bayedsolid Chapter 137 Memorial
Chapter 137 Memorial
"Sir, sir! It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!" Qiu Xiaojun dragged over one of the gang leaders.
"Do you know they are family members of my new army?" Zhang Tieniu said coldly.
"Sir, the families of the new army have to pay back the money they borrow, right? Hehe!" Qingpi said with a grin.
"Heh! Borrow three taels and turn it into ten taels in three months! You've got some nerve!"
"Our commander issued an official document at the beginning of the year stating that under his rule, the monthly interest rate for private lending cannot exceed 10%. Don't tell me you didn't know that!"
"Sir, we really don't know! Maybe the official documents haven't been sent over yet because we're in such a remote and poor place?" said the scoundrel.
"You'll find out soon enough!" Zhang Tieniu nodded.
"Chen Xiaosan was a martyr who sacrificed his life for the country. You were just trying to rob his sister, weren't you?! According to the regulations of my new army, anyone who insults the family of a martyr shall die! Men, take him away and execute him!"
Qiu Xiaojun walked over, grabbed Qingpi, and dragged him to the side!
"Sir, spare me! Sir, spare me! I really didn't know! Spare me!" The thug knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. The others who came with him were also trembling with fear, their faces ashen.
The power of the New Army was known throughout the land; they dared not even entertain the slightest thought of resistance. Besides, Zhang Tieniu and his companion were both armed; even if they harbored malicious intentions, they would be courting death.
"You really don't know?" Zhang Tieniu's lips curled into a smirk.
"Sir, I really didn't know! Please give me a chance, I'll never dare to do it again!" Qingpi kowtowed repeatedly.
"I might let you off this time, it just depends on what you do!"
"Sir, I understand, I understand! Can I forgive their debts?" Qingpi was smart and immediately got the message.
"Wouldn't that be too much of a stretch? After all, everyone who borrows money has to pay it back."
"No pressure, after all, I just bullied them. It's only right that I pay them some compensation! Hehe!" Qingpi said with a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"Alright, get up! Brother Chen, give them three silver dollars!" Zhang Tieniu shook his head.
"Sir, this..." The thug held three silver dollars, at a loss for what to do.
"Take it! Our new army never takes a single needle or thread from the common people. Since you borrowed the money, of course you should pay it back. But we'll waive the interest; consider it your apology to them."
"Don't even think about causing trouble for them after we leave. The whole of Shandong is under our commander's control now. If we find out you still dare to cause trouble, hehe!" Zhang Tieniu sneered.
"No, no!" Green Skin quickly assured him.
"Alright, get lost!" Zhang Tieniu waved his hand, too lazy to say anything more to these thugs.
"Brother Chen, Auntie. Our new army's pay isn't low, so you shouldn't be this poor, right?"
"Sir, it's all our fault. The money that the third brother brought back was all spent on my and the second brother's weddings, so..." Brother Chen said, blushing and embarrassed.
Zhang Tieniu nodded in understanding; such things were quite normal in poor families.
"With the compensation from the mistress and the monthly alimony, your lives should be much better."
“Take good care of your mother. We have the Military Affairs Bureau. They will visit the families of martyrs from time to time and accept complaints. If they find out that you are mistreating your mother, it is a serious crime and you will go to jail,” Zhang Tieniu instructed.
"Don't worry, sir! We will make sure Mother enjoys a good old age!"
"Okay! That's good! Auntie, we'll be going now. If you encounter any difficulties, go to the county government. If they don't help, come to the army and find me."
“My name is Zhang Tieniu, and I am currently in the Second Regiment of the First Division of the Shandong New Army. Xiao San is my soldier, and even if he sacrifices himself, he will always be my soldier.”
"Little sister! Remember this, if anyone dares to bully you in the future, come find me. Your big brother will stand up for you!" Zhang Tieniu reached out and wiped away the tears on the little girl's face.
After declining the Chen family's offer to stay, Zhang Tieniu drove away with Qiu Xiaojun.
"Second sister-in-law, please accept my condolences! Although Xiao San is dead, you're at least settling down for the rest of your life. Lord Shen is truly good to his soldiers!" After Zhang Tieniu and the others left, the villagers who had been watching gathered around.
"Yes! Lord Shen is so kind! It's a pity his selection criteria are too strict. Our Gou Dan applied too, but unfortunately he wasn't selected. Otherwise, we wouldn't be starving. Sigh!"
The old lady of the Chen family wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked her two sons to nail a gleaming bronze plaque to the most conspicuous lintel.
The four characters "Family of Martyrs" on the bronze plaque gleamed brightly!
"Eldest son, hurry up and buy some fabric. Make a new outfit for everyone in the family. We're going to the mistress's funeral in a few days," the old lady said firmly.
November 15, 1900.
On a sunny hillside outside Linqing City, a stone tablet more than ten meters high stands tall. The eight large red characters on the tablet, "Eternal Glory to National Heroes," are clearly visible.
Shen Lian wrote these characters himself. He practiced them several times in private, and they turned out to be passable.
Huge flower baskets were placed at the foot of the stone tablet, and rows of neat graves lay on the hillside behind it, where 863 martyrs who sacrificed their lives in this battle to defend the emperor lay buried.
Shen Lian, along with all the officials and officers of the New Army from Shandong, stood solemnly before the monument.
"Salute!" a loud shout rang out, and all the military personnel raised their hands in salute. Everyone else bowed their heads.
"Fire!" A series of synchronized gunshots rang out.
"Fire!" "Fire!" Two more gunshots rang out in unison.
After the ceremony, Shen Lian led everyone into the nearby Martyrs' Shrine. They lit incense and paid their respects to the memorial tablets of the martyrs.
The families of the martyrs who came to pay their respects all looked at Shen Lian with gratitude. If Shen Lian had repeatedly asked them not to kneel, they probably would have already done so.
"Throughout history, the Marquis has been the ruler who treated his soldiers with the most courtesy!" Gu Hongming remarked with emotion.
"Yes! With such great kindness from the Marquis, what soldier wouldn't be willing to die for him! Our Shandong New Army will surely be invincible!" Yang Du said excitedly.
After paying respects to the martyrs, Shen Lian immediately convened a meeting of officials from across Shandong.
"You are probably already aware of my previous policies in Thai Buloh Province, so I won't go into details. Just follow them."
"What I want to talk about today is the development plan for the entire Shandong province!"
"To get rich, build roads first! This is the railway line I plan from Jiaozhou Port all the way to Beijing. Next, special staff will go down to investigate the route, and local officials must fully cooperate."
"Once the route is planned, land acquisition must begin immediately. This is the most important task for all prefectures and counties."
"Wherever the railway passes through, regardless of whose land it involves, it will be expropriated. However, land compensation must be in place, and the price cannot be lower than the actual price."
"Anyone who dares to obstruct will be severely punished! Anyone you can't handle, report them to me immediately. I'll deal with them personally!" Shen Lian's stern gaze swept over the officials present.