Huangming

Chapter 91 Deep-seated Problems in Liaodong: Generous Rewards Win Hearts Back

Tong Zhongkui and Qi Jin watched from the sidelines, secretly marveling at what they saw.

His Majesty's words, so persuasive and moving, are even more powerful than those of these seasoned veterans.

If such a passage were given before the battle, wouldn't these bastards fight to the death and slaughter the enemy until they were routed?
Just as the two were in shock, the emperor stepped down from the high platform, looked at them, and said, "Only today do I know who the elite troops are, who the loyal generals are, and that the morale of the southern soldiers is reliable. With you here, I have confidence."

To take control of the military.

Even for the emperor, holding military power was of paramount importance.

The lessons of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period are still fresh in our minds.

How many emperors died because they had no military power?

He ascended the throne a little over a month ago, took control of the inner court, and fought against civil officials. He often dared not make any big moves because he did not yet have military power.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the emperor held military power.

The Twenty-Six Imperial Guards were originally an imperial guard force personally controlled by the emperor, independent of the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War.

However, during the Tumu Crisis, Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, personally led his army to conquer the Oirat Mongols. Most of the elite troops of the Emperor's Twenty-Six Guards accompanied him on the expedition, but they were ambushed by the Oirat army under the command of Alazhiyuan, who had been lying in wait for a month.

The imperial guard was almost completely wiped out, and Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, was captured by the Oirat army.

As a result, the nobility never recovered, and so did the imperial power.

As the emperor's power was gradually usurped by the civil service government, especially by the power of the cabinet minister.

Apart from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Twenty-Six Imperial Guards were gradually brought under the control of the Ministry of War, and were no longer armies that the emperor could fully control.

The Tengxiang Left Guard, Tengxiang Right Guard, Wuxiang Left Guard, and Wuxiang Right Guard, which are under the jurisdiction of the Four Guards, are seemingly the emperor's men, as they are commanded by the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Administration. However, the eunuchs are also influenced by the outer court.

Ultimately, nothing is as good as one's own arm.

Now, his goal is to first turn the Four Guards Battalion into his own right arm!

Tong Zhongkui and Qi Jin immediately came to their senses.

The emperor summoned them back from Liaodong, certainly not just for military exercises, but to entrust them with a more important task.

When they received the Emperor's order to summon them to the capital from Jizhou, they were suspicious, apprehensive, and even unwilling.

They were afraid of being used as pawns, losing their lives for nothing, and becoming slaves, their dignity trampled underfoot by those "literary stars".

However, after they went to the capital to meet the emperor, the emperor's attitude towards them and the imperial favor he bestowed upon them made them completely put these worries aside.

His Majesty's kindness and rewards show that he understands their suffering and needs, and his respect for them is genuine.

Eat and drink to your heart's content, and your salary will be plentiful.

They even exonerated Qi Jiguang's army!

If they do not serve such a holy emperor to the death, wouldn't they be heartless and treacherous?

Therefore, the two knelt on the ground and said respectfully from the bottom of their hearts, "Your Majesty's great kindness is beyond our ability to repay. We can only offer our lives in gratitude. Please give us your orders!"

Zhu Youxiao helped the two up, feeling that the time was right.

“I know you are loyal and righteous men, which is why I have summoned you here. It is a matter of great importance to the country.”

really!

Tong Zhongkui raised his head and said resolutely, "This humble general will obey Your Majesty's command!"

"I have summoned you both for three matters."

Zhu Youxiao held up three fingers.

His tone was heavy, yet filled with murderous intent as he said, "Liaodong is a crucial town, concerning the safety of the nine border regions. I need to know the details of its mountains and passes, the true state of its grain reserves, and, more importantly, thoroughly investigate the deep-seated corruption within the army: how many people have delayed military operations due to factional strife? How many have embezzled military pay for their own enrichment? You must report the truth without concealment!"

Tong Zhongkui and Qi Jin immediately changed color, but the emperor continued speaking.

"General Qi has been stationed in Jizhou for many years and should be aware of the long-standing problems within the border troops; Governor Tong has recently dispatched troops from Sichuan to Liaodong and must be aware of the enemy situation beyond the pass. Now that you are here with the imperial insignia, all the corrupt practices, framing, deceiving superiors and abusing subordinates, must be reported truthfully!"
In the past, Qi Jiguang executed his own son to discipline the army; today, I too have prepared the Imperial Sword. The secrets you have exposed will be forged by me into a blade to guillotine treachery!

The emperor said in a cold voice, "I will specifically kill those blood-sucking rats!"

Upon hearing the emperor's words, both Tong Zhongkui and Qi Jin began to breathe rapidly.

General Qi Jin's eyes flickered, his fists clenched, as if he had made a decision.

His Majesty treats him with sincerity, how can he not repay him with sincerity in return?

Thinking of this, Qi Jin immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this humble general hereby denounces the three scourges of Liaodong!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction and said, "I am all ears!"

Qi Jin's eyes were firm, his voice like metal and stone, each word carrying immense weight, as he said, "Firstly, the number of registered soldiers is false, and there are not enough combat troops."

"Although the Liaodong Garrison nominally numbers 80,000, its actual combat strength is worrying. Upon verification, although the number of soldiers on the roster exceeds 80,000, cavalry only accounts for 15%, and half of those are weak warhorses. The total number of truly capable elite cavalry and infantry is less than 20,000."

Aside from the elite troops stationed in the three main battalions, the actual number of troops available for deployment was only slightly over ten thousand, yet they needed to defend over two thousand li of border wall, under the command of two assistant garrison commanders, seven brigade commanders, twelve guerrilla commanders, and twenty-five garrison commanders. The troop strength was severely stretched thin.

Seeing the emperor's brow furrow slightly, Qi Jin continued, "Secondly, firearms are rusted and there is a shortage of warhorses."

He said heavily, “As for the infantry, most soldiers are not skilled in archery and horsemanship. Those who do have muskets are so hesitant to load the lead powder that they can’t get it into the chamber for a long time. And when it’s time to fire, they aim east and west and miss one out of ten shots.”

The cavalry system became even more distorted, with half of the warhorse quotas dying before acceptance. Procurement in various regions was also restricted by official prices: warhorses for the personal guards and servants of the standard battalion cost eighteen to twenty taels of silver, while those for other battalions and routes cost only twelve or thirteen taels, and those for border forts were as low as ten taels. As a result, apart from the generals' personal guards, ordinary cavalrymen mostly rode inferior horses and completely lost their ability to fight in the field.

Firearms were particularly scarce; the entire Kaiyuan Circuit was equipped with only two large cannons, and in case of emergency, it had to temporarily borrow ten "annihilation cannons" and 1,000 catties of lead bullets from Liaoyang. The rest of the military equipment was mostly rotten and dull; the paint on bows and crossbows was cracked, and the swords and spears were covered in rust.

The emperor frowned deeply, and Tong Zhongkui had already pulled Qi Jin back, his eyes filled with anxiety. Tong Zhongkui instantly transformed into the Eighth Prince, his eyes seeming to say: General Qi, please stop talking!

Qi Jin brushed away Tong Zhongkui's hand, completely ignoring Tong Zhongkui's obstruction.

If we don't say it now in front of the Emperor, where will we say it later?
As for whether these words will offend people?
He's a martial artist, and he's over sixty years old. He doesn't have many years left to live, so he's not afraid of offending people!

Therefore, Qi Jin continued, "The greatest calamity in Liaodong is the third one I have mentioned: the embezzlement of military pay, which has led to the loss of morale and the neglect of border defenses."

Qi Jin's words grew more and more impassioned and excited as he spoke, his old face turning bright red. Clearly, he had been holding these words in for a long time and had reached the point where he had to get them out.

"The situation of the Liaodong border troops is truly heartbreaking! The soldiers only receive two and a half to four qian of silver per month, and it is paid in two installments: in April, they receive a 'converted silver' payment, and in August, they receive 'in kind' payments."

However, these so-called natural grains had long since become moldy and spoiled, and some were even mixed with sand and chaff; the silver taels were also deducted at each level, and the border guards often did not receive their pay for the whole year.

Worse still, the border fortifications were in disrepair—six or seven out of ten beacon towers on the border wall had collapsed, and the rest were just mounds of earth. The Jurchens even dismantled the bricks and stones to build their own houses. The original 130 beacon towers along the 300-mile defense line from Qingyun Fort to Chaihe Fort were now all abandoned.

The surviving soldiers at the outposts were threatened by the Jurchens: they would be killed if they dared to light the beacon fire, and they would also be killed if they were late in lighting it, which completely paralyzed the entire border alarm system.

Now the Jurchen cavalry can come and go as they please, as if entering an empty land; without warning signals, reinforcements have no time to react—the border defenses have fallen into such a state of disrepair that it is truly shocking!

Qi Jin was almost in tears by the end of her story.

The soldiers were wholeheartedly devoted to serving their country, risking their lives, and what was the result?

How did the imperial court treat them?

How did the court officials view them?
Zhu Youxiao felt very heavy-hearted after hearing this.

No wonder the Ming army in Liaodong suffered frequent defeats.

There were insufficient soldiers, inadequate weapons, a shortage of warhorses, and almost no food or pay. Corruption and bribery were rampant, and border defenses were in disarray.
There are far too many problems in Liaodong. It would be a miracle if we could win the battle.

For the Ming army in the Liaodong border region, the fact that they were still willing to defend the city and fight to the death made Zhu Youxiao think that these Ming soldiers were already the most loyal and patriotic army in the world.

This would be completely unimaginable during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

Soldiers in the military are being exploited like this, yet they still endure it and continue to serve.

The system of the Ming Dynasty seems to be a bit too advanced.

If Zhu Youxiao put himself in the shoes of the Liaodong border troops, would he still be willing to risk his life for the Ming Dynasty?

The answer is: Absolutely not!

Even if we don't surrender to the Jurchens, we'll still rebel against your Great Ming!
For a few hundred yuan a month, what kind of life are you risking?

"I now know that the border troops in Liaodong are facing such hardships, and I am heartbroken!"

Zhu Youxiao beat his chest, his face showing deep sorrow.

Tong Zhongkui hurriedly stepped forward and said, "The problems in Liaodong did not arise overnight. If Your Majesty is determined to eliminate these problems and takes a gradual approach, Liaodong will surely be cleansed and prosperous."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao's expression softened slightly. After letting out a long sigh, he looked at Tong Zhongkui and asked, "Commander Tong, where do you think the problems in Liaodong still lie?"

When the emperor asked him this question, Tong Zhongkui knew that he had to say something today.

Otherwise, how would His Majesty view him?
Therefore, after a moment of contemplation, Tong Zhongkui slowly said, "In my opinion, the root of the problem in Liaodong lies in the fact that the people of Liaodong are mostly of different ethnicities and few are Han Chinese. Moreover, the government cannot govern them effectively, logistics are unsustainable, and they need support from the rear, which leads to heavy expenses."

Tong Zhongkui presented the Liaodong issue from another perspective.

He believes that the deterioration of the situation in Liaodong was actually due to the failure of the Ming Dynasty's strategy in managing Liaodong.

In the early Ming Dynasty, in order to contain and encircle the remnants of the Northern Yuan forces, the Ming Dynasty began to focus on the management of Liaodong and eventually established the Nurgan Regional Military Commission.

In order to consolidate control over Liaodong and improve the situation where there were few Han Chinese in the area, the Hongwu and Yongle emperors even carried out several migrations to Liaodong. However, due to the harsh living conditions in the area, the results were minimal.

Unable to change the fact that the proportion of ethnic minorities in the area was too large, Liaodong was brought under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty, but in reality, it was governed by "using barbarians to control barbarians".

Officials in Liaodong were mainly from local ethnic minorities, and a military-controlled system was implemented. The Ming Dynasty did not establish any government offices to manage civil affairs in the area. This was a major reason why the Ming Dynasty failed to manage Liaodong and why the situation in Liaodong gradually deteriorated in the later period.

As the Ming Dynasty began its strategic contraction after the Yongle Emperor, Liaodong gradually slipped out of its control, ultimately leading to the rise of the Jurchens. With the defeat in the decisive Battle of Sarhu, the Liaodong problem finally deteriorated completely.

In fact, the problems in Liaodong are far more than these.

The situation is critical at the front, while the situation is dire at the rear.

Taking advantage of the war in Liaodong, countless people made a fortune from the war and became extremely wealthy. The only victim was the Ming Dynasty court, and of course, the burden was ultimately shifted to the ordinary people of the Ming Dynasty.

The prosperity of the people will be miserable, and the destruction of the people will be miserable.

The problem in Liaodong was not with the Jurchens.

But in the Ming Dynasty itself...

Civil officials were corrupt, border generals had secured their interests, and the local people had long resented the Ming court.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao realized that the problems in Liaodong were enormous and that changes were necessary.

However, changes are necessary.

However, we cannot push them too hard. If we force the border generals and soldiers to have the idea that "once the thought of surrendering gold arises, one feels that the world is vast and boundless," then that would be ridiculous.

At present, we still need to reorganize the Four Guards Battalion first, then the Beijing Garrison, and then use the Beijing Garrison troops to reorganize Liaodong!
Do things one step at a time, and eat one bite at a time.

Zhu Youxiao's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

You parasites of the Fourth Guard Battalion, just wait for your Grandpa Zhu to come and collect you!
(End of this chapter)