Although before the confrontation between the two cavalry began, many generals realized that a large number of people did not necessarily mean victory. Seeing the results of this kind of exercise, which can be said to be a big defeat, the generals also felt the strength of this cavalry army.

In less than a year, these new cavalry were able to grow to this point. It is conceivable how strong Zhao Xiaoxi's way of training is there. Of course, they also understood that the amount of training that these cavalry endured was only beyond imagination.

It is no wonder that when the assessment was carried out in advance, Wang Zishu would say that those assessment items were just common items in the daily training of cavalry. What about the uncommon assessment items? How hard will it be?

A group of gentlemen who were originally in Beijing have transformed into real elites in the army in less than a year. As their fathers, they naturally know that the so-called more sweat and less blood is not an empty phrase.

Faced with the defeat of the elite cavalry of the forbidden army, Zhao Xu remembered what Zhao Xiaoxi had said before. No matter how well-trained a soldier is, he will never be called an elite soldier if he does not open the battlefield and see blood.

The cavalry of the forbidden army in front of him, regardless of the weapons or techniques and tactics, looked like the cavalry. However, in the face of the attack of the cavalry officers and soldiers, they were more of them a little rigid and did not know how to deal with the enemy's situation on the spot.

With this cavalry confrontation drill, Zhao Xu finally knew that the Great Song Dynasty wanted to change the current situation of being attacked on three sides. The army must first make changes, and what is the use of spending a lot of money every year to raise so many soldiers?

Compared with the border army, although the salary is small, most of them can go into battle to kill the enemy. These forbidden troops in the imperial court enjoy the best treatment, but their combat effectiveness is not necessarily the best. Is it really right that such a forbidden army, which rarely conducts actual combat, serves as the foundation of the national army?

If the cavalry is strictly selected, it is to select elite cavalry that can be used for battle. This time the confrontation between the forbidden cavalry and the cavalry. For the first time, the kings and ministers, who fantasize about how powerful their own army is, understand for the first time how false this power is.

The castle is built on a pile of sand, and it is naturally magnificent without wind or waves. But once it is subjected to strong winds and rains, this seemingly impregnable castle will be cut into sand in a moment. Let it really be revealed.

In the face of the reflection brought about by this battle, Zhao Xu, the young emperor, was also surprisingly calm. did not criticize the unwillingness of the cavalry of the forbidden army, but generously appeased it, and continued to calmly watch the individual battle of the cavalry.

As a result, the cavalry selected thousands of horsemen, and finally the cavalry that Wang Zishu included in the cavalry camp was about 100 people. This method of selection allowed Zhao Xu, the emperor, to maintain his demeanor to the end.

After returning to the palace, several ministers of the Privy Council were scolded. As for the senior officers of the military department, they were also severely reprimanded for not saying anything. Even the forbidden army guarding the capital. The combat effectiveness is only to this extent, so what about the other van armies?

I heard Zhao Xiaoxi say before that soldiers are expensive but not too expensive, and Zhao Xu has always felt that this is too exaggerated. When the cavalry strength was insufficient in Fanbang, the Great Song Dynasty had to maintain more troops than Fanbang in order to deter the countries of Fanbang.

But looking at it today, once the border pass is lost in the future, let the cavalry of Fanbang break into the hinterland of the Central Plains. That's pretty much what you can say. Fanbang's cavalry and horses were not too much to step on the city, and this sense of crisis made Zhao Xu finally angry.

As a monarch, he can't. personally went to train the generals and soldiers who guarded the Great Song Dynasty. What he has to do is to clean up this group of ministers who talk all day long, how strong the combat effectiveness of the Great Song Dynasty is, and how unreliable the Great Song army is.

Today's competition made Zhao Xu finally couldn't help it, and began to make some personnel adjustments to the ministers of the Privy Council and the Ministry of War. Of course, for this kind of personnel adjustment, Zhao Xu also specially asked the imperial grandmother.

As the highest institution in the Great Song Dynasty to manage the army. The presiding ministers of the Privy Council can be described as scholars rather than warriors. In order to change this situation of commanding the army but not knowing the army, Zhao Xu proposed that Wang Zishu's grandfather be the presiding minister of the Privy Council.

This kind of unconventional appointment has always given rise to the concept that the military should be commanded by the literati. It's a subversion. In the past, the minister in charge could only serve as a deputy envoy, and the military generals who had actually led the troops were appointed as the ministers.

In the face of the unanimous decision of the two palaces, the ministers who were willing to oppose it did not dare to block it too much. This made the generals who had been in a state of oppression feel proud for the first time.

As for the Privy Councillor, Wang Shiyue also knew that this position was not easy to do. If it weren't for the fact that he had an identity attached to the horse, and the empress dowager would also be regarded as a favor to him, this would not have been his turn at all.

After serving as General Wei for so many years, he finally reached the twilight of his life, but he was appointed as the chief envoy of the Privy Council. Wang Shiyue also knows very well how big the burden is on his shoulders.

The reality of the serious redundancy of troops in the Great Song Dynasty over the years, as a former leading general, how can he not know it?

It seems that the imperial court has raised so many soldiers, but the real soldiers who can fight are except for some long-fighting armies guarding the border passes. The rest of the imperial court also needs to bear the military expenses of the inland side army, and there are really not many who can be pulled to the battlefield to fight with Fanbang.

Combined with the military system discussions that Sun Tzu had with him during this time, Wang Shiyue also knew about the young emperor. Presumably, it is also necessary to reorganize the army and prepare for the next recovery of the sixteen states of Yanyun.

Soon afterward, the decision was made to withdraw some inland troops and expand some border garrisons. All these soldiers used to make up the number of soldiers were eliminated from the series of the Song Army, and a detailed count of the army across the country was made.

It is not clear that a cavalry selection will bring such a large army reform to Zhao Xiaoxi. After assigning the tasks of the various departments of the cavalry, he happily led Qiao Feng and his party to continue to the direction of Dali.

After arriving in Dali, Zhao Xiaoxi sent Ruan Xingzhu's mother and daughter to the palace. Bringing Qiao Feng to a mansion not far from the imperial city made Qiao Feng feel confused.

originally thought that Zhao Xiaoxi was bringing him here to meet someone, but Qiao Feng saw Zhao Xiaoxi directly taking him into the courtyard, and after turning around, he asked with a smile: "Big brother, what do you think of this courtyard?" ”

Qiao Feng was stunned and said: "It's very good, the small bridge is flowing water, and the pavilions are there." How? Do you want to buy this yard? ”

I thought that the two of them came in and walked around, but they didn't see anyone. Qiao Feng thought that Zhao Xiaoxi was going to buy this courtyard, so he asked more. After turning around this circle, Qiao Feng also felt that this yard was very good.

What he didn't expect was that Zhao Xiaoxi smiled and said: "Big brother, I bought this yard a long time ago, and I used to plan to make a summer resort or something." Now that I think about it, this yard is really right!

The eldest brother is about to get married, you and Zhu'er always need a place to get married, right? It is not far from the imperial city, and it is very suitable for living by mountains and rivers. The younger brother sent him to the eldest brother as a wedding room, and hoped that the eldest brother would not refuse. ”

Qiao Feng, who was stunned for a while, was also stunned and said, "Brother Yun, you said that this courtyard sent me?" No, it's too expensive! I already owe you so much, I really can't ask for this yard. ”

In the face of Qiao Feng's direct refusal, Zhao Xiaoxi said with a smile: "Big brother, when our brothers got married, it seems that they said that they would be blessed and shared, right?" Then the little brother gave you a yard, why did you refuse so quickly?

And big brother, think about it, soon the younger brother will go to propose to Duan Wang Ye on your behalf. You must have a house to be your home with Azhu, right? You don't think that you still stay in the palace on the night of candles in the cave, right?

I know you want to take Azhu to the grassland to live a leisurely life in the future, but you can't just leave with Azhu as soon as you get married, right? After all, this is where Azhu's parents live, and if you have a home here, you can be regarded as having a sustenance.

Don't say anything more, you also said that you owe me a lot, and then you and Azhu have a child. Think of me as a godfather! This house, even if I give it a gift to my eldest brother's child, my eldest brother can't refuse it, right? ”

After looking at Zhao Xiaoxi and speaking, he didn't take Qiao Feng to refuse, and took him to the door again. Looking at the plaque of the door covered with red cloth, there should be some words engraved on it.

As Zhao Xiaoxi asked Qiao Feng to do it himself, after tearing off those red cloths, he looked at the word 'Xiao Fu' on the plaque. Qiao Feng's heart also felt warm, and he knew that he could only owe this affection again.

After the plaque appeared, a member of the martial guard quickly stepped forward and said, "Pavilion Master, the person you arranged to find has already been found, do you want them to come over now, let Uncle Xiao take a look." ”

Zhao Xiaoxi quickly nodded and said, "Okay, let them all come over!" ”

Qiao Feng, who was a little confused by this, soon saw more than a dozen people, young and old, all brought over. Two of the old men did not look like the Central Plains.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoxi said: "Big brother, this courtyard is a bit big, and it will definitely not work just by you to look at it." This is a servant I bought from the Central Plains, and I know how to serve people. These two, like the eldest brother, are also Khitans.

They were all in the middle of the road, and they couldn't survive in the Liao Kingdom, and finally settled in the Great Song Dynasty. has always been a housekeeper or a porter, and the mother and daughter behind this are also their relatives. I also bought them and let them serve my eldest brother.

I know that the eldest brother may not like this way of buying people, so I have already asked people to bring their contract and leave it to the eldest brother for you to dispose of. The eldest brother wanted to know some of the situation in the Khitan, and asked the two families to believe that it would be clearer. ”

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaowan said quickly: "The two old people don't have to worry, they have suffered a lot along the way." In the future, this is your new home, this is your new master's home, you can call him Master Xiao! ”

It's a good thing to be able to sell yourself to a big family and be a slave or something. It's just that the quality of the main family will also determine the fate of their family. As two families far away from home, they were naturally very worried about the good or bad of this new master.

The two families, who knew this, immediately stepped forward and knelt on the ground and said, "The little one has seen Master Xiao!" ”

understands this situation, which is also commonplace in the Great Song Dynasty. can dare to take in two large Han families who are Khitan servants, Qiao Feng is really rare in the Great Song Dynasty.

It is precisely because of this that he is also very curious about how these two families do not treat the Khitan well. If you want to run to this Great Song Dynasty, would you rather be a slave and a servant? (To be continued......)