Chapter 21: The Ming Army’s Unpaid Wages

On his way from the palace to the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, Cao Huachun was summoned back once more by Zhu Youjian. Zhu granted him 100,000 taels of silver as startup capital for restructuring the Guard, leaving him to handle the details at his own discretion. This, needless to say, moved Cao deeply.

However, once Cao arrived at the headquarters and cleared his thoughts, he realized just how absurdly the Guard had declined. Even with his prior mental preparation, he had not expected this once-formidable and feared behemoth to have fallen into such a state of decay. The practice of collecting "ghost pay"—salaries for non-existent personnel—was staggering. The official registers listed tens of thousands of men, yet in reality, there were fewer than a thousand who actually served in the capital with legitimate status as officers. These men were a sorry sight, lacking any military bearing; they were sallow-faced, unable to draw a bow, and incapable of riding a horse.

Cao took a deep breath. It was fortunate that the Emperor had executed all officials above the rank of company commander; otherwise, attempting to reorganize the Guard would have been a pipe dream. Since His Majesty had paved the way, Cao felt he could not let down such imperial favor. He immediately ordered all Embroidered Uniform Guards currently on duty in the city to assemble. A thousand men were easy to organize, representing barely ten companies. These low-ranking officers, having heard of the mass execution of their superiors the previous day, dropped everything and rushed to comply.

Standing in formation on the training grounds, the men looked at the palace eunuch in his red robes with unconcealed fear, terrified that a single misstep might cost them their heads. Cao stood up, a lukewarm smile on his face, and spoke in a clear, resonant voice:

"By the grace of His Majesty, I am now in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters. You have surely heard that His Majesty purged the Guard’s leadership yesterday, so I will say nothing more on that. Whether those men deserved to die, you know better than I."

Cao paused to skim the foam off his tea. A murmur rippled through the crowd. These low-level officers had harbored deep resentment toward their former superiors. To the common people, these officers were "Sir," but to those corrupt officials, they were treated as mere house slaves. The officers were excluded from the corruption but held accountable for the failures. Hearing that their masters had been executed, they felt a mixture of fear and relief.

Cao continued, "There is no need for such terror. His Majesty kills only the corrupt. As long as you fulfill your duties faithfully, you shall be safe."

A few daring and quick-witted men immediately knelt and shouted, "We shall serve you with all our hearts, Excellency, and brave any danger for you!"

Cao’s expression hardened. "You are the eyes and ears of the Son of Heaven; you serve His Majesty!" The men hastily corrected themselves.

Cao’s expression softened. "His Majesty, mindful of your hardships, has ordered me to provide you with three months of back pay." As he spoke, several eunuchs brought out chests filled with silver and began distribution. The officers were stunned. The saying "The Ming army is never fully paid" was no mere rumor. This was the first time they had ever received their full salary. The first time! Full payment!

As the gleaming silver was handed out, morale in the headquarters surged. The men fell to their knees, cheering "Long live the Emperor" with genuine fervor. The sound reached outside the walls, startling the citizens on the streets.

Cao nodded in satisfaction and began to issue the tasks entrusted to him by the Emperor. "...You eat the ruler’s grain, so you must do the ruler’s work. Beyond these two mandates from His Majesty, from this day forward, all members of the Guard will train daily in archery, combat, and reconnaissance. Those who excel will be promoted."

As Cao finished, the officers’ hearts burned with ambition. Truthfully, none of them wanted to live like this. Before, there was no hope: the officers took the credit and the blood-money, leaving the men with nothing. Now, however, things were different. The cold, hard silver was in their hands. The old commanders were dead, and a vast number of positions had opened up. Hope was right before them.

Following Cao’s order, the headquarters burst into a bustle of unprecedented activity.

Days passed in this flurry of work. A portion of the Guard was constantly on the move, delivering the long-overdue salaries to officials across the government. Another group was busy rounding up the thugs and bullies in the capital and its outskirts.

Cao began to grasp the brilliance of the Emperor’s strategy. Sending the Embroidered Uniform Guard to distribute salaries was a masterstroke. For lower-ranking officials—clerks, scholars, and instructors—the political message was profound. Their salaries usually came from the Ministry of Revenue, but now, receiving them directly from the Guard, paid out from the Emperor’s private treasury, these underpaid officials would naturally feel deep gratitude toward the throne. Since everyone knew the Guard was now firmly in the Emperor's grip, even if only one or two in ten were truly won over, it was a significant gain.

In this way, the Emperor was building a faction of supporters in the court, no longer dependent on the inner court officials and easing the pressure of impeachment on eunuchs like himself. More importantly, it was fundamentally transforming the Guard. Any change is born of action. As the Guard carried out the Emperor’s will, Cao could feel the mindset of his men shifting: *We are serving the Emperor; this is a glory unique to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.* Within half a year, the culture of the Guard would be utterly reborn.