jdhmnovel Chapter 485 What merit or ability do we, Zhu Chongba, possess?
Chapter 485 What merit or ability do we, Zhu Chongba, possess?
Yang Shaofeng tried to fan the flames.
The main reason is that I just read "Han Feizi" these past few days.
Yang Shaofeng felt it was necessary to let Lao Deng see for himself.
"The army is exhausted, the people are sick, the reserves are depleted, the fields are barren, the granaries are empty, the neighboring lords are not subdued, and the name of a hegemon cannot be established. This is for no other reason than that his advisors have not been loyal enough."
However, after listening, Emperor Zhu scoffed, glanced at Yang Shaofeng sideways, and said sarcastically, "This passage comes from 'Han Feizi: First Encounter with Qin'."
"There is another sentence: If the name of the overlord is not established, the neighboring lords will not pay tribute. Your Majesty will execute your minister as a warning to the country, so as to serve as a warning to those who are disloyal in their plans for the king."
"Tell me, should we kill you, you bastard, first?"
Ok?
This is the fault of Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen, what does it have to do with me?
Yang Shaofeng rolled his eyes inwardly and snorted, "Shouldn't Father-in-law have executed the Duke of Han and the Earl of Chengyi first?"
"Of course, I know that my father-in-law would certainly not be willing to kill the Duke of Han and the Earl of Chengyi."
"But surely it's acceptable to punish them and deduct their salaries?"
"The problem of a few rebels has dragged on until now without sending them over. The mere issue of a cash shortage has thrown them into disarray. It would be unreasonable not to deduct their salaries."
Emperor Zhu snorted coldly and said, "Explain to me what you mean by 'a mere few rebels'?"
"Also, don't keep bringing up things like deducting salaries."
"Simply deducting salaries will not solve the problem; on the contrary, it may exacerbate the conflict."
“Especially for those in positions like the Duke of Han and the Earl of Chengyi, salary is not important; face is the most important thing.”
"It's easy for us to punish them, and it's easy to deduct their salaries, but how will they then lead and audit the officials?"
"If you were in a position of power in South Korea, and we were deducting your salary every day, would you be happy?"
At this point, Emperor Zhu couldn't help but rub his forehead and sighed softly, "And you, you good-for-nothing, can't you offend fewer people so we can have some peace of mind?"
Ok?
There's something off about this old man.
You can teach these things to Zhu Biao, why are you telling me all this?
After just a moment's thought, Yang Shaofeng was almost scared to death by his own speculation.
This old man wants me to avoid offending too many people; he wants me to go to the capital and serve him like a slave!
That won't do!
In Dengzhou Prefecture, I can visit the clubhouse every day, and when I have nothing to do, I can go to the fields and curse the troublemakers.
If Lao Deng were to send me to the capital to serve as an official, wouldn't people be putting sacks over my head every day?
Thinking of this, Yang Shaofeng chuckled twice and said, "Father-in-law is right, but I am also worried about the national treasury."
Seeing that Yang Shaofeng had backed down, Emperor Zhu was immediately in a great mood, extremely good, very good.
It still has to be our girl.
It was obvious at a glance that this scoundrel didn't want to go to the capital to become an official.
That's great! With this alone, we can keep him under our thumb for life!
Emperor Zhu glanced at Yang Shaofeng again, and as he walked out of the county school, he said, "You should make good use of the 'Running Horse Talisman' we gave you."
"After all, Dengzhou is considered an important town."
"If too many soldiers desert, it will look bad on us, but will it make you, the prefect, look good?"
No, what the hell does this have to do with me?
The desertion of the garrison soldiers, isn't this all your fault, old Deng?
Oh, and Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen, and Zhu Sheng also need to take the blame.
It has absolutely nothing to do with me.
Yang Shaofeng silently followed Emperor Zhu out, but Emperor Zhu asked inexplicably, "Tell me, if all the garrisons in Dengzhou were handed over to you, how would you prevent the soldiers from deserting?"
Yang Shaofeng rolled his eyes and replied, "From the commander to the sergeant, are all the decisions made by your son-in-law?"
Emperor Zhu nodded and said, "What if you get to decide everything?"
After being told this by Emperor Zhu, Yang Shaofeng was momentarily speechless.
To put it simply, the Ming Dynasty's garrison system and military household system were only adapted to the special circumstances of the early Ming Dynasty, and problems were bound to arise later on.
More importantly, no matter how much Zhu Chongba, the old emperor, emphasized military discipline, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty still served with the mentality of "being a soldier to earn a living".
To put it bluntly, it's still the same old military system.
To completely resolve the system of garrison posts, more than just the Sanwan Reorganization or the Gutian Conference is needed.
Especially given that the Ming Dynasty's military system was already fully established, even if one wanted to reform it, the difficulties would be enough to make one despair.
After a long silence, Yang Shaofeng suddenly spoke up: "I have three questions. If my father-in-law can answer them, the desertion of soldiers can be eliminated."
Emperor Zhu immediately became interested and asked, "What's the problem?"
Yang Shaofeng said, "My first question is why there is such a thing as personal guards."
Emperor Zhu was stunned for a moment, but didn't know how to answer Yang Shaofeng's question.
The so-called personal guards were actually the retainers of the Qin and Han dynasties. By the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the problem of retainers gradually expanded, and some even evolved into warlord forces.
After the Sui Dynasty unified the country, Emperor Wen of Sui ordered the reorganization of local militias, incorporating what were originally private militias into the formal military establishment.
The Tang Dynasty inherited and further improved upon the Sui Dynasty's Fubing system.
However, due to problems such as long-term warfare and low pay, the Fubing system was difficult to maintain in the long term, and the recruitment system arose as a result.
Under the conscription system, the concept of personal guards also emerged.
However, when the imperial court is powerful, generals usually do not need to rely on their personal guards to control the army.
When the imperial court is in decline, generals often rely excessively on their personal guards in order to strengthen their control over their troops.
Yang Shaofeng continued, "My second question is, to whom do these personal guards pledge allegiance?"
"Is it loyalty to the emperor? Or loyalty to the court? Or loyalty to the general?"
Emperor Zhu's face immediately turned ugly.
The answer to this question is obvious, but no one dares to answer it openly.
However, these two questions have already pointed out the root cause of the soldiers' desertion.
Yang Shaofeng continued, "My third question is, what kind of army does Father-in-law want?"
"Are they like the fierce and ruthless warriors of the Qin and Han dynasties?"
"Is it still an iron army that would rather starve than steal food from the people, freeze to death than dismantle their houses, an army that cannot be dragged down or scattered, and that will fight to the death even if half of its soldiers are killed or wounded, or even if only one person remains?"
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Emperor Zhu's heart began to pound wildly.
Emperor Zhu shouted almost without hesitation: "We want that iron army!"
After calming down, Emperor Zhu shook his head helplessly and sighed, "How could there possibly be such an army in the world?"
Even if such an army existed, what merit or ability did Zhu Chongba possess to have the privilege of commanding one?