Hercules and Garphis had estimated that the minimum force required to protect the territory of the Lemurian Empire was more than 150,000.
To be clear, Lemuria did not have the national power to gather that amount of troops.
However, it was absolutely necessary for Hercule so he could relax in the future.
So Hercule had a thought.
Let's divide it like a shield and a halberd.
If you just wanted to protect, you can just barricade yourself inside the city.
And if you just shut yourself in the city, the soldiers don't need that much skill.
So…..
[The above is the outline of Tondenhei's military system… This is a major reform beyond the tax reform. How is it, are there any opinions?]
Hercule gathered military officers and civil officers to explain the new system.
Tondenhei military system.
It is a political system in which the military system and the land system are two sides of the same coin.
It is a system in which soldiers are sent as Tondenhei given a plot of land, they will cultivate the land in peacetime, and round up into war with their own weapons during the war.
This system has three big advantages.
One, the land near the border area, which had been overrun by the enemy and was devastated, will become stable.
The other reason is that the soldiers would fight desperately to protect their land, which gives them very high morale.
Finally, since the soldiers were self-sufficient, there was no maintenance cost.
It is a system to gather excellent soldiers quickly and reasonably.
In addition, although it was Hercule who thought and introduced it…
The idea itself was not Hercule.
Generally speaking, the most well-known Tondenhei in Japan is the development of Hokkaido.
It was introduced to cultivate Hokkaido, and at the same time to prevent the southward movement of Russia.
In addition, Cao Cao, who was famous for the Three Kingdoms, had also introduced it.
Also, this might be a little unfamiliar to Japanese people, but…
Heraclius I of the Byzantine Empire has also introduced it to prevent the invasion of Islamic forces.
Of course, the system isn't exactly the same, but…
The outline was similar.
[Your Majesty the Emperor, if I may?]
[What is it, Kroll.]
Bureaucrat Kroll raises his hand and asks Hercule a question.
[About this system, will it create decentralization power to the local provinces?]
[As long as you can keep an eye on it, and if it's become suspicious, you can put it under central control.] (Well, some of them might become independent like a warlord someday though…)
Hercule thought that it would be okay during his lifetime.
He had the confidence to control the regions.
In the first place, no matter what the system, if the central power weakens, it is natural that the regions want to separate.
Even if a strict centralization system is put in place, decentralization will keep proceeding if the bureaucracy is corrupted.
The Tondenhei military system planned by Hercule was a system that only made colonial soldiers.
The administrative divisions up to now will not change.
Above all, Hercule did not intend to give the local army neither cavalry nor siege weapons.
The main force of the Central Command, the standing army, was already enough to have them.
[I have another question.]
[What is it?]
[Will the tax revenue decrease? Since they are preparing their own weapons, the land tax will go down, right?]
[Well, that's right, but you asked a good question.]
Hercule listened and praised Kroll before explaining.
[I'm not worried about the decline in tax revenue. Well, the land that we give to Tondenhei is a devastated land around the border. If this land is cultivated by Tonden soldiers and even a small amount of land tax revenue comes in, the tax revenue will increase. Moreover the Tondenhei are mostly people who don't have any land, and also migrants who are squeezing our national treasury. ]
There were many migrants in the Lemurian Empire.
Many of them were migrant peasants who lost their land because of the war and the barbarians who invaded the territory of the Empire.
Their numbers were estimated to be around 200,000.
The Lemurian Empire provided a certain amount of wheat to prevent them from becoming angry mobs.
Originally, the Lemurian Empire had a wheat law, a poverty relief law (a thing like a livelihood protection system), so it was not a big problem at first…
The number of migrants is increasing year by year.
As a result, the wheat law was definitely squeezing the Lemurian Empire's treasury.
If the migrants become Tondenhei, the burden of wheat law will be reduced.
Besides, you can obtain tax revenue.
So yes, the tax revenues will increase.
[Any other questions?]
Hercule looked around the bureaucrats.
There is no particular objection.
Hercule already had control of the bureaucrats.
[Then, begin drafting a concrete bill. I'll leave the details to you, how much the land tax will be reduced and how much Tondenhei can be recruited in the beginning.]
The main point has already been made by Hercule.
All that's left is for the bureaucrats to flesh it out, Hercule only needs to check it again.
The national affairs cannot be managed only by Hercule.
The Lemurian Empire is governed by a bureaucracy system with Hercules at the top.
[Oh, one more, there will be another law that came into effect at the same time as the Tondenhei military system. You don't have to hurry with this law, and you can do it little by little… It's the Horse Protection Law.]
Horse Protection Law.
It is one of the New Laws of Wang Anshi from the Northern Song Dynasty.
To briefly explain the contents …
[The enemy cavalry is really strong… My cavalry is too weak… I have to increase the number of my cavalry… But I don't have enough money, that's right! Let's give the horses to the farmers and let them take care and use them as farm horses!! So, if there is a war coming, I can just collect the horses. This will expand the farmland and reduce costs too!! Oh my, I'm a genius!! ] (*Wang Anshi is not a gal)
Well, in conclusion, the opposition of the Conservative Law party led by Sima Guang broke down, and the Northern Song Dynasty was eventually destroyed.
Even so, the cost reduction was effective.
In the first place, Hercule is not thinking of using the horses provided as farming horses for cavalry.
The abilities required of a farm horse are physical strength and strength of legs.
On the other hand, the abilities required of war horses include physical strength and strength of the legs, but more importantly were the speed of the legs.
Besides, war horses needed to be trained on a regular basis.
By any standard, a powerful cavalry unit cannot be organized from farming horses.
But, however…
Even if it can't be used in battle, can it be used more than enough as a pack animal to support the military logistics?
That's what Hercule thought.
As a pack animal, you don't need the speed of the legs.
If you have the physical strength and are full of vigor, that's enough.
Hercule was thinking of enforcing the Horse Protection Law in line with the Tondenhei military system.
With this, even in rough land, they can quickly expand the fields.
Moreover, Tondenhei can be ordered to train farm horses to be used as pack animals.
[But, Your Majesty the Emperor. First of all, what about the funding for farming horses? With our country's current finances, it can only be done on a very small scale.]
[There is another plan for that… Well, the Tondenhei military system is enough for the time being.]
Hercule grinned.
=====
[Your Majesty, I have a question.]
[What's wrong, Carolina?]
Hercule looked back when he was approached by her beloved fiancé.
Carolina was a little confused before asking.
[Is it because of this reason?]
[What do you mean?]
[…The purge of the great aristocrats. Is it for the Tondenhei military system?]
When he was asked by Carolina, Hercule shrugged his shoulders.
[Why did you think so?]
[…For the Tondenhei military system, the land around the border needs to be state-owned…. So do you purge them to do it smoothly?]
[No way, I wouldn't purge them just for that.]
After denying that, Hercule smiled with a grin…
[But, it may be one of the reasons.]
[…..]
Hercule implicitly affirmed.
[… As expected, you are really.]
[Are you complimenting?]
[I praise you…. You're always looking ahead and taking action. Does that mean everything is as Your Majesty's plan?]
[If it's as planned, I'm not being the Emperor right now.]
Hahaha, Hercule laughs.
And Hercule suddenly snatched Carolina's lips.
[!!!]
Carolina opened her eyes and was surprised.
Hercule grinned at Carolina.
[I'm an Emperor, I'll show you a lot of good things. So praise me more.]
[You are…really…]
Carolina sighed.
And…..
[Your Majesty, can I ask you another one?]
[What?]
[How do you plan to prepare the money? …No way, do you want to raise taxes?]
Hercule's military expansion and domestic policy inevitably required funds for initial investment.
So, how does Hercule intend to secure it?
At least, the only way Carolina can think of is to raise the taxes.
[Well, you will know soon enough, I think?]
[…Please don't raise taxes too much.]
[Hmm? Why?]
Hercule tilts his head.
At least it doesn't seem like Carolina cares about it.
[Your Majesty… I don't want you to make too many enemies. You're the kind of person who unknowingly tramples the hearts of many people. Please be careful.]
[…..]
Since it really sounded familiar, Hercule choked and was unable to say anything.
Moreover, he had no intention of correcting it.
[Well, rest assured. I think a [Just Cause] is necessary for taxes. A just cause that everyone would agree with. This time too, I will prepare a just cause for it. As for dissatisfaction… Well, I'm not saying there won't be any, but I'll deal with it just fine.]
Hercule closed one eye and winked.
Carolina looked anxiously toward Hercule.