After Spring and Autumn

Chapter 268
After Meng Di arrived in Huai City, he discussed with Bai Gui and others about marching into Song State, and Bai Gui thought about it for a while after listening.

"Now the grain harvest in Huaicheng is basically stable at less than four shi and less than five shi. In addition to the previous accumulation, it can feed hundreds of thousands of people in a short period of time. If there are more people, then we need to think about it. There is a way."

"The people in Huaicheng are relatively rich now, and they have a lot of surplus food at home. They can find ways to collect food, but they can't use high prices, otherwise it will inevitably cause food price fluctuations and cause some unnecessary troubles."

It is a relatively difficult problem to collect grain at a high price, but still get the surplus grain in the hands of the people, and Mengdi's idea is to prevent it before it happens and try to achieve a sufficient grain supply.

In the end, Bai Gui came up with a solution, that is to pay the military rations, the government collects the rations at a constant price, and if the common people donate enough food, they can get the same treatment as military members.

Of course, there are differences. This treatment means that their children can go to school for free. If they have school-age children, they can be selected to join the army first.

You must know that it is a rare good thing to be a soldier in the Han Dynasty. Once you become a qualified soldier, you can get a salary. If you fight bravely, you can also get rewards. After all, the income is higher than that of ordinary people. much.

The most important thing is that these soldiers can also receive corresponding subsidies. There are all kinds of these things, including daily necessities and drinks, everything that one expects to find. Calculated in this way, the lives of these soldiers are quite good.

In a short period of time, the common people of the Han Kingdom were proud to serve in the army, and the military discipline of the Han army was strict. Once the military regulations were violated, the punishment was extremely severe, so the prestige among the common people was very good, and many women were willing to marry soldiers. for a stable life.

This shows that the policy that Mengdi has insisted on for a long time has finally received results, so he nodded and agreed.

"It's better to promote this kind of thing slowly, lest the officials below make some unreasonable actions in a hurry for quick success. If this time the attack on Song State can gain a large number of people, then the next round of conscription will start."

"You can discuss with Mr. Ji about the specific amount of conscription, and it is best to ask for Sun Wuzi's opinion. Although he is not willing to serve me now, he has also put forward a lot of opinions on the infantry training. This shows that he The attitude has softened."

"I believe that as long as there is sincerity, one day Sun Wuzi will be willing to come out of the mountain. By the way, what is Mr. Zuo doing recently?"

The Mr. Zuo he was talking about was naturally Zuo Qiuming, after Bai Gui heard the question, he said with a smile.

"Mr. Zuo proposed to establish a civil law to regulate the daily behavior rules of ordinary people, but the content was too cumbersome and I cut some, which aroused Mr. Zuo's extreme dissatisfaction. Recently, he gave lectures outside Huaicheng."

"I specially asked Gongshu Ban to build it. The place is quite quiet and elegant. It is a good place to study. Nowadays, more and more people go to study, and now it has become a grand scene outside Huai City. .”

After hearing this, Mengdi thought about it for a while, and felt that it was a bit different. During the Han Dynasty, Confucianism and Taoism had been fighting for a long time. He also had some experience in the pros and cons of it, so he said.

"Mr. Zuo alone is far from enough. Afterwards, some other scholars will be invited to come. Only in this way can the practitioners learn more things and discern them, thereby increasing their wisdom."

"Otherwise, it is very likely that people will fall into the situation of following others' opinions. At that time, they will not suspend their studies, but study hard. We do not need such people in Han."

After hearing this, Bai Gui frowned and thought for a while, then nodded, feeling that what he said was very reasonable.

After discussing the matter of accepting the population, Meng Di went to visit Sun Wu specially. This time, the atmosphere of the discussion between the two of them was much more relaxed, and there was still only Chen He serving by his side, which seemed a bit aloof, so Meng Di directly Said straight to the point.

"Thank you for the reminder last time, sir. This is the only way to achieve a big victory by running a long-distance attack, and to be able to retreat unscathed. Next, I want to seek the state of Song. I don't know what sir thinks about this?"

Sun Wu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and after thinking for a while, he asked back.

"Then dare to ask the Marquis of Han, how much territory do you want to gain by attacking Song and Han this time?"

"This time, the Han State sent troops together with the Lu State and the Zheng State. The reason for the crusade against the Song State is also because the Song State is now preparing to attack the Cao State, which has betrayed the Jin State. It's just population."

After Mengdi finished speaking, Sun Wu nodded appreciatively, and then spoke.

"Although the current strength of the Han State is sufficient to expand abroad, it will require a large-scale conscription. Considering the current population of the Han State, it has reached its limit to support 20 soldiers and horses."

"If there is a natural disaster or something, I am afraid that even the 20 soldiers and horses will not be able to support them. Under such circumstances, the Marquis of Han still adopts the method of recruiting troops. Obviously, this is also an act of compassion for the people."

"Now the main purpose of the Hanhou's attack on the Song State is to replenish the population, right? If this is the case, after a year or two of training, then the Han State can maintain a force of 20. What I want to know is the Hanhou. The next step is to prepare do what?"

Sun Wu didn't answer Meng Di's question, but asked about the long-term plan. Obviously, this was more like a consideration. Meng Di was keenly aware of this, so the expression on his face became serious, and he thought about it seriously. Said after a moment.

"My strategy has always been to go south first and then go north. Now Wu has already started a war with Chu and won many cities. Under such circumstances, Chu has adopted a defensive attitude. Obviously, this is also waiting for an opportunity. .”

"If the State of Yue becomes stronger in the future, then the State of Wu will become relatively dangerous. At that time, the State of Han will unite with the State of Chu and the State of Yue to launch a war against the State of Wu."

After he finished speaking, Sun Wu's face showed a gloomy look, and his tone was full of helplessness.

"Now that Wu's soldiers are in full swing, Fu Chai took advantage of this opportunity to eliminate the surrounding small vassal states. It seemed to be getting stronger and stronger, but it was full of internal worries. The people of Wu could get very little benefit. A sign of warlike death!"

(End of this chapter)