Chapter 443: The Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion

"This count is deeply moved by your eagerness for battle. With generals like you here, why worry that the affairs of state will not prosper? Therefore, I shall form the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion, and all of you may enter it. 1---"

At this moment, inside the great hall of the General's residence, there were many officers and commanders, all former officers from the Eastern Route, such as the various garrison commanders of the Eastern Route, their personal subordinate generals, and the officers of the Huailai City Circuit-Standard Battalion. The one Wang Dou paid particular attention to was Yang Dongmin, the personal subordinate general under Xu Zucheng. This powerfully built, sharp-eyed head of the retainers had left a deep impression on Wang Dou in years past.

There was also Zhang Wenru, nicknamed Madman Zhang, the garrison commander of Sihaiye Fort. It was said that this man fought with the ferocity of a mad tiger, and there were even accounts of him taking wounded Qing prisoners alive, cutting out their hearts and livers to accompany his wine. At this moment, the big fellow's nickname and appearance were indeed quite fitting: a wild, unkempt beard, armor covered in filth and grease, and an utterly indifferent expression — he truly had the air of a madman.

Zhang Wenru garrisoned Sihaiye Fort, but these past few years the Eastern Route had been quiet, and the border had even been expanded to the Mantaoer region. Most of the Mongol tribes along the frontier dared not make incursions, fearing retaliation from the Shunxiang Army. Other Ming forces along the border wall lacked the ability to launch expeditions beyond the passes, but the Shunxiang Army could.

Occasionally, some small, reckless tribes would appear, but they were swiftly annihilated by the Shunxiang Army.

Zhang Wenru had nothing to do at Sihaiye Fort and must have been unbearably pent up.

There was also a man named Zhuang Huizu, tall and sturdy, said to possess heaven-born divine strength. Back when Wang Dou first went to Baoan Guard City, this man had come up to challenge Wang Dou to a drinking contest, but he had a poor tolerance for liquor and would go wild after a few drinks — a match for the Xie Yike of those days.

Then there were Li Shouqin, son of the former garrison commander Li Yi'an of Baoan Guard City, and his attendant Wu Dazong, both of whom had left a deep impression on Wang Dou before.

After all these years, the two had hardly changed. Li Shouqin still disliked sunlight and kept his figure hidden in the shadows as much as possible. That smiling fat man Wu Dazong appeared amiable, but his eyes always gleamed with the sinister light of a venomous snake.

The moment he saw Li Shouqin and Wu Dazong, Wang Dou thought of Liu Benshen, the former Embroidered Uniform Guard Company Commander of Zhending Prefecture, and Qiang Ye, the former Night Scout soldier — both now senior members of the Intelligence Division. Wang Dou also felt that Li Shouqin and Wu Dazong would be better suited entering the Intelligence Division.

However, seeing that Li Shouqin had brought his son Li Zhongguo — a strapping young lad just twenty, with a tigerish head and brain, brimming with curiosity about everything — he knew that Li Shouqin had no intention of joining the army himself, but had come for his son's sake.

As for the rest, Wang Dou paid them little mind. After speaking the above words, he had Feng Dachang distribute the relevant documents for establishing the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion to each person, one by one.

The specific content was this: each general would be incorporated into the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion, and their subordinate retainers and soldiers would accompany the army on campaign whenever there was battle, enjoying the treatment of the Jingbian Army's B-Class troops. In effect, they would constitute an outer battalion. Wang Dou's direct-line Jingbian Army would be the inner battalion. Only after undergoing elimination and selection, and proving themselves excellent, could one truly become a member of the Jingbian Army.

This was a process of testing, elimination, and reformation. Those who qualified could enter the Jingbian Army. Those who did not would remain in the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion.

This was also Wang Dou planning ahead. As more and more people wished to join the group, he had to implement certain measures. This Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion would serve as an experiment.

The men below began discussing animatedly. Zhang Wenru tossed the document aside and laughed heartily: "I don't care either way. As long as I can fight the Tartars, anything is fine."

Wang Yide, the garrison commander of Yongning City, was ordinarily a spineless yes-man, but for his son's sake, he scrutinized the document with extreme seriousness, weighing every line and constantly whispering back and forth with Xu Zucheng, the garrison commander of Baoan Guard City.

As Wang Dou's former superior, and the one who had gifted the two women Liu Qing and Liu Ji, Xu Zucheng had grown even fatter, sitting in his seat like a mountain of flesh. He was earnestly discussing matters with his personal general Yang Dongmin and others. Li Jinsheng, the garrison commander of Yanqing Prefecture, who had been a Circuit-Standard Battalion officer back in the day, was also huddled together murmuring with the various Circuit-Standard Battalion generals and Huang Changyi, the garrison commander of Huailai.

Everyone deemed it feasible. Nowadays, only the fort and settlement households could join the Jingbian Army. How precious were the quotas for entering the Jingbian Army? Their entry into the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion was also an opportunity...

Each man knew his own affairs. Their subordinate retainers could fight, yes, but their military discipline was lax and they were full of crafty old soldiers. It was just as well to place them in an outer battalion, lest they corrupt the soldiers of the Jingbian Army and ruin everyone's image in the eyes of the Loyal and Brave Count. Whether their subordinate lads could pass the test would depend on each one's own fortune. After all, the opportunity had been given to all.

Yang Dongmin suddenly stood up and declared, "Grand General, back then Tian Zhijue and Zhang Tanggong were able to become officers of the Jingbian Army. This lowly general believes he can do the same. Grand General, just watch and see!"

Wang Yide also rose to his feet, clasped his hands, and said with an obsequious smile, "Grand General, this is excellent. Your subordinates have no objections."

The rest of the men also said one after another, "We have no objections."

Wang Dou was very pleased. He stood up and said, "Good. I have faith in all of you. In the future, the majority will be able to advance from the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion into the Loyal and Brave Battalion, truly becoming a part of my Jingbian Army. I welcome your participation."

The men exited the General's residence in high spirits. Zhang Wenru swaggered at the very front, singing loudly: "Split that slave's chest open while he's still alive, take his heart and liver to go with my wine."

"Today is a great joy, I must drink three hundred cups with my lads!"

Paying no heed to the others, he mounted his horse and rode off on his own.

Everyone watched his retreating figure: "That madman — who knows whether working with him in the future will be good or bad."

Xu Zucheng came out, instructing Yang Dongmin all along the way: "Dongmin, back in the day we had ties of friendship with the Grand General. That is our advantage. But you must also perform well and earn plenty of military merit, so that when the Grand General promotes you, no one can criticize it."

Yang Dongmin replied, "My lord, rest assured. This lowly general understands."

Xu Zucheng then said to Li Zhongguo, "Little Zhongguo must also remember this."

Li Zhongguo was still basking in excitement and responded with a distracted grunt.

As the party from Baoan Guard City came out, several men were waiting awkwardly outside. Had Wang Dou seen them, he would certainly have remembered these people — they were Xu Lu, Liu Wei, Yu Qingyuan, and Lan Bulian, the very ones who had left Shunxiang Fort back when the retainers were being reorganized.

Their expressions were complicated, and they felt they had no face to show themselves. Back then, when the Grand General reorganized the retainers, they had left. Years had passed, and Wang Dou had become the Loyal and Brave Count. Back then, men like Wen Fangliang and Sun Sanjie had all become high-ranking and illustrious. Looking at themselves — ah, they were green with regret to the very core of their guts.

Among these men, Xu Lu was the leader. Seeing Xu Zucheng's group approach, they hurried forward to salute. Xu Zucheng grunted in acknowledgment.

Xu Lu seized a moment and quietly asked Yang Dongmin, "Sir Yang, how did it go?"

Yang Dongmin naturally knew about the affairs of Xu Lu and the others. He looked at them and shook his head. What was the point of their past actions?

He said, "Let's talk on the road."

He assisted Xu Zucheng onto his horse, then mounted his own. Xu Lu and the others hurriedly followed.

On the third day of the fifth month of the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, Wang Dou established the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion. Those from the old Eastern Route army who entered the battalion numbered five hundred men from Baoan Guard City, with Yang Dongmin as their Regional Commander. From Sihaiye Fort, four hundred and fifty men, with Garrison Commander Zhang Wenru as their Regional Commander.

From Huailai City, the Circuit-Standard Battalion and garrison troops totaled one thousand men, with Circuit-Standard Battalion officer Xu Youyu as Regional Commander. From Yanqing Prefecture, three hundred and fifty men, with Garrison Commander Li Jinsheng as Regional Commander. From Yongning City, three hundred men, with Wang Huning, son of Garrison Commander Wang Yide, as Regional Commander.

Shen Shiqi was appointed Grand Commander of the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion. Only this ferocious fellow could keep those arrogant and unruly soldiers in check.

Upon learning of his appointment, Shen Shiqi was quite intrigued. He laughed and said, "I'm used to seeing obedient people. Teaching some disobedient children will be a nice change."

Within the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion, there was also one regiment of Jingbian Army A-Class troops. The battalion was equipped with provosts and morale officers. Their banners, uniforms, and armor all had standardized patterns.

The Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion numbered nearly three thousand men, all mounted cavalry. Virtually all of them were retainers. Where this outer battalion of the Jingbian Army would head in the future, Wang Dou would watch and see.

That day, the Shogunate also issued a public proclamation: a "Hall of Grandmasters" would be established in the Eastern Route. It announced the selection of heroes and outstanding individuals throughout the Eastern Route, even across Xuanfu Garrison and all parts of the Great Ming. It was subdivided into the Swordsman Hall, the Musketeer Hall, the Artisan Hall, and other halls...

The proclamation stated that those with outstanding skills in cold weapons — sword, saber, spear, halberd, horsemanship, archery, blade techniques, spear techniques, and the like — could all undergo assessment at the "Hall of Grandmasters" established by the Shogunate. Those selected would obtain the status of Swordsman and receive the treatment of Jingbian Army B-Class troops.

In Chinese culture, the sword is held in highest esteem; therefore, the Shogunate would refer to all those with outstanding cold weapon skills as Swordsmen.

They would be given weapons and armor. After five years, they would possess Eastern Route military household registration, be allotted fifty mu of mature farmland, and the armor and weapons would also belong to them as family heirlooms. These individuals did not necessarily need to join the army in combat; service in various forms was acceptable.

Their ranks were three: Swordsman, Swordmaster, and Grand Swordmaster.

A Swordsman was one whose skill reached a certain level, further divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper grades.

A Swordmaster needed to be accomplished in both civil and martial arts, possessing rich cultural and martial cultivation.

A Grand Swordmaster was a master of the age, one who published books and established a legacy, renowned throughout the nation. They would become elders of the Hall of Grandmasters.

As with cold weapons, those with outstanding skill in firearms could similarly be assessed for the status of Musketeer, receiving the treatment of Jingbian Army B-Class troops. To broadly cultivate firearms talent in the Eastern Route, the Shogunate announced that Eastern Route military and settlement households could purchase arquebuses and pistols at discounted prices, limited to one arquebus and two pistols per household, subject to qualification review.

The ranks of Musketeer were as above.

And those with outstanding craftsmanship could be assessed for the status of Artisan. Eastern Route artisans were likewise the envy of others.

Similarly, Artisans were divided into three ranks: Artisan, Master Artisan, and Grand Master Artisan.

For craftsmen, perhaps becoming an Artisan was easy, but becoming a Master Artisan was difficult. Master Artisans required a cultural examination — many craftsmen could not read a single character, so how could they pass? Grand Master Artisans needed to publish books and establish a legacy, renowned throughout the nation, which was even harder.

Now, among the craftsmen of the Eastern Route, quite a few could hold the status of Superior Artisan — men like Li Maosen and others — but there was not a single Master Artisan. However, the fact that craftsmen could now pass down their works to posterity, a privilege previously reserved for the literati, also spurred many ambitious craftsmen to strive harder.

The establishment of the Loyalty and Righteousness Battalion was one thing, but when the Shogunate announced the creation of the "Grandmaster Hall," it caused an enormous stir in the Eastern Route. The news spread rapidly in all directions, and great numbers of saber-men, swordsmen, martial masters, escort guards, and fist masters poured into the Eastern Route from every corner of the Great Ming.

In these chaotic times, the martial tradition was already at its peak, yet large numbers of martial practitioners had no way to make a living or were dissatisfied with their lives.

By joining the Swordsman Hall, they would have food to eat, rewards for carrying out missions, and in the future could even own land and obtain Eastern Route household registration. This was something many people yearned for; the prosperity and peace of the Eastern Route had long been widely known across much of the Great Ming.

After entering the Swordsman Hall, life became rich and varied — one could enlist in the army, or be selected for the Night Scouts and the like.

Those unwilling to join the military could also take on escort duties for security firms and merchant caravans, serve as instructors teaching swordsmanship to students, join the frontier expansion teams beyond the passes, enter the arrest squads or traitor-elimination squads of the Intelligence Division, or work as local spies and intelligence agents — the choices were many and diverse.

And so, seeing this, martial practitioners flooded in in swarms. (To be continued..)