Chapter 276: Major Military Reorganization

After finishing the questioning on money and grain, Liu Chengyou's gaze fell directly on Shang Hongqian and Guo Wei.

The two exchanged a glance, and Shang Hongqian stepped forward first, with a hint of eagerness to speak, bowing to Liu Chengyou: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the triumphant imperial army has returned to its respective camps. To show compassion for the soldiers, the Imperial Guard Command has already arranged for the troops to take leave in batches and return home. As for the merits and faults of the soldiers in this battle, and the promotions and demotions of military posts, officials have been assigned to verify and submit memorials for discussion..."

His gaze wandered between Shang Hongqian and Guo Wei twice. According to what he had heard, during the time he had been away from the capital, the two had repeatedly clashed over the handling of military affairs in Huainan, even going so far as to bring the matter before the Empress Dowager, and it was only through Lady Li's intervention that the situation was calmed.

The Imperial Guard Command carried great weight. Even Shang Hongqian, who had always been known for being "low-key and modest," could hardly avoid some changes after serving as commander of the imperial army for so long.

"Your Majesty, the battle merits of the officers and soldiers, and the military officials who accompanied the campaign, have already been reported to the Bureau of Military Affairs!" Guo Wei also stepped forward at the right moment and reported.

At a time like this, as the head of the Bureau of Military Affairs, when it was time to fight for one's due, one absolutely could not fall behind.

"Both of you are devoted to your duties, and I am deeply gratified!" Liu Chengyou spoke with an affable tone, his shrewd gaze wandering a few times before landing on Wang Jun, who had returned to the court. He said: "Minister Wang accompanied me on the return march and has participated in confidential deliberations. He is fairly familiar with military matters. Since he has just returned to court, let him take the lead in handling the matter of rewarding merits!"

"As Your Majesty commands!" Wang Jun stepped forward directly, looking like a man eager to take on responsibility.

With a light touch, he had resolved the dispute between the two ministers and, in passing, boosted Wang Jun's standing. At the same time, Wang Jun was now the Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs. Strengthening the authority of the Bureau of Military Affairs was something Liu Chengyou had been doing all along, having repeatedly brought the Bureau into the affairs of the imperial army, but the results still failed to satisfy him. Compared to the Imperial Guard Command, which directly managed all matters, it remained considerably weaker.

Especially now that Shang Hongqian, this commander of the imperial army, was beginning to grow assertive... As for Shang Hongqian's change, though surprised, he was not alarmed. After all, from the very beginning, he had never completely underestimated this mediocre man and had always maintained a measure of vigilance.

Of course, no matter who sat in the position of commander of the imperial army, Liu Chengyou would maintain vigilance. In this era, being an emperor required this as the most basic quality. Otherwise, one could only wait for problems to arise. In fact, it had been proven that the military strongmen of this era were absolutely not so-called "sheep." Once Shang Hongqian had firmly secured his position, he naturally would not be content with obscurity.

At this moment, hearing Liu Chengyou's judgment and disposition, Shang Hongqian's honest-looking face darkened slightly. He blinked his eyes, then quickly concealed his emotions and lowered his head slightly.

Guo Wei, for his part, seemed lost in thought, but he too quickly recovered his composure, made a bow, and acknowledged with a "yes."

Having sat for a long time, Liu Chengyou rose and paced before the assembled ministers, stretching a bit, then raised his hand and said solemnly: "In this western campaign, though the suppression of the rebellion went smoothly and the rebel Li was eradicated, as I see it, during the suppression operations, the imperial army exposed far too many problems."

"Among the various armies, the quality of soldiers is uneven, combat effectiveness is inconsistent, military appearance and discipline are not in order, the abilities of officers and military officials are insufficient, and military discipline still needs to be strengthened..."

One by one, Liu Chengyou brought these problems up in the hall. This was the first time he had publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the military's problems. And as he spoke, the atmosphere in the hall became noticeably more solemn, eerily quiet. Below, Shang Hongqian's expression finally turned ugly. With so many problems in the imperial army, wasn't that just saying that he, as the commander of the imperial army, had failed to lead the troops well?

"At the founding of the state, the late emperor issued an edict to carry out reorganization, but at that time the imperial army was newly established, constrained by the national situation. The Hedong army, the previous dynasty's imperial army, the righteous armies, and the prefectural garrison troops were all mixed together into one force, and no thorough reorganization was ever carried out. The accumulated problems have not been corrected and have dragged on to this day, seriously affecting the combat effectiveness of the imperial army! If the army is not put in order, how can I safeguard the state and repel foreign invaders!"

"The imperial army of the Eastern Capital bears the weight of the realm. It has reached the point where forceful reorganization is absolutely necessary."

Having said this, Liu Chengyou had already walked back before the imperial throne. Flicking his sleeves and sitting upright, he said resolutely: "To strengthen the army and strengthen the state, I have decided that, in addition to the Imperial Guard Command, a separate Palace Command shall be established, drawing the strong and capable from the various imperial army units as well as from the prefectural garrisons and the common people to fill its ranks. The various guard armies shall also be reorganized, with new military designations established, the military system recompiled, the strong and vigorous selected, and the old and weak eliminated..."

As Liu Chengyou's words fell, everyone in the hall, civil and military alike, changed expression. The implications in the Son of Heaven's words were considerable. This was not merely reorganizing the army—it was practically throwing the entire imperial army back into the furnace to be remade.

Civil officials such as Su Yugui, Feng Dao, and Zhao Ying did not react so intensely, but they still showed somewhat conservative expressions at the Son of Heaven's major move. After all, just from hearing his brief description, one could tell that the implications were enormous.

As for military officials like Shang Hongqian, as well as civil officials with military backgrounds like Guo Wei and Wang Jun, each of them wore a contemplative expression. Their minds were all spinning furiously in the shortest possible time, calculating the pros and cons.

A full reorganization of the Imperial Guard Command's armies and the establishment of a new Palace Command—the intent to divide power and create checks and balances was far too obvious...

The space in Chuigong Hall was not particularly large. With so many people gathered together for so long, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, and the air was noticeably more turbid. Liu Chengyou ordered the palace eunuchs to throw open the doors and windows, letting the cold autumn wind blow in, giving the ministers some fresh air and clearing their minds...

Jolted by the cold wind, Shang Hongqian, whose brows were tightly furrowed, could not help but take a deep breath. He clasped his hands and said in a deep voice to Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty, the officers and soldiers have already grown accustomed to the current organization and training. To make drastic changes rashly may cause unrest in the army's morale. If Your Majesty wishes to reorganize the imperial army, it can be done gradually. To be so eager for quick results—if chaos should arise, that would be most unfortunate! This matter should be discussed further, and approached with great caution!"

Shang Hongqian's words, circuitous and roundabout, were simply an expression of disapproval. To this, Liu Chengyou showed no sign of displeasure whatsoever, instead appearing quite open-minded.

"Minister Shang's words are reasonable!" Liu Chengyou said with a completely peaceful expression: "When things are exhausted, they must change; when they change, they become unblocked; when unblocked, they endure. Since ancient times, what institution has lasted long without change? I am well aware that the reorganization and training of the imperial army must be handled with care and cannot be rushed. That is why I have summoned you all to deliberate and produce a concrete reorganization plan."

Liu Chengyou's attitude was also very clear: what was to be discussed was the specific reorganization measures, not whether to reorganize or not.

"Minister Guo, what do you think?" Liu Chengyou's gaze turned to Guo Wei.

Guo Wei sat upright, deep in thought. Hearing the question, he raised his eyes to meet Liu Chengyou's gaze directly. On that honest, thick-set face, nothing could be read. His movement to rise was noticeably slow. After privately calculating for a while, he finally said: "Improving the combat effectiveness of the imperial army benefits the state and should naturally be carried out. However, this matter cannot be rushed. It requires thorough consideration and sufficient time. The specific measures still need to be handled with prudence... For example, the old and weak soldiers who are eliminated will need to be properly settled, so as not to damage the army's morale!"

Guo Wei had already gone into detail about specific measures. His attitude could be discerned from this.

"Minister Guo is truly a man who gets things done!" Hearing his words, Liu Chengyou was especially satisfied with Guo Wei's understanding. He immediately praised him, and said with a hint of "excitement": "Since that is the case, let the Bureau of Military Affairs work together with the Imperial Guard Command to jointly deliberate and set the plan. I will additionally transfer officers of various ranks to assist, for consultation!"

Seeing this scene of the sovereign and his minister playing off each other, Shang Hongqian opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but before the words could come out, Wang Jun had already spoken first: "If the army is not strong, how can the state be strong? The matter of reorganization should be vigorously pursued. However, the court must prepare sufficient money and grain."

"May I ask how the Palace Command Your Majesty mentioned is to be structured?"