A strong army must have faith.

Faith is not to believe in Buddhism and Taoism, but to believe in the emperor's family and country, to protect the family and defend the country, to be loyal to the community, to know what to fight for, and to know the value of fighting on the battlefield.

With such a belief, then no matter how weak the army is, it can fight its way out.

But Gu Qing's style of governing the army is different, Gu Qing's concept was influenced by his previous life, advocating learning the wolf culture of the company, impressing them with the most straightforward interests, feeding them, and when they really fight in the future, they will be like hungry wolves, desperately killing enemies to gain benefits for themselves.

The generals were promised promotions and promotions, and ordinary soldiers were promised money and land, and the most direct benefits were used to stimulate their will to fight on the battlefield.

Gu Qing knew that this was not the best way, but it was undoubtedly the most efficient way, the troubled times were coming, and Gu Qing's time was running out.

But Pei Zhounan was very disgusted with Gu Qing's way of governing the army, so the first thing he had to solve after taking over was the problem of the Anxi Army's mercenary intentions, otherwise it would be very dangerous to go on like this, if the Son of Heaven wanted to recruit them in the future, would they have to use money and officials to tempt them?

There is another reason to cut off the soldiers' bounty and meat.

When Gu Qing was there, the rewards and meat provided to the soldiers of the Anxi Army were paid by various channels such as taxes and rents paid by the merchants who did business in the city, but after Gu Qing left, the originally prosperous bazaar in the city was much deserted for some reason.

In the final analysis, it is Pei Zhounan's own pot.

At the beginning, Pei Zhounan had just arrived in Qiuzi City as a superintendent of imperial history, and had a conflict with Gu Qing in order to seize power. Gu Qing decisively ceded the military power to him, and he took it unceremoniously, and then ordered the Anxi army that suppressed the bandits to return to the camp immediately, resulting in several Hu caravans on the Western Regions trade road being robbed and killed by bandits.

This matter has long spread all over Qiuci City, Pei Zhounan was once pointed out by the people and merchants in the city, and was almost scolded as a street rat, and later had to return the military power, so he barely gained a foothold in Qiuci City.

After that time, Pei Zhounan learned a lesson and did not dare to confront Gu Qing in a fierce way. But the merchants of the city remembered him to death.

In the eyes of the merchants who come and go in Qiuzi City, most of the labels belonging to Pei Zhounan are derogatory, regardless of the life and death of the caravan, selfish seizure of power, gross interference in the military and politics of Anxi, etc., in short, no one has a good impression of him.

Gu Qing's transfer out of Anxi was major bad news for the merchants of Qiuzi City, and Pei Zhounan's temporary appointment as Jiedu envoy was also major bad news.

The two bad news were added together, and the businessmen of various countries suddenly lost confidence in Qiuci City, and at this time, Gu Qing's powerful business subordinate Kang Dingshuang was temporarily seconded to Ge Shuhan, and the bazaar of Liangzhou City gradually showed signs of prosperity under the construction of Kang Dingshuang, and at the same time, Liangzhou City was in Yumen Pass, and its geographical location was much stronger than that of Qiuci City.

In contrast, the thriving Qiuci City merchant market gradually became more and more deserted day by day, and merchants went to Liangzhou City to do business, and Qiuci City became more and more desolate.

Pei Zhounan was anxious in his heart, and even issued several decrees on tax cuts and subsidies in a row, but he still couldn't save the businessmen's determination to leave.

The merchant was robbed by Liangzhou City, the trade was yellow, the taxes were less, and the income of the Anxi Jiefu was naturally greatly reduced, in the past, Gu Qing was rich and wealthy to the soldiers of the Anxi Army, and he had always been lavish in rewarding money and meat, and he was not stingy and distressed, but when he came to Pei Zhounan, the income of Qiuzi City could only maintain the normal expenses of the Jiefu and the Anxi Army, and there was no spare energy to give the soldiers extra money and meat.

Of course, Pei Zhounan was also bitter in his heart, but the officers and soldiers of the Anxi Army didn't know how bitter he was, they only knew that after Gu Houye left, their treatment was not as good as day by day, not only did they lose their rewards and meat, but they also had to endure the brainwashing of the loyal monarchs and loyal societies of the law enforcement team every night.

The atmosphere in the camp had long since become very oppressive.

The gap between the two coaches is too big, and the resentment in the hearts of the soldiers is accumulating more and more.

In today's drum drill, not a single soldier in the whole battalion went out to the school field, which shows how deep everyone's grievances are.

Ordinary soldiers have grievances, and what's worse is that these senior generals of the Anxi Army didn't give Pei Zhounan a good face.

"The reward of money and meat must not be recovered, the imperial court allocates grain and grass every year, so that everyone will not go hungry, Gu Houye also asked the imperial court for a lot of war horses and weapons, almost one war horse per person, weapons and arrows are piled up, several times the Tang border army, which military town is as rich as the Anxi army? is so rich that he is not satisfied, this official is not used to this problem, and he must change it! Pei Zhounan said in an accentuated tone.

Chang Zhong and the others quickly glanced at each other without squeaking.

Seeing that no one from the generals responded to him, Pei Zhounan suddenly became more and more angry, and his face was gloomy and terrifying.

"I know that you only recognize Gu Houye, not me Pei Zhounan, it doesn't matter, Pei Mou was ordered to temporarily lead the Anxi Army, even if His Majesty will transfer me tomorrow, at least today I am still the commander of the Anxi Army, my words are military orders, if you dare to disobey, don't blame Pei Mou for taking someone to the knife."

After speaking, Pei Zhounan shouted loudly: "Come on, immediately beat the second drum and urge the soldiers to go to the school field, if you still don't stand on the school field after the three drums, cut it!" ”

The cowhide drum sounded again, and the rumbling drum was like a reminder from the king of Hades, and each time it sounded, the atmosphere of the camp became more and more depressed and heavy.

Chang Zhong and the others looked at him coldly, and their mood gradually became heavy.

I'm afraid something will happen today!

Pei Zhounan can mess around, but Chang Zhong and they are all generals who love soldiers like children, and they can't sit back and watch the subordinates below be inexplicably used by Pei Zhounan to kill chickens and monkeys, and their deaths are too worthless.

Their hearts were full of anger, but Chang Zhong, Li Siye, Shen Tian and the others still quickly walked to the camp tents of their respective subordinates, cursed loudly towards the camp, and ordered them to assemble at the school field immediately.

The soldiers didn't give Pei Zhounan face, but these generals still had a lot of prestige in the Anxi army, and after scolding a few words, everyone finally reluctantly walked out of the camp and moved towards the school yard.

Seeing this, Pei Zhounan couldn't help but smile at the corner of his mouth.

The military orders in the camp were like mountains, and sure enough, no one dared to resist the military orders. The law enforcement team under his command has been scattered in various battalions, and I believe that it will not be long before the officers and men of the Anxi Army will still be an elite division loyal to His Majesty, and all kinds of shortcomings and hidden dangers left by Gu Qing will be completely corrected.

On the school ground, there are countless soldiers of the Anxi Army.

When Gu Qing opened up this school field, it took a lot of manpower and material resources, not only spent a huge amount of money to tamp a flat open space with dust, but also the place was large enough to accommodate 50,000 soldiers to train here at the same time.

Pei Zhounan stood on the high platform, looking at the loose and listless soldiers in the audience with a cold face, and couldn't help but snort angrily, his expression became more and more dissatisfied.

And the soldiers also looked at the high platform.

What they were looking at was not Pei Zhounan, but a three-zhang high flagpole next to the high platform, when Gu Qing was there in the past, every time he practiced, he would always order someone to hang a string of copper coins on it in advance, and then hang a white and tender raw leg of lamb.

Gu Qing's intention was to let the soldiers look at money and meat when they practiced, and use money and meat to stimulate their competitiveness and fame and fortune, so that the practice could reap the greatest effect.

However, after Gu Qing left, nothing was hung on the flagpole next to the high platform.

Every day was still a non-stop drill, drill, but there was no penny of reward, and after the drill, they returned to the camp separately, and the commander and the generals did not say anything.

For ordinary soldiers, it undoubtedly dealt a serious blow to everyone's morale.

It's not just a matter of rewarding money, but more importantly, without rewarding soldiers, they lose their sense of competition, and the atmosphere that can be clearly felt in full swing no longer exists.

Chang Zhong waved the order flag vigorously, and the soldiers began to practice in a posture, Pei Zhounan watched quietly for a while, but his face became more and more displeased.

The soldiers' movements were loose, each movement looked like they hadn't eaten for a few days, the movements were chaotic, and there was no strength at all, which was worse than the mother-in-law's flower fist embroidered legs.

When Gu Qing was there, Pei Zhounan had seen the Anxi Army drill with his own eyes, at that time, the camp was boiling, the soldiers were sweating, and every action was done with all their strength, compared to today's picture, Pei Zhounan felt deeply humiliated.

Gu Qing is not here, don't you take me seriously? I am also the coach of Anxi, and An dares to treat me so slowly!

"Stop! Stop! Pei Zhounan shouted loudly.

Chang Zhong glanced at him, waved the order flag in his hand, and the soldiers stopped their movements.

Pei Zhounan glared at Chang Zhong and said, "General Chang, you practiced like this before?" Are you fooling the official? ”

Chang Zhong bowed: "The last general will not dare." ”

Pei Zhounan sneered: "What don't you dare, Your Majesty's order has not arrived, I am still the envoy of the Anxi Festival, do you dare to deal with me like this, do you think I dare not use military law against you?" ”

Chang Zhong still bowed down and said: "It's the last general who has no way to govern the army, if Pei Jieshuai wants to be punished by military law, please punish the last general first." ”

Pei Zhounan said in a gloomy tone: "Are you agitating the official? Gu Qing didn't know how many bad things you were used to, this official is not Gu Qing, I'm not used to your problems! ”

Chang Zhong said calmly: "The last general will be at the disposal of Pei Jieshuai." ”

Pei Zhounan sneered a few times, and was just about to order the cane to strike Chang Zhong, but unexpectedly, I don't know who interjected loudly in the queue of ordinary soldiers in the audience.

"If you don't reward money or meat, who will you show the drill? Gu Hou Ye was much stronger than you when he was here......"

Pei Zhounan was furious: "Who? Who's talking? ”

The crowd was silent.

Pei Zhounan's forehead was bruised, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Come on, find out for me the person who just interjected, and the staff and ten military sticks...... No, just behead! ”

The law enforcement team from Chang'an quickly rushed into the crowd, took down all the people in the queue that made the sound, and then identified them one by one.

Chang Zhong couldn't help but say: "Pei Jieshuai, the last general is willing to receive the punishment, please let the innocent soldiers go." ”

Pei Zhounan said coldly: "If you don't listen to military orders and interject indiscriminately, he doesn't know the majesty of military law, and this official will teach him to know it today." ”

Soon, the sergeant who had just interjected was found by the law enforcement team and carried to the high platform.

Pei Zhounan stared at him, was silent for a long time, and suddenly waved his hand and said, "Killed!" ”

The whole army was in an uproar, and Chang Zhong Li Siye and other generals were also stunned, but they didn't expect Pei Zhounan to dare to kill the soldiers of the Anxi Army.

Everyone is a person who leads the troops, and they know that Pei Zhounan intends to establish his authority today, but he beheads the soldiers at every turn, and the punishment is too severe, and something will happen.

So all the generals stepped forward and clenched their fists to intercede for the innocent sergeant.

As soon as he opened his mouth to say half a sentence, there was a click behind him, and the law enforcement team was resolute, and the head of the sergeant was cut off with a knife in hand.

Chang Zhong and the others sighed weakly and retreated silently.

The cold wind was howling on the school ground, and the officers and men of the whole army stared silently at the dead head on the yellow sand.

The long-standing resentment began to ferment and spread.