Chapter 691: Attacking the Stockade

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On the second day, Wang Dou led the Guard Battalion to patrol the area beyond the pass. Wang Zheng, Zhong Yiyuan, Wen Wentao, Gao Dexiang, and others accompanied him. A group of cadets rode on small horses, each one brimming with enthusiasm.

Wang Dou placed high hopes on the Xuanfu Garrison Military Academy and personally served as its head, at that time called the Libationer. The entire academy had already grown to considerable scale. The sons of military officers basically all enrolled here, along with a vast number of sons of common soldiers.

Their studies were provisionally divided into two categories: Captain and Commandant. Both included different subjects such as infantry, cavalry, artillery, and logistics. Generally speaking, after graduation, the outstanding ones could be awarded the rank of Captain, while the ordinary ones received the rank of Probationary Captain or Senior Sergeant, becoming the backbone of the future grassroots officer corps.

Of course, after graduation they would not immediately assume posts like squad leader or file leader; they needed to undergo a period of internship in the army. In the early Ming, there had been the practice of probationary officials, where every official, before taking office, had to follow the original chief official to learn governance for a time. Wang Dou also planned to do the same.

As for the Commandant category, they were selected from outstanding Captains in the army. Their study period was slightly shorter, divided by term. In fact, the Captain category also had this kind of shorter-term training, selecting outstanding Senior Sergeants or Probationary Captains for enrollment, who would be promoted after completing their studies.

Wang Dou also considered establishing a General rank at the military academy in the future, but for now, the entire Jingbian Army had only one general — himself — so it was still too early.

Only the sons of these Commandants were qualified to accompany Wang Dou. The rest were led by instructors from each class to observe and learn in different army units.

At this time, Wang Zheng and the others were still far from graduation. Their rank was uniformly Junior Sergeant. They wore the new Jingbian Army dress uniform and three-peaked hats, but because they were young and not yet fully grown, each wore a soft hat on his head.

They looked left and right, elated. Yet they strictly observed discipline; Wang Dou had not permitted them to speak, so none dared utter a word, and Wang Zheng was no exception.

The group's objective this time was a garrison fort by Miehu Lake. At this moment, the great army was massed around Shacheng Fort, their tents stretching on without end. The host was mighty, their banners bright. Holding his horsewhip, Wang Dou smiled and said, "Halberds and pikes arrayed in dense ranks, armored cavalry surging forth — who would dare meet the edge of such a great army? But you have never witnessed a grand formation; seeing this, you may think it vast, yet those accustomed to it find it unremarkable."

Shacheng Fort and the garrison forts and pastures by the lakeside were numerous, with settlers constantly moving in. Add to that the growing concentration of merchant caravans, and the place was bustling with activity.

The customs beyond the frontier, along with the defensive structures of each small village and stockade, also greatly broadened the children's horizons.

They traveled over ten li, passing Mount Fenghuang. The mountain was flat and open, not very high. Among the grass were two trails resembling post roads, yet they were paths trodden by Mongolian gazelles and wild horses. It was said this mountain was originally named Fengwangtuo, renamed when the Yongle Emperor campaigned north of the desert. After crossing this mountain and traversing several more ridges, they saw in the northwest the vast Angkun Naoer Lake, which Wang Dou had renamed Miehu Lake.

Ascending the foothills and gazing at the cloud-wreathed mountains, Wang Dou pointed toward the rolling mountain range in the extreme north and said, "That is the Great Bayan Mountain. To the northwest lies the Lesser Bayan Mountain. Beyond the mountains, it is mostly sand and gravel."

Pointing northeast, he said, "From here one can go to Kaiping."

Looking at the scenery beyond the frontier, Wen Wentao, the son of Wen Fangliang, sighed, "Truly, reading ten thousand books is not equal to traveling ten thousand li. So this is what it is like beyond the frontier."

Wang Dou glanced at him approvingly and smiled. "Indeed. Those who have never been beyond the frontier, whenever they speak of matters north of the border, it is all imagination. How could it be so accurate?"

Soon, the group arrived at the lakeside. Here the waters were vast, the grass lush and fertile. Everywhere one could see geese and swans, some sitting or standing like people, others fluttering and circling about. This scene made Wang Zheng and the others cry out in excitement.

At that moment, the Guard Battalion soldiers captured a wild horse. Wang Dou, very interested, called everyone over to look. Zhong Diaoyang said, "A wild horse is like a horse, but this is a wild mule, not a wild horse."

Wang Dou smiled at the children. "Today, when we enter the fort to observe, everyone must write a report of their impressions. Whoever writes the best, this wild mule shall be awarded to him."

The children were overjoyed, and for a moment they all rubbed their hands in eager anticipation.

There were many garrison forts and pastures around the lake. The group entered one called Guangen Fort.

It was located over ten li north of the lake, with mountains to the west and south. The fort wall was not high, only about one zhang, but the moat was dug very deep. Inside were over a Company Commander, practicing the typical baojia system — that is, ten households formed one jia, ten jia formed one bao, and ten bao formed one xiang.

Under Wang Dou's governance, it was largely the same. After all, the lijia system had long since fallen into disuse in the Great Ming, and in many places, the baojia system was what was actually practiced.

Of course, given the differences in geography, transportation, and economic conditions in each locality, Wang Dou adopted flexible methods in implementation. In general, the organization of a jia took ten households as the standard, but could not be fewer than six households or more than fifteen.

The organization of a bao took ten jia as the standard, but could not be fewer than six jia or more than fifteen. The division of a xiang took ten bao as the standard, but could not be fewer than six bao or more than fifteen.

Like all the small garrison forts beyond the pass, Guangen Fort had three chief officers: the Garrison Commander, the Settlement Chief, and the Fort Inspector, representing the military, civil, and judicial branches respectively.

The Garrison Commander could exercise authority over the Settlement Chief and the Fort Inspector, but could not interfere in their official duties. His peacetime responsibilities were mainly drilling the settlement militia and protecting the fort.

In fact, when the Great Ming first established the three offices — the Regional Military Commission, the Provincial Administration Commission, and the Provincial Surveillance Commission — to separately handle local military, civil, and judicial affairs, the three offices stood as equals. Although this achieved the goal of dividing power, it also brought the drawback of low administrative efficiency. Sometimes government matters lacked leadership and went unaddressed, and eventually the position of Provincial Governor was born.

In light of this, having one person as chief and two as deputies was truly necessary. The three belonged to different systems, which could also serve as mutual checks and balances, yet there was one chief to make decisions in the face of emergencies, avoiding disputes. At this time, the Jingbian Army valued martial matters above all, so naturally the Garrison Commander held primacy.

In times of war, these garrison forts also had to accept the command of the nearby military fort's Garrison Commander. Generally, beyond the pass, one military fort was established for each xiang area. Those Class B troops did not farm; they only fought, which was vastly different from the settlement militia, a Class C reserve force.

Though Guangen Fort was small as a sparrow, it had all five vital organs. Government offices, horse relay stations, granaries, and fodder yards were all present. Temples were even more indispensable. The school was also quite large in scale. Because of the war, shops had multiplied, merchants came and went, and all kinds of accents mingled together.

Besides opening up farmland, this fort also grew flax and sugar beets. To the east of the fort lay a large vegetable field, and to the west were several livestock farms. Observing the mental state of the settlers, Wang Dou nodded to himself. The Garrison Commander and Settlement Chief of this fort were competent.

Wang Zheng and the others looked over everything inside and outside the fort, and also observed the settlement militia drilling. They too had uniforms and armor — red-brimmed military caps and long blue cotton drill tunics, though the tunics had no inner lining of armor plates, no outer copper studs, and no belts. They merely tied cloth sashes at the waist and wore shoulder scarves.

Under Wang Dou's governance, every adult male in the garrison forts was a reservist. They would periodically assemble for drill. This fort had over one hundred and forty adult males, divided into three squads. Most used matchlock muskets, and the rest used long spears and sword-and-shield. Every adult woman likewise had a long spear. It could be said the entire populace was soldiers.

On ordinary days, they left designated personnel on duty. The rest busied themselves with settlement affairs. Their work was done for them by others arranged within the fort, rotating in this manner.

That day, each cadet busied himself with investigation. The next day, each person's report was produced, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Wang Dou read them one by one.

When he came to his son's, he nodded slightly. Among the group, there were several outstanding ones. For instance, Zhong Yiyuan's was relatively steady and comprehensive. The conditions inside and outside the fort, what he himself had seen, the analysis — it was written with considerable organization, though the writing leaned slightly toward civil affairs.

Han Si and Wen Wentao were roughly on par with each other. Both leaned more toward the fort's military affairs. They described in detail what they had observed and even offered suggestions.

Han Si believed the fort should possess cavalry and strengthen its night scout patrols. Wen Wentao felt the firepower was somewhat weak and that a cannon should be added to bolster the fort's overall strength.

Han Hou, whether he had strayed off topic or was simply more interested in commerce and civil governance, devoted an enormous amount of writing to describing the commercial situation inside the fort. He even listed in detail the transactions of an oil shop, a bean shop, and five general stores within the fort. He also noted that iron nails were selling very briskly.

Only Gao Dexiang, the son of Gao Shiyin, wrote in a brash and careless manner, criticizing the fort's military affairs and declaring how he would do things if he were leading the troops.

Finally, there was Wang Dou's son, Wang Zheng. His report was the most detailed, flowing and extensive, touching upon military, civil, and judicial matters, faintly revealing a sense of the big picture.

After Wang Dou passed the cadets' reports around for everyone to read, Zhong Diaoyang and the others all admired Wang Zheng's report. However, when the Garrison Commander saw Gao Dexiang's report, his expression soured somewhat. This little brat had treated the settlement militia as if they were Class A troops, and he was also a bit worried about how the Grand General would view him.

After reading them, the cadets had nothing to say. Indeed, there was a considerable gap between them. In the end, the wild mule was awarded to Wang Zheng.

……

Wang Dou felt his son was growing. He was studying at the military academy, and with his teacher being Ye Xizhi, a capable civil affairs official, under this constant influence, his vision and ability were broadening day by day.

Yet he was still not satisfied with this report. There were obvious flaws within it, especially given that he was his own son.

However, when educating a child, it was best to praise first and then tactfully point out shortcomings. So after returning to Shacheng Fort, Wang Dou summoned his son.

At that moment, Wang Zheng was eagerly calculating how he would train this wild mule into his own mount in the future. Each of them had a monthly allowance, and the money in hand had to be budgeted. Wanting to buy a horse was no simple matter.

When he stood before his father, he was still elated.

Looking at his son, Wang Dou smiled, praised him for a while, and then asked, "My son, having observed Guangen Fort, what insights have you gained?"

Wang Zheng thought for a long time and finally said, "It is not easy. A single small fort, yet affairs are so numerous — military, civil, judicial. Every day there are always so many miscellaneous matters. Even now, thinking back on it, I still feel dizzy and dazzled."

Wang Dou smiled. "If just one garrison fort feels so difficult to manage, what would you do if it were several xiang, or even an entire circuit?"

Wang Zheng cried out miserably, "Then your son would vomit three pints of blood."

Wang Dou burst into hearty laughter, thinking to himself that his son had finally come to realize this point. He changed the subject and smiled. "Then does my son think your father is idle?"

Wang Zheng said with some dissatisfaction, "Yes, very idle. Even more idle than me."

Wang Dou said, "Then tell me, my son, why is it that your father manages such a large territory and so many people and affairs, yet remains so idle?"

Wang Zheng's eyes widened, and he could not utter a word.

Wang Dou laughed: “So you see, for many things, there’s no need to handle every detail personally. Delegate authority to your subordinates and let them do the work — just use the right people well.”

He continued: “A mere garrison fort already has this many affairs. What about an entire circuit, a whole garrison sector, or even a kingdom? That is why the ancients had the office of Chancellor. People praise Zhuge Liang for his diligence, but in truth that is not to be emulated — he literally worked himself to death. Human strength has its limits; if you try to do everything yourself, not only will you be exhausted, you may not even do it well.”

He took out Wang Zheng’s report: “Take this investigation of yours, for example. You cast yourself as Garrison Commander, Fort Head, and Garrison Judge — wanting to take part in everything, wanting to know everything. If it were truly so, could you possibly manage it all? And this is only a single small garrison fort.”

Wang Zheng scratched his head: “Father means that I should let Brother Yiyuan be Fort Head, Han Si and Wentao manage the troops, Gao Dexiang serve as Garrison Judge, and I just keep an eye on things?”

Wang Dou did not know whether to laugh or cry, and said: “More or less. What you must grasp is the direction. Specific matters can be handled by different people. Government and military affairs are myriad and complex — must you know every detail, great and small? Even if you understand a little, how can you compare to those who specialize in these tasks?”

He said: “You are my son. The angle from which you view problems cannot, by nature, be the same as others. While others do the work, you must learn to manage people, to judge people — to put those who can do the work into the positions they ought to occupy, then delegate authority to them and let them handle things well. In this way, governance proceeds smoothly, and the one who manages people can also be at ease.”

Wang Zheng’s eyes shone bright: “Father’s teaching is correct. It seems it all comes down to using talent well. Your son has decided: whenever I see an outstanding talent in the future, I will promote him.”

Wang Dou shook his head: “No. In all things, proceed step by step. The same applies to a person’s rise and promotion. To suddenly attain high rank is not only unfair to others, it also makes a person swell with pride and forget himself — a good thing turns bad. Better to have a sound selection system, so that useful talents can all be promoted and employed, rising step by step. Only then will you avoid pulling up seedlings to help them grow.”

Wang Zheng scratched his head and said: “It’s so complicated.”

Wang Dou laughed: “Of course. Did you think being a superior was so easy? Managing people, judging people — none of it is simple. And beyond that, it also requires the courage and ability to make decisions…”

He said gently: “Alright, your father’s instruction to you ends here. Take this report back and revise it thoroughly once more…”

He waved his hand for his son to leave, then said to Zhong Diaoyang, who had entered: “What is it?”

Zhong Diaoyang said in a low voice: “Grand General, the Tatar slaves are making unusual moves.”

…

The first day of the ninth month, fifteenth year of Chongzhen. “Yuanyang Fort,” morning, the hour of Chen.

With a thunderous boom, a six-pound Hongyi cannon on the hill spewed dense fire and smoke. The muffled thunder of the cannon blast seemed to set the ears of the arquebusiers in front ringing. The immense recoil drove the heavy gun carriage violently backward across the plank-covered ground.

After the cannon fired, it tore up clumps of grass and soil from the ground as it hurtled back. A crude timber-bound wooden shield was smashed to splinters. Mist after mist of blood sprayed up. Around and behind the wooden shield, many Mongol soldiers holding shields were struck by the flying fragments, each tumbling and vomiting blood.

Some were impaled by wooden splinters flying sideways, clutching their wounds and howling in unbearable agony.

Battle cries shook the heavens. Mongol riders like a tide surged in a fierce assault on “Yuanyang Fort.” Troops on all sides seemed to stretch beyond sight, as if their main force was all here.

The reports of guns and cannons were unceasing. No sooner had one cloud of gunpowder smoke cleared than fresh dense smoke billowed forth. Above the whole of “Yuanyang Fort,” white smoke rolled and churned. Every breath drawn was filled with the stinging smell of gunpowder.

Wave after wave of Mongol riders swept along the fort’s perimeter, loosing arrows without pause, seeking to suppress the defenders behind the palisade and cover the advance of the wooden shields. The ceaseless rain of arrows they poured down seemed to turn the ground before and behind the palisade into a meadow of hedgehogs.

From behind the palisade came return fire, volley after volley of arquebus shots. Even among the Mongol riders shooting from a distance, from time to time men screamed and fell from their horses. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Mobile users please read at

Xiaoshuo Wang