Volume 3: Exquisite Dice An Red Beans 186: Monarchs and Ministers

Liu Ying smiled faintly, "The military recruitment system you just mentioned?" ”

"Exactly."

"This new military system is the main thing that the minister did when he came to Shanan to see His Majesty this time. The minister had already written a fold and traveled to Chang'an, but now he heard that His Majesty had come to Shanan in person, so he came to meet him and presented the matter to the Holy Hearing. ”

Zhang Kai's impassioned Chen said, "The Han Dynasty has always practiced a conscription system based on the pre-Qin inheritance: the common people were conscripted into the army when they reached a certain age, and at the same time, the border counties maintained a certain number of troops. Over the years, the combat effectiveness of the border army has been weak, and it is at a disadvantage when fighting against the Xiongnu. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the first emperor had no choice but to take the eldest princess and the pro-Xiongnu, and the Xiongnu reduced the number of incursions on the Han border. Since then, there have been princesses and relatives of the State of Chu, and they have maintained their purity for several years. — but this is only a palliative, not a cure. ”

His voice suddenly became high-pitched, "Can't I send a princess to the Huns every few years, right?" ”

On the way from Chang'an to Longcheng, the blood and tears of Princess Heqin were all the way. Sending the delicate and beautiful clan woman to the barbaric and backward Xiongnu is the tragic life of this amiable princess, and it is not the shame of the entire Han Dynasty?

He was infected by Zhang Kai's blood, and green tendons appeared on the clenched fists hidden in his sleeves.

He closed his eyes and calmed his mind.

It's not that simple.

When the first emperor decided to make peace with him, he was calm and open-minded; And after he inherited the throne, he was forced by the Huns, and when he made peace again, he only felt that he hated him in his life, nothing more than this. But all the bloody men of the Han Dynasty will be fierce soldiers and horses in the future, and only by stepping on the Huns can this hatred be quelled.

It's just that. Later, after being the emperor for these years, he was transparent and insightful about the military and political conditions of the Han Dynasty, and knew how difficult the people's livelihood was, and it was difficult to find a war.

Be the emperor. That's it.

Liu Ying groaned, and suddenly asked Zhang Kai, "What did Ah Yan say?" ”

Zhang Kai was stunned for a moment. forcibly turned the pride of the family and the country into the indulgence of the love of children,

"Empress Zhang is really wise. At the beginning, when she was recuperating in Yanmen, it happened that I was worried about the weakness of the border army. Talking to me once, he listened to the worries of my heart. After thinking about it for a long time, he proposed to recruit troops with me. ”

Liu Ying's face tapped the desk with her hand, and her face became serious.

Under the conscription system now practiced by the Han Dynasty, men reach the age of "Fu" at the age of 20 and first serve as a "chariot and cavalry officer" (county soldier) in the county for one year to acquire the necessary military skills. He became a national reserve. In the future, as needed, or "soldiers" will be requisitioned to serve as soldiers for a year in a border fortress like Yunzhong; Or as a "guard" for a year. Served in Beijing. After that, they will have to serve one month of "shift" labor in their hometown every year.

The conscription system once fulfilled its role well in the early years of the Han Dynasty, and became a solid foundation for Liu Bang to confront Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, and finally win. It's just that more than ten years after the establishment of Dahan, its drawbacks have gradually been revealed:

The conscripted Border Cypriot troops came from all over the country. The good and the bad are mixed, and it is clear that just one year of military training cannot turn a group of farmers into a strong fighting force. Compared with the Huns, who grew up immediately, they were extremely weak.

However, the so-called army recruitment proposed by Zhang Yan jumped out of the trap of conscription, and selected young and strong people to re-establish an army.

Unlike conscription, which only serves for one year, this army is a long-term full-time army. More and more professional military training will be obtained, and the combat effectiveness will be fundamentally improved, so as to save the Han from the fatigue of fighting against the Xiongnu. In the long run, there is a certain possibility that a new situation can be opened.

He has been an emperor for seven years, and he is extremely familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the military and political system of the Han Dynasty, so he naturally hears the benefits of the conscription system, and can't help asking, "Is this really Ah Yan's idea?" ”

"Nature." Zhang Kai bowed. "This system is bold and bold, with this military system alone, the queen mother is indeed worthy of the word Minhui."

Recruitment itself is not a complex concept. However, before Zhang Yan proposed it, no one raised it in the court, what was lacking was the wisdom of insight or the courage to break the old system?

"If this recruitment can be truly implemented, it will indeed be of great benefit." Liu Ying thought about the matter before and after, "It's just that it's not so simple to change conscription to conscription. Among them, the charter needs to be considered in the long run. ”

"Your Majesty said yes." Zhang Kai smiled and handed over a notebook, "Since the queen proposed the conscription system a month ago, these days, I have thought carefully and drafted a notebook, which has been sent to Chang'an, and this one is a copy." ”

Liu Ying took the fold and opened it, and was about to watch it, Guan Sheng hurriedly came in and said in Liu Ying's ear, "Master, Xu Huan just came to the news, and Mrs. went out." ”

Not long after Zhang Yan came out of the east gate of Shanan City, she heard the sound of horses' hooves behind her, Liu Mei raised slightly, looked back, and saw that it was Liu Ying who brought her attendants to follow behind.

"Big lady," complained the knife displeasure, "why are these people following us again, I'll go and get them away." ”

"How?" The corners of Zhang Yan's lips pursed a sneer, "Half of the road is facing the sky, and when the time comes, people will say that this road is not opened by our family, and they want to go out of the city, can't they?" What can you say? - Let's go on our own. ”

She agreed to make a product of incense for Zhao Qin, and when she sorted it out, she found that she was missing the most important main ingredient - hundred-year-old birch bark. On the way of making incense, the most important thing is a feeling, there are strict requirements for the quality of the spices, and it is not easy to entrust others to do it for you. had to go out in person, which gave Liu Ying the opportunity to chase after him.

Lang Wei rode all horses, out of the city gate, soon embellished with Zhang Yan's footsteps, fifty zhang away, quietly slowed down, Liu Ying rode up alone, stopped three steps behind Zhang Yan, and called, "Ah Yan." There was a faint joy and longing in his voice.

Zhang Yan snorted and said lightly, "Lu Langjun, what a coincidence, you also came to Dongcheng?" ”

Liu Ying smiled bitterly.

It seems that Ah Yan's anger has not subsided yet.

"You know," he said, staring deeply at the familiar and delicate face in the distance. Whispered, "I'm here for you." ”

"What does Lu Langjun mean by this?"

Zhang Yan's face sank, "We are just neighbors in Shanan City who have had a two-sided relationship, and I don't want to hear anything else." ”

On the east mountain, the mountain road twists and turns, and the grass and trees are thick. Zhang Yan walked up the mountain road, saw the herb she liked, stopped, and carefully excavated with iron and soil. In a basket. When she turned around, she saw Liu Yingzheng behind her.

He has always been by his side, not near or far. didn't open his mouth to talk to her, just stared at her with his eyes, quiet and gentle.

"The surname is Lu," the knife finally couldn't bear it anymore and jumped up. "Don't you understand? My eldest lady said she didn't know you anymore, and you are still behind us, what do you want to do? ”

Liu Ying's face was cold, and Xiao Dao only felt that the original soft face in front of him suddenly became cold, Rao was half his age when he was not afraid of heaven and earth, and he felt that cold sweat was soaked out of his back for a while. It was as if the man in front of him, under the gentleness of the appearance, had a coercion that he could not bear.

"Knife." Zhang Yan hurriedly reprimanded, with a heavy rebuke in her voice and the maintenance hidden in it.

Liu Ying understood and retracted her gaze, "Shanan is just a small border town. The little guy also lacks propriety. Turning his gaze back to the girl, he snorted. This time I'll see your face and let him go. If he doesn't repent......"

The disdain for himself in the words, Xiaodao heard it obviously, and couldn't help but feel angry, but he was afraid that it would affect his eldest lady, so he reluctantly held back, and went to see Zhang Yan, Zhang Yan's face was faintly red, faintly white, and glanced at him, "Such rudeness to guests, is this how the family grandmother taught you?" ”

That's also the villain's own courtesy.

Xiaodao muttered in his heart, but he was afraid of Zhang Yan's Jiwei and the steel trough for Liu Ying, and he didn't say anything, and said unwillingly, "Lu Langjun, the slave was rude just now, please forgive me." ”

In this confrontation with Liu Ying, Zhang Yan has always had the upper hand, but because of the recklessness of the knife, she weakened in momentum and suffered a lot of losses. Negative airway, "Knife, we've picked enough things, let's go back." ”

The knife answered, threw the iron into the basket, carried it on his back, and walked to the mountain road first.

When passing by Liu Ying, Zhang Yan hesitated for a while and said softly, "You come out here, there can't be no one at home, so let's go back as soon as possible." ”

Liu Yingfeng's eyes flashed, revealing relief, "I naturally want to go back." - As long as my wife is willing to forgive. ”

Zhang Yan snorted and turned around.

Sun-dried Xinyi has a fragrant and spicy taste. Grind the birch bark into powder, mix it in a certain proportion, and add sumac, alum, and a little astringency in the bone in the fragrance, which is the fragrant bone she wants in her heart.

- Incense also has bones. Just as everyone has their own personality, each one is different. Incense complements people, which is the real incense.

The incense powder was still damp, Zhang Yan used a copper pick to pluck the incense powder in the dustpan, and heard the hurried footsteps on the corridor.

"Big lady," Qingkui said outside the door, "there are county officials who come to look for you." ”

"County officials?" Zhang Yan looked up in surprise.

The officials who served in the county government were hired by the county magistrates and had no rank, but because of their hands-on practice, they had considerable authority among the common people. At this time, two young officials in Tsing Yi were waiting in the hall, and when they saw a girl coming out of it, they arched their hands and asked, "But the lady of the Meng family?" ”

"Yes." Zhang Yan asked, "I wonder ...... you two came here on this trip?" He motioned for the knife to hand the purse to the two of them.

The two of them took it quietly, pinched it, and smiled more kindly, "Meng Niangzi, don't worry, it's not a bad thing." Lu Yushi came to our Shanan County two days ago and asked Meng Niangzi to speak. ”

Zhang Yan looked strangely at the east wall of the courtyard and muttered, "That's it, I know." ”

This matter must be inseparable from Liu Ying.

She was angry in her heart, Liu Ying's move was a point in her weakness.

She is unwilling to go back with him and continue to be the queen of the Han Dynasty, so her current identity is just a commoner in Shanan County. When you are opposite him, you can still do what you want, and you don't need to do what you don't want to do. But if he is authoritative through the means of the government,

The older official waited for a while, and when he saw that she didn't move, he became impatient and angry, "Meng Niangzi, let's hurry up and go with us." Otherwise, Lord Yushi has been waiting for a long time. We can't afford to be guilty. ”

See? How can a woman of the people without any power resist the authority of the government.

In the autumn and June of the seventh year of this year, the Son of Heaven in Chang'an sent the Thirteen Eunuchs to the counties and counties of the Han Dynasty to investigate the affairs of the Han Dynasty with nine articles, including those who were lawyers, thieves, counterfeiters, treacherous and unrighteous prisoners, those who were unjust in their forced labor, and those who were not honest. Officials impeach the innocent for the sake of harshness, and those who dare to exceed the extravagance and crossbow power of more than 10 stones, and those who are not worthy of the service, all nine. Although the official rank of the imperial history itself is only 600 stones, and it only has the right to inspect, not the right to administer affairs. But the observation includes almost all the political affairs of the place, and it reaches the heavens. It has always been extremely feared and respected by local officials. As soon as Lu Yushi entered Shanan County, Tang County Commander gave up the county government and found another house for office.

The government official led Zhang Yan into the county government, but did not bring it to the second hall. Instead, he crossed the courtyard to the east and stood in front of the door, "The little one is ordered to lead the way here, and Meng Niangzi will go in by herself." ”

The whole house is on the east side of the county hall, although it is not on the central axis, but it is an independent courtyard. The construction of elegance is no less than the main hall, and the door is hidden at this time. The surrounding houses are like, but there is no one around.

She pushed the door open and saw a row of bookshelves on the side of the wall in the room, on which dense bamboo slips were placed. The long case of one party is set at the top. After the case, the two sat and stood together, and the lights on the case were bright. Liu Ying was sitting in front of the desk and reading the papers. I heard the sound of the door being pushed and looked up.

"Ah Yan."

It seems to be the same as it was back then.

"Should I call you Lu Yushi, or the county official?" Zhang Yan sneered.

"What's the use of having a quick tongue for a while?" Liu Ying smiled faintly, "No matter what, you can't change the facts in front of you, and Ah Yan," he paused, and his eyes fell on her if there was substance, "Since you said that you want to give up your former identity and become an ordinary people's girl, think about it, you won't refuse to accept the government's summons with the queen's money, right?" ”

Zhang Yan stood in front of the door for a while, then turned back and sat down, "Then, what do you want to ask when you call the people girl over?" ”

Liu Ying looked at his wife in front of her, her attitude was leisurely, her back was straight, like a verdant willow in the spring breeze. The figure is thin, and it seems to be a point or two thinner than when I was at home before. The black green silk is pulled into a common folk bun, and the corners of the temples are scattered, but they are not messy, and they hang down softly against the skin, and the young skin shines with a jade-like luster, and the eyebrows are like, as if in the past few years, they have been kneeling there, and when they turn around, they can see.

"Are you getting better?" He asked suddenly.

Zhang Yan was stunned, and then she realized that Liu Ying was referring to the serious illness she had when she first arrived in Northland at the beginning of the year.

"It's been around for a long time." She replied, a complicated emotion rose in her heart, don't look over, "If Lord Lu is looking for a people's girl to have something to do, the people's girl will accompany her; If it's just to talk about this unnecessary old thing, please forgive the people and go back. ”

"Ah Yan, why are you doing this. However," Liu Ying was deeply disappointed, and when she saw Zhang Yan getting up and wanting to leave, she changed her tone, "I am indeed looking for you for business this time." ”

He took a copy of the memo from the case, "I have read a memo on the establishment of a military recruitment system in the past two days. I heard that you were the first to propose this system of recruiting troops. So, I would like to hear your specific thoughts. ”

Zhang Yan glanced at the Xuanse folding paper in his hand, pursed her lips and laughed at herself, "It seems that Zhang Pijiang has ever been to Yunzhong?" ”

"Hmm." Liu Ying bowed, "He came here the day before yesterday, and this is the charter he drafted about army recruitment." ”

"He also told you about my illness—it was your loyal courtier," her voice lowered, "the so-called brother-sister relationship is not worth the righteousness of a monarch and a minister." ”

"Ah Yan," Liu Ying frowned slightly, staring at her, disapproving, "You are too arrogant." Zhang Kai kept his promise to you, and it wasn't until I found it in person that he came to the door to confess what had happened. He is also for your good, most people in the world persuade peace or not persuade you to leave, is it possible that you still expect him to persuade me to really let you go? ”

Zhang Yan was reluctant to take on this topic again. After taking the fold and reading it carefully, Zhang Kai is worthy of being a masterpiece of a generation, she only mentioned one idea at the beginning, and he played it accordingly, and it was perfected into a plan that can be effectively implemented. Many details about how to recruit the army, as well as the consequent length of service in the army, material supply, including training, have been implemented, and even if you are yourself, you can't find any fault.

Folded it together and pushed it back to the case, "I'm just a boudoir woman, and it's hard to mention an idea, as for the army and war, I don't understand." Zhang Duwei's recital is already very good. I have no other opinion. ”

Choked by her refusal, Liu Ying was stupid, temporarily put aside her children's personal feelings, and seriously discussed the military recruitment system. "Zhang Qing's chapter is indeed perfect," his demeanor is solemn, it seems as if all the personal affairs between him and Zhang Yan have never existed, he is just an official (Son of Heaven) who is dedicated to the public and the country, and the girl he faces is simply the people who proposed the new military system.

"It's just that I thought, after all, that you were the one who first proposed the conscription system, and maybe there was something special about it outside of these statutes. You might as well bring it up, if you can improve one or two, it is also a good thing. ”

Zhang Yan also got serious, leaned forward slightly, and groaned, "Have you ever considered that there is a thing in the world called potential?" ”

"All systems have a certain adaptability and life cycle. Conscription is a military system inherited from the Warring States period. At that time, the world was divided, taking the Qin State as an example, the land was not more than a place in the pass, if there was a foreign invasion, the King of Qin issued a military order, and the old Qin people carried dry food on their backs, and from the westernmost place of the country, it only took one day to rush to Hangu Pass. Now that the Han Dynasty is unified, the land is three or five times larger than before? Whether the people are "soldiers" or "guards", the cost spent on defending is more than ten times that of the past. From this point of view alone, the change in the conscription system is an inevitable trend. When she said these words, her eyes were bright, and she radiated a confident light, brighter than the brightest stars in the moonlit night.

——5,204 words, revised on May 5, 2011