Arguments were common in the Papal States' meetings, but a dispute so heated that the Pope himself had to intervene was a first. Augustus usually encouraged their debates for various reasons, but this time was different; if they continued to bicker, it would be difficult to resolve.
It didn't matter how much they schemed against each other in private, as long as they didn't cross the line, but the conference table couldn't become their arena, and he still had matters to discuss; he couldn't spend the entire afternoon watching them argue.
Lorenzo and Francesco stopped, but no one spoke.
Augustus had no choice but to reiterate the topic: "Where were we? Oh, right, bandit suppression. Why are you all just sitting there? Speak your minds."
"Your Holiness, which unit do you plan to assign this task to?" Lorenzo asked, concerned.
"Naturally, the security force. Banditry falls under the scope of public order issues," Augustus replied as if it were obvious. Indeed, the security force handles public order issues, so what's the problem?
Francesco argued, "Your Holiness, you must know the combat effectiveness of the security force. Maintaining daily public order is fine, but when it comes to actual combat, they are insufficient. Therefore, with only the security force's combat power, it will be difficult to effectively strike at the bandits. I suggest deploying regular troops for coordinated operations."
"You are truly incompetent. You want to deploy regular troops to suppress a few small bandits? Aren't you afraid of outsiders laughing if word gets out?" Lorenzo sneered.
"Is the irrelevant opinion of outsiders more important, or are the lives of the security force members and the eradication of banditry more important?" Francesco appeared very principled at this moment.
"Francesco, I have considered all the issues you mentioned. The current security force is indeed not suitable for bandit suppression. However, I still hope that the security force will handle the bandit suppression, and the regular army should not overstep its authority. It's just that the security force's strength needs to be significantly enhanced," Augustus said earnestly, trying to persuade him.
Francesco's eyes lit up: "How do we strengthen it?"
"The reasons the security force cannot be dispatched for bandit suppression at present are, first, insufficient manpower, and second, inadequate combat effectiveness. To strengthen the security force's combat effectiveness, we must start from these two aspects. My idea is to increase the security force's establishment and transfer personnel from the existing regular army to expand the security force."
"This is a very good method. However, most of the Field Army and National Defense Force are new recruits, and new recruits need a period of training before they can be better put into combat, making them unsuitable for direct deployment in bandit suppression operations. Therefore, it is best to select soldiers with a certain length of service. Thus, the Eighth Regiment, which has just been integrated into the Field Army, and the various units that have not yet been integrated, are the best choices." Karl's idea coincided with Augustus's.
"Karl is absolutely right." Augustus cast an appreciative glance at Karl. Augustus had not communicated this matter with Karl beforehand, yet Karl had guessed his intentions with just a few words, truly a confidant.
"I will follow Your Holiness's arrangements." Francesco had no objections: a mosquito's leg is still meat, and it's always good to strengthen the power in one's hands. Even if the combat effectiveness of the additional personnel is the lowest in the army, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and they are certainly much stronger than the average level of the security force. Moreover, as long as the establishment increases, it's a big deal to recruit more if they die in battle, and the security force's strength will certainly be enhanced.
Augustus then continued, "Good, I'm relieved to hear that. Then I'll make the arrangements directly. Duke will personally select the personnel from the Eighth Regiment to be integrated into the security force. For the units not yet integrated, Lorenzo will select the personnel to be integrated into the security force. As for the Military Minister, everything requires clear division of labor." He then gave Lorenzo a meaningful look.
Would Duke be willing to hand over his good soldiers? Of course not. So, when it came to selection, would he choose the good ones or the bad ones? The answer was obvious.
Lorenzo, needless to say, even though these troops would eventually be integrated into the Field Army and had nothing to do with him, he and Francesco were now at loggerheads. He wished he could pick a group of people with no other skills but causing trouble and send them to Francesco's security force. Picking out the bad ones for the security force would facilitate the Field Army's future integration and also do Duke a favor.
Francesco also saw the Pope's true intention. It was euphemistically called expanding the security force, but in reality, it was about selecting the less capable individuals from the existing army and allowing them to leave the army with dignity. This avoided conflict, solved the problem of veteran resettlement, and indeed provided some help in strengthening the security force.
Francesco stated bluntly, "If Lorenzo selects people for the security force, I'm afraid he will choose the inferior ones, which won't help much in improving the security force's combat effectiveness."
Francesco looked worried, but Augustus appeared relaxed. He wasn't worried about the security force's weak combat effectiveness; he never expected them to fight. As for bandit suppression, that was just a pretense. Whether it succeeded or failed, it wouldn't shake the nation's foundation.
It didn't matter if the security force was ineffective and regular troops had to be dispatched later; it could be considered training. Sending the security force to suppress bandits was also a test of Francesco's ability; if he failed, it would be another bargaining chip to strike at him.
On the contrary, if the security force's combat effectiveness was too strong, it would be more prone to problems; that would no longer be about maintaining order, but causing chaos.
There is a saying in the Book of Lord Shang: "A state that governs evil people with good people will surely fall into disorder and be weakened; a state that governs good people with evil people will surely be well-governed and become strong."
Using these arrogant and incompetent people to be responsible for public order was simply most suitable, making the best use of people and resources.
"Do you suspect that I will use public office for private revenge? Let me tell you, there's no need. I am not you; I will act impartially," Lorenzo vowed confidently.
Francesco thought: "Suspect? I don't suspect at all; I'm absolutely certain. I know what kind of person you are; how dare you put on an act for me." But this time, he said nothing, as arguing with Lorenzo again would truly be undignified.
"I suggest implementing a reward system, for example, how much bonus is issued for eliminating a bandit, to increase the enthusiasm of security force members in suppressing bandits," Duke proposed, clearly taking the matter of bandit suppression seriously.
"We cannot reward by headcount; what if someone kills innocent people to claim credit?" Augustus immediately rejected his suggestion. In this era, it was truly difficult to investigate if someone killed innocent people to claim credit. If bandit suppression was done this way, after some time, not a single bandit might be gone, but all the surrounding villages would be empty of living people.
Duke thought for a moment and said, "You're right, I didn't consider it thoroughly. But a reward system can still be implemented, just in a different way. For example, by tallying the monthly losses caused by banditry in each region, and rewarding the security force members responsible for bandit suppression in the regions where the losses have decreased the most."
"That's a good idea, it can be implemented. Bandit suppression is just a means; protecting the borders and bringing peace to the people is the goal. This approach is very correct," Augustus praised, then turned to Francesco, "The specific reward system will be formulated by Francesco. Once it's formulated, it will be implemented accordingly. For example, losses are diverse; the proportion of property and population, and all aspects of the problem, must be considered."
"Understood," Francesco responded.