Chapter 957
Clarifying Military and Political Affairs
The Ming Dynasty implemented a military garrison system, and military households were hereditary, so they did not need to pay land taxes like free households.
Military households and artisan households were exempt from taxes, but this did not mean that their lives were easier.
Because military households do not pay land tax, while the annual tax payable by each prefecture and county is basically fixed, the burden on ordinary households is heavier.
However, during the Hongwu era, the common people did not feel that these burdens were heavy, because Hongwu was self-sufficient in supporting his army.
This was also the original intention of the military-agricultural colony system.
Zhu De declared with great pride, "I can maintain an army of a million without costing the people a single grain of rice."
Regardless of whether it was actually achieved, at least in the early stages, the military farming system did greatly reduce the burden on the people, and the million military households were basically able to be self-sufficient, serving as soldiers during wartime, cultivating the land during farming season, and training soldiers during peacetime.
However, only forty-eight years have passed since the end of the Hongwu reign, and these military households have already become tenant farmers and long-term laborers for some people. They are called "military farms," but they are actually cultivating private lands, which should belong to the government and the military.
Pan Yun's gaze fell on the murky, bottomless ditch, and she said softly, "There are still too many leeches under the muddy water."
The old man had just finished pointing out to Pan Jun which piece of land belonged to which person, whether it was purchased or cultivated, when he heard this question.
He wasn't sure if Pan Yun's words had a deeper meaning, so he paused for a moment before saying, "We have to wait for someone with the skills to scoop them all out and put them in the sun to dry. No matter how fast the leeches reproduce, as long as we scoop them out quickly enough and keep scooping them out, we can eventually get rid of them all."
Pan Jun smiled and nodded, saying, "What you say makes sense, sir."
Pan Yun left him a piece of paper with the address of Wang Cong's general store in Quanzhou Prefecture: "You can sell the leeches to this store. If it's too far, you can also find a nearby pharmacy to sell them to."
The old man accepted it.
Pan Yun smiled and said, "If you're too lazy to move, just wait for good news. After a while, someone should come down to catch the leeches."
The old man silently clenched the paper in his hand and watched Pan Yun leave.
They headed north, passing by various military garrisons along the way, intentionally or unintentionally.
Generally, land reclamation sites were located near military garrisons.
The location of the garrison was a secret, at least unknown to the general public, but given Pan Yun's status, the magistrate would always tell them if they asked at the government office.
Even without asking, Miaozhen could tell from the divination results.
They would specifically travel through the fields and villages where the troops were stationed, sometimes even going around them when it wasn't on their way.
This trip lasted more than a month.
The emperor had used up all the yellow tally books again, but this time he didn't urge her, because they hadn't returned to the capital yet. The Imperial Guards, who had been secretly following them, had already sent their whereabouts and actions back to the capital by carrier pigeon.
Unless Pan Yun produces the Three Treasures Cauldron, the Embroidered Uniform Guards can continue to follow them.
The emperor was surrounded by sieves, and before long, some important ministers in the court knew that the emperor and the Grand Preceptor would probably move troops stationed in various places next.
The civil officials had long disliked the military generals and nobles, and when they found out, they gloated and watched coldly.
The military nobility were also divided into three factions. One faction believed that the Imperial Preceptor was being instigated by the civil officials and was deliberately targeting them. "Everyone knows that the Imperial Preceptor and Yu Qian have a good relationship. Otherwise, why are the civil officials so silent about a Taoist becoming the Imperial Preceptor, not even one of them impeaching him? It turns out they're in cahoots!"
A complete silence.
The other side argued, "It's just a matter of following the law. What's there to be afraid of if the local garrison hasn't violated any rules?"
Before the First Faction could refute, they coldly retorted, "Why was the battle against the Oirat last year so frustrating? The military and government were in such a bad state that if we don't take action to rectify it, the whole country will rot away."
"The garrison in the north is embezzling pay, with a thousand men reporting the pay of ten thousand. If the enemy invades and the court needs to transfer troops, would you dare to write a letter saying you only have a thousand men? If you don't, sending a thousand men to fight a battle of ten thousand is a small matter compared to losing territory!"
"How many of the troops stationed in Jiangnan and the Central Plains are actually trained according to regulations? Nowadays, the troops have become tenant farmers and farmhands for some people. Let alone going to the battlefield, they probably haven't even held a gun or a knife. Last year, Datong couldn't be defended. If the Oirat army launches a large-scale southward invasion, can the troops mobilized stop them?"
"If we don't rectify this situation, the Ming Dynasty will be eaten away by you!"
Seeing their angry expressions, Shi Heng quietly left the group, and as soon as he left, his face darkened.
His men surrounded him, somewhat panicked: "General, what should we do? Both Wu Jinbo and Chen Huai agree to liquidate the military farms."
Zhu Mian, the Earl of Wujin, was a nobleman, while Chen Huai was a military general; thus, representatives were provided for both sides.
After a moment of silence, Shi Heng sneered: "If we're talking about annexing territory, Zhu Mian has done just as much as we have. Did he think that was the end of it? He purged his own people, but did he also purge his clansmen and his generals?"
“Chen Huai…” Shi Heng paused for a moment, “Chen Huai certainly didn’t do this, and his family is well-managed, but I don’t believe he can control so many of his subordinates. Go find him, even if there’s no flaw in the egg, I’ll make sure flies swarm around him!”
When Pan Yun returned to the capital, there was an undercurrent of unrest in the court. Zhu Mian's second son, Zhu Guo, was impeached by the censor for spending the night in a brothel. Pan Yun was indignant and ambushed the censor on his way to court, dragging him into an alley and beating him up.
Chen Huai's eldest son, Chen Fu, fell off his horse while practicing archery and was nearly trampled by it.
Chen Huai was furious and submitted three memorials to accuse Shi Heng and his generals, which also implicated Guo Deng, the former general of Datong who had died in battle.
There are some things that outsiders may not know, but within the same circle, everyone knows what kind of people each person is.
Who doesn't know that Shi Heng and Guo Deng colluded to embezzle military funds and illegally employ soldiers?
Zhu Mian is corrupt, so he dares not utter a word, but Chen Huai is clean, so who is he afraid of?
The corruption among military officers and nobles was no less than that among civil officials. It was precisely because of this rampant corruption that the border strategy was flawed, leading to the failure of last year's personal expedition.
Chen Huai, having learned his lesson, and having promised the late Duke of England that the military and political system of the Ming Dynasty would be reformed.
Zhu Mian fell silent after mentioning it at the beginning, which infuriated Chen Huai. Thinking of the Duke of Ying's entrustment last year, he could only write to Kuang Ye, who was far away in Datong, hoping to get his support.
Although Kuang Ye was a civil official, he was the former Minister of War and was now stationed in Datong. After he took charge of Datong, he began to reorganize the military affairs of Datong.
The restoration of order not only reclaimed a large amount of illegally occupied farmland, but also brought back many soldiers and exiled criminals who had been privately employed. Everyone was put to their duties, with those who were supposed to train troops training and those who were supposed to live their own lives.
At the same time, a large number of empty salaries were cleared out, which greatly reduced the court's debt. In return, the Ministry of Revenue paid two months' worth of military salaries each spring and summer, only owing one month.
Kuang Ye offered her support to Chen Huai from afar.
As the current Minister of War, Yu Qian adopted an even tougher stance, wishing he could clarify all the garrisons from north to south, but that was impossible. So he selected several important areas.
He believed that once these regions were clarified and the reforms were implemented, the military and political situation across the country would be completely transformed. (End of Chapter)