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Chapter 69: One before the war
The news that the imperial court was going to suppress Lingao finally spread throughout Lingao in late May. In fact, the local people had already received the news from people around the leaders, newspapers, bulletin boards, and discussions in the streets. Everyone knows that the officials in Guangdong do not want the people in Lingao to live in peace and insist on driving the Australians away - it is said that the Australians refuse to give the officials in Guangdong one million taels of silver a year. Therefore, the government will conquer and kill the people in Lingao. Only young women can survive.
Newspapers published endless reports of "deeds" of officers and soldiers killing good people and taking advantage of their merit, burning, killing and committing adultery. All deeds are accompanied by time and place. This made Ma Qianzhu wonder-where did Ding Ding get this information.
"Part of it is from the mouths of the indigenous people, part of it is from historical records, and part of it is compiled by the Propaganda Department."
Ding Ding is very careful in compiling information. Firstly, every time such reports are published, one of the three pieces of information is false, and the truth is mixed with the false. Secondly, he works closely with the big library. Such forged materials are first sent to the big library for processing. Review and check to avoid missing details.
In addition, Tintin also reported to the cadre office of the People's Committee for Civil Affairs to identify a few young scholars and other figures among the refugees who were admitted to specialize in literary work in the Propaganda Department. This time, he fabricated materials, and some of the materials were false claims. It was fabricated in the form of notes taken by local scholars - which proves that no license is needed to publish and copy private notes, and there is no way to verify the authenticity.
"You made it up so well, will you scare the common people?" Ma Qianzhu was worried. He was afraid that there would be a large-scale rebellion - if the common people poured into the county seat or went directly to the gate of Bairen City to request Asylum, will they be allowed in?
"The people of Lingao must have played the role of soy sauce soldiers before this battle. It is impossible to want them to actively participate in the war to defend the Lingao regime." Ding Ding said, "My idea is to remind them that defending Lingao means defending them. The so-called protection of the family and the country is linked together."
This news made the people very uneasy. Many people are secretly preparing to rebel when the time comes. But everyone saw that the number of Australians was increasing day by day. Every day, new troops sang songs and went over the road for target practice. These soldiers were all wearing brand new clothes, carrying new gleaming guns, and two-wheeled artillery carts with shiny blue lights were dragged over. The sound of gunfire on the range was deafening all day long. Everyone said that new troops had arrived from Australia. Someone swore that he saw a ship coming to Bopu at night, with a team of soldiers and many cannons disembarking. Moreover, Australians continue to show up everywhere: agricultural technicians are still going to the countryside to guide summer harvest and planting, Li Mei continues to do business in Dongmen City, the large iron ship parked in the bay remains motionless, and many people who were originally panicked have returned. I calmed down - the Australians are not afraid, so what are we afraid of?
Many people secretly hope that the Australians can defeat the government troops so that the peaceful days that have only been a few years can continue. Although the clans and local powerful people were worried that the Australians might not be the opponents of the official army and were afraid that they would be implicated in a war, they did not dare to resist due to the strong military strength of the Australians and their indestructible artillery and firearms. Therefore, whether it was recruiting soldiers to mobilize supplies or asking villages to recruit soldiers to listen to instructions, they did not encounter much resistance.
The elders were summoned for military training. Originally, military training was conducted once a week. The intensity is also relatively high. However, recently, heavy-intensity military training is no longer carried out, and only shooting training once a week is retained to maintain the feel of using a gun. But the imminent invasion of the enemy put the military role of the senators on the agenda. As soon as this proposal was put forward, there was a burst of painful groans:
All veterans over the age of 18, regardless of gender, get up at 6 a.m. every morning to perform exercises: first running, then practicing formation and assassination. Official work begins at 8 o'clock.
Cancel the Sunday rest and use half a day for cross-country and long-distance march training.
"If you don't sweat now, you will bleed later." He Ming was not accommodating in the Senate. "Every one of you will have a big stomach while sitting in the office."
Xiao Zishan followed suit: "When your physical strength improves, all aspects of your body's functions will improve. Don't you all have a life secretary?"
Amidst the wailing of a group of people, the proposal was passed - everyone can still realize that life is at stake.
At that time, all the elders were organized into a senior camp. They are divided into "teams" according to departments, and each team is roughly the size of a platoon. Some teams are larger, like the mechanical team, which is divided into one team and two teams. Each team elects a captain and vice-captain.
He Ming appointed Ying Yu as the battalion commander of the veteran battalion, and also specified three emergency assembly locations. Once the matter is urgent, all the elders will gather in the three camps of Bairen, Bobu and Gaoshanling, waiting for orders to be dispatched at any time.
"When we go into battle, we're probably going to be doomed," Dugu complained as he proposed to be assigned to the first team of the Tiandihui.
"Who are you talking about?" After all, Ying Yu has been a soldier for many years. Even though he has been retired from the army for many years, his eyes are still very intimidating. "When you fight, when you fight, you must always think that nothing will happen." We thought we would be invulnerable if we had a few SKS. From now on, it will be a wartime state. We must be armed and ready for war anytime and anywhere."
Ying Yu said and checked everyone's weapons and equipment. He checked very carefully. I found that many people's glck17 protective weapons had not been wiped off, and the oil seals of the pistols worn by some female senators had not even been wiped off. Because the SKS rifle has to be used for target shooting every week, after shooting, it is necessary to check the weapon maintenance as usual, but it is wiped clean.
"It's really terrible." Ying Yu shook his head in annoyance, but he couldn't blame everyone. Ordinary civilians in the country were not allowed to hold a dog. How could they know the importance of maintaining weapons? The only reason to blame is that they didn't make the military training plan. Enough emphasis.
Clothes, leggings, and shoes were all basically up to standard. Everyone also carried a small bottle of Zhuge Marching Powder and a pack of salt tablets.
"Let's all set off," Ying Yu ordered.
Excluding the veterans who were in Sanya, serving in the army, stationed abroad, and on duty at various posts, a camp of more than 300 veterans set off in a mighty manner.
Many veterans who used to work in the administrative department complained that the result of sitting in the office for a long time was the deterioration of their physical functions, and the muscles they had developed before time traveling disappeared in the form of paperwork. The veterans working in the industrial and agricultural sectors are all strong and dark-skinned, and they don't feel hard at all.
The senators carried rifles and knapsacks and wore military boots. Panting and marching along the road. The equipment of the senators was much greater than that of the native soldiers. The indigenous soldiers wore light rattan hats, while the senators all wore heavy steel helmets. In order not to lose the ambition of the "chiefs", all the elders must act like I, Wu Weiyang, hold their heads high and their chests high.
Accompanied by military drums and flutes, hundreds of pairs of military boots stepped on the road, and smoke billowed. The indigenous people working in the rice fields have turned a blind eye to this scene - recently, several teams have been passing back and forth on the road beating military drums almost every day. Only a few natives who are familiar with the Traversing Crowd will be surprised to find that they are all elders.
"One by one, they puffed up their chests like women." Li Jun stood at the front of the team and looked at the soldiers of the "Financial Team". This platoon is composed entirely of financial, financial, and accounting personnel. Li Jun is a soldier in the financial system, so he became a temporary corporal, responsible for leading the entire team. Page 5: The army is not afraid of difficult expeditions." Li Jun seemed to have returned to his demeanor as the squad leader of the armed police many years ago.
The soldiers of the Caijin Team began to sing this song at the top of their lungs. Although the lyrics had been changed, many people still subconsciously sang "The Red Army is not afraid of the difficulties of the expedition."
Not to be outdone, the "Mechanical Team" immediately sang the Bopu song. Although this military song was tampered with the Marseillaise, although the tune was impassioned, it was a bit awkward to sing.
"Just change the lyrics randomly and just sing pla's military song." Du Wen, who was marching in the "Civil Affairs Team" commented.
However, the mechanical team had a large number of people, and most of them were strong men with large lung capacity. They quickly suppressed the singing of the financial team and other teams. The high-pitched singing of "Bo Pu" and "Bo Pu" floated over the highway.
After the veteran camp arrived at Bopu, they did not enter the camp and the port. Instead, they walked directly around and walked another kilometer before taking a rest. Although there is a cafeteria in Bopu, Ying Yu, who is responsible for directing this training, does not allow everyone to leave the road. They all drink cold water and eat dry food.
The next section of the journey is starting from Lingaojiao and heading towards Ma Niao Peninsula.
"Each team must remain silent and no chatting or wasting food is allowed. Those who need to poop or pee should go quickly. Men should stay on the left side of the road, while women should stay on the right side of the road."
"Battal Commander, there is also an open space on the right side of the road. It is inconvenient for girls. Can you send someone to set up a toilet?" Dong Weiwei came to ask for instructions while chewing dry food.
"When you want to poop during a war, you have to build a toilet first," Ying Yu said with a serious face, "thatch bushes are high enough."
Dong Weiwei was bored, but she had been in the agency and knew that this was not the time to get angry, so she had no choice but to retreat. She found a few companions and went to the roadside to choose a place with thick bushes. In the place, I cleared an open space, put a few picked stones, and looked around to see if there was no light leakage, and then I completed a "simple toilet".
Probably because the atmosphere of war was already very strong, and no one wanted to be said to be "ignorant" at this juncture, the girls did not make any louder noise except for some people complaining quietly, and all of them went to the bushes on the roadside. It’s convenient to go.
Ying Yu checked whether the equipment of the senators was loose and asked if anyone felt uncomfortable wearing the equipment. He rearranged them one by one.
After resting, the veteran camp continued to move forward, heading towards Ma Niao along the newly repaired road. The weather was not too hot. Although we walked more than ten kilometers in the morning, it did not exceed everyone's physical limit. Even the women in each team did not fall behind. Everyone looked at the newly developed fields and settlement points for resettlement along the road, and everyone was in high spirits. When they landed on this land three years ago, it was still desolate and the people were poor. Bopu was a deserted place, and apart from a beacon tower and the house of the inspection department, there was no sign of human activity.
When they arrived, they were in need of people and food. They ate rice, flour, and salt all unloaded from boats, drank river water mixed with bleach, and slept in tents. During the day, they did heavy physical work, and at night, when it was dark, they stood on the crumbling watchtower holding a rifle and standing guard.
In less than three years, this place has undergone earth-shaking changes. And this change was brought about by them personally leading the indigenous people. Our Lingao government finally has a decent shape.
In these days, they eliminated local tyrants, defeated pirates, controlled county towns, recruited exiles, won over people's hearts, built the prototype of a modern industrialized society on a blank land, trained hundreds of indigenous people, and established an army. Thinking of all this with the administrative team, everyone felt an unprecedented sense of pride in their hearts.
If anyone dares to invade my dream, beat him to pieces.
Seemingly infected by such a mood, someone took the lead in singing:
"Forward, forward, forward,
Our team faces the sun,
Stepping on the vast earth
"
It started with a few people singing, and then the whole column started singing. The loud military song echoed on the road and reached into the sky. The farmers working in the fields straightened up and watched the team rolling past the road.
The marching training of the elders boosted the morale of some people. The indigenous soldiers, civil servants and community members knew that the Australians would not abandon them and run away. They would also use guns to fight and defend Lingao at critical passes. It was natural for them to A spirit of common hatred.
Of course, some people were frightened. They felt that the Australians themselves were training with guns. I don’t know how strong the imperial army was. Some people looked for opportunities to go to the county town to visit relatives and friends: the county magistrate was still there, and it was still the territory of the Ming Dynasty. If the government troops came over, they would not massacre the county town. For a time, rents and housing prices in the county skyrocketed.
Most of the vacant property rights in Lingao County belong to the county government, which means they belong to the Crossing Group in disguise. Xiong Buyou was sincerely happy that all kinds of dilapidated houses in the county suddenly became popular - now he was able to revitalize his assets.
But Mei Wan's construction company was not happy at all. The sudden rush to renovate houses caused a sudden shortage of local lime supplies. The construction company originally had several lime kilns of its own. In addition to collecting the raw materials itself, it also purchased some of the raw materials from the private sector: including limestone and oyster houses. Now the sudden increase in demand has caused the price of raw materials to rise sharply.
In response to his situation, the Planning Institute immediately took action and announced the "control" of lime raw materials. Originally, Wu De wanted to announce controls on grain circulation, but the Executive Committee believed that since there was no panic buying of grain at this stage, there was no need to control grain. Excessive material control will only exacerbate the atmosphere of panic in the county.
But people in the finance department were already getting nervous. Yifan's Cheka records the sales status from various stores in Dongmen City every day and monitors the price changes and sales volume of various commodities. Especially the situation of the three main people's livelihood commodities: grain, cloth and salt. People in the financial sector are worried about the possibility of a run on the currency notes.
Although the circulation certificates have established a strong credit in Lingao, this is entirely based on the strong existence of Chuanchuan Group. Once the rule becomes unstable, the credit of the circulation certificates will be hit. A concentrated run is likely to occur. Everyone in the financial department knows that circulating bonds are actually overissued. Once a run occurs, the consequences will be very serious. Yifan could no longer care about audits and focused all his attention on market conditions.
Judging from the data, there has not yet been a run on the circulating coupons. In order to ensure market stability, rice is imported from Vietnam on a large scale. The Planning Institute has also prepared a large amount of loot and property, ready to put it on the market immediately in case of a rush to buy and run.
However, the concerns of the financial sector have not materialized, and the market situation remains stable.
"But our danger is still not lifted." Cheng Dong pointed out at the financial work conference that due to this mobilization, the monthly issuance of circulating coupons increased by 37%, which was mainly used for capital construction investment, military expenditures and material mobilization. This fee is ongoing.
"It is expected that the magnitude will not be so large next month, but the absolute number will not be small." Cheng Dong sighed, "I didn't realize until we mobilized that our economic aggregate is really too small."
"If we continue to mobilize like this for three or four months, inflation will be inevitable." Wu Di pondered, "Recent foreign exchange expenditures are also very large."
To prepare for the sudden expansion of armaments production, temporary arrangements were made to import large quantities of pig iron, coal and cloth.
Because the Guangzhou Station, the main source of silver, was lost. Foreign exchange reserves plummeted. The financial system is feeling very stressed.
The most profitable luxury goods can only be piled in warehouses because they have no sales channels in Guangzhou. The bulk of light industrial consumer goods are in better condition because most of them are picked up by merchants themselves.
"If it doesn't work, temporarily reduce imports," Cheng Dong instructed. "Silver must be kept as an emergency reserve. There is no telling when the war will end."
"Didn't you say three to six months?"
"It's still six months. If we continue to mobilize like this, we will mobilize ourselves to death before the Ming Dynasty is over." Wu Di said, "I think the mobilization should be stopped."
"Some projects can't be stopped, so we have to start them anyway." Cheng Dong looked at the budget bills for several temporarily added projects - all of which were approved by the Senate on the third reading. "I have to talk to Si Kaide. Without the Guangzhou station, we have to find several more channels to export goods. We need to earn more foreign exchange as soon as possible.",.
