Chapter 47: Border Troops and Imperial Guards

Song Bonde and his companions cursed inwardly, while Eunuch Guo was in high spirits. As long as he could stay alive and quickly meet His Majesty and Lord Wang Zhen, he would agree to anything—whether he could actually deliver was another matter. Niu Qing, the garrison captain of the Fortress of the Righteous, wanted something; Guo would take something in return. Once Niu Qing prepared everything, Guo would simply pat his backside and leave, having paid nothing but empty promises. It wasn’t as if Niu Qing would ever dare come knocking on Guo Jing’s door to settle accounts! This deal was profitable from any angle.

Eunuch Guo had already agreed a thousand times in his heart, but to make Niu Qing more convinced, he feigned reluctance and said, “What is this, what is this? Aren’t you making things difficult for me? Ah, this is not easy for me to handle…”

Lu Qing watched from the sidelines, shaking his head inwardly. Was the temptation to join the Imperial Guard truly so great? Song Bonde and the others still had a choice between life and death, but Niu Qing faced no such dilemma. Yet he, too, ingratiated himself to Eunuch Guo for the lure of the Imperial Guard, which was baffling.

But Lu Qing himself was a well-fed man, unaware of the hunger felt by the hungry. Niu Qing, Song Bonde, and their ilk were generations of military households rooted on the frontier. To become a banner captain or a garrison captain was already a tremendous favor, and even that depended on the shade of ancestors who died in battle or one’s own hard-earned merit. Even a vacancy for a minor officer was a position won at the risk of one’s life.

Despite this, the poverty of the frontier troops was notorious. Those who truly amassed wealth on the border were officials of a thousand households and above. The hundred-household captains and banner leaders merely drank the leftover soup from their superiors; the real riches never fell to them, and their lives remained tight and constrained. Their descendants would always be bound to the border, soldiers forever, with little chance to study or pursue the imperial examinations—opportunities to rise above their station were exceedingly rare.

The Imperial Guard was different, though. Whether or not one could profit, the Guard’s pay alone was three times that of the frontier troops. On holidays or imperial birthdays, or when a prince was born, there were extra rewards. Even an ordinary junior officer could live comfortably if he managed his affairs well.

Moreover, though the Imperial Guard was also hereditary, like the border troops, it offered many more opportunities. One might be promoted to Great General, join the Palace Guards, or serve in the Northern Patrol or Eastern Bureau. Those with solid skills could even show their face in the Emperor’s grand inspections, and if the Emperor was pleased, a cap of office would descend effortlessly—a far easier path than the border troops, who had to exchange their lives for promotion.

Furthermore, the Imperial Guard’s descendants were not barred from the imperial examinations. If the family could afford a tutor, they might produce a scholar or a metropolitan graduate. Most importantly, Imperial Guard pay came directly from the Emperor’s private treasury, while border troops were paid from the Military Affairs Office. Imperial Guards could proudly declare themselves the Emperor’s soldiers; border troops could only claim to serve the court, and none dared say they served the Emperor himself.

There was a clear distinction between inside and outside. The difference between border troops and Imperial Guards, though only a single word, meant a gulf as wide as heaven and earth. Thus, whether for themselves or their posterity, every soldier yearned to join the Imperial Guard—there was simply no alternative. The Emperor’s personal troops enjoyed far superior treatment.

Even Lu Qing, as a junior officer assigned by the Grand Directorate of the Brocade Guards to patrol the border, received more than six taels of silver a year, while ordinary border soldiers got barely two, plus some rice and flour at best. To earn more, they could only kill enemies and take heads in battle.

The Imperial Guard’s status was so high that even Lu Qing, carrying a Brocade Guard badge, could command respect wherever he went, regardless of his own lowly rank or lack of favor with his superiors.

Putting himself in their shoes, it was easy to understand why Niu Qing, a mere hundred-household captain, was so eager to jockey for a place in the Imperial Guard.

...

Eunuch Guo’s pretense made Niu Qing anxious. After thinking it over, Niu Qing simply said to Guo, “As long as Your Excellency helps us, I am willing to lead my men and escort you south!”

“Yes, yes, we are willing to escort Your Excellency south as well!” Wang Dade hurried to echo him. He had realized that Lord Guo, the supervising eunuch of Datong, was not easy to win over. Song Bonde and the others had only received Guo’s promise to join the Imperial Guard because they agreed to escort him south. If they could, why couldn’t the men from the Fortress of the Righteous do the same?

“Well then…”

Eunuch Guo judged the moment was right; he dared not linger in the Fortress any longer, nor did he wish to overact his role. He sighed and spoke slowly: “Very well, since that is your wish, I’ll agree to it for now. But let me be clear: I can’t guarantee success. If His Majesty does not approve, do not blame me.”

Lu Qing, listening nearby, thought that Eunuch Guo was giving them advance warning and glanced secretly at Song Bonde and his men, only to find they harbored no suspicion. He looked at Zhou Yunyi, Jiang Tong, Fan Ruo, and the others—they were the same. He sighed to himself, wondering how he would calm them in the future.

After waiting so long, Niu Qing finally heard Eunuch Guo relent and breathed out in relief: “As long as Your Excellency is willing, I dare not blame you if it doesn’t succeed. If it fails, it is only my own poor fortune, unable to receive imperial grace, and I blame no one else. Please sit for a moment, Your Excellency; I will prepare everything at once and personally lead my men to escort you south!”

Niu Qing did not believe that the dignified supervising eunuch of Datong could fail. He rose immediately to organize food and water and to set out as soon as possible, lest complications arise. If the Tartars attacked unexpectedly, his dream of joining the Imperial Guard would be over.

Eunuch Guo agreed to Niu Qing’s proposal. Song Bonde and his companions were deeply disappointed but had no choice. They quickly gathered their thoughts and began to make arrangements.

Just as Niu Qing stood up, however, a voice rang out behind him—Banner Officer Ge Ming shouted angrily, “Niu Qing, as the resident hundred-household captain of the Fortress of the Righteous, with the enemy at our borders, how dare you leave the fortress without permission!”

“Insolence! How dare you speak before Lord Guo—step aside!” Now that the deal was done, Ge Ming’s interference infuriated Niu Qing.

But Ge Ming stood firm, blocking Niu Qing’s path and speaking loudly, “Niu Qing, as the hundred-household captain, you are responsible for defending this land. How can you abandon the fortress for a stranger of unknown origin? ... Niu Qing, think carefully! If you dare to leave with your men, I will report you to the thousand-household commander!”