"When! While! While! ……”

The sound of a rapid gong suddenly sounded in the mountains, and the crisp sound shattered the tranquility of the mountains.

Forestry came out of the sugarcane field, looked at Li Erlang who was running along the road, and shouted loudly: "Second brother, what's going on again?" How do you suddenly strike a gong? ”

"Tens of thousands of troops are coming, and all the township soldiers are gathered immediately!"

Li Erlang shouted loudly as he ran.

Forestry was stunned when he heard this, didn't he just win the battle, and the Jiaozhi people came again? It's not endless!

Complaining is complaining, but he doesn't dare to slack off, the forestry department cleaned up a little, and then seized the time to call the sugar workers he brought, and the township soldiers in service left, and the work was arranged for others.

Fast horses set off from Taiping County and galloped to all towns and towns, and the township soldiers who had just been disbanded were gathered again. The sugar cane that had been cut down in a few days was piled up like a mountain in the sugar field, and the lively scene that had been boiling in the sky seemed to suddenly cool down with a cold wind.

The best harvest period for cane sugar is actually very short, around the time between October and November, after which the sugar content will decline. But as long as it does not enter the rainy season, the sugar content will only be reduced by 12/10, which is a figure that is unacceptable for the big factories of later generations, but in this era, it is not unacceptable. Therefore, the sugar industry has always put the sugar pressing season very long, although the output is a little less, but the utilization rate of labor is much higher.

It's past the middle of February, and the rainy season is coming, but the sugarcane cane can't afford to wait any longer. As soon as the rainy season comes, sugarcane will use nutrients to grow, and the sugar content will decrease rapidly, and there will be no value in squeezing sugar.

Since the beginning of Xuping's establishment of the sugar business, the output has increased sharply year by year, and this year there has been a continuous war with Jiaozhi. The process of sugar extraction is interrupted again and again, and everyone knows what the sugar production will be.

Whether or not the task of the three divisions can be completed is related to everyone's interests, and this time the gathering of the township soldiers is not as relaxed and cheerful as the last time, and everyone's expression is very heavy.

In the cane sugar chief's hall, Xu Ping looked at all kinds of documents. The brow is deeply locked.

Since the last war, Xu Ping has laid eyeliner in Jiaozhi to prevent accidents, and as soon as Li Fengxiao's soldiers and horses moved, Xu Ping got the news here.

But this time was different from last time, Li Fengxiao's movements were extremely fast, and he did not send any pioneers, and directly led the 20,000 troops on the Fuliang River to the north, and it was expected that he would arrive in Langzhou within ten days. In addition to 20,000 people. There are still 10,000 or 20,000 people in the rear, and they are also coming one after another.

Now the township soldiers in Langzhou have been withdrawn, only Sang Yi brought 5,000 troops there, and there are less than 10,000 people in the Langzhou Basin to repair the fields.

5,000 against 20,000, and facing the elite soldiers of Jiaozhi, not a rabble like native soldiers, even if there are fortifications to use, the situation is quite dangerous.

Xu Ping's brows furrowed. Thinking about how to deal with it.

There was no need to think about receiving assistance from the imperial court, and the Privy Council did not agree to extend its power over the mountains in the first place. Even if Langzhou and Menzhou gain and lose, they are nothing more than calming things down and restoring their original state.

Everything is on your own, but how can you rely on yourself?

The root of the sugar business is still in the surrounding areas of Taiping County, and most of the manpower is concentrated here, that is, no matter how fast the action is. Gather the people, arm them, and then drive to Langzhou, and they will also fall behind Li Fengxiao.

Not to mention that a quarter of this year's sugarcane has not been harvested, delaying sugar extraction. If there is an accident in Langzhou, the consequences will be like that......

Xu Ping leaned back in his chair and only smiled bitterly. After six years of hard work, if the last test is not handled properly, it will really be all in vain.

The atmosphere in the hall was very cold and solemn, and Han Zong, who was divided into cases, and all the public officials were buried in the case, whether they were really busy or not, they couldn't even get out of the atmosphere.

After thinking for a while, Xu Ping said to Han Zong on the table next to him: "If all the young and strong people in the sugar business are transferred out now, how much manpower is needed to complete the sugar extraction?" ”

Han Zong stood up and said respectfully: "According to the estimation of his subordinates, there must be nearly 20,000 people." ”

"That's it, all the subordinates of the cane sugar department, all those who are over eighteen years old and under fifty years old, all the young people will be transferred to Langzhou!" Xu Ping Juesheng said, "There is a shortage of manpower, mainly to recruit local people, if it is still not enough, let the women of the sugar cane business give up all their livelihood and go to harvest sugarcane!" ”

"This—" Han Zong's face was embarrassed.

Most of the people who entered the sugar industry were originally poor, and women also had to do farm work, but most of them were miscellaneous and the like, or they were weaving women, which were really used by men, and it was still difficult for people to accept them in this era.

Xu Ping said in a deep voice: "In extraordinary times, use extraordinary means. During this period, all the township soldiers who entered the army were given twice as much money as before. Whoever stays in the sugar cane to work is given half of the money, and the woman who works in the sugar cane is given the same money as the man. ”

Han Zong thought about it and said: "If you want to give more money, it may be okay." And what about the temporarily recruited natives? In the past, they only had half of the staff in the sugar business. ”

"This time it's all for you! The sugar workers have already increased the money, so that they can get the full amount of the money they used to have, which can show the difference between inside and outside, and it is easy to recruit people. ”

The last time there was a war, the money in the sugar business was spent like a stream, but fortunately, Xu Ping was worried about causing local inflation, and only a small part of the reward money was paid, and the rest was stored in the sugar business, promising to give half a cent of profit a year. There is abundant capital here in Taiping County, usury is not common, and the interest rate is low, and the half-cent interest of the cane sugar business is already considered a high interest.

In this way, part of the problem of funding shortage can be solved. But the next battle, no matter what, is also stretched, and funds are quite tight.

Xu Ping has cane sugar to make money, and he has been used to spending a lot of money in the past few years, but he didn't expect to face a shortage of money in the end.

After arranging the affairs of the sugar cane business, Xu Ping said to Han Zong: "You order, this time is extraordinary, everything does not need to be done step by step." As long as the township soldiers form a command, there is no need to converge in Taiping County, and I will let the subordinate officials gallop around and go directly to Langzhou with command. You have to arrange the pick-up, food and accommodation on the road, and there must be no accidents! ”

Han Zong promised.

Xu Ping stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, thinking about various chores.

The big moves of tens of thousands of people are full of ideas, and it is easy to have a big incident if you don't think about it. Although the cane sugar service is well organized, it has never faced this situation, and it has reached the moment of general mobilization.

The distance from Taiping to Langzhou was about the same as that from the Fuliang River, and Xu Ping needed extremely strong organizational skills to replenish the defensive forces before the Jiaozhi army could reach there.

But in the final analysis, the cane sugar business is the people, how does the organizational power compare with the army? It is particularly important to make the best use of Menzhou and Pingxiangtong, two places close to Langzhou, and transfer the sugar workers there who are repairing the fields and opening the roads to the first place, so as to grab a little time.

(There's another chapter in the evening.) (To be continued.) )