Zhu Nao

On the school field, thousands of troops have already lined up neatly.When Yu Changming appeared on the high platform with Zhu Nao, the expressions on the faces of every soldier were uncontrollable excitement.

They stood upright like pine trees, until the officials in charge of ceremonies announced loudly, "See you", all the people knelt down and saluted in unison, shouting, Your Majesty, Wan An!

Standing on the high platform, Zhu Nao had a panoramic view of the army's formation, and his smile couldn't stop deepening.

These are all good boys from Sichuan...

When Yu Changming began to command, the well-trained soldiers immediately followed the command and began to run.Their movements were uniform, and they completely complied with the prohibition.If the enemy sees this posture, they will be frightened and the morale of the army will be broken.

After a drill, Yu Changming asked Zhu Nao ostentatiously, "Your Majesty, how are our soldiers doing?"

"Swallowing rivers and mountains with anger is unstoppable. With such soldiers, the territory of Shu has been peaceful and prosperous in recent years." Zhu Nao paused for a moment, looked at Yu Changming, "General Yu, you have worked hard these years."

After Zhu Nao proclaimed himself emperor, Yu Changming was the first general of the Four Expeditions who was the first to be appointed.Not only because Yu Changming was the first to join his army and had the most seniority, but also because Yu Changming had indeed made indelible contributions to the Kingdom of Shu.

Shu Mansion is the place where Zhu Nao made his fortune. Although Yu Changming never went out to fight in Shu, it was because of his presence in these years that the foreigners in the southwest and the bandits in the middle of Shu did not dare to make trouble, and the land of Shu was always peaceful.Whenever the land of Shu falls into chaos, Zhu Nao's situation will be similar to that of Tao Bei, and he will not be able to achieve today's hegemony.

Not only that, but Yu Changming also trained a large number of soldiers and horses for Zhu Nao. If it hadn't been for the troops and rations exported from Shu over the years, Zhu Nao would not be able to show his fists outside.

What's even more rare is that Yu Changming, like Xu Yu, never disobeyed even though Zhu Nao was away all year round.After all, the army was brought out by Yu Changming, and Zhu Nao was still deeply loved by the soldiers after returning to Shu. Apart from his own popularity, Yu Changming played a big role in it.It was Yu Changming who always made the army loyal to Junao and remembered Zhu Nao's kindness.Otherwise, the Shu army would not be so loyal and brave.

After inspecting the army, Zhu Nao and Yu Changming returned to the barracks.

After entering the room and taking a seat, Yu Changming ordered someone to serve some refreshments, and he spoke first: "Why is Your Majesty coming back all of a sudden?"

Zhu Nao said: "I'm going to move the capital to Henan, and the chances of coming back after moving the capital will be even less. So take this opportunity to come back and take a look."

Yu Changming was silent.After a while, he sighed softly, and said in a low voice, "Time flies so fast. I didn't expect His Majesty to go so far..."

The move of the capital to Henan made him quite disappointed.If you go to Henan, you will be farther away from Shu, and Zhu Nao will indeed have less chance to come back.But he also knew that now Zhu Nao was no longer the prefect of Chengdu, but the emperor.Although the land of Shu is rich and beautiful, it is a land surrounded by fortresses.If you want to be the master of the world, it is impossible to stay here.

Zhu Nao didn't say anything, and poured him a cup of tea with his own hands.

Yu Changming asked: "How is the situation in Chen Guo? I heard that Xuzhou was recently occupied by Chen Guo's army."

Zhu Nao said: "Yes. We hold Jingzhou, Xuzhou is not so important. I hope to win without fighting, I'm afraid it will take some time for the situation to become clear."

After listening to Zhu Nao's words, Yu Changming seemed to have some confidence, and was immediately both happy and complicated.It is a change from peaceful times to troubled times, and it is also a change from troubled times to peace in the world.When people face changes, it is inevitable that they will feel uncomfortable.

Zhu Nao seemed to understand his mood, and only drank his tea slowly, the room was silent for a while.

In the end, it was Yu Changming who said first: "When you come back this time, you should have other things besides looking at the situation in Sichuan."

Zhu Nao said: "Yes, I have something to discuss with you. I think starting next year, I will stop recruiting new soldiers."

Yu Changming nodded: "Now that the Liang Kingdom has been destroyed, only Jiangnan is left. The wars will not be so frequent. There is really no need to recruit new soldiers."

Before Zhu Nao could speak, he continued: "Now the army in central Shu plus the troops you have recruited outside these years, there should be tens of 10 people. After Jiangnan is settled down, it is necessary to reduce the army and reduce taxes, and rest with the people. gone."

When Zhu Nao first took office, he reduced taxes for the people in central Shu. At that time, there were too many miscellaneous taxes, and he reduced a lot in one go.However, with the frequent wars and the increase in soldiers and horses, taxes have gradually increased a lot.Fortunately, he has other means of raising military expenses, so that the people are not overwhelmed, but it is not a long-term solution after all.

Yu Changming took the initiative to bring up the matter of disarmament frankly, just like Zhu Nao walked into his camp frankly and alone.

Zhu Nao looked at him and said, "Brother Changming, you understand best."

"Yes, I understand..." Yu Changming pursed his lips, but his expression was not relaxed.After all, disarmament is not as simple as recruiting troops. In addition to his own power will be greatly weakened, the interests of too many people under him will also be damaged, and they will definitely encounter considerable resistance.

Yu Changming took a deep breath and let it out slowly.He solemnly said: "I understand that I will be prepared...but I have an unkind request."

"You said."

"I hope that when you are ready to disarm, you will start from the outside first, and then it will be my turn."

The last disarmament means that when all the troops in the world begin to decrease, only Yu Changming has the most troops and the strongest power.No one dared to entrust this right to a general without the absolute confidence of the monarch.

Junao didn't answer right away.The house was unusually quiet, only the water leaking slowly outside the house.Tick ​​tock...tick tock...it seems like a long time.

Zhu Nao gradually suppressed his smile, looked at Yu Changming seriously, and said slowly: "At the beginning, you were the first to recruit soldiers for me. The Shu army in your hand, our good son in Shu, is the guarantee of the stability of the country. .When it comes time to disarm, you, of course, will be the last one."

The sound of water leaking seemed to suddenly become lighter.

A smile spread across Yu Changming's face, and he said, "Thank you."

Zhu Nao smiled and spread his hands: "Even if you don't say it, I planned to do so."

The reason why Yu Changming made this ruthless request was not only because he had selfish considerations for his subordinates, but also to appease the soldiers and civilians in Shu.Even though Zhu Nao wants to leave the territory of Shu and set his capital in Henan, he still has affection for the people of Shu and the people of Shu for him.

What's more, the soldiers and horses in Yu Changming's hands are also Zhu Nao's soldiers.This team was left to the end, and with them, the other armies would not dare to act rashly.When chaos occurs, they are able to clean up.

Yu Changming raised his glass, replaced wine with tea, clinked glasses with Zhu Nao, and drank it down in one gulp!

After inspecting the military situation, Zhu Nao had a long talk with Yu Changming for two more days.Two days later, he left Chengdu and headed east.

……

……

After seeing Yu Changming, Zhu Nao did not leave Shu, but went to see Wei Yue again.

These years Yu Changming was stationed in Shuzhong, while Wei Yue was stationed in Bazhong.Like Yu Changming, he has contributed a lot to the stability of the rear of the Shu Kingdom.

Wei Yue didn't have as many soldiers as Yu Changming, and Zhu Nao had limited power to recruit soldiers for him, and many soldiers were sent to him after Yu Changming had trained them well.However, due to Wei Yue's special talent, he has also cultivated many talents for Zhu Nao, like his special service battalion has made a lot of contributions to Zhu Nao.

In order to prevent the government along the road from wasting money and delaying farming work, Zhu Nao kept quiet after leaving Chengdu and came to Bazhong in a low-key way.He didn't go to Wei Yue's barracks, but ordered someone to send a letter to Wei Yue in advance.After receiving the letter, Wei Yue hurriedly brought a few entourages out to pick him up.

In the outskirts, Zhu Nao's chariots and horses came to a pavilion, and Wei Yue and several people were already waiting in the pavilion.

Seeing Zhu Nao coming down from the carriage, Wei Yue's eyes lit up, with a bright smile on his face, resisting the urge to be impolite, and leading his subordinates to salute Zhu Nao respectfully: "The last general kowtows to Your Majesty, respectfully Best of luck to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Nao stepped forward to help Wei Yue up: "I asked you to come here in a low-key manner because I didn't want to make a fuss. If the nearby officials know that I'm here, they will inevitably get entangled."

Wei Yue got up, looked Zhu Nao up and down, couldn't help laughing.

Zhu Nao asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Wei Yue scratched her head: "You have become the emperor...it seems to be the same as before."

After speaking, he realized his impoliteness, and hurriedly added in a serious manner: "The general is saying that His Majesty still looks so heroic and personable!"

Zhu Nao laughed and said, "You've become a general, and you're still the same as before."

"Your Majesty doesn't know something," Wei Yue straightened her back and said proudly, "I'm so majestic in front of my subordinates now!"

After all, Wei Yue is also a general who commands tens of thousands of people. If he doesn't have a set of means to convince the crowd, he will naturally not be able to hold his position securely.But in front of Zhu Nao, how can he put on airs?Before I knew it, I was back to how I was before.

Zhu Nao said, "Go to the city and find a place to sit down and talk."

Everyone entered the nearby city and found a teahouse with a lot of business. Zhu Nao and Wei Yue sat down in the private room, while the rest of the guards stood guard outside the private room and near the teahouse.

Wei Yue looked at the teahouse, and couldn't help remembering that when he first met Zhu Nao, it was in the teahouse.At that time, he was still a homeless bandit, leading a group of bandits to steal everywhere. If he hadn't been caught by Jing Zhe unfortunately, he would not have fallen into Zhu Nao's hands.That's when he thought he was going to die when he met the official. Who would have thought that not only did he survive, but he also lived like this.

He looked at Jing Zhe who was standing at the door, and then at Jun Nao who was opposite, and couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion in his heart.

"Boss..." he asked, "I remember you used to like teahouses the most. After you came to Central Plains, do you still go to teahouses often?"

Zhu Nao shook his head and said, "The year is not good, there are not many opportunities."

Wei Yue smiled and said, "Hey, the year is getting better soon..."

He paused for a moment, then asked: "You came to Bazhong on purpose, are you looking for me for something?"

Zhu Nao took a sip of the tea, and said straight to the point: "I came here to tell you. After I recover Jiangnan, I will start disarming the army."

Wei Yue's hand holding the tea froze in mid-air.He seemed a little surprised, but he seemed to be expecting it, and his expression was quite complicated.

After a while, he opened and closed his mouth several times, and finally asked in confusion, "How much do you want to cut?"

Zhu Nao said: "It will take a few years to slowly build up, and a quarter of it will be sufficient in the end."

Wei Yue suddenly gasped.Only keep a quarter!

In all dynasties, it was easy to recruit soldiers and difficult to disarm. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary soldiers had to be released from military status and return to their hometowns to work in agriculture.Once the army is dissolved, the power and status of the officers will naturally disappear.Among them are many people who have made great achievements. Once they lose power, they will inevitably feel resentful, thinking that the monarch will kill the donkey.

Wei Yue's subordinates have a large number of cronies, and they have a deep friendship with Wei Yue. Once they are cut off, Wei Yue doesn't know how to arrange them, let alone how to explain to them.Don't talk about others, even Wei Yue himself, why would he be willing?

He licked his lips and said cautiously: "Boss, Your Majesty, do we have to disarm the army? How about we change the method and reorganize them into the Xiang army, allocating the fields in the same way, farming when there is nothing to do, and recruiting when there is something to do... Or, it can be done in other ways, there is no need to dismiss it..."

Wei Yue's idea was to keep the structure of the army, even if the soldiers no longer trained to fight, but the airs remained, and the status of the officers could also be retained.In this way, the dissatisfaction of the officers will naturally be small.

Junao didn't speak, just looked at him calmly.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and in the end, Wei Yue was the first to lose.He twisted his fingers annoyed.

He has read the history books, and he also understands the truth. After the world is settled, the army will always be reduced. One is to appease the people's livelihood, and the other is to weaken the authority of those officers.Otherwise, even if it is peaceful now, it will be a hidden danger after all.Three to five years later, 35 years later, the power is still there, but the people have changed a generation or two. Can the people who hold the power at that time still have their hearts towards the court?And the longer it drags on, the harder it will be to cut it.Therefore, it is not feasible to change the name without changing the medicine.

Wei Yue licked her lips, and started bargaining again: "Then, can we only cut a quarter and leave three quarters?...Okay, cut half and keep half for the head office!"

Junao still didn't speak, just looked at him fixedly.

Wei Yue couldn't help scratching her ears and cheeks.In his heart, Zhu Nao was always smiling, as if he had no temper.But once Junao stopped laughing, he didn't even need to be angry to make people shudder.

He finally struggled: "Has Yu Changming agreed?"

Zhu Nao turned the teacup and asked silently: What do you think?

Wei Yue asked again: "Then, what about General Xie, will General Xie agree?"

Mentioning Xie Wuji, Zhu Nao smiled again.

Seeing his expression, Wei Yue knew that there was no need to ask this question anymore.

After a long stalemate, Wei Yue relaxed as if her shoulders were strained.He smiled wryly, and said in a harsh voice, "It's not that I don't want to, I just... just don't know what to do..."

Zhu Nao didn't say anything to blame, but just stretched out his hand to gently press his arm: "It's human nature for you to be embarrassed."

Wei Yue's heart softened, and her nose felt a little sore.

He took a few deep breaths, rubbed his face, and said in a low voice: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for being willing to tell me this in person..." He gritted his teeth, finally made up his mind, and solemnly promised, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I We will put the overall situation first!"

If Jun Nao only told him in a letter, maybe he would still be lucky; if Jun Nao had never met him, he might have all kinds of suspicions.However, Zhu Naogui, who is a monarch, came to Bazhong himself and proposed disarmament to him.He understands that this matter is not aimed at him, but the general trend; he understands even more that there is no way out of this matter.

Even though he is reluctant and unwilling, how would he be where he is today without Zhu Nao?After all, all of this was given to him by Junao.And Zhu Naogui is the monarch, he wants to take care of not only one or two officers, but the common people in the world.

Zhu Nao had a panoramic view of his changing expression, and said softly: "I will make a plan to properly arrange the army. Although the army is about to be dismantled, but now there is a lot of waste to be done, and the local governments are extremely short of manpower. If you have talented people in your army , you can recommend it to me, if you have real talents, I will put them to great use.”

Wei Yue had already made up her mind, and finally felt a little more relaxed.He puffed up his chest, and began bragging cheekily again: "I don't have a single mediocre under my staff, they are all dragons and phoenixes! I recommend it to His Majesty, I'm afraid His Majesty won't be able to use it!"

Zhu Nao smiled and said, "As long as you dare to recommend, there is no one I dare not use."

Wei Yue was not polite at the moment, drank a large cup of tea, and pulled Zhu Nao to introduce all the talents in his army...

……

Two days later, Zhu Nao left Bazhong, headed north and returned to Henan.