Chapter 7

"Boom—, boom—, boom—, boom boom boom boom boom…"

The dull drumbeats suddenly sounded, startling a few white-headed ducks that were foraging on the lake surface.

At the foot of Moshan by the East Lake in Wuchang, the area had long been a military garrison. The nearby residents were accustomed to the sounds of drums and could discern their meanings.

"This is the assembly drum, the general is calling the officers!" The man speaking had high cheekbones, a thin face, and eyes that darted around, clearly a know-it-all and a chatterbox who loved to show off.

Someone asked, "Which general? Is it General Zuo, the Marquis of Ningsouth?"

"You must be confused. General Zuo's headquarters are at Wenchang Gate, which is over ten miles away. This is the camp of the Gongyi Battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Niu."

As he spoke, another drumbeat sounded. The know-it-all excitedly looked toward the camp, gesturing with his hands, "This is the second drumbeat. Those who don't show up for the third assembly drum will be beheaded! Lieutenant Colonel Niu is new, he might cut a few heads to establish his authority!"

"Hisss…"

Everyone drew a sharp breath, imagining a fierce general with a grim face, standing on a pile of severed heads, his steel sword still dripping with blood, like a demon from hell...

...

The Lieutenant Colonel Niu mentioned by the know-it-all was Niu Zhongxiao, the commander of the Gongyi Battalion, recently promoted to the rank of deputy general, known as a Lieutenant Colonel in the military.

At that moment, Niu Zhongxiao was standing outside the main hall, smiling and clasping his hands, bowing repeatedly to the officers who were filing in.

"Please, brothers, this is the first military council of the Gongyi Battalion. It would be very embarrassing if anyone is late. Hurry up, hurry up, come in!"

"Lieutenant Colonel Niu, why are you so nervous? We're just a small battalion, not the main camp of General He." The officers were indifferent, and some who were familiar with Niu Zhongxiao even joked around.

Niu Zhongxiao waved his hands frantically, "You can't say that, you can't say that. How can we face General He? We, the Gongyi Battalion, are under General He's command, a new army trained by the provincial governor's office..."

Wang Kefan followed the officers, watching the scene with some surprise.

Two days ago, he had met Niu Zhongxiao and knew he was the new commander of the Gongyi Battalion, but he hadn't expected him to be so soft!

He's practically a pushover!

Choosing such a person to lead the new army, General He Tengjiao's judgment of people was truly unique.

As everyone entered the main hall, Wang Kefan stood in a corner at the back.

Recommended by Xu Bingzhong and Du Yinxin, he had already joined the Gongyi Battalion but had not been assigned a specific position. In other words, he was still in a probationary period, just there to observe today.

Gradually, people noticed the camel that had mixed in with the sheep. The nearby officers turned to look at Wang Kefan, their eyes cold and wary, whispering to each other, speculating about his background.

Wang Kefan remained calm, nodding politely to anyone who met his gaze.

"Boom boom boom" The third assembly drum sounded, and Niu Zhongxiao entered the main hall, standing in front of the central desk.

"Everyone, the Gongyi Battalion has just been formed, and General He values us greatly. This is a great opportunity for a bright future! Everyone must train hard and earn merit, to secure titles and benefits for our families!"

"Thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Niu's support..."

The officers responded listlessly, their attitudes lackadaisical.

Niu Zhongxiao's warm face met with cold shoulders. He cleared his throat twice and got to the point, "The most urgent task now is to fill the ranks of the Gongyi Battalion. Let's discuss how to do this well."

Niu Zhongxiao's tone was quite urgent.

He was not a traditional military man but the son of a county clerk. In his youth, he worked in the county office. In the first year of the Tianqi era, when He Tengjiao became the county magistrate of Nanyang, the martial Niu Zhongxiao caught his eye and was promoted and heavily relied upon, following him for over a decade as his chief bodyguard, earning He Tengjiao's deep trust.

For this formation of the Gongyi Battalion, He Tengjiao transferred Niu Zhongxiao to be the commander and recommended him for the rank of deputy general, a second-class military official. With the honor of his family, Niu Zhongxiao was determined to serve He Tengjiao loyally to repay his kindness.

General He had no troops under his command and had suffered much at the hands of Zuo Liangyu. His position as the governor of Huguang was not pleasant. Niu Zhongxiao had already resolved to train the Gongyi Battalion into a formidable force to ease General He's burden.

Training was essential, especially for a newly formed battalion like the Gongyi Battalion. However, with a roster of over three thousand, the battalion currently had only four to five hundred soldiers. How could they train without enough men? Therefore, Niu Zhongxiao considered recruitment the top priority and brought it up at the council.

Unexpectedly, his words were met with silence. The officers looked at each other, lowered their heads, and remained silent, leaving Niu Zhongxiao hanging.

"Lieutenant Colonel Niu, haven't we already posted recruitment notices? Why are we in such a hurry?" A tall officer finally spoke, his tone unfriendly.

Niu Zhongxiao shook his head and frowned, "Although we've posted notices, few have come to join. We need to find another way to fill the ranks."

The tall officer retorted, "Hey, the settlement silver is less than chicken droppings. I've barely managed to gather forty men. I can't get any more!"

Before Niu Zhongxiao could respond, the officers began to grumble, their complaints loud and varied.

"Right, only five taels of silver per person, who would come to risk their life?"

"General Zuo's troops still get sixty percent of their pay as a bonus. We should get at least seventy percent!"

"Why bother? Six units are already empty. If we recruit more, what will we eat in the future?"

"Everyone has families to support. Lieutenant Colonel Niu, you must leave us a way to make a living!"

...

Niu Zhongxiao's face turned red, then white, and he was speechless.

As an outsider with no military background or connections, Niu Zhongxiao found his role as commander challenging. Each officer had a background, either from a military family or a descendant of a martial official. While they were nominally his subordinates, none could be easily punished.

However, they were being too disrespectful. The settlement silver of five taels was not insignificant, and each recruit received two bolts of cloth. The recruitment conditions were not bad, and the monthly pay of one and a half taels was enough to support a family.

It wasn't that they couldn't recruit, but that the officers were unwilling to do so.

In the late Ming dynasty, eating from the military payroll was a common practice. Not only the main commanders but also the subordinate officers at all levels engaged in this practice. The military was often understaffed by more than half, and sixty to seventy percent was not uncommon. This was openly acknowledged, even by Emperor Chongzhen, who could do nothing about it.

The officers who joined the Gongyi Battalion saw eating from the payroll as a quick way to get rich. Filling the ranks would infringe on their interests, so they collectively resisted recruitment.

"Lieutenant Colonel, I swear to the heavens, I have no intention of embezzling the military pay!" Niu Zhongxiao spread his hands, explaining helplessly, "Six units are still empty because we lack suitable officers. I promise, if anyone can recruit enough able-bodied men, whether a squad leader or a regular soldier, they will be promoted to a unit commander!"

To lead by example, Niu Zhongxiao, though unfamiliar with the saying, understood the principle. To make these military ruffians obey, he needed to fill the six empty units first.

He Tengjiao had high hopes for the Gongyi Battalion, and the training methods were based on the famous Ming general Qi Jiguang's Qi Army. The battalion used a 4-4 structure: twelve men formed a squad, four squads formed a platoon, and four platoons formed a unit, with a unit commander leading over two hundred men, a position held by a seventh-rank military official, a legitimate military officer.

Niu Zhongxiao's offer was not low, but it was met with more complaints.

"Being a unit commander would be great! Unfortunately, I don't have that luck. Where can I find two hundred men?"

"Forget it, I've exhausted all my efforts to recruit thirty men. Who can recruit two hundred? You're just blowing hot air!" The tall officer who spoke first was quite arrogant, his foul language drawing laughter.

Niu Zhongxiao was so angry that he trembled, slamming the table and shouting, "Hu Dahai! Do you know where you are? Repeatedly speaking disrespectfully, do you still respect me?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, calm down, anger is bad for your health!" Hu Dahai remained indifferent, his tone mocking, showing no fear.

"You—!" Niu Zhongxiao remembered Hu Dahai's background and was momentarily speechless.

The room buzzed with laughter and chatter, the situation getting out of control. Niu Zhongxiao's blood boiled, and he wanted to deal with Hu Dahai regardless of the consequences, but after several hesitations, he sighed in frustration.

"Fine, today—"

Suddenly, a loud voice came from the back of the crowd.

"Reporting to Lieutenant Colonel Niu! I volunteer to recruit soldiers. Please give me the order!"

Wang Kefan pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.

At such an awkward moment, someone came to his rescue, and Niu Zhongxiao felt both surprised and delighted, even a bit moved. Wang Kefan truly lived up to his reputation as a loyal and righteous scholar, stepping forward at a critical moment.

"Good! Can you recruit two hundred and twenty men for a unit?" Niu Zhongxiao smiled warmly, his tone gentle.

"Without hesitation!"

"Good! Very good! I hereby appoint you as the commander of the seventh unit, responsible for recruiting two hundred and twenty able-bodied men. You have fifteen days. If you fail, you will be punished according to military law!" A loyal and righteous person should be rewarded, and Niu Zhongxiao did not hesitate to offer a high position.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel..." Wang Kefan was about to bow in gratitude when he was interrupted by someone.

"Wait! Who are you? Are you part of the Gongyi Battalion?"

It was Hu Dahai, his massive frame stepping forward, like a challenging rooster, his large head pressing close to Wang Kefan, his breath almost touching the other's face, his eyes fierce, ready to attack at any moment.

Wang Kefan looked at Hu Dahai calmly, eye to eye, face to face, not backing down. Their faces were almost touching, and the surrounding officers began to cheer, the atmosphere suddenly tense.

"Lieutenant Colonel, calm down, Hu. Brother Wang is part of the Gongyi Battalion. He joined a few days ago and is now... the battalion's logistics officer!" Niu Zhongxiao intervened to defuse the situation.

In the Ming military, a logistics officer was similar to a deputy chief of staff for logistics. When Du Yinxin recommended Wang Kefan, he had intended to secure this position for him, but Niu Zhongxiao had not agreed until now, when the situation was awkward.

Hu Dahai was taken aback, stepping back and sizing up Wang Kefan. A logistics officer was a lucrative position, coveted by many. Why would someone take a unit commander's role?

Where did this guy come from, and is he crazy?

"Are you a military scholar?" Hu Dahai questioned Wang Kefan's background.

"No," Wang Kefan shook his head.

"Are you a martial student?"

"No," Wang Kefan shook his head again.

"Are you a military official from the governor's office?" It couldn't be a descendant of a military family or a martial scholar, so it must be a relative or confidant of He Tengjiao, similar to Niu Zhongxiao.

"Still no," Wang Kefan continued to shake his head.

"Then what do you do?" Hu Dahai was puzzled, looking at Wang Kefan's scholarly attire, wondering if he was trying to pass as a scholar-general.

Wang Kefan replied calmly, "Before joining the military, I was a student at the Shangu Academy, a scholar who passed the county examination in the Gengchen year. I was recommended to join the Gongyi Battalion by the Wuchang military commissioner."

Hu Dahai was stunned again, his mind boggled.

A scholar joining the military? A student from the Shangu Academy as a unit commander? These things didn't add up at all!

At that moment, someone called out, "I remember, you're from the Wang family of Hengshi! Why are you here in the Gongyi Battalion?" The Wang family of Hengshi was a prominent clan in Huguang, and even the military officers present recognized Wang Kefan's background.

Wang Kefan bowed to the officers and smiled, "The country is in turmoil, and I am willing to wield my sword to defend it. I hope for your support as my fellow officers."

Silence, another silence.

The officers all glared coldly, as if looking at a fool.

Page break for AD

Page break for AD end