The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 33 Military Merit System

Why was Qin able to stand out in the Warring States period and unify the world?

The most important reason was the implementation of a merit-based system of military ranks.

In fact, the early Han dynasty completely copied the Qin dynasty's twenty-rank nobility system.

When Liu Bang was conquering the country again, he was well aware of the power of this system and proposed that "those who have made contributions should be enfeoffed as marquises, and those who have not made contributions should not be enfeoffed as marquises."

The promotion paths of founding heroes such as Cao Can and Zhou Bo serve as vivid examples.

However, this set of rules clearly infringed upon the interests of the nobility and the bureaucratic class.

When the Han Dynasty unified the world, peace and prosperity prevailed.

This system quickly became unsuitable for local conditions.

One reason is that after the country was unified, the chances for ordinary people to gain promotion by beheading others decreased dramatically.

Another point is that during the Qin Dynasty, noble titles were the core basis for holding official positions.

However, during the Han Dynasty,

Gradually, a separation between "official rank" and "noble rank" emerged.

A person could obtain a high rank by virtue of family background, recommendation, or even by donating money to the emperor, without any military merit.

Furthermore, the monopoly of aristocratic families also affected the granting of high ranks.

It is increasingly concentrated in the hands of powerful groups such as relatives of the emperor and sons of meritorious officials.

This created a situation where "no one could serve as prime minister except for a marquis."

This contradicts the Qin Dynasty's concept that "prime ministers must rise from local government positions, and fierce generals must emerge from the ranks."

By the time of Emperor Wu of Han, it had become incredibly difficult for an ordinary person to be ennobled through military merit.

The fact that the famous general Li Guang fought bloody battles against the Xiongnu all his life but was never granted a title is clear evidence that the system had become corrupt.

If Yuan Tan wanted to establish a powerful clan that was completely loyal to him...

According to the system of the Han Dynasty, that would definitely not work.

After all, the original powerful clans were all beneficiaries of this system.

I certainly can't offer more favorable terms than those powerful feudal lords.

Therefore, Yuan Tan had no choice but to start from scratch and rebuild a loyal clan.

"From this day forward, in our army, for every head taken, a reward of a thousand coins will be given, and a rank of nobility will be bestowed! There will be no distinction of rank, only merit will be rewarded!"

Soldiers who behead enemies can be promoted to squad leader or platoon leader! Officers who perform meritorious service can be promoted to colonel or lieutenant general! The land, houses, and property acquired will be distributed according to regulations, without any deductions!

These words shocked everyone present!

Even Guo Jia and Xin Pi looked at him sideways.

Once this system is implemented, it is estimated that those old-fashioned aristocratic families will certainly not let it go easily.

After all, none of those who have vested interests want to give up their share of the pie.

However, those powerful clans would never have supported Yuan Tan in the first place, and even if Yuan Tan did not implement the military merit system, they still would not support him.

If that's the case, why bother acting according to the whims of those powerful families?

What puzzled them was that in the past, their lord would always consult with them before announcing important matters, so why did he announce it directly today without any prior consultation?

It wasn't that Yuan Tan didn't want to discuss it with the two men, but rather that he was truly forced into a corner by the issues of military pay and rewards.

He spent a lot of money before, which really calmed the generals down.

But the problem is, what about the money next?

Yuan Tan did indeed amass a great fortune in Qingzhou, but it couldn't withstand such a misuse.

So after subduing the more than 10,000 bandits of Mount Tai, the question arose of how to pay their wages and how to reward them.

At this rate, the money we have now will only be enough to pay military salaries for two or three months.

This doesn't even take into account the money awarded for winning the battle.

If after two or three months you still can't find a way to make money.

The way he won over the hearts of his soldiers was the way those soldiers would fight him to the death.

So, in a moment of impulsiveness, he decided to reinstate the military merit system of the Qin Dynasty.

Those who won battles and made meritorious contributions were promoted, and then the government finance department would increase their salaries and distribute land.

Fortunately, Qingzhou had been ravaged by the Yellow Turban Rebellion, leaving much unclaimed land.

Yuan Tan could have easily nationalized these lands and then distributed them to those who had rendered meritorious service in the military.

So now another question arises: how to increase government revenue?

Of course, these are all for later.

Thinking of this, Yuan Tan regained his composure and stared intently at the group of Taishan soldiers who were about to attack.

"Generals, if you wish to remain in the army, you must abide by this new law and establish yourselves through military merit! If any of you are weary of war and yearn for the pleasures of rural life, I will not force you; I will grant you gold and send you home, guaranteeing you lifelong wealth and honor!"

This is the open and strategic version of "releasing military power over a cup of wine"!

Either earn military merits through my own abilities according to my rules, or take the money and leave to enjoy your retirement!

But regardless of the circumstances, the Taishan Army will certainly not obey their orders in the future.

Zang Ba and the others exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with shock.

Yuan Tan's proposal, though seemingly harsh, actually offered two clear paths that were far more benevolent and tempting than settling scores later.

Especially for capable officers and soldiers at the lower levels, this undoubtedly opened up a ladder for advancement!

Zang Ba took a deep breath, stood up first, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said:

"I, Ba, am willing to abide by the new laws and repay Your Excellency with military merits!"

When the other generals saw Zang Ba express his opinion, they all stood up and echoed him.

Yuan Tan was not surprised by Zang Ba's statement.

He wasn't afraid that this fellow would surrender and then rebel again. After all, once the Taishan Army was formally managed and received monthly pay, these soldiers would certainly not obey Zang Ba's orders and would not go back to being bandits.

With legitimate professions available, how many people would be happy to become thieves?

……

After completely subduing Zang Ba and the soldiers of the Taishan Army, Yuan Tan began to arrange the prisoner exchange operation.

Of course, for the safety of Yan Liang and Cen Bi...

In the end, Yuan Tan couldn't do anything to Lü Lingqi; he just took advantage of her a little and let her go.

When the two prisoners returned, Cen Bi was naturally moved to tears.

Yan Liang, on the other hand, showed little reaction, seemingly unsurprised by his return.

This made Yuan Tan feel somewhat resentful.

Old man!

I even gave up Lü Lingqi for you.

You didn't even offer a simple bow and kowtow, so why didn't you show any respect at all?

How can this be allowed?

I'm not going to do a losing business. I'll leave you hanging for a few days!

Therefore, after Yan Liang returned to Qingzhou, Yuan Tan treated him to good food and drink and kept him in a side room.

It was supposedly for protection, but it was actually house arrest.

When people have free time, they tend to overthink.

Just as Yan Liang was worried about his life,

The hall door was pushed open, and sunlight poured in.

Yan Liang squinted and saw Yuan Tan walking in quickly, all by himself.

"General Yan Liang! You've been wronged!"

Yuan Tan's voice was a little hoarse, and he took the initiative to support the other person.

Yan Liang was stunned.

The eldest son doesn't have a very good reputation.

What is he trying to do by doing this?

He was very wary:

"Young Master, what...what do you mean by this?"

Yuan Tan did not answer, but took half a step back and solemnly bowed deeply to Yan Liang!

"General! Tan... is too late! It's all Tan's fault that you're in such a dangerous situation!"