Zhu Mo cursed himself for being foolish—
"Hu Zongxian, oh Hu Zongxian, you don't believe in the power of reform, and you issue a governor's proclamation in such a pessimistic tone. Isn't this adding fuel to the fire!"
He knew very well that people like Hu Zongxian only saw the surface. They thought the reform was unpopular, hence their pessimism, believing the populace was in chaos, the gentry were standing by, and policies were no longer effective.
But in reality, the beneficiaries of the reform were also numerous, even a majority. How could popular sentiment have reached such a point? If nothing else, those indentured servants were very likely to step forward! Once the indentured servants moved, popular sentiment and morale might change, and it might not be a dead end.
He spurred his horse, rushing to Wansong Academy. He had Li Zhi, Lu Kun, and He Xinyin draft a proclamation, which Liu Yingjie then had posted and distributed everywhere.
This proclamation was very simple and written in plain language—
"A Letter from Zhu Mo to the Scholars and People of Jiangnan:
The tide has a rhythm, but the Japanese pirates are without honor. It is now learned that over ten thousand Japanese pirates and two hundred ships are gathered near Zhoushan, and will soon land to plunder. The official forces of the Great Ming, having suffered over ten thousand casualties and defeat at Taizhou, have no troops left. Fortunately, Fujian's Deputy General Yu Dayou is leading a hundred ships to our aid, Grand Secretary Zhu Mo is stationed here with over a thousand arquebusiers, and Qi Jiguang has returned from Suzhou with three thousand troops. It goes without saying that the enemy is strong and we are weak. Now, with the reform newly established, ambitious villains are in a panic, and bandits have arrived unexpectedly. We desire twenty thousand righteous volunteers to protect our homes and defend the law. Anyone with a spirit can come, and I shall treat them well. Zhu Mo, Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion."
He deliberately signed it alone for two reasons. First, he did not want to implicate others. After all, he, Zhu Mo, was already the arch-culprit in the realm. Anyone associated with him would face misfortune, so there was no need to drag others down with him. Second, the release of all indentured servants was a decision he, Zhu Mo, had made against much opposition. Signing alone indicated that this was related to the reform, and these indentured servants would understand that if this battle were lost, they would likely become servants again. For their own sake, they had to fight.
After posting the proclamation, Zhu Mo was exhausted, more so than ever before, and fell asleep in a side room at Wansong Academy.
…
Waking up almost until the afternoon,
until a cheer rang in his ears.
Lu Kun and Li Zhi shouted, "Zixuan! It's done! Fifty thousand!"
Zhu Mo rolled over and asked, "How many? Fifty thousand?"
Lu Kun said, "I thought to myself, people have hearts of flesh and blood; they wouldn't be ungrateful! These household retainers and servants, remembering the kindness of the reform and fearing its failure and their return to servitude, flocked to join! In one morning, fifty thousand males registered!"
Zhu Mo calmed down, thinking that most of these indentured servants were indeed gathered in various workshops, salt fields, and tea mountains, and it would be quick to mobilize them. He pondered for a moment and said,
"Out of a total of only one hundred and sixty thousand, five thousand males have come, meaning almost all the men have arrived. If we weed out the old and weak, we should still have about thirty thousand, which is enough... How about this, let's select ten thousand first, with the other twenty thousand as reserves. Uh, the commanders..."
He had learned something from his time in Xuan Da, and understood that commanders were the most important, especially for volunteers, who needed experienced leadership to avoid being useless. When it came to volunteers, he naturally thought of Zhang Han and Liu Yingjie, both of whom had led volunteers in Xuan Da.
No sooner said than done,
He immediately rushed to the Governor's yamen and put Liu Yingjie in full charge of the volunteers.
Liu Yingjie, originally a military man, had relied on volunteers for years in mountainous areas like Jingxing Pass. He smiled and said,
"Scholar Zhu, these volunteers cannot fight effectively, but they can be used for defense. As long as there are strategic points to defend, these farmers can become a strong force... I think, with Qi Jiguang in the north and Yu Dayou in the south, the volunteers can be in the middle, defending Pinghu and Huating cities. This way, the Japanese pirates will surely be unable to capture them for a long time, their morale will be greatly depleted, and then the tide of battle might turn?"
Good!
Zhu Mo was truly overjoyed and deeply felt that people tempered in the crucible of Xuan Da were indeed extraordinary. He then pulled him to sit down and sought confirmation for his last lingering doubt.
"Old Liu, tell me, is it possible for the Japanese pirates to bypass Jinshanwei and land in the Zhenhai area instead?"
Liu Yingjie replied:
"Since coming to Jiangnan, I have studied the terrain extensively. The Ningbo area is mountainous, and the people are strong. If the Japanese pirates land, there will be no profit to be made. Even if they want to attack Hangzhou, there are many passes along the way, and they will gain no advantage. If they truly want to attack Hangzhou, it would be most advantageous to use small boats and land in the Qian Tang area. Therefore, this subordinate believes that Jinshanwei is the preferred landing site for the Japanese pirates. Moreover, Yu Dayou's fleet has already blocked the mouth of the Qiantang River, making it impossible to enter by small boats..."
Right...
Zhu Mo listened intently, thinking: This must be correct, but it's too late for the Japanese pirates to use small boats to enter the river; the naval stronghold is at Hulu Mountain outside the river mouth. It seems Yu Dayou is indeed superior, having secured the key points in advance.
At that, Liu Yingjie focused on selecting the sturdy indentured servants.
Zhu Mo, Zhang Juzheng, and Zhang Han, the three of them, then fully supervised the preparations for war. Unexpectedly, the farmers in the coastal prefectures and counties showed immense enthusiasm. The Jia Li system, which had been neglected for decades, was revived overnight. Farmers formed mutual protection groups, seemingly reverting to the Taizu period. They patrolled the countryside, kept watch at night, and some fortresses were cleaned up again, once again displaying a martial spirit.
With management masters like Zhang Juzheng overseeing things, within three days, the provincial, prefectural, and county administrations moved like a single arm. Runners, volunteers, and students from academies worked tirelessly, and preliminary preparations for the great battle were roughly completed.
Reports from various prefectures and counties continuously rushed to the Ci Ren Ancestral Hall, where Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng constantly evaluated them. They felt the situation was basically reliable. Zhu Mo was already extremely tired, but Zhang Juzheng remained composed.
That afternoon,
The two talked for a while longer about the court situation.
Zhang Juzheng found it somewhat unbelievable that these indentured servants were actually usable. Initially, he thought they could only rely on the Fujian navy, the arquebusier battalion, and Qi Jiguang's militia. He never expected the indentured servants to become an army almost overnight, and to coincidentally have someone like Liu Yingjie. The situation had suddenly reversed. Looking at the bustling streets, he couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
But he was a man of his caliber and had already foreseen future concerns—
What if Zhu Mo did not disband the indentured servant corps after the war and allowed them to forcefully implement reforms?
So, feigning profundity, he probed:
"Zixuan, the current situation is very strange. One could say the top is cold, the bottom is hot, the city is noisy, and the countryside is calm. Merchants and gentry are waiting to watch the show, waiting for the reform to collapse. The common people and indentured servants below are eager to fight. It is truly a spectacle... In my many years in politics, I have never seen anything like it."
Zhu Mo thought to himself—
The thinking of people like you has always been flawed, yet you refuse to admit it? You always think everything must be done by officials and gentry, unwilling to trust the common people. In fact, the common people understand things better than the gentry. The common people are well aware that when the Japanese pirates arrive, the gentry and officials will be overjoyed, wishing they could beat gongs and drums to welcome them.
This is because the Japanese pirates seek violent accumulation and will not trouble the officials and gentry. The only ones to suffer will be the common people, especially those in the countryside. At that time, let alone destroying dikes and flooding fields, they will directly engage in violent appropriation. The Japanese pirates will likely solve the problems of land, sericulture, and labor all at once, directly turning it into a colony.
But he knew that people like Zhang Juzheng would never accept this idea. They always hesitated, wanting a little of everything but nothing completely... At this time, he still suspected him of having other motives, which was outrageous!
He then put on an expression of sincerity and smiled,
"Brother Taiyue, this is merely a temporary measure... We cannot let the indentured servants do everything. In the future, they will still need a place to settle, and they must not become a source of disturbance."
He had accurately diagnosed the concerns of scholars and officials like Zhang Juzheng, knowing very well that they were worried about the indentured servants becoming tools in his, Zhu Mo's, hands.