Chapter 10: In the Small Market

At this moment, the third drum sounded, and the sound of hooves echoed from the northern gate. Zhang Han turned his gaze in that direction and noticed that there were already no less than a thousand Mongolians standing by the northern fence, each leading one or several horses. They were dressed in thick sheepskin coats, covered with yellow garments, and wore large hats with either a round or pointed top. From a distance, as the northern wind blew, a faint smell of blood and odor seemed to waft through the air.

Liang Hong approached and said: "The market supervisor from the Tartars has arrived, as well as the official responsible for maintaining confidentiality."

The Mongolian market supervisor arrived with about twenty riders, who were distinct from ordinary herders. They were all dressed in front-opening armor, wearing iron helmets, and holding long spears. The leading Tatar official rode his horse to the opposite side of the high platform and, from a distance, cupped his hands in salute towards the platform. Lai Tongxin on the platform returned the gesture. At this moment, Zhou Fengji felt somewhat anxious and said, "Everyone is here, why hasn't the gong been struck to open the market?"

Zhang Han nodded slightly, feeling a stir in his heart

I cannot explain this matter clearly...

Upon thinking of this, Zhang Han couldn't help but smile to himself and turned his gaze towards the deputy general.

Zhou Fengji said: "The border troops here in Xuanda are still considered elite; the young master has not seen the soldiers from Henan and Shandong, who are much worse than these."

The gong has not yet been struck to open the market, and both the Mongolians and the Han merchants are feeling somewhat anxious. The merchants are eager to sell their goods and make a profit, while the Tatars have traveled a long distance and are in a hurry to purchase items to take back home

Zhang Han felt dizzy; the knowledge gained from books was ultimately too superficial. He had read some literature on the officialdom and military affairs of the late Ming Dynasty, but at that time, he still thought the scholars were exaggerating. It was only upon witnessing it firsthand that he understood what the so-called vast army of between 180,000 and 2,000,000 in the Ming Dynasty truly entailed

In the horse market, there are administrative personnel, typically civil officials with experience in the military garrison, who serve as adjudicators responsible for matters such as "collecting the foreign tax silver and rewarding the foreigners." Apart from these civil officials and clerks with such duties, other officials would not attend such occasions.

Given the communication and road conditions of this era, a rudimentary management approach is bound to emerge, until a reshuffling occurs that results in a more robust management system; however, it still cannot be considered efficient

It turns out that this group of beggar soldiers before me is actually elite troops

Zhang Han turned to Zhou Fengji, and said in a low voice: "Uncle Zhou, is it always like this at the opening of the market?"

Seventeen Chinese smugglers were captured the day before yesterday, along with fifteen merchants from the Tatars. They did not adhere to Chinese regulations and violated the instructions given by our Khan in the past. Before the market opens today, the Tatars will be handed over to the local officials, and each smuggler will be punished with twenty strikes and three days in shackles

The Tartars in the north are the same, showing no signs of emotional fluctuation, their faces still bearing that mixed expression of anticipation and impatience

After listening to Zhang Han's words, Zhou Fengji shook his head vigorously. He was merely an experienced and seasoned shopkeeper; while he could discuss what he had observed, he lacked the ability for detailed summarization and analysis. The differences in their levels of understanding and perspectives were significant. Furthermore, the composition and logistics of the Ming Dynasty's military, as well as the organization and command of the army, are topics that could fill hundreds of books without being fully covered. It was unreasonable for Zhang Han to expect an old shopkeeper of this era to address such matters.

After taking a look, they were all wearing short-sleeved official robes and greenish official garments. Their gaze likely wandered elsewhere. Zhang Han stared for quite a while but did not meet that person's gaze again in the crowd, so he had no choice but to give up.

At this moment, a person stepped out from the platform, dressed like a military officer of the rank of Qian Zong. This individual stood at the edge of the platform and began to speak loudly.

Zhang Han felt somewhat puzzled as to why there were actually people among those civil officials who paid attention to him

The Ming soldiers before him, although their garments were tattered, still bore the semblance of soldiers, and most of them were seasoned troops, with quite a few experienced veterans standing in the ranks. Zhang Han observed carefully and faintly sensed the killing intent emanating from these soldiers, which led him to acknowledge Zhou Fengji's assessment.

Surrounding the deputy general are several thousand officers, who may simultaneously hold the positions of both the commanding and defensive officers of various forts, as well as the titles of military officials such as the commander of the guard, assistant commander, or thousand household officers.

The military fortifications, including Xinping Fort, belong to Datong Town and are also under the jurisdiction of the Yanghe Military Preparations Circuit. Under the Yanghe Military Preparations Circuit, there are two routes: Yanghe Xinping Road and Yanghe East Road. All these military forts, along with Tianchengwei Town and the various guards of Yanghewei, are directly managed by the Yanghe Military Preparations Circuit. Datong Town is a military town, governed by the overall commander. Within the town, there are various guard stations such as the Datong Central Guard and the Left and Right Guards, with the command of these guard stations falling under the Five Armies Command. Above the overall commander is the Governor of Xuanda, and the highest authority is held by civil officials. The overall commander leads the troops in battle, while the daily military and civil affairs are managed by the Military Preparations Circuit and the deputy officials. The local defense and management of military and civilian affairs are also overseen by various participating generals and guard station commanders. This intertwining of civil and military authority creates a relatively stable political and military ecological circle.

The monthly market primarily targets the Mongolian poor. Recently, Zhang Han has been collecting records from the past decades and knows that during the early years of the Jiajing period, the horse market was only an official market, and the small market was not a monthly market; it might only open every few months or once a year. This led to rampant smuggling along the border, with many Mongolian poor traveling to the border for self-trade, exchanging a pot for several horses or a few dou of rice for a horse. Such issues arose during the early years of the horse market in the Jiajing period. While Han merchants profited significantly, the court was concerned about the severity of the deception, as the horses from the Tatars were not harvested from the fields. If provoked by Han merchants, they might resort to robbery, leading to instability along the border. Thus, the monthly market emerged to facilitate fair trade under the supervision of both parties.

He looked around, and the expressions of the shop owners and managers in the vicinity were as usual, completely unfazed. The young clerks were similarly engaged in quiet laughter, showing no concern for the matter at hand

Indeed, as Zhou Fengji stated, within the range of several thousand miles along the border, there are thousands of people smuggling to the Mongolians every day. Every few months, a dozen unfortunate souls are caught and punished, merely to appease higher authorities. This kind of bureaucratic maneuvering is, in fact, similar to that of later generations; when there is no issue, no one takes action, but when a problem arises, various departments rush to show their efforts. The principle remains the same

For some reason, when Zhang Han glanced towards the side of the deputy general, he felt that there was also a gaze subtly observing him from that direction

In this day and age, Mongolians hardly ever bathe, let alone wash their outer garments. Engaging daily with livestock, the odor on their bodies is naturally not to be mentioned. When thousands gather together, the label of "scented Tartars" is indeed not without reason.

Can it get any worse

However, the Ming Dynasty is indeed too stingy and too miserly when it comes to supporting its own army

Of course not, is it bothersome every time like this

At this time, more than a dozen smuggler merchants were brought to the center of the market, where dozens of soldiers were already standing by, waiting. Zhang Han observed that these "merchants" were dressed like ordinary people, and several of them clearly appeared to be struggling at the poverty line, suggesting that their smuggling activities likely involved only a few dou of rice, a few jars of pickled vegetables, or perhaps a few baskets of eggs as their "goods." Being caught in this manner was indeed a stroke of bad luck.

The significance of Xinping Fort can also be seen from here; it is not merely a garrison of a thousand households, but rather the local deputy general personally leading the troops for its defense, with over 1,600 soldiers stationed, which far exceeds the normal number for a military fort.

Zhang Han's doubts are unfounded; the Xuan-Da army is indeed elite. Even during the second year of Chongzhen when the Manchu troops invaded, the performance of the Xuan-Da army was still far superior to that of the Liaodong troops. Man Gui led thousands of Xuan-Da soldiers in several bloody battles against the Later Jin army, proving to be a hundred times stronger than those so-called Liaodong iron cavalry who always turned their backs to the enemy. From Xuan-Da to Yansui, the western Ming army along this line, especially the Qin army, can be considered elite. These northwest border troops are the backbone of the Ming army; once the backbone is broken, it signifies the annihilation of Sun Chuanting's main Qin forces, and the Ming dynasty will come to an end. They are a hundred times stronger than those so-called Liaodong iron cavalry who always turned their backs to the enemy. From Xuan-Da to Yansui, the western Ming army along this line, especially the Qin army, can be considered elite. These northwest border troops are the backbone of the Ming army; once the backbone is broken, it signifies the annihilation of Sun Chuanting's main Qin forces, and the Ming dynasty will come to an end.

The rank of a Deputy General and a Thousand-man is that of a dispatched military position, without any specific grade. Each officer will hold a military position within the garrison to determine their rank. The Deputy General Lai Tongxin should be commanding a Deputy or an Assistant, holding a military rank of either second grade or the first of the third grade, which is considered a high military official in the Ming Dynasty

Before the official opening of the market, not only did a deputy general and over 500 soldiers from the Ming Dynasty arrive, but also a Taiji from the Mongolian side, who was responsible for guarding the area and concurrently held the position of market supervisor. This arrangement was the result of mutual agreement between both parties, ensuring that the interests and security of both sides were taken into account

Of course. Zhou Fengji stated with certainty: "Our Datong army was once a stronghold in the world. Although it is far from what it was a hundred years ago, it is still considered an elite force within the country. I have seen the troops from Shandong and Henan, and to be honest, after they arrived in the capital, they were somewhat inferior even to the beggars in the city"

General Lai Tongxin of Yanghe and Xinping Road had dismounted at this time and ascended the high platform, where he sat in the center.

Such small markets and official markets are entirely different; those who come rushing in are herdsmen eager to buy goods to take home, each carrying furs and horses, cattle, and sheep, waiting to exchange for cloth, grain, and miscellaneous goods to return with. When the market is delayed for a long time, the Tatar people also become restless in waves.

From Zhang Han's perspective, the regulations of the Ming Dynasty were quite lax, with poor management of officials and inadequate precautions against the populace, rendering them ineffective, let alone improving their effectiveness

Zhou Fengji shook his head, a hint of disdain on his face: "Smugglers are just small-time merchants, making a few hard-earned coins. From Datong to Xuanfuzhen, and further west to Gansu, where is there no smuggling? It's a small business; what great evil can they commit? With so many smugglers, punishing a dozen or so every few months, how can that be managed? It's merely a way to provide a good explanation to those above. In case something goes wrong, it can also serve as a cover for the officials and the court."

Zhang Han felt that his understanding of the lower limits had been refreshed. He glanced again at the soldiers in front of him, who varied in height and build, armed only with long spears as their weapons. They wore no armor, their robes were tattered, and only a small number of sword and shield soldiers stood at the front. Was it possible that there were even worse troops than this?

At first, Zhang Han did not hear clearly, but later he understood that they had captured the smuggling Han merchants and the Tatar buyers, specifically to deal with them in the market today. In simple terms, it was to kill the chicken to scare the monkey

Among the Mongols, there are quite a few who understand Chinese. Upon hearing the words of the Chinese officials, someone immediately translates, so there is no concern that the crowd will not understand.

The gaze seemed to be directed towards the group of people below, among whom were those dressed in the attire of civil officials and clerks