Now that the war in Shanghai has ended, the Chinese and Foreign Conference Defense Bureau will no longer provide weapons to the officers and soldiers. Fortunately, in the process of the war, Guan Zhuofan asked for as many guns, ammunition and field artillery as possible through Yang Fang's mediation, and the extra part was stored in Qibao, and now the army is expanding, which is just right to use.

The part that needs to be bought is a total of 6,000 guns and 50 cannons. A surplus of 3,000 guns was reserved for replacement of damaged guns, while the guns were calculated at four per battalion, and these fifty guns, plus the original thirty-odd guns, were just enough to be allocated, and only a few could be kept for preparation.

Wall suggested to Guan Zhuofan several times that the artillery team should be deployed at the regimental level. Kwan Zhuofan has always been good and intuitively believes that what Wall said is right, but this time, he did not agree. His idea was to allow more soldiers to have access to these Western firearms, to be familiar with them, to understand them, and to like them.

And the gun type of these 6,000 guns has undergone major changes - Guan Zhuofan decided to buy all breech rifles.

"Yixuan, we still can't clearly know whether the performance of this gun is good or not," Wall was very surprised by Guan Zhuofan's decision, and at the same time had a lot of doubts, "The British and the French, until now, have not changed their breech guns. We, the American army, are also not massively used. Probably only the Prussians were generally equipped, but they had not really been tested in war, and it was impossible to draw a definite conclusion about the breech rifle plus fixed ammunition. ”

It doesn't matter, I already have a "definite conclusion", Guan Zhuofan smiled in his heart.

Wall's words, in fact, are not wrong. Now this time. Breech guns are still far from being widespread in the armies of mainstream countries. Even in Prussia. There was also a lieutenant general named Linald, who was extremely disgusted with breech guns, and left a last word on his deathbed, saying that when the funeral was held at his cemetery, the breech gun should be fired, otherwise he would not be blinded. Another time, a Swiss general, after visiting the Prussian units armed with breech guns. "Eating with your mouth is noble, and the Swiss will never shoot with an enema gun loaded from behind".

These words are often regarded as jokes by later generations, but they do not know that it is always an extremely prudent matter for a country's military to carry out a large-scale replacement of weapons, and it is a truly ridiculous thing for new equipment to be installed in the army without going through a considerable test.

Guan Zhuofan thought to himself, he was a traverser. In the end, there are some benefits.

"You have to try something new." He said confidently. "What if it works? We can't afford to be left behind in everything. ”

This sentence touched Wall, after all, he was a man who was sensitive to new things, and had always been extremely interested in new things, so he agreed to pick four battalions to try them out after getting the gun.

However, breech guns are not only a little more expensive, but they are not available in stock in Shanghai. Libin talked around, or only Jardine Matheson can supply this quantity, and the goods will have to be shipped from Singapore to Hong Kong, and then sent from Hong Kong, and it will take two months before and after.

"Two months is two months," Guan Zhuofan said without hesitation, "and make a deposit immediately." By the way, what about the price? ”

"Boris, the real price is twenty-four taels of silver, and each gun still sends two hundred rounds of ammunition. It's up to us to see how many hats we bring. ”

"Then ...... Make a contract according to thirty-four taels, and let Boris transfer the extra money directly to you. "In this case, the principal of the holding company is sufficient. Guan Zhuofan counted and said, "Six thousand is 204,000 taels, and fifty cannons are 60,000 taels, a total of 264,000...... Wu Daotai is going to be a big bankrupt this time, and I don't know if the bamboo pole of Lu Dao can be knocked out or not? ”

Although Xuanjun was ordered to "recruit as appropriate according to the needs of the war", this amount is quite huge after all, and it is only ordnance, and it has not yet involved military salaries. What's more, there is also a kickback he added himself, and his heart can't help but feel a little empty.

Unexpectedly, Wu Xu agreed very happily.

"Yixuan, Xie Lu, thank you for your kind words for me in the excerpt." Guan Zhuofan's performance praised Wu Xu very much, and Wu Xu thanked him, "The military expenses of the Xuan army are ordered, whether it is ordnance or military salary, no matter how difficult it is in the customs, I will definitely squeeze out this piece for you and make every effort to support it." ”

Guan Zhuofan was a little embarrassed. In the excerpt, he said good things for him, that was an ulterior motive, but I didn't expect it to have such an additional effect.

"However, I also have my difficulties," Wu Xu changed his words and said frankly, "I heard that the foreign gun team is also going to be expanded, this part is not in the Xuan army's customization, and the military expenses are raised and donated by the gentry in Shanghai, and according to the regulations, it should not be paid by the customs now." Yang Daotai and I can naturally still help and persuade them to donate, but in the end, the battle is over......"

Although the latter words were not spoken, the meaning was already obvious, and he still wanted to cross the river and tear down the bridge. But he was not wrong in what he said, the foreign gun team was recruited to protect Shanghai, and now that the war is over, do you have to let the people of Shanghai support them for a lifetime? There really doesn't make sense of that.

Wu Xu saw that Guan Zhuofan's face was uncertain, thinking that he was unhappy, and hurriedly said, "Yixuan, don't misunderstand. The Xuan army fought such a big victory for Shanghai, and the foreign gun team also made a lot of efforts, and the gentry and people of Shanghai were all grateful to their hearts. What I mean by that is to think about the long term, you should plan for it early. ”

There is nothing wrong with planning for it early, but then the plan will be settled? Guan Zhuofan resigned from the Provincial Bureau, returned to the county office sullenly, thought about it, and didn't think of any way, so he had to send someone to find Liu Xunjiao from Qibao and tell him the truth about this problem.

"Mr. Liu, if it really doesn't work, we can reduce the established establishment a little bit."

"That's not necessary," Liu Xunji pondered for a moment and said, "Since I am acting for Prime Minister Xuan Shuai, of course, I have to find a way for Xuan Shuai to come out of this matter." ”

"There's a way?" Guan Zhuofan's eyes lit up, "That's great, I don't know where else to get the money?" ”

"Donate!"

*

*

Shanghai is a rich and prosperous place, not only developed commerce, but also as the most important treaty port, but also a distribution center for goods, although the southeast war continues, but whether it is the warring sides or the people, the demand for trade has not been or reduced. But demand is one thing, whether the goods can be transported in, or can be shipped out, is another matter.

"Now within 100 miles of Shanghai, all the Xuan army has beaten down, and with such a peaceful environment, merchants and peddlers can move again. No matter where they come from or where they go, they should pay a little bit of tax. Liu Xun planned for Guan Zhuofan, "If this part is done well, there will always be 50,000 to 100,000 yuan per month, so why worry about the military expenses of the foreign gun team?" ”

"It's good, it's just ......" can have so much income, it is fake to say that he is not tempted, but Guan Zhuofan is also a little hesitant, "Donating to the patient, I wonder if there will be a negotiation?" ”

He knew that the so-called donations and taxes, to put it bluntly, were nothing more than a disguised protection fee, and on the main traffic routes, checkpoints were set up, and tax collectors were stationed to extract a certain percentage of silver from the merchants who came and went according to the price of the goods. This method has been used since ancient times, but it is a great burden for the traders, especially if it is made of checkpoints, which will make it difficult for merchants and caravans to move an inch, because the money earned is not enough to pay taxes.

"Xuan Shuai is right, it is true that donating is a bad example." Liu Xunji nodded and said, "However, things should also be thought of separately, the so-called one time and another, the situation is different." Now that Shanghai has won the war, the two cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou are still in the hands of Li Xiucheng, and it is difficult to guarantee that they will not come back. Moreover, Xuan Shuai expanded the army in order to fight long hair, which was taken from the people and used for the people. When it comes to external discussions, in fact, it is clear in one sentence, if you can't win the war, you don't even have to do business at all, even if you want to pay the donation, where will you pay it? Those merchants, although they must compare the baht, will still understand this truth. ”

"The truth is right, I'm worried that the monk who recites the sutra will recite this sutra crookedly."

Guan Zhuofan is worried about the people who collect taxes. He remembered that when he was in Beijing, his two sisters-in-law talked about Hurd, the chief tax officer, and gave the evaluation that "those who collect taxes are bad people", and they saw the hatefulness of tax collectors, and they were famous all over the world. Now, if you donate money in Shanghai, don't make it seem like for every one tael you collect, and the tax collector secretly collects ten taels.

"Of course, there must be very strict rules!" Liu Xun said, "Otherwise, it would be a joke if He Shen did the tax difference for Lord Qianlong, a Chongwen Sect, and He Shen ate more than the Internal Affairs Office." ”

There are a total of five methods that Liu Xunjiao came up with, all of which are real.

First, no duplicate tax collection, no matter which card has paid the tax, the tax bill will be given, and the subsequent checkpoint will be released.

The second is to collect taxes in equal amounts, and if the value of the goods is less than 60 taels, they will be released tax-free, which can not disturb the livelihood of the small people. On the top, it depends on the color of the goods: the cigarette tax is the heaviest, worth five percent of the hundred; medicinal herbs, grains, etc., are worth two out of 100; The others are worth one out of a hundred.

The third is to restrain tax collectors with severe punishments, whether it is bribery, underestimation of the value of goods, or deliberately making things difficult and extortion, once it is found out, they can use military law to kill people. If the merchant who has passed the card has any grievances, he is allowed to appeal to the Xuanjun Grain Station of Qibao.

Fourth, the tax collectors' ICBC will be raised, and a point will be put forward in proportion to the tax collected by each card, as a reward for them, and the meaning of "good salary and honest support" will be taken.

Fifth, it is not allowed to leave the country unless it is a guide to the military commissary, so as not to be taken advantage of by the long hair and become an enemy.

Guan Zhuofan looked at Liu Xunjiao appreciatively, and didn't speak for a while-according to these five methods, there is nothing that can't be done, this Liu Xunjiao is indeed a great talent.

"Moreover, there is one more sentence that can only be said here." Liu Xunjiao thought that he was still hesitating, so he lowered his voice and said, "Xuan Shuai, it is imperative to donate, even if we Xuanjun don't do it, when Huaijun arrives in Shanghai next month, Li Shaoquan will not be polite to you." ”

*(To be continued......)