gnovel Chapter 4: No empty promises, just real money.
Chapter 4: No empty promises, just real money.
Emperor Chongzhen slept soundly on the eve of his departure for the campaign.
Although he thought beforehand that he would likely have a sleepless night due to nervousness.
But in reality, the intense thinking and weighing of the past two days, coupled with only three hours of sleep in total, still took its toll on him.
Instead of returning to the palace, he slept in the newly built military camp outside the city, wearing finely crafted chainmail and clothing.
It was only in this new military camp, now under the control of Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji, that he could truly feel at ease and secure.
That vast imperial city did not entirely belong to him, even though he was the emperor and the nominal master of the city.
But those civil and military officials who should have been loyal to him were all greedily seizing benefits from the foundation of the empire in their own ways.
Among them were even spies from the empire's enemies. How could Chongzhen feel at ease leaving the capital to guard it?
The new army camp was composed of at least the emperor's personal guard, consisting of generals of the Han Dynasty and combat-ready soldiers selected from the capital garrison.
Compared to other units, these soldiers were inherently more loyal to the emperor, at least their interests were highly aligned with imperial power.
In addition, Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji were loyal and capable fighters, and they brought two thousand of their loyal followers to form the backbone of the new army.
Therefore, this team is fundamentally loyal to the emperor and has a very strong desire to protect him.
That was enough. In this era, being loyal to one's master was enough to earn Chongzhen's full support.
Not to mention that these soldiers are of good quality. With just three to five months of careful training by Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji, the new military camp can be transformed into a valiant and elite force.
Unfortunately, the situation was critical, and Chongzhen could not wait any longer. Lu Xiangshan could not hold on any longer either. Chongzhen had no choice but to quickly gather the brave and capable troops at his disposal and send them south to provide reinforcements.
In order to quickly ignite the soldiers' fighting spirit and morale, Emperor Chongzhen emptied the imperial treasury to reward the new army.
The imperial treasury, which still had more than 300 million taels of silver on paper, was actually more than half empty long ago.
The imperial treasury had been in arrears for years, and in recent years Emperor Chongzhen had repeatedly used the imperial treasury to pay for the suppression of bandits, so the imperial treasury only had a little over one million taels of silver left.
At first glance, a million taels of silver seems like a lot, but the size of the Ming Empire must be taken into account.
The emperor, who had hundreds of millions of subjects, could only hold onto a meager million taels of silver for emergencies. When it came to disaster relief and pay, he had to spend one or two tenths of it. The emperor's life was truly miserable.
However, Emperor Chongzhen now knew the extent of the empire's crisis and was willing to risk everything to assemble an army to rescue Lu Xiangshan.
After the new army camp completed its selection process, a reward was distributed. Each soldier received five taels of silver as a resettlement allowance, which was distributed to all soldiers by the supervising eunuchs without exception.
The monthly salary of three taels was also paid out at the very beginning of the army's formation.
The new military camp provided three full meals a day, and the training uniforms and spring/winter uniforms were also issued by the imperial court. In addition, they received three taels of military pay every month, with extra pay and meat during festivals. Such treatment was the best among the regular armies at the end of the Ming Dynasty.
The soldiers who were selected for the new military camp were somewhat incredulous when their new superiors announced their benefits.
They previously received more monthly pay under the various categories of generals in the Han Dynasty or the capital garrison than they do now.
However, the salaries were often deducted from the hands of officials at various levels first, with each level taking a cut, leaving them with very little by the time they reached the officials.
In addition, the camp often found various pretexts to deduct food allowances or expenses for military equipment, making their lives even more difficult.
Therefore, many of them had no choice but to work for their superiors, either as guards for nobles or as henchmen and errand runners.
Only by doing this can one make a living each month and support one's family in the capital city where prices remain high.
The conditions offered by the Emperor now are naturally excellent.
They ate and drank in the camp, and their clothing and training were provided by the imperial court. The military pay they received each month and during festivals was paid in full, without any discounts. The annual salary of more than forty taels of silver was more than enough to support their families.
These conditions are so good that they seem unreal.
Even though the Emperor was quite generous, and each of them had already received nearly ten taels of silver as pay, they were still worried that the new military camp would become corrupt and decadent like the Beijing garrison.
The mix of anticipation for the future and inevitable anxieties left these young soldiers, who had only been in the Royal Guard for less than two days, with mixed feelings.
At 7:45 AM on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, after having breakfast, they had assembled and were ready to set off at any time when the emperor arrived.
When the soldiers learned that the tall, handsome young man in silver armor standing on the command platform, personally guarded by two generals, was the current emperor, the soldiers, who had been standing in relatively orderly ranks, immediately erupted into a clamor.
Looking at this newly formed army that could be considered his own elite force, Chongzhen tried his best to suppress his surging joy and calmly said in a deep voice:
"My brave and loyal new army soldiers!"
The current situation is dire, and the Jurchens are rampant. With a do-or-die mentality and the determination to wipe out the Jurchens, I have drawn you from various camps in the capital to form a new army, all for the purpose of quelling the border troubles and revitalizing the Ming Dynasty!
This is my important responsibility, and it will also be the military mission of each and every one of you from now on.
From now on, you will be my elite vanguard, enjoying the empire's best military pay, the most abundant food supplies, and the finest weapons and equipment.
But at the same time, you must also become the most capable and fearless iron army in the entire Ming Dynasty!
I will never make empty promises to you.
Once you enter the new military camp, you are destined for a bright future and wealth. As long as you dare to fight and are capable of fighting, I will grant you honor, status, land, and women!
The three-tael monthly salary is just the beginning. As long as you pass the first three-month probationary period, starting from the first month after you become a regular recruit, you will receive double pay. In wartime, it will be doubled!
At this point, Chongzhen clapped his hands, and soldiers immediately carried box after box of silver onto the command platform.
Under the excited, breathless gazes of the soldiers on the scene, Chongzhen smiled slightly, then personally stepped forward and kicked open the lid of a silver box, revealing the gleaming white silver ingots inside!
The entire audience erupted in cheers, and Chongzhen's next words ignited the fervor of the soldiers who yearned for wealth and power.
"Today is the day we set off. Everyone will receive a share, plus an extra three taels of silver as a reward!"
For those who do not wish to bring silver with them to the expedition, I will deliver your expedition funds to your homes without delay or omission!
Those who serve the country and make meritorious contributions will be richly rewarded by the Emperor; imperial estates and fertile fields await you!
The deceased will be given a grand funeral by the imperial court, and their families will receive ten years of financial support. The injured will receive medical treatment from the imperial court, and the disabled will receive five years of financial support to their families. The imperial court will also arrange employment for you, ensuring you have no worries about the future!
As soon as Emperor Chongzhen finished speaking, Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji took the lead in donning their armor and kneeling on one knee, leading the soldiers to shout in unison.
We thank Your Majesty for your great kindness!
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!
Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!