This hundred-legged insect is still dead but not stiff, and this insect is not dead, but it can still burst out with huge energy.

On this point, in fact, Wanli has seen it very thoroughly.

He knew that the south was a very complicated problem, and it might not be possible to deal with it immediately, relatively speaking, the north seemed to be dangerous, but it could be solved quickly, so Wanli made up his mind to control the north first.

As long as you control the nine towns of the border army, you can at least ensure that there will be no complete collapse.

Then focus on fighting them in the south.

And the situation between the DPRK and China is also extremely complicated at present, and the monarch and ministers have begun to drift apart, and everyone has seen the true face of Wanli clearly, and there is nothing else, and they are still coming for them.

But this is not to say that all ministers chose to stand in opposition to the emperor.

There were still some ministers who supported the emperor's reforms in their hearts, but they did not know how to support the emperor.

For example, Wang Jiaping is a typical example, he is still very stupid and loyal, eager to assist the Holy Monarch, but the problem is that the emperor does not summon them now, and does not consult them on everything, this kind of aspiring minister feels very lost.

They don't know what to do either.

The court was in a semi-paralyzed state, the northern reform was carried out without the court's consultation, and the southern issue, the emperor asked to send someone to inspect, but the court and the central government were arguing.

In other words, nothing was done.

Of course, this is not a long-term solution, and once the central government is paralyzed, it will be difficult for the local authorities to control it.

Therefore, after Guo Dan returned, the emperor immediately convened the Wu Dynasty.

Inside the main hall.

The atmosphere was solemn.

After shouting three times without emotion, the arrogant ministers stood with their eyes closed.

This man has a temper.

We are ministers, not minions, and even if you are the emperor, you can't recruit us and leave us.

We've done so many concerts, and all of them have been lost, and you won't approve any of them, and you won't give an answer.

If you have the ability, don't come out!

They just wanted to show the emperor's face.

Of course, Wanli also saw it, but he didn't care, after all, he had successfully reformed the military system, and if you want to lose your temper, it's up to you.

After a while, Wanli spoke: "Some time ago, many ministers impeached Liaodong generals for raising their families privately, which is a big taboo in the country, I don't want me to follow in the footsteps of the Tang Dynasty, and I am also very cautious ......about this." ”

You are cautious fart!

Imperial Shi Zou Deyong immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, if Weichen is not mistaken, the first impeachment was that Yinuo Yaxing conspired with Liaodong generals to try to deceive the imperial court into buying more firearms in the Grand Canyon, and the facts have proven that they are very successful. ”

The Ministry of Household Affairs has allocated 500,000 taels for the purchase of firearms.

Wanli said: "Regarding the share gift, I explained very clearly at the time, this is my personal favor, as for the Liaodong general's private soldiers, I also gave strict punishment, and I also appointed the military department secretary and two military department attendants to investigate the matter. ”

No problem!

Isn't it reasonable that you impeached first, and then I reacted?

When it comes to this, the ministers can't help but hate itchy, and now everyone has reacted, this is most likely the emperor's ghost, otherwise, how can you have the opportunity to reform the military system, the key is that your reaction is a little faster.

As soon as this goes wrong, you immediately start reforming the military system, and it is clear that this reform is carefully planned.

Zhang Heming immediately stood up and said: "Your Majesty, as far as the ministers know, the military department has written that they have not investigated the matter of privately raising family soldiers, but to reform the military system. ”

"I don't want to!"

Wanli sighed and said: "There is a way, the matter is urgent, the situation in the border town was already very dangerous at that time, you see, it didn't take long for Datong and Taiyuan to mutiny, if I didn't make changes in time, there was a mutiny in the nine towns, and I was in danger!" ”

When many ministers heard this, they almost didn't burst into foul language.

You're talking nonsense with your eyes open.

Obviously, it was you who fooled around in Liaodong to cause a mutiny in Taiyuan and Datong.

Zou Deyong said: "According to His Majesty's wishes, what the military department Shangshu did in the border town is just an expedient measure?" ”

These ministers are not easy to mess with.

They don't bother with the emperor about the order, in the end it has happened, if he wants to rely on him like this, you can't do anything about him.

But if it is an expedient measure, the final decision is still in the DPRK and China, and everyone still has to discuss what to do.

Of course, Wanli would not be fooled by this, and said: "It is not an expedient measure, under the investigation of the military department Shangshu, the results are really shocking, which makes me deeply uneasy, so I specially appointed the financial adviser of the Ming Dynasty to cooperate with Fang Shangshu to carry out the military reform." ”

Wang Jiaping really couldn't help it, and stood up and said: "Your Majesty, how can such a big matter not be decided by the imperial court?" ”

"There's a reason for that."

Wanli said: "And on this point, let the financial adviser of Daming explain it to you." ”

As he spoke, he nodded to Li Gui on the side.

Li Gui shouted: "Xuan Daming's financial adviser enters the palace." ”

The ministers looked out of the hall.

This protagonist can be regarded as playing.

But what they were looking forward to was a huge screen, shrouded in a red cloth, but everyone knew that there must be some kind of chart in it.

I saw Guo Dan walking out from behind the screen, "Humble Guo Dan see Your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live long live." ”

"Excuse me!"

Guo Dan stretched out his hand slightly, and said, "Advisor Guo, you come to explain to my Aiqing why I suddenly decided to reform the military system without consulting the imperial court. ”

"Obedience."

Guo Dan clasped his fists and saluted, and nodded to the guard on the side of the screen, who immediately ripped off the red cloth.

Sure enough!

It's another financial statement, with a large circle in the middle, surrounded by all kinds of data.

The ministers rolled their eyes.

It's this trick again, and you're really not tired of it!

Guo Dan saw it in his eyes and smiled secretly in his heart, the problem is that your level is so high, I just make this move, you are helpless, as for me to enlarge the move? He took a thin stick from a eunuch, pointed to the chart and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please see, this is my annual military salary financial statement." ”

Only Li Sancai, Shen Shixing, Xu Guo, Wang Jiaping, and Shen Cheng looked sideways, and the rest of the ministers were indifferent.

Let's see what you can say.

Guo Dan nodded on the chart and said: "Equivalent to food, silver, and other armaments, on average, the military salary paid by my Ming Dynasty in the nine towns of the border army is about eight million taels every year. ”

Saying that, he said to Li Sancai: "Master Li, I'm not wrong, right? ”

Li Sancai said: "That's right, do you want to say that the household department has spent more military salaries?" ”

"Definitely!"

Guo Dan said: "What I want to say is that there is no problem with this military salary at all. ”

A flash of joy flashed in Wanli's eyes, this beautiful day started with one million taels in the bag.

Because according to Guo Dan's calculations, with the current military system, about seven million taels is enough.

But their emperor and merchant combination wants to contract military salaries, so naturally they will not be stupid enough to tell the truth.

Zou Yongde asked, "Since there is nothing wrong, then what else do you say." ”

"Don't worry."

Guo smiled lightly: "According to the needs of the border army of the Nine Towns, the number of eight million taels is indeed not wrong, it is very reasonable, if this military salary falls on the soldiers, our soldiers of the Ming Dynasty should live very happily, but this is not the case."

According to our investigation in the border towns, eight million taels were spent, but only three million taels fell on the soldiers, as shown on the map. ”

He dotted the circle in the middle with a thin stick.

Many ministers were surprised, some were too old to take a few steps forward, and some of them looked a little unnatural.

Wang Jiaping was surprised: "This... How is this possible? ”

Guo smiled lightly: "I believe that adults also know that there is corruption in military salaries, but I didn't expect that there would be so much, I even dare to say that the ministers present don't know that there are so many, and even think I'm lying." ”

The ministers looked at Guo Dan in surprise.

You know that.

Everyone knows that there are cats in this, and many of them have vested interests, but they really didn't expect that there would be so many.

Li Sancai was sweating profusely, he knew it was dark, but he didn't expect it to be so dark.

"I never lie about the data."

Guo smiled lightly: "Your Excellency didn't know that there would be so much, that is because most of the food and salary did not go into the national treasury, but was directly transported from the local area to the border town, and according to my investigation, this food and salary from the local area to the border town on the way to the border town is less than 30%, and from the border town to the hands of the soldiers, it is less than 20%, which means that only half of the food and salary is in the hands of the soldiers." As shown in the figure, this accounts for about 30% of the entire military salary, that is, 2.4 million taels. ”

Zhang Heming was surprised: "Only half of the food reaches the soldiers, how can the soldiers be fed." ”

Guo Dan smiled and said: "This is very interesting, yes, only half of the military salary in the hands of the soldiers, but the problem is that there are not so many soldiers in the border towns, even the soldiers who are serving have never received full military salaries, and a large number of soldiers have been making a living on their own, self-reliant, and do not hesitate to become servants of others, they do not receive any military salaries."

As for the issue of empty salaries, you should be no strangers to them, from the border towns to the hands of the soldiers, during this period there is a shortage of 20% of the military salary, almost all of them are empty salaries, which does not include the annual arrears of the imperial court, which is why it is difficult to pay the military salaries in full, because if the imperial court pays 8 million taels of military salaries, there may be 9 million taels of military salaries on the military household register. ”

When he said this, everyone knew who the money was in his pocket.

Forty percent less on this road, first of all, the number sent out must not be so much, you send a little less, I also send a little less, the officials along the way, as well as the officials of Caoyun, also have to make a profit from it.

And the two percent missing in the middle are naturally greedy by the governors and generals.

This makes many people very unhappy in their hearts, straight mothers and thieves, Lao Tzu only fished so little, you catch so much, but it is really unreasonable.

"And among the eight million taels of military salaries, about two million taels of them are salaries, but the salaries that are really sent to the soldiers are only about 500,000 taels, and there are 1.5 million taels missing here, and the remaining 1 million taels are in the procurement of armaments, salt, tea and other materials, and the interesting phenomenon also appears in the procurement of armaments, the quantity of purchased armaments is never enough, and the amount is never enough.

And this tacit understanding is precisely the reason why His Majesty did not directly implement the reform of the military system without the resolution of the imperial court. ”