In the thirty-fourth year of Jiajing (1555), Qi Jiguang was transferred from Shandong to Zhejiang to fight against the enemy. At the age of 28, he was promoted to Ning Shaotai in July of the following year. He showed extraordinary calmness and courage in the Battle of Longshan, which left a good impression on Hu Zongxian, a Zhejiang Fu (later promoted to governor). In the thirty-sixth year of Jiajing, he was transferred to Shaoxing and commanded three thousand soldiers. But in actual combat, it was found that these soldiers were not ideal, cowardly and afraid of the enemy. He felt that in order to resist Japan, he must have a brave and good-fighting army trained by himself.
An accidental incident triggered his determination to recruit Yiwu soldiers. In the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing (1558), a large-scale fight between foreign miners and Yiwu people occurred in Yiwu. Only Wanli and Chongzhen's "Yiwu County Records" have detailed records. This documentary is very precious, which can correct the lack of history. The recruitment of farmers and miners in Yiwu began with the incident of stealing mines and fighting. Chongzhen's "Yiwu County Records" Volume 8 "Current Affairs Book Mine Prevention": "Five miles south of the county seat is Babaoshan, hence the name. Because it is located in the land of Babao, it is also good for people to spread it as a treasure. ..... In the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing, Shi Wen, a salt merchant in Yongkang, made salt for six years, and became familiar with the bright earthy ore at the foot of Babaoshan Mountain. In other words, he began to steal his heart, and more than 90 people, including Fang Xixiu, formed a party to dig from the maple pit to the mountain. Residents near the pit knew about it and rushed to report it to those who expected the greatness and strength of Lei, while Song 26th and others gathered to seek Yue, and the dog driver was greedy and ignorant, so they were forced to fight for this land at the same time. Since I am classless, I will vote for it, and * * * will lead my children to win over 24 people including Fang Xi Liu Lu to solve the county. However, an elder in Zhao Gong missed the ghost's salary in the city, which was unbearable for his neighbors, so he sent it away, so the thief was a little more longitudinal. On June 19 of that year, Shi Wen returned to his position six times and more than a thousand people were arrested. However, the thief relies on Xie Su, the leader of Jinzhou, who is brave and can stab people with a knife. Then he became famous in the mountains, showing that the country had been upgraded and attracted fugitives without scruple. Chen Dacheng and others are still supervising the children to fight for the release of eleven people, but Li, the county magistrate, showed the killers in the pit and regarded him as a servant. It was dusk when the sun reflected, and suddenly it began to rain, and I looked at it furtively. Dazzling red, our soldier Zhou Hui killed 30 people with illness, including Shi Wen, Liu Jin and Zhou Xie. The thief escaped. Thieves not only collected embers, but also sneaked into the mine to bury them with silver sand, and gathered more than 3,000 people, including Song Yang, a habitual thief, in Longquan County, Jingning. On July 2 1 day, they went up the mountain in droves to cut firewood, erected a fence village and Fengling to plunder my village villa, which shocked the residents. Therefore, Zhao Gong chose soldiers to protect itself and offered rewards. ..... Chen Dacheng and other cattle for entertainment, Song Ziwen also made private money, so he led the troops to counterattack, and 3,000 (suspected-tied) thieves learned about it and captured more than 300 people. ..... October thieves are defeated. "
Volume 3 "A Survey of Mountains and Rivers": "Babaoshan, five miles south of the county, was not recorded in the past. Recently, there was a mine because of false rumors. In the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing, thousands of miners in Yongkang Chuzhou gathered to open pits, and Zhao Dahe, the magistrate, led Chen Dacheng, a nearby mountain resident, to level off. Yiwu people are known for their bravery, and the number of military affairs has since begun. "
Qi Jiguang found that Yiwu people are brave and strong. If we transfer and guide this fighting spirit into the anti-Japanese struggle, we will surely defeat the enemy. In August of the thirty-eighth year of Jiajing (1559), he wrote "Discussing and Training Yiwu Soldiers": "It is still a matter of no arms and no fingers to discuss and fight without soldiers. However, I don't know if the Ukrainian people are not open and the recruiters are not arrogant. I heard that Chen Bing was handed over to Xinjiang in Jin Lu Cave in Yiwu. Man struggles with thorns, and his bones are full of wildness. They are angry with the enemy, but they are complacent. Their vulgar power is nothing else, which should be encouraged. Today's intensive training is that a brigade can be three armies. Why can't there be no soldiers? " Hu Zongxian approved the proposal immediately after receiving the book. "Making the government participate in the Senate is to stop its old soldiers and raise them in Yiwu, so as to make the Zhao Gong River urgent. Therefore, it is a good thing to make friends with Zhao Wei and become a soldier."
In the thirty-eighth year of Jiajing (1559), Qi Jiguang went to Yiwu to recruit. At first, the Jinhua magistrate did not support it, but pointed out to him to stop it. Fortunately, Zhao Dahe, the magistrate of a county, fully supports it. Zhao Dahe, a native of Jiangyin, was a scholar in the thirty-fifth year of Jiajing. "When the enemy was in Zhejiang, the simple civilian worker rode and shot, and Yiwu soldiers said that the fine tax could be used from the big river. Go to the shogunate to supervise the army in Zhejiang. ""Zhao Dahe soon quelled the miners' fighting after his arrival. "Yongkang Chuzhou thousands of miners gathered to open a pit (mine), and Chen Dacheng, a resident of the nearby mountain, was evenly matched under the leadership of Zhao Dahe, the magistrate of a county. The people of Yiwu are therefore brave and fearless, and the number of military affairs has since begun. " In quelling the fighting, Zhao Dahe won the favor of Yiwu people and established a good image. With the help of Zhao Dahe, the conscription work in Qi Jiguang went smoothly. According to Qi Zuoguo's story: "Yin, a county with plots, went there with money and became an outstanding person, willing to be strict with himself, so children gathered." ..... If you are like the king of the dragon, you will lead the way out of the mountain to embrace the eldest of your disciples. " Qi Jiguang wrote: "It was the autumn (in the thirty-eighth year of Jiajing) that the old soldiers arrived in Yiwu, and the people's hearts subsided and the righteous gathered." Chen Dacheng, Wang Rulong and others took the lead and soon recruited more than 4,000 Yiwu soldiers.