This season is the time of spring ploughing. There are busy farmers everywhere in the farmland, and the healthy farm girl carrying a food basket to bring meals to her family, running back and forth between the fields, with a healthy blush on her face and a healthy body. Wrapped in sackcloth skirts, a group of four slowly passed by on horseback, and all of them could not help slowing down. Sharba, a rude man, followed the way he used to be in the army. The girls whistled.
Xia Ya laughed: "You are a bull, it seems that you are also thinking about spring. Next time you pay for the army, you should save it well, don't go to Zhifen Street and throw it into the pockets of those bitches as soon as you send the money."
Sharba didn't care, but shook his head: "As soldiers like us, licking blood on the edge of the blade, we go out to fight for eight or nine months out of twelve months of the year. Maybe a cold arrow will be shot on the battlefield that day. I was called by the Lord. Where can there be a girl from a good family who is willing to marry someone like us?"
After a pause, there was a hint of sadness on this bull's face: "Besides, even if you have a girl you like in your heart, you can't bear to harm others. This year, I've been waiting at home, looking forward to it day and night, and I'm afraid every day, I'm afraid that it won't be the one who will come back. My husband, the bad news messenger in the army... Well, look at Julia..."
When he mentioned his friend who died in battle, Xiaya's expression was also sad, he sighed, and looked at this bull-like man. Seeing that Shaerba's face at the moment did not look like the usual haze, there was a faint look in his eyes. With a hint of loss, Xia Ya asked in a low voice, "Hey, Man Niu, you seem to..."
Sharba smiled bitterly, his eyes drifted to the few people walking on the ridge in the distance, one of them was a tall farm girl, the farm girl was wearing a thick skirt and a plaid turban on her head, walking all the way. , a few girls with blushing cheeks pointed at the four well-dressed people walking by the roadside, full of curiosity, and there were faint laughing voices.
Sharba sighed and withdrew his eyes. There was a hint of pain in his expression, and then he said in a low voice, "In my village, there is a girl named Rona. Back then, if I hadn't run out to join the army... I'm afraid she has already married her, and even children are crawling all over the floor by now."
Xia Ya was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing and comforting: "Don't act like a girl, it will be in Moore County, and there will be no major battles if you think about it, I will give you a good job later, you can save it. Some money, go home and marry that girl named Rona, and I will hold a beautiful wedding for you!"
He thought that this would appease Shaerba, but the bull shook his head with an indifferent expression: "No need... I went back to visit relatives two years ago, and she was already married."
Xia Ya was speechless, looking at this usually careless and heartless man, but suddenly he didn't know what words to use to comfort the other party, and just sighed secretly.
As soon as they entered More County, the speed of everyone's journey slowed down. Xia Ya, in particular, didn't pay too much attention to the surrounding scenery when he went south from here, but when he came back this time, he saw that all the farmland in the villages and towns would be his own jurisdiction in the future, so he couldn't help but think more. He has been in the army for a while, and naturally he has developed some habits. Besides, the post granted this time is also a military commander, so after walking through some mountains and rivers, he couldn't help but imagine in his mind: here you can set up camp, there is suitable for Blocking, there is still a position to be in danger...
Moreover, I couldn't help but feel a little more "looking at my own territory". Seeing that Moor County is very rich, if it is not located on the border, such a rich production area, I am afraid that it will not be my turn, and I would have been caught by those warlords long ago. Occupy it.
Along the way, the more Xia Ya watched, the more smug he felt, and he couldn't help but laugh beyond his words, expressing some emotions.
It's just like "my site", the three companions next to it directly choose to ignore it. In fact, this kind of remark is quite inappropriate. After all, this place belongs to the empire, and Xia Ya only serves as the military commander. Although he is in charge of the military affairs of a county, he is not the head of government affairs. The empire has another administrative department here. The county governor, but seeing that Xia Ya was in a very high mood, the three people next to him couldn't break his good mood.
Passing by a village, here is still the peasant-military system that has been implemented in the empire for a hundred years. There is also a land playground at the entrance of the village. I think it was used to train the peasants and soldiers during the slack. When passing through the village, Xi Ya finally played his own. Identity, the captain of the military station in the village is naturally very respectful, but Xi Ya asked for a horse, but made the other party embarrassed: In this small village, there are galloping horses for ploughing the land and pulling carts, but there are no war horses.
It was Xia Ya's first time as such a big official, so naturally he had a little childish vanity. He couldn't stand it any longer, so he watched the peasants and soldiers in the village. In fact, this season, spring ploughing in the village Everyone is busy farming, where else is there to perform? Moreover, the peasant and soldier system of the empire has been going on for a hundred years, and it is close to collapse. Many places have already existed in name only. The peasant and soldier exercise in this village can’t be performed seven or eight times a year. Most of the so-called peasant and soldier are just Hand out a spear, and then run around the playground for a few laps. As for the annual inspection at the peak, it is just a matter of picking a few strong ones and dug out a few sets in the warehouse of the village camp. Put on the leather armor that is still in good condition, put on a few poses in front of the officers who came down to check, and shout a few times.
However, the newly arrived military officer suddenly proposed to "review", and immediately frightened the army captain in the village, but seeing that the big guy was very high in nature, he didn't dare to refuse, so he could only bite the bullet and send someone. Going to the village to gather peasants and soldiers, the poor messenger ran all over the farmland near the village, and finally brought back seventeen or eight people in a sparse manner.
Seeing these farmers in sackcloth clothes working in the farmland, and even some people carrying farm implements such as fence hoes, their legs full of mud, standing in a mess on the playground, Xi Ya stood by and watched, brows wrinkled. up.
He was someone who was used to being in an elite unit like the Rodriguez Cavalry Regiment, and even the army he had seen before was the Central Standing Corps. It should be like that, but seeing this group of mud-legged people standing in front of me, I can't help but feel disappointed by the boss in my heart.
The people in front of them were chaotic, but they seemed to be old and young. The old people were probably old enough to give Xia Adam's father, and the young ones looked at their tender faces, and they were afraid Minor .)
The captain of the army also sighed inwardly, sweating on his forehead, and stood in front of Xia Ya biting his head: "Sir, that, this is..."
Xia Ya shook his head, looking unhappy: "How many people are there?"
"Uh... Seventeen... Eighteen." The army captain wiped his sweat.
"Well, you bullied me when I was young and didn't understand the military system?" Xia Ya shook his head and said with a dark face: "The imperial peasant-military military system, there are at least a hundred households in your village, according to the standard of two households and one cent , the peasants and soldiers in your village should be a full infantry squad, that is, fifty people. Why are there so few people standing here?"
"This... sire, it's farming time now, and most people go out to work without notice..."
Xia Ya nodded, he thought for a moment, changed a smile on his face, looked at the army captain, and said with a warm smile: "Okay, I'm not the kind of official who likes to pick on thorns, I understand the suffering of ordinary people. Well, I just ask you, how many peasants and soldiers are there in your village?"
Speaking of which, Xiaya's expression sank: "Tell the truth!"
The troop captain hesitated for a while, although he was reluctant, but after all, the other party was right in front of him. If the other party was serious, he would count it in the village on the spot, then the lie would be exposed immediately, and he could only grit his teeth: "Total... a total of Thirty-three."
"Well, that's one third less." Xia Ya frowned: "The population of your village is not scarce, why are you dissatisfied with the editor?"
The leader of the army camp was unhappy in his heart, and he scolded a few words, but his face became more and more respectful, and he answered cautiously: "Sir, this peasant army has never been so strict. I took over as the army chief here six years ago. My current position is not bad. If it was my predecessor, I am afraid that the number of people is less than half of the full staff. This is the war with the Odins a few days ago. A group of peasants and soldiers came to make up the establishment, so this number has increased, in previous years..."
"I see." Xia Ya nodded, and there was no joy or anger on her face, she just said casually: "Are all the other villages around here like this?"
The army captain immediately patted his chest and said loudly, "Sir, I don't dare to brag, I am also a veteran of the regular corps. Therefore, the soldiers in my place, in the seven or eight villages nearby, are considered the best. , at least when I selected the peasants and soldiers, I still chose the strong ones, and in some places, even the old and the eighty were pulled out to fill the numbers."
"Oh? Veteran?" Xia Ya smiled and looked at the army captain: "Which regiment did you belong to?"
"The Sixth Corps!" The army captain raised his chest: "I retired from the army six years ago, and my hometown is here. After I came back with severance pay, I was appointed as the army captain here..."
"Oh, General Luer's old subordinate." Xia Ya's face is a little more friendly. Since he is the old subordinate of General Rabbit, he has a three-point favor in his heart, raised his hand, and said with a smile: "Okay. Well, you let everyone go, I just have a look at it on a whim, and it's nothing."
The peasants and soldiers below were ordered to disperse, and there was an uproar. Although they did not dare to say anything in front of Xia Ya, the talents dispersed. Among these people, they were busy at home, and they were reluctant to hear that the officer called for a review. When I came over to meet the scene, I saw that this "old man" was young and said a few words, and he was dismissed without looking at himself. I couldn't help but feel a little resentful, and quite a few whispered in the local language. He cursed in a low voice, and then left in a hurry.
Hearing the scolding, the troop captain looked a little uneasy, and he sighed in his heart: Fortunately, this commander is new here, but I hope he doesn't understand the local dialect...
But he didn't know that Xia grew up in Wildfire Town, which is not far from Moor County, so he could understand the accent here. I understand, don't break it. He himself came from the bottom of the hierarchy, and he naturally understands the minds of these local and grass-roots people. He also knows that if he is himself, he is busy with his work. He is so forcibly called and then sent away. It is inevitable that he will be angry. It's normal, so don't get angry.
It's just... This peasant-military system has actually collapsed to such a state that Xia Ya's complacent feeling that he had been excited to take office suddenly cooled down by three points.
Although he didn't have a clear idea in his heart, he was vaguely aware that what he saw in his life naturally affected what a person thought in his heart. He had only seen in the Roderian cavalry regiment, General Adric was so dignified and forbidden, the entire regiment was dignified. Like ironclad! And although the fat man Luer was a bit funny, the sixth corps he brought out came and went like the wind, and Luer was even more deeply loved by the army, and he responded a lot in the army.
He has seen the appearance of these generals in his heart, and naturally he has some expectations. He only hopes that after he is on his own, he can also bring a team of elites like the two, that is enough prestige. But now look at...
Xia Ya immediately suppressed the unhappiness in her heart, and took a look at the warehouse of the military station. The warehouse was just two broken wooden houses, which leaked air in winter and rain in summer. It was just a layer of mud on the walls. The weather was dry these days. It cracked open, and when I stood inside, the wind swished in from the cracks in the wall.
This warehouse is almost empty enough for mice to run away - it is clean, and someone has obviously occupied this warehouse for people to live in. As for the weapons that should be stored in the warehouse according to military law...
There were a few broken spears in the corner of the warehouse, and three shields. The shields were rusted, and the dunnage inside was basically rotten. As for the bow and arrow... Xi Ya searched for a long time, but only found one arrow from behind the door, but is already used as a latch.
"That's all?" Xia Ya's face became more and more ugly. He turned around, stared at the army captain, and said with a stern face: "The number of people is not enough, it's busy farming season, and I accept your explanation. The lack of training means that the military discipline is now lax. , you can't handle this alone. But... where did the ordnance in this warehouse go! Did it grow wings and fly?! Or did you secretly take it and sell it, and you're full of corruption!"
Don't get me wrong, this turtle doesn't really have any sense of responsibility, but since he has become the chief of military affairs in a county, then the entire county's military warehouses are regarded as his own prison!
Depend on! How dare someone embezzle their own stuff? ! Damn... I haven't had time to embezzle yet! ! So annoying!
But Xia was annoyed, but the army captain was even more aggrieved. He called Qu: "Sir! You can't wrong me! The army captain I've worked here for six years has never been greedy for a single piece of copper in the warehouse! This armory is Empty, you can't ask me, you should ask the military department in that county! Every year I will report the loss truthfully and ask to make up the amount, but after each year, in which year does anyone pay attention to us? That's what you saw, and when the war with the Odins last year, the quarters couldn't stand it, so it was reluctant to send out such a little piece of junk!"
With that said, the army captain pointed to his pudding-covered shirt: "If I'm really embezzling, why is it so miserable?"
After speaking, he shouted with red eyes: "When I took over this place, there was only a bundle of rotten wooden arrows and two short spears with rusted tips in the warehouse! , there are more things in the warehouse than when I took office, which is rare! Look elsewhere, where there are more warehouses than mine, I will screw my head off and give you a kick!"
After he finished speaking, he aroused his temper, pulled his shirt to reveal his chest, and there was a scar on the chest, and said loudly: "I am also someone who has worked in the sixth army of the empire! The most hated are those mice who embezzle weapons. Back then, I fought with the Odins, got injured, and cut off the heads of the Odins with my own hands! If you think I can't do it, then remove me! This suffocated army captain, I don't want to do it for a long time. It's gone! Every year, I keep the roster and go door-to-door to urge the strong men to join the army. I don't know how many eyes I get!"
As soon as this man was excited, he really deserved to be a man who had worked in the Sixth Corps. His face was red and his ears were red. Although he was in front of Xia Ya, his immediate boss, he was not afraid.
Xia Ya listened, frowned tightly, stared into each other's eyes, and said solemnly, "You really don't have corruption!"
"I swear by my life! If I say a single word of lies, I will tell me to die, and my eggs will be bitten by Odin's dog after death!"
Xia Ya looked at the man's eyes and determined that the other party didn't seem to be telling a lie, and then nodded: "Okay, I'm the one who blamed you. I'll check this matter carefully when I go back, and let the guys in the military take care of the missing pieces. Bring it back to you."
The army captain listened to it, but he didn't take it seriously. He thought that these officials said it beautifully. I have been here for six years, and I have heard hundreds of such promises. Which time has it been fulfilled
If I didn't believe it in my heart, this kind of rough people in the country wouldn't fake it, so I couldn't help showing it on his face. When Xia Ya saw it, she frowned and said, "Why, you don't believe me? I am the military commander of a county, and I will not cheat if I issue a personal order!"
The army captain looked at Xia Ya, hesitated for a moment, and closed his mouth.
Xia Ya is a straight person. Seeing the other party's expression, he is even more curious: "What are you worried about, you might as well say it!"
After he finished speaking, he also raised his chest and shouted: "I'm not afraid to tell you, I am from the 13th Corps! It used to be General Adric's personal soldier! We are the people of the Rodriguen Corps, you won't believe it! You sixth The General of the Corps, Ruhl, is my good friend!"
The troop captain finally hesitated for a moment, this time his expression was a lot more respectful, his eyes were a little more sincere, and he slowly said: "Sir... Since you are from the Thirteenth Corps, you are a hero compared to you, so I might as well say it directly. I believe what you said is sincere, but when it comes to distributing ordnance... I think it's difficult!"
"Yi?" Xia Ya frowned: "I'm the military commander, these are all within my authority, what's the problem?"
"Sir, there are four cities, six towns and twenty-one villages in More County. In addition to the garrison in the city, there are also some troops. Although there is a deficit in the armory, at least the appearance is decent... I'm afraid the other Farmers and soldiers in villages and towns are stationed, and the warehouse... hehe! It's the same as me here, empty can run mice." The army captain smiled bitterly: "It's easy for you to send me a place here, but once the opening is opened, I will send it here. Now, will you make up for the warehouses elsewhere? If they are all made up... Hey, there are 6,000 or 7,000 peasants and soldiers in the county, and there are 6,000 or 7,000 weapons and equipment sent out at once. I'm afraid it's not enough to fill in the entire county's military spending for a year."
After a pause, the army captain looked at Xia Ya's ugly face, and continued: "When the weapon is issued, it is natural for everyone to come to train, so since you want to train, you must rectify these mud legs properly, sir, are you? If you bring it in the army, you have to spend money for this training! Food, clothing, and housing are all money!”
He chuckled in a low voice: "I have made a calculation in my own idle time. If I really want to fill up all these holes, it will be calculated as three silver coins per head of weapons and equipment... A set of leather armor that is barely passable, plus There are long contradictory cards, and military uniforms. The cost of food for six or seven thousand people can only be calculated by three or four thousand gold coins. But I heard that the annual military expenditure of our More County is only two thousand gold coins, and this Two thousand gold coins are not enough to spend on the garrison in those places, where is there any spare money for us peasants and soldiers?"
Xia was stunned.
The three people who have been following Xia Ya, Dodo Luo is a layman and naturally does not intervene, and Sharba is a rude person and does not know much about these things. Philip, on the other hand, listened to it for a long time, and his expression changed a bit. Hearing this, he suddenly laughed: "Lord Xia, what the captain said makes sense, but this is not how it is calculated."
"Oh? You said that my calculations were wrong, so you can do the calculations!" The army captain had also lost his temper today, so he simply glared at his neck and shouted.
"Well, I didn't say that your calculations were wrong, but the cost is actually not that big." After all, Philip was also a figure who led a samurai group of hundreds of people by himself. Zhang Luo, of course, has experience.
"Actually, the weapon and armor are the bulk of the money, but... this weapon and armor is a one-time investment. After making up for it, as long as a set of weapons is not used in combat and is only used for training on weekdays, you only need to do some maintenance on weekdays. , you can use it for three or five years without changing it." Philip said slowly: "So, the real annual expenses are only the food and drink of the soldiers. Farmers and soldiers don't need to pay military salaries, they only need to bear the food and drink. Therefore, as long as we find a way to solve the problem of ordnance, the annual expenditure in the future is actually not large."
"That's the truth." Xia Ya smiled bitterly: "Why don't I know? But even if it's a one-time expenditure, you have to have money. I'm afraid, there is no savings in the county's annual military expenditure, and thousands of dollars are spent at once. Gold coins come... I'm hard to see!"
There is still a word in his stomach that he didn't say: unless the uncle pays for it himself.
But this sentence, the turtle is absolutely not able to say it. When he comes out to be an official, if he does not embezzle and detain him, it is enough to aggrieve himself, and let him pay out of his own pocket to subsidize the public family? What are you kidding? ! Turtles can't bear it!
"Oh, it's not too difficult." Philip said slowly: "You don't have to rush to finish things in a hurry. Since you have this heart, Sir, you can go slowly and see how much military spending is left, then choose some. The elite peasants and soldiers just need to be replenished first, anyway, there is no war at the moment, a little this year, a little next year.”
Xia Yamo was silent, noncommittal.
Then everyone returned to the playground. The captain of the army sent someone to bring the horses of Xia Ya and others. The horses had already been fed. Xia said goodbye to the captain without saying anything. He just got on the horse and took the people away. After leaving this village, go all the way north.
Xia Ya and the others left, and the captain looked at the distant back and sighed: "Unfortunately... it sounds nice, it seems that he is another king of nonsense, I should do what I should do, alas, My heart is also evil today, how can I accidentally tell such a big truth!"
※※※
Leaving the village all the way, on the way, Dodo Luo and the other three saw that Xia Ya was in a bad mood, but they didn't know what to say to comfort the old man for a while.
On the other hand, Xiaya, riding on the horse, thought about things all the way. After running for a short time, he suddenly pulled the reins and stopped directly in the middle of the road. The three people next to him didn't expect him to stop suddenly, and after running a few steps, they quickly stopped. The reins turned and the horse ran back to him.
"That... Mr. Xia, you..." Duoduo said tentatively.
Xia Ya looked strange, his eyes flashed, as if he had finally made up his mind, he looked up at the three of them, and hesitated for a moment: "This account, no matter how I count it, I feel that it is too much of a loss! Those peasants and soldiers, even if they sent weapons, What's the use of it? You have seen those mud legs, the old, the young, these people who throw down the hoe and come to the sword, how can they be good soldiers? Even if I grit my teeth and send out weapons, the following peasant-military system It was already broken, and the things that were distributed were also thrown into the warehouse and rotted. If you meet some bad-hearted guys, I am afraid that they will quietly embezzle and sell them to make money!"
"..." The three of them looked at each other, not knowing what Xia Ya meant.
Finally, the turtle looked up with a strange expression: "You said, how about I just abolish the peasant-military system in More County?"