Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 700 I am an Archer

Che Guangqian had originally set up a killing plan, intending to kill Zuo Sheying in one fell swoop at Shangyuan Posthouse. Afterwards, a fire burned down Shangyuan Posthouse, and they said it was a fire.

Anyway, there is no evidence and no one can speak for Zuo Sheying.

But Fang Chongyong happened to rush back to Bianzhou from Dengzhou. After learning about this, he urgently stopped the killing and let the soldiers of the Zuosheying happily have a sumptuous buffet.

However, although the crisis has been resolved, the hidden dangers still exist. The arrogant army of Zuosheying is currently managed by Han Yougui. However, his position is not the leader of this army. At most, he is the monitor of Fang Zhongyong's high school in his previous life.

Even if Han Yougui was subdued, there was no guarantee that the soldiers of the Zuosheying could be as easily controlled as the Silver Spear Filial Piety Army. Therefore, how to deal with this army became the primary problem facing Fang Zhongyong.

On the second day after the buffet at Shangyuanyi, Han Yougui woke up from a hangover and found himself lying in a side room. Looking at the furnishings inside, it seemed to be the Shangyuanyi where he had lived before, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

He was lucky to be alive! He couldn't help shaking his head as his headaches came over him.

Could it be that everything I observed yesterday was an illusion?
Han Yougui was shocked. The survival instinct he had developed on the battlefield would not be false. This instinct had saved him many times.

Suddenly, a personal soldier knocked on the door and reported: "General Han, Minister Yan wants to see you. He said there is something important and we can't delay."

"Got it. Han will go right away!"

Han Yougui hurriedly put on his clothes and went out to see that he was still at Shangyuanyi.

This was originally a post station, providing accommodation for officials. The drunk soldiers last night were all arranged to stay here, and Han Yougui was no exception.

After leaving Shangyuan Posthouse, he boarded the carriage sent by the six ministries. After arriving, he went directly to the six ministries in Kaifeng City, entered the Council Hall, and met Yan Zhuang alone.

"Greetings, Mr. Yan."

Han Yougui saluted Yan Zhuang with his arms folded, feeling nervous.

What I saw yesterday is still vivid in my mind, and it sends chills down my spine just thinking about it.

He was not naive enough to think that the incident of disobeying military orders on the battlefield that day would be let go.

"Did General Han enjoy his meal at yesterday's buffet?"

Yan Zhuang asked with a smile, looking harmless.

"That's great, Han is really flattered. The court's arrangements are so thoughtful."

Han Yougui said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Since this is your last meal before execution, you will naturally be served a good meal before you set off. The food that Shangyuanyi entertained the officials was not as good as what you had yesterday. If you are not satisfied, then I, Yan, will be the one who will punish you!"

There was still a smile on Yan Zhuang's face, but the smile looked a little cold.

Holy shit! It wasn’t an illusion!
Han Yougui was shocked, but he suppressed his fear and tried to keep his face calm. He forced a smile and said, "Mr. Yan, you are joking. How can we talk about the last meal before execution?"

"When you disobeyed military orders during the siege of Luoyang, you didn't think no one knew about it, did you?

You should thank the emperor. Yesterday, Marshal Che had already decided to burn you to death at Shangyuanyi. It was the emperor who came back from Dengzhou and learned about this, so he urgently stopped the plan and let you have a good meal for nothing.

He also said something to the truth.”

Yan Zhuang said calmly.

"Um...what did the official say?"

Han Yougui breathed a sigh of relief and asked involuntarily, feeling exhausted as if he had survived a calamity.

“The official said that those who fought for him were all brothers, regardless of their background.

Even if our brothers have done something wrong, as long as they are not traitors or deserters, we cannot lift the knife against them.

Guan Jia is kind and righteous. He has been dealing with people like you since he was young, so he knows everything. "

Yan Zhuang sighed with emotion.

Hearing this, Han Yougui was moved to tears and choked with sobs.

He clasped his fists towards Yan Zhuang and said, "Your Majesty is kind and righteous, and your insight is even greater than his father's. You are truly a tiger father and a tiger son. I will leave the fate of the Left Archery Camp to your Majesty."

Having said that, Han Yougui also understood that although the death penalty could be avoided, the punishment of living punishment could not be escaped.

Violating military law is a taboo in any military context. How could someone who can say "all those who charge into battle for me are my brothers" not understand this truth?

Zuo Sheying will definitely be punished, it all depends on how he is dealt with.

Otherwise, Fang Qing would not be able to convince the crowd, and Che Guangqian would be the first one to disagree.

"You go back first. The military parade will be held soon. As the leading unit, the Zuoshe Battalion will naturally participate.

How to deal with it will be decided after the military parade. The government will definitely handle it properly and will not put you in an awkward position, nor will it disappoint the officers and soldiers of the Zuosheying.

Everyone in Bianzhou is watching."

Yan Zhuang patted Han Yougui's arm and said, signaling him to concentrate on his work and not to worry too much.

"I understand. I will appease the soldiers in the camp after I return."

Han Yougui smiled bitterly.

Yan Zhuang's intention today was actually to prepare him mentally, and to make it clear that his life would not be in danger, so that they could not suddenly attack.

The Bianzhou court was indeed experienced in handling affairs.

Han Yougui thought to himself.

After he left, Yan Zhuang sighed helplessly.

In fact, many people in the core circle of the Bianzhou court had different opinions on Fang Chongyong, such as Li Quan, deputy envoy of the Privy Council, and Yan Zhuang.

The scene of the argument with Fang Zhongyong before is still vivid in my mind.

Just last night, in the study of the Bianzhou government office, Yan Zhuang learned that Zuo Sheying had been spared. He sighed and said to Fang Zhongyong: "Your Majesty, this is a good opportunity to establish your authority. It would be a pity not to kill him! In the future, if you want to establish your authority, don't you have to kill Yin Qiang Xiaojie?"

The tone was as if it was not about killing hundreds of people, but about killing hundreds of chickens.

"Killing cannot be stopped, and it will also cut off the outsiders' desire to join us, which is not worth the loss.

I was in the army when I was young, and I know the nature of these soldiers very well. They are soft-hearted and not hard-hearted, and the best strategy is to use both kindness and severity. "

Fang Zhongyong waved his hand, obviously disagreeing with Yan Zhuang's opinion.

Killing people can indeed establish authority, but once the door is opened, there will be endless troubles.

Moreover, this kind of killing is a "secret killing", which is an extreme measure taken by using conspiracy and tricks to take advantage of people's unpreparedness.

It will corrupt the atmosphere within a political group and have far-reaching consequences.

When doing things, you should make them clear so that everyone can see clearly what is right and what is wrong. You can do whatever you want to your enemies, but when it comes to your own people, everything should be made clear.

In this way, there will be internal cohesion and competition will not get out of control.

"What good ideas do you have?"

Yan Zhuang asked helplessly. He could only think of killing, killing and killing. What other good ideas did Fang Chongyong have?
“I want to reform the army, lay off the old and weak, and recruit brave men from all over the world to build an elite force.

We will gradually expand the army while reducing the army. We will take this opportunity to directly erase the name of the Zuosheying and relocate the soldiers. "

Fang Chongyong said calmly. This is a typical act of killing the heart. To abolish the unit number is to abolish the organization of the army. The Zuosheying became history, and the soldiers were scattered among the various armies, and they could no longer make waves.

However, this is probably even worse than the massacre of Zuosheying. How could those soldiers be happy about it?

"Dismiss? How to eliminate arrogant and powerful soldiers?
If you lay off one person, the whole army will mutiniate. How can you lay off one person? "

Yan Zhuang asked back as Fang Zhongyong spread his hands.

The latter sat directly in front of the desk, spread out a large piece of paper, and wrote five large characters on it:
I'm an archer!
"Ok?"

Yan Zhuang was puzzled and couldn't help asking, "Sir, what does this mean?"

"It means exactly what it says. From now on, the system of recruiting the Imperial Guard only from the united soldiers will remain unchanged.

However, the size of the Unity Army should be reduced, the quality of the troops should be improved, and the treatment of the Unity Army should be improved.

Each state, county, and village must conduct a selection of soldiers when recruiting soldiers. The main test is their archery skills. Those who pass the test will be awarded the title of archer and selected into the united army. The old united army will be gradually eliminated at a large ratio every year, and all will be eliminated within three years.

When archers completed their service period or retired due to disability, the government provided them with positions as local yamen runners and relocated them to other places.

If they are unwilling to serve as laborers in other places, they can be given good jobs locally, and those who are willing to farm can be granted land, or even interest-free loans can be provided to help them buy property.

In short, there will be benefits in the future. People who are archers will be given priority and have words tattooed on the back of their left hands to show their identity.

Even if the world is stable, martial virtues must not be corrupted. Treating archers well is promoting martial virtues, and when martial virtues are abundant, there will be no catastrophe. "

Fang Zhongyong explained slowly.

In short, being a soldier is a good career choice, but not just anyone can get in. To be an archer, there are at least a few hard requirements:
First, those street urchins with a bad reputation in the village, criminals, and those who cannot explain their identities and origins will definitely not be recommended, and they will not even be allowed to participate in the assessment.

Archers are tied to their families and their land. If an archer runs away on the battlefield, the government will directly hold his family accountable.

Second, those who don’t have strong arms, aren’t sturdy, and can’t draw a bow will definitely not be able to get in.

Third, because of their status, those who come in are not here to get by, but want to make achievements, or at least want to be successful in the future. This eliminates the problem of lazy soldiers.

The effectiveness of this strategy may not be apparent in the short term, but within three to five years, after a batch of soldiers in the army are rotated, the combat effectiveness will have an immediate effect.

Fang Chongyong wanted to rebuild the social status and identity of the soldiers. The status of an archer is considered a "reserve", but it should not be underestimated. People with this status will receive preferential treatment from the court after retirement. The whole family will stand up straight.

After all the old soldiers in the army are replaced, a system of recruiting, rewarding, and retiring soldiers centered around "archers" will gradually be established.

Putting those retired "archers" into government offices also weakened the monopoly of local big families on grassroots power.

It can be said that it kills three birds with one stone.

Of course, when Fang Chongyong mentioned "archers", he didn't mean that he had to recruit people who were good at archery to serve as soldiers and ignore the others. It was just a title or a reason.

In the existing system, a new upward channel has been opened up, opening up a way for people who have no way out in society. The significance of this can only be understood from a certain perspective.

After listening to Fang Zhongyong's explanation, Yan Zhuang nodded in agreement. This move was indeed brilliant.

However, it has not been able to take effect on short-term matters. For example, the matter of Zuoshejun is urgent, so how can we wait for three to five years?
If you want to talk about archers, the people in the left shooting camp can show you some tricks, such as eight arrows and eight hearts, one arrow and three birds, etc. They can also shoot with both hands!

"Some of the soldiers in the Zuoshe Camp who have outstanding skills and tactics were selected as military instructors and given generous salaries. They only train and do not go to the battlefield. Even if they want to violate military discipline, they don't have that opportunity.

Those old scouts in the army only know how to conduct reconnaissance, explore routes and kill enemies, but do not know how to make a living. I assign them to Lu Mai and let them blend into the caravans and serve as guides. We transmit intelligence from afar and build an intelligence network throughout the Tang Dynasty.

As for those who are usually brave and aggressive, I plan to set up a new camp called the Sanyuan Camp, without a camp leader. Whoever is the best fighter will be in charge, and the troublemakers from various armies will be arranged to join, and those who are not convinced will speak with their fists.

This battalion does not participate in general combat and does not need to practice battle formations. It is only released at critical moments to kill generals and capture flags, and to make the final decision.

As for the remaining ones, they will be directly laid off and resettled around Bianliang City. I will find a way to settle them down.

This is not just aimed at the Zuosheying, even the Silver Spear Filial Piety is the same. Next, the Imperial Guards will be reorganized and the numbers will be disbanded.

Although the Ministry of War is in charge of these matters, you still have to take some responsibility.”

Fang Chongyong said with a solemn expression.

"This subordinate will do his best."

Yan Zhuang smiled bitterly.

Fang Chongyong asked him to do something that offended others. It could be said to be a trust, or it could be said to be a restriction. Anyway, no matter what, Fang Chongyong was very determined to reform the military system in Bianzhou, and his plan was very thorough.

There are both short-term and long-term.

With the "recovery" of Luoyang, Fang Chongyong's prestige reached a new height, which was just right for dealing with those things that were difficult to handle on a normal day.

This can be considered as striking while the iron is hot.

"Now that we have captured Luoyang, the next step is to attack Hebei.

The numerous wars in the past have resulted in a large number of wounded soldiers, many of whom are disabled.

These people are still in the army, and the government has not given them a good place to stay. The people of the entire Bianzhou and even the dozens of states under our jurisdiction have seen it.

The common people all know that if a good man does not join the army, he will have no future. So it is easy to know what kind of people are in the army.

If you don't unload these burdens on your shoulders, you won't be able to run at full speed. After this military parade, let's also take care of the disabled veterans. Let the world see that I, Fang Qing, will not treat those who have fought for me unfairly.

Not everyone knows how to farm, and giving them land may not necessarily solve the problem, so these things still need to be carefully arranged."

Fang Zhongyong sighed and said.

If you don't consider the soldiers' immediate interests and their affairs after their death, these people will just slack off at work after they go into battle, and no one will fight to the death.

Those high-handed and out-of-touch Tianlong people were sold out by the soldiers at the critical moment, and they had no way out at all.

Yan Zhuang felt that what he was seeing now was an emperor without a crown.

Fang Zhongyong's ability and vision are already very, very close to sitting in that position. He just needs an opportunity.

For example, the capture of Chang'an. In Yan Zhuang's opinion, perhaps the day when the Bianzhou army entered Chang'an would be the day when Li Lin abdicated.

"Sir, have you mentioned these things to Liu Yan?

I'm afraid the government will need a lot of money to pay for this arrangement."

Yan Zhuang suddenly remembered this and had a bad feeling in his heart.

Fang Zhongyong's point is indeed correct, but there is a problem, which requires a lot of money to sort out. Money is used at times like this, and it must be used, and you can't be stingy.

In recent years, the court of Bianzhou has been running at a high speed, and money has been spent like water. Even if no one tries to make money from it, Fang Zhongyong may not have enough money to complete what he wants to do.

"Don't worry about this. I will discuss this matter with Liu Yan. It is definitely not difficult to do."

Fang Zhongyong laughed loudly, seemingly not worried at all.

"Officials...Alas!"

Yan Zhuang was speechless and didn't know what to say. He felt that Fang Zhongyong could always find a solution to a problem that he couldn't solve.

The other party’s current achievements are definitely not due to his father’s influence.

(End of this chapter)