Zhao Xu looked at Professor Miao and thought about the past of the Imperial Army of the Song Dynasty.
I also sighed in my heart.
Because it was none other than the Zhao officials themselves who ruined the combat effectiveness of the Forbidden Army!
Especially the three generations of emperors: Zhenmiao, Renmiao and Yingmiao.
During the reign of these three emperors, not only the imperial troops in Beijing, but also the imperial troops stationed outside, had trouble with pay.
It is said that the emperor has no shortage of hungry soldiers.
But in the large zoo of the Song Dynasty, in order to bribe the generals, the emperor turned a blind eye to the generals' empty pay and soldiers' blood.
In times of peace, it was common for the Imperial Guards not to receive military pay.
Even their food will be withheld.
What can the big-headed soldier do?
I can only do side jobs to support my family.
But even so, the generals still have to take advantage of it.
Therefore, in the era of Zhenmiao and Renmiao, it was common for the imperial guards to make troubles over pay.
Because they have the advanced experience of the Five Dynasties to learn from, the Song Dynasty Forbidden Army has a standard process for paying.
The first step must be to make noise, and then seize a few generals who usually have the worst reputation among soldiers to sacrifice the flag.
Then, we raised the banner - we only oppose corrupt officials, not the court, let alone the officials.
And the imperial court was also very skillful - it immediately sent people to comfort them: the imperial court knew about everyone's hard work, and the military pay was immediately reissued.
Then everyone happily went to collect the money.
In the end, the imperial court settled the accounts again and arrested the leading soldiers, who were either assassinated or executed depending on the circumstances.
Even if this matter is over.
This situation improved after Xining.
Because with the assistance of Wang Anshi, the Song Dynasty carried out a major disarmament of both the Forbidden Army and the Xiang Army!
In one breath, hundreds of thousands of Song soldiers were cut off.
At the same time, water and vacancies were squeezed out, and general tactics were implemented to enhance combat effectiveness and organization.
At the same time, rewards were increased because of the war.
Therefore, the Western Army began to rise and its combat effectiveness continued to increase.
However, the Forbidden Army in Beijing has become difficult to recover and is basically hopeless.
We can only transfer those forbidden troops that are not completely destroyed to garrison along the border in order to maintain their combat effectiveness.
In Zhao Xu's previous life, he worked hard to improve the combat effectiveness of the Forbidden Army in Beijing.
But after all, there is no good solution.
Abolition will not work - these guys have been making a living in Bianjing City for generations and served as soldiers for several generations of Zhao officials.
Behind each person are dozens or even dozens of people. Maybe the ancestors of some people were the guards of a certain official!
You can only spend money to support it, just to maintain stability.
Then select the best from the Western Army along the border and come to the Bianjing Garrison Headquarters, right?
As it turns out, this was overthinking.
The elites who were brought back would quickly degenerate and decay within a few years - in the colorful world of Bianjing City, not to mention the Western Army along the border, even the Jurchens later degenerated very quickly.
The only option is to send those in the Imperial Guard in Beijing who have not been completely corrupted to garrison along the border.
At the same time, from time to time, a few elite teams from the edge will be transferred back to change defense.
In this way, the combat effectiveness of the ten to fifteen commanding Forbidden Army can be barely maintained.
remaining people?
There is no hope.
Fortunately, Zhao Xu was influenced by advanced ideas in modern times.
Therefore, he firmly believes that there are absolutely no useless people in this world, they just lack a pair of eyes that are good at discovery.
It is said that a thousand-mile horse always exists, but a bole does not always exist.
Therefore, Zhao Xu decided to become the leader of the Imperial Guards in Beijing.
If you can't fight a war, you can do engineering, right?
OK!
I satisfy you!
Just go work on projects and make money!
With this thought, Zhao Xu clapped his hands and asked Feng Jing to send the drawings he had drawn in the palace with Shi Deyi, Liu Weijian and others to Professor Miao, and told him: "Mr. After the captain returned, he summoned all the officers and soldiers to dig wells in Bianjing City in the wing rooms where the imperial troops were stationed..."
Professor Miao licked his tongue.
The wells in Bianjing City, like the houses, are properties that can be passed down to descendants!
Every spring, summer, and autumn, families with wells can make a lot of money selling water!
Therefore, every year in Kaifeng Prefecture's property disputes, dozens of them revolve around the ownership of water wells.
Professor Miao immediately paid his respects and said, "The official family is so kind to me. I would like to express my gratitude to you on behalf of the Imperial Army!"
In a place like Bianjing, where land is at a premium, if a household has a well, it already surpasses more than 90% of households.
If you can still have a few acres of vegetable land outside the city, you can live a life without worries about food and clothing.
Clean well water and fresh vegetables can only be afforded by officials and wealthy businessmen in the city.
Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Don't be so hasty to thank me yet!"
"Since the well I dug is a reward from me, it should be a government property!"
"I think of the hard work of the Imperial Army soldiers, so I can allow them to get water nearby!"
"But wells dug in other places should be inspected by Kaifeng Mansion!"
Professor Miao listened without any objection.
Because this is the daily life of the Song Dynasty!
The Song Dynasty did not establish a land system, did not suppress mergers, and did not discriminate against merchants.
What's the reason?
Just on Zhao Guan’s own body!
Since Taizu, officials of all dynasties have tried their best to get involved in all profitable matters.
Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, the largest landowner was the emperor - official land was spread all over the world.
The largest handicraft owner is also the emperor - the Zhiyuan, Lingjin, Dyeing, and those smelting and crafting institutes in all prefectures and counties in the world are all government property!
The most important task of the supervisory officials is to keep an eye on these places for the officials.
Their assessment standards for grinding and surveying also look at output, yield and profit.
Therefore, it is normal for officials today to put the well dug by the Imperial Army directly into their pockets!
He is willing to let the soldiers of the imperial army draw water from the nearest place instead of paying for it, which is already a great kindness from the emperor.
…
Professor Miao returned home.
He opened the drawing given to him by the official and looked at the detailed well drilling process drawn on it.
He let out a sigh of relief: "It's so detailed!"
Think about it, although the official is young, he owns the whole world.
The technology of drilling wells is naturally within reach.
So, without doubting his presence, he took these drawings to the Divine Guard camp outside Bianjing City.
The Divine Guard Army, the Tiger Victory Army of the Later Zhou Dynasty, and the Fengguo Army of the Later Jin Dynasty.
Initially there were forty-six commanders, and Renmiao dropped to thirty-one.
The late Emperor Xining dismissed the Shenwei Navy in the third year of his reign, and in the second year of Yuanfeng he abolished the Ninth and Tenth Army of the Shenwei.
So, only the left and right compartments were left.
According to the system, each compartment has four armies, and each army has five commands.
But in fact, it has never been full, and because the Fourth Army of the Forbidden Army has always been used to accommodate the old, disabled, and lonely Forbidden Army's remaining troops.
Therefore, in fact, the total number of the left and right wings of the Divine Guard today is only 20 commanders, with a staff of about 10,000 people.
The Divine Guard Imperial Army in Beijing now only has seven commanders.
Others are either in Hebei or along the border.
They were called the Garrisoned Forbidden Forces, and it was an era of greater garrison. The unlucky ones who were rotated out and never came back.
At this point, among the seven commanders in Beijing, three have become soldiers in the left wing of Kaifeng Mansion - they are no longer under the jurisdiction of the guards and infantry commanders.
Instead, he directly took orders from Kaifeng Mansion and served as a fire store, a military store, and soldiers and horses patrolling the streets.
This is also the epitome of the current imperial army in Beijing.
As a full-time military minister, Professor Miao was naturally very clear about the military system and troop quotas of the Song Dynasty.
At the beginning of the founding of the country, there were 220,000 soldiers and horses in the world, of which 120,000 were in the capital. In this way, the central imperial army could form a crushing force advantage over local soldiers and horses!
But now there are less than 20,000 crooked melons and cracked dates left in Bianjing City.
But now, the number of Imperial Guards has reached 612,243.
This is the outstanding result of the Xining Disarmament!
Xining reduced the army, and the imperial army was reduced from 663,000 in the fourth year of Zhiping to 568,400 (an additional 43,500 were added since Yuanfeng)
The Xiang army has been cut in half from the peak of nearly 600,000 to the current 220,000.
In other words, the number of soldiers and horses along the border is twice that of Bianjing City's forbidden army.
Focusing on the inside but not the outside is already a thing of the past.
Professor Miao looked at the divine guards gambling, drinking, and having fun in the camp.
His eyes also darkened.
With the quality of the soldiers and horses, let alone confront the Western Army.
Even if the archers on the edge were to shoot correctly, they would be beaten to pieces.
But no matter what, this is the current situation of the Song Dynasty's imperial army in Beijing.
"Fortunately, the late emperor had the foresight and promptly mobilized part of the imperial army to guard Xihe, Jingyuan, and Huanqing..."
"Otherwise, the capital will really have no soldiers available today!"
Professor Miao sighed as he thought about it.
The Song Dynasty's imperial army in Beijing was impossible to count on on the battlefield.
Maybe if the rebel army is not brave enough, dozens of people can chase these few commanders who are currently in the Divine Guard camp all over the place.
So Professor Miao came to the Chinese army camp, summoned the generals and assistants, and opened the White Tiger Festival Hall.
Pass on the emperor's orders.
Those Qiu Ba, when they heard that the emperor ordered them to dig wells and paid them according to their mouths, they immediately cheered.
And when they learned that a well had been dug near their home first, and that the officials had graciously allowed them to use the well as they wanted, they even cheered.
Then, he took the drawings sent by Miao and started making tools according to the drawings that day.
But don't look at it, these Qiuba of the Divine Guards usually have no discipline at all, and they are even more proficient in eating, drinking, whoring and gambling.
But their ability to read pictures and make equipment are all experts.
Especially those conductors!
Some people have even memorized the "Wooden Classic" written by Yu Hao, a great craftsman in the early Republic of China!
Moreover, their command and organizational abilities in this area are beyond imagination.
After taking the drawings, several people studied it and began to organize the manpower and assign tasks.
The entire Divine Guard camp instantly turned into a carpentry workshop.
Saw, ink fountain, ink line, ruler...
Who knows how much they hid in the camp.
Professor Miao looked at it and sighed helplessly.
The Divine Guards are the Fourth Army!
One can only imagine what the state of the middle and lower armies in Beijing must be like!
Professor Miao looked at it and smiled helplessly.
Neither he nor Yanda could do anything about the imperial guards in Beijing.
Even if they are paid full wages, it will not inspire them to fight at all.
Because they are in Bianjing.
The full salary of the Fourth Army is no more than a thousand coins, and with Lumi and so on, the value is no more than three guan.
A single man might be able to support himself, but he could never support his wife and children.
It is even less possible to support them in the colorful world of Bianjing City.
Therefore, the Imperial Guards in Beijing can only do side jobs.
Only by doing side jobs can they support their family.
This is also the reason why any Forbidden Army will definitely lose its combat effectiveness quickly as long as it is transferred to Bianjing.
It's not just the temptation of the colorful world, but also because the treatment of the forbidden army is no longer enough for them to support their wives and children.
With that little salary and rice, the whole family would starve to death in Bianjing!
…
When Miao Shu sighed in the camp of the Divine Guards.
Di Yong was in a military camp outside Bianjing City, reviewing the command of the ten Imperial Guards who had just returned to Beijing from various places along the border.
These soldiers and horses are not the traditional soldiers and horses of the Fourth Army.
Rather, they were carefully selected from the Tiger Wing Army of the Gongsheng Army, the Valiant Cavalry Army, the Cloud Cavalry Army, the Martial Cavalry Army, and the Palace Front Division and the Infantry Division.
The late emperor selected a total of fourteen commanders.
Among them, the Gongsheng Army and other four armies each had one, and the Tiger Wing Army of the Palace Front Division and the Infantry Division each selected five commanders.
These soldiers and horses were not just selected from the imperial army in Beijing.
They were also selected from the Baojia household in Kaifeng Prefecture.
After thousands of choices, these fourteen commanders were selected and sent to Xihe Road for garrison duty.
Now returning are the ten commanders of the Tiger Wing Army from the Palace Front Division and the Infantry Division.
The other four commanders are still garrisoning in Xihe. According to the late emperor's decree, fourteen more commanders will be selected to garrison in the spring next year.
At that time, the four commanders who had been stationed for three years would return to Beijing.
Thinking about this, Di Yong also felt deeply stressed.
The officials entrusted him with the important task of preparing the last troops in the capital that could fight.
But Di Yong didn't know how long these soldiers and horses could maintain their combat effectiveness.
One year, or two years?
Definitely not more than three years!
Because after three years, no matter how stupid they are, they should have learned how to go shopping, hook up and listen to music, and there is no need to learn how to drink and gamble. All soldiers and horses in the Song Dynasty can do it naturally.
"We can only temporarily close the military camp..." Di Yong thought about the officials' instructions to him.
So, the order was announced at the White Tiger Festival Hall.
The first general of Yulong will close the camp and start training from today!
At the same time, rewards will be given to the soldiers and generals of this newly established Yulong First General.
After strings of jingling copper coins were handed out, the morale of the entire army increased significantly.
Everyone was happy from top to bottom, and their obedience to Di Yong's orders greatly increased.
But Di Yong knew that this method could only have a temporary effect. Over time, the temptation of the colorful world in Bianjing City would naturally lure away these seemingly reliable combat forces.
No matter how dead the rules are, people are still alive!
Therefore, Di Yong planned to take this army away from Bianjing City in the next year, preferably to garrison at the Bianhe River.
If you can delay it for a day, it’s a day!
At least these soldiers and horses must be allowed to maintain the appearance they had when they returned from Xihe within half a year.
This will prevent the officials from having to mobilize troops from nearby areas when they need troops.
Note: According to the records in December of the seventh year of Yuanfeng in the "Extended Zizhi Tongjian Long Chapter", at the end of the seventh year of Yuanfeng, the number of the Imperial Army in the Northern Song Dynasty was 612,243.
Compared with the ten years of Xining, there were an increase of 43,555 people, and compared with the four years of Zhiping, there were a decrease of 50,757 people.
The Xiang army dropped from 560,000 in the fourth year of Zhiping to 220,000.
Note 2: The Imperial Army in Beijing during the Northern Song Dynasty was continuously emptied after the Song-Xia War.
During the reign of Jingkang, the total strength of Bianjing City was only more than 40,000.
This must be the result of recruiting young people from among the people.
PS, no matter how many people there are in the imperial army in Bianjing City, it is useless.
Because this city is too prosperous and there are too many temptations. At the same time, the salary of the Forbidden Army is too low!
The salary of the Fourth Army may be considered high income in border areas, but in Bianjing City, coolies are paid one hundred yuan a day! Renting a shabby house will cost more than three dollars a month.
Two or three times a month, why are you selling your life?
(End of chapter)
