My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 459 The End of the Era of Famous Generals

Li Rusong nodded thoughtfully. Su Ze's affirmation eased his tense nerves a little, but the term "strategic planning" seemed too grand.

He pressed on, “The Dean of Academic Affairs is very insightful. But what exactly is the relationship between this ‘strategic planning’ and ‘military system’? Specifically, how should I, as a student, begin with the Operations Division? I am rather slow-witted, so I humbly request the Dean of Academic Affairs to enlighten me.”

Su Ze picked up his teacup to moisten his throat. Recalling his understanding of strategy, he described the newly appointed Chief of Operations to the following:
"First of all, the standardization of the military is the foundation of strategic command and one of the core tasks of the Operations Department."

Su Ze put down his teacup and gestured with his fingers: "The reason why a strategic plan can be calculated is that the pieces are well-organized and predictable. My Great Ming's new army is now taking shape, but the organization, training, equipment, and logistical support vary greatly from place to place."

"The troops that General Qi trained in Datong are different from those that Protector Li led in Liaodong, the Annamese army in Guangxi, and even the Imperial Guards of Beijing. Their strengths and weaknesses, reaction speeds, and fighting styles are all different. How can the commander-in-chief be expected to command them as if they were his own limbs and consider the overall situation?"

Li Rusong immediately thought of the tactical simulations he had learned at the Military Academy. If the strength of each party was unclear and the rules were different, simulations would be impossible to conduct.

A flash of insight struck him, and everything he had learned before seemed to connect:
"The students understand! The Operations Command needs to promote standardization throughout the military, unifying the staffing of officers and soldiers, the basic training syllabus, the core equipment standard, and the logistics supply standard."

"Only in this way can a commander clearly know how much combat power a 'standard army' means, how much supply it needs, and what mission expectations it can achieve when making strategic plans, rather than getting bogged down in the unique characteristics of a particular army. This is the foundation that makes strategic command possible."

"That's exactly right!" Su Ze's eyes showed approval. Li Rusong was indeed insightful, no wonder he was able to participate in the Northeast Strategy.

"If the inner court wants to command the nation's army, then it must treat every army as a chess piece."

"Among the famous generals of ancient times, those who could command 10,000 men were few and far between, and those who could command 50,000 men were considered military geniuses."

"The inner court needs to manage a million people, so the old methods of commanding troops cannot be used. Only by standardizing each army can strategic command be possible."

Millions!

Li Rusong couldn't help but start to imagine what it would be like if the Ming Dynasty really had a million-strong army.

Su Ze said again:
"Secondly, we need to establish operational manuals for the military and standardize operational instructions."

His tone turned serious: "The art of war says, 'When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders.' This is a temporary measure, not a long-term solution. The root cause lies in the unclear transmission of instructions and the lack of clarity in intent, leaving frontline generals to act on their own. What the Operations Command needs to do is to develop a clear, standardized, and hierarchical operational command system."

Su Ze gave an example: "'Offensive' orders must specify whether they are 'probing attacks,' 'diverting attacks,' 'decisive attacks,' or 'general offensives.' 'Defensive' orders must specify whether they are 'delayed defense,' 'holding key points,' or 'flexible defense.' These command terms and their corresponding tactical actions, troop deployments, and resource requirements must be compiled into a universal 'Operational Manual' for the entire army, distributed to every level of commanding officer, and incorporated into the training of military supervisors and officers at all levels."

"In this way, when the commander-in-chief issues an order, you, as the front-line commander, can instantly understand the commander-in-chief's strategic intentions, know how much force to invest, and what effect to achieve, instead of guessing or gambling based on your personal understanding."

Li Rusong was deeply moved: "I will do my utmost to compile this 'Combat Manual'!"

Su Ze nodded and continued, “Thirdly, establish a nationwide mobilization system and create a system of active duty and reserve forces.”

“Those who plan strategically must not only consider the troops at hand, but also the troops of the entire nation, and how much power can be mobilized once war breaks out.”

“Currently, the replenishment of troops in our Great Ming is either through temporary recruitment, which is inefficient and of uneven quality; or by relying on hereditary soldiers of the garrison, who are already incapable of fighting.”

"How to recruit soldiers, how many years soldiers should serve, and their career paths after retirement are questions that your Operations Division needs to consider."

"Furthermore, even my Great Ming Dynasty cannot support a million-strong army, but once war breaks out, the entire nation's troops must be mobilized."

"Therefore, I think we can follow the old system of the Eastern Han Dynasty and divide the army into a standing army and a reserve army."

"The standing army is a standing elite force, needless to say."

"All able-bodied men of the Ming Dynasty, including those in the Military Supervisory Office, the Naval Academy, the local military academies, and even retired elite soldiers, should be registered and their place of origin, skills, and available time for conscription should be clearly stated."

"We need to plan a good mechanism for the rotation between active and reserve forces, establish reserve mobilization points at all levels, and stockpile the corresponding equipment."

"Furthermore, we need to formulate specific implementation procedures after the nationwide mobilization order is issued, including how to assemble troops, how to distribute equipment, and how to quickly replenish troops to designated units or form new armies."

"Only by establishing this system can we truly 'hide troops among the people,' and this is the way of strategic planning!"

Li Rusong gasped, deeply aware of the immense responsibility he bore. This went far beyond simple battlefield command; it involved the fundamental institutional development of the nation.

"This is a long-term plan! I understand that this requires close cooperation with the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and local governments. The Operations Division will be responsible for developing the mobilization plan."

Su Ze nodded and continued:
"Finally, and this is the key to the strategic plan—who are the Ming Dynasty's enemies?"

Su Ze said, "Know yourself, but know your enemy even more."

"Who are the enemies of the Ming Dynasty? How many soldiers do they have, and what is their strength? What is their combat capability? These are all questions that the Operations Department needs to consider."

"Regarding potential enemies, the Operations Division is responsible for collecting, organizing, and analyzing comprehensive information on these countries and forces."

“From political structure, economic conditions, and military strength, to geographical environment, cultural characteristics, and potential allies and enemies.”

"Preparation is the key to success, while lack of preparation leads to failure."

"We need to establish detailed files and develop strategic plans in advance for different opponents."

"In the event of an emergency, His Majesty and the inner court can immediately access relevant contingency plans, combine them with the latest intelligence, and make swift decisions, rather than resorting to last-minute scrambling and hasty responses."

Li Rusong fully understood the grand mission of the Operations Division. It was no longer about charging into battle, but about forging an invisible yet decisive strategic sword for the empire!

He stood up, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and said with unprecedented solemnity and excitement, "Student Li Rusong humbly accepts your instruction!"

Seeing the fighting spirit and enlightenment burning in Li Rusong's eyes, Su Ze nodded with satisfaction.

What Su Ze said was merely a strategic plan he summarized from his original timeline's air force history forum articles, combined with his experience in this timeline.

While it sounds ambitious, the details of its execution are extremely complex.

Simply put, Su Ze knew what the framework of the General Staff was like, but to build that framework into a house required a lot of details and needed to be perfected step by step.

Su Ze naturally didn't have the energy to do these tasks; it required someone knowledgeable in military affairs to calmly and meticulously refine them.

Looking at the energetic Li Rusong, Su Ze felt a strange mix of emotions.

Su Ze looked at Li Rusong and said:
"Ru Song, do you know that if all this is accomplished, the era of great generals will be completely over?"

Li Rusong was taken aback; he understood what Su Ze meant.

Once this strategic system is established, the fundamental logic of future wars will change.

It's not that generals aren't important, but rather that no single general could accomplish such a massive and complex strategic decision.

What war requires is the collective decision-making of countless staff officers.

Su Ze stood up, patted Li Rusong on the shoulder, and said:

As the Six Secret Teachings say, "A king who commands his troops must have trusted advisors and capable assistants." The General Staff is the king's wing.

"If the era of great generals can end under your leadership, you will become the last star general."

Li Rusong felt his head buzzing. Su Ze had mentioned the term "Great Era of Contention" before. Originally, Li Rusong thought that the so-called Great Era of Contention was nothing more than more advanced weapons, more thorough training, and higher-quality officers, essentially no different from the previous wars.

All he wanted was to become a famous general, just like Qi Jiguang, and leave his mark on history.

But Su Ze unfolded a completely different picture for him!

This is a great military revolution unlike any other in any era!

If, as Suze says, the reforms are completed, then the war will be completely transformed!

As someone who has personally experienced this transformation, I must drive it forward!
What is meant by an era of great contention? This is truly an era of great contention!
Li Rusong could not imagine what kind of fighting power the Ming Dynasty, equipped with such a strategic and command system, would unleash!

This was the prelude to the Central Plains dynasties widening the generational gap with the surrounding barbarians and crushing the entire world!

Li Rusong also felt disappointed along with Su Ze.

Yes, once the General Staff's system is established, even the most basic structure of warfare will change.

It's not that commanders on the battlefield are unimportant, but rather that on the commander's sandbox, every unit is a pawn carrying out a mission, and no matter how well a pawn performs, it's difficult for it to break free from the overall chessboard.

The era of great generals is coming to an end.

As a military officer, Li Rusong was naturally more sentimental than Su Ze.
-
February 15th, Guangxi.

Zhu Shikun, the reconnaissance officer, was summoned to the camp of the commander-in-chief Chen Lin.

Although the Annamese army quelled the rebellion of the three chieftains, it did not return to the capital but remained in Guangxi to suppress the rebellion in the territories associated with the three chieftains.

Of course, this was just a pretext. In reality, the Annamese army remained in Guangxi to intimidate the local chieftains and to cooperate with Tu Zemin, the Guangxi Provincial Governor, in promoting the abolition of the chieftain system.

Besides the Tusi (chieftains) in Guangxi, there were also a large number of Tusi tribes in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. After the imperial court swiftly quelled the rebellion of the three Tusi, these Tusi tribes became much more peaceful. The Annam Army, as its name suggests, brought stability to the southwestern border of the entire empire.

However, the troops stationed in Guangxi could not remain idle indefinitely.

Chen Lin ordered all departments to cooperate with local officials in suppressing the bandits.

The problem of bandits in Southwest China was just as serious as the problem of chieftains.

Or, to put it another way, some chieftain tribes were ostensibly chieftains, but in reality they were bandits and mountain brigands who would frequently intercept merchants and attack Han Chinese villages.

Zhu Shikun had just led the reconnaissance team to wipe out a band of bandits and had just returned to his post in Fangcheng when Chen Lin summoned him to the camp.

"This is a letter urgently sent from the capital. Commander Zhu, please take a look."

Zhu Shikun took the documents, and even someone as composed as him changed his expression drastically after reading them.

"So many things have happened in the imperial court?"

Zhu Shikun's elder brother was Duke Cheng, Zhu Shitai, so he was naturally aware of the plans of the meritorious officials.

Back then, Zhu Shitai wanted to send Zhu Shikun to the Imperial Guard, but Zhu Shikun refused.

Unexpectedly, Li Rusong accomplished what his elder brother had failed to do.

In the document Chen Lin sent to Zhu Shikun, he detailed major events including Li Rusong's proposal, Su Ze's memorial on the reform of the Ministry of War, Cao Bangfu's retirement, and Wang Chonggu's arrival in the capital to preside over the reform of the Ministry of War.

These were all transported to Fangcheng by fast ships at sea.

Even Guangxi has received the news, so the entire Ming army should know that military reforms are about to begin.

"What do you think?"

Chen Lin looked at Zhu Shikun.

Zhu Shikun thought for a moment and said:
"In my humble opinion, reform of the Ministry of War is imperative."

"Before the Lunar New Year, the Ministry of War sent winter clothes that should have been sent to the Northeast to Guangxi. You can imagine how chaotic the military affairs were. I just didn't expect that Dean Su would come up with such a huge reform plan."

Chen Lin nodded and said:

"Yes, Su Hanlin is indeed worthy of being called Su Hanlin. He comes up with such a national policy right away."

"What is Zhu Rongji's opinion on this military reform?"

Zhu Shikun said:
"Reforming the functions of the Ministry of War is inevitable, and bringing the command and control back to the inner court is also a matter of course."

"But what exactly does this General Staff Headquarters do?"

"What exactly do military and political advisors need to do to avoid being impeached by officials from the outer court?"

"These days, the upright officials in the capital must all be keeping an eye on the General Staff."

From the document just released, Zhu Shikun also saw the appointment of his contemporary, Li Rusong, a cavalry squad leader, as the head of the Operations Department of the General Staff.

Zhu Shikun and Li Rusong are close friends who admire each other, but they are also rivals.

He had made meritorious contributions on the battlefield before Li Rusong, but unexpectedly, Li Rusong stayed in the capital and also made meritorious contributions, and even became the chief of the combat department.

Zhu Shikun was both happy for Li Rusong and worried about him, while also harboring some undisguised ulterior motives.

"Let the big shots in the capital worry about the General Staff's affairs."

"This is the 'Situation Report' issued by the inner court. From now on, our Annam Army will submit two reports every month, which must be sent out before the 15th of each month. Any delay will be regarded as a delay in military operations."

"I have read this report, and only those of you from the Military Supervisory Bureau can handle it."

Zhu Shikun was taken aback, and Chen Lin continued:
"This is a major matter of concern to the imperial court. How to compile this report in the future will depend on you military officers."

"After some thought, I have decided to set up a staff office in the main camp as well, and you will serve as the head of the staff office, responsible for compiling and reviewing the 'Situation Report' and coordinating military orders from the capital."

Zhu Shikun knew that military orders were not to be disobeyed, so he immediately accepted the command.

Chen Lin said:

"In addition, the inner court also wants us to summarize our experience in fighting in the south, and this task is also entrusted to you."

"This is an important document to be submitted to the inner court, and I will not take away your right to sign it."

(End of this chapter)