Spring is coming, the earth is decorated with green, wildflowers are beginning to bloom, and goshawks are flying in the sky.

After Shengzhou, Du Zhongxiao set up a banquet under the big poplar tree in the courtyard to see off Yao Shouxin, Shisanlang and Dou Shunqing, and Bao Zheng, the transport envoy, and Li Fugui, the grain and grass officer, Liu Ji and Zhang Zuo.

Everyone sat down, and Du Zhongxiao said: "Winter can be regarded as over, and spring is coming, and people are much refreshed." Today, for a few people to see them off, the table is a little simpler, no wonder. You have returned to the capital, and you have what you want to eat. Even if there is nothing in the capital, just like this ice fish, you can ask someone to bring it back. ”

Dou Shunqing said: "We have been handsome for several years, how can we care about this?" In the future, if you have something to do, you can tell us. ”

Liu Jidao: "Sent by the court, I have to go." We have been training together for four or five years, and once separated, we were really reluctant. But officialdom is like this, the eunuchs are outside, gathering and scattering, and they can't help themselves. ”

Dou Shunqing said: "Military master, the army is actually different from Huan Hai. As long as it's not a military job to a military position, many decades together. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "That was before, and it will be difficult to look like that again in the future." What are you going to do when you go back to Beijing? It is necessary to change the forbidden army. The forbidden army has changed, and of course the previous rules must also be changed. Generals will change to officers in the future. What is Officer? It's just being an officer in the army. Officials are different from generals, one is that officers are liuguan officers, have a term of office, and leave office when they expire. Second, officers should be avoided, because in the past, fathers and sons were in the same army, brothers were in the same army, and all kinds of relatives had to be avoided. ”

Speaking of this, Du Zhongxiao sighed: "I have already written to the imperial court, since the whole army wants to change, it will be changed from Hequ Road." Officers serve a five-year term like a military position, and when you change officials, you are almost in office. The utility can be extended, and it can be used for several terms in total, and it will be discussed later. The term of military service is five years, and after the expiration of the term, those who surrender and pass the certificate will be converted into utility, otherwise they will be released to the township. In the past, joining the army was a lifelong soldier with an iron battalion of flowing water, but in the future, it was the other way around, a battalion of iron and a soldier with flowing water. ”

Liu Ji was stunned: "Jingluo, is this appropriate?" It is not easy to train a soldier, several years of raising soldiers, several major battles, before becoming an elite soldier, and returning to the countryside in five years, how can the imperial court be like this? Besides, once the soldiers are released to the place, once they gather."

Du Zhongxiao said: "War master, don't you have confidence in your own soldiers?" The soldiers we have trained in this way are the most law-abiding and discipline-abiding. Why is it necessary to be released in five years? After five years in the army, there are countless opportunities, and they cannot become utility and officers, which shows that they are indeed not suitable for life in the army, so why force them to stay? There is nothing difficult in training a soldier, everything is regulated now, and half a year is almost there. Half a year of military training, and four and a half years of military use by the imperial court, is enough. Just as a military academy produces new officers every year to ensure that the old is eliminated and the new is accepted, the same is true for soldiers. Later, the conscription was changed to conscription, which saved many incidents. ”

Du Zhongxiao said this matter clearly, but pointed out the general direction. The imperial court has already issued a decree and agreed to Du Zhongxiao's proposal to return to his hometown for soldiers who are unwilling to serve in the army, which Du Zhongxiao mentioned when Han Qi was there, which was a promise to his subordinates. The imperial court agreed to this matter, saying that the reform of the conscription system into a conscription system had been approved by the emperor and was about to be implemented.

Saying that veterans have combat effectiveness, not letting them get rid of the vote, and preferring the court to raise them for a lifetime, is just an excuse. How can a veteran have combat effectiveness? It's not always in a life-and-death battle, and veterans are more likely to become soldiers. has been in a bitter war, how many years can the so-called veteran live in the army? Five years will either be promoted to an officer or die in battle. Five years of life in the army, which is long enough, is not effective or an officer, indicating that it is not suitable for the army.

The most important reason for the professionalization of the forbidden army and the box army was that the imperial power wanted to control the armed forces of the imperial court. The army as a whole was separated from the society under the rule of Zhongshu. The civil and military system ensures the stability of the imperial power. At the beginning of the founding of the country, the emperor and the military power were one, and the civilian system of the regime was more like a part-time worker. Taizong was defeated by the Khitan, the status of civilian officials rose, the relative status of military power and political power changed, and the army became more and more like a part-time worker, becoming an actual mercenary, the so-called army raising.

There are two public reasons for letting soldiers serve for life. One is that soldiers will only fight in the army, and they will not be able to make a living after being released. The other is related to this, if they have no way to make a living, they are easy to gather rebellions, and they have military knowledge, which has become a destabilizing factor in the world. These two reasons are very far-fetched, under the conscription system, they already have their own occupations, except for the soldiers, they go back to their own jobs. As for military knowledge, it is even less important, without organizational skills, the so-called military knowledge of the soldiers is useless. Not to mention that they don't have access to weapons, they don't have organizations, and if they have weapons, they are no match for the regular army.

Under the new military system, the emperor's control over military power has changed, and the lifelong system of recruiting soldiers has come to an end. The Privy Council and the marshals use troops, and the three yamen manage the army, which is actually a variant of the separation of military administration and military orders, Chinese tradition, and tiger charm. With the exception of the Privy Council and the Commanders, the armies under the control of the three government could not be organized into an effective army, and the two held each other back. In addition to the bureaucratic system, the military power is no longer controlled by people, but through administrative power and financial power, the status of personnel power has declined, and all changes are logical.

This is a specialized variant of China's traditional military system and technological development, and Zhao Zhen can understand it at a glance in combination with history. After the Han Dynasty, technology was limited, and as long as the soldiers had weapons, armor, and horses, they organized themselves into an army, breaking through the control of the army by the regime through administrative power and financial power. Under the new technical conditions, military personnel who have firearms cannot organize themselves into a large-scale army, and they must combine specialized arms and specialized personnel in order to truly have combat capability. At this time, just like the two Han Dynasty against the county soldiers, the reason for collecting their weapons in peacetime is almost the same.

The Sanya is a special military yamen, responsible for the daily training and management of the army, and the command, intelligence, organization, finance, logistics, and strategy of the army are all in the Privy Council. Bureaucratization of day-to-day training and management, professionalization of wartime command.

Since Zhenzong, the emperor is no longer the commander-in-chief of the three armies in the sense of later generations, and there is no general staff in the sense of later generations. The role of the Privy Council, in fact, corresponds to the previous generals and ministers, and officials must have both civil and military skills. All kinds of schools, exams, etc., are prepared for this. In later generations, the General Staff became the protagonist of the military organization, corresponding to the fact that there was a commander-in-chief of the three armed services at the level of head of state, otherwise it would be the separation of military and political and military orders. Officials who have both military academy and jinshi status may become the mainstream of the Privy Council status in the future.

Du Zhongxiao's book of 10,000 words suggests that the Tuogu system should be reformed and that it should move closer to the military system of the two Han Dynasty under the new technical conditions. There is no way, China's history is too old, and almost any kind of system can find its shadow in the previous dynasty. Zhao Zhen agreed to change the recruitment to conscription, indicating that he had chosen this path.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Thirteen Lang said: "I have been by Jinglue's side since Bozhou for many years. I don't know when I'll see you again. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "There will be a day when we will meet in the future." It's a good thing to go back to Beijing this time, and in the capital, you don't have to fight for life and death. All the creations are at your fingertips. Not to mention that teaching is better than fighting, the emperor knows some connections around him. ”

Speaking of this, Du Zhongxiao said: "You have to use a lot of skilled hands when you return to Beijing this time. Before leaving, I want to transfer some people back, so I ask them what they think. If you are willing, it will be much more convenient for you to transfer people in the capital. ”

Yao Shouxin said: "Jinglu, we have transferred all the people away, what should you do here?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "You can't transfer all the people away." As long as you leave the seeds, you can start all over again. Why, do you think I can't train such an army again? ”

Thirteen Lang laughed when he heard this: "We people can train to become a strong army, what else can't be done!" ”

Du Zhongxiao nodded and drank with everyone. It is inevitable to transfer people from the meandering road, otherwise who will be used as instructors in the school. People will definitely be transferred, so it is better to bring it up yourself and send a signal of goodwill to the court. Those who are transferred to Beijing will have a better future and leave a good impression on them. As for keeping people to preserve their strength, there is no need at all. If this army can be trained, Du Zhongxiao will be able to train the second one. With the previous experience, the process will be much easier.

All the logistics and materials of the battalion and the army come from the mainland, there is no independence, what kind of self-respect for the army, Du Zhongxiao's mind is very sober. With the experience of Hequ Road, the incense of these officers and soldiers is always there, and it will be good for them in the future.

Entering a new era, the iron-clad battalion and flowing soldiers are different from before. The era of relying on personal connections to control military power and strength to speak is over. This trend was originally started by Du Zhongxiao, of course, he will not go against the trend.

With such reforms and the establishment of new armies, the Central Plains will have a sustained military advantage over the surrounding areas. The comparison of military strength has become a comparison of national strength, and military strength directly represents national strength. If you only rely on muskets and artillery, and the rest is the same, after a few years the Khitan party has learned, and then presses the Song army to fight, it will be funny.

For Du Zhongxiao, the more generals on Hequ Road are transferred out, the better, and they will always remember this old friendship. This is an important asset, both for yourself and for your family. If you have selfish thoughts and want them to become your own personal circle, you will not succeed at all, and you will harm them and yourself.

A large number of Hequlu generals went out, and their old subordinates were all over the world, and they were the military pillars of the imperial court in the future. Train a strong army again, have more friendship, and also prove your ability. It's not that these people have good qualifications, but that they practice well.

In the era of firearms, not only the grain and grass were controlled by the imperial court, but even the logistics and military supplies were also in the hands of the imperial court. Unless you start as a warlord at the beginning, it will be difficult to become a warlord in the era of world unification.