Chapter 4: The Military Households So Poor They Bring Tears

There are indeed several streets; apart from the main street leading to the residences of the thousand households and the official buildings, which is paved with large blue stones, the others are all dirt roads. Snowflakes fall upon them, freezing these areas solid. Desolate, devoid of human presence, lacking vitality—this is how Huang Laifu feels. Although he has memories of this body and was mentally prepared for this scene, seeing it with his own eyes still evokes a sense of bleakness and emptiness.

According to statistics, the total population of Wuzhaibao, including the assigned soldiers and their families, as well as those scattered across various forts in Wuzhaibao, amounts to several thousand people.

Jiang Dazhong and Yang Xiaolu, who were trailing Huang Laifeng by a horse's length, pretended to be authoritative as they shouted from behind: "Step aside, quickly step aside, the young master is on his way. If you don't move, be prepared to face the whip." The two appeared quite pleased with themselves, as if they had always accompanied Huang Laifeng in this manner during his outings, and they had become quite adept at it.

Huang Laifu stepped out of the Qianhu residence, and outside was the street of Wuzhaibao. As he reached the entrance, a gust of cold wind rushed towards him, carrying some snowflakes that struck his face. Fortunately, Huang Laifu had inherited the strong physique of this body, so this bit of cold did not affect him.

Huang Laifu rode silently, and in fact, the situations he observed were very common among the border troops and various garrisons at that time, not limited to just Wuzhaibao.

Huang Laifu inherited the memories and skills of his previous body, so riding a horse was naturally no problem for him. He stepped onto the mounting stone, swung himself up, and his half-height leather boots were already in the stirrups, allowing him to sit firmly in the saddle. He took the whip that Jiang Dazhong handed him, cracked it in the air with a sharp sound, and said, "Let's go!" He then urged the horse forward. Jiang Dazhong and Yang Xiaolu quickly mounted their horses and followed behind.

Jiang Dazhong and Yang Xiaolu were quite accustomed to such situations regarding the *illustrated* books. Wang Dazhong, who was listening to Huang Laifu's words from behind, replied loudly: "Young Master, you have not been in Wuzhaibao for just one day. Wuzhaibao has been like this for many years. Not to mention Wuzhaibao, I have heard that many military households in various garrisons are the same. Otherwise, why would everyone call us poor soldiers?"

Looking again at Jiang Dazhong and Yang Xiaolu, the two were exhaling white breath, yet their expressions were normal, clearly indicating that they had become accustomed to such weather.

The area near the Qianhu Residence could perhaps be considered the "wealthy district" of Wuzhaibao. The further one moves away from the Qianhu Residence, the more ragged individuals one encounters on the streets. Huang Laifu observed many emaciated people, dressed in tattered clothing, appearing listless.

The soldiers of the Ming army were subjected to strict military laws and constraints. The guards often faced insults, beatings, and torture from their superiors, and those who broke the law were undoubtedly severely punished. For instance, officers and soldiers caught singing in the capital would have their tongues cut out, while those engaged in trade would be exiled to remote areas for military service.

The surrounding area of Wuzhaibao is approximately 2,212 steps, with a height of 3 zhang and 3 chi. The military fortress walls were initially constructed with earth, but in the early years of the Wanli era, some Mongolian tribes from the Hetao region invaded Shanxi, threatening Wuzhaibao, which led to the decision to rebuild the walls using brick and stone.

However, it is rather awkward that the relatively good life of the Huang family and Huang Laifu now is also derived from the exploitation of the ordinary military households in Wuzhaibao. How should Huang Laifu respond to this situation

Huang Laifu's expression was grim, and Jiang Dazhong was about to speak further when Yang Xiaolu gave him a look, causing Jiang Dazhong to immediately refrain from continuing.

There is only one main street, which leads to the residences of the thousand households and the official offices. Besides some shops run by the families of local military households, there are also a few stores operated by merchants from other regions. However, to be honest, there is not much business to be done in Wuzhaibao; these military families are merely earning a meager living.

Huang Laifu sighed, "I never expected that the troops of Wuzhaibao would be in such dire straits!"

According to the original memory data in Huang Laifu's mind, Wuzhaibao has a total of 1 chief officer, 1 deputy chief officer, 10 hundred officers, and 2 town guards, totaling 13 officials of various ranks, along with 1,120 banner troops, overseeing the surrounding forts and nine fire routes.

In addition to the various injustices mentioned above, marriage is also subject to strict restrictions for military households. The regulations state that soldiers must have a spouse and cannot remain single. This is because soldiers not only have the obligation to serve but also bear the responsibility of producing the next generation of soldiers for the military. Consequently, marriages within military households are subject to numerous strict limitations; children of military households are not allowed to marry outside to civilian households to prevent personnel from flowing out. If military households wish to intermarry with civilian households, they face significant difficulties. Once children from civilian households marry into military households, they are permanently absorbed into the military household, and their descendants can never escape the harsh constraints of military registration. Therefore, marriages within military households are subject to various strict restrictions; children of military households are not allowed to marry outside to civilian households to prevent personnel from flowing out. If military households wish to intermarry with civilian households, they face significant difficulties. Once children from civilian households marry into military households, they are permanently absorbed into the military household, and their descendants can never escape the harsh constraints of military registration

During the Ming Dynasty, the status of military households was very low, even lower than that of civilian households. However, military households were one of the important sources of soldiers for the state. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty imposed strict control over military households, requiring most of them to serve for life. Only those who attained the rank of Minister could be exempted from military registration. The number of individuals who could reach the rank of Minister was extremely limited, and thus, the number of those exempted from military registration was also few.

This is the memory in Huang Laifu's mind; the road is essentially the same. Wuzhaibao is not large, consisting of only a few streets, and soon Huang Laifu had inspected all of it.

If it were not for that large Ming military uniform, others might think he was a bandit. Such individuals are not just one or two; in fact, they are the majority, scattered throughout the entire Wuzhaibao. On the streets, there are also some women and children, all of whom are scantily clad. Coupled with the low, dilapidated houses nearby, this is not a military fortress; it is clearly a den of beggars

In fact, the quota of 1,120 soldiers at Wuzhaibao, combined with those who have fled and those receiving pay without serving, amounts to less than 800 individuals. After excluding nearly half who are elderly or weak, there are only about 400 able-bodied men left. The only truly combat-effective force consists of the 60 household servants of Qianhu Huang Sihao.

Such an army, it is easy to imagine how it could engage in warfare. No wonder that after the mid-Ming period, the military household system was gradually dominated by the recruitment of soldiers into battalions. Those leading such an army, the military households, could hardly expect any development for themselves; they could only linger at Wuzhaibao and wait for old age. This was a serious blow to their newly ignited ambitions.

In certain military garrisons, the soldiers' cultivated lands have been usurped by the wealthy and the officers. The officers compel the soldiers to farm their fields, and even to fish and gather wood for them, engaging in the trafficking of contraband. The soldiers have become mere tools and laborers in their hands

At the entrance of the Qianhu residence, a large rectangular mounting stone lies horizontally against the wall, while next to it stands a thick hitching post, nearly a person's height, that is both round and square in shape. These are typically used by the residents of the Qianhu residence for mounting horses and tying them up.

Huang Laifu gently guided the reins as he walked slowly down the street. He needed to carefully observe the overall situation of the Qianhu Post in Wuzhaibao.

The treatment of military households is also extremely poor. Each military household is required to send one surplus male to the garrison for military service, and must also provide an additional male to serve as labor for the army. In some areas, it was even mandated that each military household send 2 to 3 surplus males to engage in various heavy labor for the military

Alright! Huang Laifu withdrew his gaze and took the leather gloves that Yang Xiaolu handed over, which were originally Huang Laifu's equipment

During their service, conscripted soldiers were often subjected to the enslavement and forced labor imposed by the government and the powerful elite. Significant projects were frequently carried out by these soldiers, such as the construction of palaces, imperial tombs, and the dredging of waterways.

Military conscripts are required to serve at the garrison, with all expenses for uniforms and travel borne by their families. During their service at the garrison, they must provide their own clothing, and their rations do not increase with the birth of children or an increase in family size, leading to their wives and children often being inadequately clothed and underfed. Military households do not receive exemptions from corvée labor for providing military conscripts, and their living conditions are worse than those of civilian households. This situation extends not only to their families but also to the conscripts themselves, who fare little better than their families. Military households do not receive exemptions from corvée labor for providing military conscripts, and their living conditions are worse than those of civilian households. This situation extends not only to their families but also to the conscripts themselves, who fare little better than their families. Conscripts are subjected to layers of exploitation by military officers, and military rations are often embezzled or delayed in distribution by these officers. In some garrisons, military pay may not be issued for years, forcing some soldiers to resort to begging for their livelihood

As Huang Laifu and his two companions rode into the street, everyone hurriedly avoided them, whispering, "Huang Laihu is coming, everyone quickly get out of the way, otherwise, you will be whipped." The women also hurriedly pulled their children aside, their gazes towards Huang Laifu filled with fear.

The aforementioned circumstances led to a mass exodus of soldiers, with the phenomenon of military households evading service becoming increasingly severe. Some garrisons were short-staffed, with some even losing more than half of their personnel, and in some cases, only a few individuals remained. According to records, in the third year of the Zhengtong era (1438), the number of deserters nationwide reached as high as 1.2 million. The personnel in the garrisons were severely insufficient. In that year, Li Chun, the Inspector General overseeing Shandong, discovered during an inspection of a certain hundred-household garrison that it was supposed to have 112 banner soldiers, but due to desertion, only 1 remained. The garrison system gradually lost its historical function.

Huang Laifu, however, felt a heavy heart, as he did not expect Wuzhaibao to be in such dire poverty. He was about to take over such a mess, which seemed quite unfavorable for his future prospects. He had previously read about the tragic experiences of soldiers during the Ming Dynasty in historical records, but seeing it with his own eyes was even more unbearable.

Huang Laifu let out a sigh, standing at the entrance and surveying his surroundings. As he looked around, he found that this place resembled a small rural town in a remote mountainous area, much like the town of Wuzhaibao in later times.

The military registration system of the Ming Dynasty stipulated that soldiers and their descendants in the garrison system would inherit their military status. Regardless of where they were stationed, their families were required to accompany them. Over generations, this led to a significant population of military households associated with the military registration system, including the sons of officers (referred to as "she ding") and the sons of soldiers (referred to as "jun yu")

Apart from his own residence, which is a grand mansion, and the nearby official buildings along with the homes of several deputy commanders, town protectors, and captains, most of the houses are rather humble, consisting of earthen structures and thatched cottages. In the streets, one can see a few shivering, ragged individuals walking about, or in various corners, some disheveled people either squatting or standing, gazing at Huang Laifu, who stands at the entrance with a look of reverence.

"Young Master, shall we mount?" Jiang Dazhong led over several horses. The Huang family has held the title of the thousand households of Wuzhaibao for generations, and over the years, they have accumulated dozens of horses as private property, most of which are used by the household servants. Naturally, Huang Laifu also has the right to use these horses. Previously, Huang Laifu's horse broke its leg during an incident, and it is unclear how Huang Sihao dealt with it.

Within the fortress, there are main streets and alleys. In addition to residential buildings, the structures include temples, memorial arches, wells, and other facilities for daily life. Furthermore, Wuzhai Fortress also houses important military facilities such as barracks, military granaries, and cavalry training grounds. There is also a palace responsible for military equipment—the Armory—and a special arsenal for firearms, along with a gunpowder bureau. A few hundred meters outside the fortress, there is a training ground for soldiers, as well as a drill hall for officers to command and rest. The fortress also contains a palace responsible for military equipment—the Armory—and a special arsenal for firearms, along with a gunpowder bureau. A few hundred meters outside the fortress, there is a training ground for soldiers, as well as a drill hall for officers to command and rest

Clearly, the place of Wuzhaibao does not attract many merchants, as the local population evidently lacks purchasing power. Merchants tend to gather more in Ningwuguan, which is the location of the Shanxi town, where there are many military officials. Alternatively, they may congregate in Pianguan, where trade can occur with the Mongolian tribes in the Hetao region.