This is actually a fixed military budget, so that the Privy Council and the Sanya have their own independent financial capacity, and at the same time reduce the trouble of the Chinese book. At present, military spending is very complicated, and it belongs to several yamen. The usual Yulu belongs to the three ya. The amount was set every month, and the generals and soldiers went to the grain yard to collect it, during which there were countless disputes. Whether the grain is millet or rice, or wheat and white flour, it varies from month to month. There is also a discount on the money issued, how much of the discount is exchanged for other goods, the price of these goods, and countless disputes. Most of the holiday rewards came from the emperor from the inner treasury. The name is a reward, but in fact it is already fixed.

If it becomes a military expenditure, it is transferred by year and month, and the Privy Council and the three officials are responsible, so there is a lot less trouble.

After listening to Du Zhongxiao's words, several ministers talked about it. Some are in favor, and now the unified issuance of banknotes throughout the country has a basis for doing so. Some objected, believing that by directly allocating money to the Privy Council and the Sanya, the Zhongshu would have fewer means to restrain the army, and the army's independence would be stronger.

Du Zhongxiao said: "In the future, the affairs of the army, especially the affairs of the forbidden army, will be under the management of the Privy Council and the three yamen, and the rest of the yamen, including local officials, cannot interfere too much." The forbidden army is the most important weapon of the country, mainly fighting foreign wars, and naturally there are many differences. ”

Wang Yaochen said: "If there is chaos in the country, what should we do? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Generally speaking, there is chaos in the country, which should be solved by the Xiang army. The chaos was too big, and the Xiang army could not solve it, so the Privy Council sent the forbidden army to quell the chaos. Once the forbidden army is dispatched, it will be a battle between friend and foe, which is different. ”

Wen Yanbo shook his head: "How can this be done?" Just like the rebellion of the king of Enzhou a few years ago, how can it be pacified without using the forbidden army? Delays are bound to change over time, making them more difficult to deal with. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Xianggong, it seems like the rebellion of Wang Ze, which only happens once in many years." If it happens, it will be written to the Privy Council. If the military system was reformed, many of the armies that participated in the war at that time should have been in the box army sequence. In the future, the forbidden army will be dedicated to foreign warfare, which will be very different from the box army. It's not the soldiers who are bad, it's all aspects. ”

Wen Yanbo said: "After all, they are all troops, how bad can they be?" Just like a few years ago, all the way to Shaanxi, more archers are used, is it not the same? ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "But it's different." Among the forbidden army, there will be more artillery and more cavalry, all of which are valuable troops. The box army is mainly infantry, mainly to defend against thieves in the country. Without artillery and cavalry, the combat power is very different. ”

Speaking of which, the ministers immediately remembered that the current army is very different from what it used to be. Artillery, in particular, plays a prominent role in the army, there is a big difference between having it and not having it. The success of this attack on the party was related to the disadvantage of the party's artillery. The Xiang army has no artillery, and it is vulnerable in front of the forbidden army, which is completely different from before.

Zhao Zhen said: "The intention of the Tai Lieutenant, now the world is unified, and the forbidden army will be dedicated to the outside in the future, and the internal will be responsible for the box soldiers." There may be inconveniences in the meantime, so let's discuss it slowly in the future, so let's settle it like this for now. Tai Lieutenant, in addition to the Privy Council and the Three Ya, how is the forbidden army organized? How many people? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Based on the experience of leading troops over the years, the establishment of the army is based on command, and once you command four or five hundred people, the establishment is too small. In wartime, regrouping often cannot cope with large-scale warfare. The establishment of the forbidden army must be based on the basic principle of war and conform to the laws of war. According to experience, 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers and horses are appropriate, and this number is the largest number in the army. ”

Wen Yanbo said: "Thirty or fifty thousand people, one is the handsome, and the captain doesn't remember the disaster of the Tang Dynasty's feudal towns?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "What the minister said is that the first thing to do in such an organization is not to become a feudal town. The so-called military power is nothing more than three things, one is the right to command, the other is the right to personnel, and the other is the power of finance. It is composed of generals in the army, sub-commanders and general officers, and the commanders are arranged separately. In principle, the order of commanders is attributed to the Privy Council, and the officers of the Privy Council are attributed to the Sanya. However, this still has to be divided into levels, and the most basic establishment still depends on the management of the military. ”

When these words came out, Wen Yanbo thought for a while and said, "To do this, it still depends on whether the commander can suppress the general officer." If the commander covers the sky with one hand in the army, he can still ensure that he will not be self-contained and will not obey the military orders of the imperial court. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The new military system requires commanders not to cover the sky with one hand in the army. For all the general affairs in the army, the three yamen have a special yamen management, and the general affairs officers in the army are also subordinate to them. Without personnel and financial power, the commander can only do what he wants, nothing more than that. ”

In fact, of course, things will not be so simple, and the power depends on who is the general. The feudal towns of the Tang Dynasty were not like that at the beginning, they developed step by step. The system is preventive, but when the unexpected comes, these preventive measures are completely ineffective, who has the means? Du Zhongxiao can only say that in order to change the problem that the forbidden army cannot fight a big battle, it is necessary to increase the number of troops. The small establishment will fail when it comes time to fight a big battle, and it will be difficult to bring full combat power into play. The formation diagram of the middle emperor and the battle is suitable for the small establishment and is not suitable for the actual needs.

Wen Yanbo thought about it, but still shook his head: "This matter is not small, it depends on the new military system of the lieutenant to be able to make a conclusion." ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "What the minister said is that the specifics depend on the authority of the Sanya and the Privy Council. Only when the two can play their roles can they limit the local generals. However, in order to defend the town, there is another one, that is, to use rogue officials in the army. That's what I just meant when I talked about the smallest establishment. Officials above this minimum establishment must all be rogue officials. If there is a term of office, it is generally not allowed to be re-elected, and it will be transferred to other armies when it expires. ”

Han Qi said: "Is it like a magistrate?" When the term of office is up, don't transfer to another place. ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Yes, just like a magistrate." Judging from the previous situation of leading troops on the Hequ Road, according to the military system of the Hequ Road, it is more appropriate to set this basic establishment as a battalion. There are more than 1,000 people in a battalion, and the commander is appointed for three or five years, and he will be transferred to other armies at the end of the term. Generals below the command level may be transferred to their own army, and commanders above the command level must be transferred to other armies. ”

Wen Yanbo nodded: "So, I want it." If the generals are low-level officials, it will be difficult to win over the soldiers and turn the soldiers into private ones. It's just that I am transferred back and forth so frequently, and I am afraid that I will send troops without knowing the general. It is difficult to achieve this if the top and bottom want the same thing, and the soldiers do not know the generals. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Therefore, there must be more generals in the army to manage all kinds of general affairs." Commanders don't have to pay attention to general affairs, as long as they focus on commanding and sharing their desires with their soldiers, it is much easier. ”

Wen Yanbo nodded and didn't say anything more. In fact, in the army now, officials above the command level are also transferred from place to place. There are very few people who can lead troops in one place for several years, or even more than ten years. It's just that it's not institutionalized, and it's more about artificial transfers. Du Zhongxiao's reform was to institutionalize the tenure of office of various posts, completely reduce the number of generals to officials, and completely change the feudal traditions in the army.

Zhang Sheng said: "Most of the lieutenant generals and colonels live together with their families. If a low-level general is a low-ranking official, it is difficult for his family to live together, and it is inconvenient for many people. And if low-ranking generals are allowed to bring their families, it will be chaotic. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Yes, it is true. Therefore, the low-ranking generals in the army have a term of office. The more humble the official position, the shorter the tenure. That is to say, if you can't be promoted in the army, you will be discharged from the army early and the family will be reunited. ”

Zhao Zhen said: "In this way, after the military reform, not only are the sergeants and soldiers no longer a soldier, but even the low-level generals are no longer the same?" ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Back to Your Majesty, that's exactly the case." In order for the army to remain vibrant, it must be able to enter and exit. If you enter the barracks, you will have to be a soldier for the rest of your life, and for many people, being a soldier will become a mess. Moreover, it is also a good thing for the generals to let them find a way out as soon as possible, so that they do not have to sink into the army. At present, many generals are in the army for their duties and uprightness, and they are not allowed to move for decades, which is really useless. ”

The forbidden army of the Song Dynasty used to be a lifelong system, and soldiers had to be soldiers for life, not to mention generals. Due to the large number of monks and the lack of porridge, many generals often sink into low-level positions for decades, and they cannot even move every five years. Just like Yang Wenguang, before making military contributions, he did more than 20 years of straight. If it weren't for the fact that the brothers were all in favor and didn't need him to support them, it would be difficult for life to go on.

Wen Yanbo said: "Since he is a general, he is an official, even if he is dismissed, he can't be ignored by the court." ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Xianggong is right, the imperial court should have official positions for these people." Under the new military system, generals need to be literate and able to manage basically, and they can also be competent for other positions. Now in addition to the former officials, the imperial court also has factories and field affairs, and can arrange for decommissioned generals to serve in it. Low-level officials, and it doesn't cost much food. ”

How to arrange the withdrawal mechanism of the army is a big issue. For a moment, all the people didn't speak, they were thinking.

The treatment in the army is not good, and the money may not be obtained, and many people are unwilling to stay in the army. In the past few years, soldiers have fled every year, thousands or even more than 10,000 a year. If the imperial court doesn't care, it won't be many years before the forbidden army will be left with a virtual establishment. But the problem is that the more capable people are, the more they flee, not in the army, they can also live a good life elsewhere. And the more old, weak, sick and disabled, and so on, the more they stay in the army. Not to mention those who have been in the army for generations, their relationships are intertwined, and they hold power at this time.

The soldiers fled to the court and were worried, and the court was also worried about letting the army withdraw normally. The soldiers said that it was not a big burden that the local government could not give preferential treatment in terms of taxation and forced labor. The generals are different, they are no longer soldiers, and the court must also raise them. The number is too large and overwhelming.

After discussing for a while, everyone had their own opinions, and it was difficult to unify them. Zhao Zhen said: "This matter involves a thousand things, and it is difficult to explain clearly for a while. When he returned, he discussed carefully with the officials of the Privy Council, and compiled a constitution for the ministers to discuss before it could be implemented. ”