Chapter 47 The pressure brought by the 800,000-strong army
The summer breeze was blowing. As the three people stopped talking one after another, the waterside pavilion became quiet. Only the slightly undulating water of Jinming Pond under the feet made some waves.
Seeing Emperor Liu bring the wine glass to his mouth again, raising his brows, and looking like he was deep in meditation after drinking, Liu Yang couldn't help but grabbed Emperor Liu's hand holding the glass, and advised him with concern: "Dad, you should drink less bitter wine."
, it’s important to take care of yourself!”
"It doesn't matter!" Emperor Liu replied softly. In fact, he just put the glass down to his mouth and took a shallow sip, but he still put down the glass when he felt Liu Yang's strong hand.
When Li Jilong saw this, he raised his hands and said with shame: "My vision is narrow and my knowledge is shallow. I can't understand the difficulties of the court!"
"This is not your problem. Of course, all you can see in Shanyang Monan is that corner of the country. What you said is also relevant to current affairs. From the perspective of a frontier general, you are not at fault. The court is in trouble.
I, Liu Yang and those ministers will have to worry about it!" Emperor Liu's attitude towards his son-in-law was still kind, he felt ashamed, and even offered words of comfort.
"But!" Emperor Liu turned his head to look at the pool outside the water pavilion. The soft waves shone in his deep eyes, and he said calmly: "Now that we have said this, we can also do some discussion! You are the side?
General, I am also more familiar with the situation of the frontier soldiers. In your opinion, is there any appropriate way that can not only ease the national finances, but also ensure the consolidation of the territory?"
This problem obviously embarrasses Li Jilong. Even he and the Han prime ministers have not come up with a practical solution after so many rounds of discussions. How can Li Jilong solve it? When asked, he just focused on this topic.
Let the conversation continue.
As expected, Li Jilong frowned in thought for a while, and then, somewhat unexpectedly, said to Emperor Liu and Liu Yang: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I have an idea. Please review it to see if it is feasible!"
Emperor Liu suddenly became interested, and Liu Yang also looked at Li Jilong.
"Just try it, don't have any scruples!" Emperor Liu said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Jilong saluted cautiously, and then said: "Your Majesty, the composition of the Han Dynasty's northern frontier army is divided into several parts. Taking Shanyang as an example, they all deployed 30,000 infantry and cavalry, and garrison troops in various castles.
, the regular rotation of the Imperial Army, the troops under the Shanyang Du Command Department, in addition to the regular soldiers of the imperial court, there are also thousands of Tibetan soldiers recruited from various ethnic groups, as well as some local warriors. In addition to regular training, they also undertake auxiliary duties.
Defense duties.
Among the troops guarding the border, the ones that consume the most money and food from the imperial court are undoubtedly the regular soldiers of the imperial court. Therefore, I think that if the role of brave soldiers from the border areas can be increased in guarding the border, then the number of regular soldiers stationed by the imperial court can be slightly reduced.
!”
Hearing what Li Jilong said, Emperor Liu's brows jumped subconsciously, apparently aroused by Li Jilong's words. His eyes quickly returned to clarity, revealing a hint of thought. On the side, Liu Yang also looked more serious.
The reason for the high military expenditure of the Han Dynasty was that the country had a vast territory and many soldiers were gathered to defend it, but the root cause lies in the recruitment system.
Both inside and outside the imperial court, whether it is the imperial guards, the imperial army, local soldiers, or border garrison troops, they are all recruited by the imperial court with money. The long-standing rotational garrison system only rotates among these various armies to balance them.
, strengthen the court's control over the army.
And these armies are all professional soldiers who are out of work. They don't have to farm or raise silkworms. They only rely on eating military rations, getting military pay, and working for the court to make a living.
In war years, the imperial court needs a large number of troops to quell internal strife, but also to invade and unify the world. No matter how high the cost, it must grit its teeth and persevere.
However, large-scale wars are now basically a thing of the past for the Han Dynasty. In peaceful times, maintaining a huge army at a high cost seems to be costly and not beneficial.
The regular soldiers of the Han Dynasty are not just about recruiting people. The quality of the soldiers is high, the training tasks are heavy, the equipment is well-equipped, and the treatment is never low. As a result, the cost of raising soldiers for the court is even greater.
Today, there are only three to four hundred thousand garrison troops on the borders of the Han Dynasty. If they are stationed in the imperial city to guard the capital and many important passes, the number of troops stationed in the hinterland Daozhou will be commanded by soldiers and horses, as well as more than 70,000 troops.
Counting the naval forces, the Han's total military strength already exceeded 800,000.
This standing army of 800,000 people is 800,000 mouths that are not involved in production or farming, but only waiting to be fed by the court. And these people are also young and middle-aged people. They are the most valuable labor force among the people.
.And considering the population of the Han Dynasty, which is more than 50 million, and considering the current productivity and social status, it is really not a small number.
Under such circumstances, it is no wonder that within the imperial court, whether it was the Political Affairs Hall or the Financial Secretary, they took the trouble to ask Emperor Liu for instructions to reduce the army and reduce military expenditures. This was not purely out of suppression of the army and generals, but
We have truly seen the dangers of maintaining such a large army all year round.
The military's annual expenses continue to rise, with no sign of restraint. However, the imperial court's fiscal revenue is not unlimited. Even after a new round of fiscal and taxation reforms, it can only barely make up for the original deficit.
Shen Yilun, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, told Emperor Liu last year that if this continues, he does not know when the national finance will collapse. His attitude was very sincere and the consequences described were very serious. Of course, it also aroused Emperor Liu's concern.
and attention.
Among all kinds of soldiers and horses, the navy is easier to maintain. Firstly, there is not enough attention, secondly, the number is small, and thirdly, as maritime trade is increasingly prosperous, the navy also gets a share of it, which can make up for some of the cost of raising the army.
.
However, the land army does not have such unique conveniences. There are some military fields set up in various places, but the scale is not large and there is a lack of labor for farming. Compared with the huge horse and infantry system, it is really a drop in the bucket.
Therefore, when Li Jilong proposed to increase the border guarding duties of Xiang Yong and reduce the burden of regular soldiers in the imperial court, terms such as conscription system and compulsory soldiers suddenly appeared in Emperor Liu's mind.
Noting the expressions of Emperor Liu and his son, Li Jilong continued: "The border areas are no better than those in the interior of the Central Plains. The conditions there are more difficult, and the people living there are more fierce, and they are more active in martial arts and weapon training. They are enough to become the emperor of the imperial court.
A powerful help to consolidate the border! At the same time, using them costs much less money and food than regular soldiers of the imperial court. They also guard their homes, fields, and pastures on the spot..."
"Yes!" Emperor Liu responded softly, without directly expressing his opinion, but the sound of this word revealed many unspeakable meanings.
Seeing this, Liu Yang suddenly felt full of energy and looked at Emperor Liu: "Dad, what Tyranny said is a good strategy, and it seems worth trying!"
"This is to cut the sword for the Han soldiers!" Emperor Liu frowned and said in a deep voice.
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