MLMD -Chapter 276 Holding Troops for One’s Own Power

September 26, Chongzhen Year Nine

The main hall of the Duke Who Guards the State’s Residence—now more properly called the Duke Who Serves the State’s Residence—was packed with officers who had rushed in from all directions. There were Shunbao from Yingzhou Prefecture, Yue Laifu from Wuli Fortress, and Hai Lou, Wu Qing, Chen Zhi, Hu Laosan, Feng Xiaoming, Wu Chengfeng, Chu Di, as well as many other officers of the rank of company commander and above, scattered throughout Hunyuan Prefecture. In all, there were no fewer than thirty or forty people.

As usual, Yue Yang sat in the seat of honor at the center of the hall. Everyone else took their places according to rank, sitting in two rows that stretched from near to far along both sides toward the main gate. Once seated, they immediately began talking among themselves.

Looking at the hall filled to the brim with people, a sense of accomplishment rose in Yue Yang’s heart. He had come to this era four years ago, and apart from firmly establishing himself in Shanxi, his greatest achievement was gathering these subordinates under his command. Today would be the true test of the results of his efforts over the past four years. With that thought, he finally smiled and spoke:

“Gentlemen, it’s truly rare for everyone to be gathered together like this today. If I remember correctly, the last time we were all together was two years ago.”

“Indeed!”

Everyone voiced their agreement. As Yue Yang’s territory expanded and the areas under his jurisdiction grew larger, his forces also swelled, and his generals and officials were each busy with their own responsibilities. It had become increasingly difficult to assemble everyone in one place.

Hu Laosan laughed and said, “My lord is right. Back in the old days, when I followed you at Wuli Fortress in the Yue Family Village, we saw each other every day. But now that your rank keeps rising, it’s hard for me to see you even once every ten days or half a month.”

As soon as Hu Laosan finished speaking, Yue Laifu glared at him. “Hu Laosan, you should be satisfied. This old man can go half a year or even a whole year without seeing the young master once!”

Glared at by the old man, Hu Laosan didn’t dare show any temper at all. He merely chuckled sheepishly, and everyone else laughed as well. Yue Laifu had served as the Yue family’s steward for half his life, and Yue Yang had practically grown up under his watch. In terms of seniority, no one present could compare to him. Even Hu Laosan, who had risen from being the head of the household guards, could only obediently accept the scolding without daring to retort.

Watching those old hands joke so familiarly, the later arrivals who had only joined Yue Yang afterward—people like Chu Di—could only look on with a hint of envy. Still, there was no real jealousy in their hearts. After all, they had joined too late; otherwise, they would not still be mere company commanders or garrison officers.

Seated at the head, Yue Yang watched as the people below either bragged loudly or whispered among themselves. He simply smiled without speaking, knowing that after so long apart, they naturally had plenty to talk about.

After some time passed, Yue Yang raised both hands slightly to press the air. “Alright, gentlemen, quiet down for a moment. If you want to reminisce, there will be plenty of time tonight. For now, I have some matters to discuss with you.”

The moment Yue Yang’s voice fell, the previously noisy hall fell silent. Everyone turned their eyes toward him.

Yue Yang opened a small box on the table beside him and took out an item, saying to the crowd, “Everyone should know what this is, right? Even if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes, you’ve surely heard of it. That’s right—this is the imperial edict bestowed upon us by His Majesty. I’ll read it aloud to you now.”

As soon as he said this, excitement immediately appeared on everyone’s faces. Especially among the officers who had gone on campaign with Yue Yang—looking at the edict in his hands, their eyes almost glowed green. And it was no wonder. They had risked their lives, heads hanging by a thread, fighting the Manchu barbarians. What were they fighting for if not promotion and wealth? If luck favored them, they could even leave some property for their descendants. One couldn’t expect lofty ideals from everyone; most people were simply that practical.

Ignoring their eager gazes, Yue Yang calmly unfolded the edict and slowly read:

“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: You are hereby promoted to the rank of Duke Who Serves the State, rewarded with two thousand taels of snow-white silver. All units under your command are to be promoted by one rank. So ordered.”

When Yue Yang finished reading, the hall fell into dead silence. After a long moment, Hu Laosan smacked his lips in confusion and asked, “My lord… that’s it?”

“That’s it.” Yue Yang spread his hands frankly, then placed the edict on the table beside him and pointed at it. “If you don’t believe it, you can come take a look yourself.”

“How can it be over just like that?” Hu Laosan froze for a moment, then suddenly jumped up and shouted, “My lord, we captured over six thousand heads! Those were real enemy heads! Not some fabricated kills or bandit heads—those were the heads of Mongol barbarians and Jianzhou Manchus! And His Majesty rewards you with nothing but a Duke Who Serves the State title and two thousand taels of silver?”

Hu Laosan’s voice was especially loud. On ordinary days, Yue Laifu might have glared at him and scolded him, but today even Yue Laifu said nothing. He merely stared with his old eyes, slowly pulled out his long-stemmed tobacco pipe, stuffed it with a pinch of tobacco, then took out a box of matches—now quite popular in Hunyuan Prefecture. With a soft scratch and a hiss of flame, he lit the tobacco and sat there, puffing away.

“Damn it, this is outright bullying!” Even the usually slick-tempered Feng Xiaoming couldn’t help cursing angrily. “We’ve heard it ourselves—those Liaodong garrisons who only followed behind us picking up scraps were rewarded with a whole pile of things by the court. Wu Sangui, that bastard, was even promoted to deputy general! Our lord rendered such great merit and ends up with this? What in the world is this damned court doing?”

Yue Yang said nothing. He simply sat quietly in his chair, coldly observing the reactions of his officers.

After a long while, a low voice sounded: “My lord, it seems the court can no longer tolerate our Yingzhou Army.”

Everyone turned to look. The speaker was Wu Qing, the deputy director of the Civil Administration Bureau.

“Deputy Director Wu,” Yue Laifu said slowly after knocking the ashes from his pipe against the sole of his shoe, “this old man hasn’t read many books and can’t see things too clearly. Explain it to everyone—how exactly is the court intolerant of us?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Wu Qing sneered. “Let me ask everyone: this time, when my lord rushed to reinforce the capital region, calling it an unparalleled achievement might be exaggerating things, but calling it a great merit is no stretch at all. Yet the court only granted my lord the title of Duke Who Serves the State. What kind of title is that? Just like Duke Who Guards the State, it’s merely a second-rank honorary military title with no real authority. My lord remains a mere brigadier general. Furthermore, the court has long-established rules: for every enemy head taken, forty taels of silver are awarded. Yet the court gave us only two thousand taels and sent us on our way. To put it bluntly, even beggars aren’t treated with such stinginess.”

Wu Qing was a genuine scholar, holding a juren degree and possessing experience from traveling the realm. On matters concerning court politics, he naturally saw far more clearly than warriors like Hu Laosan, who only knew how to fight.

“Brother Wu speaks rightly,” Chen Zhi nodded. “The ancients said: ‘The sage perceives the bud from the subtle, the end from the beginning; seeing ivory chopsticks, he fears extravagance.’ From this alone, it’s clear the court has already grown wary of my lord. This cannot be ignored. However, if I’m not mistaken, the court likely still has follow-up measures, correct?”

Yue Yang looked at Chen Zhi with some surprise. He hadn’t expected that this man, whom he had casually promoted to be a military advisor, would possess such political insight. He nodded approvingly.

“Advisor Chen is correct. The court indeed has no intention of letting us off so easily. According to news from the capital, the court has already appointed a new Xuan-Da Governor-General and a new supervising eunuch. They are Chen Xinjia and Gao Qiqian.”

The hall fell silent for a brief moment, then erupted into noise.

The hot-tempered Hu Laosan immediately shouted, “Damn their grandmothers! What exactly does this damned court want? Our Yingzhou Army achieved such extraordinary merit and not only do they refuse to reward us, they even send my lord’s sworn enemies to Shanxi. Are they trying to kill us all?”

Yue Yang’s enmity with Gao Qiqian and Chen Xinjia was no secret. Anyone with even a bit of standing in the Yingzhou Army knew of it. Hearing that the court had sent both men to Shanxi was like throwing oil on a fire.

Ignoring the uproar, Yue Yang sat calmly in his chair, observing everyone with cold eyes that flickered with an inscrutable light. He noticed that most of the generals—people like Shunbao, Hu Laosan, and Yue Laifu—were openly furious, their anger sincere and heartfelt. A smaller group showed doubt and unease, while a few were plainly panicked, their minds already in turmoil.

Watching them, Yue Yang suddenly understood why Jiang He so often liked to lurk in the shadows and observe others. There was indeed a peculiar satisfaction in quietly watching the inner worlds and changes of people from the sidelines.

“Alright, everyone, calm down, calm down!” After they had vented their emotions, Yue Yang finally slapped the table lightly. The hall quieted, and all eyes turned expectantly toward the man who had led them to where they stood today.

Meeting their gazes, Yue Yang spoke gravely, “Gentlemen, as the saying goes, ‘One who eats the ruler’s grain must serve the ruler’s affairs.’ By rights, since we are officials of the Great Ming, we should be loyal to the dynasty, to the court, and to His Majesty. Isn’t that correct?”

“Uh…”

Everyone was momentarily stunned, unsure why Yue Yang was saying this now.

Seeing their reactions, Yue Yang smiled faintly and continued, “But then again, I, Yue, have served as an official for over four years, yet I have never received a single coin of salary from the court, nor spent a single tael of court silver. As for your own stipends and land—do you know who actually provides them to you?”

The crowd exchanged glances. Who didn’t know that the court was so poor it was nearly selling its trousers? Even the meager salaries of capital officials were often in arrears, let alone stipends and land for military officers like them, who were neither loved nor valued. The one paying them was naturally the Lord Yue standing before them.

With eyes blazing, Yue Yang said loudly, “Let me be blunt. Do you know how much grain and silver our Shanxi Northern Route has turned over to the court each year in recent times? Just last year alone, we handed in two million dan of grain and three hundred thousand taels of silver. Tell me—what other prefecture in the entire Ming dynasty has contributed more than we have? And how has the court treated us in return? In this campaign, we lost over five hundred soldiers and expended untold amounts of money and supplies. What did we get back? Two thousand taels of silver and a flimsy edict saying everyone is promoted by one rank. There isn’t even a single tael for the fallen soldiers’ compensation! If this gets back to the troops, how can their hearts not grow cold?”

At these words, many eyes in the hall reddened. Most of those present commanded troops themselves and knew all too well that soldiers lived with their lives on the line. Denying rewards to the living was one thing, but offering no explanation or compensation for the dead was simply unforgivable.

“The court doesn’t need to say it—I know their intentions,” Yue Yang continued. “Once Chen Xinjia and Gao Qiqian arrive in Shanxi, they will gradually strip away my military authority. Next, they’ll have people encroach upon my industries, then slowly dilute the Yingzhou Army by mixing in outsiders. In no more than two years, the Yingzhou Army will likely become history. And once it’s gone, you all know what kind of end awaits you. Is that the outcome you want?”

His voice was not loud, yet it startled everyone. Indeed, life in the Shanxi Northern Route had been exceedingly comfortable. Corruption and bribery were forbidden, yes—but salaries were high. Even a minor clerk earned two taels of silver and three shi of grain a month, enough to support a family of five. On top of that, at year’s end Lord Yue always distributed generous rewards—calling them “year-end bonuses”—along with grain, oil, and various other goods. Such living standards were utterly unique in the entire Ming dynasty. As for officers of company commander rank and above, there was even less to say—their monthly stipends and grain alone allowed them to live in comfort.

No one doubted that if Yue Yang were toppled by the court, their good days would be over. They knew the faces of court officials all too well—experts at squeezing silver, but utterly unwilling to continue providing such generous pay and benefits. Expecting that would be harder than hoping pies would fall from the sky.

“My lord, you don’t need to say any more!” A voice rang out in the hall. “The people of the Northern Route have only just begun to enjoy a few peaceful days, yet some refuse to let us live. Then we’ll fight them to the end! Just say the word—what do you want us to do?”

Yue Yang looked over and couldn’t help but feel a flicker of surprise. The first to declare loyalty was unexpectedly Chu Di, a company commander who had only joined him a little over two years ago.

Under everyone’s astonished gazes, Chu Di straightened his chest and shouted passionately, “I may not have read many books, but I know this much: everything I have today was given by my lord. Whoever opposes my lord is my enemy, and I’ll fight him to the death!”

“Heh… what a bootlicker!” Chu Di’s words drew scornful looks from quite a few people, though others secretly regretted it—this was the perfect moment to pledge loyalty, and this fellow had snatched the chance first.

Chu Di had only come under Yue Yang’s command after Yue Yang arrived in Hunyuan Prefecture. He did have some talent for command, but having joined too late, he couldn’t compare to core members like Shunbao or Hu Laosan from Yue Family Village, nor even to men like Feng Xiaoming or Wu Chengfeng from military households.

Yet when Yue Yang read out the imperial edict earlier, Chu Di’s quick mind immediately realized his opportunity had arrived. The court was already in clear decline—this he had seen long ago. What future could a court have that couldn’t even pay its officials’ salaries? If one wanted to rise in the world, one had to cling tightly to a powerful patron. Looking across the Ming realm, whose thigh was thicker than Yue Yang’s—rich in money, strong in troops, and vast in territory? If he didn’t flatter now, when would he?

With someone taking the lead, declarations of loyalty naturally followed one after another. Everyone present understood that Yue Yang’s brand was already burned deeply into them; there was no washing it off in this lifetime. Their only choice was to follow Yue Yang to the end. Moreover, over time they had already formed an interest group centered on Yue Yang. Without him, everything they had would soon vanish.

As the ancients said, cutting off someone’s livelihood is like killing their parents. Now that someone wanted to smash their rice bowls, they could hardly be blamed for striking back.

Seeing the hall filled with boiling emotions and deafening voices, Yue Yang knew the matter was settled. He knocked on the table again, signaling everyone to quiet down.

“Gentlemen, since some people refuse to leave us a way to live, then we’ll have to find our own.” A cold smile appeared on Yue Yang’s face. “Lord Hai, starting today, all grain taxes and commercial taxes we pay to the court—stop them all. Not a single grain goes to them!”

“Yes!” Hai Lou answered loudly.

Then Yue Yang turned to Shunbao. “Shunbao, you are now the garrison commander of Yingzhou Prefecture. The factories and mines of Yingzhou and Wuli Fortress are our foundation. Nothing must go wrong. If anyone dares lay a hand on them, you chop that hand off. Understood?”

“Got it, young master. Don’t worry,” Shunbao bared his teeth in a grin, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. “I’ll guard your property tight. Anyone who dares mess with it—I’ll chop off his hand.”

“And one more thing,” Yue Yang continued, turning his gaze to Hu Laosan. “That ten thousand new recruits—you need to train them as fast as possible. I’ve figured it out now: only with troops in hand can we live in peace. Otherwise, one day the court might send a squad of imperial agents to drag our entire families to the capital in chains.”

At this point, how could anyone fail to understand Yue Yang’s meaning? This was no different from holding troops and consolidating power for oneself.