Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 541 The Shepherd Who Came to Pay Taxes

With a sound of "boom", the armored vehicle that was driving made a crisp sound of metal impact from the position where the engine was located. After driving another ten meters, it slowly stopped in the middle of the muddy road.

The commander and the gunner who drove the car climbed out of the top cover and opened the engine cover with a tool. The commander lowered his head and checked for a long time, but he didn't know what was wrong.

At this time, Fan Tong, who was wearing a steel helmet and a pair of sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, emerged from the top cover of the command position, sighed helplessly, and asked, "What's going on?"

After the Battle of Outer Mongolia began, it was said that Fan Tong and Liu Sheng should be in the headquarters of Qiaktu, but this guy insisted on getting addicted to the "armor torrent", so Liu Sheng asked Fan Tong to go first with the armored troops. It was agreed to meet at Tashaertai, four hundred miles north of Kulun, on July 7.

It's really strange, since the armored vehicle unit of the Northern Navy set off from Kyakta, Fan Tong was like the god of plague, whichever vehicle he got on, there would be something wrong with that vehicle.Right now, the armored troops have just passed Kutler Narsutai, 310 miles south of Kyakta, and he has already changed his third vehicle, with an average change of one vehicle every [-] miles.

Fortunately, Fan Tong was not in the lead car, otherwise the convoy behind would have to stop and wait, which would affect the maneuvering schedule of the troops.During the period of maintenance, more than a dozen armored vehicles passed by, and Fan Tong only left one, and he urged the others to continue to move south.

According to the march plan, the armored vehicle unit must arrive at Tashaertai Post Station 210 miles away today.There are a total of 12 stations on the Kulun North Road Army Station from Qiaktu to Kulun, with a total length of 920 miles. Tashaertai is the eighth station, located in the south of Hadamar Mountain and north of the Hara River, 520 kilometers from Qiaktu , almost in the middle of the entire line.

After contacting the machine repair team at the rear, the other party sent the faulty car back to the Kutler Narsu Post Station three kilometers away for overhaul, where the Northern Navy Armored Forces set up a temporary repair yard.After tossing for more than half an hour, the faulty vehicle was dragged by the steel cable by the armored vehicle left behind, and turned around with difficulty and headed towards the Kutler Naersu Post Station.

As a temporary repair yard, the Kutler Narsu station is not large in scale.There were originally six thatched cottages here, four for accommodation, two for storage, and several barns besides that.However, in accordance with the order of "retreat across the board, strengthen the walls and clear the fields" issued by Cullen, the post soldiers used a fire to turn all the buildings and things that could not be taken away into ruins before leaving.

After the Northern Navy occupied the place, they simply cleaned up the ruins; set up several tents, repaired simple fortifications, and surrounded the post with barbed wire to prevent wild animals.The most conspicuous thing in the empty field is a three-meter-high gantry made of steel pipes and logs, which is mainly used for hoisting engines.

When Fan Tongtong and his group arrived at the post station, it was almost dusk, and they saw a 10-ton high-chassis crawler transport vehicle parked in the yard.This thing is for the mechanic team. It was bought by Zhao Xin from another time and space. It is not expensive, the leather is durable, and there is no problem with cross-country passing ability. Assembling maintenance tools and parts is definitely a must-have artifact for traveling in Outer Mongolia in the [-]th century.

After the faulty car was parked, several maintenance workers opened the front machine cover to reveal the engine and gearbox inside.The engine was checked, the pipelines were checked, the fire system was checked, and when the gearbox was checked, the problem was finally found.

"The side of the gear fell off." The leader of the maintenance team was Zhao Mao, who was Maosuke from the "Seven Samurai" under Zhao Xin's command.He and Wan Zao were the first to join the civil affairs tractor team. They were driven first and then repaired. After five or six years, they have rich experience.Last year, Zhao Mao finished reading the armored vehicle maintenance manual that Zhao Xin asked someone to translate, and he is now the "number one expert" in repairing armored vehicles and tractors in Beihai Town.

"How could it be like this?!" It's not a small problem that the side of the gear fell off, and Fan Tong knew that the gearbox might also be broken.

"It should be that the bearings were not preheated in accordance with the requirements of the technical manual during the previous repairs. To save trouble, the cold bearings were hammered into place with a sledgehammer. The side of the bearing was cracked and could not be seen with the naked eye. After driving, the part of the side gradually fell off, causing the transmission body destruction."

"What a fool!"

Hearing Fan Tong's roar, only the 19-year-old driver stood aside, blushing and ashamed.This is what he did, purely to save trouble.

It is said that to form an armored force, you must first start with theoretical study, and then get on the train for practice.However, for the Beihai Navy whose cultural foundation is generally not high, theoretical study is really obscure.Although each vehicle commander is issued a thick maintenance manual, most people still know what is happening, and they still cannot fully grasp the equipment management and support construction.

"Young man, let's have a longer memory!" Fan Tong sighed, and patted the young driver's shoulder to express his comfort.Punishment is a matter for his superior company commander, and Fan Tong is more concerned about whether it can be repaired.

"Can it be repaired?"

Zhao Mao said with a relaxed face: "I have to get a new gearbox. It happens that I still have two spare sets. Don't worry, Chief."

After hearing this, Fan Tong said in relief: "Then you all work harder, fix it today, and leave tomorrow morning."

The accompanying staff sent a report to Chakhtu and the front troops. Fan Tong was fine, looked around in the post station, and then took two guards to a grass-covered mound outside the barbed wire fence to see the scenery.

The scenery on the prairie in June is indeed infinitely beautiful. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the endless green grass seems to be inlaid with a layer of gold, which is so green that it makes people tremble. Lin.On the river bank meadow one kilometer to the south, dozens of sheep are being driven back to the pen by herders, a newly built yurt is emitting smoke, and a child is playing with his dog in front of the door.

Just like what Agui said to Qianlong, Khalkha Mongolia is not Monan Mongolia. Ninety-nine percent of the people here live by grazing and living by water and grass. no.What's more, the stations on Kulun North Road are all located in the hilly area of ​​the Selenge River Basin with abundant water and grass, which is a good place for grazing.

The Northern Navy has been in Kyakhta for several years, and the herdsmen of the alliance flags within hundreds of miles have heard of this prestigious army; it is not only fierce in fighting, but also kind to the common people.Some poor herdsmen crossed the border to hunt and graze. The patrol team of the Beihai Navy did not drive them away when they encountered them.

We must know that before the Northern Navy captured East Siberia, the Qing and Russia imposed very severe penalties for cross-border hunting.According to the provisions of the "Blensky Treaty", if someone on both sides hunts across the border, not only will their prey, weapons, saddles and other items be confiscated after being caught, but they will also be beaten with a hundred sticks as a warning to everyone else.

Faced with such a beautiful scenery, Fan Tong really wanted to recite a poem or sing a song, but he was interrupted by the buzzing of mosquitoes when he just started to build up his emotions.The more fertile the grass and water on the prairie in summer, the more mosquitoes there are.Fortunately, he and his subordinates were wearing mosquito-proof caps, long clothes and long trousers, and sprayed with mosquito repellent, otherwise they would surely be full of bites.

When the setting sun disappeared before the horizon, Fan Tong, who had already returned to his tent, received a report from a sentinel that a Mongolian shepherd was leading a horse and carrying two bundled sheep to the outside of the post station.There was a Buryat soldier named Baoyin Lige in the infantry squad in charge of stationing here. After some inquiries with the other party, he found out that the herdsman was here to pay taxes.

"Pay tax? What kind of tax to pay?" Fan Tong was a little surprised. The Beihai Navy did not require herdsmen to pay taxes.

"Chief, this is the situation. In the past, the owners of the Zhasak Banner would tax the herdsmen below. Now that the princes and Taijis have all gone south, the herdsmen have come to pay taxes for us."

"Oh, it's this!" Fan Tong suddenly realized that he still knew something about this matter.

In this era, the Mongolian princes and Taiji levied taxes on their subjects, all of which were taxes in kind, based on the number of cattle and sheep.The calculation ratio of cattle and sheep is one to five. For example, if there are more than five cows or twenty sheep, one sheep will be taxed; if there are forty sheep, two sheep will be taxed; One cow takes three pots of corn to collect taxes.

The question is where can the herdsmen get the corn if they don't plant the land?Simple, first sell the sheep for money, and then use the money to buy rice.Inside and outside, you have to be exploited twice before paying taxes.

That's what I said, but in fact, in order to plunder more wealth, the princes and nobles often increase the temporary apportionment. These temporary apportionments basically have no quota and are extremely diverse. As a result, the majority of herdsmen are becoming more and more impoverished day by day. , Often unable to stand on their own, they either fled with the flag or sold themselves into slavery.

Fan Tong immediately said to the sentinel: "You go and tell that person, just say that our Beihai Navy doesn't have these rules. We can buy a few sheep and ask him if he wants salt or grain."

"Yes!"

A few minutes later, Zhuang Dingbulgude, who belongs to the right-wing Zuomo Banner of the Tuxietu Khan Department, opened his mouth in disbelief when he heard from Baoyinlige that there would be no tax collection.However, what filled his heart was not joy, but panic, and he didn't even listen to the words about buying sheep later.

The reason why Burgud is like this can be explained by a Mongolian saying: there is no Albatu without Nuoyan, and there is no Nuoyan without Albatu.The so-called "Nuoyan" is the lord, and "Albatu" is the commoner.

The Mongols under the Manchu Qing were divided into four classes: secular lords, monk lords, commoners and slaves.Among them, the civilians are divided into two classes, the first is the free people, including Jian Ding and Du Di Ding.Among them, Jianding is a soldier and belongs to Zasak; Dududing belongs to the temple, that is, novice monks and lamas.The second is subject people, including Suiding, Lingding, Miaoding, Zhuangding, etc.

Suiding bears taxes and other obligations to the princes he belongs to, exclusive to the princes, and has no burden on the flag; Lingding is the person who guards the tomb for the princes and nobles; Miaoding belongs to the temple and the Zhasak Lama; A farmer who is engaged in farming and grazing.Although these various "dings" are not like slaves that can be bought and sold and pawned by the lord at will, their status is low, almost the same as that of domestic slaves.

For Zhuang Dingbulgude, who is the right-wing left-wing banner of the Tushetu Khan tribe, since the Northern Navy defeated the original lord Taiji and occupied a large grassland on the river bank, they are the new local lords. Taxes are a matter of course.

Burgold's actions made Bei Haijun on duty at the gate dumbfounded, and Baoyin Lige spent a long time talking, and finally let the other party understand that Bei Haijun does not collect taxes on poor herdsmen.

"Really no tax?"

"No!" Hearing the categorical words of the sentinel on duty, Burgud was finally relieved.At this moment, he suddenly remembered that the sentry seemed to have mentioned salt just now.

"Yes, our chief said that we can buy a few sheep from you with grain and salt."

Now Burgud was overjoyed. He said gratefully to the sentinel, "Can I change both? Grain and salt, if you have tea, I want to change it too."

A deal was concluded, both parties were happy, and Fan Tong also came out to watch the fun.When Burgude heard that the smiling fat man in front of him was a senior official of the Beihai Navy, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed gratefully, and Fan Tong didn't care about the fishy smell on the other party's body, so he stepped forward to help him up, and clothed him Labula said a few words of comfort.Only then did he realize that the middle-aged Mongolian in front of him was just in his early twenties and had two sons, the oldest was five years old and the youngest was three.

"Why didn't you run to Cullen?"

"Everyone goes there, there are too many people, the cattle and sheep are all crowded together, it is easy to get sick, and there is nothing to eat."

"You flag masters don't care?"

"The young one is not Jian Ding, why should he listen to herding?"

"How's your day?"

"As long as there is no corvee, you can make a living. If there is a natural disaster or something, it's hard to say."

The nights in Mobei in midsummer are still quite cool, with an average temperature of only seven degrees above zero.The mechanics in the repair team were still rushing to make repairs, and Fan Tong immediately asked the cooks to slaughter a sheep and make soup for everyone to eat.Seeing this, Burgud immediately offered to help; he could tell from the clumsy movements of the cooking soldiers that these "Bodhisattva soldiers" were not good at killing sheep.

The Mongols have their own way of slaughtering sheep, and the method is very clean and neat, which opened Fan Tong's eyes.Together with the cooking soldiers, Burgud laid the sheep down on a clean ground, and then he used a knife to make a two-inch incision in the lower part of the chest.Then Burgood put his hand into the abdominal cavity, pierced the sheep's thoracic diaphragm with his fingers, and then reached into the chest cavity, groped for the aortic vessel in the spine with his fingers, and pulled it off.At the same time, in order to let the sheep's blood flow into the chest cavity quickly, Burgud asked the cooking soldiers to cover the sheep's mouth with their hands to suffocate it.

Then came the leather, first the middle part, then the upper part and the tail. Burgud's technique was extremely fast, and it took only ten minutes to peel off a complete piece of sheepskin.Afterwards, open the chest, take the internal organs, and then insert the limbs into the mouth of the pleural diaphragm to make the chest cavity into a bucket shape, so as to concentrate the sheep blood in the chest cavity.

"Quickly pick a few pieces of meat, goat's eggs and kidneys!" Fan Tong was already twitching his index finger, and the bonfire to drive away mosquitoes was also lit in the empty field, and he planned to grill some meat skewers.

At this point, the rest of the work can be done by the cooking soldiers.But when Burgud helped the cooking soldiers move the open sheep into the kitchen, he was quickly attracted by the cooking utensils in the house.He looked at the stove and the aluminum pots of different sizes on the wooden shelves, with a look of envy in his eyes.

After working for a while, Burgud walked out of the kitchen until the fresh mutton and large bones began to cook and gave off an aroma.When he saw the blazing bonfire in the courtyard, he frowned, and found Baoyin Lige by the light of the fire, said a few words, then walked quickly to the door, got on his horse, and ran to his house The yurt went away.

The sentinel on duty at the gate was very surprised, and said loudly, "Hey? Why did he leave without taking anything?"

Baoyin Lige came over and explained: "He said that we didn't put hay or cow dung in our fire, and the smoke is not strong enough to smoke mosquitoes. Go back and get us some."

More than half an hour later, Burgud came back on horseback with a cloth bag full of dried cow dung on the horse's back.He carried the bag to the campfire, bowed to Fan Tong who was eating barbecue, and then poured half a bag of cow dung into the fire.Suddenly, a thick white smoke rose up.So not only the mosquitoes ran away, but Fan Tong was smoked away too.

Later, in order to thank this simple herdsman, Fan Tong not only asked someone to give Burgude a bag of 40 catties of flour, a catty of refined salt and a bag of tea, but also asked the cooking soldiers to take a large aluminum pot with a diameter of [-] centimeters. he.

Fan Tong's actions startled Burgude, and he refused again and again.Although he wanted it very much, metal cooking utensils were too precious to the people on the grasslands; in the past, when they exchanged things from Shanxi merchants, even five sheep couldn't get a small iron pot.In Burgood's view, such a large pot is worth at least twenty sheep, which is half of his family property, and he really can't afford it.

However, when Fan Tong smiled and stuffed the aluminum pot into Burgude's arms indiscriminately, and asked Baoyin Lige to translate that it was for him, the other party suddenly threw himself on the ground, trembling Sobbing, he said a few words in a hoarse voice, then got up and put the big and small bags on the horse's back, leading the horse and disappearing into the darkness.

It wasn't until everyone disappeared that Fan Tong casually asked Baoyin Lige: "What did he just say?"

"He said that no matter where you graze in the future, even if it is thousands of miles away, as long as you use him, he will come to work for you with a single call!"

(End of this chapter)