Originally, Emperor Chongzhen thought that it would be easy to pay as much as he lacked. Unexpectedly, in the end, it was the head of the household department Bi Ziyan and the head of the military department Shen Yongmao who fought the imperial lawsuit for this, which made him realize that the matter here was very complicated.

At the beginning of the matter, it was the military department Shangshu Shen who used Mao Shangben to impeach the household department Shangshu Bi for strictly deducting military salaries and not paying the arrears according to the book. When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he was furious, and he was able to repay such a thing, and immediately sent a decree to the head of the household department to meet him.

Bi Ziyan had actually been mentally prepared for a long time, and as soon as he saw Emperor Chongzhen, he immediately impeached the military department Shangshu and said: "Your Majesty, the military yellow book stored by the military department is only verified during the Apocalypse, and now there are frequent wars, and there are many dead and wounded soldiers. If the military salary is still repaid according to the military yellow book, the minister will impeach the military department Shangshu with the intention of eating empty salary! ”

"Your Majesty, the minister also impeached the head of the household department Shangshu to deduct military salaries!" Shen Yongmao also followed,-for-tat, not giving in at all.

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he knew that he wanted to be simple. He didn't make up his mind right away, but after frowning and thinking for a while, he said to Shen Yongmao: "Shen Qing, Bi Qing sounds reasonable. Of course, I don't believe that Shen Qing will eat empty salary, can you explain one or two reasons for this? ”

In fact, there must be such a thing as empty salary. Emperor Chongzhen also knew this, but he really didn't believe it, the military department Shangshu dared to come to eat empty salaries, and that was too bold.

Shen Yongmao listened, bowed gratefully, and then straightened up and played: "Your Majesty, I have a vast place in the Ming Dynasty, and there are many soldiers who reach millions of dollars. It is impossible to make the Yellow Book the same as it actually is. Traditionally, it has been based on the military yellow book as a certificate. Now, if a nationwide inspection of the Qing army is carried out again, after the number is reported, the minister estimates that there is no silver left in the household department! ”

After he finished speaking, he was a little puzzled. It is said that Bi Ziyan, who he knew, would not have been so uncooperative before. The court said that it would be paid, and the military department went to receive it. It's just that I don't know why Bi Ziyan is so careful this time.

Emperor Chongzhen understood what he meant, and felt a little speechless. This Shen Yongmao saw that the household department now had money, so he hurriedly asked for it, but he was afraid that he would not be able to get the money in the future.

Thinking of this, he looked at Bi Ziyan with his eyes, and he hadn't thought about what to say. But he was misunderstood by Bi Ziyan, and saw him immediately play solemnly: "Your Majesty, this reason is very ridiculous! The ministers are in charge of the household department, and they should also be responsible for the treasury and do their duty for Your Majesty! ”

Others may not be able to understand his insistence, but in fact, he is fed up with the suffering of the household department without money. Think about it, this one asked him for money, but he didn't have any money; The one asked him for money, and he didn't have any money; He wants to do this, but he has no money, and he wants to do that, but he still has no money.

After becoming the head of the household department, the lack of money even became his nightmare. His own brother, the governor of Liaodong, Bi Zisu, finally gave up his life because he had no money. If there is anyone in the Ming Dynasty who is most afraid of hearing the word money, I am afraid that it is not the Ming Emperor, but the Hubu Shangshu.

Now, the household department finally has money. Bi Ziyan is poor and afraid, so he naturally cherishes the money in his hands now. Whoever wants to take the money out of his hand, he has to weigh it carefully.

If it were the previous one, the household department would have no money anyway, and your military department would come over with an official document and say how much salary you still owe. He just has an attitude, whatever you want, I don't have any money anyway. But now it's different, if you come over with an official letter, he knows that there will definitely be money in vain, so he won't do it.

Emperor Chongzhen listened to Bi Ziyan's answer, felt that he was reasonable, and nodded, and then looked at the military department.

When Shen Yongmao saw it, it seemed that the emperor was moved by the Hubu Shangshu, so he was anxious, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, if the Qing army is involved at this time, involving the Metropolitan Procuratorate and local officials at all levels, don't say how much time it will take to have a result, just the final submission of the military yellow book after the Qing army is not necessarily conclusive!" Anyway, it's not allowed sooner or later, so it's better to make up part of the arrears first! ”

He knew that the emperor was very concerned about the matter of arrears, and at the court meeting at the end of last year, he even emphasized the harm of arrears. In addition, I am afraid that the silver of the household department will run out, and I will speak with a bit of a scoundrel!

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he was a little confused. After all, Emperor Chongzhen in this life suddenly became an emperor from a vassal king, and it is naturally impossible to understand the military system and Qing army, and it is even more impossible for him to know about it in later generations. Therefore, he does not understand, how many twists and turns are there?

Without understanding the situation, he would not be able to make a correct decision. In desperation, he had no choice but to let the two Shangshu go back and wait for him to make up his homework.

It then took Emperor Chongzhen a whole day to understand the inside story. Speaking of which, it is the pot left by the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

It is a bit long to say, but to make a long story short, Zhu Yuanzhang is based on the lesson that the government recruited more soldiers in the Tang Dynasty and was used by the generals, resulting in armed secession and posing a threat to the central government, he followed the example of the Yuan Dynasty to implement the hereditary military household to avoid the worry of separating the feudal towns.

But after this came, the hereditary military families began to flee from the beginning of the country. There are four main reasons for this.

First, the well-known low status of military households, which is mainly manifested in the fact that military households must have more than five Ding to serve as officials. However, even if the household is only two dings, as long as it is literate, it can be filled; In addition, personal freedom is also restricted, and it is not allowed to live in a house, it is not allowed to enter the house casually, it is not allowed to learn to sing, it is not allowed to play chess, it is not allowed to do business, and it is not allowed to marry casually, etc. If it is a crime, it is a crime that is one more degree higher than that of a household.

Second, military households are heavily enforced and overburdened. In each military household, one person should be a regular soldier, and another person should be sent to follow as a surplus soldier, that is, the kind that fights, and if the regular soldier is gone, he will make up for it. In addition, it is necessary to prepare another step-ding, which is also a lay-up to provide for the daily life of the regular soldiers and serve as a substitute. This means that at least 3 strong men in a family are useless.

Although military households have preferential exemptions in terms of assignment and service, only some "miscellaneous and general service" are really exempted. For example, the errand service of the name of Lijia and Junzi cannot be reduced, and they must also bear the same errand as the Minding.

Third, the basic living conditions of the regular army and the remnants of the army were not guaranteed. Although the main army and Yu Ding are in the camp, they have six buckets of monthly rations. However, wives and children need to make ends meet, and the monthly rations are often insufficient because of military officers' deductions, or because they are not paid, or because they are paid in arrears, or because they are paid in silver.

Fourth, non-commissioned officers are not allowed to join the army in their own hometowns, but are more prosperous in the north and south, and they are prepared to suffer from being unaccustomed to the water and soil, and there are many dead people.

Such a bitter thing, escape is inevitable, which is why the Ming army can not always be full. It can be said that the matter of empty salaries naturally arises.

Of course, in the era of Zhu Yuanzhang, this situation was recognized and measures were taken, which was the Qing army.