The King

  Chapter 405 National food rationing system VS military expenditure reform (7200 ask for a monthly ticket)

   Originally, Caesar IV called everyone to Beijing this time, mainly to discuss the topic of "Scepter of Glory". However, the situation on the battlefield continued to deteriorate, and a series of bad news came, making everyone breathless.

  After the fall of the Principality of Omega, the Principality of Shillong followed suit, with only three days between the two.

   Who will be the next unlucky guy depends entirely on the mood of the orcs. The Alliance of the Seven Kingdoms of the Grassland has been a joke from beginning to end. From the outbreak of the war to the present, it has not achieved a brilliant record.

  Warhammer Kingdom in the west is now also being beaten dizzily by the coalition forces of the ancient survivors, and the front line is repeatedly retreating.

  If the Principality of Moxi and the Principality of Orton hadn't sent troops in time to help them stabilize their position for their own safety, the situation might have collapsed.

  Of course, the Alpha Kingdom also contributed, and the promised 10,000 reinforcements arrived on the battlefield.

  However, on the battlefield where millions of troops have assembled on both sides, the mere reinforcement of 10,000 ordinary troops, apart from bringing spiritual support, cannot influence the trend of the battle.

  The bad news is far more than these. The trend of the war in the central part of the mainland is not as optimistic as everyone expected.

  The human race does have an advantage, but this war has reached a critical moment for the alien alliance, and all races are desperately fighting.

   However, the countries of the human race have scruples, and they all want to win at the least cost, and they are unwilling to compromise their own strength too much.

  Especially those wars jointly initiated by several countries, they all want to make others contribute more, and their performance on the battlefield is particularly eye-catching.

  War fights morale, money and food, and more importantly, the determination to move forward.

  One side fights for the survival of the race, while the other fights for interests. Different starting points determine how much the two sides invest in the war.

  It is clear that the human race has an absolute advantage in strength, but they can only keep entangled with the enemy.

  The war has reached a stalemate, which has little impact on the countries in Central and South China. Anyway, they can grind the enemy to death with their strength.

  According to the current style of play, not only can the strength be preserved as much as possible, but also an elite army can be trained by war.

   The future is the age of the extraordinary army, but not yet. You have seen the serf soldiers in the Alpha Kingdom before, and when the number reaches a certain level, they can also play a big role.

  In order to reduce the loss of the main army, countries in the mainland have recruited serf soldiers to join the war.

   There is no shame in learning from each other. Compared with the main army, these cannon fodder troops are indeed inferior in combat effectiveness, but they are cheaper!

  Just in this way, it will hurt the countries of the Northern Continent. Everyone is busy with their own wars, and the countries of the Northern Continent can only fight alone.

   Worse than bad news is bad news after bad news.

   Just when everyone was about to discuss the issue of artifacts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suddenly sent bad news. The negotiations with the elves failed, and the other party refused to sign a non-aggression treaty with the kingdom.

  The pressure was all transmitted together, and the atmosphere in the palace was terribly depressed, like the last calm before the storm.

   "The situation is taking a turn for the worse, and the worst situation is about to happen. If you have any ideas, please tell me!"

   Caesar IV pretended to be calm and said. It was just the trembling of his body, which still exposed his inner anxiety.

  Glancing at the ministers, he became more and more anxious when he saw the same anxious royals and nobles.

  A king is a king because a kingdom exists. If the Alpha Kingdom is gone, he, the high king, is nothing.

  Looking at Hudson again, Caesar IV's mentality has changed drastically. It used to be that Hudson was so unhappy, but now he is so pleasing to the eye.

  It's a pity that Caesar IV hid the message in his eyes, and Hudson didn't understand it. He was busy deducing the future development of the situation in his mind at the moment, and didn't care about the king's thoughts at all.

   "Your Majesty, the international situation is taking a turn for the worse and cannot be controlled by manpower. The most important thing for us now is to stabilize people's hearts and not mess up.

  The Kingdom does not have the ability to take care of multiple battlefields at the same time, nor does the North Continent have the ability to face the three major alien races at the same time, but it does not mean that we have no power to fight.

  The elves didn't send troops, so just ignore them. The most important thing right now is to persuade the countries of the Northern Continent to send troops to reinforce the Warhammer Kingdom, and help them block the coalition forces of the ancient survivors first.

  Our next strategy is to deal with the Orc Empire first. If the elves participate in the war, let the countries shrink strategically and let go of a road to the south.

   At the same time, they also need to strengthen their ties with the Seven Kingdoms of the Grassland. They cannot stop the orcs' soldiers, but the army in their hands is also a considerable force.

  If possible, it is best to persuade the governments of the seven countries to withdraw the remaining military forces into the kingdom after the land falls. "

  The prime minister, the Grand Duke of Newfoundland, calmly analyzed.

  The collapse of the situation cannot be stopped, but it is still possible to use the collapsed situation to increase the strength of the kingdom as much as possible.

   No one knows what the specific effect will be. But in this situation, it would be nice to be able to come up with a solution. How can we expect a perfect solution to the problem?

   "Prime Minister, each country in the Northern Continent has its own ideas, and they may not accept our proposal.

  Compared to sending troops to reinforce the Warhammer Kingdom, they are more willing to close the country and defend themselves.

  The mutual trust between countries was lost as early as the last orc invasion. Our suggestion at this time is likely to be considered by them as the kingdom's revenge for their previous inaction.

   Regarding the formation of coalition forces, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicated with them many times. Except for a few border countries who agreed, the rest of the countries required the kingdom to send no less than 500,000 troops.

  You know that the kingdom cannot divide its troops now. If 500,000 troops are dispatched to the west, then the next battlefield in northern Xinjiang can only be passively beaten.

   What's worse is that even if we form a coalition, we can't block the elves on the western front at the same time.

   The two fronts are passively attacked, even if the human race wins this war, the kingdom will fall.

   On the other side of the seven grassland countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can only do its best to do its work.

  There are supporters behind these countries. If they want them to act according to our plan, they must convince the major forces in the mainland. "

  The words of Earl Francis were like pouring a basin of cold water on everyone, shattering all their illusions.

  A strategy that is in line with the interests of the Alpha Kingdom does not mean that it is also in line with the interests of the countries of the Northern Continent.

  Everyone has selfishness, it is impossible for everyone to abandon their own interests for the benefit of the Alpha Kingdom.

  The countries requesting the Alpha Kingdom to divide their troops is essentially for self-protection.

  Everyone knows that after the division of troops, the two fronts cannot be maintained, but everyone doesn't care.

  As long as the coalition forces can hold back the pace of the elves' attack until the end of the continental war, they will have the possibility to keep their foundation.

   It really doesn’t work. It is also a good choice to find an opportunity to negotiate with the elves after a few victories and strive for a decent ending.

  As for the life and death of the Alpha Kingdom, I can't even care about it. Who has the time to care about allies?

  The Seven Kingdoms of the Prairie is even simpler.

  The foundation has been ruined. If you don’t bring your remaining strength to prepare for the restoration of the country, you come to help the Alpha Kingdom desperately. What are you planning?

  Of course, there is only one large port on the prairie, and the evacuation capabilities of various countries are limited.

   It is not completely unnegotiable to allow the armed forces that cannot evacuate in time to temporarily retreat into the Alpha Kingdom to continue resisting the orc invasion.

   "The Seven Kingdoms of the Grassland are easy to solve. With the deterioration of the battlefield situation, they have only two choices.

   Either evacuate from the sea, or retreat all the way into the kingdom.

  Recently, there have been constant storms at sea, and there are still ghost ships on the way. The risk of ships going south is very high.

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified the relationship with them, and I think they can understand it. "

   Earl Albert said indifferently.

  The Seven Prairie Kingdoms evacuated from the sea, and they also needed to pass through the sphere of influence of the Alpha Kingdom. Once the kingdom blocks the sea route, the sea line of communication is cut off.

   It's just that this approach pulls the lower limit too low. No matter how you find an excuse to cover it up, it will seriously damage the kingdom's international image.

  If it weren't for the fact that the fief was at the northernmost point, the first victim would be the first victim when the flames of war ignited, and he would not have made such a bad idea.

   "Earl Albert's proposal is very pertinent. Recently, there have been constant storms at sea. As allies, we have the obligation to remind the Seven Prairie Nations to sail carefully."

  The Earl of Oran on the side followed suit.

   Immediately afterwards, all the great nobles in northern Xinjiang responded. International image is a matter of the future, but the orc threat is just around the corner.

   I don't want to find a way to gather a batch of cannon fodder. In the next big war, they, the northern border lords who are "responsible for defending the land", will definitely suffer a big loss.

   Originally, some people wanted to object, but considering that during the war, someone must be the cannon fodder.

  It is better to let the troops of the seven grassland countries be cannon fodder than to let their own people go.

   If you pass the first one, you will not miss the second one. Anyway, the integrity has fallen, and everyone doesn't mind pulling down the bottom line a little bit.

  The armed forces of the Seven Kingdoms of the Grassland will be withdrawn, and the people will naturally not be able to stay where they are and be killed by the orcs, so they will simply take over them.

   It just so happened that the Alpha Kingdom needed to replenish its population, and there were large tracts of land waiting to be reclaimed in the territories of the new nobles.

  Of course, this kind of thing, you don’t need to say it out. The external rhetoric is only one "accepting refugees".

   As for whether these refugees should be returned after the war, and how much should be returned, it all depends on everyone's integrity.

  Seeing that everyone's bottom line is falling all the way, Hudson is very speechless.

   Originally wanted to obtain enough population during the retreat from the seven grassland countries. It's just that judging from the current situation, there are too many people who are eyeing this piece of fat.

   If you don't formulate a rule and let everyone play freely, he, the lord of the southern border, can't compete with the local snake in the north.

   "Your Majesty, there is no problem in gathering the power of the Seven Kingdoms of the Prairie, but we must be cautious in the implementation process, preferably in the name of helping them restore the country.

  According to past practice, after the Continental War ends, the countries that sacrificed for the war will be re-established even if they have been destroyed.

  As the most powerful country in the northern continent, the kingdom has a great say in the restoration of the northern continent.

   This is the biggest bargaining chip in our hands and we must use it.

  Not only the Seven Grassland Countries, other countries in the Northern Continent can also be included in the scope of public relations, trying to persuade as many countries as possible to form a government-in-exile in the kingdom after the situation collapses.

  In order to better help everyone restore their country, we must not only accept the military power of various countries, but also accept refugees from various countries.

  The military forces withdrawn from various countries will be handled by the headquarters. The other people who will be relocated need the government to take care of them.

   It is best to formulate corresponding plans now, especially because of the large influx of refugees into the kingdom due to the war, it is necessary to divert them in time to avoid affecting social security. "

   Hudson suggested without changing his face.

  All proposals are for the benefit of the human race and for the countries of the Northern Continent. As for the deviation in everyone's understanding, it is not his problem.

  Whether to help the exiled governments restore their country in the future is a matter of the future. These complex issues need to be considered in order to win the war.

  If the kingdom loses the war, everyone present will either see the Lord of Dawn, or they themselves will be the government-in-exile.

   "Your Excellency Marshal, to accept personnel from various countries will be a severe test for our finances.

  For this war, we have cut expenses as much as possible, but the kingdom's finances are still not optimistic.

  Especially for the large number of refugees, the kingdom is simply unable to provide relief. If you want to receive it, you can only distribute the tasks to the provinces and entrust everyone to help take care of them. "

  Marquis Delgado bit the bullet and suggested.

   There is no way, everyone is a shameless person, and they cannot directly come up to divide up the refugees, there must be a fig leaf.

   This fig leaf happens to only be provided by the Treasury Department. The government has no money in its pocket, so it has no problem entrusting nobles from all over the country to take care of the refugees.

   Hypocrisy is a bit hypocritical, but that's what everyone eats.

  The only thing that made Hudson unhappy was that Marquis Delgado said this to him, not Caesar IV.

  Once the proposal is approved, it means that the person who makes the decision is the marshal of the kingdom, not King Caesar IV.

  If there is a problem in the operation process in the future, the responsibility will also have to be borne by him, and it has nothing to do with Caesar IV.

   "His Excellency's proposal is very realistic, that is, the provinces will share the pressure of the refugees according to the actual situation.

  However, you must do what you can. While accepting refugees, you must also fulfill the obligations entrusted by the kingdom.

  Considering the food pressure brought about by the increase in population, we must come up with stronger policies from now on.

  Open source work has been arranged. In addition to hurrying up to implement production, ocean fishing is currently the most potential mining.

  The lords of the coastal areas have to work hard, the burden of the kingdom's food now falls on you.

   Now we need to talk about throttling.

  Before this, the Kingdom also took some countermeasures, but that was far from enough.

  This time the crisis is more serious than before, so the measures we want to adopt must also be more radical than before.

  It is not enough to simply stop holding banquets and prohibit the use of grain to make wine. I propose that the kingdom formulate a set of temporary laws.

  The Ministry of Government Affairs will formulate a set of food rationing system according to the actual situation, and formulate corresponding ration standards according to different identities.

  Your Majesty, you still need to take the lead in implementing this matter! "

  Hudson still has a bottom line after all, and he didn't do anything to blame his boss. Of course, Caesar IV has voluntarily helped him withstand the biggest thunder.

  Compared to the aftermath caused by the "Scepter of Glory", the division of refugees can only be regarded as pediatrics.

   It’s not that he ate alone, and everyone shared the spoils together. If things get serious, the reputation will be affected at most, and it is impossible to really pursue responsibility.

   After all, the owner of the "Scepter of Glory" is the Holy See, but the owners of the refugees are a group of poor settlers.

  The former can make the kingdom deal with it carefully, but the latter can only yell a few times, and even a thick-skinned one can pretend not to hear it.

  No one cares about some political turmoil, and everyone's attention is attracted by the food rationing system proposed by Hudson.

  Similar operations have precedents in the Alpha Kingdom, but the details are different.

  In the past, organizations took the lead in saving food, but there was no law to regulate it, let alone specific food ration standards.

  Generally speaking, it is the king and the nobles who take the lead in reducing expenses, for example: changing three meals to two meals.

  Anyway, this is the case for external propaganda, how to implement it still depends entirely on self-consciousness.

   "No problem, the food rationing system starts with me!

  The daily ration standard is tentative: one pound of bread, one pound of meat, some ingredients, and some fruits and vegetables.

  You all figure it out, set a standard for yourself, and give the people of the kingdom a good start, so that the work of the Ministry of Government Affairs will not be difficult. "

   Caesar IV said pretendingly.

   Royal education from childhood is not for nothing.

  King Caesar IV knew very well that after losing the right to speak in the military, he, the king, had to find an opportunity to show his presence if he wanted to hand over power smoothly after the war.

   Take the lead in saving food. This kind of political project that is beneficial and cost-effective must not only be done, but must be done well.

  The only problem is that the king has set his standards so low, which makes it very difficult for everyone!

  In this hierarchical world, a courtier cannot go beyond the king, and the standard has to continue to drop.

  Caesar IV is in the deep palace compound, whether there are specific implementation standards, the outside world does not know.

  But those who are often active outside often have to implement the standards, otherwise they lose the meaning of taking the lead.

   Breaking the law is a small matter, the most important thing is not to implement the standards, and spreading the word will damage the reputation.

   "Your Majesty, let's increase the quota a little more!

  If you use this standard, those of us in the rear are fine, but the ration standard for officers and soldiers on the front line cannot be obtained! "

  The prime minister, the Grand Duke of Newfoundland, stepped forward to persuade him.

   Without considering the quality of food, the quota set by Caesar IV is really not much.

  Under high-intensity training, two pounds of staple food is not useful at all. After all, the food that soldiers eat does not have such a high energy content.

   He was treated like a king at every turn, and it seemed that everyone had no rules when it was passed on.

"Ha ha…"

   "This kind of standard is indeed a bit difficult for you. Forget it, let's add another pound of bread every day.

  The situation in the military is special and cannot be carried out in accordance with conventional standards.

   Pass down the order that the staple food quota of officers and soldiers in the army shall not be lower than mine! "

  After listening to what Caesar IV said, Hudson secretly regretted that he should not have communicated with the prime minister in advance.

  The scene in front of him is clearly collusion, deliberately creating a chance for Caesar IV to gain reputation.

  Ordinary soldiers don’t have much discernment. The royal family only needs to publicize it, and Caesar IV’s bad voice in the army will be completely washed away.

   It is obvious that his coach brought too much pressure on Caesar IV. In order to stabilize the kingship, he had to put down his figure, take the initiative to lower his profile, and created an image of a monarch who "loves soldiers like a son".

   Now doing this makes Hudson very passive. If you act out of line, it is easy to fall into the infamy of "rebellious officials and thieves".

  The benefits are also very obvious. Caesar IV pushed all the great nobles into a corner.

  No matter what you think in your heart, you must follow up.

   Before the war is over, everyone will not have a good life. At least in front of outsiders, you have to suffer.

  With these people taking the lead, the food standard of lieutenant generals can also be lowered, and the treatment of ordinary soldiers can be raised.

  Hudson has made up his mind, and he will go to the army to carry out reforms to narrow the gap in food and treatment between officers and soldiers.

  If you have an opinion, let everyone argue with the king. Since Caesar IV wants to gain this reputation, he has to bear the abuse of vested interests.

  Seeing that everyone was still unwilling to speak, Hudson stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty leads by example, and we will naturally follow suit.

   But in terms of share, I don't think it is necessary to divide so many levels. After all, you have the strength to work when your stomach is full.

  In ordinary times, the big nobles will be subject to 90% of the ration standard of His Majesty; the middle nobles will be subject to 85% of the ration standard; and the minor nobles will be subject to 80% of the ration standard.

  The civilians below are subject to a 30% discount on rations; serfs are subject to a 35% discount; slaves are subject to a 40% discount.

  The grade of staple food, the subdivision of supplementary food, and the proportion of meat are still determined by the Ministry of Government Affairs according to everyone's identity and occupation.

  Once everyone is recruited into the army, these standards will be invalidated and replaced by the standards in the army.

   Taking into account the actual situation, the food standards of officers and soldiers in the army must also be adjusted appropriately.

  His Majesty issued an order just now, setting the lower limit for officers and soldiers in the army, so now there is also a need to set an upper limit.

  What do you think is the appropriate position for this upper limit? "

   Everyone has no opinion on the ration standard. The king's standard comes first, and no one can surpass it.

   It’s nothing more than when there are few dishes on the table when you are doing activities outside, everyone will definitely not be hungry.

   The food ration standard for serfs and civilians is not in the scope of everyone's consideration. The food rationing system is aimed at nobles and businessmen.

  The daily life of the people at the bottom has not reached the ration standard, so restrictions are out of the question.

   It is not a quota distribution, the so-called standard is actually an upper limit of food consumption.

  The key is the adjustment of food standards for officers and soldiers in the army, which has attracted everyone's attention.

  From Hudson's proposal, everyone can see that he has premeditated for a long time. The delay in taking action is obviously out of fear of causing a backlash.

  The performance of Caesar IV just now directly put everyone together and laid the foundation for the reform plan.

   Everyone, you look at me, I look at you, and for a while, I don’t know what to do.

   Everyone agrees with the minimum lower limit proposed by Caesar IV just now.

   After all, this is a time of war, and the king cannot starve his soldiers.

  Three pounds of staple food may seem like a lot, but this refers to cooked food, not three pounds of flour.

  For a group of big stomach kings who have little oil and water in their stomachs and eat whole grains every day, it is impossible to support high-intensity training and fighting without eating a little more.

  Hudson is just asking everyone about the upper limit, and has not formulated specific standards, so he has no way to talk about it. It can't be said that there is no upper limit, can it?

  Everyone is saving money, there is no reason why there are still a bunch of people who continue to feast on fish and meat. Although these people are inextricably linked with everyone, it is not enough for everyone to fight desperately.

  Essentially, this is also for the benefit of the kingdom, and does not touch the core interests of the major nobles.

   "Your Excellency Marshal, the situation in the military is special, so the upper limit is reasonable.

   It is best to handle it flexibly according to the specific situation. In my opinion, set a reference standard and implement it according to the situation.

  The key thing to do is the food standard level. Because of the war, it is best to cancel some hard-to-find ingredients. "

   Grand Duke Afiero took advantage of the situation to make up the knife.

  Obviously, limiting the total amount is just a feint, and the real goal is still to target food standards.

   Not all military officers are big eaters. The real bulk of expenses is never in the quantity, but in the extravagant food standards.

   Nothing in peaceful times, the nobles outside live like luxury. The number of noble officers in the army is limited, and the overall expenditure is limited.

  The war period is different. With the expansion of the army, the number of officers has expanded rapidly, and the required expenses have also become huge.

  Referring to the last war, we know that nearly 50% of the kingdom's military expenditure was spent on officers.

  The remaining 50% of the military expenditure not only feeds a large number of soldiers, but also includes the expenditure on the weapons and equipment of the entire army.

  The food standard proposed now is just an entry point, and the real motivation is military reform.

   Has nothing to do with Hudson's subjective wishes. With the existing resources, the Alpha Kingdom must carry out reforms if it wants to carry out this war.

   Presenting the issue at this moment is essentially a showdown to the major forces, but the method is a bit obscure and does not directly touch everyone's sensitive nerves.

  Once the entry is opened, Hudson can take advantage of the opportunity to reach out to the logistics and reform and reorganize the current logistics system.

   It is inevitable to catch a few unlucky **** and kill Liwei.

   Accidentally involving the interests of a certain nobleman here is also a high probability event. Once reforms are launched, bloodshed is inevitable, mainly to see who will be unlucky.

   However, Hudson is not a pure reformer, and he does not have the gambler's nature to risk his own wealth and life for the sake of reform.

  The purpose of the early showdown is to gain everyone's support and limit the bloodshed to the pawns below, so as not to cause a struggle among the upper echelons of the kingdom.

  There is no deep-seated change in the political structure, but only a compromise due to the situation. Such reforms are certainly not thorough.

  Even once Hudson leaves office, vested interest groups can immediately counterattack, but this is also the easiest reform to succeed!

   "Your Majesty is right, the situation in the military is special, and we really need to be more flexible.

  Your Majesty, how do you think the upper limit is set at two to three times? "

   Hudson suggested with a smile.

   Naked hints.

  (end of this chapter)