leading the troops, what are these gold and silver worth?"

"This, Brother Zhihu..." Xiong Tingbi's eyes welled with tears, at a loss for words, "I am ten years older than you, it is truly, truly..."

"Brother Zhihu's public-spiritedness and righteousness are already two acts of kindness, but we really dare not accept these gifts..."

Zhu Yin then handed him the clothes, looking like a little adult, and said earnestly:
"Brother Feibai, why are you being so polite with me? As the saying goes, 'Help someone to the end, and send the Buddha to the Western Paradise.' As the saying goes, 'Friends should share wealth,' so even if it costs a lot of money, I will not bow."

"Knowing that you are short of money, how can I remain indifferent?"

After saying that, he instructed Kangxi: "Go to the stables and fetch a fine horse from the Western Regions that the Duke of Wei gave me, equip it with a complete set of horse gear, feed it plenty of good feed, and send it to Mr. Xiong as his mount."

"Yes, sir!" Kangxi immediately went to make preparations.

Although seventh-rank military officers were provided with official horses, these horses were not privately owned and were often of inferior quality. Therefore, most military officers had to pay for their own good horses.

Taking this into account, Zhu Yin decided to send another fine horse as a gift.

Xiong Tingbi was still a passionate young man, not a worldly-wise old hand. He was deeply moved and speechless.

Zhu Yin not only granted him the rank of a seventh-grade military officer, but also gifted him gold and a horse, and offered him his own clothes and food. Since leaving home, no one had ever treated him so kindly.

A scholar dies for a confidant!

Zhu Yin then took down a Japanese sword with a jeweled scabbard from the wall and said:
"This Japanese sword is a masterpiece forged from repeatedly refined steel, and it was given to me by the young nobleman of the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion. As the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero, so I present this Kunwu sword to you as your personal weapon."

Japanese swords were introduced to the Central Plains during the Song Dynasty and were loved by the Song people, who praised them as the swords of Kunwu. At that time, a Japanese sword was worth several hundred bolts of cloth.

High-ranking military officers in the Ming Dynasty preferred to use curved swords made of wrought iron from the Western Regions, while mid- to low-ranking officers preferred to use Japanese swords. As a result, the number of Japanese swords imported was very large. Japanese swords were quite common in both the military and civilian sectors of the Ming Dynasty, but the best quality ones were not many.

Ten official trade agreements were signed between China and Japan, resulting in the import of 140,000 Japanese swords over a century. This does not include smuggled and seized items.

One piece of evidence against Lan Yu for treason was the discovery of nearly ten thousand Japanese swords in his residence.

The ten Japanese swords that Xu Xiaobai gave to Zhu Yin were the finest pieces, far more valuable than those of ordinary Japanese pirates.

Xiong Tingbi was ultimately a magnanimous man. He remembered Zhu Yin's kindness and stopped being pretentious. He accepted the Japanese sword without hesitation and said:
"The Japanese sword is indeed a treasure among swords, but it is a pity that our Ming generals mostly use swords from the Western Regions and Japanese swords. Even our firearms are now inferior to those of the foreign barbarians. Alas, the mighty Ming Dynasty is inferior to the barbarians in swords and firearms. It is truly sad and lamentable."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin's impression of Xiong Tingbi improved even more.

Sure enough, Xiong Manzi is Xiong Manzi. He's a thoughtful and insightful person.

If it were someone else, they wouldn't have this kind of sigh.

Zhu Yin echoed this sentiment, saying, "The Ming Dynasty mostly uses coal to smelt iron, but the coal in our Ming Dynasty contains too much phosphorus and sulfur, so the iron produced is too brittle and easily breaks and cracks."

"The iron ore of our Great Ming Dynasty has low iron content and many impurities (poor iron ore), making it even more difficult to produce good iron."

"In addition, craftsmen are of lowly status, the court looks down on the art of smelting and forging, and officials are corrupt at every level, which makes it even more difficult."

Zhu Yin knew that one of the main reasons for the poor quality of iron smelting in the Ming Dynasty was that the rich iron ore had been exhausted, leaving only poor iron ore.

It's one thing to use poor iron ore, but they also use coal with high phosphorus and sulfur content to smelt iron.

They are unwilling to expand their territory and seize resources. Under such circumstances, it would be strange if they didn't regress.

The Ming Dynasty's shortcomings were less due to a lack of technology and more due to a lack of raw material resources.

This was the first time Xiong Tingbi had heard this statement, and he sighed with great admiration, saying:
"I have been studying since I was a child and thought I knew a lot. But I didn't know these principles. Thanks to Brother Zhihu for enlightening me. Brother Zhihu is indeed a child prodigy of the Ming Dynasty, with extensive knowledge."

"As Brother Zhihu said, what should the Ming Dynasty do to resolve this matter?"

What Xiong Tingbi was unaware of was that a new ironworks had been built on Daishan Island, following the methods of Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei, and was producing new firearms.

"What should we do?" Zhu Yin chuckled. "Of course, we should expand our territory. Only by expanding our territory, grazing our horses across thousands of mountains, and emulating the great achievements of the Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties, can we acquire copper and iron, and thus create better swords, spears, and firearms."

"Japan is rich in copper, Annam in iron, and Burma in tin. If we could acquire these lands, what wouldn't we have?"

Zhu Yin stopped there, but this planted a seed in Xiong Tingbi's heart.

He spoke of these things with a touch of emotion.

The loss of Annam to the Central Plains had a devastating impact. The loss of resources alone was an unbearable blow.

Annam is rich in iron ore, primarily high-grade iron ore, and possesses many world-class high-quality iron ore deposits. This is why the hand cannons produced in Annam are of better quality than those of the Ming Dynasty.

If we hadn't lost Annam, and possessed Annam's rich iron ore deposits, coupled with the already advanced smelting technology of Central China, we would likely have been the first to upgrade our firearms.

Similarly, by not losing Annan, they can continue to control Myanmar.

"Annam...what a pity." Xiong Tingbi couldn't help but sigh in regret. "Why doesn't the court expand its territory?"

Zhu Yin did not answer. This was a question Xiong Tingbi needed to figure out himself. Zhu Yin believed that Xiong Tingbi would understand soon enough.

.........

Xiong Tingbi has passed away.

Carrying the gold and silver robes, fine swords and horses given to him by Zhu Yin, and the seeds that Zhu Yin had planted in his heart, he left the Zhu family.

Xiong Tingbi, mounted on his horse, couldn't bear to whip it and gallop away. He looked back several times, gazing at the small figure behind him, tears welling in his eyes as he waved goodbye.

Brother Zhihu, the autumn wind is growing colder, and I don't know when we will meet again. I wish you success in the imperial examination, peace and joy, and a long and healthy life.

On the sunny side of Lishui, Zhu Yin watched Xiong Tingbi's receding figure and softly recited:
The autumn wind blows against the Chu warriors.
Lishui sends off Feibai.

May you depart from here.
Night thoughts of the Xiongnu chieftain's platform.

After casually composing this new poem, Zhu Yin said to himself, "Xiong Feibai, Xiong Feibai, your merits and demerits in this life depend on your own destiny."

Ning Caiwei stepped out from behind him and said, "Can he figure it out?"

"Perhaps." Zhu Yin smiled. "He's Xiong Tingbi, a brilliant man who excelled in both civil and military examinations. How could he be a blockhead?"

"The historical figure must have understood this as well. But he had no choice. Even if he did understand, what could he do? Could he possibly rebel?"

Zhu Yin turned around and looked at the innocent-looking girl in front of him. "Caiwei, we're going to spend a lot of money next. We need to set aside a special fund for long-term expenses."

Ning Caiwei nodded, "I understand, supporting scholars. It not only requires long-term expenditure, but also good spending. Lord Mengchang supported three thousand scholars, and Song Jiang was public-spirited and righteous. We need to do it even better. We will provide financial assistance to the poor, help the elderly and weak, establish academies, and help the orphans and widows... I will set up a special agency to manage the expenses for these things."

"The plan is to spend 20,000 taels of silver annually. Ten years from now will be a time of qualitative change. Of course, the money must be spent wisely and discreetly."

"Money cannot be converted into power, so money is worthless."

“You understand me best, Caiwei!” Zhu Yin couldn’t help but grab Ning Caiwei’s hand. “With you here, I’ve saved so much energy.”

Ning Caiwei said, "Little Tiger, leave the money-making, logistics, and winning people's hearts to me. You, on the other hand, just focus on managing things in the public eye. You take charge of official titles and positions and the Jinghai Navy, and I'll take charge of money, supplies, and construction. In ten years, we'll be a force to be reckoned with."

Her eyes shone like stars, burning with the flames of ambition. "Little Tiger, if you pass the imperial examination next year, what rank can you rise to at the fastest in ten years?"

“Ten years…” Zhu Yin thought for a moment, “Ordinary officials take the exam every nine years, which is the conventional way, and it takes a long time to accumulate qualifications.”

"The fast track to promotion is different now. If one can take the fastest route, from probationary official to Hanlin Academy, the best outcome in ten years is to become a vice minister or vice censor-in-chief in the capital. As for being sent to a post outside the capital... the best outcome is to become a governor-general."

"In the Ming Dynasty, while seniority was very important for civil officials to get promoted, there were exceptions during special periods."

“During this special period, once you seize the opportunity, you can be promoted like a rocket. For example, Hu Zongxian was promoted from the seventh rank to the third rank in just three years.”

"The fastest rise in official rank in the Ming Dynasty was Peng Shi. He passed the imperial examination in his first year, became a cabinet minister in his second year, and was promoted to prime minister in his third year."

"Secondly, there is Wei Dezhao, who entered the cabinet after two years of service and became the chief minister after four years."

"Next was Shang Lu, who served as an official for four years before being appointed prime minister."

"Next is Zhang Cong, who served as an official for six years before becoming prime minister."

"There's also Yuan Chonghuan, who was only a third-class Jinshi, but because of the Liaodong war and the support of the cabinet bigwigs, he was promoted from the seventh rank to the first rank in nine years."

Ning Caiwei said, "Then let's take special measures! If there's no special period, we'll create one! After ten years in office, it would be best if we could join the cabinet!"

She immediately realized what she meant, "Hey, I'm not forcing you. Don't feel pressured. You can't force a good career, right? Who can guarantee that? Little Tiger, don't rush, take it slow."

"Giggle..." A cute, childlike laugh came from behind, and it was none other than Ning Qingchen.

"You're the one who pushed the little tiger to a rocket-like promotion, and you're also the one who told him not to rush and to take it slow. You really are a big boss, you can say both the right and the wrong things all by yourself."

Ning Qingchen has a sweet smile, like a porcelain doll.

One of her greatest pleasures in life is mocking her sister's hypocrisy, worldliness, and vulgarity. This is her way of repaying her sister for the mind control and value indoctrination she received back then.

"Little Tiger, she's even more anxious than you. Her desire for wealth and glory is burning like wildfire. You'd better go and earn her a title, quack quack."

For some reason, whenever the little tiger was around, she felt like making sarcastic remarks to her older sister.

Ning Caiwei was speechless. "You're stirring things up again! Why am I in such a hurry? Don't I care about Little Tiger? Who doesn't want to get promoted quickly? But I also said that official careers can't be rushed. I didn't say he had to achieve it within ten years. Did I pressure him?"

"Hehe, don't rush me." Ning Qingchen looked like she wasn't going to compete with him. "Little Tiger, don't misunderstand, my sister isn't pressuring you to get promoted quickly."

Ning Caiwei rolled her eyes, feeling extremely troubled by her younger sister's rebelliousness.

This little guy is going to keep tormenting me all my life.

Zhu Yin chuckled, "Even if you're not in a hurry, I am. Time waits for no one. Grow up quickly, and you'll be of great help in ten years."

"Why wait ten years!" Ning Qingchen said, hands on her hips, her voice childish yet arrogant. "Who do you think you are! Five years, at most five years, and I'll officially come out of seclusion! Little Tiger, you promised me you'd build a medical school."

"You'll only be seven years old in five years!" Ning Caiwei smiled bitterly. "You want to start a medical school? Who would dare to become your student? Would they want to learn to suckle?"

"You're so annoying!" Ning Qingchen yelled at her sister, clenching her fists. "Little Tiger, look at her..."

She immediately shut up when she saw Kangxi and Qianlong approaching.

Kangxi and Qianlong came over, bowed, and presented a wax pill, which was sent from Daishan Island.

Every three months, wax books from Daishan Island would be delivered.

Zhu Yin crushed the wax ball and took out a small piece of paper inside, which had a few lines of incomprehensible words on it.

These words were coded and only a few people, including Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei, could understand them.

Zhu Yin glanced at the note and tore it to shreds.

It turns out that after several bloody battles, the outcome of the battle on Luzon Island is finally about to be decided.

In retaliation for the massacre of the natives, the Spanish and Portuguese authorities repeatedly deployed troops from India and Southeast Asian countries to launch counterattacks against Luzon. After suffering heavy casualties, they finally gained the upper hand.

The indigenous people of Luzon suffered a brutal massacre at the hands of the colonists, with tens of thousands dying. Chinese immigrants were also among those affected.

After more than half a year of fighting, Luzon Island was practically a living hell.

Tato Ayon, the "King of Manila" elected by the various indigenous tribes, led his remaining troops out of Manila.

Despite suffering heavy losses, the colonists continued to pursue Tadaua, vowing to kill him and offering a bounty of gold equal to the weight of Tadaua.

“Tado Aman can’t hold on any longer,” Zhu Yin said to Ning Caiwei. “The blood of the Luzon resistance fighters is almost gone, and the Western whites have also lost thousands of soldiers and more than ten thousand auxiliary troops. Their military strength in the whole of Asia is already depleted.”

"Within a month at most, news of Spain's crushing defeat in Europe will reach South Asia, and they will be too exhausted to retaliate."

Ning Caiwei smiled and said, "So, in other words, we can take over Luzon Island now?"

Zhu Yin nodded. "The peaches are ripe; we can pick them now. If we're too late, the Chinese in Luzon will suffer too. This time, we must completely swallow Luzon!"

"The Jinghai Army, with its several thousand troops, has been training for almost a year and is ready to set out again."

"It's a good time to test our new cannons and muskets! It's been almost a year, and the island should have produced quite a few things by now, so it's good to put them to the test."

Ning Caiwei agreed, "Indeed, we need to make some changes. You will be going to the capital next spring, and once you pass the exam, you will become an official. You won't have time to go to Daishan, let alone go on a campaign against Luzon. We can take advantage of the last two months of the year to accomplish this important task."

Zhu Yin said, "Yes. After seeing my uncle off from Nanjing and completing Xu Xiaobai's coming-of-age ceremony, we'll head to Daishan and lead the army into battle!"

P.S.: There are three major storylines this month: conquering Luzon, passing the imperial examination, and conquering Ningxia. Therefore, the timeline will jump around very quickly. Little Tiger and Ning Caiwei's childhood ends this month, officially entering their teenage years. Now we rely solely on everyone's subscriptions and monthly votes. Thank you, goodnight.

(End of this chapter)