Fenghou

Chapter 1382 Waterway
Soon after the imperial examination, Chen Qing came to Shanzhou for inspection. As the territory managed by the Yong Kingdom continued to expand, Chen Qing also felt more and more deeply the impact of traffic and communication restrictions on the management of the huge territory.

Communications have been improved. On the one hand, pigeon letters and eagle letters have been used. On the other hand, they have begun to restore the post stations of the Northern Song Dynasty in various places and encourage the development of private express delivery. They have enough horses and the fastest gold medal delivery By constantly changing horses, letters can be sent at a speed of [-] miles a day, and official documents sent from Guanzhong can reach Yangzhou in only ten days.

This is the fastest speed, but the cost is also the highest. It is suitable for urgent official documents or business letters. Important information such as half pieces of jade pei is sent to Yangzhou counters. After the merchants arrive in Yangzhou, they can easily withdraw thousands or even tens of thousands of coins in Yangzhou counters. The safety and shipping costs of transporting money all the way to Yangzhou, dozens of dollars are really nothing, and businessmen are willing to pay this money.

Since the Qin Dynasty, straight roads or official roads have been built in all dynasties in order to improve transportation and shorten communication time.

The official roads of the Yong Kingdom were perfect and extended in all directions, which also benefited from the Northern Song Dynasty's efforts to repair the official roads on the basis of the Tang Dynasty. However, water transportation in Guanzhong and the Central Plains has always been a big problem.

Water transportation is extremely important. The transportation of bulk materials basically depends on water transportation. The cost of land transportation is too high. Chen Qing also attaches great importance to water transportation. A large amount of materials can be directly transported from the Yellow River to Jingzhao through the Weihe River and Tianbao Canal.

However, there is a large intestinal obstruction in the Yellow River waterway, which has seriously affected the shipping from the Central Plains, Hebei to Guanzhong since the Qin and Han Dynasties, and that is Sanmenxia in Shanzhou.

On the Yellow River in Shanzhou, there are two small island-like boulders lying on the water. The boulders are islands and cannot be moved away. Between the two boulders and the two banks, three rapid waterways are formed, like three water gates, hence the name Sanmenxia. .

The three water gates are called ghost gate, god gate and human gate. The ghost gate is sinister, the god gate is fast, and the human gate is gentle. Most of the ships passing through the human gate pass through the human gate. Difficult, frequent accidents.

During the Kaiyuan period, Prime Minister Pei Yaoqing built a Jijin warehouse in the east of Sanmenxia, ​​a salt warehouse in the west of Sanmen, and a Taiyuan warehouse in the southwest of Shanzhou. To the east of Sanmenxia, ​​store it in Jijincang, and then transport it to the west of Sanmenxia and enter Yancang through Shibali land road, so as to avoid the danger of Sanmenxia, ​​and then transport it to the capital by water boat.

In the third year of Tianbao, Wei Jian, the prefect of Shanzhou, managed the Sanmenxia again, rebuilt the plank road on the rock wall, and the boats were pulled by the trackers with ropes. The transportation of food and goods did not need to go by land, and small boats could also be transported through Sanmenxia.

But even if there are trackers, large ships with a deep draft still cannot pass through the door. As long as there are reefs underwater, the deep draft can easily run aground.

The Wanshi ship that Chen Qing transported supplies from Hebei could not pass through Sanmenxia. In Shanzhou, he changed to a small boat to pass through Sanmenxia, ​​and then changed to a three thousand stone cargo ship to go to Jingzhao. It was very troublesome and easy to unload and load the cargo twice. When it hit the rocks, people, ships and cargo were all destroyed.

Many merchants in Shanzhou had to enter the customs by land and then by water to prevent damage to the goods.

With the establishment of the Yong Kingdom, it has been decided to set up the capital in Jingzhao, so the shipping management of Sanmenxia is imperative.

Accompanied by Lu Wei, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Chen Qing stood on a high mountain by the Yellow River, looking at two huge rock islands from a distance, but in front of the rock islands, there was another huge rock that looked like a shark's fin It is its existence that makes the water flow extraordinarily turbulent and elusive.

Lu Wei pointed to the shark's fin in the distance and said, "That boulder makes the water flow extremely fast and strange. When ships pass by it, if they don't pay attention, they will be taken into the gate of ghosts or the gate of god by the current. That is a narrow escape. It takes great skill at the helm to bring the ship to the door."

Chen Qing felt that these words were a bit alarmist, so he frowned slightly and said: "The first batch of wealth we transported from Yanshan Mansion took thousands of small boats to pass through Sanmenxia, ​​and none of them were damaged. Could it be that the boatmen of each small boat have superb skills?" ?”

Lu Wei smiled slightly: "Besides skilled boatmen, there is another way to make the boat pass through the gate safely."

"any solution?"

"Can Your Highness see the cliff on the other side?"

At this time, the sun was shining brightly, and the mist on the river dissipated, which made him see farther away. Chen Qing's eyesight was extraordinary, and he could only faintly see some black spots on the cliff on the other side, "I saw very small black spots!"

"Those tiny black dots are craftsmen. They drill deep rock holes on the rock wall and install plank roads. The plank roads are very important. The fiber pullers walk on the plank roads, control the direction of the boats, and pull the boats safely through the human gate."

"Could it be that the management of Sanmenxia in the past dynasties is to update the plank road?" Chen Qing asked again.

"Of course, the rock island cannot be shaken, and the hidden reef cannot be eliminated, so we can only make a fuss on the plank road."

Chen Qing pondered for a while and said: "But we have Tiehuolei, so we should be able to do things that the predecessors couldn't do!"

Lu Wei nodded, "I am trying to use iron fire mines to blow up underwater reefs, but how to make iron fire mines explode underwater is a difficult problem. The firearms craftsman has been concentrating on research and trial and error. It is estimated that in the past two days There will be gains."

At this time, in the distance 'Boom! ' There was a muffled sound, and the white water column splashed, Lu Wei said: "This is what they are doing."

"No! This should be an underwater explosion." Chen Qing saw the white water column and immediately realized that it was an underwater explosion.

Lu Wei was overjoyed, did the gunsmith succeed?
He hurriedly took Chen Qing to Shan County, to the temporary test site set up by the Firearms Bureau in Shaanxi, and met Xie Ying, who had just been promoted to the Firearms and Powder Bureau.

Xie Ying didn't expect His Royal Highness King Yong to come, so he hurriedly stepped forward to pay respects, "See Your Highness for a humble job?"

Chen Qingxiao asked: "Just now I saw an underwater explosion, did you succeed in the underwater iron fire mine you tested?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, it was successful a few days ago, it has just been created, and it is currently being tested!"

"How do you do it, I mean waterproof?"

"Your Highness, please come and take a look. Your Highness will understand after I explain it to you."

Xie Ying led Chen Qing into a heavily guarded warehouse. In a small warehouse, Chen Qing saw the mine they had just made, like a big pumpkin with a horn growing on its head.

"Actually, we ignite it and then throw it into the water, so we need a plug to plug the mouth of the matchlock before throwing it into the water. The delayed explosion is most needed here. I already have it in Huolei's belly." It is a screw-like device, and the fire rope is hovering and burning inside. If we make more circles, the fire rope will burn inside for a long time, allowing the boats on the river to leave calmly.”

Chen Qing nodded. Firearms craftsmen are very experienced in delaying combustion. He asked again: "And then? Will the matchlock go out in Tiehuolei's stomach?"

"Your Highness is right. This is a big problem. It is always short of breath. Later, a craftsman thought of a solution and installed a wooden pipe on the top of the head, and the plug was plugged on the top of the wooden pipe. This gave him an extra breath. It can be said that it was just right. Just now The test was successful and it exploded underwater."

Chen Qing said with a smile: "Use a bamboo tube! Get a one-foot-long bamboo tube, and then tie Tie Huo Lei to the reef. The outlet of the bamboo tube is on the water surface. After lighting the match, you don't need any plugs. Ok?"

Xie Ying said with a smile: "Of course this is also possible. Some craftsmen have also proposed it, but it needs to be implemented in winter when it freezes. Your Highness also knows that the water flow is relatively fast, and the bamboo tube will not last long in the water."

"You can make it stronger. Of course, I just mentioned it casually. You can find a way on your own. Anyway, it has succeeded now. I need to see the results."

"Reporting to Your Highness, the blasting will begin tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)