Chapter 311: Drilling the Troops

On the parade ground south of Shenyang City, banners fluttered and signal horns and drums sounded in unison. Today was Huang Taiji's review. Each of the Eight Banners had dispatched Bayara and armored soldiers, who stood solemnly around the edges of the field, moving in according to banner commands to drill battle formations such as breaking enemy lines and flanking maneuvers. The Eight Banners' victories did not rely solely on individual valor; since the era of the old chieftain, they had held regular formal drills, and their battle skills far surpassed those of ordinary Ming troops.

Huang Taiji's great gold-brocade banner flew high above the command platform. Seated to his left and right were Daišan and Manggūltai. Behind them stood Minister of War Yoto and Minister of Personnel Dorgon, and further back a group of lower-ranking officers.

Seeing the strict and imposing military formations, Huang Taiji smiled. At that moment, Yoto loudly issued an order. A black banner at the rear stirred, and two battalions immediately responded to the signal, each dispatching several hundred men to form up on the two wings of the Eight Banners. The most eye-catching was a unit of infantry in black iron armor on the right wing; their bearing clearly surpassed that of the other battalions.

Huang Taiji kept smiling and nodding. Daišan and Manggūltai both wore somewhat strained expressions. This unit was the ironclad retainers that Zu Dashou had painstakingly built, trained entirely according to Qi Jiguang's *Practical Record of Troop Training*. They had suffered over half their number lost in the battle of Dalinghe, and Manggūltai had endured bitter hardship at their hands. Inside the city, this unit had received the highest priority in supplies, even getting the choicest cuts when it came to eating human flesh. After Zu Dashou fled, this unit, along with a group of his relatives, was abandoned to the Later Jin Khan.

The Later Jin Eight Banners held the Ming army in contempt, but they had considerable respect for the Zu family retainers—after all, these men were not much weaker than themselves on the battlefield. Huang Taiji also valued this small force highly. He did not let them become bondservants to the various banners. He incorporated their Squad Commander into the Plain Yellow Banner and selected some tough fighters from other Han troops, assembling over two hundred men and giving them very generous treatment. Instead, he placed them in the Ujen Cooha. Today was their first appearance in the Later Jin order of battle.

The heavy troops of the Ujen Cooha had performed excellently at Dalinghe, playing a major role in breaching watchtowers and breaking wagon formations. After returning, Tong Yangxing submitted a memorial (see Note 1), claiming that the Han martial banner could add manpower and be organized into firearm battalions, fighting just like the Eight Banners. In reality, Huang Taiji was behind him, encouraging him to strengthen the voice of Han officials. As soon as this memorial was submitted, Huang Taiji naturally approved it, and even granted land and bondservants to each of the artillerymen operating the red-barbarian cannons.

On the left wing was the Tianyou Army under Kong Youde. They likewise did not belong to any banner but were an independent force. Li Jiucheng and Kong Youde were placed in the Plain Yellow Banner, and Chen Guangfu in the Bordered Yellow Banner. This was only their personal banner enrollment, but with this organizational relationship, they were effectively under Huang Taiji's jurisdiction. By convention, in battle they would generally march with the Plain Yellow Banner. Thus, while the Tianyou Army nominally did not belong to any banner, it actually belonged to Huang Taiji personally, becoming yet another chess piece for him to check the Eight Banners nobility.

The several units advanced, retreated, split, and merged under the direction of banner commands. The Ujen Cooha also fired two volleys from their arquebuses in unison. The atmosphere on the parade ground was grim and martial. The Jurchen Eight Banners maneuvered through their battle drills with the ease of an arm directing a finger, while the two Han units on the wings appeared somewhat disordered. Yet Huang Taiji showed not the slightest anger. If these Han troops' battle skills surpassed those of the Eight Banners, then he would truly be angry.

Taking advantage of the drill time, Yoto drew close to Huang Taiji, lowered his head, and said, "Great Khan, your slave has committed an offense."

Huang Taiji turned to look at Yoto and said, "What offense has Beile Yoto committed?"

"Your slave, as Minister of War, issued military orders… well, except for the Two Yellow Banners and the Bordered Red Banner, not a single other banner responded. The matter of the campaign against the Chahar that the Great Khan ordered your slave to arrange the other day—your slave was unable to accomplish it."

Huang Taiji nodded and said quietly to Yoto, "The Six Ministries are newly established; the banners are simply not accustomed to them yet. In that case, I shall personally convene the banners. When the time comes, you will allocate the troops. You must think everything through thoroughly in advance."

Yoto answered in a low voice and withdrew. Huang Taiji glanced at his two elder brothers to the left and right. Daišan would not even respond to his own son's ministerial orders; it seemed he was determined to oppose the Six Ministries. Huang Taiji sighed inwardly. He still needed to accumulate more prestige. What he especially needed was to topple either one of these two elder brothers; the remaining one would then find it hard to stand alone.

He turned his attention back to the parade ground, carefully observing the troop drills.

The drill did not last long. After the exercises ended, the Gūsa Ejen of the Eight Banners came up to the platform one by one. Huang Taiji commended and encouraged each in turn, bestowing some silver and jewelry and the like. The amounts were not large, merely a token gesture to show his regard.

After the Eight Banners Gūsa Ejen withdrew to the two sides, Huang Taiji gave a few instructions to the Baksi Sonin beside him. Sonin quickly descended the platform and went into the field to find several Han traitors. A moment later, five men, their armor topped with queue-adorned heads, arrived at the command platform and knelt down in unison.

Huang Taiji swept his gaze over the five men before him: Tong Yangxing, Regional Commander of the Ujen Cooha; Vice General Shi Tingzhu; Regional Commander Kong Youde; Vice General Li Jiucheng; and lastly, Zu Yougui, Mobile Corps Commander of that unit of ironclad soldiers. The first two had surrendered long ago; the latter three were newly subjugated. Especially the men of the Zu family—Huang Taiji treated them all with heavy rewards. For now, he neither killed them nor gave them important posts, assigning them sinecures as assistant administrators in the Ministry of War, all empty titles. Only this Zu Yougui received generous rewards, because this man had single-handedly trained that original unit of ironclad retainers. Huang Taiji had invested heavily to win this man's heart and use him for his own purposes.

Sonin stood to the side and loudly proclaimed: "The Han officials and soldiers under the banners of the Western Uli Ef (Tong Yangxing), skilled in the management of guns, cannons, armor, and military equipment, and having campaigned at Dalinghe with valor in assault, are hereby rewarded, with the Western Uli Ef first among the officials. The Imperial Son-in-Law and Regional Commander Tong Yangxing is awarded one fine horse with an exquisitely carved saddle, and one hundred taels of silver. The Jalai Janggīn and Vice General Shi Guozhu, along with Vice General Jin Yuhe, Vice General Jin Li, Vice General Gao Hongzhong, Mobile Corps Commander Li Yangeng, Assistant Regional Commander Zhu Shichang, and Assistant Regional Commander Tuzhan—these eight officers—are each awarded one horse with a carved saddle. The Tu i Ejen and Vice General Li Guohan, and the Garrison Commander and Vice General Sun Degong, these two Vice Generals, are each awarded thirty taels of silver."

Hearing these familiar names, Kong Youde and Li Jiucheng lowered their heads, revealing the small queues at the back of their heads. The Tong Yangxing, Shi Tingzhu, and Sun Degong whom Sonin had just named were all men they had once held in the utmost contempt, yet now they were fellow ministers in the same court. A somewhat strange feeling stirred in their hearts.

Due to the variable influence of Chen Xin on the Dengzhou Mutiny, Li Jiucheng did not die, and Chen Guangfu was not escorted to Jingshi for execution by slow slicing; both fled to the Later Jin. Wang Zideng, however, went from alive to dead, killed by Geng Zhongming in Pingdu Department. Kong Youde's forces were reduced to just over a thousand defeated soldiers, extremely short on equipment, far from what he would have had in his original history.

After arriving, Kong Youde and Li Jiucheng faced considerable harassment, because the two of them had killed quite a few Later Jin men in Liaodong. Even though Huang Taiji personally came five li outside the city to welcome them when they reached Shenyang, they still felt they could not compare with these old Han traitors. And the Eight Banners' attitude toward them meant they could only rely on Huang Taiji, with no room for any other choice.

At this point, Sonin called out again: "Regional Commander Kong Youde, Vice General Li Jiucheng, Assistant Regional Commander Chen Guangfu. You broke through the Ming nation's Shandong and crossed the sea to return to the Great Jin. To us, you are like fish finding water. This is an army bestowed by Heaven upon the Great Jin Khan. In gratitude for Heaven's favor and protection, it is specially named the Tianyou Army. The three commanders are each specially awarded one engraved gold-and-silver pot, one silver soup-and-rice container, one jade cup, two horses with carved saddles, two suits of bright armor, four suits of dark armor, one carved bow case, one falcon, and two bolts of black sable and yellow satin. To manifest your merit, henceforth all past transgressions are fully pardoned."

Kong Youde and Li Jiucheng looked up in astonishment. A moment later, they replaced their expressions with ones of gratitude and repeatedly kowtowed to express their thanks. Huang Taiji's generous treatment and broad-mindedness had indeed caught them off guard. They had originally thought that merely keeping their lives would be good enough, yet Huang Taiji had specially allocated them land and houses in Gaizhou, and now bestowed upon them extremely high honors—a world of difference from the discrimination they had faced in Dengzhou.

Kong Youde and Li Jiucheng exchanged a glance. Kong Youde gritted his teeth and spoke: "Your servants thank His Majesty's heavenly grace. Your humble servant has a memorial to present."

Huang Taiji said in a calm voice, "Regional Commander Kong, please speak."

Kong Youde drew a memorial from his bosom and handed it to Sonin. Sonin opened it and read aloud: "Your servants Kong Youde, Li Jiucheng, and Chen Guangfu submit this memorial. Being dull and incompetent, unworthy of command, we earnestly beseech His Sacred Majesty to graciously permit us to relinquish our military duties… Having received His Sacred Majesty's boundless and generous favor, universally bestowing carriages and horses, your servants have been spared the hardship of trudging on foot. Upon arriving at the Eastern Capital and being assigned quarters by order, we all occupy fine houses, and firewood and rice are distributed everywhere. Officers and soldiers wear virtue upon their heads; the old and young hold grace in their mouths. How have your servants been so fortunate as to come to this? It is no different from a newborn babe meeting a loving mother… Your servants' talents are mediocre and base. We prostrate ourselves and beg that worthier and abler men be chosen instead…" (See Note 2)

Huang Taiji laughed heartily. He waved his hand to stop Sonin from continuing, personally went to help Kong Youde and the others to their feet, and said in a calm tone: "You two were among the fiercest warriors on Pi Island. In Shandong, you cut through the Ming army like chopping melons and vegetables. Where does this talk of mediocre and base talent come from? Even if you were defeated by that Wen Deng Assistant Regional Commander, it was not the fault of your fighting. Train your troops well, and I myself will lead you to seek revenge on that Chen Xin. Rest assured, keep command of your original units. Let the matter of relinquishing military duties not be raised again."

After speaking, Huang Taiji looked around at the Banner Lords and Gūsa Ejen present and said flatly, "The men under Kong and Li were originally soldiers of Pi Island, and there has been mutual killing between us and them. Since they have submitted, let bygones be bygones. No banner shall provoke incidents or stir up trouble. Violators will be severely punished."

Daišan and Manggūltai made no particular sign, merely watching Kong and Li with keen interest. This was the first time they had heard someone flatter the Great Khan by claiming to be a newborn babe meeting a loving mother. With Daišan's help, Manggūltai had escaped disaster and still held his position as Senior Beile. With this strong ally, Daišan was naturally unwilling to relinquish his own status as Senior Beile. The two diehards remained steadfastly dragging at Huang Taiji's heels.

The other lesser beile and Gūsa Ejen respectfully acknowledged the order. Huang Taiji had effectively announced publicly that he was the two men's watchtower. Kong Youde and Li Jiucheng were now thoroughly bound to his side. And Kong Youde and Li Jiucheng could not have wished for more; they willingly kowtowed in submission.

Finally, that Zu Yougui was rewarded. After the five men's rewards were complete, the lesser beile and Gūsa Ejen of the Eight Banners all came over to offer congratulations. Among them, Yoto and Dorgon were the warmest. The two had no airs, nor did they deliberately curry favor, appearing very proper. Yoto was most cordial with Tong Yangxing; the two had just become in-laws the previous month, making Yoto the first beile to form a marriage alliance with a Han official, demonstrating a vision and breadth of mind different from the other beile.

After they had finished exchanging courtesies, Huang Taiji said with a smile, "You five command your troops well. The orderliness of your formations is evident. Even if there are slight shortcomings, they do not obscure the overall excellence. In the future, you must still strive for ever greater perfection. When you achieve merit in battle, I will certainly not be stingy with rewards."

Kong Youde said loudly, "To be able to render the service of hounds and horses for the Great Khan is our good fortune."

Huang Taiji admonished them: "Henceforth, you two will be stationed at Gaizhou. You must be constantly on guard and not the least bit careless. Now that Chen Xin has been promoted to Regional Commander, a portion of his troops is stationed at Jinzhou, only a little over a hundred li from Fuzhou. This unit is a strong force of the Ming nation. During the last incursion, his camp was still small, but now it has become a dagger at the heart of our Great Jin. You two have crossed swords with that Chen Xin many times in Dengzhou. In your view, does his military method come entirely from the *Practical Record of Troop Training*?"

Li Jiucheng quickly said, "His troops have two types of organization. One is the Qi family army organization that Mobile Corps Commander Zu commands. The other uses only long spears and firelocks, arrayed in square formations for battle. Their firelocks can discharge without an open flame. Even more detestable are those small cannons of theirs."

Huang Taiji pondered for a moment. "You two are quite familiar with the Dengzhou garrison. How do the troops of that square-formation organization compare with the armored soldiers of our Great Jin?"

Kong Youde hesitated briefly, then said, "They are not a match for the Great Jin armored soldiers, but the difference is not great."

Huang Taiji nodded slightly. After a while, he said, "Though that Chen Xin is detestable, his method of training troops has some remarkable points. You two may train your Tianyou Army according to this method. As for the firelocks and small cannons, I will order men to attempt their manufacture. Before the end of the year, I will personally review your troops. If they can reach the standard of that Dengzhou garrison, it will be a great merit." (To be continued.)

PS: Note 1: See *Tong Yangxing's Humble Memorial on Final Proposals*, which states: "Among our nation, there are still many Han people of various categories… If they are truly identified through public investigation, organized into troops according to regulations, assigned firearms, and drilled into a single force, then whenever there is a campaign, they will go out fully equipped with firearms, greatly displaying military might."

Note 2: See *Kong Youde's Memorial Requesting to Relinquish Military Duties*.