Chapter 6, Promotion and Awarding of Honors

After the battle, as they made their way back, the records of military achievements regarding the Central Plains conflict had already been reported to Chang'an, and during this period, they had been verified. Now, the higher authorities have confirmed the military merits and have begun to distribute military rewards and financial subsidies for the expedition to the victorious soldiers.

Military honors and rewards can be granted for both individual and collective achievements in military service

The group led by the old man set out with 160 members, and upon their return, there were still over 150 remaining. Fewer than 10 had died, and more than 10 were injured, though none of the injuries were serious. This can be considered a very good outcome.

Last time, my father was called to serve in the military for more than ten months, nearly a year. According to the regulations of the Tang Dynasty, if a military campaign lasts more than ten months, then upon returning, one is exempt from service for ten months.

The twelve ranks of nobility, with the rank of Cavalry Officer being the first rank, which is also the lowest level

Oh, you old buddy, you have even equipped it. Let me tell you, it is not a title of honor, but an official title. It is the position of a cavalry officer among the twelve ranks of nobility.

The merits of each individual have already been reviewed by designated officials of the court, therefore the Charioteer Office is now merely distributing the corresponding rewards based on the merits above

After fighting for ten months, only to receive two or three pounds of copper coins? Zhang Chao could not understand.

Zhang Chao stood on the training ground of the Cavalry Command, carrying his father's iron spear, and noticed that it bore no resemblance to a military camp; instead, it looked more like a rural market day.

However, in today's context, honorary positions and honorary officials have been excessively conferred, becoming mere titles without substance, which is vastly different from actual officials with merit.

The system of military conscription in the Tang Dynasty actually originated from the Northern Zhou, and was carried through the Sui to the Tang, based on the equal-field system

The cavalry general is a man in his fifties, robust in build, with graying hair. His several subordinate captains still exhibit the demeanor of leaders, but the lower-ranking officers and troops resemble ordinary farmers to a large extent

Oh, is that so, along with the books

A rotating cavalry officer is granted a permanent land allocation of 60 mu as a reward, which does not need to be returned like the land allocated by mouth. Moreover, as the rank of the meritorious official increases, their descendants can still benefit from preferential treatment in entering officialdom.

Once selected, one is assigned a military title and is required to serve for life, from the age of 21 to 61

In the early days of the nation, there were actually two sets of honorary titles under the name of the nobility. One set consisted of various honorary titles associated with officials, while the other set was comprised of actual military positions such as governor and general. The former set of honorary titles was primarily awarded to prominent local figures, while the latter was mainly conferred upon military personnel who had made contributions in battle.

It turns out that the Bai Lu Che Qi Fu operates on a rotation system starting from May 1, with 160 individuals in each group, and each group takes turns serving for one month. In October, they must serve twice. Now, having been away on a campaign for nearly a year, the upcoming two rotations, totaling two months of guard duty, are considered exempted.

Indeed, we must extend our heartfelt congratulations to you. The two individuals enthusiastically surrounded Zhang Chao, examining him from both sides.

Everyone was discussing the past of the fallen soldiers, recounting the circumstances on the battlefield, and there were also mentions of the unfortunate orphans and widows they left behind

The provincial soldiers do not receive regular salaries; however, they are provided with allowances for training, garrison duty, foreign service, and military campaigns. Particularly, when summoned for military operations, they receive allowances, and those who achieve merit are rewarded. If the outcome of the military engagement is favorable, additional rewards are also granted.

This is really stingy, what can one cent accomplish

This amount surprised Zhang Chao greatly. After ten months of deployment and fighting, he was only given a subsidy of over 300 wen? Over 300 wen is not the same as over 300 guan. Averaging it out, that's only about 30 to 40 wen a month, which amounts to just one wen a day as a subsidy

Today, the military camp is bustling with activity, and there are even some clever villagers who have set up stalls at the camp entrance, or have set up stoves to start making pancakes and cooking noodles, hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to conduct some business.

Zhang Chao believes that his father is a person who has weathered many storms and was once a school officer. An infantry school officer holds the rank of Zheng Liu, which is a position of official duty. Although Zhang Chao has not heard his father mention any honorary titles he received during the Sui Dynasty, all officials of duty hold the rank of Zheng Liu. A school officer with extensive battle experience would certainly have a high honorary title, as it is normal for military officers to have higher honorary titles than civil officials.

On the training ground, in addition to more than 300 garrison soldiers, there were also many onlookers among the common people, including family members of the garrison troops like Zhang Chao, as well as some residents from the village.

Some individuals receive more rewards due to their military achievements, while others receive less, and some receive none at all

The financial subsidies for deployment are not substantial, and without military achievements, the rewards are minimal, especially in terms of money

That is truly a double joy, my friend. We have more good news to share with you; I heard from the general that you are to be honored with a commendation.

However, at this time, the honorific titles and the honorary officials are still two parallel systems that do not contradict each other. The characteristic of the honorific title is idleness, while the characteristic of the honorary official is dispersion. The honorific title lacks rank and status, whereas the honorary official possesses rank and even the possibility of promotion.

The Cavalry Department has eight hundred personnel, with one hundred sixty stationed at the capital for guard duty, one hundred sixty training and on duty at the military office, and the remaining three groups. Two groups are farming at home, while the last group of one hundred sixty consists of the veterans who have returned from the expedition, and today they have all gathered at the military office to receive rewards and subsidies

When it was mentioned that a certain regiment's soldier had died in battle, everyone sighed together, and someone remarked, "He is actually the third brother of my uncle's eldest son's wife, what a pity, he was still so young

What is going on, today you found a young man to help you carry the gun, whose young man is this, he looks quite handsome

There are also the various officers from the Chariots and Cavalry Bureau, including those from the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Warehousing, as well as officers of different ranks such as the Commanders, Brigade Leaders, and the Chief of the Library.

In the Tang Dynasty, the positions of scattered officials and scattered military officials gradually formed two separate systems of civil and military scattered officials, which did not ultimately integrate into the merit official system. The civil and military scattered officials later became an important standard for determining the ranks of officials in the Tang Dynasty. Appointments were first made to scattered positions, which determined the rank, while official positions were used to define their duties.

Zhang Chao, carrying his father's fifteen-pound iron spear, finally arrived at the gate of the Bailu Charioteer Mansion. The duty soldiers squatting by the wall in the sun quickly came forward to greet him

The title of Grand Commander sounds impressive, but it is merely a title. When the honor is conferred, there will be a sum of reward money and provisions, and after that, it serves no further purpose

At the very least, the conferring officer has land to bestow, while the title of honor does not come with land

Since Li Yuan raised his army in Taiyuan, in order to win the hearts of the people, he conferred a large number of titles and honors, which had reached a somewhat excessive level by this time. Therefore, the court is now making adjustments to this situation, intending to abolish the excessive titles and integrate them into the system of nobility.

The shift on duty today is also not training; everyone is gathered on the playground around the returning comrades, or rather, the fellow villagers. The eight hundred soldiers of the White Deer Cavalry Mansion are either neighbors or relatives.

Therefore, the old man did not take the news of the upcoming award ceremony seriously

Even at the lowest level, a cavalry officer is regarded as holding a position equivalent to the seventh rank

In order to reward the soldiers, Emperor Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty combined the honorary titles of Yang Guang's scattered positions with the honorary titles of Yang Jian's scattered official titles to bestow upon them for their merits. These titles are referred to as the early national merit titles.

This year, the expedition to the Central Plains is a siege against Luoyang, and the battle at Hulao against Dou Jiande was not prolonged; the conflict was not particularly intense. Therefore, the troops from the Bailu Cavalry Command who participated in the expedition have mostly returned.

When the provincial troops are dispatched, it is not the case that the entire military force is summoned to battle at once; rather, similar to the deployment of garrisons and the defense of borders, it is also done in batches.

Father seems to be a bit too calm

I just received it, is it not acceptable

In the third year of the Tang Dynasty, the selection of the provincial soldiers occurred once every three years, essentially recruiting two able-bodied men from each household. This was calculated based on five households per unit, with each household contributing two men. More specifically, those with equal wealth would select the strong, while those with equal strength would select the wealthy, and if wealth was also equal, priority would be given to those with more able-bodied men.

At present, it is the early days of the Tang Dynasty's establishment. Although victory in the battle for the Central Plains has just been achieved, the world remains unsettled. Therefore, the Li Tang is still quite generous towards the soldiers of the Tang imperial army. Those soldiers who go to the battlefield have a great chance of receiving honors if they achieve military merit.

Certainly, the most valuable is still the system of merit officials led by the Grand Minister.

The two groups of guards gathered together, resembling the gatherings of old farmers during a rural feast.

Five households constitute a protection unit, one hundred households form a neighborhood, and five neighborhoods make up a township

Old Dad stands out among the many beneficiaries, and he indeed received a promotion to the rank of Seventh-Rank Cavalry Officer. Due to the death of a deputy commander during this expedition, Old Dad was ultimately appointed to fill this deputy position.

Having weathered many storms and accustomed to great waves, the old man seems to have become somewhat unperturbed by the honors and tribulations.

Do you think we are easily deceived? When did Iron Gun suddenly have such a big son?

The soldiers of the Bailu Charioteer Mansion are primarily from Bailu Township and several surrounding townships, thus everyone is familiar with each other from the nearby areas.

The old man opened his mouth and happily said to the two fellows, "This is my son, Zhang Chao"

In the eyes of those unknowledgeable soldiers from the Guanzhong region, a seventh-rank cavalry officer was quite impressive, as one could be allocated sixty acres of land. However, the old man remained very calm

The cavalry general did not obstruct or drive away the common people who entered the military camp, allowing everyone to either stand or squat and watch the spectacle.

As the sun rises in the east, golden sunlight spills onto the untouched snow, dispelling the cold accumulated from the long night and bringing a hint of warmth

Although my father is currently only a sergeant in the local army, he is also adorned with the title of a distinguished figure from the early days of the nation, holding the rank of the eighth level Grand Commander among the ten ranks of distinguished officials from that period.

In the morning, many soldiers from the White Deer Cavalry Mansion arrived one after another. Most of them were those who had been summoned for the last expedition and had now returned home to receive their rewards

As it approached noon, everyone had more or less finished their conversations, and at that moment, the cavalry general emerged

Brother Tieqiang, you arrived quite early today

Bustling and clamorous

Only after the distribution of financial subsidies will the military honors and rewards be granted

Military achievements are rewarded not only with honors and titles, but also with monetary rewards, provisions, as well as textiles and silks. Additionally, there are rewards in the form of gold and silver. Of course, there are also promotions to higher ranks and positions.

However, when he saw those men from Guanzhong, each of them was exceptionally happy when their names were called to receive money, smiling so broadly that their teeth were fully visible. Three to four hundred wen seemed to them a substantial amount of money.

After distributing the copper coin subsidies, they began to distribute grain. The grain being distributed is millet, which is relatively abundant, with each person receiving about one shi. A shi is equivalent to ten dou, and one dou is ten sheng, serving as a unit of volume. The weight of rice, wheat, and millet varies under the same volume, but Zhang Chao estimated that one shi of millet weighs around one hundred and twenty jin. Fortunately, it is hulled; otherwise, Zhang Chao would truly find it hard to believe that the Tang Dynasty is so stingy. The weight of rice, wheat, and millet varies under the same volume, but Zhang Chao estimated that one shi of millet weighs around one hundred and twenty jin. Fortunately, it is hulled; otherwise, Zhang Chao would truly find it hard to believe that the Tang Dynasty is so stingy

However, after all is said and done, no one has complained much about the war or the court. Serving in the military and fighting in battles is seen by everyone as a matter of course, just as normal as farming and paying taxes to the emperor.

Nobles hold ranks but do not have official duties, which means they enjoy certain privileges without being involved in governance. One of the primary privileges they enjoy is the granting of land to the nobles.

Three form a group, five form a party, casually find a patch of land to squat together and chat

The newly minted Kaiyuan Tongbao of the Tang Dynasty, bright and resplendent in yellow, was received by many of the military personnel in quantities of only three to four hundred coins