The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 178 Training Commander
While Emperor Chongzhen was mobilizing troops to thoroughly annihilate the bandits after the spring, Jiang Han was also busy training commanders.

According to Jiang Han's initial plan, he intended to appoint a commander for every ten people to firmly control the entire army.

However, after Zhao Sheng compiled the statistics, the results were not optimistic.

Throughout the entire army, there were only about a hundred people who could recognize more than three hundred characters and could barely read documents.

Although Jiang Han had launched a literacy campaign in the army several months ago in an attempt to improve the literacy level of his soldiers.

Unfortunately, the literacy classes were only open for a short time, and the army had been on the move and fighting for the past few months.

There was very little time when people could truly settle down and learn to read.

Therefore, the literacy rate in the military has remained low.

Left with no other choice, Jiang Han had to make temporary adjustments, raising the command level from "shū" to "dui" with fifty people per team and two commanders.

The entire army currently has about three thousand people, divided into sixty squads. These hundred or so people are barely enough to meet the needs of this organization.

Jiang Han set the departure time for the troops at the end of January. He had to rush back to Shaanxi from Tongguan before the Yellow River thawed.

All things considered, the time allotted for training these commanders was actually quite tight.

So, as soon as the firecrackers of the New Year's Day were over, Jiang Han brought all of these more than one hundred future commanders to the Mingde Academy, the largest academy in Shanzhou City.

Jiang Han cleared out the entire academy and temporarily requisitioned it.

He plans to use this short month to conduct intensive training for these future key personnel.

The main purpose is to establish a clear set of rules for them, so that they clearly understand the responsibilities of the commander and how to carry out their work in the future.

……

Snowflakes were falling heavily, and a biting wind was howling outside the window, but inside the lecture hall of Mingde Academy, several bonfires were burning brightly, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Jiang Han stood in the lecture hall, not wearing armor or helmet, but only a simple blue cotton robe, looking more like a teacher than a commander.

Below them, sitting cross-legged, were a group of burly men wrapped in mandarin duck battle coats.

"Everyone,"

Jiang Han's gentle voice echoed in the somewhat empty lecture hall.

"Just recently, I learned of the defeat and death of Wang Jiayin, the leader of the Eastern Route Rebellion."

"Today I will tell you all how these powerful leaders rose to power and how they fell."

For the next half hour, Jiang Han vividly recounted what he knew about people like Shen Yikui and Wang Jiayin, as well as their ultimate fates.

Looking at the thoughtful or shocked expressions of the audience below, Jiang Han slowly began to summarize:
"As you all probably understand, the final fates of these rebel leaders who once stirred up the storm were mostly the same."

"Whether it was Shen Yikui, who swept through Qingyang Prefecture and once dominated northern Shaanxi, or Wang Jiayin, who roamed Shanxi and Shaanxi and was said to have 200,000 troops, they all died at the hands of their own people."

"Therefore, I specifically created the position of Commander to prevent problems before they arise."

"I need you future commanders to build good relationships with your soldiers, understand their thoughts in a timely manner, and always be aware of whether the soldiers under your command have any disloyal intentions."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark-skinned, muscular man raised his hand and spoke in a loud voice:

"General, I...I have a question."

"You said we need to build good relationships with the soldiers below us, but how exactly should we do that?"

"Often, the soldiers below would be like mice before a cat when they saw officers, and wouldn't dare to say a word."

"I was the same way when I was in the army. I would avoid those officers like the plague. Who would dare to open their heart to them?"

The question raised by the man immediately sparked a discussion in the hall, clearly reflecting the confusion in the minds of many.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the relationship between officers and ordinary soldiers was a complex one of institutional oppression and wartime interdependence.

While there are generals who can truly share weal and woe with their soldiers, they are extremely rare.

Many generals treated ordinary soldiers like cattle and horses, bullying them at will, because they were born with the power of life and death over the lower-ranking soldiers.

Some generals frequently beat and scolded their soldiers, embezzled their pay, exploited their labor, forced those who were short of money to borrow money at high interest rates, and even tortured their disobedient subordinates.

Ordinary soldiers usually fear these officers like the plague.

In wartime, these ordinary soldiers would instead cling tightly to the banners of these generals.

The reason is simple: they needed to rely on the personal guards kept by their generals to charge into battle.

These guards were all well-equipped and powerful, forming the most elite part of the entire army. They were the main force of the attack and the core of maintaining the siege.

This back-and-forth led to this strange phenomenon, which Jiang Han was well aware of.

He nodded and replied:

"The responsibility of a commander is not only to be literate, but also to understand the principles of things, gain the trust of the people, and lead the soldiers."

"And the most crucial point here is to truly unite the soldiers and understand them!"

"If you want to unite your soldiers, you must learn to see and think about things from their perspective."

"When they encounter difficulties, you should actively help them solve them. If they are treated unfairly or oppressed, you should dare to stand up for them and support them."

Jiang Han looked around at everyone, his face solemn:
"We've all come from hard times, so no one should try to bully others in my ranks!"

"From now on, if you find anyone in the army, regardless of rank, who dares to bully ordinary soldiers without cause, just report it to your superiors."

"Report this to me, and I'll personally skin him alive!"

The audience immediately fell silent, and many people perked up, their eyes shining with newfound energy.

Jiang Han paused for a moment, then continued:
"If you want to understand your soldiers, you have to take the initiative to build relationships with them, put aside your pride, and communicate with them more."

"Don't always act superior and unapproachable."

At this moment, someone in the classroom asked a question loudly:
"General, how exactly should we build relationships?"

"When I was a private, I would bury my head in my pants whenever I saw an officer, and I didn't dare to talk to an officer alone."

"We usually follow orders and do whatever our superiors tell us to do without daring to utter a single word of nonsense."

Seeing the still confused expressions on everyone's faces, Jiang Han immediately decided to set an example and personally demonstrate.

He stepped down from the podium, sat down among the crowd, and his tone became more gentle and approachable:

"If the soldiers below are too afraid to talk to you alone, you can bring a few more of them along."

"If three or five people like me get together, sit on the ground, chat and catch up, we'll become familiar with each other in no time, right?"

“If the brothers are tight-lipped and embarrassed to speak first, then you who are in charge must take the lead. Once you start talking, things will naturally fall into place.”

Jiang Han glanced at everyone and smiled slightly:
"Of course, the topic you choose is also very important. It's best to start by talking about your life experiences and find common ground to avoid making people nervous."

"Just like me, Jiang Han, you brothers here should be familiar with me."

"My hometown is Ansai. My family was wiped out by a disaster." "Later, when we couldn't survive, I went to Yansui with Battalion Commander Dong to join the army, hoping to make a living."

"I thought that joining the army would mean I would have a government job and wouldn't starve to death."

"As everyone knows, being a soldier meant going hungry nine times out of three. There was no other way but to rely on ourselves and sneak out to do odd jobs to earn some food to eat."

"Later, when we went to the capital to defend the emperor, we thought we could fight the Tartars and earn a decent meal, but in the end, that scoundrel surnamed Wu even tried to withhold our rations for our mission."

"I could no longer tolerate it, so I led my brothers to kill Wu the traitor and rebel against him."

Jiang Han slowly finished recounting his history in Guan Hui, his gaze fixed intently on the crowd:

"How do you feel after hearing my story?"

"Don't you feel that my experiences, Jiang Han's experiences, are similar to the lives you used to live?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man with a scar on his face suddenly stood up, his face flushed with excitement.

"General! That's me! I used to be from Yansui Town too!"

"My name is Li Tian'er. I'm from the cavalry. I was one of the first brothers to join you in the rebellion, Commander!"

"I remember it clearly. That scoundrel surnamed Wu not only embezzled our rations and pay, but also sold all the warhorses for money!"

Jiang Han nodded heavily after hearing this:
"See? If you want the brothers to open their hearts to you, you first have to make them feel that you are in the same boat as them!"

"In our army, there are not only generals from the standard battalion, but also border-stabilized battalions and Gansu garrison."

"Everyone may have different backgrounds, but the oppression and injustice they have experienced are almost the same."

"Everyone can speak freely like I do, and build relationships with each other."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the lecture hall, with everyone starting to chatter.

One by one, the usually taciturn men eagerly raised their hands, excitedly sharing their stories of blood and tears.

Someone had red eyes:

“I am from Dingbian Battalion. I surrendered to the commander after the battle at Wangzhuang.”

"At that time, our Dingbian Battalion was starving and we were all starving. Later, we heard that there was food in Shouwangzhuang, so we followed General Zhao and ran to guard the village."

"Do you know what I saw in that Wangzhuang village?"

"Grain! Grain that filled an entire cave!"

"The golden millet and sorghum were piled up like small mountains, some of them even spoiled!"

"Even so, we still eat millet porridge."

"I remember it very clearly. Two brothers were so hungry that they stole a few chickens. As a result, the steward of Wangzhuang dragged them out and paraded them through the camp with arrows through their bodies. They were in a terrible state."

"Not only is there grain, but also wine cellars. People outside can't even get enough to eat, but Wangzhuang is still brewing wine."

“Many of our brothers in Dingbian Camp died from freezing and starvation, but these princes of the Zhu family have enough grain stored in just one of their estates to feed us for more than half a year.”

"Later, the commander-in-chief came. Not only did he not kill us, but he also opened the granaries to distribute grain and slaughtered livestock, allowing us to have a good meal."

When the man got excited, he suddenly patted his chest.
"For this reason alone, I'll follow the Commander for life!"

"Anyone who dares to suggest surrendering to the government, I'll be the first to chop him up!"

For a moment, the classroom was filled with lively chatter and enthusiastic conversation.

"That's right! As long as I can eat my fill every day, I will never surrender in this lifetime!"

"Exactly! If we were to surrender, who knows how those officials would treat us!"

"The example of Shen Yikui is right in front of me; I would rather die than surrender!"

Inside the lecture hall, the crowd was in a state of high spirits, with various accusations and expressions of loyalty rising and falling.

What was supposed to be a serious "pre-job training" session turned into a "motivational meeting" as it went on.

However, Jiang Han did not stop it; on the contrary, he was happy to see it happen.

This is exactly the effect he wanted; rote memorization alone won't work.

He needed to get these soon-to-be-appointed commanders to quickly build rapport with the ordinary soldiers through this simple and direct method.

To truly understand the grassroots level, simply reciting from the textbook won't work.

Commanders must integrate themselves with the soldiers in order to understand their true thoughts and solve their practical difficulties.

More importantly, it is crucial to make every soldier understand that their rebellion with Jiang Han today is not solely due to Jiang Han's ambition.

This is to seek justice for all the brothers in the army who have been oppressed.

Seeing that the time was right, Jiang Han raised his hand in a gesture of quiet, signaling everyone to calm down.

Once the room had quieted down, Jiang Han slowly began to speak:
"Everyone, I have heard and remembered everything you have said today."

"One day, we soldiers will storm that imperial palace and ask the emperor if he still dares to owe us wages!"

As he spoke, Jiang Han abruptly changed the subject, his expression turning solemn.

"However, we must also be soberly aware that the power of the imperial court remains very strong."

“The government troops are determined to destroy us. They will not only try to encircle and annihilate us from the front, but also try to undermine our forces from within.”

"Wang Jiayin's lesson is the best proof."

Jiang Han looked around and said seriously:
"Therefore, from now on, if any of you commanders discover anyone in the army behaving abnormally or with malicious intent, you must report it to your superiors immediately!"

"This matter concerns the life and death of our army, and we must not be negligent in the slightest!"

"do you understand?!"

Everyone nodded and responded in unison:

"understand!"

Jiang Han was quite confident about this.

The hundred or so people in front of him were all his old brothers who had fought alongside him all the way, his trusted confidants.

The loyalty of these people is beyond question.

The main reason he established the position of commander was to prevent problems before they arose, so that the army would not become too mixed with other groups and thus be exploited by government troops.

　4 points
　　I had some things to do during the day and was delayed, so I can only catch up on it tonight by staying up late.

　　The previous content has been updated; you can go back and take a look.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)