Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 293 Your Majesty! We desperately want to improve! [Seeking monthly votes]

Li Chengqian's questionable actions were a nightmare for the Tang Dynasty's emperors and ministers.

Not only was Li Shimin driven to the brink of despair by him, but even Li Shimin's ministers were nearly driven to the brink of collapse several times by him.

Now, just when the turmoil surrounding the Double Ninth Festival had finally passed, military reforms have struck.

Moreover, the military reform was proposed by Li Shimin.

But if you're going to bring it up, why did you have to hand it over to the Crown Prince?

They really don't learn their lesson!

To be honest, Li Shimin's ministers, especially the generals, were also somewhat speechless about him.

Even though they had fought side by side and even though they had launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident together, the military reforms had indeed touched their bottom line regarding their interests.

Therefore, when Li Chengqian said that in order to obtain advanced equipment, they must first agree to military reform, their faces instantly turned cold.

No one was as excited as they had heard of having equipment that could transmit sound across great distances.

Even Li Jing and his wife fell silent.

Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward, Li Shimin chuckled and teased Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Highness's ideas are quite unique, but the matter of reforming the army still needs to be considered carefully!"

Although his words appeared to be helping Li Chengqian out of a predicament, they actually put Li Chengqian on the opposite side of the generals.

This is just like the open scheme that Li Chengqian told him back then.

When an emperor wants to kill a loyal minister, he often won't do it himself. Instead, he'll let a treacherous minister deal with the loyal minister. Only after the treacherous minister has killed the loyal minister will the emperor kill the treacherous minister to quell public anger and gain fame.

Similarly, he did want to reform the army, but he wouldn't directly take action against it; instead, he would let Li Chengqian do it.

In this way, even if Li Chengqian offended those generals because of his military reforms, it would have nothing to do with him.

At worst, we can just deal with Li Chengqian.

After all, from the emperor's perspective, weakening the crown prince's power was a routine operation.

Throughout history, no crown prince has ever dared to be assertive in front of the emperor, unless he wanted to usurp the throne.

Clearly, Li Er did not believe that Li Chengqian would dare to usurp the throne.

Because Li Chengqian's circumstances were very different from his own back then.

Firstly, he was the one who conquered the Tang Dynasty; secondly, the circumstances at the time required him to maintain stability.

To put it bluntly, why didn't Jieli dare to move when his 200,000-strong army marched south to the Wei River?

It's all because of Li Er.

Even if it really comes to a fight to the death with Jieli, Li Er is not afraid.

But Emperor Taizong of Tang was not afraid; it was the people of the Tang Dynasty who were!

Therefore, even though Li Er usurped the throne, he was still able to maintain his position as emperor.

But can Li Chengqian hold onto the throne after usurping it?
In Li Shimin's mind, it was highly likely that he would not be able to hold the throne.

Because Li Chengqian had not yet proven his abilities to the world.

Even if his performance in Shuofang was indeed outstanding, and even if his performance in the court was indeed ruthless, he still lacked the necessary conditions.

This is why the generals did not understand why Li Shimin wanted Li Chengqian to reform the army.

Because they didn't know that Li Shimin had long seen through Li Chengqian's weakness.

But Li Chengqian calmly said, "Reforming the current army certainly requires careful consideration, but what kind of army does the Tang Dynasty need, or rather, what are my requirements for the future military development of the Tang Dynasty? I would like to have a good talk with Father Emperor, as well as all the ministers and generals."

"after all."

He paused, then looked around at everyone present, including the chubby Li Tai, before finally fixing his gaze on Li Shimin, and said, "I am the next emperor of the Tang Dynasty, am I not? Father!"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was visibly taken aback, and then looked at Li Chengqian with an incredulous expression.

Even the chubby Li Tai couldn't help but clench his robes, thinking to himself, "This guy is too arrogant! He actually dares to say that he is the next emperor in front of his father and all the ministers!"
Why should he? !

Just because he's the crown prince?!

Throughout history, how many crown princes have actually become emperors?

What about Liu Rong? What about Yang Yong? Weren't they both crippled? This is utterly outrageous!
"Father!"

The chubby boy finally couldn't resist and shouted at Li Shimin.

This shout brought Li Shimin and his ministers back to their senses.

Li Shimin frowned deeply and asked, "What is it?"

"Your Majesty, I believe that the current army of our Great Tang is actually quite good. Otherwise, how could our Great Tang have swept away the warlords and pacified the world at the end of the Sui Dynasty?"

“That’s right! His Highness the King of Yue is right. I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with our army!” a minister stepped forward to agree.

Immediately afterwards, Li Jing also stepped forward.

"If there's something wrong with our army, how did we defeat the Turks? Were the Turks weak? That's a joke!"

"Your Majesty, no one can predict the future. Even if we want to consider the future, there is no need to consider it now. After all, our Great Tang Dynasty has been established for less than twenty years. We should focus on consolidating and developing!"

"Moreover, our Great Tang still has enemies around us. If we reform arbitrarily, what will we do if war breaks out suddenly?"

"Therefore, I do not recommend that Your Majesty or His Highness the Crown Prince reform the army at this time!"

Upon hearing Li Jing's words, the generals were immediately in high spirits.

Because Li Jing's position in the army was second only to Li Shimin.

His words carried the most weight in the military.

However, after listening to Li Jing's advice, Li Shimin made no comment, but simply looked at Li Chengqian indifferently and asked, "What does the Crown Prince think?"

Li Chengqian remained calm and said, "I will only state my views on the future of the army. As for how to decide whether or not to reform, that is entirely up to Father Emperor and all the generals!"

"This"

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but look at each other.

But Li Shimin seemed to ponder for a moment before saying, "Very well, then tell me your opinion, and I and the generals will decide for ourselves!"

"His Majesty."

Yuchi Gong was about to speak again, but Li Shimin's cold glare silenced him.

Li Chengqian walked to a wooden board covered with burlap as if he didn't see anything, pulled the burlap off with a whoosh to reveal a blackboard about one meter wide and three meters long, and said: "Father, generals, please stand closer and listen to my views on the future army of the Tang Dynasty."

"Your Highness, what is on this?"

Fang Xuanling was the first to approach the blackboard, looking at the contents with surprise and uncertainty, hesitant to speak.

But Li Chengqian smiled and explained, "This is a military reform plan I designed based on my summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the armies of past dynasties and the existing army of our Great Tang."

"This plan takes into account combat effectiveness, economic sustainability, and long-term planning for central control. If there are any shortcomings, please feel free to point them out."

"This"

When the generals heard Li Chengqian's words, they were somewhat dismissive, but seeing that Li Shimin had already walked over, they reluctantly gathered in front of the blackboard and stopped to watch.

"What is this dynamic adaptability, balancing centralization and efficiency, and military-civilian integration?" Li Shimin asked curiously.

Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said, "These should be considered the three core principles of military reform. The so-called dynamic adaptability means that when we formulate systems, we need to adjust them in accordance with changes in the economy, technology, and social structure."

"The so-called balance between centralization and efficiency means that the central government controls the core military power, while local authorities retain a moderately flexible response capability."

"As for military-civilian integration, it mainly refers to the deep integration of the military system with economic and social resources to avoid isolation and closure."

"????"

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's explanation, everyone, including Li Shimin, was filled with question marks.

But then Li Chengqian said helplessly, "Alright, let's get straight to the point. My plan for the future development of the army mainly includes the following points."

"Given that I have already discussed the drawbacks of combining the Fubing system with the Juntian system, let me first talk about the reforms I intend to implement."

"First, a combination of conscripts and professional soldiers will be adopted. The term of service for conscripts will be two to three years, and it will apply to all young and able-bodied men. This is mainly to ensure a basic source of soldiers. It is actually similar to the Fubing system, but with a time limit."

"Second, professional soldiers, selected from the elite for long-term service, paid by the imperial court, and professionally trained, similar to a conscription system."

"Third, establish reward mechanisms, such as tax exemption for military families and priority in children's education, to avoid class solidification."

"Fourth, clarify the welfare and treatment of different branches of the armed forces, such as infantry, spearmen, swordsmen, cavalry, etc., each with different treatment and promotion standards."

Fifth, generals were in charge of training and combat, while administrative and logistical affairs were handled by civil officials, thus avoiding the merging of military and political power, which could lead to local separatism at the end of the dynasty.

"Sixth, the rotation system, generals are regularly transferred every three years, and soldiers and officers are organized according to their regions to prevent the privatization of the army."

"Seventh, establish a rapid response army directly controlled by the central government, such as the Northern Imperial Guard of our Great Tang Dynasty and the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace. Their equipment and treatment should be superior to those of local armies to ensure a deterrent effect on the local areas."

"Eight" He paused here, then looked around at everyone present and found that they all had different expressions on their faces, each one more interesting than the last.

In particular, the way Li Shimin, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Changsun Wuji, Hou Junji, and Li Jing and his wife looked at Li Chengqian changed.

But Li Chengqian ignored them and continued, "Article 8 is set up for advanced armies, and it mainly has two directions."

"One direction is to establish an independent ordnance research institute, similar to the current Academy of Sciences, but different from the Ministry of War's ordnance workshops."

"Another direction is to establish an independent military academy, similar to the Imperial Academy, but different from it, because the students there are only military personnel, such as scholars who have taken the military examination and achieved excellent results, but who cannot go to the battlefield, can enter the military academy for further study."

"For example, soldiers who have made meritorious contributions on the battlefield but cannot become generals can also enter military academies for further study and become officers at the rank of colonel upon graduation."

"The teachers at the military academy can be serving generals of the imperial court or retired veterans."

"In short, these two institutes represent my plans for the future military development of the Tang Dynasty."

"This"

The generals were clearly tempted when they heard about the two academies.

Because they never imagined that they could become teachers like those scholars and intellectuals.

At most, they would boast in front of their own children and their friends' children about how great and awesome they were back then, but they never imagined that one day they could boast in front of a group of scholars.

This greatly satisfied the vanity of some generals.

For example, generals like Hou Junji.

He couldn't wait to agree to Li Chengqian's plan.

However, Li Chengqian had not finished speaking.

But then he continued, "In addition to the two directions mentioned above, I have already asked the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to oversee the compilation of a new 'Military Code,' which will be used to regularly assess the soldiers' skills and prevent them from neglecting their training and becoming passive in combat."

"Of course, mechanisms to prevent corruption and to provide humanitarian care should also be established."

"The corruption mechanism refers to the fact that the imperial court has censors to supervise officials, and the army also has military censors to supervise soldiers. Any act of embezzling military pay or encroaching on military land will be dealt with according to military law."

"Moreover, a major military training exercise is to be conducted every three years. Those who fail twice in a row will be dismissed from their military posts and have their military budget reduced. Those who are particularly serious will be sent directly to the military authorities for trial."

"The humanitarian care mechanism refers to the fact that the government will provide re-employment or special preferential treatment to veterans or soldiers who are injured or disabled on the battlefield."

For example, those who were unable to care for themselves or whose families could not survive would have large farms established by the imperial court to provide assistance. These farms would raise horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, and fish, and the court would provide them with wages, food, and lodging.

"Of course, for those who want to earn their own living, the court can also arrange for them to work in factories or workshops near their hometowns."

"In short, they dedicated their lives to the country, and the country will never forget them. Even if they die, they will not be buried in a mass grave, but in a martyrs' cemetery."

"As the saying goes, when one person joins the army, the whole family is honored!"

Wow!
The whole place was in an uproar!

If Li Chengqian's previous eight reform proposals had moved the generals somewhat, then the idea of ​​building farms was definitely a reform that the generals had to support.

If the soldiers who had fought alongside them knew about this reform and did not support it, they would probably be unable to lead troops into battle again.

This is extremely important!
Anyone who doesn't support this will definitely be criticized behind their back!

“Your Highness, on behalf of the wounded soldiers, I thank you for your kindness.” Wei Zheng was the first to step forward and bow to Li Chengqian.

The remaining generals exchanged glances and bowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "On behalf of the wounded soldiers, we thank Your Highness for your kindness!"

"This"

Upon seeing this scene, Li Shimin's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, and he had a vague sense of foreboding.

However, before he could speak, the chubby boy next to him stood up and questioned, "There are so many wounded soldiers. Even if we were to build a farm, how big would it have to be? They say they'd raise cattle and sheep, but it's not that simple. Are they going to use all the government's money to take care of them? Does the country even need money anymore?"

"Yes! Your Highness is being far too unrealistic. Putting aside everything else, just consider how much financial and material resources your reforms will require. Reforms are not something you can just talk about!" Hou Junji also recovered from his shock and expressed his doubts.

Li Chengqian calmly replied, "I never said I would use the court's money to take care of them. The farms are self-sufficient; they raise their own cattle and sheep, and consume them themselves. The court only provides necessary assistance."

"Furthermore, all reforms require financial and material resources; it's not that reforms can be accomplished overnight. Besides, this is just a reform plan, and its specific implementation will depend on the specific circumstances."

"That's right! His Highness is right. Specific reforms depend on the specific circumstances."

Fang Xuanling echoed this sentiment, then turned and bowed to Li Shimin, saying, "Your Majesty, I have heard that the Crown Prince's Six Guards are different from our court's army. I wonder if the Crown Prince could demonstrate to us the differences between the Six Guards and the court's army? Why were the Six Guards able to achieve victory against the Turks in Shuofang with fewer troops?"

"This"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, then turned to Li Chengqian and said, "Could the Crown Prince demonstrate for us?"

In fact, he was also very curious about the fighting power of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, and why they were so strong.

Li Chengqian frowned slightly, then looked around at the generals and asked, "Do you all want to see it too?"

"I've long heard of the power of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace. Having led troops for half my life, this old minister naturally wants to see them for myself!" Li Jing said with a smile, stroking his beard.

Li Chengqian glanced at him, then nodded and said, "Alright, since you want to see, I'll have the Black Armor Guards show you a few things. Although it's not a military exercise, these few things are enough for you to see the differences between the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace."

After saying that, Li Chengqian immediately instructed Liu Rengui: "Dean Liu, please ask the Black Armor Guard to send two squads over to demonstrate, one combat squad and one reconnaissance squad."

"promise!"

Liu Rengui agreed and then left without saying another word.

After about half an hour, two teams of black-armored guards, dressed in different equipment, arrived in the hall of the Academy of Sciences in perfect unison.

Then a black-armored guard in the lead announced loudly, "Your Highness, the Eighth Battalion, Ninth Squad, and Tenth Squad of the Black Armored Guard are in position. Please give instructions!"

"Alright, now show us your combat equipment," Li Chengqian gestured.

Soon, the soldiers in the combat team took out their combat equipment and demonstrated its uses and performance to everyone.

The sight dazzled the onlookers, leaving them all in awe.

Especially Yuchi Gong and Cheng Yaojin, their mouths watered when they saw those pieces of equipment they had never even heard of before.

What shocked them even more were the two novel unit types.

One was an engineer, and the other was a medic.

The combination of these two troop types in a combat team is simply breathtaking.

Even a top commander like Li Jing couldn't help but ask Li Chengqian with interest, "Your Highness, can these medics really save lives on the battlefield?"

"Sure! In my Eastern Palace Six Guards, each combat team has a medic. They don't need to know too much about medicine, as long as they know how to treat wounds, they can reduce the mortality rate of their teammates by more than 60%."

"What!?"

The generals were taken aback upon hearing this.

Reducing the soldier mortality rate by 60%—what kind of miraculous method is this?
Their soldiers have a mortality rate as high as 80% once they are wounded on the battlefield!
Reducing the mortality rate by 60% is absolutely terrifying!
"Your Highness, are you telling the truth?"

Qin Qiong couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice.

Because many of his soldiers died on the battlefield before they could receive medical treatment.

This caused him, a man of deep affection and loyalty, to break down several times over the deaths of his soldiers.

But Li Chengqian said decisively, "As long as it's not a fatal wound, like knife wounds or arrow wounds, as long as the wound can be treated in time, the bleeding can be stopped and the wound disinfected, the mortality rate will definitely be greatly reduced!"

"His Majesty!"

Having received Li Chengqian's affirmative reply, Qin Qiong stepped forward without hesitation, cupped his hands towards Li Shimin, and said, "Your subject is willing to support His Highness the Crown Prince's military reforms!"

"Your Majesty, I also support the Crown Prince's reform plan!" Chang He also stepped forward at this moment.

Upon seeing this, the generals exchanged glances, bewildered.

Clearly, Li Chengqian's reform plan was beneficial to both the army itself and their own reputation and interests.

They naturally wanted to follow Li Chengqian's lead and make progress.

But Li Shimin was dumbfounded.

His goal was not to get the generals to improve with Li Chengqian, but to make Li Chengqian offend the generals so that he could reap the benefits.

Cottage!
What's the matter!

To be honest, Li Er is starting to panic.

He forced himself to remain calm and looked at Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, Li Jing, and Hou Junji. If any of these people raised any questions, Li Chengqian would most likely fail.

So next.
"His Majesty!"

Just as Li Shimin looked at Yuchi Gong and the others with hope, Hong Fu Nu's voice suddenly rang out.

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was slightly taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound.

Even Li Chengqian and the others looked over.

(End of this chapter)