Zhu Mo's talent was naturally not as good as theirs. In less than half an hour, they had revised a very short and concise semi-classical poem—
"From where do the Great Ming imperial troops come? They come from ordinary common folk.
Where do the Great Ming imperial troops go? To protect their homes, their nation, and all under heaven.
They will not be household servants or retainers, only to ensure their descendants are not enslaved.
Fearless of hardship, fearless of difficulty, valuing no seniority or age.
United as brothers, they will raise the righteous spirit of humanity.
If you ask what righteousness is, it is for everyone to unite their hearts with Yao and Shun.
Only then can they achieve victory in a hundred battles, and the great Dao will be flawless, bright as the sun and moon."
Good, good.
Zhu Mo recited it loudly once more, and then silently three times. He felt it was perfect and immediately titled it "The Song of the Great Ming King's Army." Compared to the soldiers of his previous world, it was still far behind, but it would suffice for now. After he finished, he would find someone to compose a melody so that every soldier could sing it with ease.
Next, there was the military discipline code. He thought that since the three scholars couldn't write it well, he wouldn't trouble them. He directly took out the disciplinary points he could recall and began to write:
"Great Ming Imperial Army Discipline:
1. No looting of civilian property;
2. Borrow with repayment, consume with compensation;
3. Avoid treading on crops;
4. No abusive language;
5. No shouting and making noise;
6. No harassing women;"
These six articles of military discipline were unprecedented in the medieval era. Especially the spiritual reconditioning, Zhu Mo believed it would basically avoid the bad habits of the household troop system.
The Great Ming soldiers came from all over the land and fought for the interests of ordinary people. Internally, they did not adhere to the hierarchical concepts of the household troops. They only followed military obedience and treated each other as brothers in their daily lives. Everyone followed the heart of Yao and Shun and the aspirations of the Great Dao, thus avoiding patriarchal behavior. The final six disciplinary points were mainly to make ordinary people psychologically identify with this soldiering force.
This matter was completed within a day. The next day, He Xinyin, Li Zhi, and Lu Kun, along with some disciples, went to various military camps to preach. The first stop was naturally the model new army, the Firearms Battalion, which now numbered two thousand men.
When it was said that the Great Ming new army was by no means anyone's private guards, but the army of all under heaven, the entire training ground erupted with unprecedented cheers. Everyone could feel a new atmosphere. It was a deep sense of identification with the nation from ordinary soldiers.
Zhu Mo could clearly see the profound impact of the learning of the heart of Yao and Shun on the soldiers. In their eyes, a vibrant soul appeared, unlike anything seen before, no longer the countenance of mere tools. These plain words were also easy to remember, and within a few days, everyone in the Firearms Battalion could recite them fluently.
The second stop, Zhu Mo specifically went to the three agricultural colonies. The chiliarchs Yin Xiaohu, Lu Fei, and Gu Gang all understood this theme. Moreover, the Khitans strongly supported the new laws, and the enthusiasm was even greater than in the Firearms Battalion.
It was just a pity that Yu Dayou's Fujian Sea Fleet and Qi Jiguang's Jiaxing Grand Camp still had too much of a habit of household troops. People like Wang Rulong and Chen Ziluan were the soul of the entire army, and patriarchal behavior was everywhere. The oppressive feeling of one general's success built upon the bones of countless soldiers was difficult to dissipate.
Although He Xinyin could explain the principles very clearly, even if these household troops inwardly agreed, they still dared not speak out.
Zhu Mo, who accompanied them, was naturally filled with emotion, thinking that this major event would have to proceed slowly. At least these household troops had to be disbanded first...
...
April 12th.
Zhu Mo made his final review of government affairs, busy all day with Zhang Juzheng. They discussed how foreign merchants would usually come to inspect goods and place orders in these two months of the year, but now they were all delayed in various parts of the South Sea.
Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but feel anxious and said, "Zi Xuan, the scale of operations is getting larger and larger, and spending is like flowing water. Last year's profits have been halved, and to get through this year, we first need to receive some deposits, and second, we need to expand our sources of income... The salt fields were delayed by several months of warfare, and the same goes for tea. I think after the war ends, we'll have to start looking at porcelain..."
Mmm-hmm.
Zhu Mo had also been thinking about porcelain for a long time. He said, "The porcelain of the past was mainly for ritual vessels, and not much was sold. I have an idea, Tai Yue, please consider it. After the war, we can try to implement it... Uh, I think porcelain is a prestigious name of China. If we are to sell a large quantity to foreigners, it naturally cannot be cheap. If we want to sell it expensively, then we must auction it."
Auction?
Even Zhang Juzheng, with his extensive knowledge, had never heard this term.
Zhu Mo smiled and said, "It's a bidding process, whoever offers the higher price gets it... This will require the help of some agents, and we'll need to establish a trading post, perhaps in Jiujiang. At that time, we can invite those foreign merchants who come to buy silk to Jiujiang, and auction a batch of high-quality goods on the spot. We'll see how it goes. If the response is good, we can let them pay a deposit first... What do you think?"
Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment and said, "So that's how it is, it's like the practice of jewelry stores. I think it's feasible! Zi Xuan... Although I am the Minister of War, this war can only be fought by you. There are still many things to do now. The general agents in all provinces need to have their personnel changed, and we also need to establish regulations for them. The matters are very detailed, Zi Wei and the others have done some, but I still feel it's not enough... Zi Xuan, time waits for no one. We must hurry while we have the chance. I worry that Yan Song and the others are still not reconciled..."
Naturally.
Zhu Mo knew what he was doing. It was precisely to keep the Yan family dormant for a long time that he had decided on the "insulting the barbarians" strategy. This was to continuously apply pressure to avoid a counterattack.
However, he did not wish to let Zhang Juzheng know these things for the time being, because if he said too much, those of the pure stream would become fearful and suspicious. Moreover, after this war, some subtle differences hidden beneath the surface would slowly emerge...
Zhu Mo immediately changed the subject, and the two chatted for a while longer.
...
The next day,
April 13th.
Zhu Mo arrived at Hulu Mountain Water Fortress.
At this time,
The twenty-five newly purchased pirate ships had already entered the fortress.
Yu Dayou also had them participate in training. They had practiced the operational intentions several times recently.
He naturally did not explicitly state the operational intentions, but all the generals had been brothers for many years and guessed that this was a surprise attack. The key point was that when the enemy discovered it and retreated, their own army needed to be able to quickly turn and pursue.
Zhu Mo watched for a while and felt that the turning and pursuing maneuvers were still too slow. However, with such haste, they could only make do for now. If it really didn't work, they would have to rely on the "Iron Bodhisattva" for protection. Then, it would be a head-on confrontation, depending on whose artillery was more powerful.
That evening,
The two finalized the details of the operation for the last time.
Zhu Mo called over the two deputy generals who were commanding the pirate ships. These two, one named Lin Mingguo and the other Chen Zude, were both guards who had followed Yu Dayou for over ten years.
Yu Dayou thought that in this operation, the most dangerous part was Zhu Mo's ambush. If they were discovered by the Japanese pirates, or if the Japanese pirates were not lured out, once they entered the Li Gang waterway, they would be in grave danger. Therefore, he had these two trusted confidantes personally assist Zhu Mo, repeatedly instructing them that in case of any danger, Zhu Mo's safety was the top priority.
Zhu Mo engaged in some casual conversation with the two but did not discuss further details.