Chapter 208: Taking the Qi Family Army as the Model

"Since Your Majesty has already decided, I dare not ask further—just do not stir up too great a disturbance." Hearing the Chongzhen Emperor's unyielding tone, Zhang Yan sighed, thinking to herself that she understood this emperor well enough; when he spoke in that tone, there was surely no room for negotiation.

Having said this, Zhang Yan suddenly seemed to think of something and added: "But Your Majesty must remember—do not move against the Kong family lightly. If anything should happen to the Northern Line's succession during our Great Ming dynasty, I fear all our past emperors would be shamed by it.

This matter is not like dismissing the Donglin faction—Your Majesty must think thrice and act with caution!"

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor furrowed his brow but said nothing; after offering a salute, he turned and walked straight out of Renshou Hall.

Seeing the Chongzhen Emperor's attitude, a female official of Renshou Hall stepped forward and whispered:

"It seems His Majesty did not take it to heart?"

"Never mind—he has his own path to walk. For me to offer a reminder is to have done my duty. If the Great Ming could be revived in these Chongzhen years, then when I go to see Emperor Xizong, I could do so with a smile." Zhang Yan waved her hand, and after saying this, withdrew her gaze and said with a solemn air:

"Go to Kunning Palace and summon Lady Zhou to see me."

After leaving Renshou Hall, the Chongzhen Emperor beckoned to Fang Zhenghua, who had been following at his side without a step's distance, and asked: "Do not let word spread that I came today to see Empress Yi'an—especially not to the court.

Furthermore, the Directorate of the Imperial Horses must add more men around Renshou Hall, lest some blind fool come bothering Empress Yi'an over today's court affairs."

"Your servant understands—but if Empress Yi'an wishes to go out, should we stop her or not?" Fang Zhenghua hesitated.

"Nonsense." The Chongzhen Emperor flicked his sleeve and said: "Empress Yi'an is the wife of my late imperial brother—even I must treat her with the utmost respect. If you provoke her phoenix carriage, how many heads do you underlings have to spare?"

Fang Zhenghua was terrified and repeatedly begged forgiveness, but in his heart he was as clear as a mirror—though the Chongzhen Emperor's words were harsh, there was not the slightest trace of anger on his face, showing he had no intention of punishment; a bit of posturing on his part would see the matter through.

As the party reached the entrance of the Eastern Warm Pavilion, the Chongzhen Emperor suddenly recalled something and turned to say: "Just now Empress Yi'an raised with me the matter of sending troops to take over the defense of Qufu county town. Use your inner depot's agents to investigate quietly—I want to see just who has been gossiping in Renshou Hall!

If this person has any connection to the Donglin faction, dispose of them without letting a word leak, then come back to see me."

"This servant will see to it at once!"

After Fang Zhenghua left, the Chongzhen Emperor summoned Zhang Shize, Governor-General of the Capital Army, Dong Qi, Governor-General of the City Defense Army, and Wang Xiantong, the newly enfeoffed Earl, along with a batch of trusted imperial partisans, and opened his mouth to say:

"All my ministers are assembled, so I shall come straight to the point. That the dynasty's accumulated ills run deep is a fact—even if I worry over state affairs day and night, they cannot be resolved overnight. This takes time.

The Jianzhou barbarians are a stubborn skin ailment, while the roving bandits have already established a kingdom and proclaimed themselves kings within Great Ming territory, and lately they have been making no small noise in the Sichuan region—these are the true threats to the heart. What sort of army do you all think I still need to sweep away the rebels and barbarians?"

Wang Xiantong, the newly enfeoffed Earl, stepped forward without hesitation and said: "Naturally, only an army as strong as the Qi family army could sweep away the rebels and barbarians and revive the Great Ming!"

"The Earl of New Enfeoffment speaks well." The Chongzhen Emperor nodded, intending to give his trusted subordinates a proper lesson today. He rose and paced as he spoke: "The world knows the Qi family army was a strong force, but do you know why the Qi family army was an invincible force that never lost in a hundred battles?"

"To answer Your Majesty." The Duke of Ying, Zhang Shize, Governor-General of the Capital Army, stepped forward and said: "Marshal Qi was deeply versed in military affairs; as a commander he possessed complete talent—this is what placed him on ground where he could not be defeated. Moreover, the Qi family army recruited its soldiers mainly from Yiwu troops and Zhejiang troops; all were eager to fight, and even if but one man survived, he would still cry out and charge—this is the sharpness of the troops.

Add to that superior equipment, ample military pay and provisions, and high fighting spirit among officers and men—the Qi family army fought several hundred battles large and small without a single defeat."

"The Duke of Ying has spoken half the truth." The Chongzhen Emperor patted his shoulder and smiled with satisfaction, saying: "In my view, aside from what the Duke of Ying has said, the Qi family army's coordinated operations are the other half of the reason it became a strong force."

"May I ask Your Majesty—what are coordinated operations?" At this point, Dong Qi asked.

"A good question. Do you all know about the West at present? There, it is already the age of guns and cannons. That the Great Ming still competes with the Tartar barbarians in sword, spear, bow, and horse—in my view, this is the posturing of clowns, and sooner or later we are bound to fall behind."

"The Grand Ancestor personally created the hereditary military household system, and by the Wanli years it had long since rotted beyond repair—that was what led to the recruitment system in the Jiajing era. But you all already know the consequences of the recruitment system, so I need not elaborate.

Last year, I issued an edict abolishing the garrison-farming system within the hereditary military household system—soldiers need no longer do civilian labor, and civilians need no longer perform military service. From this point on, soldiers are soldiers, and civilians are civilians.

Now, the various regional armies have rotted beyond repair—this cannot truly be improved merely by abolishing the garrison-farming system. I feel it is time to change the very roots of the Great Ming's military.

Last year I trained the new army—Zhang Shize, Dong Qi, the two of you served as Governors-General. Did you discover any shortcomings?"

Seeing the Chongzhen Emperor look toward them, Zhang Shize and Dong Qi each voiced their thoughts in turn—summed up, they were nothing more than a lack of capable generals and quality recruits, and the like.

And indeed this was the case—training a new army in the capital region, weapons, grain, even military pay and provisions—none of these were lacking in the short term. What was lacking were only generals capable of campaigning and fighting, and brave soldiers willing to face death without flinching.

The people of the capital region had a particular trait: those who feared death and clung to life were the majority, while those who dared to fight for merit were few. Recruiting troops in such a place was destined never to produce a strong army.

"Therefore, the selection and training of military officers, the locations for recruiting, and the methods of training soldiers must all be changed.

I intend to establish a Great Ming Military Academy, to serve as the place for cultivating and selecting military officers at all levels. As for recruiting locations, that will be left to the Ministry of War and the depot and guard agencies to survey—henceforth, recruits must be drawn from the poor and hardworking, not soft-skinned pampered types.

As for training methods, you must thoroughly study the *Ji Xiao Xin Shu* and the *Lian Bing Shi Ji*—take the Qi family army as the model in all things."

Zhang Shize and the others were all stunned—it seemed His Majesty was full of ambition. These words had already proven that this emperor did not merely want to train another Qi family army; he wanted to turn all of the Great Ming's troops into something like the Qi family army.

If that could truly be achieved, Zhang Shize dared not even imagine it.

"What exactly is this military academy? I beg Your Majesty to enlighten us." Wang Xiantong had pondered for a long while and still could not figure out what sort of thing it was; under the others' constant nudging and urging, he had no choice but to step forward and ask.

The Chongzhen Emperor had long since guessed they would not understand, and showed no sign of impatience as he patiently explained:

"A so-called military academy is in fact the same principle as the Imperial Academy—only, the Imperial Academy cultivates usable civil officials for the dynasty, while this Great Ming Military Academy cultivates generals who can campaign and fight, and who know their soldiers thoroughly."