Chapter 87: The New Army Policy’s roadblock – The Garrison System

The Directorate of Ceremonial’s Vice eunuch director Wang Yue, entered the Wuying Hall and greeted Zhu Yunwen. After bowing, he said, “Your Majesty, the debate between King of Yan and the Duke of Wei has reached its conclusion.”

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and asked with a smile, “Are they discussing the New Army policy again?”

Wang Yue showed the utmost respect and replied, “Your Majesty, today’s discussion is about the Tatars and Oirat.”

Zhu Yunwen took the document with interest, carefully read it, and then said solemnly, “Summon King of Yan and the Duke of Wei, also bring Xie Jin, Yao Guangxiao, and Ru Chang here.”

Wang Yue left to carry out the order.

As the Grand Secretariat was located within the palace, Xie Jin entered the Wuying Hall ahead of others upon receiving the summons.

Zhu Yunwen didn’t say much, he simply handed the debate between Zhu Di and Xu Huizu to Xie Jin. After going through it, Xie Jin understood that Zhu Yunwen’s attention had shifted towards Mongolia, or rather, towards the potential threats to Great Ming in the coming years.

Zhu Di, Xu Huizu, Ru Chang, and Yao Guangxiao arrived together.

Zhu Yunwen spread out the grand map of Ming and said, “Today I have reviewed the debate between King of Yan and the Duke of Wei. Uncle Yan believes that the Mongol tribes still pose the greatest threat to Ming. While the Tatar and Oirat are currently engaged in internal conflicts and won’t trouble us for three to five years, they are likely to become a threat to us five to ten years from now. I’ve called you all here to hear your opinions, to discuss how stable the northern borders can be for the next few years.”

Zhu Di and Xu Huizu remained silent.

Xie Jin and Fang Xiaoru looked toward Ru Chang. As the Minister of War, he was expected to provide insight on military matters and should be the first to speak.

Ru Chang looked at the northern borders of Great Ming and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, based on the information we currently have, the Tatar and Oirat tribes are in constant internal strife and no single faction seems to be overwhelmingly dominant. Moreover, we have established strong defenses in the northern border regions through our garrisons and fortifications. Given the current circumstances, the Tatar and Oirat are unlikely to pose a threat to our Great Ming in the short term.”

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and asked, “Your opinion aligns with Uncle Yan’s. How long do you consider the ‘short term’ to be?”

Rather than answering directly, Ru Chang pondered for a moment and then replied, “Three to five years, Your Majesty.”

Zhu Yunwen turned his gaze to Yao Guangxiao and inquired, “Master Yao, please share your thoughts.”

Xie Jin, Ru Chang, and Xu Huizu found Yao Guangxiao’s presence quite unexpected in a discussion of such significant military matters.

Yao Guangxiao, currently a Hanlin Academician Expositor-inwaiting, should have been present in discussions related to Confucian classics and literature. However, involving him in discussions about national defense matters suggested a deeper meaning behind this decision.

“While the Tatar may lack the strength they once had, they still consider themselves the legitimate Mongol lineage. This implies that the Tatar will inevitably pursue policies that are adversarial towards Ming.”

Yao Guangxiao didn’t hold back any longer.

All that he has sought in his life is to realize the aspirations within his heart. Now that the opportunity has come, there is no need to hide any longer. He dedicates all of his wisdom in the remaining years of his life to this realm of Ming.

“However, due to their limited strength and internal conflicts, the Tatar won’t be able to consolidate their forces for a large-scale invasion in the next five years. Nevertheless, during these five years, we might face sporadic raids involving a few hundred or even a few thousand mounted warriors, which may not cease.”

Yao Guangxiao pointed his finger towards regions such as Suzhou, Ningxia, Kaiping, and Daning, and continued, “In these areas, bolstered by the garrisons, the Great Wall, and our standing army, the defense should be adequate. From this perspective, the northern border of Ming should be secure for the next five years.”

“And what about the Oirat?”

Zhu Yunwen looked at Yao Guangxiao with appreciation and inquired.

Yao Guangxiao looked at the location of Oirat on the map and said, “When I was in Beiping, I heard about Maidilibala, not a virtuous leader. His actions were despicable and disgraceful. Such a person cannot last long, and internal strife in the Oirat is imminent.”

“Unexpectedly, Master Yao has such insight! Admirable!” praised Xie Jin.

Xie Jin applauded in admiration, looking at Yao Guangxiao with newfound respect.

Zhu Yunwen greatly admired Yao Guangxiao and Zhu Di’s prediction Maidilibala will die soon. Historically, Maidilibala would indeed die in the internal strife this year. This year was later referred to by later generations as the “Beginning of Oirat Dominance.”

“Xie Jin, you have foresight. How do you view the situation with the Tatar and the Oirat?” Zhu Yunwen casually inquired.

Xie Jin shook his head slightly and said, “Your Majesty, I believe that the opinions of the King of Yan, the Duke of Wei, Minister Ru, and Master Yao are all insightful. After reviewing various information, while the Tatar and the Oirat might have ambitions, at least for the next five years, there won’t be significant issues on the northern border of Ming.”

Zhu Yunwen looked at Zhu Di and the others, then lightly tapped the table and said, “A King experienced in battles, a duke overseeing the Central Army Commandery, a Minister of War, a Grand Secretary with extensive knowledge, and a scholar well-versed in various matters – since you all unanimously believe that the northern border will remain relatively stable for the next five years, let’s set the tone: within these five years, the implementation of the New Army policy across the entire military. How about it?”

“Agreed!” stated Zhu Di and the others.

Xie Jin hesitated for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, the implementation of the New Army policy within the capital’s military presents no issues. However, there have been quite a few problems encountered when implementing the strategy within the Beiping Garrison.”

“Oh, what problems?” Zhu Yunwen asked, surprised.

Xie Jin handed over a document and said, “This is a document regarding the implementation of the New Army policy in Beiping Prefecture. It mentions that the New Army policy emphasizes training, which contributes to enhancing the army’s combat capabilities. However, the New Army policy conflicts significantly with the Garrison system, leading to a number of problems.”

Zhu Yunwen unfolded the document and read it, involuntarily taking a deep breath.

Ming established dominance through military prowess, and Zhu Yuanzhang reformed the old system, establishing the Garrison system throughout the empire, from the capital to the counties.

The Garrison system selected individuals to be part of the military, stationed in various garrisons to defend the borders and suppress local uprisings.

There was a parallel relationship between military and civilian statuses. Military personnel were under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Commandery, while civilians were managed by the Ministry of Revenue.

The difference between military personnel and soldiers was significant.

Military service is hereditary and fixed; once you are part of the military, your entire family will be required to serve, living within the garrison.

If you unfortunately sacrifice yourself for the country, it’s not a problem either. Take a look if you have a son; if not, find your brother. If you don’t have a brother either, then find your cousin. There will always be someone to take your place.

In the unfortunate event, that your entire family is gone, there’s still a solution. Look at your original hometown, find your clan members, select a lineage, and relocate them to continue the military service.

Soldiers, on the other hand, were voluntary and temporary recruits. They weren’t part of the established military structure, lacked fixed numbers, garrisoned locations, and were separate from their descendants’ career choices.

During the early Ming Dynasty, military expenses constituted a small portion of the imperial budget. Two million dan of grain were enough to sustain three million soldiers annually. In many instances, military expenses were considered “self-sufficient.”

This was linked to the Garrison system. Garrisons were a fusion of military and agricultural life. When at war, they functioned as a military force; otherwise, they worked as farmers, cultivating fields and tending to crops.

On one side, tending to the crops with hands wielding sickles, while on the other side, signals of war spread, allowing for an immediate switch to armor and the grasping of steel swords to fight the enemy.

If the harvest from the military settlements isn’t sufficient to cover the expenses of the army, then have merchants hire people to cultivate the frontier. By exchanging the cultivated crops for salt permit from the court, a win-win situation can be achieved for both the merchants and the border troops.

What seemed like a beautiful existence, after going through the storms of the Hongwu era, has begun to reveal its problems. The signs of decline and collapse of the garrisons are becoming increasingly evident.

Furthermore, the integration of military and agricultural duties within garrisons severely hindered proper military training.

Just imagine, a collective farming army, how much time could they have for training? How much mastery of combat skills could they attain?

Without reforming the Garrison System, it will be difficult to implement the New Army strategy!

---

Dear Readers, Sproutling here translating Ming Dynasty: Reborn as Zhu Yunwen, If you have enjoyed my translation and would like to show your support. Please consider donate to my Ko-Fi (Click here) page. Your help mean so much to me, Thank you in advance!