: Zhuge, the female student

Puzikou, the Bailian bandits' central tent.

The leader of the White Lotus Sect was convening the main generals of the sect to convene a military meeting. The ones who discussed the attack on Nanjing were naturally involved. Li Qingshan and Yuan Shizhong participated in this military meeting. However, Li Qingshan is now the general of the sect-protecting Holy Army. Yuan Shizhong is the second general, and Liu Badao, who was a water gangster from Taihu Lake, has now become the third general.

Since Jining was defeated and then taken over by Shandong General Liu Zeqing, the White Lotus Sect has changed to Jiangnan.

The White Lotus Sect Master also changed his previous mysterious style and began to show his true face. The White Lotus Sect Master, who was shown in front of everyone, had a beautiful face and skin as cream. He could be called a charming beauty. The most attractive thing was her tall and fiery body. Her tight black outfit fully outlined her plump curves, making people feel excited.

There were two maids standing behind the White Lotus Sect Leader, who were also considered beautiful women, and the one on the left was particularly outstanding.

Li Qingshan, Yuan Shizhong and Liu Badao turned a blind eye to the three beauties who were close at hand. It was not that they didn't want to see it, but they didn't dare to look at it. Although the leader of Bailian was charming, she didn't even blink when she killed someone. What was even more shocking was that her martial arts skills were extremely high. Li Qingshan, Yuan Shizhong and Liu Badao might not be her opponents.

There is another most important reason. They have all been poisoned by the White Lotus Sect Leader. They must take the antidote every seven days, otherwise they will die of poison.

The White Lotus Sect Master glanced at Li Qingshan charmingly and asked, "General, have the spy sent to Nanjing come back?"

Li Qingshan hurriedly stood up and responded respectfully: "Report to the leader, you are back."

The White Lotus Sect Master said: "How is the defense in Nanjing City? How many defenders are there?"

Li Qingshan replied: "There were originally eight thousand defenders in Nanjing, among which Huang Degong's 3,000 navy troops were the most difficult. Fortunately, he had been transferred to Taihu Lake to suppress the water bandits barefoot Zhang San half a month ago, so that there were only three thousand guards and two thousand Jinyiwei left in Nanjing, but..."

"But how?"

"But three days ago, more than 10,000 Datong elite soldiers from Wang Pu came."

"What!?" The leader of the White Lotus Sect suddenly stood up and said in a low voice, "Wang Pu's Datong elite soldiers?"

"That's right." Li Qingshan said, "I had a military parade outside Taiping Gate yesterday. The military appearance was very neat, and there were more than a dozen red cannons. The earth was shaking when firing the cannons, and the momentum was very scary. The brothers sent to inquire about the news said that Wang Pu's elite soldiers were not humans at all, but heavenly soldiers and generals..."

"Nonsense." The leader of the White Lotus Cult frowned, "What kind of heavenly soldiers and generals are just well-trained."

Li Qingshan hurriedly replied: "The leader is wise."

The leader of the White Lotus Sect pondered: "Wang Pu actually came to Jiangnan and brought more than 10,000 elite soldiers in Datong? We can't defeat Wang Pu. It seems that the plan to attack Nanjing has to be cancelled. In this way, the general and the second general led the main force of the escort army to attack Hezhou, and the third general continued to station troops in Puzikou to confuse the eyes and ears of the official army."

Li Qingshan, Yuan Shizhong and Liu Badao stood up at the same time, clasped their fists and replied: "Abide by the rule of the leader."

After all the three of them left, the White Lotus Sect Master chuckled and turned around and said to the two beautiful female scholars standing behind the tiger-skin chair: "Bai Lian left envoy and Bai Lian right envoy, follow me to Nanjing to meet this Wang Pu. This time, I can't fly if I want him to have wings, giggle..."

Yanziji, Nanjing Admiral Headquarters.

Wang Pu and Zhen Youcai met and calculated the money and food that might be needed, while the young lady was making abacus while making records with a quill dipped in ink. This little girl is now able to use Arabic numerals to record, and can also perform four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Zhen Youcai took his fingers and explained in detail.

"Purchase 100,000 mu of land in the farm to resettle the family members of the army. It costs 1.2 million taels of silver."

"It is planned to buy fifty red cannons from Western-Japanese merchants, which requires 50,000 taels of silver."

"It is planned to build an iron smelting farm, purchase land and houses, relocate equipment, and recruit craftsmen for 200,000 taels of silver."

"It is planned to build a weapon workshop, purchase land, houses, relocate equipment, and recruit craftsmen for 150,000 taels of silver."

"It is planned to build a gunpowder bureau, purchase land, houses, and relocate equipment, and recruit craftsmen for 100,000 taels of silver."

"Huaiyin mines iron ore. Recruiting Caogang ships to transport ore, the annual consumption of silver is 100,000 taels."

"Before the completion of the iron smelting factory, it consumed 200,000 taels of silver to purchase iron, sulfur, charcoal powder, nitrification soil and various materials every year."

"Now soldiers spend 800,000 taels of silver every year. If they recruit 100,000 new troops, each soldier will pay 20 taels of silver a year, and the annual additional salary will be 2 million taels."

"The annual consumption of military rations is 25,000 stones, and the annual consumption is 50,000 taels of silver."

"Purchase and reserve military rations of 100,000 stones, and consume 200,000 taels of silver."

"Purchase 100,000 sets of military uniforms, and consume 100,000 taels of silver."

"Okay, okay, stop reading." Wang Pu finally couldn't sit still, forcibly interrupted Zhen Youcai, and turned around and asked Neng Niang, "Neng Niang, how much did these expenses add one yuan in total?"

Neng Niang picked up the manuscript and said in disbelief: "A total of 5.15 million taels."

Wang Pu's brows frowned. No wonder in history, Emperor Chongzhen asked Wu Sangui to train a new army. Wu Sangui's old man Wu Xiang asked Emperor Chongzhen for three million yuan of salary and made a harsh statement that if there was not enough salary, it would be impossible to train a brave and good fighter new army. Emperor Chongzhen was shocked and frightened, and the matter of training was finally left to nothing.

The facts prove that Wu Xiang did not speak loudly. If he was not in charge of the company, he would not know that the cost of firewood and rice was expensive. Other items were just a small matter. The real big thing was the salary and money of the soldiers of the three armies!

In this era, Wang Pu could not instill any proletarian revolutionary ideas in his subordinates, nor could he carry out land reform to use land to tempt these big-headed soldiers to work hard for him. The only thing he could do was to pay generous land payments, and he would have a lot of rewards after winning battles. He could only rely on this method to motivate the soldiers of the three armies to fight for life.

"General." Zhen Youcai said with a serious expression, "This has not yet been calculated to pay the silver rewards to the soldiers of the three armies after winning the battle, and the pensions to the families of the fallen soldiers!"

Wang Pu nodded and asked Neng Niang again: "Neng Niang, how much money is left in the camp now?"

The young lady responded without thinking: "There are still one hundred,799,736 taels."

Zhen Youcai reminded: "In two months, it will be the end of the year again. By then, the local salary will be paid in the second half of the year. Each of the 4,000 veterans in the Firearms Battalion is 50 taels, each of the 8,000 new recruits in the Long Spear Battalion and the Battalion is 20 taels, and one more piece will be 360,000 taels. General, this army is simply a tiger who eats money."

Wang Pu frowned and said, "The admiral's yamen is not left, and the new policy in Zhejiang and Zhejiang provinces has been ruined. We can't count on the taxes of the two provinces at all. Old man Sun visited the two provinces under the garrison offices. His intention was nothing more than to get some money and food from the vassal warehouses of the garrison offices. But I guess he wouldn't get money and food. Maybe he would have to pay the money and food in the end. In other words, we have to find a way to do everything now!"

A fierce light suddenly flashed in Zhen Youcai's eyes and he whispered: "Just send the army to pretend to be a water bandit to rob. There are countless gentry and powerful people in Zhejiang and Zhi provinces, and they are all rich. I guess I can raise 40 to 50 million taels, which is enough to recruit a hundred thousand troops."

"No." Wang Pu said decisively, "This method of killing chickens and retrieving eggs cannot be used. If you really do it like you, even if the army is trained, it will be afraid that it will not be enough to suppress the civil unrest in Zhejiang and Zhizhou provinces. Besides, what can I do if I make the people in Zhejiang and Zhizhou provinces become a 100,000 army? It's not a tree without roots, and it's difficult to last forever."

Zhen Youcai scratched his head and said, "Then I can't think of any good idea."

"Think about it again." Wang Pu said, "There will be a solution in the end."

As Wang Pu finished speaking, Lu Liu suddenly stepped in and shouted: "General, Brother Seven has taken his wife and the young master from Songjiang."

Wang Pu said anxiously: "Where are people?"

Lu Liudao: "It's almost out of the gate."

Wang Pu turned around and greeted the young lady, "Let's go, come with me to welcome you."

"Why."

The young lady responded crisply and followed Wang Pu straight to the gate.

Outside the gate, Xiaoqi and two hundred elite servants were already guarding two carriages and slowly approaching the gate. Before the carriage could stop, Wang Pu had already taken Neng Niang to hurry down from the steps. Neng Niang took the step forward and lifted the curtain. Wang Pu saw Chen Yuanyuan holding Xiao Wangfa upright in the carriage.

Since the separation of Zhangde Mansion, Wang Pu and Chen Yuanyuan and his son have not met for almost two months.

After not seeing each other for two months, Xiao Wangfa became even whiter and fatter after a bigger circle. He was sleeping soundly in Chen Yuanyuan's arms. Chen Yuanyuan looked a little haggard, maybe because he was troubled by the child.

Wang Pu's Adam's apple twitched for a moment and called in a low voice: "Madam."

Chen Yuanyuan looked at Wang Pu affectionately, a sweet smile appeared on her face, but the tenderness in her heart turned into a gentle call: "Honeyone."

Wang Pu reached out and carried Chen Yuanyuan and his son out of the carriage, and then hugged the mother and son in front of all the servants' ground.
Chapter completed!