Chapter 29: He Came to Do Work for Us — How Can We Be So Stingy!

The autumn air was high and crisp, the sky washed clean as if scrubbed.

On the parade ground in the western suburbs of the capital, dust swirled as nearly ten thousand soldiers from the Four Guards Camp and the Valiant Guard Camp stood in formation, awaiting review by the new sovereign.

When Zhu Youjian's imperial carriage appeared at the far end of the parade ground, the seal-holding eunuch of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses, Xu Yingyuan, who had long been waiting there, along with two Camp Officers in full helmets and armor, immediately strode forward at a quick pace to greet him.

"Your subjects humbly welcome Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand thousand years!"

The three men knelt as one, performing the grand rite.

Zhu Youjian reined in his horse, but his gaze passed over them, falling upon the dense, dark mass of the military formation behind.

Though it was cool autumn weather, the foreheads of those two Camp Officers were covered in fine beads of sweat, trickling down their cheeks and soaking their collars, their expressions so tense they were nearly contorted.

The corner of Zhu Youjian's mouth curved into a faint, barely perceptible arc.

At first glance, the military formation on the parade ground appeared orderly enough — banners fluttering, blades and spears like a forest, carrying a certain imposing air.

Yet with only a moment's focused attention, one could hear, within that seemingly solemn formation, a barely suppressed buzzing, like countless flies droning, punctuated now and then by a few urgent, anxious shouts of reprimand.

Just then, the soldiers in the very front rank of the formation seemed at last to make out the bright yellow dragon banner of the Son of Heaven, and a chain of commotion erupted at the front of the ranks.

Immediately after, as if the first domino had been toppled, a cascade of shouts, curses, and the clatter of weapons colliding spread rapidly from front to back.

In the brief span of a dozen or so breaths, that previously clamorous formation fell miraculously silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Xu Yingyuan raised his head and asked with extreme caution, "Your Majesty, may the review begin?"

Zhu Youjian merely waved a hand, saying neither yes nor no, and simply nudged his horse's flanks lightly. The imperial mount beneath him stepped forward, ambling unhurriedly ahead.

He did not proceed toward the high reviewing platform, but instead headed straight for the front face of the military formation.

Seeing this, Xu Yingyuan hastily rose and followed closely behind, step for step.

The two Camp Officers exchanged a glance and could only steel themselves and follow as well.

The soldiers in the first rank were, indeed, worthy of being called elite.

Most had dark, weathered skin and fierce, valiant expressions. The cotton armor on their bodies was thick and brand-new, and the long spears in their hands were polished to a gleaming shine.

Seeing the Emperor's gaze sweep over them, every one of them strained to thrust out their chests, their eyes shining with fervor and longing, as though they wished to present their very best selves before the Son of Heaven.

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, his face betraying neither pleasure nor displeasure, and continued riding slowly rearward along the edge of the ranks.

The hearts of the two Camp Officers had already leapt into their throats.

One of them anxiously reached out and tugged at the sleeve of Xu Yingyuan in front of him, his lips quivering but not daring to utter a single sound.

Yet Xu Yingyuan, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, shifted his body slightly to the side and evaded the tug, still keeping his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, silently following behind the Emperor.

The entire parade ground was deathly still; only from deep within the ranks came an occasional stifled, low shout attempting to maintain order.

Every gaze followed that magnificent imperial horse, followed the young Son of Heaven upon it, turning in unison.

However, the further back Zhu Youjian's steps carried him, the more shocking the sights within the ranks became.

The soldiers' armor went from new to old, then to tattered and ruined — some men wore nothing more than a washed-out mandarin-duck battle jacket, unable to scrape together even a single piece of iron armor.

Their physiques went from brawny and robust to gaunt and feeble, some even looking hollow-cheeked and malnourished.

Their bearing went from fervent and fierce to numb, evasive, even cowering.

When Zhu Youjian reached roughly the halfway point of the formation, he suddenly reined in his horse.

His gaze settled upon one person.

It was an old man with graying hair, his body hunched, wearing a padded jacket riddled with several large holes. What he leaned upon could hardly be called a long spear — it was more like a rust-flecked iron rod.

He struggled to keep his head low, as if trying to hide himself away, yet his faintly trembling body betrayed the terror within.

Beside him stood a boy of about eleven or twelve.

The regulation conical helmet on his head seemed so enormously oversized that it nearly swallowed his entire head.

He had to stretch out one thin hand and laboriously prop up the brim of the helmet just to barely reveal his face.

Unlike the cowering old man beside him, this boy was tilting his head up, a pair of strikingly black-and-white eyes holding no fear, no numbness — only brimming curiosity, staring unblinkingly at Zhu Youjian on horseback.

Zhu Youjian found this rather amusing at heart.

He leaned down slightly, doing his best to make his voice sound gentler.

"So small — what are you doing here?"

Hearing the Emperor address him, the boy seemed somewhat excited. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth with a missing front incisor, which made him look exceptionally comical.

"I… I dunno. The village head said, come stand here for a day, and you get five sheng of grain!"

Children's words carry no taboo; his voice was clear and crisp, carrying with remarkable clarity across the silent parade ground.

The moment these words were spoken, the old man beside him trembled like a leaf in the wind.

And the two Camp Officers following behind Zhu Youjian, with a "thud," both dropped to their knees together, their faces ashen as paper, sweat pouring down like rain, unable even to utter words of pleading for mercy.

"Ha ha… ha ha ha ha!"

Zhu Youjian was so thoroughly amused by this remark that he could not help but throw his head back and laugh aloud.

The laughter echoed above the parade ground, leaving everyone utterly baffled.

When he finished laughing, he pointed at the boy and said to Xu Yingyuan behind him, "Since he came to do work for us, how can we be so stingy!"

With that, he raised his voice and declared, "Xu Yingyuan, give him one dan."

One dan!

The yield of a middling field in the capital region for an entire season was no more than one dan! A month's rations for a soldier in the great camp was no more than one dan!

Eaten sparingly, one dan was enough to feed a grown man for several months.

The boy was stunned. The soldiers behind him were all stunned as well.

Immediately, a wave of irrepressible exclamations and commotion rippled through the crowd.

Having spoken, Zhu Youjian turned to leave.

But just as he wheeled his horse around, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned back and lightly tapped Xu Yingyuan's shoulder with his riding crop.

"You, personally arrange for men to deliver it to his home. See to it that this simple, honest boy does not meet with any misfortune because of it."

He spoke these words very softly, yet they made the two Camp Officers even more terrified.

With that, Zhu Youjian looked at no one else. He squeezed his legs, his fine horse let out a long neigh, and he galloped straight toward the distant review platform.

"Clomp, clomp, clomp—"

He dismounted, strode up the high platform with sweeping steps, and seated himself with imposing authority in a large chair draped with a tiger skin.

His gaze fell coldly upon the military formation below the platform, which had grown even more disorderly and chaotic after the earlier reward of a single dan of grain.

Before long, Xu Yingyuan and the two Camp Officers, utterly crestfallen, hurried to the foot of the review platform as well, where they stood with hands hanging down in attendance, too frightened to even breathe heavily.

Above the platform, deathly silence; below the platform, a clamorous din.

A mere inch apart, yet like two separate worlds.

After a long while, a faint smile suddenly bloomed again on Zhu Youjian's face.

"Forget it," he said flatly. "No martial drills today. We'll go straight to the archery trials."

He turned his head and looked at Xu Yingyuan. "What are the standards for the military examinations these days?"

Not daring to be remiss, Xu Yingyuan hastily bowed and answered.

"To answer Your Majesty, the military examinations are divided into three stages."

"The first is mounted archery: shooting from horseback at a gallop at a range of thirty paces. Hitting the target with three out of nine arrows qualifies one to pass."

"The second is foot archery: shooting at a target from eighty paces. Hitting the target with one out of nine arrows qualifies one to pass."

"Only after passing the first two stages may one sit for the policy essays."

Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what do the policy essays test?"

Xu Yingyuan replied, "They are on the Seven Military Classics, such as Master Sun's Art of War, Master Wu's Art of War, and the Six Secret Teachings."

Zhu Youjian understood perfectly.

Test you on building rockets, then put you to work tightening screws.

He hadn't expected that the Great Ming, even a hundred years ago, was already this caught up in credential inflation and empty show.

Was what the Great Ming lacked now truly grand strategists who could spout fine words about subduing the enemy without fighting?

No — what it lacked were capable officers who could train troops solidly and hold city walls!

Reading those books was less useful than reading Qi Jiguang's Practical Record of Troop Training or Chen Gui's Record of City Defense.

All difficult affairs under heaven must begin with what is easy; all great affairs under heaven must begin with what is minute.

Yet from Sarhu to Liaodong and Jinzhou, from the high officials in crimson and purple robes at court down to the petty clerks in the provinces — who was willing to attend to the minute?

Who was not hoping to ride the wind one day and soar ninety thousand li?

So be it. Every undertaking must have a beginning, and this beginning, these minute matters — let them start with me first.

Zhu Youjian pondered in silence for a moment, and his mind was made up.

He suddenly slapped the armrest and declared in a ringing voice, "Proclaim Our decree!"

Everyone on the platform fell to their knees in unison.

"In today's archery trials, all may take the field — whether officers, elite vanguard troops, able-bodied conscripts, or single-ration men!"

"No policy essays shall be asked; only the results of the archery trials shall count."

"Those who meet both the mounted and foot archery standards of the military examinations shall receive a special reward — a bounty of five taels of silver!"

"Those who meet one of the military examination standards shall receive the upper reward!"

"Those who fall one grade below the military examination standards shall receive the middle reward!"

"Those who fall two grades below the military examination standards shall receive the lower reward!"

"As for the specific bounty amounts and the grade reductions," Zhu Youjian's gaze shifted to Xu Yingyuan, "you will set them. Let the special reward of five taels be the upper limit. Do not let Our brave warriors feel their hearts grow cold!"

"Your subjects obey the decree!"

Before the crowd could descend the platform to perform their obeisance, Zhu Youjian added another remark, low and lingering.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Those who are fraudulent substitutes — don't let them up there to make fools of themselves…"

At these words, the two Camp Officers went limp and nearly collapsed to the ground, drenched in cold sweat, able only to stammer their assent.

Once the Emperor's decree was issued, the entire drill ground instantly boiled over like a seething cauldron, erupting into utter pandemonium.

Men setting up the archery range dashed back and forth carrying straw targets.

Banner officers shouted themselves hoarse with curses, trying desperately to re-form the ranks.

And the real common soldiers — their eyes blazing, rubbing their fists and palms, they surged eagerly toward the archery trial area, each striving to be first.

Five taels of silver!

At current prices in the capital, that was ten dan of grain and fodder!

How many months of food was that? Ah? Just how many months? They couldn't even figure it out!

To hell with it — go for it!

Gripping his riding crop, Zhu Youjian stared blankly at the chaotic yet vibrant scene below the platform. He watched for a while before something occurred to him.

He turned his head and beckoned over the palace attendant Ma Wenke, who stood in waiting not far away.

"You. Return to the palace at once and summon Gao Shiming here."

"Have him bring every attendant from the Directorate of Ceremonial, and bring sufficient silver."

A sharp, keen light flickered in Zhu Youjian's eyes.

"Shortly, for every last one of the brave warriors identified in today's trials — compile a proper roster for Us!"

Here is an illustration of Ming-dynasty military examinations — this is the second stage, the foot archery scene.

The Ming even had strict "archery rites": which official of which rank sat where, who took the field first, who followed after, and so on.