"But Ling just made a strategic plan in accordance with His Highness King Qin's intention. It does not mean that Ling agrees with His Highness's military reorganization plan." Ling Tianfang's words that he added immediately made Wu Feng and Xiao Su feel the same. I was stunned, I didn’t expect that the Director of Military Affairs actually opposed the military reorganization plan, which was one of the core contents of Wufeng’s military reorganization plan.
"Haha, God, why do you do this to me at this time? It's really yours. Xiao Tang and Su Qin are both here today. Except for Mo Lun, the four directors of your department today are also included. We are basically all here. We will not discuss legal matters today. Let’s discuss these issues thoroughly so as not to complain in our stomachs after we go down. As long as we can explain the truth, I believe Li Wufeng will not turn a deaf ear." Wu Feng also wanted to liven up the atmosphere and teased the other party with a smile.
"His Highness's idea of military rectification is essentially to vigorously develop the navy and reduce the size of the army. I firmly support the vigorous development of the navy. After all, our new empire already faces two oceans. There are old enemies like the Japanese in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Southern Ocean is our main trade route. The passage is our exit to the Central and Western Continent and even the New World. Although there are no specific enemies yet, potential enemies have emerged, especially in the future struggle for rights and interests in the New World. The navy will inevitably play an important role."
Ling Tianfang cheered up. He saw His Highness King Qin's firm attitude in the past two days. Ling Tianfang was a little disheartened. If the Lord had made up his mind to weaken the army in exchange for the development of the navy, then he might not be able to change the attitude of the other party. He even went to the Financial Secretary of the Government Affairs Department to learn about the current financial situation of Xijiang. Although James did not specifically inform Xijiang's financial situation, Ling Tianfang learned about Liang Chongxin and Haizheng from Mi Feng, who was a guest there, and Haizheng, the director of the Supervision Department of the Legal Affairs Department. Cheng Dayou's special operations in the East China Sea and Yanyun. This made Ling Tianfang overjoyed but also a little regretful.
Ling Tianfang knew something about Cheng Dayou's behavior. He was bold and ruthless. Most of the nobles and gentry of Yanyun would shed their skin if they were exposed to this plague god, but Yanyun was not rich to begin with. In addition, Situ Tai has been here for a long time, so the harvest will not be very big. Although the East China Sea is a wealthy area, Liang Chongxin is too focused on military reputation and is unwilling to use such harsh methods. It is a pity that he has one chance. , if it were Cui Wenxiu, the reputation of Cui Hell King alone would be enough to make the unclean gentry and nobles tremble and surrender everything. However, I think that Liang Chongxin's decision to take charge of the East China Sea was due to His Highness's instructions. After all, the East China Sea was the heart of the empire. If the method is too violent, it will inevitably arouse the gentry's emotional rebound and affect the overall situation, which is not good. But I think the harvest from these two places will definitely be huge. Especially the East China Sea. Since His Highness intends to keep Liang Chongxin in charge of the East China Sea, he must have obtained some reliable clues and can act under His Highness's instructions.
It was these tips. Ling Tianxin now had some confidence, but he had been worried that His Highness King Qin's attitude would be too tough and difficult to convince. But when His Highness King Qin said this today, Ling Tian felt much more confident.
"However, we should see and admit that in fact our Xindi Empire is still a big land country. Although we are facing the sea on both sides, whether it is the direction that threatens us the most in the north and southeast, or the area in the west where we have special economic interests, They are both vast lands, and the Liberians and Machikhans are still at war with us. In the west, the increasingly powerful Luzon and the Hansen League, which have been trying to break the balance of our interests in the Indian region, Now the Luobi people are actually integrating into our economic circle step by step, but the alliance between the Chidi and the Anou people still puts a lot of pressure on the Luobi people. We must ensure that our existing interest pattern and the upcoming integration into our interests If the enclosed area is not to be damaged, it is necessary to maintain a strong enough army. In my personal opinion, the existing army is not enough, let alone reducing the number of the army. Of course, Tian Fang also understands that His Highness needs to build a strong and capable army. , focusing on quality rather than quantity is the direction of development, but our new empire has such a vast territory and faces so many enemies and potential enemies. If we want to achieve the goals set by His Highness for us, excluding the naval factor, the army can only be strengthened, not weaken!"
"Well, very good. As expected of the Director of Military Affairs, what he said is very good. Basically, he has figured out my idea. One and a half million troops are still not enough to implement this plan? I don't understand this point. I also hold the objection. Tian Fang, you have a really big appetite. Have you considered whether the finance can afford it? As a military administrator, you cannot just focus on the needs of the military and ignore the financial support ability. Ah." Wu Feng is not angry. He knows that there will definitely be objections to this matter, especially since the military's backlash is inevitable. He also wants to hear the military's specific opinions in this regard.
"Your Highness, if we just want to stay on the defensive, let alone 1.5 million troops, 1.2 million, or even 1 million troops, Ling Tianfang can also do it perfectly. However, as you just said He said, "You are not the master of defense. The new empire must maintain an offensive posture to obtain our rights and interests. The 1.5 million troops are not enough. If the northern front does not have more than 400,000 elite troops, we will not be able to maintain our offensive." The high-pressure situation of the Liberians, if the Liberians really unite, this number will need to increase by at least 200,000."
"On the Machi Khan side, three hundred thousand troops are enough to ensure security, but it is not enough to start a war. The eastern part of Sanjiang is still in the hands of the Machi Khan. This is a scar etched on our face. If the new empire cannot solve it, Regarding this issue, I think the Army will find it difficult to raise its head even in front of the Chinese people, let alone using troops abroad. In addition, the city-state of Ankun, the Kingdom of Gemelo, and the Kingdom of Yuejing have always been our sphere of influence, and the Ronisian region and our peninsula The region is of the same origin, and the psychological factors of the people need to be taken into consideration, and procrastinating this is not a long-term solution."
"Although the Japanese in the east mainly pose a threat to us at sea, Kamchatka Island, Treasure Island and the Ryukyu Islands are all still occupied by the Japanese. This is also unacceptable to the people. At this point, it is not just the army or The navy can solve the problem in one aspect. I have some new ideas, but they are not mature yet. I need to plan some more and find time to report to His Highness. But in the east, the army of 100,000 should remain a base number. "
"The west is the core area of interest of our new empire. Since it is relatively far from the center of our empire, Tian Fang believes that the military forces currently stationed there are far from enough to shoulder their responsibilities. Now stationed in the entire Western Region, India and Germany An, there are only two legions in Northern Luzon and even the East Tengger region, and they are both second-line legions. This is far from enough. If we follow His Highness the King of Qin’s idea, we must ensure that we are in India and the Tengger grassland. If the sphere of influence is not challenged, at least there should be more than 500,000 troops in this area, and there should be more than 200,000 cavalry."
Xiao Tang and Su Qin are already calculating Ling Tianfang's grand plan. So far, according to Ling Tianfang's preset, at least 1.3 million troops are needed. This amount makes Xiao Tang and Su Qin can't help but He frowned, and looking at the momentum of Ling Tianfang's eloquence, he probably didn't know how much more would be added.
As expected, Ling Tianfang did not shut up because of this: "His Royal Highness the King of Qin also pointed out that we need to intervene in the development of the New Continent as soon as possible. Now the powerful countries in the Central and Western Continent have begun to shift their attention to the New Continent that is increasingly understood. We are geographically It is not as good as the Central and Western Continent, so it cannot be passed down to future generations, but our land territory is too far away from the New World. To intervene in the New World, our navy lacks a springboard, and our navy cannot obtain such a springboard with its own strength. Therefore, we need the army to open the way. There are suitable ports in the Western Peninsula Alliance and the Latin Ocean, but we need to fight for them ourselves. Therefore, maintaining necessary military power in the southwest is indispensable. If we want to achieve our goal as much as possible, It would be best to station 200,000 troops."
"What Tian Fang proposed here is only the military strength required for external defense, which has already reached 1.5 million people. But what about the necessary guarding strength in our important domestic areas? If we launch an offensive, we will need to invest in troops and total preparations. What about the army? If these three aspects of strength are to be fully prepared, at least 700,000 troops will be needed. Therefore, Tian Fang believes that the upper limit of 1.5 million troops proposed by His Highness cannot fulfill the mission entrusted to our military by His Highness. , I believe the generals of several other front armies agree with me."
As soon as Ling Tianfang finished speaking, Xiao Tang and Su Qin couldn't help but gasp. According to Ling Tianfang's idea, the army alone would require 2.2 million, which was already more than the two-million-strong regular army at the end of the Tang He Empire. More than twice as much, and the new construction and expansion plans proposed by the navy are equally appalling. They are built on a scale that will overwhelm the surrounding neighboring countries. Such a large expenditure will not immediately crush the finances of the new empire
Not only did Xiao and Su gasp, but Wu Feng also did not expect that Ling Tianfang would propose such an exaggerated plan. In his estimation, the military's request would not exceed 1.8 million troops at the maximum. Thinking that Ling Tianfang really dared to use the ideas he proposed to change his demands and negotiate conditions, which far exceeded his preset bottom line.