I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 168 Yiwu people. Terrible, terrible

Yan Shifan was in a bad mood today, so he asked his two brothers to drink with him.

Luo Longwen poured Yan Shifan the Western Yi sugarcane wine that Lin Shisan brought, and Yan Shifan drank it all in one gulp: "Hmm? This wine is slightly sweet, and quite refreshing."

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "This is the wine on the Western Yi merchant ship, called rum. Only the lower-class sailors on the Western Yi side drink it. But it tastes quite special."

Yan Shifan gave a bitter smile: "People are just cheap. Gaosu, which even Ming dogs don't drink, is considered a good tea by the Western barbarians."

"The inferior wine that the barbarians drank becomes a delicious wine with a unique flavor in our mouths."

Luo Longwen asked: "Brother, are you in a bad mood because of Hu Zongxian's memorial?"

Yan Shifan said, "I get angry whenever I mention this! I don't know why Hu Zongxian submitted such a sensitive memorial without consulting me and my father in advance."

"He is a man who is well-versed in history books. Doesn't he know that since the founding of the country by our great grandfather, recruiting soldiers to build a new army has been a taboo?"

"That's good. The Qingliu finally found a pretext. They kept impeaching Hu Zongxian for his evil intentions."

"Old Hu is from my Yan family. If he really loses his official title as Governor of Zhejiang because of this, my Yan family will be the one that suffers in the end."

Luo Longwen said a few fair words on Hu Zongxian's behalf: "Old Hu is having a hard time in Jiangnan. I have done things for him before, so I know his situation."

"The emperor is anxiously waiting for him to quell the Japanese invasion in the southeast and clear the sea routes. But the garrison troops are just good-for-nothings and are of no use."

Lin Shisan interrupted, "Yes, the lower-level flag officers and soldiers of the Southeastern Garrison Army have almost become slaves and hired farmers of their superiors. How could they be willing to risk their lives to fight?"

"Also, I've read the military report. Since the beginning of this spring, when the emperor issued an order to open three ports to trade, the number of Japanese pirate invasions and the number of people have increased."

"Without a fresh force that can fight well, even a good cook like Hu Bu Tang can't cook without rice."

Inside the main hall of Yongshou Palace.

Lu Bing and Zhu Xixiao knelt before Emperor Jiajing, while Lü Fang stood by.

In fact, Emperor Jiajing had already made up his mind to form a new army and fully supported Hu Zongxian.

But Emperor Jiajing was unsure of one thing, as he held in his hand seven or eight secret reports submitted by the Jinyiwei spies in Jiangnan.

Emperor Jiajing said, "Lu Bing, your people said in the memorial that Yiwu is a poor place with bad mountains and rivers and is full of unruly people. They are unruly and difficult to tame. They don't know their superiors and don't know the moral principles. You must not recruit new troops in Yiwu anymore."

"But Hu Zongxian's memorial said that Yiwu people are naturally good at fighting and are extremely brave. If we recruit new troops from Yiwu, one can defeat ten."

"Is it your men who are wrong, or is it Hu Zongxian who is wrong?"

Hu Zongxian was a man of character and had always kept in touch with Lu Bing in private. Lu Bing also admired Hu Zongxian's talent as a pillar of the country and helped him in secret.

If Lu Bing said Hu Zongxian was wrong, he would be hindering his friend. If he said his subordinates were wrong, he would be incompetent.

Lu Bing bowed and said, "Reporting to the Emperor, I don't know whether the Yiwu people are a good source of soldiers for the new army. I also don't know who is right or wrong."

"I think the emperor could send a capable imperial envoy to Yiwu to get an on-site understanding."

Emperor Jiajing looked at Zhu Xixiao: "Zhu Xixiao, what do you say?"

Zhu Xixiao said: "I think what Governor Lu said is very true. Establishing a new army is a major event, and the source of soldiers is extremely important. We need to send an imperial envoy to conduct a special investigation."

Emperor Jiajing turned and looked at Lu Fang again.

Lu Fang understood what he meant: "Your Majesty. I heard that the fighting cocks in the West Garden Bird House are weak and unfit for fighting. Yiwu's specialty is a wild pheasant called the white-necked long-tailed one."

"The best of these pheasants is called 'Iron Crown, Golden Claw, Blood General'. It can fight against vicious dogs."

"Why not send Lin Shisan to Yiwu to find General Xue for the Bird House?"

Emperor Jiajing nodded: "Well, let Lin Shisan go to Yiwu."

The study room of Prince Yu’s Mansion.

Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng sat around with Prince Yu drinking tea.

Xu Jie was nominally Prince Yu's teacher. But Prince Yu remembered the words of Emperor Jiajing that "Xu Jie is a villain", and there was always a layer of separation between him and Xu Jie.

Whenever a major event occurred, Prince Yu would always seek secret discussions with his two trusted confidants, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, and exclude Xu Jie.

Prince Yu said, "Zhao Zhenji of Nanzhili sent me a letter. He said that Hu Zongxian must not be allowed to recruit new troops in the southeast. Otherwise, the new troops will become the private army of the Yan family."

"Tan Lun from Fujian sent another letter, saying that Hu Zongxian was different from the ordinary Yan party. He recruited new troops with public interests and no selfish motives. It was necessary to fight against the Japanese invaders."

Gao Gong was a proud and aloof man. He always spoke his mind to Prince Yu: "Your Highness, you must not listen to Zhao Zhenji's words."

"Lord Xu and Zhao Zhenji are in the same boat with the Jiangnan clans. The last thing they want to see is the Japanese invasion being quelled."

"As for Yan Song, he also doesn't want the Japanese invasion to subside. In their view, nurturing the Japanese is the only way to protect themselves."

"They are all thinking about themselves, but not the court or the people!"

"I have carefully read Hu Zongxian's memorial. Every word makes sense! Without building a new army, the Japanese invasion will never be quelled!"

"I think that as the crown prince, Your Highness should express your support for Hu Zongxian."

Zhang Juzheng said: "Gao Siqing is right. I heard that Hu Zongxian intends to use Qi Jiguang as the commander of the new army. I have heard of Qi Jiguang a long time ago. He is a talented general with unlimited future in the Ming army."

"When he was young, he wrote a poem to express his aspirations."

Prince Yu became interested: "Oh? What poem? Read it to me."

Zhang Juzheng said in a clear voice: "I will rest easy in this small building for the time being, as I am worried about the old alliance. I will invite guests to drink wine, and we will sit and talk about military affairs."

"The clouds are full of toothpicks, and the stars contain swords. I don't want to be a marquis, but I hope the sea will be calm."

Prince Yu was very impressed after hearing this: "I don't wish to be a marquis, but I hope the sea is peaceful and the poem is good. Good poem. It is a wake-up call! He is a man with great ambitions to serve the country and protect the people."

The beauties and sea lion whips that Qi Jiguang asked Li Gao to send to Zhang Juzheng were obviously not given in vain.

Zhang Juzheng spoke highly of Qi Jiguang: "In the year of the Gengxu Incident, Qi Jiguang came to Beijing to take the military examination. It was extremely rare for a person with the hereditary title of commander to lower himself and take the military examination with a group of common people."

"Altan Khan's army was at the gates of the city. Qi Jiguang volunteered to climb the city wall and vowed to defend the capital of the Ming Dynasty to the death. He was fearless and courageous."

"After the Gengxu Rebellion, Qi Jiguang wrote "Preparation for Altan Khan". The three officials of the Ministry of War praised him highly."

"After that, he served as a flag officer in Jizhou and fought hand-to-hand with the Tatars many times. He has ample practical combat experience."

"This man is a great man, with the talents of Wei and Huo."

"Moreover, this man is extremely loyal to the court and the emperor. If he becomes the commander of the new army, to put it bluntly, even if Hu Zongxian wants to rebel, he won't be able to command him!"

Prince Yu said: "Yes. In that case, this person is reliable."

Gao Gong said at the side: "Whether it's the group led by Lord Yan or the group led by Lord Xu, they only think about their own interests when it comes to resisting the Japanese pirates."

"Your Highness is the crown prince. Sooner or later, you will be the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. When you take the throne, you will need a stable southeast!"

"Building a new army, suppressing the Japanese invasion, and opening up the sea for trade will benefit the court in every way. This is also what the emperor wishes. You should give your full support."

Zhang Juzheng echoed Gao Gong: "It would have been taboo for the crown prince to support the frontier officials in forming a new army in other dynasties." "But your support for Hu Zongxian at this time is very different. You are supporting the emperor's wish."

Prince Yu was a weak, honest, and indecisive man. Even after hearing this, he still hadn't made up his mind.

He murmured, "But the upright officials in the court oppose it."

At this moment, Concubine Li walked in and said, "Mr. Gao and Mr. Zhang are truly good ministers who support the country. Every word you said just now is the truth."

"The world belongs to the Zhu family. No matter what the Zhu family wants to do, why should they care about those noisy crows in the court?"

Concubine Li always helps Prince Yu make up his mind when he is in a dilemma.

Prince Yu said solemnly, "Gentlemen, please write a memorial to my father. I support the formation of a new army."

"Mr. Gao, please tell Elder Xu to take good care of his students and friends. Don't say anything else."

Once Prince Yu made his statement, the formation of a new army was a foregone conclusion. The only question was where to select the soldiers.

The next day, Xiyuan.

Lu Fang gave Lin Shisan an order, ordering him to go to Yiwu to find the fighting cock "Blood General".

At the same time, he also told Lin Shisan that this mission was called "Looking for Favor", but his secret purpose was to investigate whether Yiwu's military resources were available.

Lin Shisan is heading south again.

During these three years, he went to Jiangnan almost once a year. Naturally, his entourage was still the same people - Zhang Bo, Sun Yue, and Li Gao.

More than thirty comrades who were responsible for the accompanying guards all replaced their weapons with the newly imitated bird guns made by the military craftsmen.

Three days before departure, Zhu Xixiao found Lin Shisan.

Zhu Xixiao warned him, "Don't think about the political situation, party disputes, or power struggles on this mission. You must report the truth."

"The source of new troops is related to the stability of the southeast. If you think too much when doing something, you will often accomplish nothing."

Lin Shisan bowed and said, "Thank you Zhu Weitang for your teachings. I will investigate carefully and report the facts."

There were tasks to be done in secret and in public. Lin Shisan left Zhu Xixiao's duty room and went to Diaobeng Street, where he borrowed a Song edition of "Cockfighting Manual" from the owner of a cockfighting shop.

There is actually a record of Yiwu's "Iron Crown, Golden Claws, Blood General". It is said that this pheasant is not only the best among fighting cocks, but also can ward off evil spirits.

In the evening, Lin Shisan returned home.

Wang Xiaochuan was leading Huer to fill the ant nest at home with boiling water.

Lin Shisan frowned, "Xiaochuan, God is merciful. Ants are small but they are still living creatures. If you two really want to play with ants, just pee in the ant nest. Why do you have to pour boiling water to make them exterminate?"

Wang Xiaochuan said, "Dad, you misunderstood me and Brother Hu! The spicy chicken and meat in the kitchen have attracted a lot of ants recently. It was Mom who asked us to get rid of this trouble."

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "I see. I really wronged you."

"Dad has to go out on business again. He won't be home for at least three or four months. You stay home and listen to your mother and aunt. Take good care of your brother Fu."

Wang Xiaochuan patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Dad. Xiaochuan listens to mother and aunt the most."

Biyun came out holding Fu'er and asked, "Why are you going to Jiangnan again?"

Lin Shisan said: "I have an important mission."

Biyun looked worried. "I heard from the wife of Doctor Huang of the Military Department that the southeast has been unstable in the past six months. The Japanese pirates have been landing and looting like crazy."

"An official from the Ministry of Revenue who was retiring to his hometown died at the hands of Japanese pirates."

Lin Shisan smiled and said, "Don't worry. Your husband is a natural born general. He will be able to come back safe and sound even if he goes to a dangerous place."

Thousands of miles away in Hangzhou, the Zhejiang Governor's Office.

Hu Zongxian handed Qi Jiguang an official document from the Ministry of War.

Hu Zongxian said: "Looking at the attitude of the Ministry of War, it seems that the court has already approved us to form a new army in the southeast, but the emperor has not yet issued a clear order."

"The Ministry of War is asking us to consider the size and number of our new army. Tell me, how many people should we report?"

Qi Jiguang gave a number that surprised Hu Zongxian: "Three thousand."

Hu Zongxian frowned, "So few? The court finally agreed to recruit soldiers. We only recruit 3,000 people?"

Qi Jiguang bowed and said, "Please listen to what I have to say, Minister Hu. Since ancient times, it is not the quantity of soldiers that counts, but their quality."

"Now I have Mr. Tang Shunzhi's exquisite battle formations, as well as the Western Barbarians' fine guns and fast cannons. With only 3,000 soldiers, I can train them into an ever-victorious army."

"And if we report the number of 10,000 or 20,000 people, I'm afraid someone in the court will spread rumors and stir up trouble."

"The number of three thousand is insignificant at first sight. I think all parties in the court can accept it."

"Secondly, let the new troops be trained by our subordinates. Three thousand men are enough! They can defeat 300,000 garrison troops."

Qi Jiguang's words were full of confidence.

Hu Zongxian thought for a moment and said, "Well, I'll trust you this time. Let's decide on 3,000 men. But as to where the troops will come from, the Ministry of War asked us to postpone the decision."

Qi Jiguang's face turned pale when he heard this: "Does the imperial court not allow us to recruit soldiers from Yiwu? Yiwu people are the most suitable for training new troops. During the fight over the mines, I saw with my own eyes the bloodiness of the miners in Yiwu."

"I have fought in many battles and seen many desperate people. But the people of Yiwu are terrible."

"If we can't recruit soldiers from Yiwu, we'd rather not form a new army."

Hu Zongxian smiled and said, "Don't worry. It seems that someone said bad things about Yiwu people in front of the emperor. I just received a roll order."

"It says in the notice that the palace sent an imperial envoy to Yiwu to look for some fighting cocks. Who do you think this imperial envoy is?"

Qi Jiguang asked: "Who?"

Hu Zongxian replied: "Our old acquaintance, Lin Shisan. I think he came to Yiwu to look for chickens, but to investigate whether Yiwu's military resources are reliable and can be used."

Qi Jiguang breathed a sigh of relief: "It is still easier to get things done when you have someone in the court. Lin Chuanfeng will definitely report the truth."

Hu Zongxian said: "I heard that there are two big families in Yiwu. One is surnamed Wu and the other is surnamed Chen, right?"

Qi Jiguang nodded and said, "The fight over the mine this summer was between the Wu and Chen families. The head of the Wu family is Wu Weizhong, and the head of the Chen family is Chen Dacheng."

"These two are not very old. They have hot tempers and can explode at any time."

Hu Zongxian said, "Go and tell them that if the imperial envoys come to Yiwu and make any mistakes, the Governor-General's Office will send troops to their copper mines and take them over to the government."

The two surnames Wu and Chen in Yiwu mentioned by the two men were blood feuds. They had been fighting each other since the Northern Song Dynasty.

Qi Jiguang had previously thought of recruiting soldiers from only one family. If he recruited soldiers from two families, he was afraid that they would not be united in fighting the Japanese pirates and would start fighting among themselves.

On the third day of October in the thirty-seventh year of the Jiajing reign, the imperial envoy Lin Shisan left Beijing, boarded a ship in Tongzhou and sailed south via the Grand Canal to search for the wild pheasant, fighting cock, and Blood General Iron Crown and Golden Claw for the palace.

Whether Qi Jiguang can successfully recruit soldiers from Yiwu depends entirely on Lin Shisan's trip
(End of this chapter)