In the aftermath bureau, all the bureau directors came today. Even if they were not present in person, they sent someone like Mr. Qingke to "represent" them. Luo Yangming understood as soon as he saw the situation: they were going to talk about money again.
It's over.
It is spring now, when the countryside is in recession, the summer grain has not yet appeared, and the autumn harvest is even further out of reach. The expenses in the city naturally fall on the heads of the merchants. This elder Xie is a man who enjoys great achievements, and he can only enter the city for one person.
In March, more than a dozen "documents" were issued in succession, regarding what "Australia's New Deal" should be implemented.
To implement the "New Deal", someone must have money. Most of the original government officials were retained, but their names were changed. Many new people were recruited and various "teams" were formed. What is the "security team"?
Nowadays, there are hundreds of people working as "gun servants" of various kinds in and outside the city - this was not a big deal in the past. There were more "white bodies" in the yamen, but in the past, only those who served in the yamen for one year
The labor wages are only a few bushels of rice and a few hundred pennies, and they all rely on each of them to "find food." Australians do not recognize gray income, but wages must be paid in full: as long as those who "eat public food" receive a monthly payment per person.
Giving workers 200 "standard kilograms" of rice is not a lot. It is basically enough to keep a family fed and clothed. Compared with the past practice of basically not paying wages, it is quite advanced. This is what Australians require of public officials.
The basic confidence of "integrity".
As a result, the monthly personnel expenses that the Wuzhou Municipal Government has to support alone are huge. There are also thousands of captives and refugees who need to eat even though they don't have to support their families.
In addition to raising people, there are also various repair projects, each of which requires money and food. At the beginning, the money and food allocated by the head of Xie were consumed at a rapid speed - for this reason, the director of the bureau also asked Xie Erren many times
Complain and demand "cutting expenditures".
Unexpectedly, Xie Erren didn't take it seriously at all, and instead went to Guanshuo's after-sales bureau to talk to Mr. Qiao.
"...Money and food are spent, but they are used in the right way. When the money and food go out, the people get them, and they spend them. Doesn't it activate the market? You businessmen say every day: 'There is no business even if the business is open.'
Once you have money, you will naturally have business, so aren’t the businessmen the ones who benefit?”
Mr. Qiao is really speechless with this set of distortions, but the word "saving" is obviously not allowed to be mentioned.
Since Chief Xie refuses to "cut costs", the only way is to "increase revenue". The aftermath bureau has been wrangling a lot recently over fundraising for various projects.
In the past few days, the aftermath bureau is discussing the reconstruction of two pontoons. These two matters are of special importance to Chief Xie, so the officials in the aftermath bureau also attach great importance to them. They discuss in the bureau every day how to raise funds.
Repair money and food.
Technically, there is no difficulty in repairing the pontoon: although the iron chain was broken, both ends are still tied to the iron pillars on both sides of the river. Following the iron chain, the labor team has already pulled the iron chain out of the river.
Come out and find the missing part. There are blacksmiths and pig iron in the city. As long as you have money, you can open a furnace and make it. Just reconnect it.
What makes the bureau committee members and the craftsmen responsible for repairing the bridge scratch their heads is that there are no boats. The Guijiang pontoon bridge requires 56 boats. The Canglong pontoon bridge is the longest pontoon bridge in Lingnan and requires 142 boats. And these boats must be three meters wide.
The above larger vessels cannot be replaced by small boats.
The ships on the two pontoon bridges were all destroyed or lost when the pontoon bridge was destroyed in the Battle of Wuzhou. Afterwards, the Fubo Army recovered a number of stranded ships from the river beach. As for the local navy ships and
The civilian ships either escaped before the war, or were set on fire before the official army collapsed. Not a single one was left. People from the Fubo Army and the aftermath bureau tried their best to search, but only found a small number of ships. Considering the size and tonnage of the ships, they were useless.
To thirty ships, there are not even enough ships to restore the Guijiang pontoon bridge.
Of course it is possible to build a ship. The local shipwrights are worried about having no work to do, but shipbuilding is not about hiring people to fill in the gaps in the city wall and working for a day without paying a few bucks. The shipbuilders cannot work in vain, nor can they do it at a low price - otherwise
He can do a month's work for a year, and water leakage is guaranteed for three months after the water is launched. The craftsmen and servants have gangs, and they are colluding with each other, which is very difficult to deal with. When the directors of the aftermath bureau calculated the expenses, they all frowned secretly: no more
If the burden is reasonable once, the matter cannot be done.
But the big players are not happy to collect it again - it has only been a month since the last collection, and even the Ming Dynasty has not collected money like this. So everyone knows that this money must be collected, but no one
Mention. People in the room just sighed.
"Get up! Get up! You lazy bunch!"
Before Yang Erdong had time to react, he kicked him hard on the leg. The pain made him tremble and he quickly stood up from the wall.
"Everyone gather!" Following this high-pitched voice, the soldiers from various squadrons who were originally scattered under the wall of the Third General Office hurriedly ran to the empty field in front of the Third General Office - this was the first batch of the Wuzhou National Army Brigade.
A collective gathering.
Yang Erdong was a little confused at first, but he still understood "assembly" and quickly ran over with everyone.
When the city of Wuzhou was captured, Yang Erdong did not rush out of the city like other soldiers who were stranded in the city. Instead, he threw away his weapons, stripped off a suit of clothes from the dead, put them on, and mingled with the refugees, preparing to find an opportunity to escape from the city.
Unexpectedly, after the Australians arrived, they immediately rounded up the refugees, resettled them in a centralized manner, and gave them daily money in exchange for rice porridge. Except for the local refugees who were free to go home, everyone else worked as "laborers" in exchange for food.
Yang Erdong is from Guizhou. He cannot learn Guangzhou Mandarin and cannot pretend to be a local citizen, so he cannot escape.
After working in the labor team for a few days, he was selected to the "militia team" because of his physical fitness and his background as a servant. He stood guard and patrolled every day. It was easier than being in the labor team. As for changing the family, he was not too worried about it.
Care: He can only serve as a soldier, but for whom? As long as he is given food and pay.
There are dozens of Kunjun leaders in the militia. Even from the perspective of an "elite" like Yang Erdong, these people are rare "strong soldiers." If nothing else, if someone pokes you in front of your face, they are tall and capable.
His body and cold eyes can tell you "I'm not someone to be trifled with" - to make the big-headed soldiers obedient. Of course, there are also those who don't believe in evil and feel that Australians only rely on firearms to fight, and they must be shown
Those who work hard on their own will inevitably be beaten to the point of crying for their father and mother.
However, although they are powerful people, they are easy to get along with. The first is that they do not put on airs and do not boss or abuse the soldiers below. The second is that everyone is equal: when it is the turn of various manual tasks, everyone contributes, they also contribute, and the food is shared
Eat the same food, nothing special.
This surprised Yang Erdong, who had been a servant for several years - why should he be an official like this?
Before he could figure out why he was a soldier, the National Army brigade arrived in Wuzhou.
As soon as the National Army brigade arrived in Wuzhou and assigned garrison and defense areas, Qian Duo began training.
Although the National Army has now expanded to four squadrons, most of the soldiers in it are the product of hasty expansion. Most of the soldiers are descended from the Ming Army. Because of the rush and lack of training, the military and political quality of the National Army is unreliable.
The command headquarters specifically issued relevant training instructions.
Qian Duo, fully dressed in military uniform, stood on the wooden platform of this temporary playground, looking at the mob of three squadrons below.
According to the prior arrangement, the only directly-affiliated squadron composed of old naturalized citizens currently takes over the defense areas of other squadrons, allowing these three squadrons time to reorganize.
The personnel of these three squadrons, in terms of physical fitness and health status, are all above the average level locally. As a source of soldiers, they are basically qualified. However, Qian Duo is very clear: most of these people have not been well trained.
They also lack combat experience. They have strong old soldier habits. Not only do they regard burning, killing, and raping as commonplace, but just being lazy and slipping is a common phenomenon.
More than 300 people below were wearing the same uniforms of the National Army. The clothing and equipment were all brand new. Except for the lack of rifles, they were no different from the directly affiliated squadron. It's just that the team was crooked and the military postures were all different.
The one in the front Shang Zhi should raise his chest and fold his belly to give a "mighty" look, while the one in the back can have any posture.
"You are now the National Army under the command of the Senate!" Qian Duo said loudly, "No matter what your background was or what officials you served in the Ming Army, you are now a glorious soldier of the National Army!
You must always remember that you are soldiers of the Senate and the people! Be proud of the soldiers of the Senate. Obey discipline and fight fearlessly. Use your blood and life to defend the military flag!"
After he finished speaking, he glanced at the National Army soldiers below who looked like dead fish eyes, and said loudly: "Now read the order approved by the Senate: Instructions for all soldiers of the armed forces!"
A noncommissioned officer next to him immediately stood up and shouted in an almost hoarse voice:
""
"Article 1! Follow the command in all actions!"
"Article 2! Don't take advantage of the people!"
"Article 3! All seizures must be returned to the public!"
…
Military discipline is not new to the National Army soldiers who came from Guangzhou - it is in the "Military Manual" that they all have, but it seems very new to soldiers like Yang Erdong who are "expanding on the spot".
After reading these rules, he had a second thought: "Why do you want to be a soldier like this?!"
After the discipline was read out, Qian Duo looked at the slightly uneasy soldiers below and said loudly: "Since the founding of the army, the armed forces of the Senate have fought in the north and south without any defeat. All enemies are like chickens and dogs.
, it depends on this iron-clad discipline! You must always keep this in mind!"
Next update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Chapter 5