Approaching his doorstep, Shao Shuyi saw his neighbor’s house in a state of utter chaos again.
A quick inquiry revealed the cause: the previous night, archers from the Inspection Office had mobilized in force to surround Yiliao Nunnery, a gathering place for the White Lotus Society.
Initially, the Inspection Office failed to subdue the two hundred congregants inside. Forced to adapt, they employed the tactic of "surrounding three sides to leave one open" to flush the White Lotus followers out. In the ensuing rout, they killed or wounded over a dozen people and captured several score—including his elderly neighbor.
Hearing this, Shao Shuyi was momentarily at a loss.
The Taicang Inspection Office was, after all, a regular military institution. Its primary duty was apprehending bandits, and it maintained a force of thirty infantry archers. That they could not secure a crowd of two hundred men, women, and elderly civilians suggested they had reached a pinnacle of incompetence.
After offering a few words of comfort, he returned home to find Cheng Ji there, fiddling with an infantry bow.
Seeing Shao Shuyi, he nodded and handed over the calibrated weapon. "Hold this. Give it a try."
Shao Shuyi took it, his hand dipping slightly under the weight. He braced himself and examined it closely.
In his previous life, he had viewed the Dunhuang murals and possessed a superficial knowledge of military archery from the late Tang and Five Dynasties eras. To his eyes, this bow showed changes from that period, yet not drastic ones; it still fell within the category of short-arm, long-ear bows, though the ears—siyahs—were longer and the working limbs somewhat shorter.
"This is called the Kaman Great Bow. Along with the Makeda Great Bow and the Wanyang Horn Bow, it is one of the three great arrow weapons of the army," Cheng Ji explained. "It comes from the artisan households of Hangzhou. It is a composite of mulberry wood, ox horn, and animal sinew, with a maximum range of two to three hundred paces. However—"He smiled. "That is just talk. An old thief with years of experience won’t fear you shooting at him from two hundred paces. It only serves to frighten young men stepping onto the battlefield for the first time."
"And at one hundred paces?"
"Unless one is an expert, it is still difficult to hit," Cheng Ji said.
Shao Shuyi understood. On the day he fled, the soldier from the Dadu Garrison who shot at him likely missed simply because the distance exceeded one hundred paces. Of course, that man was not Cheng Ji; Shao Shuyi had already checked.
Running his hand over the bow's limbs, Shao Shuyi asked, "Are bows only made in Hangzhou? Is Pingjiang incapable of it?"
"Pingjiang has artisans, but far too few," Cheng Ji said. "The majority of the bows and arrows used by the Crossroads Force are transported from the Hangzhou Weaponry Superintendency. Under it are the Bow Bureau, Arrow Bureau, and String Bureau. They ship supplies once a year to provision the various armies."
"Is there a Weaponry Superintendency in the North?"
"Naturally, and the military artisans there are far more numerous than in the South." Cheng Ji looked at Shao Shuyi strangely, as if asking: Do you not know where the Son of Heaven and the nobles live?
Seeing Shao Shuyi nod thoughtfully, Cheng Ji added, "The manufacture of military equipment is of utmost importance. Even for the Hangzhou Weaponry Superintendency, the procurement of raw materials is the responsibility of the Kheshig."
"The Kheshig?" Shao Shuyi perked up. "Can this army fight?"
Cheng Ji hesitated, then shook his head. "I do not know. I hear from brothers in the army that since the reign of Emperor Chengzong (Temür Khan, r. 1294–1307), they no longer recruit Han Chinese or Southern Chinese into the Kheshig. Today, that army is full of opportunistic sons of nobility and officials. Fighting? I fear not. If they can guard the forbidden zones and hold ceremonial weaponry, that is already enough; most engage in flattery and social climbing.
"Take the Hangzhou Weaponry Superintendency as an example; there are Kheshig stationed there. The arrows I brought use arrow bamboo from Chuzhou for shafts, traditionally procured by the Kheshig. Chuzhou issues conscript labor to cut the bamboo and transport it over mountains and rivers to Hangzhou. Yet the Superintendency officials, headmen, and arrowsmiths create every difficulty, demanding bribes. If not paid, they reject the batch and demand a new selection be sent.
"The bulk of the bribes they collect must go to the Kheshig, for they are closest to the Son of Heaven and hold immense power."
"So that is how it is," Shao Shuyi said. "What happened?"
"Are they still creating difficulties?"
"It has improved greatly," Cheng Ji said. "After Elder Li, the Administrator of Chuzhou Route, assumed office, he petitioned the Branch Secretariat. He said that since the Superintendency officials and arrowsmiths believed the delivered bamboo was unsuitable, they should go into the mountains of Chuzhou to select it themselves—picking until they were fully satisfied. How could the officials agree to that? They ran to tell the Kheshig, and the harassment ceased."
Shao Shuyi didn't react much, but Wang Huadu, listening in, laughed heartily. "That is exactly how they should be punished."
Cheng Ji sighed softly. "It sounds simple, yet in all these years, only Elder Li has been willing to do it. No one wishes to offend the Kheshig. After all, the bribe money is scraped together by the prefecture and county commoners; it is no skin off the officials' backs."
Shao Shuyi fell silent.
Hang high the matters that do not concern oneself. To offend a Kheshig commissioner, cut off their revenue stream, and reduce the burden on local commoners—those willing to do such things were generally not considered "smart people."
Furthermore, the Kheshig, once illustrious in their military achievements, now appeared to be mere decoration. This was likely the ultimate destination of all imperial guards: transforming from the elite soldiers of the founding years into the fatted sheep of the dynasty’s decline. It was just that the corruption of the Yuan dynasty’s forbidden troops was truly rapid.
"Enough." Cheng Ji waved his hand. "It is getting late. Do you still wish to learn?"
"I want to learn!" Shao Shuyi raised the bow without hesitation. "Teach me to shoot right now."
Cheng Ji snatched the bow back. "Today, you will first learn maintenance and calibration, and how to repair slight damage yourself. You also lack a set of military fatigues. If you need them, I can—"
"That also costs money?" Shao Shuyi remarked.
Cheng Ji looked embarrassed. "Life is hard in the army. We cannot even eat our fill, let alone drill. The superiors turn a blind eye to selling off weaponry and fatigues; besides, they get a share of the money, and the Weaponry Superintendency just replenishes it later."
Shao Shuyi felt his horizons widening.
The army of the Great Yuan was truly rotten. He did not rule out that some could fight—perhaps he just hadn't seen them yet—but judging by the Yuan troops in Jiangnan, they were rotten to the core. Perhaps only the Central Army stationed near Dadu could compete with them in uselessness.
If the Mongol nobles wanted to suppress the world, they would have to rely on tribal armies or foreign mercenaries, or else lift restrictions and allow the localities to organize large-scale militia training. There was no other way.
"I’ll buy when I have money." Shao Shuyi gave a sheepish smile. "If you trust me, you can front me some equipment."
Cheng Ji did not commit. "Come, first, I will tell you about this arrow. This dynasty has the 'Three Unevenness'..."
The sun rose high. The morning lesson concluded, and the three of them—Shao, Wang, and Cheng—hastily prepared some food. After eating, the lesson continued. Only when the sun slanted to the west did Cheng Ji stop, looking as though he wished to go on.
He was a pure martial artist. Usually a man of few words, once he spoke of drills, weaponry, or tactics, it was as if vitality had been injected into him, and his words flowed.
According to him, among the more than three thousand officers and men in the ten Thousand-Household Garrisons of the Crossroads Force, those like him who could still spare a thought for the soldier's profession numbered a mere hundred.
If they had to go into battle, once these hundred men died, the rest would likely scatter. Moreover, given the current situation, there would only be more hungry, cold soldiers, and fewer who could fight. Eventually, after an unexpected battle, the Crossroads Force would likely be wiped from the rolls.
Shao Shuyi joined him in sighing for a while, then ate dinner with them before bidding farewell.
"There is less than two dou of coarse round-grained rice left, enough to feed you for a while." Before leaving, Shao Shuyi looked at Cheng Ji. "Five sheng is yours. If your family is truly in difficulty, taking a bit more does no harm. It is a small matter."
Cheng Ji instinctively wanted to refuse, but could not say the words. He nodded silently.
Wang Huadu was fiddling with an anchor axe. Hearing this, he laughed. "Little Hu, go with peace of mind. I will watch this house for you. I won't eat your food for free; when the rice is gone, I'll go work. If that really doesn't work—"
He swung the anchor axe with effort. "I’ll go do some 'no-capital business'."
"Absurd!" Cheng Ji scolded, making a move to snatch back the axe. "If you become a thief, I will have to suppress you."
"The Changqiao Water Army can't even wipe out the Tai Lake bandits; how much better could you lot be? Apart from assisting the government in catching absconding households and bullying the good and kind, I see no use in you at all." Wang Huadu curled his lip in disdain, but in the end, he put down the axe, leaning it against a tree. "Little Hu, he gave it to you. Keep it safe."
"When did I—" Cheng Ji said anxiously.
Shao Shuyi laughed heartily. "I'm leaving now. I'll return on the twentieth of the fifth month. How is that?"
"I should still be here on the twentieth, having not yet had time to follow the bandits," Wang Huadu said lazily.
Cheng Ji nodded. "Agreed."
Shao Shuyi nodded, packed a few handfuls of rice in a small cloth bag, and went to catch a boat.
After he left, Wang Huadu kicked the rice bag with his foot. "I reckon there's still ten sheng. You take it all."
Cheng Ji did not object, though his face flushed slightly. "I will not take it for free. The anchor axe stays here as a pledge. I will take it back after I finish teaching next time."
Wang Huadu picked up the jar of pickled vegetables and the coarse salt. "Suit yourself. I'm going to stay at my lover's house for a few days. If I eat and drink for free without bringing something back, I'm afraid she'll kick me out of bed."
Cheng Ji couldn't help but smile.
The setting sun fell upon Wang Huadu. Baring two large front teeth, he smiled with exceptional brilliance. As he turned away, he said, "Think more about yourself. In this world of today, the loyal and patriotic die the most miserable deaths."
With that, he departed in dashing fashion.