"Recruit veterans? I didn't expect you to value those veterans so much! "
In the Qin Residence, after Li Zexuan finished his long speech, Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong's eyes lit up. Li Er was silent for a moment before he looked at Li Zexuan and said:
"What you said is actually not without reason! For this attack on the Turks, I originally planned to send 300,000 soldiers. These 300,000 soldiers will be transferred from the Twelve Guards of Chang 'an. Along the way, I will recruit the elite soldiers of the various provinces to expand the army to 400,000 soldiers. At that time, the Twelve Guards of the Capital will be the main force, and the elite soldiers of the various provinces will play a supporting role!
However, after hearing what you said, it is a bit of a waste to only send the soldiers to assist the Twelve Guards! Since that is the case, I have decided to announce to the world that I will select 150,000 elite soldiers from the various provinces and send them to Chang 'an within a month. At that time, I will send a few generals to personally lead these soldiers! When we attack the grasslands, they will also be the main force! However, this will cause the national treasury to be tight! "
Although the soldiers of the Tang Empire would prepare their own weapons and horses when they were in a war, Li Er had changed his plan and decided to let the selected elite soldiers come to Chang 'an for training one month in advance. Behind this decision, the imperial court would have to pay an extra one month's worth of food for 150,000 soldiers!
This was not a small amount!
"Your Majesty, this subject believes that we cannot be stingy with money and food at the crucial moment of the national war. If the Great Tang is defeated in this war, there will be no way for it to rise again!"
Hearing this, Li Zexuan was secretly anxious. He thought to himself, What kind of situation is this? You're still worrying about money and food? Are all emperors so stingy?
When Li Er heard this, he immediately glared at Li Zexuan and said, "Brat, you don't know the cost of food and food until you are in charge of the household. Do you know how much money and armor will be used for 150,000 soldiers in a month? The assault of 450,000 soldiers on the grasslands was bound to be a protracted battle. The amount of money and food consumed on the road would be astronomical. Although the national treasury had saved up some money over the past year, the plague of locusts had more or less damaged the imperial court's vitality! If we can't take down the Turks in four months, the Imperial Court will very likely be dragged down by this war! "
Li Zexuan's expression turned solemn as he said, "Your Majesty, you've misunderstood me! This subject has already said that I want the entire Great Tang to prepare for war. This includes not only the guards of Chang 'an, not only the officials of the Six Bureaus, and not only the elites of the various prefectures, but also the landowning clans, merchants, and ordinary civilians!
This battle concerns the fate of my Great Tang for the next several hundred years. If we win, my Great Tang will have one less powerful enemy, and the northern border will be peaceful for at least fifty years. If we lose, all the Tang people will become slaves of a fallen country, prisoners of the Turks! This subject believes that as long as the common people are clear about the pros and cons, they will definitely support the imperial court. Those who have money will contribute money, and those who have strength will contribute strength. This is the strength of the entire nation to prepare for war against the Turks!
In this way, this subject does not believe that the Imperial Court will be worn down by the long supply lines, much less that the Great Tang will lose to the Turks! "
Li Zexuan's words caused Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong's blood to surge. What did it mean to prepare for war? This was what it meant to prepare for war! If they could really unite the hearts of the common people of Great Tang, defeating the powerful Turks would not be a problem!
However, uniting the hearts of the common people was easier said than done. When the two thought of this, their surging hearts gradually calmed down.
How could Li Erru not understand this principle? He frowned and said, "Brat, your words are easy to say, but doing it will be harder than ascending to the heavens! Even though the world has been peaceful for many years, the lives of the common people are still very difficult. Asking them to fork out money is something that we cannot do! "
As the Emperor of a country, Li Erru had his own pride. It was already difficult for an Emperor like him to compete with the common people. If he were to ask for money from the common people, Li Erru felt that it would be better for the country to be destroyed!
As an Emperor, he could not afford to lose face like this!
It had to be said that Emperor Li Erru's worldview was still very upright, a little too upright!
Li Zexuan choked for a moment. After pausing for a moment, he cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the common people are indeed suffering, but there are many rich merchants and noble clans. This war is also related to their interests. They have the ability and the obligation to support this war. Your subject's intention is to ask them to fork out some money and food to ensure that the Imperial Court's attack on the Turks will be successful!"
Li Erru's eyes narrowed and he said meaningfully, "Do you know that it is harder than ascending to the heavens to get those merchants and noble clans to fork out money?"
The richer a person was, the more stingy they would be. Li Erru naturally understood this principle! Even though those aristocratic clans were all very wealthy, asking them to voluntarily donate money to fill the national treasury, he believed that no one would be willing to do so!
Li Zexuan insisted, "Your Majesty, your subject believes that such stingy people who can't see the big picture are in the minority. If Your Majesty is still worried, your subject can first ask the Yan Huang Chamber of Commerce to mobilize all the merchants in the world to donate money. All the money donated will be used in this war against the Turks! When the time comes, if all the merchants respond and gather, how can those noble clans not fork out a single coin? "
Li Erru was speechless for a moment. Even though he was unwilling to compete with the common people, he knew that this war with the Turks would be a bitter one. Especially in the battle in the north half a month ago, the unparalleled strength of the Turks' wolf cavalry had cast a shadow over his heart. Under such circumstances, the Great Tang would obviously not be able to defeat the Turks in a short period of time. In that case, the Imperial Court would be dragged into the quagmire of war and fall into a predicament of financial difficulties!
After all, this long supply line required a huge amount of manpower, material, and financial resources. It was completely different from the Great Tang's previous wars to quell internal rebellions!
"Good! We will do as you say! Let's see if the merchants in the world will be as generous as you say! "
After a long silence, Li Erru finally spoke.
"Your subject obeys!"
Li Zexuan cupped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty! Other than gathering funds from the common people and mobilizing the entire country's strength to support the national war, your subject believes that the Imperial Court should not sit back and watch Xieli gather his superior forces to eliminate Tuli and unify the entire grassland! Right now, Xieli's forces are already huge. If we sit back and watch him unify the grassland, in this war, the Imperial Court's army will probably have a harder time winning! "
Hearing this, the eyes of the three lit up. Li Erru quickly asked, "Oh ~? Then what plan do you have? Quickly tell us! "
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