Chapter 893: Military Household Officials

Since he was out today with the officials from the Ministry of War, and having asked all the necessary questions and seen all the relevant people, Zhang Yue naturally couldn’t just stay and free-ride on others’ meals. After sitting for a while, he bid farewell to Xu Kuo. Back in his private room, he found the table completely empty—no dishes in sight. Those who had earlier claimed to be so hungry they could eat an entire cow now sat upright, relieved to see him return.
“Sir, you’re finally back!”
Hearing this pitiful voice, Zhang Yue immediately turned around. It was an officer from the Armory Department, around his age and known for telling jokes. He found it strange: “Didn’t I tell Shuzhen to tell you not to wait for me? Why are you still waiting here? You weren’t so polite before—every time I left, everything was in disarray.”
“Times have changed. Now, sir is the real head of our Ministry of War—how can we be so disrespectful?” Cui Fanzhi emphasized those words. Seeing Zhang Yue’s skeptical look, he shrugged and said, “It wasn’t my idea. They were the ones being disrespectful. They said they wanted to bet whether you’d eat with Lord Xu… But overall, that’s really what they meant. With no one willing to pay, we subordinates just ate and drank recklessly.”
Although most of the six ministries had new heads, the ministers and vice-ministers in other departments were all quite old. Zhang Yue, on the other hand, was young and didn’t like to maintain a stern attitude to keep distance from his subordinates. So when someone joked with him, he didn’t mind. Thus, he chose to ignore the betting matter and quickly ordered the staff to serve food. Soon, a variety of dishes filled the table, dazzling most of the poor officials in the capital.
After the capital was moved, prices had risen by far more than 10%, yet the salaries of the officials had decreased. After all, paper money was becoming increasingly worthless. Even Hu Jie, the Minister of Rites who also handled affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, proposed drastically reducing the conversion rate of rice to paper money—from 25 guan per dan of rice to 15 guan. As a result, most officials lived alone, while those with families faced even harder times. The officials of the Ministry of War could afford to dine out thanks to holiday allowances and Zhang Yue’s occasional hospitality.

At this moment, a dozen or so people were reaching for the delicious dishes on the table with their chopsticks, while others were trying to figure out the origin of each dish. It was the first time Zhang Yue was eating with Zhu Zhanji. Although he found the food delicious, he didn’t pay much attention to the number of dishes. Now that he was the host, he naturally had fewer concerns. Among all the dishes on the table, there were four different ways of cooking carp alone, plus crucian carp, white fish, green fish, and so on. There were soups, braised dishes, and steamed dishes—all extremely delicious. However, no one touched the two plates of vegetables that Zhang Yue had ordered specifically to cut through the greasiness. In Shi An’s words of resignation, “If one doesn’t eat two bowls of vegetables every day, then why bother eating them now?”

After a full meal, Zhang Yue saw that some of the satisfied guests were patting their stomachs, some were stretching lazily with smiles, and some were licking their lips, still wanting more. He could only cough lightly and then put away his smiling face.

“You must have heard about what happened at the Hongwen Pavilion this morning. After finishing your tasks at the yamen, come to the back hall at the hour of Shen. I have something to tell you. Everyone is invited, not just the heads of various departments!”

Officials often had to hold meetings, something inevitable throughout history. Nowadays, in addition to daily court meetings and regular yamen meetings, departments also frequently held meetings to discuss various matters, so they had grown accustomed to this. But the regular meetings of the Ministry of War usually involved only the four department heads plus Zhang Yue—five people in total. It was rare to need to gather everyone together. So, for a moment, everyone looked at each other, agreeing in principle but also feeling puzzled.

Since one person from each department remained on duty at the yamen, Zhang Yue had already instructed the staff to prepare a few more dishes and send them to the Ministry of War. Since it was a meal prepared specifically to welcome officials, and a certain restaurant by Yuhe Middle Bridge had become famous for its takeout, the owner and staff had no objections. In fact, hearing the words “Ministry of War” and recalling Xu Kuo’s casual remark when he left gave them some ideas. As Zhang Yue’s group went downstairs, the owner and several staff members gathered around them. Several pairs of eyes scanned everyone’s faces, until finally the owner came up to Zhang Yue, rubbing his hands together.

“Sir, if you’re still satisfied with our all-fish banquet, why not leave a note? Consider this meal a treat from our shop. Next time you come, we’ll surely serve you even better.”

Staring at the shopkeeper, Zhang Yue immediately thought of the inscription “the freshest on All Ages Festival” and guessed that this man must have been in high spirits at the time. Coupled with the free meal and future discounts promised, he had written such an inscription with a bold stroke—of course, although court officials were poor, they had various ways to make money and didn’t need to sell their handwriting. It was just that this guy from All Ages Festival had a different temperament. So he waved for the two attendants waiting below, saw them pay the bill with a stack of brand-new gold coins, and the shopkeeper looked rather disappointed, but he paid no further attention.

His handwriting wasn’t as effortless as Wan Shijie’s, and if he dared to be so ostentatious, the censors would surely impeach him!

After the meal, those who returned to the yamen went their separate ways, and those staying inside also had a full meal. Thus, after the Wu hour, the various offices fell silent, with only the footsteps of clerks coming and going and occasional other noises. By the Shen hour, the standard time for leaving work, everyone gathered in the second hall of the Ministry of War.

The main hall of the Ministry of War was where military officers returned to the capital to pay respects and take up their posts. As a vice minister, Zhang Yue rarely used this place and mostly held meetings in the second hall. Now that everyone was present, he spoke up, “Even if you weren’t there this morning for the matter at the Hongwen Pavilion, you should know what happened. I’ve called you here today to discuss it.”

The four departments of the Ministry of War—Geography, Armory, Military Selection, and Carriages—had all had officials under Zhang Yue’s supervision as a junior official. Over the years, there had been little change in personnel, only occasional transfers among them. He had never interfered with the Military Selection department, but due to previous chaos, new people had been appointed, making things much smoother. Although the Carriages department was the least prominent, it was responsible for the defense of the imperial city and played a crucial role during times of unrest in the palace, naturally bringing it closer to Zhang Yue. So, although the Ministry of War wasn’t entirely under Zhang Yue’s control, years of subtle influence had made it highly aligned with him.

“Your Excellency, I wonder if the military examinations you mentioned are not really about military skills, nor even about military officers, but rather about military households?” asked Jin Cheng’an, the new head of the Military Selection department. In his early forties, he was the oldest among the gathered officials. Moreover, although the Military Selection department was ranked below Geography, it held the highest real power, so it was only fitting that he ask the question. As a result, the others, who were already skeptical, didn’t say anything further.

“You’re right. Their status is indeed that of military households.” Since joining the Ministry of War, Zhang Yue had first worked in the Armory Department and then in the Military Affairs Department. He had been to Xinghe, accompanied on northern expeditions and inspections, and had also served as the governor of Guangdong. His understanding of military households was certainly no worse than that of those who had been in the ministry for decades. At this moment, he nodded slightly and sighed again. “Regardless of how long one has been in the ministry, everyone should know that military households today are far inferior to those during the Hongwu era. Back then, each military household only had to provide one able-bodied man for military service, but now often two or even three or four men are required to serve. The burden on them is heavier than anyone else’s. Why is that? During the Hongwu era, wars were ongoing, so the military households listed in the Yellow Register were sufficient. But in this peaceful era, why do we need to keep replenishing the ranks of military households? It’s simply because the burden is too heavy, which is why more and more of them flee!” Zhang Yue raised his voice suddenly. Seeing that few in the room remained unmoved, he felt relieved. He took a sip of tea to calm himself down before continuing slowly, “Back then, the Yellow Register classified the people of the country into civilian households, military households, artisan households, stovekeepers, and so on, all to ensure people could focus on their livelihoods. It wasn’t to treat those outside civilian households as inferiors. But what’s the situation now? Artisan households are treated like slaves, stovekeepers are exploited, military households flee due to the unbearable burden of service, and the others also struggle to make ends meet. Civilian households hardly marry into these families, effectively treating them as inferiors. If that’s the case, how can we expect military households to contribute to border defense or warfare?” “But at the beginning of the emperor’s reign, a general amnesty was issued, reducing the heavy burdens on military households, ordering that only one man per household should serve in the army.” As soon as the speaker finished speaking, Cui Fanzhi’s rebuttal came from the side: “The court issued such an edict, but implementing it on the ground is not so easy. From what I know, what you said is correct. I spent several years in the Armory Department and once personally went to replenish the ranks of soldiers. There was even a family of four men who were all conscripted as military households. All that was left in that family was an old mother too weak to walk. Although I left her some money before leaving, I doubt she will live much longer.”

Having been in officialdom for so long, most people forget concepts like benevolence, morality, propriety, and integrity. Yet these officials from the Ministry of War were still in their prime, full of vigor, so they fell silent upon hearing this. Zhang Yue then said calmly, “Most of what Fan Zhi mentioned is actually due to the fact that the garrison posts are too far away. In our dynasty, military households are often transferred from the south to the north and vice versa as a preventive measure—this isn’t wrong. But the shortage of troops in these garrison posts mostly stems from this!” He paused before adding solemnly, “Every year, military households are relocated—from Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, and Beizhili to remote southern regions like Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hainan; and from Guangdong, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Huguang, Zhejiang, and Nanzhili to northern border areas like Shaanxi and Liaodong. The first problem is acclimatization—southerners die from the cold, while northerners die from malarial diseases. The second problem is that the garrison posts are often thousands of miles away from their homes. The journey is arduous, and they have to bear the costs themselves. Many die along the way, and even fewer arrive at the garrison posts—less than one-tenth or one-twelfth! For this reason, a military household often has to apply repeatedly, in a cycle that goes on and on. How can the military system not deteriorate?” At that moment, the others looked at each other, and Shi An spoke up, “Sir, do you intend to improve the status of military households through the military examination system? But since the problems are deeply rooted, achieving results likely won’t happen in just a day or two.” “Are the problems deep now, or have they accumulated over ten, twenty, or even fifty, a hundred years? The emperor is in his prime and determined to address these issues, so it’s our duty to offer suggestions!” Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Zhang Yue smiled and said, “That’s why I’ve gathered everyone here today—to pool our wisdom. The military examinations are just an excuse. Let them argue. What we need to do now is sort out these details one by one.” Since their superior had spoken thus, the others naturally stood up and agreed. After more discussions, when everyone left, Cui Fanzhi, Chen Yong, and Shi An stayed behind. Unlike Chen Yong and Shi An, whom Zhang Yue had met during the campaign in Jiaozhi, Cui Fanzhi had worked with Zhang Yue for many years, so his questions were straightforward. “Sir, aren’t you worried that so many people will find out, and once the news spreads, some will try to exploit it?”

“This is something that needs to be done; it’s better to give some hints in advance than to cause anger when the time comes. Besides, it wasn’t me who proposed this—Yang the Grand Secretary had already mentioned it to me before. After all, he holds the position of Minister of War and has been in the court for many years, so his understanding of these matters must be more thorough than mine. There are still a few unresolved issues in the cabinet, so naturally we took on the matters related to the Ministry of War.”
At this point, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but glance at the three trusted aides present, and once again he missed Wan Shijie, who hadn’t returned yet—Nurhacan was even colder than Beijing. Could that guy endure it? On the other hand, once Wan Shijie returned, Zhang Qi would likely set off again. As he had promised from the start, such a tough assignment in Liaodong wasn’t popular among others, so it was actually a blessing in disguise for Zhang Qi, who even received two promotions at once. After all, positions in the capital were truly the most sought-after.
After that conversation, the three of them returned to their respective offices to handle their tasks, while Zhang Yue, back in his room, soon had Hu Qi summoned. After asking a few questions about the interrogation of those two suspects, he found little new information. After pondering for a moment, he said calmly, “The Empress Dowager is almost recovered. Doctor He will surely leave the palace with a generous reward. By then, go and investigate the relationship between the King of Yue and that Doctor He.”
Though it was just a simple sentence, Hu Qi was shocked upon hearing it.
The King of Yue? The emperor’s full brother, the second son of Emperor Renzong—the King of Yue?