Chapter 225: Mercenaries

The news that Woguo had taken the initiative to seek war, once disclosed, quickly whipped up a hurricane in the city of Beijing.

The next morning, the Wanli Emperor immediately summoned the various Cabinet Ministers to Wenhua Hall to discuss the matter. One could see the Wanli Emperor sitting at the head, while below him, Cabinet Ministers such as Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and Shen Li stood respectfully.

This was the first time the Wanli Emperor had summoned the Cabinet Ministers for a discussion in such a formal manner.

Without wasting words, the Wanli Emperor got straight to the point: "Ministers, the Japanese pirates are bold enough to defy heaven, daring to take the initiative to attack our Great Ming garrison. Today I have summoned you to discuss how to respond to this matter, and I hope you will all speak your minds."

As soon as the Wanli Emperor opened his mouth, Shen Shixing understood the Emperor's intent.

Fight! And the kind of fight that risked one's life.

The blood feud was secondary; it was that silver mountain that was the Wanli Emperor's greatest concern. One must know that thirty percent of the silver from that silver mountain went directly to the Inner Treasury.

Sixty percent of the silver went to the national treasury.

The remaining ten percent was divided among the local garrison and other officials.

Now that the Wanli Emperor's interests had been infringed upon, he was naturally more anxious than anyone else.

Shen Shixing understood the logic, but major military and state affairs were truly not his forte, so he took the opportunity to pass the buck: "Your Majesty, during the last campaign against Woguo, Qi Yuanjing dealt the Japanese pirates a crushing blow. Why not let Qi Jiguang lead troops into Woguo again this time?"

"Impossible." Shen Li furrowed his brows and retorted, "Great Marshal Qi is currently suffering from a serious illness; how can he lead troops on an expedition again?"

"Then does Cabinet Elder Shen have a candidate to recommend?" Shen Shixing asked, turning his body slightly.

The other few Cabinet Ministers secretly cursed him as an old slippery fox, only then realizing how shrewd Shen Shixing was. He had first recommended a sickly man, and as long as anyone dared to object, he would use that momentum to kick the ball back to them.

If this person won, he would have some credit for the recommendation.

If he lost, the Emperor's punishment would not fall upon his own head.

Although Shen Li was displeased, he thought about how this concerned major state affairs and stopped worrying about so much: "Minister of War Wei Xueceng once oversaw the military in Liaodong and possesses strategy; he should be the one to serve as Great Marshal for this battle and lead the army into Woguo."

"What do you ministers think?" The Wanli Emperor looked around the circle and asked again.

Shen Shixing and the others looked at each other, and finally answered in unison: "We also feel that what Cabinet Elder Shen said is reasonable."

"Very well, then it is decided that Wei Xueceng shall be the Great Marshal, leading fifty thousand troops to go and relieve Li Rusong of his predicament." Seeing the major matter resolved so easily, the Wanli Emperor was suddenly in high spirits.

"Your Majesty, most of our border troops are not accustomed to naval warfare; I fear we will be unable to mobilize a sufficient number of troops in the short term," Yu Shenxing, whose long beard was fluttering, reminded him.

"Then how long will it take?"

"At least half a year."

"No, that is too long, too long." The Wanli Emperor shook his head; if things went at this speed, Li Rusong over there would likely have been beaten back by the Japanese pirates long ago.

"If we urge them, half a year might suffice," Yu Shenxing thought for a moment and added.

The Wanli Emperor still felt it was too long; he frowned and swept his gaze downward. The Cabinet Ministers below were furrowing their brows; only now did they realize the intent behind Zhang Yunxiu's training of the navy.

So this navy was not just for self-protection, but even more so to be able to quickly reach someone else's territory.

If not for the ten thousand naval troops of the East Sea Fleet.

The imperial court would truly have had no troops to send in the short term.

The silence lasted for a moment. The Wanli Emperor seemed to have thought of a clever trick, so he asked excitedly: "Most of the coastal Guard Posts are accustomed to naval warfare; why not mobilize troops from the coastal Guard Posts first? Do you ministers think this is feasible?"

Upon hearing that they were to mobilize Guard Post troops, everyone's expression immediately became strange.

Those coastal Guard Post troops had been chased and beaten by Japanese pirates back in the day, and now, having not fought a war in several decades, no one knew how rotten the coastal Guard Post troops had become.

"Your Majesty... the Guard Post troops still have to protect the land and pacify the people; if they are mobilized, I fear local unrest will suddenly arise." Fortunately, Shen Shixing was quick-witted and immediately found a reason that was passable.

"Then wouldn't it be fine to mobilize fewer people?" The Wanli Emperor did not know the inside story and said to himself, "Our Great Ming has over one hundred thousand coastal Guard Post troops; mobilizing thirty or forty thousand is nothing."

Several people's mouths felt bitter.

Of these one hundred thousand-plus Guard Post troops, it would be good if even ten thousand could lift a sword or spear. The current Guard Posts were either filled with old men who could be someone's grandfather, or young ones who could be someone's grandson.

The actual numbers had long since been falsified.

The military officials knew this, the civil officials knew this, only the Emperor did not know.

Another period of silence followed.

Seeing that the few had become like clams with their mouths shut, the Wanli Emperor was suddenly extremely dissatisfied: "I called you here to make a decision, and now you have all become clams with your mouths shut, forcing me to make the decision instead. What is your intention?!"

"We are guilty!" The few knelt on the ground together.

"I am asking you to make a decision, not to come here and plead guilty to me." The Wanli Emperor stomped his foot and said through gritted teeth, "Think, all of you think for me. If you don't come up with it, no one is leaving this Wenhua Hall today."

"Wei Qing!"

"This servant is here." Wei Qing, who was to the side, hurried forward.

"Go and tell the Imperial Kitchen to prepare more bowls and chopsticks today, and have the food delivered directly to Wenhua Hall for me!"

"Yes."

Seeing this posture, the several Cabinet Ministers below confirmed that the Wanli Emperor was playing for real. In their hearts, they felt both gratification and helplessness; this was also the first time the Emperor had actively cared about major military and state affairs.

Yet they could not find a way.

In the crowd, Yu Shenxing narrowed his eyes and focused his mind, suddenly thinking of his own good-for-nothing student, Zhang Yunxiu. A few days ago, he had also come to lobby him, saying that the Wei Suo System should be abolished and replaced entirely by a Recruitment System.

Explaining the pros and cons, Yu Shenxing had seen the benefits of the method at the time.

But he had also seen the difficulty of implementing it.

Most of the officers in those Guard Posts held hereditary positions, and the Military Households under their command were just like their slaves.

As long as they did not flee, they would be the Military Households under their command for generations.

How could they possibly agree to reform?

To protect him, Yu Shenxing had immediately rejected the policy.

Now it seemed that taking advantage of this war between the two countries to separate those strong and able-bodied men was not a bad thing.

Thinking this, Yu Shenxing took a step forward and suggested to the Wanli Emperor: "Your Majesty, since the coastal Guard Posts have the duty of protecting the borders and pacifying the people and cannot be mobilized too much, why not recruit strong and healthy fishermen from the coast, train them for three months, and send them to the Woguo islands?"

"Fishermen, are they capable?" The Wanli Emperor looked suspicious.

Yu Shenxing smiled and patiently explained to the Emperor: "Back then, Great Marshal Qi's Qi Family Army was recruited from Yiwu in Zhejiang. That place has seven mountains, two waters, and one field; the folk customs are fierce. Three months is enough, if nothing else, to train a qualified army."

"Very well, quickly send out a proclamation to all coastal areas, ordering them to train a New Army to enter Woguo and assist Li Rusong." The Wanli Emperor nodded.

As the few of them spoke, they reached noon without realizing it.

The Wanli Emperor felt a bit hungry, so he waved his hand, signaling for them to eat first. After lunch, the Wanli Emperor gave some further instructions before ordering them to leave and attend to their duties.

They returned to the main hall of the Grand Secretariat.

The others looked at Yu Shenxing with complex expressions before slowly pacing into their own offices.

Yu Shenxing gave a carefree smile, flicked his sleeves, and entered his office.

On the other side.

Knowing that it would take more than half a year for the imperial court to mobilize troops, Zhang Yunxiu did not hesitate in the slightest and boarded a large ship to head directly south.

After drifting on the sea for half a month, he finally arrived at Malacca. This place is located to the north of the Malacca Strait.

Its geographical location is strategic, truly blessed by heaven.

It was originally colonized by the Spanish, but ever since Zhang Yunxiu established a fleet in the Nanhai, this place has been jointly administered by both sides.

Zhang Yunxiu stood on the deck, gazing at this island city.

On the sea surface, it was filled with ships coming and going.

Among them were the fair-haired and green-eyed Franks, as well as the yellow-skinned, black-eyed people of the Great Ming.

At this moment, seeing the fleet flying the Great Ming flag arrive, they immediately straightened their backs and looked at the newcomers with pride.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Zhang Yunxiu's fleet sailed into the harbor and docked at the embankment.

Without the slightest delay, the sailors lowered the gangplank, and Zhang Yunxiu stepped onto it, walking down the Warship with a "thump, thump, thump."

A middle-aged Confucian scholar in a white robe, surrounded by several people, walked up with a smile: "Imperial Censor Zhang, I have long wanted to invite you here for a chat, but you always said you had no time; today, you finally have the time."

The middle-aged man was none other than someone else.

It was Song Ming, whom he had met before.

After the Kong Family escaped a disaster that day, he distributed his family wealth and, at Zhang Yunxiu's suggestion, led a group of subordinates here.

Because he was quick-witted and loyal, coupled with Zhang Yunxiu's support.

He soon stirred up quite a storm in the vicinity of Malacca.

"You must know about the situation in Woguo, right?" Zhang Yunxiu waved his hand and went straight to the point.

"I only just heard about it from a merchant who came over from the Woguo islands yesterday," Song Ming replied.

Zhang Yunxiu nodded slightly, then suddenly frowned and said: "This time, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is determined to break with the Great Ming. I am worried that Li Rusong, the Otomo Clan, and the Shimazu Clan will not be able to hold them off."

"Is Imperial Censor Zhang here to borrow troops?" Song Ming smiled, a sharp glint suddenly flashing in his eyes.

"Tell me the truth, how many men can you mobilize?"

Zhang Yunxiu nodded lightly and asked urgently. Song Ming stroked his beard, appearing humble on the surface but acting arrogant in his heart as he replied: "Not many, just over a hundred Warships and about ten thousand shiphands."

So many!?

It had only been four years, and this guy had actually raised such a large force.

One must know that the Nanhai Fleet at full strength only had three hundred warships and just over ten thousand men.

Suddenly, he felt a bit more wary of Song Ming, experiencing a sense of helplessness, like a dog he had raised was about to break free from its leash.

Song Ming also immediately sensed that Zhang Yunxiu's attitude had cooled. He cursed himself as a "fool" and hurriedly tried to make amends: "Imperial Censor Zhang, please rest assured. Without you, there would be no me. You can mobilize these men as you please."

"Hahaha, you are still as straightforward as ever, Hero Song." Zhang Yunxiu's expression softened, and he hooked his arm around Song Ming's shoulder.

Song Ming laughed along with him. The surrounding merchants were secretly shocked to see the two of them like this. They did not recognize Zhang Yunxiu, but Song Ming's name was like thunder to their ears.

To be able to make this big shot show such respect, the identity of the young man before them could be imagined.

Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Song Ming pulled Zhang Yunxiu toward the city. Walking along the streets paved with bluestone, the group wound their way to a sprawling mansion.

They entered the residence.

Song Ming first sent people to arrange for Han San and the others, then personally led Zhang Yunxiu to a pavilion overlooking the garden to rest.

The pavilion was large, and besides the main hall, there were two small side rooms inside.

The furnishings were elegant, and the windows and tables were bright.

Looking from here, the entire layout of the garden was in full view.

Zhang Yunxiu sat facing south, and the two sat opposite each other. Song Ming suddenly clapped his hands.

The doors of the side rooms slowly opened, and two scantily clad women walked out from each. There were not only Great Ming women and Woguo women, but even a fair-haired, green-eyed foreign beauty.

Once they stood still, the four of them bowed in unison: "Greetings, Master, greetings, Master."

"Ahem..."

Zhang Yunxiu choked on his saliva and glared fiercely at Song Ming: "Hero Song, let these singing girls leave first. Let's finish the serious business before talking about anything else."

"Very well."

Song Ming smiled and waved his hand, signaling them to withdraw first.

Then, Song Ming began to complain: "Imperial Censor Zhang, this Malacca is chaotic. Woguo people, local natives, Great Ming people, and Franks—each one of them is fighting for territory, wishing they could bash each other's brains out."

"Isn't it the same everywhere? The cake is only so big; if you eat one more bite, others will have to eat less." Zhang Yunxiu curled his lips, completely unimpressed by his acting.

Seeing that playing the victim was ineffective, Song Ming changed his approach: "I have a small request, and I hope Imperial Censor Zhang can help me."

"Speak."

"Can you allocate more Bird Muskets and Cannon from the Weapon Bureau this year? Not many, just an additional two hundred Bird Muskets and thirty Cannon, how about it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu's expression turned cold: "Hero Song, the Weapon Bureau is the imperial court's business. I already take a huge risk by allocating eight hundred Bird Muskets to you every year. If it were any more, I would be powerless to help."

Song Ming did not believe a single word of Zhang Yunxiu's statement.

What kind of risk are you taking? As long as the price is right, you even sold to the Woguo pirates on Kyushu Island and the people of Joseon before; you call that a risk? Song Ming knew it was nothing more than Zhang Yunxiu preparing to raise the price.

But then again, as a merchant fleet that drifts on the sea all year round, money is not really money; only the guns in their hands are money.

"How about this: for the extra two hundred Bird Muskets, I will add three Silver Dollars to each one."

"Thirty-three Silver Dollars each, how about that?"

"Thirty-five."

"Deal!"

Song Ming readily agreed.

Zhang Yunxiu immediately regretted that he had offered too low a price, but since the words were already out, he didn't have the face to change them.

He looked at Song Ming and steered the conversation back to the main business: "This time, besides recruiting some of your men to go to Woguo, I also intend to recruit the Franks as well."

"How will you recruit them?" Song Ming asked, looking curious.

"By paying them, of course."

Zhang Yunxiu smiled.

Most of these Franks who could come to these outer regions were pirates by origin; they would serve whoever fed them, so once they heard about going to Woguo to plunder silver, they would likely agree.

They were mercenaries anyway, so there was no harm in using them.

Upon hearing this, Song Ming was stunned at first, but then he understood the logic and smiled as he reminded him: "These people from Frangistan are not short on Silver Dollars; what they lack is tea, Silk, and Porcelain."

"As long as you are willing to provide these, they will certainly go."

"Very well, tomorrow you go and bring a few of the leaders of the people from Frangistan over, and we shall discuss it."

(End of chapter)