Li Ke took the train this time.
First, we took a train to Chencang, and then passed through Chencang to Longzhou Huating, Weizhou (Pingliang), Yuanzhou (Guyuan), Xihuijun (Huining), and Jincheng (Lanzhou). This is the basic road.
As for cities like Weizhou and Yuanzhou, according to Li Ke's latest administrative level, he changed their names back to Pingliang and Guyuan.
In fact, the names Pingliang Guyuan also existed during the Sui Dynasty. They were changed during the Tang Dynasty, and then Li Ke changed them back.
Highlight an order that changes every day.
This road is the most important road from Chang'an to Qinghai. If you go to Longyou Road, you will go to the direction of Zhongwei.
After arriving in Chencang, Li Ke and others moved forward in a low-key manner. Although there were 5,000 guards, the guards were not fully armed. At least two-thirds of them were in civilian clothes. They were used as secret guards and some were disguised as caravans. Yes, there are only a thousand guards on the surface.
All the guards did not drive away the caravans, etc., but pulled back and forth in a low-key manner to ensure safety. Of course, the most important thing was that this was Li Ke's request.
After leaving Chencang, Li Ke looked at the carriage on the road with some emotion.
Because the carriages on the road now have iron wheel hub versions produced by machinery manufacturers, and they also have steel plate shock absorbers, or leaf springs.
These bonuses have greatly improved the passability of the carriage, and the damage will become very slow. However, there are still some problems in the manufacturing of the tires, and the quality cannot keep up.
Of course, it is mainly compared with the tires of later generations. For this era, the lifespan of these tires is considered good. Anyway, they have never seen what high-end tires look like.
The quality of tires made entirely from Eucommia ulmoides simply cannot keep up with the processing technology. If it is made of rubber, it will be slightly better. Eucommia ulmoides is different from rubber. The processing technology is slightly more difficult than rubber. .
It is nothing to the modern industrial system, but to Datang's industrial system, this difficulty is not low.
However, rubber is also growing fast. According to the news from the origin of the currently planted rubber, rubber can basically be harvested next year. Although the amount harvested next year will be very small, Datang's current rubber consumption is not much.
When Datang's rubber begins to enter a period of high production in two or three years, tires will gradually become popular throughout Datang.
But aside from these carriages, the official roads here are obviously much better than when Li Ke left, and they are also much wider.
At noon, by chance, a service area ahead appeared in Li Ke's sight.
This service area is still very different from that of later generations. All service areas are built based on nearby inns, just next to them.
There was a post station every thirty miles in the Tang Dynasty. If there were some dangerous official roads, the distance between these stations would be slightly farther. The post station in the Tang Dynasty only received officials and important court reports, and ordinary caravans were not allowed to enter the post station.
But it is also possible to stay near the inn, especially in some relatively remote places. In fact, most inns just turn a blind eye. There are even some places that allow you to enter the inn to rest for some money.
Of course, even if you enter the inn, these inn stations will divide an area in advance and isolate it separately.
This type of post stations are often in relatively remote areas, and the court basically turns a blind eye, because these places are mostly bitter and cold places, and the postmen at these inns also have a very hard life, and there are some sources of income. It can support them for a longer period of time.
But things are different after the establishment of the service area. The main reason is that the service area can be regarded as a semi-official version. Almost all nearby soldiers who have made meritorious service are here to host it. There is food and accommodation, but the living conditions are worse. These Except for the tents at the beginning, they built all the houses in the service area themselves.
The Tang Dynasty court gave them monthly money, so to the people in these service areas, this place was more like a special village.
Some are like many sparsely populated provinces in the northwest in later generations. Due to the establishment of national and provincial highways, some people gradually built some houses to provide accommodation and meals for truck drivers who came and went, forming gathering points.
The current service area is basically in this situation. Within the officially designated range, in addition to those people designated by Li Ke at the beginning, there are also some people who come spontaneously, so the scale of these service areas has expanded.
But it hasn't expanded too much. After all, for most people, they have land, and it's not to the point where they can't survive, and it can't support so many people here.
Li Ke does not live in a service area, but in a post station. The conditions of these inns in remote places are better.
After stopping at the inn, Li Ke changed into ordinary clothes and walked out. Many of Li Ke's personal guards were already in the service area.
After all, the service area not far from the inn was crowded with people, and the guards responsible for covert protection had already stopped here in the form of a caravan.
When Li Ke came over, he was only accompanied by a dozen guards in casual clothes.
For people like Li Ke, they often appear in this service area. Some wealthy families or wealthy people always bring some guards when they go out.
Entering a restaurant, Li Ke sat down directly and ordered a pot of tea. Now that it was past dinner time, Li Ke directly asked with a smile: "Brother, I have a few questions I would like to ask."
The boss is a man in his forties or fifties, with three fingers missing on his right hand and some lameness in his legs.
"I dare not call you a gentleman like that. If you have any questions about this gentleman, just ask him?" The boss said with a smile. As for the guard Li Ke brought over, the boss pretended not to see it.
"I came all the way here, and I was quite impressed. The official road from Chencang to here seems to be much wider than when I came here a few years ago, and it seems to have been repaired a lot. Do you know who is doing this?" Li Ke asked with a smile.
Since the official roads in this place were not organized by the imperial court, Li Ke really didn't know who was building the roads.
Each county actually raises its own funds to build roads every year.
"Haha, Lang Jun, you asked the right person. This is all thanks to the kindness of His Highness, King Qin of the Tang Dynasty." The boss cupped his hands in the direction of Chang'an and continued happily: "Those who have worked hard on this road have There are people from all directions, and it’s considered a collective effort from all the nearby counties.”
"Oh? I'd like to hear the details." Li Ke said with interest.
