Soul swap tyrant always wants to have a baby

During the two days when they didn't have to attend court, the court officials who usually met to drink tea and write poetry all stayed in the yamen. Even their wives and concubines could not stop them from going to the yamen.

Although the emperor has a bad temper, if you don't provoke him, you will at most be fined your salary, but this time it is different.

The emperor dared to directly expel his uncle from the capital and let the oldest member of the royal family, Prince Luo, return home to retire. This was not a simple warning as usual.

Even the two princes were punished by the emperor, let alone these ordinary officials.

This move immediately caused the pampered adults to start brainstorming. Regardless of whether those plans could work, at least they could get away with it.

Leng Qingyi felt even more at ease when he attended court again, and he entered the hall at the last moment before the court session.

Seeing the ministers being much more respectful than her first time attending court, she felt quite satisfied.

"See your Majesty, long live my Emperor."

Leng Qingyi sat on the dragon throne and looked down at the court officials kneeling on the ground below, feeling a sense of superiority.

It is more comfortable to be sitting than to be kneeling. No wonder so many people are fighting for the throne.

Leng Qingyi did not ask them to stand up immediately. Instead, he kept a low profile for a while and took in the subtle movements of the ministers below before asking them to stand up.

After standing up, the ministers felt that the emperor today gave them a greater sense of oppression than at the last morning court, and there was a feeling that a storm was about to come.

"My dear ministers, how have you performed on the tasks I assigned you during last morning court? Which minister would like to share his thoughts first?"

The ministers below looked at each other, and none of them wanted to be the first to stand out, so they all turned their eyes to the Prime Minister and the Duke of Zhenguo who were standing in the front.

One of them is the chief among civil officials and the other is the chief among military generals. Who dares to show off in front of them?

Duke Zhenguo Yan Zhentian stood straight. Although he was scolded by the emperor at the last morning court, the emperor did not ask him any questions. Therefore, he was one of the few people in the court who had a free time during the past three days.

"Duke Zhenguo, you have great prestige in the court. Please speak first."

The Duke of Zhenguo stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, you did not leave me any mission last time."

Leng Qingyi paused and thought for a moment. It seemed that she was so busy scolding him that she forgot to talk to him. But it didn't matter. It was a piece of cake for her.

"Oh? Without me explicitly telling you to be the Duke of Zhenguo, you're content to spend your days leisurely, not even thinking about how to get the people to actively join the army, how to keep the soldiers on the border well-fed and well-clothed, and how to repel the neighboring countries that are eyeing our dynasty covetously? As the head of the military officers, a veteran of two dynasties, and a role model for the soldiers, is this how you act as the Duke of Zhenguo? Let me ask you, why do you think the late emperor gave you the title of Duke?"

After being scolded by the emperor again, Yan Zhentian's face looked a little ugly. After all, he was half the emperor's father-in-law, so how could the emperor not give him face like this?

But after all, he has been immersed in officialdom for many years, so he can still control the situation.

"I earned my title of Duke of the State through fighting on the battlefield. The late emperor bestowed upon me the title of Duke as a recognition and reward."

"Oh, if everyone in the army behaves like the Duke of Zhenguo, then Dongxia will soon be destroyed."

This sentence shocked the ministers who were listening to the Duke of Zhenguo being scolded, and they all fell to their knees.

"If all soldiers fought on the battlefield for military merit, and if they earned military merit for pleasure, as the Duke of Zhenguo wants, would anyone still fight for their country? After receiving their satisfactory rewards, they would become content with living in seclusion, no longer caring about state affairs, no longer thinking about the country, and only focusing on pleasure. Then, if successful generals no longer studied military tactics and trained their troops diligently, how would the soldiers win battles in the future?

A general's success is built on the sacrifices of thousands of soldiers. Your military achievements are not your own, but the result of the lives of thousands of soldiers. Your success is not because you are truly great, but because you are still alive. And the reason you are still alive is because thousands of soldiers have rushed before you.

"I've studied the battles you've commanded, and I have to say you're a true master of military strategy. You deserve the title of Duke of the State. I've given you this position to protect the nation, to safeguard it. I hope your presence will bring peace of mind to the country and the soldiers. The title of Duke of the State isn't just a reward; it's a responsibility you should shoulder. Your performance has disappointed me. I believed you should care for the soldiers more than anyone else."

Leng Qingyi's words made Yan Zhentian, who had never known what shame was, feel a little embarrassed. He really didn't know how he could say that with such confidence just now.

"Alright, everyone, get up. General Hussar, you go ahead and speak."

"Yes."

Leng Qingyi watched as a very young general walked out from the ranks of military officers. This man was one of the few people in the court who was loyal to Zhongli Yuan.

"Your Majesty, my soldiers are currently unable to defeat ten enemies on their own. I believe there are three reasons for this."

"Tell me the details."

"First, the treasury is empty and there's not enough food. The soldiers can only eat two half-full meals a day. The training is too intense and the soldiers' bodies can't bear it. The payment of military pay is repeatedly delayed, which makes the soldiers feel dissatisfied and even less motivated to train."

"Secondly, the soldiers' weapons had not been repaired or replaced for three years. Even though the soldiers took good care of them, they were already in a state of disrepair."

"Third, there are some problems with the training methods, but I am a lowly person and my opinions are not accepted by the generals."

"Oh? Tell me."

"I believe that military training shouldn't involve putting all soldiers together to practice simple movements like chopping, slashing, and stabbing, as well as basic sparring, every day. Soldiers in the army have different physiques. Some are physically strong, and simple daily exercises are easy for them. Training like this day after day will only make their physiques become like those of ordinary soldiers."

"According to you, how should we train our troops?"

"I believe we should first understand the limits of each soldier, then train them in batches, first training their physique and then their tactics. We could hold a competition within the army, where the top-ranked soldiers would receive different rewards. This would further motivate the soldiers and boost their competitive spirit."

Speaking of this, another general among the military officers immediately came out to explain.

"Your Majesty, it's not that we disagree. General Ling's words are true, but the soldiers can barely afford food and clothing, so how can they have the energy to undergo such high-intensity training?"

"Minister of Revenue, what do you say?"

"Your Majesty, I will do my best to ensure the normal expenses of the army."

"Okay. I order the General of Cavalry to be the commander-in-chief of the Grand Camp outside the Capital, and General Weiyuan to be his deputy commander to assist the General of Cavalry in training. In a month, I will personally inspect the results of the training. The Minister of Revenue will first ensure that the 30,000 soldiers in the Grand Camp outside the Capital have enough to eat three meals a day. I will also allocate a sum of money to the Ministry of Works to repair the soldiers' equipment. This will be used first for the soldiers in the Grand Camp outside the Capital. If the results are significant, the funds can be extended to the other camps."