1890 King of Southeast Asia

"Military officer, military officer, please be kind and raise your hands. We are from the Wang family in Shuzhong..."

At the Zhao Erfeng army station, a middle-aged man was grabbing the sleeve of a young officer and stuffing things into him.

"What are you doing?! Take your hands away, your clothes are damaged!" The young man was in his twenties, wearing a patched cotton jacket and a dog-skin hat. As he pulled, there were several more holes on the cotton jacket.

The departure was hasty, and the best cotton jackets were not enough. The guards and those preparing for war had to be given priority. The logistics were all old cotton jackets full of patches.

If it weren't for the pistol on his waist, no one would have been able to tell whether he was a soldier or an officer.

"Military officer, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, this is your compensation. I'm really sorry, the conditions here are limited, and I'll treat you to a drink when you come to Chengdu." The middle-aged man kept bowing, stuffed a bag of silver, and turned to leave.

"Come back!" The young man was stunned and yelled immediately.

He regretted it right after he yelled. He spoke too harshly and felt a little chest tightness.

"Take the silver back. I am a regular quartermaster. I am requisitioning your cavalry, not a bandit! What's wrong with you? Ah!!" The young officer calmed down for a moment, but became more and more angry.

"Sir, take care of yourself, take care of yourself. Anger hurts your body." The middle-aged man felt aggrieved, but he still tried to comfort the young officer.

After a while, the young officer recovered.

"Okay, stop talking nonsense. We were ordered by the provisional government to go to Sunlight City to quell the rebellion and drive away the British."

"We set off in a hurry. We have requisitioned your cavalry. Do you see that tent? Take this note and go get the money." The young officer had a severe chest pain and didn't want to say more.

"This... are you really the imperial army? Going to quell the rebellion?" The middle-aged man took the note and looked at the people with guns around him.

Although his clothes were messy, the weapon in his hand was real. With his many years of experience, he could tell at a glance that it was a new gun, and a quick gun, not one of those old-fashioned muskets in stock.

What? Why did he know?

Tea-horse trade requires capital. There are countless bandits along the way. It is not possible to trade with those herdsmen without reliable weapons.

After entering the era of firearms, the caravans were also equipped with muskets. The source...

As we all know, the army of the Qing Empire is good at doing business, and many herdsmen will also buy guns.

Therefore, the middle-aged man also has some guns in his hands, all from the Qing Empire's arsenal.

"What else? I worked hard to climb the snow-capped mountains just to see this desolate scenery?" The young man retorted.

"No, no, no, I said the wrong thing... Since you are going to suppress the rebellion, then okay! I can't hold you back. I wish you success!" The middle-aged man gritted his teeth and nodded, and then he was like a deflated ball.

"Okay, take the note and go get the money." The young officer waved his hand and turned away.

The middle-aged man walked to the tent pointed by the young officer with a wry smile on his face. A middle-aged man in his forties was leisurely roasting a fire and drinking tea.

"This sir..." The middle-aged man came forward to greet him, but he didn't know what to say.

"What?" The middle-aged officer looked at him puzzledly.

"Well, the horses of our caravan were requisitioned, and the military lord gave me a note..." The middle-aged man took out the note and looked at the middle-aged officer expectantly.

"Let me see? There are 519 healthy horses, including 420 pack horses and 99 war horses. Why don't you get one more war horse?" The middle-aged officer said subconsciously.

"This..." The middle-aged man smiled and said nothing more.

War horses are hard to buy and even harder to raise. There are not many, but they are not so few.

In fact, war horses are hard to sell. The market is so big, and they are still controlled products.

These horses were purchased by some landlords and gentry, but it is definitely not possible to say that.

"According to the market price, pack horses are 15 taels each, but you haven't transported them down, and the food and chewing of the people on the way must be at least 1 tael of silver, and... forget it, I'll give you 14 taels."

"You are lucky to meet my master, and my master is kind enough to give you the market price, but you can't bring the price in Chengdu here, right?"

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"War horses, the price is difficult..." The middle-aged officer looked at the middle-aged man.

"30 taels, this is an ordinary war horse, which sells for more than 30 taels in Chengdu." The middle-aged man looked at the officer in surprise.

He thought that he could just give the man in front of him a few dollars to show his respect, after all, it was like this before.

The purpose of his coming here was mainly to get a document, and when he returned, he would ask the master to ask for it, which was also an explanation.

Unexpectedly, from the look of the middle-aged officer, he wanted to give him 14 taels, which was not a small amount, and it was only 15 or 16 taels when it was transported to Chengdu.

"Okay, thirty taels, four hundred and twenty pack horses, priced at five thousand eight hundred and eighty taels, ninety-nine war horses, priced at two thousand nine hundred and ten taels, a total of eight thousand eight hundred and fifty taels."

"Did I calculate it wrong?" The middle-aged officer fiddled with the abacus and calculated it easily.

"Yes, yes, it is eight thousand eight hundred and fifty taels." The middle-aged man pinched the corner of his clothes and looked at the officer expectantly.

"Hmm..." The middle-aged officer fiddled with the abacus a few more times.

The middle-aged man looked at the abacus and his heart sank.

The original eight thousand eight hundred and fifty suddenly became six thousand three hundred and twenty.

"Is this a commission? How should I explain it when I go back?" The middle-aged man thought bitterly.

As a result, the middle-aged officer took out a bag from under the table and took out colorful banknotes from it.

The middle-aged man had also seen the world and knew that this was foreign currency. After a closer look, it was Nanhua money, the most circulated foreign currency in the world.

In the industrial plan, Lin Pingzhi directly used paper money to pay wages and settle accounts, and a large amount of paper money circulated in the Huaxia area.

At first, people did not recognize it very much. After getting it, they would go to the bank to exchange it for silver as soon as possible. Later, more and more were exchanged, and there was no discount or unredeemable phenomenon, so it was recognized by people.

Now, because the trade between Huaxia and Nanhua is more prosperous, and the interim government has promoted it intentionally or unintentionally, small vendors in prosperous areas have recognized it.

"Eight thousand eight hundred and fifty taels, according to the exchange rate, converted into Nanhua currency, six thousand three hundred and twenty, you count it." The middle-aged officer counted the money three times before handing it to the middle-aged man.

"Yes, yes, no need to order. For the sake of the people of this world, you have marched to suppress the rebellion without any danger. My Wang family admires you very much. This is a little gift from my family. I hope you will win the battle."

The middle-aged man took the money in disbelief and took out a bag of silver, which was the one that he had just given to the young quartermaster but had not given away.

The middle-aged officer shook it casually. According to his experience, this was fifty taels, and it was all loose silver.

"Wang family? The Wang family in Shu? Leave your address and the name of the head of the family. The Plateau Border Defense Army has received this donation for reinforcements." The middle-aged officer put down the silver and picked up the pen.

Is the middle-aged officer not greedy? No, not really.

They are all officials transferred from the Qing Empire. How can they not be greedy?

In the past, the requisition of cavalry was really a direct requisition. At most, you would be given a document and asked to go to the governor's office to ask for it. As for whether you can get it or not, it depends on your ability.

Even if they get it, when to give it and how much you can get depends on your background.

But didn't they change their affiliation? They have to control themselves strictly at this time. Money is good, but it is not as important as life!

Zhao Erfeng emphasized three times a day that strict military discipline should be enforced. Anyone who dares to violate it will be severely punished. Several people have been chopped off in recent days.

And Zhao Erfeng is not "poor" and particular. Various logistical supplies have never been interrupted. The military pay has also increased from one and a half taels to two taels (the military pay of combat soldiers) to seven taels, and a lot of rewards have been issued.

I heard that when we reach the plateau and the war officially begins, the military pay of ordinary regular soldiers will increase to ten taels, and there will be no subsidies.

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Not to mention the officers, it's better to make a fortune, right?

As for windfall, Zhao Erfeng has also said that the spoils of war, in addition to various cultural relics and ancient artifacts, all the property of the rebels will be divided in proportion, 70% will be returned to the public, and the other 30%...

Those lamas and nobles are rich!

A good "money" road is waiting, and the low-risk logistics officers strictly demand themselves for the first time and must not commit any crime.

...

"Sir, the cavalry of the Pudawa tribe has arrived, 300 cavalry, and there are many teenagers among them." The guard reported softly.

"Humph! Don't know what you mean!" Zhao Erfeng snorted coldly.

Today is the deadline he gave, which is the seventh day. The Pudawa tribe came on time.

Moreover, although the number is more than he required, there are many teenagers among them, which is not a normal phenomenon.

"Forget it, after crossing the snow-capped mountains, the army also needs a place to rest. As long as they don't make small moves, I will spare their lives." Zhao Erfeng said with disgust.

Zhao Erfeng is very clear about the bad things of those local chieftains and nobles. Most of them not only do not produce, but also hinder progress, hinder the spread of culture, enslave the people, and are greedy.

Similarly, he hates these chieftains and nobles very much, whether they are Mongolian princes or plateau lamas.

Especially the plateau lamas, after all, he has been dealing with them all his life.

Serfdom is only preserved here. The population of the Pudawa tribe is nearly 10,000, and there may be less than 1,000 non-serfs, including lamas.

Zhao Erfeng doesn't care about the serfs, but Sun Zaizhi cares about them and wants him to abolish serfdom when the time is right.

Zhao Erfeng readily agreed. He still didn't care about the situation of the serfs, but thought that these traitors didn't deserve preferential treatment.

If Zhao Erfeng guessed correctly, these cavalrymen should be composed of serfs who were temporarily pulled out.

"Commander, we have collected 2,000 horses, which is almost enough, but the logistics team doesn't have so many horsemen." At this time, the middle-aged officer who distributed the money came in.

Horses are precious things, at least more precious than people, and so are food, clothing, housing and transportation.

"It's just right, throw those children to the logistics team and let them raise horses." Zhao Erfeng said with his eyes bright.

"Order, kill pigs and sheep, reward the army, and move the camp early the day after tomorrow and cross the snow-capped mountains. After the snow-capped mountains, the road will be much easier to walk." Zhao Erfeng ordered...