Dominate the Country

In the fifth year of Dingguo, the entire Chen Han was moving forward at a fast pace. Every year, its strength was growing rapidly. The country was stable, the funds were developed, the people's livelihood was restored, and the people's hearts were stable. However, in the remote corners of the empire, in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan-Tibet region, few people knew that the rebellion had never been quelled.

Chen Yongsheng, the former commander of the First Division in the southwest, and later the first governor of the Southwest Military Region, had been in Chengdu for the past few years and had not returned to Nanjing. Even Chen Qi had been in the Grand Governor's Mansion for two years, but Chen Yongsheng was always outside. Why?

This was not because he was more trusted by Chen Ming than Chen Qi, but because of the local strength in the southwest. Yes, I was talking about the Tusi power, and there were always people rebelling.

No one would give up the strength in their hands for nothing, even if they knew clearly that using force to resist the central government was a kind of act of looking for death in the toilet, but there were always people who pinned their hopes on the rugged terrain of the southwest, just like the big and small Jinchuan in the past, to delay and dig in the ditch, and drag the anti-rebellion troops of the National Defense Army to death bit by bit, and seek the rights they expected.

As a result, it was proved that Chen Han's will to suppress the Tusi was as strong as the will of the Qing Dynasty to resolve the Big and Small Jinchuan.

For this reason, Chen Ming spared no expense and manpower to organize a special mountain force.

In just a few years, the latter expanded from the initial one division to six brigades, five battalions and a special agent battalion. Chen Yanxue, Huang Zicong and others continued to rise in rank, which was the reason why Chen Han's central government focused on them.

This winter, Chen Ming sent Chen Ming's group of powerful children to the boy camp at the junction of Xichuan and Tibet, and that was also to let Chen Ding and others experience the hardships of the mountain force.

"Young Master, this store has a good location. Let's go up to the second floor to sit down?" A man dressed as an attendant pointed to a hotel at the street entrance and said to Chen Ding.

It seems that there is still a smell of gunpowder smoke in Songfan City.

This city, which has just experienced the war, exudes an atmosphere that Chen Ding feels very unfamiliar with.

Chen Ding looked up at the restaurant, which was facing the street. With the window open, he could see the surrounding streets. He smiled and said, "It's really good! Let's go up!" It was only after he arrived at the Boy Camp that he learned that the city of Songfan had just experienced a wave of rebellion. The rebels calculated everything very well, but they did not take into account the combat effectiveness of the Boy Camp. In the end, they were cleanly dealt with by the thousands of scouts over 12 years old in the Songfan Boy Camp.

The follower was actually a master among the inner guards. His name was Chen Bingwang. On the other side was Chen Bingwang's brother Chen Gongzhao, and behind him were Dai Wenxiong and two personal guards. Although these few people were not very conspicuous, if Chen Ding was really in danger, the five of them would be enough to escort Chen Ding out of danger safely. Because the combat effectiveness of these five people is already the strongest combination of this era. Even the guards around Chen Ming can only be said to be of the same level.

When Chen Ming was 21, he read novels. The most disgusting plot was that the powerful monarch Bai Longyufu was in danger and then met a beautiful woman. This was really disgusting. In his opinion, this was completely a trap.

Since ancient times, China has emphasized that a gentleman should not stand under a dangerous wall, and a son of a rich man should not sit in the hall. How could an important person go down and run around without any preparation? This is not only irresponsible to himself, but also to his subordinates.

So Chen Ming attaches great importance to his own safety. When he feels threatened, such as in Xi'an, he will never come forward to appease the people.

The bodyguards around Chen Ding are all configured by him, and their force is absolutely first-class. Everyone wears a primitive version of bulletproof vests under their clothes. These martial arts masters have also received special training in blocking bullets. It is really a perfect defense combination.

The sky is covered with red clouds. Although the snowflakes have stopped, the weather is still freezing cold.

Songfan is different from Chengdu. Although it is not far from Chengdu, Songfan, located at the junction of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, is not uncommon in the cold winter with temperatures of minus ten degrees Celsius and heavy snow covering the mountains and rivers.

Dai Wenxiong went in first and asked the waiter, "Are there any vacant private rooms upstairs?"

"Yes, of course there are." The waiter looked at Chen Ding, who was dressed like a nobleman, and gave a flattering smile, shouting, "Sir, please go upstairs!" The waiter is the one who attracts guests to the hotel, and his eyes can naturally distinguish between the high and the low.

Chen Ding waved his hand, and several people followed the waiter upstairs and saw that the second floor was divided into eight private rooms by a screen.

Half of them were occupied, so it seems that this store is doing well.

Compared with the noise downstairs, the second floor is of course much quieter. Although there are still faint sounds coming from the private rooms next to each other, it is much better than the ones downstairs.

Arriving at the elegant seat, they ordered a few hot dishes, and Chen Ding and Dai Wenxiong sat down, while Chen Gongzhao, Chen Bingwang and two guards stood outside. The dishes were served very quickly, and within a quarter of an hour, a waiter came up with a large tray of steaming wine.

Chen Ding pushed open the window, and the cold wind blew past, causing him to shrink his neck, but Chen Ding still insisted on opening the window. On the opposite side of the restaurant and on the street, several people dressed as locals had already occupied all the positions that could threaten Chen Ding. Although his encirclement team only had five people, there were more than ten times more internal guards outside to protect him secretly. Chen Ding was not surprised at all, but just smiled happily as he looked at the streets with people coming and going downstairs, "The Song Fan government is still capable. It has only been ten days since the rebellion, and the market is bustling again. People are so happy!" Although the time is in the position of the New Year, it is an absolutely important factor.

But no matter what, the restoration of the market streets means the stability of people's hearts under Chen Han's rule. Compared with this, its other meaning seems insignificant.

The ethnic composition of Song Fan is complex. If Chen Han's rule can get a good response signal here, then it is even more needless to say in the more Hanized Sichuan Han area.

Although Chen Han's official system seems to be cumbersome and redundant, the number of officials in each county is much greater than in the past. There have been objections from both inside and outside the government over the years, but now it seems that the results are still very obvious. Officials and clerks are not distinguished. The former petty clerks have now become petty officials. "Clerk" and "official" are only one word different, but they can make a huge difference. It is completely the difference between heaven and earth. People's enthusiasm has surged, and the effect has naturally changed significantly from the past.

In the past, no matter how high the clerk was, he could not become an official. Clerks were clerks, and Dianli was the pinnacle that clerks could expect; officials were officials. Although Dianshi was only one horizontal line different from Dianli, it was the difference between heaven and earth. Petty clerks have no motivation to struggle at all. All they can do is make money.

But now officials and clerks are one, there is no difference. As long as you step into the government office, you will enter the officialdom. If you have the ability and know how to make a living, even the most ordinary member can one day govern a place. Coupled with the constraints of the responsibility system, property disclosure system and other "shackles", it is rare for officials to cheat, cheat, and extort. At least they have a goal, unlike in the past, when they could only seek money without a future.

The rare Qingtian masters in the past seem to be available in every county now. In order to solve cases, the police station has not only made the despised and despised coroners become forensic doctors, but also has a higher status. The functions of the Supervisory Yuan and the Economic Crime Investigation Department, which have been updated and added with the responsibilities of the later Anti-Corruption Bureau and the traditional Supervisory Censor, are even more eager to put their eyes on every official and monitor their every move.

When the government is clean and honest, the judiciary will be clean and innocent. How can the government get closer to the people it governs and establish its own credibility? In Chen Ding's view, "clean and honest government" is the best way for the Chen Han Dynasty to get closer to the people. People's hearts and prestige, people's hearts are earned, not by knives, guns, or killing; prestige is also earned, just like the rabbits back then. How much they paid for the poor people in that era, the people naturally trusted and obeyed them. And how the prestige of the rabbits later became, it was also proportional to the "hard work" they paid for the masses.

Time is the best partner for perfecting systems and laws. The Chen Han Dynasty has only been established for five years. As Chen Ming's repeated adjustments to the official system have become something that everyone is accustomed to, the prelude to a new era is also opening.

"Ding-dang-dang...", the crisp sound of bells came from the other end of the street.

Chen Ding turned his head and looked over. A moment later, a team of ten four-wheeled carriages came into his sight as pedestrians on the street retreated.

A carriage was pulled by two horses, with a driver in front and two scouts holding swords and guns guarding the carriage in the back. A small red flag was inserted in each corner of the top of the carriage, fluttering in the cold winter wind, and the ten red flags looked like a cloud of fire.

This is the convoy of the logistics department.

The scouts on the carriage looked very childish, but judging from the reaction of the local people in Song Fan, it was obvious that no one in Song Fan, who had experienced the previous war, dared to underestimate them again.

"Young Master, these are for transporting logistics supplies." Dai Wenxiong whispered to Chen Ding.

"Transportation of logistics supplies? Good things for the New Year. "Chen Ding's brain reacted instantly, and he nodded knowingly. The Boy Scouts had made great contributions to the rebellion of the chieftains of Songfan this time, and the court would certainly reward them.

"The new uniforms, the sharp swords and guns, these little kids are even more imposing after wearing the uniforms on the boat..." The discussion in the next room reached Chen Ding's ears.

"Isn't it? Recently, the military uniforms on the market in Songfan have been selling like crazy. A cart of cotton cloth is pulled into the garment workshop by the river, making it rare to see good cloth on the street now. "

"That's because the Boy Scouts are so outstanding. The children, who are not much taller than the guns, killed Asdong, Shangba Village, and one or two thousand local soldiers in Zhangla Camp, especially the battle to counterattack Songfan County..., knife to knife, adults can't beat children, I secretly took a look on the roof, that was definitely... I still remember it vividly.

Now all the parents in Song Fan want to buy a set of military uniforms for their children. They don’t ask their children to be as good as the scouts, but they will be satisfied if they can be similar. The person who spoke seemed to be quite young, and his voice was full of sighs and feelings.

“You are so brave that you climbed on the roof to see? I was so scared that I couldn’t stand. I just hoped that the bandits would just rob and not hurt anyone after they rushed into the house.”

"You are daydreaming. If the bandits rushed into the house, how could they just rob without hurting anyone? How miserable would the Zhao family in the west of the city be? Their one-year-old grandson fell to death. Those savages are so cruel. If it weren't for the quick counterattack of the Boy Scouts, no one in the Zhao family would survive." The man changed his tone and continued, "But I, Zhou Shenghui, really admire the military rules and laws of the current court. How miserable would the Zhao family be? But after driving away the bandits, no matter if they were Boy Scouts or the officials and police who were summoned, anyone who dared to steal would be punished, let alone rob."

"I agree with what Brother Zhou said. This is what makes Chen Han admirable. He set rules, no robbing, no occupation, no looting, and no robbery. He is much better than the official army of the Tartars at that time..."

"The rotten soldiers of the Qing Dynasty, that's really A regular soldier is like a comb, an official is like a shaving. The Green Camp bastards are all bad, they eat, drink, play and abuse people. The officials are the same, they say one thing in front of you and another behind your back, they are whores and want to put up a memorial! "

"It's really much better now than in the past. Officials dare not accept gifts, although they can't report less when collecting taxes, but compared to the past, it's not much more. This time the bandits rebelled and their lairs were raided, and the three chieftains of Asdong, Shangba Village, and Zhanglaying were all finished. The trade route from Songfan to Qinghai is smoother. I plan to build a textile factory. It's so convenient for us to rely on the Minjiang River. Who of you is willing to join in?"

It's a textile machine instead of a spinning machine, and it doesn't need a steam engine. After the hydraulic machinery was introduced to Sichuan, the development momentum is really good.

"You're dreaming. It will take at least until summer for you to build the water-powered loom by the Minjiang River. By then, Chengdu's woven fabrics will have already occupied the Qinghai market."

"Aren't you going to build a spinning mill?"

"The steam engine will be in Songfan, a small place. Why should I build a spinning mill?"

"Then your cotton yarn is in the hands of others. How can your textile mill compete with others?"

Chengdu has the largest spinning mill in Sichuan. The price of local cloth in Songfan has been falling in the past two years, which is also related to the increasing amount of cheap cotton yarn entering Songfan.

Who in the cotton cloth business doesn't know the importance of cotton yarn? In Songfan, a place with inconvenient transportation, if the textile companies in Chengdu strangle the textile mills in Songfan, they will die immediately.

But steam engines are still a hot product in China. Most of the finished products flow into coastal areas and mining areas. Songfan is too remote. Even the spinning mills in Chengdu are almost a year later than those in Chongqing. It is said that this is because the Sichuan government has come forward to make a call.

If there is no care from above, Songfan, as that person said, the steam engine is his turn, then he really doesn't need to deal with the steam engine.

A smile appeared on Chen Ding's mouth. He came out to stroll around the market, but he didn't expect to hear such a conversation. These are all good words, great words. The attitude of the people next door towards Chen Han made him very satisfied and happy!

"Young Master, do you want to let these people come over..." Dai Wenxiong naturally heard this conversation, and saw the satisfied smile on Chen Ding's mouth, so he said.

Shaking his head, Chen Ding whispered: "No need." The incognito visit has an effect.

From the tone of these people, they are businessmen or the children of businessmen in Songfan City. They are very fond of steam-powered spinning machines and water-powered looms. But for Chen Ding, the more important thing is their current attitude towards the Chen Han regime, which has been revealed in the conversation between several people, and it is enough.

"Alas, it's a pity that the quality of machine-woven cloth is still poor. Otherwise, if machine-woven cloth completely replaces local cloth and is put into the market, the profit will be much greater than it is now." Chen Ding sighed, nothing in the world is perfect. The water loom greatly improved the efficiency of weaving, but it also reduced the quality. If you can have the best of both worlds, it would be really wonderful.

In the history of the original time and space, the British failed to completely destroy the market for China's self-produced local cloth in the first opium war. It was not until after the second opium war that China's small peasant economy accelerated its disintegration and foreign cloth began to completely open up the market in China. Before this, European merchants transported goods from thousands of miles away. Except for spices and furs for re-export trade, they also made profits in the Chinese market. However, the bulk machine-made products produced in the West could not be sold at all. British machine-woven cotton cloth was not as good as Chinese local cloth in terms of quality and price, and woolen fabrics were not suitable for sale in the hot and humid south. China has always been in a position of large trade surplus, and merchants from Western countries have to pay a large amount of silver to fill this huge trade deficit. Moreover, every year Westerners will buy Nanjing cloth from China and ship it back to their home countries, among which the British are the most. Even now, it is still the case. In the East-West trade system, the bulk export goods are always cloth, not woven cloth.

The complete collapse of China's textile industry in the late Qing Dynasty was based on the great development of textile technology and science in the second half of the 19th century, unlike the current situation when steam engines have just been used. The entire non-human textile industry is still just a young tree. It is completely impossible to completely destroy China's traditional "cloth" for two thousand years with its power.

Chen Ding vigorously developed the textile industry and built large textile factories. The essence of this is that inferior goods drive out good goods. With the help and support of the court, the emerging textile industry gradually used its price advantage to drive out excellent cloth.

Robert, who has long-term trade experience with China, has summarized that China has the best food - rice, the best drink - tea, and the best clothing - cotton, silk, and fur. With these main products and their countless domestic by-products, they don't need to spend a penny to buy things from other places.

The traditional twelve-spin yarn woven cloth in southern Jiangsu is extremely tough and strong, and the surface is smooth and moist. The lower-class farmers go from spring to winter, wearing a set of cloth clothes, which is washed once a year and washed with a heavy stick, and it will never be broken. Among them, Nantong cloth is the best, which is durable, simple, sweat-absorbent and breathable. In comparison, the quality of woven cloth in this era is really much worse. The modern textile industry that dare not be vigorously developed by Chen Ming also has its own advantages, that is, the width of woven cloth is relatively large. One foot and eight feet of cloth is considered very wide, but woven cloth can easily cut a whole set of clothes. For the military uniform enterprises of the logistics department, the latter is of course more convenient.

"Young Master, I have received news from home that your allocation table has been finalized." Just as Chen Ding was listening to the conversation in the private room next door with satisfaction, an inner guard outside suddenly came in and said something to Chen Gongzhao, and then Chen Gongzhao walked into the private room.

"So I have to return home immediately now?"

The eldest prince's interest was obviously not high, but Chen Gongzhao nodded silently. Chen Ding should indeed return to the boy camp.

"Settle the bill across the street together. This meal, I will treat them."