Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 139 Everyone's Winning, Winning's Going Numb (5K views, please vote!)
Zhu Youjian strode into the Qianqing Palace, the hem of his dragon robe fluttering in the breeze behind him.

"Your Majesty has arrived——!"

"kneel!"

As the young eunuch Gao Sheng uttered his high-pitched, drawn-out greeting, over a hundred soldiers in the hall moved at the sound and knelt down in unison.

Zhu Youjian kept his eyes straight ahead and climbed the steps to the side of the throne.

"Your Majesty, please ascend the throne."

He slowly sat down on the dragon throne, a symbol of supreme power, his gaze sweeping over the generals below.

"bye--!"

Before the echoes of the promotion had even faded, the hundred generals in the hall pushed aside mountains of gold and jade pillars, bowing down in unison, their foreheads striking the cold gold bricks.

"Long live our emperor! Long live! Long, long live our emperor!!"

The soldiers' rough, powerful voices converged into a torrent, crashing repeatedly through the magnificent palace, making eardrums buzz and even causing the palace beams and pillars to tremble slightly.

Even though he inspected the Brave Guard Battalion every day without fail, and even though he had experienced this scene of officials bowing down more than a dozen times.

But when this elite force he had selected from various places, this sharp blade, this brutal military organization, submitted to him at such close range, Zhu Youjian still felt an uncontrollable shiver run up his spine to his scalp.

This is different from the refined and courteous worship of civil officials.

It was filled with the clang of swords and spears, the smoke of gunpowder, and the impending carnage!

How could reforms possibly not involve killing people?

Zhu Youjian slowly raised his hand and gestured casually.

"Flat body."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The generals responded in unison again before rising together.

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept over them.

The hall was filled with military officers dressed in red padded jackets. Although they varied in height, they were all broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, exuding the sharp and valiant air of seasoned veterans.

Both squad leaders and sergeants were included.

Sun Yingyuan is the only battalion commander among them, and also the highest-ranking military officer in this new army.

As for the ranks of Qianzong (a military officer) and Yingjiang (a military officer), there were none.

All military affairs that needed to be summarized were managed by the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Administration dispatched by Xu Yingyuan.

Since Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, he has inspected the Yongwei Battalion for twenty-one consecutive days.

His mind was as clear as a mirror.

Under his comprehensive reward and punishment system, this army performed reasonably well in small-scale formations and martial arts training.

However, during large-scale joint training of formations, the command already felt somewhat rigid.

If we expect them to go out and fight, they're probably no better than the 3000 elite guards in the palace.

One had never seen blood, and the other was a disorganized group.

The military has always been the most demanding machine of violence in terms of organization.

Even if he only had seven cards of famous generals from later generations, and even if he had a hundred Lu Bus, they would only be crushed when facing three thousand well-organized cavalry and infantry.

But he was willing to accept this temporary loss of combat strength.

Although his butterfly effect was enormous, it was unlikely that within six months, the Later Jin cavalry would once again breach the gates and besiege Beijing.

As long as there are no external enemies, the three thousand elite soldiers he firmly controls will always be a ballast as long as they don't make a move.

Their existence is their greatest value!
This is also the fundamental reason why, when he purged the palace forces, he only targeted some of the high-ranking members of the Imperial Guard, but never disbanded the armed force.

Unlike Emperor Chongzhen in history, who, upon ascending the throne, hastily disbanded the most elite personal army of the previous emperor without having any absolutely loyal armed forces under his control, which was simply inexplicable.

After 21 days of training, the first monthly exam will be held in 10 days.

The first batch of real commanders will be selected after the first monthly exam.

Thirty days later, the second monthly exam will be held, and the top executives will be selected.

Thirty days later, during the third monthly exam, the battalion commander will be selected.

For a total of ninety days, he wanted to get the entire army, from top to bottom, used to these rules and regulations, and to create an atmosphere of daily testing.

This allows military officers at every level to rise through the ranks based on their actual abilities.

Even if Yue Fei were placed in front of him, he would behave the same way.

He wanted these thousands of men to understand that in Zhu Youjian's court, the capable rise and the mediocre fall.

These days, if you want to get ahead, you have to work hard.

If we want to get ahead in the future, we'll have to risk our lives!
This is much more reliable than simply picking up a general card, ignoring everything else, and putting him in the main general position, then letting him perform some kind of magic.

However, today's impromptu additional test is not for selecting a commander.

Rather, he wanted them to give him a pledge of allegiance, a pledge he absolutely needed before his third daily lecture!

Only by submitting this document can one be considered to have entered my gates, and only then will one have future glory, wealth, and honor for one's wife and children!
Zhu Youjian withdrew his gaze and looked down at the imperial desk.

Above, all kinds of test papers have been categorized and neatly gathered together.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yingyuan immediately bowed and stepped forward, reporting in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, there are a total of 151 examinees today, and all the exam papers are here."

"The officers came from different backgrounds, so I divided them into eleven groups according to their military garrisons. Ten of these groups were from the nine border garrisons, and one was from the capital garrison."

"In each answer sheet, I summarized the situation of each town into a booklet and attached it."

"In addition, according to His Majesty's previous statement, some items that were clearly problematic after comparison were marked with green strips."

"Well done." Zhu Youjian nodded in satisfaction.

There are five of them, just like the Four Heavenly Kings.

There are actually fifteen borders in total...

However, five of them are military garrisons in Shaanxi, which are far away and it is estimated that they will take another ten days to arrive. Therefore, only the elite troops from the ten garrisons have arrived so far.

His gaze lingered on the stacks of files for a moment before he finally picked up the leftmost pile, which contained the answer sheets belonging to Liaodong Town.

On the cover was Xu Yingyuan's neat handwriting—"A Summary of Corruption in Liaodong Town".

Yes, the core of this test, or rather this "preliminary assessment," is only one thing: "corruption"!
If you want to know straightness, you must have a ruler; if you want to know squareness, you must have rules.

If you can't see where the problem lies, how can you talk about solving it?

In his previous life, he was deeply involved in a reform project of a Fortune 100 company.

Headquarters dispatched to a local area, how to break through the deeply entrenched and impenetrable network of relationships?

That's how simple and straightforward the solution was!

By separating everyone, having them fill out forms individually, and having them talk one-on-one, the effectiveness of the "prisoner's dilemma" is maximized.

No one knows what others will say, so in order to protect themselves and to gain credit, they will naturally reveal more or less their true feelings.

By compiling these materials, the situation, even if not 100% accurate, is probably 80-90% true.

It was common for feudal emperors to be closed-minded and ignorant.

But there has never been a lack of solutions.

However, since ancient times, most emperors have been raised by women in the deep palace and have little experience in the world. They are born into a life of honor and privilege, which is why they can only rely on unconventional methods such as the secret police to break down information barriers.

But Zhu Youjian was different.

He has far too many ways to manipulate these ancient people.

Regarding corruption... how could the Ming Dynasty of 1627 possibly possess the ingenuity of later generations?
Zhu Youjian sat up straight and gently unfolded the booklet.

Come, let me see whether the military funds distributed to the soldiers actually reach 70%, 50%, or 10%!
……

The booklet was a summary by Xu Yingyuan, and its contents were concise and to the point. Zhu Youjian quickly finished reading it.

His brows furrowed deeply without his noticing.

Xu Yingyuan's abilities were still somewhat lacking; although his summary was accurate, it was still somewhat disorganized.

This employee lacks logical thinking skills...

Zhu Youjian put down the booklet, then pulled out four or five more original answer sheets, glanced at them briefly, and then, according to his own logic, re-summarized and organized the corrupt methods of this Ming Dynasty military leader.

The first category, the most direct and the most common, is embezzlement of military funds.

The military pay of the Ming Dynasty was varied, including fixed monthly rations (i.e., fixed wages), travel rations for expeditions (i.e., performance-based wages for fighting and shift work), salt and vegetable allowances to subsidize meals (i.e., meal allowances), one-time resettlement allowances for conscription, and fur coat allowances for purchasing military uniforms and boots.

The soldiers who raised horses were also provided with supplies such as hay and bean feed, which were distributed in two ways: in their original color and in discounted color.

The sheer variety and complexity of the situation provide fertile ground for manipulation.

Take the simplest example: a monthly ration. The nominal monthly ration for an ordinary infantryman in Liaodong Town was one tael and eight mace, but this salary also included a monthly ration of five dou of rice, which was equivalent to four mace of silver.

If we calculate the value of these five dou of rice according to the market price in Liaodong at that time, it would actually be worth six qian of silver.

This adds up to a price difference of two qian.

In other words, a common soldier's theoretical monthly salary was as high as two taels of silver! That's nearly 70 coins a day!
This salary is almost on par with that of a highly skilled printing craftsman in the capital. How can it not be considered high-income?!

But nominal wages and take-home pay are never the same thing.

In later generations, wages are subject to tax deductions, and naturally, our Great Ming Dynasty is also subject to "tax deductions."

Before the monthly ration of 1.8 taels of rice even arrives, 4 taels will be deducted, the reason being that 5 dou of rice were given as rations.

But this five bushels of rice is clearly worth six coins on the market, yet they only deducted four coins from your price. That's truly benevolent governance.

However, the five bushels of rice that were "mercifully" distributed were in a granary a hundred miles away, and the soldiers had to collect them themselves.

Those who are strong and healthy can carry it back themselves.

Five dou of rice, when converted to modern units, is close to 100 jin (50 kg). A round trip like that would leave a person exhausted.

Those who were weaker had to hire carts and horses to transport the goods. The cost of the carts and horses was about the same as the price of rice.

In the end, after all that effort, the five pecks of rice were actually only about one or two pecks.

It's ok!
The Ming Dynasty even left us one tael and four mace! Adding the rice, that's another one tael and five mace! That's 50 copper coins a day!

This is also the wage for the barrel maker and the bamboo weaver! With a little effort, the family can barely make ends meet in Liaodong.

How naive you are, my friend!

The remaining 1.4 taels of silver would be deducted by the military leaders before it even reached you.

Adding rice, let's say it's one or three ounces, that's 43 coins a day!

Your social class is about to slip again, my friend. Go sit at the same table as the porters in the capital.

So, at this point, the monthly payment is 1.3 taels. Dividing that by 1.8 taels, the actual amount paid out is still 72%.
His Majesty the Great Ming is wise and benevolent!
The cavalrymen who were issued military horses were, in some ways, even worse off.

Raising horses is more expensive than raising people.

Generals embezzled fodder and bean allowances, resulting in horses becoming emaciated and warhorses dying of starvation daily.

Even worse, when their warhorses died, the soldiers had to pay for the compensation themselves.

A warhorse was valued at six taels of silver, which was far beyond the means of a single soldier. Therefore, the compensation was shared by all the cavalrymen in the entire unit.

As for other provisions, such as travel allowances, fur coat allowances, and resettlement allowances, the situation was similar, with the actual amount received after deductions generally between 70% and 80%.

It looks pretty good?
My friend, you've forgotten that people are the most precious resource!
Therefore, the second category of problems is more serious than military pay.

—That is divination!
The generals seized the farmland, concealed the wasteland, and then forced their soldiers to cultivate it for themselves.

The soldiers were treated even worse than the tenants of landlords.

After all, all a landlord could do was use a whip and a stick. If he was lucky, he might have a local official who upheld some "benevolence and the law".

But what the soldiers were carrying were gleaming knife handles; if a military household was caught fleeing, they could be executed on the spot.

If a fat pig can't even run away, why not slaughter it severely? Why keep it for the New Year?
Farming is just a minor path.

In coastal areas like Xingshan and Ningyuan, military officers would send their soldiers out to sea to fish. Each month, they had to hand over 1,000 catties of fish, with each catty valued at ten coins. If they couldn't pay the required amount, they had to make up the difference with their own money, effectively making them local fishing tyrants.

Those who live far from the sea go hunting in the mountains.

If there's no prey, they'll go deep into the mountains and forests to dig for ginseng.

One person is so versatile that he'd want to be split in two, having to participate in training while also managing the income of his superior's private property. He's practically a jack-of-all-trades.

Even modern cattle and horses would be moved to tears upon seeing this.

The third category consists of various slightly more advanced operations.

For example, they would resell military rations, selling half of the grain allocated by the imperial court to line their own pockets.

For example, they would manipulate the price of horses, falsely reporting inferior horses bought from Mongolian merchants outside the Great Wall for three taels each as superior warhorses costing eight taels each.

For example, they would collect a monthly "protection fee" of five qian of silver from the various border posts and fortresses under their control.

Another example is usury.

What if the soldiers run out of food when the imperial court occasionally fails to distribute rations on time?
It's alright, the officer will lend you the money!

The interest rate isn't high; you can use your wife, children, and elderly parents as collateral first!

The tragic scenes of soldiers selling their children to make a living, as described in the memorials, were actually a result of their superiors driving them to desperation.
Of course, not all officers do this.

Some clever officials have their own preferred "white gloves," handling loans and debt collection through businessmen, never getting involved themselves.

As for receiving a salary without working, that's actually one of the more sophisticated methods among these.

Because of frequent wars in Liaodong, the imperial court was very strict in its control, and the generals were afraid that they would lose their heads easily if they had no help in battle.

Therefore, the servants were paid their full wages, and in fact, they were paid extra by the family to support more servants outside the official government establishment.

Ordinary soldiers wouldn't arbitrarily collect pay without actually working; instead, they would use infantry quotas to collect rations and pay for cavalry, and cavalry quotas to collect rations and pay for household guards.

The number of pure "ghost soldiers" is actually very small.

color!
That's truly a fantastic deal!
You've got a rainbow, Himalayas!
Zhu Youjian put down the answer sheet in his hand and let out a long sigh of relief.

He leaned back on the dragon throne, his face showing not a trace of anger, but rather satisfaction, even... joy.

Angry? Why be angry?
This is all good news!
In all matters under heaven, the problem is not a lack of ability, but a lack of understanding; and the problem is not a lack of understanding, but a lack of discernment!

The scariest thing is never that there is a problem, but that you have no idea where the problem is and you are running around like a headless fly!
Now, all the sores and all the rotten flesh were clearly laid out before him.

Now that the root cause has been found, how far away can a prescription be?

He was fully confident that he could gradually peel away the layers and slowly bring these chaotic situations to an end.

And the even better news is—

Despite receiving such treatment, eating such rations, and enduring such mistreatment, the Ming army still managed to fight several tough battles! Even in the Battle of Songjin, which was a matter of life and death for the nation, they were able to defeat Huang Taiji and wipe out the young men of his clan!
"The Ming army is invincible when its pay is not full!"

Nothing proves the value of this statement better than these answers!
Admittedly, these problems are deeply rooted and eradicating them would be extremely difficult.

But as a quick-witted man who had done practical work for more than a decade in the future, what he feared least was solving problems!
Zhu Youjian rallied his spirits and picked up the booklets from other border towns.

The methods used by military leaders across the country are actually quite similar; they simply adapt to local conditions and present their own unique "development plans."

Because the border conflict was relatively stable, the Shaanxi branch extracted more money than the Liaodong branch.

The actual amount paid out is usually between 60% and 70%.

The Yizhou branch, a purely inland military town, was the one that exploited the most.

The soldiers only managed to get about 55%.

The original officers and soldiers of the Yongwei Battalion mostly came from the garrisons around the capital, making their development model even more unique.

There is a saying in the garrison about "buying leisure time".

Once you've paid your share of the monthly fees, you don't need to attend training anymore; you can go out and do business to make money on your own.

Only those who cannot pay enough money need to come back for "training".

The so-called training mostly consisted of manual labor such as building fortifications and cultivating fields.

How much should the gift money be?
Tongzhou Garrison offered the most reasonable prices, which was a source of great pride throughout the capital region!
Infantry: 200 coins/month; Cavalry: 300 coins/month.

Leaving aside the infantry, the cavalry could take their horses on long-distance journeys after paying the fee.

How is this lifestyle any different from that of taxi drivers in later generations?
In addition, the Beijing garrison had a special business called "armory monopoly".

All military equipment such as arrows, armor, and chariots were not purchased through official channels, but were instead subcontracted by nobles and military leaders to familiar merchants.

As for whether the purchased items are usable or of good quality, only God knows.

In any case, the nobles were satisfied, the military leaders were satisfied, the civil officials were satisfied, and even the soldiers were satisfied.

Winning four times in one go is a four-win situation!

The Xuanfu and Datong branches were characterized by their smuggling trade with Mongolia outside Zhangjiakou.

Interestingly, the goods that the Mongol nobles demanded the most were not ironware, but luxury consumer goods from the south, such as silk, tea, and porcelain.

No wonder you were beaten like dogs by Lindan Khan in history! Zhu Youjian couldn't help but roll his eyes when he saw this.

As for the Dongjiang Town branch, its business scope is even more extensive, encompassing smuggling, logging, fishing, and even the encroachment on North Korean land for reclamation.

Not bad!
Zhu Youjian closed the last booklet, his smile growing even brighter.

My Great Ming Dynasty is thriving!
Each branch office has its own core competitiveness and a bright future.

What a great idea to grow bigger and stronger, and create brilliance together!

Zhu Youjian raised his head and looked again at the military officers in the hall.

His eyes were full of satisfaction.

—I'll accept this pledge of loyalty!
(End of this chapter)