Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 74 The Shining Star of the Ming Dynasty!
Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian plopped down on the dragon throne behind the imperial desk, feeling somewhat depressed.

On the imperial desk, two items were neatly arranged.

Similarly, it was a well-organized list of military officers from the nine border regions.

Another item was the latest official gazettes and cheat sheets from the capital.

This was supposed to include the "card drawing" part, which he was most looking forward to, but now he had no interest in it at all.

He impatiently shook the daily lecture schedule that Gao Shiming had pulled out in his hand a couple of times, and asked with dissatisfaction:

"So, this is the process for daily lectures?"

Gao Shiming bowed slightly, his voice calm and even: "Your Majesty, since the reign of Emperor Shizong, the daily routine has been generally the same, without any major changes."

Zhu Youjian slammed the booklet on the table with a "bang," feeling utterly bewildered.

If the imperial lectures were "open classes of the Ming Dynasty," then this lecture was nothing short of a "crash course during the Ming Dynasty's summer vacation!"
Unlike the lectures which were held three times a month, the daily lectures were theoretically to be held every day, with the exception of regular morning audiences.

Four or five daily speakers, like a relay race, revolve around you alone.

In the morning, we will talk about the Four Books and the Five Classics. In the afternoon, we will talk about the Illustrated Explanation of Imperial Admonitions, Ancestral Instructions, and the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government.

The lecture wasn't the end of it; students also had to practice calligraphy on the spot, writing several large characters for the lecturers to "appraise."

This whole process takes one or two hours.

He would rather spend his time inspecting and visiting the Yongwei Camp every day, and properly training the real forces at his disposal.

Zhu Youjian stroked his short beard and fell into deep thought.

His eyes, which had initially shown frustration and helplessness, gradually became deep and sharp.

It is absolutely impossible to make him passively accept these meaningless things like a puppet.

Every moment he invests must produce something!

This is an instinct etched deep in his soul, indelible.

Since we can't avoid these "daily lectures," let's just turn them into our own tools!

A wicked smile slowly crept onto Zhu Youjian's lips.

He wanted to make these scholars of the Ming Dynasty truly understand what terrible things could happen when a "naughty" student takes control of the classroom!

Let's start with this list of speakers, and then pick some interesting "topics" later.

Give them a little 21st-century shock.

As for now...

Zhu Youjian's gaze fell once again on the thick register of military officers, and his eyes instantly turned fervent.

That's of course... gacha pulls!

……

Zhu Youjian was completely absorbed in that enormous list.

From Shaanxi to Shanxi, from Jiliao to Xuanda, the nine border towns of the Ming Dynasty. The list of officers above the rank of battalion commander, plus the central officers and sergeants of each battalion, actually came together to form a large number of more than three thousand people.

He read it and copied it down by hand.

Behind every name lies a legend or a tragedy.

Before I knew it, it was completely dark outside the window.

Candles were quietly lit in the hall, making it brightly lit.

When he finally put down his brush and rubbed his sore eyes, there were already more than twenty names written on the paper in front of him.

Looking at the list he had selected from memory, he fell into deep thought.

A very interesting phenomenon.

Of these thirty-odd people, nearly half were from Liaodong and nearly half were from Shaanxi.

The remaining small half were mostly from Shandong or Beizhili.

This might be what was known as the "war dividend" in ancient times. It wasn't that the soldiers in the south were incapable of fighting; it was just that the south, having enjoyed a long period of peace, simply lacked the massive financial investment and extensive military experience that Liaodong and the Nine Borders regions had. Consequently, it was difficult for true military stars to emerge.

So-called great generals are always forged through mountains of silver and seas of blood.

Zhu Youjian's fingers slowly traced across the still-wet ink on the list.

One by one, familiar or unfamiliar names appeared under his fingertips.

Representatives of local military families in Liaodong: Wu Xiang, Zu Dashou, He Kegang...

Fierce generals who emerged from Shaanxi: You Shiwei, Hou Shilu, Zhao Shuaijiao...

There were also formidable figures from Shandong, such as Man Gui, Zuo Liangyu, and Liu Zeqing…

The famous Prince Wu Sangui was not even on the list at this time.

Could he be only a teenager? How old?

His father, Wu Xiang, is not yet the General Commander of Liaodong, but merely an insignificant camp officer in the central army.

The future Three Princes, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi, are currently working obediently under the command of Mao Wenlong, the General of Pingliao.

It is unknown whether, as later rumors suggest, he was secretly engaged in smuggling, or whether, as Mao Wenlong stated in his memorial, he was suffering from hunger and lack of food and clothing.

Before he could give up hope, Zu Dashou killed his comrade He Kegang to feign surrender to the Qing army.

Zhao Shuaijiao and Man Gui are still alive and well; they did not die in the Yisi Incident.

Zhu Youjian looked at these names and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

Why did things end up like that?
……

Zhu Youjian turned his head and said to Gao Shiming, who had been standing quietly to the side:
"Gao Shiming."

"The minister is here."

“A few days ago, I ordered the nine border garrisons to select elite officers and vanguards to come to the capital. Today, I will specially send a few more people to the capital.”

Zhu Youjian's gaze returned to the list, and without the slightest hesitation, he decisively called out the names one by one:
"Huang Degong, the battalion commander of Juehua Island."

“Zhou Yuji, garrison commander of Zuotunwei, Jinzhou.”

—The three future leaders of the Brave Guards, plus the already promising Sun Yingyuan, have been assembled ahead of schedule. I wonder if they can activate some special "bond" bonus.

He continued reading:
“Zu Kuan, a battalion commander in Liaodong.”

“Dongjiang Lieutenant General, Kong Youde.”

"Zuo Liangyu, Commander of the Right Battalion of the Liaodong Chariots."

"Cao Bianjiao, a battalion commander in Liaodong."

"He Renlong, the garrison commander of Shaanxi."

These individuals basically cover the key areas of Ningjin, Dongjiang, Shandong, Shaanxi, and Shanxi.

Their fighting prowess was one thing, but more importantly, they could serve as the eyes and ears of the imperial guards and civil officials, acting as parallel sources of information alongside the secret police and civil officials.

The people he selected generally hold relatively low official positions, with only Kong Youde holding a higher rank. However, in places like Dongjiang, even a military officer wouldn't actually command a battalion, so there shouldn't be much of a problem.

Bringing them to the capital would prevent chaos in the deployment of the entire frontline military garrison.

Gao Shiming bowed and accepted the order, then turned around and arranged for the eunuchs to draft the decree and deliver the order.

Zhu Youjian watched his departing figure and let out another long sigh.

I hope my arrival will make all of this different.

The initial excitement about "gacha pulls" was overshadowed by the weight of history, and I inexplicably became somewhat melancholic.

Zhu Youjian's gaze fell on the official gazettes and cheat sheets on the other side of the imperial desk.

My initial enthusiasm for work vanished in an instant.

Fine, let's treat today as a holiday and leave work early.

Let's go have dinner with Changqiu!
-
The list of military officers is shown in the image. I couldn't find Zu Kuan and Cao Bianjiao, probably because their official positions were too low at that time and they weren't recorded in historical records. I made one up.

(End of this chapter)