Jinan Mansion, Huashan East Village.

On this day, on the notice board at the entrance of Huashan East Village, several officials who came down from Fucheng came to the village early in the morning, which immediately attracted a large number of villagers such as Lizheng in the village and Lao Li to come and watch.

Everyone saw a few officials posting a notice on the billboard, which was an announcement that the imperial court had begun to implement the compulsory military system.

Most of the villagers in Huashan East Village were illiterate, but fortunately, Li Zheng still knew him, so he volunteered to read it to the villagers.

After reading it to Lizheng, Lao Li and the onlookers were in an uproar.

"What? The imperial court wants to recruit men between the ages of fifteen and fifty as soldiers, and practice during the agricultural slack season every year? ”

"During the three-month training period every year, the imperial court still has to issue money and food subsidies? I really didn't expect that there would be such a good thing! ”

Listening to the contents of the announcement, the surrounding onlookers let out a burst of exclamations from time to time.

"The imperial court also stipulates that as long as the soldiers of the prefectures and counties in various places are excellent, they can be promoted to the garrison army and the national defense army? I heard that the military salary of the garrison is very good, and the national defense army is even better. ”

"It's a bit of an exaggeration to ascend to the sky in one step, don't you hear clearly, whether it is the garrison or the national defense force, there is only a two-year period, and you will retire as soon as the deadline is up."

"That's not bad, not only can you earn two years of good military salary, but you don't have to worry about not being at home all year round, the best of both worlds!"

"Yes, and now the Wehrmacht has not yet implemented a two-year period, saying that the world is undecided, and the same is true for the garrisons stationed in various places. Now the source of troops stationed in various parts of the imperial court and the national defense army is temporarily directly selected from the soldiers of various prefectures and counties, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! ”

Several onlookers were amazed, and they were all a little tempted to hear that there were so many salaries for conscription.

Immediately, someone asked the officials, "Then if we want to join the army, how can we apply?" ”

A leading official pointed to the announcement and said: "The imperial court has already written: after the first lunar fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year, the officials of the imperial court and the Ministry of Defense stationed in various prefectures and counties will begin to recruit soldiers, and those officials who are subordinate to the recruitment department of the Ministry of National Defense are all proficient, and they will first register all the men of appropriate age in various prefectures and counties, and then conduct drills when the farmers are slack, and then report those with excellent training results to the Ministry of National Defense for selection and employment in the garrison and national defense forces. ”

"I see!!"

After listening to this, many villagers were muttering: "I don't know if the imperial court will recruit soldiers and horses for the national defense army and garrison forces this year!" ”

Everyone gathered for a long time, and then they all dispersed excitedly, and Lao Li returned home, and he and his two sons were within the appropriate age range for conscription, but at this time there was a little drumming in his heart.

After all, his eldest son died on the battlefield, and Lao Li was worried that his father and son had participated in the training of the prefecture and county soldiers, and once they were selected by the imperial court to the garrison or the national defense army, they would also be born on the battlefield, and the good life would come to an end.

At this time, the second son Li Fugui and the third son Li Xile walked into the house with a smile and a smile, and when they saw Lao Li, the two excitedly discussed the notice at the entrance of the village.

"Father, if the three of us can enter the garrison to serve, it will only take two years, and the military salary we will get will be higher than the income from farming for several years, this is a good opportunity to make a fortune."

The second son Li Fugui said excitedly, and Li Xile on the side also said: "In this way, the imperial court will start to register after the fifteenth day of the first month next year, and it will start practicing after the agricultural slack. ”

Seeing that the discussion between the two of them was in full swing, Lao Li's face was ugly, he slapped the table suddenly, and said angrily: "You know the silver, you don't want to think about it, how did your eldest brother die, and now you still want to join the army, that battlefield is fun, and you don't know if you don't know the sword and gun!" No matter how much he earns military salary, he doesn't farm at home! ”

After speaking, Lao Li went out angrily, leaving only the brothers Li Fugui and Li Xile who looked at each other.

Jinan City Governor Yamen.

Since the official document of the Ministry of National Defense was sent to the capital of Jinan, Governor Yan Jizu began to be busy.

"In all provinces of Shandong, all men between the ages of 15 and 50 are registered separately. We must count all the situation of these people so that we can use them for future recruitment!! ”

"Next year's conscription is the first conscription for the implementation of the compulsory military system, and it must be done well, and it must not disgrace the imperial court!"

Yan Jizu's voice continued to echo in the public room, and a group of more than a dozen subordinates flipped through the files on the shelves without raising their heads, these were the household files that Yan Jizu ordered to be submitted by various prefectures and counties in Shandong.

At this time, a subordinate official asked: "Lord Futai, now it seems that there are a large number of school-age men in all parts of my Shandong, and the amount of training expenses for three months is huge. ”

Another subordinate official also asked: "Lord Futai, this amount must be prepared in advance, otherwise there will be trouble!" At present, with the situation in Shandong, it is still very difficult to come up with this money and grain. ”

Yan Jizu frowned slightly, and said: "I mean to deal with this matter first, and then report this matter to the imperial court." ”

Everyone sighed when they heard this, once this kind of thing is paid in advance, where can they get the money back?

However, at present, the reform of the conscription system is imminent, and the imperial cabinet has also set a time limit for preparation, and everyone has no other good way to solve this matter, so it has to be done temporarily.

At this moment, Zu Yonghai, the general of the Fubiao battalion, strode in, and at a glance saw Yan Jizu, who was very busy, and said with a smile: "Lord Futai, there are good things, great things!" ”

Yan Jizu looked at Zu Yonghai in slight surprise and asked, "What's the good thing??" ”

Zu Yonghai held an official document in his hand, and said with a smile: "Lord Qiqi Futai, this is the official document of the imperial court that I just received, please take a look." ”

Yan Jizu hurriedly opened it and looked at it for a while, and then said with a smile: "This is an official document issued by the Ministry of Finance of the imperial court, and all the money and food needed for the implementation of the compulsory military system this time are allocated by the imperial court. All localities will first report the required money and grain to the Ministry of Finance, and after verification, the Ministry of Finance will allocate money and grain to pay! ”

Then Yan Jizu smiled and said to his subordinates: "In this way, we will no longer have any worries, and you can also work with peace of mind." ”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and then their affairs were handled more smoothly.

More than ten days later, Yan Jizu sent a fast horse to report the compiled pre-conscription roster of Shandong Prefecture soldiers to the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance. At the same time, the provinces of the Ming Dynasty also successively reported the statistical rosters to the imperial court, and for a time the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance also began to be busy, and even Tian Huixu and Yue Ming, the two Shangshu, were busy working day and night, eating and living in the official office almost every day.

And all parts of Daming are also in a boil, and ordinary people are rejoicing that they can increase their income for three months a year.

In Beijing, Liu Yan once again convened Tian Huixu, the secretary of the Ministry of National Defense, Xun Jingyun, the secretary of the Ministry of Equipment, Yue Ming, the secretary of the Ministry of Finance, and Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the General Staff.

At this time, the pre-conscription rosters of prefectures and counties reported by the provinces of Daming have been reported in place, and the Conscription Department of the Ministry of National Defense has summarized these rosters, and Tian Huixu has also reported to Liu Yan.

"Ge Lao, the specific situation is like this, at present, the number of people who have been reported from all over the Ming Dynasty to come to the East to pre-enlist is about 30.88 million people!!"

When Liu Yan heard this number, his heart was also strongly shocked.

In fact, later scholars generally believe that the population during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty was between 110 million and 150 million, and even some scholars believe that the population of hidden households in the late Ming Dynasty was huge, and the real population should be more than 200 million.

After this almost a census clean-up, the number of men between the ages of fifteen and fifty in the Ming Dynasty is more than 30 million, and the real population of the Ming Dynasty at this time should be between 120 million and 130 million.

In history, after the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the customs and occupied China, after research, there were only more than 60 million people left in the land of China, and the tragic death under the Manchu butcher's knife and the population under the killing of thieves was as high as 60 or 70 million, which shows how brutal and inhumane the thieves and the Manchu Qing are!

Getting back to the point, Liu Yan knew in his heart that there must still be a lot of water in this number, at least with the current dominance of the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible to count all the men of the right age without a single person.

Even in the new China with developed communication technology in later generations, the census was also based on spot checks, and then used mathematical models to estimate, and it was not possible to achieve "no one is bad", let alone the Ming Empire at this time.

However, the figures reported by the Ministry of National Defense are also the most accurate population information in this era, and Liu Yan is still very satisfied.

Immediately, Liu Yan said to several people: "Next, on the basis of this list, the Ministry of National Defense will make overall plans for next year's military drills in prefectures and counties." ”

"Yes."

"After the provincial and county soldiers of the provinces, prefectures, and counties begin training, the necessary equipment required will be provided and allocated by the equipment department."

"Yes."

"The Ministry of Finance must prepare in advance the money and food needed by the soldiers of the prefectures and counties, and the expenditure of more than 30 million men, including the daily rations, needs to prepare at least 600 to 7 million taels of silver, which cannot be supported by the financial resources of various localities, so the Ministry of Finance must distribute this batch of money and grain in place in advance."

Yue Ming said: "Rest assured, with the current financial resources of the imperial court, the annual increase in expenditure of six or seven million silver coins can still be supported, and the subordinates have already ordered people to formulate plans and begin to gradually allocate money and grain." ”

"Well, that's good."

In the end, Liu Yan said to Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the General Staff: "The coordination of various departments, as well as the coordination with the provinces, Chen Shangshu will work harder, next year's military drill in the prefecture and county is a major event, and there must be no mistakes!" ”

Chen Xinjia immediately received the order, and naturally did not dare to slack off.

After dealing with these affairs, Liu Yan looked at Xun Jingyun, the secretary of the Equipment Department, and asked, "How are the military bases deployed in various places at present?" ”

At present, in order to meet the needs of the reform of the Ming army, Liu Yan ordered Lingshanwei to be built into a military base of the Ming Dynasty, and at the same time built new military bases in the north and south of Zhili, as well as in various provinces.

Xun Jingyun said: "Rest assured, the Ministry of Equipment has begun to deploy throughout the country, and the construction of military bases in various places is also in full swing. At present, the Firearms Supervision Department and the Armor Supervision Department have been upgraded to special agencies of the Ministry of Armament to manage the military bases given by the country, and Tan Xiaoda and Xu Le have also been promoted to the squires of the Ministry of Equipment. ”

Liu Yan let out a sigh of relief and said, "That's fine." ”

Xun Jingyun continued: "It's just that at present, although the preparation of military bases in various places is going smoothly, the required iron, coal and other resources are beginning to be in short supply, and the imperial court should make plans as soon as possible." ”