Dominate the Country

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At the end of the year, Nanjing enjoyed a few days of sunny weather, and the temperature even rose slightly compared to a year ago. Not to mention that the entire city of Nanjing is decorated with lights and colorful decorations. Compared with the prosperity and development of the economy, politics is what most affects people's hearts in this city. Because things are different now, eating, drinking and having fun are no longer rare or expensive for many important ministers who stand at the top of the Chen and Han Dynasties. From the initial enjoyment, it has become a way to make friends with each other, and it is also a small group discussion. The occasion of the matter.

Throughout the New Year period, the communication between people inside and outside Nanjing became more and more in-depth and rigorous.

Chen Ming saw all this, but he could not stop the development of this trend. Just like the T Dynasty in his previous life, the New Year days were always the busiest time for many officials. All this can only be reversed little by little. The custom of giving large gifts during the Chinese New Year is deeply ingrained. However, as the emperor who is about to ascend the throne, Chen Ming is still very leisurely these days, worshiping his ancestors, celebrating New Year's Day, and completely relaxing after finishing his work. Even though there are only a few days left until the office opens, Chen Ming still enjoys the rare leisure time in this year. As for the return gifts from various houses during festivals, all are handled by the inner house, and Li Xiaomei and the others don't do this only once or twice.

Of course, this kind of leisure is only relative, it does not mean that Chen Ming does nothing. Taking advantage of his free time in the past few days, Chen Ming once again carefully reviewed the army reorganization plan submitted by the Governor's Office. The cost of this plan is a huge amount, but it is also necessary from an overall perspective. This year after Chen Ming ascends the throne, the entire Fuhan Army will undergo a large-scale reorganization.

It is expected that the Army will complete the deployment of at least 12 reorganized divisions, that is, the main divisions, each with 25,000 men; 12 local garrison divisions, with 15,000 men each; and the Guards Army, three infantry divisions, one cavalry division, and one artillery brigade, with a deployment of 100,000 people must be completely completed; there will also be about 50,000 cavalry units, as well as military police units, Marine Corps, coastal defense units, and overseas garrison troops. There is also a navy, waiting for eight to one hundred thousand people.

This is a huge plan. But for Chen Erbao and other important generals of the Dudu Mansion, who were summoned by Chen Ming for questioning, the plan was simple and clear. Every one of them knows this very well. This was because this plan had been discussed and voted on no less than ten times within the Governor's Mansion. It took more than three months, and it was not officially submitted to Chen Ming until a few days before the year before. The only relevant records left in the Governor's Mansion were There was a thick pile of notes, and every one of them was familiar with this grand plan. It's just that the final budget figure reported by the Metropolitan Governor's Office is seriously inconsistent with the amount given in the fiscal budget. The total amount of military expenditure for next year is only 50 million!

Although the person leading this matter behind the scenes was Chen Ming. But his reasons for reorganizing the troops are completely sufficient. The Fuhan Army is now both the main force and the local provincial army. Obviously, the army's organization is not suitable for the current situation where the country is about to be unified. There is going to be a big reshuffle in the mountains, big and small, and the army must be reorganized.

In the Fuhan Army's overall army-building plan, there are a total of forty-three division-level organizations, main forces and localities. However, Chen Han cannot complete the entire army-building plan at once. This year, this is just first step. Not counting the Imperial Guard, the only 'corps' first-level organization in the entire army, there are only twenty-four divisions in the entire army. In many places, the "division commanders" in the provincial army are about to retire. So nonsense is inevitable. The Metropolitan Government has repeatedly used this as an excuse to delay the release of its own plan.

They just keep shouting that the amount of military spending given in the fiscal budget is far from enough, but they don't say how much military spending they will need next year.

This plan was sent to Chen Ming only ten days before it was sealed by the government two years ago. The governor's office said that it had made the final modifications. But in fact, isn't it just to catch the cabinet off guard? Just a military consolidation plan costs 40 million. Such a huge number is impossible for the government to tolerate. Even Chen Cong, Chen Ming's absolute supporter in the court, when he first heard that the military expenditure requested by the army next year was 10 million, he instantly thought "impossible."

This number is too big, and the cost of reorganizing the entire army exceeds the military salary expenditure of the entire army.

But Chen Cong got the news a little late. He only received the news from Chen Ming on the third day of the Lunar New Year, and it had been half a month since Chen Ming got the plan. Although he didn't agree, he could There is no counter-criticism or refutation, right? From a certain perspective, isn’t this not recognition?

"Sir, this year's military expenditure has reached as high as 70 million silver dollars. Even if most of the soldiers have converted their military pay into acres, silver is needed for the production of munitions and military supplies, right? The total consumption is nearly 3,000 silver dollars. That's all." One of Chen Cong's cronies looked at the thin piece of paper in Chen Cong's hand and felt that it weighed a thousand pounds.

This tremendous pressure made Chen Cong unable to straighten his back. According to the plan submitted by the Metropolitan Governor's Office, the entire army will be reorganized, a series of adjustments and the construction of supporting facilities, plus the cost of this year's war, the total expenditure will be 10 million silver dollars. What is the concept? This is more than Chen Han's annual financial income.

Previously, the government was thinking that the scale of the war would be reduced this year and some military expenditures could be reduced. A budget of 50 million was given, but the Ministry of Finance still had 10 million left over.

Chen Cong's face was so dark that water could drip out of it. He was very dissatisfied with this huge number. He knew that the court would soon issue paper money, which would greatly ease Chen Han's financial tension, and it would not be a short period of one or two years, because more paper money could be printed. However, no matter how much it could ease the heavy financial pressure, paper money could not be used as paper. Chen Cong, who had been in the position of Minister of Finance for several years, could not fully accept Chen Ming's financial philosophy, and still felt that the fiscal deficit was very glaring. How could the court have a fiscal deficit every year? If there is no surplus, it is also important to balance the expenditure, right? After all, in China's thousands of years of historical tradition, the ropes that string copper coins in the treasury rotted, the silver turned black and green, and the rice and flour in the granary were moldy. This was considered to be sufficient in the treasury, and this was the manifestation of a rich country and a strong people. Chen Han is now...

The treasury is in deficit and the fiscal deficit is like this every year.

As the Minister of Finance, Chen Cong is under a lot of pressure. He really didn't want to do that. No matter what Chen Ming said, he just didn't want to see a deficit of one silver dollar on the account. He just wanted to see the imperial treasury full of money and grain. If the military expenditure next year reaches the extremely high amount of 100 million silver dollars, Chen Cong feels that he can resign.

Sitting in the main seat of the hall, Chen Cong secretly calculated that Chen Qi, Chen Yongsheng, Gao Pingshan, Huang Jie, Chen Wenzan, Chen Jianbai, Chen Hongtao, Huang An, Gao Jinghui, Lu Long, Miao Fuwei, Gao Qiao, these capable generals in the army, each of these people can't be missing the position of division commander, plus the rest of the generals...

How many positions can be reduced from the twenty-four divisions?

While Chen Cong was secretly calculating here, Liu Dezhao, who had returned to Nanjing from Beijing, was also pulling in his own small group. Chen Ming had already told him that after the New Year, Yang Jingsu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, would go home to retire. This official son who entered the officialdom with the legacy of his grandfather, was appointed as the county magistrate of Li County in the third year of Qianlong, and was later transferred to the prefect of Baoding. In the eighteenth year, he was granted the position of Fujian Tingzhang Longdao, and later transferred to Taiwan Dao. In general, he still has the ability.

Yang Jingsu became the governor of Gansu in the Qing Dynasty, but because his cronies eroded disaster relief, he was discussed by the lower officials and stripped of his position.

As a result, this disaster, which was originally a great disaster in Yang Jingsu's life, gave him an opportunity to easily change jobs. In the Chen Han Dynasty, he sat on the throne of the Ministry of Civil Affairs within a year. Now Yang Jingsu is going to retire. He was promoted by Chen Hui. The court is changing from old to new, and there is no need for him to cling to it and get in the way. And he vacated a position, and Liu Dezhao sat on the throne of Shangshu, and naturally entered the door of the cabinet. For him, it bought a good thing for the emperor and Liu Dezhao, which is very beneficial for his children and grandchildren to walk in the officialdom.

Of course, as the cabinet's chief minister, Liu Dezhao could only watch others ascend to the top, and Chen Cong probably had great hopes. What Liu Dezhao himself could hope for was one of the two second-in-commands, even if it was the right second-in-command.

The Liu Mansion in Nanjing City is located on the edge of Xuanwu Lake, facing north and south, and it is quite magnificent. It consists of three halls, about 100 steps long from north to south, 30 steps wide from east to west, and covers an area of ​​more than ten acres. It is in the shape of an eight, with a rigorous architectural layout, magnificent and solemn. The patterns of rhinoceros, tigers, etc. on the stone slabs and stone strips in the courtyard are very exquisitely crafted.

There is a corridor outside that is 50 feet long and 10 feet wide, and at the south end of the corridor is a huge screen wall. There are three halls in the main hall. The first two halls are through halls, and the third hall is the lobby. There is a patio between each hall. The patio is paved with stone slabs. In the middle of the patio is a corridor connecting the lobby. The floor of the hall and the corridor is made of stone slabs and stone strips. The words "Fu", "Lu", "Shou", "Xi" and exquisite patterns such as the sun and the moon competing for glory, singing and dancing are very vivid.

This was originally the residence of a eunuch family in the Qing Dynasty. It not only exudes the exquisite beauty of Jiangnan, but also has the heavy atmosphere of the north.

The lobby is gorgeous and solemn, with east and west wing rooms on both sides. The doors, windows and eaves are carved with dragons and phoenixes, which are very gorgeous; on the pillars of the street, birds and animals are carved with extremely fine craftsmanship. There are two tall plaques on the left and right of the lobby gate, engraved with a couplet: "Be quiet to cultivate yourself and be frugal to cultivate your character. Be diligent when you are inside and be friends with the wise when you are outside."

This house is considered first-class in Nanjing City. All the high-ranking officials gather around it. The current Xuanwu Lake can be said to be the new version of Wuyi Lane in Nanjing City. The officials living in this area are all of the third rank. People come and go every day, and the house is crowded with people.

The residential area of ​​the Chen Han clan is the formal Wuyi Lane south of Wende Bridge. Wuyi Lane, which had long lost its former glory in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, has now become a gathering place for the Chen Han clan. Chen Cong, Chen Erbao, Chen Quan, Chen Liang, etc., all have their houses here.

Chen Ming wants all the Chen family members to remember the lesson that "the swallows in front of the halls of the Wang and Xie families in the old days flew into the homes of ordinary people."

Peng Zhongrui, who was also recalled to Nanjing before the New Year, lived in a house not far from Liu Dezhao. After receiving Liu Dezhao's invitation, although Peng Zhongrui felt very strange, he immediately asked people to prepare a carriage. He arrived earlier than Shen Guozhen, Yue Wenhai and others.

With a lot of doubts, Peng Zhongrui came to Liu's house. Is there any important matter to discuss with him during the New Year? And he was working outside before.

Without the need for servants to inform, a doorman led Peng Zhongrui directly to the hall. Liu Dezhao, who received the news, was waiting outside the hall. Seeing Peng Zhongrui laughing, he pulled him into the hall, and the two's followers also retreated outside.

"Lord Liu is so red-faced, it seems that he is about to have a big wedding." Peng Zhongrui said with a sigh. At the beginning, Liu Dezhao was just a small county magistrate, a cowardly guy, but now he will be called a 'cabinet minister' in a short time. And he has been honest and self-disciplined for many years, and he can only be the director of the cabinet office. Although he is also a second-rank official, the director of the office is just a big housekeeper. "I don't know what Lord Liu needs to discuss, so eager?"

"Haha." Liu Dezhao laughed dryly twice. His face was red, but that was because of the blood rushing up. Didn't you see that the corners of his mouth were blistering. It is not easy to make such a decision today. It shows that he has raised his leg and walked to the opposite side of the army. And his precious daughter also gave birth to a prince.

But there are gains and losses. He will soon be the minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and a member of the government cabinet. Now that Chen Han is in a situation of military and political struggle, he can't escape it anyway in the cabinet. Oppose the cabinet resolution and sell the army? That would not only cast a heavy shadow on his future, but what would his son-in-law think? Do you really think that gentleman doesn't understand?

Liu Dezhao tossed and turned for several nights, and his anger made the blisters at the corners of his mouth weak. In the end, he made a "wise" decision. Since he is a civil servant, he should honestly stand on the interests of civil servants when the struggle between civil and military officials has reached a certain intensity.

The grandson is still young, and the cheap son-in-law is full of vigor and vitality, so the dispute over the throne is still far away.

Chen Cong first let Peng Zhongrui sit in the hall and immediately talked about business. Peng Zhongrui had heard about the military reorganization plan of the Grand Commandery, but he didn't know much.

And now, "One hundred million?" The whole person felt like being pricked by a needle, and Peng Zhongrui jumped up from the chair.

"How can it be so much?" Obviously, there are only battles in the northwest and northeast, which cannot be compared with the wars last year and the year before. How can it be lower instead of lower?

Peng Zhongrui drank with Chen Gang yesterday, and listened to Chen Gang's enthusiastic talk about promoting basic primary school education, opening workers' night schools, improving the living conditions and scholarships of normal students in secondary and higher normal colleges, etc. And all of this is based on the premise that military spending will be greatly reduced next year, no, this year. The difference between 50 million and 100 million is too big.

"The whole army is reorganized, that is, the whole army needs to be re-equipped. I heard that there is a new type of weapon that will be equipped with the Imperial Guard first. In addition, the garrisons in many places need to be reduced, and the garrisons in many places need to be increased, or some cities need to recruit new garrisons, so the construction of military camps in various places is very large. In particular, the construction of coastal defense artillery and offshore bases of the navy is very expensive.

In addition to the expansion of the cavalry, the reorganized division is a field force. The Grand Commandery wants the main force to initially achieve the most basic mule-horse configuration."

And what is the most basic mule-horse configuration? That means that the weapons and baggage of the troops are all carried by mules and horses.

"At least three Mongolian horses must be equipped in an infantry squad to achieve this." This is a huge expense. Because in addition to the infantry squad, there is also an artillery unit. Liu Dezhao also knew that after the army building plan of Chen Han was completed, the twenty reorganized divisions in the large army would all be mule-horse infantry, just like the Tang soldiers in the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. All infantry were equipped with horses, riding horses at ordinary times, and dismounting to fight in battles. And each infantryman had to be equipped with two horses, one for riding and one for transporting his own equipment and supplies. That was an astronomical figure. And this was the complete "mule-horse".

Liu Dezhao only said two words to Peng Zhongrui, who was still a little confused - Tang soldiers, and Peng Zhongrui immediately understood what mule-horse-based.

Imagine the reorganization plan made by the Grand Commandery that Liu Dezhao mentioned just now. There were as many as twelve field main divisions on the front line, and so many artillery. No wonder it costs so much money to reorganize an army. And after so many horses entered the army, the logistical pressure and consumption also rose. Although the reason why the total amount of military expenditure this year did not decrease but increased was not just because of this, Peng Zhongrui had already realized it.

When Liu Dezhao told Peng Zhongrui all the information, Shen Guozhen, Yue Wenhai and others had already arrived. As far as the people gathered in the hall of Liu Mansion are concerned, the entire high-level faction of Chen Han's administrative system is wrapped up.

Shen Guozhen, Yue Wenhai, Peng Zhongrui and Liu Dezhao, these people either represent a big mountain or have a big backer behind them. Liu Dezhao didn't want to repeat what he said just now, and Peng Zhongrui told the others again.

Sure enough, everyone present had a unclear understanding of the matter, even Shen Guozhen, whose son was a servant beside Chen Ming, only heard a little bit of it.

"It's been half a month, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has received the plan for half a month. He didn't criticize it, so he supports it?" Shen Guozhen, like Peng Zhongrui, didn't expect that the total military expenditure this year would be an astonishing 100 million silver dollars. Even if part of it would be cashed in in the form of land, the real money and silver would be at least 60 million yuan.

One hundred million silver dollars is equivalent to 67 million taels of silver, and how much was the annual income of Daqingguo at its peak?

And how could the fiscal expenditure of an imperial dynasty be limited to military expenses?