Chapter 0007: The First Division of the Imperial Guard

"Hurry up and move out to burn it all."

A general of a feudal dynasty, having reached the level of someone like Lu Xiangsheng, is already among the top elites. It is unrealistic to expect him to be like the founding marshals of later generations. There are indeed some differences between ancient and modern soldiers; the weapons differ, the types of troops vary, and with different troop types come different tactics. Zhu Youjian's grand reform plans are overwhelming, yet he does not know where to begin. However, the reconstruction of the imperial guard is the foremost priority! In his previous life, it was precisely because the emperor lacked the capability to sustain a formidable imperial guard that he faced difficulties. Many decisions appear to be constrained when they are being formulated.

Xu Yingyuan was taken aback, "Master, no matter how high I fly, that string is still in your hands, isn't it? I am like a kite, unable to escape your grasp no matter what."

Lu Xiangsheng left a profound impression on Emperor Chongzhen, not only as a renowned general of the late Ming Dynasty and a general who was always victorious, but also as a loyal and dedicated officer. He was willing to go through fire and water for the emperor and the court. A general who could both fight and obey, in Emperor Chongzhen's mind, was none other than Lu Xiangsheng

Wang Cheng'en clasped his hands and said, "Very well, Your Majesty, if you treat the memorials of your subjects in this manner, your subjects will perceive that the Emperor is disregarding their petitions. Over time, will there not be anyone who dares to offer counsel to the Emperor? Wouldn't that lead to great chaos in the realm?"

Emperor Chongzhen rubbed his drowsy eyes and then looked at the secret memorials from the inner court. The ministers submitted memorials; they could present them openly, which followed the formal channels, or they could submit them secretly. This was a method employed by feudal emperors to strengthen their rule and enhance the mutual supervision among officials.

How could Lu Xiangsheng, who has just turned thirty-one, not be overwhelmed with gratitude for the emperor's exceptional favor?

Moreover, during this period, the Ming army was actually ahead of the entire world in terms of firearms! It was only during the Qing Dynasty that China's firearms began to lag behind, as Kangxi issued a decree prohibiting the use of firearms! The prohibition on the development of metal resources by civilians may have been due to concerns that the strength of the Han green battalions in local armies would become too formidable to control

Wang Cheng'en returned to report to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, when I arrived, Cui Chengxiu was already dead! He was poisoned! All the valuables in his home remained untouched! His family said that a group of masked men came in the middle of the night, and when they left, they found Cui Chengxiu dead, and all the letters had been burned to ashes"

Wang Cheng'en was astonished by the emperor's mercy, "Your Majesty, not executing the nine clans, at the very least, you should eradicate the descendants of Cui Chengxiu! Otherwise, there will be endless future troubles. When those children grow up, will they not harbor resentment against the emperor?"

This outcome did not surprise Zhu Youjian; he nodded. The only advantage this time compared to the last handling was that Cui Chengxiu's silver should belong to him. All of his assets were confiscated and poured into the imperial treasury. Among his family members, adults were to be arrested and interrogated, while minors would be temporarily confined at home after questioning, and their freedom would be restored once the case was concluded.

Remember, this imperial guard of yours is my personal guard, directly responsible to me! Without the emperor's decree, no one has the authority to mobilize you!

Xu Yingyuan replied in a deep voice, "Rest assured, my lord, everything has been burned clean, not a single coin has been touched! If the people from the palace come to investigate, they will at most think that Xu Yingyuan committed suicide out of guilt! They will definitely not harbor any suspicions!"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded with a smile, "I understand! Your immediate priority now is to establish the military base and form a citadel for the capital! The establishment of the armory can be postponed for the time being. I tell you this to prepare your mind. You can start preparing skilled craftsmen and identifying locations. When we enter the research and development phase, I will personally provide you with advice. As for those descendants of meritorious officials, do not show any mercy. Those who are unqualified and cannot be bought off, leave none behind. My cavalry in the capital must be ten times more ferocious than the cavalry of Guanning! Do you understand?" Do you understand?

Wang Cheng'en was unaware of the matter, but the Emperor had issued an edict, and he immediately set out leading a contingent of Imperial Guards towards Cui Chengxiu's residence

Lu Xiangsheng endured for half a day, holding back for half a day, and said to the book: "Your Majesty! I assure you, I will never be corrupt for a lifetime! I will not neglect my duties! I will not be lazy! I swear to defend our Great Ming Emperor with my life! I swear to defend our Great Ming territory with my life!"

Lu Xiangsheng has witnessed the Emperor's capabilities today, feeling a profound reverence for His Majesty, standing cautiously ten paces away. The primary distinction between military generals and civil officials is that military generals can act but often lack eloquence, and many possess a hasty temperament. Those generals skilled in warfare are particularly so; they can command and charge into battle, yet when it comes to articulate discourse, they generally fall short compared to civil officials. The decline of the Ming Dynasty's government can be attributed to the weakness fostered by a group of civil officials.

Burn them all! Zhu Youjian toiled throughout the night, reviewing the memorials from the past six months since his ascension to the throne, gaining a general understanding of the current state of affairs. Just before dawn, he lifted his head from the imperial desk, precisely at a moment when his temper was at its peak

Lu Xiangsheng's words were very much to the taste of Emperor Chongzhen! The reform of the military system is actually not difficult! It is his own imperial guard, so the emperor can do as he pleases; this is not a nationwide reform! It is a pilot program first implemented within his own imperial guard!

Wei Zhongxian cast a furtive glance at Xu Yingyuan and said, "Master Xu, I have heard that you have been appointed by the Emperor as the Chief Eunuch of the palace. Congratulations to you!"

Wang Cheng'en was rendered speechless by the emperor, managing a bitter smile. Fortunately, this was within the palace, and a new batch of palace maids and eunuchs had been appointed. Otherwise, if the ministers were to catch wind of the emperor burning memorials, it would be quite a scandal for him

Lu Xiangsheng knelt before the emperor to receive the imperial edict. If it were not for the emperor's decree today, no one was allowed to cry in his presence; otherwise, it would be considered a crime of deceiving the emperor. He nearly lost control and burst into tears! Although he was still not entirely clear about the meaning of his superior, from the emperor's edict and the military structure list he received, he could already deduce that this rank was equivalent to the commander of the Imperial Guard! He was merely a sixth-rank general of Shanhaiguan, and this promotion was tantamount to ascending to the third-rank general level! Among military generals, this was indeed a meteoric rise!

"Be at ease." Emperor Chongzhen was not pretentious; he sat down before the imperial desk, took a sip of tea, and began his conversation with the first military general he needed to reuse for his plans.

Emperor Chongzhen smiled and sat down again, saying, "I do not need to explain; I have my own reasons."

Zhu Youjian understood clearly that this was all directed at him. The ministers could not impeach the emperor, but they could impeach Lu Xiangsheng! Why was no one mentioning his misdeeds before? As soon as I promoted him, all his faults came to light! Disloyalty and unfilial behavior, eating without paying, tardiness and leaving early, violations of regulations, accepting bribes—everything was there!

Emperor Chongzhen impatiently said, "Wang Cheng'en, from now on, when I speak, you shall simply follow my orders. Otherwise, you should concisely provide your reasons. Do not make me waste my breath on every single matter."

Wang Cheng'en had just left when Zhu Youjian slammed his fist on the table, "Why didn't I think of taking precautions in advance? Wei Zhongxian's tactic of retreating to advance is indeed clever! He is already like fish on my chopping board! It would be easy for me to eliminate Wei Zhongxian, but seizing the wealth and connections he controls is another matter! Successfully completing the transfer of power is not easy! If many grassroots eunuch factions are allowed to remain, it will pose a significant hidden danger to the future path of revival!" It would be easy for me to eliminate Wei Zhongxian, but seizing the wealth and connections he controls is another matter! Successfully completing the transfer of power is not easy! If many grassroots eunuch factions are allowed to remain, it will pose a significant hidden danger to the future path of revival!

Wang Cheng'en was taken aback, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely out of the question. Where is there a precedent for an emperor burning the memorials of his ministers?"

Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "Go and carry out your duties. I am a person who values results. By the way, the funds will be directly allocated by the Grand Inner Court. Currently, the Ministry of War has no silver, and furthermore, in the next step, I will begin to reorganize the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue! Have Wang Cheng'en take one hundred thousand taels of silver from the palace treasury for you."

During the prosperous era of the Ming Dynasty under Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the role of the civil officials was indeed significant. Scholars were easier to manage than military generals, and they were capable of handling many tasks. However, as we approach the end of this era, the disadvantages have become particularly evident

Lu Xiangsheng, I have been paying attention to you for some time now. I am now issuing two imperial edicts to you. The first is to appoint you as the commander of my Imperial Guard! I intend to reform the military system of the entire nation! I will provide you with a list of the military reforms shortly, and this reform will begin with the Imperial Guard! You will be the commander of the First Division of our Great Ming Empire! The second edict is that your First Division will start its reform from the Imperial Guard's cavalry camp in the outskirts of Beijing, which has a structure of three thousand personnel. I require you to expand it to fifteen thousand cavalry, achieving a complete division structure! No empty salaries are allowed! My military reform aims to eliminate the issue of empty salaries, and every squad must maintain full staffing! Additionally, you are to select and retain the meritorious descendants based on merit; you may decide as you see fit. If you find anyone unsuitable, regardless of whose descendant they are, they must be removed from the military! I will support you, so do not have any concerns! Act boldly, and once the reorganization is complete, use the First Division as a foundation to equip it with the excellent weapons from the national treasury, and then bring out the imperial horses, as they are of no use in the palace. Furthermore, let construction begin on the Great Ming Armory next to the barracks of the First Division! The main focus will be on developing firearms and artillery!

Lu Xiangsheng felt as if ten thousand horses were galloping in his heart, a sense of pride from being entrusted with a heavy responsibility surged within him, wishing he could immediately dedicate his life and efforts to the emperor! "The trust the emperor has placed in me, I could never repay in ten lifetimes!"

The next day, the memorials for the impeachment of Lu Xiangsheng flew into the palace like snowflakes! They nearly overwhelmed the emperor's desk! They either accused Lu Xiangsheng of arbitrarily dismissing the descendants of meritorious officials or recounted his past misdeeds during his tenure in office.

Emperor Chongzhen stood up, twisted his neck, and shook his waist, performing a simple warm-up exercise. "Burn it! My words are the imperial edict. From ancient times to the present, emperors? I intend to be different from all the emperors throughout history!"

Recruitment is not actually difficult; in this day and age, as long as there is a place to eat, people will flock in droves. Zhu Youjian believes that as long as there is money, a garrison of 15,000 men in the capital region can be quickly established. However, the combat effectiveness of this army still needs to be enhanced through continuous battles.

Wei Zhongxian closed his eyes and said, "It is best to know! Is everything cleaned up? At Cui Chengxiu's house, were all his letters and records burned clean?"

Lu Xiangsheng swore to the heavens! "Your Majesty, rest assured! I understand! In fact, I have been contemplating how to resolve the issue of ghost soldiers. Now that Your Majesty's military system list has been released, I am suddenly enlightened! In the future, if there are any officers taking ghost salaries, the soldiers will be able to identify it themselves. If any squad or platoon is short of personnel, it means the officers are taking ghost salaries! I will ensure that the Imperial Cavalry is trained to be even more valiant and skilled in battle than the Guanning Cavalry! As long as Your Majesty allows me to lead the troops into battle, that will suffice."

Emperor Chongzhen read the memorials quickly and soon discovered the one that impeached Cui Chengxiu. Startled, he stood up and exclaimed, "This is not good! Immediately send someone to check on Cui Chengxiu's home!"

No one heard Zhu Youjian's soliloquy, yet Wei Zhongxian, lying in bed, seemed to have heard it

Wei Zhongxian shook his head, "Whether or not to raise suspicions is not important. What matters most is that we inform the Emperor that we do not intend to oppose him. Killing Cui Chengxiu is to demonstrate our loyalty to the Emperor! Leaving Cui Chengxiu's silver for the Emperor is to show our submission to him!"

Emperor Chongzhen spoke very quickly, expressing whatever came to his mind, writing as he spoke. By the time he said "good," two imperial edicts had already been completed in one go. He personally held the jade seal and affixed two large stamps on the two edicts. Being an emperor is far more enjoyable than being a village chief. He did not need to worry about format or writing style; the key was to clearly convey his intentions, ensuring that there was no ambiguity for those below him.

Wang Cheng'en wiped his sweat; on such a cold morning, he was already drenched in sweat because of this little emperor

"Master, everything has been taken care of!" Xu Yingyuan shrank his head, kneeling beside Wei Zhongxian's bed

Emperor Chongzhen, riding in the imperial carriage, returned to his study from the Imperial Garden, where Lu Xiangsheng was still waiting for his summons

Wang Cheng'en had a rough understanding of Emperor Chongzhen's current temperament and boldly responded.

Zhu Youjian succinctly inquired about Lu Xiangsheng's views on military and political matters. He was neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, as he was already well acquainted with Lu Xiangsheng's character and felt that there had been no significant change in him, making him worthy of further utilization

On the jade steps, the rain dances lightly, as the heavy downpour cleanses the ancient imperial city! It also purifies the hearts of the officials, for with each new emperor comes a new set of ministers, making the changing of generations a highly unstable factor