Just after Christmas, a strong cold snap crossed the Daba Mountain and swept across the Chengdu Plain, dark clouds surged in the sky, and soon it rained freezing rain, occasionally mixed with hail the size of a few beans, and people knew that it was going to snow.

Xiao Yiming, who came to work at the governor's yamen early in the morning, was still familiar with the office environment, and found that the official offices of civil officials and wardens were all on the east side of the main hall, and the row of official offices he was in was located on the west side of the main hall, with a wide courtyard with a rockery fish pond and three towering camphor trees in the middle.

Maybe it was still early, and because of the rain, there were not many people in the east and west office areas of the governor's yamen, and Xiao Yiming walked around quietly.

When he returned to his office, he saw that the office with a few desks and two rows of document shelves was still empty, and only an elderly official put down the tablecloth to greet him.

Xiao Yiming politely returned the salute, came to his desk and sat down, opened the clean but empty drawer, and then looked at the tall document shelf by the wall, which also had nothing to do, and had to look at a set of exquisite pen holder inkstones on the table in a daze, and the happy time at the banquet at the German consulate yesterday came to his mind.

"Xiao Military Academy, summoned by the Lord of Taiwan!"

Xiao Yiming stood up abruptly and saluted the tall officer standing at the door with a smile: "Subordinate Xiao Yiming has seen an adult!" ”

The powerful officer in his early thirties with a dark face said with a smile: "Get to know, my name is Guo Tiecheng, I am the guard officer of the Lord of Taiwan, and the Han Army is from the Blue Banner, I am afraid that there will be many opportunities to get along with Xiao Military Academy in the future." ”

"Thank you, Lord for love! Thank you for your kind attention. ”

Xiao Yiming hurriedly changed his hand and walked behind Guo Tiecheng, thinking that this black-faced brother Guo was the personal entourage of the Governor, and as soon as they met, he introduced the Han Army to the Blue Banner, didn't he clearly tell himself that he and the Governor were from the same source? And his words are kind, his eyes are kind, and he does not have the arrogance of those big and small officers of the governor's yamen, obviously he has a good impression of himself, and it seems that his luck is really good.

The two turned around the long corridor, passed through the tall and wide main hall into the middle courtyard, and came to the gate of the side hall that occupied a small area and was antique, Guo Tiecheng signaled Xiao Yiming to wait a while and went in to report, and soon came out to lead Xiao Yiming inside.

Entering the small living room waiting to be summoned, turning a huge floor-to-ceiling landscape Shu embroidery screen, Xiao Yiming took two steps forward and knelt down on one leg: "Humble Xiao Yiming, see Lord Taiwan!" ”

Zhao Erxun put down the jade tube wolf in his hand, took off his reading glasses, gently put them on the table, leaned on the wide back of the chair and quietly looked at Xiao Yiming, who didn't dare to get up, and saw that he hurriedly threw the big braid hanging to the ground to his back, the braid was castrated, and he swung back and wrapped it firmly around his neck and suffocated it, and couldn't help laughing:

"Didn't you talk and laugh with the Germans yesterday? How did you see the old man like this? Get up. ”

"Master Xie, I'm ashamed of my humble position...... Xiao Yiming's cold sweat was scared.

Zhao Erxun hooked his hand: "Come closer, the old man's eyes are not as good as a year." ”

"Yes......"

Xiao Yiming hurriedly took a few steps forward, took off the big cap, and stood upright in front of the huge desk, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, his previous confidence disappeared without a trace, and he only felt an invisible pressure enveloping his body.

Zhao Erxun picked up a document and patted it gently: "This is what you wrote?" ”

Xiao Yiming hurriedly raised his head, saw the title of the cover, and hurriedly replied: "Yes, I still wrote it when I was in the police academy." ”

Zhao Erxun put down the document: "Although you advocate new learning and vernacular literature, you have to abide by the rules of officialdom when you are in officialdom." This article of more than 20,000 words is good in content, unique in insight, and quite enlightening for readers, but it is also only suitable for the military with little knowledge. In the future, you have to work more on the choice of words and sentences, and practice more words when you have time, otherwise your colleagues will laugh at them. ”

"It's a shame to be humble...... Don't dare to hide the adult, the lowly has been living on the street since childhood, if it weren't for the sister with a different surname six years ago, I'm afraid I don't have the ability to do it today, so, the foundation of the humble Chinese culture has been very bad, and now it is still difficult to read those articles that do not break the sentence, and the articles written are all vernacular. Xiao Yiming replied with a red face.

Zhao Erxun nodded slightly: "It's also rare...... I have called you here today to hear what you think of the new army's supervision. ”

Xiao Yiming's brain turned quickly, and he quickly organized the language through the moment when Zhao Erxun drank tea, and sorted out a rough organization before he dared to speak: "I am young and ignorant, and I am shallow, so I don't dare to make an axe in front of adults......"

"That's it! Bastard, let you say it, you just say, sycophants are not what you are good at. ”

"Yes......"

Xiao Yiming wiped the sweat stains on her face and reported loudly:

"I believe that the biggest shortcomings of the new army at present are as follows: Officers at all levels lack modern military knowledge, are complacent and blindly conservative, have lax military discipline, have lax training, do not comply with orders, and do not know what rewards and punishments have been given.

"In order to change the current situation of the weak army, it is imperative to revise military orders and train new-style officers at all levels who are suitable for the development and growth of the army. Before there is a set of formal and effective military education systems in the country, the fastest and most effective way is to start by training new-style officers at the grassroots level and truly humbly learn from the advanced military concepts and technical and tactical training methods of the great powers......

"My lord, what I said is all on paper, and it involves too much, and it is pure arrogance. If the adults allow, they are willing to contact the German and British military attachés in the province to obtain a complete set of military teaching materials, and then combine the national and military conditions, add, subtract and revise, and formulate a set of suitable regulations to quietly try. ”

Zhao Erxun stood up slowly, walked to the window lattice step by step, and looked at the green bamboo in the rain outside the window and was silent.

After a long time, he turned around and saw Xiao Yiming quietly squatting beside the desk, carefully adding charcoal to the casting copper furnace, his heavy heart warmed slightly, he came to Xiao Yiming's side, and said in a low voice:

"It's rare that you have such insight at a young age, and the old man values you in vain, this time I transferred you to the governor's yamen, just to use your new knowledge and vision, learn from the training experience of the great powers, and fully assist General Zhong Ying in opening a new-style military academy and preparing to expand the new army, I hope you will not live up to the old man's expectations."

Xiao Yiming puffed up his chest: "Master Xie cultivates!" I will do my best. ”

"Good! Is there anything I need to solve? Zhao Erxun returned to his seat.

Xiao Yiming hesitated slightly, and in Zhao Erxun's encouraging smile, he took a step forward: "My lord, I want to recommend two people to my lord, and ask my lord to escort them to this non-commissioned officer school for further study." ”

Zhao Erxun was quite surprised: "What's the matter?" ”

"That's the case, originally this year's police academy had a plan, to send the first few graduates to the book for further study, and then the first general office Zhou Daren transferred to Quanye Dao in advance, and the matter was gone, and all the graduates also returned to their hometowns to serve as inspectors, among which the most outstanding Yucheng graduates Liu Bingxian and Luzhou graduates Zeng Chaoran were the most pity.

"A few days ago, I learned from chatting with General Zhong that the military department of the imperial court has started the affairs of selecting outstanding students from all over the country to study in the eighth phase of the non-commissioned officer school, but there is no selection of police and political and legal majors.

After Xiao Yiming finished speaking, he quietly glanced at Zhao Erxun's expression.

Zhao Erxun stroked his long beard, considered it for a moment, and asked rhetorically, "What about yourself?" The two people you mentioned are also the outstanding students of the Police Academy that I personally commended, but they are under you in all aspects, don't you want to get a precious opportunity to stay abroad? ”

"Do you want to hear the truth, or do you want to hear lies?" Xiao Yiming asked bravely.

Zhao Erxun was happy, knocked on the table and scolded: "Bastard boy dares to tease the old man?" Okay, you can say it, tell the truth and the falsehood. ”

Xiao Yiming finally put her mind at ease: "In front of adults, students only have the truth, and they never dare to tell lies: now the world is different, as long as you stay abroad, no matter whether you can learn the real thing or not, anyway, when you come back, your body is like a layer of gold, and you have the qualifications that everyone envy when you become an official, so thousands of people across the country flock to it."

"Students have indeed dreamed of studying abroad, but students have found that few people who have returned from studying abroad have learned real things, even if students do not stay abroad, they can also learn advanced knowledge of European and American countries through various channels, understand the general development and scientific achievements of various countries, and more importantly, students can continue to learn, learn from and summarize in practice, which may be more effective and direct than simply studying abroad."

Zhao Erxun nodded: "It makes sense, just be pragmatic, you are better than others, which is gratifying!" As for the two graduates you mentioned, the old man is still quite impressed, so let's wait for the old man to send a telegram to the military department, if there is time, give these two people a chance, and come back after a few years of study, maybe they can bring some new atmosphere to the new army in this province. ”

"Thank you for your cultivation!" Xiao Yiming hurriedly thanked him.

"Come on, they're your best friends, aren't they?" Zhao Erxun looked at Xiao Yiming with a smile.

Xiao Yiming replied: "The eyes of adults are like torches, and they are selfish. ”

Zhao Erxun laughed: "Selfishness can't be talked about, who doesn't drill camp for selfishness?" You don't, at most it's just a friend's righteous anger. ”

"Thank you, sir!"

Xiao Yiming saw Zhao Erxun pick up the teacup again, and hurriedly said goodbye: "Thank you for your teachings, if you don't have ...... adults"

"What's the hurry? Today is Xiu Mu, you don't have to rush to work, don't you want to talk with the old man for a while? Zhao Erxun gave Xiao Yiming a roll of his eyes.

Xiao Yiming suddenly realized, patted her head, and felt sorry for herself: "I said, why is there no one in the official room, it turns out that I am confused." ”

Zhao Erxun shook his head with a smile, signaled to the guards not to add tea, picked up a document on the other side of the desk and looked at it: "What are you going to do when you buy the wasteland east of the North School Field?" ”

Xiao Yiming didn't expect the teacher Zhou Shanpei to be approved by the Chengdu government so quickly and reported it, and hurriedly explained in detail:

"Back to my lord, I have two ideas for leveling that place. The first is to set up a hardware processing factory that specializes in sheltering disabled soldiers and poor young people, and then build a leather goods factory that uses German sewing machines, so that these people can have a way to live, and can also produce some new tools and military equipment that cannot be produced in this province. At present, there are two larger factories in the city that are also doing this, and they are also designated munitions supply factories for various departments of our army, but their main business is not munitions, and the products are generally old and the prices are not low.

"The second idea is to build two large roads with drainage tunnels three feet wide around that area, and then level the land along the road a little, or build houses, or sell them, and it is estimated that one-third of the land sold can make up for the investment in building two factories."

Zhao Erxun was greatly admired: "This is a good idea, not to mention that you are kind-hearted, just to build roads, resell land to make up for the construction of the factory, so that the old man admires your ability to make money, no wonder those mercenary foreigners like you so much, it seems that you have to use this ability more in political affairs." This time, Zhong Ying asked the old man to ask you to come over to help, I'm afraid that making money is also a big reason, right? ”

"Yes, the humble post gave General Zhong an idea, tear down the wall facing the street of the former military academy on Bingbei Street, widen the road to two zhang five, and then build a row of two-story new arcades, and after the investment auction, sell all the conjoined arcades, whoever sells them at a high price is estimated to earn back 5,000 German Mauser rifles and 20 heavy machine guns." Xiao Yiming confessed truthfully.

Zhao Erxun laughed:

"I said, no wonder Zhong Ying, this bastard boy, is full of praise for you, it is estimated that he has made a lot of money in it! Okay, in the past few days, you will go to the south campus to assist Zhong Ying, first take out the enrollment method of the Army Crash School, and solve the way out of the hundreds of noisy martial arts students, after the rain stops, immediately find someone to repair the barracks, level the camp, and make all the preparations. ”

Xiao Yiming puffed up his chest: "The humble position will live up to the ardent expectations of adults!" ”

"Okay, let's go, the old man is going to go to the East Campus for a walk before the Spring Festival, and things won't be done well by then, Wei you are asking!"

"Understood!"

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