spend time

"…The British Guards have 50,000 soldiers on their roster. The actual strength is around 41,000. In other words, 20% of the soldiers are empty."

"When the military pay was distributed, I watched from the sidelines and kept counting in my mind. I was afraid that General Zuo would play tricks and make the soldiers line up repeatedly to receive their pay, so I made sure to remember the appearance of each line. Fortunately, General Zuo did not do that."

“So, this number should be correct.”

Qin Hu reported in detail, and Jiang Shaohua sneered: "I want to find out the details of each army. General Zuo also wants to take this opportunity to test me. There must be some people who eat empty salaries, and every army has them, the number varies."

"He didn't do anything tricky. He just wanted to see how I would react."

Qin Hu snorted coldly: "He thinks he is right after eating the salary without doing anything? The emperor directly summoned him to the palace and scolded him, and he still dared to compete with the emperor!"

Jiang Shaohua said calmly, "Before I ascended the throne, I promised not to move important officials in the court for three years, and I must keep my promise. Now that I haven't even warmed up to the throne, there is no reason to turn against each other and settle old scores. Official corruption has long been a routine, and the entire court is a group of black crows. Can I kill them all? I killed Doctor Wan as a warning, and then I have to slowly reverse this unhealthy trend of corruption."

Eat one bite at a time and do one thing at a time. You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Governing a country is like cooking a small fish. Both vision and timing are very important.

Qin Hu scratched his head: "I don't understand these, I only know how to pick up a knife and kill people. When the emperor needs someone to charge into battle, I, Qin Hu, will be the first to rush forward."

Meng Sanbao, who was standing by, immediately took over the conversation: "So do I."

Jiang Shaohua was amused by his two confidants: "This is enough. By the way, Sanbao went to General Sima, how much empty salary is there in the Shenwu Camp?"

Meng Sanbao replied: "It's about the same as the British Guard Battalion, also 20% of the salary is for nothing."

The armies in the capital were all under the emperor's watch, so the commanders dared not and could not go too far. It seemed that the 20% military pay was another disgusting "custom".

Jiang Shaohua said: "You have been working hard in various military camps to ensure the payment of military salaries these days. Go and have a good rest!"

After Qin Hu and Meng Sanbao left, Jiang Shaohua ordered Chen Changshi and Wang Jin to come and tell them about the drawbacks of the 20% idle salary in the military camp.

Chen Changshi sneered: "These generals, on the one hand, receive generous salaries, and on the other hand, they suck the blood of their soldiers. A full 20% of their salaries are empty, and it has become a habit for them to drink. Each one is more greedy than the other!"

Wang Jin was in an awkward position. Because among the generals that Chen Changshi scolded, General Zuo was the first one. General Zuo was a loyal dog under Prime Minister Wang. Prime Minister Wang did not leave the Prime Minister's Mansion, and General Zuo visited him from time to time.

The emperor used Wang Jin to appease Prime Minister Wang, and then stabilized General Zuo. Otherwise, General Zuo was not a soft persimmon to be squeezed. It was easy to kill civil officials. With an imperial decree, Doctor Wan was beheaded and his family was confiscated in the blink of an eye. Military generals have their own soldiers around them, and they have gathered a large number of military generals in the military camp. If one is not handled properly, there will be a mutiny in the military camp.

Therefore, handling matters in the military camp is more difficult than suppressing civil officials, and it is also more difficult to grasp the right measure and timing.

Wang Jin cleared his throat and said, "I dare to make a suggestion. Drinking the blood of soldiers and eating empty salaries is indeed a common practice in the army. The Shenwu Camp, the Yingwei Camp, the Imperial Guards, and the Yongwei Camp all have about 20% of their salaries. Over at the border, about 30% of the salaries are empty."

"When troops are stationed in various places, the number may be even higher."

"These are all long-standing problems. Your Majesty, please don't get too anxious or you'll hurt your body."

Jiang Shaohua was nearly six months pregnant, and her belly was growing bigger day by day. The loose dragon robe could no longer cover her. If it were an ordinary woman, she would have stayed in the inner room to rest and take care of the baby. Jiang Shaohua still had to attend court every day to manage government affairs and worry about the major and minor affairs of the country.

Wang Jin's words revealed genuine concern. Chen Changshi glanced over calmly and said, "What Wang Zhongshu Ling reminded me of is that state affairs are important, but the emperor's health is more important. The long-standing problems in the army must be gradually curbed. The emperor must not be upset by this matter." Only Chen Changshi dared to make such a suggestion. The other ministers could not even open their mouths to say this.

Jiang Shaohua wanted to say "I'm fine", but unfortunately, the baby in her belly moved suddenly.

This kind of throbbing of flesh and blood made Jiang Shaohua frown slightly at first, then he relaxed his brows and smiled: "I have heard everything you said. Don't worry, I know the priorities."

……

At the court meeting the next day, Jiang Shaohua first called out General Zuo's name: "General Zuo, what's your explanation for the lack of troops in the barracks?"

General Zuo: “…”

General Zuo had not expected the emperor to so bluntly expose the issue of empty pay in the military camp. He felt a little embarrassed for a moment and had to stand up and explain: "Your Majesty, I have only been in charge of the Yingwei Camp for more than a year. The issue of insufficient troops is still an old problem left over from the past."

Well, just put the blame on General Wei who had died in the battle.

Jiang Shaohua said calmly, and then looked at General Sima: "So, the vacant troop quota in the Shenwu Camp is also the problem of the previous commander, and has nothing to do with General Sima?"

General Sima: “…”

General Sima was not as confident as General Zuo. He bowed his head and confessed his guilt tremblingly: "It is because I did not manage the army strictly. Many generals in the barracks lied about the number of troops. As a result, it has become like this now. I am incompetent. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"

Jiang Shaohua did not comment, his eyes fell on General Song's face: "The Yongwei Battalion has a larger shortage. I think it's because too many soldiers were killed in battle when they were leading troops to support the border troops."

General Song: "..."

The prepared speech was spoken by the emperor in a slightly sarcastic tone. General Song felt a little hot even though he had a thick skin, and he coughed in response.

Jiang Shaohua finally looked at General Bao, his eyes were gentle: "The Imperial Guards are strong, but unfortunately, some of them were instigated by Gao Shan and Wei Xiong to become traitors, and they were all killed. Now the Imperial Guards have the most vacancies."

"It's not General Bao's fault."

General Zuo and his three men were scolded by the emperor one after another, but when it came to General Bao, it became a gentle breeze and drizzle. Happiness is derived from comparison.

General Bao was filled with gratitude and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."

The Imperial Guards suffered heavy casualties and now only have 60% of their former strength.

Jiang Shaohua said in a gentle voice: "This year's military expenditure will be distributed according to the figures of previous years, and next year, it will still be distributed in the same way. However, I want to see sufficient military strength."

"One year should be enough time for each military camp to recruit new soldiers and fill the vacancies!" (End of this chapter)