The quiet winter passed, and spring finally came. Although the spring of 1853 seemed a little late, it still came. The green of wheat seedlings of life began to appear on the fields in northern Jiangsu, and new sprouts of wild plants were also on the ground, and tender green elm seedlings hung on the treetops. For wealthy families, spring was nothing more than an increase in the excursion of outings. For the poor people, spring is a symbol of the ability to continue life. There are impatient figures in the fields looking for edible wild vegetables, and the elm seeds are also crawling on the elm seeds.

A team of people slowly marched on the northern part of Jiangsu. They were brothers brought by Yang Yi and Liu Mingchuan. Due to the fall of Nanjing, Yang Yi had to choose to detour north, pass Huainan and Bengbu, exit Anhui from Wuhe, pass through Wuhe, pass by Hongze Lake to Suqian, and then head south to Huaiyin, Taizhou, Changzhou, Wuxi, and Suzhou back to Shanghai. Unlike when he came, Yang Yi did not ride a horse, but bought more than a dozen large carts, pulled luggage, and people. Due to the limited large carts, everyone took turns to take a ride to rest. Yang Yi always gave the opportunity to rest to other brothers. After twenty days of marching, the team entered Suzhou. Suzhou was visible from afar. Seeing that it was getting dark, Yang Yi decided not to enter the city and stayed in camp outside Suzhou.

The tent was set up and the bonfire was lit. As usual, Yang Yi and everyone gathered around the bonfire, eating hot dinner and talking about family matters. The soldiers seemed to have accepted Yang Yi and were used to his unpretentious easy-goingness. A young man who seemed to be only 16 or 7 years old suddenly ran to Yang Yi and sat down and said, "Master General, can you fight a war when you serve in Shanghai?"

"Yes, the world is in chaos today, and it's difficult for the soldiers to not fight." Yang Yi replied with a smile. The young man couldn't help but look dim and lowered his head to continue eating his meal.

"What? Are you scared? Yes, how old are you? You are still a child. Can your family feel at ease with you to join the army?" Yang Yi touched the young man's head with his hand and said with a smile:

The young man finished eating the steamed buns in his hand and drank the soup in his bowl in one sip before answering Yang Yi's question: "When the master said, I'm called Li Zhuzi, what should I do if I don't come out? When I come out, my family can still have some food to eat. At home, I still snatch food from my mouth. In order to get out to have a full meal, I beg Brother Liu Mingchuan for a day. Besides, I'm 18 this year, not a child, not a child." He said with a shy smile.

"Is it enough to settle the family in fifty taels? Is the family settled?" Yang Yi continued to ask the young man with a smile.

"It's enough, General, you have to be fine enough for our family to eat for a year in normal times." When talking about the house, a gentle smile appeared on the young man's face.

"What? Do you have other expenses at home?" Yang Yi asked with concern.

"Hey!! Since I became sensible, I remember that our family farmed for the Li family. After a year, we couldn't pay the rent that our family owed to Li family, and we had to pay more than one year. Later, my father said that this was the deficit that my father borrowed five dou of rice from the Li family when he married my mother. This time, the 50 taels of debt to repay the Li family, and there was still thirty taels left. My mother said that spending ten taels to buy some stick noodles is enough for our family to eat for a year, and the rest are left for me to marry a wife. After paying off the Li family's debt, my younger brothers and sisters can have a full meal this year."

"What? It's only five dou of rice, it's going to be replaced for more than ten years? I still owe more and more? What's the reason?" Yang Yi asked in surprise.

Liu Mingchuan, who was on the other hand, took over: "Sir, don't know that the Li family has always been borrowed from a small dou. When they pay it back, they will be recovered. This is not counted. The interest is a donkey rolling around and the profit is rising. If you don't pay it for a month, the interest will have to rise a little. After a year, these five dou will become a few dou. After paying the rent, how can you pay it back? If you encounter a deserted year or something, the landlord's rent will still be charged a lot, and the interest will be a little more. So the landlord's debt is the King of Hell. Once you owe this family, you will never pay it back in your lifetime."

"This is really a cannibalistic society." Yang Yi stood up and said excitedly in anger.

"Master, what is society?" the young man asked.

"Society is everyone, you and me, everyone."

"Yes, this Li family is something that eats people and doesn't spit bones." The young man also said excitedly:

"The rich men who are officials don't have a good thing." Liu Mingchuan replied

"Yes, what can this happen? It's really impossible to live." The person who spoke seemed to be unable to remember the new term society.

"That's right, the rich man Xu from our village has married eight concubines and now he has a plan to get Xiaoxia. If there is no such family deposit, I still know when I will marry Xiaoxia."

"Xu Genzi, you came out as soon as you got married. Are you not afraid that the rich man Xu will touch Xiaoxia's bad intentions again?"

"He dares, I am Jun Ye now."

"Damn, my mother borrowed Liu Dahuo fifty cents when she was sick, and this time she paid it back to two taels of silver."

The crowd suddenly became lively and they talked verbally.

Yang Yi made a gesture to calm everyone down.

"Brothers, we all came from hardships and couldn't survive and came out to join the army. As the saying goes, "This good man is not a soldier, and a good iron is not a nail. But brothers, remember what I said today by Yang Yi. I will bring you out to create a world where you can have a full meal for the poor people in the world. From today on, everyone will change their name to me. Don't talk about the master at one time. I don't like to listen to it. If everyone wants to call me "General" and the master will be spared. From now on, we will be a family and a brother. How can this person be destined to be divided into different levels when he was born? It's all caused by this society. I hope everyone will work hard with me to change this society."

"That's right, it's not right to follow Mr. Yang. It's definitely the general. I've never seen an official like the leader. How good it is to brothers." I don't know if it was the one who said this in the crowd, and everyone was immediately excited.

"Yes, everyone will follow Mr. Ding in the future." This is Nie Shicheng talking, and only he and Liu Mingchuan called Mr. Yang Yi.

"General, will there really be such a day? All the poor in this world can have a full meal?" Li Zhuzi stood up and asked.

"You kid, can the general lie to you? As long as you follow Gao Hao, you will come that day." Liu Mingchuan slapped Li Zhuzi's head, and Li Zhuzi scratched his head embarrassedly and giggled foolishly.

The bonfire gradually darkened and the night became deeper. Everyone went to bed one after another. Only Yang Yi, Liu Mingchuan and Nie Shicheng were still sitting together. Nie Shicheng added a piece of fire to the bonfire. Liu Mingchuan took out a handkerchief and played with it in his hand.

"What? I miss you." Yang Yi joked:

"Hehe, I think it's the right way to marry a wife." Nie Shicheng also joked.

"Sir, you said you want to change this society, then you are not going to rebel?" Liu Mingchuan suddenly asked Yang Yi seriously.

"That's right, it's just that it's not here now. What's the matter? Are you scared?" Yang kept looking at Liu Mingchuan's eyes.

Liu Mingchuan didn't dodge his eyes and said ruthlessly: "I'm afraid of being a damn person. In this world, I should have been damn. If I had known this, I would have brought more people, and there would be fewer people." Liu Mingchuan licked his lips and said:

"Remember, a great man said that a spark can start a prairie fire." Yang Yi said firmly in the distance.

Nie Shicheng actually took out a wine pot, took another sip and handed it to Yang Yi: "Sir, drink one, brothers, I will give you the five-foot body in the future." Yang Yi took the wine pot, took a sip, and handed it to Liu Mingchuan. Liu Mingchuan also raised his head and fucked it. "Don't let it go, you guys, leave some for me." Nie Shicheng was anxious and hurriedly grabbed the wine pot from Liu Mingchuan's hand. Liu Mingchuan laughed loudly, and the laughter was spread far away in the desolate wilderness.

The fall of Nanjing made the atmosphere of Suzhou City tense. The checkpoints of Suzhou City Gate are much stricter than usual. When Yang Yi and his team arrived at the city gate, they looked at the handwriting head of the gate carefully at the handwriting written by Xiang Rong, and suddenly saluted Yang Yi and asked, "Is it Mr. Yang Yiyang? We have been waiting for you for several days."

Yang Yi asked strangely: "What? Do you know me? I don't have an acquaintance in Suzhou?"

The soldier smiled flatteringly and said, "Sir, you are a noble man. How could you know us servants? We received the oral order from the imperial envoy Qishan, so that once we find out that you have passed by, we will immediately ask you to go to Suzhou Prefecture and he will wait for you there."

Qishan? Yang Yi felt stranger. He had no contact with Qishan. Besides, isn’t Qishan in Henan? Why did he come to him? Did he know from Xiang Rong that he had an arms deal and wanted to buy some tricks? If that was true, then this was another big customer. Thinking that Qishan’s money was flowing into his pocket, Yang Yi smiled again. No matter what, he was nominally an official from the Qing Dynasty. If the imperial envoy invited him, he still had to go. It would be difficult for him to offend the imperial envoy to live.

"Okay, please send someone to arrange for my brother's door to find a place to rest, and you can lead the way for me." The leader sent his subordinates to greet Liu Mingchuan and the others, and led Yang Yi to the Suzhou Prefecture Office.

When he arrived at the government office, the leader quickly said to the officers and soldiers at the door: "Please inform me, and then I said that Lord Yang Yi Yang came to visit the imperial envoy." When the door heard about Yang Yi's name, he immediately showed a respectful expression on his face. He first called Yang Yi a thousand, and stood up and said, "Sir, please wait, little one, report to the imperial envoy." After that, he hurried in. Seeing that he had nothing to do with him, the leader of the city gate also said goodbye to Yang Yi. Yang Yi stuffed ten taels of silver and asked him to take good care of the brothers. The leader repeatedly agreed to thank Yang Yi again and then went back.

After a while, a burst of laughter came from the government office, "Hahaha, Mr. Yang, it's good to come here, just come safely." A short and fat old man appeared at the government office. It seemed that he was Qishan. Qishan seemed to be very good at maintaining himself. He was in his sixties and looked only in his early forties. He came over to Yang Yi with a smile on his face and said politely: "Mr. Yang? Qishan has been revered for a long time. I am really thunderous in your ears."

In fact, Qi Shan was also surprised when he saw Yang Yi. He didn't expect that the master Xiang Rong's mouth was so young, a young man in his early twenties. It was this young man who made the emperor fall in love with him. He can be said to have a bright future in the future. Let's get along with him first.

Yang Yi didn't expect Qishan to come out to greet him, and was very polite. However, based on his understanding of history, Yang Yi knew that none of these guys were smiling and had to be wary of them. Thinking of this, a respectful smile immediately appeared on his face. The man quickly came forward, knelt on one knee, and bowed, of course, in his heart, all the eighteen generations of Qishan's ancestors were greeted first.

"Secretary Yang Yi, please pay tribute to the imperial envoy."

"Oh, Mr. Yang, don't be polite, get up quickly and speak in the middle." He said he was polite, but he still received Yang Yi's courtesy. In Qishan's bones, he believed that no matter how capable the Han people were, they were all slaves of Manchus. What's the point of receiving a gift? What's more, he was an imperial envoy and went out to greet Yang Yi in person, which gave Yang Yi enough face.

Qishan took Yang Yi's hand and went to the hall with Yang Yi. After watching and sitting, Qishan turned around and returned to the official position in the center of the lobby and said, "Due to the imperial edict, Yang Yi will receive the imperial edict." As he said that, a yellow imperial edict came from the table.

Yang Yi quickly performed a big ceremony of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times and said, "My minister Yang Yi received the order."

Qi Shan opened the imperial edict and said, "Substantially, Emperor Zhao said, I heard that Yang Yi was a talented man who was proficient in Western affairs and had the ambition to serve the country. In order to show his loyalty and courage, he specially ordered him to take the post of Shanghai General with the title of garrison, train the new army, and protect Shanghai's important places without any mistakes. I respect this."

"My minister Yang Yi received the order to thank him." Yang took over the imperial edict from Qishan. Qishan patted Yang Yi on the shoulder and said:

"Mr. Yang, the emperor has a verbal order." Yang Yi was about to kneel down again, and Qishan quickly stopped him.

"The emperor said that when the oral order is passed, he will be exempted from courtesy."

"Thank you, thank you, Lord."

"The oral order from the emperor said that Shanghai is the main source of military pay for the Jiangnan camp, and there must be no problem. In addition, your new army will be set at 5,000 people first. The court does not have much money to subsidize you. The emperor squeezes out 30,000 taels of silver from the Da'an month for you, so you can save some money. The court is difficult now." Qi Shan said, revealing a hint of unaware smile.

Yang Yi figured it out. Xianfeng treated himself as a sucker. Give you a new army number and give you another 30,000 taels a month. Yang Yi had to help train an army. What equipment and supplies are needed to Yang Yi do it himself. Yang Yi greeted all the direct female relatives of Xianfeng first, and then focused on greeting Cixi, who is still Concubine Lan.

"Please submit it to the emperor, and I will definitely live up to the emperor's trust."

Yang Yi had no intention of the court to give him a penny subsidy, but now he was content with 30,000 Yang Yi. What he cares most about is the size of the team. Now the emperor says it is 5,000 people, so he can do something tricky at that time. It should be no problem to add a thousand or eight hundred. In short, it is legitimate to pull the team up now. With the imperial edict, it will be clear who dares to make trouble for him.

This imperial edict was accepted and the errand was also received. Yang Yi bullied himself to say goodbye to Qishan. Before leaving, Qishan grabbed Yang Yi and asked quietly:

"I heard that Mr. Yang criticized Xiang Rong for his good guys. Can I give it evenly to me?"

Of course, Yang Yi would not refuse to make money, but when doing business, he had to bargain for the price, let alone the exclusive business.

"This, sir, I have given you a lot of people to the young, and I have also given you a lot. The young man has got 1,000 quick guns. Do you think this? What if you ask about it, I can't say it, right?" Yang Yi said in a dilemma.

"Xiang Rong, let me tell you, give me 300 quick guns, I want to build a guard. The price is easy to say, each gun is 150 taels, and the bullets are calculated separately. How about it?" Yang Yiyi heard it and it turned out that this old boy was also a fear of death. He wanted to learn from Xiang Rong to build a foreign gun team to protect himself, but the price was still very high.

"Since all adults say that, do you think this is OK? You send someone to Shanghai. When you arrive in Shanghai, I will take them to the Prussians. You give money and they give guns. How about it?" Yang Yixin said, "You can't let them know that they are in the same group as Hoffman. If they want to let them know that they can't live.

"Okay, it's so satisfying, just settle down, someone is here."
Chapter completed!