Do you know: I have a different surname: Wang, uncle Minglan.

Chapter 335: Sheng Changbai gets married and is appointed as the commander of the five major camps

Reform can promote a nation's progress in thinking.

During this so-called great era of reform, many thinkers, politicians, reformers, military strategists, etc. emerged.

When people in later generations talk about this period, they habitually call it the era of "talent boom".

It is also customarily referred to as another brilliant era of great contention after the era of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

This era was jointly created by Wei Yuan and Wang Anshi.

The Hai family was extremely extravagant in marrying off their daughter, and the ten-mile red makeup was only the basics.

This allowed the world to see the strength of the Hai family.

Three days later, Sheng Changbai brought Hai Chaoyun back home.

Haizhong and his son Haizhou had a long talk with him.

Hai Chaoyun was responsible for pouring tea and water for the three of them.

As a woman, she shouldn't have listened to what the three of them were talking about.

However, as a new bride who will be in charge of a family in the future, you can listen to some things. After listening, you will gain more knowledge and be able to better serve as a good wife to Sheng Changbai.

"Bai Er, your position as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was given to you by Grand Tutor Wei. Do you know why Grand Tutor Wei did this?"

Haizhong asked.

This Mr. Hai once held the titles of Minister of Works and Minister of Rites, and had even hoped to become Vice-Chancellor. Unfortunately, the new emperor did not like old ministers.

When they heard that it was related to Wei Yuan, Sheng Changbai and his wife both looked stunned.

First, there is the "relative" relationship between Sheng Changbai and Wei Yuan, and secondly, there is the friendship between Hai Chaoyun and Zhang Guifen.

Sheng Changbai said: "It could be that the son-in-law is related to the Grand Tutor?"

Hai Zhong shook his head and said, "That's not the point. The point is that everyone is optimistic about you and thinks that you can be the prime minister in 20 or 30 years."

Sheng Changbai was shocked and said quickly: "My son-in-law is stupid. He dare not even think about the position of prime minister."

Hai Zhou glared at him, "Have you really never thought about it?"

Sheng Changbai nodded.

I originally thought that the Hai father and son would say that they had no ambitions.

Unexpectedly, Haizhou suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Father, you and your son were worried that Changbai would be proud and complacent, but now it seems that Changbai is a down-to-earth person."

Hai Zhong stroked his beard and praised: "That's right, Bai'er, you must remember that as an official, the most important thing is to be down-to-earth, to have your country and the world in your heart, and to think about the people. If you can do this, you will be truly invincible in the officialdom."

This is completely contrary to some worldly studies, but Sheng Changbai regards it as the Bible.

"Grand Tutor Wei and Junior Tutor Wang are both your seniors. They will take care of you in the officialdom. You don't need to worry about your future."

"As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little. What I am worried about now is that your uncle, the current Wei Taifu, has more power than the current prime minister. This is extremely rare in all dynasties."

"It is not an exaggeration to say that your uncle is a powerful official. If your uncle is loyal, then our Great Zhou can at least prosper for a few more decades without worries. If one day, your uncle changes, how will you deal with it?"

Haizhong asked suddenly with narrowed eyes.

Haizhou's heart skipped a beat and he quickly said, "Father."

Before he finished speaking, Hai Zhong shook his head and said:

"Forget it, forget it. I am old now. Just treat what I said just now as nonsense. Bai'er, you don't need to respond. But you have to think about it. People don't deceive themselves."

When leaving the Hai family, Sheng Changbai was worried and depressed.

Hai Chaoyun stroked his palm and asked with concern: "But are you upset because of what my father said?"

Sheng Changbai was about to respond when he saw that the carriage had arrived at Longjin Bridge next to Zhuquemen Street. This reminded Sheng Changbai of a conversation he had with Wei Yuan many years ago.

【You said that my life was like walking on thin ice.】

Thinking of this, Sheng Changbai said inexplicably, "Do you think my uncle has reached the other side?"

Hai Chaoyun subconsciously said "hmm" and asked in confusion: "What do you mean by the other side?"

Sheng Changbai shook his head and said nothing more.
-
In mid-July of the first year of Kaiwu, Zhao Xi issued an edict to the world to cut the military force by 500,000.

This is the largest and most numerous military reduction plan since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

As for how to relocate the laid-off soldiers, that has become the current problem.

Wei Yuan suggested that those who had land should return home to farm and enjoy tax reductions, and those who did not have land should be allocated land.

However, there is only so much arable land. Where can we find more land for them?
Foreign aggression? Obviously not suitable for the current development policy.

Then, Wei Yuan gave another opinion that shocked Wang Anshi and others.

"Kill a group of landlords and gentry, seize their land, and redistribute it to soldiers who choose to join the army because they have no land at home."

This move was strongly opposed by Wang Anshi and others.

"The cornerstone of a country's prosperity lies in the rule of law. Those officials you mentioned did not violate the law. To seize their land and distribute it among the people is to shake the foundation of the rule of law. If it causes public resentment, can the Grand Tutor bear the responsibility?"

"The reason why those officials own so much land is that they mostly came from the local people. You robbed the land, but did not distribute it to those who were robbed, but distributed it to the old soldiers, which will easily cause the people to lose their balance."

"This is only a temporary solution. Those officials are also citizens of our Great Zhou. As long as they are reasonable and legal, we should not take them by force."

"."

Wei Yuan said: "The government has issued an order to reduce the number of soldiers. Tell me, how will those soldiers survive after they leave the army?"

Fan Chunren frowned and said, "But you can't do the same thing as robbing Peter to pay Paul."

Wei Yuan looked at Zhao Xi and bowed, saying, "Sir, there is a compromise."

The latter raised his eyebrows and said, "Master Wei, please tell me quickly."

Wei Yuan said: "First, the court will pay for the resettlement of the old soldiers and ask them to move south to Shu Road to open up wasteland. They will be exempted from taxes for two generations."

"Second, expand the scope of maritime transport, build large ships, select strong men from veterans, expand maritime transport, and encourage them to go out to sea to do business."

"Third, some of the retired veterans will be converted into garrison soldiers and tied to the local areas, so that the local government can provide for them."

"Fourth, merchants value fame and fortune. Merchants who own a large amount of land can be named Righteous Merchants by the imperial court, and asked to donate money and land. Those who are sincere and offer high prices can do business with the imperial merchants, and they can also make some money from shipping."

"Fifth, give priority to recommending retired veterans to various merchants to do business and earn wages to supplement the family income. If those merchants are unwilling to hire them, the court will issue a decree, saying that the retired veterans are all good-natured and have made contributions to the country. In time, people will trust the word 'veteran' when they hear it."

"."

He gave ten suggestions at once.

If we take a multi-pronged approach, there will be no need to worry about the resettlement of retired veterans.

Zhao Xi nodded repeatedly and said, "Master Wei is right. I will do as you say."

Wei Yuan said, "Sir, we cannot cut 500,000 troops immediately. We need to cut them gradually. I think we should cut 300,000 troops first and 200,000 troops later over a three-month period. We should complete the cuts by the end of the year."

If it were under normal circumstances and the Great Zhou cut its troops by 500,000, the Liao and Xia countries would definitely invade.

But now, the war has just ended, and Liao and Xia are unable to fight again, giving the Great Zhou a breathing space to reform.
-
After discussing the details of the military reduction, Wei Yuan invited Xu Changzhi and Qin Zhen to his home.

Now, the three of them are the undisputed military leaders of the Great Zhou.

Xu Changzhi was born a concubine's son. Although he had the status of a son of military merit, he was ultimately born in Daizhou.

Both Daizhou and the founding military heroes were happy to see Xu Changzhi take the throne because they believed he could balance the two major military forces. Qin Zhen was the legitimate eldest son of a military hero. His words and deeds represented the Fuguogong Mansion, and to a certain extent, he could also represent the old military hero forces.

It can also be said that Qin Zhen's ascension to the throne was a concession made by Wei Yuan in exchange for his founding military honors.

The three of them gathered together today, there must be big moves.

As the mistress of the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion, when she saw Wei Yuan inviting them to the study, she quickly made a decision that no one was allowed to approach within thirty steps of the study in the backyard.

She sat in the yard of the study, waiting for them to come to a conclusion after discussing certain things.

At this time, in the study room.

Qin Zhen and Xu Changzhi both looked at Wei Yuan.

All three were speechless.

I don’t know how much time passed.

Wei Yuan raised his head and said slowly: "I think you all understand the situation of military reform, right?"

Xu Changzhi pretended to remain silent.

Qin Zhen spoke first, "I have no objection to the military reform presided over by Brother Wei. Brother Wei, do whatever you want. I fully support you."

Military reform is bound to affect the interests of the founding military heroes.

After all, they have been making arrangements in the army since the founding of the Great Zhou.

For example, among the four upper armies stationed in the capital, more than half of their descendants can be related to the founding military heroes.

Qin Zhen's words clearly showed that he had made a huge concession.

The result of this concession was also a compromise made by the old military hero to the upstarts in Daizhou.

Zhang Fu played a crucial role in this.

Wei Yuan said: "Brother Qin, rest assured that this military reform will not affect the imperial guards stationed in the capital."

Hearing this, Qin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, but was also confused.

Since it is not related to disarmament, why did you invite yourself here?

The next moment, Wei Yuan's voice came to my ear again.

"After the military reform, five major camps will be established. I told the late emperor about this idea when he was still alive."

"After the five camps are established, they will need a commander to guard them. I am thinking of selecting three from the new nobles, two of whom will be among the founding military heroes. I will also create a new official position to command the garrison troops throughout the country, and the title will be 'garrison commander'."

"The quota for the commander-in-chief of the garrison army is also given to the founding military hero. What do you think, brother Qin?"

To put it bluntly, after the military reform, the senior generals' structure is composed of half each of founding military heroes and the upstarts of Daizhou.

From the perspective of practical interests, the founding military merits are actually at a disadvantage.

After all, the so-called position of commander-in-chief of the national garrison did not carry much power and was subject to restrictions by local authorities.

But this military reform was originally initiated by Wei Yuan. He represented the interests of Daizhou and naturally had to consider the upstarts.

Qin Zhen said: "Since Commander Wei has said so, I guess someone has already been chosen, right?"

Wei Yuan nodded, glanced at Xu Changzhi, and said:

"I have three candidates here. The southern camp will be led by Guo Hao, with Hu Yanzhong as the deputy commander. The northern camp will be led by Xiao Yuming, with Liang Da as the assistant. The western camp will be led by Zhong Yan, with Peng Sun as the assistant."

South, West and North, these three camps are the three camps chosen by Wei Yuan.

Logically speaking, among the five major camps, the Gyeonggi Camp, also known as the Central Camp, has the highest power and represents the most valuable power.

But why didn’t Wei Yuan choose to join the Central Camp?
The reason is very simple. After the military reform, what Wei Yuan has to do is to expand the Danglu Army.

By then, the Danglu Army will be independent from the five major camps.

The expansion of the military force is temporarily set at 100,000, which is already a considerable number.

With these 100,000 anti-Lu troops stationed in the capital, Wei Yuan had the capital to save his life.

When Qin Zhen heard this, he thought it was a good thing to give the qualification of commander of the Central Camp to the founding military hero!

However, it still requires careful discussion to choose who will take on the role.

"Brother Wei, I haven't made up my mind about the three commanders of the garrison, the central camp, and the eastern camp. I need to discuss it with the elders."

Qin Zhen spoke.

Although he was promoted to a high position by being awarded the title of Founding Military Hero, at best, he was just a spokesperson and had no decision-making power.

Wei Yuan said: "The appointment of the commander of the five battalions is a top secret to us. Do you understand?"

Qin Zhen and Xu Changzhi said one after another:
"Please rest assured, Brother Wei, this matter will never be known to anyone with ulterior motives."

"."

After Qin Zhen left, Xu Changzhi made an excuse and did not leave.

Later, he asked Wei Yuan in confusion:

"During the national war, Guo Hao made no contribution. Now he has suddenly become the commander of a battalion. I'm afraid there are many problems."

Wei Yuan said: "I did not allow him to participate in the national war. I really did not want those young naval forces in the south to fight on the ground with the Liao army who are good at field battles."

Xu Changzhi asked, "Guo Hao has no achievements. Has the commander figured out how to convince the people?"

Wei Yuan said: "Even if they are not convinced, it is mostly our brothers in Daizhou who are not convinced. I am just saying one thing. Besides, Guo Hao is our brother and we still have to use him. We cannot deny his talent just because he did not participate in the national war. Liang Da was his deputy general at first."

Xu Changzhi said: "But this Guo Hao broke your rules in the south before. Does he obey you?"

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "If I can lift him up to that position, I can also step him down again. If he is not sensible, I will teach him to be sensible."

Xu Changzhi nodded slightly. "The North and South Battalions are all from Daizhou, no doubt about that. But I am not too familiar with the people of the Western Battalion, and it seems that they have no connection with Daizhou."

Wei Yuan explained earnestly: "We cannot suppress Zhong Yan just because he is not from Daizhou. His military talent is not inferior to Yu Ming and others."

"Besides, not all the new nobles come from Daizhou. Brother Zhong Yan and others are also our people. Although Daizhou can provide talents continuously, in the end, our sights cannot be limited to the small area of ​​Daizhou."

The main task of the Western Camp was to fight against Western Xia.

From this point of view, apart from letting Zhong Yan take charge, Wei Yuan didn't trust the rest of the people, including those selected from the Eight Tigers of Daizhou.

Wei Yuan once thought that as a general, it was enough as long as he could lead the soldiers well and fight well.

But as his status grew, he gradually realized that this was not the case.

When you are in a high position, you need to balance multiple forces.

He needs to support his own Daizhou Group and appease the old nobles, because they also have a certain say in the military. After all, they have been operating in the army since the founding of the Great Zhou.

After balancing the new nobles and the old nobles, we must also balance the border troops in various places.

Otherwise, the slightest negligence could lead to a mutiny in the army.

However, as the emperor, Zhao Xi had never considered these deeper, darker reasons.

All along, it was Wei Yuan and Wang Anshi who had to clean up his mess.

(End of this chapter)