"Commander Yang, are you sure what you just said is true, and there is no exaggeration!" Colonel Jim was shocked and asked Yang Xingguo with a suspicious expression. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

"I'm sure!" Yang Xingguo affirmed without thinking about it.

To be sent to the head of the single delegation of the Liaodong Army, Jim is a very good military commander in addition to having a high level of tactical literacy. Colonel Jim was also a very good politician with a very keen sense of smell.

From the moment Yang Xingguo invited him to watch this new weapon, Colonel Jim had already realized that the Liaodong Army must be planning to use this so-called new weapon to change something from the empire.

At the beginning, he didn't pay much attention to the new weapons in Yang Xingguo's mouth, and it could even be said that he didn't care.

If it weren't for Yang Xingguo's identity there, Colonel Jim might not have come.

Because, the backwardness of the Great Qing Kingdom has been deeply experienced since he entered Liaodong? In his opinion: Germany, which is technologically advanced, has not developed any new artillery, let alone the backward Qing Dynasty.

However, as he watched the shelling process and listened to Yang Xingguo's brief introduction to this artillery. Colonel Jim immediately realized the great role of such artillery on the battlefield.

Since the role of artillery is so great, an excellent officer certainly understands that after equipping the troops, this kind of artillery may bring a huge boost to the combat effectiveness of the entire unit.

Therefore, as soon as Colonel Jim got Yang Xingguo's affirmation, he bluntly asked: "In that case, I want to know what kind of payment Commander Yang needs to hand over this never-before-seen artillery technology to us Germany!" ”

"I believe that from the moment Commander Yang decided to call me over, Commander Yang was ready to sell us the new artillery technology to Germany!"

Yang Xingguo was stunned at first, but he didn't expect Colonel Jim next to him to be so outspoken.

However, as the owner, Yang Xingguo still reacted quickly: "My request is very simple: as long as you give me one million taels of silver, all the equipment of a small seamless steel pipe production plant!" ”

Although Colonel Jim did not see the mortar up close, the soldier's keen sense of smell convinced him of the great role and value of this gun on the battlefield.

Therefore, Colonel Jim only spent a few minutes bargaining with Yang Xingguo for management. In the end, he bought the mortar technology in Yang Xingguo's hands with 800,000 taels of silver and all the equipment of a seamless steel pipe factory.

The unexpected surprise brought by the arsenal not only solved the financial problem of 800,000 taels of silver, but also brought itself the close-range support artillery that the Liaodong Army urgently needed to equip.

Yang Xingguo, who was in a good mood, made a direct promise to Xiao Wenchang when he left the arsenal: as soon as the Germans' silver arrived, they would directly take out 50,000 taels of silver as a reward to give the arsenal a bonus.

As soon as Yang Xingguo returned to the headquarters, an official letter from Mukden was sent to Yang Xingguo.

Because Yang Xingguo was crowned the governor of Liaodong by the imperial court, and he had the right to appoint and dismiss civil and military officials below the fifth rank of Liaodong. As the direct boss of the governor of Liaodong, General Shengjing's mansion, no matter from which aspect, should find out the situation of civil and military officials above the seventh rank in Liaodong, otherwise it will be a dereliction of duty in the Shengjing General's Mansion.

As a result, the Shengjing General's Mansion directly issued an official letter, asking Yang Xingguo to report the list of civil and military officials above the seventh rank occupied by the Liaodong Army in all counties, so that the Shengjing General's Mansion could be reported to the imperial court for the record!

After throwing the official document aside, Yang Xingguo asked Zhou Zhongju: "According to the meaning of General Shengjing's Mansion, how many people do we have to report in total!" ”

Zhou Zhongju immediately took out a map of the administrative region that had been prepared a long time ago and said: "Commander, before we immigrated to Liaodong, there were many county towns in Liaodong, but they were vast and sparsely populated, and it was already the top of the sky to have 50,000 people in each county. Therefore, although the imperial court has set up a full thirty county towns in the area under our control, there are only three prefectures. ”

Yang Xingguo immediately replied: "In other words, we have to report a total of 33 people!" ”

"Not only that, according to the imperial court's allocation of civil and military officials to the county government, we have to report a total of more than 40 people. In addition, the imperial court also smashed several doors in Liaodong, all of which added up to more than 60 people! Zhou Zhongju shook his head and replied.

"What a mess, how can there be so many institutions in just thirty counties!" Yang Xingguo frowned, and said very dissatisfied.

Zhou Zhongju also replied with a disapproving expression: "I think so too." I have discussed with several county magistrates below that according to the division of administrative regions of the imperial court, it is very unfavorable to our current management. Not to mention anything else, the population of each county alone is several times larger than before. What we mean is that we will throw away all the previous administrative divisions of the imperial court and the various yamen, and we will make a new administrative division of each county ourselves! ”

In the past, when he only controlled a few counties, Yang Xingguo didn't need to think about it so much at all.

But now it's different, dozens of county seats, half of the province's territory, if you don't divide the administrative areas well, it may be nothing at first. After a long time, the government will have more things to manage, and the management of the entire Liaodong will definitely become chaotic because of the chaotic division of administrative regions.

Of course, if the administrative region is adjusted now, if it is taken to the court by someone with a heart, it will definitely cause a lot of turmoil, and even put a hat of rebellion on oneself.

But thinking of the various benefits brought by the smooth government decree after the redivision of the administrative region, Yang Xingguo immediately left those possible turmoil behind.

Of course, no matter how stupid Yang Xingguo is, he will not take the initiative to provoke the imperial court.

After some hesitation, a very sly smile quickly flashed on Yang Xingguo's serious face.

His eyes lit up, and he affirmed to Zhou Zhongju: "As long as it is good for us, it will change." As for the imperial court, you can hide it for as long as you can, you really can't hide it! ”

"The official document sent by the Shengjing General's Mansion, you can get a list and report it according to the requirements of the official document, as for ourselves, what should we do and what to do, I will take it from the imperial court!"

Zhou Zhongju said happily: "I'll get the list out right away after I go down!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Zhongju took out another map, pointed to the map and said, "Commander, this is the latest division of administrative regions that I discussed with the county magistrate below according to the geographical location. Because there are now dozens of county towns in eastern Liaodong, the population of which is small is 150,000, and the number is more than 200,000, after discussion, it was found that one prefecture is in charge of five county seats, and a population of about one million is the most suitable, and then the 30 county towns are divided into six prefectures. ”

"At that time, we only need to promote six people from the thirty county magistrates to be prefects, and our headquarters only needs to manage these six people!"

Yang Xingguo shook his head and vetoed: "Since you want to change it, then change it thoroughly." The county order has been changed to the county magistrate after learning from Europe and the United States, and the prefect will also be changed, so it will be changed to the mayor, and the government will be withdrawn and the city will be established! (To be continued.) )