Treatise on Armament Technology

[Those who commit] crimes often use military merit as a pretext to redeem themselves; treacherous schemes are constructed everywhere, and insolence grows. The Southern Court Southern Court|The Ming Dynasty central government administration debated not recklessly calling for mass troop levies, as this would cause the people in distant lands to suffer in hardship for too long, while underestimating the enemy would only bequeath future worries. It is suggested that a fixed decree be established to ensure troops are not deployed lightly; this would be a superior policy.

Yu Maoheng A Ming Dynasty official known for his administrative expertise and integrity says:
In Huguang Huguang|A massive province in imperial China encompassing modern-day Hubei and Hunan, the districts of Xiangyang and Dengzhou hold up its head; Qizhou and Huangzhou pull its armpits; and Jiangning While Jiangning usually refers to Nanjing, in this strategic context it refers to the control over the central Yangtze corridor governs its waist and belly. Stretching its knees toward the south, it is situated to look down majestically upon all other provinces.

If Yunyang serves as a shield for the Shaanxi and Luoyang regions, and Chenzhou and Guiyang bridge the gap between Fujian and Guangdong referred to as Min and Yue, then Chenzhou and Yuanzhou defend the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou. The Great River The Yangtze River runs through its center, while the Five Creeks A region of five river valleys in modern-day western Hunan/eastern Guizhou are scattered along its borders. With the strategic passes of Jingchu Jingchu|The ancient cultural and geographic heartland of the middle Yangtze secured, its defenses are fully prepared.

Generally, the land of Chu is hemmed in by rivers and girded by lakes; it consists of many marshes and little farmland. Furthermore, its roads connect to nine different provinces. The carriages of high officials gather here like spokes on a wheel, a fact that causes great suffering for the local postal stations Local districts were required to provide horses, food, and labor for traveling officials, often leading to economic exhaustion. Even now, the estates of the imperial princes the Zongfan are spread out like pieces on a chessboard, and the annual tax burden is truly heavy. In Wuhan and De'an, the people are poor and the land is barren; in Chengtian...