Chapter 209: An Edict Summoning Zhu Dadian to the Capital

Everyone present understood quite well the status and role of the Imperial Academy, and with the Chongzhen Emperor making this comparison, they immediately grasped what kind of institution this Great Ming Military Academy was meant to be.

The assembled officials discussed the matter animatedly — students of the Imperial Academy could be found throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces, and if something similar could truly be established specifically to cultivate military officers, the status of military men would surely be greatly elevated.

When the Five Chief Military Commissions had originally been established, the purpose had been to raise the status of the military, but their real authority had by now been completely seized by the Ministry of War, and the posts of Commissioner-in-Chief of the Left and Right had become empty titles that existed in name only.

It was foreseeable that this military academy would play an even greater role in the future than the Five Chief Military Commissions.

Of course, everything would still depend on how much importance this Emperor attached to the academy and on its various regulations — but there was no denying that this military academy was an excellent means of elevating the status of military men so as to counterbalance the civil officials at court.

"If this can truly be accomplished, the soldiers and generals of the realm will surely be utterly devoted to Your Majesty and utterly devoted to the court. But I still have one question." As Zhang Shize spoke, his expression suddenly turned hesitant.

"Whatever you wish to ask, speak freely!" The Chongzhen Emperor sat back down in his chair and waved his hand magnanimously.

"I have been turning it over in my mind repeatedly, but I still cannot settle on a candidate for the academy's chief officer. Are we to recall Lord Chen from the Northwest Camp to serve as its head?"

"Indeed — the officer in charge of the military academy must command prestige among the troops, so that soldiers will submit willingly and wholeheartedly. He must also possess sufficient ability to leave the civil officials with nothing to say. Finding such a man — difficult indeed." Dong Qi also sighed as he spoke.

Indeed, looking at those present — even Duke of Ying Zhang Shize, though his status and position satisfied the requirements for the academy's chief officer, had led troops for barely a year, and his prestige among the army might not even match that of an ordinary local Regional Commander or Assistant Regional Commander, let alone qualify him to wield the great authority of the military academy.

Aside from Zhang Shize, Dong Qi was even less worth mentioning — he too had only been entrusted with an important post last year when appointed in a time of crisis. Though he had won several satisfying victories great and small, his seniority was still inferior to Zhang Shize's, and coming from a poor background, both his status and position could be seized upon as grounds for criticism.

As for the others, such as the newly enfeoffed Earl Wang Xiantong, though they had some prestige in the army, they knew nothing whatsoever of military affairs or warfare — they were mostly only fit for charging into battle and fighting. Asking them to teach and educate others was truly asking too much of them.

The assembled officials racked their brains, and the only man in the Great Ming presently qualified to take charge of the military academy was Chen Qiyu, the Governor-General of the Five Provinces, who was currently in the Northwest Camp contending with the Shun army — but if Chen Qiyu were recalled, who would be sent to check Li the Dashing King?

This matter was actually not within the scope of the Chongzhen Emperor's considerations. Looking at the Emperor's Faction members exchanging helpless glances, the Chongzhen Emperor cleared his throat and sat up straight, saying: "The chief officer of the Great Ming Military Academy shall not be called chief officer — he shall be called the Academy Head. This post is established by My own hand, and furthermore, it is best that I Myself serve as the first Academy Head."

Hearing this, surprise showed on everyone's faces — here they had all been deliberating back and forth, and had somehow forgotten the Emperor himself.

With the Emperor personally serving as Academy Head of the Great Ming Military Academy, no military officer, no matter how great his prestige in the army, would dare do anything but lie low within the academy — and the civil officials would likewise have nothing to say. The Son of Heaven himself is serving as Academy Head — what more could you possibly want?

Beyond this, the Chongzhen Emperor personally taking charge of the military academy had another invaluable benefit: from this day forward, every military officer to graduate from the academy would, without exception, be honored with the glorious distinction of being a Disciple of the Son of Heaven.

This honor had always been something that juren and officials who had passed the palace examination loved to boast about — but after the military academy was established, military men of rough-and-tumble origins would also have the qualification to study military affairs in an academy similar to the Imperial Academy, and thereby be honored as Disciples of the Son of Heaven. This would give the civil officials far less to say.

In past dynasties, the selection of military officers, aside from the military examinations, had mostly relied on recommendations submitted to the court by regional generals and civil officials. By the seventeenth year of Chongzhen last year, this system had become utterly rotten, reaching the point where Regional Commanders were everywhere and generals were as numerous as ox hairs.

These military officers who were recommended felt no gratitude toward the court. Most of them did not even know what the Emperor looked like — they had neither prestige nor ability. The only thing they knew was that they owed their present position entirely to the man who had recommended them, and the court had become something dispensable.

As a result, the court bestowed ranks and authority, but in the end these men merely became the private generals and household retainers of those so-called Regional Commanders and grand marshals who had recommended them, and harbored not the slightest gratitude or loyalty toward the Emperor.

Once the military academy was established, this situation would become completely different.

The power to appoint and dismiss military officers would be firmly held in the Emperor's hands. Every military officer who studied at the academy would, without exception, deeply feel the surpassing grace of the Son of Heaven and would serve the Son of Heaven with utter devotion. In this way, military officers loyal to the court and the imperial house would grow ever more numerous.

Suddenly, Zhang Shize recalled how the Chongzhen Emperor had, in passing during the great purge of the court, dismissed Minister of War Zhang Guowei from office. Connecting this with the military academy system, he suddenly felt that this Emperor truly had remarkable foresight.

The various departments of the Ministry of War had always managed the transfers, promotions, and merit assessments of military officers throughout the realm. If the Ministry of War were staffed with members of the Emperor's Faction, combined with a military academy personally headed by the Emperor himself, this would be like adding wings to a tiger.

The term "Academy Head" was still somewhat unfamiliar to the assembled officials, but upon careful reflection, they could understand seven or eight parts of it out of ten.

The equivalent post at the Imperial Academy was called Chancellor, but military officers after all needed to be distinguished from civil officials, and simply adopting the official title of the Imperial Academy would feel somewhat incongruous. If a new official post were created instead, it would at least give the illusion of equal treatment with the civil officials.

The post of Academy Head was to be concurrently held by the current Emperor. The Son of Heaven was, after all, the Son of Heaven — for him to go about with the official title of Chancellor on his head would invite ridicule. Far better to create a title no one had ever heard of — the post of Academy Head. Since this post was newly established, its power and status would depend entirely on the person holding it.

And since the person holding it now was the Son of Heaven himself, what civil official would dare utter a single word of complaint? You look down on the military academy? Fine — that means you look down on the current Emperor. Drag him out and beat him to death.

"The military academy shall be handled by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works. The Ministry of Revenue shall draft proposals for all expenses of constructing the academy as usual. The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard shall supervise — if anyone takes the opportunity to line their own pockets, they shall be dismissed from office and investigated without exception.

Since Zhang Guowei was dismissed and sent home, the post of Minister of War has been vacant. Issue an edict — order the mounted messengers to proceed to Jinhua and summon Zhu Dadian to the capital. I have words to speak with him on the Platform."

The assembled officials had been wondering who the Emperor would appoint to succeed to such an important post as Minister of War, but now the Emperor's intent was perfectly clear — summoning Zhu Dadian of Jinhua to the capital for discussion on the Platform was preparation for entrusting him with an important office.

Zhu Dadian was a jinshi from the Wanli era. He had served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War on the Right, had been Governor-General in charge of grain transport by water, and had also served as Governor — his résumé was rich and varied. On the whole, he could be counted as a man of the court, for the last time he had been dismissed from office was precisely because he had been impeached by Donglin Censors and remonstrating officials for corruption.

Beyond this, Zhu Dadian had personally commanded troops to suppress the Denglai mutiny. Wu Sangui, Zuo Liangyu, Denglai Regional Commander Chen Hongfan, and even Kong Youde, who had now surrendered and submitted to Pidao, had all once been his subordinates — his prestige in the army was likewise considerable.

As a civil official, Zhu Dadian was a man of learning and confidence, skilled in composing poetry and verse and writing scholarly works — proficient in every regard. As a Confucian general, he had likewise achieved no small merit in warfare: mounting his horse to brandish his blade and charge into the fray, dismounting to direct campaigns and face death — none of these were beyond him.

Moreover, compared to his predecessor Zhang Guowei, Zhu Dadian was irreconcilably opposed to the Donglin faction, and possessed the obvious flaw and handle of greed — capable yet easy to control. He was truly the irreplaceable choice.