The sun gradually climbed higher, and sprinkled the heat on the earth.

The moat was cut off, and the head of the city was devoid of water.

The fully armored man stood at the head of the city for a moment, and his forehead began to sweat.

Yao Pingzhong couldn't help but say: "The time is almost over, why haven't the Xixia people come yet?" ”

Liu Qi was puzzled: "Could it be that an old general led his troops into Western Xia?" ”

Han Shizhong said with a smile: "It has been five days since we set off from the Zhenrong army, and the day before yesterday at the latest, the army behind should have entered Western Xia." Maybe now that the sand has been laid, the soldiers and horses outside the city should also know the news. ”

Liu Qi hurriedly said: "There are only tens of thousands of Western Xia soldiers and horses outside the city, if you learn that our army is coming, I'm afraid you will retreat, right?" ”

Chao Yong said with a smile: "Even if the Western Xia people withdraw, they will not be tied, and the 200,000 soldiers and horses of Renzhong do not know where they have gone." ”

Liu Qi was still thinking about his viscount, and arched his hand: "Why don't you let the last general go to investigate and investigate the Western Xia people." ”

Han Shizhong and Yao Pingzhong also clasped their fists and said, "I'm willing to go too." ”

The three of them take care of each other every day and have formed a deep friendship.

Chao Yong nodded and said, "Okay, you guys be careful." ”

Ma Lin saw the three of them walking down the city, and immediately shouted for the people below to move the wooden fence at the gap.

After Han Shizhong and the three of them greeted the prince on the city wall, they beat their horses and went away through the dirt road filled by the Western Xia people.

Although Chao Yong is also sweaty, it is difficult to take off his helmet.

The soldiers at the head of the city were all in full armor, and each of them was sweating on his forehead. If the armor is removed to take advantage of the cold, and the enemy suddenly attacks, it is likely that it will not be too late to wear the armor, so it is strictly forbidden for the soldiers to disarm without permission.

Although Chao Yong could not always share weal and woe with the soldiers, he did not break military discipline most of the time.

Chao Yong suddenly remembered something, and said to Shi Yong on the side: "Let someone get some ice water from the palace." Distributed to the Four Soldiers. ”

Eating ice in summer is not uncommon for people in this era.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, people discovered the method of making ice from saltpeter, and by the Song Dynasty, it had spread, and many merchants in Tokyo sold chilled juice in the summer, using ice made of saltpeter dissolved in water.

However, saltpeter ice was still a rarity in Western Xia, and only the royal palace and some nobles could enjoy the coolness of this summer.

When the soldiers on the side heard that they could eat ice water, they immediately felt a little cool, and their faces were happy.

Chao Yong said to a ten-captain on the side: "Where are you from?" ”

"I'm from Huangzhou."

Chao Yong smiled: "From Liangshan on Huangmen Mountain back then? ”

"Yes."

Chao Yong smiled: "It's also the old man of Liangshan, and the ten-master is a little low." ”

Ma Lin explained: "Su Yili's merits are enough to be a centurion. It's just that there are no vacancies. Many of my subordinates have fought from Liangshan to the present, and they have made enough credit to be centurions, but there are no vacancies and they have not been able to be promoted. Su Yi, tell me how much reward you have received? ”

Su Yi thought for a moment. said: "There are always more than 50 before and after." ”

Chao Yong patted Su Yi on the shoulder and said with a smile: "I have made a lot of achievements, and I am also a little rich man." ”

Su Yi blushed and said, "Many old brothers are more than me. ”

Chao Yong smiled: "When the world is calm, do you want to continue in the army, or do you want to go back to your hometown to be a rich man?" ”

Su Yi scratched his head and said, "The villain can only dance with knives and guns, and he is also used to licking blood from the edge of the knife." It's still in the military. ”

"Hehe, okay, when the class teacher is ready, I can let you go to the recruit camp to be a centurion. Wait until the world is calm. Those below the centurion shall be enough soldiers for three years, and all of them shall be disarmed and returned to the field. ”

It was the first time that everyone heard about this, and Sun Li was shocked: "The veterans of a hundred battles are the soldiers with the strongest combat effectiveness, wouldn't it be a pity to let them be disarmed after three years." ”

Chao Yong smiled: "The world is peaceful. Soldiers should also enjoy the peaceful and prosperous world, how can they be soldiers for a lifetime. As long as you have been in the army for three years. Regardless of their official position, they can be disarmed and returned to the field if they wish. Wouldn't it be better for the imperial court to give them land and let them return to their hometowns to enjoy the happiness of the rest of their lives? ”

When the soldiers heard the prince's benevolence, they couldn't help but kneel down on one knee and said, "I am willing to die for the prince." ”

"Let's all get up, the battlefield is cruel, how many people have come back to fight in ancient times? Ordinary people can fight for three years and then tell their fortunes, of course, after the world is peaceful, the danger of joining the army is much smaller. However, life is colorful, and the military is strictly controlled, so being a soldier for a lifetime will be a lot less fun. Even if everyone can't make a living, the Liangshan veterans will inevitably have more land, and the imperial court has exempted agricultural taxes, even if they collect land rent, it will be enough for everyone to live happily for the rest of their lives. As long as my beam is not extinguished, those lands are enough for your children and grandchildren to live without worry. Of course, the premise is that there are no losers in your family. ”

When the soldiers heard this, they couldn't help laughing.

Sun Li heard Chao Yong say this, but he couldn't help but think of Song Taizu's cup of wine to release the military power.

After Zhao Kuangyin conquered the country, he was afraid of the military power in the hands of the generals who gave him a yellow robe, so he coerced everyone to disarm and return to the field. However, Zhao Kuangyin relieved the general's military power, but the prince wanted the veteran soldiers to be disarmed and returned to the field, could it be that he was hinting that these old men would also resign?

However, Sun Li thought about it and felt that it was wrong, there was no doubt that the crown prince had the highest prestige in the Great Liang army. The others are all joining forces, and they can't shake the prince's position. Especially in the minds of the Liangshan veterans, the prince is a mortal god, and it is impossible to follow others to fight against the prince. Moreover, among the old people in Liangshan, most of the generals were brought to Liangshan by the prince from the rivers and lakes, and it can be said that they are the prince's henchmen. Having relieved these people of military power, it is difficult to cultivate another group of henchmen.

Sun Li thought for a while, but he couldn't think of a reason, he also knew that the prince was straightforward, so he asked directly: "I'm afraid the prince has other intentions, right?" ”

Chao Yong smiled: "First, of course, I want to share wealth with the old man of Liangshan; The second is to promote universal military service, and everyone must serve in the military for three years when they reach the age of 20. I want to let the Han people be martial, if all my Han people have served in the army, no matter how the world changes, no nation can enslave my Han people. Of course, in order to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army, excellent non-commissioned officers must also be selected and let them serve as officers. ”

Sun Li was dumbfounded and said, "Everyone is in the military? ”

Chao Yong nodded and said, "Yes." ”

Sun Li shook his head and said: "The army of our dynasty is well treated, and most people should have no problem, but most literati should not be able to serve in the military." At that time, Di Qing served as the deputy envoy of the privy council, and the Chinese people attacked in groups. In the imperial history, King Cheng said bluntly that he was afraid that the Quartet would despise the court, which shows the contempt of the literati for the warriors. Han Qi and Di Qing were at odds, Han Qi was looking for something to kill Di Qing's subordinate Jiao Yong, Di Qing interceded and said that Jiao Yong had military merits and was a good man. Han Qi said that it is good to sing as the champion outside the Donghua Gate, how can this be a good child! Therefore, he killed Jiao Yong. is Di Qing and other martial artists, the literati look down on them, how can they be willing to be a soldier? ”

Many soldiers knew that the status of the warriors of the Song Dynasty was low, but they didn't know these allusions, but they had also heard of Di Qing's name, and when they heard Sun Li talk about Di Qing's grievances, they couldn't help but show indignation.

Chao Yong looked around at everyone and said with a smile: "Do you know who I look down on the most? ”

Ma Lin guessed: "Could it be a literati?" ”

Chao Yong nodded and said: "It's close, the one I look down on the most is the scholar, and the useless one is the scholar." Those who only know how to read dead books, and feel that everything is inferior, only those who read high. How many people have been studying all their lives to catch the exam, and they obviously can't pass the exam, but they don't work hard, thinking about one step to the sky. The Song Dynasty came up with a special fame, which made those people even more happy. ”

The special name is a kind of imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty, those who have failed to pass the examination for many times, and then make a book to play, and then the imperial court will come up with some simple questions for them to take the exam, and the special undergraduate background in the examination will be called, so it is called the special performance name.

Sun Li nodded and said: "This is also a measure of the Song Dynasty to give preferential treatment to literati. As long as you take the test more times, you can reduce the difficulty. When did the Song Dynasty treat martial artists so favorably. ”

Chao Yong said with a smile: "Those who have repeatedly failed to pass, but still have to rush to take the exam, let them win the official by chance, but I am afraid that the first thing they will do is to get back the money they have spent over the years, how can they be officials with their hearts." And these people, who have gnawed dead books all their lives, how can they understand political affairs. A few days ago, I met a lot of gray-haired people in Tokyo, and I had this idea, but I didn't make this suggestion because I remembered that many of them had traveled a long way to Tokyo and were suddenly locked up in Tokyo. Until the next imperial examination, people over the age of 35 will not be allowed to participate. Let those useless people change their careers as soon as possible to make a living, so as not to waste the manpower and material resources of the imperial court. ”

Once these two measures are implemented, even if it cannot be said that the imperial court suppressed the literati, it can also be said that the imperial court will not treat literati as preferentially as the Song Dynasty.

Although Sun Li felt that these two points were good, he also had to say: "I am afraid that these two measures of the prince will be resisted by the literati." ”

Chao Yong smiled: "I don't need the support of all the literati, as long as some literati are on the side of the imperial court." Could it be that there are really literati in this world who can respond to all calls and call on all literati to boycott the imperial court? ”

When Sun Li heard this, he shook his head and said: "This is not going to happen, there are many people, and once there are many people, it is impossible to unify opinions, let alone boycott such a major event as the imperial court." And there are no writers in the world today, the most famous is probably Yang Shi of Chengmen Lixue, but he can also influence some people in the school of science. ”

Chao Yong knew the allusion of Chengmen Lixue, but he forgot what the protagonist's name was, and said: "Where is Yang Shi an official?" ”

Sun Lidao: "He once denounced Cai Jing in his early years, so his career was not smooth, and he has been a magistrate in Jiangnan. He also opened a museum in Jiangnan to teach, and taught many people to come out. ”

Chao Yong didn't know much about these schools, so he didn't have much interest in Yang Shi, and he didn't say much when he heard it in the south of the Yangtze River.

(To be continued)