Prodigal Son of the Ming Dynasty

  Chapter 1714 Good way

  Zhu Houzhao was taken aback.

   He never expected that Fang Jifan already had a 'plan'.

  "Why didn't you say it sooner?"

Fang Jifan said modestly: "I am still young, although I have a bad idea, I think your Majesty is wise, and the two elders in the cabinet are even more experienced in seeking the country. I think I have already made plans in my heart. I should be more humble." .”

  Liu Jian and Li Dongyang were silent, anyway, no matter what Fang Jifan said, they no longer cared.

  Zhu Houzhao said anxiously: "Speak quickly."

  "There is only one way." Fang Jifan said: "Temporarily disband the First Army."

"what…"

   Suddenly, everyone was dumbfounded.

   When everyone stared at him in shock, Fang Jifan said: "The military officer will stay temporarily, and the rest of the soldiers will be dismissed."

  " Dismissal?" Zhu Houzhao came back to his senses, frowned and said, "Old Fang, are you crazy?"

Fang Jifan was particularly serious: "This is the fastest way to get results, of course... There is another faster way, that is, the court will provide more money and treatment, but your majesty also knows that the people we will recruit in the future, It is tens of millions. The current treatment is already a huge burden for the imperial court. If there is more, I am afraid that the imperial court will not be able to bear it. Therefore... the minister said that the best way is to dismiss the first army .”

  Liu Jian also frowned: "How can we set up a standing army and change the order overnight? This is a major national policy. Recruit today and dismiss tomorrow. What is the meaning of this?"

  Fang Jifan already had a draft in mind, and said: "I don't mean to change the order overnight, but to let the First Army retire early, and all the backbones will stay, and only soldiers will be discharged, so it is not a change in the order."

  Li Dongyang couldn't help asking: "What does Duke Qi mean?"

  Fang Jifan said: "This is for the sake of the standing army. It is too difficult to change people's ideas. It is as difficult as going to the sky..."

  Zhu Houzhao said angrily: "No, Lao Fang, no matter what your idea is, I will never allow you to do this. These are the soldiers I have painstakingly trained, and they are my painstaking efforts."

  Suddenly, the emperor stood with Liu Jian and Li Dongyang, and Fang Jifan became the target of public criticism.

  Now, they only have one idea, Fang Jifan has a brain disorder.

  Fang Jifan said: "Your Majesty, please listen to the minister's explanation."

   "Don't listen!" Zhu Houzhao said: "No matter if you name a flower, I will not allow you to mess around."

  Fang Jifan gritted his teeth: "Your Majesty, how do you recruit the standing army? The Ministry of War is already as anxious as ants in a hot pot."

  Zhu Houzhao had no choice but to say: "I'll think about it again."

  Fang Jifan said: "There is no time to waste. Why don't you make a bet?"

  Zhu Houzhao sternly said: "No delay, and you are not allowed to bet... what?"

  Fang Jifan sighed in his heart, well, he still understands Zhu Houzhao's virtues!

  Liu Jian and Li Dongyang never imagined that major national events would end in a child's play...

Fang Jifan said: "Three months, give me three months to dismiss these thousands of people, and I will bring one hundred thousand good family sons to Your Majesty! Not only that, if the soldiers who were dismissed before are willing to come back, they can still be sent back to the team .Your Majesty, if you don’t dare to gamble, let it go.”

   "Why don't you dare." Zhu Houzhao stared at him and said, "Did you lose?"

   "Xishan is willing to pay three million taels of military expenses." Fang Jifan did not feel guilty at all.

   All of a sudden...even Liu Jian and Li Dongyang's heart beat.

  Zhu Houzhao laughed: "I want your money so badly."

  Fang Jifan said lightly: "Forget it."

  Zhu Houzhao waved his hand, and immediately said: "If you have made a bet, how can you say it? A gentleman has no jokes, and a man spits a nail."

   "What if Your Majesty loses?" Fang Jifan looked at Zhu Houzhao calmly.

Zhu Houzhao said: "For so many years, warriors have indeed been suppressed. How can I, Ming Dynasty, think about expanding the territory and spreading grace and power to the world, and let the soldiers be regarded as pariahs? They want to fight for the Ming Dynasty. , Those who bleed for the imperial court, and those who bleed are treated so contemptuously, don’t say it’s unreasonable, even if it’s not good for the country. If it can make people enter the army and become a matter of honor, then...Soldiers Your situation can be greatly improved, this is a great achievement, if I don’t reward you, how can I say it, if it succeeds, I will give you an official title and nobility for the first time, and I will not be stingy.”

  Fang Jifan did the math, three million taels of silver, in exchange for a black gauze hat and a title, no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem to be a good deal!

  However...he seemed to be sure of winning the paper: "Since this is the case, within three months, His Majesty will not get involved, and must obey his ministers."

   "It's up to you." Zhu Houzhao laughed.

   No matter what, he won't lose money, right?

  …

   Soon, a decree came out from the palace, and immediately arrived at the First Army.

   After a decree, everyone in the army was stunned.

  They never expected that the First Army, which was doing well, would suddenly be disbanded.

  As soon as the news came out, the entire army was in mourning.

  When first entering the camp, everyone felt bitter and wanted to leave quickly.

But now... I am getting used to it here, I can eat and drink enough every day, and training has gradually become a trivial matter in their eyes. In this army, after getting along with the robes for a long time, they support each other like relatives , and now they have to leave suddenly, and everyone is about to return to their hometowns. This...not only came suddenly, but also...almost everyone is reluctant to part with it.

  According to the decree, they can only stay here for one night, and the severance fee will be paid the next day, and they will leave immediately.

  Zhou Yi felt that his mind was blank, and he was insane. Like everyone else, he was silent and did not speak. Everyone lowered their heads and packed their bags.

  During dinner in the evening, someone sobbed softly while eating.

  One night passed, and everyone's hearts were complicated. When they were about to leave the camp and parted, the emotions that were suppressed in their hearts burst out suddenly under the emotion of being about to part ways.

  Zhou Yi suddenly burst into tears at the gate of the camp, and some of the robes who accompanied him day and night also hugged their heads and cried.

The relationship between the army and classmates is slightly different, especially in the first army, everyone practiced together under the scorching sun, crawled in the mud, shoulder to shoulder with each other in combat, experienced the test of life and death, and surpassed ordinary people's honing time and time again. For individuals, it is suffering.

  Among the countless hardships and sufferings of life and death, only Pao Ze, who eats and sleeps with each other all day long, has become the reliance of mutual comfort.

   And now... everything is back to the original point.

Zhou Yi desperately wiped his red eyes, and finally... boarded the pick-up carriage. He and several fellow villagers got into the carriage together. Through the glass window, he looked at the distant gate, the familiar banner, and Those familiar faces seemed to suddenly... give up a part of my life.

  The decree came ruthlessly, and the dismissal process was also very fast, because...these soldiers were already used to obeying, even if they were reluctant to give up in every possible way, they all packed their bags and set off on their way home.

  …

  Jingli heard the news.

   Suddenly there was an uproar.

  The First Army was fine before, why was it suddenly disbanded?

  Actually, Jingzhong has a good impression of the First Army.

  The First Army has almost no disturbance to the people, and...the discipline is strict, and it once put down the Jiang Bin Rebellion.

  Such an army and horse broke up as soon as they said they would break up, which is really unexpected.

   On this day, Zhu Houzhao brought Fang Jifan, Liu Jian, Liu Jin, Wang Shouren and others to a teahouse.

  They were wearing casual clothes, although they looked strange as a group of people, but...not many people paid attention to them.

  In the teahouse, people were discussing enthusiastically, and countless words filled Zhu Houzhao's ears.

  Zhu Hou photographed like a quiet listener, holding a teacup, drinking tea slowly.

   "It's a pity for the First Army. I thought that with them, the capital would be safe. We ordinary people feel at ease. How could we have thought that...the court will change as it says."

   "Yes, yes, but... I heard that many soldiers cried to death when they left the camp."

"It's all right after crying. It's a good thing for them, but whoever is a soldier who has a little bit of promise? Look, how many soldiers' families are looking for a matchmaker to get married, but which serious family Will his daughter marry them? If this soldier continues to do so, he will have no descendants."

   "That's the truth. Nine out of ten people who join the army are not good people. What good can they do if they join the army? If they leave the army, they will sell their military households in the future and behave like a good person."

  When Zhu Houzhao heard this... his temper was about to explode again, and he wanted to drop the teacup in his hand, taking advantage of the situation.

  Fang Jifan knew Zhu Houzhao best, he pressed Zhu Houzhao's hand in a hurry, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty... What are you doing arguing with others, so what if you win?"

  Zhu Houzhao knew that what Fang Jifan said was true, but he was still holding his breath, so he put down the teacup, but suddenly said loudly: "Isn't that true? Without these soldiers, can we be safe and sound? You guys are talking nonsense."

   He said so loudly.

   Several people who were talking about it suddenly lowered their voices and looked at Zhu Houzhao in astonishment. Unexpectedly, at this time, someone came to argue with him.

   But when they saw Zhu Houzhao's young appearance, they immediately showed a meaningful look, and then looked at Zhu Houzhao with a look of caring for the mentally retarded.

  "Little brother... the old man is someone from the past, so you don't understand now. Joining the army is not a nice word. You young people don't know things, and you will know in the future."

  Others burst into laughter, thinking that the young master of some merchant came out to talk nonsense.

"In the future, if my little brother has a daughter, he will know a saying that a woman would rather die than marry a soldier. People who join the army have been called thieves in the army in all dynasties. They are thieves who have committed crimes. They are exiled. You just went to the army, let me tell you, what good can this do?"

  (end of this chapter)