Chapter 31: Prefectural Soldiers

Gao Yin’s method was simple: whenever he inspected the troops, he would wander around, projecting the image of a leader on a formal review.

Whenever he spotted a soldier who caught his eye, he would summon him for a chat. If the soldier spoke Xianbei, Gao Yin would reply in the same language. Finally, he would record the soldier’s name and bestow a small reward. Being commended by a superior gave the soldier great prestige, and the preferential treatment he received made his peers envious, leading them to yearn for Gao Yin’s favor. Through this repetitive process, combined with his status as their commander, Gao Yin could gradually participate in training and become a familiar face, naturally building deep-rooted authority.

During a break, Gao Yin issued an order to his officers: "Starting today, prepare identity badges for the soldiers."

The officers looked at each other in confusion before respectfully replying, "Please, Your Highness, enlighten us."

Gao Yin spread his palm: "Make them the size of my hand. For common soldiers, use stone badges shaped like dog heads, inscribed with their name, hometown, age, and years of service."

"Officers below the ninth rank will use iron wolf badges, inscribed with their military rank."

"Generals and commanders from the seventh to the eighth rank will use copper bear badges, while those from the fifth to the sixth rank will use silver tiger badges. That will suffice for now. Record these, then make some samples and show them to me."

"Understood!"

The military clerks silently noted the orders. In truth, Gao Yin had deeper plans in mind: he intended for fourth and third-rank officials to use golden eagle badges, and for first and second-rank officials to use jade *yazi* (mythical beast) badges. However, that was a long-term goal; his Grand Commandery did not yet have the capacity to accommodate such high-ranking figures. Fourth rank was sufficient for now.

"One more thing," Gao Yin added while eating some cheese. "The army must implement tiered training. Divide the soldiers into three levels—upper, middle, and lower—and set different training difficulties for each."

The clerks’ brushes flew across the paper as Gao Yin continued: "The upper level is the most difficult, the middle is next, and the lower is the easiest. Soldiers will be assigned to different levels based on their actual performance. Every month, one hundred soldiers with outstanding martial skills from the upper level will receive a ten percent increase in their monthly stipend, exemption from other camp duties, and priority for promotions. Those who excel for consecutive months will receive an additional ten percent, and those who maintain this for three consecutive months shall have their names reported to me."

At this, the officers exchanged wary glances. This was no small incentive; it meant that with enough effort, one could secure imperial favor. Correspondingly, the authority of these officers would increase, as the selection criteria rested in their hands—and there were a dozen ways they could turn these quotas into personal profit.

Seeing their expressions, Gao Yin knew exactly what they were calculating. But to get things done, he had to offer some sweetness. He could always replace them later; for now, this would suffice.

"That is the treatment for the upper tier. As for the lower tier... do not withhold their pay, but every month, select the worst performers and hold a military meeting where they must perform for the others."

This was effectively a humiliation. Gao Yin had considered a "last-place elimination" policy, but dismissed it. Anyone who could enter the Grand Commandery was considered an elite soldier; there was no reason to cast them out, as it might lead to talented individuals being pushed away by rivals. Compared to being fired, this minor humiliation was a small price to pay given the generous stipends of the Grand Commandery.

"Furthermore, if both parties agree, any lower-tier soldier may, with an officer as witness, challenge a middle or upper-tier soldier to a duel. If the lower-tier soldier loses, there shall be no punishment. If he wins, he takes the other's place."

"Ah..." "This..."

The regulation sparked murmurs in the tent. An officer could not help but speak up: "This might cause unrest in the camp!"

Gao Yin looked over; it was the cavalry subordinate Helou An, son of the Great General Helou Yue.

"Rest assured, Cavalry Subordinate Helou, lower-tier soldiers cannot challenge their officers."

Gao Yin’s cold joke left Helou An struggling between a smile and a frown, as it sounded as if he were afraid of being challenged by his subordinates. "That is not what I meant, Your Highness..."

Gao Yin waved his hand: "In any case, try it. We shall see the results after two months. Also, duels must not take place during training hours. In addition to the officers, soldiers from both parties' camps must be present to watch. If soldiers from other camps wish to watch, let them, as long as they do not create a disturbance."

Though Gao Yin’s voice was youthful and his tone light, he was the Crown Prince, and his decision was final. Helou An could only bow and assent.

"By the way, have those dozen men whose names I recorded earlier prepare themselves. They will accompany my carriage for a while, and return in a few days."

As long as the Crown Prince visited, there was a chance to catch his eye. This was the impression Gao Yin wanted to leave them with. The others exchanged knowing looks, feeling a bit bitter; the Grand Commandery’s camp was about to become a very lively place.

The *Fubing* (militia) system was a term famously associated with Yuwen Tai, though it was not his invention; it was a general term for the troops of any given commandery or military office. The reason Yuwen Tai’s system became legendary was that after his defeat at the Battle of Mangshan, he lost tens of thousands of troops and suffered a massive blow to his military strength. To expand his recruitment, he "widely recruited powerful clans from Guanlong," absorbing the private militias and local forces of the Han elite into his newly created system of the Eight Pillar Generals.

As early as the beginning of the Northern Wei, Emperor Taizu Tuoba Gui had established the "Eight Ministers," who would sit to the right of the carriage gate to deliberate on state affairs. It was a central military decision-making body, much like the "Eight Princes Deliberating on State Affairs" seen in historical dramas.

Yuwen Tai’s Eight Pillar Generals were, in some ways, an imitation of this. Of the eight, Yuwen Tai occupied one position, effectively holding supreme command over the *fubing*. Another, Yuan Xin, was merely a figurehead placed there to maintain the pretense that Western Wei was the legitimate successor of the Great Wei. Thus, there were actually only six pillars: Li Hu, Li Bi, Zhao Gui, Yu Jin, Dugu Xin, and Houmochen Chong. Each led an army, corresponding to the "Six Armies of the Son of Heaven" in the Zhou Dynasty.

Under the six pillars were twelve Great Generals, twenty-four *Kaifu* (military administrative offices), and forty-eight *Yitong* (equal-rank generals). Under the *Yitong* were various commanding officers who all brought their own *fubing*, which is why it was called the *Fubing* system.

Many explain the Zhou army's eventual destruction of the Qi state by their reliance on this system. It featured the integration of soldier and farmer: they were farmers during peace, trained during the off-season, and fought during war, saving military expenditures while developing the agricultural economy. However, in reality, until the tenth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, the *fubing* system still separated soldiers from farmers. They remained a special class, exempt from labor and taxes—professional soldiers detached from agriculture.

In its early stages, it was meant to be combined with the Pillar General system, allowing military commanders to transform into political aristocrats through these exalted titles, thereby pacifying them and securing their support. Another function was to absorb lower-class Han people into the *fubing* system, even though the upper echelons of Northern Zhou remained dominated by the Xianbei. This way, while the leadership of both states remained in the hands of the Xianbei, Northern Zhou successfully bypassed the issue of being unable to integrate the lower-class Han population.

The Qi state, however, failed in this regard. Too much money was spent on supporting Xianbei soldiers without successfully conquering the territory of the Zhou, eventually leading to the Xianbei nobility becoming too powerful, which in turn threatened the imperial authority.

This situation had to change. Gao Yin decided to develop large-scale state-run farms. His predecessor had actually done a decent job; after ascending the throne, he accepted the proposal of the Left Assistant of the Secretariat, Su Zhenzhi, to establish state farms in areas like Shibi. This measure provided the Qi army in the Huainan region with sufficient grain. Previously, the disgraced official Ji Ye, who had been demoted to a servant, later rose to become the Governor of Pingzhou. His suggestion to reclaim wasteland and establish state farms in Dukanpo yielded hundreds of thousands of bushels of rice annually, satisfying the grain needs of the northern border.

The Qi state’s foundations were solid; they had simply been squandered by incompetent rulers like Gao Yang, Gao Yan, Gao Zhan, and Gao Wei.

Gao Yin intended to replicate these successes a year in advance.

The supreme Crown Prince of Qi, Gao Yin, left the Grand Commandery’s camp and arrived at his loyal Eastern Palace at noon. Huang Xi, who had been sent to oversee the Printing Bureau, and Yao Shuang, in charge of the Wenlin Pavilion, were already waiting in the palace to report to the Crown Prince upon his return.