Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 30. Profit is a desire shared by all people.

The initially somewhat chaotic military formation gradually became orderly under the stern reprimands of the officers and platoon leaders at all levels.

Nearly 10,000 soldiers from the Fourth Guard Battalion and the Warrior Battalion were divided into dozens of square formations, each occupying a shooting range.

Among them, the archery target was Luobu, warhorses neighed, and people were bustling about, making it a lively scene.

Zhu Youjian sat upright on the throne on the platform, his gaze calmly sweeping over everything below.

Before long, dust rose in the distance, and a troop of people galloped towards them.

Leading the group was Gao Shiming, followed by a group of junior eunuchs carrying several heavy wooden boxes.

Gao Shiming jogged up to the high platform, panting as he asked, "Your Majesty, the silver has all arrived."

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly without saying a word, but casually pointed his riding whip towards the front of the stage.

Gao Shiming understood immediately and directed the eunuchs to move the wooden boxes to the very edge of the platform, line them up in a row, and then suddenly lift the lids.

"Wow—"

In an instant, a dazzling white light burst forth.

The autumn sun shone down on the boxes full of silver ingots, reflecting a dazzling light that was almost blinding.

Below the platform, the soldiers who were closest to the scene were the first to see it. There was a brief silence, followed by an uncontrollable burst of exclamations.

"Good heavens! It's silver!"

"It's all silver! How much is there?!"

The news spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, sweeping across the entire training ground like the wind.

The already bustling drill ground instantly became like a pot of boiling oil thrown into a spark, completely engulfed in chaos.

Countless eyes turned to the high platform, their gazes filled with greed, longing, and fanaticism.

The shouts, yells, and forceful cries on the drill ground were more intense and passionate than ever before.

Zhu Youjian watched all this with a cold eye, a faint smile playing on his lips.

His mind was clear.

In this era, talking about loyalty to the emperor or patriotism is too vague and empty.

For these soldiers who were starving and poorly clothed, grand principles were far less practical than a full meal or a new coat.

Profit is something that all people desire.

If we distribute the money honestly and effectively, letting them see the benefits and taste the sweetness of success, their loyalty and patriotism will naturally follow.

However, seeing the scene below the stage gradually getting out of control, Zhu Youjian's brows furrowed involuntarily.

He suddenly remembered the absurd martial arts champion selection in Stephen Chow's movies in later years.

Cheating, sabotage, and opportunism are rampant.

The human desire for profit is both a driving force and a potential source of chaos.

He didn't want most of his tens of thousands of taels of silver to end up in the hands of those officers and thugs, while the truly dedicated warriors would get nothing.

Thinking of this, he waved to Gao Shiming.

Gao Shiming immediately came over and bowed to listen to his instructions.

"The place below is in complete disarray; what kind of order is this?" Zhu Youjian's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Take some capable eunuchs with you and help the officers and captains to restore order—I am really worried about you."

The words were spoken in a very subtle way, but Gao Shiming was a shrewd man, and he understood His Majesty's deeper meaning at a glance.

This isn't about maintaining order; it's clearly about sending people down to monitor and prevent anyone from abusing their power or embezzling rewards.

"My slave understands!"

Gao Shiming nodded emphatically, immediately stepped down from the stage, and muttered something to a group of eunuchs.

Soon, the imperial envoys, like eels entering water, silently dispersed to the various shooting ranges and blended into the crowd.

Seeing that everything was arranged properly, Zhu Youjian's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

He leaned back on his wide throne, basking in the warm autumn sun, a sense of weariness creeping over him. Last night, he, Zhou Yu, and Gao Shiming had reviewed the list of eunuchs in key departments such as the Imperial Kitchen and the Imperial Pharmacy.

As a result, it wasn't until the fourth watch of the night that they finally finished half of it.

As my mind relaxed, my eyelids started to droop.

Well then, I'll take a short rest.

……

After an unknown amount of time, a commotion woke Zhu Youjian from his light sleep.

He opened his eyes and felt refreshed, all his previous drowsiness gone.

This young body is so resilient! After staying up all night, a short nap and you're full of energy again.

He looked up at the training ground and saw a commotion in a corner on the east side, with a crowd gathered, seemingly arguing about something.

It's just too far away to see clearly.

Before long, the commotion subsided, and an imperial envoy hurriedly ran up to the high platform and whispered a few words in Gao Shiming's ear.

Upon hearing this, Gao Shiming's expression turned somewhat strange. He quickly walked up to Zhu Youjian, bowed, and reported, "Your Majesty, it is a simpleton who manages horses at the Tianshi Temple pasture under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Horse Administration. Hearing that the rewards for today's inspection are generous, he also wants to have a competition and win some reward money."

"The nearby squad leader, seeing that he was not a soldier from the two battalions, scolded him and forbade him. Who knew that the fool would suddenly get angry and knock the squad leader to the ground. It took several soldiers working together to subdue him."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian not only did not get angry, but instead burst into laughter.

"Is there such an interesting story? I am rich beyond measure, would I begrudge such a reward?"

He waved his hand, appearing extremely magnanimous: "Let him go! Let him compete! If his skills meet the standard, he will be rewarded the same as the soldiers of the two battalions. I will treat everyone equally!"

"According to the order!"

The eunuch received the decree and hurriedly ran off.

A moment later, the previously noisy shooting range suddenly erupted with a series of suppressed gasps of amazement.

The gasps of amazement rose and fell, like pebbles thrown into a lake, creating ripples that drew the attention of soldiers from other shooting ranges. Eventually, a large circle was formed, three layers deep.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Zhu Youjian picked up his teacup, gently skimmed off the foam, and pretended to be completely in control.

But my heart was already burning with anxiety...

Is this some kind of Dragon King returning home, giving a crooked smile and slapping someone in the face? I'm quite interested too!
……

The competition proceeded quickly, and the inspections at each shooting range concluded in less than an hour.

Dozens of imperial inspectors, each leading a squad of soldiers who had passed the competition, gathered below the high platform.

Gao Shiming and Xu Yingyuan personally stepped down from the stage, checked the list one by one, counted the number of people, and finally returned to the stage with happy expressions.

Holding a thick roster, Xu Yingyuan personally reported the battle results to Zhu Youjian, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:
"Your Majesty! In this inspection, the Four Guard Battalions and the Brave Guard Battalion totaled..."

"Two thousand two hundred and seventy-three people received the reward!"

"Six hundred and twelve people have won the prize!"

"Twenty-eight people will receive the highest reward!"

He paused here, glanced at Zhu Youjian, and then hesitated before continuing, "One person will receive... a special reward."

"Oh?" Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow. "A special awardee? Could it be the one in charge of the horses?"

“That is indeed the person,” Xu Yingyuan replied.

"Interesting." Zhu Youjian's interest was fully piqued. He stood up and said loudly, "Good! Issue my decree that all the warriors come up to the stage to receive their rewards!"
-
The Tianshi'an Pasture was very close to the Tengxiang Four Guards' garrison. In fact, there were three such pastures in Beijing, all under the supervision of the Imperial Horse Administration.

The pastures here are not for "planting grass," but for "collecting fodder" and "storing bean feed," which can be understood as a warehouse for warhorse fodder and beans.

　[This chapter is a fictional deduction]

　　1. I need to explain why there were 3000 "warriors" selected.

　　2. In December of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign (1626), the two battalions had already undergone one reorganization. The civil official who reported back stated, "His Majesty has paid close attention to the imperial guards and has specially ordered the eunuchs to be more disciplined. Over the past few months, the situation has improved significantly." — *Ming Shilu* (Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty)

　　3. Referring to the mid-Chongzhen period, a battalion of 3000 men was also trained from two battalions of nearly 10,000 men, hence the setup.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)