For any country in any era, the method of replenishing military resources in the military system is the core issue.
There are many types of military systems in Chinese dynasties, such as the military-peasant system of the Zhou Dynasty, the all-people military system of the Warring States Period, the conscription system of the Qin, Han, and Three Kingdoms periods, the imperial military system of the Tang Dynasty, the military recruitment system of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and the guard system of the Ming Dynasty , the Eight Banners Green Camp in the Qing Dynasty.
And, of course, there is conscription, which has existed throughout almost every era.
Zhu Yunwen has carefully analyzed each military system. It can be said that the most ideal one is the military-peasant system. This is correct. Farming in peacetime and serving as a soldier in wartime can solve both stomach problems and war problems. .
But the most ideal things are often illusory and unrealistic.
Real history has no temperature, only cold reality.
Whether it was the fall of the Zhou Dynasty or the disintegration of the Ming Dynasty’s Wei system, they all proved one thing:
The end of the army-peasant system is not a majestic general holding a spear, but a white-haired farmer leaning on an old tree with dead vines. He doesn't even have the strength to stand up.
All the people are soldiers?
Forget it, that's not the norm in a country.
If it is a small country with few people, there is still a way to get it, but with a population of tens of millions, if you do it this way, you can only return to the Warring States Period. Today I beat your Gaolaozhuang, tomorrow you steal my tower, another day Let’s go on a date in Queqiao, play black games together, and talk about how many of you have died and how many are left...
This thing is okay for fighting for hegemony in troubled times, but if you behave like this normally, you are seeking death.
Although the names of the Fubing system and the Weisuo system are different, they all have the same ancestor, which is the system of combining soldiers and farmers. The same blood flows in them: half is the blood of soldiers and half is the blood of farmers.
Regarding these two military systems, we can say in one sentence:
Demo, if you change your vest, you can’t recognize me?
The government military system and the guard system are useless. Although they look different from those of the military-peasant system, their genes are still the same. Even if the DNA test is done, they are still the biological children of the military-peasant system.
Eight Banners Green Camp System?
What is that?
Now that I have become the Ming Emperor, there is no such thing as the Eight Banners Green Camp. In a few years, I will be free to drive all their ancestors to Siberia to dance with polar bears.
After getting rid of a bunch of unfeasible ones, there are only two feasible options left, namely the conscription system and the recruitment system.
The conscription system is easy to understand, just to recruit strong men.
Send a team of people to break into the house. When they see that you are seventeen or eighteen years old, they will take you away.
What, you're only fourteen?
It seems that you are already eighteen years old. Now that you are fully developed, you can definitely fight and take him away.
Grandpa, are you sixty?
What did you say?
Will you be sixty tomorrow?
That means it hasn’t arrived yet, so take it away...
Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was very thorough when it came to recruiting troops. The phrase "sweeping the ground to make soldiers" is enough to prove how ferocious Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was. He probably even scraped the land...
Du Fu, who was very busy, was demoted to Huazhou Sigong to join the army, and he encountered the issue of conscription. Based on his own experience, he wrote the famous "Shihao Officials": "I threw myself into Shihao Village at dusk, and there were officials who caught people at night... Although the old woman's strength is failing, please return from your official duties at night..."
It can be seen that even the elderly were not spared during the military recruitment.
Du Fu was forty-eight years old at the time. If he had not already had a place to join the army, he would probably have been arrested as well.
"The First Minister of the Ming Dynasty"
The conscription system seems appropriate, but once it is implemented, it is easy to cause problems. The biggest problem is that no matter who you are, as long as you are between seventeen and sixty years old (mostly in this age group, it varies by dynasty) , when you are needed, you are a soldier.
Regardless of whether they can fight or not, they will all be used for requisition.
The conscription system can obtain sufficient sources of troops in a short period of time, which is its greatest advantage.
Lao Zhu conquered the world,
From a dozen young men leaving Haozhou to becoming a millionaire commander and creating the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, a certificate must be issued to all the soldiers who will pull the strong men...
Why were rebellions in ancient times either a small movement or a big movement?
If you analyze it carefully, you will know that those who take the lead in making small movements are not able to recruit young people. You are stupid, thinking that you can conquer the world just by setting up a flag, and you do not consider recruiting more people into the water.
Those who make the big noise are all proficient in pulling young men. Who cares if you want it or not, if you don’t come with me, I’ll kill you. Come with me, I’ll take you to eat and drink, and maybe I can help you solve the problem of being single as an older person. .
Conscription is like this in many cases.
In times of peace, using the conscription system is just as quiet as a virgin. In the war years, the use of conscription was like a crazy rabbit.
Zhu Yunwen did not want to use the conscription system, because the use of the conscription system was the initiative of the court and the passiveness of the lower class. There was no threshold for being a soldier, which was too inappropriate.
Finally, Zhu Yunwen turned his attention to the military recruitment system.
The recruitment system originated in the Spring and Autumn Period. Wu Qi gave up the recruitment method, but used the recruitment method to "recruit good talents simply" and formed the first special forces unit in any country:
Martial soldiers.
How strong are Wei's soldiers?
One word: invincible!
In 389 BC, the Yin-Jin War broke out between Chu and Qin. Chu defeated 500,000 Qin troops with 50,000 soldiers!
This is the true professional soldier!
What Zhu Yunwen yearns for is professional soldiers, pure soldiers, soldiers who can fight at any time and hold weapons in their hands! Rather than integrating military and peasantry!
However, the use of the military recruitment system in the Song Dynasty taught future generations a great lesson, making the military recruitment system trembling and cautious.
The military recruitment system of the Song Dynasty can be said to be the most powerful military recruitment system in history. It adopted the principle of "accepting all the ruthless and ruthless men in the world who have neglected their duties."
What is dereliction of duty?
Even if your land is gone, it was taken away by the landlord. It doesn't matter if you have no land. The Song Dynasty will support you and serve as a soldier.
What is ruggedness?
Even thieves and guilty outcasts, don't be sneaky, kill and rob, put down your butcher knife and form an army immediately.
If there is a famine somewhere and there are refugees and hungry people, don't panic. Come, serve as soldiers and the court will support you.
In the Song Dynasty, the problem of redundant troops was extremely serious. In addition to the Forbidden Army, there were also an unknown number of Xiang troops, along with millions of their family members.
The rulers of the Song Dynasty had very strange thinking, that is:
Those who rebel are all strong people, so if I turn all the strong people into soldiers and give them food, no one will rebel, right?
Regarding the situation of recruiting soldiers in the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi bluntly said that "all the blood of the people was exhausted to pay for the military expedition" and "the soldiers were redundant and despised, and they became increasingly obscene". He almost cursed directly: What kind of situation is this, a bunch of bastards.
The shortcomings of the military recruitment system are, first, large military expenditures, which can easily cause financial burdens. For every dollar of the Song Dynasty's finances, seven or eight cents were spent on raising troops. Such expenditure would be overwhelming.
Second, the recruitment system has a dilemma that is difficult to solve, that is, the problem of generals and soldiers.
If the generals stay in the army for a long time and know the soldiers well, then after more than ten years, the soldiers of the imperial court will become private soldiers, and local divisions will appear.
If the generals do not stay in the army for a long time, and the court temporarily appoints generals to go to war, it will be over. The generals will not know the soldiers, the soldiers will not know the generals, and the superiors and subordinates will be separated from each other. In such a situation, Sun Wu will not be able to win the battle again.
But the benefits of recruiting soldiers are also great, and the biggest benefit is to strengthen the soldiers!
Just these two words were enough for Zhu Yunwen to make up his mind.
The guard system must be abandoned, and the hereditary system of military households must also be broken. In the future, the Ming Dynasty will use recruitment to completely improve the combat effectiveness of the army.
Although Zhu Yunwen made the decision
Although we have made up our minds and made up our mind, it is not the time to completely introduce the recruitment system. The entry of the recruitment system needs to be connected with the exit of the guard system.
Looking at the worried Ru Jin, Zhu Yunwen sighed: "You, the Minister of the Ministry of War, know how many problems have arisen in the Wei Suo system. You cannot live under the Wei Suo system just because the Wei Suo has a small amount of land."
Ru Jun was in a heavy heart and said with a worried look: "Your Majesty, once the recruitment system is launched, redundant troops will come, local governments will be divided, and the Ming Dynasty will be in chaos..."
Zhu Yunwen smiled and said: "Ru Aiqing, the Ming Dynasty is not like the Song Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty's army will be reduced in the future. Too many troops is not a good thing. The Ming Dynasty does not want the problem of redundant troops in the Song Dynasty. As for local separatist regimes , then we need to look at the strategy of the new army. Do a good job in ideological education and tell every soldier that their mission is to fight for the Ming Dynasty, not to become someone's private soldier!"
"If the new army's strategy cannot control the soldiers' thoughts and make them loyal to the imperial court and the Ming Dynasty, then the new army's strategy will be a failure strategy. I believe that if we seize the supply, ideas, training, and equipment of the sergeants, even if there are generals After leading the army for twenty years, you can only lead the army for me!"
After Ru Junshu heard this, he raised his brows and said solemnly: "The emperor's concerns are far-reaching and beyond my reach. However, the implementation of the recruitment system is a major matter for the country. Please give the emperor more thought and summon the five military governors to discuss together before making any decisions. Decide."
Zhu Yunwen nodded knowingly and said, "Let's make a decision on this matter after we get the scholars."
After handling some official duties, Zhu Yunwen did not return directly to Kunning Palace as usual. Instead, he went to Shangshan Supervisor and personally prepared a bowl of mung bean soup, made a portion of cold lotus root slices and a portion of stir-fried lotus root slices. Asking Shuangxi and others to help, he personally carried the food box and arrived at Zhongcui Palace.
Concubine Ning suffered from heat stroke yesterday and she has no appetite for anything to eat.
When Zhu Yunwen entered Zhongcui Palace, the maids were stunned. They probably never thought that the emperor would come to Zhongcui Palace. For a moment, they forgot to salute. When Zhu Yunwen entered the room, they remembered to kneel down.
When Concubine Ning heard the noise, she thought it was the maid, so she didn't get up. She lay on the bed and said, "There is no need to fry those medicines. They are too bitter and have no effect."
"Okay, you don't even listen to the imperial doctor's orders? I think you are too willful."
Zhu Yunwen put the food box on the table and blamed him.
Hearing the sound, Concubine Ning looked at Zhu Yunwen in surprise. She supported her weak body with both hands and tried to get up. She wanted to get out of bed and salute.
Zhu Yunwen reached out his hand, gently held Concubine Ning's delicate back, and with a slight force, said: "Sit tight, I have prepared some dinner for you, eat as much as you can."
Concubine Ning sat firmly, looked at Zhu Yunzhen with a rosy face, and said, "I am sick, and I am afraid that it will disturb the Holy Body, so I would like to ask Your Majesty..."
"The heat is not contagious. Why, the prescription prescribed by the imperial doctor is useless?"
Zhu Yunwen interrupted Concubine Ning and asked worriedly.
In later generations, medical care was so advanced that even heatstroke could kill someone.
It was even more dangerous in ancient times. It is said that Su Shi, Su Dongpo, Li Qingzhao's husband Zhao Mingcheng, and Zheng Chenggong who conquered Taiwan all died of heatstroke.
Although there is no record in official history, there are many records among the people.
Regardless of whether it is true or false, there is no doubt that these people died in the scorching sun and heat.
"I always feel like it's not working, and my head is a little dizzy."
Concubine Ning had tears in her eyes.
Zhu Yunwen reached out and touched Concubine Ning's brow. Fortunately, she didn't have a fever. After thinking for a while, he ordered the maid beside him: "Go and prepare a bowl of water."
After hearing this, the maid hurriedly went to prepare.
Zhu Yunwen walked to the food box, picked up the spoon, and said softly to Concubine Ning: "Concubine Ning, please take off your clothes..."
Concubine Ning panicked. She lowered her head and did not dare to look at Zhu Yunwen. She grabbed the quilt with both hands and said with difficulty: "I am not feeling well. I am afraid I will not be able to serve the emperor..."
