amaotonovel Chapter 651 I'll give you two choices
Chapter 651 I'll give you two choices
No one could figure out what Yang Shaofeng was planning to do.
What if I stand on the right side of the drill ground and displease Prince Consort Yang? Would he just pick some excuse to beat us all up as a warning?
After all, his reputation as the Imperial Son-in-Law Yang speaks for itself.
The soldiers on the drill ground did not move.
The four commanders standing at the front did not dare to express their opinions casually.
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said loudly, "Brothers who want to retire from the military, step forward and stand on the right side of the drill ground. I will have someone process your civilian registration shortly."
Glancing at the garrison soldiers who still dared not make a move, Yang Shaofeng simply pointed to the royal command flag behind him and said, "See this? The royal command flag bestowed by His Majesty. Holding this is equivalent to issuing orders on behalf of His Majesty."
"You may not trust me, but do you not trust His Majesty?"
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, a commotion finally broke out among the soldiers who had been silent for a long time.
Liu San and Dong Si, who were almost thirty years old and still hadn't gotten married, exchanged a glance, silently pushed past the people around them, and walked to the right side of the training ground.
Once someone dared to take the lead, many more people followed suit and came out.
Originally, after removing more than 200 soldiers aged between 45 and 18, the remaining force of more than 4,500 people was reduced to just over 3,000 in a short time.
More than a thousand people chose to retire from military service and return to farming.
Among them was even a centurion and several generals and junior officers.
If Emperor Zhu were present, he would probably be utterly devastated, and might even question the meaning of life itself.
Is this the army of our Great Ming Dynasty?
It's one thing that a fully manned garrison is actually not fully manned, but what's more, there are over 1,500 people in the entire garrison who are unwilling to serve as soldiers and receive rations.
Did those bastards, Xiang Fei, really go too far?
Or is it that I've been a terrible emperor?
Yang Shaofeng shook his head slightly, immediately banishing the image of the Q-version black-faced old man from his mind.
Of the more than 4,500 people, it's already quite good that more than 3,000 remain.
Yang Shaofeng smiled and shouted loudly, "Brothers who stay, I will make a few more requests. Those who feel they can do it, stay. Those who feel they cannot do it, stand on the right side of the drill ground."
Amidst the bewildered expressions of the soldiers, Yang Shaofeng shouted: "First, obey all orders. Second, do not take a single needle or thread from the people. Third, all spoils of war must be turned over to the public."
"Besides these three major requirements, there are a few minor requirements."
"First, speak politely."
"Secondly, fair trade."
Third, borrowed items must be returned.
Fourth, you must compensate for any damage.
Fifth, do not hit or curse people.
"Sixth, crops must not be damaged."
"Seventh, it is forbidden to harass women."
Yang Shaofeng glanced at the soldiers again and said loudly, "Eighth, officers and soldiers eat and work together."
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, the remaining soldiers stirred up another commotion.
The first three major requirements and the first seven minor requirements are easy to understand.
Military law has a saying about seven prohibitions and fifty-four executions, which is basically accurate.
In comparison, the three major requirements and the seven minor requirements put forward by Yang Shaofeng were even more lenient than the "Seven Prohibitions and Fifty-Four Executions".
However, the last clause left the soldiers bewildered and the officers and rank of centurions, chiliarchs, garrison commanders, and assistant commanders at the rank of general and above feeling frustrated.
I risked my life to earn this wealth, and you, surnamed Yang, just said one thing and we have to eat and even work with those common soldiers.
This is bullying honest people!
This time, however, Yang Shaofeng's face darkened, and he said loudly, "I have stated my requirements. Those who can accept them can stay, and those who cannot can stand on the right side of the drill ground and go through the civil registration process with the brothers who are willing to retire from the military."
After a long silence, a centurion, hiding in the crowd, shouted, "Your Highness! Don't we military officers need to go through the Governor's Office and the Ministry of War to register our civilian status?"
Yang Shaofeng didn't look for the speaker, but pointed to the royal command flag behind him again: "I have the royal command flag here, and I have already consulted His Majesty. Everything can be done at my discretion. Therefore, even military officers can choose to leave the garrison and register as civilians."
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, several more people stepped out from the crowd, including a garrison commander, two centurions, and the rest were captains.
Seeing that the remaining men remained in place, Yang Shaofeng instructed the four commanders: "Have each thousand-household unit bring them back, and compile a list of the missing centurions, captains, and junior officers for me."
After the soldiers who chose to stay in the army left the training ground, Yang Shaofeng gathered the soldiers on the left and right sides of the training ground together.
"I will now give you two choices."
"First, you will be completely discharged from the military. Those who wish to register in Laizhou Prefecture can do so, and those who wish to return to their hometowns can do so. Whichever you choose, I will have someone provide you with six months' worth of military pay as travel expenses. From now on, you will be ordinary citizens."
"The local government will still allocate land to you as it is due, just like ordinary people, with a standard of fifteen mu per person."
"The second option is that you will still retire from the military, but you will not be under the jurisdiction of the local government. I will allocate a piece of land for you to cultivate and develop into a farm. The cultivated land will belong to the farm, or you can consider it to belong to the imperial court. Of the grain produced, 20% will go to the public and 80% will go to you."
“The local government has no right to interfere with the farms you have reclaimed. The allocation standard is the same as that of ordinary people, which is 15 mu per person. You will also receive the same amount of seeds, farm tools, and oxen as you are entitled to.”
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, the soldiers present fell silent once again.
Which one to choose?
Completely leave the military and become an ordinary citizen?
He could still leave the military, but remain on the farm that Yang Fuma mentioned, which was not under the jurisdiction of the local government.
If I choose the first option, will I be able to support myself after six months of military pay are spent?
Or, in other words, if you encounter some powerful or tyrannical person who wants to seize your land by force, will you be able to protect your land?
If he chooses the second option... then what exactly is Yang Fuma's so-called farm? Will he run into another official like Xiang Fei to manage him?
Will they be accused of embezzling salaries and exploiting soldiers again?
Two choices, that's really a headache.
Seeing the soldiers' dilemma, Yang Shaofeng simply instructed Chang Xiaojiu, the commander of the Imperial Son-in-Law's personal guards: "Have someone count them. Those who are willing to register in Laizhou or return to their hometowns should be registered there. Those who are willing to stay on the farm should be registered on the reclamation farm in Dengzhou Prefecture."
Chang Xiaojiu stared blankly at Yang Shaofeng, then pulled him aside and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, when did our Dengzhou Prefecture have a settlement farm?"
Yang Shaofeng glanced at Chang Xiaojiu with the kind of look one might give someone with intellectual disabilities: "Are you stupid? It didn't exist before, but now that I say it does, it does."