The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty

Tang Hao succeeded.

His Majesty the Emperor officially rebuilt the five prefectures.

It is not appropriate to say that it was rebuilt, because the five prefectures still existed, and they were just in name only before.

The Five Military Governors' Offices were responsible for the various guards in Beijing except the Imperial Army Command and the various Dusi guards outside. Their main responsibilities were to lead the army in battle, train the army, manage the garrison, manage the military register, select generals, etc.

All matters related to the succession, preferential treatment, and preferential treatment of military officials, officials, and local officials were reported to the office, which then forwarded them to the Ministry of War for selection. After the selection, the office sent them to the Dusi guards. The selection and granting of the chief officials were all handled by the Ministry of Personnel.

Other matters such as military officer edicts, training of naval, land, infantry and cavalry, army clean-up and replacement, salary, garrison fees and garrison equipment, boats and vehicles, military information, border maps and documents, firewood, charcoal and reeds, etc., were transferred to relevant institutions for joint processing. Each government only had the power to command troops, and the power to mobilize troops was in the Ministry of War. Whenever a war broke out, the emperor would order a general to lead the soldiers of the garrisons under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Governor's Office to go to war with seals. When the army returned, the seals would be returned to the court and the soldiers would return to the garrisons.

In short, the Five Governments themselves were a military institution dedicated to serving military officers and soldiers, especially the Five Governments were in charge of the appointment, dismissal and promotion of military officers and nobles, and had the qualification to recommend them, and cooperated with the six ministries and hundreds of departments to maintain the normal operation of the court.

This was the significance of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's establishment of the Five Military Governor's Office.

Tang Hao led the new governors into the Five Government Offices, and then sat on the main seat without any hesitation.

Then came the high-ranking military honors such as Duke of Ying, Zhang Mao, Duke of Baoguo, Zhu Hui, who also had the status of governors, and then Qiu Yue, An Guo, Chang Kuohai and others. Tang Mu was still guarding Jeju Island at this moment, waiting for the Korean side to agree to trade in the East China Sea.

Tang Hao glanced at everyone and then began to arrange the tasks.

"Don't be happy yet."

"We don't know whether the Ministry of War will interfere!"

This sentence directly poured cold water on everyone, and the previous joy turned into worry.

They have witnessed the methods of civil officials and gentry with their own eyes.

Even if His Majesty the Emperor opened his mouth to rebuild the five government offices, I am afraid that the civil officials and gentry will not hand over the power in their hands so obediently, and the first to bear the brunt is the Ministry of War.

"The next thing we have to do is to take back the authority that the five government offices should have one by one."

Leading the army to fight is a special case. Only when encountering a war, the emperor will order the general to lead the soldiers of the guards under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Governor's Office to go to war with seals.

Training the army is a special task assigned by the court. For example, in the 19th year of Hongwu, the emperor ordered Shang Huo, the deputy governor of the former military governor's office, to go to Henan and Shandong to train military horses. This special task also includes other matters such as engineering construction, local farming, recruiting soldiers, and military food transportation, all of which serve the war.

So apart from these two, the basic powers of the five offices are mainly in the latter three items.

"The first step is to seize the farming!"

Tang Hao looked at Ma Yong and Deng Boyan.

"The farming is the guarantee of the interests of the army."

"Military farming can ensure the interests of the soldiers, and most of the military farming in the world today is occupied by powerful gentry, so I hope you can pay close attention to this matter. This marquis will ask His Majesty the Emperor for permission to appoint you to tour the country to investigate the military farming. No matter who dares to occupy the military farming land, either return the land or confiscate the property. Do you understand?"

Ma Yong and Deng Boyan hurriedly bowed and accepted the order without any objection.

The two of them were able to be conferred the title of marquis this time, all thanks to the merits of the Marquis of Zhongshan. This marquis is a hereditary marquis, not just a random person!

From now on, the two of them can be regarded as entering the core layer of the central power of the Ming Dynasty, enough to bring honor to their ancestors.

Ma Yong is okay, after all, their family has no previous inheritance, but Deng Boyan is different. He is the descendant of the famous general Deng Yu.

Deng Yu was born with a strong body and extraordinary courage. At the age of sixteen, he led his troops to fight against the Yuan Dynasty. Later, he led more than 10,000 troops from Xuyi to join the Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. Taizu gave him the name Deng Yu.

Later, this famous general followed Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang across the Yangtze River, conquered Taiping and Jiqing, and directly took Zhenjiang. He made many military exploits and was promoted to Marshal of Guangxing Wing. Later, he moved to western Zhejiang and defeated the Yuan army many times. He accumulated military merits and was promoted many times. He served as the deputy acting Privy Council, the assistant governor of Jiangxi Province, the right chancellor of Jiangxi Province, the Pingzhang of Huguang Province, the right imperial doctor, and the right entrustor of the prince.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Deng Yu followed Xu Da in the expedition to Gansu, defeated the Northern Yuan army, and surrendered the Tubo and U-Tsang tribes. He was promoted to Ronglu Doctor, Right Pillar of the State, and Duke of Weiguo. Later, he died of illness in Shouchun in the tenth year of Hongwu. He was posthumously named King of Ninghe, posthumously named Wushun, and was honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

To be honest, Deng Yu's achievements are undoubtedly among the top ones among the famous generals of the founding of the country.

The old Deng family was also ranked among the Duke families because of Deng Yu's founding contributions. His descendants inherited the title from generation to generation, and it can be said that they reached the peak of their lives.

However, when it was passed down to the second generation, Deng Yu's son Deng Zhen inherited the title of Duke of Shen Guo, he was implicated by Li Shanchang. Deng Zhen was killed because he was his grandson-in-law who took away the title.

So far, the Duke of Weiguo has been passed down from generation to generation; the Duke of Shen Guo has been passed down from generation to generation, and the old Deng family has completely lost the title.

Until this moment, because of the strong support of Zhongshan Hou, Deng Boyan was able to be awarded the title of Jining Hou for his contribution to the suppression of the Japanese country, which is of great significance to him.

Therefore, even now, Deng Boyan's eyes were red, and his eyes were full of enthusiasm when he looked at Tang Hao.

The matter of farming was handed over to Ma Yong and Deng Boyan, and Tang Hao could rest assured for the time being.

The second thing was the management of military registration, and Tang Hao looked at Qiu Yue and Zhang Mao.

"Grandfather, I think you have to take care of the military registration yourself."

"I will personally go to Yang Yiqing and ask for the military registration of each capital's garrison. Then Qiu Yue will be responsible for checking the military registration of these garrison. Tianci and Jizu will cooperate with you to find out those black sheep, whether they are falsely receiving empty pay or If you can’t hide it and don’t report it, we must find out the specific military strength of each department!”

Qiu Yue nodded subconsciously, and then looked at the old Duke Zhang Mao.

Naturally, it is better to leave this matter of sorting out military records to the old guy. He is idle anyway, not to mention that he has also been in charge of the scholar's work of compiling history before, so he has rich experience.

Zhang Mao glared at Tang Hao angrily and even arrested his young man. This grandson-in-law really didn't respect his elders at all.

But he can also understand that after all, the five mansions are now short of people, especially people who can take charge of themselves.

For example, Ma Yong and Deng Boyan are all young warriors trained by Tang Hao on the battlefield. When it comes to military merit, it is still almost meaningless, not to mention their qualifications. Therefore, they still need veteran nobles like them to take charge. Reassuring.

At least Zhang Mao, Zhu Hui and others also felt Tang Hao's respect for them and did not directly ignore their established honors.

Then came the last item, the selection of generals.

"The list of meritorious soldiers this time, including several previous battles, etc., you should draw up a detailed list as soon as possible. I am responsible for negotiating with the officials. It is best to earn a position of guard officer for these men. Each capital department needs to place them. Into our own people.”

"Rebuilding the Five Prefectures is not as simple as having only one center. All the governors in the world must obey the orders of the Five Prefectures and recognize the leadership of the Five Prefectures. Otherwise, it will be meaningless for us to rebuild the Five Prefectures!"

Everyone nodded after hearing this, as it should be.

In the past, the five government offices were in vain, and civil servants and gentry had already put their hands into the local guards.

For example, Bian Xiong, the commander-in-chief of Shandong Province, came from a family of officials. With the help of the Hejian Bian family behind him, he climbed to the high position of commander-in-chief of Shandong Province step by step. Later, he colluded with civil servants and gentry for corruption and profit. They even secretly conducted smuggling trade with Japanese pirates.

Finally, Tang Hao looked at his confidants.

"After today, most of you will have your own responsibilities, either on your own or guarding one side."

"Whether it's a title or a general, this is what you all deserve after following me for so many years in the north and south. But there is one thing I hope you will remember. Don't forget your original intention and don't collude with the gentry. Otherwise, don't blame me for not cherishing old friendships. !”

What is your original intention?

Naturally, defeat the gentry and the gentry!

This is a red line that Tang Hao cannot tolerate.

He didn't want the martial arts he had brought out to collude with the gentry and gentry just for the sake of financial gain when they had just become promising!

If someone really did this, Tang Hao wouldn't mind and would kill him with his own hands!

All the martial artists nodded subconsciously and kept this matter in mind.

"The days are still long!"

"The Northern Barbarians have not been pacified yet, we still need to work hard!"

"I don't want to see any of you missing when I send troops to the North in the future!"

After hearing this, all the generals were filled with enthusiasm, and they all looked at Marquis Zhongshan enthusiastically.

Perhaps, following Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao was the most correct choice they made in their lives!

At this time, someone came to report, and Yang Yiqing, the Minister of War, came in person.

Tang Hao's mouth twitched when he heard this, but he still wanted to see him.

After all, no matter what, if the Fifth Mansion wants to rebuild, it still depends on what the Grand Sima wants.

If people are determined to interfere with it, they will be in big trouble.

Soon everyone realized what was going on and left, going about their respective tasks.

Tang Hao met with Yang Yiqing, Minister of the Ministry of War, in the duty room of the Yamen Office. The Grand Sima walked in with a livid face.

"I want tea!"

"No!"

"Tang Hao, you idiot!"

"This really doesn't happen!"

Tang Hao spread his hands helplessly.

"The fifth mansion has just been rebuilt and there is nothing. It's not that I don't give you something to drink!"

Hearing this, Yang Yiqing sighed and sat down silently.

"Are you really planning to rebuild the Five Palaces?"

"I think you know the civil war before civil engineering. Why do you have to do this?"

In the battle between the Fu and the Ministry, the Fu is the Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies, and the Ministry is the Ministry of War, one of the six departments.

Both the Hongwu and Yongle dynasties emphasized martial arts over literature. After all, affected by the war, military officers and nobles played a more important role.

After Yongle, the Renxuan dynasties stopped their armies and started a truce, and the military officers and nobles lost their role. Previously, Emperor Taizongwen Zhu Di established a cabinet, military power was restricted, and he also lost the power to mobilize troops, while Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji of the Ming Dynasty After his death, the cabinet took part of the military power into the hands of the cabinet on the grounds that Ming Yingzong was young, and the cabinet supervised the six ministries. Naturally, the Ministry of War benefited a lot from this. After tasting the sweetness of controlling military power, the Ministry of War naturally had greater ambitions. , that is to gain more military power, and even seek to control military power.

A great opportunity came immediately, the Tumu Fortress Revolution. Under the leadership of Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen and Quanhuan Wang Zhen, the elites accumulated by the Ming Dynasty for decades came out in full force and accompanied the emperor on his own expedition.

This naturally includes several important figures in the army, that is, several important generals and military officers who could still control the army at that time, namely, the Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu, headed by Taining Marquis Chen Ying, the son-in-law of the emperor, Jing Yuan, Pingxiang Bo Chen Huai, Xiangcheng Bo Li Zhen, and the 200,000 elite troops they built and led were eventually annihilated in Tumubao because of Wang Zhen's random command.

Next was the Battle of Beijing. The capital was empty, the Five Military Governor's Office existed in name only, and the Ministry of War held the power to mobilize troops. Yu Qian was ordered to mobilize the guards from Zhili and Shandong to set up a strong defense line near Beijing, and finally repelled Yesen's Wala cavalry and defended half of the Ming Dynasty.

Since then, the selection and appointment of guard officials, the training of guards, and even the garrison and border defense have all been under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War. Since the Five Military Commandery was an ancestral system, the Ministry of War still gave them some face symbolically, allowing them to nominally manage the military household registration and military farming, but in fact they had no real power. In short, they were in name only.

"The dispute between the government and the ministry is actually a dispute between civil and military officials."

Tang Hao took over the conversation and said: "There have been civil and military disputes in the court of every dynasty, which is normal and healthy."

"So even if there is a dispute between the government and the ministry, it is not a big problem, but if the five governments are abolished, the military generals and nobles will also be abolished. What will be the result?"

"What will be the result if the civil officials and gentry control the government and hold power?"

What is the result?

Someone has said it long ago.

The military and civilians in the world are poor, and the people are poor and penniless!

This is the result of the civil officials and gentry controlling the government!

Yang Yiqing also understands this truth.

It is nothing more than that the gentry and gentry have seized too much of the people's benefits and embezzled too much of the country's benefits, so this dilemma has arisen.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I am worried that you will act rashly and destroy the current situation."

"The Ming Dynasty can't stand the turmoil now!"

Tang Hao sighed in his heart when he heard this.

Of course, he knew that Yang Yiqing was not a corrupt official. On the contrary, he always took the righteousness of the country as his own responsibility.

The two seemed to be incompatible with each other on weekdays, but they all had a common goal, hoping that the Ming Dynasty could get back on track. This was the basis for the two to sit down and talk at this moment.

"In fact, it is simple, that is, to rebuild the five prefectures, ensure the interests of the generals and soldiers, so as to inspire the soldiers of the three armies and restore the combat effectiveness of the guards."

"The civil officials and gentry controlled the government, and they tried every means to weaken the combat effectiveness of the Ming army. In addition, they deliberately suppressed the promotion of military generals and nobles. The soldiers saw that there was no hope of promotion and the rewards were pitifully small. Who would be willing to fight for the Ming Dynasty? The combat effectiveness is getting worse and worse, which is the norm!"

Yang Yiqing couldn't refute this point.

He was once the general commander of the three frontiers, and was very familiar with the nine frontier military towns.

Because of the deliberate suppression by civil officials and gentry, military equipment and supplies were of inferior quality, and money and military pay were often not paid on time, so the soldiers of the nine frontiers had long been dissatisfied with the court, and instead supported the generals of these military towns.

At least the generals can ensure our interests, while the court does not care about our lives, this is what people want.

If this continues, the nine frontiers will definitely be in chaos, and even separatist vassal towns similar to the Mu family in Yunnan will appear!

"The reason why I rebuilt the five prefectures is to let the soldiers see hope again."

"The five prefectures will ensure their interests, guarantee rewards for meritorious service, and pensions for death in battle, so that the soldiers of the three armies will be loyal to the court."

"If we continue to let the civil officials and gentry do this, it will sooner or later lead to a mutiny. The soldiers of the world, whether they are guards or border troops, have lost hope in the court and are dissatisfied with the court. The demise of the Ming Dynasty is not far away!"

Tang Hao looked at Yang Yiqing with a serious expression.

"Da Sima, you have led soldiers and fought in wars. I think you know in your heart how difficult the situation of the lower-level soldiers is."

"Such a Ming Dynasty can only shrink within the Great Wall forever, facing the looting and harassment of Mongolian barbarians, and will never have the capital and confidence to go out of the border."

"Because the soldiers have no military spirit, they are unwilling to fight for the Ming Dynasty!"

You can't even guarantee the most basic interests of the soldiers, and you can't even guarantee the pensions of the soldiers after their death. Who is willing to fight for you?

Yang Yiqing nodded in silence, and then asked the question again.

"Tell me about your measures!"

"If it is reasonable, I will try my best to cooperate."

Tang Hao nodded and told his plan.

"The first step is to seize the military farms."

"Military farms are the guarantee for soldiers to support their families, but they have long been occupied by the gentry, the rich and powerful. I intend to take back these military farms first. No matter who it is, they must either return the land or confiscate their property!"

"Yes!" Yang Yiqing nodded.

Military farm land is the foundation of the garrison troops' livelihood.

The garrison troops are three-tenths of farming and seven-tenths of garrison land. How can they support their families without land?

"The second step is to clear the military!"

"Because of the corruption and occupation of the officers in the garrisons, a large number of them have fled, and these officers took the opportunity to embezzle the salary. I intend to take this opportunity to clear out a group of officers in the garrisons and kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and then place the meritorious soldiers in these garrisons!"

Yang Yiqing looked at Tang Hao deeply.

"Does your majesty know?"

To put it bluntly, what Tang Hao did was equivalent to placing his followers!

"Of course!"

Tang Hao naturally heard the hidden meaning of Yang Yiqing's words.

"Grand Marshal, rest assured. This time, all matters related to the reconstruction of the five prefectures have been carefully discussed with His Majesty."

In this case, there is nothing to say.

Anyway, His Majesty the Emperor trusts this Marquis Zhongshan very much and is willing to hand over the Tianxia Dusi to the Marquis Zhongshan. Yang Yiqing is too lazy to be the bad guy and anger His Majesty the Emperor for no reason.

"The third step is to build military garrisons in the nine borders."

"I intend to take some measures to boost the morale of the soldiers and civilians in the nine borders, at least to let them see that His Majesty the Emperor has always remembered them."

"For example, those refugees who were rescued after being abducted, if they have no parents or wives, will be directly recruited into the army and summoned to kill the bandits; those who have family property will still follow the Ning family. Those who are willing to join the Ning family first will be directly recruited into the army..."

"You can also recruit indigenous soldiers in the nine borders to assist the officers and soldiers in killing the enemy. The principle is that those who are willing to serve will be verified for their age, and each person will be given three taels of silver and horses and equipment, and organized into a team Cooperate with the government troops to kill the bandits, and those who have made contributions will be promoted and rewarded as usual. Those who return to farming after the matter is settled, and those who wish to stay will be named as guards, and will be given one stone of grain per month, and will be removed when they are old..."

"In addition, rewards and punishments should be clearly defined. Soldiers and civilians in border towns who behead the enemy at the first level will be given 30 taels of silver, and those who wish to be promoted will be promoted as usual. The rest of the people will be given a hat and belt, and will be called a volunteer, and their corvée will be restored. If the villagers are gathered to behead more than five levels, the leader will be promoted to the office of pacification, and those who take back the captured heads and livestock will be rewarded with four tenths. The matter will not be stopped as an exception..."

Tang Hao and Yang Yiqing talked for a long time. When the conversation ended, it was dark.

Yang Yiqing looked at the Marquis of Zhongshan with a complicated expression, then nodded and shook his head.

"Marquis Tang, don't let down your majesty's trust!"

"The Ministry of War will fully cooperate with you!"