Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5093: Martial Spirit
"When soldiers died on the battlefield, their families were exempted from taxes and labor service. In addition to pensions, they were granted permanent farmland. Those who made contributions were posthumously awarded official titles and their descendants were benefited! They used their lives to exchange for these things, and were willing to die on the frontier to make their families and children live happier! Therefore, every time they faced a battle, our Tang army soldiers fought bravely and fearlessly, just for the merit of being the first to reach the top!"

"Why don't you go ask the soldiers in the army? Those soldiers would rather sacrifice their lives in exchange for the well-being of their families and children!"

Saying that life is supreme is just talk. Everyone's life is valuable. If this value is reached, anyone will die without hesitation.

Not willing to die, just not valuable enough.

"During the Warring States Period, why did the Qin army fight bravely and fearlessly? It was because the Qin State implemented a system of military merit and nobility, which gave every soldier the opportunity to rise to higher ranks. Even if he died in battle, his merits would be passed down to his descendants!"

"Throughout the ages, whenever the Hu tribes outside the Great Wall invaded the Central Plains, they would often respond with a single call from a high place. Countless tribesmen would follow the Chanyu and Khan all the way south, carrying swords and riding horses, crossing the Great Wall, drinking from the Yellow River, killing and looting, fearless of death! Aren't they civilians? Why are they willing to die?"

"Because as long as they invade the Central Plains, they can abduct women, rob money and goods, and they can be awarded titles and improve their status for their merits!"

"It's not that the people don't want war. As long as the gain is greater than the cost, everyone is willing to fight to the death!"

"You are the Minister of the Central Secretariat, but you are like a three-year-old child, praising the words of the saints, but turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the reality before your eyes. Tell me yourself, are you qualified for the job?"

The words were like a string of pearls, making the ears of the people in the imperial study buzz and dumbfounded. Didn't they know the truth of what Fang Jun said? Most of them had lived through the war years, and were used to seeing the wars, the fighting, the mountains of corpses, the sea of ​​blood, and the battles. How could they not know these things?

But their thoughts are imprisoned in the collection of classics and poems, and their minds are full of compassion for the world, but they forget that for the people at the bottom of society, having a chance to obtain a happy life, to be given a title for a wife and children, even if it costs their lives, is nothing.

Not only are they not afraid, they enjoy it.

Fang Jun looked around the audience and made the final conclusion: "The so-called 'A country may be big, but it will perish if it loves war' is not entirely correct. When the benefits of war are greater than the cost, why not fight? On the contrary, blindly emphasizing 'a country will perish if it loves war' can easily wear away the iron-blooded spirit of a country. When war cannot bring benefits, who would be willing to fight? In the long run, everyone will be terrified of war and will be as afraid of it as a tiger. The martial spirit of China will be completely lost, and the great China will be bullied by the barbarians!"

Fighting wars that only lose money may seem like victory, but in fact it makes the national treasury increasingly empty, and gradually the national finances are dragged down by the war. This is naturally unwise. From this perspective, "those who love war will inevitably perish" is not wrong.

But sometimes, even though we could have fought a battle that would have brought us great benefits, we went to the extreme by avoiding it like a tiger because we only followed the principle that "those who love war will perish".

A country cannot be "warlike", but it is absolutely impossible to not fight a war for a long time. Otherwise, national cohesion cannot be effectively enhanced, and the whole country will be in disarray. If this continues, the country will no longer be a country.

When I suddenly woke up one day and wanted to fight again, I found that no one was willing to go to the battlefield...

There was silence in the imperial study.

Li Chengqian widened his eyes and looked at Fang Jun in disbelief. Could "warlike" be explained like this?

Even the ministers were speechless!

Fang Jun met Li Chengqian's gaze and said softly, "Your Majesty, the so-called 'excessive use of military force is a warning from ancient times' means that the military force should not be exhausted, the treasury should not be emptied, and the war should not be blind. But if a long-term strategy is formulated, launching local wars, or for the purpose of plundering wealth or for regional situations, it is beneficial to launch wars appropriately. Although the world is now peaceful, once the swords and guns are put into the warehouse and the horses are released to the mountains, the martial spirit will quickly disappear. It will be difficult to restore the invincibility of the founding of the country."

During the Song Dynasty, caution against military generals and the army reached its peak in history. The consequence was that the status of soldiers was low, and the martial spirit inherited from the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties disappeared completely. Although the country had unprecedented prosperity and wealth, it did not have an army to match it.

Forget about the fact that the Hu tribe was rampant and unprecedentedly strong during the Song Dynasty. When the Xiongnu and Turks were strong, were they inferior to the Jin and Liao dynasties? But why did they weaken later and even have to flee thousands of miles to Europe to settle down?
The key is the day-to-day and year-to-year attacks on the Central Plains Dynasty.

During the Han Dynasty, "one Han army fought against five barbarians". During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, they slept on straw and tasted gall, endured humiliation and bore heavy burdens, until they pursued the enemy to the north and swept across the desert. This was because the people had a strong martial spirit and the soldiers had excellent quality. They were able to fight and win when they were recruited.

During the Song Dynasty, "the lights are on at midnight and the crowing of the cock is the time for men to study." A real man would read the books outside the Donghua Gate if his name was called out!

All the young people are going to school, who will join the army?

They lost their troops and humiliated their country in foreign affairs, had no ambition to make progress, and instead retreated to prosperous places and indulged in pleasure. The Hu people developed steadily and naturally made great progress.

Li Chengqian pondered for a long time and asked, "This matter involves far-reaching implications and cannot be decided in a short time. Your 'Military System Reform Committee' should conduct an in-depth study on this. What kind of war can be fought and what kind of war cannot be fought, what kind of strategy should be adopted for the current situation of various regions in the world, and what kind of results should be achieved. All of them should be put on paper one by one. I will discuss with you, my dear ministers, and then make a decision."

Although the army had already become so powerful that even he, the emperor, could hardly contain it, he had to admit that the army had to be on guard and ready to fight at any time. The saying "a sword is sharpened by grinding" was true. Only by grinding it constantly could it remain sharp. If it was put into a sword case, it would become rusty in a few years...

Liu Li asked, "Your Majesty, please understand that this matter can be put on hold for the time being and we can discuss it carefully later. But how should Duke Yunguo be dealt with?"

Everyone suddenly realized that they had almost forgotten the main task...

Li Chengqian scratched his head, hesitant.

According to the laws of the country, Zhang Liang's behavior cannot be tolerated, and he should be recalled to Chang'an and severely punished. However, Zhang Liang's banner was "revenge for the soldiers", and the missing and eventually killed soldiers had their names and surnames recorded in the military register. As a frontier official, Zhang Liang's behavior was justified.

Moreover, as Fang Jun said, as a frontier governor, when encountering such things, do we have to ask for permission from the court before taking any action?
It is inappropriate to punish Zhang Liang, and it is also inappropriate to condone the injustice...

He raised his head, looked around, and asked, "Where is Wei Weiqing?"

Liu Li said, "Your Majesty, the Minister of the Imperial Guards, Dugu Lan, has been sick at home for several days."

Li Chengqian sighed and said, "General Dugu is old and virtuous. He has passed the age of sixty. It is time for him to enjoy the countryside and play with his grandchildren."

How could it be that one of the Nine Ministers had been taking sick leave for years and not caring about the affairs of the government?

Liu Li was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "I will talk to the Minister of Defense later and try to come up with a proper solution."

Weiweiqing Dugu Lan...should retire.

Li Chengqian had no choice but to look at Li Ji again: "Mr. Ying, what do you think should be done about the matter of Duke Yunguo?"

Li Ji thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, although Duke Yun disregarded the law and started a war without authorization, there were reasons for his actions. Any force that kidnapped or killed Tang soldiers should be strongly retaliated and should not be tolerated! Therefore, Duke Yun was wrong, but his actions were excusable. The Secretariat can issue an imperial edict to reprimand him and fine him three hundred yuan to serve as a warning to others."

Liu Li and others were dissatisfied, but they had no way to refute it.

After all, Fang Jun has just elevated the "martial spirit" to the level of national strategy. If he cannot retaliate when his own soldiers are kidnapped and killed, how can he talk about the "martial spirit"?
If we follow Fang Junzhi's words, Zhang Liang is not only innocent, but also meritorious...

*****
It was a court meeting that was not really a court meeting. Fang Jun debated with the scholars and suppressed the civil servants to the point that they could not raise their heads, but in fact no real resolution was reached.

This is not surprising. When it comes to military strategy, how can we judge right or wrong with just a few words?
It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong; what matters is developing a long-term strategy for the empire.

Even Zhang Liang's unauthorized war and massacre of the natives ended up with nothing...

Coming out of Chengtian Gate, he looked up at the majestic and heavy gates on both sides, took the reins handed to him by the personal guards, mounted his horse, and surrounded by a group of personal guards, he went out of Yanxi Gate and returned to the Duke of Liang's Mansion in Chongrenfang.

When he entered the house, he saw the steward following him and asked casually, "Is father home?"

The steward looked strange and said cautiously, "The master has been staying in the study alone these days, eating and sleeping there. We are only ordered to deliver food and toiletries, and are not allowed to enter at other times."

"Hmm? What is father doing?"

Fang Jun was curious.

The steward shook his head: "The master has not given any instructions, so we dare not ask, let alone pry."

Fang Jun nodded, said no more, and walked along the corridor to the back house.

……

As soon as I entered the door, I heard the jingling of rings and jewelry, and Princess Gaoyang, dressed in a long palace dress, came out from the inner hall. She had a slim figure and charming appearance. The crimson palace dress made her skin look even whiter than jade. Although she was already a mother, she still exuded youthful aura.

Seeing Fang Jun already sitting on the chair, Princess Gaoyang hurried over to pour tea, and then stood to one side, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and asked expectantly: "I just heard news from outside that there is an island named after my title in the far South Sea?"

Fang Jun nodded: "Indeed, Zhang Liang conquered an island and named it 'Princess Gaoyang Island'."

Princess Gaoyang couldn't help herself and sat down next to Fang Jun. She said happily, "Oh, Zhang Liang is really something. How can he be so blunt and explicit? He is repaying evil with kindness. I am a little embarrassed. Do you think I should prepare some gifts and visit him at his residence in Chang'an?"

Fang Jun: "..."

(End of this chapter)