Zhu Di was immediately stopped by this question, not because he was confused, but because he was paused. It was the kind of pause where he wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.
Because this kind of thing has been known to everyone throughout the ages and has not been mentioned explicitly.
"Actually, I didn't get my free salary..."
"I believe this. I know that in your heart, money is not worth showing off."
Indeed, compared to other vassal kings, the Yongle Emperor in the original time and space and the current King Yan did not have anything out of the ordinary when it came to money.
He doesn't love, and he doesn't bother to spend most of his energy and brains on wealth that will not be brought with him in life or death. In comparison, he cares more about merit.
"You are both the prince of the Ming Dynasty and the commander-in-chief of the troops. You don't bother to drink the blood of the soldiers. But just because you don't do it, it doesn't mean that your subordinates don't do it." After saying that, Zhu Yunxi put his hands into his sleeves again.
Li looked at the other person and said, "Don't tell me, you don't know anything."
Zhu Di pondered for a long time, then smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty does not know something, and it is difficult for warriors. I am not trying to defend them, but they are indeed in difficulty."
As he spoke, he sighed and continued, "My generals would not dare to drink soldiers' blood and deduct their military pay. However, I know about it by falsely reporting empty pay. Not only did I know about it, but I also acquiesced."
"It's difficult for military personnel. Military personnel don't have as many places to make money as civil servants. How can you support your family with just that little military salary? Who doesn't have a big family?"
"Let's not forget about my own family. Take the Yanshan Protector under my command as an example. They have been in love with each other for 20 or 30 years and are closer than real brothers."
"It's a friendship that can protect each other. After a battle, the living will have to take the place of the dead. Take care of the family, right?"
"In addition to the dead, there are still disabled people? Just rely on the little land given by the court? I am not going to speak for them. A soldier is used to handling swords and guns, but he cannot hold a hoe. He is used to eating meat and cannot eat coarse grains.
"
"It would be fine if there was a war, and there would still be some windfall and royal rewards. I'm afraid that we won't fight. If we don't fight, we will only have a little military salary. If we go to the family to pay for favors, what else will we have if we go to help Pao Ze?"
"Sometimes it's not just about the commander-in-chief. The person who leads the army has to obey his brothers. You can't be stingy about money and you have to be generous."
"And the war horse armor...the ones issued by the imperial court are always not as fit and useful as those made by someone yourself, right?"
"In this case, where is the money? I can only make false claims and get some free money!"
"I know this is against the law, but that's what leading troops is all about. If I were really serious, I wouldn't be able to lead these soldiers."
As he said that, Zhu Di looked at Zhu Yunxi and said, "Martial men are not like civil servants. Any nerd can be found in the yamen. Military men who lead soldiers are all crawling out of the dead."
Zhu Yunxi was sitting against the window sill, blowing the cold winter wind outside.
While listening to Zhu Di's words, he thought secretly in his heart.
Every era has unique characteristics of the era, and drawbacks and shortcomings are also one of the characteristics of the era. This is what people often say, the world is not 100% perfect.
However, shortcomings can be tolerated, but disadvantages cannot.
Because in the long run, this shortcoming will turn into an incurable terminal disease of the Ming Dynasty.
Not to mention that there will be no cure for this terminal disease in the future. Now it seems to be extremely difficult and affects the whole body.
To put it mildly, the Border Army's Air Guard drank the soldiers' blood, turned the army's land into the general's own land, and turned the soldiers into tenants and serfs...
On a larger scale, it involves cutting down vassals, integrating the country's military statistics, including stripping the huge power from the hands of the Fifth Army Governor's Office in the future, and letting him and the Ministry of War cooperate with each other to restrict each other...
These things are too difficult to do, but if people of Zhu Yunxi's generation don't do it, the next generation will never do it.
Then, this country's military will once again fall into the cycle of history and an endless cycle.
Sometimes in the dead of night, when Zhu Yunxi was racking his brains to weigh the pros and cons and consider these things, he would inevitably burst into wry smiles while feeling haggard in his heart.
Hundreds of years of experience does not mean that there are hundreds of years of accumulated talent and experience. His modern soul has never seen that he can do better than the ancients. In fact, it does not necessarily mean that he must be more competent than others.
"It all comes down to the word money. The military men have little military pay and they don't have enough money to spend. They have to live on empty wages. The civil servants have little salary and they have to be corrupt." Zhu Yunxi said with an expressionless face, "It seems reasonable, but in fact, this truth may not be true.
." He said, glancing at Zhu Di, "You and I have different positions, and we must have different views on the problem."
Immediately, Zhu Yunxi paused again, "Looking back, how many soldiers and horses are registered under King Yan's command? Report them one by one, I want the list to be useful!"
"Your Majesty!" Zhu Di shouted anxiously, "Don't hurt the soldiers..."
"I just want the roster, nothing else." Zhu Yunxi smiled lightly, "Oh, I still don't know how much free money you eat there?"
"Look back at the generals under your command, they are cursing in their hearts while eating. The imperial court is full of stupid bastards, and they don't even know that they are eating his free salary?"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, and I won't let the soldiers down or make it difficult for you."
At this point, he sighed again, "Actually, it's you. I asked you for the roster in a pleasant manner. If it were someone else, hum!"
Who is the next person?
Zhu Di suddenly said in shock, "Your Majesty, this is not targeting the Yanshan Guards and Peking Dusi of the Yan vassal, but...?"
"It's okay over there. You're just eating empty pay. Others are not only eating empty pay but also drinking soldiers' blood!" Zhu Yunxi's face suddenly became ferocious. "The full military pay issued by the imperial court fell into the hands of the soldiers.
It's only 50%. Just this 50% will drag on for a year and a half."
"They also misappropriated the soldiers' military pay and used it to make loan sharks and earn interest."
"If we don't treat them, it won't just be as simple as chilling the soldiers. Some people will accuse me, the Zhu family, of not being worthy of this great country!"
Zhu Di was horrified and said, "Your Majesty..." Then, his eyes widened, "I ask Your Majesty to severely punish these crazy people. These people must be sentenced to death."
"If you are a veteran general in the army, and the emperor cannot bear it, please ask the emperor to let his ministers come to supervise the handling..."
"The veteran generals in the army can only live on empty pay and drink some soldiers' blood at most. Who dares to embezzle military pay?" Zhu Yunxi sneered.
Suddenly, Zhu Di understood in his heart.
Of course they are the vassal princes of the Zhu family.
"Lao Wu, Lao Seventeen?"
"It is possible to be the fifth child, but not necessarily the seventeenth child."
At this time, I heard Zhu Yunxi say bitterly, "For the sake of the old man, I have endured it again and again, but they have challenged my bottom line again and again. It is not easy for our Zhu family to accumulate this little virtue, and let them
It’s gone!”
"Your Majesty!" Zhu Di thought for a moment and saluted solemnly, "Now that the prince's second and third brothers have passed away, I am the eldest among the kings. Please leave this matter to me, Your Majesty..."
"You can't do it!" Zhu Yunxi shook his head, "This is not a family matter, it is a state matter of the Ming Dynasty!"
In an instant, a few drops of cold sweat broke out on Zhu Di's forehead.
The reason why he asked for help was because he had his fifth brother, and he wanted to make this a family matter.
As for the emperor, this can only be a state matter.
Your Majesty, are you no longer prepared to tolerate this?
At this time, I heard Zhu Yunxi say again, "You should go to the old man's place first. I still have government affairs here, so I won't keep you!"
