The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 72: Quality is more important than quantity

Chai Rong walked up the steps with the gait of a dragon and a tiger and sat on the throne.

The attendants who followed him suddenly scattered in all directions.

Li Yi took a few secret glances and found that Chai Rong's condition did not look like that of someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.

However, it is difficult to see clearly from a distance, and we can only judge by the body shape and behavior.

But no matter what, Chai Rong is not in serious health, and it is good for everyone to maintain the status quo.

After everyone saluted, Chai Rong slowly spoke:

"I caught a cold mid-month and took a few days off to rest in the palace. I never thought I would cause you all so much worry. I feel deeply ashamed."

Naturally, everyone said they didn't dare.

The relationship between the monarch and his subjects in this era was not as distorted as after the Yuan Dynasty.

He always kneels down and kowtows.

From the Five Dynasties to the Song Dynasty, ministers did not need to kneel when meeting the emperor, but only needed to stand up to show respect.

Kneeling and bowing is only performed during grand ceremonies.

For example, the ceremony of enthroning the queen after returning from the expedition.

However, ordinary court meetings like this do not require grand ceremonials.

Everyone was quite casual, and the emperor didn't put on airs.

"I have been resting in the inner palace for the past few days. The affairs of the court, both inside and outside, depend on the hard work of you, my dear ministers."

Having said this, Chai Rong's eyes swept over Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin vaguely.

"My dear ministers, do you have anything to say?"

Chai Rong asked this question, and then court officials came out and began to write letters to express their opinions.

Many ministers spoke one after another, but they were basically civil servants in charge of political affairs, and they all talked about people's livelihood and economy.

To put it bluntly, the operation of the entire country requires money, and after several wars, the treasury is almost empty.

Apart from the civil officials, the military generals had nothing to say and just stood there as a foil.

Only Deputy Privy Councilor Wei Renpu, who was considered half a military officer, made some remarks.

But Wei Renpu was also talking about money.

It is nothing more than pensions, rewards and various subsidies for the imperial guards, as well as the personnel's uniforms and weapons.

Money has to be spent on every single thing.

The people are not so bad, they can suffer temporarily.

But the warriors of the imperial guards were not easy to talk to.

Everyone fought and risked their lives on the battlefield, but now they can't get what they deserve.

Wouldn’t that cause a huge uproar?
When Chai Rong heard that everyone was talking about money, he felt a sharp pain in his head.

He could only order that the needs of the army be met first and everything else be considered later.

However, Li Yi noticed that Privy Councilor Zheng Renhui was not present.

Zheng Renhui has not been seen since the emperor returned from the expedition.

It is said that he contracted an illness when he was old and has never recovered.

Li Yi remembered that Zheng Renhui died of illness within two years after Chai Rong ascended the throne.

He couldn't help but think in his heart: It seems that Wei Renpu will be able to become a regular employee soon... I will have to deal with him more in the future.

Chai Rong looked around at everyone and asked, "Does anyone else have something to say?"

"His Majesty!"

Seeing that no one spoke again, Li Yi immediately stepped out and saluted.

"So Li Qing has already returned to the capital." Chai Rong chuckled. "Did you encounter any setbacks during your visit home?"

When the generals of the imperial guards went out of the capital to do business, they had to report to the Privy Council. As the emperor, he was naturally also informed.

Li Yi replied, "Thanks to your Majesty's great blessing, I have a smooth journey."

"But I did pay a visit to the King of Wei on the way." Chai Rong nodded slightly and said, "You served under the King of Wei for a short time in Xinzhou. Xiajin is under the jurisdiction of Daming Prefecture, so it is only natural for Li Qing to visit the King of Wei."

There was nothing wrong with this matter itself, and Li Yi was able to explain it honestly, so Chai Rong didn't take it to heart.

He casually asked, "I wonder if Mr. Li has something to report?"

"I do have something to report," Li Yi replied, pulling out a piece of yellow paper. "I have written down what I am reporting. I hope Your Majesty will review it."

"Oh?" Chai Rong was slightly curious and motioned the eunuch beside him to go over and get it.

However, when the eunuch returned to him with the yellow paper, Chai Rong waved his hand and refused to take it.

"Li Qing, just say it directly."

Li Yi was a little surprised, but he was not nervous and considered his words carefully.

Then he said, "When I went to visit the King of Wei, I met a man at the post house in Weizhou City."

"This man's name is Li Hanchao. He was a former captain of the Tianxiong Army. He had some skills, but he was forced to resign because he offended his superiors."

"This reminds me of the Imperial Guards' dismal performance during the Battle of Gaoping."

"Especially Fan and He, who held the positions of commander of the imperial guards' cavalry and infantry, but were merely figures in office, deserting the battlefield and putting Your Majesty in danger."

"In contrast, there are many in the Imperial Guards who are deeply favored by the Emperor but are incompetent, while there are also those in the local vassal states who are capable but not valued."

Having said that, Li Yi glanced at Chai Rong on the throne and saw that he was frowning slightly, as if thinking about something.

Li Yi continued, "In my humble opinion, the quality of an army is more important than its quantity.

Elite soldiers like us in front of the palace require the support of dozens of households per person. If we are of no use, wouldn’t it be a waste of people’s manpower and money?
"I believe that the Imperial Guards should be reformed, the old and weak should be eliminated, and the ranks should be divided into three categories: upper, middle, and lower.

The upper-class soldiers were combat troops, responsible for attacking and engaging in battle. The middle-class soldiers were defense troops, responsible for guarding and assisting combat troops in attacking the enemy. The lower-class soldiers were auxiliary troops, responsible for logistical support and building fortifications.

Then, we will select capable people from the local towns and recruit brave men from the countryside to serve as elite soldiers of the imperial army."

Li Yi paused for a moment, then brought up a very sensitive topic:
"In addition to this, I believe the Palace Guards should be strengthened so they can be combined with the Imperial Guards."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Although Li Yi did not say it explicitly, the meaning of his words was very clear: the power of the Imperial Guard was too great, and the Palace Army needed to be strengthened to check and balance it.

There is nothing wrong with this consideration in itself; checks and balances of power are necessary.

But the problem is that the two main commanders of the Imperial Guard and the Palace Army currently have very sensitive identities and status.

One was Taizu's son-in-law, and the other was Taizu's nephew.

Moreover, it just happened that the emperor was unable to attend court for ten days.

It's hard not to think too much when Li Yi suddenly mentioned this topic.

Chai Rong glanced at Zhang Yongde and found that he was a little surprised.

This was not something Zhang Yongde pretended to do. Although he had read what Li Yi had written, the content was not as direct as what Li Yi was saying now.

Zhang Yongde was a little worried that the emperor would think that he had instructed Li Yi to do this.

Chai Rong looked at Li Chongjin again, but the other party's expression did not change.

But this guy's face is too dark, so it's really hard to tell what he is thinking.

Chai Rong then spoke up, "Li Qing said we need to strengthen the Palace Front Army. How should we do that?"

Li Yi had already prepared a plan and said without hesitation, "I think we should reorganize the armies into divisions. The Iron Cavalry Corps should be placed under the command of the Palace Front Division to serve as the main force of the cavalry. The Control Crane Corps should also be expanded to serve as the main force of the infantry."

"The Palace Guard and the Imperial Guard have trained 100,000 elite soldiers. If we divide them into half, they will be enough to be invincible."

After Li Yi finished speaking, no one responded, but there was a hint of shock in the eyes of those who looked at him.

This young general who just took office... is no simple matter!

Chai Rong smiled and looked around at everyone, asking, "What do you think, my dear ministers?"

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.

At this time, Li Chongjin suddenly stepped out and said, "I think there is nothing wrong with Li Dushi's proposal, but the cost of selecting talents and training the imperial guards is not a small amount."

“Where does this money come from?”

(End of this chapter)