Valentine's Day on February 14, 1931, the twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month.

Wang Fan, assistant minister of foreign affairs of the Ming Empire, and Fabio, prime minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Count Cavour signed his name on the armistice document in front of many journalists, witnessing and cheering.

This one is called hot. The signing of the armistice of the Treaty of Naya meant the official end of this short but extremely fierce war between the Ming Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Both sides ended the state of war and began to repatriate their respective prisoners of war, and everything returned to the pre-war state. At least on the surface.

In the midst of this war, the Sardinians shook the world with a magical start. Just when the whole world thought that they were going to create a miracle, a little man who was really unknown stood up when the Ming army was defeated. With more than 10,000 soldiers, supported by the powerful firepower of the navy, they stopped the seemingly unstoppable footsteps of the demoralized Sardinians. It turned the tide of the war and destroyed the hopes of the Sardinians who had worked hard for decades.

After a fierce battle, the confident Sardinian army was met head-on. Their army was routed under the heavy bombardment of numerous large-caliber heavy artillery.

The Sardinians, who had been waiting for decades to unify Italy, dissipated their efforts to regain everything lost from the Ming Empire. The defeat of the army that had been painstakingly built up for decades directly led to the kingdom falling into complete turmoil.

The people of the kingdom starved to feed the army in order to hear the good news and hope that the army would bring them a good life. But the defeat of the army meant that all these decades of hard work and investment were wasted. The people of the kingdom, who already had nothing, could not accept all this. They set up riots everywhere and plundered anything useful. plunged the whole country into great turmoil.

Hot. The Treaty of Naya stipulated that the Kingdom of Sardinia would give the Sardinian port of Cagliari a concession to the Ming Empire's navy for a period of 99 years. Wang Fan originally didn't want to ask for land, but this was the Navy's request.

The treaty also stipulates that the navy of the Kingdom of Sardinia shall not retain warships of the 1,000-ton class, and it is also not allowed to possess submarines. The army of the Kingdom of Sardinia, on the other hand, was forbidden to possess artillery of more than 100 mm caliber and was not allowed to possess tanks. At the same time, the number of troops must not exceed 10,000 people.

In fact, if the Ming Dynasty does not do it, the Sardinians themselves will have to take the initiative to limit it. The country in turmoil has made it impossible for them to continue to support such an army.

One of the most important points in the treaty is the payment of reparations.

As the initiator of the war, but also the initiator of the defeat, the Kingdom of Sardinia was characterized as an invasion. Plus there is no strong state willing to help them. Fabio. Under the threat of intimidation from Wang Fan, the Count of Cavour finally accepted a huge war indemnity totaling 77 million silver dollars!

Such an astronomical amount of reparations was simply not affordable for the already exhausted Kingdom of Sardinia. Even if they smash the pot and sell iron, they can't make up such a large amount of money. So you can only choose to borrow.

After some internal exchanges, the Commerce Bank, which was controlled by the Zhang family in Songjiang Prefecture, finally took over the huge loan. The interest on the loan is 5% and the term is 20 years.

The actual amount borrowed by the Kingdom of Sardinia was ninety million silver dollars, and it was ninety-fifty percent off when it was billed. That is to say, when the money fell into the hands of the Sardinians, it was already four and a half million silver dollars less. This is an international practice.

Of the remaining money, 77 million were paid directly into the hands of the Ming Empire. Where this money went, except for all necessary expenses, it was not something that Zhang Cheng could know. Zhang Cheng, as a meritorious person, also received a bonus of 30,000 silver dollars. As for the medal or something, it hasn't been issued yet.

The only thing the Sardinians could really get in their hands was 8.5 million silver dollars. This money was used by the Kingdom of Sardinia to stabilize the situation in the country.

Lost the battle, suffered heavy losses, and at the same time lost hope for the future, for the dividends of the war. Under such circumstances, the people of Sardinia, who were already poor and could not survive, and were full of hope that they would be able to reap the dividends of the war against the Chinese, would naturally become violent. Move. The Kingdom of Sardinia, on the other hand, was in dire need of money to maintain an army to suppress rebellions and rebellions. Move.

The Zhang family made a lot of money with just a change of hands, and this is just the beginning. Naturally, borrowing money has to be collateralized, especially if it is such a huge amount of money.

The Sardinians pledged their customs duties to the Commerce Bank. From now on, before they pay off this huge amount of arrears, the market of the Kingdom of Sardinia will completely belong to the Zhang family. The Zhang family, who has mastered the tariffs, will issue zero tariffs on the goods of their own enterprises, and I don't know how many times it will be for others.

Don't forget, this loan comes with interest. And the interest is very high, and the interest rate is calculated. Lin Lin finally calculated that the various future benefits far exceeded the 77 million indemnity, and the Zhang family was the biggest beneficiary of this war.

Zhang Cheng can't control these things anymore. He is now busy making post-war arrangements. The bereavement of the soldiers who died in the war, the medical expenses and future living expenses of the disabled soldiers, the settlement of the salaries and bonuses of the mercenaries participating in the war, the statistical handover of various military materials, and so on, were so complicated that Zhang Cheng's scalp was numb. He's really not very good at these things.

Fortunately, Zhang Tao, who had been performing badly before this time, and was more like playing soy sauce, took the initiative to take over these things. Guarding the warehouse all year round and dealing with all kinds of materials, Zhang Tao, who sits in the office and writes reports, does have two brushes to deal with these things.

"Sir." Zhang Tao, who had a smile on his face, came to Zhang Cheng, who was frowning and reading the report, and asked with a smile, "The salaries of the mercenaries transferred by the command have arrived, and we are ready to pay the salaries to the mercenaries, how much do you think we should deduct?" ”

"How much?" Zhang Cheng, who was having a headache with a group of data, was stunned when he heard this, turned to look at Zhang Tao on the side, and wondered, "What deduction and how much?" ”

"Sir." Zhang Tao tried hard to maintain the smile on his face, coughed and said, "The old rule in the army, when the salary is paid, the commanders have to leave some for themselves. I want to ask you how much you are going to stay, how much? Zhang Tao's voice became lower and lower when he reached the back, and his head hung deeply, not daring to look at Zhang Cheng's gaze. Because he had already felt the thick chill emanating from Zhang Cheng's body!

"Huh~~~" Zhang Cheng clenched his fists and raised his head slightly, trying to calm his emotions. "This is the way it is in this era, don't be impulsive." Zhang Cheng remembered what he had encountered when he was a mercenary, and the anger in his heart surged up. However, he quickly suppressed it strongly, unwilling to show it at this time.

"It must change all that, after I have the power. This decaying empire does not deserve such brave soldiers. After Zhang Cheng set a goal for himself again, he looked at Zhang Tao with cold eyes, and said coldly, "Don't keep a single dollar." Send it all down, whoever dares to stretch out his hand on this money, Lao Tzu will kill him! ”

"Yes, yes, don't dare." Zhang Tao hurriedly responded. He really didn't dare to provoke Zhang Cheng.

"Wait a minute." Zhang Cheng stopped Zhang Tao, who hurriedly turned around and was about to leave, and said in a deep voice: "All the mercenaries who participated in the war will be given an extra ten silver dollars each, the wounded will be given an extra fifty silver dollars for the bereavement, and the soldiers who died in the battle will be burned and buried with an additional two hundred silver dollars." I'll pay for it. ”

"Huh?" Zhang Tao looked at Zhang Cheng stupidly, with a look of disbelief. I've never heard of an officer paying for the mud-legged men themselves. Is Zhang Cheng stupid? For hundreds of years, the officers of the Ming Dynasty drank the blood of soldiers and ate empty salaries. That is, before the real battle, he will give the money to sell his life.

Although in the last 100 years, this kind of thing has gradually converged. There is no empty salary, but things like this kind of drinking soldiers' blood have become a kind of conventional latent potential. Rules. It's just that no one dares to make it too obvious. But things like Zhang Cheng, not only don't pick up the benefits in vain, but pay for the mud legs by himself, at least Zhang Tao has never seen or heard of it. That's your own money, not the money of the court!

Somehow, Zhang Tao, who was greatly shocked in his heart, suddenly raised his hand stupidly and stretched out his hand to Zhang Cheng's forehead, wanting to see if he had a fever.

"What for!" Zhang Cheng waved his hand away, frowning and looking at Zhang Tao with a dull expression, "Are you crazy?" ”

"Huh? Yes? Zhang Tao, who came back to his senses, hurriedly saluted, "I'm sorry, sir, I'll do it now." After saying that, he hurriedly ran away. Zhang Cheng, who has received a complete moral education in modern time and space, feels that things that he doesn't care about very much are simply more important than his life for Zhang Tao, who lives in this era of chasing profits! In this era, money is more important than life.

Not everyone can use advanced knowledge to earn a lot of wealth for themselves and live a luxurious life like Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng's idea is very simple, he is not willing to let the hero shed blood and tears!

Although the newspapers and radio boasted about him very much. What 10,000 breaks 60,000, what a master tactician in the new era, and what an inspirer of a new military revolution. Zhang Cheng knew that these boastful words could not be taken seriously.

It was the ordinary soldiers who really won this war! Without their sacrifice of life and death, without their heroic struggle. With Zhang Cheng alone, even if he drives the Gundam, he can't do it.

Unlike this era of indifference that only focuses on profits, Zhang Cheng, who has also been a mercenary, understands very well how hard the lives of ordinary soldiers are. The meager salary in exchange for his life still has someone to do, Zhang Cheng has been completely disappointed in this empire.

Giving money to mercenaries is not a sale of fame or a desire to buy people's hearts. Zhang Cheng just wanted to thank the warriors who fought hard to defend the Chinese nation for the Chinese nation. We can't let these soldiers, who have given everything for the nation-state, end up with endless indifference.