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

Chapter 264 Transforming Surrendered Generals

What Ma Ke saw and heard at the drill ground outside Jianzhou City completely shattered his illusions about the imperial court and his misunderstanding of Jiang Han's troops as "bandits".

Unbeknownst to them, these people had already conceived the idea and possessed the power to overthrow the dynasty.

When Kuroko asked, "Are you interested?", Marco nodded heavily without much hesitation.

"General Fang, General Dong,"

His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice slightly hoarse:
"This humble general, Marco, is willing to submit to the commander-in-chief and serve him with utmost loyalty!"

He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and although his posture was humble, his eyes were much brighter than before.

Dong Erzhu and Fang Heizi exchanged a glance and both saw the joy in each other's eyes.

The two men stepped forward together and helped Marco up.

"Brother Ma, please rise!"

"With Brother Ma's help, our army will be even stronger!"

"Let's go back to the government office and discuss this in detail!"

Inside the prefectural government office, the lights were on, and Prefect Li Xinghuai had also been invited.

Having surrendered, Ma Ke revealed everything he knew about Hong Chengchou's Northern Route Army without reservation:

"General Hong Chengchou's main force numbered over 40,000, with the majority being Qin troops from the three border regions and the remainder being guest troops from Shanxi."

"Among them, there were about 8,000 elite troops, led by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Zhang Yingchang and Lieutenant General He Renlong, stationed in the Mian County area of ​​Hanzhong Prefecture, not far from Jinniu Pass."

“Hong Chengchou himself was stationed in Hanzhong Prefecture, overseeing the supply of grain and fodder, and pressing for it very urgently.”

"As for Shaanxi, the Shaanxi governor Li Qiao is currently leading 10,000 Qin soldiers to guard against the Qinghai Mongol tribes."

"According to the latest intelligence, its leader, Ligdan Khan, has died of smallpox."

“In the three important border towns, a lot of the main force of the border troops has been transferred out. Now, most of them are old, weak and garrison troops, with low morale and serious arrears in pay.”

"This was especially true in Ningxia and Guyuan, where soldiers were full of complaints and small groups frequently mutinied."

"General Fang and I went south in disguise mainly to contact Xu Chengming, the general of Guizhou, and the Mu family, the Duke of Qian in Yunnan, and ask them to send troops north to attack northern Sichuan from both sides."

"The roads to Shu are rugged and treacherous; a direct assault would result in too many losses. Hong Chengchou intends to use the troops from Yunnan and Guizhou to open up a southern battlefield and disperse your forces."

Dong Erzhu, Heizi, and Li Xinghuai listened very attentively, making marks on the map from time to time.

The intelligence brought by Marco confirmed Jiang Han's previous judgment and provided more precise details.

After listening, Prefect Li Xinghuai's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he looked at Dong Erzhu and Heizi:

"Gentlemen, I see that General Ma enjoys Hong Chengchou's deep trust. Could we use his position to our advantage?"

"For example, we could set a trap, send back false information, and lure in Zhang Yingchang and He Renlong's 8,000 elite troops, or even more Qin soldiers, to be wiped out?"

Li Xinghuai was not a general who commanded troops. He only knew that if he could annihilate a part of Hong Chengchou's elite forces, it would definitely be a great achievement.

However, the generals in charge of the troops remained silent after hearing this.

“Prefect Li, if I may be frank, your idea is good, but it’s quite difficult.”

Hei Zi spoke first, pointing to the narrow mountain path on the map:

"Although Jinniu Road has been mostly converted into Bian Road, the army still cannot be deployed."

"Even if we can lure Zhang Yingchang and his men here, our ambushing forces will not be able to form an encirclement. At most, we can only catch them off guard and force them to retreat."

“When marching in long formations, if the vanguard is attacked and thwarted, the soldiers behind will not dare to advance further.”

Dong Erzhu nodded and added:

"That's right, the mountainous terrain is not conducive to fighting a war of annihilation."

"Furthermore, General Ma's family is still in Xining. If they turn against him now, his clansmen may be implicated."

"If Hong Chengchou had not met General Ma in person, given his character, he would never have believed what others said, much less have sent a large army deep into the territory."

After hearing this, Li Xinghuai stroked his beard, clearly understanding the principle.

Actually, there was something Dong Erzhu didn't say explicitly.

Marco was a recent recruit and possessed a great deal of military secrets, so there was no way he would let Marco go back.

Ultimately, it was Dong Erzhu who made the decision:

“If we were to force the annihilation of the Ming army, the risks would be too great, and the rewards might not be high.”

"For now, we'll adopt a defensive posture on the northern route and rely on natural defenses to wear them down."

"As for General Ma, he should stay out of the public eye for the time being, so as not to implicate his clansmen in Xining."

"By the way, Long'an Prefecture has caravans that can travel to the Ando Snow Region, which is not far from Xining."

"If General Ma is willing, he can also send a trusted confidant to bring his family from Xining."

Upon hearing this, Marco bowed gratefully to Dong Erzhu, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.
"Thank you for your understanding, General Dong!"

“The detour through the snowy area is too far, and the elderly in my family are too old to make the long journey.”

"General, rest assured, since I have already agreed to surrender, I will never go back on my word."

"If I attack the imperial city, I can just use a nickname to cover it up, and I don't think it will implicate my clan."

Hearing this, Dong Erzhu laughed heartily, stepped forward, and patted Ma Ke on the shoulder:

"It seems General Ma has adapted quite quickly since joining the bandits!"

"fair enough."

But then he changed the subject and said solemnly:
"General Ma, there is something I must make clear beforehand."

"If you are willing to submit, we will naturally welcome you with all our heart."

"But the commander-in-chief has ordered that all generals who lead troops in the army must first undergo a period of education and training, and you are no exception."

Marco was taken aback:
"study?"

"General Dong, although I am not very talented, I have read some military books and strategies."

Dong Erzhu smiled mysteriously and interrupted him:
"General Ma has misunderstood; I was not testing your military strategy."

"The learning I'm referring to is learning the rules and regulations of our army, and also to unify our thinking and help you better integrate into our army."

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. You'll see soon enough."

"Let's go, I'll take you to the camp for a meal first, and we can talk while we eat."

And so, Dong Erzhu and Hei Zi, leading a completely bewildered Ma Ke, returned to the military camp outside the city.

It was getting late, the shouts from the drills were fading into the distance, and the aroma of food began to fill the air.

"Brother Ma, come on, let me show you what we soldiers usually eat!"

Dong Erzhu patted Ma Ke on the shoulder, his tone relaxed.
"The food at our Jianzhou camp is guaranteed to be better than when you were with Old Man Hong!"

Marco forced a smile, but his mind was still preoccupied with the matter of studying they had discussed earlier, and he couldn't help but ask:
"General Dong, what exactly are the regulations for that education you mentioned earlier?"

"Could you give me a heads-up so I can prepare accordingly?"

Without a word, Hei Zi grabbed Marco's hand and started walking forward:

"What's the hurry?"

"Eat your food one bite at a time, and do things one step at a time."

"Every evening after dinner, the military holds a training session where they teach a few things. You'll understand once you go and listen after dinner!"

"Don't worry, I'm not testing you on the Four Books and Five Classics!"

He paused and added,

"This is a rule personally set by the Commander-in-Chief. Everyone has to pass this test. Even Old Dong and I heard about it back then!"

Seeing that he couldn't get any more information, Marco had no choice but to suppress his doubts and follow the two men to a spacious area on the west side of the military camp.

From afar, he could see several makeshift sheds made of bamboo and wood, covered with tarpaulins; these were the camp's mess halls.

Next to it was the kitchen, where steam was billowing out, and the cooks were stirring a dozen large pots vigorously, filling the air with the aroma of food.

Outside the mess hall tent, squads of soldiers who had finished their drills were lined up in neat rows and, led by their respective officers, entered their respective tents in an orderly fashion.

To Marco's slight surprise, there wasn't just one canteen, but several separate ones, with faint signs at the entrances.

Dong Erzhu noticed Ma Ke's confusion and casually explained as they walked:

"Look, do you see that?"

"The largest one in the middle is for combat soldiers and auxiliary soldiers, the one on the right is for militia, and the one with partitions in front is where our officers eat."

Marco understood immediately, but he couldn't help asking:
"General Dong, I observe that your army seems to be quite considerate of its soldiers. Why is there a separate mess hall?"

"Isn't it true that when leading troops into battle, the general and the soldiers share weal and woe?"

Kuroko chimed in to explain:

"Hey, Brother Ma, you don't understand."

"The commander said that showing compassion to the soldiers is one thing, but rules are rules."

"Soldiers and officers have different duties and different responsibilities, but they should also have the dignity they deserve."

"Besides, our army has plenty of food, why bother with all that?"

Dong Erzhu picked up the conversation and put it more bluntly:

“Brother Ma, we’ve both led troops before, we know what’s going on.”

"What the soldiers under them really want is very simple: to be well-fed and clothed, to fire their weapons on time, and to be spared beatings and scoldings by their superiors."

"We generals have to worry about military strategy, coordinate food supplies, supervise and train soldiers, and bear the responsibility for victory or defeat. It's mentally and physically demanding, and the pressure is even greater."

"It is only reasonable for the commander to be considerate of us and to allow us to eat well and have a quiet place to discuss matters while we eat."

"With sufficient supplies, there's no need to go through the motions of sharing weal and woe."

"If the soldiers eat well, we eat well too. Everyone should be content with their lot and put their efforts into the right things. This is the way to long-term success."

"As long as they don't act like those corrupt officials who embezzle soldiers' hard-earned money and rations to enjoy delicacies, it's fine."

As they spoke, the three of them had already reached the entrance of the officers' mess hall.

The guards at the gate stood at attention. Upon seeing that it was Dong Erzhu and Fang Heizi, they immediately saluted and let them pass.

The cafeteria was much quieter than the outside, with a dozen or so square tables and benches set up inside.

At this time, seven or eight officers of the rank of battalion commander and centurion were already dining there.

Upon seeing the official, the group quickly wiped their mouths, stood up, and bowed.

Dong Erzhu waved his hand upon seeing this:
"It's alright, everyone eat and drink well, don't worry about us."

The three of them found an empty table and sat down.

Soon, the cook brought in the food:

The staple food is millet rice mixed with a small amount of white rice, and there's plenty of it.

A large pot of tender, juicy pork stewed until soft, mixed with vegetables such as radishes and dried green beans.

A dish of pickled mustard tubers, plus a bowl of vegetable soup with oil floating on top.

Although the food was not as good as when Ma Ke was a guerrilla in the army, it was still worlds apart from that of ordinary Ming army officers.

More importantly, it's generously portioned, juicy, and piping hot—it looks like it will keep you full and satiated.

"Come on, Brother Ma, don't be shy!"

Dong Erzhu called to Ma Ke and brought him and Hei Zi a bowl of rice. "In Sichuan, rice is the main crop. I don't know if you can get used to it."

"Drinking alcohol is not allowed in the military, but there is plenty of food."

Marco looked at the food in front of him and suddenly said:
"General Dong, may I go and take a look at the soldiers' mess hall?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Erzhu nodded:
"Brother Ma, please make yourself at home. We won't wait for you."

Without saying a word, Marco rushed out of the shed and went straight into the largest canteen in the middle.

He's going to take a good look today to see if these people really don't lack food.

Seeing this, Dong Erzhu and Hei Zi in the canteen exchanged a glance, shrugged in unison, and then ignored it, burying their heads in their food.

Soon, Marco returned to the shed looking utterly dejected.

Recalling what he had just seen and heard, he gave a wry smile:
"Your army has excellent methods!"

"Even the soldiers at the bottom can hold their overflowing rice bowls and drink vegetable soup with oil."

"If everyone in my Qin army on the three borders could eat this well, how could there be any talk of mutiny?"

He gained a more intuitive understanding of Jiang Hanjun's logistical capabilities.

This army truly has no shortage of food!
The ability to feed even the lowest-ranking soldiers and ensure that officers have decent meals demonstrates organizational skills and resource reserves that are truly remarkable.

He picked up his rice bowl, took a large piece of fatty meat, and put it in his mouth. The aroma of the fat and the salty and savory taste instantly filled his mouth.

A satisfying feeling of fullness arises spontaneously.

He shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice, then mumbled a question:

"General Dong, what exactly will be discussed in tonight's lesson?"

Dong Erzhu took a swig of the vegetable soup and smacked his lips:
"You will receive a handbook during tonight's class."

“Listen carefully to the lectures given by the military commander, and then you will understand by referring to the booklet.”

Seeing Dong Erzhu's confident expression, Marco's curiosity grew even stronger. He was already impatient to see what kind of booklet it was.

The hour-long lunch break passed quickly, and Marco finally got to attend the class he had been longing for.

The three of them arrived at a large tent on the south side of the training ground and entered through the curtain.

Inside the main tent, many soldiers had been waiting for a long time, and the person in charge of the lecture was an old acquaintance, Wang Wu.

Dong Erzhu pulled Ma Ke aside and introduced them:

"Let me introduce you. This is Wang Wu, the commander of the army."

"Back then, he single-handedly planned the Gansu Town Uprising and single-handedly recruited thousands of men for our army."

Marco stared blankly at Wang Wu in front of him.

He had heard about the large-scale uprising in Gansu Town before.

But he never expected that the uprising that shook the entire border town was actually carried out by this unassuming man in front of him.

Wang Wu scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.
"Boss Dong, I was just lucky."

"It's all thanks to the brothers' support."

Dong Erzhu waved his hand, interrupting him:

"A merit is a merit. It's rare for the Commander-in-Chief to value you so much. Don't embarrass yourself today."

"This is the newly surrendered Ma Youji; he will be under your command from now on."

"Today we'll start by talking about military discipline, and show General Ma the booklet written by the Commander-in-Chief."

Wang Wu nodded, then took out a hardcover booklet from his pocket and handed it to Ma Ke.

Marco took it with both hands, and upon closer inspection, he saw several large characters printed on it:

New Army Regulations and Command and Training Outline

Opening the booklet, the very first paragraph nearly made his jaw drop:

The Ming dynasty was corrupt and tyrannical, officials were greedy and generals were cowardly, soldiers and bandits ran rampant, and the people suffered terribly.

Jiang, acting in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, led an uprising with the aim of bringing peace to the world and saving the people from suffering.

To accomplish this great undertaking, we must first forge a mighty army.

It is said that the way to govern an army is to first clarify discipline, distinguish between superiors and subordinates, strictly enforce orders, and emphasize rewards and punishments.

This Outline is the foundation upon which our army stands and the basis for victory.

All those under my command, from generals and officers to soldiers, and all those in charge, must thoroughly study and memorize this, and put it into practice.

Qi Shaobao once said: "If an army is large but does not know the rules, it will surely be taken advantage of by the enemy!"

We have extracted the essence of its military treatises and incorporated it into our military regulations. We urge all officers and soldiers to strictly adhere to these regulations; let us unite as one and work together to achieve great things! — Jiang Han

Marco, with a solemn expression, disregarded the people around him and carefully perused the booklet by the light of an oil lamp.

Article 1 of the Outline: Purpose and Mission.

Our army's objective: to overthrow the tyrannical Ming dynasty and expel the Tartars.

Soldiers' mission: to uphold their duties, hone their martial skills, and serve on the battlefield to protect their homeland and its people.

Article 2: Military Discipline.

Regarding battlefield operations, it was discussed that...

"We take the drums and flags as our lifeblood; we advance at the sound of the drums and halt at the sound of the gongs; we will obey orders even unto death."

For daily military marches and encampments, the requirement was that "every single thread taken from the people must be paid for at the agreed price."

Anyone who trespasses on private property or harasses women will be dealt with according to military law!

There are also clear regulations regarding battlefield spoils, requiring that they be turned over to the public.

"All spoils of war, whether gold, silver, wealth, weapons, or provisions, shall be handed over to the commander-in-chief for reward based on merit. Those who conceal them shall be treated as thieves."

Article 3 is the duties and responsibilities of officers and soldiers.

A general must possess both wisdom and courage, clearly define rewards and punishments, strictly enforce orders, and love his soldiers like his own children.

He should be at the forefront in battle and at the rear in retreat; he should be considerate of the soldiers' hunger, cold, and hardship, and provide them with appropriate care; he should diligently train them and teach them combat tactics; he should punish those who make mistakes and reward those who make merits, so as to gain the trust and respect of the army.

Soldiers must respect their superiors and elders, and adhere to their duties.

Practice martial arts diligently and heed instruction; fight bravely in battle and never retreat; cherish equipment and strictly abide by camp rules; help each other and share weal and woe.

The position of "commander" was also specifically mentioned.

The role of the commander is very clear: to be the eyes and ears of the squad and the mouthpiece of the commander.

One must be loyal and righteous, and conduct oneself with integrity.

Its main responsibilities include publicizing military discipline and principles, supervising the execution of military orders, and investigating illegal activities.

Most importantly, the commander has the authority to report directly to higher-ups and is directly under Jiang Han's command.

Article 4 of the outline further emphasizes the responsibility of collective supervision.

Within a squad, they supervise each other; within a detachment, they admonish each other.

If someone in a unit violates the rules and the other members of the unit or unit fail to stop or report it in time, they will be punished as a group, depending on the severity of the offense.

Those in charge must also bear responsibility for inadequate oversight.

The fifth point is daily drills.

The army requires diligent and continuous training. Soldiers must practice combat skills according to the manual and become familiar with the commands of drums and gongs.

Those with exceptional skills, bravery, loyalty, and reliability can be selected for the vanguard battalion after examination, enjoying double pay and generous rewards, and wearing excellent armor, becoming the elite of the entire army.

As for Article Six, the recording of military merits and rewards and punishments, it changed the Ming army's tradition of rewarding merits by taking heads, and adopted a new method of recording merits.

Military achievements are recorded primarily based on the outcome of battles and the achievement of predetermined objectives.

The assessment of merits after the war was jointly conducted by the commander-in-chief, the military advisor, officers at all levels, and the commanders.

Based on pre-battle plans and actual combat conditions, verify whether each unit has completed its assigned tactical and strategic objectives.

For example, capturing designated strongholds, defending passes, defeating or annihilating enemy troops, covering the flanks of the main force, and arriving at the designated position on time.

The core principle is to no longer judge merit by the number of people, but to focus on completing the task and achieving victory.

Those who achieve the goal are considered to have made a contribution.

In addition to collective commendation, units that successfully complete their objectives can also be rewarded according to the magnitude of their achievements and the amount of effort they have put in, after verification.

Special merits such as beheading generals, capturing flags, breaking through enemy lines, and being the first to scale the walls are not included in this category.

A separate reward will be given for each case recorded separately!

Such merits, once verified, will be personally awarded by the commander-in-chief with a generous reward exceeding the usual standards, and a general order will be issued to the entire army to commend and boost morale.

Those who commit wrongdoings will be punished severely according to military law. Those who fail to fulfill military orders, retreat in the face of battle, miss opportunities, or falsely report military achievements will be severely punished.

As a Ming Dynasty general, Ma Ke had a deep understanding of the principle of "merit based on the number of heads taken".

To be honest, at the highest level, merit is considered to have some merit under ideal circumstances.

Compared to subjective evaluations of combat achievements such as "charging" and "breaking through the enemy," headshots, as physical evidence, can indeed reduce the phenomenon of false credit and fraud.

After all, capturing and beheading someone provides physical evidence, while defeating the enemy first offers no such proof.

Moreover, for lower-ranking soldiers, the direct link between their heads and rewards and promotions theoretically motivates them to fight more effectively.

However, all of this is predicated on the premise that the system is sound and functioning properly.

With the collapse of the Ming Dynasty's finances, the intensification of bureaucratic corruption, and the frequent occurrence of large-scale wars, the system of rewarding merit by taking heads became a catalyst for military disasters.

A typical example is the Battle of Sarhu, where Du Song's soldiers, preoccupied with cutting off heads, caused their offensive to stall, leading to a counterattack and annihilation by the Later Jin reinforcements.

Qi Jiguang further denounced the Northern Army:
"After killing one bandit, thirty or fifty people fought over it, but the enemy took the opportunity to break through!"

At the same time, systemic fraud and indiscriminate killing also emerged.

In order to collect heads, many Ming soldiers massacred civilians during the late Ming Dynasty.

Generals like Mao Wenlong fabricated military achievements through means such as "buying merits," "exchanging prisoners," and "falsifying names."

In addition, the collapse of the imperial treasury at the end of the Ming Dynasty led to a lack of rewards to be given, rendering the incentives ineffective.

The Ming court was in arrears with military pay for a long time, and the reward money for the heads of soldiers was often replaced with "red cloth".

Marco had served in the army for many years. Many of his soldiers had risked their lives and only received a symbolic token. The red cloth in the camp was almost piled up into a small mountain, so morale was naturally low.

Marco utterly detests the practice of "rewarding merit by taking the head of the enemy."

He strongly agreed with Jiang Han's move to change the way merits were recorded.

Seeing Ma Ke so focused, Dong Erzhu couldn't bear to disturb him any further.

So he summoned Wang Wu and whispered the instructions:
"I'm entrusting this person to you. Please keep a close eye on him."

"We must correct the bad habits he developed with the Ming army, otherwise the commander-in-chief will not allow him to lead troops into battle."

"This man is the first Ming general to be accepted by our army, and there will likely be more in the future."

"You should also summarize and come up with a set of methods that can be applied to the entire army."

After thinking for a long time, Wang Wu nodded heavily:

"No problem, Boss Dong, leave it to me."

"Two months, two months, I will definitely train him!"

(End of this chapter)