Chapter 522: Chapter 253: Difficulty in Deploying Troops_3
Where could this wait come from?
“Your Majesty!”
The envoy from the Shizong Kingdom was anxious, and wanted to come forward to persuade him a few more words.
However, before he could run two steps, Lu Yuan’s cold gaze looked over.
Facing the majesty of an Inborn Grandmaster, a cultivator, a fierce general on the battlefield, and the monarch of a country, the envoy could not bear it in an instant.
He felt like he was falling into an icy cave, and a trembling of his soul rose inside his body.
In great fear, he instantly realized the reality and knelt down.
“The envoy should be mindful of his identity.”
At this time, Lu Yuan’s voice also timely sounded: “What decision the Lonely King makes, that is all the Lonely King’s business. Even though it involves your two countries, it has nothing to do with you speaking more words.
I ask you to wait, just wait.
Don’t have any extra thoughts, extra actions, otherwise, you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”
As the words fell, the footsteps sounded.
While the envoy of Shizong Kingdom felt trembling in his heart, he also felt that the terrible cold had disappeared.
After waiting for a while, he looked up and found that the terrible King of Chu had disappeared.
It’s just two envoys from small countries.
Giving them face, calling them envoys from a noble country. But if they don’t get face, they’re just tribal leaders under the tribal chiefs.
Converted, this envoy’s identity would be a county-level official in the territory of Great Chu, not even the top leader, but a small official under the county magistrate.
With this level of identity, he wanted to hold the King of Chu and let Lu Yuan stop, and listen to him say a few more words.
This can only say that barbarians’ people, without any sense of hierarchy and etiquette, are used to wild habits, and need to be treated accordingly.
After sending away the envoys of Shizong and Milu Kingdoms, Lu Yuan didn’t bother with them anymore.
The next day, he discussed this matter with Sun Siwen and Cui Changqing, asking about the current financial situation and whether it could support a 100,000-man war.
As a result, he learned that the court could not afford to wage the war. Even maintaining the 240,000-strong army was a struggle in itself.
Not to mention the addition of a naval force, which was another money-eating monster.
As for the grain situation, with the gradual recovery of agricultural production in Dongting prefecture in recent years, the grain yield in various places has been increasing year by year. The court can harvest a lot of grain every year, enough for self-sufficiency.
Moreover, Su Country and Nanhai Country send four million stones of grain each year.
This amount is calculated based on the annual food and fodder consumption of a 200,000-strong army.
Of course, armies marching need civilian workers to transport food and fodder. The civilian workers who transport the food along the way also need to consume a lot.
But, in total, the four million stones of grain provided by the two countries were enough for a 100,000-strong army to fight for a year. In terms of food, there was no need for extra expenditure from the court.
The only difficulty for the Chu State now was the lack of money.
Because the army was waging war, wartime wages were different from peacetime wages, increasing by a small margin. Moreover, the wear and tear of various arms also increased, requiring timely replenishment, which was a substantial expenditure.
For a 100,000-strong army to fight for a year, removing the original fixed expenses, the extra wartime expenses would add up to three to five million silver tales.
The court could not afford this expenditure.
That is to say, if Lu Yuan were to wage war, he could do so, but the extra military expenses would have to come from his private treasury.
He could afford this money.
After several previous expenditures, Lu Yuan’s private treasury still had about 1.2 million silver tales left, enough to support the army’s extra expenses for three to four years.
After three or four years, Great Chu’s finances would be balanced. The extra expenses would be covered by the assistance of Nanhai and Ninghai.
So it could fill this gap.
But this money is for Lu Yuan to prepare for unexpected needs.
If used now to attack Da Changhe Country, should another war break out in Great Chu, or if there were any other urgent needs, there would be no money left.
Therefore, it was difficult to make a decision.
Later, as Lu Yuan found it difficult to decide, Sun Siwen made another suggestion.
That was to cut the wages of the local prefecture and county soldiers.
The entire territory of Great Chu, regardless of local prefecture and county soldiers or the central forbidden army, the capital’s Jinwu Guards, and the palace guards, basically all had a monthly wage of five silver tales.
This salary was reasonable, and there was nothing to say about the basic wages of soldiers in various countries.
But the problem was that after the reorganization, the fighting soldiers of Great Chu already had the central forbidden army to bear them, so theoretically, those local prefecture and county soldiers had been removed from the list of fighting soldiers.
If you say that the soldiers of Xichuan and Xiangyang prefectures, under pressure from the northwest, have a constant need to fight against other countries and face greater risks, it is acceptable for them to have a salary of five silver tales.
But for the soldiers of the prefectures and counties below the prefectures, they are purely security forces, at most guarding the city, and basically have little chance to go to the front-line battlefield.
With their responsibilities and pressure, it is already unreasonable for them to enjoy the same salary treatment as fighting soldiers.
Sun Siwen had wanted to say this earlier, but there was never an opportunity.
Now seizing the opportunity, he finally spoke out his thoughts.
“The prefecture and county soldiers in the local areas, according to the customs of various countries, are all paid three silver tales a month.
A monthly wage of three silver tales is already comparable to that of skilled master craftsmen in the local areas, not a low salary.
If the wages of the prefecture and county soldiers are cut by two silver tales per month, then the 34,000 prefecture and county soldiers of Great Chu can save 68,000 silver tales a month, and 816,000 silver tales a year.
This is just their monthly wage.
According to custom, during the New Year and other festivals, there will also be some festival expenses, as well as some grain, oil, and cloth subsidies.
These are not small expenses for a year.
If the subsidies for these prefecture and county soldiers are reduced from the standard of fighting soldiers, 80,000 to 90,000 silver tales can be saved a year.
Thus, by cutting the wages of these prefecture and county soldiers, at least 900,000 silver tales can be saved in a year.
This money, whether used by His Majesty to support more soldiers and horses, or to build more roads and canals in the local areas, can make a great impact.
There is no need to waste it here.”
When talking about this equal treatment policy, Sun Siwen’s face was a little red, obviously deeply resentful of it.
This wastage is all money!