Baidu otaku as Chongzhen

Chapter 148 What Is the Solution to the Drought in My Heart
The old minister said: "Returning to Your Majesty, I think this real person Zhang Xianyong is a generation of celestial masters, who was conferred by the imperial court, how could it be useless?"

Yang Reform didn't understand the meaning of these words for a while, he felt that this person was lying, fooling himself, this superstition can beg for rain, and he still wants to get money with great fanfare, what is he doing for disaster relief?Just seal him dozens of people and ask me for rain every day. I can support these [-] eunuchs. Can't I afford a few magic sticks?
Yang Reform is upset, you dare to say such unreliable things, you really think I'm a fool!So he didn't look good at this old official, and was about to refuse this matter, but when the words came to his lips, he found that this old official looked very serious, and he didn't look like he was fooling himself. Yang Reform didn't say the words of rejection, and said instead: " Let me think about this before talking about it.”

The veteran didn't say anything more, and stepped back.

Then a few trivial matters were discussed, and the court affairs were considered to be retired.

Yang Reform came out of the Supreme Harmony Gate and said to Wang Chengen: "Big Companion, go and invite Master Sun. I have something to ask Master Sun." There was something in that old minister's words.I had no choice but to ask Sun Chengzong for an explanation. It is more straightforward to ask the people of the Ming Dynasty about the matter of the Ming Dynasty.

"Obey, Your Majesty." Wang Chengen agreed, and a young eunuch immediately rushed to "intercept" Sun Chengzong.

After a while, Sun Chengzong arrived, and Yang Reform was standing behind the Taihe Gate waiting for Sun Chengzong. Seeing that the emperor was standing here waiting for him, Sun Chengzong hurriedly saluted and greeted the emperor.

"Master Sun, don't be too polite, let's go for a walk with me. The sun is nice today, shining on people, and it's warm. I don't understand something in my heart, so I want to ask Master Sun."

"As ordered, may I ask Your Majesty if you have any doubts?" Seeing that the emperor wanted to accompany him for a walk, Sun Chengzong was relieved, thinking that there was something important or urgent.

"I was in the main hall just now, and I heard an old official say that Zhang Xianyong, a real person who was ordered to pray for rain, can alleviate the drought. I think this is unreliable. In my opinion, the matter of praying for rain is a 'superstition'. There is no god at all, so how can we ask for rain? But I feel that there is something in the old minister's words, and I don't understand what it means for a while, so I ask Master Sun to explain it to me." Yang Reform said this The doubt in my heart told Sun Chengzong.

After Sun Chengzong heard this, he smiled slightly and said: "Your Majesty, 'superstition' means believing because of being deluded. The word Your Majesty is appropriate when used."

Sun Chengzong didn't say what it meant, but told Yang Reform that the superstition was good. Yang Reform hurriedly said, "Master Sun, you haven't said what the mystery is?"

Sun Chengzong smiled and said: "Your Majesty, it is true that scholars keep a respectful distance from ghosts and gods. Your Majesty's superstition is very apt. If you are deceived and believe it, you have already told the truth. In fact, this prayer for rain is not the solution. The drought on the ground is the solution to the drought in the hearts of the common people! Therefore, XX said that it is effective for a real person to pray for rain."

"It solves the drought in the hearts of the common people, not the drought on the earth?" Uh!Yang Reform is dizzy, this is purely to fool the common people.

Sun Chengzong laughed and said: "That's true. Superstition is enough to confuse the common people. Let the common people believe that the court is trying to solve the drought and is praying for rain. Although it doesn't work, the common people don't think so. They think the court cares about them. For their sake, they believe that there are gods and men in the sky who can pray for rain, and even if they don’t pray for rain in the future, at least the court has worked hard. That’s all.”

"Damn it, this is fooling the common people!" Yang Reform cursed in his heart. He didn't expect that the minister in the court would be so cunning, fooling this, fooling that, and thinking all day about how to fool people, not only fooling himself, Also fooling the people of the world.

"Uh! Master Sun, do you think this is okay?" Yang Reform was stunned by Sun Chengzong's explanation.

"Of course it is useful, although it is ineffective, but the people believe it; the court also needs to take actions to show its concern for the people of the world, and this is the case. Of course, this is just to relieve the drought in the hearts of the people. Your Majesty must not forget this , it’s not really alleviating the drought on the land.” Sun Chengzong said this with certainty.

"..." Yang Reform has nothing to say, it's really cheap to care about the people of the world!Asking someone to beg for rain is to care for the people of the world without spending a tael. The ministers in the court are quite good at "saving", which is much better than preparing to invest millions of taels into the disaster area every year.

……

Although Yang Reform scoffed at this method of painting cakes to satisfy his hunger, he still decided to do it.Sun Chengzong is right, as long as the common people believe it, the court must take necessary actions to express it.

Along the way, the weather is warm and the sun shines on the Forbidden City, making the Forbidden City more brilliant.It didn't take long to walk, and the body was warmed by the sun.

"Master Sun, I got the news that Mao Wenlong is already preparing to send the extra population to the land. I have asked him to send people over in batches. Master Sun must be ready to receive these old Dongjiang people. I have trained iron-blooded warriors, and in the future, they will be the main force to counterattack the Eastern Captives." What he didn't want to say to the courtiers, but Sun Chengzong had to explain it, and Sun Chengzong must know about training the new army for himself.

"I obey the order, and I will definitely train strictly. If I impose strict requirements, I will definitely train a new army for Your Majesty."

"Well, well, the expansion of the new army is imminent. I also want to hear Master Sun's opinion on the salary of the new army. If the army has no salary, it will be defeated!"

Sun Chengzong thought for a while, and said: "Your Majesty, in the early years, I paid different salaries according to different months. It was about one stone per meter per month, and it was worth one tael of silver. Now, the price of rice is probably worth more than two taels." So, Your Majesty's military salary..."

"I know this. The price of goods in this capital is expensive. If you don't pay the full amount of military pay, I'm afraid that the new army will not have the heart to fight. They can't even support their own mothers, children, and old mothers. Who will give their lives to me?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Sun Chengzong heaved a sigh of relief, fearing that the emperor would still use the old rules to pay the army. In this way, the new army would not be able to practice. No matter how well you practice, you can't keep your stomach full!

"Then the military salary of the new army, let's set it at three or two per month for the time being. This is the usual military salary. Every year during the Chinese New Year, double salary is paid, and subsidies are given during wartime. Food, housing, and (work clothes) are included..." Yang Reform By the way, I recited the recruitment advertisement for the future.Fortunately, he closed his mouth in time and did not mention the overalls.

"Your Majesty is wise, the old minister has a suggestion, I don't know whether to say it or not."

"Just say what you have." Yang Reform was afraid that no one would give him advice, especially useful advice.

"Your Majesty, I think that the military salary can be paid in two ways, half in rice and half in silver. The rice is one stone per month, plus one tael of silver. In this way, even if the price of rice rises in the future, the new army will still have rice to support. What does your Majesty think of the unrest in the army?"

"Okay, okay, Master Sun deserves to be an old-fashioned seeker of the country. In this matter, I will follow Master Sun's instructions. I will pay a stone for rice every month, plus a tael of silver, and pay double wages." Yang Reform felt that Sun Chengzong was really doing things for him. Anticipating the fluctuations in the price of rice in the future, and the continuous famine, the food in the north will definitely increase. At that time, if there is rice, the new army will not be shaken by the lack of food. This is better than paying money directly. much more stable.

"Your Majesty has praised you. This minister will make up for your majesty's omissions in this matter."

"The salary of the new army is three taels, plus monthly food, clothes, quilts, and barracks. I'm afraid the monthly expenses will be four taels! If you add muskets, daggers, ordnance and other equipment, training consumes weapons Ammunition, the monthly cost of this soldier is probably ten taels!" Yang Reform wailed, he didn't know this, but he was shocked when he calculated it, one soldier needs ten taels a month, according to three to six months The speed of time to form an army, the cost of each recruit is between 60 and 120 taels, and it costs 300 million taels to train [-] qualified recruits, and the annual expenditure is nearly [-] million taels. Yang Reform is in tears, and he has to find money quickly go.

Sun Chengzong thought for a while, and comforted the emperor, saying: "Your Majesty, the muskets and ordnance are a one-time investment. The first time the expenses are relatively large, and in the future there will be no more than ten taels a month. Just to maintain normal training, on average, the monthly cost It’s just five or six taels. The annual expenditure of the new army is about 70 taels per person. The annual expenditure of 50 new troops is between 70 million taels. Your Majesty, this is already unmatched in the world. The elite, even the elite cavalry outside the customs, spend only [-] taels a year, not to mention that your majesty is still an infantry army."

Each soldier has six taels per month. Yang Reform carefully calculated, 150 million taels of silver, and the [-] new army-the infantry, only to find that his artillery has not been included, and the artillery expenses have not been included. It has not been included, the chewing of the horse has not been included, and the officer's expenses have not been included.This calculation was even more incredible, and she burst into tears.

"...Master Sun, this has not included the cost of the artillery, the cost of the officers, and the cost of the horses. This new army cannot live without horses! Besides, I am still preparing Chariot training battalion..." Yang Reform was about to cry, why is the cost of this soldier so high?The peasant army just sends out a wooden stick, and it becomes an army!
Sun Chengzong: "Ah!!!!" He was also stunned.

"Your Majesty, if His Majesty wants to train the new army according to the establishment of the Chariot Battalion, equipped with chariots, horse troops and artillery, plus His Majesty's high military salary, the cost of strict training will be extremely high. Calculated in this way, twenty thousand The annual expenditure of the new army is more than 200 million taels!" Sun Chengzong reported the budget without mercy.

More than 200 million taels of silver to train [-] well-trained elite soldiers, and it is still a chariot battalion, and it is also an ancient armored force, so it is not bad, not very expensive.

Sun Chengzong said again: "Your Majesty, according to the establishment of the chariot battalion of the minister, each battalion has more than 6000 people and [-] new troops, which can just form three chariot battalions to form a chariot army. In this way, even if we fight against Donglu scared."

The size of three tank battalions?Yang Reform saw hope again. An "armored" mobile force of this size should have been a reliable army in ancient times.

"In that case, according to Master Sun, organize these [-] people into three chariot battalions. However, I also ask Master Sun to train the soldiers from Dongjiang and Shaanxi separately, and use soldiers from the capital and other places to participate in the training." Miscellaneous, I will use them separately in the future.”

"The minister obeys the order."

Yang Reform heaved a sigh of relief. The new army was finally going to expand, and the Chariot Battalion was finally settled.It's time for my waist to be a little harder.

(End of this chapter)