On 21 February, the Northern Expedition was decided, on the 23rd the military and political edicts were promulgated, and at the same time the world was advertised, and on the 25th the text of the Manchurian Expedition was issued, and on 2 March, even the rural peasants in a semi-remote place like Chunhua, Shaanxi Province, knew the news of the Anglo-Northern Expedition to restore the land.

It's not that the gentlemen in the villages read the newspaper to them, but that the mobilization of a country has already fallen to the towns and villages.

In Lipo Village, Beipuzi Township, Li Hongde was busy turning over the soil in his dry field with a hoe on his shoulder. The village was boiling over something, and he didn't care about it, and he still thought in his mouth: "It's really not doing business, and everyone is stunned......"

A woman approached the edge of the field and timidly called, "Father, the township is recruiting." ”

Li Hongde reprimanded his mother-in-law: "Can the government make up for it?" Beware of being eaten to the bone! ”

The woman lowered her head suddenly, but still argued: "The baby is going to go to the county school this year, and the county school costs a lot......"

Li Hongde said angrily: "Being a man can earn silver!? Fiddling with the 30 acres of land at home, why can't you earn it? ”

The woman eagerly explained: "In addition to taking care of the food and the two inner and outer clothes, the people also pay for their feet on a daily basis, and not only the people's husbands, but also the sewing and washing women, which is more than one or two a month." What is the return of the villagers, to help the official master of the north, the silver is given from the Jiupin official master. Dad, I remember you ......"

Li Hongde interrupted his mother-in-law by pulling a high-profile door: "The woman's ears are soft, and you believe it when the official puts on a good face?" The two horses of the He family in the village were requisitioned, and a military ticket was issued, and I don't know when it can be exchanged for silver. ”

The woman's cheeks flushed with rage, and she finally broke out: "Just you can!" You're shrewd! Back then, Li Shun recruited you to go to Nanyang, but you didn't go, and scolded others for being human traffickers. Look, everyone who goes with others is developed! You...... When will you be able to open your eyes to the world? The current imperial court is no longer the Qing Dynasty! ”

The woman stomped away, and Li Hongde spat at the back and scolded: "Dog mother-in-law, dare to contradict your man, what kind of madness!" ”

After gasping for a while, Li Hongde also hesitated.

Chunhua County followed Xi'an Prefecture and became the territory of the British Dynasty a few years ago. By now, the world has changed a lot. For Li Hongde, there are both good and bad.

Of course, the good thing is that life is a little better, the imperial grain is less paid, the county's harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes have also been reduced by half, and many people in the village have either voted south for Li Shun, a former villager, or moved west to reclaim the famine. Leaving a large area of land, it was all transferred out cheaply. The landlords in the township and even in the county can't eat all at once, and now the more land they have, the higher the tax, and they don't dare to eat too much land, so that he can sit on 30 acres of land and get two earthen houses, and this year he is still gritting his teeth and getting into a brick house.

Not only is life better, but two sons and a girl can actually go to school. The transition from Mongolia to primary school is free of charge. The eldest son graduated from primary school last year, and he was successful in his studies, and he was actually admitted to the county school.

With these, it is enough for Li Hongde to be grateful to the current court and the emperor.

But this court gave him more bad impressions......

First of all, there are many officials, and there are more than a dozen officials in a township. Although I don't squeeze people much now. But who knows what will happen later? As for what township and county affairs can be in charge of the official master. That's all coaxing, when will the grass people be able to manage the official master?

The second is that there are many things. The official master is in charge of a stall, and he has to come to the village every other day to shout. As long as you pay the imperial grain, can't you live your own life with your head bored? Not only the officials, but also the businessmen came to the door all day long, and the village became more and more noisy.

Disturbing people is secondary, there are always people who want to come and tell you that this is not right, that is not right, there are always people clamoring for more things, either to build public latrines, or to build canals, to build farming cattle mutual aid cooperatives, anyway, there will be no peace for a day.

What's even more annoying is that there are people who come to teach you how to live, especially those who are more nagging than the monks in the temple sacrifices, which are all old scholars in the past, and after half a lifetime, how to live still need you to teach? Wang Fa, who would be fined for not cutting his braids, also made him very angry. What is especially annoying is that this court always clamours women to do things, which is particularly evil. You see, the mother-in-law now dares to speak out on a major event, which is really upside down.

Of course, the most hateful thing is that Li Shun, the soldier back then, didn't know what virtue he had accumulated in his previous life, he turned over all of a sudden, and his career in the south became bigger and bigger, and it is said that he is now the governor of an overseas place.

Li Hongde hated Li Shun very much, in the early years, Li Shun returned to his hometown and recruited people to go to Nanyang, at that time he didn't believe it at all, and said that Li Shun was a seller. But two years ago, after Chunhua returned to the British Dynasty, the villagers who went to Nanyang came back one by one to show off, which made him lose his face and always couldn't raise his head in front of people......

Earn more money, the baby will be better off in the county school, and even have the opportunity to be admitted to the government school, that is the master.

was full of slander, and the things mentioned by his mother-in-law made Li Hongde feel in a trance. His likes and dislikes are still secondary, his son's future is the most important, and when his son has a future, the family will be truly rich. And the world of the British Dynasty has to rely on reading to earn, this truth, Li Hongde understands this truth very well.

Thinking of his son's future, most of the obsession in Li Hongde's heart was dispersed, and he looked towards the noisy village, hesitated for a while, and finally carried a hoe and entered the village with a black face.

The village is already bustling with activity, and the wooden planks hanging high on the exterior wall of the mill are so full of signs that you are almost dazzled. Of course, most of the adults in the village are illiterate, and they all rely on teenagers and half-year-olds to read the notices.

When Li Hongde arrived, a green-robed official from the township office was reading out the decree, and I don't know how many times this was repeated, and the official's voice was a little hoarse.

The Northern Expedition to restore the land, the righteousness of the nation, Li Hongde and everyone didn't understand these things, and they didn't care about them, they just cared about what kind of livelihood the government sent down.

"The State Levies and Sends Volunteer ......"

This has nothing to do with them, Yiyong is still a good errand, but it is not their turn, they are all robbed by the former green battalion soldiers.

"Manpower, sewing and washing, and miscellaneous labors are running, and the state contracts to logistics providers, and Xu Minren votes for themselves to compile and compile a book. Guaranteed by the government and dispatched by logistics providers, the treatment details are as follows......"

Speaking of the people's husbands, the official said that the government does not forcibly recruit the people's husbands, but counts the men and women who are willing to contribute to the army, and hands them over to the merchant organizations, and the government guarantees the people. At the same time, it also supervises the use and payment of wages by merchants.

Listening to the treatment, Li Hongde shook his head slightly, it didn't quite suit him, although the mother-in-law said that she could also go as a sewing washer, together, the two of them could earn two or three taels a month. This is still shaving food and clothing, but the husband and wife are gone, and the elderly at home are left to take care of the children, which is really not at ease.

"The state also recalls the villagers, but those whose ancestral homes are in Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Zhili and even Liaodong can be called. The returnees will work with our Anglo-Chinese military and political officials to pacify the north, assist in local governance, and run for the officials. You can get a temporary official status, the treatment is comparable to that of an official, and those who make great efforts can also get the people's lordship......"

Speaking of the returnee mentioned by his mother-in-law, Li Hongde's heart jumped, he really met the conditions, his grandfather moved from Jingle County, Shanxi, and his father still had contact with that side.

Looking left and right, Li Hongde didn't dare to come out, but the hundreds of villagers around him not only raised their hands. He also asked about all kinds of details. I saw that many people were returning the names of the villagers. And the number of places is limited, he gritted his teeth. He said loudly: "What is this returning villager going to do, can the master explain more?" The villain doesn't know if he has that ability! ”

The official wiped his sweat and said, "What else can happen?" Tell those pig-tailed men in the north, cut their braids, and live a good life with our British Dynasty! Even if you don't have the ability, you can always talk to people, right? ”

The villagers all laughed, and some said: "Li Hongde, you don't have the ability to do this!" ”

was uncovered by the scars, Li Hongde said angrily: "You wait well!" When I come back from the north, I'll let you tear yourself apart! ”

While scolding, he said in his heart, Li Shunneng climbed the British Dynasty and became rich, why can't I, Li Hongde? This trip is out of the way!

He shouted to the officials: "The villain's grandfather has been in Shanxi for all generations, and he wants to return to the villagers!" ”

The official nodded: "Okay, wait a minute, you are the sixth ......"

In a few moments, the conscription book was full, and the officials let out a long breath, gave an explanation to the registered people, and rode out of the village on a donkey, and went to the township office leisurely. Because the task was successfully completed, my heart was comfortable, and I hummed a little song on the donkey.

When he returned to the office and handed over the booklet, although the township owner Bo was tired and sweaty, he smiled with his eyebrows: "The righteousness and courage are full, the returning villagers are also full, and the people's power is even more than two percent, so our township should not be left behind in the county." ”

As soon as the words fell, the courtyard officials of the township courtyard poured in, all with unwilling looks on their faces.

"Linqiao Township donated a hundred sheep! There are only a few horses in our township, which is too cold! ”

"Hexi Township has formed a dart game by itself, damn it!"

"The county is really so arrogant, and it occupies all the places for medical care in the army!"

These township officials all rushed to show their loyalty in the county, and felt that their township had contributed too little to the great cause of the Northern Expedition, so they complained to the main bo, urging the main boo to increase mobilization, so that the main boo had a sense of role dislocation for a while.

"This ...... Military tickets are limited, and if the levy is excessive, the people have to pay out of their own pockets. And it's still inappropriate to push ordinary people, so you can only rely on the big families in the township to make a big effort. ”

The words of the master Bo made most of the squires suddenly wake up, of course, there are also those who pretend to be in a trance, and they hurriedly express their attitudes, either they want to contribute more, or they go back to push the big families below to bleed again.

Sending away these villagers, the lord Bo and the officials of the public office looked at each other and sighed, the momentum of the Northern Expedition spread to the people, and what was set off was a rare national mobilization throughout the ages, and everyone was still scrambling to contribute, this is the atmosphere of Wang Shi.

Of course, if the imperial court had only forcibly expropriated as it had in the old days, the situation would not have been so enthusiastic. Along with the mobilization order, there are also funds, mainly military tickets. Now that the two houses have not yet been re-elected, the emperor is unwilling to raise taxes without authorization. So he worked overtime to get the banknote printing factory to print military stamps, which were actually war bonds, which were used to pay for the labor and materials requisitioned by the people, as well as the expenses subcontracted to the merchants. After the re-election of the two houses, the military expenses will be settled, and then the reimbursement will be made.

The total amount of the military bills was determined by the General Financial Association after urgent consultations, and the Financial Federation also contracted half of the military ticket redemption business. There are two types of military bills, one for six months and one for one year, with a total amount of 70 million yuan, which are in essence treasury bonds, but the general holder has no interest to obtain, and the state has to give 5 percentage points to the banks, ticket numbers, and money banks that cover half of them, and this interest is also lower than the general 7 or 8 percentage points of treasury bonds.

"Okay, the mobilization of the people is basically settled, and now it's time for us to mobilize......"

Then the lord called all the officials of the township and made such an announcement, and everyone showed a look of excitement or apprehension on their faces.

The Northern Expedition not only required a large amount of manpower, materials, and money, but also a large number of officials. The Manchu government was about to be uprooted, and while Yinghua mobilized the people, they were also mobilizing the government, and sending grassroots officials to the north to act as agents for northern government affairs, which was also a very key part of the government affairs of the Northern Expedition.

In the expectant eyes of everyone, the main book opened the official document issued by the county, and suddenly smiled: "I, plus the inspection, Yizheng, and Yizheng, went to Xie Shuaijun, and went north with the army, to Fenyang, Shanxi, and governed the county ......."

The other three clenched their fists and cheered, while the others looked dejected.

The lord Bo bowed his hand to everyone: "The affairs of the hometown, I will bother you more!" ”

In Chunhua County, more than 20 officials embarked on the journey, and in the whole of Shaanxi, there were 6 or 700 grassroots officials who went north. Because Shaanxi is a new Forte, there are not too many grassroots officials, and Lingnan, Huguang, and Jiangnan are transferred in a ratio of 10 to 1 or even 8 to 1, and there are tens of thousands of officials in the three provinces south of the Yangtze River alone......

When later generations of northerners talked about the restoration of the land by Yinghua, they once joked that "the British Dynasty went on a northern expedition to restore the land, and those were real officers and soldiers, and the officers were half soldiers and half soldiers......"