My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 461 The Hooked Gyūshi
Li Ji and Zhang Shu, the two supervising secretaries of the Ministry of War, were in their official rooms arranged by the Ministry of Justice when they began to examine the mountain of memorials one by one.

After reading it, Li Ji finally understood what Li Rusong had submitted in his memorial.

To be precise, this was not a memorial to the throne.

Li Ji forced himself to finish reading "Comprehensive Rules of Operations," a manual on grassroots command terminology that included basic combat instructions for the army and standardized specific combat actions.

For example, the instructions for marching, defending, and attacking are very detailed and clearly define the responsibilities of officers who fail in their command.

The "Operational Command Specifications" is a more explicit guide to military terminology.

For example, in the "probing attack" tactic: scouts advance while the main force waits, and they must not cross more than two miles beyond the enemy's front line.

"Diverting the attack": Divide the troops to harass the enemy, avoid the main force, and deplete their food and weapons.

These instructions are no longer general commands, but specific instructions.

"Reserve Mobilization System" is a memorial submitted to the emperor requesting the establishment of a reserve force system.

Li Ji understood this; wasn't this the same as the military system of the commanderies and kingdoms of the Eastern Han Dynasty?
"Active soldiers who have served for ten years will be transferred to the reserve and registered by the state or county upon their return to their place of origin. Every autumn and winter during the agricultural off-season, reserve soldiers are required to go to the garrison for twenty days of training to be tested on firearms handling and formation changes. Those who miss the training will be considered deserters."

Li Rusong first proposed the idea of ​​retirement. For ordinary soldiers, those who have served for ten years can retire and then transfer to the reserve.

However, the reserves also maintain training, and they will need to be transferred to active duty if a major war occurs.

This regulation also stipulates the treatment of retired soldiers, the order for the mobilization of reserves, and the responsibilities of local garrisons, and clarifies the responsibilities of the commanders of garrisons at all levels during national mobilization.

By this time, Li Ji was already numb.

Li Rusong has locked himself in the Operations Division for so long, and all he's managed to produce is this?
No, the head of the Operations Division of the General Staff, a brilliant officer who once wrote a memorial on the Northeast strategy, is tinkering with this kind of thing.
Li Ji looked at the remaining memorials and thought, "Something's not right! There's definitely more to this than meets the eye!"
It must be that Li Rusong's truly valuable memorials are hidden among these contents!
That must be the case!
Li Ji considered this possibility and immediately said to Zhang Shu:
"Read every single page! Don't let your guard down!"

Zhang Shu was already numb, but after hearing Li Ji's words, he could only nod and continue watching.

Seeing that the two had regained their fighting spirit, Xu Shuli brought them tea and said:
"You two censors, Commissioner Li already knows about this matter. You must finish reading them before the end of the day. These memorials concern military affairs and cannot stay overnight in our office."

Hearing this, Li Ji gritted his teeth and said:
"We will definitely finish reading it before the court opens today!"

"Enemy Situation Analysis Guidelines" are the rules governing the collection and analysis of enemy intelligence.

The "Basic Regulations of the Training Outline" is the standard document for training.

"Officer's Drill Manual" is a manual for junior officers and outlines their promotion rules.

The "Logistics Supply Guidelines" contain detailed regulations on logistics supply, specifying the responsibilities of everyone on the supply line.

Li Ji and Zhang Shu read through the mountain of memorials from morning till afternoon, even eating their lunch of flatbread in the Office of Transmission. They finally finished reading them just before the end of the day.

After reading it, Zhang Shu's eyes were already glazed over, and even Li Ji couldn't stand up.

Gone!

Li Rusong had been holding back for so long, and the entire Operations Division had been busy for so long, only to produce these few sets of military codes.

These are all trivial matters and have nothing to do with major national policies.

No, what happened to the promise of military officers interfering in politics?
Li Ji was starting to have doubts about life. He was certain that he had read through the entire document from beginning to end and there was indeed no specific interference in politics.

At this moment, Xu Shuli walked in and said to the two of them:

"Two censors, may we send the memorial to the cabinet now?"

Li Ji waved his hand, watching Xu Shuli load the memorial onto the cart.

Zhang Shu, being young, recovered first and said to Li Ji:

"Lord Li, what should we do?"

Li Ji's mind was filled with military terminology, operational rules, and military orders. He finally regained his composure, and as he helped himself to his feet, he said:
"Let's let Li Rusong off the hook for today, and he can come back for the next petition!"

"Again?"

Zhang Shu almost lost his balance. He had already seen his head explode today. Did he have to come back again next time?
Zhang Shu said:

"Lord Li, the Operations Division has more than a dozen military supervisors and staff officers. These were all created through the collective wisdom and efforts of the Operations Division. Our Military Section only has two people."

As officials of the Ministry of War, the two men, having made such a grand entrance to the Ministry of Justice, could not possibly leave empty-handed.

So you not only have to look at it, but also find the mistakes in it, otherwise people will think you are incompetent in all six subjects.

This time, the two also wrote down a bunch of questions, waiting for the Operations Department to submit its memorial, and then the Ministry of War would also submit a memorial to impeach them.

Therefore, this day is extremely mentally and physically exhausting.

Li Ji was able to secure his position as a supervising secretary in the Ministry of War because he was indeed quite capable and had an understanding of grassroots military affairs.

He extracted all the unreasonable parts of Li Rusong's memorial, or the parts that the grassroots were unable to implement, and criticized them one by one.

Putting away his long draft memorial, Li Ji rubbed his head and said:

"This is our duty. Let's persevere a little longer. We'll definitely catch the Operations Division red-handed next time!"

Zhang Shu sighed in despair. There were only two of them, and they had to face a bunch of operations staff in the Operations Division. Zhang Shu was already thinking about finding a way to transfer out of the Sixth Division.
-
When the Office of Transmission delivered these memorials to the Cabinet, the four cabinet ministers were astonished by the mountain of memorials.

The senior officials had been thinking about how the General Staff should advise on military affairs without being accused of interfering in confidential matters.

They did not expect that the first thing Li Rusong did after taking office as the head of the Operations Department was to streamline and standardize the entire military command system of the Ming Dynasty.

Wonderful!

As Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng looked at these standardized military orders, their opinion of Li Rusong rose even higher!
Standardizing and streamlining military orders and establishing a unified military command system for the entire Ming Dynasty is fundamental to building a new military system.

However, Li Rusong's memorials were all about these basic systems, so they wouldn't give the censors any ammunition to use against him.

If there's no discussion of politics, what's the point of interfering in politics?
Although they did not discuss specific national policies, the cabinet ministers all knew that, on the contrary, what Li Rusong was doing was the most political thing.

The fundamental system is the political foundation of a system.

Once this new military command system is established, the Ming army will be fundamentally changed.

Do you object?
But the Grand Secretaries simply couldn't resist this temptation.

A standardized military command system means that future military construction will no longer be decided on a whim, and war will become a predictable and quantifiable matter.

The assessment of military construction now has a clear framework, and the inner court can no longer treat local armies like a blind box, evaluating their combat effectiveness without needing to go to the battlefield.

But how do we read through such a mountain of memorials?
The three Grand Secretaries looked at Zhao Zhenji.

Zhao Zhenji was also a little numb.

Couldn't you, Li Rusong, submit your memorials one by one?
This is a military matter, and it's a military reform that Zhao Zhenji has been advocating for, so naturally he has no reason to shirk responsibility.

Zhao Zhenji coughed lightly, breaking the silence.

He pointed to the pile of memorials, his voice weary but firm, and said:
"Gentlemen, Li Rusong is indeed diligent in his work, but these memorials are piling up like a mountain. If we were to examine them one by one, we might neglect matters of great importance to the nation. Perhaps we should do this—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his three colleagues: "Let Song Xun, the head of the Military Affairs Department of the Fifth Office of the Secretariat-Chancellery, lead the effort to extract and summarize these memorials, and draft a summary to submit to the Cabinet. The Military Affairs Department is specifically responsible for military affairs, so this is perfectly suited to its duties." Grand Secretary Gao Gong naturally supported this, nodding and saying:
"What Grand Secretary Zhao said is absolutely right. What does Grand Secretary Zhang think about the duties of the military affairs office?"

Zhang Juzheng nodded slightly, but he had some reservations. Why did it sound so strange that the summary and refinement were done by the five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery?
The emperor established the Grand Secretariat, which was an institution that summarized and refined the contents of memorials to the throne and drafted them for advisory and decision-making purposes.

Now the cabinet has asked the five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery to summarize and refine the outline. Doesn't that mean the five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery are going to become the cabinet of the cabinet?
But there is no better way.

Zhang Juzheng put down the document in his hand, nodded and said, "This proposal is very appropriate. The reform of the General Staff is His Majesty's personal order, and it cannot be delayed. The Military Affairs Department should proceed with it as soon as possible."

The newly appointed Grand Secretaries had no interest in military affairs, so he naturally agreed with the opinions of the Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary.

The Grand Secretaries reached a consensus, and Zhao Zhenji immediately summoned Song Xun, the Chief of the Military Affairs Department.

"Order the military to submit a summary of Li Rusong's report within three days."

Faced with the orders of the Grand Secretaries, Song Xun could only bow and agree, and moved the mountain of memorials to the Fifth Office of the Secretariat and Chancellery.

Song Xun was extremely busy assisting with military reforms during this period.

Now that this new task has been added to his list, Song Xun felt utterly overwhelmed.

He glanced at Li Rusong's memorial, which contained a vast and complex collection of information: from marching orders to reserve regulations, everything required careful reading and in-depth study.

Moreover, it had to be submitted to the cabinet, so it had to be substantial and preferably include corrective suggestions to demonstrate the military's competence.

What am I going to do? I have to read all of this and write a summary within three days, unless I don't eat or sleep!
Song Xun muttered to himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He convened a meeting of military officers to discuss countermeasures, but everyone looked troubled.

Li Rusong's memorials are highly technical and require careful reading.

When you encounter difficulties, you can only turn to your boss.

In a moment of desperation, Song Xun grabbed several documents and headed straight for Su Ze's office.

Su Ze was reviewing documents at his desk when Song Xun rushed in, looking flustered. He put down his pen and asked, "Chief Song, what's the matter that's causing you such a commotion?"

Song Xun bowed deeply and explained the cabinet's order and Li Rusong's predicament in his memorial. He then smiled wryly and said, "Chief Prosecutor Su, I am not very capable and I am afraid I am not up to the task of summarizing this matter. If the deadline is missed, everyone in the military will be held responsible!"

Su Ze also began to think.

He thought for a while and remembered the news he received from the Ministry of Justice that day: two censors from the Ministry of War had spent the whole day reading Li Rusong's memorials.

Su Ze had worked in the Ministry of Justice, so he naturally had spies within the ministry.

Su Ze received the news when Li Ji and Zhang Shu arrived at the Office of Transmission.

Su Ze knew that the two were trying to cause trouble, but he did not intervene.

Li Rusong's memorials were all about military orders and construction, and he didn't do any political stuff. So why should he be afraid of your criticisms?

Su Ze knew that Li Ji, despite his opposition, valued his reputation highly and was a senior censor in the Ministry of War, who was very knowledgeable about military affairs, as he could spend a whole day reviewing memorials in the Six Ministries.

Su Ze had a plan, and he said with a smile:

"Chief Song, please don't be anxious."

"This matter doesn't require the Military Affairs Department to handle it personally. Do you know Li Ji, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War?"

Song Xun nodded hurriedly. When the five branches of the Secretariat and the Chancellery were first established, he had been closely watched by Li Ji for a period of time and knew how difficult the other party was to deal with.

"Today at the Office of Transmission, he studied Li Rusong's memorial page by page and made notes on many questions. In terms of familiarity with these documents, no one in the entire court can surpass him."

Song Xun was taken aback: "Li, the Censor? I've heard that he's always been hostile to the five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery. Why would I help him?"

Su Ze said:

"The Six Ministries are also internal government agencies, so cooperation is naturally possible."

"If you want someone to help you, you have to offer a satisfactory 'reward'."

"Some people are greedy for profit, some are power-hungry, and most of those who follow the censors are fond of fame."

Song Xun suddenly realized, and he immediately said:

"I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Prosecutor Su!"
-
Of the six subjects.

The Sixth Department has a tradition of working overtime.

It's just that some people are genuinely working overtime, while others are genuinely slacking off.

Yan Yonghe propped his head up and pretended to look at the copy of the memorial in front of him.

He usually leaves work on time, but today he has just returned to work after "recovering from illness," and it would be inappropriate to leave early on his first day, so he pretends to be working.

Yan Yonghe looked up towards the military branch.

After returning from the Ministry of War, Li Ji and Zhang Shu have been writing diligently ever since.

Just then, a commotion came from the fifth office of the Secretariat next door, and Song Xun, the chief of the military affairs office, stepped into the sixth office.

Li Ji looked up and, upon seeing Song Xun, quickly put away what he had written.

Song Xun, however, went straight towards Li Ji.

Song Xun bowed to Li Ji with his hands clasped and hurriedly said:
"Lord Li! The military has been given a hot potato. Grand Secretary Zhao actually wants me to sort out Li Rusong's pile of incomprehensible books within three days."

"Our military headquarters is short-handed, and the person most familiar with military affairs in the inner court is none other than..."

News of Li Rusong's pile of heavenly books has already spread throughout the Six Departments.

Hearing Song Xun's words, Li Ji felt secretly pleased. Finally, he wasn't the only one who had to look at that pile of stuff!
He was at odds with the five branches of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, and naturally gloated when he saw Song Xun about to suffer.

"Chief Song has come to the wrong person. The Ministry of War is not a lackey of the Five Offices of the Secretariat and the Chancellery!"

After saying this, Li Ji glanced at the two censors from the Ministry of Personnel.

Yan Yonghe cursed and insulted, saying that not only did you not help, but you also made veiled criticisms.

Song Xun sighed and said:

“Li, the censor, I am worried that I will not be able to do a good job as the Grand Secretary and will be ridiculed by the outer court. There is no one in the inner court. When it comes to official documents, we are not even as good as a military man like Li Rusong.”

Upon hearing this, Li Ji indeed took the bait.

Song Xun then said:
"How about this! You will write the abstract, and the military office will only be responsible for polishing and copying it. You will be listed first in the final draft!"

"When the summary is sent to the Directorate of Ceremonial, His Majesty will know that there are true national talents in the Ministry of War. It will also suppress those military officers in the General Staff and let them know that we civil officials in the inner court are knowledgeable in military affairs and will not be fooled by them."

After listening, Li Ji immediately said:
"To fill in the gaps and make up for the deficiencies of the country is the duty of the Sixth Department!"

(End of this chapter)