Chapter Twelve: Selecting Officers

The next step was to have the soldiers begin live sparring. The heads of the short spears were removed and wrapped with cloth containing white chalk. During the matches, the outcome was judged based on the location and amount of chalk marks left on the opponent. Of course, instructors could call a halt at any time during the bout; for example, a hit to the head or neck would be an immediate loss and the match would stop on the spot, whereas a hit to the leg would allow the fight to continue. Every duel’s results were carefully recorded, and those with outstanding performance would be given the opportunity to train against two or even more opponents at once.

As for cultural studies, events unfolded just as Zhu Youjiao had expected—the soldiers’ rate of learning accelerated markedly. Wang Tiqian had each literate eunuch inform the soldiers that those who performed poorly in literacy would not be eligible to become officers. This policy greatly spurred the soldiers’ enthusiasm for learning. Whenever they had a spare moment, soldiers could be seen in pairs, studying together and quizzing each other.

After three months of training and study, the day finally arrived for the selection of officers. That morning, all the soldiers stood assembled in the drill yard, filling the vast space to its limits, yet maintaining a silence so profound it was as if no one were present at all. This scene greatly pleased Zhu Youjiao.

Zhu Youjiao took the stage himself to deliver a speech, holding in his hand a large tin megaphone to amplify his voice.

He first raised his right hand, turned his body left and right, and shouted loudly, “All for the Great Ming!”

The soldiers saluted in unison and thundered back, “All for the Great Ming, all for His Majesty!”

“Today, what we are doing here in the capital’s garrison has never been done before. I believe that when you are old and recounting your life to your children and grandchildren, you will tell them that you took part in a grand event where officers were chosen solely by merit. What I need is an army that can fight, not one filled with useless men who inherit their positions by birthright. You are about to witness a historic moment, the moment when our Great Ming begins its return to glory. The officer selection process begins now.”

The generals led the soldiers in a round of applause that echoed like thunder across the drill yard, startling the birds from the nearby trees. Normally, officer positions in the Ming army were hereditary: if your father was a common soldier, unless you performed exceptional feats in battle and your superiors did not steal your credit, you would remain a common soldier for life. Now, as long as you trained well, you had a chance to become an officer. Such an opportunity was truly unprecedented in the Ming Dynasty.

After the applause had died down, Zhu Youjiao stepped down and Lu Qin took the stage, shouting, “All hands, sit down where you are.” Although the soldiers made some noise as they sat, they quickly settled into silence.

Lu Qin continued, “By imperial decree, today the capital garrison will conduct an open selection for officers at all levels. There is only one criterion for selection: performance! We have kept records of your three months of training and study. Officers will be chosen based on your total scores: training counts for sixty percent, study for forty percent. This is His Majesty’s great kindness—you need not worry about family background or status. As long as you train and study diligently, as long as you excel, you can become an officer.”

“All those selected and all soldiers should understand that only our Emperor could grant you such an opportunity. We are His Majesty’s new army, and we must remain forever loyal, fighting for His Majesty! All for the Great Ming, all for His Majesty!”

The soldiers shouted the slogan once more, and the selection officially began. First was the selection of battalion commanders and their deputies. The twelve battalion commanders and twelve deputies were chosen in order of their total scores—the commanders were generally those who excelled in training, the deputies those who excelled in study. They were allowed to pair up freely, forming twelve pairs. Based on their interests and skills, they were divided into six infantry battalions, four cavalry battalions, and two artillery battalions. Once confirmed, they took up their positions behind the assembled soldiers, each with a placard in front of him marked “Infantry,” “Cavalry,” or “Artillery.”

Lu Qin then announced, “Next is the selection of company commanders and their deputies. I will read your names; when you hear your name, choose one of the twelve battalion commanders or deputies and stand behind them. Pay attention to the placards—if you want to serve in a certain branch, choose the corresponding sign. Don’t make a mistake, for once chosen it cannot be changed.”

Zhu Youjiao believed that in this era, regional and family connections were valuable within the army, so he devised this method. People naturally gravitate to those they know, and such bonds would foster greater unity in battle.

Lu Qin read the names slowly. Those called stood up, disbelief written on their faces, then sought out battalion commanders or deputies they were familiar with. Generally, everyone was satisfied with the arrangements. In rare cases where a battalion had too many or too few company commanders, Zhou Yuji and others would make adjustments, which were quickly resolved.

Using this method, the selection continued for officers at the platoon, squad, and team levels. By then, it was nearly noon. From the emperor to the lowest soldier, not a single person had left early. The final step, dividing the soldiers into their squads, was simpler—since they had originally queued up by place of origin, this largest group was divided more quickly than any other.

With the new structure in place, the capital garrison once again assembled in the drill yard to be reviewed by the emperor. Zhu Youjiao personally handed the battalion flags to each commander. The flags were simple, bearing names like “Infantry First Battalion,” “Cavalry First Battalion,” “Artillery Second Battalion.” Zhu Youjiao had originally planned to paint bayonets, cannons, or horses on them, but decided to leave the embroidery to his future consorts, so for now, the flags remained plain. Each commander accepted his flag with a salute, and the whole battalion shouted, “All for the Great Ming, all for His Majesty!” Then they marched past the emperor in unison, while Zhu Youjiao maintained a salute throughout.

At noon, Zhu Youjiao dined within the garrison. The soldiers, seeing their emperor and officers eating the same food as themselves, felt as though they were dreaming.

After the meal, Zhu Youjiao convened a meeting of all officers above the battalion level. It was decided that Yang Guangkui would take overall command for the time being, with Yang Guanggong leading the two artillery battalions, Lu Qin the four cavalry battalions, and Zhou Yuji the six infantry battalions. The garrison’s future training would focus on three main tasks: first, to continue cultural studies, with a special emphasis on increasing officers’ literacy to five hundred characters; second, to begin formal drill training, which was crucial in the age of cold weapons, as soldiers who lost their formation on the battlefield were essentially useless; and third, in addition to ongoing short spear thrust training for all regulars, cavalry and artillery would undertake equestrian and gunnery drills, while infantry would begin musket training.