Fan Zhongyan is not repairing a few broken villages, if you don't want to attack, just defensive, from Yanzhou to Huanqing Road, the role of these villages is irreplaceable.

As for nearly 100 million yuan of money, there is no lie, in the past few years, the imperial court has invested nearly 100 million yuan in Shaanxi, but it is not for Fan Zhongyan to use it alone, Fan Zhongyan used only part of it.

Fan Zhongyan's face was heavy, and he was not unhappy.

He is not Han Qi, if it were Han Qi, Zheng Lang would not say this. 、

Hearing the meaning of Zheng Lang's words, it is not a broken village, but compared with the investment of the imperial court, Shaanxi Zhubian Road has achieved this achievement, which is really a little unsuccessful.

Fu Bi is very hard in the Khitan, Zheng Lang is almost doing a very desperate thing, he has a thousand years of historical knowledge, and he can see it clearly, but in the game, how many people can see it clearly? Including Fan Zhongyan, many people in the future are very smart and capable, but they have a significant characteristic, stubbornness. Without this stubbornness, there would be no noble moral sentiments of the first person in three hundred years, and he would not have stood out.

But because of this stubbornness, how difficult will it be to want them to give up the ideas in their hearts?

Zheng Lang felt that it was even more difficult than conquering Western Xia!

He is still making an effort, hoping that the farce in the future will leave a bright color. After taking a sip of wine, he said, "Let's talk about soldiers." The original intention of the state to use the soldiers was to shelter the refugees and displaced people, to give them a way to live, and not to let them be seduced by the night and launch riots and rebellions. The intentions are good. Today, it cannot be said that it is useless at all, and elite soldiers can be selected from it to supplement the forbidden army and improve the combat effectiveness of the forbidden army. It can also be used to do some forced labor for the imperial court. But as for feeding more than 500,000 Xiang troops? Moreover, the imperial court also had a much larger force, including archers and strong men. How much do I get a year? Did it work? When the war came, in addition to the border people, how many archers, strong men and soldiers did the imperial court use? In the construction of the Sanbai Canal, how many soldiers and forced labor participated? On the one hand, there is an extreme waste of manpower, and on the other hand, there is no one to cultivate the fields in many areas due to land flight or disasters. Brother Sivan, do you think that's right? ”

It's a bit biased.

These people are not in one place, and it is impossible for all of them to be transferred to Shaanxi because of the use of troops in Shaanxi. The Sanbaiqu project was huge, and only some local laborers and soldiers could not complete this task, so they had to hire a large number of local people, or adopt Zheng Lang's practice in Taiping Prefecture, exchanging land for strength, and the soldiers laid off by Zheng Lang also participated in this project. Otherwise, if you have sufficient funds and want to complete the project, you don't know what year to wait for.

But there must have been a mistake in the box system.

"More than 800,000 forbidden troops, more than 250 battalions on Hebei Road, more than 160 battalions on Hedong Road, and 330 battalions on Shaanxi Road. Not counting more van soldiers, Fan soldiers and local archers, the regular forbidden army alone reached more than 700 battalions. Why do you need so many forbidden soldiers, and defend against the enemy. What does it mean to defend against the enemy, can we only wait for the enemy to attack passively, and can't take the initiative to attack and keep the enemy out of the country? For example, is it a good way to treat diseases by doctors, headaches, and feet? Did Han Tang ever have such a story? If the strategy is right, what kind of positive significance will it have if half of the forbidden army is cut? In order to punish the branches greater than the leaves, and to cut the places apart. The more troops garrisoned on the border, the more forbidden troops in the capital increased. As a result, Gyeonggi had nearly 700 battalions of forbidden troops. If the border region cuts half of the forbidden army, the capital can also cut half of the forbidden army, more than 700 battalions, more than 300,000 troops, how much money can be saved in a year? A safe prison makes the whole country rejoice, but how many troops can the income of the safety prison support, 400 battalions, 300 battalions, 200 battalions? ”

"Redundancy is one of the troubles of my dynasty," Fan Zhongyan said in a deep voice.

Zheng Lang is doing the layoffs, and Pang Ji and Fan Zhongyan are also doing it. But the two surnames are completely different, and what Fan Zhongyan and Pang Ji yearn for is a peaceful environment, disarming one by one and reducing state expenditures. In addition, their military thinking is mainly passive defense, so they are destined to become peacemakers.

Zheng Lang's goal in disarmament is not only to reduce expenses, but also to maintain a combat-ready army. One by one, the old, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers were eliminated, and the number of this army was reduced, but its combat effectiveness increased.

The long-term idea is even more different, Zheng Lang hated the Song Dynasty from the bottom of his heart for not wanting to make progress and passive defense, and the disarmament he wanted was to eradicate and weaken the powerful enemies around him, and disarm them one by one from the roots. For example, the annihilation of Western Xia, there is no Western Xia country, only the power of some regional surnames, and there is a group of soldiers loyal to the imperial court in the northwest, as well as some archers, as long as a hundred battalions of forbidden troops are stationed, they can restrain the entire northwest. If the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun are taken down and the Great Wall is repaired and repaired, Hebei Hedong Road can also cut more than 200 battalions.

Even if Gyeonggi concentrates its forces to control the four sides, it is enough to have 400 battalions of forbidden troops.

How much money will be saved by removing more than 700 battalions of forbidden troops?

The development of the entire South China Sea and Oceania may not be able to meet the consumption of more than 700 battalions of forbidden troops in the Song Dynasty!

"Brother Xiwen, not only that, there are nearly 700 battalions in the surrounding area of Gyeonggi, and there are more than 470 battalions of the forbidden army near the capital, according to the report to the imperial court, there are more than 400 soldiers in each battalion, but you can gather them to count the number and see how many people are in the end!"

"The forbidden soldiers are not useless, since the outbreak of the war in Shaanxi, there are also many forbidden soldiers who have performed well, but overall, how many forbidden soldiers can go to the battlefield to fight? It has only been 90 years since the founding of the country, and if the country has been established for 190 years and has fallen for a long time, what will become of the forbidden army in the capital? Brother Xiwen, you have also been in Shaanxi for a long time, and you know that the number of troops on the battlefield is a part, but it is not an absolute factor, otherwise it is impossible for our army on Linfu Road to defeat Haokou many times with fewer strikes and more. The situation of the generals' greed for ink is getting heavier and heavier, there are more and more means, the lower-level soldiers are not active, and the capital has raised so many forbidden troops, in case something happens, will it come in handy? ”

"Almost all of the 800,000 forbidden troops are in the north, most of them have nothing to do, and a forbidden soldier with their families is at least more than five, that is, maybe three million people need to be supported by the imperial court. Not to mention the expenditure of the imperial court, the food in the north has always been insufficient, and these supplies mainly come from the southeast, in order to transport the supplies to the north and northwest, how much labor needs to be carried? How many people have been separated from their wives all year round? ”

“……”

Just a redundant army, Zheng Lang asked at least thirty questions.

The more they asked, the more Ye Qingchen and Fan Zhongyan's faces became heavier.

Zheng Lang suddenly turned around, and said: "Taizu released the military power with a cup of wine, and in order to appease Shi Shouxin and other meritorious generals, he gave him a good fortune and officials. This is the original origin of the fact that the officials in the court were paid and had no power, and later the officials were layered on top of each other. Although it is guaranteed to the greatest extent that there will be no phenomenon of usurpation of the country by powerful ministers, but Brother Xiwen, how many real officials in the country have positions or no powers, and rely on the imperial court to support them? On the one hand, there were no local officials available, so they had to appoint squires as officials, and most of these squires were local heroes, who controlled the rights of court officials and prevented them from descending, and on the other hand, the court kept many idle officials. Why? The officials' erection is generously given. Brother Xiwen's salary is normal, but what about me? Since a few years ago, he has been holding more than a dozen official positions, with a salary of more than 20,000 yuan. How much does a poor state army earn in a year? Redundant officials are not counted, but also generous officials. It is not without its benefits, and the situation of greedy ink is a little better than that of other imperial courts. However, how much do these hidden expenses amount when officials take advantage of their power to do business, encroach on land, occupy jobs, and falsely report expenditures? ”

"Officials are stacked, rights are ambiguous, and they often shirk each other's responsibilities in case of trouble," Speaking of this, Zheng Lang suddenly thought that a sewer manhole cover could have more than a dozen departments shirk their responsibilities, and in the end it was over, and everyone asked about it, and they couldn't clearly know who was in charge of this small manhole cover. As well as diplomacy, military affairs, etc., how similar, but the degree of wealth is not as high, the Song Dynasty accounted for 85% of the world's wealth at most, and the degree of openness is not as good, and under the impeachment of some officials, all the officials would rather not act, and the ministers can talk nonsense to the emperor. There are also no conditions for the formation of a unique phenomenon of naked officials. Others, almost a mold cast.

"When the country has something, they also pass the buck to each other, resulting in bloated political affairs and even delaying major events. Last year, I asked the court to execute Li Ningming, but I was forced to resign, and the court gave a reply. How so! The Tang Dynasty's two tax laws have been proven to be good policies over time, but at the beginning of its implementation, the Tang Dynasty was in constant dispute. When a policy is launched, although the above has good intentions, the bottom is often misinterpreted, and it is regarded as a good prescription for greedy ink and money. Streamline the government! Look at the politics of our dynasty, just a tax and forced labor, how many kinds are there? The more complicated it is, the easier it is to become a tool for low-level officials to harshly exploit the people. Besides, the salt tea alum wine fragrance franchise, the laws and regulations are cumbersome, and often all the ministers can't clearly know what they want to do? According to the amount of salt produced, our dynasty should have been able to get 40 million guan, but the imperial court only had 8 million guan. There are more than 10 million guan of tea, and the lowest time in the imperial court is only about 200,000 guan......"

Among the three redundancies, redundant officials are closely related to redundant government, but redundant officials are not the same as redundant government.

Redundant government means that all the policies of the Song Dynasty are redundant to the extreme, so that many grassroots officials can drill into the hollow and greedy ink, hinder the efficiency of work, and form a serious waste.

For these contradictions, Zheng Lang proposed two solutions, streamlining the administration and correcting them appropriately.

But the specifics were not said, a lot of problems were said, only that no solutions were proposed.

In fact, Zheng Lang has no good way, every problem he wants to solve, it will lead to a thousand troubles.

As an emperor, Zhao Zhen is good, but he is very timid and cautious, which causes his thinking to always be conservative.

I can't expect Fan Zhongyan to come up with a good solution, but I said that I will see if I can cause Fan Zhongyan to think.

It is very likely that Zheng Lang's conversation tonight is the most serious and comprehensive reflection on all the major shortcomings of the Song Dynasty.

The sky is getting dark, the rain is getting lighter, and the small town of Yunyang is quiet, except for a few lanterns fluttering in the breeze and drizzle.

……

Before receiving it in the autumn of the second year of Qingli, many major events also happened.

The battle of Agancheng was of far-reaching significance, but not many people could see it, and it was not the main force of the Western Xia and Song dynasties who participated in the battle, but strictly speaking, the battle between the pro-Song and the Tibetan people in the Western Xia. so that many people ignore it.

The most concerned thing is the Khitan shot.

The most eye-catching is Fu Bi and his party.

In fact, countless turbulent events have taken place below, and all of these events have a bearing on the future direction of the three countries.

And the protagonists of these events are all small people, some are monks, some are Taoist priests, and some are businessmen......

First a monk, a legendary monk.

It happened earlier, when Chong Shiheng was in Qingjian City.

Under his management, Qingjian City has become a huge hedgehog, and there are so many good friends of the Qiang tribe, iron buddies, seeing Qingjian City like this, almost all the Western Xia generals have made a detour of three hundred miles to this territory. We can't afford to mess with you, we can afford to hide from you.

The old seed was extremely bored in Qingjian City.

At this time, a monk came.

Before he was discovered by Chong Shiheng, he had been wandering in the vast northwest grasslands of the Song Dynasty and Western Xia, without temples or temples. But he ended up at ease, there was wine to eat, meat to eat, and his sister sent to the door to soak his sister.

I can't mix it up, I ride a horse and straddle a knife and release cold arrows, and I also do the same thing to rob houses and houses. When encountering a large group of enemies, as soon as the knife is released and the arrow is collected, we are monks and monks. Swimming around, the large and small cities of the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia, and the places where all ethnic groups live, are very familiar.

swam to Qingjian City, so that the old species took a fancy to it at once.

This wild monk not only made him take a fancy to him, but also fascinated the old man. He summoned this monk to his door, and did whatever he wanted, offering 100 million yuan, and let him spend it within 100,000 yuan. Guangxin is very worthy of him, eating, drinking, gambling, and doing nothing.

Many people are very angry, is your grandmother's still a monk? Reflecting to the old seed, the old seed didn't mind at all, but treated him better. There is also a reward, occasionally as a guide for the old species, teaching a few disobedient Qiang people.

Zheng Lang admonished and brought the old seed to the Deshun army.

Lao Chong is a judge in Yanzhou at this time, and he can't tell Zheng Lang that I still have plans that have not been completed, and I can't go. How difficult is it for a military general to get ahead? Such a good opportunity, no one will let it go. So he called out the light letter and spoke secretly for a while.

It's done very secretively, no one knows.

After saying that, the old seed suddenly became angry and arrested Guangxin, and the people in Qingjian City all applauded, and the old seed was beaten badly at the request of public opinion, and then beaten again, after beating many times, the old seed had no strength to continue fighting. Kick him out of Qingjian City.

Subsequently, this monk was not seen again in the northwest territory of the Song Dynasty, and he defected to Western Xia.

In the past year, almost everyone has forgotten this monk, and it is only when the people of Qingjian City occasionally miss the old species that they will think of this wild monk who makes people cry and laugh. There is no blame for the old species, no one is perfect, this can only be regarded as a small mistake in the employment of the old species.

The summer is getting deeper and deeper, and Yuan Hao begins to prepare.

It would be too fake to send people to Yanyun Road in the name of the state like last time.

Let Yeli Wangrong send three people to Yanzhou in his private name, bury in the waves, reward beggars, Mei Niang, there are men and women, all of them are powerful people of the Yeli tribe, and they came to the Song Dynasty to surrender on behalf of Yeli Wangrong. The reason is sufficient, we have been fighting for many years, and we can't get by, and a coarse silk horse has also been sold for 2,500 yuan in Western Xia, and we are about to starve to death.

If you want to attack Jingyuan Road, you have to drag the Song army on Yanyun Road.

Seeing it, he sent troops to Linfu, how much harm did Zheng Lang bring by sending troops in Jingyuan?

In fact, this is an extra move, even if there is no such move, Pang Ji, who is conservative in military thinking, will not take the initiative to send troops to respond to Jingyuan.

Pang Ji didn't listen, he was watching at this time. If it was a few months later, Yeli Wangrong would not look for him, and he would even take the initiative to seek peace with Western Xia regardless of whether the imperial court had a will. But before the results of the negotiations came out, he didn't dare to move.

Moreover, Yeli Wangrong came to surrender to the Song Dynasty, which was a defection to Western Xia, and it was not the consequence of Pang Ji. After a very polite reception, send them back.

Yeli Wangrong also reached the goal, did he really surrender? As long as Pang Ji doesn't learn from the little prime minister on Jingyuan Road, it's fine.

After winning more than half of the first battle, he turned his attention to Huanqing Road.

In the two battles of Shimenchuan, generals such as Di Qing, Jingtai, and Yang Wenguang were already known to the Western Xia people. But there are very few people who know the details of the world, and some people still think that he has an uncle who is the first hermit in the world, and they think that he is a useless literati.

Hit the muzzle.

The difference is that the old breed is lucky this time.

Perhaps because of different political views or other reasons, Pang Ji was not very satisfied with the old race, and a series of major events happened in the Western Xia, all of which were created by the old race, but the credit was erased by Pang Ji. After the death of the old man, the number of the family was not convinced, and the eldest son wrote to defend his father, until Pang Ji was dismissed, and the old seed was not given justice.

It's not that Pang Ji is very ugly, Ouyang Xiu recommended Di Qing and Chong Shiheng, but listed Zhang Kang and Ge Huaimin together.

It can only prove the arrogance of the literati clique, cronyism, ignorance of military affairs, and contempt for military generals.

But Fan Zhongyan will not despise the old species, he sent people to participate in the two battles of Shimenchuan, and personally sent troops to Weizhou City, knowing the details of the old species. Otherwise, he would not ask the court for the old seed to go to Huanzhou. When the old seed came to his territory, he was treated very kindly, and it was impossible to erase the credit of the old seed.

In this mentality, the three of them ran to Huanzhou.

This reason is too nutritious and unscrupulous, and no one believes it. But Chong Shiheng believed it, and gave the three of them officials, and also gave them servants and horses, all of which were on par with their previous treatment in the Yeli tribe, only high and not low.

So the three of them went in and out of Huanzhou City freely, and they were powerful, and some people couldn't stand it and asked the old man. The old breed didn't answer.

Then he sent someone to secretly find the light letter and write a letter to him.

This great monk made a gorgeous appearance, and he came to the Yeli Wangrong Residence as a secret envoy.

It's disgusting, since it's a secret envoy, why bother to enter the governance place in a bright light? Then he said to Yeli Wangrong: "I brought a reply from the imperial court, I appreciate you very much for abandoning the darkness and turning to the light, as long as you are willing to surrender, you will immediately pay homage to the Xiazhou Festival, with a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan." The official seals of the imperial court are ready for you, just waiting for you to act.

Yeli Wangrong's whole body trembled. Not happy, but frightened.

This super-bright bald head entered his yamen, and these titles, with a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan, Li Yuanhao will know about it immediately. Do you still have a life?

Especially 10,000 kan.

The Song Dynasty also did not have officials with a monthly salary of one month, but the income of the top officials was mixed, and some could have an annual income of as high as fifty or sixty thousand yuan.

If you take into account the shock that your defection to the Song Dynasty brought to the Western Xia, 10,000 guan is possible, how can you be moved if you don't reward yourself? The reward is too fake, and the reward is less. This 10,000 yuan monthly salary is so wonderful!

Nori Wangei gasped nervously.