Chapter 71: Graduation Ceremony and After

On the 14th of July in the first year of the Chongzhen era, Yuan Chonghuan went to the imperial court to meet the emperor. Chongzhen asked him about his strategy for pacifying Liaodong: "The Jurchens have been causing trouble for over a decade, leading to the loss of our borders and the suffering of the people of Liaodong. You have come from afar to answer the call, and your loyalty and bravery are commendable. Please present your strategy for pacifying Liaodong."

Chongzhen was a serious emperor who valued honesty and disliked deceit. However, Yuan Chonghuan did not fully realize the gravity of the situation and replied, "All my strategies are detailed in my memorial. Now that I have received the emperor's special attention, I request the authority to act as I see fit. I believe that within five years, the Jurchens can be contained, and all of Liaodong can be recovered!"

Chongzhen was pleased because he wanted a practical and honest response, and Yuan's answer was indeed beautiful. Thus, he promised, "I will not hesitate to reward you with a noble title." This was the first half of the imperial audience. During the intermission (a short break, perhaps to use the restroom), the censor Xu Yuke found Yuan Chonghuan and asked him about the "five-year plan" to pacify Liaodong. Yuan replied, "It's just to comfort the emperor's heart!" Xu Yuke immediately warned him that the current emperor was very astute and that it was not wise to make such promises lightly. What would happen if he failed to deliver?

In the second half, Yuan Chonghuan tried to make some adjustments, but the tone had already been set, and any changes were minor.

This was a successful imperial audience! This was a victorious imperial audience! This was a... suicidal imperial audience!

On the 10th of August, at the coast of the East Sea in Dengzhou, after another live-fire training session, the new recruits returned to their barracks, cleaned their rifles, and waited for the instructor's inspection. Ding Zixiong and his classmates completed these tasks with great care. The instructor, Wang Qian, arrived but did not inspect each rifle as usual. Instead, he checked only two and then left.

This was an unexpected turn of events. Ding Zixiong could not believe that the instructor was slacking off. He could only assume that the instructor had a change of heart. After all, Wang Qian was the strictest of all the instructors. Ding Zixiong had been confined to the brig twice and flogged three times by him. Of course, it was Wang Qian who had appointed him as the squad leader, based on a points system.

"Everyone, attention! In ten minutes, we will have a meeting in the mess hall." Wang Qian said this and hurried away, leaving a room full of disbelieving eyes. Normally, inspections were thorough, and it was not uncommon for rifles to be disassembled for inspection.

The rifles were placed on the racks, and Ding Zixiong quickly rushed out of the dormitory. Before the ten minutes were up, all 120 recruits were present.

"Yan Wang" (a nickname for the instructor) changed his usual stern expression and walked to the stage with a smile. Standing at the highest point, Chen Xie looked at the young faces with satisfaction. As long as they were well-fed and well-clothed, they could be trained into good soldiers. There were many such young men in Dengzhou, and even more across the country. Of course, these were officers, different from the future soldiers.

"Students, today I congratulate you. After nearly four months of intense training and study, you have successfully completed your course. I now announce that the first class of the Zhangjiazhuang Militia Academy has passed all the assessments and has graduated!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into enthusiastic applause! Applause for the commander's speech was usually mandatory, but this time, it was genuinely heartfelt. Finally, the inhuman life was over!

The four-month course at the academy, well, the Ming dynasty didn't have such strict standards. These men, standing together, were now qualified soldiers in the Ming dynasty, with basic military skills. They just needed to see some action on the battlefield.

The next event, the graduation sword ceremony, left the Ming recruits completely awestruck. Modern society's rosewood Tang swords, retailing for 282 each, with bulk orders delivered to the door. Doctor Chen ordered 5,000 swords, nearly scaring the supplier, who demanded full payment upfront and delivered 200 immediately. These high-carbon steel swords, made to resemble ancient Tang swords, were like magical weapons that could cut through iron in the Ming dynasty.

Each sword handle was engraved with the name of the graduate by Ming craftsmen, making it a high-end and prestigious graduation gift.

When Ding Zixiong received his sword, his blood boiled. He stood at attention, looking at the doctor who had transformed him, and shouted with all his might, "I am willing to die for my teacher!"

As the first to be called to the stage, Ding Zixiong set a good example. The 120 graduates were each called up in turn, and Chen Xie personally presented each with a sword, to which they all responded, "I am willing to die for my teacher." From that day on, these men were Chen Xie's students. On the battlefield, if half of them kept their word, Chen Xie would consider it a great success.

After the sword ceremony, Chen Xie announced a seven-day holiday. The entire venue fell silent for a moment, then someone shouted, "Woo!" They could go home for the holiday! The temporary venue... erupted in cheers! Military discipline was forgotten, and they were willing to face punishment later just to let out their pent-up emotions.

Interestingly, Chen Xie and his makeshift instructors watched the young men vent their frustrations over the past four months with smiles on their faces.

Five minutes later, Chen Xie cleared his throat, and the venue fell silent in five seconds. Looking at the young faces, still flushed with excitement, Chen Xie smiled and said gently, "I now declare the graduation ceremony over."

Chen Xie left, the instructors remained, and the graduates instinctively formed four squads by class.

Wang Qian walked to the front and took out a military handbook from his pocket. "Everyone, look. The small booklets you were given earlier recorded your points over the past four months. Now, by class, go to the logistics department to collect your holiday benefits and point rewards."

No one understood the purpose of the points, but the military handbook was a serious matter. Any violation of the rules listed in it would result in severe punishment. During training, some had thought about escaping, but the good food and the fear of family repercussions kept them in line. Fortunately, everyone's endurance was strong, and they had endured the hardships of the past four months.

As the squad leader, Ding Zixiong led his class to the logistics department. The person in charge was not a soldier but a merchant sent by the joint business association, a fat and greasy man who looked like a typical businessman.

To save time, three accountants sat behind a table, their abacuses clicking away.

When it was Ding Zixiong's turn, he glanced at the total points in his military handbook, and his eyes lit up.

"Son, you have 330 points. After collecting your holiday benefits, remember to visit the military service station next door."

Ding Zixiong was puzzled. "I've never heard of it!" The accountant replied, "It just opened today. You'll see when you go."

The holiday benefits were a gift package, and he had to sign and press his fingerprint to receive his four months' pay, eight taels of silver. The gift package was a backpack, similar to the ones used at the academy but smaller and less sturdy.

Leaving the logistics department, Ding Zixiong opened the backpack and was amazed. A wooden box of mooncakes, only eight fist-sized mooncakes, which was expected. A can of fish, a can of luncheon meat, a can of orange, and a can of pear in syrup, which were unexpected. Oh, and at the bottom was a new uniform, known as the "doctor's servant uniform" outside. A pair of new boots, not the usual training shoes but leather boots.

Ding Zixiong could already imagine his family's joy and his sisters' drooling. Thinking of this, he felt a lump in his throat. He packed the backpack and turned a corner to see a brick house. A sign read, "Military Service Station."

Inside, it was different from anywhere else. Many classmates were already browsing. The walls were lined with counters, the center was open, and the counters were glass-encased, displaying various goods. Ding Zixiong soon noticed a group of students sighing or smiling by one wall.

"What are the exchange rules?" This was something new. Ding Zixiong walked over and, after a moment, his body trembled with excitement, like the feeling of holding the village's top beauty, Lulan, in his dreams, which was thrilling despite the need to change his pants afterward.

200 points for a bolt of cloth, 50 points for ten pounds of pork, 10 points for a can of cigarettes, and a long list of exchange items, covering food, clothing, and daily necessities. Suddenly, he felt like he had a vast fortune. Ding Zixiong was in a daze.

A bolt of cloth was a must, ensuring new clothes for the family for the New Year. With the remaining 130 points, he needed to be frugal. He bought a can of cigarettes, the 5-point variety, which felt good in his pocket. A lighter was expensive at 20 points, but it would be a status symbol, so he bought one. The points were spent quickly, and he had little left. He still had eight taels of silver, and he learned that he could use silver to buy things at half the market price. This information made him unstoppable.

A pound of rock sugar was a must for his parents, some pastries for his sisters, a bottle of face cream for his sisters, a pair of shoes for his brother, thirty pounds of flour, fifty pounds of millet, and ten pounds of pork...

After spending four taels of silver, Ding Zixiong finally calmed down and stopped his shopping spree. The four taels of silver would be enough to feed his family until the New Year and beyond. Rural people usually ate two meals a day, and eating bran and vegetables was common. Remembering the pig feed they used to eat, Ding Zixiong decided to spend another tael of silver on a bag of high-quality flour.

When he finished buying everything, he realized he had no way to carry it all. A pile of items lay on the ground. At that moment, a dark-skinned man approached and smiled, "Sir, do you need a cart?"

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