All the officials raised their heads at the same time.

Emperor Feng was an emperor who cared a lot about territory.

Once it's in his hands, don't even think about taking it back.

Now that we have conquered Shuofang, we naturally need to build it well.

It must not be taken back by the Liao Kingdom!

Feng Wuzhe also had plans early on.

He clapped his hands.

A staff member walked forward slowly.

Hand the written document to Manager Hu.

As the emperor watched, Feng Wuze raised his hand and said, "Shuofang's biggest problem right now is the lack of manpower. Shuofang City has 70,000 defenders, the Hu Rong have about 15,000, and the rest are spread out among the garrisons and Yanmen Pass. The soldiers have to train daily, herd sheep and horses, and also maintain Shuofang."

"Some soldiers have been away from home for years and have long wanted to return. Others are still young and unmarried, and now they even want to see a ewe."

Gu Yuan's face turned ashen.

Isn't this a mockery of him?!

All the officials looked at each other, as if thinking about something.

Because this is indeed a difficult problem.

Emperor Feng immediately looked at Jiang Quan.

"Minister Jiang, what do you think?"

"I think we can send more people."

"impossible."

Minister of Revenue Gao Teng stood up and shook his head, saying, "Sending more people is easy, but how will they eat and live? Shuofang has already spent a lot of money, so it's not appropriate to send more."

Jiang Quan frowned. "So, Minister Gao wants to keep the status quo. What about these soldiers on guard?"

"How about changing the rotation?"

Everyone frowned when they heard this.

Guarding the border is not an easy job.

There are various folk songs.

It is said: Those who guard the frontier die on the border, and those who surrender die on the road!

Because it was exiled, it was also called exile!

Dafeng had experienced a similar thing before.

They all adopt the rotation system.

For example, if Zhang San is chosen this year to guard the Shuofang region, he can return home after two years. Don't even think about escaping, because guarding the border is also a form of corvee labor, and it's what all people dread the most.

Now comes the question...

When the garrison soldiers first arrived, they knew nothing.

After just two years of getting the hang of it, I have to go home again.

This results in insufficient garrison forces.

The questions raised by Feng Wuzhe have always existed.

No matter what you do, it's wrong.

No one has really been able to solve it over the years.

Gu Yuan walked out slowly.

"I do have a solution."

"Tell me about it."

"Relocate prisoners, convicts, and slaves to Shuofang. Have them build the city and do the work. Also, capture more Liao slaves to herd sheep and horses for Dafeng, so they can be as self-sufficient as possible."

Emperor Feng frowned.

I have to say, this method works well.

It is also the one that best suits his ideas.

After all, that's what Dafeng is doing now.

For example, Linjiang had been moved to Shuofang.

"There's no point in doing that."

"Too many people will lead to a shortage of food and fodder."

"Too few people means the defense will be insufficient."

"Rotational garrisons won't work either."

Ning Que walked out slowly and said calmly, "There's another problem we need to solve: what should we do if the soldiers miss their families? We were previously stationed at Yanmen because we were at war. Now that we're trying to retake Shuofang, we definitely can't use the same old methods."

"Who can't point out the problem?"

"What does Prince Ning have to say?"

Gu Yuan spoke coldly with a cold face.

All the officials looked at each other and were thinking.

Because this is an extremely realistic problem.

No one could think of a solution.

"Xiao Ning, tell me what you think."

"It's very simple, just eight words!"

"oh?"

"Stand and guard the border, and encourage the people to herd sheep!"

"Why?"

Ning Que walked slowly towards the center.

He raised his hand and pointed at the map.

"First, gather information from within the army. The soldiers can choose whether to stay in Shuofang. If they wish to return home, they can go. If they remain in Shuofang, their loved ones can be relocated. At the same time, they will be given cattle, sheep, and war horses, and they will be responsible for grazing them."

"Soldiers are human beings too, with their own needs. They're uneasy with their wives and children thousands of miles away. Furthermore, the biggest problem with garrisoning the border is rotation. After all, soldiers only stay for two years, which doesn't allow them to form effective combat capabilities. If they stay longer, they'll be more adaptable to the local environment and gain more experience in dealing with the Hu Rong!"

Ning Que smiled confidently.

What he said caused an uproar among the officials.

It's like the sound of a huge bell, deafening.

This is actually not uncommon.

It was also frequently used in ancient dynasties.

It is the so-called military farming and guarding the border.

It was first proposed by Chao Cuo in the Western Han Dynasty.

Even in modern society, it is still used.

This is the Production Corps that many people know.

The main structure is the same.

The details are definitely different.

Emperor Feng immediately sat up straight.

He knew that Ning Que must have some ideas.

He raised his hand and asked the Grand Historian to take note.

"Xiao Ning, continue."

Ning Que raised his finger and pointed at Shuofang, continuing, "Actually, Shuofang isn't in any immediate danger. The Liao's main force has been defeated, making it difficult for them to resist. The number of garrisons can be reduced completely."

"Duke Feng has built numerous garrisons from Yanmen to Shuofang. I believe these garrisons can continue to be developed, and at the same time, garrison troops can be integrated. With the garrisons as the core, the garrison troops can be dispersed throughout the country, effectively breaking the whole into smaller units. The Feng people are not limited to farming; they can also herd livestock, just as well as humans."

"For single soldiers, slaves and Hu women are rewarded to help them settle down and build families in Shuofang. They are scattered across the country and face danger, and Dafeng can also protect their rights. If they encounter enemy attacks, they can quickly counterattack. If they kill the enemy, they can keep half of the spoils for themselves."

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