Huangming

Chapter 97 The Secret of Golden Spears, A Blood Oath of Loyalty

"This servant greets Your Majesty."

Wei Zhongxian knelt prostrate below the palace, his buttocks sticking up high.

"Your subject Li Ruzhen pays his respects to Your Majesty." Li Ruzhen followed behind Wei Zhongxian, kneeling down with utmost humility.

Zhu Youxiao had already removed his armor and changed into a set of imperial robes.

Upon seeing Wei Zhongxian and Li Ruzhen arrive, he put down his pen and paused his review of memorials and handling of state affairs.

Beside him, Zhang Yun'er, dressed in a palace maid's uniform, handed him hot tea. Zhu Youxiao took a small sip before speaking.

"Is everything done?"

Wei Zhongxian slightly raised his head, his face full of flattery.

He grinned and flattered, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful. As you instructed, I have exposed all those parasites in the Wuxiang Left Guard! Those murderers dared to falsely report more than two thousand soldiers, and even dared to use items from the first year of the Tianqi reign to fill the armory. They are truly deceiving Heaven and the Emperor!"

Thanks to His Majesty's brilliant strategy, under the guise of an internal military review, he had Qi Jiguang's army surround the training ground like an iron barrel. Your Majesty, you didn't see it for yourself; those thugs were so terrified by General Qi's archery skills that they were practically drenched in sweat!

As she spoke, she crawled forward two steps on her knees, pressing her forehead against the gold brick: "You have to admit that the Son of Heaven is different! Your Majesty's move of 'drawing the firewood from under the cauldron' is even more powerful than Zhang Juzheng's land survey back then! This servant has finally figured it out: these parasites of the Ming Dynasty, when faced with Your Majesty's thunderous methods, are like grasshoppers in autumn—they won't be able to jump for more than a few days!"

Zhu Youxiao ignored Wei Zhongxian's flattery and went straight to the point, asking, "What are the results of the investigation into the Right Guard of Wuxiang?"

Wei Zhongxian handed over the prepared booklet, which was then passed on to the emperor by Zhang Yun'er.

"Your Majesty, they are all among them."

Zhu Youxiao opened the pamphlet about the Wuxiang Left Guard, his brows furrowing deeply.

"These murderers, how dare they!"

Even though Zhu Youxiao was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by the audacity of these people.

These parasites truly treat the imperial court's military funds as their own private property.

They regarded the emperor's personal guard as a treasure trove for making money.

Call ~
Zhu Youxiao slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, calming himself down.

He looked down at Wei Zhongxian, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Wei Zhongxian, you have done a good job again this time. Get up."

Praised by the emperor, Wei Zhongxian beamed with joy, quickly got up, and immediately said, "It is all thanks to Your Majesty. My contribution is insignificant and not worth mentioning."

Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said, "I can distinguish between merits and demerits."

Being remembered by the emperor is good, as it allows him to maintain his power.

Emperors are ruthless; it's useless to talk about feelings with them.

This is especially true of His Majesty before him; only by demonstrating his own value can he maintain his power and remain invincible within the inner court.

"I heard that your nephew came to the capital from Suning County, Hejian Prefecture, Beizhili. Is that true?"

Wei Zhongxian was suddenly startled.

He only found out about this this morning. How did His Majesty find out as well?

Wei Zhongxian's smile gradually disappeared, and he realized: it seemed that his every move was under His Majesty's control.

He broke out in a sweat, and the little thoughts that had crossed his mind because of his meritorious service immediately disappeared.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "My nephew is named Wei Liangqing. He is a wet nurse, illiterate, and only has rudimentary skills. He is not presentable."

Zhu Youxiao chuckled and said, "Wei Da's merits are well deserved, how can I not reward him? I will appoint your nephew as a centurion of the Wuxiang Left Guard."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought his nephew was going to be sent to the Eastern Depot!
If that's the case, the Wei family's bloodline will end in his hands.

Fortunately, he joined the emperor's personal guard.

bang bang bang~
Wei Zhongxian kowtowed three times and said, "Your Majesty's grace is boundless. On behalf of my worthless nephew, I thank Your Majesty."

The way of a ruler is to promote and punish, to reward and punish.

After giving a reprimand and bestowing rewards, Zhu Youxiao asked, "What do you think should be done with these 981 hooligans who impersonated the Left Guard of the Wuxiang Army?"

Wei Zhongxian had hoped to get the solution to the matter from the emperor, but the emperor asked first.

His forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat, but he dared not remain silent.

The emperor had just bestowed upon his nephew the title of centurion; if he did not act loyally now, how could he succeed?

just
This is a huge blunder.

And
What is Your Majesty really thinking about this matter?

Wei Zhongxian pondered the emperor's intentions, and after a moment, he slowly said, "The Censor Cao of the Censorate said that according to the Ming Dynasty law, 'impersonating government troops' is punishable by one hundred strokes of the cane, tattooing, and being sent to the border garrison. However, they are not just impersonating ordinary government troops, but the Wuxiang Left Guard and the Beijing Garrison. This is considered 'overstepping the bounds of the imperial guards,' and they can be executed by slow slicing and their families exiled."

Zhu Youxiao remained calm and said, "I am familiar with the laws of the Ming Dynasty. What I am asking now is, how do you think this matter should be handled?"

Gollum~
Wei Zhongxian swallowed hard.

The wrath of Heaven is unfathomable, truly unfathomable!

Now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that these people are so audacious that we must make an example of them to show them that doing so will only lead to their deaths. Only by unleashing a massacre can we instill fear in others and deter them from continuing down this path."

A ruthless glint appeared in Wei Zhongxian's eyes, and he immediately said, "Therefore, this servant believes that, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, all these people should be beheaded in the East Market to intimidate the people!"

He really is a ruthless eunuch.

Zhu Youxiao neither agreed nor disagreed, but turned his gaze to Li Ruzhen, the commander of the Wuxiang Left Guard, who was kneeling on the ground behind him, and asked, "Li Ruzhen, what do you think?"

Li Ruzhen had been keeping a low profile, but he never expected the emperor to ask him to speak.

Now, his answer could decide the lives of thousands.

Li Ruzhen gritted his teeth and said, “Your Majesty, these people are ignorant of the law, but they are not breaking the law knowingly. If the punishment is too severe, it may attract impeachment from the censors. It would be better to only execute the ringleader and send the rest to Liaodong to serve in the army. They will surely be grateful and repay the country with their lives.”

Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said, "If they are exiled to Liaodong as soldiers, will they still be grateful to me? Will they still be willing to die for their country?"

Li Ruzhen remained silent, only sticking his buttocks out even higher.

Wei Zhongxian chimed in, "These people deserve to die. If we don't kill them, how will we know that those who defy the Emperor's authority will face certain death? After this incident, who will dare to lay a finger on the Four Guards Camp? They will suffer the same fate!"

"However, killing all of these people would be against the will of Heaven. We will select one hundred ringleaders and behead them in the East Market tomorrow. The rest of them will have their homes confiscated and then be sent to Qingling to work as miners repairing the mausoleum."

My father's tomb is leaking, so the coffin is still sitting in the main hall.

Besides spending money, repairing a mausoleum also requires manual labor.

These criminals are the best laborers.

Once the tomb is completed, how many people will survive?
There are probably not many left.

Even if there are any left, they can be used to guard the tomb of Emperor Taichang.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Wei Zhongxian quickly praised the emperor from the side.

This exclamation of "Your Majesty is wise" came from the bottom of my heart.

Killing one hundred people and releasing eight hundred will demonstrate both the might of Heaven and Your Majesty's compassionate heart.

The key point is that the eight hundred people who were released will eventually die.

These people just died a little slower.

But despite the slow death, this made it impossible for the censors to find any grounds for impeachment.

Impeach the emperor for sending these people to build the late emperor's mausoleum?

Dare?

If a son wants a criminal to build his father's tomb, would you dare to impeach him?
Do you intend to place His Majesty in a position of being unfilial?
Even the most eloquent censors wouldn't dare take on this charge.

"Your Majesty, what should be done with those commanders of the Thousand and Hundred Ranks of the Wuxiang Left Guard?"

Zhu Youxiao asked slowly, "Are there any clean people inside?"

Wei Zhongxian shook his head and said, "Most of them have committed crimes, it's just a matter of degree."

In the melting pot of society, no one can remain untainted.

And the large vat in the Fourth Guard Battalion was no exception.

Just like in officialdom, not all officials want to be corrupt.

Many officials are ambitious and want to be honest and upright and make a name for themselves.

However, reality will slap these people in the face.

If you're not greedy, your boss won't use you, your subordinates won't trust you, and you won't be promoted.

Only when everyone is corrupt can those above feel at ease, those below feel at ease, and everyone unite as one, so that they can all get rich and promoted together.

The Four Guards Camp was just like that kind of officialdom.

“Those who commit serious crimes will be ordered to confess all the ill-gotten gains they have made over the years, and their military status will be preserved, and they will be sent to Liaodong to serve in the army. If they cannot confess all the ill-gotten gains they have made over the years, their property will be confiscated as collateral, and according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, they will be skinned alive or beheaded.”

"Those convicted of minor offenses shall return all embezzled funds accumulated over the years and be transferred to another location."

The Four Guards were the emperor's personal troops, in charge of the palace. Zhu Youxiao wanted to promote his own people to higher positions.

These people must be completely loyal to him.

"The slaves obey."

Wei Zhongxian immediately accepted the order.

"Tell these people who have been exiled to the army that I have not deprived them of any opportunity by exiling them to Liaodong. If they can make meritorious contributions in Liaodong, I will not hesitate to reward them. At that time, they will not only be reinstated to their original positions, but also receive even greater rewards."

We must always leave some hope for these people.

Making grand promises is a skill every leader must possess.

Even if Zhu Youxiao knew that these people exiled to Liaodong might be used as cannon fodder to fill in the gaps, and that the chances of them making meritorious contributions were extremely slim.

It all depends on how tough your luck is.

If you're lucky, then you still have a chance.

If life isn't tough, then consider it fertilizing the land of Liaodong.

"The slaves obey."

Wei Zhongxian was like a nodding machine.

However, after a moment of hesitation, he asked again, "Your Majesty, the Left Guard of the Martial Guard is severely understaffed. How can we fill these vacancies?"

Zhu Youxiao looked at Li Ruzhen and asked, "Commander, how should the Four Guards Battalion be replenished with troops if we follow the normal procedure?"

For example, he immediately said: "Your Majesty, the sons and soldiers of hereditary military households are mainly selected from the surplus men of the military households in the capital. The Ming Huidian·Bingbu states: 'When recruiting soldiers, one must select able-bodied men from the same household.'"

Zhu Youxiao was not satisfied with Li Ruzhen's answer.

"What if I do not wish to recruit soldiers from the banners, but instead wish to recruit officers and soldiers?"

How many of the military households in the Beijing garrison are still capable of fighting?
If they were recruited, they would probably just be there to coast along.

His four guard battalions have no shortage of people like him who just loaf around and wait to die.

Li Ruzhen continued, “Your Majesty, we may select the strongest and most capable men from the surplus troops. The Four Guards are elite units, and they need to be “young, strong, and skilled in martial arts.” Therefore, we often select the best from the surplus troops of the Capital Guards.”

To avoid displeasing the emperor with his answer.

Li Ruzhen added later: "Since the Jiajing era, the imperial court has been drawing elite troops from the border towns to supplement the Four Guards Camp."

Actually, Li Ruzhen had two more points he didn't mention.

First, some nobles and military officers' private retainers (such as servants and personal guards) may be incorporated into the Four Guards through connections, but this requires approval from the Ministry of War.

Secondly, prisoners convicted of "exile" crimes, such as "exiles" in the Ming Dynasty law, might be assigned to the Four Guards as laborers if they were physically strong. Of course, these laborers were not formal soldiers and were just there to do the work.

"Then a thousand Zhejiang soldiers will be added to the Wuxiang Left Guard. As for the remaining vacancies, I have already transferred three thousand Sichuan soldiers and two thousand White Banner soldiers from the Shizhu chieftain in Sichuan to the capital. If there are still not enough, we will recruit and select more soldiers. In addition, I already have candidates for the extra thousand-household and hundred-household commanders."

These two thousand White-Spear Soldiers were not transferred directly from Sichuan.

Instead, it was 2000 men sent by Qin Liangyu's generals to provide assistance.

Two renowned elite troops of the Ming Dynasty.

He had already met Qi Jiguang's army.

Unfortunately, in terms of strength, he was probably only 30% of what he was when Qi Jiguang was alive, or even less.

The White-Spear Army was at the height of its power.

With these two armies, plus sufficient food and meat, and frequent training, how could his new army not be strong in combat?
As for the selection of commanders of thousands and hundreds, he wanted to recruit the most loyal and fierce generals of the Ming Dynasty into his ranks!
"Your Majesty is holy."

Li Ruzhen praised the emperor, his fists clenched tightly. After struggling for a moment, he mustered his courage and said, "Your Majesty, my father and elder brother also trained elite troops. There are still nearly a thousand left, scattered in the outskirts of the capital. If Your Majesty does not abandon them, they can also charge into battle for Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian frowned.

Zhu Youxiao was somewhat interested.

He came here today specifically to see how capable Ningyuan Earl Li Chengliang's son is.

But it's a pity.

This guy probably doesn't even have one-tenth of his father's strength.

Li Chengliang, the Earl of Ningyuan, was a fierce general.

Many people believe that Li Chengliang's military talent delayed the rise of the Jurchens and bought time for the Ming Dynasty.

Its cavalry tactics and application of firearms had a profound impact, and later historian Zhao Yi said that "Cheng Liang's military achievements were rare in the late Ming Dynasty".

Li Chengliang guarded Liaodong for 30 years, achieving ten major victories. Historical records state that "his army was always victorious, and his prestige shook the distant regions."

He repeatedly defeated Jurchen leaders such as Wang Gao and Wang Wutang, forcing the Jianzhou Jurchens (Nurhaci's family) to submit, making Nurhaci almost acknowledge him as his father, and delaying the process of Jurchen unification.

However, this person had both merits and faults.

The Later Jin dynasty today can be said to have been built up by his own efforts.

To counterbalance other Jurchen tribes, Li Chengliang supported Nurhaci for a long time (granting him the title of Dragon and Tiger General and allowing him to annex neighboring tribes), and was even suspected of assassinating Nurhaci's rivals (such as Nikan Wailan).

Li Chengliang intentionally preserved the Jurchen threat to maintain his own position, using war as a means of profiting from the enemy and seeking credit with them, effectively nurturing the enemy to enhance his own power.

Furthermore, in his later years, he indulged his sons in encroaching on military farmland and falsely reporting troop numbers, leading to the gradual decline of military preparedness in Liaodong. His sons, Li Rusong and Li Rubai, monopolized military power in Liaodong, forming the "Li Family Generals" force, which exacerbated the uncontrollable power of border generals at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

The Donglin Party members viewed it as the root cause of the decline of the frontier.

Among the memorials he received were many that impeached the Li family, such as Yang Lian's memorial which directly accused the "Cheng Liang" of causing the collapse of Liaodong.

The Li family's servants certainly included some with strong fighting abilities.

but.
Does it work?
Zhu Youxiao stared at Li Ruzhen, who was kneeling on the ground, and slowly asked, "Are the servants of the Marquis of Ningyuan still capable of serving?"

bang bang bang~
Upon hearing this, Li Ruzhen pressed his forehead against the gold brick and kowtowed three times, his voice suddenly rising three notches, carrying a hint of his ancestral fierceness as he replied:
"Your Majesty is wise! The sons of my household are all tough guys who followed my late father through the snowy wilderness of Liaodong!"

He suddenly straightened up, his right fist slamming into his breastplate with a resounding clang.

"Back then, during the bloody battle of Shenyang, thirty of my father's servants protected him as they fought their way through eight layers of Jurchen encirclement. Even with arrows lodged in his shoulder blades, he could still draw his bow and shoot down the enemy chieftain!"

Seeing the emperor lightly tap his fingertips on the table, Li Ruzhen quickly bowed again: "Although there are only 973 people left now, each of them can use a three-eyed gun and a twelve-strength bow. The oldest, Li Tieqiang, is fifty-six years old this year. Last year, in the training ground competition, he was able to shoot through iron armor plates a hundred paces away with a repeating crossbow!"

He suddenly lowered his voice: "I still have six small Portuguese cannons hidden away, all of which were specially approved for my late father by the Ministry of War during the Wanli era."

Wei Zhongxian suddenly interrupted in a shrill voice: "How dare you! Possessing military equipment is outrageous!"

But Zhu Youxiao raised his hand to stop him.

A hint of amusement flashed in the emperor's eyes.

I don't know if Li Ruzhen is smart or stupid.

Possessing weapons privately is punishable by death according to the law. Is it because you think the censor's impeachment memorial is not sharp enough, or because you think my sword is not sharp enough?
But he still had some patience and asked:
"Oh? The breech-loading cannon of the Marquis of Ningyuan, the kind that blasted open the walls of the Haixi Jurchen stronghold back then?"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Li Ruzhen's beard trembled with excitement: "It is a short-barreled rapid-fire cannon cast using the secret method of Portuguese craftsmen in Macau, with 20% more propellant than the Ministry of War's standard formula! Last year, I led them to train three times a month in the Miyun Mountains, and their loading speed was twice as fast as that of the Beijing garrison!"

He suddenly kowtowed heavily: "I am willing to offer all of these family possessions to Your Majesty, only asking that they die on the battlefield in Liaodong, so as not to fail my late father's dying admonition to 'die on the battlefield'!"

A dead skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

The Li family, father and son, ruled Liaodong for many years. Even though it is now in ruins, it still has a deep foundation of resources.

"The bravery of the Li family's elite soldiers may still remain to some extent, but how much loyalty does the Li family still possess?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ruzhen slammed his forehead heavily against the gold brick, making a dull thud, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Your Majesty is wise! Though I am foolish, I know that the Li family has received imperial favor for generations. Before my death, my late father held my hand and said, 'The sons of the Li family, born we are generals of the Ming Dynasty, and we will die we are ghosts of the Ming Dynasty!'"

He straightened up abruptly, pointing three fingers of his right hand to the sky: "I swear to Heaven today that if I harbor even the slightest disloyalty, may my entire Li family die under a hail of arrows, and may our souls be forever condemned to the deepest hell!"

Seeing the emperor's deep gaze, Li Ruzhen continued:
"Though I am foolish and dull, I know the way of a subject. I would rather be a sword in Your Majesty's hand than a clay idol in the court! If Your Majesty does not despise me, I am willing to emulate Zhang Tang and Zhi Du of the Han Dynasty. Even if the officials of the court hate me to the bone, even if the annals of history condemn me as a cruel official, I will obey Your Majesty's command."

A hint of ruthlessness appeared in Li Ruzhen's eyes.

"Even if it means my blood is spilled on the imperial steps right now to prove my loyalty, I will not hesitate for a moment!"

After saying this, Li Ruzhen kowtowed repeatedly, weeping blood as he said, "My late father said before he died that the wealth and honor of our Li family was built on the heads of the Tartars. Now, I am willing to use this head to pave a path for Your Majesty to cleanse the court!"

After saying these words, Li Ruzhen knelt on the ground, his body trembling slightly, whether from fear or something else.

His Majesty
Would you be willing to use him?
Zhu Youxiao had no shortage of people to do the work, but he needed people who were absolutely loyal, willing to take the blame for him, and do the dirty work.

but.
Doing dirty work for the emperor was no easy task.

This requires skill and wisdom.

"You've got quite the nerve. You claim you can purge the court for me? Do you really have the ability?"

Upon hearing the emperor speak, Li Ruzhen hurriedly replied, "I know my own limitations. If I were to lead troops to Liaodong to fight the Jurchens, I dare not say that I could defeat them. However, I know people from all walks of life in the capital. I am capable of gathering information for Your Majesty and killing for Your Majesty."

"In that case, let me see your loyalty."

Zhu Youxiao looked at Li Ruzhen with a scrutinizing gaze and said, "I entrust the matter of the Wuxiang Left Guard to you. Go and prove it to me, prove whether you have the ability!"

(End of this chapter)