Chapter 168 War Measures (Part 2)

After a while, Li Jun withdrew his gaze and said, "It is a good thing to have nearly 200,000 cavalrymen, but there are many horses. If a horse gets sick or even horse plague occurs, the consequences will be very serious. In order not to make this happen, I think that while training cavalrymen, a group of veterinarians must be trained to ensure the health of the horses."

Protecting horses is extremely important for cavalry. The importance of horses to cavalry is self-evident, just like the legs of cavalry. If there are no horses, cavalry will no longer be cavalry.

There are many battles that failed due to horse problems in history. According to Western historians, the reason why Badu retreated troops in the western expedition was because a sudden horse plague caused many Mongolian war horses to die of illness, and the Mongolian army was unable to fight again to withdraw. Of course, the real reason for Badu withdrawal was because of Wokekhantai's death from illness, not the horse plague. However, this incident reminded Li Jun: ensuring the health of horses is an important part of the victory of the cavalry.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Tingzhi and the others praised in unison: "Good idea!"

"The emperor is careful and everything is in control of the emperor." Wen Tianxiang said very admirably: "Your Majesty, I think this matter can be on Hu Gou's head, so I asked him to select a group of people to receive training and then dispatch it to the army." Finally, he sighed: "Hu Gou is not only a good pig, but also a very good veterinarian!"

Liao Shenggong said with a blaming voice: "Your Majesty, I am really ashamed of not being as worried about this."

"You don't know the fallacies of Western historians, why blame yourself!" Li Jun thought in his heart and said with a smile: "I am also a fool, so don't choose all the good words."

He paused and said, "In the war, we must not only govern the army, but also discuss the merits. We must clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments. If we have merits, we must reward and punish those who are guilty. In this way, the soldiers can use their lives and be invincible. Change our existing military laws and strengthen the rewards for military merits. Let the soldiers know that if they have merits in killing the enemy, the court will definitely reward them with great rewards."

Wen Tianxiang thought for a moment and opposed it: "Your Majesty, it's understandable to reward merit and punishment, but the imperial court's reward for military merit is much more abundant than before. If there is an additional reward, is it too much? Please think twice?"

Rewarding military merits is a good thing. The Qin Dynasty followed the Legalism and achieved great success with a complete military merit reward system. However, the Qin State's actions also left a painful historical lesson: if you reward the military too much, you will inevitably fall into the vicious circle of military and military affairs, which is very unfavorable for long-term stability. Wen Tianxiang's concerns are not unreasonable, but the result of long-term considerations.

Li Jun understood Wen Tianxiang's meaning and said, "What Lu Shan said is not unreasonable. The reward for military merit must be generous. This is exchanged for soldiers with their lives and blood. If there is no generous reward, the soldiers' families will not receive their glory and their lives cannot be guaranteed. The soldiers will have worries and will find it difficult to let go of the enemy. Of course, the reward for military merit cannot be too long. After this battle is over, the court will reduce it appropriately."

The demise of Qin was caused by many reasons, one of which did not "change politics according to the times". Qin Shihuang also used special laws during the war to be used during the great unification of the world. It can be imagined that if Qin Shihuang adopted the suggestions of his son Fusu and abolished some laws used to fight for the hegemony of the world during the Warring States Period, Qin might not have perished.

The meaning of Li Jun's words is summarized as: In extraordinary times, it is adopted to adopt a strategy of rewarding military merits during decisive battles, and then change it back after the war is over. This is the true "reform of politics according to the times". It can not only ensure the victory of the decisive battle, but also prevent it from falling into a vicious circle of endless wars when peace comes.

This is a foresight and insightful act. Li Tingzhi and the others admire it and said, "The emperor is wise!"

"Soldiers are more important than elite troops. On such a large war, it is very important for the court to have a sufficient number of troops, but it cannot expand without limit. Too many troops is not conducive to building elite troops, but it is also a heavy burden for the national treasury. I have been thinking that it is time to lay off the existing army." Li Jun said in contemplation: "There are still many people in the existing army who are backward and stick to the old framework. They should be retired."

Liao Shenggong tactfully opposed it: "Emperor, if the disarmament before the war is probably not good for the court, I would like to think twice. As the emperor said, there are many people in the army who are backward in their thinking and cannot keep up with the changes in our army. However, I think they have rich combat experience and a tough personality. Kong Ming can borrow arrows from straw men. They are always better than straw men, right? Even if they cannot be sent to the battlefield, they can still be used to deal with other things, such as managing logistics, managing transportation, etc.."

His words make sense. Before the war, it should be to increase the number of troops rather than disarmament. Li Jun actually chose to disarmament at this time, which really makes people unable to express objections. Wen Tianxiang echoed Liao Shenggong's opinion and said: "Your Majesty, General Liao's words are very reasonable. I also think that disarmament is not appropriate now, so please think twice."

"The elite soldiers are like the tip of a knife, and the army itself is the body of a knife. If there is no sword, there will be no tip of a knife. Without a certain number of troops, there will be no elite soldiers." Du Dayong analyzed: "Your Majesty, what General Liao said is very reasonable. I also think that the current court is not disarmament, but also recruiting men of appropriate age to join the army."

Lu Xiufu thought for a while and said, "Emperor, I am not familiar with military affairs and should not say much, but this matter is extremely important and I have to say it. The emperor, I think what General Liao, General Du, and Lord Wen said is not unreasonable. The elite soldiers come from a good foundation. Without a sufficient number of troops, the elite soldiers cannot be selected. I do not agree with disarmament."

Their words are right. Without a good foundation, it is difficult to build elite soldiers. To have elite soldiers, you need a certain number of troops. To use our current example, the national football that we are proud of is dominant in the world. One of the important reasons why there are so many people engaged in national football and have a good foundation. How good is the foundation of national football? As long as you are a Chinese, who can't play national football? Can you still be called a Chinese? If no one can play national football, can national football be the only one in the world? This is hard to say.

The art of military strategy says that "the army is more important than the elite, not too many", and only half said, without saying where to get elite soldiers. Training is only one factor that causes elite soldiers, and selecting excellent soldiers from enough auditions is another factor. Liao Shenggong and others have a very obvious meaning: to maintain a sufficient number of troops, so that excellent soldiers can be selected from the sea. This is a saying that is well versed in military affairs, not a useless word.

"What do Xiangfu think?" Li Jun asked calmly.

Li Tingzhi deserves to be an outstanding politician and said: "The emperor is confident and I dare not speak much. I think that disarmament at this time is a good thing for the court, not a bad thing."

"Xiangfu, you..." Wen Tianxiang never expected that Li Tingzhi would agree with Li Jun's opinion, so he blurted out his questions. Li Jun smiled and said, "Lu Shan, let Xiangfu finish his words." Li Jun had already spoken, and Wen Tianxiang naturally had no time to say anything else, staring at Li Tingzhi, for fear that he would say something amazing.

Li Tingzhi did not express his opinion immediately, but walked to the map and said, "Sir, please see, this is Huaidong, this is Huaixi, this is Jianghan, this is Sichuan, this is Yunnan, this is Hanzhong, this is Guanzhong. These places are the places where the imperial court has just recovered. I would like to ask you, what is the purpose of the imperial court taking back these places?"

Do you still need to ask this question? You have to take back the lost land. Wen Tianxiang and the others didn't know what his true intention was, so they opened their mouths wide and didn't know how to answer.

Wen Tianxiang was stunned for a moment before answering, saying, "These places are all places in China, so the court naturally wants to take them back."

This is no answer no matter how correct this is. Liao Shenggong and the others nodded in agreement. However, Li Tingzhi rejected it and said, "This is the variance of Lushan. This is the land of China. The court must take back all the lost land. This is right. However, there is a priority. There is a problem, which is to take back first and then take back later. In contrast, the Central Plains is the fundamental important part of China. Why didn't the court take back the Central Plains first, but instead take back these places first?"

Lu Xiufu replied: "This is a strategy formulated by the emperor, in order to make the court stronger and stronger as the war becomes stronger and invincible."

"Mr. Lu said very well, so I would like to ask Lord. How can the court become stronger and stronger as the war begins?" Li Tingzhi asked.

Wen Tianxiang replied: "Of course, we must mobilize the manpower, material resources and financial resources from these places to invest in the decisive battle in the Central Plains." At this point, he opened his mouth and could stuff an egg, saying: "Your Majesty, I am guilty, please punish me. Your Majesty, I agree with the proposal of disarmament."

"General Liao, where are you?" Li Jun looked at Liao Shenggong and the others and asked.

The words have come to this point. If you can't think of Li Jun's intention, Liao Shenggong is not Liao Shenggong. You suddenly realized, slapped your forehead and complained: "I am really, why didn't you think of this festival? Your Majesty, I agree with the disarmament."

Du Dayong and Lu Xiufu also understood and said, "Emperor, I have no objection to the matter of disarmament."

"The one who knows me is Xiangfu!" Li Jun was very satisfied with Liao Shenggong and the others' statement and said, "Xiangfu, you continue."

"According to the order." Li Tingzhi pointed to the map and said: "Now the army mainly comes from Jiangnan, Lingnan, and some places in Huaidong, Huaixi and Sichuan. In contrast, Jiangnan and Lingnan have the largest number of soldiers, which means that the current burden of war is mainly borne by Jiangnan and Lingnan.

"Defend our China and defend our home! It is understandable, but if the burden of war is suppressed in Jiangnan and Lingnan, it will be very unfavorable to the economic development of these two places. Now Jiangnan and Lingnan are inadequate, and many things should be done, but no one should do it. In addition to the rapid economic development of these two places, a large number of Dingzhuang joining the army is also an extremely important reason. If they are laid off, the problem of insufficient staff will be alleviated, and the economic development of Jiangnan and Lingnan will be faster and better.

"You guys are right. Before the war, the large-scale reduction of troops was not in line with the current situation. The emperor meant to recruit new soldiers from Huaixi, Huaidong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guanzhong, Hanzhong, Jianghan and Jianghan to train. In this way, the number of troops will not only not decrease, but also more, as long as the court needs it.

"Another benefit is that the burden of war is more rationalized and will not put the burden on a certain place or several places, causing economic failures in these places due to excessive burdens."

Li Tingzhi analyzed all the interests with his words. How could Liao Shenggong and others still have opposition? They only admire him. Li Jun's idea is not only related to war, but also to the long-term development of the court. This really deserves the word "great plan".

"Your Majesty, I think that recruiting new troops from these places can increase the conditions and recruit those who are determined to restore the Central Plains and recover lost lands into the army." Liao Shenggong immediately offered his advice and said: "There are two benefits to doing this: First, the aches in these newly restored places have not recovered and are not suitable for large-scale recruitment, so as to ensure the stability and development of these places. Second, recruiting them from excellent candidates can obtain excellent soldiers and train them to become elite soldiers in a short period of time."

Du Dayong continued: "Your Majesty, I think officers should be sent to these places to train these new recruits immediately." After a brief estimate, he said: "Maybe there are not enough officers, so the students in the military academy can be sent out in advance. One can increase a large number of officers, and the other can also give them a practical opportunity to practice matters, so that they can accumulate more experience in leading troops, so that they can play a good role in the decisive battle."

"Emperor, I think there are many ethnic minorities in these places. When this national crisis is in danger, they should be allowed to join the army." Lu Xiufu made another plan and said: "During the Han Dynasty, they were using ethnic minority soldiers, but they were also using a large number of Xiongnu surrendered soldiers. The results are recorded in history books, so I won't say much. I think that as long as the court does a good job, does not discriminate against them, gives them the same treatment as the Han army, and gives them the same opportunity for promotion, they will also die in the battlefield."

Emperor Wu of Han criticized the later generations, but he was indeed a pioneer in military use. He not only used a large number of ethnic minority soldiers, but also dared to use the Huns surrendered soldiers. These Huns surrendered soldiers were not brave enough to fight under the Han army. This was indeed a great incident. There was also a bad thing, that is, Zhao Xin, the Huns, eventually surrendered to the Huns, causing great trouble.

"Why can't the court have this kind of spirit? This is a good idea! Just do it." Li Jun said angrily: "I am really happy that you can think so. It's even happier than reading thousands of articles on flattery."

The second half of the sentence is a joke, which brings laughter.

"Prince, please rest assured, I will never flatter you." Wen Tianxiang quickly cleared him.

Li Jun smiled and said, "Talk, laugh, don't take Lu Shan to heart."

"I dare not." Wen Tianxiang said: "Your Majesty, I think that these newly reclaimed places not only need to recruit soldiers, but also build these places. As long as these places are built, the court will have strong guarantees and will truly become stronger and stronger as the war begins."

Li Jun nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, war is a bleeding wound. If it is not good, the country will be destroyed and the family will be destroyed. Although the decisive battle in the Central Plains is the most important strategic task at present, other matters cannot be abandoned. These places should be built. This matter has been deployed long ago, and I believe Xiangfu has done a good job." Li Tingzhi's military and political talents are obvious to all. Under his management, the construction of these places has been underway.

"The emperor has won the award, and this is all the emperor's wiseness." Li Tingzhi said with a little humility: "Your Majesty, to be honest, the court does not have the conditions to fully build these places. I think the key construction should be carried out in key areas, in order to use the limited resources to the best and play the greatest role."

Li Jun agreed very much and said, "It makes sense. Xiangfu thinks which regions are the key points?"

Li Tingzhi pressed Guanzhong on the map with his right hand and said, "Guanzhong. Guanzhong is the place where construction is most needed. The main reason I chose to build Guanzhong is that Guanzhong is the base for the eastward advance to the Central Plains, and it will be the springboard for the imperial army. Many supplies must be obtained from Guanzhong."

Li Jun looked around everyone, Liao Shenggong and others had no objection, and smiled and said, "You have no objection, this is very good, this is what the heroes see! I think so too. The court has regained so many places at once, and all needs construction. The court can't afford so much money for a while, and where can we find so many people? Although the focus is a good plan, it is a good strategy under the current conditions. Xiangfu, hurry up and allocate personnel and equipment to Guanzhong. The Taoist priest is still waiting!" This sentence had to be very relaxed, and there was a feeling that the stone in his heart fell to the ground.

"I obey the order." Li Tingzhi showed his decisive style and said, "Your Majesty, I will do it now."

Li Jun stopped him and said, "Stay up. Xiangfu. I know that you have been worried about money. In the past, you made your temples white. At the beginning of the decisive battle in the Central Plains, your disappearing hair will appear again. What about me, I see it and feel pain in my heart. I can't bear to put your hair on my temples again, and have thought of a way to make money for you. Do you want to know?"

"I think, Your Majesty, tell me quickly." Li Tingzhi was very looking forward to it. Silver was his most worrying thing. He was thinking all day long about how to get enough money. Can he not think about it if he had the way to make money?

Li Jun joked and said, "This idea is not something I boast about. It is very clever. It will not compete with the people for profit, but will also promote the economic development of our dynasty. It won't take long to get a lot of money!"

Li Jun is a person who rarely jokes, and he has never had such a boastful thing. You can imagine that this idea is extremely clever. Liao Shenggong and the others stared at Li Jun one by one.
Chapter completed!