In the middle of summer in August, when the sun is noon, everywhere in the shade of the trees, there are boiling people's voices, eating, drinking tea, chatting teeth, resting, all enjoying the cool under the shade of the trees.

Guangzhou County Xiguan Tianmiao was originally a mound, since the reconstruction of the Tianmiao, bought the land all the way to the riverside, widely planted high-crowned trees, for many years, it has become a quiet place in the downtown area. At this time, a circle of tables and chairs was set up in the forest, which was the teahouse opened by the Heavenly Temple.

A table is ten wen for half an hour, and the tea is extraordinary, and it is ordinary people who are convenient. The layout on the side of the Pearl River is on the grade, surrounded by bamboo forests, pavilions and rivers, and a tael of silver for half an hour, which is naturally exclusive to the rich and noble.

Whether it is an ordinary person or a rich person, they are sprinkled around the heavenly temple, each taking their own cool, each eating their own meal, and the noise is mixed together, and it is impossible to distinguish between the good and the low.

"There are sheep and horses in the northwest! Nanzhou knows, right!? The official face is called Oceania, and the marsupial beasts and koalas in the Panyu Bird and Beast Park were captured by the expedition company from there! It is said that there are lush vegetation and endless forests, and there are no lions, tigers, wolves and foxes, which are most suitable for grazing. There is a shortage of horses and sheep in our country, and the price of leather goods is getting more and more expensive year by year. Why? The Tartars are in the way! The official family said that the Tartars do not fall into the religion, fight! That's how we came to fight Sichuan. ”

"It's good to open up the northwest, you can trade directly with the northwest, if you also raise sheep and horses in Nanzhou, this animal business will prosper." It seems that we need to look at this aspect of the business, yes, yes, leather goods! ”

In a pavilion in Linjiang, a group of people wearing gorgeous fine silk and scarves are spitting and spitting, and there are still reading materials such as "Industrial and Commercial Express" and "Goldfish News" on the stone platform in the pavilion, and a circle of dark-skinned young men and women standing behind them are busy fanning and making tea for these old men.

"The Burmese killed the Yongli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the official family wanted to avenge the Ming Dynasty. Before, he still persuaded them with good words, let them pay tribute, and confess their crimes. But the Burmese did not appreciate it at all, and killed the Siamese envoy who spoke on our behalf. The officials didn't want our common people to bleed in vain, so they just beckoned Siamese and Jiaozhi people to go up and fight. After fighting for several years and occupying a piece of land for the boss of the Burmese, the Burmese are just a scoundrel and still refuse to admit defeat. actually colluded with the Westerners and defeated the Siamese and Cochin people, which finally annoyed the official family, and sent a large army to conquer and suppress the Burmese...... It's hopeless! ”

"Just Burma, dare to argue with us, and don't weigh the weight, the strongest Spaniards among the Westerners are all getting out of Luzon with their tails between their legs......"

"Hey! Speaking of fighting Luzon back then, our headquarters started it from that time, gritted its teeth and bought a broken ship, carefully repaired it, and delivered supplies to the army, and now there are more than ten big ships! At present, Nanyang is not only fighting Myanmar, but also fighting Malacca, what a good opportunity, can we also get together and do it ourselves? ”

In the forest, there are also simple men in cloth clothes who chat energetically, and there are both pride and longing in their words.

Deep in the woods, a group of scholars with lupine scarves were arguing with each other, their voices louder than the hustle and bustle outside.

"The Ryukyus and Japan have not yet been cleaned, and one country has attacked from all sides, which has never been done before! Forgetting to fight will be dangerous, belligerent will die, and the current movement is no longer belligerent, but madness! ”

"I'm afraid it's the martial arts who are coerced, our country, the first martial artists pushed the official family to set up, and the previous ten years were peaceful and alive, will there be the idea of using martial arts to control the country now? If the Privy Council does not enter the court, it will be a disaster after all. ”

"It's not just warriors! The old men of the Western Courtyard all want to fight, by fighting, they can supply ordnance, and by fighting, they can buy prisoners and sell slaves! By fighting, they can take the mineral fields! The bastards in the East Courtyard were afraid that they would be bribed, so they didn't say a word, and even went along with it! Together with the Western Courtyard, we quickly approved the decree of increasing military debts and shares, and we have to replace the Eastern Courtyard! ”…,

"Prosperity, the people suffer, death, the people suffer......"

A group of Mai scholars were the most angry, looking at their outfits, it should be the Mexican Party in the country.

"When will the warriors be able to set the national policy? Don't keep making enemies and attacking together, and coerce the will of the people to respect yourself! This set is a spell, beware of provoking the anger of the public! ”

"Not in his position, not in his words! Do not always think of yourselves as the people, but go out into the streets and ask the people, how many are against war? Definitely, thirty out of a hundred would be good. Here in Xiguan, it is estimated that you can't find ten yet, why? After subduing Myanmar and opening up the northwest, the weaving workshop business here in Xiguan will be better! ”

"I'm not opposed to fighting, but attacking from all sides, it's hard to take care of the head and tail, there is always something wrong, and the officials don't know what to think......"

The other group of scholars had a calmer temperament, but their thoughts did not come together.

The sound of the quarrel came to another table in the forest, and the people at this table were all tired, their eyes were black, and when they heard these words, they looked at each other and smiled, and there was both disdain and helplessness in their smiles. Seeing that although their clothes were plain and the fabrics were very elegant, they were busy munching on them, and there was no noise, and the seats were arranged in a very regular manner, headed by a young man of twenty-five or sixteen. Sharp-eyed people can see that this is a group of officials.

"Some battles have been suppressed for a long time and have to be fought now, and some battles have been fought in advance.

The young man swallowed a roast chicken, as if he came to life, took a sip of tea, and said leisurely.

"Lang Zhong is right, ordinary people are more afraid of fighting on all sides, there are always victories and defeats, but they don't know the details of this matter. The headache of our Armament Department now is not the shortage of soldiers, but the problem of how to evacuate and resettle after the war. ”

"Yes, when the country was founded, it established a three-level military system, namely the military department, the privy council and the commander-in-chief's department, which presided over the training camp, the police army, the guard army, the dart bureau and the colonial army. Just by bringing these soldiers together, a country will have 200,000 capable troops, and a few years ago the "Military Preparedness Law" was enacted, and the training camps were dispersed into the ancient system of levy and distribution, regardless of financial and tax support, and we must mobilize according to our military garrison department, and by the end of the year, we will be able to remit a million troops! ”

"The problem is that the fiscal and tax support is here, but fortunately, the official family has been prepared, leaving a budget of 20 million and 5 million real silver, otherwise we would not be able to move so neatly. The day before yesterday, the Eastern and Western People's Courts approved the conversion of military debts into equity, and only then did the official budget have real money to back it up, otherwise this battle would not have been fought in a knowing how. ”

"If the silver is enough, it will attack from all sides, if the east and west courtyards are torn off, and the silver does not land, I am afraid that there will only be two sides to attack from all sides."

"Silver alone is not enough, not only do we have to mobilize officers and soldiers, organize divisions and battalions, but the Ordnance Department must also have enough inventory of armed officers and soldiers, look at the Ordnance Department, it is not easier than us, earlier they were all over the place to check the armory, not a single shell, not a pound of gunpowder. But now, like us, we are pressed by a mountain of ordnance, so we are busy dispatching back and forth. In the past few years, the Foshan Manufacturing Bureau has not rested, and muskets and cannons have been built with their heads shut, and now they are coming in handy. ”

As soon as the chief spoke, his subordinates spoke one after another, these people were actually officials of the Privy Council's armament department, and they were responsible for dispatching and organizing the country's reserve soldiers.

Bingbei Shilang is Wang Jiu, a native of the old Fengtian Village, and most people don't know his background, he is actually a disciple of Li Shi, the first generation of the owner of Baihualou, and Wang Silian, who died under Yongzheng, is his mother.

Speaking of being busy, Wang Jiu shook his head and said: "It's nothing that we are busy and tired, the busiest people in this country at the moment are my senior brothers and junior brothers in the Divine Power Bureau." They help the logistics department to take care of the heavy supplies, such as a mountain of goods, have to be distributed to all places, can not be said to be the same, how to ensure that a centimeter is not bad, it is said that they are a day for a pair of abacus, and there is no fairy time to come out to enjoy the cool and gasp .........,

Wang Jiu is also from the Divine Power Bureau, and he is particularly proficient in organizational planning, which is also the capital of the first division he managed at a young age.

As he was talking, he heard a tidal shout from the side of the river: "Steamer! The ship is coming! ”

On the Pearl River, a huge river boat is slowly flowing downstream, with no sails on board and no oars on either side. On both sides of the hull are two large wheels, like the cars and ships of the Song Dynasty, whirring and turning, stirring up the white waves, and there is a chimney erected in the center of the ship, spitting thick black smoke.

Both sides of the ship are full of red-clothed figures, it should be the red-clothed soldiers who are going to fight in the South Seas, the two sides of the strait suddenly burst into enthusiastic cheers, even those who are arguing with the scholars, they are all raising their arms and shouting, whether the war brings suffering or happiness to the people, this matter is not clear, after all, it is the warriors who can shed blood and sacrifice for this war, it is these red-clothed officers and soldiers, they are guarding this country, fighting for the benefits of this country.

"Come on!"

"Wan Sheng!"

The shouts of the people reached their ears, and the officers and men on the ship waved their arms in return, and the original gray and sallow color on their faces was gradually dispelled by the flush.

"It's finally time to change ships, this damn steamer, I will never take it in this life!"

The steamer docked at the port of Qingpu Port, and Hou Quan, the commander of the front wing of the 100th Battalion of the Ninth Division of the Army, went ashore with weak feet, and his mouth was still nagging. He was like this, and his subordinates looked even sicker, and they couldn't wait to fall to the ground when they got off the boat.

"The whole team! The whole team! Look at you soft-footed shrimp, do you deserve to wear this red!? What about your rulers!? With this bastard appearance, did you go to Nanyang to kill the enemy or pave the way? ”

The dispatch officer of the general headquarters stationed at the wharf immediately became angry when he saw that these military stations were unstable.

"Sir! The ship shook all the way, shaking out all the bile of the brothers, and now it is still standing, and the subordinates feel that it is already good. ”

Hou Quan held his head high and pleaded to the dispatcher.

"Already good? What's wrong with this ship's shaking? The ground is still shaking on the battlefield, do you think that as long as you can stand, the enemy will kill himself!? Don't keep looking for excuses! ”

Of course, the dispatcher did not want to lose his majesty in front of this captain, and continued to reprimand with a horsewhip, Hou Quan's face was blue and white, and he was unspeakably miserable, when the dispatcher reprimanded enough, and waved the whip to signal that the conversation was over, Hou Quan felt that he had won a war.

"They really got on this broken ship......

Looking at the steamer, which had stopped the fire at the moment, the dispatcher shook his head in pity. The steam engine has been used on the ship, and the concept of the car and ship in the Song Dynasty was put on, and this paddle steamer was born. Unfortunately, there are still too many technical problems that have not been solved, such as the vibration of the hull, such as the steam circuit has not yet been studied, and the boiler can only be constantly replenished with water, and there is no way to go to sea, so the ship is still only experimental, running in the river. At present, the dispatch of soldiers and supplies must be used on any ship, and whoever takes this ship can only consider himself unlucky.

Hou Quan took more than 300 people on this wing, followed the guidance of the street signs, and walked towards the assembly site of Qingpu Square. At this time, the Qingpu Wharf has become a large military camp, the flaming red military uniforms almost cover the gray ground, and thousands of officers and soldiers come and go.