The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

Recruiting soldiers has always been a practice.

The Tang Dynasty implemented the Fubing system, the main purpose of which was to form the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Army and select people to strengthen the Yulin Army of the Northern Army to guard the capital and the imperial palace. Therefore, there were the most military prefectures near the two capitals.

Secondly, they were stationed near various governorates, and were conscripted by the governorates to guard important towns and fortresses.

When waging war against foreign enemies, they would temporarily assemble an army, consisting of some local soldiers, some recruited soldiers, and some foreign soldiers.

The war was a limited-time event, and these conscripted soldiers and recruits usually served for two years, or at most five years, before returning to their hometowns.

But this military system has problems.

Firstly, Emperor Taizong's reign was mostly marked by victories, resulting in minimal losses of soldiers. After the battles were over, soldiers would return home to continue farming.

However, Emperor Gaozong began to suffer more and more defeats, often major ones, and the losses of his troops increased.

Although the local soldiers were selected and replenished every three years, people were unwilling to be selected due to the death toll from losing battles, and the number of people fleeing began to increase.

Secondly, during Emperor Gaozong's reign, the Tibetan Empire rose to power, the Turks rebelled again, and the Ten Tribes frequently caused trouble, requiring long-term garrisoning of the border regions.

The Heyuan Army and Jishi Army in Longyou were established after the disastrous defeat in Qinghai, with the aim of guarding the vital route between Tang and Tibet.

The repeated loss of the four garrisons of Anxi due to the lack of long-term Han troops to defend them serves as a lesson.

The local militia had to be rotated, recruitment had a time limit, and the local tribesmen were nomadic, so none of them could stay for long...

Therefore, the military system had to be reformed.

Xu Qinming's problem is very real: even with newly recruited soldiers, not many are willing to go to Hexi and Anxi to defend for a long time.

He paused after speaking, then added, "By the way, in garrisons with military settlements, soldiers can allocate a portion of their land for farming. In garrisons without military settlements, the cost of farming is calculated separately, and that's not a small amount!"

Lu Jun nodded and turned to Wu Zetian: "Your Majesty, may we discuss my essay on military strategy today?"

The collapse of the Tang Dynasty's military system originated during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, but this was only the beginning, and there was still an opportunity for improvement.

Although it will eventually be buried along with the equal-field system, it can at least maintain low military costs for several decades.

Therefore, the "Military System" chapter contains many opinions on the Fubing (military garrison).

Wu Zetian shook her head:

"The chapter on military system concerns the very foundation of the nation, and I still need to discuss it with you. Let's not bring it up today."

"As for where the soldiers will come from... since all of you believe that an army needs to be established and garrisons increased, I will recruit many strong men into the army!"

"If we can't recruit enough people to settle in Liangzhou and Longyou, we'll move some people from Hebei and Henan!"

"The defense of Hexi, Longyou, and Anxi is a matter of national security; if it's necessary, then it must be conscripted!"

"This is not a problem for Chu Yu to worry about."

Li Zhaode immediately objected: "Your Majesty, in recent years the court has repeatedly launched campaigns against Shuofang and has already recruited a considerable number of soldiers. If we were to forcibly recruit more soldiers now, it would likely affect agriculture and sericulture."

After saying that, he glanced at Lu Jun, as if to say, "Didn't you say you wouldn't advise the Empress Dowager against pursuing aggressive military campaigns?"

"This concerns the safety of the nation. Even if we recruit another 40,000 or 50,000 people, how much impact will it have?" Wu Zetian emphasized.

She understood Li Zhaode's meaning: as long as there was no rush to recapture Anxi, there was no need to recruit so many people...

But if it drags on for too long, and the Tibetans establish themselves in Anxi, will it be easy to retake it?

After I ascend the throne, do I intend to remain a mediocre ruler who accomplishes nothing for a long time?

These capable ministers were generally loyal, but on certain matters, they might not necessarily be of one mind with you.

"My mind is made up. Xia Guan, draft a recruitment plan and follow it!" She flicked her sleeve, her gaze sharp.

"Yes," Wu Sansi immediately agreed.

Li Zhaode dared not argue any further and sighed inwardly.

Xing Wenwei and Yao Yuanchong looked solemn, as if they wanted to say something, but in the end they lowered their heads.

"Your Majesty, I have two options. Perhaps we don't need to recruit too many soldiers, nor do we need to relocate the people of Hebei and Henan to Hexi and Longyou," Lu Jun suddenly said.

"Huh? There are ways to recruit soldiers? It wasn't mentioned in the policy document!" Wu Zetian was taken aback.

Xing Wenwei, Li Zhaode, and Yao Yuanchong looked over with bright eyes and expectant expressions.

"This was just a last-minute thought..." Lu Jun's eyes flickered. "Empress Dowager, may I speak to you privately?"

"Hmm?" Wu Zetian hesitated slightly.

According to custom, when the monarch summons his ministers, it is a public event, and a historian must be present, with the left historian recording the words and the right historian recording the events.

Although she often broke this rule, she was still very proper when discussing state affairs, except when meeting cruel officials.

Lu Jun proposed to speak to the emperor privately... This was against the rules and would not be good for his own reputation.

However, Chu Yu should be a person who knows her place.

She nodded: "Come with me."

He strode toward the side hall, followed closely by eunuchs and maids. Lu Jun followed behind, with the prime minister and others casting intense, uncertain glances at him.

"My method is somewhat opportunistic and perhaps not well thought out. Your Majesty needs to decide whether to adopt it."

"The first method is to transfer prisoners who have been exiled to Lingnan to the border regions, giving them a chance to reform."

"Those who commit long-term exile are never pardoned, but if Heaven grants them great mercy, they may be considered for transfer to the border to serve in the army."

"Strong men of eligible age can be enlisted in the town's army, while the elderly, disabled, or women can help with land reclamation."

"Short-term exiles can also be transferred to Longyou or Hexi, where they can settle and cultivate land locally, and upon completion of their term, they can register their household registration in the local area."

"These exiles can be placed under the jurisdiction of the local governor, and strict management will ensure their safety."

"If one performs meritorious service, a convict in the military may have his sentence reduced appropriately, and those who perform great meritorious service may even be restored to their status as a free person."

"This is a short-term solution; in the long run, military reform is still needed, because the fighting ability of good families is always higher than that of convicts."

"Of course, the likes of the Hui, Mang, and Xiao clans are the most heinous and are not among those to be exiled..."

This method later became known as the "military conscription system".

From the Qin and Han dynasties to the Northern and Southern dynasties, there were precedents of exiling criminals. The Song dynasty formally incorporated this into the law. In the Ming dynasty, in order to replenish the military households that had fled, a large number of criminals were sent to the garrisons to serve, and the conscription system reached its peak.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty's garrison system was modeled after the Fubing system, which is similar to the current predicament of a shortage of soldiers.

Military service was a harsh punishment, but for those exiled to Lingnan during Empress Wu's reign, it was a good thing.

The miasma here is severe, and people from the north are not used to it and are easily infected and die young.

Moreover, according to records, the Lingnan Exile Case would occur three years later, in which cruel officials killed three thousand innocent people, which was extremely cruel.

Lu Jun wanted to try to save her.

As soon as he opened his mouth, Wu Zetian understood why he was being asked to speak to her alone.

In recent years, she has expanded the number of prisons and executed many people who posed a threat to her or were suspected of posing a threat.

The relatives of these people were exiled to central Guizhou and Lingnan. Among them, the descendants of the King of Yue and his son, the King of Han, and the King of Lu were given the surname Hui and ordered to repent.

The Mang and Xiao clans were descendants of Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, who were political rivals in their early years, and lived a long time ago.

In reality, most of the exiled prisoners posed no threat to Wu Zetian; they were merely there to establish her authority.

Since most of them were political prisoners and the matter was confidential, Lu Jun dared not speak out in court, lest she put the Empress Dowager in a difficult position.

In terms of fighting ability, these people are actually from good families and are not real criminals, so they won't have much of an impact.

As for whether he could succeed... he was still somewhat confident, because Wu Zetian was known for her love of granting general amnesties.

Seeing the Empress Dowager remain silent in thought, he added, "The appearance of an emperor might be an opportunity to bestow favors..."

Wu Zetian immediately understood that when she became emperor, she would have to grant a general amnesty, so she might as well do some favors.

She nodded: "There are tens of thousands of convicts in total. Selecting some suitable ones to serve in the army and making the best use of their talents is a good solution."

Then he asked, "And the second one?"

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was not angry, Lu Jun breathed a sigh of relief:

"The second method is to search for those who have fled."

"Over the years, many people have fled, either to avoid being selected as soldiers, or because their families have fallen on hard times and their land has been sold off, leaving them no choice but to become tenant farmers in wealthy families."

"These people concealed their household registration, so the imperial court could not conscript laborers or collect taxes, which benefited the powerful clans for nothing."

"The imperial court can issue an edict that anyone willing to surrender themselves to the prefecture or county will be pardoned for their past transgressions."

"They had two options: either move to Hexi or Longyou, and be registered as households and granted land."

"If someone in the family enlists in the army, the whole family can move to Kuanxiang and be granted a full share of land and permanent land."

"As long as they are registered as residents, they will be exempt from rent and taxes for five years, and their corvée labor and miscellaneous taxes will also be appropriately reduced."

"In this way, the number of households taxed by the imperial court will increase, and the number of soldiers stationed on the border will also be replenished."

This method was developed independently, referencing the "land survey and household registration" policy of Yuwen Rong, a famous minister during the Kaiyuan era.

Yuwen Rong searched for nearly a million households for Emperor Xuanzong, which shows how many escaped households had accumulated over the years.

The number of millions may be exaggerated, and it is far less than that at this time, but there are definitely tens of thousands of households.

If the imperial court is willing, it can always find out.

"Huh?" Wu Zetian asked curiously, "That's a good method. Why perform it separately?"

Lu Jun smiled slightly: "I don't know if there are any runaway households in the families of the Prime Minister or other important officials, and I'm afraid of offending them..."

Later, when Yuwen Rong implemented the land survey and household registration system, he was severely criticized and it was only completed with the strong support of Emperor Xuanzong.

Not only did people criticize him then, but later generations also criticized him, probably because he offended the powerful clans.

"You sly one!" Wu Zetian chuckled.

"Alright, their status is too high, I understand. But you must remember, speaking frankly is the duty of a subject. You are my beloved minister, no one dares to bully you!"

"Of these two options, you really need to play the first one alone to avoid being overheard and used as an excuse."

"I know your loyalty, but others may not be so. It's right to be cautious."

"Remember to bring up the second option on the spot next time."

"Your subject obeys," Lu Jun replied respectfully.

Wu Zetian pondered for a moment, her gaze gradually hardening:

"Both options are feasible. As long as the governor strictly supervises the exiled prisoners, I am not afraid of them escaping or causing trouble!"

"Chu Yu, your plan is excellent. You've already offered so many good suggestions on your very first day in court!"

"As expected of the remonstrator I chose!"

She was decisive and immediately strode back to the main hall, where she had Lu Jun repeat the two plans to the other ministers.

"Great idea!" Xu Qinming, Lou Shide, and Tang Xiujing were the first to speak, praising in unison.

For them, having readily available soldiers and landowners meant the mission could be carried out immediately.

As for managing prisoners... everyone knows the truth: the vast majority of exiles from Lingnan were wronged; what crime had they committed?

They're very easy to manage!

Prime Ministers Xing Wenwei and Cen Changqian, seeing that the burden of recruiting soldiers could be reduced, nodded repeatedly: "It's a good policy, very good!"

They observed the Empress Dowager's expression and knew that she had given her permission, so there was no need to hide anything.

Li Zhaode was initially somewhat dissatisfied with Lu Jun, but upon hearing the first proposal, his attitude immediately changed:

"Lu Chuyu is a kind person. Compared to the malaria-ridden Lingnan region, Hexi and Longyou are much better, and even Anxi is better."

"He made this suggestion, risking the Empress Dowager's suspicion; he was very bold!"

"It seems I misunderstood him. Although he flattered the Empress Dowager to become emperor, he possessed the qualities of a great statesman and had a far-sighted vision!"

"They are among us..."

Yao Yuanchong secretly thought to himself:

"Although searching for runaway tenants is detrimental to powerful families, it is very beneficial to tenant farmers and can increase tax revenue..."

"I thought Lu Chuyu was only good at border affairs, but it turns out she has great talent in civil administration. She'll be a great talent who can assist the country in the future!"

Xu Qinming was finally convinced: "I have no objection to the strategy regarding Hexi. As long as the Empress Dowager issues the decree, I will carry it out immediately!"

He bowed to Lu Jun and said:

"Lu Shiyi, you truly deserve your reputation as a top talent who passed the imperial examination with top honors. I admire you greatly!"

"I wasn't targeting you just now, but the imperial court is spending too much on troops everywhere, putting immense pressure on the people of Liangzhou. I have to be cautious..."

Lu Jun returned the greeting with a faint smile:

"In fact, Shuofang and Hedong do not need 250,000 people at all."

"If we use my strategy, 150,000 will be enough!"

I'm not targeting you specifically; I'm saying that everyone here is...

hiss--

Everyone in the hall felt as if they had been poured boiling water into them.

"What arrogance!"