Chapter 5, Yun Shuai makes his appearance

However, this situation has further strained the finances of the directly controlled central government. It is common for troops to go unpaid for three months, and it is not unusual for civil servants to go without their salaries for half a year. During festivals and holidays, in order to distribute some funds, the government even has to issue public bonds. Yet, even if the dignified central government's bonds offer a high interest rate of 8%, they can only be issued at a discount of 60%.

Chen Yunshuai? Su Xue covered her mouth, almost unable to believe that so many prominent figures had gathered in this small tavern today. However, she could never have imagined that this seemingly inconspicuous old man was actually Chen Yunjie, known as "Yunshuai".

Over there, Liu Jingxiao smiled and said to Yang Linyi: "Old Yang, it has been a few years since we last met. I assume you have been doing well in Henan? By the way! Could you station fewer troops on the border of my Shandong? I have only stationed two regiments of troops."

The voice was not loud, yet everyone could hear it clearly. Su Xue turned her gaze and saw that it was the thin old man. As he spoke, the old man was at ease and exuded a certain leadership charisma.

... ...

Although his words were gentle, they carried an undercurrent of dominance. Liu Jingxiao replied, "In all the world, the only one who can make Brother Lin Yi sulk is none other than Commander Yun!"

Since the defeat in Hubei, the direct faction not only controls the central authority but also has its influence permeating across the country. With over twenty divisions under its command, the direct faction is indeed invincible nationwide. Chen Yunjie holds a position in the direct faction that is only subordinate to Cao Ming, known as the "Ming Commander." However, Cao Ming, who comes from a background as a street vendor, is vastly inferior to Chen Yunjie in terms of talent and strategy, despite Chen Yunjie's shift from literature to military affairs. Yet, Su Xue could never have anticipated that this commander of hundreds of thousands of troops, the soul of the direct faction, would appear in such a manner. Chen Yunjie's position in the direct faction is only below that of Cao Ming, the "Ming Commander," but Cao Ming, with his humble beginnings as a vendor, is truly far behind this Chen Yunjie, who has abandoned literature for martial pursuits. Su Xue could not have imagined that this commander of hundreds of thousands of troops, the soul of the direct faction, would look like this.

Liu Jingxiao and Yang Linyi were also quite unreserved, sitting on either side of Chen Yunjie. They engaged in a casual discussion about military and national affairs for a while. Suddenly, Chen Yunjie shifted the topic and said: "Brother Liu, Shandong's annual revenue is nearly 20 million yuan; you must allocate some funds to the national treasury..."

Although what you said is reasonable, if you eat meat, Jing Xiao will have to smash the bowl

Such a significant matter, I am merely a secondary player; it must be decided by the young lady!

Yang Linyi directly refused, saying: "Not at all, my division is less than 4,000 men... Your Shandong regiment, however, is a large regiment of 3,000 men, and with the addition of the security forces, it is certainly not weaker than our Henan division..."

... ...

In this exchange, Su Xue could not help but greatly admire Liu Jingxiao. Chen Yunjie was exceptionally eloquent; although not as sharp as Yang Linji, his words struck directly at Liu Jingxiao's vulnerabilities. Liu Jingxiao, on the other hand, maintained a gentle demeanor, speaking in a mild tone, yet his words were imbued with a hidden sharpness, often undermining Chen Yunjie's previous arguments with just a few phrases.

Yang Linji continued, "The morale of our troops in Henan is low, the equipment is substandard, and many units are untrained. A significant number of these units are composed of bandits... You know what bandits are, right? Yes, they are the bandits referred to by the people of Henan! Such troops need to be properly trained to fight, so how can we not take them out for practice? On the other hand, in Shandong, you spend nearly 10 million yuan on military expenses each year, while our total annual revenue in Henan is far less. If you, Jingxiao, want to achieve political success in Shandong, you must resolutely cut down the military..." His eloquence was remarkable, and he delivered this speech in one breath, his tone imposing and not giving Liu Jingxiao a chance to respond. On the other hand, in Shandong, you spend nearly 10 million yuan on military expenses each year, while our total annual revenue in Henan is far less. If you, Jingxiao, want to achieve political success in Shandong, you must resolutely cut down the military..." His eloquence was remarkable, and he delivered this speech in one breath, his tone imposing and not giving Liu Jingxiao a chance to respond.

The current situation in Shandong today has been established by Jing Xiao for the Governor. Jing Xiao must live up to the expectations of the young lady. If the young lady were to take office in the future, she should leave behind something of value...

Secondly, there is the Jiangnan Jiang-Zhe-Lu Triangle Alliance, where all three regions are situated in affluent areas, with annual revenues surpassing those of the Southwest. Shanghai's annual revenue amounts to 79 million yuan, and when combined with the revenues from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, it nearly reaches 130 million yuan. However, historically, the Triangle Alliance has always favored the South over the North. Since the early years of the Republic, the Shen family of Shanghai has maintained a transcendent position amidst the North-South disputes. Furthermore, with Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Lu being unified, the two provinces and one city in the Southeast have never had any expectations from the central government regarding their financial revenues, aside from the nominal annual revenue of 300,000 yuan. Nevertheless, historically, the Triangle Alliance has always favored the South over the North. Since the early years of the Republic, the Shen family of Shanghai has maintained a transcendent position amidst the North-South disputes. Additionally, with Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Lu being unified, the two provinces and one city in the Southeast have never had any expectations from the central government regarding their financial revenues, aside from the nominal annual revenue of 300,000 yuan.

Lin Yi, I am well aware that besides the original stationed units, your 3rd Division and 4th Division have moved out of Xinyang, and the 3rd, 2nd, and 7th Infantry Brigades have entered Shide, not to mention those units waiting for transport in Kaifeng. Liu Jingxiao spoke confidently, his voice not loud, yet his reasoning was exceptionally clear

"If there is surplus money, what other purpose is there if not to win a smile from a beautiful woman?" Although this remark struck a painful chord with Liu Jingxiao, it is important to note that Shandong's various annual revenues never remit a single cent to the central government, which is extremely dissatisfied with this situation. Nevertheless, Liu Jingxiao remained indifferent to it.

... ...

Chen m.hetushu .com .com Yun Jie sat down calmly, raised his teacup, savored a sip of fragrant tea, and then said: "Lin Yi, Jing Xiao, come, come, sit! Sit! Sit!"

Since the establishment of the Republic, there has always been a situation of a weak central government and strong local powers, particularly in terms of finance. The two wealthiest regions of the Republic are Guangdong, with an annual revenue nearing 100 million yuan, making it the richest in the country. However, the southern provinces have consistently opposed the central government, especially after the split between the direct and the Fengtian factions in the 18th year of the Republic. The southwestern provinces have maintained a semi-independent status and have never remitted even a single yuan to the capital.

After Yang Linyi finished speaking, Liu Jingxiao said: "Jingxiao only seeks a gentle nest, not any political achievements. In the early years of the Republic, Shandong had a division and two brigades stationed there, and at its peak, it even had two divisions and three brigades. Now, Shandong only has our one division. If there is to be a reduction in troops, it should first fall upon you, General Yang. Henan has a military strength of eight divisions and nine brigades. Eight divisions and nine brigades..."

"Brother Jingxiao, my several divisions are merely going out for exercises. My troops are not comparable to yours; the various units in Shandong are well-equipped and battle-hardened, truly a first-rate fighting force."

Chen Yunjie said: "Do you still remember me, Brother Liu?"

Unexpectedly, at this moment, a sudden change occurred, and someone said: "Liu Jingxiao, since you and the library have the resources to build a cozy nest there, why not allocate some idle funds to pay the salaries of our civil servants in the capital?"

He spoke in a gentle and amiable manner, yet he firmly pushed Yang Linyi back. At that time, although the Shandong garrison consisted of only one division, Shandong had long been known for its salt and iron resources. Liu Jingxiao also intercepted the salt tax and most of the railway revenue from Shandong. The 17th Division, a regular army, commanded five brigades, not counting the security forces, railway police, tax police, and over ten regiments of the Jiaodong Autonomous Army, totaling more than 50,000 troops, most of whom were capable soldiers. While their military strength was insufficient for external invasion, they were more than capable of self-defense.

The orphaned mother weeps pitifully, please spare me this time!

In this way, the central government primarily relies on the fiscal revenue from various provinces in the northern region. Shandong has consistently contributed nearly 6 million yuan to the central treasury annually, making it one of the most important financial sources for the central government south of the Yellow River. However, since Liu Jingxiao took office in Shandong, not only has there been no contribution to the central treasury, but even the railway and postal revenue that should have been allocated to the Ministry of Communications has been forcibly withheld.

Then the old man stood up and laughed heartily, saying: "No wonder it is said that Liu Jingxiao, although afflicted with the malady of a recluse, is not a hypocritical gentleman of the mundane world; it is indeed true! Good! Good! Good! He can be considered a person of character!"

... ...

Liu Jingxiao replied in a lukewarm manner: "To receive such praise from Commander Yun, Jingxiao has not made this trip in vain"