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Chapter 877 - 877 85 National Food Rationing System vs

877: Chapter 85: National Food Rationing System vs.

Military Reform (7200 Votes for Monthly Ticket)_4 877: Chapter 85: National Food Rationing System vs.

Military Reform (7200 Votes for Monthly Ticket)_4 Under the high-intensity training, two pounds of staple food was simply not enough.

After all, the food soldiers ate did not have such high energy.

Indulging in a treatment better than the King, when spread, seemed to show a lack of discipline.

“Ha ha…”

“This standard is indeed a bit difficult for you.

Well then, let’s add another pound of bread each day.

The situation in the military is special and cannot follow the usual standards.

Pass the order along; the staple food ration for the military personnel must not be less than mine!”

Upon hearing the words of Caesar IV, Hudson regretfully thought he should not have informed the Chancellor in advance.

The scene before him was clearly prearranged to create an opportunity for Caesar IV to enhance his reputation.

The ordinary soldiers did not have much discernment, and the Royal Family just needed to publicize it and Caesar IV’s negative image in the military would be completely whitewashed.

It was clear that as the Commander in Chief, he had put too much pressure on Caesar IV.

In order to solidify the reign, it forced him to lower his stance and actively reduce his prestige, sculpting an image of a Monarch who “loves soldiers as children.”

Now by doing this, it put Hudson in a very passive position.

If he acted out of line, it would be easy to fall into bearing the name of a “traitorous official.”

The benefits were also very obvious.

With this move, Caesar IV cornered the Major Nobles as well.

No matter what they thought, they had to follow suit.

Before the war ended, no one should expect good days.

At least in front of outsiders, they had to suffer a bit.

With these people taking the lead, the food standards for military leaders could be reduced, and the treatment for ordinary soldiers could be raised.

Hudson had made up his mind to reform the military food ration disparity as soon as he returned to the army.

If anyone had objections, let them argue with the King, since Caesar IV wanted to gain this reputation, he had to bear the scolding from those with vested interests.

Seeing that no one was willing to speak up, Hudson stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty sets an example, and naturally we should emulate.

However, with the portions, I see no need to differentiate so many levels.

After all, one needs a full stomach to have the energy to work.

During normal times, the Major Nobles should follow 90% of Your Majesty’s food portion standard; the Intermediate Aristocracy should follow 85%; the lower nobility should follow 80%.

The commoners should follow 70% of the portion standard; Serfs, a uniform 65%; slaves follow 60%.

The staple food grade, supplementary food details, and the standard proportion of meat should still be determined by the Government Affairs Department according to everyone’s status and profession.

Once anyone is conscripted into the military, these standards are void and replaced by military standards.

Taking into account the actual situation, the food standards for military personnel also need to be adjusted appropriately.

His Majesty has just issued an order setting the minimum standard for military personnel, so now we also need to set a maximum.

What does everyone think would be an appropriate limit to set?”

No one had objections to the food standard since the King’s standard was in place; no one could exceed it.

It’s merely that fewer dishes on the table when dining out wouldn’t cause anyone to starve.

The food standards for Serfs and commoners were not even considered; the food ration system was targeted at Nobles and merchants.

The everyday living standards of the lower-class population did not meet the food standards, so limits couldn’t be discussed.

It was not a fixed ration distribution; the so-called standard was just an upper limit on food consumption.

The key issue was the adjustment of the food standards for military personnel, which drew everyone’s attention.

From Hudson’s proposal, it was clear that he had been planning this for a long time.

He hesitated to act, clearly worried about provoking backlash.

Just now, Caesar IV’s performance effectively set everyone up together, laying the foundation for the emergence of the reform plan.

People looked at each other, finding themselves at a loss for a moment.

The minimum limit proposed by Caesar IV just now was agreed upon by everyone.

After all, it was wartime, and the King could not starve his soldiers.

Three pounds of staple food might seem like a lot, but here it referred to cooked food, not three pounds of flour.

For a group of Big Stomach Kings with little fat and oil in their bellies, who ate coarse grains every day, eating a bit more was the only way to sustain intense training and combat.

Hudson was merely inquiring about everyone’s upper limit; he hadn’t set a specific standard, making it difficult to criticize.

Surely one couldn’t say there shouldn’t be an upper limit?

Everyone was cutting costs; it would be unreasonable for a group of people to continue indulging in lavish meals.

Although these people were intimately connected with everyone else, it wasn’t enough to make people fight desperately for them.

Essentially, this was also for the benefit of the Kingdom, and it did not touch on the core interests of the major nobles.

“Your Marshal, the military situation is special, any upper limit seems reasonable.

It’s best to handle it flexibly based on specific circumstances.

I think setting a reference standard and implementing it according to the situation would be ideal.

The key still lies in the food standards, because of the war, it’s best to cancel the use of some hard-to-find ingredients.”

Duke Efiel promptly added.

Clearly, setting a total limit was just a feint; the real target was the food standards.

Not all officers were Big Stomach Kings, the real major expense was never about the amount, but the extravagant food standards.

In peacetime, it was not an issue, as nobles outside the military lived just as lavishly.

The number of aristocratic military officers was limited, so the overall expenses were also limited.

War was different, accompanied by extensive army expansion, the number of officers surged dramatically, and the required expenses also grew significantly.

Looking at the previous war, nearly fifty percent of the Kingdom’s military expenditure was spent on officers.

The saved fifty percent not only maintained a vast number of soldiers but also covered the entire military’s weapons and equipment expenses.

The proposal for food standards was just a point of entry; the real motive was military spending reform.

Regardless of Hudson’s personal wishes, under existing resources, the Alpha Kingdom had to reform to conduct this war.

Laying out the issue at this moment was essentially revealing their cards to all major powers, only the approach was a bit more subtle, not directly touching on everyone’s sensitive nerves.

Once the entry point was opened, Hudson could then take the opportunity to extend his reach to logistics and carry out reforms and restructuring of the current logistics system.

It was inevitable to execute a few unlucky fools to assert his dominance.

If it accidentally implicated a major noble’s interests present here, that was also highly probable.

Once the reform started, bloodshed was inevitable; it was mainly a matter of who would be the unfortunate one.

Hudson was not merely a reformist; he did not have the gambling spirit to push everything, including his own fortune and life, for the sake of reform.

Revealing his cards early was to gain everyone’s support, to limit bloodshed to the lower-ranking pawns, and not to stir up conflict at the upper levels of the Kingdom.

Without a profound change in the political structure, merely compelled by circumstances, such reform was definitely not thorough.

Even once Hudson left office, the established interest groups could immediately strike back, but this also was the most likely successful reform!

“The Grand Duke is right; the military situation is special and indeed needs some flexibility.

Your Majesty, how about setting the upper limit between two to three times?”

Hudson suggested cheerfully.

A blatant insinuation.