Chapter 10

When Wang Sheng suddenly burst in, Wang Kefan was in a meeting with four team officers.

"Recruits should be young, strong, simple, and honest farmers with a clean family background. They must provide guarantees and sign contracts before recruitment, which will be uniformly archived for verification and control... Ah, Third Brother, why are you here?"

Wang Kefan looked up at the window, where the night was already deep. Wang Sheng's visit at this hour must mean something unexpected had happened. He waved his hand to signal Shi A Da and the others to leave.

"Nothing much." Wang Sheng was unwilling to talk about his argument with his father. He asked earnestly, "Yuntai, if I join the Gongyi Camp, will Commander Niu accept me?"

"You want to join the military?" Wang Kefan's mind raced, and he had already guessed the reason. He was pleased and said, "Of course, the Gongyi Camp is still short of six company commanders. With your status as a scholar and as the legitimate son of the Wang family, it would be easy for you to become a company commander."

Everyone has a rebellious period in their youth, yearning to break free from their parents and family to carve out their own path. With some guidance, Wang Sheng finally burst out.

The road ahead was fraught with difficulties, and Wang Kefan often felt alone and in need of a few like-minded friends to help him. Wang Sheng's steady and reliable character made him an excellent helper.

"I don't know much about military affairs and might not be good at being a company commander..." Wang Sheng was clearly tempted, but he was always cautious, thinking of retreat before advancing, and his tone was hesitant.

"Someone who doesn't know military affairs can learn. Who is born knowing how to lead troops into battle? As long as you put your heart into it, with Third Brother's intelligence, being a company commander will be more than enough!" Wang Kefan smiled and said, "We'll go see County Magistrate Xu Bingzhong tomorrow. With his recommendation, you can recruit two hundred able-bodied men, and the position of company commander will be yours."

"Since that's the case, I'll give it a try. I hope Yuntai will guide me in the military!" Wang Sheng bowed solemnly. After a few days of interaction, he was very impressed by Wang Kefan's military talent and thought his younger brother had long harbored the ambition to join the military and had secretly studied military books.

With ability comes respect. Since Wang Sheng had joined the military, he respected Wang Kefan even more.

...

Wang Sheng stayed at Wang Kefan's house that night. The two of them talked all night, sharing the same bed. The next morning, Wang Kefan handed over the final work of recruitment to Shi A Da and the other four team officers and set off with Wang Sheng by boat to Chongyang County.

Upon arriving in Chongyang, the two of them went to see County Magistrate Xu Bingzhong and then parted ways at the dock. Wang Sheng took a boat to Wuchang to join the military, while Wang Kefan went twenty miles east of the city to the Valley Academy.

After arriving at the academy, Wang Kefan went through the procedures to withdraw from school. The teachers and students were very surprised and asked about the reason. Wang Kefan did not hide it, openly stating that he was giving up his literary pursuits to join the military and had already joined the Gongyi Camp.

He politely declined the repeated attempts to persuade him to stay and faced the various comments around him. After canceling his enrollment at the academy, Wang Kefan found his younger brother, Wang Kebin.

"Fourth Brother has really joined the military? A seventh-rank company commander? How impressive, I want to go too!" Wang Kebin, being young, was excited and eager to quit school and follow Wang Kefan into the military.

"No way!" Wang Kefan refused him without hesitation. "You are too young. Focus on your studies at the academy for a few more years."

"I'm already seventeen, not that young!" Wang Kebin was not giving up. "I'm strong and love swordsmanship, which is one of the six arts of a gentleman. I can definitely fight in battle!"

"Can you lead troops just because you know swordsmanship? Your studies are not complete, and your resolve is not firm. At best, you would be a mere warrior, not a military leader." Wang Kefan softened his tone and advised kindly, "Since the Wang brothers have joined the military, we must achieve great things. You should train for a few more years and understand military affairs before considering joining the military."

Blood ties are a natural bond. Wang Kefan had high hopes for his only younger brother and did not want to rush him.

In a few more years, it would be the time for the Southern Ming and the Qing army to have their decisive battle. Wang Kefan was confident that by then he would be well-prepared, and he could place Wang Kebin in a suitable position to help him greatly.

Wang Kebin's eyes lit up, and he responded enthusiastically, "Understood! I will study military books and practice martial arts diligently and join the military to help Fourth Brother as soon as possible!"

"Good, you must study military books and martial arts, but you cannot neglect the classics and literature. The path for a military officer is narrow and easily controlled by others. You must obtain a degree. At the very least, you should be a scholar, and a degree holder would be even better." Wang Kefan recalled history; the Southern Ming court had also held imperial examinations and selected many officials from them. If Wang Kebin could obtain a degree, it would make his official career much easier.

"Understood, Fourth Brother!" Wang Kebin nodded obediently.

As the brothers were talking, a series of footsteps approached, and the door curtain was lifted. Two young scholars walked in. The first was tall with a loud voice and immediately frowned at Wang Kefan in mock anger.

"Yuntai, you actually joined the military without calling me?!"

Wang Kefan quickly stood up to offer them seats. These two were his good friends at the academy: Tan Xiao from Yuezhou and Zhou Guodong from Tongshan, both from noble families and with the status of scholars. Wang Kefan's return to the Valley Academy was partly for their sake.

"How could I not call you? How could I not call you? Tan Xiao from Yuezhou has the ambition of a duke or marquis. This is a great opportunity to achieve great things. I hurried here to find you."

"You still have some sense!" Tan Xiao, being outgoing, immediately turned his anger into joy, clapping Wang Kefan on the shoulder and pulling a chair to sit down. He continued, "I heard you joined the military and wanted to quit school to follow you. If it weren't for the bookworm Guodong, I would have already taken off this scholar's robe..."

Tan Xiao's family was a major clan in Yuezhou, with many high-ranking officials among his ancestors. However, Tan Xiao was an exception. Although his parents forced him to buy a scholar's degree, he was more like Shi Jin from "Water Margin," disliking reading and preferring martial arts and military strategy.

Wang Kefan smiled and nodded, then turned to Zhou Guodong and asked, "Why did Guodong stop you? Do you disapprove of us joining the military?"

"Yuntai, you misunderstood! The state has nurtured scholars for over two hundred years. At this time of national crisis, we should help the emperor. I have long had the ambition to join the military and suppress the rebels!" Zhou Guodong was not tall, but his demeanor and speech were scholarly. His eyes showed a strong sense of self-respect. He hesitated and said, "But we are scholars, unfamiliar with military affairs and not skilled in combat. Joining the military rashly might not be good for leading troops..."

Before he could finish, Tan Xiao interrupted, "Who says we don't know military affairs and aren't skilled in combat? Guodong, find anyone and I'll spar with them!"

"I was talking about myself, okay?" Zhou Guodong pointed at himself, his tone and attitude unfriendly, giving Tan Xiao a hard time.

Tan Xiao, however, was not bothered. He scratched his head and said, "This is a problem. Guodong is a good student, but leading troops and fighting battles might be tough. However, the three of us have always been like-minded and should not leave anyone behind..."

"Who says scholars can't lead troops?"

Wang Kefan smiled and interjected, "Choosing a commander depends on loyalty, righteousness, diligence, kindness, integrity, simplicity, endurance, and a lack of concern for fame and profit... In my view, Guodong meets all these criteria. If he joins the military, he will surely become an excellent commander!"

Being a scholar is not a problem; military experience can be learned. The key is to have strong moral character. As a former member of the People's Liberation Army, Wang Kefan was confident in this.

What use is reading military books? Zhao Kuo talked about military strategy on paper but lost 400,000 troops. Qing generals who had only read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" were invincible at the end of the Ming dynasty.

What use are experienced military leaders? Whether it's the Southern Ming army or the remnants of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, they had fought for years, but history has shown that they were no match for the Qing army.

A new approach is needed to cultivate a new generation of leaders who are free from the bad habits of the Ming army and the fear of the Qing army. Young, passionate men like Zhou Guodong and Tan Xiao, with cultural knowledge and family resources, are the best candidates Wang Kefan can find.

"Yuntai's praise is too much, I don't deserve it!" Zhou Guodong modestly clasped his hands and smiled at Tan Xiao. He then turned and asked, "I have read 'The Seven Military Classics,' but I have never seen the criteria for selecting commanders that Yuntai mentioned. Who is the famous general who said this?"

"This... from an old book, probably a great sage from the countryside..."

Wang Kefan did not want to dwell on this sensitive issue and changed the topic, "This great sage strongly supports scholars leading troops. Military victory depends not only on the determination of the troops but also on the supply of provisions. Who has well-trained soldiers, strong armor, and fortified cities... Ultimately, it all comes down to money! Our dynasty has always been governed by scholars, who, though lacking military experience, can better communicate and raise funds..."

War is not just a military issue but also an economic and political one. In the historical context of the Ming dynasty, people from the scholar-official system can better integrate and utilize national resources to ensure the combat effectiveness of the troops.

Zhou Guodong became more and more excited as he listened, clapping his hands and laughing, "That makes sense, a lot of sense! It's a new perspective that resolves all my concerns... Yuntai, can I borrow your old book to read?"

Wang Kefan was embarrassed, but Tan Xiao, impatient, called out, "Alright, alright! Since there are no more concerns, why are we still hesitating? Let's go cancel our enrollment and join the Gongyi Camp together!"