At the beginning of September, in the important town of Huaidong, outside Yangzhou City, on the canal.
In the Yangzhou Canal section, several warships meandered northward. On the middle warship, Zhao Hong stood on the bow, looking at the scene on both sides of the river, frowning.
On both sides of the canal, people with shabby clothes and sallow faces, looking like beggars, are working in the fields; naked, dark and dirty half-year-old children are playing and catching fish in the puddles on the bank; charred vegetation, collapsed Houses and piles of rubble can be seen from time to time; a few sparse fields are mixed in with countless surrounding grasses, and farmers are boringly tending some green vegetables, which seem to be the only bright color in the world.
Even the willow trees on both sides of the canal were basically cut down and burned, and the few remaining trees were skinny, crooked, and shapeless.
Who made the city of Yangzhou, with its blooming flowers, enchanting scenery and twenty-four bridges under the moonlit night, look like this?
With a hundred thousand guan tied around his waist, he rode a crane down to Yangzhou.
How comfortable, how chic. But if it was Yangzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty, it would probably be time to return disappointed.
"The famous capital of Huaizuo, a good place in the west of Zhuxi, where Shao Xie'an was stationed in the first journey. Ten miles passed by the spring breeze. All the shepherd's purses and wheat were green. Since Hu Ma peeked into the river, the trees in the pond were abandoned, and the soldiers were still tired of talking about it."
On the bow of the boat, Zhu Duanchang, the minister of the Ministry of Rites and the former minister of Dali Temple, who was the deputy envoy to the Jin Dynasty this time, was touched and recited it unconsciously.
The reason why the warships did not stop in Yangzhou was because Yangzhou was in ruins. They went all the way north, stopped at Gaoyou Army and Xuyi Army, and then crossed Si River and entered Jinjing.
"During the Jiading period, there were frequent wars between the Song and Jin Dynasties. Yangzhou became the place where Huaidong fought fiercely. It was dilapidated and dilapidated. It was no longer the Yangzhou it used to be. The upper stream defended Sichuan, and the lower reaches guarded the two Huaihe Rivers. It was not enough to defend the river. Yangzhou has become like this, and Huaidong is a frontier fortress. How, you can imagine.”
Li Tang said with a dark face.
As the captain of the mission guard for this envoy, he was responsible for the safety of Zhao Hongyi and others. As for the warships and soldiers escorting the northward journey, they came from the Zhenjiang Navy.
"One day, Yangzhou will regain its prosperity!"
Zhao Hong couldn't help but say something.
The three major frontier theaters in the Southern Song Dynasty were Sichuan, Xiangyang, Zaoyang and Hanshui areas, and Huaidong. Yangzhou is an important town in Huaidong. If Huaidong is not peaceful, it will be difficult for Yangzhou to maintain its security. If Yangzhou does not prosper, it indicates that the frontier fortress of the Southern Song Dynasty will not be peaceful. Then it will be just like in history, and the Qiao and oars will disappear in the cliff mountains.
"Mr. Zhu, you stood up for me in the palace, and I will remember it in my heart. Aren't you afraid of Shi Miyuan's revenge on you?"
Recalling that Zhu Duanchang supported him as the crown prince in the main hall, Zhao Hong joked and expressed his gratitude to the old comrade.
"What are you afraid of? I am already over sixty years old, and it is time for me to become an official. If His Highness the Crown Prince does not establish himself as Crown Prince, will he just watch the treacherous prime minister bring trouble to the court? When the prime minister is strong and the king is weak, we, the Song Dynasty, cannot continue to be in chaos."
Zhu Duanchang stroked his white beard and felt a little emotional.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly. There are people in the government who understand, and no one is a fool.
"His Royal Highness, listen to what I said, strong is easy to break. Since you are already the crown prince of the Song Dynasty, why do you need to compete with the queen for the length of time? Take a step back and the sky will be brighter, don't capsize in the gutter!"
Zhu Duanchang took a step forward and whispered in Zhao Hong's ear.
Zhao Hong was slightly startled. There is no airtight wall in the world. It seemed that the quarrel between him and Yang Guizhi had spread.
"Mr. Zhu, it's easy to change a country, but it's hard to change one's nature. I'm afraid I can't change my donkey temper!"
Zhao Hong said something self-deprecating.
Yang Guizhi's tyranny and disdain made his little heart unbearable. Even if they were to die together, he would not tolerate it.
Why can she humiliate herself again and again? Just because she is the Queen of the Song Dynasty?
"Your Highness, I will not be mistaken. One day you will become the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, and I, the Song Dynasty, will have a chance to come back to life!"
Zhu Duan often stroked his white beard and talked nonsense seriously.
"Zhu Gong, although the road is tortuous, the future is still bright. I will try my best!"
Zhao Hong said sincerely.
If he could really ascend the throne as emperor, he might really be able to change the fate of the poor and weak Song Dynasty.
"Your Highness, let's look at the current situation. I have confidence in you!"
Zhu Duanchang chuckled.
Zhao Hong smiled dumbly and turned his gaze to the wasteland on the east side of the canal. After looking at it for a moment, he subconsciously asked:
"Mr. Zhu, what are those soldiers doing?"
The huge wasteland was surrounded by countless soldiers of the Song Army, making it a mess. In the open space in the middle of the crowd, a dozen young men in short-distance attire were walking around, seemingly playing Cuju.
Cuju was popular among the army in the Song Dynasty. Unexpectedly, I was lucky enough to witness it with my own eyes at the Yangzhou border fortress.
"Your Highness, this is the Tianxiong Army of Yangzhou. Its commander, Zhao Kui, is the younger brother of Zhao Fan, the prefect of Yangzhou. The Zhao brothers came from a famous family. Their father, Zhao Fang, was once the envoy of Jinghu. Brothers Zhao Fan and Zhao Kui studied under the great Confucian scholar Zheng Qing. , are all famous generals with both wisdom and courage."
Chen Duanchang introduced it to Zhao Hong.
Zhao Hong nodded slightly.
Yangzhou is already the frontier of Huainan. The Zhao brothers can guard here, at least they are not mediocre.
Zheng Qingzhi was the teacher of Zhao Guicheng, the heir of King Yi, and a fellow countryman of the powerful prime minister.
I am a beautiful woman, but it is a pity that I am a thief. It's really a pity.
"If he were really a famous general, he wouldn't have tolerated Li Quan so much! My subordinates only listen to the Zhao brothers. Do you really think this is their private song?"
Guard Hu Datou suddenly interrupted.
"Zhao Kui raises four white tigers at home, and eats dozens of kilograms of meat every day. After eating and drinking, he will bet on Cuju and shoot with the soldiers to spread some money and win people's hearts. Is this considered a famous general? Then His Highness should have been there for a long time. Yes! Me too!"
Guard Zhang Fan said with a playful smile.
Chen Duanchang smiled in embarrassment, and Zhao Hong also smiled.
This pair of vicious tongues would be even more lively if Xu Sheng were present.
Brothers Zhao Fan and Zhao Kui were famous in history. They killed Li Quan and were reused by Song Lizong, Zhao Guicheng and Zhao Yun. However, after Duanping entered Luo and was defeated by the Mongolian army, so that his success was almost defeated, the two men seemed to have fallen silent.
However, the Tianxiong Army only listened to the Zhao brothers' restraint, which seemed to be a very bad sign.
Could it be said that if other generals were to take command of the troops, the Tianxiong Army would no longer be able to command it?
Zhao Hongzai glanced at the warship and looked at it carefully.
This kind of vehicle and boat relies on human power to paddle the paddle wheels. Although it is fast, it can only travel a hundred miles in a day. Although it is already remarkable in this era, in Zhao Hong's eyes, it still feels too slow.
There are no airplanes, ships, trains, no nuclear power, no fuel engines, so there should be steam engines anyway.
If you really want to go to the sea, go up south or north, and travel thousands of miles away, you can't always rely on sails, right?
"Li Tang, Datou, how are these warships doing in battle?"
The warships are old and dilapidated, without even a cannon. They can only fight hard at close range and take human lives to fill them. The oil sails will burn when they are lit. How can they dominate the world and show their power overseas?
"Your Highness, this is a river ship with only four to five hundred materials. Of course it is much smaller. If it is a sea-going ship with one thousand materials and two thousand materials, it can carry five to six hundred or even a thousand people. That would be majestic!"
Thinking that Zhao Hong disliked the small size of the warship, Hu Datou immediately raised the ship.
A sea-going ship of one thousand materials has a displacement of about 300 tons. Two thousand materials is about 600-700 tons. In the Age of Discovery, Western warships were all about 500 tons. Calculated in this way, a 1,500-ton sea-going ship is the reference standard for the size of naval battle ships.
"The coastal system only has two to three hundred warships, five to six thousand sailors, the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled, and they have to be assigned to so many water forts on the coast. If we really start a war, it will be useless!"
Li Tang shook his head and pointed straight to the point.
"Your Highness, do you think that warships are not very powerful and must be equipped with firearms to be effective?"
Zhang Hong said with a smile on his face.
"That's right! If a warship is equipped with artillery and firearms, it will be a strong ship with powerful cannons, which will be even more powerful. By then, there will be thousands or even tens of thousands of warships sailing on the ocean, and the navy will have hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of sailors. That’s the real navy!”
Zhao Hong couldn't help but say it.
What is an empire without colonies? How can we conquer the world without a navy?
Moreover, as the population increases and the land per capita decreases, how can we achieve long-term peace and stability without transferring the crisis?
Hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of navy troops!
Zhu Duanchang was at a loss, Li Tang, Hu Datou and others all shook their heads.
Your Highness, you brag about not drafting, but you really dare to think about it!
Early on the next morning, the ship sailed away from Gaoyoujun and soon reached the Chuzhou Canal section.
When the Song Dynasty crossed south, the Song and Jin Dynasties were basically bounded by the middle reaches of the Huaihe River. The north of the Huaihe River belonged to the Jin Kingdom, and the south of the Huaihe River belonged to the Southern Song Dynasty. Chuzhou is only more than three miles away from the Huaihe River on the border, making it an important border town.
"With the Huai River, the Northern Song Dynasty turned into the Southern Song Dynasty. My Song Dynasty, how can you expect me to wait?"
Facing the rolling Huai River to the south, Zhao Hong's emotions suddenly broke out.
"Your Highness, in order to prevent the Jurchen army from going south, Emperor Gaozong ordered Du Chong to stay in Tokyo and dig up the Yellow River, causing the Yellow River to change its course and divert the Huaihe River into the sea. Not to mention the flooding of the Yellow River and the Huaihe River, the canals in the north were blocked. If the Song Dynasty wanted to restore the Central Plains, it would send troops to the north. , I’m afraid it’s not easy.”
Li Tang, with a dark face, introduced the situation of the canal to Zhao Hong.
"Your Highness, good will be rewarded with good, and evil will be rewarded with evil. The Jin people themselves have committed evil and will be destroyed by the Tatars sooner or later. When the time comes, we will take the opportunity to restore the Central Plains!"
Hu Datou interrupted.
"The Tatars are so powerful that the Jin people have retreated to the south of the Yellow River. Don't underestimate the enemy!"
As if to remind Zhao Hong, Zhu Duanchang played the side drum.
"Since the Yellow River seizes the Huaihe River and flows into the sea, the Yellow River in Henan often floods. This is because the terrain is low in the north and high in the south, so that the banks of the Yellow River are getting higher and higher, not only becoming an above-ground river, but also flooding frequently. If we want to save it once and for all, the Yellow River will still You have to enter the sea from Shandong."
Zhao Hong changed the topic and mentioned the diversion of the Yellow River and the flooding of the Yellow River.
In addition, the Yellow River has been diverted and the canal can be connected normally, without being affected by the flooding of the Yellow River and Huaihe River.
Zhao Hong shook his head gently.
Now that my future is uncertain, it's a bit ridiculous to think about these things.
"Your Highness, you are so knowledgeable, I admire you!"
Zhu Duanchang looked at Zhao Hong in surprise, as if he had discovered a goblin.
Is there anything else Zhao Hong doesn’t understand?
Zhao Hong shook his head and smiled, looking to the east inadvertently. On the inner lake, flags were fluttering, and some warships were practicing.
On the east side of the warship lake, surrounded by towering city walls, it was Chuzhou City where the Huaidong system was established.
"Loyalty Army!"
The big characters on the military flag were clearly visible, and Zhao Hong's pupils shrank slightly.
This is the domineering and uncontrollable Shandong Zhongyi Army under Li Quan.
A good rebel army turned into a warlord separatist power. This is a historical feature of the Southern Song Dynasty and a tragedy of the times.
"Is Li Quan in Chuzhou City?"
As far as Zhao Hong could see, there seemed to be a woman on top of a tall warship in the lake looking towards his own ship.
"Your Highness, Li Quan is in charge of Qingzhou, Shandong. The loyal defender of Chuzhou City is his wife Yang Miaozhen."
When Li Tang introduced, the tall warship in the lake rowed to the west bank of the lake, and what was looking at the bow of the boat was indeed a tall woman wearing a skirt.
"Yang Miaozhen!"
Zhao Hong blurted out subconsciously.
Li Quan was based in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, which was like a vassal town and was no longer controlled by the Song Dynasty court. Shi Miyuan is still providing money and food to Yang Miaozhen's ministry in Chuzhou. Is he spending money to buy peace?
However, if you think about it carefully, the Southern Song Dynasty was short of national power and its military was weak. Shi Miyuan was as afraid of the enemy as a tiger, and he had to rack his brains to deal with himself. This may be his best choice.
The distance between the two ships was two to three hundred meters. Although Yang Miaozhen's face could not be seen clearly, she had a graceful figure and fluttering dress. She was indeed a beauty.
Zhao Hong gently cupped his hands in the direction of Yang Miaozhen as a tribute to this famous person in history.
Different road non-phase plan. It's a pity that fate met.
People's livelihood is in decline, the loyalist army is domineering, and the government and army are unable to control themselves. Huaidong is in chaos, and thinking about it makes people feel confused.
On the West Lake of Chuzhou City, on the deck of a warship, he noticed a young man saluting him with extraordinary grace. Yang Miaozhen returned the salute with fists in his hands, feeling suspicious.
This passer-by has a big background. The imperial envoy flag is displayed on the boat, but who does it mean?
