The Ming Forbidden Army is divided into four guard battalions and warrior battalions, and Guo Rong is one of the hundred households in the warrior battalion.

Like most of the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, Guo Rongzu, who was born in the military, was a soldier of the imperial court for generations, and his father was promoted to the general banner because he had followed Taifu Wang Yue to fight in the Hetao, and he himself became a hundred households in the warrior battalion because he saved the life of the governor Zhao Fu in the battle of Helan Mountain.

Guo Rong's father, Guo Yang, had been hungry for almost two days, lying motionless on the bed, only looking at Guo Rong weakly: "Rong'er, has the court sent Lu rice?" ”

Guo Rong, who was also a little hungry, said: "Master, it's almost over, it said that the grandfather and the governors have gone to the military department." ”

Guo Yang nodded and didn't speak again.

At this time, the child's cry came from inside: "Mother, I'm hungry!" ”

Guo Rong looked at the old father lying on the bed and the hoarse and weak child crying inside, and could only sigh helplessly for a while.

"It's been three months, and the court hasn't sent Lu rice for a long time, I'm afraid it won't be sent this time, even if it is only those pepper treasure bills, Rong'er, you take the thousand-mile horse that the governor rewarded you with back then, starving the old man is a small matter, you can't starve my grandson!"

The old officer Guo Yang shed tears as he spoke.

Guo Rong nodded, then went to the courtyard, and took out the thousand-mile good horse that Governor Zhao Fu rewarded him with back then, thinking that he would not be able to be a real cavalry without this good horse on the battlefield in the future, but looking at the difficult situation of the court now, the old Sange is not heavy on armaments, and it is estimated that there will be no war in the future, and it is estimated that it will not affect if it is sold.

Although he comforted himself so much in his heart, Guo Rong also had some regrets, he did not hope to ride this good horse to the battlefield again to win a hereditary official position.

Guo Rong left the door of his house with a thousand miles of good horses, but when he closed the door, he saw a general banner named Liang Ze running under his command: "Brother Rong, my daughter-in-law is about to give birth, has Lu Mi of the imperial court been sent, I'm starving, it's okay, but I have to take the money to ask Wen Po and raise my soon-to-be-born child, or you report to the above that I am sick and dead, I will go to Chongyang Gate as a coolie, and I will starve to death in the barracks!" ”

Liang Ze has always been an officer by Guo Rong's side, and he is one of the few archers in the army who can draw a two-stone bow, so he shot two Tartars and became the chief flag officer, and Guo Rong also begged the governor Zhao Fu to let Liang Ze follow him all the time, he hoped that one day he could take Liang Ze to kill the enemy again and make meritorious contributions.

But now, whether it is him, an old cavalryman, Baihu, or Liang Ze, an expert in archery, they all have to worry because of five buckets of rice.

This is also the status quo of the Ming Dynasty martial arts, as the imperial court is more and more important to the literature and suppression of the military, although the gentry and merchants have become richer and richer, but for the Ming soldiers, most of them have begun to go to poverty, many even have killed the Tartar heroes, still disappear like dust in the foot of the wall of history, and history remembers those scholars who dance and write.

And because of this, more martial artists began to engage in other industries, and even obtained imperial merits from the literary examination, even if they became high-level military attachés, they had to be vassals and elegant to be looked down upon, and the military power of the Ming Dynasty began to decline.

Guo Rong smiled and patted Liang Ze on the shoulder: "Liang Ze, you are also a person who has killed Tartars, the dignified Lord Zhengqipin General Banner went to be a coolie, and he didn't lose his value, don't worry, when the old brother sells this thousand-mile good horse, I will share half of your money, you can use it, and I will deduct it from your Lu Mi when the time comes." ”

Liang Ze saw that Guo Rong was holding a thousand-mile horse given to him by Governor Zhao Fu back then, and was shocked for a moment: "Brother Rong, this is what Governor Zhao rewarded you back then, do you really want to sell it?" ”

"What can I do if I don't sell it, I can't let my family starve to death, you can go with me, and by the way, I can take the silver and go home."

As soon as Guo Rong finished speaking, Liang Ze suddenly clenched his fists: "Brother Rong, thank you for your great kindness!" ”

"What are you and my brother talking about", Guo Rong smiled bitterly, and was about to raise his feet and walk forward, but saw a family member of a thousand households riding a horse: "Guo Baihu, the lord has an order, all departments and hundreds of households quickly gather the officers and soldiers of all departments to immediately go to the commander of the envoy to gather, Your Majesty will personally send us Lu rice today, and it will be directly sent to us for three months and there will be a year-end reward!" ”

After the family finished speaking, he rode his horse to inform the other hundred households.

But Guo Rong was stunned, a little unable to believe his ears.

It was Liang Ze who reminded him with a look of surprise: "Brother Rong, the imperial court has sent Lu rice!" It's just that what is this year-end reward, is it to be more conscious? ”

Guo Rong came back to his senses at this time, and couldn't help but have a look of joy on his face: "Presumably this is the meaning, since the imperial court wants to send Lu rice, Liang Ze, go and inform the brothers, let them come to me to gather, and I will take them to Your Majesty to receive Lu rice!" ”

At that time.

Zhu Houzhao was already sitting on the high platform of the barracks, and drums had already begun to beat on the high platform, and officers and men had gathered from all sides one after another.

The commanders of each battalion and their officers and soldiers stood in turn in order, and they all looked at their Emperor Zhu Houzhao with great expectation.

Zhu Houzhao was also watching them.

From the cheeks and eyes of many elderly officers and soldiers, Zhu Houzhao could also see some of the bravery of the past battles, some of them still had scars on their faces, and they didn't know if they were left in that battle, and some of them still had gaps in the tip of their knives, and they didn't know how many of the enemy's heads were cut off before they were missing.

Although the army of this era of the Ming Dynasty has experienced the defeat of Tumubao, but also experienced the desperate struggle of the defense of Beijing, and also dominated the border pass under the leadership of Wang Zhi and Wang Yue.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao believes that the army of this empire has not completely decayed, and there is still blood and military spirit.

But what Zhu Houzhao had to admit was that the twilight and the decline of the army's morale had also begun.

Zhu Houzhao saw that all these officers and soldiers were in tattered clothes, even some officers in armor were wearing very tattered clothes, not to mention the weapons in their hands, many of them were rusty, and most of them were mentally exhausted and emaciated.

Zhu Houzhao had to admit that this was the consequence of civilian politics.

It has been a hundred years since the world was peaceful, the phenomenon of emphasizing literature and suppressing military force has become more and more serious, and the imperial armament has become less and less important, and these veterans who have experienced the baptism of war will have to face the fate of losing their fighting spirit in poverty, and some people will gradually become peasants or even slaves.

And the so-called Hongzhi Zhongxing is just the Zhongxing of the literati, but it has not formed a military Zhongxing.

The Guotai Min'an brought by Emperor Hongzhi could make his royal exposition earn more than 500,000 taels of silver in one day, but he couldn't afford to give the Ming army 200,000 taels worth of silver.

It can be said that the phenomenon of the poor in the country and the wealth in the people is becoming more and more serious.

If there were no foreign forces that would have swallowed up the dynasty, the empire could have existed in this way, and eventually a new economic and social model was born due to the extreme affluence of the people, thus forming a more civilized civilization.

In that case, it doesn't matter if the Ming Dynasty of the Zhu family dies or is revolutionized.

But history proves that this is not the case, the east of the continental civilization is different from the west of the maritime civilization, in this land of the east not only the Ming Dynasty, but also many other civilizations that will slow down the historical process at any time.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao didn't want the Ming Dynasty's armament to decline, and he didn't want the Ming Empire to begin to enter its twilight years like these veterans in front of him, and even the officers and soldiers with new births would be contaminated with twilight.

Zhu Houzhao wants to let the Ming Empire continue to be full of vitality!

If Hongzhi Zhongxing is just the beginning, just to make the people rich, then his career as Emperor Zhengde will make the country strong!

His mission is to eliminate all the external factors that will destroy the Ming Dynasty in the future in his lifetime! If Daming is going to die in the future, it can only be internal extinction!