Chapter 388: Chen Yan's reform plan, copying the homework of the Sui and Tang Rear Guard system

February 16th.

After the late Emperor Yuwen Yan ascended to heaven as a Buddha, Lu Wang Yuwen Yong held an enthronement ceremony in the suburbs of Chang'an, succeeded to the Great Zhou throne, and changed the era name to Baoding.

Immediately after, half a month later, on March 2nd, Jin Wang's heir Yuwen Ze and Jingzhao Du family's legitimate daughter Du Shuying completed their marriage.

March 9th.

Jin Wang Mansion.

Evening.

The setting sun shone through the window lattice, casting long, slanted light and shadows on the plain paper in the study.

Yuwen Hu held a wolf-hair brush, writing with ink, the brush tip falling, the two characters "An Bang" (Pacify the Country) penetrating the paper.

The fragrance of ink mixed with the incense on the desk, slowly spreading in the quiet room.

His wrist was about to fall to write the third character, when a light sound of footsteps from the personal guard suddenly came from outside the door, followed by a low report: "Prince, Duke of Wei requests an audience!"

"Already waiting at the gate..."

"A-Yan is here?" Yuwen Hu's hand holding the brush stopped, his gaze still falling on the undried ink on the paper, his fingertips turning the brush handle lightly, and he smiled, "Let him in quickly..."

"Yes." The personal guard responded and then exited the door.

The study door was pushed open lightly, and Chen Yan, wearing a green brocade robe, walked in with a tall figure.

Just standing still, he bowed and clasped his fists, performing a standard salute, his voice clear but respectful: "Seen the Grand Chancellor!"

Yuwen Hu sat behind the desk, raised his hand and waved faintly: "No need for ceremony!"

He paused and ordered: "Someone, serve tea and give a seat!"

The attendant quickly served hot tea and moved a chair. After Chen Yan sat down, he clasped his hands in front of his knees, bowed to Yuwen Hu again, and said: "Thank you, Grand Chancellor!"

Yuwen Hu picked up the wolf-hair brush on the desk again, dipped it in ink, and the brush tip fell on the plain paper to continue writing, the two characters "Ding Guo" (Stabilize the Country) gradually taking shape.

His gaze did not leave the paper, he chuckled, and asked casually and peacefully, "A-Yan, why did you think of coming to my mansion today?"

"Is there anything?"

During the conversation, his wrist paused, he finished writing a stroke, then raised his eyes and swept over Chen Yan faintly, his fingertips still twisting the brush handle lightly.

Yuwen Hu knew this child extremely well. Coming at this time must mean there is something important...

Hearing this, Chen Yan leaned forward slightly from the brocade stool, a flattering smile piled up on his face instantly.

He leaned forward with his fists clasped, his voice carrying undisguised flattery: "Why not say that you, Grand Chancellor, have eyes like torches?"

After saying this, he lowered his head slightly, his tone becoming more respectful: "Nothing can be hidden from you, nothing can escape your eyes!"

Flattery is as handy as ever.

Even though he is now in a high position, Chen still doesn't forget his original intention...

Hearing this, Yuwen Hu hooked a curve at the corner of his mouth that was hard to detect, his brush tip paused on the paper, and he glanced at him pretending to be angry: "Stop flattering!"

Although he said so, his tone didn't carry half a bit of anger, but instead carried a bit of relaxation of being pleased. 【388-3

He placed the wolf-hair brush back into the brush washer and tapped his knuckles lightly on the desk, urging: "If you have something to say, speak quickly..."

He added a final sentence, his tone softening considerably: "Stay for dinner at the residence later, and the three of us will have a good drink!"

Chen Yan nodded slightly, took a neatly folded plain scroll from his bosom without haste, gently brushed away the non-existent wrinkles on the corners, and smiled indifferently: "I have drafted a plan for optimization and improvement aimed at the current defects of the provincial soldiers..."

"I ask the Grand Chancellor to take a look!"

Having said that, he held the scroll with both hands in front of his chest and leaned forward slightly.

Chen's wording was extremely subtle.

But the content of that scroll, while called optimization, was in fact reform!

"A plan for the optimization and improvement of provincial soldiers?"

Yuwen Hu repeated it in a murmur. The hand that had been resting on the desk paused abruptly, the relaxation in his eyes instantly fading. He tilted his chin toward Chen Yan and urged: "Bring it here quickly for me to see!"

With that, he reached out and pushed aside the unfinished calligraphy practice sheet on the desk, clearing a clean space.

His words were filled with unconcealable urgency.

Because the defects of the provincial soldier system had been troubling the brothers Yuwen Hu and Yuwen Heng...

Previously, the two of them had been thinking about countermeasures, but it was difficult to find a good solution.

And the moves made by this child before him were always extraordinary!

Chen Yan hurriedly took two steps forward and steadily handed the scroll to his Grand Chancellor father with both hands.

Yuwen Hu reached out to take it, his fingertips gently unfolding it. His gaze immediately fell upon the handwriting on the scroll, and he even subconsciously slowed his breathing.

It truly targeted the chronic illnesses that were affecting the current combat effectiveness of the provincial soldiers... He read through it line by line, his brows occasionally knitting and then smoothing out. His fingertips occasionally rubbed gently against key phrases, and he couldn't help but murmur to himself. Then, he looked up at Chen Yan and called out softly: "A Yan!"

"I am here." Chen Yan responded and immediately stepped forward to Yuwen Hu's side.

Yuwen Hu's fingertips were still tapping lightly on the scroll, making a soft "thud, thud" sound. His gaze fell on Chen Yan, carrying a hint of inquiry, and he asked with a smile: "These proposals of yours, point by point, are so incisive. You must have been brewing them for a long time, right?"

"Why didn't you bring them out sooner?"

Each item on it had extremely strong targeting.

And the ink on the writing didn't look recent at all; it looked more like it had been written months ago.

"The two Great Pillars of State were still there, so it couldn't be pushed through..."

Chen Yan smiled indifferently, and after choosing his words, said truthfully: "And now, it is just the right time to take advantage of the fresh breeze of the new court administration to push through a thorough reform of the provincial soldiers!"

Actually, his Grand Chancellor father had not guessed wrong; this scroll about the provincial soldiers was written at the end of November, during the time he was faking his death...

And Chen had already calculated that he would bring it out at this time.

Because the greatest help for the reform would come from those two...

Yuwen Hu looked at Chen Yan, suddenly raised his hand to point at him, a gentle smile on the corners of his mouth, his tone full of an elder's doting on a junior: "You rascal!"

Having said that, he placed the scroll on the desk, leaned back against the chair, and pointed to the brocade stool opposite, signaling Chen Yan to sit beside him: "Come and tell me about your ideas for improving these defects!"

It had to be said that this child was truly considerate...

It could only be done now; any earlier, it would just be left to gather dust.

"Yes."

After Chen Yan responded, he moved the brocade stool toward the desk with both hands and sat down beside his Grand Chancellor father, his posture still respectful but less restrained.

He tapped the scroll on the desk lightly with his fingertip, his voice clear and well-organized: "Previously, the highest command structure for the provincial soldiers was the 'Eight Pillars of State' and the 'Twelve Great Generals,' all of whom were noble ministers. At the same time, it was difficult for the court to directly dispatch provincial soldiers, and the commanders had too much influence over their subordinates, which easily became a destabilizing factor!"

He paused and continued: "Therefore, I believe the first change for the provincial soldiers should be for the court to manage them directly!"

The provincial soldier system originated from the "Eight Department Leader System." In the early stages, most soldiers were nobles or "military households" attached to nobles (generations of soldiers who did not farm).

Military power was actually in the hands of military nobles like the Eight Pillars of State. Soldiers had a strong personal attachment to their commanders, similar to "private soldiers," and the court's control over the army was weak.

And the key to the first change lay in vertical management of the provincial soldiers, completely transforming them into "soldiers directly under the state."

They would be farmers in peacetime and soldiers in wartime, returning to the fields after the war, with no personal attachment to their commanders, avoiding the previous hidden dangers of military nobles monopolizing power.

Keeping military power firmly in the hands of his Grand Chancellor father!

"You are right!"

Yuwen Hu agreed deeply, his eyes full of depth. He nodded and said in a deep voice: "Zhao Qian dared to harbor evil intentions precisely because he held military power in his hands..."

"This has also been a major worry of mine for a long time!"

Yuwen Hu knew that A Yan's first point was to keep the power to dispatch troops firmly in his own hands.

Let commanders lead troops only temporarily during wartime, and return military power to the court after the war.

Completely solving the drawbacks of "nobles holding military power" that had existed since the Taizu era.

Putting an end to internal turmoil!

Chen Yan moved his fingertip on the scroll again, his tone becoming more determined: "And the second change for the provincial soldiers is to establish the Zhechong Prefectures!"

"Reducing the court's management costs..."

The core of this change was to establish the Zhechong Prefectures as the grassroots military organization under the provincial soldier system.

They would be responsible for the recruitment, training, and daily management of provincial soldiers, as well as grassroots mobilization capabilities.

Specifically, the Zhechong Prefectures would be responsible for registering qualified adult males (provincial soldiers) in their jurisdiction and, when necessary, mobilizing them for expeditions or guard duties according to court orders.

After the war, the provincial soldiers would be disbanded and return to their original places of residence to farm, realizing "the integration of soldiers and farmers."

In peacetime, they would organize provincial soldiers for military training to ensure combat effectiveness.

At the same time, they would store some weapons and equipment, or urge provincial soldiers to prepare their own personal equipment such as bows, arrows, and horizontal blades, ensuring the combat readiness of the army.

"This point is also very important..." Yuwen Hu nodded, "A Yan, continue!"

Chen Yan tapped lightly on the end of the scroll: "Grand Chancellor, the third change should be to determine the Twelve Guards and refine their corresponding functions!"

"I have already listed them out..."

The point he was indicating was exactly the detailed Twelve Guards: the Left and Right Wei, the Left and Right Xiao Wei, the Left and Right Wu Wei, the Left and Right Wei Wei, the Left and Right Lingjun Wei, the Left and Right Wuhou Wei, and their refined functions.

The core element of this change lay in making the operation of the provincial soldier system more efficient...

This targeted change by Chen Yan was exactly copying the homework of the Sui and Tang provincial soldier systems.

After all, under the premise that the equal-field system had not collapsed, it had burst forth with enormous capability, sweeping across the world twice and bringing the north and south into one.

Yuwen Hu slapped the desk abruptly, his eyes shining astonishingly, and even the previous calmness added a bit of excitement: "Good, very good!"

Immediately, he raised his hand and patted Chen Yan on the shoulder, his strength full of approval: "A Yan, this time I must record a great merit for you..."

He paused and continued: "Tomorrow, I will hand these methods of yours to A Heng to push forward the reform!"

Having said that, he picked up the scroll on the desk again, the more he looked, the more satisfied he became, and the smile on the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed at all.

Just at this moment, the study door was pushed open gently, and Gongyang Hui, dressed in a gray long gown, bowed and entered, holding a document in his hand, his expression slightly grave: "Your Highness, the Heavenly Office has sent an urgent document. I ask you to take a look!"

Yuwen Hu took the document, his fingertips quickly tore it open, unfolded the paper, and scanned it a few times.

The face that had just been full of smiles froze instantly, the light in his eyes faded bit by bit, replaced by an anger so deep it could drip water.

He slapped the document onto the desk abruptly, the paper making a harsh "slap" sound, and he rarely cursed: "Damn it!"

"What a damn bastard!"