Chapter 361: Imperial Summons

"The troops currently under the two Military Commanders of the Supervisor of Military Affairs are drawn from various provinces. If the soldiers and horses are returned to the local Provincial Administration Commissioners, they should naturally conscript to fill the ranks. If the troops and their pay are retained, then each Provincial Administration Commissioner should be made to fill the ranks. The total number of troops under the two Supervisor of Military Affairs and the four Grand Coordinators would then be one hundred twenty thousand."

Cheng Guoxiang added, "The Supervisor of Military Affairs was newly established after the rise of the bandits, and originally had no fixed troop quota. The troops guarding the mausoleum originally belonged to the Fengyang Supreme Commander. If we take the figure of one hundred twenty thousand, I humbly estimate roughly sixty thousand new conscripts would be needed. The required rations and pay are truly no small sum. Does the Minister of War have an estimate for the original named pay, marching rations, stationary rations, and the ratio of infantry to cavalry?"

Yang Sichang turned to the Emperor and said, "Your subject believes the troops guarding the two mausoleums at Fengyang and Sizhou should remain stationary, and more infantry should be recruited. For the remaining one hundred ten thousand, the infantry-to-cavalry ratio should still generally follow a seven-to-three split. Outside the Supervisor of Military Affairs, more infantry can also be drilled, without rigidly adhering to the seven-three ratio. The total cavalry is estimated at roughly thirty-six thousand. Including forage at one Mace of silver per day, the annual cost would be one million two hundred ninety-six thousand taels. The infantry would be seventy-four thousand, with an annual cost of one million three hundred thirty-two thousand taels. This does not yet separate stationary and marching rations. If there are retained Border Army troops already receiving stationary rations, only marching rations need be provided at the original rate. Southern Troops do not separate stationary and marching rations, nor is there a need to increase the number of named pay..."

Cheng Guoxiang suddenly interrupted, "Minister of War, please wait a moment. Since we are speaking of Southern Troops, I previously heard that Yingtian Grand Coordinator Zhang Guowei achieved the Susong Great Victory, using Jiangnan troops alone to rout over ten camps of bandit masses, no fewer than two hundred thousand men. It was always said that Southern Troops were weak, but this shows, just as the Minister of War said, that the number of bandits truly capable of fighting is not very large. Upon investigation, the Anqing troops do not separate stationary and marching rations. Infantry receive five Mace per month, and cavalry with their personal retainers, including forage, receive nine Mace per month. Anqing has less than ten thousand troops in total. Even calculated at a seven-three ratio, the annual expense would be no more than seventy-four thousand taels. Even if locally recruited militia costs differ slightly, it likely would not exceed one hundred thousand. If these ten thousand troops could rout over ten camps of renowned fierce bandits, then drilling and organizing one hundred twenty thousand troops according to this model would be sufficient to exterminate the bandits. The annual expense should only be around one million taels. Why would there be a need for as much as two million six hundred thousand?"

Having said this, Cheng Guoxiang looked at Yang Sichang, who was momentarily tongue-tied. The Detailed Report for the Susong Great Victory had not yet arrived, but the dispatch reports from the Yingtian Grand Coordinator Yamen and the Southern Ministry of War had both come in. Although the process was very brief, the battle results were basically all written down.

According to Yang Sichang's understanding of the interior troops, the so-called great defeat of thirteen camps and two hundred thousand bandits was certainly an exaggeration. He estimated it was just Sweeping King leading a few small camp heads, who, due to carelessness, fell into an ambush in the Jiangbei water country, and Zhang Guowei luckily scored a major victory.

That the Anqing Garrison Battalion could independently annihilate a giant bandit was already the year's greatest victory. The Emperor was very pleased upon seeing the dispatch report, which was also a good thing for the newly taken-over Ministry of War, greatly relieving this year's pressure. But Yang Sichang never imagined that Cheng Guoxiang was waiting for him here, actually using the victory to argue that military pay could be reduced.

He quickly organized his words in his mind and said, "The Minister of Revenue may not be aware, but the actual number of Yingtian Troops exceeds this figure. Before this campaign, elite troops were drawn from various parts of Jiangnan, which led to this great victory. Moreover, Anqing has always been a place for defense, not offensive operations, requiring no long-distance treks, so the cost of rations and pay was naturally somewhat lower."

Cheng Guoxiang pressed his advantage, saying, "If it was only defense and not offensive operations, then how did those several thousand bandit spawn die at Susong, and where did the tens of thousands of captives come from? Military Commander Lu's Chuzhou Great Victory used over twenty thousand crack troops to take several thousand heads; that is naturally an offensive operation. Why, when Yingtian's officers and troops took several thousand heads, is it not considered an offensive operation? That Sweeping King passed through countless prefectures and counties; how come no city defense official ever caught him? I have never heard of defense alone being able to take several thousand heads. Ultimately, one must still fight through to do so. This shows that the Yingtian Troops truly conducted offensive operations, not merely defense without offense."

Yang Sichang was somewhat embarrassed. The so-called defense versus offense was actually about the positioning of the Military Camp, not that defense could only defend and offense could only attack. For a moment, he could not make this clear to Cheng Guoxiang. This memorial had been drafted earlier, and the Susong Great Victory had just arrived. Because he was busy establishing the bandit suppression strategy, he had only ordered someone to check the Yingtian troop quota and had truly not yet paid attention to the previous military pay. Now, being directly refuted by Cheng Guoxiang in the imperial presence, he immediately felt his face could not hold. But Cheng Guoxiang's logic was self-consistent, and he could not refute it on short notice. At present, the Emperor was pleased by the great victory, so he could hardly say that Zhang Guowei was boasting, and he had no evidence anyway.

Cheng Guoxiang's aim was to avoid increasing taxes, because once taxes were increased, the Ministry of Revenue would face a great deal more trouble. Chongzhen clearly leaned toward Yang Sichang's opinion, and his expression was also rather displeased at this moment. Wen Tiren glanced at Chongzhen and already understood the Emperor's intent.

Originally, Zhang Guowei was one of the targets he intended to strike against, but now that the Susong Great Victory had been reported, Wen Tiren knew no one could touch Zhang Guowei, so he simply let this person go. He coughed once and said to Cheng Guoxiang, "The Minister of Revenue oversees the Ministry of Revenue and is naturally well-versed in matters of rations and pay. The Yingtian military pay figures are also without error. However, the six-Mace and nine-Mace rates were from previous years. After Zhang Guowei took office in Yingtian, he submitted multiple memorials, all stating that the previous pay was too low, to the point that conscription drives found no one willing to enlist, so he raised funds through various channels. Now, the Yingtian Troops have had their stipend silver increased. I imagine this is one reason they could inflict a great defeat on the bandit horde. The second reason is that Anqing is a land of fish and rice. The rice and beans shipped out via the river each year to supply Jiangnan are beyond counting, so the expenses are naturally much lower. In contrast, among the Four Main Fronts, Shaanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Fengyang are all already devastated. Last year, Lu Xiangsheng memorialized that the price of rice and beans in Huguang and Henan was already three times that of previous years, and it is even worse this year. During pursuit operations, the routes are ruined, likely requiring cart transport and horse packing, which further increases the cost. If we still pay according to the old stipend, once the pay runs out and the troops halt, or even worse, if the troops mutiny and become bandits, would that not lose the original intent of drilling troops and sweeping away the bandits?"

Seeing Wen Tiren step forward, Cheng Guoxiang knew he could not continue his relentless pursuit of Yang Sichang. He politely said to Wen Tiren, "Previously, in addition to the old stipend, there was already a new stipend. Performance evaluations in various places prioritize the Liaodong Military Tax above all else, so collection naturally ensures the Liaodong Military Tax first. The old stipends in various places have been in arrears for many years. If another tax is levied on top of the new and old stipends, it will be even more difficult. Local collections inevitably involve extortion, and the Ministry of Revenue must also consider the people's strength failing. In my humble opinion, the primary factor in official troops suppressing bandits is still capable generals and soldiers, not that every unfavorable battle is blamed on insufficient rations and pay. The Ministry of Revenue has already raised funds through many channels, even extracting most of the local retentions from the provinces. It is not that we have not exerted our full effort."

Wen Tiren set his mind at ease. He had not just stated what the current Yingtian military pay was. What Zhang Guowei reported was nine Mace for infantry, one tael eight Mace for personal retainers, and two taels two Mace for border retainers, still far less than what Yang Sichang reported. Moreover, only some camp heads could receive this amount; many others still followed the old regulation. Today's discussion was inevitably about increasing troops and pay. If Cheng Guoxiang pursued relentlessly, not only would the Ministry of War's matter fail to be accomplished, but everyone here, including the Emperor, would be unable to step down gracefully, because it was he who had exceptionally promoted Yang Sichang.

Wen Tiren was not protecting Yang Sichang either; it was simply because the Emperor recently valued this Minister of War greatly. As a lone minister, Wen Tiren naturally had to stand on the Emperor's side. He then said to Cheng Guoxiang, "The Minister of Revenue is naturally wholeheartedly devoted."

Cheng Guoxiang exchanged a polite remark and then turned back. Yang Sichang immediately felt tense. He heard Cheng Guoxiang say, "Last year there was the victory at Chuzhou, and this year again at Susong. This shows that the strategy of the Supreme Commander managing inside the passes and the Five-Province Supreme Commander managing outside has already shown results. It seems there is no need to further divide into one hundred twenty thousand troops, nor to assign them separately to the Supervisor of Military Affairs and Provincial Administration Commissioners to fight independently. Although troops and pay are increased, the effect of coordination is not achieved. If, as the Minister of War suggests, we have dedicated troops for dedicated use, we still need to sort out the current troops and current pay, which involves considerable delay. Even if troops and pay are increased, why not simply increase the troop quotas for each Military Commander directly?"

Now that Cheng Guoxiang had let go of the Yingtian military pay issue, Wen Tiren glanced at Yang Sichang, signaling him to answer.

Seeing that the Anqing military pay issue had been circumvented, Yang Sichang also breathed a sigh of relief and quickly responded, "In my humble opinion, the Susong Great Victory precisely confirms the advantage of dedicated troops for dedicated use."

Cheng Guoxiang asked steadily, "How so?"

"Just now, the Minister of Revenue said that Southern Troops were always considered inferior to Northern Troops. When Lu Xiangsheng was the Five-Province Supreme Commander, the bandit-suppression troops he led were all drawn from the Liao Garrison, Huguang, and Henan. The Anqing troops were never called upon. Upon investigation, the Anqing Garrison Battalion used in this battle, aside from rescuing Jiangpu and participating in the Chuzhou campaign, has always been solely responsible for the defense and offensive operations of Anqing, under the call of the Yingtian Grand Coordinator. It can be said that authority and responsibility were unified, and subordination was clear. If, after last year's Chuzhou Great Victory, the Five-Province Supreme Commander had transferred and used them at will, Anqing would have had no troops to defend it, and this year's Susong would likely have ended in defeat. Previously, Huguang, Henan, and Shaanxi were all like this: troop subordination was unclear, the authority and responsibility of the Supervisor of Military Affairs and Provincial Administration Commissioners were not unified, the effect of coordinated suppression and joint defense was not achieved, and when incidents occurred, they instead hindered each other. Therefore, this proposal for dedicated troops for dedicated use was made."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Guoxiang raised his head, wanting to continue arguing with Yang Sichang. Chongzhen had summoned him today to receive tasks, not to debate feasibility. Not giving Cheng Guoxiang further opportunity to theorize, he directly asked Wen Tiren, "Mister Wen has always drafted the Drafting and Redacting for the memorials of the Supervisor of Military Affairs and Provincial Administration Commissioners. Is what the Minister of War says the truth?"

"In reply to the Emperor, the Supervisor of Military Affairs were all newly established after the bandits rose. The elite troops used by the Supreme Commander were drawn from the Shaanxi Three Borders. The troops used by the Five-Province Supreme Commander, aside from the Liao Garrison Border Army, were mostly drawn from Henan and Huguang. Because the Supervisor of Military Affairs all require large-scale offensive operations and cannot do without elite troops, generally all usable troops from each province were drawn for their use. With over a hundred camps of bandits scattering to various places, the Provincial Administration Commissioners had no troops to use. Whenever they met defeat, they inevitably shifted blame and evaded responsibility. Each commanding general officer received orders on one hand from the Supervisor of Military Affairs and on the other from the local Provincial Administration Commissioner. One might order offense, the other defense; one might order Henan, the other Fengyang. This inevitably led to difficulties, with some unruly ones obeying neither order, indulging the bandits to inflate their own worth. This old minister believes the Minister of War's proposal hits the crux of the matter. Only dedicated troops for dedicated use can eliminate this long-standing abuse."

Yang Sichang said to Chongzhen, "In addition to dedicated troops for dedicated use, sufficient troops and sufficient pay are also necessary. As the saying goes, before troops and horses move, grain and fodder go first. Whether pacifying the borders or sweeping away bandits, it all comes down to fighting with silver. The front-line troops cannot lack silver for a single day, or else the troops will halt and become bandits. When the Supervisor of Military Affairs and Provincial Administration Commissioners are on campaign, they are most burdened by concerns over rations and pay. Last year, Supreme Commander Hong Chengchou sent men to Yunnan to press for pay. Although it was an act of desperation, it shows the difficulty of arranging pay. Your subject requests to follow the old regulation from the Chenghua era, appointing a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue to specifically manage the rations and pay for bandit suppression. The source of commuted tax for these one hundred twenty thousand troops, and which prefecture or county retains the grain tax in kind for local use, must all be made clear. It is imperative to have sufficient troops and sufficient pay to achieve the real effect of sweeping away the bandits."

Chongzhen nodded and looked coldly at Cheng Guoxiang, saying, "Does the Minister of Revenue still have any objections?"

The Emperor and the Chief Grand Secretary had both made their stance clear, obviously having set the tone. Although Cheng Guoxiang had many objections to increasing troops and pay, he also knew that the arm could not twist the thigh. He abandoned his resistance and said, "Since it is so, then let it be according to the Minister of War's proposal. However, two million six hundred thousand taels is not a small sum. How much each ministry increases or decreases from the original amount, where the additional tax is levied, whether it is an equal transport levy or a grain-based levy, all require detailed discussion. Furthermore, in past tax increases, the Ministry of Works and the Court of the Imperial Stud each had their own share. Your subject requests that the Minister of War discuss this together with all ministries. Alternatively, perhaps the titled nobility, knights, and gentry could donate a certain amount to slightly alleviate the people's hardship."

Chongzhen said expressionlessly, "The bandits must be greatly suppressed, and the troops must be greatly employed. If the pay does not come from the common people, then it should come from the Imperial Privy Purse. The treasury is now empty. The titled nobility, knights, and gentry are stubborn and unenlightened, only knowing to resist donations, preferring to wait until the bandits come and take everything for themselves. Such people cannot be relied upon; we can only increase taxes. Whether it is a grain-based levy or an equal transport levy, managing rations and pay is the fundamental duty of the Ministry of Revenue. You are ordered to ascertain the approximate figures and report back within two days."

Cheng Guoxiang had nothing more to say, but he also knew the Emperor was speaking the truth. Last year, an edict had been issued for the titled nobility, knights, and gentry of Northern Zhili to donate, and almost no one responded. The Emperor had no solution either. This matter of raising money ultimately fell back on him, the Minister of Revenue.

With the matter of silver settled, the Emperor turned back to Yang Sichang, his expression and tone softening. "Previously, the Minister of War submitted a memorial discussing the assessment of the situation and the employment of personnel, stating that those handling the bandits must be capable, especially the two Supervisor of Military Affairs, which is most critical. We deeply concur."

Yang Sichang stole a glance at the Emperor and saw that his expression was normal. In the Emperor's words just now, he had placed special emphasis on the two Supervisor of Military Affairs. The one he actually wanted to replace should be the Five-Province Supreme Commander.

Since arriving in the capital, Yang Sichang had also received information from various sources. The Emperor was absolutely dissatisfied with Wang Jiazhen. Since taking office, this Five-Province Supreme Commander had not left Kaifeng a single step, claiming to be coordinating from the center. His replacement was certain. Previously, various signals inside and outside the palace indicated that the Emperor favored Xiong Wencan. But this Susong Great Victory had taken several thousand heads and also captured Sweeping King, who had burned the Fengyang Imperial Ancestral Mausoleum. The battle results were even greater than the Chuzhou Great Victory. He did not know if the Emperor's mind had changed.

He replied verbally, "Among the Seven Provinces and Ten Regions, the previously existing Grand Coordinators should be capable of handling the bandits. Among them are those with both talent and virtue, such as Canal Transport Governor Zhu Dadian, Yingtian Grand Coordinator Zhang Guowei..."

As he spoke, he observed the Emperor, hoping to glean some information. Sure enough, the Emperor interrupted, "The Yingtian Troops were always weak, but this Susong can be called a great victory. This fully shows that Zhang Guowei is dedicated to his duties, effective in raising pay, selecting generals, and drilling troops. Although the Detailed Report has not yet arrived, his planning and use of troops are presumably without fault. This Provincial Administration Commissioner has put his heart into it. With such virtue and talent, he should be sufficient to patrol a region."

Wen Tiren knew this was the Emperor's appraisal of Zhang Guowei, and also a hint to Wen Tiren: no matter how the Qian Qianyi case was handled this time, Zhang Guowei must not be implicated. Yang Sichang also obtained the information he needed. The Emperor's intent was for Zhang Guowei to continue as Grand Coordinator, with no plan for him to take over the post of Five-Province Supreme Commander.

Chongzhen swept his gaze over the three men. "Beyond the Supervisor of Military Affairs and Provincial Administration Commissioners, Centurions, Chiliarchs, Mobile Corps Commanders, and Regional Commanders must also be the right men for the job. Pang Yu of the Anqing Garrison Battalion, since the Tongcheng civil unrest began, has already reported victory for the fourth time. I imagine that among those thirteen camps at Susong, there were no lack of famous giant bandits. Had it been any other Mobile Corps Commander or Regional Commander, they would have either fled to avoid the bandits or shut the city gates and refused to come out, waiting for the bandits to leave before making perfunctory reports with trivial captures. Yet this Pang Yu, with a single battalion of newly drilled troops, alone resisted the bandit horde and even fought and defeated them. This is truly rare and commendable. Such fierce and capable troops can be greatly used, whether for defense or offense. Since we are now discussing increasing troops and pay, the Minister of War need not be constrained by whether they are within the Four Main Fronts."

Yang Sichang hurriedly said, "The Emperor aspires to a restoration, so naturally famous generals will emerge in numbers. Your subject's previous consideration was not thorough; upon returning to the ministry, I will make the revision."

Chongzhen nodded. "We have heard that some have also submitted memorials impeaching Pang Yu, saying he colluded with Zhang Guowei to falsely report military merits for exceptional promotion. Mister Wen, is there such a matter?"

Wen Tiren bowed and said, "There is indeed such a matter. The content of these two memorials is all based on hearsay. Mister Zhang drafted the Drafting and Redacting to order an investigation and reply."

Wen Tiren kept his head lowered. These two impeachment memorials against a Mobile Corps Commander were originally very minor matters; no one had approached him about them. It was just that the impeachment content implicated Qian Qianyi and Zhang Guowei, turning it into a major affair. At the time, it was Zhang Zhifa who had approved it, sending it down to Yingtian Regional Inspector Zhang Xuan for investigation and reply. Such a matter could be major or minor. He could conveniently deal with the minor Mobile Corps Commander and also add a charge of manipulating military power to Qian Qianyi. But now, after the great victory, Pang Yu was in the Emperor's favor, so for Wen Tiren, it was completely unnecessary. One less charge was still enough to deal with Qian Qianyi.

"But some people do not think this way. When they see someone capable of getting things done, instead of admiring and emulating them, they think of dragging them down to their own level. The supervisory censors' impeachment is originally their duty. Usually, some matters are reported based on hearsay, and We do not interfere. But some people have gone so far as to fabricate things out of thin air; this is different. If Anqing's several battle achievements were due to collusion with Zhang Guowei, then let us set that aside for now. When he beat Yao Tiandong to death at Jiangpu, the Southern Ministry of War verified the heads for merit. Did Pang Yu also collude with the Southern Ministry of War? The merit report for Chuzhou came from Lu Xiangsheng. Did Pang Yu also collude with him to falsely report? How come no other Mobile Corps Commander has colluded their way to a great victory?"

Wen Tiren respectfully replied, "This old minister understands. The Cabinet will certainly handle the discussion appropriately."

After the three high ministers left, Chongzhen did not leave immediately. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest for a moment. Wang Cheng'en tactfully waited to the side without disturbing him.

"Wang Cheng'en, in the impeachment memorials against Pang Yu and Zhang Guowei, were there any matters that were verified?"

"This slave remembers that in Zhang Xuan's reply, the matter of falsely reporting military achievements had no factual basis upon investigation. However, Pang Yu did indeed become a disciple under Qian Qianyi's tutelage, and the formal discipleship name card is present."

Chongzhen opened his eyes and looked at the solemn and indifferent palace city before him. "In the Jiangnan region, it is common for literati to take on disciples, but what is a military man doing taking a teacher?"

"This Pang Yu is an Imperial Academy Student by donation tribute. Perhaps his family sought some reputation. That Qian Qianyi was scheming in the Southern Capital to use frontier talent as a pretext for reinstatement. Perhaps that is how they came together..."

Chongzhen grunted in acknowledgment. "What else did the reply investigate?"

Wang Cheng'en said in a low voice, "Anqing Circuit's Shi Kefa replied that Pang Yu is without fault in major integrity but has lapses in minor matters."

"Spare the good words. What are these lapses in minor matters?"

"Investigation found that during his tenure in the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad, Pang Yu forcibly occupied three civilian houses and shop fronts. During his tenure in the Garrison Commander's battalion, he engaged in Chi Vacancy Salary for one hundred thirty men. Furthermore, he had a marriage contract in Tongcheng, yet without reason failed to fulfill the agreement with the woman's family. This woman is chaste, principled, and understanding, and has sworn never to marry for life."

Chongzhen turned his head in surprise. "This Pang Yu has risen to Mobile Corps Commander and is still not married? Why did he not fulfill the contract?"

"Shi Kefa only mentioned entanglements between the two families and did not elaborate. This slave imagines that Pang Yu was originally a yamen runner, and within two years has been promoted to Mobile Corps Commander of a garrison battalion. He probably looks down on that woman."

Chongzhen laughed in spite of himself and lay back against the chair. A moment later, he put away his smile and shook his head, saying, "A commander should value trust and righteousness. Otherwise, how can he command the respect of the masses?"

When it came to such conclusive statements, Wang Cheng'en timely shut his mouth, lest he arouse Chongzhen's suspicion.

In Wang Cheng'en's estimation, the Emperor now needed to employ people, and what he lacked most were military officers who could fight. At this moment, he would absolutely not let Pang Yu be dragged into that quagmire of Qian Qianyi's. But a great victory must be rewarded. When discussing merits, the degree of promotion would depend on the Emperor's consideration.

After a good while, Chongzhen said slowly, "I imagine that Pang Yu is barely twenty years old. It is unavoidable for a youth suddenly elevated to a high position to be somewhat unrestrained. It seems his nature still needs tempering. Convey this opinion to Yang Sichang. The Ministry of War should discuss merits as it should. Regarding the matters Shi Kefa replied about concerning Pang Yu: any verified occupation of commoners' shop fronts must all be returned; all empty payrolls in the army must be filled with actual soldiers. Order Shi Kefa to investigate, propose a sentence, and reply. As for that marriage contract... a fierce and brave general should first leave an heir... Since she is a chaste, principled, and understanding woman, order Pang Yu to honor the contract according to his promise without delay."