Chapter 631: Fixed Terms and Ranks of Merit

Old White Ox: Back to Tianxia Zongheng, my book friends — let me see when I can sort this out and post it.

Also: I checked the outline, and there's still a lot of content I haven't written. I've decided to speed up the plot and aim to finish the book before the new year. The good news is that the most important reflections in my heart, the things I most wanted to write, have already begun to unfold in part.

……

Everyone in the hall felt a chill in their hearts. Everything they had was built on the foundation of holding Han registration. According to the Grand General's explanation, without Han registration, not only were there no rights to military service or political office, but many other aspects were also restricted. For barbarian registration, needless to say, the restrictions were even greater.

For people of the Great Ming and the like, why did the Shanxi merchants and others have such enormous influence? It was precisely because of collusion between officials and merchants — they themselves were officials as well as merchants, and merchants as well as officials.

This, of course, was inseparable from their possession of the rights to hold political office, serve in the military, and engage in cultural pursuits. If they had been purely merchants, no matter how wealthy, they would have been nothing but fat pigs — possessing no threatening power whatsoever, much less the kind of historical influence they actually wielded.

Without Han registration, one could not even participate in many commercial affairs and trades. Intangibly, this further enhanced the sense of superiority and centripetal cohesion among the people under governance.

Yet for many Han registrants, having their names entered in the registers did not mean they could rest easy without worry.

If their stance was wrong, if their orientation was crooked, and they committed acts harmful to the Han people, they would be mercilessly purged, and would also implicate their families and clansmen, losing everything they possessed. This would keep everyone in a sense of crisis, preventing them from thinking that everything they currently had was their due, and from losing a heart of gratitude.

Wang Dou had always believed that ancient China had done rather well in assimilating foreign peoples, yet it lacked a mechanism for elimination — this was a flaw.

"My shogunate will also establish a Silver Coin Bureau, specifically to issue grain certificates, as well as silver dollars, and to oversee the official money shops and stores!"

Watching Zhang Gui, the Commissioner of the Civil Affairs Bureau, instantly pull a bitter face, while Zhong Rong, the Commissioner of the Finance Bureau, looked thoughtful, and the rest of the people all wore expressions of standing aloof from the matter, Wang Dou's own expression remained calm.

Grain certificates had been introduced by the Civil Affairs Bureau. Zhang Gui and his people had rendered undeniable merit. With Zhang Gui's successful experience as a precedent, the shogunate's Finance Bureau had very quickly also launched a money shop, used to extend loans to merchants and scholars within the territory and to encourage investment in industry and the like.

The functions of the two actually overlapped. Moreover, between the Civil Affairs Bureau and the Finance Bureau, there was open strife and veiled struggle. Zhang Gui believed the money shops ought to be under the Civil Affairs Bureau's jurisdiction, while Zhong Rong believed the grain certificates ought to fall within the money shops' functions. The two sides contended, taking great pleasure in the fight, and their lawsuits frequently reached Wang Dou's desk.

Well now, this settled it. Neither side would have them — both were being spun off. Zhang Gui shot an irritated glare at Zhong Rong.

For Wang Dou, after deep and careful consideration, he had still decided that the banknote-issuing institution should be independent. As a transmigrator, one clear advantage was having a wealth of successful later-era experience to draw upon.

Under the present circumstances, in the Eastern Circuit, Xuan Town, and even across the three towns of Xuan-Da, many soldiers and common people already found the Eastern Circuit grain certificates quite acceptable.

Of course, this did not mean that every place in Xuan-Da could accept a mere paper certificate. Many people still recognized only silver and copper cash, and some would even rather barter goods for goods — to say nothing of other places in the Great Ming, where the influence of the Eastern Circuit grain certificates was even weaker.

Therefore, in order to expand the future influence of the shogunate, a new type of currency would inevitably have to be issued. Wang Dou thought it over again and again, and still decided to issue silver dollars and copper dollars, for use in regions beyond the grain certificates' sphere of influence. Of course, using them within the sphere of influence would also be permissible.

In the Great Ming at present, one could say that private coinage ran rampant. Not only the central government, but even the various provinces and localities had every kind of silver and copper coin imaginable, and the quality of each was too appalling to behold. The common people suffered unspeakably.

In response, although the imperial court issued repeated injunctions, yet never mind the private coin merchants among the people — even the provincial mints were just as busily minting coins in great quantities, turning the Chongzhen Tongbao into the coin with the most numerous varieties and the most complex typology in the history of Chinese currency. In the end, the only interests harmed were those of the imperial court and the common people.

Seizing this opportunity, Wang Dou planned to issue a currency of superior quality and fair value, to be used to sweep aside the various coins and increase the shogunate's economic influence.

As for silver coinage, in the fourth year of Chongzhen, there had once been a plan to issue some, but due to factors such as inconsistent fineness and every province imitating and over-minting, the plan was soon declared bankrupt — the same fate as the silver coins that had flowed into China over the dynasties.

Inconsistent fineness, a total lack of standards, many unappealing in appearance, and poor in quality — these were the main reasons silver coins had historically found it difficult to circulate in China. Hence, officials and merchants would rather melt them down and cast them into silver ingots. Of course, there were also certain factors like meltage fees involved.

Issuing silver dollars and copper dollars was a major undertaking. What fineness they should be, how much silver content, how much copper content, into how many denominations they should be divided — all these were matters requiring careful study. Therefore, Wang Dou planned to commence this work only after arriving at the garrison city.

"Lastly, I have resolved that every bureau commissioner shall be subject to a fixed-term system for chief officials. Five years shall be one term, with a maximum of two terms, calculated from the day the shogunate was established. The same applies to the commanding officers of each battalion — reassigned every five years, with a maximum of two terms!"

The people in the hall nearly erupted again. If the Grand General's earlier adjustments and additions to the various bureaus had still allowed everyone to sit as steady as Mount Tai, then this sudden, earth-shattering bombshell he had thrown out made it impossible for many to remain seated.

This was a classic case of "the capable rise, the mediocre fall." If one harbored thoughts of settling in for a comfortable retirement, one would never know when one's position might become insecure. Counting from the establishment of the shogunate, how much time had already passed?

Watching everyone's shocked discussion, Wang Dou nodded. This reaction was within his expectations. The vitality of politics lay precisely in circulation — maintaining upward and downward mobility, and the alternation of talent.

Often, an empire that had been passed down for several hundred years would find its upper echelons occupied by a great number of nobles and powerful magnates, who controlled the state and cut off the lower classes' hopes of rising, thereby breeding resentment. The causes of the An-Shi Rebellion were many, yet the inability of local officials and generals to become ministers at court was one of them.

If official posts became lifelong, or long-term, it would inevitably cause people to grow stale and corrupt in their bones, or to develop improper ambitions. This was something Wang Dou did not wish to see. He wanted, at the very first opportunity, to cut off any chance of ambition arising in his men.

In Wang Dou's view, the Great Ming's cabinet system was actually already extremely excellent, walking at the forefront of the entire globe at that time. Yet it had one obvious flaw: the Senior Grand Secretary and the cabinet ministers had no clearly defined terms of office. This was also one of the reasons the vicious struggles were so intense and knew no lower bounds.

Because they cut off the hopes of advancement for a great many ministers, those ministers would naturally stop at nothing in pursuit of power and position.

With fixed terms, more outstanding ministers could be brought into the ranks of national leadership, more excellent talent could be selected, and the phenomenon of power overwhelming the court could be greatly avoided.

Moreover, because of the Training Bureau, along with a whole series of institutions, the role of famous generals in the various battalions of the current Jingbian Army had actually been reduced to its weakest. There was no need for soldiers to be used as personal troops by a general. Any commanding officer who took over could fight battles very well — and even if he did not fight well, he would not fight very poorly.

It was just like the England of history: the era when its power expanded the fastest was precisely the era when mediocre generals came forth in droves. Therefore, relying on the Jingbian Army's training system, Wang Dou could freely rotate the various generals, reducing the emergence of warlord mentalities or factions.

Of course, in other Ming armies, this would be absolutely impossible. Even for the Jingbian Army, this measure had both advantages and disadvantages. On the whole, the advantages still outweighed the disadvantages, so Wang Dou decided to implement it.

Looking at everyone's shocked expressions, Wang Dou said flatly, "Enough, don't all be so shocked. I am also doing this for the good of all my brothers. At present, our government, our army, is in a time of vigorous vitality. So long as we work hard, the prospects of the future are something all you brothers can foresee!"

Zhong Xiancai abruptly stood up and said loudly, "Whatever the Grand General decides, your subordinate general will obey!"

Only then did the others react, all sighing, "Little Zhong's reactions are getting quicker and quicker."

Wen Fangliang was next, the second to say, "The Grand General's establishment of fixed terms and rotation of the various generals is truly for the good of all the brothers, for the good of the shogunate and the Jingbian Army. Your subordinate general obeys the Grand General's decision."

After that, the various officials came to their senses and expressed their agreement one after another.

The Grand General was mindful of old ties and generous. Even if, in the future, they themselves could not keep pace with the group's development, surely when the time came to step down, they would be able to enjoy wealth and honor in peace — that was certain.

Of course, when that time came, it would still require the continued existence of Wang Dou's group.

What put everyone even more at ease was that, with this measure and this system in place, in the future there would be even less likelihood of the deeds of killing the hounds once the rabbits were gone, or putting away the bows once the birds were exhausted.

It was indeed as the Grand General had said: it was for their own good, and it was the greatest protection for them.

Wang Dou gave a light shout: "Good! All you brothers understand reason. I, Dou, also say here and now that I will certainly not treat any of you shabbily."

He raised the documents in his hand and said in a high voice, "At present, our shogunate grows ever stronger, and the soldiers and common people under our command are ever more numerous. We must use our swords to escort our ideals!"

Seeing the look of excitement appear on everyone's faces, he said, "In addition, since I am also the Regional Commander of Xuanfu, the time has therefore arrived to expand the army once more!"

……

Not counting the garrison farmsteaders and able-bodied youths, the Jingbian Army originally had the Vanguard Vermilion Bird Camp, the Left Guard Azure Dragon Camp, the Right Guard White Tiger Camp, and the Rear Guard Black Tortoise Camp, along with the Central Army. The entire army totaled over twenty thousand men. Wang Dou decided to increase it to over fifty thousand men.

Originally, relying on the Eastern Circuit's financial resources, he could not have afforded to maintain so many troops. Fortunately, having assumed the post of Regional Commander of Xuanfu Garrison, his territory had greatly expanded, and he had also confiscated the vast wealth of the various great families. Thus, maintaining fifty thousand troops was still affordable.

In the plan Wang Dou and the Staff Bureau devised, the four great camps of cavalry and infantry would be expanded into four armies, still using Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird as their designations.

Under each army would be two or three battalions, divided into Class-A battalions, Class-B battalions, and so on. One army would number roughly from over seven thousand to over ten thousand men. The Central Army would also be expanded in part. To the outside, they would still be collectively referred to as the Loyal and Brave Camp.

Drawing on the experience of the Liaodong campaign, Wang Dou decided to equip the cavalry and infantry battalions with artillery in the same way. Every battalion would have an artillery company, equipped with red-barbarian cannons and Frankish cannons in varying numbers. The army-level units went without saying.

The Liaodong army's hundred-shot blunderbusses had piqued Wang Dou's interest considerably, and he would equip a portion of them as well. There were also mortars, which fired poison-smoke and lime-dust shells — light in weight and great in power. Wang Dou likewise planned to equip them.

Each battalion's artillery company would also be provided with a dedicated guard unit.

After years of research, the Eastern Circuit military workshop's flintlock muskets generally had a misfire rate of only eight or nine percent, slightly higher than the matchlock's misfire rate of three or four percent. Every aspect was already very mature.

Moreover, the advantages of the flintlock were obvious, and the various generals in the army had gradually come to accept the existence of the self-igniting firelocks. Therefore, Wang Dou planned to equip them on a large scale. The matchlocks that were replaced could be sold, or left for use by the garrison farmsteaders' reserve forces.

Socket bayonets would also be equipped in part, to see how their actual combat effectiveness turned out.

Expanding the organization and upgrading weapons was one step, but Wang Dou's most important concept was his decision to establish a merit rank system within the army — not only for soldiers, but also for the civilian clerks and officials of the shogunate, who would likewise hold merit ranks and enjoy different levels of treatment.

"Merit ranks clarify the treatment and protocol due to soldiers, integrating military post, prestige rank, and merit grade into one, so that the soldiers of our Jingbian Army will value deeds and battle achievements more, rather than ancestral pedigree."

Wang Dou declared loudly.

In the present Great Ming, whether civil officials or military officers, once they entered officialdom, they could all obtain prestige ranks according to their grade; those outstanding could obtain merit grades.

Yet before the mid-Ming period, prestige ranks and merit grades had already become synonymous with salary supplements.

In the end, salaries were no longer tied to prestige ranks and merit grades, so later generations might be thoroughly familiar with the titles and posts of Great Ming officers — Battalion Commander, Company Commander, Mobile Corps Commander, Assistant Regional Commander, Regional Commander — yet have no idea whatsoever of the meaning behind their Light Chariot Commandant, Upper Cavalry Commandant, and so forth.

Therefore, Wang Dou resolved to make a change: to tie his soldiers' posts to the treatment associated with their prestige ranks and merit grades, enhancing their honor as well as their tangible rewards.

The Jingbian Army, like other units of the Great Ming, could be divided into several grades: common soldier, Squad Commander, platoon officer, Squad Commander, Company Commander, Mobile Corps Commander, Assistant Regional Commander, Vice Regional Commander, and Regional Commander.

Thus, according to the hierarchy of military posts, Wang Dou made the following decision: to establish three tiers — Captain, Commandant, and General.

The merit ranks for soldiers would be three grades: Junior Sergeant, Sergeant, and Senior Sergeant. Ordinary soldiers would be Junior Sergeants; Sergeants would be squad leaders; Senior Sergeants would be platoon leaders — corresponding to the three grades of skill.

If a platoon leader also served as deputy platoon officer, he could be appointed Probationary Captain.

Platoon officers could be appointed Captain; those who also served as deputy Squad Commander could be appointed Right Captain; Squad Commanders could be appointed Left Captain.

If a Squad Commander also served as deputy Company Commander, he could be appointed Probationary Commandant.

Company Commanders could be appointed Commandant; Mobile Corps Commanders could be appointed Right Commandant; Assistant Regional Commanders could be appointed Left Commandant; Vice Regional Commanders could be appointed Upper Commandant.

In the Jingbian Army, only a Regional Commander could be appointed General, divided into the grades of Right General, Left General, Upper General, and Grand General.

Because Garrison Commanders were not within the camp-soldier establishment and generally defended cities separately, commanding anywhere from one to over two thousand troops depending on circumstances — effectively governing a locality independently — they, like Mobile Corps Commanders, could be appointed Right Commandant.

In establishing these merit ranks, Wang Dou consulted the Great Ming military prestige rank and military merit systems, but if he followed the Great Ming military prestige ranks, even a Company Commander could be appointed General — truly, Captains would be as numerous as dogs, and Generals would fill the streets — so he abandoned that.

If he followed the Great Ming military merit system, soldiers below platoon officer had no merit grade reference; and titles such as Protector of the Army, Pillar of State, and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness were not to Wang Dou's liking either. So he struck a balance: downward, he established the three grades of Junior Sergeant, Sergeant, and Senior Sergeant; upward, he established the four grades of General.

And once appointed General, one could add various laudatory titles and honorifics — but regrettably, at present, under Wang Dou's command, there was not yet a single General.

Of course, just as with the "letting go to grasp tighter" approach used in launching the newspaper, Wang Dou did not intend to immediately promote the merit rank system throughout the army; it would first be posthumously conferred upon soldiers who had died in battle, soldiers who had been discharged due to injury, and those officers and soldiers in the army with outstanding merit.

In this way, their corresponding treatment, rewards, and the distribution of merit points would all be set apart from the rest, which would further attract the hearts of all soldiers toward martial valor and battle, and stir their thirst for combat.

On the ninth day of the first month of the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, at the Jingbian Army encampment.

After the honor guard marched in orderly step, firelocks sounded. In the lingering chill of early spring, in the cold wind, on one side stood the Jingbian Army soldiers arrayed in neat formation; on the other side were the densely packed family members of those lost in the Liaodong campaign and in past battles; besides these, there were also many commoners who had come to observe the ceremony.

Young Lady Li wiped away tears; her son Han Hou stood obediently at her side. Nearby were Lady Zheng and others, and further beside them were Widow Liu, the surviving wife of Yang Tong, and others.

From the high platform ahead, voices drifted faintly over: "Posthumously confer upon… Han Zhong, the merit rank of Left Commandant; upon Yang Tong… the merit rank of Right Commandant…" (To be continued.)