After the battle, Li Wufeng and Ling Tianfang discussed the gains and losses of the battle and the shortcomings of their troops exposed during the war. Finally, Li Wufeng decided to attack Qingyang one week later, on February 2, 694 in the continental calendar. It was held to summarize the experience in the counter-insurgency campaign and make arrangements for the work in 694.
On February 2, the meeting was held as scheduled. The main preparatory staff of the city guards and Jiedushi Yamen of Qingyang, Jinzhou, Guide and Bonan in the northwest counties, as well as the chief officers of the four divisions of the Northwest Army, all attended the meeting.
At the meeting, Xiao Tang announced the appointment of Li Wufeng, appointed Mu Haoran as deputy director of the Northwest County Administrative Department and director of the Culture, Education and Health Department, Jin Ning as director of the Northwest County Intelligence Department, and Lu Man as director of the Northwest County War Preparedness Department. The director of the department is currently undecided.
Immediately afterwards, Ling Tianfang praised the achievements of various ministries in the counter-insurgency campaign, and announced the promotion order for 19 people including Liang Chongxin.
Li Wufeng severely criticized the weaknesses and shortcomings of the troops exposed during the war, pointing out that the troops at this stage are still insufficiently trained and the cooperation between various departments is not tacit. At the end of the campaign, the performance was particularly prominent in the encirclement and suppression of the remaining rebel forces. , the 1st and 2nd Divisions only cared about themselves and ignored other troops, causing the two rebel armies to join together, causing our army to be passive. If it were not for the inner line to play a role, we would have lost a lot of manpower to really win this battle. Both Liang Chongxin and Cui Wenxiu made self-criticisms at the meeting.
When discussing the handling of the approximately 60,000 rebel soldiers who surrendered to Germany, a fierce quarrel broke out between the military and political parties present at the meeting.
Government officials headed by Xiao Tang and Su Minshun strongly demanded that these 60,000 people be released as civilians and allowed to return to their hometowns so that they could return to engage in industrial and agricultural production. The military, headed by Liang Chongxin, insisted on integrating these surrendered troops and forming the fifth division of the Northwest Army and the troops directly under the Army, so that the Northwest Army would become a complete army. The remaining troops would enrich the local security forces and serve in important government offices. Counties can form a second garrison division.
Li Wufeng sat in the middle of the auditorium and listened to the debate between the two sides, without expressing his position.
"Sir, now that the northwest is in the middle of the Ping Dynasty, there are many wastes waiting to be revitalized, and a large number of labor forces are needed. The current population of Guide Prefecture is less than 400,000, and more than two-thirds of them are old, weak, women and children. Guide's economy is facing a big development challenge. Opportunities, there are already many powerful businessmen interested in investing in the development of well salt mines in the north. I have reached preliminary opinions with them on this matter. If this project is rolled out, it will inevitably require a large number of capable laborers. The existing population of Guide It is simply not enough to meet this need. Grape plantations and winemakers in the south have also negotiated with me to further expand their scale, give full play to their brand effects, make these advantageous industries bigger and stronger, and strive to enter China in large quantities this year. The markets of the mainland and the western continent also require a large number of labor forces. The development of these industries will bring us considerable tax revenue." Su Minshun, who was feeling a little excited, blushed, "What's more, your Excellency requires us to revive the economy within this period. The construction of long-abandoned roads, farmland water conservancy and other infrastructure must also be carried out immediately, which also requires a considerable number of manpower. Therefore, I implore you to release these surrendered soldiers who were originally farmers and let them return to their original posts. , I believe that with this kind of preferential policy, they will definitely work hard and repay the government."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Chongxin's rich voice rang out: "I disagree with Mr. Su's opinion for two reasons. First, these 60,000 surrendered troops are not all soldiers as Mr. Su said. A considerable number of farmers from Guide Prefecture are gangsters from the former Iron Cavalry Association and gang members of the original Changsheng Association. These people have adapted to military life. It will be quite difficult to ask them to go back to engage in agriculture or work. If it is not done well, it will become a hidden danger to local public security; secondly, the situation in the northwest is still quite serious. The Luobei and Mote people in the northwest seem to have no abnormality now, but they must not be taken lightly; there are Yinchuan Prefecture and Xi'an in the north. The Si Luo Empire poses a huge threat to us, and there is the Taixuan Palace to the east. Yinchuan Prefecture has three elite divisions, and the Si Luo people also stationed a hundred thousand troops in the southern fortress of Nuremberg, and there is a trend of increasing , Taixuan Palace also has the elite troops of three divisions. The combined strength of these parties far exceeds our current strength. Once they unite, the power of Yinchuan Palace and the Sisluo people alone is enough to defeat them. We were defeated, so I think the top priority is to strengthen combat readiness and enrich the army. These 60,000 people already have a certain combat effectiveness and can become qualified soldiers as long as they undergo necessary training."
"I'm afraid Mr. Liang's words are a bit alarmist. I personally feel that after this counter-insurgency war in our northwest, although the world is not at peace, at least the overall situation has been settled, and nothing else is enough to shake Mr. Li's position in the northwest. Mr. Liang Regarding the threat from the Yinchuan Prefecture and the Hesiluo people, I personally think it is unlikely that they will collude. Everyone knows that although the two parties still maintain an alliance on the surface, they have long been in different beds. His ambitions are not unclear. He cannot fully cooperate with the Heathrow people without any precautions. That would not be of much benefit to him. And with Yinchuan Mansion sandwiched in the middle, the Heathrow people will never be able to cooperate. It is possible to go south freely. As for Taixuan Palace, for now, it is not possible. After all, it is still nominally a subordinate of Lord Li, and his master has not made up his mind yet. The Luobei people have reached an agreement with us. There will be no changes to the agreement that is beneficial to both parties in the near future. The Motes can simply ignore it. Their biggest enemy at the moment is the Heathrow people, not us. But now the urgent task facing the northwest is not to expand its military strength, but to To develop the economy, only when the economy develops and people's living standards improve, will they wholeheartedly support us, and your status will be more stable. Only in this way will our fiscal revenue gradually increase, and we will have more funds to support the army. The development of strength. Therefore, I personally advocate the release of these 60,000 reduced soldiers to the people, so that they can be fully utilized in the development of industrial and agricultural production." Xiao Tang's words were well-organized and well-founded, and not only won over government officials Even the military officials who strongly opposed it found it difficult to argue with the strong support.
"Mr. Xiao, although your words make sense, have you ever thought about the fact that the economic foundation of the northwest region is weak, and economic development cannot be achieved overnight. However, now that we are surrounded by enemies, the situation in the empire is unstable. Once the situation becomes serious, We have few soldiers and few generals, and we will be unable to cope with the changes. Everyone knows that the empire is now riddled with all kinds of diseases. The slightest disturbance may cause major turmoil. We must be prepared for danger in times of peace, prepare for rainy days, and make early preparations instead of being safe. Based on the current situation. Moreover, the training of the army does not take one or two days to form combat effectiveness. These surrendered troops already have a certain degree of combat effectiveness. As long as they undergo certain training, they can become a qualified army. If they are released as People, let alone whether they can adapt to civilian life, it is really a pity to leave it like this." Although Cui Wenxiu's words were more tactful, he also expressed his willingness to include these soldiers into the army, "And I think, As long as we have a strong army, we can protect our country when we retreat, and we can expand our territory and seek greater development space when we advance. This is also consistent with your wishes, Mr. Xiao." These next few sentences are full of expansion ambitions. Even Li Wufeng and Ling Tianfang, who had been silent, couldn't help but look at each other and smile. It was obvious that what he said touched their hearts.
"Yes, Mr. Cui's words make sense. If there is no strong army to protect it, even the most prosperous economy may be destroyed. With a strong army as the backing, it can not only protect the smooth development of the local economy, but also Seizing the favorable opportunity and obtaining greater benefits is a good thing that kills two birds with one stone." Kamapov then spoke.
"I don't agree with the views of the two adults. A strong military is certainly a good thing, but it also depends on whether local finances can support it. The population of the four northwest prefectures under Mr. Li's direct jurisdiction is now less than 2.5 million. The army's The number has reached four divisions of the regular army and four divisions of the garrison. The number is close to 200,000. The ratio of military to civilians has reached an appalling 1:13, which is unacceptable. Moreover, our northwest economic foundation is weak and our finances are It is even more difficult, that is, the burden on the army before the increase was already stretched. Now three more local garrison divisions have been added in this counter-insurgency campaign, which has made the finances even more overwhelmed. If the army is further increased, the finances may be really hard. It’s unaffordable.” James who spoke, who has served as the financial director of the Golden State for a long time, is very familiar with the financial situation of the entire northwest, and put forward his own views on the financial burden.
Both sides expressed their opinions one after another. Under Li Wufeng's deliberate guidance, both sides refuted each other's opinions, and no one could convince the other.
While Li Wufeng listened to the opinions of both sides, he was also thinking about it. The opinions of both sides actually focused on one focus, that is, whether the future policy should focus on self-cultivation, economic development, or military expansion, preparation for war, and expansion of force. This is what Li Wufeng has been considering for the past few days. The problem.
It stands to reason that the situation in the northwest has basically calmed down now, and it is a good time to seize the time and concentrate on economic development. However, the desire to use force to seize greater benefits has always lingered in Li Wufeng. Of course, Wu Feng also knows that there is a mutually reinforcing relationship between economic development and military expansion. Only a strong military can protect local vested interests, and only a prosperous economy can maintain the operation of a strong military. Both are indispensable.
The impending chaos in the Central Plains of the empire and the relative weakness of its surrounding forces have made Wu Feng always hope that he can find a suitable opportunity to further expand his power, but this must require him to have strong enough force to guarantee it. However, real difficulties are also facing him. The financial burden has reached the limit. If he continues to fish in the lake, he may lose more than he gains. On this issue, he has discussed this issue several times with Ling Tianfang and exchanged opinions with Xiao Tang, but he has never been able to Find a better solution. It seems that nothing is perfect. There are gains and losses, so you can't force it.
He raised his head and glanced around the subordinates who were still talking about each other. Everyone knew that this was a sign that their boss was about to speak, and they all calmed down immediately.