Recently I read a scholar's paper: "A Brief Analysis of the Evolution of Medieval France from the Fief Military Service System to the Mercenary Military Service System."

This article provides a detailed analysis of the historical origins of the French mercenary military service system (the prototype of the standing army) in 13-14. The historical background of "The Rise of the Middle Ages" is based on the history of southeastern France in the late 13th and early 14th centuries (I can only say reference here, I am knowledgeable)

(limited, dare not directly use completely real history as the background), this article also comprehensively outlines the political system in the novel, which is generally consistent with the world I want to build. For example, the protagonist in the novel is essentially

A mercenary leader with a small territory, such as the centralization of royal power, etc.

The first half of the article proposed the concept of "monetary fief". Today I want to discuss this concept with you, because according to my writing outline, the protagonist wants to establish a centralized standing army (different from the levy under the fief system).

, there are detailed explanations in the article, you can read it) and centralized social entities (the powerful organizational power of centralized societies must be well understood by book friends who live in the Chinese dynasty).

The protagonist's current army (although it is small in number, it is still an army) has several essential characteristics: first, it is based on salary, and soldiers are recruited (employed); second, it is more strictly organized and disciplined than ordinary mercenaries.

More stringent; third, off-the-job soldiers (professional soldiers) are not bound by the land and can accept all-weather military training and combat.

Some book friends have reminded me before that when the protagonist develops to a later stage, his officers and soldiers must have a promotion channel with military positions and status. That is, as the protagonist's title increases and the territory expands, lower-level vassals must be ennobled and the land divided. This is more traditional.

The route - the protagonist becomes a count, and several of his generals should become viscounts and barons, and accordingly they should also obtain real fiefs.

However, this traditional model has an unavoidable drawback. Once the people under his command have actual fiefdoms, they will become feudal separatist forces, and the protagonist's ambition to establish a centralized society will be difficult to realize.

So I imagine that in the force established by the protagonist, officials in both military and civilian systems will have promotion channels. The military system starts from recruits - soldiers - sergeants - sergeants - trainee knights - leading knights - leading barons - leaders

Viscount Bing...promoted level by level. The civil affairs system starts from clerk - deputy steward - steward - various officials (such as tax collectors, garrison officials, etc., enjoying the title of knight) - governor (county chief, enjoying the title of baron) - governor (

Senior official, enjoying the title of Viscount)...promoted step by step.

As the status of these people rises, the salary and benefits they receive from the protagonist's power will also increase accordingly, that is, they will obtain monetary fiefs.

In this system, the officials and generals under the protagonist will continue to improve their status and treatment as the protagonist's power expands, but they will not receive substantial land enfeoffment.

Of course, the granting of land is not prohibited under this system, but land enfeoffment cannot threaten the centralized rule of the protagonist. For example, if a certain senior commander retires due to injury and is unable to serve as a civil affairs official, the protagonist will grant him a certain amount of land, etc.
Chapter completed!