Chapter 513 Soldiers (for the birthday of book friend "Yanqing, Qingqing")
Manbao was very curious when he saw this and asked, "Master Yang, didn't you say that the civil and commercial sectors should be separated?"
Yang Heshu shook his head and laughed, then sighed softly, "How can things in this world be so clearly divided? As long as Master Bai doesn't form his own caravan and travel around doing business, no one can change his nationality."
Yang Heshu looked at her and smiled. "For example, the shop you bought for your sister-in-law doesn't count as business. Does the separation of civilian and commercial businesses mean that those who occasionally come into the city to earn some pocket money from the streets should also be counted as businessmen?"
The three of them nodded in agreement. Bai Shanbao looked at him and asked, "Why does your Excellency still look so worried?"
Yang Heshu touched his face and asked, "Is it so obvious?"
The three of them nodded together.
Seeing Bai Erlang nod, Yang Heshu sighed, "It seems that I have been relaxing for too long. I am not worried about Luojiang County, but the court."
Yang Heshu stood up and looked at the withered lotus leaves in the small pond outside the pavilion. He sighed softly, "Luojiang County is poor, and there are no great nobles or gentry. The people are the people, and the merchants are the merchants. The boundary between the people and the merchants seems vague, but it is very clear. But other places are not like that."
He sighed and turned around to see that the three children were full, but they couldn't help but reach out to touch the snacks and eat them with gusto.
Yang Heshu: ...
Forget it, what is he talking about with the three kids?
Not to mention that they don’t understand such worries, even if they do understand, what can they do now?
Yang Heshu changed the subject, "Shanbao, you've read quite a bit now, have you ever thought about taking the entrance exam for the county school?"
Bai Shanbao shook his head. "My grandmother and teacher both said that I can study with you now and then directly take the entrance exam for the prefectural school in Yizhou."
Yang Heshu was slightly surprised, but when he thought of Mr. Zhuang, he felt relieved. "Mr. Zhuang's knowledge is no less than that of the instructor at the county school."
His gaze fell on Bai Erlang again, and he asked with a smile, "What about you? Are you going to take the county school entrance exam?"
Bai Erlang shook his head repeatedly and said, "I won't come. I prefer to study with Mr. Zhuang."
Yang Heshu laughed heartily and said, "You should work harder so that you can seek an official position in the capital in the future."
Bai Erlang was not very confident in himself, "Even I can ask for an official position?"
"But His Majesty will use whatever he can."
Bai Erlang fell silent and kept this matter in mind.
Yang Heshu looked at Manbao who was lying quietly beside him, and for some reason, he felt very sorry.
Feeling regretful, Yang Heshu stood up and said with a smile, "Come on, let's go for a walk in the county town."
The three of them had just eaten and were feeling a little sleepy, so it would be nice to go out for a walk to help digest the food.
Because New Year's Eve is in two days, many people come to the county town to prepare New Year's goods. The town is bustling with people coming and going.
It wasn't noticeable in the morning, but it's not even noon yet, which is when the county town is busiest.
Manbao was almost separated by the crowd, and Bai Shanbao was so scared that he grabbed her hand, pulled her to his side and said, "Be careful not to be slapped away by the flower slapper."
"That beggar is so brave, he dared to slap me in front of Lord Yang."
Bai Shanbao: "They don't know he's the county magistrate."
He held her hand tightly and said, "Let's go."
The two of them caught up with County Magistrate Yang and Bai Erlang, who were a few steps ahead, and said with emotion, "Master Yang, the city is so lively now."
Yang Heshu also smiled and nodded, "It's very lively, much better than last year."
As they were talking and walking forward, they ran into a group of soldiers who were noisily pushing over and pushing them aside. Yang Heshu almost fell to the ground. When he looked up, he saw a group of soldiers pushing everyone aside and squeezing into a small restaurant.
Yang Heshu couldn't help but frown.
Manbao looked at them with wide eyes and said, "They don't look like they are from Luojiang County."
Yang Heshu looked at her in surprise, "How did you figure that out?"
"They don't sound alike, and they don't look alike either."
Yang Heshu took another look at the restaurant and led them into a teahouse diagonally across from the restaurant. After ordering tea, he said, "They are actually from Luojiang County. Even if they are not, most of them are from other counties in Mianzhou."
Yang Heshu took the tea, looked at Manbao and smiled, "But what you said about them not speaking like each other is true. These soldiers were deployed back not long ago. They left the army when they were young and are now being sent back to their hometowns. After being away for ten or more years, it's normal for their accents to change."
Bai Shanbao was very curious, "Why are the soldiers being sent back home?"
"This is a benevolent policy of the imperial court. The emperor is so kind that he allows soldiers over fifty and those with disabilities to lay down their arms and return home. With the exception of some important border towns, all other places will be required to reduce their military presence. Those who are reduced can be deployed back home to join the garrison."
The garrison in the county town was generally recruited from the local area. Unlike being a yamen runner or an official, no one liked to be a soldier, even the local garrison.
Therefore, it is difficult to station troops in each county to the full quota, especially in places like theirs that are neither border areas nor strategic locations. It is even more difficult to station troops to the full quota.
Most of the vacant positions were taken by local captains and county lieutenants, so when the soldiers were transferred from above, Yang Heshu accepted them without much worry.
Because the military pay for supporting these soldiers was originally eaten by the captain and the county lieutenant, now that there are more people, the county government’s expenditure is not much higher, it’s just that the county lieutenant and the captain have eaten a little less.
But seeing these soldiers now, Yang Heshu felt a little worried. He loved sharing his thoughts with his three children, so he sighed and said, "If they bring their bad habits to the county town, I'm afraid it will be difficult to discipline them."
Manbao leaned against the window and looked at the soldiers. One of them seemed to dislike the tea and poured the tea in the bowl out.
When he splashed water on someone, he became even more ferocious than the person being splashed, staring at them and shouting, "What are you looking at? If you keep looking, I'll dig out your eyes!"
Manbao tutted his words and said, "How fierce! Will you spank them?"
Yang Heshu stood behind her with his hands behind his back, shaking his head slightly, saying, "Soldiers like these can't be defeated, and besides, they're not under my direct control."
This is what he is most worried about.
Although the county lieutenant and the colonel had to listen to him, under normal circumstances, the county magistrate did not directly manage the garrison. He could not afford to interfere in such trivial matters, as that would be too overbearing, and the county lieutenant and the colonel would also have objections.
Manbao looked at it and asked doubtfully, "They are eating so much, with wine and meat. Are they going to eat and drink for free like that bad yamen runner who came to my house?"
Yang Heshu: "...No, they've been in the city for over two months now, and I've never heard of them refusing to pay for goods on credit. They do, however, behave a bit overbearingly."
"Are soldiers so rich?" Manbao was very confused. "My father always said, don't be a soldier. Not only will you be poor, but you might even lose your life."
Bai Shanbao took a look and said, "The government office has just distributed the soldiers' salaries, right? They'll give them an extra month's salary for the New Year."
Yang Heshu nodded, "Not bad."
Deeply influenced by the Zhou family, Manbao's eyes widened in disbelief. "They actually used so much money to eat and drink, and they didn't take it home?"
The next chapter will be around 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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