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In the seven days before and after the attack on Wuzhou, there was a total of one death and one injury. The dead was the Wuzhou magistrate who had hung himself. The injured was the Liberation Army who had accidentally slipped down the mountain when they were watching a hot air balloon fly past Wuzhou.
Other than that, the shock of a powerful military force, as well as the relevant strategic arrangements made on the basis of careful calculation of the political and economic accounts, allowed all of Wuzhou to fall into the hands of the Liberation Army unscathed. From then on, the Pearl River Gateway connecting the two provinces was under the control of the restored Governor's Office.
As the commander-in-chief of this battle, Luo Dagang was able to carry out the next step of recruitment. Of course, some of the sailors were not satisfied. Luo Dagang had sent them outside of the attacking forces before the attack. The direct result was that they had lost the possibility of entering Wuzhou and making a profit. After Luo Dagang conquered Wuzhou, he did not allow the brothers of the boat army to enter Wuzhou. This made some people with other thoughts even more dissatisfied.
However, Luo Dagang did not care at all what those people with different ambitions thought. On the seventh day after taking Wuzhou, Luo Dagang had already laid down a strict system in Wuzhou. A "police force" made up of recruited citizens appeared in the city. The ordinary police force was not equipped with guns or metal weapons. Their weapons were sticks and gongs, and they were responsible for patrolling the streets. Once they encountered a criminal, if they could subdue him with a rod, they would do it themselves. If they couldn't deal with it, they would choose to force the offender and sound the gong to warn them. Soon, the armed criminal police, who had been transferred from the army, would move out with their weapons.
Apart from establishing a police system in the city that was based on the local people and imposing strict security, Luo Dagang had also ordered the army to strictly patrol the port where there were many merchants and busy mercenary trades. No matter what their background was, as long as they were violent, they would be subdued first and then warned.
This was the result of the military conference. As the political commissar, Shen Xin naturally had to calculate the economic and political accounts. Shen Xin uttered a phrase he learned from politics class, "Only death and taxes are unavoidable." There was no doubt that the people of Wuzhou were large taxpayers. At this stage, the navy, which was still outside of the system of the restored Governor's Office, could temporarily be classified as a "social unstable factor." Only when they joined the Liberation Army Navy, or became a member of the Water Shipping Company organized by the Viceroy's Office, and became taxpayers, could they be considered as someone to rely on.
Luo Dagang knew that Shen Xin was just reading from the book. In fact, Luo Dagang had heard Vézé mention the latter part of the content. However, both Vézé and Luo Dagang were busy and had no time to explain in detail. As a political commissar, Shen Xin had received comprehensive training in the political department. Regardless of how capable he was at implementing it, he was able to come up with a point of view based on what he had read.
"Big Brother Luo, as long as you let me manage the docks, I will give you an additional twenty percent!" The one who spoke was the captain of the fleet who had dealt with Luo Dagang for a few years. He looked at Luo Dagang with eager eyes and sincerely made a promise.
Luo Dagang cursed in his heart. "Are you here to give me money or to take my life?" As a probationary member of the Recovery Society, Luo Dagang participated in the first plenary meeting after its establishment. Vézé made a report at the meeting and gave a strict order that the Recovery Society would not allow any member to cause trouble or be corrupt. This was especially true for privately arranging officials to receive benefits. Regardless of the official position arranged or the amount of benefits received, as long as they violated the rules, they would be severely punished.
Vézé's words were very strict and he repeatedly emphasized that he would not let go of anyone who did such things. Luo Dagang did not feel any displeasure. Luo Dagang himself was not a person who loved money. The corruption of the upper echelons of the Taiping Rebellion immediately after entering Tianjing City made Luo Dagang extremely disgusted. Luo Dagang approved of Vézé's strict and disciplined methods.
If this man just wanted to find a job, Luo Dagang would of course agree. However, this guy clearly did not want to earn money through normal business. He wanted to become an official and gain benefits. If Luo Dagang agreed, he would be committing two crimes at the same time. After cursing in his heart, Luo Dagang sent this guy away with a pleasant expression.
After sending him away, Luo Dagang said to the guards, "If anyone comes looking for me today, I won't see them!"
Those who really wanted to join the Restoration Army, carry guns and eat rations, naturally went to the recruitment office. Those who had ships and were willing to honestly do the transportation business went to the newly reopened docks to find business. Luo Dagang was familiar with the various abuses at the docks. This time, he opened a shipping office and broke the traditional middlemen. The new management department was directly responsible for the transactions between cargo owners and ship owners. The traditional middlemen all needed extra benefits. This shipping office only charged thirty percent of the usual fees. Wuzhou City had been besieged several times and there were many goods that needed to be transported in and out. The Liberation Army was personally responsible for restoring the market and the shipping business was quickly restored.
Therefore, the people who tried every possible way to find Luo Dagang were not people who relied on hard work to make a living, but those who wanted to become officials. And they wanted to use their relationship with Luo Dagang to become the traditional "fat job" of managing the shipping business. Luo Dagang really did not want to see this kind of people again.
"Go tell Political Commissar Shen that it's time for us to go see those regimental trainers!" Luo Dagang said.
Shen Xin was waiting for Luo Dagang in the command center set up in the Wuzhou magistrate's yamen. Seeing Luo Dagang enter, Shen Xin quickly rose and said, "Chief of Staff Luo, our summer clothes have arrived! The group of brothers you arranged is very capable! "
Hearing Shen Xin's praise, Luo Dagang was also very happy. When he had just arrived in Wuzhou, Luo Dagang had received the order for the army to change clothes. The military uniforms of the Liberation Army were divided into three categories: formal military uniforms, battle uniforms, and regular military uniforms. All of the costs were paid by the army.
The regular military uniforms in the summer were short-sleeved, and the battle uniforms were naturally long-sleeved. Luo Dagang immediately contacted a group of brothers from the fleet and paid them for the transportation. Within seven days, this fleet set off from Wuzhou straight to Guangzhou and shipped 20,000 sets of military uniforms from Guangzhou back to Wuzhou. The brothers were also working very hard. Because it was a direct transaction, there was no middleman embezzling, so this fleet earned a lot of money. Both parties were very satisfied. Luo Dagang smiled at Shen Xin's praise and said, "They have this ability, that's why I gave this transaction to them. Nothing happened, I'm relieved! "
After the two of them became friendly, Shen Xin said, "Chief of Staff Luo, how are we going to deal with those group trainers this time?"
"Either disband or collect a group training tax. How else can we treat them? "Luo Dagang replied.
"The political department has issued a document saying that the group training area needs to be treated differently. If they form a self-protecting group, they need to be dealt with separately as much as possible. If they form a local armed force and want to rely on force to dominate, then they need to be treated harshly. As for the matter of screening, I hope Brother Luo can keep an eye on it. "
Hearing Shen Xin's words, Luo Dagang couldn't resist furrowing his brows. "Chief of Staff Shen, just how many orders did the political department give?"
"They gave me a lot of documents," Shen Xin said with a smile.
Although he knew that the political department would directly manage the future government, these matters were also things that the political department should handle. Luo Dagang still felt unhappy. Although he liked fighting, he didn't like the army supervisor at all. Needless to say, it was such a young army supervisor. He wasn't even as experienced as Luo Dagang. Thinking of this, Luo Dagang said, "Chief of Staff Shen, can you show me those documents?"
"Hmm …" Shen Xin sighed first, then said slowly, "Brother Luo, do you know the rules of our Recovery Society?"
"The Recovery Society has just been established. What rules are there?" Luo Dagang asked with a frown.
Shen Xin said with a smile, "The Recovery Society has a rule. Wherever there are three people together, they must establish an organization. They often hold their own political meetings to convey the instructions of the superiors and learn the principles of the Recovery Society. Brother Luo, if you want to see the documents of the political department, that's not a problem. But you have to attend the meeting. "
"Is it not enough for me to join the Recovery Society?" Luo Dagang didn't understand this rule.
Shen Xin continued with a smile, "Chief of Staff Luo, you have joined the Recovery Society, but if you don't attend the political meetings, what's the difference between that and not joining the Recovery Society? The Military Governor Wei made it clear that the Recovery Society is an organization of our members. First and foremost, it's an organization with a common political ideal. If you don't attend the meeting, and I'm not the imperial envoy, I can't say these things outside of the meeting. "
This time, Luo Dagang didn't say anything. He stared at Shen Xin with a face full of displeasure. After a while, he asked Shen Xin, "Do the other members know the contents of the political department's documents?"
"Brother Luo, if you don't know, how would I dare to tell them? If I tell them first and you find out, won't you kill me? "Shen Xin was still smiling.
"Is this still my fault?" Luo Dagang said angrily.
Shen Xin shook his head, "The political department has rules. I'm sure Brother Luo knew before you left. Probationary members have a one-year probation period. The political department said that if a probationary member doesn't recognize his identity as a member of the Recovery Society, he won't be interested in the political meetings and won't be enthusiastic. Then the local political commissar can't take the initiative to reveal the contents of the political department's documents. I've been waiting for you to ask me, Brother Luo. I've been waiting for a few days. Finally, it's time! "
Luo Dagang was tongue-tied. After a while, he said, "You … as a political commissar, why didn't you call for a meeting?"
This time, it was Shen Xin's face that darkened. She said in a serious tone, "If I called the meeting myself, would you take me seriously at my age and without any great achievements? If that's the case, I can only wait for you to take the political department's documents seriously before I dare to talk to you about this. If I called for a meeting suddenly, would you still remember to attend the meeting on time after reading the documents? I don't think Brother Luo would really think so highly of me! "
Luo Dagang now had a whole new level of respect for Shen Xin. He understood that Luo Dagang didn't put Shen Xin in his eyes. This was something that could be understood. But Luo Dagang had never seen someone who could hold back and let Luo Dagang take the initiative to knock on his door after knowing he was being looked down on. Moreover, Shen Xin had indeed achieved his goal. After discussing and debating with Luo Dagang about strategy, flying over Wuzhou City in a hot air balloon, and now luring Luo Dagang to slowly understand the rules of the Recovery Society, Luo Dagang didn't dare to completely look down on Shen Xin after this series of events.
Moreover, Luo Dagang couldn't act up at this time. From the conversation, Luo Dagang already understood the authority that a political commissar held. If Shen Xin really didn't want to let Luo Dagang see the political department's documents, Luo Dagang couldn't do anything. Although Luo Dagang was an old general in the Taiping Rebellion, he was a rookie in the Liberation Army. In terms of the power behind him, the political department behind Shen Xin was directly under Vézé's leadership. With the experience of following orders under the King Of The East Yang Xiuqing, Luo Dagang understood the nature of power.
"Then let's start the meeting now!" Luo Dagang said calmly.
"Okay!" Shen Xin's reply was also very straightforward.
There were 12 members of the Recovery Society in the troops attacking Wuzhou. Other than Shen Xin, they were all high-ranking military officers. This meeting lasted from the afternoon until late at night. Just reading the documents and explaining them to everyone took six hours.
Luo Dagang finally understood why a 20 year old brat like Shen Xin seemed so capable. The documents had actually long listed various ways to deal with problems. Shen Xin was just following them. Of course, this understanding didn't make Luo Dagang look down on Shen Xin, because the densely packed text was enough to make one dizzy just by looking at it. To read it one by one, to understand it, and to think it through, it really required skill. At least, Luo Dagang didn't think he had the ability of Shen Xin to be able to read them all and choose to deal with them according to the situation.
Most importantly, Shen Xin was actually able to explain the contents of the rules to Luo Dagang and the others one by one. Even though the people in the meeting were high-ranking military officers, many of them couldn't help but yawn as they listened.
"How about we continue the meeting tomorrow and announce the documents?" Shen Xin also saw the officers' fatigue and asked.
"After this time, there's no need for a meeting next time!" The chief of staff of the 2nd Brigade said with a yawn.
Shen Xin was not moved at all. He replied, "The political meeting is held at a fixed time. Everyone came this time, so you have to come on time next time! So we'll stop here today. We'll continue the meeting tomorrow night! Meeting adjourned now! "
Luo Dagang also felt a little drowsy. Things were very interesting when they were done, but listening to these documents was very boring. Even if it was an order that had already been carried out and had personal experience, being able to connect the facts to the things in the documents, after listening to this boring content, it still made people feel very bored.
Luo Dagang's thoughts were that this group of scholars from the political department were really not human!
"This bunch of people from the political department are just messing with people!" The chief of staff of the 2nd Brigade, who came out with them, said as he yawned, "This afternoon, they didn't even let us sleep! We have to wake up early tomorrow! How can we live like this! "
The brigade commander of the 1st Brigade also complained, "It's just work anyway, why do they have to make it so weird? Just say what needs to be said and get it over with. This is messing with people! If we have to attend meetings like this every day, we might as well not join the Recovery Society. "
Hearing this, Luo Dagang was indeed distressed. However, he was an old man after all, so his thinking was still quite meticulous. Luo Dagang remembered something that Shen Xin said in the afternoon. "If you join the Recovery Society, but don't participate in the political meeting, what's the difference between that and not joining the Recovery Society? Military Governor Wei said very clearly that the Recovery Society is an organization of our members. First and foremost, it is an organization with a common political ideal. "
Luo Dagang greatly admired Vézé's ability. The political department was managed by Vézé. If the brothers in the Recovery Society only treated the members of the Recovery Society as an identity, Vézé would most likely not agree.
However, Luo Dagang did not dare say this to others. Based on his understanding of the temperament of this group of brothers, for them to complain about the Recovery Society's political meeting meant that they were already very dissatisfied. If he dared to say anything to them, who knew what kind of rumors would spread in the end! With this thought in mind, Luo Dagang only yawned and went to his residence.
After waking up the next day, Luo Dagang once again went to the command center to discuss with Shen Xin how to handle the work of group training. This time, other than the prefectural magistrate who had committed suicide, everyone in Wuzhou had surrendered. During the screening and questioning, this group of captured officials said everything they knew without holding back. These past few years, Guangxi and Guangdong had not been peaceful. Tian Di Hui and the navy had attacked Wuzhou multiple times and were always beaten back by the Wuzhou garrison. During this process, the Wuzhou garrison had also used a large amount of local group training.
The goal of Tian Di Hui and the navy was different from that of the Liberation Army. The Liberation Army wanted to take down Wuzhou and begin to establish their own political power. Tian Di Hui and the navy were more interested in the wealth within Wuzhou. Thus, during the defense, the imperial soldiers knew that they would definitely die after the city was breached, while the local group training thought that after the city was breached, their homes would be horribly plundered. Thus, the top and bottom were united and fought tenaciously on the defense.
This time, the Liberation Army displayed their remarkable abilities. They surrounded the city on land and sealed it off on water. There was even a threat from the sky and a powerful psychological attack. The first to give up were the Wuzhou group training. Perhaps they could withstand attacks from the ground and water, but they could not withstand attacks from the sky. There were people from the Wuzhou group training who had come to watch the bombardment. The artillery shells that exploded as soon as they landed had indeed frightened them. If the sky could cover the sky and cover the earth with paper, then the sky could certainly cover the sky and cover the earth with artillery shells. Even if the people could hide, the houses could not. Thus, the group training first pulled back.
The imperial soldiers felt that it was fine if the houses of the common people were blown up, but the lives of the imperial soldiers would probably be difficult to protect under the artillery shells that covered the sky and covered the earth. The imperial soldiers often fired artillery. They knew how destructive the artillery shells that exploded immediately after landing on the ground were. If these things flew to the top of the city walls, a large number of people would die. Resistance would definitely lead to death, but surrender would not necessarily lead to death. Naturally, they chose to surrender.
Thus, there were more than 2,000 people in the group training in Wuzhou. Almost all the large families had contributed money to participate in the work of organizing the group training. The officials could be chased away, the soldiers could be dismissed, but the local group training in Wuzhou was indeed a power that could not be ignored.
"How do we get rid of these people?" Luo Dagang asked Shen Xin. "What does the political department's document say?"
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