The truth is never so pleasant to hear, but this is the status quo. The premise of the king's way is domineering. If you want to influence Wala through cultural subtlety, you must first completely conquer the opponent. On the premise of maintaining long-term advantages, you can
With the passage of time, it will be transformed into a kingly way.
The royal way without the support of hegemony is nothing but a castle in the air. The previous Song Dynasty has proved this to itself countless times.
Therefore, in Yu Qian's view, it does not make much sense to accept Wala's so-called attachment at this time, because once the opponent recovers his strength, Ming Dynasty will not be able to restrain him with force. Instead of waiting for the opponent to rebel again in the future,
It's better to shut him out now and let him fight with Saikan King on the grassland. Anyway, the grassland is now in chaos. Without Bodu, Ala Zhiyuan, without these two people,
And the various tribes of the Tatars...
At this time, the imperial court should focus on internal affairs and not think about approaching the grasslands.
However, Zhu Qiyu obviously didn't think so. Looking at the people in front of him who expressed their objections to varying degrees, he pondered for a moment and spoke.
"Indeed, Wala is different from the Seven Guards of Kansai. It is very difficult to get them to be loyal to the imperial court, but it is not impossible."
"Nowadays, the grassland is in turmoil. Even if Bodu has different intentions, it is impossible to start a war like before. Therefore, this risk is still worth taking."
What he said made Yu Qian frown. At the same time, before he could continue speaking, the emperor continued.
"There is no need to worry too much about the mutual market. In the final analysis, the initiative in this matter lies with Ming Dynasty. As for the possible sneakers, it is indeed possible. However, if the border troops strengthen their vigilance and conduct careful investigation, there should be no worries."
Ah this...
At this time, even Wang Ao and Shen Yi looked at each other. They did not expect that the reason given by the emperor in the end was such an idealistic reason.
You know, this is not something that the border troops can be vigilant about at all...
The two looked at each other and were about to speak, but saw the emperor raising his hand, stopping their words and saying.
"My decision has been made on this matter. There is no need to discuss it further. Just go down and make arrangements. Okay, Young Master Yu will keep it, and the others can leave."
Wang Ao and Shen Yi suddenly looked helpless and opened their mouths, but in the end, they still said nothing. After all the major events that had happened before, they already knew that once the emperor made up his mind, no matter how hard he tried to persuade him, it would be useless.
of.
Although it only lasted a few years, the emperor had now established unshakable authority. Even six ministers like them could only accept orders under such circumstances.
Sighing softly, the two of them could only look at Yu Qian with expectation, hoping that the loyal and upright Yu Shaobao could persuade the emperor again. However, they bowed their hands and left in a hurry.
So, soon only the Emperor and Yu Qian were left in the palace.
Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and asked someone to move a block over and gave Yu Qian a seat. The latter was a little reluctant, but in the end he still did not resist the order.
Then, Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian with burning eyes and asked carefully.
"Mr. Yu, you are a loyal minister of the imperial court. You have helped me defeat the Oara army before. Logically speaking, you should be the most knowledgeable minister of the DPRK and China about the combat strength and military discipline of the border army, and even the Oara and Tatars.
."
"So, I have a question to ask you."
"I don't dare, please speak frankly, Your Majesty."
Seeing the emperor being so solemn, Yu Qian put aside his little dissatisfaction at being perfunctory just now, cheered up, and spoke.
So, Zhu Qiyu continued to ask.
"Sir, he said that the frontier troops are weak in combat capability, lax in their drills, and even have poor military discipline and numerous escapees. I know all of this, but it is not difficult to find the problem, but how to solve it is difficult."
"In your opinion, what should we do if we want to rebuild the combat effectiveness of the border army? What should we do if we want to maintain the combat effectiveness of the border army for a long time?"
Hearing this, Yu Qian was a little silent, really because this problem was too big.
The weak combat power of the frontier army involves all aspects. On a small scale, the generals are lazy, the training is ineffective, and the military pay is deducted. These are all problems. On the larger scale, it is the separation of the honorary system and the military system. From this,
What is implicated is the institutional problems of the Military Government and the Ministry of War, and even problems in the guard system related to the officers and soldiers.
This is truly a major issue that involves all aspects. Therefore, even Yu Qian does not dare to speak nonsense easily for a while.
Zhu Qiyu was not in a hurry and just waited quietly. After a while, Yu Qian finally sorted out his words and spoke carefully, saying.
"Your Majesty, I believe that if we want to restore the combat effectiveness of the frontier army, there are three key points. The first is to maintain military discipline, the second is to protect the army's pay, and the third is to practice diligently."
"The root cause of the lack of discipline in the army lies in the generals who command the army. Nowadays, most of the nobles in the imperial court are drunk on the sensuality of dogs and horses. There are only a few who can mount a horse and fight. The generals in the army follow the same example. They spend their days in a leisurely manner, and their muscles gradually grow. They torture the soldiers and gather them together.
This is one of the reasons why wealth and acres of land have led to a lack of discipline in the army."
"The border troops defend the territory against the enemy and bear heavy responsibilities. However, the military pay is severely deducted, and the generals are increasingly tortured. Naturally, it is difficult to train at full strength and improve their combat effectiveness. This is the second reason."
"The generals are mediocre, and the frontier troops will naturally neglect their drills. It is difficult to ensure daily drills. When encountering war, they will definitely panic. This is the third reason."
"With these three things, it will be difficult to boost the combat power of the border troops. Therefore, I feel that we should start from these three points. Since your Majesty took charge of the Ji, he has organized military camps, reorganized military mansions, and ordered the generals on the border to diligently conduct drills. In fact, he has already
It is to boost the combat effectiveness of the border troops, but this is not a day's work and will take time to take effect."
What he said was quite insightful, but it obviously didn't hit the real point. In other words, Yu Qian was vaguely avoiding the important and taking the easy.
After all, he is a minister who has been in the court for so many years. Although it is impossible to guess the emperor's true thoughts for a while, it is still possible to speculate.
In the final analysis, the emperor kept him here just for the sake of Bodu. Although Yu Qian didn't know how the emperor was going to get around this detour, the meaning behind his words was actually: Your Majesty, please don't bother us.
I have gone through enough trouble now, just wait for time to pass and everything will get better naturally.
Of course, in addition to this, another point is that some things cannot be said, because after saying it, nothing can be changed. In fact, if you listen carefully, you will understand that Zhu Qiyu asked a big question, which is a mechanical issue.
However, Yu Qian’s answers were very specific, and they were all very feasible measures.
Although the two seem to reach the same goal through different paths, the latter can never really get to the root. However, this problem is not owned by Yu Qian. It is the same for Zhu Qiyu, and he has no intention of getting entangled in it.
His purpose is not this, but...
"Sir did not answer my other question!"
Zhu Qiyu shook his head, looked at Yu Qian, and said seriously.
"According to what Mr. Wang said, perhaps after a few years or even more than ten years, the combat effectiveness of the frontier army can be slowly restored. However, how can we ensure that the combat effectiveness of the frontier army can be maintained?"
Before Qian Qian responded, Zhu Qiyu sighed long and said.
"Whether it is to rectify the military camps, rectify the military government, or rectify corruption in the officialdom, they are just temporary strategies. In the reign of Taizu Hongwu, how could it be that the politics were clear and clear, and all battles were invincible?"
"However, after years and months, there are still many ills. If I am still alive, I can lay the foundation for the border of the imperial bureau. But I am not really long live. If I am no longer alive in a few decades, how can the Ming Dynasty not repeat the civil war?
What's the harm?"
These words were fine at the beginning, but when they came to the end, Yu Qian stood up directly. He looked a little uneasy, and he cupped his hands.
"Your Majesty is in good health, and His Royal Highness the Prince of the East Palace is virtuous and benevolent. Why should you worry about this?"
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu was slightly startled at first, then waved his hand, laughed dumbly, and said.
"Sir, don't think too much. I don't mean to say anything bad about the prince. I'm just worried. Throughout the dynasties, after the dynasty was established, there have always been many abuses. This is inevitable and is not the fault of your Majesty alone."
"I'm just thinking about how to truly ensure peace on the border."
"Your Majesty is worried about the country, which is actually a blessing to all people."
Yu Qian was relieved, and at the same time, he began to really think about the question raised by the emperor.
After pondering for a long time, Yu Qian's brows wrinkled and relaxed, and then tightened again. His expression was quite complicated, as if he had thought of something, but he hesitated as if he was considering something and did not speak.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu didn't hesitate much, he directly opened his mouth and said.
"Sir, have you remembered the nine-sided strategy that I proposed after the battle in Oala?"
Yu Qian sighed and bowed, but still did not speak.
Yes, following what the emperor just said, his first reaction was Jiubian!
As the emperor said, the border army's combat strength is weakened. This is an inevitable problem. As time goes by, various problems will arise in the court. If at this time, a promising or loyal king appears,
Sir, reforming these issues will indeed give the government a completely new look, just like the emperor's actions after he ascended the throne.
But in the end, this can only be postponed, but not completely solved. The court cannot always have loyal and capable ministers, nor can it have a wise and sage monarch every time. After decades, their generation will gradually wither.
, these ills will once again become a serious concern for the imperial court.
Therefore, the countermeasures he just mentioned can only solve temporary problems, but how to solve long-term problems is the biggest problem.
It has to be said that Yu Qian admired the emperor's foresight, and when he really started to think about this issue, he naturally thought of the Nine-Border Military Town that had been rejected.
If you want to keep the frontier army's combat power strong for a long time, there are too many factors that affect it. Whether the monarch is wise, whether the civil and military affairs of the DPRK and China are harmonious, whether the internal affairs are clean and clear, whether the treasury is sufficient, and even whether the generals can fulfill their duties... these will all become
The factors that ultimately determine the combat effectiveness of the border troops are beyond their control.
However, this does not mean that the problem cannot be solved. The purpose that Yu Qian wants to consider is actually to maintain the stability of the border and allow the border troops to maintain combat effectiveness. This is the most reliable way, but it is not the only way.
As soon as the idea was opened, the solution came naturally. Since there are too many factors that affect the frontier army's combat power, and most of them are beyond control, then let's think of a solution that can be solved now and will not be affected by other factors.
Thinking about it this way, things become much simpler. To stabilize the border, in addition to the army, there is also the city...
Since Taizong's Northern Expedition, the imperial court has actually begun to establish important towns on the border to station troops for defense. Datong and Xuanfu are the representatives. In addition, there are also some passes such as Liaodong Town and Ningxia Town.
Under construction.
After the Battle of Oara, Yu Qian actually considered the issue of border defense, but he did not think about it as deeply as the current emperor.
However, the principle is the same. On the long border, select key locations to build fortified cities and garrison troops in the cities to echo each other.
In the event of a war, nearby major towns can quickly assemble to support each other. At the same time, each major town can also supervise each other to ensure border security.
This strategy is actually a bit like an expanded version of the Great Wall. On the basis of establishing military towns, it also avoids the hidden dangers of the Tang Dynasty's Jiedushi. It can be said to be the best method that Yu Qian can think of at this stage.
The rotation of border troops from generation to generation is greatly affected by human factors. However, once the Nine Borders are built, the strong cities will stand tall and can withstand wind, frost, rain and snow, and will not be easily changed. Unless the court makes great adjustments to the border policy in the future, otherwise
, even if the combat effectiveness of the border army drops again, it can at least ensure its persistence. It can be said that it perfectly solves the problem of border defense.
but……
"Your Majesty, the nine-border strategy can certainly stabilize the border defense, but now the imperial treasury is empty, the war to suppress the Japanese is far from peaceful, the imperial court has just experienced many major cases, people's hearts are uncertain, and the local area has suffered from frequent disasters year after year. It is really not suitable to carry out large-scale construction!"
With a slight sigh, Yu Qian stood up and spoke in a serious tone.
It was he who proposed the Jiubian strategy, but it was precisely because of this that he became more aware of how much manpower and material resources the court would need to spend if it wanted to achieve the desired results.
This is no small matter!
Although it is said that with the precedents of Datong and Xuanfu, it is not difficult to build Jiubian.
However, this process inevitably requires the recruitment of a large number of corvees. This level of consumption of people's power is undoubtedly a huge burden for the imperial court. Especially at this time, it is proposed to build nine sides, not to mention the imperial court.
Whether Yu Qian can pass the test or not, he cannot pass it.
At this thought, Yu Qian couldn't help but feel a little bitter in his heart. At first, the emperor personally persuaded him to give up this idea, but he didn't expect that now, it was him who persuaded the emperor...