Another person, Liu Zanyuan, the son of Liu Tinghan, stood up and said to Zhao Zhen, "Your Majesty, with the Western Xia and Liao still surrounding us, reducing the army at this time would be like cutting off one's own arm."

"alright."

Zhao Zhen waved his hand and said, "Let's hear what the dean has to say."

"Okay."

Zhao Jun glanced at Liu Zanyuan and said, "I know what you are thinking. Do you think the court will abandon you?"

Someone hurriedly asked, "I wonder how the court will accommodate us?"

"Who are you?"

"I am Chu Ding, the head of the Sanzhi Division, the right-hand palace guard, and the Chengzhonglang."

"So he's the great-grandson of Minister Chu."

Zhao Jun knew that Chu Zhaofu had no son, and Zhao Kuangyin had let his nephew inherit his meritorious title. He said, "Chu Shizhong said in the past, 'I have gained this without any hard work, but by chance. I will protect it for the country and will present it to the emperor later.' Now, it is time to present it to the emperor."

Chu Ding's face turned pale in an instant.

"Haha, I was just joking with you."

Zhao Jun said with a smile.

Chu Ding could only smile awkwardly.

"It's actually very simple. The imperial court needs to clear out a large number of idle soldiers to ease the treasury expenditure."

Zhao Jun continued, "However, considering that so many people need to eat, and the descendants of the founding fathers all rely on it for their livelihood, I will definitely not treat you unfairly. Otherwise, I would not have invited you to discuss this in detail today."

He pointed at Cao Cong and said, "As you all know, Marshal Ma has made a fortune in recent months. In the past six months, he has probably earned three or four hundred thousand strings of cash, which is only more than before, not less. And these channels are reserved for you by the court."

Everyone looked at Cao Cong, who stood up and said, "Indeed, last year the imperial fleet that sailed overseas returned with over seven million strings of cash worth of gold, silver, and jewelry. The imperial court established the fleet and allowed me to buy shares in it. From this alone, the Cao family earned over two hundred thousand strings of cash."

"General Ma is actually the role model I set for everyone. Although overseas trade has some risks, the routes are basically stable and safe. We can first trade with countries like Korea and Japan, and when the time is right, we can head north and directly overseas."

Zhao Jun looked around at everyone and said, "Besides that, the court will also set up a trading company, and you gentlemen will also invest in it. When the time comes, the court will announce some projects, and the trading company will take them all. In this way, those retired soldiers will be able to make a living by building bridges and roads, constructing water conservancy facilities, and regulating rivers, and you will also be able to share in the profits."

"I've calculated that for at least the next fifty years, the imperial court plans to invest heavily in infrastructure, including building roads, bridges, and river management. This will require an annual investment of at least several million or even tens of millions of guan, plus profits from maritime trade and future profits from allowing everyone to invest in steel mills."

"After all, if each family contributes enough, they will get a larger share of the profits. Even if you only contribute 100,000 or 80,000 strings of cash, it will definitely be better than lying in the military camp now. At least 200,000 strings of cash per year."

"This way, the court can save on military spending and use it for things like building roads and taming rivers. The retired soldiers will have jobs, and you can earn money by taking on court projects and participating in the court's maritime trade. This is killing two birds with one stone. Why should you just stay in the army and stay like that?"

In the end, Zhao Jun looked at everyone with a smile.

The same is true for Zhao Zhen.

They felt that this time it should be foolproof.

It not only takes into account the interests of these nobles, but also the interests of the grassroots soldiers.

It is definitely a good thing that kills two birds with one stone. We can't say that followers gather together, but at least they join in the fun and everyone responds.

However, after Zhao Jun finished his passionate speech, the place fell into almost complete silence. Most people just stared at him blankly. No one spoke, and no one began to respond.

Even Cao Cong sat there awkwardly, with his head down and no words.

A few seconds later, Zhao Jun, sensing something was amiss in the atmosphere, changed his expression slightly. He looked around and asked calmly, "What's the matter? Are you dissatisfied with the court's arrangements? Do you still think the court isn't treating you well enough?"

The tone was already a bit heavy.

Shi Yuansun, who had been promoted to the position of Palace Official and Envoy, and Zhongwei Doctor for his meritorious service in the war against Western Xia, stood up and said, "Minister, please take your time on this matter."

In an instant, Zhao Jun's face became extremely ugly. The court gave them such preferential treatment, and they actually said to take it slow?

What's the meaning?

Do you treat the court’s policies as a joke?