Chapter 1288 – The Downfall of Huang Song, Unification of Dongqing (Thirty)
The initial military system was brutally simple: no distinction between civil and military roles, a fusion of military and political authority. Local lords had some ability to deploy troops but had to obey the central royal commands. With policies issued from above, countermeasures arose below. It became rampant for local lords to raise private armies and form personal militias.
With military power overly decentralized, it naturally sowed the seeds for societal chaos.
In order to align with the political and economic systems, military reforms could no longer be delayed; military and political functions began to separate, transforming into a highly centralized military system centered around the king. Positions became specialized, and the reward system for military achievements was made more transparent. Troop sources shifted from a singular approach to include the Common People, further shifting the burden of military service onto them, thus expanding military strength to aid in war mobilization.
Now, the military system was far more intricate. Take Dongqing as an example; during peacetime, to ensure a stable troop source, the royal family mandated the enlistment of soldiers’ families, forcing them into military service for generations. In wartime, ordinary Common People were forcibly drafted to serve and sacrifice themselves in battle.
For the Common People, the term “military registration” was not a positive word.
If it weren’t for Jiang Pengji implementing various measures, the Common People would have avoided it like the plague.
Under this military system, the training level of the soldiers wasn’t particularly high, so they often slacked off during combat, likely just marginally better than mere draftees.
Local powers could still recruit a large number of private armed forces with money, such as the troops that Jiang Pengji once commanded.
The military systems across the five nations were quite similar, largely inherited from the time of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Each country had slight modifications based on its specific circumstances.
Jiang Pengji harbored grand ambitions; she wasn’t content with the status quo and wanted her army to become a truly elite force!
She had been contemplating military reforms for quite a while, her mind already teeming with ideas as Yang Si listened intently.
The two occasionally engaged in quiet dialogue, and time flew by swiftly.
Yang Si was increasingly astonished and simultaneously elevated his opinion of Jiang Pengji.
His lord was capable of attracting so many sycophants; her charisma was undeniably strong.
He asked, “If you proceed with this, will there be opposition from others?”
Jiang Pengji secretly rolled her eyes.
“What would they oppose? They’ve never experienced the taste of receiving ghostly pay; they wouldn’t lament losing what they never had.”
Yang Si was momentarily speechless.
He couldn’t help but wonder when his lord had begun to harbor thoughts of military reform; had she already started laying the groundwork?
Jiang Pengji and Yang Si had just discussed the issue of multiple positions and salaries. To put it simply, if Yang Si held more than one title, he would receive rations corresponding to each title. In actuality, only one title was genuine, while the others were mere names. To simplify further, he did the work of one person but received the pay of several; this led to a waste of resources.
Thus, Jiang Pengji never granted them honorary titles—each person would only receive a single salary.
Those who earned merit received more rewards, and additional benefits were given on holidays.
Jiang Pengji was never stingy with employee benefits.
In addition to this issue, multiple titles also led to unclear duties, creating situations where outsiders instructed those with expertise, which was quite laughable.
While this wasn’t a major issue in peacetime, during war, it could be fatal.
Jiang Pengji also discussed the military ranking system with Yang Si. She intended to refine duties further, promoting more usable new recruits and motivating soldiers to achieve merit. Under the current system, it was a classic case of “too many monks, not enough porridge,” which in the long run was detrimental to internal stability and development.
The two shared ideas from noon until sunset, just as they touched upon military discipline.
Yang Si said, “In my opinion, under the leadership of the lord, the military discipline is already rare in the world.”
How much more could they improve it?
Jiang Pengji shook her head, “That’s a misleading notion. On the surface, nobody commits offenses, but aren’t there cases of lawlessness behind closed doors?”
Yang Si paused; he truly couldn’t guarantee otherwise.
Nothing was absolute; war was chaotic, and who could be sure there weren’t audacious individuals causing trouble amid chaos, oppressing the Common People?
Jiang Pengji added, “They don’t dare to now, because I’m still young, and my deterrent effect is intact. If I’m no longer here in a hundred years, and my influence fades, if the generals leading them have ulterior motives… At that time, if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will tilt— the entire army would protect one another, deceiving their superiors while taking advantage of their subordinates. In that case, who suffers the most? It’s exactly as the saying goes: the people do not fight with officials, nor with the military. If minor villains play tricks, it’s truly something one cannot guard against.”
Yang Si chuckled bitterly, “My lord thinks too deeply.”
He said this, but in his heart, he still agreed with Jiang Pengji’s words.
His lord wished for military reform, hoping for a future without wise and invincible leaders, yet the military camp could still maintain its righteous spirit.
“I once heard a saying: loyalty exists because the cost of betrayal is too low,” stated Jiang Pengji. “Similarly, it could be understood that lawfulness exists because the cost of breaking the law isn’t enticing. If the temptation to break the law is too high, then naturally, some will trample on the law… Thus, I shall increase the price of breaking the law, making it painful enough that no one dares to touch the bottom line. Yang Si, what do you think of this idea?”
After hearing this, Yang Si jokingly replied, “This is something you should suggest to Han Yu. If he hears this, he would surely regard it as a wise saying.”
Isn’t what Han Yu pursued throughout his life precisely the “law”?
Jiang Pengji said, “It’s fine as long as you think it’s good; what’s the point in dragging Han Yu into this?”
“It is good, but…” Yang Si mentioned, “Too much of a good thing is no good.”
His lord’s ideas were great, but there needed to be a balance; otherwise, it could produce contrary effects.
Jiang Pengji nodded, “I understand that. Therefore, I wish to manage military registrations uniformly, keeping a consolidated record. Should anyone violate military discipline, they would not only sever their own promotion path but also affect their descendants— for three generations, they cannot engage in politics or the military, nor can their offspring enjoy any military benefits. In the future, as Golden Scales Academy expands, the descendants of errant soldiers will also be denied admission.”
Yang Si discreetly rubbed his nose.
Just moments ago, he had been talking about “too much of a good thing”— and now, his lord was coming down hard with regulations.
If this system were implemented, who would dare to misbehave?
The consequences of wrongdoing would be monumental.
Many had the notion of “continuing the family line, bringing glory to the ancestors.”
Once they violated military discipline, it wouldn’t just shame their ancestors, but it would also ruin their descendants’ futures.
In some ways, this was even more painful than ending a life.
Jiang Pengji said, “This is just a rough idea. The specifics will have to wait until we gather everyone for collective brainstorming.”
Aside from these discussions, Jiang Nongqin kept gazing at her lord with starry-eyed admiration.
Yang Si felt a surge of annoyance. Wasn’t he as good-looking as his lord?
He had wasted so much breath this afternoon; why didn’t she show him any affection?
“What about mine?”
Yang Si looked eagerly at the water pouch in Jiang Nongqin’s hands.
Jiang Nongqin sneered, “None left. This is for my lord.”
Yang Si: “…”
Ugh!
