Just as Qin Hui stepped out of the door, Cao Mengde suddenly spoke up, "Have you ever considered resigning from the position of Prime Minister? This is something you should consider carefully. You must think clearly about how to explain and respond to His Majesty."
Cao Mengde said this to dispel the suspicion that he had persuaded Qin Hui not to resign as prime minister. After all, if a few words from a busybody could cause the prime minister to change his mind, then his own death would not be far away.
When Qin Hui returned home and was writing the memorial, he couldn't help but feel deeply impressed by how thoroughly Cao Mengde had considered things; he deeply realized that the old ones were still the wisest, and he was no match for Cao Mengde.
He had only seen His Majesty's heavy favor towards Cao Mengde, but had not considered the deeper meaning behind it. His Majesty's direct appointment of Cao Mengde as Minister of War could be considered His Majesty's recognition of Cao Mengde's ability, but if Cao Mengde jumped from an ordinary citizen to Prime Minister in just a few days, it would be a bit of flattery.
Because no matter who it is, this speed of promotion is unbelievable. Qin Hui herself thinks that all this is outrageous.
If you say there aren't any tricks or traps here, I absolutely cannot believe it. I thought your Majesty was too naive and almost fell into your trap.
In his memorial, Qin Hui recounted in emotional detail his contributions to the state of Wei and his remarkable military exploits. He modestly stated that while his abilities might still fall short of those of the great sages of the past, he would do his utmost to fulfill his important role as prime minister and contribute to the prosperity and stability of the country.
When the Royal Government Affairs Office handed Qin Hui's memorial to Chu Fan, Chu Fan carefully reviewed the memorial submitted by Qin Hui.
Chu Fan carefully examined the memorial before him, feeling an indescribable feeling welling up in his heart. Qin Hui actually asked at this moment not to resign his position as Prime Minister.
If you don't want to refuse, then go ahead. But you said you have the same name as that infamous person, why don't you follow his example and do something shocking?
Moreover, he even has the ability to write beautiful words like Qin Hui on the Blue Planet. This makes me, a person whose calligraphy is as difficult as scratching with chicken claws, feel extremely sad and inferior.
That night, after Cao Mengde arrived at Qin Hui's home, he secretly went to the Royal Government Affairs Office to discuss matters with the prince on duty. It happened that Chu Zhenglin was on duty today.
Cao Mengde said to Chu Zhenglin with a serious expression, "Your Highness, after careful consideration, I feel that the military fortress plan proposed by Changsun Dechong is now ready to be implemented."
Chu Zhenglin stared at Cao Mengde in astonishment, his heart filled with disbelief. These eleven princes had been busy handling various government affairs during this period. Chu Zhenglin knew that the gold, silver, and grain reserves in the treasury could not support the construction of a city-sized military fortress.
When Chu Zhenglin looked at Cao Mengde with a puzzled expression, Cao Mengde smiled slightly and replied calmly:
"In fact, building military fortresses around Kaifeng City is a waste of resources. If the enemy can really reach the city walls of Kaifeng City, it means that our Ministry of War and the generals of Wei State have seriously failed in their duties."
Chu Zhenglin pondered for a moment, feeling that Cao Mengde's words made sense. After all, if Wei's territory had been invaded by the enemy up to the gates of Kaifeng, then Wei's generals were clearly incompetent. Furthermore, as long as the royal family and the imperial palace remained, unless the nations of the entire continent united to attack Wei, it would be impossible for a single nation to capture Kaifeng.
There was actually no need to set up any military fortresses around Kaifeng to defend the city, because Kaifeng was already the most heavily guarded place in the Wei State.
Chu Zhenglin, with a hint of doubt on his face, asked Cao Mengde, "So, should we stop building military fortresses?"
Cao Mengde shook his head slightly and replied firmly, "We still need to build a military fortress, but we don't have to build it outside Kaifeng City. We should choose to build it in the border area."
Chu Zhenglin frowned upon hearing this, looking somewhat concerned. He raised his concerns, "But there are already border towns along the border. Wouldn't it be a waste of resources to build another military fortress there?"
Taking into account the current financial situation of Wei State, Chu Zhenglin wanted to remind Cao Mengde not to waste money and grain in the national treasury at will. He hoped that Cao Mengde could reconsider this decision.
Cao Mengde slowly unfolded a map depicting the detailed topography of the border between Wei and Shu. He ran his finger gently along the winding border line and said in a very serious tone:
"Your Highness, let's take the border between Wei and Shu as an example. Along this long border, Wei's territory is dotted with several fortified cities. These cities are strategically located, chosen for their easy defense and difficult attack, and, with their numerous civilians, were once considered impregnable fortresses.
However, after witnessing the brand new city built with cement, the miraculous building material invented by Your Majesty, do you still think that the city walls we relied on in the past are strong enough?"
Cao Mengde paused for a moment, waiting for Chu Zhenglin to digest what he had said, before continuing, "The cities we built in the past were often limited in size and lacked the capacity to accommodate large numbers of troops. When troops were sent to support the border, they often encountered a thorny problem: the city itself couldn't accommodate so many soldiers."
Therefore, soldiers supporting the border often had to set up tents and camp outside the city walls, which prevented them from entering the city, thus affecting the army's combat effectiveness and morale to a certain extent.
Even if a small number of troops were able to enter the city, there would still be potential risks. Soldiers in the city could cause various problems or even riots.
Based on these considerations, I believe it would be appropriate to construct a dedicated military fortress outside these border cities. This fortress would be used exclusively for garrisoning and training soldiers, thereby achieving a separation of military and civilian management. This would significantly reduce friction and conflict between the military and local population, maintaining social harmony and stability.
In addition, the establishment of military fortresses also has important strategic significance. It not only serves as an outpost for border defense, but also can respond quickly to enemy invasions and effectively protect the security of border areas.
By establishing military fortresses in border areas, we can better monitor border dynamics, promptly detect and respond to potential threats, and ensure the country's border security and territorial integrity."
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