Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 838 Young People in the Army
It's already the end of October.

Zhu Youcheng was very anxious. Wang Yue's unauthorized military action made him uneasy, especially since he could not avoid attending court like his father.

Because they had to attend court every day, the ministers would take every opportunity to publicly raise the crisis in the three border regions, arguing that Wang Yue's military expedition to the Hetao region was highly irregular. Besides attacking Wang Yue for causing trouble abroad for personal gain, they also requested the emperor to remove Wang Yue from his post as soon as possible and tighten the military and political power over the nine border regions so that no war would break out this winter.

That day, Zhu Youcheng suffered a great deal of anger at the court meeting.

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Qin Chang reported: "Your Majesty, many places in the border towns have submitted memorials urging for this year's grain and salary... The soldiers have strong opinions, believing that the court's failure to pay salaries on time has had a bad impact. It is said that in some places even military officers with official positions are selling their children to get through the crisis."

"Why is everything all put together?"

Zhu Youcheng glanced back, frowned, and said, "In the past, the border towns hadn't received their pay for many years, and there weren't so many complaints then. Just before this, the imperial court made a one-time payment, clearing up all the arrears. What else do they want? Do they think someone is embezzling and the money and grain haven't been distributed properly? Why are they pressing so hard?"

Qin Chang said with difficulty, "Your Majesty, even if there were arrears in the past, the grain distribution system was still in place, and the conversion of salt permits into grain was carried out in the Northwest, making the supply of money and grain convenient... But now that the power to issue salt permits has been completely delegated to the court, there is probably a sense of panic in all parts of the Northwest."

Zhu Youcheng said with dissatisfaction: "I have said it before. When the grain tax was implemented, seven or eight tenths, and even eight or nine tenths in some places, of the Northwest army's pay came from local farmland. Does that mean they will stop growing grain when the old law is abolished? Now that the salt law has been changed, the central government collects money in a unified manner and purchases grain from all over the country before transporting it to the nine border regions. The quantity will only be greater than before... Why don't they understand?"

Qin Chang analyzed: "Perhaps it's because Wang Yue's military campaign in Yansui made other border towns feel that the court might have to tighten its belt to support the war in the three border regions, and they were all afraid that their share would be misappropriated."

……

……

At the end of October, Wang Yue officially took command of his troops and quickly crossed the Yellow River to the north, officially entering the territory of the Tatar nomadic tribes.

Thus began a war initiated by the Ming Dynasty to conquer the grasslands.

Because Wang Yue wanted to catch the Tatars off guard, but was afraid that the emperor and ministers would hinder his military plans, he still adopted the method of undeclared war. His reason was that the night scouts had discovered that the main force of the Tatars was moving towards the border of the Ming Dynasty, showing signs of invading the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, he prepared to launch a surprise attack, just like in the Battle of Weininghai.

Zhu Yong was also notified at the last minute that he should set off immediately to catch up with the troops ahead, cross the Yellow River and fight the Tatars.

As he hastily broke camp and led his troops to cross the river, following closely behind Wang Yue's forces, a large number of laborers were continuously escorting grain and supplies across the river, creating a magnificent scene.

Zhu Hui made some arrangements with his subordinates and rushed to the newly set-up central command tent, where he saw his father staring blankly at the map.

“Father, this sudden northward march is well-prepared for the troops in Yansui, while our troops are severely lacking in provisions and supplies, and our livestock are exhausted from the long journey. If we launch a long-distance raid now, I fear the soldiers will complain.” Zhu Hui raised the issue of low morale among the soldiers.

Zhu Yong looked up at his son and asked, "Do you really want to let go of such a good opportunity to make a contribution?"

Zhu Hui remained silent.

"It seems that there is indeed considerable resistance from the central government to this military deployment."

Zhu Yong frowned and said, "Otherwise, General Wang would not have risked the world's condemnation and rashly led his troops north in the face of the unfavorable situation that the dead of winter was approaching and blizzards could fall at any time. Although the army's firearms have been improved and their power is obvious to all, I don't know why I always feel... uneasy."

Zhu Hui said, "I have carefully observed the troops in Yansui. In fact, they are not prepared at all! Some people even complained in private that instead of staying in the city in this cold weather, they went to the barren land of Hetao to build a city... If they are not even willing to go north to Hetao, who would be willing to go deep into the heart of the grasslands at this time?"

"Ah."

Zhu Yong nodded and said, "Wang Shichang is sacrificing the interests of the entire Ming Dynasty to achieve his own fame and fortune... I really don't understand why His Majesty would indulge him like this! Or is it that the Zhang family has other plans for him?"

Zhu Hui sighed, “I have discovered that Minister Wang is also wary of that young imperial uncle… It is said that the young imperial uncle made an agreement with him to lead the new army to Yansui, and then send troops there.”

"Moreover, the agreed time for the expedition was the following spring. At that time, the ground had just thawed, and it was the spring famine season in the north. The soldiers did not have the need for farming, making it the most suitable time for the northern expedition."

Zhu Yong reached out to interrupt his son, because he saw the messenger sent by Wang Yue appear in front of the tent.

"My lord, the general requests your presence in the command tent for a meeting."

The messenger soldiers.

"understood."

Zhu Hui waved his hand and said, "I'll go right now!"

……

……

When Zhu Yong arrived at the commander's tent with his son Zhu Hui, they found that the meeting inside had ended and the officers were coming out one by one.

This left Zhu Yong and his son feeling somewhat uneasy.

You, Wang Yue, are having a meeting, but you're ignoring me, the commander-in-chief. It's obvious you want to bypass me and attack in your own way to get the military merits you want, leaving us with no way out.
Or do you think that after pacifying the grasslands, you will also be promoted to Duke, and then you will be on equal footing with me in the Governor's Office, and that colleagues will become enemies, which is why you are so disrespectful?
"General Wang."

When Zhu Yong saw Wang Yue leading a young man out of the command tent, he quickly stepped forward to greet him and bowed.

"The Duke of Baoguo has arrived?"

Wang Yue greeted him with a smile, and then explained the current situation: "I just made some arrangements for defense, and sent out another group of men ahead of time to cooperate with the night guards to prevent the Tatars from attacking."

Zhu Yong thought to himself, "So what if you're being arbitrary? Running your own dictatorship in the army, and then you hypocritically call me here to discuss something?"
After all, the Battle of Weininghai had already created a rift between the two, and now Zhu Yong also realized that Wang Yue wanted to bypass him to gain military merit, so he was extremely resistant to Wang Yue.

"Yes."

Zhu Yong said, "I was late because I was settling my men! I hope you won't blame me, General."

"It doesn't matter."

Wang Yue acted very generously, pointing to the young man in white robes beside him and saying, "Let me introduce you. This is Wang Shouren, courtesy name Bo'an, also known as Yangming, son of Wang Hanlin, a leading figure among the younger generation, from Zhejiang. He is the son of Wang Hanlin, a Hanlin scholar in the imperial court."

Zhu Yong sized up the young man in front of him, wondering where this pale-faced scholar had come from.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Wang Shouren hurriedly bowed to Zhu Yong and said, "I traveled to the northern frontier to broaden my experience. In the past few months, I have traveled to places such as Datong and Pianguan. Now that I have heard that you are raising an army in the Hetao region, I have come to join you."

Wang Shouren is only seventeen years old.

Historically, starting in the twenty-third year of the Chenghua reign, he traveled to places such as Juyongguan and Shanhaiguan. Historical records even show that he traveled beyond the pass many times to broaden his horizons and accumulate rich military, astronomical, and geographical knowledge, laying the foundation for his future achievements.

Historically, he did not return to Nanchang and marry a woman from the Zhu family until the first year of the Hongzhi reign.

The person Wang Shouren admired most in his life was Wang Yue, who repeatedly led expeditions to the grasslands and made great achievements. Later, after Wang Shouren became an official, he received a sword used by Wang Yue as a gift from Wang Yue's family, which he treasured and kept. Therefore, when Wang Shouren learned that Wang Yue had been appointed as the commander-in-chief of the three border regions, he even neglected his wedding and rushed to the Hetao region to witness Wang Yue's demeanor in person and even to find an opportunity to learn how to command troops from Wang Yue.

Of course, besides being a military strategist himself, Wang Yue also had a keen eye for recognizing talent.

When he discovered a young talent with unique insights into the military and political affairs of the Nine Border Regions, and who dared to travel alone to the northern desert at such a young age... Wang Yue admired him greatly for his courage alone.

In addition, Wang Yue himself was someone who liked to associate with powerful figures in the court, and Wang Shouren's father, Wang Hua, was the top scholar in the imperial examination in the seventeenth year of the Chenghua era. He was also a friend of Xie Qian, a Hanlin scholar. As a result, Wang Yue naturally looked at Wang Hua's son differently.

After all, in the imperial court, a Hanlin scholar with connections and background can easily become a high-ranking official at the level of prime minister in the future.

Zhu Yong asked, "Does this young master Wang have any official rank or title?"

"No."

Wang Shouren shook his head and said, "I'm still studying in various places."

"If you're here to study, why come to the northern desert? It's a vast and sparsely populated place where you could encounter barbarians at any time. If you were captured, how would you escape? It's a dangerous military place, not suitable for a young person like you."

Zhu Yong did not give Wang Shouren a friendly look.

Do you think being a soldier and fighting a war is a joke?

You're just a young scholar, and you don't even look like you practice martial arts, yet you dare to ride alone to the northern desert to join the army?
Everyone else resents being a military household and hopes to be released from that status as soon as possible, but you, a scholar, actually yearn for the life of us warriors? If you were from an ordinary family, that would be one thing, but your father was the top scholar in the Ming Dynasty!
They must be from a wealthy family, unaware of the hardships and difficulties of military life, and come here to experience life.
Wang Yue laughed and said, "Duke Baoguo, young man, you need to encourage him more. You may not have talked to Bo'an much. In the past two years, he has traveled to various places along the nine borders and investigated the geography and culture of the northern desert. Even many officials are confused by what he has seen and heard. What he has seen and heard is truly amazing."

Zhu Yong was somewhat surprised to hear this.

You, Wang Yue, want to curry favor with a Hanlin official? You can't be serious, can you? No matter how powerful his father is, he's just a lowly official who's only been in court for a little over seven years.

Or do you genuinely believe that this young man possesses abilities that you admire?
Wang Shouren said, "I have simply compiled what I have seen during my travels and wish to offer it to Your Highness for reference. Many of my investigations are not thorough, and I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

"Don't underestimate yourself."

Wang Yue said, "Bo'an, your insight is truly remarkable. Among the younger generation, of all the people I've met, only... that one person can compare to you."

Wang Shouren seemed very curious when he heard this.

Whose insight is better than mine?
I'm not saying I'm arrogant enough to claim no one can compare, but you have to tell me who it is so I can learn from them.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yong chuckled inwardly.

Others might not know who Wang Yue was talking about, but Zhu Yong knew perfectly well.

Isn't this referring to Zhang Yanling, the young imperial brother-in-law of the Zhang family?
They weren't just traveling around, writing travelogues, or doing theoretical exercises; they were actually doing real work... Even the food and supplies needed for your war, Wang Yue, were all procured by them. They even bypassed the imperial court and trained a new army on their own.

It was this new army that made Wang Weining feel that he could recreate the glory of the Battle of Weininghai and even completely pacify the grasslands.

In terms of military prowess, although Zhang Yanling lacked practical combat experience, he used overwhelming force to wipe out local bandits who had been entrenched for many years in Nanjing, and even the powerful gentry forces around Yingtian Prefecture were impressed by him.

The reason why you, Wang Weining, are in such a hurry to send troops is because you are afraid that the young imperial uncle of the Zhang family will steal the credit.

So... there's always someone better.

Zhu Yong said, "General Wang, are you planning to take this young man, Brother Wang, with you on your northward expedition?"

"Right on my mind."

Wang Yue said, "Young man, it's good to stay with the army so that we can look after each other. Besides, we've already crossed the Yellow River, and it won't be easy to turn back now."

We've already brought it all; are we going to send Wang Shouren back?
By keeping a white-clad soldier in the army, all that's needed is a meal, and he can serve as a free advisor. Furthermore, he can establish a good relationship with Wang Shouren, Wang Hua, and the Hanlin Academy system behind them.

It's practically a sure-fire way to make money.

With just a bite to eat, you can get a powerful young man to work for you, and he will admire you so much and obey your every word. Where can you find such a helper?
Zhu Yong nodded, wanting to say something, but hesitated to speak.

Wang Yue knew, of course, that Zhu Yong was the highest-ranking military officer in the army, and that he wanted to discuss many things with him, things that could not be known to outsiders, but he just didn't want to give Zhu Yong the opportunity.

“Bo’an, go back and rest first. I’ll assign you two personal guards. If you have any problems, just tell them,” Wang Yue said with a smile. “Also, weren’t you very interested in those muskets that can be fired without a matchlock? I’ll demonstrate them to you personally during the march tomorrow.”

Wang Shouren hurriedly replied, "This student would not dare to trouble Your Excellency. Moreover, ammunition in the army is a strategic resource; how can it be wasted for the sake of display?"

Wang Yue smiled and waved his hand: "With your knowledge, you can summarize the gains and losses and shortcomings. Having more opinions will make it easier to make comparisons and references."

Wang Yue focused almost all his attention on Wang Shouren, ignoring Zhu Yong'ai.

Zhu Yong frowned, knowing he was disliked, and with a cold snort, he led his son back to the camp where his troops were stationed.

Zhu Hui said, "Father, we have now crossed the Yellow River. This is Tatar territory, and danger lurks everywhere. But it seems that Vice Minister Wang is deliberately creating discord among the generals and insists on promoting some Hanlin scholar's son... What exactly is he trying to do?"

“My son, you may look down on Wang Shichang’s character and conduct, but you cannot underestimate his military strategy and vision. Since he believes that now is the best time to strike, and he thinks that Wang Hanlin’s son is a talented person, you must first acknowledge him and then slowly find ways to verify it, instead of questioning him from the start.”

Zhu Yong admonished.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hui couldn't help but ask, "Father, do you believe what you're saying?"

Zhu Yong said coldly, "Why don't you believe it? A sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy can cross numerous obstacles on the frontier and come alone to join the army. Can you say he lacks courage? If you were that age, would you have the guts to do that?"

“The key is that doing all this is useless,” Zhu Hui said. “He’s just a scholar, and he doesn’t look like someone who can take up arms and fight on horseback.”

Zhu Yong said: "Wang Shichang's own horsemanship and archery skills are quite ordinary, but no one dares to say that he is not the banner of the Ming army!"
"Some people's military prowess is not reflected in charging into battle, but in their command, deployment, and strategy. This is true of the ancient sages such as Sun Tzu, Zhang Liang, Zhuge Liang, and Li Jing! Quickly arrange the troops and set off tomorrow."

Zhu Hui asked, "So... we're still in charge of covering the rear? There'll only be one supply line in the rear, so are we supposed to be in charge of watching it? We're not going to be the ones charging into battle, and all the credit goes to others, but when it's time to retreat, we're the ones left to cover the rear?"

Zhu Yong shook his head: "Since we chose to come to Yansui from Datong, it's for the sake of fighting. Military merits cannot be taken by Wang Shichang alone. How could Wang Shichang not be aware of our thoughts? We're all here to grab credit, so it's bound to be a zero-sum game. We should first skillfully maneuver against him. I think... if the Tatars really attack, he won't be a match for them with just his own troops in Yansui and the New Army. Sooner or later, he'll have to use us!"

"understood."

Zhu Hui hurriedly said, "Father's meaning is that we should wait for the right opportunity. When the great battle comes, it's still uncertain who will achieve great things!"

(End of this chapter)