We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1071 Qingjun's Treatment

Li Che was overjoyed to have finally won over the hearts of the Shu generals.

He quickly stepped forward and personally helped Yu Daliang up.

He then helped up Xiong Tai and other generals one by one, patting their arms vigorously: "Good! With such valiant generals by my side, I am truly like a tiger with wings!"

"From this day forward, you will all be my right-hand men and pillars of the state. I will certainly not treat you unfairly!"

Now that both sides have spoken openly, everyone is happy.

So they dismantled the drill ground setup and returned to the main tent to discuss matters.

After exchanging pleasantries and offering comfort, Yu Daliang couldn't suppress his doubts and asked, "Your Majesty, there is something I don't understand."

Li Che was in high spirits: "Speak freely."

"This humble general recalls that the troops stationed in Rongcheng seem to be a newly formed army?"

"Why is the combat power of the new army so concentrated? It is almost comparable to that of veteran soldiers who have been through many battles."

Li Che laughed and said, "You're right. The army that entered Shu was indeed newly formed and had only experienced one battle in Shu."

"However, its core members were all drawn from the Fengtian Army, and its soldiers were all from good families, so its foundation was not weak to begin with."

“With veteran soldiers of the Fengtian Army leading new recruits, they only need a period of adjustment to become an iron-blooded force no less capable than the Fengtian Army. They cannot be regarded as ordinary new troops.”

Ultimately, this army, though seemingly newly established, is actually still the skeleton of the Fengtian Army.

Once you get involved with the Fengtian Army, there's no one weak; otherwise, Li Che wouldn't have sent them to fight in Shu.

"Fengtian Army..."

Yu Daliang's expression turned solemn. He had long heard of the Feng Army's reputation, which was the foundation of His Majesty's rise to power and a legend of never being defeated in the world.

From beyond the Great Wall to various parts of Daqing, and even overseas vassal states, their army is undoubtedly the strongest in the world.

But seeing firsthand the fighting prowess of the new recruits trained by the Fengtian Army today, Yu Daliang was even more shocked.

As a general, who wouldn't want their troops to have such fighting power and be invincible?

Yu Daliang couldn't help but ask curiously, "Your Majesty, how exactly did the Feng Army train to be so skilled in battle?"

Instead of answering, Li Che asked, "How often did the Shu army conduct drills in the past?"

Yu Daliang felt slightly ashamed, but still told the truth: "Elite soldiers train every three days. Ordinary garrison soldiers train every five or even seven days."

This was the limit of what the Shu region's financial resources could support, but compared to other armies across the land, it could be considered to have reached the level of an elite force.

Soldiers in this era couldn't possibly train every day.

Even the soldiers of the Fubing (府兵) farmed on ordinary days, trained intensively for a month each year, and were then deployed to the battlefield when war broke out.

Li Che nodded slightly and asked, "Do you know how often the Qing army in Rongcheng conducts drills?"

Yu Daliang replied, "This humble general has heard their training sounds. Apart from a day of rest every seven days, it seems that they are training every day."

Li Che nodded and said, "That's right. The ordinary soldiers of the Qing Army train once a day and rest once every seven days; while the main force of the Feng Army trains twice a day, rain or shine."

"Two training sessions a day?!"

Yu Daliang fell silent, and the Shu generals around him who were listening intently also looked horrified.

How can soldiers withstand such intensity? Even the strongest bodies couldn't endure it!

“How is this possible?” a Shu general said. “With such training, the soldiers will be ruined; their bodies won’t be able to take it.”

“Of course we can handle it,” Li Che said calmly. “The soldiers of the Qing Army have enough millet and rice for three meals a day, and meat is served with every meal. Vegetables and salt are also provided regularly.”

"Only with such a diet can we support the high-intensity training. The imperial court provides sufficient supplies of horse feed and military equipment, and there is no upper limit to the cost of food."

Upon hearing Li Che's words, Yu Daliang and the others couldn't help but gasp.

Such offerings must have been incredibly expensive!

Little did people know that Daqing's biggest expenditure these days is military spending.

First, the number of troops in Daqing is increasing. The total number of troops, including veterans of the Fengguo Army, the Northern Army supporting Li Che, the Southern Army that surrendered, the Northwest Army, and other border troops and government troops, is probably more than two million.

Of course, it was impossible for everyone to maintain this benefit; the standard for ordinary soldiers remained the same as during Emperor Qing's time.

Only the main force troops that came from Fengtian State maintained the same food rations as the Fengtian Army.

And the total number of such elite troops is nearly 500,000.

Li Che had many ways to make money, including commercial taxes, salt and iron, and overseas trade...

Only in this way can the military budget be barely covered.

Li Che continued, "This is just the daily ration. The Qing Army implements a conscription system, and all soldiers are professional soldiers."

"Enlistment brings 'recruitment rewards,' including money, silk, clothing, and shoes; cavalrymen are provided with horses and saddles; there are rewards for festivals, suburban sacrifices, snow and cold allowances, and firewood and charcoal allowances; expeditions receive 'journey allowances'; meritorious service is generously rewarded; if wounded or discharged due to old age, retirement allowances and pension land are provided according to law; the families of those killed in action receive pensions, and their children are raised by the government until adulthood..."

With each word he spoke, Yu Daliang and the others' eyes lit up a little more. By the end, they were completely captivated and their breathing became rapid.

This is hardly the kind of food soldiers are given.

It's as if the imperial court has supported them their whole lives, ensuring they have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives, and even supporting their descendants!

Joining the army costs nothing; all the salary goes into savings.

If he survives to be discharged from the army, he can at least be a small landowner when he returns to his hometown, able to afford a yard and hire servants.

If someone dies in battle, the compensation will be enough to ensure that their entire family is well-fed and clothed.

No wonder the Qing army is so fearless and trains so hard.

With no worries about the future and a promising future, how can we not give our all?

Yu Daliang's voice trembled slightly: "Your Majesty... then after our Shu army merges into the Qing army, we will also be able to..."

Li Che shook his head.

Yu Daliang's heart sank, and his eyes instantly dimmed.

Yes, such preferential treatment must be enjoyed only by the core and loyal followers.

These newly recruited soldiers have just caused trouble; how could they possibly be worthy of...?

But Li Che slowly said, "They cannot be completely equivalent."

Yu Daliang smiled wryly, about to express his understanding.

Li Che then changed the subject: "The soldiers of the Shu army will be treated better."

"Huh?" Yu Daliang looked up abruptly, thinking he had misheard.

Li Che looked at him with a hint of consideration in his eyes: "In addition to what I just mentioned, the Qing Army also has an 'Expeditionary Pacification Fund,' the amount of which is higher the further the garrison is from the hometown."

"Sichuan is a remote and isolated region. After it was incorporated, many people were transferred to defend various regions. This sum of money and provisions can be received by everyone."

Yu Daliang and the others immediately became excited.

Before they could say anything, Li Che paused, his tone becoming more serious: "But let me make this clear from the start, the Shu army numbers tens of thousands, and I cannot possibly incorporate them all into the main Qing army."

"Those who are old, weak, injured, or unfit for rigorous training should be replaced. They may be given silver to be discharged and sent back to their hometowns, or transferred to local government troops or patrol battalions. Although their treatment is not as good as that of combat soldiers, it is still better than before."

"The rest must undergo rigorous selection and promotion before they can enter the main divisions."

"As for you generals, I have appointed you based on your talent, but you still need to accumulate merits from the beginning. The ranks and official positions in the Qing Army are all based on military merits, and no one is an exception."

Upon hearing this, Yu Daliang was not disappointed at all; on the contrary, he was extremely excited.

Select the best, based on merit, and be fair!

Paying more for expeditions is generous!

Replacing the elderly and infirm with suitable housing is a benevolent act!

As surrendered generals and soldiers, what more could they ask for than to receive such treatment from the emperor?

"Your Majesty's grace! This humble general... this humble general..." He was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"From this day forward, my life, Yu Daliang's life, belongs to His Majesty! The entire Shu army will certainly live up to His Majesty's high expectations!"

"Those who need to be tested will be tested, and those who need to be replaced will be replaced. We have no complaints! We only ask that Your Majesty give us a chance to serve our country to the death!"

"Your Majesty, please give us a chance!" Behind him, Xiong Tai and other generals knelt down again in unison.

Li Che personally helped him up, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice, "I will give you the opportunity. I only hope that you will not fail my promise today and will not disappoint my expectations!"

“Here!!!”

The roar was like thunder, piercing the sky.

This time, there were no more barriers between the two sides, and the Shu army's morale completely turned to them.