Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 872 Junjue
When the country was founded, all civil servants and generals were talking, and the emperor was really kind to the generals.

Why?

Because during the reign of Taizu, the viscount and baron for thousands of years were abolished, and the earl, marquis, and duke became super grades, which meant that a large number of generals did not have titles.

However, Emperor Shaowu restored the two titles of men and sons, and the middle and high-level generals basically have titles, which can be said to be satisfied.

But in fact, although there were no viscounts and barons in the pre-Ming Dynasty, there were a large number of hereditary general positions, such as hundreds of households, thousands of households, commanders, etc., which were official positions, land, and wealth passed down from generation to generation.

Like You Shiwei, his family was born as a hereditary frontier general.

The most typical example in Ming Dynasty is Qi Jiguang of the Qi Family Army. Even if he is only 16 years old, he can still inherit the official title.

To add, the funeral system was popular in the early Ming Dynasty, but the family members did not feel any sadness. This is because the family members who were buried with them would get a hereditary military officer. Who would not be happy to sacrifice one person in exchange for the wealth of the entire family for hundreds of years?
To a certain extent, Zhu Yuanzhang was ruthless towards high-ranking heroes and generals, but he was too kind to middle- and lower-level military officers.

Nothing less than they will not endanger the rule.

It is precisely because of his generous treatment of the military officers in the middle and lower levels that he was able to launch a major case like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, and eliminate the nobles with high meritorious service.

Therefore, in the early Ming Dynasty, the number of military officers reached 8000, and in the reign of Chongzhen, it exceeded [-].

Far away.

Compared with Emperor Taizu, Zhu Yixi apparently restored son and second baron, making more military generals into the noble class, but don't forget that the titles of the Shaowu New Dynasty are reduced and hereditary.

For example, a baron, after his son inherits the baron, his grandson will be a thousand households, his great-grandson will be a hundred households, and his great-great-grandson will be a commoner, and at most he will maintain his wealth for a hundred years.

Even if it is a duke, it will be hereditary until it reaches the earl, the marquis to the son, and the earl to the baron.

Earl and above can be regarded as the real rest with the country, hereditary without replacement.

Ordinary soldiers naturally don't have such a high vision to see clearly.

However, as transitional titles, one hundred households and one thousand households are not considered titles in terms of certain interests, and they still attract some people's coveted titles.

You must know that to obtain a baron, you must at least command more than [-] soldiers and horses to obtain it, and those low-level captains, even if they kill several times as many enemy troops as themselves, they cannot hope for the title of title.

So if hundreds of households and thousands of households are granted titles, many people will also think about the addiction of a nobleman.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yixi suddenly thought of a term: "No World Lord".

To put it simply, it is simply the addiction of one generation, which cannot be passed on to the next generation.

At this time, our emperor unconsciously thought of the Qing Dynasty, and crossed the river by touching the Qing Dynasty, which almost became his habit.

There is no way, as the master of Chinese feudal society in 2000, the ruling ability of Manchu should not be underestimated.

For example, under Gonghou Bozinan, there are Qingche Duwei (the third rank), Qi Duwei (the fourth rank), Yunqi Wei (the fifth rank), and Enqi Wei (the seventh rank).

in.Lieutenant Yunqi attacked again, and he was demoted to Lieutenant Enqi, and Lieutenant Enqi was no longer demoted, but hereditary.

Except Enqiwei, the promotion of all titles is based on Yunqiwei.

If you get two Cloud Cavalry Captains, you will be promoted to Cavalry Captain;
Cavalry captain and one cloud cavalry captain will be named "Cidu captain and one cloud cavalry captain"; cavalry captain and two cloud cavalry captains will be promoted to be the third-class light car captain...

By analogy, if you add two lower-level titles to this title, you can advance to the upper level.

Even if you think of a duke, you can also be a first-class marquis.

The title level of heroes of the opposite sex is exaggerated to 27th grade, so in the 300 years of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, there were only four of the opposite sex who climbed to the duke, and all of them were promoted in the Qianlong Dynasty, which was full of great achievements.

really not easy.

Because of the reference from the Ming Dynasty, the clan of the Qing Dynasty was inherited by Jiangjue, while the titles of meritorious officials and Mongolia were mostly hereditary.

Therefore, the number of nobles in the Qing Dynasty is the largest, and the three sets of title systems of clan, hero, and Mongolia are just many unknowns.

The duke system is related to the foundation of the court, and Zhu Yixi doesn't want to be arbitrary, so he recruited the most trusted person——Zhao Shu.

As the most prestigious civil servant in the court, a person like Xiao He, after the crisis of establishing a reserve, the emperor continued to give him trust.

And as he walked slowly, Zhu Yixi suddenly realized that Zhao Shu was really old.

Originally, the temples were gray, but now more than half of them are white, the bags under the eyes are deep, and the wrinkles are deep. Only one pair of eyes is still bright, not as cloudy as the old man's.

Only then did he remember that Zhao Shu was 59 years old, nearly sixty.

It's time for a cabinet update.

Lu Daqi is 71 years old and Wang Yingxiong is 67 years old.

Only Yan Chongxin was relatively young, only in his early fifties.

Daming, with a population of hundreds of millions and a land area of ​​more than 900 million square kilometers, needed a vigorous cabinet center.

Thoughts drifted through his heart, but Zhu Yixi said his thoughts without changing his face, and finally said:

"I would like to replace Baihu and Qianhu with Captain Xiaoyong and Captain Xiaoyi."

"It is not a Spylord, and it is dedicated to rewarding the soldiers who bravely killed the enemy. Among the Spylords, it is reduced to an inheritance. For example, the son of a baron is the Captain Xiaoyi, and then the Captain Valiant."

Zhao Shu didn't change his face, and said softly: "Then how should the soldiers be promoted? From brave to resolute?"

"It should be like this." The emperor continued: "Two braves accumulate to Xiaoyi, and two brave captains can reach the baron."

Shoufu nodded, and then discussed the details with the emperor.

Such as access conditions, treatment, etc.

So without informing the cabinet, the two discussed for half an hour and finally reached an agreement.

Captain Xiaoyong and Captain Xiaoyi will only be inherited for one generation. In terms of remuneration, Captain Xiaoyong gets 30 silver coins every year, while Captain Xiaoyi receives 50 yuan.

Among them, the brave captain rewarded the brave warriors who killed the enemy, and each battalion got one place, that is, the best killer at the battalion level.

That is to say, if you want to get a higher level of Captain Xiaoyi, you must win the title of the best killer at the battalion level twice in a row.

But as a limitation, officers at the battalion level are not allowed to participate.

In other words, this is preferential treatment for low-level officers and soldiers, and to some extent it can be regarded as arousing the vitality of the army.

And only two captains of bravery can be promoted to baron, so the standard for obtaining is also the level of bravery.

And when the scope of selection is extended to the first army, there can only be one quota among ten thousand people, and it can only be one of the captains of Xiaoyi.

After all, not everyone has the ability to win the best killer three times in a row.

Zhao Shu finally sighed softly: "As soon as this edict was issued, there was a lot of fighting in the army, but Your Majesty, the old minister has a sentence, I don't know if it should be said or not?"

"Oh? Come on?" Zhu Yixi was in a good mood.

He feels that he has completed a patch on the military merit system, at least for a hundred years, he will be free from worries, and the rest will be handed over to those descendants!
"Your Majesty, the Northeast has been restored, the Southwest has been pacified, and Anxi has been newly established. There are almost no enemies around the Ming Dynasty. With such a brave army, there will be no opponents in the whole world."

Zhao Shu frowned, and said worriedly: "But the military's aggressiveness cannot be suppressed. Because of the generous rewards, the soldiers want to make meritorious deeds day and night."

"But the battle under the sun must be fought."

"There will always be a day when the court's money and food will be insufficient."

"Therefore, there is a saying in Sima Law: Although the old country is large, it will perish if it is warlike; although the world is safe, it will be dangerous if you forget the war."

Apparently, the chief minister of Ming's cabinet also noticed the public opinion in the military, and also felt the pressure.

Seeing the emperor's inexplicable expression, he seemed to be lost in thought.

Zhao Shu continued his efforts and began to read the data. Obviously, he had been with the emperor for more than ten years, and he understood that this proud son of heaven dismissed some great truths and only valued facts.

"There are 20 soldiers in the Beijing camp and 3 frontier troops, while Gansu and Anxi provinces have nearly [-] soldiers and horses. Although the imperial court ordered them to shrink, Anxi has a vast territory. Duke Jin clearly stated that there are no [-] people in peace. No way."

"Among the navies, the Donghai and Nanhai navies, as well as the newly established Luzon navies, have more than a hundred large ships of more than [-] materials, and more than ten ships of [-] materials, and nearly [-] soldiers."

"Once the war subsides, I'm afraid there will be a little chaos in the army."

"Last year, 2000 million was more than enough, but this year it may be 3000 million."

"As time goes on, the imperial court will go to the plateau again. I am afraid that it will reach 4000 million, but the imperial court only receives more than [-] million yuan a year, and nearly half of them will enter the army..."

After hearing these data, Zhu Yixi admitted that they were all true.

That is to say, with the expansion of the territory, the cost of rule is also constantly increasing, which has reached the limit of Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, in Anxi and other places, the imperial court has always been operating at a loss, which is nothing in this peaceful and prosperous age. Once the dynasty reaches its mid-decline, it will inevitably be abandoned.

Just like the Tang Dynasty rejected the Western Regions, and the former Ming Dynasty rejected Annan.

Therefore, hematopoietic function must be increased.

Only by making the Northwest Territory self-sufficient can it avoid the fate of being abandoned.

Zhu Yixi made up his mind.

And seeing the emperor like this, Zhao Shu nodded in satisfaction, the emperor could still listen to the suggestion.

It seems that the reduction of troops is inevitable.

"You're right, you can't go on like this."

Zhu Yixi raised his head and said seriously: "We must establish a government office in Anxi to collect taxes as soon as possible. Half of the Silk Road has been taken down on the road. Once it is unblocked, the imperial court will definitely benefit a lot."

"Encouraging border merchants and setting up tax customs are all things that must be carried out. Only by establishing order as soon as possible can they be self-sufficient."

"Of course, now that Gansu has become a hinterland, the number of soldiers and horses will naturally be reduced."

To the east of Gansu is Alashan, to the south is Xining Prefecture in Qinghai, and to the west is Anxi. The location of the Hexi Corridor is very important.

Therefore, 5 soldiers and horses are barely enough, plus Anxi's [-], it is [-].

Cut soldiers by half directly.

"These people can't be let go easily, especially local strong men, let them go to Xining Prefecture, where there are plenty of pastures for them."

The emperor thought about it again and again, and felt that they should be asked to move away. Going to Qinghai would be a good idea. It is close, there are many places, and there are many pastures, which is very suitable for these Mongolians.

Speaking of this, I couldn't help but talk about the frontier army again.

The frontier army in the Ming Dynasty, at the beginning, was the thirteen kings of Sai, who ruled the monan guards. Later, the cost gradually increased and they had to move inland. abolition.

In the Jiajing period, the nine-border defense line stretching thousands of miles from the Yalu River in the east to Jiayuguan in the west was completely formed.

Today's Suiyuan is Dongshengwei in the early Ming Dynasty; Chifeng in Chahar is Dongningwei.

The struggle of Emperor Shaowu for more than ten years is actually nothing more than the old soil of the Hongwu period.

Can you imagine that in the Northeast, during the Hongwu period, the Jilin Shipyard was actually established, and the Nuergan City was established at the mouth of the Heilongjiang River?
Jiubian was 60 during the Yongle period and 40 during the Chongzhen period.

However, the problem of empty pay and the escape of military households continues. It is conservatively estimated that it is at most 20.

The frontier army of the Shaowu Dynasty started from Heilongjiang City in the east, Jilin, Liaodong, Chahar, Suiyuan, Gansu, Anxi, and Ningxia. The former Shanxi and Shaanxi have almost become inland.

Therefore, there are 3000 people in Jilin, 11 in Heilongjiang, [-] in Liaodong, [-] in Chahar, [-] in Suiyuan, [-] in Datong and Xuanfu, nearly [-] in Ningxia, and [-] in Gansu, totaling about [-].

This shows that the power of the Mongols has been reduced so much.

Now with the addition of Anxi, the number of frontier troops has expanded to 15.

Moreover, the biggest disadvantage of the northwest region is that the supply of materials, money and food is not enough, and the cost on the road is too high. Raising 5 people is equivalent to raising another [-] frontier troops.

But there is also a crisis.

Once the Mongols are allowed to rise, it is difficult to completely suppress these 10,000+ frontier troops, so they must be eliminated and divided.

There is no room for loss in the Mobei area.

After making up his mind, the emperor chatted with Zhao Shu about family matters, and then he calmed down and went straight out of Yuquan Mountain.

He will go to Beijing camp to see the situation.

The Jingying almost stood around the city of Beijing. There were tens of thousands on the West Mountain side, tens of thousands on the Lugou Bridge in the south, Miyun in the north, and Tongzhou in the east. The four sides were stationed separately to protect the safety of the capital.

The reason why they are not directly in Beijing is to prevent the army from being intoxicated in the prosperity and losing their combat effectiveness.

At the same time, it is also to ease the pressure on the food supply in Beijing.

The daily management of the city of Beijing depends on the five armies, soldiers and horses. Needless to say, the Imperial City, this is the responsibility of the guards.

The Xishan camp was built on the mountain. Although it was called a large camp, each army formed a small camp, and the three formed horns to support each other.

Each army has a scale of [-] people, and is managed by a general. The three generals are parallel and only obey the imperial order.

Looking from a distance, thirty miles away from Xishan Daying, a market has formed unconsciously, where a large number of supplies for the army are purchased, such as wine, meat and vegetables, which can be regarded as a good deal for ordinary people.

Many military officers buy houses here in order to take care of their families, which is the best of both worlds.

As for ordinary soldiers, this can only rely on three days of rest and bathing every month, and go home for reunion.

The drills are still the same, and the shouts are loud. At least on the surface, this army still maintains its combat effectiveness.

Zhu Yixi squinted his eyes and watched a lot before getting off his horse and walking around casually.

Suddenly, a group of people came out after taking a rest, gathered together and returned, chatting about the topic, and when they saw Zhu Yixi coming in light clothes, they immediately became alert.

"Who are you?"

(End of this chapter)