Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 174 Establish a teaching team and conceive a military academy!
An army.

Two chief officers.

Military chief and inspector general.

Hu Zongxian's extraordinary military wisdom is still on display.

Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong, Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin were sincerely convinced.

but.

This was not all Hu Zongxian said. Hu Zongxian looked at his colleagues and continued to explain the third restriction on military commanders, saying: "Third, collective decision-making in non-emergency wartime."

"In most cases, the state of war is not long-lasting, or the intensity of the war is low."

Hu Zongxian introduced the normal situation of the army to Zhang Juzheng and others.

If we really count the 5,000-year history of China, the time of peace far exceeds the time of war.

Take the Ming Dynasty as an example. In the vast territory of the Ming Dynasty, only the troops in the nine borders and nine towns and the southeast coast needed to maintain long-term and high-intensity vigilance. Most of the time, there were no wars in other border areas.

Moreover, after the Japanese pirates were wiped out in the southeast, the southeast army no longer needed to keep an eye on the vast ocean all the time.

Similarly, after the Tatar Altan Khan paid tribute, the likelihood of the seven border towns west of Xuanfu Town being plundered and invaded was greatly reduced.

There was no possibility of Jizhou Town being plundered or invaded.

At present, in the entire territory of the Ming Dynasty, only Liaodong Town is still under great threat from foreign races.

But that had nothing to do with the Tatars. It was mainly the Jianzhou Jurchens who were deliberately creating considerable friction with the Liaodong Town.

The Jianzhou Jurchens were wild and difficult to tame, so the possibility of a large-scale attack on Liaodong Town could not be ruled out.

In addition, according to Hu Zongxian's judgment, the Ming Dynasty army, which had been on edge for two hundred years and was already exhausted both physically and mentally, could rest and recuperate in batches.

The most important thing is that in the peacetime stage, Hu Zongxian believed that the power to command the army did not need to be entirely vested in one commander-in-chief.

If the separation of military and politics proceeds as expected, and the General Staff and the Inspectorate are established, the military can fully consult with the three parties and make collective decisions during peacetime.

Of course, Hu Zongxian did not ignore the emergency military situation. At those special moments, there was no time for collective decision-making, and all military power belonged to the military chief, that is, the commander-in-chief.

During the peace phase, they are mutually involved, while during the war phase, the main order is given by the commander-in-chief, and the General Staff and the Inspectorate do their utmost to cooperate.

This can not only effectively prevent generals from using their military power to launch rebellions in peacetime, but also avoid the situation in which generals do not know their soldiers and soldiers do not know their generals during wartime, which will affect the combat effectiveness of the army and cause irreparable losses.

If the establishment of the chief inspector divided the power of the commander-in-chief by half, then dividing the stages into wartime and non-wartime would divide the power of the commander-in-chief by another half, or even 60% of the power.

Zhang Juzheng's calculations were good. With Hu Zongxian's restrictions on the chief generals in the army, the power in the hands of the chief generals was not actually reduced in times of emergency. Moreover, because they were assigned specific tasks, the chief generals could display 120% or more of their military talents.

However, in non-emergency wartime, the power held by the chief generals in the army is only 20% of what it is now. The General Staff Department and the Inspectorate have become two huge mountains weighing on the shoulders of the chief generals in the army.

If this is the case, the commander-in-chief of the army can still lead his troops to launch a rebellion. Either the General Staff and the Inspectorate are too incompetent, or the commander-in-chief of the army has unparalleled personal charm.

The numerous restrictions are enough to drive any rebellious general into despair.

Zhang, Gao, Li and Chen nodded almost at the same time to express their agreement.

The initial draft of the military's non-emergency wartime collective decision-making in the national policy of separation of military and political power has been approved.

After eliminating the possibility of military generals establishing their own territorial sovereignty, the atmosphere in the cabinet suddenly became harmonious.

Zhang Juzheng, Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin had long ago stated that the five ministries of Personnel, Rites, Military, Justice and Works would cooperate, and now Gao Gong had also stated that the Ministry of Revenue would cooperate.

The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the country's territory, land, household registration, taxes, salaries and all financial matters. Finance is the first of all things. The Ministry of Revenue's cooperation is of great significance to the national policy of separation of military and political affairs. Well, it means giving money, food and things.

By the spring of the 40th year of the Jiajing reign, the number of registered military officers and soldiers in the Ming Dynasty reached 1.8 million.

According to the cabinet's estimate, the number of actual and combat-capable soldiers would be good at 800,000.

Those who eat without meals and the elderly, weak, sick and disabled are very common in the Ming Dynasty army.

Hu Zongxian proposed to conduct an internal purge of the army at the beginning of the separation of military and political affairs, and he immediately received the support of Zhang Juzheng.

When it was proposed to replace the equipment of the Ming Dynasty army, Gao Gong did not object. Even when Hu Zongxian proposed to release the soldiers from military service, restore the conscription system, and increase military pay and food wages, Gao Gong did not object.

The harmonious situation in the cabinet made Liu Tai, the secretary of the cabinet who had just returned from Yuxi Palace, feel a little dazed. He thought he had gone to the wrong place, so he went out to have a look. It was indeed the plaque of the Government Affairs Hall, and the people there were indeed the five teachers, prime ministers, and cabinet ministers.

Seeing his disciples sneaking around the door, Zhang Juzheng's smile froze and his face turned cold. He asked, "What did the emperor say?"

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, His Majesty has ordered the Prime Minister and the ministers to come to the palace to see him immediately."

……

Ok Hee Palace.

Zhang Juzheng led the cabinet members to meet the emperor and said respectfully, "May the emperor be well!"

"Be flat."

Zhu Houcong sat in front of the imperial throne, looked at Lu Fang, and said, "Bring the embroidered cushion here."

Lu Fang accepted the order.

There are five embroidery cushions, two on the left and three on the right.

Zhang Juzheng pulled Hu Zongxian to sit on the left. Regarding the separation of military and political affairs, the protagonists in the cabinet were him and Hu Zongxian.

Gao Gong, Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin sat down on the right in turn.

Zhu Houcong sat high on the throne.

Lu Fang was waiting by the side.

Everyone in the hall had a familiar feeling, as if the appearance of Yan Song's cabinet had returned again.

Having reached this point, I stopped thinking about it and put the idea behind me. Yan Song's cabinet had died long ago.

This is Zhang Juzheng’s cabinet!
"I heard that the cabinet is discussing the initial proposal of the national policy of separation of military and politics. Tell me where the discussion has reached and what has come out of it." Zhu Houcong looked at several people and smiled.

The signal of His Majesty's joy was released, and the five cabinet members immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Hu Zongxian stood up and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, I suggest that after the separation of military and political power, a general staff department be established in the army..."

Hu Zongxian told the story of everything that happened in the cabinet, and Zhu Houcong nodded from time to time, expressing his appreciation for Hu Zongxian and the cabinet's ideas.

Hu Zongxian finished speaking.

Zhu Houcong asked Lü Fang to bring a glass of water over, and then said: "I think there is no problem in establishing a general staff department and an inspection department in the army, and the household registration will be solved.

I also think there is no problem with collective decision-making in non-emergency wartime, but it is like this. The separation of military and politics is still too simple. The General Staff Department and the Inspection Department are all established at the level of large camps and border towns, but they do not go deep into the army and have direct contact with ordinary soldiers.

The civilian staff in the army are not representatives of those high and mighty. I think that instructors should be set up at the centurion level and above to teach and comfort ordinary soldiers on my behalf.

After the separation of the military and the government, I hope to see a clearer way and method for the promotion of officers and soldiers in the army. For some ambitious officers and soldiers, I have an idea..."

(End of this chapter)