Northern Song Dynasty: Starting from the son of Song Renzong

Chapter 122: An Invincible New Army
Redundant soldiers and officials have always been a chronic problem in the Song Dynasty.

In fact...

Not only Yu Jing and Ouyang Xiu knew it, in fact many people knew it.

But why has there been no movement?
That's naturally because you, Yu Jing, said "get rid of redundant soldiers", which sounded very cool.

But how will the soldiers who are laid off survive?
If they can't make a living, how can you expect them to have a good life?

Eliminating redundant soldiers and officials will certainly eliminate all the current ills of the Song Dynasty at once.

But if you do this, you are sending these people to die directly.

Although, these people may not be good people.

For example, some soldiers did their own business and openly went to taverns in groups of three or four to buy alcohol. Some even brought prostitutes into the barracks.

But even so, you can't just lay off the other party and that's it.

What if the other party decides to rebel?
Don't tell me yet!

It is possible that the soldiers of the Song Dynasty really dared to do this.

after all……

This is not the first or second time that soldiers in the army have rebelled.

Zhao Xin then asked Yu Jing to come up with a plan.

Wait until the plan is approved before implementing it.

As for Zhao Xin...

Naturally, I also have to find someone to understand the current situation of the Song Dynasty's imperial guards.

Feel……

There can't be anyone in this imperial army who is drawing a salary without doing anything.

Therefore, the so-called 800,000 imperial guards and 400,000 garrison troops must have been quite a lot, but they were just numbers and there was no such person at all.

It would actually be a good thing if those who find military service hard and do not want to serve in the army could be turned into civilians.

only……

Got to control this degree.

Don't cut too many at once.

……

March, the fourth year of the Qingli period.

Zhao Xin conducted a survey of the army.

can only say……

Some of the top generals in the army lived a wealthy life.

As for the soldiers at the bottom, naturally, their lives are not good either.

Zhao Xin asked someone to call over some soldiers.

Let them tell you what happened in the army.

then……

Zhao Xin heard about the general hiring prostitutes and drinking in the military camp.

to be frank!
Zhao Xin didn't dare to listen any further after hearing this.

after all……

After listening to this, should he take action against these people?

What if after we deal with these people, others get scared?
and……

This is obviously not as simple as just two people.

It is a very common behavior.

Fortunately, Zhao Xin did not call Ouyang Xiu and others to listen together.

otherwise……

If Ouyang Xiu and others knew about this, they would definitely advise him to deal with these people seriously.

Zhao Xin found dozens of young people and some older ones.

Some of them are over 50 years old and are still serving in the army.

Zhao Xin also asked one by one.

First they ask about age, then about family members.

I found that many people seemed to be single.

After all, if you are poor, you can't afford to marry a wife. The imperial guards will be better.

At least he could afford to marry a wife.

As for the soldiers, I can only say that many of them became soldiers because they had committed crimes.

It seems only natural that he doesn't have a wife.

Therefore, for this group of people, they often live for the moment, and if there is corvee labor, they do it; if there is no corvee labor, they just live one day at a time.

When I got the money, I just used it to buy some wine.

can only say……

This situation is more complicated than Zhao Xin had imagined.

Next…

All we can do is ask them if they are willing to stop serving in the army and start farming to become civilians again if they can be given 50 acres of land.

Fifty acres of land is not a lot, but it is not a little either.

obviously!
Many of the soldiers, even those in the imperial guards, hoped to own fifty acres of land.

after all……

When you are a soldier, no one knows when you will die on the battlefield. Even if you don't die on the battlefield, it's not a big deal to do forced labor every day.

Although being a soldier can be very comfortable sometimes, for example, when you meet an officer who doesn't care much about you, then you can relax and just collect your salary every month.

But the problem is...days like this can be seen coming to an end at a glance.

However, when they heard Zhao Xin say that the fifty acres of land were in Xuchang and Nanyang, they couldn't help but hesitate.

Perhaps they had all heard a little bit about it, and there were basically no people there.

"Fifty acres of land, three thatched houses, free farm tools, and no corvée for five years. Are you willing to leave the army?"

Below is an old man, in his fifties, alone.

Zhao Xin originally thought that the other party would think that it would be better to just hang around in the army and not bother with anything, since he probably didn't have many years left to live anyway. Unexpectedly, after thinking for a moment, the old man replied, "I am willing."

So much so that Zhao Xin couldn't help but wonder if this old guy wanted to sell his fifty acres of land, use the money to buy wine, and then come back to be a soldier.

otherwise……

He is already over fifty years old and has no children. There is no need to go through all this.

Zhao Xin asked, "Can you tell me why you are willing?"

The old man said, "Maybe he wants to go back to farming."

After serving in the army for a long time, I wanted to do something that I haven't done for a long time.

This can probably be considered a kind of nostalgia.

But this is a special case!
Zhao Xin asked more than a hundred people in total.

I saw...

There are still many people who are willing to go back to farm.

That night.

Zhao Xin suggested to his father that the area from Xuchang to Nanyang would require a large number of people to open up wasteland. In order to reduce financial pressure, it would be better to let the imperial guards and soldiers who were willing to be exempted from military service to farm.

But this brings up some other problems.

For example, his father said, "What if the soldiers who go back are actually capable of fighting? Then it would be bad if you transfer all these 'most elite' soldiers away?"

Zhao Xin looked at his father.

I thought about it again.

indeed!

Those who are willing to go back to farming must be full of fantasies about a better life in the future. They may even be the bravest in war.

on the contrary……

Those real "redundant soldiers" might have connections and don't need to do heavy work in the army.

By doing this, Zhao Xin could only withdraw those soldiers who were still willing to live, and the remaining ones might become even more of a mob.

What if the Liao Kingdom suddenly attacks again?
Isn't the city of Tokyo in even greater danger?
Zhao Xin had no choice but to sit down cross-legged and cross his hands in front of his chest.

Then he rolled his eyes silently at his father!
Said: "Don't I know? Do I need you to tell me, Daddy?"

After that, Zhao Xin said, "How about we make a bet that the Liao Kingdom will not attack us within five years, then we can use these soldiers to develop Xuchang and Nanyang."

"I plan to train a new army in Xuchang and Nanyang, a new army that is invincible."

(End of this chapter)