At the end of the first year, Guo Xun, Marquis of Wuding, who returned to the suburbs of Beijing from Tongzhou, also saw the light industrial park.
The first thing I saw were the many strange-looking cars placed beside the Tonghui River Pier.
"……what is that?"
Guo Xun was familiar with carriages. This thing looked like a carriage, but the wheels... looked weird.
"Master Marquis, the railcar is a new thing that will be supervised by the manufacturer." The housekeeper of the Wuding Marquis Mansion had been welcoming him to Tongzhou. At this time, he introduced, "It uses the same gears as the printing press, and also has precious stones. The Jin Bureau cast some bearings, bent rods, and chains at the foundry in the Heavy Industry Park. The main thing is that this car seems to be used on rails."
"……rail?"
"That's it, that's it..." the housekeeper gestured, "There is a small stretch of track over there in the Heavy Industry Park that is being tested to see if it can work. I heard that if it works, many track-wheel cars can be connected together and pulled by horses. Run fast."
"...It's quite novel."
"I heard that they are still trying to produce a model with two wheels, one in front and one in the back. It is not used with the rails and can be ridden like a horse."
"Two wheels? One in front and one in the back?" Guo Xun was shocked, "Then how can it be stable?"
How does the housekeeper know?
Guo Xun sat on the boat and looked over there, pointing in the direction: "Which company's factory is that large house?"
Just because the houses in that area looked quite grand, but also very simple. The roof has not been decorated with any attention, but judging from the bay, I am afraid it has exceeded the limit.
"Where?" The housekeeper looked from a distance and thought about it before saying, "I don't know if it is the quilt factory of the Weaving Bureau or the engraving factory of Ming Pao Company."
"...just a few years after leaving the capital, things have really changed a lot." Guo Xun sighed and looked to the southwest, "Nancheng has never stopped working?"
“Nancheng and the Heavy Industry Park are the most popular!” the housekeeper said with certainty, “After the kilns of the Ministry of Industry and Construction Bureau and other factories were built in the Heavy Industry Park, the construction of the palaces of the princes started. At the moment, the main work in the southern city is to build the royal palaces and pave roads. As for the city wall, I heard that it is planned to be left to the end."
"How much will it cost?"
Guo Xun sighed, no wonder there were so many criticisms from the government and the public after the joint memorial of the top civil and military scholar was submitted at the end of last year.
There is a lot of construction work going on in the capital. Although it is not a palace, it is still a palace. What does it have to do with ordinary people? Although Guo Xun knew that the court had some operations: His Majesty actually "bought" the land and palaces granted to the local vassals by the vassal kings. As for building new residences for them in the capital, each prince's palace would have to pay for it himself, and His Majesty would only provide land.
This seems very unkind, but under the influence of the Huguang Rebellion, as long as there is still a way to survive, as long as His Majesty gives another way out, as long as His Majesty also promises that he will not compromise on salary from now on, the vassal princes will not give up. In the bottom of my heart.
Otherwise, the Ministry of Household Affairs would be required to bear the expenses of such a large project, and there would have been a big commotion long ago.
"Let's go! Just get off the boat in front, and I'll go around to Nancheng and the Heavy Industry Park to have a look!"
He was in no hurry to rush to Datong. His Majesty had a secret order, so Guo Xun didn't need to be in a hurry.
After spending nearly two hours, he first arrived in the northeast of Liangxiang. Guo Xun was surprised to see a large row of chimneys.
"Almost all the iron factories in Zunhua have been moved here. The Ordnance Supervision, the War Bureau, the Brick Kiln Factory of the Construction Bureau, the Iron Factory of Baojin Bureau, the Precision Casting Factory of Baoyuan Bureau, and the Jinqi Waste Manure Factory The factories are all over here." The steward turned back and pointed to the way he came, "Have you seen it, Mr. Hou? The Marco Polo River is also being dredged, and the Heavy Industry Park has a dock on the bank of the Marco Polo River. When the dredging is completed, the big ship You can go straight down to the Triangle Lake and then enter the canal.”
Zunhua is located northeast of Beijing and has been an important iron smelting town since the Tang Dynasty. In the first year of Yongle, the Ming Dynasty built a government-run iron factory in Zunhua. In the fourth year of Zhengde's reign, ten more Dajian furnaces and twenty Baizuo furnaces were opened, which could smelt nearly 500,000 jins of pig iron, nearly 300,000 jins of wrought iron, and more than 60,000 jins of refined steel a year.
"All of them moved here?" Guo Xun couldn't believe it. "The iron factory over there was abandoned?"
"It's just close." The steward explained, "I heard that all pig iron is smelted over there, while here they are all smelting wrought iron and refined steel."
"...It's true." Guo Xun looked to the southwest again, "With so many craftsmen here, I'm afraid this good hometown will gradually become connected with the capital."
Going northeast from here, Guo Xun finally gradually saw the Xinchi Road leading from the south of the capital to Liangxiang.
“The Construction Bureau has been building this new Chi Road all year long.”
Guo Xun looked at the people and cars passing by on the road and couldn't help but open his mouth.
It is said that during the Qin Dynasty, the first emperor built a Chidao, which was fifty steps wide and had trees three feet tall. The soil of the road foundation is all compacted with golden vertebrae.
Nowadays, this short section of Xinchi Road is more than fifty steps wide? It is not covered with compacted loess, but with a layer of gray and white slag.
"...Isn't this gravel?" Guo Xun asked.
"It's slag from the iron factory. The brick kiln factory has received the order, and now it's just crushed into slag powder. I heard that they are going to try to make something called cement."
Guo Xun was already feeling a little dizzy, and when he saw the cars passing by in front of him, it was still inevitably dusty: "...cement?"
"We don't have a clue yet, but His Majesty is very worried about it. Every time he comes to the Heavy Industry Park, he must go to the brick kiln factory to meet Zheng Kui, who has been granted the title of country knight."
"The craftsman who was knighted while experimenting with the printing press?"
"Exactly." The butler said seriously, "I heard that Your Majesty promised Zheng Kui that if he can bake suitable cement again, he will be granted the title of County Lord. Not only that, I heard that after the cement is fired, the road will be smooth in the future. Like a mirror, it has a lot to do with laying railroad tracks. Otherwise, what are the use of so many iron-making blast furnaces in the Heavy Industry Park? They are just cast iron farm tools, which is too much. Anyway, nowadays, there are many great craftsmen in the Heavy Industry Park. Everyone is working hard for the county magistrate, and I heard that some rail tracks are about to be trial-produced, otherwise the marquis would not have seen the railcars that were going to be transported here."
Guo Xun seemed to hear his son about to curse: If you don't make meritorious deeds, your son will be just a county magistrate like a craftsman in the future!
"...Let's go, let's go into the city!"
Guo Xun did not walk directly into the heavy industry park, so he did not see the core area of the heavy industry park.
Here, Tang Shu, last year's second-place finisher, is the director of the Staff Department, but in fact he has been staying in this heavy industry park. Last year, his only job was to do experiments here.
The upper reaches of the Lugou River is called Yongding River.
And this Yongding River also has another name, called Wuding River, which is the Wuding River that "poor the bones beside the Wuding River, they are like people in a spring boudoir's dream".
Yongding River is the expectation, Wuding River is the reality. The reason is the same as that of Huanghuai: flooding.
The upper reaches are all the way to Zhangjiakou. After flowing between Taihang Mountain and Yanshan Mountain to the outskirts of Beijing, it is as unruly as the Yellow River flowing into the plains.
In Daning Village, Wanping County, on the Lugou River, northwest of this heavy industry park, Tang Shu presided over the construction of a project consisting of a reservoir and a main river channel, a check dam and a release dam.
The stored water flows down through the discharge dam, and many tall waterwheels stand on both sides of the newly built discharge river.
Next to the waterwheel, there are gears that are much larger than those seen outside. The waterwheel rotates under the force of water. These gears drive a thick steel column to rotate. The scene inside is obscured by factory buildings distributed along the drainage channel.
Tang Shu knew that this was not enough. If he wanted to truly tame the Yongding River, he needed to build another dam upstream to block water for use.
That is the border town of Xuanfu. Only the border town of Xuanfu will be worry-free from now on.
Whether this method is effective or not depends on how well it works during this year's Xia Xun. The Huanghuai River is naturally much more difficult to control than the Wuding River, but this method of damming and scouring can still be used as a reference, right?
At the end of the first month of the year, he wrote a letter to Liu Tianhe: "The student has received the sand sampler from his teacher. The Xuanfu government in the upper reaches of the Yongding River has been fighting for years, and there are barren mountains everywhere. Although the sediment in the river cannot be compared with the Yellow River, the current Ministry of Industry We are also following the students' initiative to widen the river downstream to help sedimentation. If the students' strategy of blocking water and attacking sand in the Yongding River is useful, I think we can also learn from the local conditions in Huanghuai..."
The teachers and students, one in the south and one in the north, are still thinking about ways to control the water.
At this time, Guo Xun finally reached Nancheng.
This is the area that will soon become the new urban area of the capital, and the roads are already paved with bricks.
Before Guo Xun entered the gate of the imperial city, he heard many people talking about the land price that the Nancheng people were talking about.
"……What's the meaning?"
"What the Marquis doesn't know is that this is a new rule that the Marquis only issued on his way back to the capital. His Majesty designated some areas around the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth in Nancheng, and Xu Hubu sold them to the officials and citizens of the capital to build private residences. This is next to the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth. !”
Guo Xun opened his mouth wide.
Of course he was familiar with these two places, having paid homage to them many times before.
The place is indeed very large, with the Temple of Heaven covering more than 4,000 acres and the Temple of Earth covering nearly 1,000 acres.
But how sacred are the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth?
This tree-lined and majestic place is actually going to be sold and allowed to be built by officials and citizens of the capital as private residences?
"Can you really buy some land and build a mansion?" Guo Xun was excited.
Regardless of Feng Shui, this is close to the aura of heaven and earth, and is always filled with royal aura!
"Yes! The inner circle of the Temple of Heaven is reserved, but the land that can be purchased outside now totals more than a thousand acres."
Guo Xun suddenly realized something, and then he bared his teeth and gasped: "Your Majesty is so short of money that he actually wants to sell the land of the Temple of Heaven and Earth to raise money... Aren't there any gentry talking about it?"
"Some people also say that the sky and the earth should be guarded by the fireworks of the human world. To the west of the Temple of Earth are the palaces of the princes. Naturally, only loyal ministers and good citizens can apply for the rest of the place."
Guo Xun nodded: "I am a loyal minister!"
The emperor used this method to show that he was short of money, but his loyal ministers should not show it?
It's definitely expensive, but this is a great opportunity!
So when he came to the palace to see his majesty, he was moved to tears and then repeatedly confessed. Guo Xun asked eagerly: "I heard that the land next to the Temple of Heaven and Earth is available for purchase and construction of a house. Can I choose a good land?"
Zhu Houcong laughed: "You were fined for three years, and you are planning to buy land as soon as you return to Beijing. It seems that you are living well in Nanjing."
"...After all, I have been favored by Your Majesty to stay in the Nanjing garrison of the Marquis. I have not rejected those favors. But I know in my heart that I cannot accept the benefits and open the back door. I just don't ruin some people's affairs."
This part of "human relations" is inevitable. When they arrived in Nanjing, they turned a blind eye, refused to refuse like Yan Song, and let others do the bad things to settle the accounts later. This was the general strategy adopted by the "imperialist party" when going south.
Therefore, Guo Xun said: The three-year fine will not have much impact. I still made some money for you during this trip, and now I will return it to you in this way.
Zhu Houcong looked at him, sized him up, and then said, "You haven't had any opportunities to make meritorious deeds in the past few years. Are you unwilling to do so?"
"...To tell the truth, I am a little anxious."
It's not that I'm unwilling, it's that I'm anxious.
Guo Xun learned to speak a little, and Zhu Houcong laughed: "You accidentally interceded for Li Fuda and came across this opportunity. Uncle Xiangcheng won the exercise this time, but he secretly fucked me again and again. Sandaobiao wants to go to Xuanda University."
Li Quanli is the staff officer of the Military Affairs Council. He knows clearly what His Majesty and the Military Affairs Council are planning in the border town.
What kind of opportunity would it be to take the newly victorious commander with him, and bring with him those already familiar generals who would most likely be transferred to the border towns for the competition?
The general used his life, achieved great success in one fell swoop, and defeated Beilu. That was the best opportunity to be promoted to Marquis, an opportunity that was just around the corner.
Guo Xun grinned and said: "I have been training for five years, and it's my turn."
Zhu Houcong nodded, put away his smile and said seriously: "When we go to Datong, the first thing we need to do is to clarify all the routes and be prepared to collect soldiers."
When Guo Xun returned to Beijing, the most important thing was to clarify with the emperor his strategy after going to Datong. At this time, Su Rong asked: "Generals of Datong, how big is the problem?"
Zhu Houcong only replied calmly: "In the past five years since the Ganzhou Mutiny, the total amount of money and food paid to Datong alone has exceeded two million taels. Within five years, Datong reported disasters ten times. And last year, if it were not for the Central Route, the Beilu Kou border General Li Jin is brave and resourceful, and Wang Xian makes the decisive decision to personally lead the troops to help, and the entire territory of Shuozhou may be plundered."
"...How brave!" Guo Xun couldn't help but cursed angrily.
"You don't have the courage to rebel, and you don't have the courage to build the Xuanning Five Forts to oppress Fengzhou Beach, but you have the courage to rely on the important money of the border towns to get food." Since Zhu Houcong wanted Guo Xun to go to Datong, he didn't do anything to him. Concealing his attitude, "It's just that they have not made any great achievements or made any big mistakes for so many years. This is the case in many places everywhere. Now that Datong Town has made new military achievements, it is not easy to investigate and deal with it at this time. I won't do anything now. They, but we can’t count on them.”
Guo Xun nodded: "If everyone is promoted and transferred to other places, many generals will be uneasy. Among the Ming army today, although border towns are dangerous, they are also the easiest to make money and the easiest to get involved. The place. The newly transferred generals are sent to the border towns, and there are thousands of households and hundreds of general banners and small banners like a network. I am afraid that in two or three years they will not be able to use their arms and fingers as well as they are now."
"That's the problem."
The army in the border town can't be solved simply by transferring the generals. In other words, if Zhu Houcong is not prepared to win another victory in the border area as soon as possible to implement the next strategy, then he can also start to slowly solve this problem after the new law has been initially adopted.
But I made a move first and suffered another loss.
Since the possibility of him regaining his place is quite high, the problem in Border Town becomes urgent.
Zhu Houcong needs a big victory in this battle, otherwise, many subsequent external strategic resistances will be even greater.
Taking advantage of Datong Town's meritorious service, several senior generals were promoted and transferred elsewhere? That won't work. The new generals who take over are not familiar with the generals under them, and they will not be able to exert greater combat power as soon as possible. On the contrary, they may be restricted.
In this case, we can only rely on the temple to calculate the strategy.
"With your temperament and current situation, when you go to Datong, you might as well show that you are eager to perform meritorious service." Zhu Houcong said to him, "You have two people, you make good use of them. Yu Dayou, you go to the west road to train troops to defend Shuozhou. I will A: We suffered a loss in Shuozhou. If we want to build up our momentum this time, we can't do it without chewing some hard bones. The possibility of another encounter with the enemy in Shuozhou is even smaller. Li Jin, you can patrol north of Datong. On the North Road, supervise the construction of the Xuanning Five Forts, which will be at the forefront."
Guo Xun has done some homework: "I heard that Li Jinyong is brave, but he is a bit desperate. He does not care about his own life, nor the lives of his soldiers. Let him supervise the construction of Xuanning Five Fortresses, I am afraid he will treat the generals and craftsmen harshly. , maybe... it will trigger a mutiny."
"Xuanning's Five Forts must be built and guarded by people. In Datong these years, only those who have the guts to make money but not fight have the guts to fight. You let them choose whether to build the fort and then return to the hinterland to defend the hinterland as backup, or wait until the autumn for the northern invaders to finally Go and defend the fort during the Yi invasion." Zhu Houcong reminded him, "Your son's title has been reduced by two levels at once, you are in a hurry."
"..." Guo Xun felt uncomfortable. Is this so that I can carry out my work in the past?
After thinking for a while, he said: "The Tatars do not necessarily wait until autumn to invade, although they are stronger at that time. But since they have suffered a defeat and are eager to restore their momentum, they are afraid that they will attack at any time. This will make some people afraid of war. When the generals go to build forts, I'm afraid they'll still be able to shirk them in every possible way."
"If that's the case, it's easier to say. If so, you can justifiably petition for impeachment. You are in a hurry anyway." Zhu Houcong emphasized again, "I will naturally follow the trend and transfer them to the public security departments of some provinces to enjoy their happiness."
"But those thousands of households and soldiers... if there is such a chaos, wouldn't Datong's defense be empty?"
"It's better to be empty." Zhu Houcong's eyes became sharper. "Li Jin placed it in the north just to prevent me from walking when I see his flag. According to Li Jin's temper, he won't just stay there to supervise. Build five forts. If he wants to invite Shaohuang to fight, let him go!"
"..." Guo Xun asked tentatively, "Want to tie up pockets in Datong? I'm afraid this is not enough. Unless the Tatars really capture Datong, they can still easily escape in the north."
Whether it was actively creating an empty defense situation in the north of Datong, or Li Jin, a person who carried thousands of fine cavalry on Xiaoheye Mountain and even led dozens of cavalry to counterattack, was there to create hatred. Set up a circle.
But how can it be set up? The Tatars are not stupid either. Xuan Da is heavily guarded. If they go too deep, it is no joke.
Zhu Houcong smiled and asked, "I heard that you went to the Heavy Industry Park to have a look before entering the city?"
Guo Xun was not surprised at all that the emperor knew about his movements. That was normal. As long as he was loyal and good, he would be fine.
"I am amazed. Your Majesty is diligent in handling affairs. I have only been away from the capital for three years, and I almost don't recognize him when I come back."
"To build new roads, railway tracks, horse-drawn railway carriages, and many other things that we have no power to do and cannot do now, I ordered people to disperse first through Mingbao." Zhu Houhuang looked at him with a smile, "Immediately, the Ministry of Industry We will bring a large number of great craftsmen out of Juyongguan to survey the route."
Guo Xun:? ? ?
Why do you say this?
"First of all, it is the Sanggan River of the Yongding River. I am going to build a dam there to block the water and turn it into a lake so that the Yongding River can carry larger boats. Secondly, I am going to build the same heavy industry park there to The main focus is on ordnance. Coal is used to smelt iron to get better iron, and there is more coal in Datong. Therefore, in the end, I am also planning to build a railway with continuous tracks from the capital to Datong step by step through Xuanfu. This will make it easier for the soldiers of Xuan Dynasty to transport , ordnance is more sufficient. If I were that smart and tight, I would have trouble sleeping and eating, and I would be salivating for the all-round craftsman."
Guo Xun:! ! !
Are you...are you crazy, Your Majesty? The spectacle is misleading the country!
The Yongding River is naturally navigable. When the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty built Dadu, they opened Jinkou to divert water from the Yongding River to transport wood and stone, and even built a canal to connect the moat of Dadu. At that time, there was also a painting called "Rafting in Lugou", which depicts the endless flow of boats on the lower reaches of the Yongding River.
But that's downstream.
What about the upper reaches and the middle reaches between Yanshan and Taihang Mountains? It's not that you can't sail a boat, but the conditions are not good.
Now it is necessary to block the river water in the area south of Zhangjiakou to form a large lake, and then dredge it all the way to the capital to form a waterway that can carry larger boats?
Do we need to build a railway paved with rails directly to Datong? How much iron does it take?
Furthermore, building a heavy industry park mainly for manufacturing ordnance in the hinterland of Xuanda is very dangerous even though it is in the hinterland of Xuanda!
But after all, Guo Xun is also a reckless man with a very flexible mind: "If you can't do it now... then it's fake?"
"Of course it's true." Zhu Houcong said seriously, "If you can't do it now, it doesn't mean you can't do it in the future. So this matter is serious. The imperial court will treat this matter as a major event for the border town's defense in the future. . Therefore, it is true that officials from the Ministry of Industry are going to investigate, and there are indeed tens of thousands of skilled craftsmen who are going there. Soon, there will really be rail and railcar tests next to Xinchi Road in the southern suburbs. Moreover, I have ordered the Xuanfu government to heavily guard Xiaxi Road and South Road.”
"..." Guo Xun understood. "The pockets are stuck in Xuanfu? How could the Tatars go deep there, unless Datong is broken..."
After saying this, Guo Xun's face turned pale and he said with a mournful face: "Your Majesty, I want to go to Datong to make meritorious service, not to get convicted!"
There are many conflicts in Datong Town. Is it possible to find ways to stimulate them and then fake defeat?
But cheating is also defeat!
"Why did Datong need to be destroyed? It's just that the north suffered a loss first. Li Jin was also transferred because of the crime, and Dadu decreed that not one city or one fortress should be lost. How to create a situation that makes An Da feel like he is trying to rob If the big ones run away, then it’s up to you to deploy your troops accordingly.”
Guo Xun shook his head repeatedly: "Didn't Xuan Mansion already heavily guard Xiaxi Road and South Road?"
"What if the north of Xuanfu is empty and the Geyu area is broken? Shouldn't we return to help Xuanfu?"
"...Your Majesty, considering the morale of Bianzhen against the Beilu for so many years, what if things go wrong and they are really defeated?"
Zhu Houcong nodded: "You are right. Therefore, when you go back to the capital camp to select soldiers, you will also select three thousand people who have suffered hardships to go to Huai Lai to be craftsmen first. The basic projects there will not be Fake it.”
Guo Xun opened his mouth.
So, you are planning to let Anda beat Xuan Da’s defenders nervously and hold on to the fort, and then wait for him to gather his energy and march all the way to the hinterland of Huailai to rob those skilled craftsmen and destroy those dams, railways, ordnance. During the construction of the factory, they discovered that there were three thousand strong men from the Beijing camp among them?
How to hide it from Tatar spies and spies?
"Remember, you have to endure hardships. In half a month, the Construction Bureau of the Ministry of Industry will be recruiting workers!" Zhu Houcong's eyes were bright, "You also have to be tight-lipped, and the generals are eager to build. They know that going to Xuanfu is not about hardship. It’s to perform meritorious deeds.”
"...I dare to ask again: What if the Tatars are not deceived and are not willing to take the risk of getting pregnant?"
Zhu Houcong said lightly: "After the war begins, I will leave Juyongguan at a selected time, pass through Tumu Post, and enter the Xuanfu Mansion to show that the imperial commander personally marches to boost morale. After the defeat of Datong, I will retreat to Juyongguan to show that I am fearful and fearless. And everyone in the court is worried that the civil war will happen again. If the opportunity is right, would I be willing to take a gamble?"
(End of chapter)
