Jiang Nuhao came to the political hall, almost everyone arrived, and the fork was Cai Cheng's most shield, Wang Jia didn't say anything, and announced that the meeting would continue. Pick up the meeting list and say, "Fifth topic." It was reported by the Ministry of War. In fact, it was with the previous request to send troops to conquer Western Xia. It was reported to the Ministry of War by the Department of Economic Strategy of Huanqing, and the Ministry of War reported it. It is required to increase the army of the Huanqing Economic Strategy Division.

First, please come in with the military department Shangshu Na Runfu."

Na Runfu came in with two adjutants and a stack of account books. After giving the salute, sit down on a chair by the door.

The king said, "My lord, tell me your advice." ”

Na Runfu hurriedly agreed and read the report again. First, he expounded at length the importance of the Xiang Army and its indispensable role in the Western Xia Operation, and then talked about the current situation of the lack of troops and small numbers in the Xiang Army of the Huanqing Economic Strategy Division, as well as the plan to expand the army in the next step, and proposed that the amount of the entire expansion of the army should be 92 commanders (battalions). ”

Song Dynasty military system, one. The commander (battalion) has 500 men, and 92 commanders are 46,000 men. Du Wenhao couldn't help but change color on his face when he heard this. But I held my breath and wanted to hear their opinions first.

Han Zhen did not give in this time, and said in the first words: "Since it has been decided to send troops to Western Xia, it is the soldiers and horses of the Shaanxi Sixth Route with Huanqing as the leader taking turns to fight. The so-called soldiers and horses have not moved, grain and grass go first, and someone has to transport this grain and grass, right? This dispatch of troops is a protracted war, at least three or five years, or more than ten years, and there is no way to rely only on temporary hiring of porters and people's husbands, and we have to rely on the van army. The Xiang army in the area of Huanqing Jinglu Division has been lost in the war with the Western Xia for more than ten years, especially in the battle of Yongle City. It is impossible to fight without an army, so. Addendum is necessary. However, whether it is necessary to increase the number of people at once is negotiable. ”

Privy Deputy Envoy Lin Xi also smiled and said, "What Lord Han said is extremely true. Huanqing Jingluo is located in a remote area. and fought against Western Xia again and again. Most of the young and strong people died in the battle, and it was difficult for the people to find them, so they could only rely on the box army, and the box army was used for hundreds of battles, building war villages, transporting military rations, building roads and bridges, which were inseparable from the box army. This time it was decided to send troops to deal with Western Xia with a protracted war. It is not even necessary to have an army, and the addendum is indeed very necessary. ”

The rest of the crowd chimed in.

Cai Qu smiled and said: "What you said is extremely true, send troops to the west, and the Huanqing Economic Strategy Division should increase the Xiang army." Let's increase the number by half first, and then increase it as appropriate, what do you think? ”

Everyone rallied in agreement. Only Du Wenhao sneered slightly, but did not speak.

Cai Qu didn't dare to ignore him this time, stroked his gray beard and asked, "General Du, what do you think?" ”

Du Wenhao said coldly: "Discuss politics in the morning." I remember that when the adults here talked about redundant soldiers, they were all filled with righteous indignation, and even claimed that redundant troops were the source of the country's disaster.

Everyone's faces suddenly changed color, Du Wenhao was young in the end, and he wanted to speak well, but as soon as the words came to his mouth, he couldn't control it, and Dangdang said it straightforwardly.

Zhang Wei was a little embarrassed and said: "This" is different. Redundant troops do not mean that they cannot be reinforced, and they still have to be increased when necessary. Otherwise, send troops to Western Xia, and there will be no box army. Who will be in charge of these miscellaneous labors? ”

Everyone nodded again.

Du Wenhao ignored him and turned his head to look at Deng Runfu, the secretary of the Ministry of War: "Lord Deng, I want to know, how much is the current military expenditure of our army?" Thereinto. How much does the forbidden army and the box army account for? ”

These figures, as the book of the Ministry of War, are naturally familiar with them, and they don't need to turn over the account books at all, and arch their hands: "General Hui, last year, the military expenditure of the forbidden army was 35 million; Fifteen million silk for the Xiang army. The two armies spent a total of 50 million on marriage (one marriage is equal to one string, and it is always equal to one thousand. Equivalent to 1,000 RMB. Therefore, the military expenditure of the Song Dynasty was 50 billion yuan per year. ）

"How much was my big Song financial income last year. Do you know? ”

This is a state secret, Deng Runfu naturally didn't know, and shook his head blankly.

Du Wenhao looked at Wang Wa, and Wang said: "Last year, I got married with 60 million yuan (equivalent to 60 billion yuan). ”

Du Wenhao heard the head husband: "A total of only 60 million exercises, and the military budget will occupy 50 million marriages?" ”

Sho Bingbe: "Yes. This is only the capital for raising soldiers, not including the loss of bows, crossbows, swords, and armor

"Huh? And how much does it cost to spend on these weapons and equipment? ”

"More than seven million dimensions

"Then the whole of the country's income is almost all collected into the military fee?"

Wang Fa smiled and said, "General Du." There is a misunderstanding here, a considerable part of military spending does not come from the national treasury. ”

"Oh? Is there any other way for the army to make money?

"Yes. Otherwise, where will the money come from to raise the army?

Du Wenhao's eyes widened, he had only been in contact with the army for more than a month, and although he was already the supreme commander of the whole army (when he practiced), he still lacked understanding of the largest army in the world under his command. I want the army to do business. What kind of army is that, and he hurriedly asked, "What kind of business does the army do?" ”

"Hehe, naturally what to make money and do something, such as recovering (speculation), wine shops, restaurants, lending and rent, and so on."

"How's the income?"

"That's a lot of money.

"How many exactly?" Du Wenhao's face darkened.

Wang Fa said: "This" is generally kept secret, so there is no way to understand the true appearance. ”

"Isn't this money handed over to the treasury?

"No, this is the envoy of the army with the army. However, when the treasury is empty. He also borrowed money from the garrisons of the rich land to subsidize the treasury

"The state still has to borrow money from the army?. Du Wenhao was shocked and said in a deep voice: "The army does business. How much money does you make in a year, there is always a rough number, right?

"This" Wang Wa stroked his snow-white beard, he seemed to understand the intention of his prospective son-in-law to ask this question, and said to the military department: "Lord Di, your military department is directly in charge of the Xiang army, and they have not come to your military department to hand over affairs, and your military department is also responsible for borrowing and returning easy money, you should know a lot about the inside story of this important thing." Let's talk about the situation of the return of the Xiang army. If you know as much as you know, you can say that General Du is preparing to rectify the military system, and you need to know the figures in this regard, and you have to report it according to the facts, and General Du will go down to verify it in the future. ”

"Yes!" Di Runfu thought for a while and said: "There is a big gap between the Xiang army and the wealth of the Xiang Army, and the rich land in the Jiangxi area is several times or even dozens of times that of the Xiang Army in the northwest and southwest.

A few days ago, Wang Baowang, the commander of the Suzhou Xiang Army on the two roads, came to the military department to do business and chatted privately. It was revealed that their army's annual return income was about 86,000! ”

86,000 guan is equivalent to 86 million yuan.

It is not surprising that the people in the field have long known about the fact that the army is engaged in profit-making operations, it's just. I don't know much about the profit income, and now I am surprised to hear that the profit income of the First Army is as high as 86,000 yuan

Du Wenhao asked, "How many people are there in their army?"

"According to the system, it is 2,500 people, but in reality there are not that many, about 1,500 people."

"Nearly half of the staff is missing?. Du Wenhao asked with a glare.

Di Runfu nodded: "They still have a lot of military personnel, and some of them are short of more than seventy percent!" ”

Du Wenhao didn't want to discuss the question of why there was so much shortage of personnel now, and the topic of military expenditure had completely attracted his attention, and asked: "As high as 86,000 yuan, their army has all kept it, can they use so much military spending?" Where does the extra money go? ”

This "hehe" Na Runfu laughed dryly twice, and did not continue.

Du Wenhao glanced at the people in the field: "The army of 1,500 people earns 86,000 yuan a year from doing business, and one person has more than 50,000 yuan (equivalent to more than 50,000 yuan), which is still an additional income in addition to military spending, plus military expenditure, the annual income can easily reach seventy or eighty yuan." It's really rich."

Na Runfu smiled bitterly: "General Du, this is only the income of the Xiang army in the rich land, these only account for less than one percent of the total Xiang army, and the income of the vast majority of the Xiang army is far less than this amount." For example, in the Northwest Xiang Army, the total annual income of each army is only a few hundred yuan. ”

Du Wenhao said: "Is it common for the Xiang army to do business?"

"Almost all of them are doing it, it's just getting bigger and smaller."

"What about the Forbidden Army?"

"That's more, the forbidden army has abundant manpower and financial resources, the cost is higher than that of the Xiang army, and the business is naturally bigger than that of the Xiang army."

Du Wenhao looked at Wang Wa: "The army has gone to do business, how can they train?" How to defend the border? Is it difficult for the imperial court to allow them to do this? ”

Wang Fa smiled bitterly: "How can it be allowed." Since Emperor Taizu. It was ordered that the army should not be allowed to return to the army, etc., and that those who sent soldiers to engage in profit-making would be arrested and punished. ”

Du Wenhao said: "Then why are so many troops still doing business?" ”

"This is also a helpless move, you also heard it just now, the country's funds are just barely enough for military funds, if it is really all used for the army, then where is the court still have money? Therefore, only after calculating the necessary expenses of the imperial court, the rest can be allocated as military funds, among which there is a gap of tens of millions of marriages, if these gaps are not supplemented by the army's return to the capital, where does the military funds come from? ”

Du Wenhao stood up with a sigh: "This is the reason why I oppose the expansion of the Huanqing Economic Strategy Division!" What is Xiang Jun? Miscellaneous Army! If you don't say it, it's a civilian man in a military uniform! These people spend about 30% of their income to support them every year, and if they need it in wartime, it doesn't matter, but except for the border, the rest of the 200,000 troops from all walks of life are not engaged in these military work, what are they doing? One is used as an errand in the official mansion that is used, and it is used as a money-making tool by the generals of the Xiang Army, and there are many more, presumably it is useless to raise it in vain! A little question? Why does the state spend money to support hundreds of thousands of people? Is this really necessary? ”