Chapter 906: Commanding Military Arts

There were nine ranks of hereditary military positions: Commander, Deputy Commander, Assistant Commander, Garrison Commander, Chief Centurion, Deputy Chief Centurion, Centurion, Probationary Centurion, and Garrison Supervisor. These were all positions that could be passed down through generations. That’s why the imperial guard once had as many as twelve Commanders—after all, it was a special force selected for the crown prince, so there were no unnecessary officials. Nowadays, while garrisons outside the borders nominally numbered five thousand men with officers such as Commanders, there were often more than a dozen or twenty officers holding such titles.

The hereditary military position of the Shi family originally fell into this category. It was said that one could inherit the position of Assistant Commander at the age of fifteen, but due to various delays caused by bribes and other reasons, if it weren’t for Wang Yu interceding on Zhang Yue’s behalf, Shi Heng wouldn’t know how much longer it would take to successfully inherit his father’s position. In just a few years, he was no longer the passionate young man he once was. Among all the officers in the Ming Dynasty who earned their command positions through military achievements, he might well be the youngest.

Thus, at the age of twenty, Shi Heng stood out sharply among a group of officers whose ages were almost twice his. Moreover, those waiting in rotation knew that this young Commander had already waited for two hours, yet he showed remarkable patience. He had drunk at least three pots of strong tea and visited the restroom twice, but showed no signs of leaving. He didn’t seem to be there to report for duty or take up his post—seemed he had taken a liking to the Ministry of War!

“Who exactly is that young kid?”

“Who? Have you heard of the envoy sent to the Oirats back then? That kid was one of his attendants. He followed that powerful official from the Ministry of War, Wan Quan, causing quite a stir there. Later, he went to Zhangjiakou Fort and Hami Garrison, and now he’s at Huizhou Garrison—having been to the toughest places. He’s good at fighting, but I don’t know why he’s back now.”

“No way, he looks like he’s only twenty!”

“He’s just had good luck and seized one of those rare opportunities. Look at those scars on his neck—he almost lost his life!”

Many of these older military officers, who were born twenty or thirty years earlier, had experienced the Jingnan Campaign that swept across the land. Some were commoners who rose from humble beginnings and joined the Yan army, while others were hereditary military households. In any case, it was due to certain pivotal events that they reached their current ranks. Thus, upon seeing Shi Heng, who had already become a commandant in his early twenties, they couldn’t help but recall those days—yet even back then, how many people had reached such high positions at such a young age?

Shi Heng ignored the curious gazes of those around him and simply sat there boldly. His patience had been forged through the hardships of the desert winds and nomadic cavalry. Returning this time filled with resentment, he was naturally unwilling to give up. Having been turned away by Xu Kuo, he decided to wait here—refusing to leave until he saw Zhang Yue!

Just as he was thinking of his subordinates in the army, a call for an audience sounded again. This time, instead of merely stating the military rank, someone pulled back the curtain and poked their head in: “Commandant Shi, Lord Zhang asks you to come!”

Shi Heng remained seated at first, then suddenly jumped up, rushed to the door, pushed aside the curtain, and strode out. This surprised the messenger, while the others in the room exchanged surprised looks. The officer who had waited the longest muttered, “I thought as much. Lord Xu must have already met with him, yet he still insists on staying—apparently, he wants to see Lord Zhang!”

Ning Zhirong, the deputy commander from Sichuan who had spent time getting to know Zhang Yue earlier, stood up and glanced at his retreating figure before sitting back down thoughtfully, frowning as if deep in thought.

Shi Heng followed the messenger through a corridor and past a corner gate, arriving at a tile-roofed house with clean lines. After the messenger announced his arrival, he entered the house. He used to go to the Ministry of War every time he reported for duty, but this time felt different. After giving a stiff bow, he said in a rough voice, “Lord, I was doing well in Huizhou. Why was I transferred back? I’d rather eat sand in the desert than engage in scheming in the capital!”

Zhang Yue examined Shi Heng with interest. It had to be said that Shi Heng was now quite young; he looked very different from the reckless boy he had first met. Yet as soon as he spoke, that calm demeanor vanished instantly. It seemed this young commander had been holding back hard in front of others, so now he had given up holding back. The more this happened, the more Zhang Yue felt that this Shi Heng was not the same as the former—one who could rise quickly and fall just as fast only under certain circumstances.

So, after Shi Heng finished speaking, Zhang Yue smiled and said, “How could I not know what kind of person you are? Alright, stop looking so annoyed. Sit down.”

Shi Heng had thought that after venting all his complaints, he would at least get scolded—although his military rank was roughly on par with Zhang Yue’s, among all the civil and military officials in the capital, no one would really judge a person’s importance based solely on rank, unless they were truly stupid. Besides, considering Wang Yu’s position, Zhang Yue could barely be considered an elder. So, after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately decided to take the upper hand and sat down obediently.

“Moving you back to the capital wouldn’t be possible if it were just my decision. So, I discussed it with several commanders at the Five Armies Command, and then I submitted a petition to the emperor.” Seeing Shi Heng’s eyes widen in disbelief, Zhang Yue adopted an even more enigmatic expression. “Do you know why I’m moving you back?”

When it came to using their brains, ten Shi Hengs wouldn’t be a match for Zhang Yue. So he tilted his head and thought carefully, but in the end shook his head in confusion. Seeing this, Zhang Yue didn’t let it go and immediately said sternly, “If you don’t know why you’re being moved back, why do you look as if you’ve been demoted? If it were someone else, they’d be overjoyed, yet you’re still sulking at the Ministry of War!”

After this scolding, Shi Heng became even more restless and quickly stood up, his face showing a look of eager anticipation. With the world at peace now, there were few places where battles could take place. He was already a commander of the third rank and really didn’t want to wait patiently for promotion through experience. After all, in Huizhou Guard, he had several thousanders in their forties and hundreders in their fifties under his command. Seeing their weathered faces, he thought of his own future—how could he be content with that?

“It was my mistake in misunderstanding your intentions, my lord.” He immediately changed his address again and then cautiously asked, “I wonder what fine place my lord intends to assign me to?”
“Now you know to be careful?” Zhang Yue smiled slightly before saying slowly, “I’m assigning you to oversee military training.”
“Oversee… military training?”
This strange term left Shi Heng utterly confused. After much thought, he finally remembered that there indeed seemed to be a military training facility built to the east of the capital, supposedly to teach the sons of nobles and young officials. But what did that have to do with him? Why should he be in charge of military training? Unable to figure it out, he could only look at Zhang Yue with a bewildered expression. Seeing that Zhang Yue showed no intention of explaining, he asked, “My lord, just like Confucian studies, isn’t it enough to have a few teachers to instruct them? I’m just a rough man who can barely read properly. Sending me there…”
“Regardless of whether you can read well or not, at least you can read. Old Wan must have taught you how to read military books as well, right?”
Seeing Shi Heng nod after a brief hesitation, Zhang Yue thought that Wan Shijie was truly an extraordinary person. Back in the Oirat region, he had taken the time to simplify the military books he had read into easy-to-understand rules and taught them to Shi Heng, saving him a lot of effort. So, he also stood up from his seat, examined Shi Heng for a while, then smiled with his hands behind his back.
“I heard that you used a thick-backed axe in Huizhou Guard and were said to be invincible in battle?”
“Just luck,” Shi Heng said, though his face was filled with pride and his back was straight.
“I heard that your longbow can hit every target, and your mounted archery can hit nine out of ten times?”
“Ah, how do you know all this so clearly, my lord?” This time, Shi Heng was puzzled.
“I heard that some of your soldiers deserted, and you chased after them for dozens of miles with ten men, dragged them back, hanged them, and whipped them thirty times. Later, you even personally bandaged their wounds and scolded them harshly, ordering them to train for half a year after recovering.” This time, Zhang Yue didn’t give Shi Heng a chance to respond. After a pause, he continued, “I heard that your soldiers receive pay for eleven months?”
At this moment, Shi Heng looked at Zhang Yue as if he were seeing a ghost. He even wondered if there was a spy from the Ministry of War hidden nearby, able to know all this so clearly. It wasn’t until Zhang Yue softened his tone and said the following words that his expression changed.

“You’re absolutely right. It’s not easy to find a few experienced professors to teach martial arts. But although these people may be experienced, have they really been to battle? If they are veterans who have been to battle, there are also high-ranking hereditary officials such as commanders and deputy commanders in the military, along with sons of nobles. How can they be subdued? Only someone with outstanding martial skills, a high military rank, and a decisive, bold personality can bring order to those unruly guys!”
Shi Heng was still young, and after being praised by Zhang Yue, he became even more motivated. Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yue said with a smile, “Moreover, this is also an opportunity for you. Although you’ve led a decent team in Huizhou Guard, your foundation is still limited. If you can subdue these people through martial arts, they will all become officers when they leave. Then you’ll be like a commander, with a true core team at your side. Don’t think going there is a demotion. I’ve already spoken to Duke Cheng— I’ll attend every monthly exam in person and select people to teach military strategies. Having experienced the martial officer competitions yourself, don’t you want to turn things around through your efforts?”
“I do!”
Shi Heng felt a surge of enthusiasm ignited by Zhang Yue’s words, and almost instantly, those two words came out. As soon as he spoke, as if fearing Zhang Yue might change his mind, he quickly saluted and said proudly, “Sir, just watch me. If I can’t train those brats well, I’ll write the name ‘Shi Heng’ backwards!”
After talking briefly with the high-spirited Shi Heng and personally seeing him off at the Three Gates, seeing his departing figure brimming with energy, Zhang Yue finally sighed in satisfaction. He thought it was worth the argument with Zhu Yong earlier and convincing the emperor to bring him back. What the military needed now was not caution but a drive for progress, and only such a bold and determined young man could stir things up in that stagnant situation. As for Ning Zhirong’s son, they could assess his martial skills after getting to know him better.
Having accomplished this, Zhang Yue shook off the displeasure caused by those listless military students and went to find Xu Kuo to find out more about the petitions from the princes that had arrived at the Tongzheng Office.

It was roughly as he had expected. The kings of Zhou, Lu, and Shu, as before, submitted memorials accusing the Jin prince of extreme treason and arguing that, according to ancestral laws, he should be punished severely. The King of Chu in Wuchang, Huguang, not only requested severe punishment for the Jin prince but also subtly asked that two of the three guards be returned. The King of Dai in Datong, the King of Ning in Jiangxi, and the King of Liao in Jingzhou all submitted memorials asking to restore the title of Prince Pingyang’s father, Zhu Jihui. As for the other princes, it seemed as if nothing had happened; they continued to enjoy music and dance, go hunting, and indulge in pleasure as usual. As for the young Zhao prince, he had long been out of the sight of the court nobles.

Zhang Yue calculated the time and knew that the cabinet must have already submitted these documents. He then informed the officials in various ministries. Upon returning to his room, he sat down, ground ink, and thought about how to draft a memorial. Although Zhu Zhanji was now the emperor and he was the vice minister of war, as long as the memorial was sealed with a silver stamp, it could bypass the Secretariat and reach the emperor directly—a privilege of high-ranking officials, much easier than in the past. With a plan in mind, he picked up his pen and wrote swiftly. Once the ink on several sheets dried, he carefully sealed the memorial and sent a trusted servant to deliver it directly to Zuo Shunmen.

By the time he finished all this, it was already noon, and the sound of the servant announcing his arrival came from outside. He responded, and the servant entered, carrying a three-layered food box. After setting down the box and arranging a small table, the servant said with a smile, “Execution will take place at Xisi Pailou again today. It’s said that many people have gathered since the third hour of the day just to watch. Those mere servants from the princely households dared to attack Lady Du’s carriage and almost killed her—they truly deserve death.”

Zhang Yue, who was rolling up his sleeves, was startled by this news. After asking a few questions, he learned that today was the day those servants would be executed as a warning to others. Though he despised them deeply, the thought of them dying made him feel uneasy. After some deliberation, he sat down anyway.

Killing a few as a warning could certainly deter those with ulterior motives.