Chapter 827: Corruption in Military Selections – It Must Be Addressed

With the emperor leading troops abroad, various reports kept arriving along the way. Tongzhou, Sanhe, Jizhou, Zunhua… The army marched 80 to 100 li per day, and all details were compiled and reported to Empress Dowager Zhang in Renshou Palace. Major national affairs were summarized by the Six Ministries and sent to the emperor via fast horses. Although Zhu Zhanji was no longer the kind of emperor who would execute people for delayed reports, and there was no regent prince in the country, Yang Shiji, who had experienced five dynasties, naturally would not neglect such matters. He also had to oversee the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of War, whose officials were in charge while their superiors were away.

Yang Shiji believed that since the Ministry of Personnel was responsible for appointments, it should be headed by someone with both experience and prestige to gain public trust. Thus, he opposed Guo Qin taking over as minister, so Guo Qin continued to act as the left vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel. With Jian Yi absent and Yang Shiji having many doubts about him, Guo Qin became even more cautious. As it was the time for biannual appointments, aside from ministers, vice ministers, and grand secretaries appointed by imperial decree, all other officials were nominated by the ministry officials. The Ministry of Personnel was extremely busy, leaving Guo Qin, who felt he lacked prestige, with no time even for meals.

In contrast to Guo Qin’s fear, Zhang Yue remained calm. Though he was half as young as Guo Qin, it was also the time for appointments in the Ministry of War. Even though he hadn’t previously been in charge of military selection, with Zhu Zhanji away, he naturally had to take on these responsibilities.

As he handled the affairs of the Ministry of War, he rarely had time to go home. When there was no work, he would leave after office hours, but when there was work, he had to stay overnight at the ministry. So, in addition to the firewood, rice, and grain provided by the ministry, his family would send food, clothes, silver, charcoal, and other necessities to the ministry whenever he didn’t go home.

That evening, after the lists of commanders and local military leaders submitted by the five provincial administrations, along with some miscellaneous matters to be discussed in court the next day, Zhang Yue had no choice but to send someone back with a message saying he would not be returning home and would stay at the ministry. However, after dinner, as the lamps were lit, someone came to report that Captain Hu wanted to see him.

Zhang Yue thought Hu Qi might have come to discuss matters related to the Tatars or Nurgan region, especially since the emperor was inspecting the borders. But after Hu Qi entered and paid his respects, he only mentioned a few things about the north before hesitantly saying, “If you have time tomorrow, sir, you might as well go to the small training ground on the western outskirts of the capital. The Military Selection Department is about to hold the annual competition for hereditary military officers.”

“Can’t you just say what you want?”

“Pardon me, my lord. I had been focusing only on the north all this time and didn’t pay attention to this side. I’ve only heard rumors that these competitions are merely formalities, getting worse year by year. But these are just unverified rumors; it’s better to see it with your own eyes, my lord.”
Knowing that Hu Qi was a careful man and would surely not pass on such information at random, Zhang Yue immediately checked his schedule for the next day and found a little free time in the morning, so he decided to go to the small training ground the next day. Seeing that Zhang Yue had agreed, Hu Qi didn’t dare stay longer and hurriedly took his leave.
According to the rules established at the beginning of the Xuande era, aside from the three major camps in the capital, positions such as the chief and deputy commanders of the five military commands, as well as officials from the Jinyiwei, were filled by two candidates recommended by the five local administrations, who would then be selected by the military authorities. As for lower-ranking hereditary military officers, the process was less complicated—annual competitions didn’t even require officials; mere supervisors could make the decisions.
That day was the annual competition for descendants aged twenty who wished to inherit military positions. Early in the morning, the small training ground on the western outskirts of the capital was already crowded with many people wearing padded jackets. At first glance, the area was filled with a sea of people, their colorful and varied clothes and different accents making it resemble a market.
Though the styles and colors were mandated during the Hongwu era, the padded jackets worn by these young men varied greatly. Those from wealthy families used silk padded with thick cotton, while those from poor families used rough cotton cloth, with many wearing patches. People gathered in groups, some acquaintances and some strangers, and added to the crowd were vendors who took advantage of the occasion to do business. It was naturally extremely crowded; one could easily have their shoes stepped on or their clothes stained with fingerprints if not careful.
After some time, an official from the Military Selection Department and another official arrived late. After settling in, they didn’t waste time and started the registration process. Only then did the noisy area calm down a bit. As the clerk called out names, those called forward would pay their respects and then demonstrate archery, horseback riding, and weapons skills.
There were over two hundred people aged twenty who came to inherit military positions, ranging from high-ranking officers to deputy commanders. They were inspected one by one from highest to lowest rank. Only twelve of them tested their skills in archery and horseback riding, and about twenty practiced with swords and spears. The rest simply paid their respects, mentioned their ancestors’ names, said a few words, and then went aside to handle matters related to inheriting their positions.

Watching this scene, Zhang Yue, who was standing not far away leading a horse near the stalls, grew increasingly furrowed. Coincidentally, he encountered Zhang Yue’s group at the city gate, and Fang Jing, who had followed to join in the spectacle, couldn’t help but mutter in complaint.
“Most of those competing have mediocre skills, and some haven’t even touched a weapon—yet they still get to inherit military positions?”
“I thought new evaluation methods would have been adopted long ago, and that the inheritance of military positions would be much stricter. I never expected it to still be like this. If I hadn’t come out of curiosity, I might have overlooked this issue. If passing these selections only requires bowing a few times, then why hold military trials once a year? Just assign the positions directly, wouldn’t that do?”
Although their voices weren’t loud, a middle-aged vendor familiar with this business noticed they were there to watch and stepped forward with a smile, saying, “Sirs, are you here to watch the spectacle? Actually, there’s little to see in these selections. New officials don’t need to compete; old officials can just pay a little money to win! Anyway, there aren’t many battles these days. Even if there were, the court can send hundreds of thousands of troops—enough to trample anyone to death. Once you get a military position, you can cultivate a few acres of land and live a decent life.”
Seeing Zhang Yue’s grim expression, Fang Jing followed the vendor’s tone and asked, “Then doesn’t the Ministry of War care?”
“What’s there to care about? If they really dismissed someone, it would offend them badly! They’re all minor officers—why not turn a blind eye? Don’t you know Lord Zhang from the Ministry of War? He’s highly renowned for his achievements. The reason he’s not part of the entourage this time is probably because he’s too strict and offended people. I heard it was he who decided on strict evaluations for officers, but others claim he only pretends to follow the rules while actually not doing so—how could he possibly know?”
After hearing this, Zhang Yue’s expression grew even darker. He was aware of the practice of deceiving superiors, but he never imagined it could be this severe. He recognized the officials in the Military Selection Department; usually they seemed diligent, but they were slacking off on this matter. It was obvious either rules weren’t being followed or there was some other ulterior motive. At that moment, he lost interest and nodded at Hu Qi, Peng Shisan, and the others who had followed him, then mounted his horse, ready to leave.

Seeing Zhang Yue about to leave in silence, Fang Jing hurriedly rode after him, caught up to him, and stopped him. He then said, “Third brother, if you just leave like this, it will be troublesome if you want to change your mind once the results of today’s competition are out. I know you don’t want to make a big scene right away and avoid letting others interfere in the Military Affairs Department’s affairs. But anyway, we need to make those two aware of the situation. How about I go over and pass on a message?”
Zhang Yue had been holding back his anger, planning to go back to the Military Affairs Department and ask Chai Che, the officer in charge of military selections, for clarification. It was only after Fang Jing’s reminder that he suddenly realized this. Chai Che had long been in the Military Affairs Department, rising from an officer in charge of military selections to a deputy director, and then moving between various positions. Due to his upright personality, his relationships with colleagues and subordinates were extremely cold, though he had gotten along well with Zhang Yue during their time working together. As far as Zhang Yue knew, he wasn’t the kind of person to neglect things. If he were to ask Chai Che directly, Chai Che’s shock would likely be no less than his own. After pondering for a moment, he nodded at Fang Jing.
“Good, go and pass on the message. Military selections are a matter of great importance to the state—this isn’t some trivial matter… Wait, tell him that I was very dissatisfied after watching the competition and left in anger. Ask him if this is the case only this year or every year.”
Zhou Ping’an, the deputy director of the Military Affairs Department in charge of this year’s competition, and Shang Yong, the officer in charge, both had little experience in the Military Affairs Department. The former was transferred to the highly influential Military Affairs Department from a local governorship due to outstanding performance and recommendations from fellow townspeople of the same generation. The latter became an officer after completing his three-year apprenticeship as a scholar-official three years ago. Since Chai Che was in charge of recommending officials at the level of five provincial administrations and military commanders, these two had been overseeing the competitions for three consecutive years.
At first, they had some concerns, but after three years, they had become adept at going through the motions. Now, with the sun high in the sky, Zhou Ping’an didn’t even glance at the young man practicing archery on horseback. He simply turned to Shang Yong and asked, “How many are left?”
“Only seven or eight.”
“It’s such a hassle to hold these competitions every year like a revolving door! With the country at peace, they should also enjoy the emperor’s grace. If the Great Emperor were still alive, how could he tolerate such incompetence?”

Shang Yong lowered his head to glance at the ledger and saw those names clearly listed on it. He breathed a sigh of relief, a faint sneer playing on his lips. “Those nobles only care about their own glory. They don’t even think about how dire the military and administrative affairs have become. How can they speak with authority in the future? If it weren’t for you and me joining the Military Selection Bureau, we wouldn’t have known about these old rules. So be it if things are lax—if they cause trouble, those above will have their heads in a twist…”

As he spoke, he noticed one of his trusted clerks winking from the other side and immediately summoned him over. Before he could ask what was going on, the man bowed and said, “Mr. Zhou, Chief Shang, there’s a man outside who claims to have been sent by the Deputy Military Commander and insists on seeing you both at once.”

Most of the clerks in the Ministry of War came from the common folk, yet they used a highly formal way of addressing high-ranking officials. Shang Yong had only gradually gotten used to this after joining the ministry. Hearing the words “Deputy Military Commander,” he immediately asked, “Is it Zhang or Feng?”

“It’s Lord Zhang.”

At the mention of Zhang, Shang Yong’s expression changed instantly. He glanced at Zhou Ping’an and quickly ordered someone to bring the man in. At this point, the two no longer paid any attention to the competitions going on. They simply let the clerks announce names one by one, without even glancing at the young officers. It was only after a while that they saw a young man dressed in a slightly worn indigo cotton robe walking over, guided by a clerk. Zhou Ping’an recognized him from Beijing, vaguely recalling having seen him before but unable to remember exactly who.

“Fang Jing greets Mr. Zhou and Chief Shang,” Fang Jing said. As a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, he merely bowed slightly to the two before getting straight to the point. “Lord Zhang has just finished watching the competitions. He was disappointed to see them in such poor condition this year, so he has already left. He sent me to ask if this is the case only this year or every year.”

Just moments ago, they had jokingly discussed the quality of these young officers, but now, upon hearing Fang Jing’s question, both Zhou Ping’an and Shang Yong paled. Life for officials in the capital was hard. Even high-ranking officials like Gu Zuo and Yang Shiqi resorted to unofficially accepting bribes—so much so for lower-ranking officials like them. The Military Selection Bureau organized competitions and selections every year, along with other sources of income. In private terms, it was enough to keep even the grand secretaries content. When Zhang Yue first took office, the two had been somewhat worried, but seeing that he only took control of the Department of Geography and the Armory, their confidence returned.

Even the supposedly perspicacious Chai Che failed to see through this scheme; how could Zhang Yue, who didn’t care about this mess, pay attention? Yet now this man claimed Zhang Yue had already arrived and even uttered a sentence that terrified them!
“You say you’re here to deliver a message from Lord Zhang—where is Lord Zhang?” Shang Yong leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table, already making quick calculations in his mind. “This is a crucial site for the Ministry of War’s trials. How dare you, an outsider with no official credentials, barge in?”
Zhou Ping’an was shocked by Shang Yong’s stern questioning. At that moment, he remembered who the young man in front of him was and was about to remind him when suddenly Shang Yong pointed at him and shouted loudly, “Someone, take this reckless fool out! Don’t let him disrupt today’s trials!”
Fang Jing hadn’t expected such an outcome. In his shock, he was struck on the back of the head and immediately felt dizzy. The scribe beside him quickly stepped forward to drag him away, though it seemed as if he was being helped to go. Faced with this sudden turn of events, Zhou Ping’an felt his head go numb. Only after the man was taken away did he look at Shang Yong in shock and anger, asking, “What are you doing?”
“What am I doing? Old Zhou, you must have heard of Butcher Zhang’s reputation, right? Over the years, he’s caused chaos everywhere—how many heads have fallen because of him? In front of him, don’t even think of getting away by relying on old rules. It’s one thing if we lose our official titles, but don’t let them strip us of our skin too!” Shang Yong said, staring intently at Zhou Ping’an, emphasizing each word. “This guy says Zhang Yuanjie has left. If he’s here, fine. But if not… Right now, the training ground is full of officers—this situation favors us!”
Although Zhou Ping’an had more seniority and age than Shang Yong, he didn’t know what to say in the face of him. After a long while, he stupidly asked, “How does it favor us?”
“You don’t need to worry… Just stay here and watch me!”
With that, Zhou Ping’an left, ignoring the stunned Zhou Ping’an, and hurried away with two others.