afterglow

Chapter 367: Parade on the street to show off one’s power; competing to buy Nanzheng public bonds

Generally speaking, the corresponding military officers should be investigated first for war crimes. This is a common practice at home and abroad at all times.

A total of 12 Dutch people with connections were captured in the Balikpapan oil field and the Old Port oil field, including seven Dutch-Indian army officers and five middle- and senior-level managers of Shell.

In response to the possible impact of this matter, the Ming Cabinet mentioned it in passing during its regular meeting this morning.

Everyone had just finished discussing the war situation and the international situation, and felt that everything was going smoothly and brightly. Now that this matter was brought up, it was a bit disappointing.

Lin Xi glanced at the cabinet ministers present. Li Guangyuan seemed to be distracted, Xie Qinduan was scanning a book, and Yu Shenhua picked up the tea cup and took a sip.

"Where do we start talking about this matter..." Lin Xi, who looked calm, pondered for two seconds and said: "Well... we have informed and warned in advance, but (these people) knowingly committed the crime and looked at it from the standpoint of our country and the DPRK. This is OK Considered an act of contempt."

Xie Qinduan's eyes were still on the booklet in front of him, and he said casually: "Yes, there is no need to think carefully. Just punish him severely according to the facts. Act in accordance with the law and be fair."

"The matter has come to this. It doesn't matter whether we punish him or not. Let's do this. We will forward it to the emperor and let His Majesty make a decision." Yu Shenhua suggested.

He felt that the emperor had been slacking off during this period and was not as serious and serious as before, so he wanted to use this matter to stir up her emotions.

The cabinet ministers are all discerning people, but because the time is still relatively short, they are still not sure or able to figure out Zhu Lingjing's character.

I used to be conscientious and worked overtime, but now I seem a little lazy and undisciplined. I used to be generous and straightforward when approving budget drafts, but now I am a little stingy and picky, and I often check some special budgets repeatedly.

Although it seems to be very consistent with the state changes of ordinary people, people still tend to think in more advanced aspects, so they need to observe for a while.

After learning about the cabinet's deliberations, Zhu Lingjing said, "Hehe", "They are all ignorant fools who broke the rules and made their own mistakes."

To be honest, she was also very helpless. This was essentially just an imperialist struggle for interests. There was no need to play it so cruelly. It was simply seeking death.

It's not like defending one's own country by keeping the country strong and clear. It's just a colony. Many countries apply a different set of standards when dealing with colonial affairs.

A Lucky Cat, you can keep it for a few days when you are strong, and I can take it back for a few days when I am strong, but in the end, some unscrupulous guy just smashed it.

Although in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty's monarchs and ministers, such idiots are completely unbelievable - unreasonable instructions given by the superiors can be completely violated.

But they all ignored that the Dutch who were born in the Dutch East Indu actually regarded this colony as their hometown.

For example, Lieutenant General Helfrich, commander of the East Indu Fleet of the Royal Netherlands Navy, is a stocky Dutchman who was born in this colony and regards it as his motherland deep in his heart.

As for the twelve military officers and company managers who strictly obeyed the orders, most of them were in a similar situation - they would rather be in pieces than in ruins.

In accordance with Zhu Lingjing's order, the Ministry of Punishment, Dali Temple, the Military Justice Department of the Ministry of War, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate mobilized personnel to organize a special trial team to deal with this matter.

This series of seemingly troublesome procedures actually has only one purpose, which is to prove the justice of our country - we are not an invasion of greed, violence and wanton plunder, but a "competition" that follows rules and is reasonable.

This is a very beneficial move. It can enhance the confidence of the people in the country, weaken the fighting spirit of the enemy country, and reduce the resistance of the local people.

The next day, the carefully prepared parade display officially began.

The parade is divided into three starting points and is planned to take a month to encourage and attract people from all over the country to purchase war bonds totaling 120 billion yuan.

The North Road starts from Tianjin and is also divided into two routes, one going to Shuntian, Shenyang, and Luluji, and the other going to Taiyuan, Jinan, Luoyang, and Xi'an.

The South Road starts from Guangzhou and then divides into two roads, going to Nanning and Kunming in the west and Fuzhou and Dagu in the east.

The East Road starts in Shanghai and then splits into two routes, one going to Yingtian, Wuhan, Chongqing, and Chengdu, and the other to Hangzhou, Nanchang, and Changsha.

A few days later, in early April, a mighty team arrived at Yingtian Mansion in the capital.

There were so many onlookers that it was a huge crowd. There were people on both sides of the road, almost rubbing shoulders with each other.

"I'm coming!"

"Look!"

Two motorcycles in a Z-shaped formation opened the way, followed closely by a flatbed truck towed by a heavy truck, with the captured cruise tank on top.

The 3rd and 6th Royal Tank Regiment (Batalion) left a lot of wreckage, and the patrol team coming to the capital was assigned five vehicles.

The twisted steel plate was raised and the barrel was bent. The steel chariot now looked like a monster with teeth and claws. The external painting turned black and gray due to the flames, and only a few places could still recognize the original khaki color.

Next came the seized trucks and small arms, and two dozen Austin trucks slowly passed by.

The tarpaulin behind the truck had long been removed, and Enfield rifles, Bren light machine guns, and Vickers heavy machine guns were piled on top.

Several of the trucks also carried various sundries, such as blankets, tent cloth, helmets, individual soldier equipment, water bottles, engineering shovels, radio stations, etc.

Then there are more than a dozen trucks carrying damaged artillery. The QF 18-pound field guns and QF 4.5-inch howitzers have become scrap metal that will be scrapped and returned to the furnace for melting.

As for the artillery that can still be repaired, the Ordnance Bureau, which is accustomed to careful calculation, will naturally not waste it. Officials have been urging frontline troops not to waste captured technical equipment and heavy weapons.

They also specially mobilized capable manpower from the provincial governor's repair factories to form repair teams and went to Singapore and Lanfang to prepare for statistics, summary, and repair of various captured weapons and equipment.

"Wow, there are so many of them. They were all beaten like this."

"The steel plate of the tank looks like it's an inch thick, but it still can't be defended."

"Oh, I've already said that I'm invincible tomorrow, Yinghe is just trying to be a fool."

The onlookers were pointing and talking with great interest, while some knowledgeable people were answering questions enthusiastically.

"These are just a few. Now Guangdong and Beizhili are also on display. The total number is many times that of this one."

"How were these planes shot down?"

"Either it was an anti-aircraft gun or it was beaten down by our destroyer planes."

At the end of the team, there were five heavy-duty trucks dragging flatbed trucks with the remains of fighter jets on them.

A Buffalo, a Hurricane, a CW-21, and two P-36s, they were all in a curly and tattered condition, and the broken parts that couldn't be spliced ​​were randomly thrown aside.

After all the display teams passed, they were followed by propaganda vehicles calling for the purchase of war bonds and the handing over of gold.

"Dear citizens, everything is inseparable from the word money. An army's campaign is expensive..." "In order to support the front line, expand production, and build everywhere, the imperial court has specially set up a public debt for the Southern Expedition..."

"If you cash it in two years, the interest rate is [-]; if you cash it in three years, the interest rate is [-]..."

The interest rate on war bonds is not low, almost twice that of bank time deposits, and higher than most bonds on the market.

Those few bonds with inflated interest rates are undoubtedly risky, and buying them is tantamount to risky gambling. No matter how fanciful the issuers brag, few people have the courage.

In comparison, Nanzheng Public Bonds have become the best bond investment in most people's minds - low risk and high returns.

prove?The scraps of copper and iron in front of me are the best proof!

How can there be no money to pay back after victory?Nanyang is rich in resources.

"Madam, it's very lively outside today. The weapons captured in the Nanyang wars are being paraded on the street and there are people everywhere."

"Oh, if you win the battle, you will naturally capture a lot, which is a good thing."

After Xia Xiaoshi gave birth, Zhu Lingjing specially instructed her to hire two maids - nannies to help take care of her daily life.

A few people chatted for a while, and naturally talked about war bonds and the handing over of gold.

In order to ensure that the total target amount is met, the coverage of Nanzheng Public Bonds is relatively wide, and the minimum amount for single purchase is [-] yuan, so even those with average family backgrounds can still have some money to purchase.

Even regardless of the special status, Xia Xiaoshi was moved. It happened that she could invest a current deposit and the idle money of the past few months.

After much thought, she was still a little undecided, so she called her parents' home.

Xia Bing had just returned home from office at this time. The several cases he handled today were very troublesome, and he was a little dissatisfied after hearing his daughter's inquiry.

He felt that Xia Xiaoshi was too well protected and lacked the ability to stand alone. This was not only his fault, but also someone Zhou's responsibility.

"How old are you, don't you have this opinion? You have to take care of your home while Ke Xing is away. You two will not be short of money, just be stable in financial management." He then added: "After all, she is a member of the public family, so she should set an example. , naturally I have to buy some.”

A grievance is a grievance, and you still need to reflect on it.

The next day, early in the morning.

Yesterday's bright sunshine no longer exists, today there is only a gray sky and light rain.

Even if the weather is not good, it cannot extinguish the enthusiasm of the citizens.

Long queues formed outside the doors of dozens of large commercial banks in the capital. People had been waiting here early in the morning to snap up war bonds.

Countless people lined up in the drizzle holding umbrellas, so much so that the nearby inspection department had to send patrol officers to maintain order.

In order to cope with the surge in customer traffic, many banks had to temporarily add business windows.

The size of the Nanzheng Public Bond is not small, it is about half an A4 paper, beige waterproof paper, surrounded by rhombus-shaped Fangsheng patterns, and the four corners are decorated with auspicious cloud patterns.

In the center, there is a conspicuous "Public Bond of Southern Zhili Expropriation in the 39th Year of Changchang" written in the center, and further down from the right and left, there is a statement about the bond.

"The Chief Envoy of Southern Zhili Province submitted to the imperial decree and approved the issuance of the Southern Expedition Bonds for the 39th year of Changchang with the approval of the Tax Supervisor. The principal and interest will be repaid as scheduled. The detailed regulations are as stated on the reverse side."

The bonds are printed with the bright red seal of the Chief Envoy of Nanzhili and the signatures of the Chief Envoy and the Taoist priest.

After weighing the matter, Xia Xiaoshi decided to purchase a [-]-yuan bond and at the same time used the gold jewelry on hand to exchange for special shopping coupons.

If you can get better, then be good, if not, then settle for the status quo. Only in this way can you live calmly and comfortably. This is the life principle that Xia Bing has followed for a long time.

Therefore, due to the environment in which she grew up, although she will not deliberately pursue a luxurious life, if there are conditions, she will definitely not refuse it for the sake of frugality.

My family already has high-end assets such as a car and a refrigerator, so the only thing that goes further is air conditioning.

Although companies in the United States, Britain, and Ming Dynasty have successively launched household air conditioners since ten years ago, the prices are extremely high. For example, the products of Carrier Company in the United States are priced at thousands of dollars. Only the rich and wealthy can afford them. rise.

Over the years, although prices have dropped, they are still far away from ordinary people's homes.

Previously, someone and she both felt that the price of this thing was too high, so they shelved their plans, but now the opportunity has come.

Anyway, as the daughter of a general of the Ming Dynasty, it is almost an obligation to respond to the court's policies.Since these gold jewelry have to be donated, I might as well give some good things back to my family.

In the hot summer season, you can enjoy the cool feeling at home, how comfortable it is.

While people in various places in the Ming Dynasty were happily celebrating victory and scrambling to buy bonds, the official residences in London and Amsterdam were all gloomy and gloomy.

There is always only bad news coming back from the Far East - failure, retreat, failure again, retreat again.

Even Winston had to admit that the British Empire's attempt to defend the interests of the Far East was a failure. He said:

"...Their elite troops cannot compete with the lazy colonial army. Their long-prepared war plan has achieved substantial success...We should now consider defending Australia."

Although Winston is still in opposition, given the series of bad conditions now under Neville's administration, the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street may have to change hands soon.

At this time, it was afternoon in the old port far away in Sumudala, and a grand banquet had just concluded at the luxurious Fidelity Hotel.

The banquet guests were all well-known local figures in Old Port, but the new "host" had arrived, and they all had to be respectful, bowing and toasting.

However, Zhou Changfeng did not drink much because he had important military affairs, and he was too lazy to get acquainted with these people - the battle was not over yet, the [-]st Marine Brigade would set off again soon, and the commander of the occupying forces would not be himself. .

Driving on the streets of Old Port, you can see military police on patrol from time to time. Ming army military police in twos and threes are maintaining law and order together with the recognized Chinese police.

The arrival of the Ming army led to revelry among citizens across the city. This heartfelt sense of relaxation and elation made most people smile when they walked on the street.

The Colonial Government Building has been used as a temporary headquarters. As soon as he returned, Xie Wancheng, who was smiling, leaned over, clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, tell you the good news."

"Huh? Just tell me." Zhou Changfeng glanced at him and sat down on the luxurious mahogany chair.

"Didn't the Second Marine Brigade capture Makassar the day before yesterday? As soon as the airport was repaired, the naval aviation force that took off from there raided Surabaya and even sank a heavy cruiser."

(End of this chapter)