I was living in the Five Dynasties period, just after crossing the Zhongdu Bridge.

Governing a country is like cooking a small fish; governing an army is like raising a fierce tiger.

The former emphasizes timing and temperature, while the latter emphasizes feeding.

Soldiers in this world who only kill and don't bury are bandits; those who only farm and don't fight often are local militia.

However, during this chaotic period of the Five Dynasties, there was another type of soldier: professional warriors who neither farmed nor engaged in production, but were dedicated to killing, robbing, protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people. These soldiers were called "Ya Bing" (牙兵).

The more than 500 men under Shen Lie's command were proper recruits of elite guards.

These men were ruthless soldiers who had seen blood and killed people.

Letting them fight on the battlefield is their duty, but to make them take up hoes and farm is worse than killing them.

Therefore, all the methods of "integrating soldiers with agriculture" and "military settlements to support war" used in previous dynasties are no longer feasible in this era.

Firstly, the fighting is happening too frequently.

Soldiers are constantly being conscripted; how can land be cultivated?

The seeds have just been sown today, and tomorrow they may be dragged to the battlefield. By the time of autumn harvest, people will probably be long dead, and they won't have the mind to harvest the crops.

Secondly, these soldiers were arrogant and overbearing.

Since the late Tang Dynasty, the military governors have treated their soldiers like tigers; if their treatment was slightly worse, they would rebel and kill their ruler.

You want these old men to farm?

It seems that before the hoes even fall, Yaozhou City will be in chaos.

Therefore, Shen Lie knew very well that in order to support this army and continue to expand it, relying solely on that moldy old grain would not be enough; a steady stream of cash was essential.

Where does the money come from?

Naturally, it comes from the taxes levied on Yaozhou.

Sun Ping sat at the lower end, barely touching the edge of the chair with his bottom, holding a cup of tea in his hand, but he really couldn't drink it.

He was a seasoned veteran of the officialdom, so he naturally knew that this so-called important matter was mostly about taking a cut of his flesh.

"Prefect Sun".

Shen Lie took a sip of tea and cut to the chase, "Yaozhou is currently beset by refugees within and powerful neighbors without. Although I have some troops with me, there are still so many mouths to feed, clothe, and fortify the city. As for finances and provisions... I wonder what advice Governor Sun has for me?"

There was a hidden meaning in those words, and Sun Ping naturally understood it.

"You flatter me, my lord."

Sun Ping quickly put down his teacup and said with a forced smile, "Yaozhou is a barren land with poor people, but as for taxes... I will do my best to raise them. However, the harvest is bad this year, and if we impose heavy taxes, I'm afraid it will incite a popular uprising."

This is both an excuse and a test.

He was testing Shen Lie's bottom line, to see if this defense commander wanted to be a one-off bandit or a long-term, stable ruler.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lie chuckled softly.

"A popular uprising?"

He glanced at Sun Ping. "Prefect Sun, you're overthinking it. I'm not asking you to raise taxes, much less to engage in any short-sighted schemes. What I want are a few chairs in your prefectural office."

"A chair?" Sun Ping was taken aback.

"The military advisor in charge of grain storage, and the tax collectors of these six counties."

Shen Lie held up two fingers. "I will place my own people in these two positions. As for the rest, Governor Sun will still have the final say."

Sun Ping is a greedy and cowardly man. If no one is watching him, he'll be lucky to get 30% of the taxes from the six counties of Yaozhou. The remaining 70% will probably end up in his own pocket.

"this......"

Sun Ping looked troubled.

The Household Registration Office was in charge of household registration and taxes, while the Granary Office was in charge of money and grain disbursement.

These two places are the purse strings of the entire prefecture, and also the places with the greatest real power in the hands of Governor Sun Ping.

Shen Lie's immediate request to install his own people clearly indicates his intention to seize power.

If it were during a time of peace, Sun Ping would probably have already slammed his fist on the table and stood up in anger.

But at this moment, looking at Shen Lie's ambiguous smile, Sun Ping swallowed hard and could only force a smile.

"My lord, the clerk of the granary is an official appointed by the imperial court. Although no one seems to care about him these days, if we replace him easily, I'm afraid the lower-ranking officials will be dissatisfied."

"You disagree?"

Shen Lie sneered, "Do you think my sword is ineffective?"

This is a blatant threat.

This was also the most common tactic used by warlords during the Five Dynasties period: using military force to suppress the government.

"Furthermore," Shen Lie changed the subject, his tone softening somewhat, "I don't intend to cut off Governor Sun's source of income; I only want the taxes from these six counties to support the army."

"Prefect Sun is a smart man. If I can't support my troops and Yaozhou falls into chaos, how can you remain prefect? ​​How can you protect your beautiful wives and concubines?"

This is tantamount to making things clear: you let me raise an army, I'll keep you safe, and incidentally let you make some extra money.

Sun Ping wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He knew that this was already the greatest favor Shen Lie had given him.

If it were any other warlord, they would probably have led their troops to raid his home and plundered all his possessions.

"What you say is absolutely right, Your Excellency."

Sun Ping gritted his teeth. "Since it's for the sake of raising troops for the country, then it should be handled as a special case. I'll make arrangements right away to vacate the deputy positions in the Revenue and Granary departments, and ask Your Excellency to recommend worthy individuals."

"That's right."

Shen Lie nodded, not pushing his luck.

What he wanted was financial power, not to completely sideline Sun Ping.

After all, the dirty and tiring work of collecting taxes, which offends people, still has to be done by local bigwigs like Sun Ping.

Furthermore, Shen Lie had his own reasons for this.

He did not intend to stay in Yaozhou for long.

Liu Zhiyuan is about to raise an army to recover lost territories.

Since Shen Lie's men were nominally promoted by Shi Hongzhao, they were naturally going to Bianliang to "enjoy the good life."

Since I'm just passing through, Yaozhou is only a temporary stop, a springboard to accumulate capital.

Since it's just a stepping stone, there's no need to go to great lengths to build something that ensures long-term stability.

As long as there is enough money and food, and as long as the army is strong and well-equipped, the remaining mess is something for the next governor to worry about.

"Prefect Sun".

Seeing that Sun Ping agreed readily, Shen Lie also offered a reward, "I know that collecting taxes is not easy. How about this, apart from the regular supplies needed by the army, I will not take a penny of the excess losses and surpluses, and it is entirely up to Governor Sun to handle them."

This is called sharing the benefits equally.

As long as the army's expenses were covered, Shen Lie generously gave up the remaining profits.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ping's eyes finally lit up.

Although Yaozhou is poor, with Shen Lie as its backer, those powerful families who usually resist taxes will probably have to obediently pay up.

If managed properly, these losses and surpluses can also amount to a considerable sum of money.

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Excellency!"

Sun Ping's bow seemed to carry a greater sense of sincerity.

"There's one more thing."

"I intend to recruit another two thousand local militia as auxiliary troops. The money and provisions for this will also have to come from the household registration department."

"two thousand?!"

Sun Ping's heart, which had just been at ease, was now filled with anxiety again. "This... Yaozhou has limited financial resources; I'm afraid it can't support so many soldiers."

"I can afford to raise them."

Shen Lie smiled. "These two thousand men will not receive full pay under normal circumstances, only rations. They will receive bonuses during wartime. Moreover, these two thousand men do not need to be all strong and capable; slightly less capable men will also be acceptable."

This is how auxiliary troops are used.

The main force of the elite troops is the core combat power and must be carefully nurtured, while these two thousand auxiliary troops are used to transport grain or even as consumables to fill ditches.

"This... I will do my best," Sun Ping replied with a bitter face.