Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 295: Declare war against Portugal, seeking to transcend life and death!

Sixty to ninety thousand people have empty salaries.

You should know that the salary of naval soldiers is generally higher than that of infantry and equivalent to that of cavalry, which is three taels of silver per month.

In other words, about 200,000 taels of silver per month, or about 2.4 million taels of silver per year, were pocketed by the naval commanders.

Is it too much?

Considering the Ming Dynasty's annual tax revenue of over 200 million taels of silver, this is only one in a hundred.

Less?

Taking the annual tax of more than 40 million taels of silver in the Ming Dynasty in the 40th year of Jiajing, it is one in twenty.

People have different standards for judging more and less, but Zhu Houcong thought it was too much.

There were only so many people in the Ming Dynasty navy before, and the number of empty salaries exceeded 20% or even 30% of the actual number, which was so terrifying.

No wonder Wang Chonggu, a cabinet elder, had to go to Jiangnan to form a navy. Otherwise, with the navy so corrupt, the country's war capability might be guaranteed, but in terms of the distribution of benefits after the war, the court might not even get a sip after the navy's plunder.

Even so, this was after Hu Zongxian and Wang Chonggu separated the military and politics and carried out a preliminary purge of the southeastern navy. If it had been in the 40th year of Jiajing or earlier, the number would have been more than doubled.

Over a year, the imperial court and local governments were rectified, but the military was forgotten.

Come to think of it, the death of Li Chengliang and the more than 20,000 rebellious Liaodong troops were the real situation of the Ming army before the military reform.

It has the combat effectiveness of an organized army, but lacks the willpower of an organized army. It is simply an enhanced version of a bandit army.

Thanks to the new military regulations of Hu Zongxian and Wang Chonggu, all officers and soldiers were assigned personal guards and soldiers by the cabinet. To a certain extent, the lives of military officers and soldiers were in the hands of Yuxi Palace and the cabinet.

This was one of the reasons why Hu Zongxian continued to carry out internal purges in the army without causing any major disturbances.

However, influenced by exchanges with the world, in order to maintain the stability of the coastal provinces and the maritime power of the Ming Dynasty, the internal discipline of the Southeast Navy has always progressed slowly.

Hu Zongxian's idea, which was also the idea of ​​the cabinet, was to wait until the navy formed by Wang Chonggu in Jiangnan became combat-ready before carrying out an iron-blooded purge of the southeastern navy.

Zhu Houcong ordered Huang Jinzhao to summon Zhu Qi to an audience with the emperor. Together with Lu Bing and the elders of the Chen family, Zhu Qi, who was originally one of the Thirteen Guardians of the Jinyiwei, temporarily took over the post of the commander-in-chief of the Jinyiwei and was responsible for all espionage affairs inside and outside the Ming Dynasty.

The details of corruption that Zhu Qi presented to the generals of the Southeast Navy were shocking. Among the tens of thousands of officers, there was not a single one who was not corrupt.

There are not many big corrupt officials, but there are countless small corrupt officials.

The main general Xiong Wencan, the deputy general Ding Qirui, the lieutenant generals Yang He and Chen Qiuyu, etc., were particularly corrupt.

Zhu Houcong did not read on and ordered Huang Jin to summon Hu Zongxian, the second assistant minister of the cabinet, and handed him the details of the Southeast Navy's corruption, saying, "Take a look."

"I obey your order." Hu Zongxian looked through the account book and was shocked.

As the former Governor-General of Zhejiang, Hu Zongxian was fully responsible for all matters concerning the Southeast Navy. He was naturally familiar with people like Xiong Wencan, Ding Qirui, Yang He, and Chen Qiuyu.

These were all his trusted subordinates. After he was granted the title of nobility and appointed as prime minister, and Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou were granted the title of nobility and appointed as generals, they were promoted accordingly.

Hu Zongxian knew that the army was not clean, but he never expected that the officers of the Southeast Navy would become corrupt so quickly.

As he flipped through the account books, Hu Zongxian felt more and more sad. He was really not good at judging people.

The mentor he worshipped was a treacherous prime minister, the subordinates he accepted were greedy generals, and his eyes became dim before he was too old to walk.

The only thing that comforted Hu Zongxian was that Li Xi's name did not appear in the account book.

If Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou were Hu Zongxian's left and right arms when he was in command of the Southeast Navy, then Li Xi was Hu Zongxian's legs when he was in command of the Southeast Navy.

Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou were commander-level figures who could arrange things in an orderly manner no matter where they were.

Li Xi is a natural born general. After receiving an order, he will not have any hesitation or doubt and will complete the task unswervingly.

After Hu Zongxian, Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou left, Li Xi was originally the chief commander of the Southeast Navy. However, not long ago, Wang Chonggu went to Jiangnan to form a navy and transferred Li Xi and elite naval soldiers from the Southeast Navy to the navy. The position of chief commander then fell to Xiong Wencan.

After this incident, Hu Zongxian also realized that Li Xi would never be able to be a commander-in-chief or the head of an army. Such corruption broke out among his subordinates, but Li Xi was unable to notice it until he was transferred.

Hu Zongxian planned to write a letter to Wang Chonggu to explain this point after returning to the cabinet.

At present, the most important thing is that Hu Zongxian knelt down and said, "Your Majesty..."

Before he could even utter the word "guilty", Zhu Houcong shook his head and said, "After all, they have all made contributions to the Ming Dynasty. Others died in the purge, and they finally served their country loyally."

In the southeast of the Ming Dynasty, the threat of Japanese pirates for hundreds of years was resolved by the Southeast Navy. Xiong Wencan, Ding Qirui and others made great contributions in the war. Although they did not reach the level of being granted titles, they more or less made contributions to the Ming Dynasty.

Deserves a decent one.

"What does Your Majesty mean?" Hu Zongxian asked in surprise.

Zhu Houcong stood up with the help of the imperial desk and said, "The Portuguese relied on the Malacca Strait and the Indian Governor's Office to try to threaten our Ming Dynasty to sign an unequal treaty. However, the initial construction of the treasure ship fleet was fruitless. So we let Xiong Wencan, Ding Qirui and others lead 100,000 naval forces to the west to seize control of the Malacca Strait and the Portuguese ports of Goa, Daman, Diu, and Dadra-Nagar Haveli in India. If they succeed, they will die."

Success, death.

This exists at the same time.

Control of the Malacca Strait must be obtained, as must the Portuguese ports in India. Xiong Wencan, Ding Qirui, Yang He, Chen Qiuyu and others must also die in the war.

In this way, the acts of corruption committed by Xiong, Ding, Yang, Chen and others in the Southeast Navy were wiped out and were not held accountable.

The imperial court would grant heroic status and pensions, and posthumously confer titles depending on the extent of their military achievements.

This is the respect given by the court.

But such decency also requires sufficient ability. Even with the advantage in military strength, it is not certain to win the battle against Portugal, the maritime overlord for half a century, in Malacca and the Indian ports.

If he fails to fulfill the court's instructions, even if he dies, the crimes he committed in the Southeast Navy will not end there.

The Ming Dynasty needed a victory to wake up the Portuguese delegation, the Portuguese Governor-General's Office in India, and the Portuguese royal family.

Zhu Houcong handed this victory over to this group of people who needed to atone for their sins. His personal reputation and the fate of his family would be decided by the generals in the southeast.

Hu Zongxian felt heavy in his heart and said, "I obey your order."

He left Yuxi Palace together with Gao Gong and Zhu Qi, and without saying anything, issued orders one after another.

The fifth naval battle between the Ming Dynasty and Portugal, and the first naval battle far from the Ming Dynasty during the Jiajing period, is about to begin! …

Under the Holy Order.

The cabinet, the imperial court, and local governments, as well as one hundred thousand naval soldiers, quickly assembled in Guangdong.

In a year of great abundance, all provinces were well-off, and Guangdong alone was able to raise enough military pay and food supplies.

The soldiers, warships and logistical equipment are all ready and we can start the Western Expedition at any time.

However, Xiong Wencan, the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition, delayed giving the order to raise anchor and set sail.

Even though Guangdong Governor Zhu Geng urged him again and again, Xiong Wencan remained unmoved and was delayed for several days.

Nanhai, Haizhuang Temple.

This place was originally the site of Qianqiu Temple of the Southern Han Dynasty. It was later abandoned and turned into a residential area. A garden was built here for the Guo clan. Later, the head of the Guo family had some evil thoughts in his heart, so he built a Buddhist hall according to the Buddhist scripture that "the monk Haizhuang devoted himself to practicing the Heart Sutra and became a Buddha", and named it Haizhuang Temple.

Although it was built by private donations, there are some amazing sights inside the temple.

"Ancient temple surrounded by clouds, the night moon over the Pearl River, flying springs and towering rocks, the sea sun blowing through the clouds, the night rain over the river city, clusters of orchids on the stone steps, the rhythm of bamboo and the quiet bell, and the spring dawn over the flower fields."

The eight wonders are famous throughout the city.

At the beginning of the year, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism held a great debate in the capital, and Buddhism ended up being completely defeated. Almost all monks returned to secular life, and most of the Buddhist scriptures were burned.

Haizhuang Temple is no exception. Apart from the abbot Daodu Zen Master, there is only a monk who sweeps the floor.

Although the imperial court banned the practice of the three religions, it did not ban the believers of the three religions. Zen Master Daodu was famous, so in this "End of Dharma Age", Haizhuang Temple still had a lot of worshippers.

Zen Master Daodu was born in Nanhai. He lost his father at the age of six and lived with his mother near a temple. He determined to leave the world since he was young.

When he grew up a little, he obtained the "Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch". Although he could not read at first, he was able to recite it after asking a great master to recite it to him.

At the age of sixteen, he paid homage to the Buddhas of all directions and shaved his head by himself. He retired to Longshan, built a hut and lived there, serving his mother for more than ten years.

At the age of 29, he visited Wuyi Yuanlai in Boshan and received full ordination and the Dharma.

He lived in Mount Lushan, and later served as the abbot of many temples, including Luofu Mountain in Guangzhou, Changqing in Fuzhou, Yanhu in Fujian, Xichan Temple in Mount Nantai, and Jie'an in Guangdong (Guangxi). However, he finally died in Haizhuang according to the dynasty's system.

A group of soldiers came to Haizhuang Temple, drove away the pilgrims who were burning incense in the temple, and blocked the temple gate, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering.

Xiong Wencan was a military general, but he liked to ride in a sedan chair when traveling, which made him seem hypocritical and boastful. He would jump out before the sedan chair had landed, which made him look even more manic.

We drove straight into the main hall, but did not see the monk sweeping the floor. Instead, we saw Zen Master Daodu lighting incense and candles in front of the Buddha.

"Master!" Xiong Wencan's voice was like a loud bell, and his call made the bells in the hall echo.

Zen Master Daodu did not respond. After lighting all the incense and candles, he turned around and bowed to Xiong Wencan, saying, "Amitabha, I hope you are well."

The monk and the general are old acquaintances.

Zen Master Daodu never left the southeast area during his travels, and Xiong Wencan was a "devout" Buddhist believer. He would go to pay a visit to any famous monk and would spend a fortune to talk with them.

Whenever Zen Master Daodu went to a temple, Xiong Wencan would go to see him once. Over the years, they had met and talked at least ten times.

Even though Zen Master Daodu had no interest in worldly affairs, he was still deeply impressed by this lay Buddhist who liked to "spend gold and silver lavishly".

"Master, I want to ask for a fortune." Xiong Wencan said straight to the point, and the soldiers behind him came in carrying a box full of gold and silver.

Zen Master Daodu did not look at the gold and silver that added a touch of brilliance to the main hall, but asked, "Why did you ask for a fortune?"

"The emperor has ordered me to lead the army to the west. I want to know whether it will be good or bad."

"Are you asking about the results of the battle, or about yourself?"

"Master, what's the difference?"

"If you want to know the outcome of a war, you don't need to ask Buddha. The will of the gods cannot be violated. If it's auspicious, you will go to war. If it's unlucky, will you not go to war?"

Zen Master Daodu walked to the incense table in front of the Buddha, waved his sleeves and threw the stick tube into the incense pot filled with incense, and said: "Ask yourself, no need to ask Buddha, 100,000 lives are in your hands, and the fate of the Ming Dynasty is in your hands. If the lives are there, the fate of the country is there, and your life may be there. If the lives are gone, the fate of the country is gone, and your life is definitely gone. What's the point of shaking a few broken pieces of wood?"

Xiong Wencan looked at the hanging tags scattered in the incense burner, “…”

According to the Zen master's meaning, I should not have come today.

Xiong Wencan was silent.

This time, the naval battle of Malacca was not because he was afraid, but because he noticed something strange.

The cabinet, or to be more precise, the order personally issued by Hu Zongxian, the Deputy Minister of the Cabinet and the former head of the Southeast Navy, can be said to have assembled the "elite" of the Southeast Navy.

Tens of thousands of officers and soldiers of the Southeast Navy were among the 100,000 men who went on the expedition. Some of them were originally centurions, but in the expeditionary army, they could only serve as decumans.

Except for the positions of chief general, deputy general and lieutenant general, which remained unchanged, the ranks of guerrilla general, commander, garrison commander, moral officer, captain general, captain commander, inspector and defender were all demoted to the next level.

Portugal had a population of just over one million, and the actual number of its navy was only about 100,000. Its colonies were spread all over the world, which meant that the navy that controlled the Strait of Malacca and the navy stationed in the Governor-General's Office of India had a total of only 30,000 to 40,000 people.

For this expedition, Lao Butang prepared a force that was twice as much as that of the Portuguese navy, and also mobilized all the officers of the Southeast Navy. This level of caution was even more than when they dealt with the Japanese pirates and slaves.

Deputy General Ding Qirui, Lieutenant General Yang He and Chen Qiuyu all said that it was the rude trade request of the Portuguese delegation in Beijing that angered the emperor, which led to the cabinet doing its utmost to seize the Strait of Malacca and the Portuguese port in India.

But Xiong Wencan did not think so. The improvements made by the Jinyiwei on firearms and gunpowder had long since spread throughout the military of the Ming Dynasty and had been widely used on the battlefields of the peninsula and the Japanese islands.

Not to mention anything else, when Li Chengliang led his army to rebel against the Ming Dynasty, he brought a lot of new gunpowder such as porcelain caltrops, which enabled him to quickly defeat the 150,000-strong army of Goryeo King Li He.

But this time, the Jinyiwei did not say anything. Even when he asked the Jinyiwei, the Jinyiwei gave a perfunctory reply that porcelain caltrops were not suitable for naval battles and that new firearms were basically not suitable for naval battles, and refused to provide help to the Western Expedition Army.

It can be said that the configuration of the Western Expedition Army is the same as when we fought against the Japanese pirates back then.

Xiong Wencan was greedy, incompetent, impatient and cowardly, but he had also led more than 300,000 naval forces in the southeast, so he was not a stupid person. He smelled something strange, and coupled with the fact that he felt as if he was on the edge of a mountain of swords and a sea of ​​fire, he was reluctant to set sail.

Zen Master Daodu glanced at the "guards" guarding outside the Great Hall, closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, chanted the Buddha's name again, and said: "To transcend life and death, one must see the nature!"

The current emperor is a man of great wisdom. He is merciless in killing and robbing court officials. He may be cautious about military commanders, but he still holds matters of life and death in his hands...

(End of this chapter)