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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
The Ming Dynasty's military was intricate and full of little-known secrets.
Among them, how does the unique establishment of the general army as the main soldier, the deputy general soldier as the odd one, and the staff as the general support? What kind of military wisdom and strategic considerations are hidden behind this sophisticated arrangement?
What was the reason for the Ming Dynasty to adopt such an organization? On the battlefield, how do they play a role in defending the Ming Dynasty?
1. The Trap of the Guard: The Glory and Hidden Worries of the Military System in the Early Ming Dynasty
In the first year of Hongwu (1368), Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing and established the Ming Dynasty. The humble founding emperor was well aware of the importance of the military in consolidating his power.
He learned the lessons of the fall of his previous dynasty and was determined to build a strong and loyal army. In this context, the system of health came into being. Zhu Yuanzhang's original intention in setting up the guard was to realize the ideal of "integration of soldiers and peasants".
He hoped that the soldiers would be self-sufficient in peacetime and reduce the burden on the country's finances; In wartime, it can quickly assemble and become a solid force to defend the country. This system did play an important role in the Hongwu and Yongle periods, providing strong support for the Ming Dynasty's territorial expansion and social stability.
However, as time passed, the disadvantages of the system gradually emerged. The first is that the soldiers and horses are too scattered. Guards throughout the country are like scattered chess pieces, and it is difficult to form an effective military force.
Secondly, what is even more fatal is the dilemma of "soldiers do not know generals when they go out on the expedition, and they will not know soldiers". This strangeness seriously affected the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the army. Faced with these problems, some far-sighted border generals began to explore new ways of military organization.
They drew elite personnel from various guard posts in the area under their jurisdiction and trained them intensively, gradually forming the prototype of what was later called the "battalion system". This spontaneous reform laid the groundwork for a major change in the military system of the Ming Dynasty.
2. The Rise of the General Army: From Temporary Dispatch to Local Military and Political Power
In the first year of Hongxi (1425), a seemingly small but significant change quietly took place. The imperial court sent 4 chief military officers to guard each side. This decision marked the change of the commander-in-chief from a temporary dispatch to a permanent officer, and also heralded a major adjustment of the military system of the Ming Dynasty.
Prior to this, the highest military and political commanders of the border guards and provincial guards were the commanders. The chief military officer was a general who was temporarily appointed by the imperial court during wartime.
However, with the increasingly severe situation on the frontier, especially the frequent harassment of the Mongol cavalry, this temporary response can no longer meet the actual needs.
This decision of the imperial court was a wise one. It makes the border command more flexible and efficient, and the chief officer can formulate a long-term defense strategy according to the actual situation on the ground.
However, this change also brings new challenges. The commander-in-chief gradually became a vassal with a heavy army in his hands, which posed a potential threat to centralization.
In order to balance this contradiction, the imperial court later set up civilian positions such as governors and governors, forming a pattern of "civilian officials commanding the army". Although this check and balance mechanism restricts the power of military generals to a certain extent, it also lays a hidden danger for the separation of military and government in the future.
3. Simultaneous development of the fourth army: the maturity and perfection of the battalion system
With the establishment of the general military officer system, a new form of military organization, the battalion system, gradually took shape. By the Jiajing period (1522-1566), this system had become quite mature, forming a military system with regular soldiers, surprise soldiers, reinforcements, and guerrillas as the core.
The regular soldiers, under the direct command of the general soldiers, are the main force in a town. They not only have to protect the general army, but also undertake important responsibilities such as responding to the police and guarding against autumn. In wartime, regular soldiers are often the main force that charges into battle.
The odd soldiers are commanded by the deputy commander-in-chief, and their names take the meaning of "winning by surprise". Their main task is to wait for reinforcements and set up ambushes for defense. The flexibility of the Odd Soldier makes it a "fire brigade" in the army, able to respond quickly to all kinds of unexpected situations.
The reinforcements are under the command of the generals, and they are mainly responsible for guarding the main road and cooperating with all roads. They are the backbone of local defenses, defending one side of the land while always being ready to support neighboring areas.
The guerrillas are led by the guerrillas and are a special type of troops designed for mobile attacks. They do not have a fixed defense zone and can be flexibly deployed as needed. From defending their own town to assisting other towns, to joining the Beijing Division, the responsibilities of the guerrilla can be described as diverse.
These four branches of the armed forces perform their own duties and cooperate with each other to form a flexible and powerful defense system. Not only can it cope with the day-to-day needs of border defense, but it can also quickly assemble into a powerful military force in the event of a large-scale invasion.
Fourth, the general's strategy: the wisdom and responsibility of the frontier generals
In the development of the battalion system, a number of outstanding frontier generals played a key role. Their strategic vision and practical exploration have made important contributions to the improvement of this system.
Take Yang Yiqing as an example, this capable minister who served as the chief system (i.e., governor) in the early years of Jiajing, showed outstanding command skills in many border troubles.
In the face of the Mongol invasion of Hetao, he ordered Zheng Qing, the general soldier of Guyuan, to lead the army to pursue, and at the same time mobilized the regular soldiers and strange soldiers of Hang Xiong, the general soldier of Ningxia, to go to Hexi for reinforcements. This practice of flexibly dispatching different arms of the armed forces has fully embodied the advantages of the battalion system.
Zheng Qing and Hang Xiong, the commanders of border towns, are also constantly exploring and perfecting this system in practice. They are facing a real battlefield, and every decision is related to the life and death of the army and the safety of the frontier.
It is precisely in such a life-and-death struggle that the battalion system has been constantly tempered and developed. It is worth mentioning that these frontier generals had to deal not only with foreign invasions, but also with complex internal relations.
They must remain loyal to the central authorities while maintaining a certain degree of autonomy in actual operations. This way of balancing is a test of the wisdom and courage of every border general.
5. Nine-border fortification: the last line of defense of the Ming Empire
By the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the nine-border defense line with the battalion system as the core had been formed. This military barrier across the northern frontier has become the last line of defense to defend the Ming Dynasty.
Jiubian refers to the nine important military towns of Liaodong, Jizhou, Xuanfu, Datong, Shanxi, Yulin, Ningxia, Guyuan and Gansu. Each town has its specific geographical location and strategic significance, which together form a complete defensive system.
In this system, the towns are relatively independent and closely coordinated. For example, when a town encounters a major police situation, the odd soldiers and guerrillas of several neighboring towns will quickly mobilize support. This flexible and mobile defense method has greatly improved the overall effectiveness of border defense.
However, the establishment and maintenance of the nine-border defense line was not an easy task. It not only requires a large amount of manpower and material resources, but also has to face a complex and changeable border situation. Frequent harassment by the Mongol ministries, shortages of military salaries, and corruption of soldiers have all posed great challenges to this line of defense.
Despite this, the Nine Border Line still played an important role. It not only militarily curbed the southward movement of the northern nomads, but also culturally became the forefront of the integration of agricultural civilization and nomadic civilization.
Many literati and artists were attracted by this legendary scenery of Biansai, and left a large number of popular Biansai poems.
epilogue
This major change in the military system of the Ming Dynasty from the guard system to the battalion system not only reflects the progress of the military organization, but also reflects the way a dynasty responds to internal and external troubles.
It is not only a valuable experience that countless soldiers have exchanged for their lives and wisdom, but also an important milestone in ancient Chinese military history.
Although this system ultimately failed to save the fate of the Ming Dynasty, the military wisdom and organizational experience contained in it still had a profound impact on later generations.
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