All the ministers looked at each other with different thoughts for a while, but everyone was surprised. They did not expect that Longtai would come up with such an idea unprepared today.
The Black Scale Battalion was naturally famous back then, and together with the Black Blade Battalion, they were known as the two strongest elites in Southern Chu.
The establishment of these two armies is not large, but their combat effectiveness is the best among all the troops in Nanchu. Both the equipment and the ability of individual soldiers are among the best.
The prestige of an army is not something that is shouted out, but is established through countless baptisms of blood and fire.
Today's Black Knife Camp had to go through blood and fire on the battlefield to achieve the feared reputation it has today, and the same was true for the Black Scale Camp that kept pace with it back then.
Many years ago, the Black Scale Battalion fought against the Blood Orchid Army of the Northern Han Dynasty. To this day, people will still mention it after dinner. No one who mentions that battle will have any objection to the Black Scale Battalion because of the complete annihilation of the Black Scale Battalion. There is no trace of contempt, and besides sighing, the most important thing is regret.
Although the Black Scale Battalion was completely wiped out in that battle, the people of Nanchu never felt that the Black Scale Battalion was defeated.
The reputation of the Blood Orchid Army of the Northern Han Dynasty was by no means inferior to that of the Black Scale Battalion, and as we all know, the horses of the Blood Orchid Army were actually better than those of the Black Scale Battalion. The war horses of the Northern Han Dynasty were already stronger than those of the Southern Chu. In addition, they carefully prepared the Blood Orchid Army. The speed and endurance of the horses trained by Lan Jun are superior to those of the Black Scale Battalion.
Even so, in the final result, although the Black Scale Battalion was completely wiped out, with only a few dozen people left, the Blood Orchid Army was not much better. Although it still retained the name of the Blood Orchid Army, the Blood Orchid Army has since He never appeared on the battlefield again, so the people of Southern Chu always felt that the people of Northern Han kept the flag of the Blood Orchid Army just to save face. In fact, the Blood Orchid Army had already disappeared in that fight.
After that battle, the Black Scale Battalion ceased to exist. Although the imperial court did not remove the designation of the Black Scale Battalion, the dozens of people who remained in the Black Scale Battalion either stayed in Jinyihou Mansion as errands like Duan Canghai and others, or Even if he is assigned to serve as a general in other armies, the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry no longer need to provide any money, food, military pay, weapons and equipment to this once glorious army. In fact, it is already as if there is no Black Scale Battalion.
The annihilation of the Black Scale Battalion was naturally a huge blow to Nanchu. After all, the soldiers and horses trained by Qi Jing not only consumed Qi Jing's countless energy, but also indeed consumed the court's huge financial resources. Among the Qinhuai Legion, the Black Scale Camp is like the crown jewel of the Qinhuai Legion, dazzling.
Although some people talked about the crushing of such a pearl in private, the imperial court did not mention it much since then. After all, it was a scar of the empire. Mentioning this past event will still make people feel uncomfortable.
In fact, the ministers present would never have thought that the imperial court would prepare to rebuild the Black Scale Camp. At this time, Longtai suddenly proposed it, and the ministers were naturally very surprised.
After a period of silence, Qining glanced at Longtai and found that although Longtai still looked very calm on the outside, there was a hint of nervousness in the depths of his eyes.
"Lu... Lu Xiao, you are the Minister of War, what do you think?" Longtai stared at Lu Xiao and asked.
Lu Xiao bowed and said: "Reporting to your Majesty, I think... it's not possible!"
"Oh?" There was a trace of disappointment in the depths of Long Tai's eyes, but a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he asked calmly: "Why not?"
"In my opinion, there are at least two reasons." Lu Xiao said: "First, the Black Scale Battalion fought with the Blood Orchid Army and the entire army was wiped out. The only fifty-eight people who survived are now in their respective departments. As a result, the emperor wanted to rebuild the Black Scale Camp. The Black Scale Camp now has no foundation. In order to train the Black Scale Camp, the court spent money like running water. Whether it was equipment or horses, the Black Scale Camp needed everything. The best, other armies have three meals a day, but when it comes to the Blackscale Battalion, they have to provide five meals a day, and they are responsible for wine and meat... Even their military pay is much higher than that of other soldiers." After a pause. , said: "Your Majesty, let me give you a simple example. The black scale armor worn by the soldiers of the Black Scale Battalion back then was extremely demanding. Not only did it require a large amount of refined iron, but it also required several types of concentrates to be blended into it to create the black scale armor. When making armor, as long as there is a slight flaw, it must be discarded and rebuilt. A set of black scale armor can be used to create more than seven or eight other soldiers. The emperor can imagine the money needed to rebuild the black scale camp. How much do you want?"
Long Tai frowned slightly. Seeing this, Lu Xiao continued: "The Blackscale Battalion charged on the battlefield and made many military exploits, which is indeed admirable, but because of this, every time they go into battle, their equipment is damaged. It must be replenished, and the money spent on it every year is a heavy burden on the court."
"I want to win the battle, but I also don't want to suffer losses. Mr. Lu, there is no such perfect thing in this world." Qi Ning couldn't help but say.
Lu Xiao did not argue, but instead smiled and said: "Marquis Jinyi was born in a marquis mansion. He has never been on the battlefield, and he has never worried about money. When it comes to the suffering of money, Mr. Dou should be the one who understands it best."
Dou Kui lost no time and sighed: "Your Majesty, Master Lu is right. The money spent to support the Black Scale Camp gave the Ministry of Household Affairs a headache. At that time, if we were squeezed in, we could still hold on, but Now...!" He said with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, the Qinhuai War has just ended. Countless people who suffered from the war are still lacking in food and clothing. In recent years, most of the money from the treasury has been spent on the frontline war. Now there are still We spend a large sum of money to resettle the refugees, but if we rebuild the Black Scale Camp at this time, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Affairs may not be able to come up with the money."
There was already a hint of sullenness on Longtai's delicate face, and he said: "The Black Scale Camp can only have a thousand people. Even if it costs some money, is it possible that I, the great Chu, can't even get this little money?"
When Dou Kui heard the slight dissatisfaction in Long Tai's tone, he didn't dare to speak and just lowered his head.
Seeing that Dou Kui was silent, Longtai glanced at Marquis Zhongyi and asked, "Marquis Zhongyi, do you also feel that this is not the right time to rebuild the Black Scale Camp?"
Marquis Zhongyi said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, I think that after the Battle of Qinhuai, it is a good time to rebuild the Black Scale Camp."
Longtai's eyes brightened slightly and he said, "Why did Marquis Zhongyi say that?"
"Your Majesty, the Battle of Qinhuai took several years, and the soldiers of both our and enemy countries are already exhausted." Marquis Zhongyi's voice was low and slow, as if every word was uttered after careful consideration: "Whether it's the Northern Han Dynasty or our Da Chu, the current morale is very low."
Long Tai nodded slightly, but Qi Ning also felt that what Sima Lan said was true. After several years of fighting, the frontline soldiers were exhausted. In addition, Qi Jing and the previous emperor passed away in succession, which was a continuous blow to the entire Chu State. The morale of the frontline soldiers must be low right now.
"The old minister has been thinking about how to improve the morale of the frontline soldiers." Sima Lan said: "The old minister has been confused and has never come up with a good idea, but the emperor's words today woke up the dreamer. The old minister thought that rebuilding the Blackscale Camp was the right way to do it. The best way to improve the morale of our Chu army."
"oh?"
Sima Lan showed a smile: "As we all know, if the Qinhuai Army was a sword, then the Black Scale Battalion was the blade of this sword. As long as the blade is there, it will be sharp. If the Black Scale Battalion is rebuilt at this time, the soldiers at the front will Knowing this will definitely boost morale and also let the soldiers know that the court attaches great importance to the army."
Longtai smiled and said: "I just wanted to fulfill the late emperor's wish, but I didn't think of this level. The loyal and righteous Hou Laocheng wanted to think of this level, and he was indeed a pillar of the country. Yes, once the Black Scale Camp is rebuilt, I, Chu The morale of the soldiers must have been greatly boosted." He turned to King Huainan and asked, "Does King Huainan think so?"
Many ministers present were thinking that the King of Huainan would have a bloodless battle with Marquis Zhongyi. Marquis Zhongyi advocated rebuilding the Black Scale Camp, which would certainly not be of any benefit to the King of Huainan.
Who knew that the King of Huainan actually smiled and nodded: "What the loyal and righteous old marquis said is absolutely true. Now is the time when our army is trying to boost the morale of our army. Rebuilding the Black Scale Camp will not only boost the morale of our army, but also make people more capable." The people of the Northern Han Dynasty know the military might of our great Chu. The Blood Orchid Army was in ruins back then and has never appeared on the battlefield until now. However, our great Chu has rebuilt the Black Scale Camp and one day appears in front of the Northern Han people, and it will definitely make them lose their souls."
Longtai originally thought that King Huainan would find an excuse to object, but he did not expect him to agree so easily. He was surprised and said: "King Huainan, do you also agree to rebuild the Black Scale Camp?"
"Although it will cost some money to rebuild the Black Scale Camp, the money spent is worth it. It can not only boost the morale of our army, but also attack the Northern Han people." King Huainan smiled and said: "Besides, this is also the late emperor's wish. We will do it later. I naturally want to help the emperor fulfill the late emperor's wish." He glanced at Dou Kui and said with a smile: "Master Dou, this is a big deal. Although your household department is tight, you still have to squeeze in and allocate some money for such matters. Come out."
Dou Kui immediately said: "Since it is a major event that is beneficial to the morale of the army, I will squeeze out the money from my teeth even if I sell it."
This was the first time Longtai was planning to do something after he ascended the throne. He thought that things would not go too smoothly, but unexpectedly both Marquis Zhongyi and King Huainan agreed. He felt a little excited and said with a smile: "Okay, we monarch and ministers are of the same mind, it's nothing." The thing can't be done. Qining, I...!"
Before he could finish speaking, Marquis Zhongyi suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have something else to report!" He actually interrupted Longtai's words.
Longtai was startled and asked: "Marquis Zhongyi, what other worries do you have?"
"Your Majesty, I don't have any concerns, veteran." Sima Lan said slowly: "We are just rebuilding the Black Scale Battalion. The candidate to lead the Black Scale Battalion must be carefully considered."
"Ah?" Long Tai immediately knew that something was wrong and frowned: "I have already considered that Qining is the most suitable candidate for the Black Scale Camp."
Sima Lan shook his head and said: "The old minister thinks that Jin Yihou is not suitable to be the commander of the Black Scale Battalion."
"But... But back then, the Black Scale Battalion was commanded by General Qi." Long Tai's heart sank slightly, and he immediately felt that he might fall into the trap of the old fox. "Qining inherited the title of Marquis of Jinyi and was the heir of General Qi." , wouldn’t he be the best candidate to command the Blackscale Battalion?”
"Your Majesty, I also think that what the old Marquis said is absolutely true." King Huainan said calmly and slowly: "The young Marquis is not General Qi. General Qi followed the old Marquis in Jinyi to the battlefield when he was a boy. Thirteen When he was just 2 years old, he had already made his first achievements on the battlefield. He was trained in the blood and fire, so he could train the elite of the Black Scale Battalion." He glanced at Qining and saw that Qining collapsed. He looked very calm and said with a smile: "Marquis Jinyi, I am not saying that you are not, but military and state affairs are not trivial. The Black Scale Camp is the face of our Chu army, so we must not be careless."
Qi Ning also understood at this time that Longtai was preparing to rebuild the Black Scale Camp and make himself the leader of the Black Scale Camp. This was nothing more than to cultivate his own direct lineage. However, the two old foxes remained calm, which quickly made Longtai's original plan come to a head. It was a big deviation. He knew that at this time, he had to stay calm. He smiled slightly and said: "What the prince said is absolutely true. Qining is still young and has too little experience. He really needs to think more about it."