The Privy Council official department, Du Zhongxiao and Tian Kuang, deputy envoy Zhang Sheng, Zeng Gongliang and Fu Bi sat together to discuss the military system reform.

Du Zhongxiao said: "To change the military system, the first thing is to have money, and secondly, there are people. Only with money and people can we talk about how to change it later. In recent years, the imperial court has collected a lot of money and grain. Last year, after Wang Anshi arrived in Yezhou, he changed a lot of things. It is estimated that in the past two years, the Secretary of the Communist Party of China will collect more money after promoting it to other places. In other words, there is no shortage of money for the military system now."

Tian Kuang said: "After the destruction of Dangxiang, the emperor decided to restore Yanyun's land and defeat the Khitan army. This military reform was a matter of repeated weighing and deciding to do. Money and food were not a problem. The money collected by the court was originally used. But we should still consider what Taiwei Du said just now. Don't make a charter, but there were not enough people to do it, and it would only make others laugh at it."

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Yes, it's hard to have a suitable manpower for a while. So when we plan military reform, we must think of the manpower for everything. This military reform is divided into three parts in my opinion. One is the Privy Council, which is in charge of military orders, logistics, intelligence and rewards, how to set up a yamen, what requirements do the people in the yamen need. The second is the Privy Council, which is in charge of military affairs, military law and mobilization, which yamen should be set up and how to select people. The third is the garrisons in various places, how to organize, how to ask, how to guarantee, what it looks like in war, and what it looks like in peacetime."

Zeng Gongliang said: "The so-called military orders and military affairs, what are the main contents of the so-called military orders and military affairs? Can we clearly state what logistics, intelligence, rewards, military laws and mobilization are all imagined, but military orders and military affairs are really hard to explain."

Du Zhongxiao said: "To put it simply, military orders and military affairs are to raise soldiers and use troops. The so-called military affairs are recruiting people and eliminating military service, daily management, food and salary, daily training, and promotion of soldiers. The so-called military orders refer to combat. How to deploy defenses in daily military forces, how many troops are used, which army is used, how to command, who will command, and specific military strategies are all within it. Therefore, military affairs are managed by the national imperial guards, and military orders are the Privy Council, the General Office, and the subordinate yamen. The two are separated, and the General General of the Supreme Army is responsible for wartime and daily life at the same time."

Zeng Gongliang nodded: "It turns out that this is what it means, but it is similar to the current Three Ya and Privy Council."

Du Zhongxiao said: "This was originally the intention of the separation of the Privy Council and the Three Yamen. However, the yamen below were not uniform and the officials were insufficient, so many things were abandoned. Now the court does not lack money and food, so it is naturally necessary to make up for it."

The Song Dynasty inherited the Five Dynasties and established the Privy Council and the Three Yamen, which was originally a historical inertia. These two Yamen were not actually established for the separation of military orders and military affairs. However, the special environment of the Five Dynasties, coupled with the evolution of history, had such a role.

The three yamen were originally the military management institutions of all dynasties. After entering the Song Dynasty, they gradually became divided into three yamen. In order to restrain each other, there were no longer any general military management positions, such as the front of the palace. The Privy Council was originally an inner court and a confidant of the emperor. It has evolved to this day and has actually become an institution that commands war. Due to the unclear responsibilities of the two, the powers also change with different officials.

The new military system reform was impossible without considering the lessons of the vassal states of the late Tang and Five Dynasties and re-concentrating military power. Checks and balances must be added to allow the emperor to absolutely control the army before it can be recognized. What Du Zhongxiao did was actually a common practice in later generations, which was to separate military orders from military affairs. One yamen manages the army, and the other yamen uses military power, and military power is always the emperor.

Du Zhongxiao said: "Now the Privy Council has many and complicated management. Needless to say, the rest of the army is deployed and the generals are moved thousands of times, and they are almost inconvenient. After the reform, there are fewer things to manage, but the requirements are detailed. Special yamen should be set up according to intelligence and logistics to select and train talents. As for rewarding merits, it is not too difficult, and it can be implemented in accordance with the law."

Tian Kuang said: "The real difficulty is the third yamen, and the second is the General Secretary. The third yamen now only cares about the publication and various miscellaneous matters, and the real military and political affairs are not very much. It either belongs to the Privy Council or the military commander, but not to the Third yamen. To let the Third yamen manage the military and political affairs, it must be greatly changed and a large number of generals and officials can be added. The same is true for the General Secretary. Although there are judges, senators and wise words, there are still too few officials according to the new military system."

Du Zhongxiao said: "We first set up a general look for the emperor and the ministers to consider. How to do it specifically requires a suitable candidate to discuss it together. The Shuaisi actually imitates the Privy Council, which is a bit simpler, but not that complicated. What we really need to discuss is the organization of each army."

Speaking of the establishment, Zhang Sheng and Zeng Gongliang shook their heads and said nothing.

Fu Bi said: "This matter is easy. It can be based on the organization of the Hequ Road Army. Yang Wenguang, Zhao Zi, Zhang Ji and Jia Kui have been in the four divisions of 50,000, and it has been several years. In this battle to destroy the Dangxiang, Zhao Zi's army fought thousands of miles and was not defeated. It is really rare."

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's just that the troops on Hequ Road were originally designated as generals in the army were officials. After several years, they were not replaced. Just because they should have changed this one, they saved many yamen and did not need so many officials."

Fu Bi nodded: "This is also a problem. However, the three yamen and the Privy Council have not changed, so how can the following troops change?"

Du Zhongxiao said: "That's true. The Privy Council and the Third Order must be changed, so that the army below can be changed. Just like Liu Ji and his army, although Liu Ji also wanted to learn Hequ Road after entering Hequ Road, he really lacked people and could not change it for a while. The Privy Council and the Third Order will not change, and the army below cannot start from when they want to change it for a while. Okay, let us make a charter in the past few days, and let the Emperor discuss with the ministers first."

After saying that, Du Zhongxiao ordered the officials to take a large blackboard, and wrote the Privy Council on it, listing military orders, intelligence, logistics and rewards, and said to everyone: "This matter must be done by one person, not a person can do it well. Let's look for a few large blackboards and list them on the blackboard, and we will discuss this matter in detail together. As the military order appears, there are military organization, pre-war preparations, wartime commands, and all kinds of things. Just like intelligence, there are internal military intelligence, external intelligence, and maps. They will list them separately, convene relevant personnel, and discuss them carefully."

Since returning to the capital, Du Zhongxiao has not used the blackboard for a long time. Now he has pulled it out and still has some joy. This is how he does things. Several officials sit together every day just talk. So what can he do?

Fu Bi was Du Zhongxiao's assistant for a lot of time, and he was not surprised by this. Others were different. They felt a little strange when they saw this situation for the first time. Tian Kuang and others came up, looked at the blackboard, and pondered hard.

After leaving the Privy Council, Du Zhongxiao breathed a sigh of relief. For himself, it was really not easy to take on the issue of military reform. However, if you don’t reform the military system, looking at the current imperial guards, you really rely too much on luck to defeat the Khitan. This is something that you have to do. Only with the battle to destroy the Party and the military achievements of Hequlu can you truly start. Such an opportunity cannot be missed.

It was early March, with the spring breeze blowing on my face and flowers blooming. It was the best time of the year. The people in the capital took the old and the young and went out for a walk outside the capital. People were crowded near the Zhouqiao, and various hawkers were shuttled through the crowd.

Du Zhongxiao walked among the crowd with his entourage. Looking at the vibrant appearance, he was happy for a moment and entered Yuxian Tower with his entourage. Just as he was about to find a Qingjing Pavilion on the second floor, he heard someone in the store shouting: "Official, why did you meet so coincidentally today?"

Du Zhongxiao turned around and saw that it was Shisanlang and Yao Shouxin and others walking inside.

After the few people came over to pay their respects, Shisanlang said, "Did the official have made an appointment with relatives and friends to meet in the restaurant?"

Du Zhongxiao smiled and said, "No, I have nothing to do today, I want to drink a drink by myself."

Shisanlang said, "But it happened that we were drinking here and asked officials to enjoy the glory."

Du Zhongxiao had nothing to do. Since he met him, he followed them into the backyard of Yuxianlou and found a quiet little pavilion.

The servant came to tea, and several people ate dried fruits and drank tea and chatted.

Yao Shouxin said: "I heard rumors recently that the court wanted to reform the military system, saying that the three yamen wanted to set up an artillery department. The Grand Marshal. I wonder if this is the case?"

Du Zhongxiao nodded: "Yes, someone mentioned it like this. Artillery is now a large number of troops in the army, but the management in the past few years was chaotic, and the court wanted to manage artillery. The third yamen was about to undergo major changes and a new artillery department was set up, and nothing was left."

Yao Shouxin said: "So that's it. Recently, some people mentioned that I would go to the third yamen and be the commander of any artillery."

Du Zhongxiao said: "There is indeed no one who has set up a new artillery department is more suitable than you. However, you are promoted from the Yingtianxiang Army and are not familiar with the official system in the court, and you don't know whether it is suitable."

Shisanlang said: "Of course it's appropriate. Taiwei Yao has been in the capital for five years and has seen everything, so he can't do anything!"

Yao Shouxin shook his head: "Actually, I think the military academy is not bad now. Life is leisurely, with a lot of monthly salary, and life is free and easy."

Du Zhongxiao said: "If the court wants to change the military system, you will be happy and happy. If you want to live the past, it is not easy. What you lack the most is talent. In recent years, although the military academy has trained some people, there are few opportunities in the army and few people have grown up. Last year, Dangxiang was destroyed, and although the army of Taiwei Di's army was outstanding in military achievements, there were actually too few generals who truly meet the requirements. You must use the change of the military system."

Shisanlang said: "In the past five years, birds have come free every day! When will I go to the front line again? A good man is a good man with one knife and one shot! What's the point of teaching students every day?"

Several people laughed together after hearing this. As a cavalry general, Shisanlang fought a few battles on the front line and was sent to the military academy. He was not angry. When he had the opportunity, he wanted to go to the front line, and everyone got used to it.
Chapter completed!