Chapter 6: Organizing Group Training and Donating to the Instructors

Upon receiving this order, Huang Peizhi was taken aback. Are you, Huang Zonghan, a fool?

Engaging in such unofficial militias, which merely bear names in local prefectures, carries significant risks. Not only is there a lack of official funding and personnel support, but they are also easily susceptible to being decimated by the Taiping Army. Even more tragically, after you have painstakingly assembled a force, it is quite possible that it may be usurped by legitimate military officials such as Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang.

How did Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang's Xiang Army and Huai Army come into being? They did not personally train each soldier from scratch; rather, they directly integrated local militia forces, which is similar to the local militia that Lin Zhe aims to establish now. It was through this integration and subsequent recruitment of new soldiers that the renowned Huai Army and Xiang Army were formed.

Although Lin Zhexin had already made up his mind to organize this group training, such matters cannot be decided lightly

Immediately, Lin Zhe and Huang Peizhi engaged in further discussions, primarily focusing on the details of the project. Ultimately, they officially provisionally named this yet-to-be-planned county militia as 'Yuyao County Militia'.

Lin Zhe himself also wanted to organize a group practice, but he had previously struggled due to a lack of opportunities. Now that the opportunity is right in front of him, although it is merely a local group practice and he cannot attain the title of a group practice minister like Zeng Guofan, it is still a beginning, isn't it

It is not easy to be a corrupt official like him. Although he came from a legitimate background as a successful candidate in the imperial examination, he was merely a third-degree scholar. Moreover, he was already over forty years old when he passed the examination, and he spent a full five years waiting for an appointment in the capital before being assigned to a poor county in Shaanxi as a county magistrate. During his three years in office, he managed to embezzle less than ten thousand taels of silver, and his examination results were mediocre. Just as he was about to retire and return home to enjoy his old age, Huang Peizhi gritted his teeth and, combining his embezzled funds with several thousand taels he borrowed, sent over ten thousand taels of silver to the capital to secure his position. He was finally able to retain his official status and was transferred to serve as the county magistrate in Yuyao, Zhejiang. Initially, he had thought that he would not rest until he had embezzled at least one hundred thousand taels during his term, otherwise, it would be a disservice to his years of hard study.

Lin Zhecai paused his previous contemplation, dismounted from the carriage, returned to the backyard, inquired with the servants, and upon learning that Madam Lin had not yet gone to bed, he immediately proceeded to her courtyard

Although he is also someone who values his life, he does not wish to lead an army into battle. In the chaos of war, one can easily be struck down by a stray bullet. The Taiping Army is currently at its peak, and aligning himself with the Qing army in local militia training presents a significant risk to his life.

Lin Zheren is appointed as the supervisor, and Huang Peizhi is appointed as the co-supervisor. As for the organizational structure, the recruitment of personnel, the types of weaponry to be used, and the methods of funding, Huang Peizhi will not be involved in any of these matters.

Of course, Lin Zhe is still just a commoner at present, so it is naturally impossible for him to take on the role of a supervisor. He must donate for another official position, and the rank cannot be too low. Lin Zhe is preparing to donate for the position of a district official.

There is a saying: "In the Qing Dynasty, one does not rebel; the chrysanthemum is fitted with a power drill"

Lin Zhedao: "So, according to mother, it means not to care about him?"

After speaking, he added: "Of course, regardless of what happens afterward, since the county magistrate intends to organize a militia to protect the territory and ensure the safety of the people, as a resident of Yuyao, I will naturally contribute my efforts"

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Lin changed her tone: "Then there is no need, isn't it just a few tens of thousands of taels of silver? Our Lin family can still afford that! As long as it can secure a real official position for my son, what harm is there in that?"

Zhe Er has returned! At this moment, Madam Lin is kneeling on the mat, holding a string of prayer beads.

Huang Peizhi continued to persuade He - Tu - Shudao: "If Lin Xiandi wishes to make a donation, I, Huang, still have some connections at a higher level, so the expenses will certainly be less than usual. Additionally, I can also request a dispatch for you to oversee the Yuyao militia from above."

On the other hand, to be honest, he does not have a great fondness for being an official in this era. One could easily become a target of public scorn, labeled a traitor. Moreover, being made to serve the foreign emperor Xianfeng feels, frankly, quite absurd.

At this moment, Huang Peizhi chuckled and said, "You know the situation of the current dynasty as well as I do; what difficulty is there in obtaining an official position!"

Unfortunately, just six months into his term, the Taiping Army advanced into Southern Jiangsu, which greatly frightened him. Even more tragically, last month he skillfully embellished the battle in the eastern part of the city, turning it into a grand narrative. What does embellishment mean? It means claiming that he commanded five hundred county troops, who, in a single battle, decisively defeated a thousand enemy soldiers and killed a hundred of them.

Lin Zhe immediately recounted today's conversation with County Magistrate Huang to Madam Lin. After hearing this, Madam Lin let out a cold laugh: "This Huang Peizhi is quite audacious. To establish a brave battalion would likely cost around 20,000 taels of silver, and with the additional donations, it would take no less than 30,000 taels to manage it. How dare he make such a demand!"

However, he did not directly smile with joy; instead, he deliberately displayed a cautious expression and said, "This young man is merely a commoner; organizing a militia might be rather untimely, don't you think"

However, as a man, and moreover, a man who has traveled from a later era to this time, it would be shameless to say that Lin Zhe has also considered that since heaven has brought him to this era, if he does not accomplish something earth-shattering, it would be a disservice to his journey through time.

The key point is that such substitute officials are of little practical use in daily life. Nowadays, there are many substitute officials, but very few can actually secure a real position on www.hetushu.com. Generally, people donate for official titles to facilitate their business dealings and interactions with officials, but very few do so with the genuine intention of becoming an official.

After several days of deep contemplation, he recalled Lin Zhe, realizing that Lin Zhe was indeed the most suitable scapegoat of this era. Moreover, the Lin family already employed no fewer than one hundred guards and estate workers, which could easily form a ready-made county militia. If he were to recruit an additional two to three hundred laborers, he could barely assemble a force of four to five hundred people.

Otherwise, with so many landlords and wealthy merchants in Yuyao, Huang Peizhi would not have directly approached Lin Zhe

Although he received commendation from above, trouble soon followed. At that time, Huang Zonghan, the Governor of Zhejiang, was in a state of distress trying to prevent the Taiping army from advancing eastward. Upon hearing that there was an elite county militia in Yuyao capable of defeating a band of a thousand thieves, he did not bother to verify the truth. He directly issued an order to Yuyao, demanding that the county magistrate, Huang Peizhi, dispatch five hundred capable militia members to the Huzhou area to await further instructions. Upon hearing that there was an elite county militia in Yuyao capable of defeating a band of a thousand thieves, he did not bother to verify the truth. He directly issued an order to Yuyao, demanding that the county magistrate, Huang Peizhi, dispatch five hundred capable militia members to the Huzhou area to await further instructions

Although Huang Peizhi did not explicitly state it, Lin Zhe understood that he was referring to purchasing an official position. By casually throwing out a few thousand taels of silver, one could secure a position as a candidate county magistrate. If one was willing to spend money and was generous enough to part with over ten thousand taels, a candidate for the district magistrate position would be easily obtained

Previously, Lin Zhe was troubled by the lack of opportunities to engage in rebellion. However, now an opportunity for group training has presented itself before him. Although the opportunity is not particularly favorable, it is at least officially recognized as group training. Naturally, it would not be acceptable to abandon it outright. Nevertheless, Lin Zhe is also concerned that if he truly engages with the Yuyao County Brave Camp, he might end up wasting several tens of thousands of taels of silver.

The coexistence of risks and opportunities has led to the current situation faced by Lin Zhe

This is how he came to invite Lin Zheye for a discussion

The next day, Lin Zhe once again went to the county office. This time, he gave Huang Peizhi a clear response: "Establishing the county militia is acceptable, but it must be done according to my instructions!"

Huang Peizhi immediately exclaimed with a beaming face, "This is only natural!"

Moreover, a very crucial point is that Lin Zhe is wealthy. If Lin Zhe is willing to establish this county's brave camp, the funding will be resolved immediately

Moreover, Lin Zheye was contemplating how to persuade Madam Lin to allow him to organize a military drill. After all, this involved an expenditure of at least several tens of thousands of taels of silver, and once the drill was organized, he would have to lead troops to the front lines to engage in battle. Whether Madam Lin would permit him to be in the midst of war was also a matter worthy of consideration

Upon hearing that Lin Zhe was willing to compromise, Huang Peizhi suppressed the excitement in his heart and immediately said: "All matters regarding the regulations can be discussed, as for the expenses, the county can initially provide 5,000 taels!"

When the carriage came to a stop, the voice of Master Wang, the instructor, could be heard from outside: "Young Master, we have arrived at the residence"

Of course, he could only curse these words in his heart; he certainly did not have the courage to resist Huang Zonghan, the Governor of Zhejiang. However, even if he wanted to dispatch the county militia, it was impossible, because he did not have these five hundred county militia at his disposal.

After leaving the county office, it was already getting late. He sat in the carriage, deep in thought for a long time, contemplating how to handle this militia training, and how to negotiate terms with Huang Peizhi and even with the Shaoxing Prefecture and the Zhejiang Provincial Governor's office. They wanted him to be the one to bear the financial burden for the militia training, but surely they couldn't provide no support at all. Perhaps the funding wouldn't be substantial, but what about political support?

Huang Peizhi does not care how you, Lin Zhe, handle things. As long as you, Lin Zhe, can gather five hundred people to go to Huzhou, Huang Peizhi will have completed the task assigned by the Zhejiang Governor Huang Zonghan. What happens next is none of his business

Although Yuyao can be considered one of the better counties in northern Zhejiang, the only family that could take out several thousand or even tens of thousands of taels of silver without batting an eye is probably the Lin family

Is it not common in official circles to exaggerate reports of victories? Would you not take the initiative to reduce the figures by a factor of ten?

Furthermore, my son will eventually have to pay for an official title. Whether it is sooner or later, this expense is inevitable. Since there is an opportunity now, it is just as well to handle it all at once

Upon hearing Lin Zhe directly pose the most critical question, Huang Peizhi's smile became even more radiant

Therefore, he did not agree to Huang Peizhi immediately, but instead said: "This matter is of great importance, and I still need to discuss it with my mother. Please allow me a couple of days to provide a response to the esteemed elder."

Earlier, Lin Zhe contemplated moving to the Shanghai concession to live as a wealthy young master. He thought that once the situation in the country became completely chaotic, he could simply emigrate to the United States. Relying on his foresight and his current wealth of several million, establishing a business empire would not be a dream. Being at the helm of an American consortium would also be quite enjoyable.

Lin Zhe was momentarily taken aback; he had not anticipated that Madam Lin had considered matters even more thoroughly than he had expected. Initially, he thought that Madam Lin would strongly oppose his plan to organize a militia, partly due to the considerable expenses involved, and partly because she was genuinely concerned for Lin Zhe's safety and would never allow her son to go to the battlefield and risk his life.

The following sentence is intended to reassure Huang Peizhi, stating that regardless of whether one participates or not, there will certainly be some contribution of funds at that time.

The implication is that Huang Peizhi only provides five thousand taels, and the rest must be resolved by the Lin family

I said there are five hundred elite soldiers, and killing a hundred enemies—do you really believe that?

The carriage swayed back and forth, and before I knew it, we had already arrived at the Lin residence

During this night conversation with Lady Lin, Lin Zhe became even more excited