Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Emperor Jingsheng continued:

"Since you are unwilling to sit alone, then let us offer seats to all the ministers! The Grand Secretaries and Governors have been discussing matters for quite some time today."

"Please sit down and have some tea and snacks. Master, bring out a few of the tribute pears that were sent from outside the palace yesterday for everyone to try!"

Xia Shouzhong accepted the order and instructed the eunuchs to bring chairs, tea, and other refreshments into the hall.

Zhang Tingyu and the others also bowed in gratitude.

After the ministers had sat down and eaten some snacks and drunk some tea,

Emperor Jingsheng also accepted a cup of tea and began to discuss serious matters with Jia Jing, asking loudly:

"My dear minister, you have come from the Liaodong front, so you should know that the puppet Qing dynasty is a major threat to our Han dynasty. In recent years, the Han dynasty has been at a disadvantage against the Qing dynasty. Why do you think this is?"

In recent decades, the Han Dynasty's wars against the Qing Dynasty have consistently resulted in more losses than wins.

Even if we win, it will be a small victory.

It can be said that Jia Jing's great victory over the Qing army of 150,000 was one of the few victories between the Han and Qing dynasties since the reign of Emperor Chengzu.

This is also why Jia Jing was directly granted the title of Marquis.

Therefore, Emperor Jingsheng was eager to hear Jia Jing's opinion.

Was it that the Han Dynasty army was incapable of fighting? Or that the Han Dynasty generals were incompetent, or was there some other reason?

Jia Jing remained silent for a moment before saying:

"Your Majesty! I only spent two years in Liaodong, and my knowledge is limited. How dare I speak lightly of matters of state!"

Emperor Jingsheng said in a deep voice:

"Your ability to win battles is the best proof of your competence!"

"I have no desire to hear any more words from someone like Duke Cao, who spouts platitudes but is utterly incompetent on the battlefield. My dear minister, please speak frankly!"

Emperor Jingsheng harbored considerable resentment towards the Duke of Cao for his defeat, and at this moment, he did not forget to use him as a negative example.

Niu Jizong, who was standing to the side, also looked at Jia Jing and smiled:

"Jia Jing, His Majesty is magnanimous and won't punish anyone for their words. Speak freely. I'd also like to hear your opinions and learn from your experience!"

Jia Jing paused slightly, then, meeting the gazes of the ministers in the hall, he began to speak:

"I have made some progress in my observations at the border! The reason why the pseudo-Qing were able to defeat our Han people is not because our Han soldiers were really inferior to the Tartars."

"The main reason, in my opinion, boils down to two words: money and provisions!"

"As long as our Han army has sufficient pay, enough to eat and wear, and adequate equipment, and then strengthens training and implements a clear system of rewards and punishments, and is commanded by a knowledgeable general in every battle, we will naturally be able to defeat the enemy!"

Jia Jing didn't talk about any grand principles; he only discussed money and grain.

Because he knew that saying more would be pointless, and he didn't want to overdo it.

The Han Dynasty is now in a precarious situation, and the various problems involved cannot be explained in just a few words.

According to Jia Jing, the Manchu Qing dynasty was comprehensively more advanced than the Han dynasty in terms of its systems.

In terms of military system, the Manchu Qing Dynasty implemented the Eight Banners system, which was efficient and flexible, integrated soldiers and farmers, and allowed for rapid mobilization.

Furthermore, the Qing army valued the use of firearms, combining them with cavalry tactics. They also learned the manufacturing technology of the Hongyi cannons from the Han Dynasty, achieving a leap forward in the ability of infantry, artillery, and cavalry to coordinate combat.

The Han army, on the other hand, has been complacent and stagnant. Not to mention making progress, it has actually been on a downward spiral for decades since Emperor Chengzu.

Corrupt officials are rampant at all levels, resulting in consistently low administrative efficiency.

Secondly, in terms of political system, the puppet Qing dynasty established the Southern Study, which made efficient decisions.

Emperor Kangxi possessed exceptional strategic vision. Upon ascending the throne, he first addressed the enemies on both the eastern and western fronts, conquering the Haixi Jurchen, the Wild Jurchen, and the Khorchin tribes in northern Mongolia, thus eliminating any worries about his rear. He also actively courted countries such as Mongolia and Korea, isolating the Han Dynasty, while simultaneously recruiting Han generals to surrender.

They have been promoting the so-called "Seven Grievances" domestically to unite the Eight Banners forces, unify their goals, and clarify their strategy of "conquering the Central Plains".

The Han Dynasty, on the other hand, suffered from political corruption and internal and external troubles that greatly dispersed its strength and caused disunity among its people.

Finally, in terms of the economic system, the Kangxi Emperor of the pseudo-Qing dynasty promoted economic development through a series of reforms, such as promoting agricultural production and supporting the development of national industry and commerce.

The Han Dynasty was plagued by severe land annexation, and officials and gentry in the court only knew how to protect the interests of their own class, completely disregarding the fate of the country.

With the national treasury empty, the only option was to increase taxes on the people, which in turn led to widespread public resentment and constant rebellions.

However, without increasing taxes, the country has no money for war and disaster relief, so implementing commercial taxes or requiring officials and gentry to pay taxes together faces numerous obstacles.

Not to mention that Shanxi merchants and Jiangnan merchants were still doing business with the Manchus, providing them with a lot of strategic materials and weapons.

The details are too numerous to explain in a few words!

When Jia Jing uttered the words "money and provisions," Emperor Jingsheng's face darkened and his expression turned gloomy.

Why is the Han army short of money? Why is the national treasury short of money?

It's all because those bureaucrats and gentry are corrupt and greedy. Not only do they not pay taxes to the country, but they also keep sucking the blood out of the country.

Millions of dollars and grain have been spent on the frontier, and officials are constantly talking about how Henan needs to suppress bandits and Shandong needs to provide disaster relief. Money is needed everywhere, but the country can't come up with any!

He made only a few reforms and implemented new policies, but there was a chorus of opposition from both the government and the public.

For an army to win battles, the most important thing is money and supplies.

But to have money and grain, it is necessary to first implement new policies and clean up official corruption.

Otherwise, not to mention where the money comes from, even if we have money, it will be embezzled by a bunch of rats!

Emperor Jingsheng was well aware that every time military pay was sent to the front lines, more than half of it would be embezzled before it even reached the destination.

Therefore, these corrupt officials must be thoroughly dealt with.

However, to clean up official corruption, the first priority is to have a strong army that one can trust and that can suppress the entire country.

Otherwise, a single misstep could lead to a situation where the whole world turns against us.

Although severe illnesses require strong medication, he had to be patient and proceed step by step.

This is also why he transferred Jia Jing back to the capital; he just didn't know if the boy could live up to his expectations.

Emperor Jingsheng took a deep breath, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes once again.

The assembled officials were well aware of the reasoning behind this, but given the gravity of the matter, none of them dared to speak out.

Zhang Tingyu sighed inwardly.

Difficult!

The current predicament of the Han Dynasty was sown by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu. The powerful clans in Jiangnan have become too powerful to control because they supported Emperor Taizu's uprising.

Now, natural disasters are frequently occurring within the territory of the Great Han, leading to widespread unrest, a decline in national discipline, and a devastating loss of livelihood for the people.

Furthermore, with foreign enemies such as the Manchus and Mongols surrounding them and constantly growing stronger, they attempted to seize control of the Central Plains.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Han Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles and was on the verge of collapse!

Even though Emperor Jingsheng implemented new policies and worked diligently to govern the country since he ascended the throne, he was still unsure of the final outcome.

The ministers all had somber expressions and remained silent.

Only the Duke of Zhao's expression shifted slightly, his gaze burning with disdain as he said:

"The words 'money and provisions' truly hit the nail on the head; war is all about money and provisions!"

"But this is a truth everyone knows. What the child is saying is far too boastful. I thought I would hear some profound insights, but it turns out to be just these old tunes!"