On January 5, 1852, snowflakes fell silently. The snowflakes flying in the sky, one after another, like dandelions, and like countless young and indescribable lives, trembled, rose and fell, and rippled in the vast night sky.

Li Yunzhong's expression was so pleasant, quietly admiring the early morning snow, as if he felt that a white giant wing was covering the earth in the dark, and before he knew it, there was already a white expanse in front of him. The heavy snow does not have a trace of chill, but the leisurely snowflakes bring a poetic tranquility to this quiet palace. Half of the city smokers, on the jagged roof tiles, the canopies of trees are dyed white by snowflakes.

Lin Daji, Zhang Suimou, and Zuo Zongtang came to the Han Mansion early in the snow.

Zhang Suimou asked Lin Daji in a low voice: "It seems that this heavy snow will not stop for a while and a half, I don't know if this military academy will open as scheduled." ”

Lin Daji was afraid of the residual snow left on his body, and replied: "Your Highness's attention to the military academy is far beyond our imagination, not to mention that it is snowing or raining heavily, I don't think King Han will change his mind!" ”

Zhang Suimou's energy in the past few months has been all focused on forming a militia, and he doesn't know much about the affairs of the military academy, listening to Lin Daji's affirmative tone, it aroused his interest, and asked: "In addition to assigning a place as big as the inner city to the military academy, what else is worthy of the Han King's attention?" ”

Lin Daji saw Zuo Zongtang walking in front, slowed down, and whispered: "Do you know who the principal of this military academy is?" ”

Seeing his cautious expression, Zhang Suimou only wanted to say about the trivial matter of the principal sesame mung bean, and asked rhetorically: "Just one academy, any military commander can take on this important responsibility, do you want the secretary of the military department to come to power in person!" ”

Seeing Lin Daji laughing at himself and shaking his head to deny it, Zhang Suimou became completely serious, looked at Zuo Zongtang who was happy in front of him, and said worriedly: "It won't be Zuo Jigao, he is a squire in the military department, and it is more than enough to be the principal, but this kind of thing will be troublesome, will we use it or not for the students who graduate from the military academy in the future?" ”

Lin Daji saw that he was making a big fuss, and told the truth about the question that he had only figured out after thinking about it all night last night, "This military academy is not only subtle in the selection of addresses, but even His Royal Highness personally asks about the appropriation, as for the content taught in the military academy, all the equipment used is personally negotiated between His Royal Highness and foreigners, do you think that His Royal Highness will choose someone else for the position of principal?" ”

Zhang Suimou was surprised: "You mean that His Royal Highness has appointed himself as the principal!" These students are amazing, protégés of the Son of Heaven! ”

Lin Daji and Zhang Suimou glanced at each other, and they were all shocked. One of them is the secretary of the military department, and the other is the chief of staff of the Han army, and the two can be said to control all the forces of the Han Dynasty.

His Royal Highness is so nervous about a military academy, let alone hundreds of thousands of regular troops, you must remember to report the situation of the army to Your Highness in the future, so as not to be thrown into the 'cold palace' without knowing it.

"This heavy snow is good, a big snow mega year! This year, the life of the common people will be a little better. Li Yunzhong waved his hand to stop Zuo Zongtang and the others who were about to bow down to say hello.

Zhang Suimou lived in a landlord family and had a better understanding of the situation of tenant farmers, seeing Li Yunzhong praising a good harvest this year, the people's lives would be better, sighed, showed a disapproving look, saw Li Yunzhong looked at him puzzled, and explained:

"Tenant farmers work hard, no matter the good or bad years, they always starve and freeze, and food and clothing have become their only hope in life! This is because the landlords and gentry are so cunning.

In good years, the landlords will forcibly increase the rent, leaving only a little ration for the tenant farmers, so that they will not starve to death! The grain stores in the city also took the opportunity to suppress the price of grain.

In disaster years, landlords are reluctant to reduce rents, and regard the rent owed to them by tenant farmers as usury, and the profits often force tenant farmers to have no way out. The grain stores in the city even took the opportunity to sell grain at sky-high prices.

What is even more odious is the errand of the yamen, they don't care about the good years and disasters, they forcibly take away the people's rations, punch and kick them if they are not satisfied, catch them in the yamen and lock them up, and know that the people of the road are only released after borrowing usury......"

Li Yunzhong listened to Zhang Suimou's eloquent talk, the more he listened, the more uncomfortable he became, he never thought that in addition to charcoal burners, there were people in the world who had such a hard time, so he cleaned up his mood and asked: "Can this happen under the rule of our Han Dynasty?" ”

"It's hard to return, even if Your Highness has ordered the exemption of taxes for three years, most of these are cheap landlords and profiteers." Zhang Suimou also thought that the people's lives were too hard and should be changed, so he told the truth, "It's better to ask Your Highness to forcibly let the landlord reduce the rent!" ”

Looking at the snow-white scenery, Li Yunzhong was no longer in the mood to appreciate it, remembering that the six departments had already been established, and it was inconvenient to interfere with their actions, and said, "Let the household department solve these problems!" ”

Zuo Zongtang, Lin Daji, and Zhang Suimou saw Li Yunzhong walking into the snow and hurriedly followed.

The inner city, the former residence of General Jiangning.

Jack walked up and down by the door and window, cursing loudly about the weather, and William and Milton were roasting on the coal-fire, whispering something in the opposite mood of Jack.

Jack came to the stove and complained, "You're not worried at all? The weather outside is so bad, if the military school gets into trouble at the opening ceremony, then a few of us will be famous, and if it spreads to London, we may become the laughing stock of those prostitutes? ”

"Dear Jack, we can forgive you for pulling us out of the warm bed early in the morning, but please think about it with your brain, the weather outside is so bad, do you think Your Highness will hold the opening ceremony as scheduled?" William looked at the restless Jack complainingly, and then laughed again, "Only you are so serious about this military school, Your Excellency General?" Ha Lu Ha ...... Do you really think that His Highness of China will award you, a guy who lost a battle on the battlefield for the first time, a general? Don't dream! Let's calculate how much gold and silver we can earn. ”

Jack blushed and denied: "It's not my fault that we lost the battle, it was the guide who led us to get lost, and we actually encountered the enemy's main force!" And you don't know the Orientals, they have a saying that a gentleman is quick and whipped! Since he has promised me, he will definitely award me the rank of major general! ”

Liu Chongyue ran in panting, and said to a few foreigners: "Your Highness is almost here, and our students are already lining up on the playground." ”

William and Milton looked at each other, they couldn't understand Chinese, and they could only look at Jack together.

"Okay, you go back first, I'll be there right away!"

Jack showed excitement, although he felt that this weather was not suitable for the ceremony, but this also indirectly refuted William, confirmed that what he just said was right, and raised face in front of the two friends, which deepened his trust in Li Yunzhong.

……

Seeing that there were only 50 people on the playground, Li Yunzhong looked at Jack in confusion and asked, "Didn't I ask you to pick 300 people?" Why are there only 50 people here? You're not going to cut corners, are you? ”

Although Jack didn't understand the meaning of cutting corners, he still explained to Li Yunzhong: "Your Highness, you have to know that the beginning of a good road is half the success, I plan to recruit only 50 people in the first phase, 100 people in the second phase, and 200 people in the third phase!" We still lack instructors, especially those who are familiar with China's methods of warfare, and you don't want to teach students who are all waste! ”

"Don't you have more than 80 coaches, plus dozens of people who are rushing to Nanjing from Europe, how can it not be enough?" Li Yunzhong asked puzzled.

Jack shrugged his shoulders and criticized others for not forgetting to take credit for himself: "Your Highness is not without everyone who devotes all their energy to your cause like me, they also have to drink and have fun, and they don't want to be busy from getting up until they go to bed to rest. ”

Li Yunzhong nodded, expressing his agreement with what he said, and was relieved to remember that there were only a dozen cadets in the first batch of the famous American Military Academy at West Point in his previous life.

"You are the head of education, and you will be in charge of these small things in the future."

Jack secretly complained that Li Yunzhong was talking big, you obviously care about everything in school, how can it be my turn to call the shots.