Those things in the Ming Dynasty (full) Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 17 The starting point of a famous general
Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 17 The starting point of a famous general
Basic skills are necessary
In the twenty-third year of Jiajing (1544), the seventeen-year-old Qi Jiguang was ready to leave. He was going to Beijing to inherit his father's position. Although he had taken over in name, the procedures still had to be completed no matter what.
After completing the formalities, Qi Jiguang officially rushed to Shandong to handle the handover and took up the post of commander of the Dengzhou Guard. He had just turned eighteen at the time.
But when he went to the place and took a look, he sincerely lamented that the government really trusted him too much, too much.
Dengzhou is an important town on the coast of Shandong. There are thousands of troops stationed in Dengzhou alone. In addition to the military and civilian affairs, the total number is probably tens of thousands. Moreover, these people have not fought for a long time and have become soldiers. They just mess around every day.
He waits to die and likes to engage in corruption.
Qi Jiguang, a passionate young man, was very dissatisfied with this. He carried out reforms with great fanfare, strictly enforced the attendance system, and rectified military discipline, which can be described as thunderous.
It's a pity that it didn't rain. The slogans were shouted loudly, but no one paid attention. After all, everyone knew: This is what your grandfather was like when he was here. You didn't even grow a beard, but you just want to compete with your predecessors.
?
This was the first lesson Qi Jiguang learned. He finally understood that in this world, people like his father and teachers will always be a minority. If he wants to realize his ideals, he must also learn to compromise. For this,
He woke up earlier than his future ally Zhang Juzheng.
Although things couldn't be done, Qi Jiguang was not discouraged because he had found a more meaningful goal. Every morning, he began to run to exercise, practice martial arts, conduct high-intensity physical training, hang his buttocks, and study hard.
Qi Jiguang is preparing for the martial arts examination.
Although he was already a fourth-grade military attache, Qi Jiguang still planned to take the exam. This was not because he had enough to eat and had nothing to do, which was a problem for him, but because in the Ming Dynasty, exam results were too important, no matter whether you were a relative of the emperor or a high-ranking cadre.
If a child is not a Jinshi, he will always be regarded as a shoddy product.
In addition, taking this exam can also exercise your physique, promote metabolism, learn some martial arts, and strengthen basic skills, which is really beneficial to your body and mind.
Facts have proved that Qi Jiguang's choice was very wise. In the highland ten years later, his efforts will receive the greatest reward.
In the twenty-eighth year of Jiajing (1549), Qi Jiguang participated in the martial arts examination and won the first place, becoming a martial arts examiner.
The next year, Qi Jiguang packed his bags and went to Beijing to take the joint examination. Generally speaking, there are only two results, passing the exam or failing the exam, but Qi Jiguang happened to encounter the third type.
Although many historical records do not mention Qi Jiguang's results in the joint examination, some materials show that his examination results may be very unsatisfactory. If he continues to take the examination, he will probably have to pack up and leave, and see him another day.
The exam was coming to an end, and just when Qi Jiguang was preparing to pack up his bed, Yang Shouqian, the Minister of War, suddenly ran over and told everyone: No matter whether you did well or poorly, you don't need to take the exam anymore. Students must gather immediately, pick up your copy and follow me.
.
Here I am, the "Gengxu Rebellion" broke out.
This is naturally a troublesome matter, but for Qi Jiguang, it is a rare opportunity. It was during this incident that his talents were fully utilized, and his "Preparing My Answers" was also widely circulated.
Received high praise from superior leaders.
Qi Jiguang's fate was completely changed. After the "Gengxu Incident", in order to strengthen the defense of the border, the imperial court decided to mobilize some troops from Shandong, Shanxi and other places to take turns guarding the border. Qi Jiguang, who had been in the limelight before, naturally could not escape the scrutiny and won the bid gloriously.
This is a hard job that others avoid, but Qi Jiguang went happily, where he would start his legendary life.
On the way forward, facing a steep road and a vast future, Qi Jiguang once again strengthened his ambition:
Running north and south to report the love of the Lord, the river is full of flowers and the moon is smiling all the time.
Three hundred and sixty days a year, most of them are marching on horseback.
This will be his life choice.
However, the beginning of this choice was not smooth. General Qi's life at the border was really unhappy because the place where he was assigned to be stationed was Jimen.
When I was in Shandong, although my subordinates were all a bunch of soldiers, I was still a fourth-grade commander who could keep his word. And Jimen was one of the four major defense areas of the Ming Dynasty (Xuan, Da, Ji, Liao), and senior officers
After grabbing a lot, Qi Jiguang was unable to do anything. He could only do patrolling and other tasks here, and had few opportunities to practice operations and command the army.
So, after spending a seemingly unremarkable three years, he returned to Shandong. In the eyes of many people, this young man who had high hopes from the leaders of the Ministry of War had achieved nothing and had just spent three years in vain.
but it is not the truth.
After the Battle of Cengang, Yu Dayou admired Qi Jiguang's tactics very much and once curiously asked him a question: Where did you learn your tactics and when did they originate?
Qi Jiguang replied that he learned it when he was patrolling the border in Jimen.
Yu Dayou was very surprised. How could a small official patrolling the border be so proficient in the art of war and had never fought in a big battle?
Qi Jiguang proudly answered his question - he is self-taught.
He told Yu Dayou that during the three years in Jimen, no matter where he was or what errand he was doing, he always brought a book with him, read it over and over, and studied hard day and night. Most of the secrets of military law he learned came from this book.
Unfortunately, this book is not Yu Dayou's favorite "Book of Changes". Its name is "Sun Tzu's Art of War".
If we were to make a list of world bestsellers over the past three thousand years, "The Art of War" would be at least in the top fifty. This book has already entered the international market and been sold overseas. Napoleon and Hitler also bought this book.
Old men as old as eighty and children as young as four or five are all loyal readers of Sun Tzu.
But Mr. Qi Jiguang is probably the only one who can see the magic from it and create his own military art. Because he has a very unique way of reading - criticizing while reading. For example, Sun Tzu once said: If the enemy is arrogant, don't go.
Fight (don't attack the dignified formation). General Qi said this: The more arrogant you are, the more you have to fight! (With tens of thousands of people, dignified and dignified, they come and go, fighting hand to hand.)
Sun Tzu once said: Don't pursue an enemy who is pretending to be defeated (don't follow from the north). General Qi said: Maintain your formation, pay attention to vigilance, and pursue with confidence (collect the entire army, leave people to search, and beat the drums to chase.)
There are countless similarities. In Marxist terms, Comrade Qi Jiguang critically absorbed Sun Tzu's Art of War. It is said that adapting measures to local conditions and taking the essence will eventually lead to the subtlety of military strategy.
In the thirty-fourth year of Jiajing's reign (1555), military theorist Qi Jiguang was transferred to Zhejiang and served as the capital secretary, where his theory would undergo a severe test.
Military generals in the Ming Dynasty were no different from civil servants. They also liked to engage in internal conflicts, fight for power and gain, and were obsessed with climbing up the ranks. However, Qi Jiguang had no interest in this. After he took office, he put forward many rational suggestions based on the current situation and reported them to the leadership.
, although he didn’t get any reply, he still remained the same.
Soon after, in order to strengthen defense, the imperial court decided to set up the post of General Ning Shaotai. This position was roughly equivalent to the commander of the three military regions of Ningbo, Shaoxing and Taizhou. It was a high-power position and a fat job.
When the news came, many people began to be active, treating guests and giving gifts, and building relationships through the back door, hoping to get this job. Only Qi Jiguang remained indifferent and continued to do his work.
Soon, the appointment results were announced, and what shocked countless people was that the person who took up this position turned out to be the calm Qi Jiguang.
This is an out-and-out miracle, and behind the miracle is the help of one person.
Qi Jiguang's petition was not thrown into the wastebasket. Every word on the document was firmly reflected in Hu Zongxian's eyes.
He was surprised by this man's courage and talent, but he suppressed these official documents and did not make any reply, because before entrusting the young man with the great responsibility, he still needed to go through a final test.
After a long period of observation, Hu Zongxian finally determined that Qi Jiguang was not an opportunist, but a man who was unfazed by favors and humiliations and had the world in mind. So he did not hesitate to hand over the position of General Ning Shaotai to this man.
Only fools don't want pie falling from the sky. Qi Jiguang is not a fool, so he did not refuse. On this kind of issue, he has always been a smart man, at least much smarter than Yu Dayou.
The smart Qi Jiguang took over the post of General Ning Shaotai. He was just twenty-eight years old this year. He was ambitious and high-spirited, always looking forward to doing something big.
The opportunity came as soon as Qi Jiguang took office. Just one month after Qi Jiguang took office, the Japanese pirates came. This time their target was Cixi, Zhejiang.
After receiving the news, Qi Jiguang was very happy. He decided to take this opportunity to fight the Japanese pirates. According to the intelligence, there were only a thousand Japanese pirates. To ensure safety, he summoned tens of thousands of soldiers, preparing to fight with more and less, and celebrate his victory.
Good luck opening the door.
Qi Jiguang personally led the team and set off. However, he did not know that opening the door would not necessarily bring happiness, and sometimes it would also lead to difficulties.
The large group of troops drove to Longshan in the southeast of Cixi. Here they encountered the main force of the Japanese pirates, and the famous Battle of Longshan began.
The reason why this battle is famous is not because there is any tragic and tragic story, but because it is so inexplicable, it started inexplicably and ended inexplicably.
Qi Jiguang was very excited when he finally met the enemy. He immediately observed the terrain, made plans, and arranged the attack formation. However, when he finished his work, he was surprised to find that no one carried out his orders-they all ran away.
The majestic Ming army was indeed extraordinary. When they encountered Japanese pirates whose numbers were far smaller than their own, they collapsed at the first touch. Let alone attack, they didn't even bother to escape.
The forwards were defeated and the Chinese army was shaken. Even Qi Jiguang's deputy general pulled his sleeves and told him to run away quickly. If he didn't run away, it would be too late.
However, the stunned Qi Jiguang quickly regained his composure. He broke free from the lieutenant's pull, took out the bow and arrow he carried with him, and calmly ordered his subordinates:
"Where is the high ground here? Take me there."
Standing on the high ground, Qi Jiguang looked at the funny scene in front of him. The large Ming army was fleeing in all directions, and hundreds of Japanese pirates were chasing behind them, unscrupulously. It seemed that the defeat was certain.
However, he decided to save the crisis - with his own strength.
Qi Jiguang picked up his bow and arrow, fully pulled the bow string, aimed at the Japanese pirate leader who was leading the charge, and shot a fatal arrow. The hard training of ten years ago finally paid off handsomely.
Qi Jiguang's
The archery skills were really not good, and the Japanese pirate leader fell to the ground, but this was not the end. He put his hand into the quiver and pulled out the second arrow.
With a fierce sound of wind, the second leader fell to the ground and died. Just when the Japanese pirates were panicked by the sniper, another sound of wind accompanied by screams reached their ears-the third person was killed.
Shot to death.
This sniper tactics completely broke the psychological defenses of the Japanese pirates, and they gave up pursuit and stopped.
It must be said that the Ming army in front was really smart. When they saw that they were no longer chasing, they immediately mustered up the courage and spirit. While running, they completed a very difficult 180-degree turn and began to chase the Japanese pirates.
Qi Jiguang breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately called for his subordinates and ordered them to pursue them with all their strength.
But something happened that made him even more unexpected.
After the soldiers chased for a while, they began to return automatically one after another. Qi Jiguang was extremely puzzled, so he stopped a soldier and asked him why he stopped chasing. The military master did not notice anything and told him calmly: This is all an old tradition.
, just drive them away. They are coming anyway, so there is no need to fight desperately.
Qi Jiguang was stunned. He stood motionless on the spot and couldn't come back to his senses for a long time. That's it!
The Battle of Longshan ended in this way. Although it was very dishonorable and embarrassing, Qi Jiguang was not without gains. From this battle, he realized an important point: relying solely on his group of soldiers, even if Chang Yuchun was buried in the grave.
Even if you dig it out, you won't be able to win the battle.
As the saying goes, one soldier is a raging soldier, and a general is raging in a den. However, this time, Qi Jiguang's eyes were really opened. He met the legendary "Bear" soldier group, not one, not two, but a "glorious" group.
It would be fine to say that it was done accidentally, but this group of bear soldiers turned out to be professional and never rose up. In the Battle of Yanmen Ridge not long after, they acted very righteously and took the lead in escaping again, regardless of Qi Jiguang's life or death.
Comrade Qi Jiguang instantly became a polished commander. Fortunately, he had practiced running and worked hard to escape.
If this continues, either he will be exhausted or he will be implicated to death. Qi Jiguang decided to write a letter asking for retraining.
The document was sent up. After Hu Zongxian read it, he sneered and gave him a very classic answer:
"If the Zhejiang soldiers could be trained, I would have gone to practice a long time ago. Why do I have to wait for you to come?!"
Hu Zongxian knew the fighting power of his men better than Qi Jiguang, and he had already been heartbroken by these soldiers.
But Qi Jiguang thought for a moment and said something. It was this sentence that made Hu Zongxian change his mind:
"In a city with ten houses, there must be loyalty and faithfulness. If the whole Zhejiang is dignified, how can it be that there is no talent and courage!"
Hu Zongxian was moved by his sincerity and gave him three thousand soldiers to train.
Among the outstanding generals of the Ming Dynasty, Qi Jiguang should be ranked in the top five in terms of combat bravery and strategizing. The reason why he can occupy such an important position in military history is because he has an unparalleled ability.
Specialty - Training.
Three thousand new recruits came to the military camp with the dream of making a living, but they never imagined that what awaited them ahead would be a hellish life.
According to records in the "New Book of Jixiao", whenever new recruits join the army, Qi Jiguang always gives a lecture to encourage them to learn martial arts. This passage is indeed a strange article and can be used as a reference for ideological and political staff in various units, so it is excerpted as follows:
"Everyone has listened. Martial arts training is not an official thing that you agreed to do with the officials. It is a job that you come to be a soldier to kill thieves and save lives. If you are good at martial arts, if you kill the thief, the thief can't kill you. If your martial arts skills are not as good as him, he will kill you.
.If you don’t learn martial arts, you are a fool who doesn’t want your life!”
Of course, as a recruit, these words can be ignored by you, but instructor Qi does not expect you to implement them consciously at all. He has prepared many surprises to ensure that you fully spend this unforgettable military camp life.
After the ideological education, the next step is to stand in the queue, including the team's marching and turning, etc. The specific form is similar to today, but if you turn in the wrong direction or walk in the wrong queue, you will not only be pulled out and punished, but also beaten.
As for the board, they won't let you go to the infirmary after the fight, and you have to continue practicing.
After practicing the formation, Instructor Qi will teach everyone to learn commands, including beating drums to advance, ringing gold to withdraw troops, and the various meanings of waving flags. If you are illiterate, it doesn’t matter, Instructor Qi will teach you, but if you finish teaching, you will
If you give it back to Teacher Qi, that would be bad. To ensure that you remember it next time, Instructor Qi will slap you until you cry for father and mother and swear that you will remember it.
After completing the prescribed courses, it is time to learn martial arts. The instructors are all martial arts masters selected from various places. They all practice actual combat. Routine players are generally not hired.
Taking into account everyone's different educational levels and differences in IQ, in order to ensure good teaching results, Instructor Qi divided the academic performance into nine grades and assessed them regularly. The assessment method is actual combat.
The rules are as follows: two sides fight, if you win, you will be promoted, and you will be rewarded with one silver point for the next level up. If you lose, you will be demoted, and you will be rewarded with five sticks for the next level.
The rule can be simply summarized as: If you don't hit me, I will hit you. Anyway, if you can't beat your comrades, you will be beaten by Teacher Qi. You will get beaten no matter what, so it is better to beat your comrades with all your strength and earn some pocket money by the way.
Therefore, under this almost inhumane training method, the recruits lived in dire straits and suffered bruises every day. However, it was in this cruel environment that they developed extraordinary martial arts and achieved extraordinary careers.
Hundreds of years later, this special force has become a legend and will be forever recorded in history with a glorious name - Qi Jiajun.
In Chinese history, there have been countless elite special forces, such as the Tiger and Ben Army of the Han Dynasty, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period, and the Xuanjia Army of the Tang Dynasty. Their combat effectiveness is rarely matched, but throughout ancient and modern times,
There are only two armies that are famous all over the world and are named after generals: apart from Qi Jiguang, only Yue Fei can win this honor. (Yu Dayou's army is also called Yu Jiajun, but it is not well-known.)
For Qi Jiguang and his army, this is a well-deserved evaluation.
After the military training took shape, Qi Jiguang decided to take them out for a walk. The main purpose was naturally not to fight, but to practice practical skills and see the world. Their first destination was Taizhou.
Unfortunately, in Jiaojiang near Taizhou, this group of recruits encountered their real enemy-Japanese pirates for the first time. This was an unexpected incident that Qi Jiguang did not expect. After all, they were all recruits, so he expected them to survive.
Winning a battle is unreliable.
However, things developed beyond his expectation. Because the recruits had been tortured by Teacher Qi for a long time, they had accumulated a lot of anger, and their mentality was on the verge of losing control. So when the enemy appeared in front of them, they suddenly realized that they had to vent their anger.
The time has come.
The consequences were very serious. These three thousand recruits were like wild beasts. They defeated the enemy in front of them in an instant and pursued them hundreds of miles away. They drove the Japanese pirates into the sea. This was the end of the matter.
After that, this new army was out of control and marched forward with great success. They encountered Japanese pirates four times in a row in Taizhou, Wenling and other places, and won four of the four battles.
Qi Jiguang was satisfied. In his opinion, his goal had been achieved and he already had a strong enough army.
However, it turned out that he was very wrong.
In the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing (1558), Qi Jiguang's dream was ruthlessly broken.
Cengang, this inconspicuous and small place, is home to Japanese pirates who are short of soldiers and food - only a thousand people.
Qi Jiguang led his 3,000 new troops and launched a fierce attack together with Lu Ti and Yu Dayou. He believed that he had a chance of victory, but the result was not like this.
Faced with this small group of stubborn Japanese pirates, tens of thousands of Ming troops were helpless. They were frustrated many times and returned with heavy casualties. The previously powerful new army was completely lost in the face of this group of organized enemies.
The majesty of the stragglers was broken down in the beginning.
Qi Jiguang watched helplessly as the new army he had trained so hard began to retreat, began to flee, and began to lose all courage. This scene was absolutely unacceptable to him.
Due to the unfavorable situation of the war, Qi Jiguang was dismissed from his post as a general and was about to lose his job. Qi Jiguang had no choice but to risk his life and think hard, and finally fought back and designed to defeat these stubborn enemies.
But the cruel reality still shocked him, and he finally realized that in order to realize his dream and complete the great cause of resisting Japan, he still lacked an extremely important link.
last option
On the day Wang Zhi was arrested, Qi Jiguang made a sober judgment: Soon, countless out-of-control Japanese pirates will swarm in and launch crazy attacks. Peaceful luck and compromise will no longer exist. To defeat
The only way for this group of thugs to quell the war is to have stronger violence and fight violence with violence.
Qi Jiguang has always believed that he has all the elements for victory: excellent weapons and equipment, reasonable strategies and tactics, excellent commanding generals (himself), and rigorous training methods.
However, he still failed. The new army he had worked so hard to train was still vulnerable. He vaguely felt that he seemed to have overlooked a key factor.
After several days of thinking, he finally found the final key - the soldier.
In Qi Jiguang's view, an invincible army must possess the following qualities:
As fast as the wind, as slow as the forest; as aggressive as fire, as motionless as a mountain; as unpredictable as the dark, as moving as thunder. (Sun Tzu's Art of War.)
This is the "Six Rus Mantra" regarded as a classic by countless military strategists. Military strategists say that those who master the "Six Rus" will be able to conquer in battles, capture in attacks, and be invincible!
Among the "Six Rus", the last two Rus must rely on generals, and the first four Rus must rely on soldiers.
Qi Jiguang still has confidence in his own abilities, but when it comes to the quality of his people, Qi Jiguang can only be speechless to the sky.
Regarding this issue, Qi Jiguang had a very interesting conversation with Tan Lun, the then magistrate of Taizhou and later a world-famous general. The content of the conversation has been compiled by me and is roughly as follows:
Qi Jiguang (hereinafter referred to as Qi): Although I have tried my best to practice, after experiencing the battle, I discovered that the new army has a big problem.
Tan Lun (hereinafter referred to as Tan): What is the problem?
Qi: Most of the 3,000 new troops under my command are Chuzhou (now Lishui, Zhejiang) soldiers and Shaoxing soldiers. The soldiers from these two places have their own characteristics. For example, Chuzhou soldiers are very brave in fighting. They never hesitate to obey orders and charge into battle.
Very active and the main force in the battle.
Tan: Any questions?
Qi: But every time before they go to war, they have to negotiate terms with me.
Tan: Negotiate terms?
Qi: Before fighting, they require that they know the opponent and the number of people fighting, and then discuss among themselves. If they think it can be fought, they will fight. But if they think it can't be fought, they will never work hard no matter how hard they talk.
Tan...
Qi: Relatively speaking, Shaoxing soldiers are more obedient to orders. No matter what kind of battle they fight, they will never refuse and obey completely. They are not afraid of hard work. If they are assigned to do hard work such as setting up camp and building a city, they will try their best to do it.
They never complain. And on the battlefield, if the enemy retreats, they will take the initiative to pursue them.
Tan: Isn’t it good to obey military orders and fight bravely?
Qi: But the problem is that if the enemy attacks, they will retreat on their own initiative.
Tan...
Qi: Of course, if the enemy retreats again, they will still pursue them, but if the enemy returns, they will retreat again. According to my statistics, as long as they are within thirty steps of the enemy and are about to engage in hand-to-hand combat, they will generally retreat as a whole.
.All in all, it is really unreliable at the critical moment.
Tan: So what are you going to do?
After a moment of silence, Qi Jiguang ended the conversation with a heavy sigh:
"I have no way."
In fact, the conversation between the two involved a very important theory - geographical determinism. Generally speaking, people living in difficult mountainous areas have tougher personalities, fierce folk customs, and are not afraid of death. However, in economically developed areas,
It's really not difficult to make ends meet, and only those who are willing to fight desperately are not forced to do so.
The Chuzhou area is mountainous and has poor economic conditions. It is an area inhabited by ethnic minorities. The locals have always believed in the death-defying theory that if the head falls off and the scar is as big as a bowl, Shaoxing has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and there are many scholars who are mainly engaged in mental work (such as Xu Wei). In fact,
If that doesn't work, you can still engage in some tourism service industry. You really don't have to work hard to make a living.
As for this kind of regional disparity, training alone cannot solve it, and Qi Jiguang really has no solution.
He had no choice but to make do with it, but during battles, Qi Jiguang could only arrange for the Shaoxing soldiers to guard the camp, and then go to do ideological work with the Chuzhou soldiers to persuade them to fight the enemy vigorously. He went back and forth, exhausted, and finished one battle each time.
Fighting, you will be exhausted until you are half dead.
In order to prevent himself from being exhausted before dying in battle, Qi Jiguang decided to find a group of brave and powerful people to replace the existing soldiers and form a truly invincible Qi family army. Just as he told Hu Zongxian
In a word - there is no one in Zhejiang who has talent and courage? He believes that he will eventually find it.
A year later, he finally found the right partner - because of a chance encounter.
In the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing (1558), Qi Jiguang was on official business for some matters. After finishing the matter, he did not return the same way, but went around in circles to inspect the public sentiment.
However, when he happened to pass by a place, he saw a scene that shocked him.
The place he passed was called Yiwu, and the scene he saw was a fight.
As a military general who is accustomed to killing people and setting fires, leaving corpses everywhere, Qi Jiguang's psychological endurance is quite strong, but he was still shocked by this fight, because this was not an ordinary street gangster fight. In a sense
It is said that this was a fight that went down in history, a fight that changed the history of anti-Japanese war, a fight that was glorious, successful, and united.
The thing is like this, Yiwu was originally an economically underdeveloped area, and the people were very poor. But God was so kind that many mineral deposits were discovered one after another in the area, so the local farmers left their farmland one after another and became miners.
Mines are naturally more valuable than food. Gradually, the people of Yiwu became rich. Now the poor brother Yongkang (now Yongkang, Zhejiang) quit working. I hope Yiwu can help the brothers. If there is money, everyone can make money together, and if there are mines, everyone can dig together.
.
But the people of Yiwu did not agree. We have suffered for so many years and finally got some hope. Now you come to eat ready-made food. Who do you think you are?
However, the poor brothers of Yongkang still set out, carrying farm tools, shovels and control knives, and marching bravely towards their dream place of getting rich. Anyway, they only have a life of poverty. Whoever is afraid of whom in this world will be killed!
When Yiwu got the news, they immediately organized thousands of people to intercept. The two sides met at Babaoshan (that's the name) outside Yiwu City, and this began a brutal fight.
The reason why Qi Jiguang was lucky enough to see this grand scene was not because the fight started in the morning and he arrived in the afternoon. The real reason was that this was a very special fight, and the people of Yiwu proved a fact with their actual actions - it turned out
Fights can also be protracted.
Starting in June of the 37th year of Jiajing (1558), Yiwu miners, villagers and miners from Yongkang broke into armed fights. The total number of people involved in the fights reached about 30,000, which lasted for four months until the autumn harvest came to an end.
In the end, the Yongkang people were driven back to their place of origin, with a total of more than 2,500 casualties on both sides.
It was a scene that Qi Jiguang would never forget. Countless ordinary people in Yiwu became so extraordinary at that moment. Regardless of men, women, old or young, they all went into battle together and used all the weapons they could find to attack the enemy. Farmers used hoes and miners used hoe
, even the housewives picked up the kitchen knife, with a fierce look in their eyes, screaming wildly and rushing into the enemy lines, slashing and killing, and keeping strangers away.
They are not only brave in killing people, but also have a spirit of sacrifice and excellent fighting traditions. The father injured his son, and the elder brother crippled the younger brother. Even those who were beaten until they were alive and died when they were carried home, they still died before they died.
I want to leave a last word: after I die, you continue to fight!
This is really a magical land. Qi Jiguang sighed sincerely.
Regarding what he saw and felt, Qi Jiguang later said this to Yu Dayou:
"I joined the army with my father since I was a child and traveled around the world. I took part in the military examination at the age of twenty-two. I was on guard when Anda invaded, and later I was stationed at Jimen. I once witnessed the Tatar cavalry coming and going without a trace, and moving like
Jing Lei can be said to be swift and fierce. He was then transferred to Zhejiang to fight against the Japanese pirates. Such people are good at using swords, have strong martial arts skills, and have a violent temperament. They are indeed rare and powerful enemies."
However, after taking a breath, Qi Jiguang finally expressed his fear:
"After half a lifetime of fighting, I have seen most of the tyrannical people in the world, but I have never been afraid of them. But the Yiwu people are so brave and domineering, good at fighting and fearless, I have never seen them before. It makes people frightened. It's terrible! It's terrible!
"
As for the months-long armed fighting, the local government did not take any action at all. It neither paid attention to it nor ignored it. It only sent a few people to watch the battle every day. Qi Jiguang did not blame him at all for this administrative inaction - after all
It’s understandable that everyone just makes ends meet and wants to live a few more years.
He just hurried back and asked to see Hu Zongxian overnight, saying this: If I am allowed to recruit 4,000 troops in Yiwu, the Japanese pirate rebellion will be put down!
Hu Zongxian thought for a moment and agreed to his proposal.
Qi Jiguang already had full confidence in the fighting spirit of the Yiwu people, but to ensure nothing went wrong, he decided to raise the recruitment standards and conditions. Only the most elite and bravest Yiwu people could become members of this powerful army.
So what conditions must be met to join Qi Jiajun? To this question, I can give a simple analogy answer: even if you can pass the auditions and enter the finals of the talent show, you may not be able to pass the Qi Jiajun exam.
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This is by no means sensational. In the "Jiangnan Classics" written by Hu Zongxian's staff Zheng Ruozeng, there is such a detailed admission brochure. If you are not convinced, you can check it out:
For those who are selected to join the army, the following categories of people cannot be used: those who have been in the market cannot be used, those who like to show off their skills and legs cannot be used, those who are over forty cannot be used, and those who have worked in government agencies cannot be used.
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The above is secondary, the more amazing requirements are still below:
People who like to brag and talk eloquently cannot use it, people who are timid cannot use it, people who are white cannot use it, and to ensure the mental health of the team, people with extreme personalities (prejudice and stubbornness) cannot use it.
If we follow this standard, even if Mr. Wu Song, the hero of the tiger fight, applies, he will be rejected because not only did he hold a public office (dutou), but he also has a bad personality (he left his name with blood after killing people).
Those who are admitted must also have the following characteristics: strong arms, strong muscles, bright eyes, honest appearance, long hands and feet, and fear of officials.
To sum up, what Qi Jiguang is looking for is this group of people: muscular men with well-developed limbs, simple minds, honest people, abiding by the law, obeying the government, dare to fight tough battles, dare to charge without fear of death, and have the character of a fool.
Facts have proved that Yiwu is indeed full of talented people. Although the recruitment requirements are so high, more than 4,000 people were still honored to be selected after the audition. It can be seen that in addition to having great business potential, the local people also have a very high political awareness.
After the recruits join the army, according to the usual practice, instructor Qi will give a lecture again. As long as you listen to the content of his lecture, you will completely understand why this man has to set up the recruitment standards:
"Everyone has listened, every time you serve as a soldier, you have to get paid. Even if it rains or winds, you sit with your arms folded, you will not lose three cents a day. But you must remember that these two cents of money are obtained by the government from the people.
You have worked hard at home farming, but now I don’t need you to work. I have raised you for a few years in vain. I just hope that you will go into battle to kill the enemy. If you are not willing to kill the enemy, what is the use of raising you?!"
In fact, what Instructor Qi means is very clear. To this day, it can be summed up in one sentence: Don’t waste taxpayers’ money!
But the problem is that this kind of traditional professional ethics education of doing things for money has never had a market in our country. Serving as a soldier and eating food is a matter of course and has become the life creed of many soldiers.
Therefore, Qi Jiguang set many regulations and only recruited honest people who were not opportunistic and not afraid of death to serve as soldiers, because facts have proven countless times that you must not be opportunistic on the battlefield. Those who are afraid of death will die first, and honest people will not suffer in the end.
Qi Jiguang finally found a suitable training target, but just as he expected, the out-of-control Japanese pirates were about to launch an attack of unprecedented scale, leaving him little time.
However, Qi Jiguang didn't know that while he was recruiting and training, a bigger crisis had already swooped over. It was far more terrifying than any Japanese pirate attack. If he was not careful, decades of hard work would be ruined.
Once this happens, his life will be completely changed.
This is a desperate fight, but in this battle, Qi Jiguang is just a powerless pawn, and his fate will depend on the efforts of another person.
The cause of this incident happened half a year ago, and the person who caused the trouble was Zhao Wenhua.