Chapter 43: Starting Fresh from Scratch

"Since I know what my beloved minister excels at, I shall put it to use." Zhu Youxiao looked at Bi Maokang, nodded with a smile, and said, "Beloved minister, go back and wait!"

Bi Maokang was taken aback—just go back and wait?

But Bi Maokang also understood that His Majesty intended to employ him, and moreover to employ him in his area of expertise. Yet what exactly was going on, Bi Maokang still had no idea for the moment!

But since there was no way to ask, Bi Maokang could only bow and say, "Your servant takes his leave!" With that, he bowed and backed out of the hall.

Watching Bi Maokang's departing figure, Zhu Youxiao expressionlessly tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with his hand.

Although Zhu Youxiao very much wanted to discuss the casting of new-style weapons with Bi Maokang, now was not the time.

Another critical issue was how to go about the casting of new weapons—this required finding a way. But how to find a way was itself the problem.

Hand it to the Ministry of War? Don't be ridiculous.

Zhu Youxiao knew all about the Ministry of War's weaponry—if even half of the money thrown at it actually went into casting weapons, that would already be good.

Many people had studied why Ming dynasty firearms were so advanced yet never saw large-scale adoption and promotion. Why were Qi Jiguang's firearm units so advanced, and even the Divine Engine Battalion of the early Ming so powerful, yet by the late Ming they had declined?

The answer was simple: the money was all embezzled, and no one was putting their heart into the casting.

First, take ordinary weapons like sabers and spears—embezzle a bit of silver and use substandard iron. You couldn't tell by looking. But on the battlefield, blades curling and snapping happened all the time, to the point that places like Liaodong had to use military pay to cast extra weapons on their own.

Why not report it up the chain?

Because the Ministry of War controlled the weapons—go ahead and try filing a complaint. This was precisely what caused the Ming's military equipment costs to skyrocket.

Because the localities needed to fight wars, they had to cast their own weapons, which led to military pay being diverted. The military farmland and the court's pay were only enough to support a portion of the soldiers and keep them capable of fighting—these men were the generals' personal guards.

The rest of the hereditary military households could only farm, existing like servants. You expect these people to fight to the death for the court?

Don't be silly—not rebelling is already doing you a favor.

As for firearms, seven or eight out of ten matchlock muskets burst their barrels. Go ahead and try using one—just holding it makes your heart pound. Fire one shot, and before you even hit the enemy, you've blown your own face into a flower.

Think of the Duke of Qian's volley-fire musketry in Yunnan—that was in the early Ming. But now? What has it become?

Zhu Youxiao felt a deep frustration, like a blacksmith disappointed in unyielding iron, and then he wanted to kill someone.

There was also his hatred of the Ming emperors' lack of ambition. Because at the founding of the dynasty, to prevent the Ministry of War from failing and people from disobeying orders, the Imperial Guard system had been established.

What were the so-called Imperial Guards?

Just look at the Embroidered Uniform Guard—this was a military force that answered only to the Emperor, the guarantee of imperial authority. And now? Aside from the Embroidered Uniform Guard swaggering about, where were the rest of the Imperial Guards?

They had all become places where nobles and imperial relatives drew pay for phantom soldiers. The Capital Camps' hundred-thousand-plus troops were garbage.

Besides the Imperial Guard system, to avoid being strangled by the throat over weapons, the court had also established the Armory Bureau.

The Armory Bureau was one of the Eight Bureaus of the Ming, manufacturing military equipment and ironware for palace use. This was also a very important office, used to guarantee the excellence of the Imperial Guards' weapons. The Armory Bureau was managed by eunuchs, which could ensure the quality of the weapons, because if they did a poor job, the Emperor could kill them directly.

But where were all of these now?

After the Tumu Crisis, the Ming had indeed declined. But in Zhu Youxiao's view, what had declined was not national strength—a single great defeat couldn't weaken the Ming that much—but rather imperial authority, the decline of centralization.

The scholar-officials seized power in the chaos, especially Yu Qian's reform of the Capital Camps, which completely pushed the nobles out of the center of power. The civil officials rose with the tide, and the gentry clique thoroughly seized control of the state.

They suppressed the nobles and generals, and the authority of the Grand Secretariat was elevated to an unprecedented degree.

The chain of consequences that followed sent the Ming sliding headlong into the abyss, forcing the Emperor to use eunuchs to reclaim his power, and thus began over a century of eunuch politics.

Zhu Youxiao's mind churned with countless thoughts. He reached out and beckoned to Chen Hong, then said, "Push me over there!"

Chen Hong hurried over and pushed Zhu Youxiao into the sunlight.

Feeling the warm sunshine, Zhu Youxiao gently closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep, but in his mind he was already making plans.

To destroy a massive interest group, a head-on collision was not the way. On one hand, you'd kill eight hundred of your own to wound eight thousand of the enemy; on the other, even if you destroyed the interest group, where was the replacement? Without a replacement, it would only cause chaos—he wouldn't do it that way.

So how did one destroy a massive interest group?

The answer was simple: foster a new interest group to replace it—that was the best method.

That was exactly what Zhu Youxiao intended to do.

Since both the Ministry of War and the Armory Bureau were unreliable, he might as well start fresh from scratch. As for the Ministry of War, let them keep doing their thing for now—once his own side was done, he would directly swallow up the Ministry of War.

When that time came, it would be the moment to settle accounts with those people in the Ministry of War. After all, Zhu Youxiao felt that if all the civil officials of the Ming were killed, some would certainly be innocent.

But if you killed two and a half out of every three, they would all certainly die a worthy death. This blade, he would have to pick up sooner or later.

The capital appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it lurked turbulent waves. The Three Judicial Offices had begun the trial of the fabricated case against Xiong Tingbi. Everyone had originally thought this was nothing major—once the case reached their hands, could it still count as a problem?

But when they saw Wei Zhongxian sitting there looking utterly composed, everyone's expression was like they'd swallowed a fly.

Wei Zhongxian, however, seemed completely oblivious. He set down his teacup and said blandly, "I have come on His Majesty's orders to observe the proceedings. I will not offer any opinions—you gentlemen may interrogate freely."

Those present exchanged glances, worry plain in their eyes. How had this case come about? Everyone knew full well.

They had impeached Wei Zhongxian, and Wei Zhongxian retaliated—this fabricated case against Xiong Tingbi was basically engineered single-handedly by Wei Zhongxian. Everyone had expended great effort to get the case transferred to the Three Judicial Offices. Under such circumstances, how could Wei Zhongxian not harbor resentment? Now that he was here to observe the trial, wouldn't he go back and badmouth all of them?

Though worried, there was nothing to be done. Everyone knew this couldn't be changed—even remonstrance was impossible.

You want His Majesty not to send someone to observe the trial? What are you trying to do?

His Majesty already distrusted them. If they pulled something like that now, it would surely become a major incident—His Majesty might even fly into a rage.

Under such circumstances, everyone's gaze converged on Yang Lian, for he was after all the presiding judge.