The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 884 Guangwu Jian, the River of Godsend (seeking tickets)
In the afternoon of this day, a team of thousands of people was walking slowly on the official road in Xingyang. Yang Tong looked at the wheat fields and houses on both sides, and felt quite emotional. Zhang Xutuo died and he was framed into battle. When the enemy was killed, this official road was deserted for hundreds of miles, and people hid in several important cities such as Xingyang, Xingze, Guancheng, and Putian. After seven or eight years, the two sides of the official road have completely changed In the same way, there are vast stretches of rice fields stretching as far as the eye can see, and it is the season when the rice is blooming and budding, and the breeze is blowing, and the waves of rice are undulating.

In the distance stands a huge bobbin cart beside the Suoshui River, under the impact of the water force, it is creaking and turning, and the bamboo bobbins are pouring water into the high river canal; in the distance are a patchwork of villages , Most of the houses are newly built, and the white houses and black tiles set off the green mountains of Wei Wei in the distance, just like an ink painting.

After more than two years of cultivation, Xingyang has recovered a bit of vitality. Although it has not yet reached its peak, it has a solid foundation and is close to Gyeonggi. Sooner or later, it will develop into the economy of the Sui Dynasty because of the Tongji Canal that connects the north and the south and passes through it center of gravity.

"My lord, would you like to go to the farmhouse for a cup of tea?" Yin Mingyue accompanied Yang Tong on the trip. They stayed at the artificial lake in Dongping County for a few days, then visited Jiyin and Liang counties, and then went west from Liang county to Xingyang. The boundary of Xingyang County, it will not take long to reach Hulao Pass, then arrive at Henan County, and finally return to Luoyang City.Yin Mingyue sees that Yang Tong has feelings, so she suggests finding a place to drink tea and rest.

Yang Tong saw a large-scale tea house in front of him, so he ordered: "There is a tea house in front, let's go there and rest for a while."

Immediately, a hundred riders galloped away to arrange security measures first. Not long after, Yang Tong and the accompanying Yin Mingyue, Yang Qinfang, Luo Shixin, and Wang Xiongdan rode to the tea house and stopped. Several guards led the tea house The host greeted him.

Yang Tong's attention was attracted by the 'owners of the tea house'. The owners of the tea house were five men, each with war wounds on their bodies. He was limping, with a scar on his face, extending from the tip of his brow to the corner of his mouth.

They stepped forward excitedly and saluted, "For humble positions, please refer to your majesty."

"Exemption!" Seeing that they knew him, Yang Tong quickly dismounted and asked, "Which army did you serve in?"

"My lord, we are soldiers of the First Army. We fought in Hongnong with General Luo and General Xin Liaoer the year before last. We were wounded in the attack on Qiu Xinggong. After recovering from our injuries, we retired as civilians. Later, we were arranged by the Ministry of War to make a living here." One said excitedly.

"Every one of you is a hero of the Sui Dynasty, and a good soldier of mine!" Yang Tong was very emotional. Although the Sui Dynasty had won great victories in the southern and northern wars over the years, every victory was All these soldiers paid for with their lives and blood.

"Thank you for your praise."

"Can you support yourself?" The First Army is not only Yang Tong's direct descendant, but also the main army of the Sui Dynasty. After every battle, there are huge casualties. The elite soldiers replenished by other armies are extremely mobile.Although Yang Tong didn't know them, he was very concerned about the wounded and retired soldiers.

"Fortunately, thanks to the gift of the sage, the low-ranking people were able to arrange to make a living in Xingyang, and with the help of local officials, they opened a tea house here. Not only can they support themselves, but they can also make money." There are so many tourists staying here that we can't do it alone, so we invited ten wounded and retired comrades to come and help."

"You have had a good time but you have not forgotten to help your comrades. I am very pleased!" Yang Tong was extremely happy, and asked again: "Do you still have tasks?"

The soldier with the scar on his face said: "Returning to the Holy Lord, I still hold a position in the military department of Xingyang County. During the slack period, I was responsible for training local county soldiers and militiamen. I just came back from training."

"Continue to maintain the style of my first army and cultivate capable pre-service soldiers for my Great Sui Army."

"I obey you!" He only knew Yang Tong and Luo Shixin, and he saluted solemnly: "Please, Your Majesty and General Luo, come in and rest."

"The weather is so nice today, let's drink a bowl of tea outside." Yang Tong said to the accompanying guards, "Go get some tables."

"Here."

The guards quickly set up tables and chairs under the tree, Yang Tong and Luo Shixin sat down, while Yin Mingyue, Yang Qinfang, Lan Xueer, Yuan Ziyan and several Asura guard girls would sit at another table.

In a short while, the retired soldiers who moved easily brought refreshments. Yang Tong said with a smile, "Although the terrain here is good, it used to be a battleground between Wang Shichong and Li Mi, and it was almost barren. Are there many people now?"

"Returning to the Holy Lord, since the Sui Dynasty recovered the Central Plains, the imperial court has successively resettled some retired soldiers and refugees to Xingyang, and the number has increased a lot. Our village now has more than [-] households, not far from the full [-] households. "The man with the broken left arm said with a smile: "I used to be an administrative officer in the Department of Military Affairs. Because of my literacy and a little administrative ability, I was recommended by everyone as the head of Hexi Village."

Seeing that he was only in his 30s, Yang Tong laughed and said, "Become the top official as soon as possible, and take part in the official selection examination."

"The humble job thinks so too." The soldier said a little embarrassedly.

Yang Tong laughed loudly, "The political commissars of the Department of Military Affairs are all talents with both civil and military skills. I believe you can pass the examination by the Ministry of Officials."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your encouragement." Encouraged, the soldier pushed a plate of refreshments in front of Yang Tong, and introduced, "My Majesty, this is a pastry made from mountain products. You can try it."

Yang Tong picked up a piece of snow-white pastry, took a bite, and praised: "It's thin and soft, sweet and delicious, and it doesn't stick to your teeth. What is it made of?"

"This is a pastry we made with yams and put some honey."

"So that's it!" Yang Tong asked again, "How many militiamen are there in the county?"

Xingyang County and Henan County are only separated by Hulao Pass, which has the function of defending the capital. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the first line of defense for the capital. Although he is not worried about the war in the Central Plains again, Yang Tong also wants to know the situation of the source of troops here.

"Returning to the Holy Lord, the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have resettled 3000 military households in Xingyang. In addition to soldiers who can no longer fight, there are more than [-] retired soldiers with healthy hands and feet. Including ordinary people, the militia has a total of about [-] people. Every summer harvest Ten days of training before and before the autumn harvest, and a month of training in winter, our Xingyang County has the largest number of people, [-], and is divided into five guards according to the army establishment, with a humble officer in charge of one guard, and the militiamen are all from nearby people."

"In addition to training, what else do the militia do?".

"During the slack season, everyone concentrates on constructing water conservancy projects and repairing roads in various villages in the county. The military departments of counties and counties arrest the thieves."

"How about your weapons and equipment?"

"Everyone has a knife or sword, a spear, a bow and arrow, and two sets of leather armor. This kind of armament is also the upper limit stipulated by the court law for ordinary people. As for forbidden items such as crossbows and iron armor, the county arsenal Only then."

At this time, a group of knights came running from afar, and a group of guards stepped forward to stop them. When the group of knights approached, Yang Tong realized that the leader was Jiang Xingben, Minister of the Ministry of Industry.

Jiang Xingben is now personally responsible for the project of introducing Luo into Bian, but it is not an easy task to complete a great event that will benefit the present and make great achievements in the future.

The Bianshui section is the key core of the Tongji Canal. No matter whether materials from the south go north to Youzhou, or east to Qingxu, or west to Heluo and Guanzhong, they cannot bypass Bianshui.And because the capital of the Sui Dynasty was established in Luoyang, even if the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal of the Sui Dynasty runs through the north and the south, there is no way to shake the status of Bianshui in water transportation.Therefore, it is imperative to introduce Luo into Bian.

The only worry is that it is difficult to lead Luo into Bian. Although the Sui Dynasty could afford the manpower, financial and material resources to build this canal, Yang Tong was afraid that it would become an artificial canal that people love and hate.Therefore, before starting construction, it is necessary to explore the topography and landforms, so as not to be like the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal that I drew that violates the laws of nature.

It is also because of the failure of Yang Tong's failure of the new canal approved by Yan Liben that Jiang Xingben paid special attention to the project of "Introducing Luo into Bian" and has been exploring and verifying at the turn of "Luo Bian" since he took over the appointment.

After several months of visits, Jiang Xingben had a clear plan, and today he happened to be exploring in this area, and when he heard that Yang Tong was coming, he came to see him.

"My minister sees His Majesty!" Jiang Xingben approached and saluted.

"sit down."

"Thank you, my lord." After Jiang Xingben took his seat, he hesitated for a moment, looked at Yang Tong and said, "My lord, I have something I want to ask."

"Say!" Seeing Jiang Xingben's troubled expression, Yang Tong was a little confused.

"My lord..." Jiang Xingben whispered, "The project of diverting the Yellow River into the Huaihe River has been abandoned?"

"It's a temporary abandonment." Yang Tong said: "Although the route I drew before was time-saving and labor-saving, it violated the laws of nature. If I encountered a lake and crossed the lake, sooner or later I would be abandoned due to irrigation problems. Wait until the exploration is completed. , it will not be too late to start work. How is your side?"

"The route is designed...but it's extremely difficult..." Jiang Xingben took a sip of tea, asked the assistant officer to bring the blueprint, and handed it to Yang Tong.

Yang Tong opened it and saw that it was drawn in great detail, with written explanations attached.

The canal line of the project of leading Luo to Bian starts from Qilipu Village, Gongyi County. Qilipu Village is adjacent to Luohe River in the west and is located at the confluence of the Yellow River and Luoshui River. It has a unique location advantage, and then goes east to Guangwu Mountain.

He looked it over and said, "Tell me about the topography of the place where you pass to lead Luo into Bian."

"Here!" Jiang Xingben introduced: "The soil of this section of the canal line is dangerous, the soil layer is hard and dry, and it is difficult to excavate, but the natural embankment formed by this landform also prevents the canal from flooding. This section is mostly a valley landform. The terrain is steep in the north and gentle in the south, with a height of [-] feet higher than the Yellow River. Although the height above the Yellow River can protect the south bank from the overflow of the Yellow River, the communication between the Luo River and the Bian River is also hindered. If it is not to be affected, the canal between Ershui will have to be dug deeper, which will be more time-consuming and labor-intensive."

"Further to the east of the Cao Canal, it is adjacent to Dagu Mountain in the north. Dagu Mountain is located in the north of Sishui City. Although it is a famous mountain, it is actually a high port between Luokou and Sikou. The mountain system is composed of loess and yellow clay, and the terrain is also present. It is steep in the north and gentle in the south. Crossing the Sishui River to the east is Guangwu Mountain. Guangwu Mountain is very similar to Dagu Mountain in terms of terrain. Landslides, landslides and other disasters, if a disaster occurs in any one place, the entire canal line will be affected."

Yang Tong also knew that soil quality was the most important part of the new river project of 'Introducing Luo into Bian'.It should be neither too loose nor too rigid.If it is too loose, a large amount of sediment will be washed into the river bed, causing adverse effects. This can be compensated by cement, but it cannot solve the problem of landslides.However, if the soil quality is too hard, it is not easy to dig, and the project is huge.

"What's going on here?" Yang Tong, who was looking at the map, suddenly found an arc bypassing the northern foot of Dagu Mountain, directly connecting Luokou and Baokou.

Jiang Xingben took a closer look and introduced: "Daye has been flooded for seven years, the Yellow River has moved northward, and a large beach has appeared at the northern foot of Dagu Mountain. If you dig a few feet in this area, the sediment will be cleared and the rock bottom will be cleared. The key is that the terrain is high in the west. Going east, it is easier to open canals and flow water, which eases the difficulty of the project of bringing Luo into Bian. Wei Chen plans to borrow this section of the old course of the Yellow River, dig out the sediment, and then use cement to build a long embankment to divert Luoshui and Sishui. Together, the water of the Yellow River is separated from the long embankment."

"So, the difficulty is between Sikou and Biankou?"

"Exactly, the section from Sikou to Biankou starts from Shagukou, Ren Village, Sishui County, and goes along Guangwu Mountain to Biankou. It's just that there is no Yellow River to borrow in this section, and only the mountain can be excavated in this section. Song, if the river is dug too small, landslides and landslides will happen from time to time, and the river will be easily buried. Weichen’s idea is to dig down in a way that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Drive a pine tree into the mountain to strengthen the mountain, and then dig down the second level of stairs to the riverbed at the bottom." Jiang Xingben expressed his thoughts.

Yang Tong groaned, the method was good, but the project was too big, not to mention excavation, just the accumulation of waste earth and rocks that needed to be transported, I am afraid that it would be a mountain. There are no construction vehicles in this era, and it is only pulled by horse-drawn carts, which requires investment. How much human and animal power?

The owners of the tea farms stood silently aside, and when they heard that the project was going to be carried out, their ears kept pricking up. The scar-faced man who continued to serve in the army heard what Jiang Xingben said, but Yang Tong frowned and remained silent. He couldn't stop saluting and said: "My lord, can you allow me to say a few words."

"You said."

"My lord, is the imperial court planning to connect the canal from Sikou to Biankou?"

"Exactly." Yang Tong's heart moved, and he asked, "Do you know any shortcuts?"

"I don't know if it's a shortcut or not. However, I know that there is a huge ravine in Guangwu Mountain that goes directly to the ground. Everyone calls it Guangwu Jian. They say that this is the ancient battlefield where Chu and Han fought." The man said: "At the end of the previous year, I and the county soldiers went to Guangwujian to suppress the bandits. We chased and killed the defeated bandits along the Guangwujian, and we chased them directly to the vicinity of Biankou."

"How's the water?"

"Returning to Shijun, the water of Guangwujian flows from southwest to northeast, and when it flows to the northeast, it sinks into the ground. From the cut-off point, it climbs over a small mountain ridge about three or four miles away, and then reaches the Zhanran water, which flows from west to east. , and further east is the Tongji Canal, only a few miles away from the Yellow River."

Jiang Xingben was overjoyed: "Where is Guangwu Jian?"

"There is a section of Guangwu Stream in Gubai Ridge!" He pointed to the northeast and said, "Gubai Ridge is over there, about ten miles away."

"Let's go and have a look, you lead the way!" Yang Tong got up and ordered.

"Here." The retired soldiers here responded.

……

Yang Tong was not in a hurry to return to Luoyang, and under the leadership of this soldier named Wang Fang, they came to Gubai Ridge in Guangwu Mountain.

Guangwu Mountain is located on the south bank of the Yellow River in Xingyang County. It was called Sanhuang Mountain in ancient times, and it was also named Ao Mountain. The local people called it Mang Mountain.When Chu and Han were in conflict, Liu Bang called Li Zuoche, Emperor of Guangwu, to teach Prince Liu Ying to practice military horses here, so it was named Guangwu Mountain.

Guangwu Mountain rises steeply from the river, stretching from north to south continuously... The peaks and ridges are sharp and steep, tens of feet steep, and the morning glow and evening smoke are all abnormal.In the north, the rolling Yellow River passes close to the foot of the mountain; in the west, there is the danger of Chenggao;Gubai Ridge is located in the west section of Guangwu Mountain. It is a narrow and long valley with tens of thousands of mountains, towering peaks, deep valleys and steep slopes, and uneven cliffs.

A group of people walked on the steep mountain road, and saw a collapsed ancient camp on the right side, Yang Tong said: "Could this be the camp where Liu Bang and Xiang Yu confronted each other?"

Wang Fang answered, "My lord, the locals call this remnant camp Bawang City."

When he came to the camp, Luo Shixin turned around: "This should be a sentry tower. Before it collapses, you can definitely see the whole view of the eastern section of Gubai Ridge."

"Your Majesty, Jiang Shangshu, and General Luo, you can also see Guangwu Jian from above," Wang Fang said.

"I'll go and have a look." Luo Shixin was nimble, and he climbed up the broken wall in two or three strokes. He even tried it carefully and found that the ground was solid, so he let everyone go up.

Everyone boarded one by one.

Following Wang Fang's instructions, Yang Tong looked to the northeast with binoculars, and a huge gully split like an ax appeared in front of his eyes. A mountain that was originally complete was forcibly split in two by a mountain stream about three feet wide. , extending from southwest to northeast, the water below is shining and shining.

"My lord, this is a natural riverbed!" Jiang Xingben put down his binoculars and said ecstatically, "The ground here is hard, so it is the most suitable place for digging a river, and it is also the most unsuitable place. Because the river channel dug out of this terrain is not suitable. I will worry about the sediment, which can guarantee the water quality of Luoshui, but it is also because it is too hard, and it is extremely difficult to open the river, but God has solved all our problems and given us a natural riverbed."

"Can it work?" Yang Tong asked.

"Yes, it's very capable." Jiang Xingben said excitedly: "It can be used with a little modification at both ends; the project of diverting Luo into Bian is to supplement Bian water with Luo water, reduce the cement and sand in Bian, and improve the river course. It is used for navigation, so at most we can use it by leveling the necessary places. With this natural riverbed, we have completed more than half of the big project to lead Luo to Bian before it even started."

Jiang Xingben had already been well aware of the nearby water network, and he continued: "Our project of introducing Luo into Bian is divided into two sections, one is from Luokou in Gongyi to Baokou in Baoshui, and the section is excavated from the river beach at the northern foot of Dalong Mountain. Sediment, just build a long embankment, and all the qualifications used can be transported by the Yellow River water, which is very simple. The second is from Sikou to Biankou. Now that there is this river bed, as long as a suitable place is found near Sikou, it can be excavated. It connects to Guangwujian, goes out to Zhanranshui, and then digs a canal on the field to the northeast of Xingkou..."

"Isn't it good to use Zhanran water directly to flow into Xingze?" Yang Tong made a big mistake, and he didn't dare to raise opinions indiscriminately, giving full play to the advantage of asking when he doesn't understand.

Jiang Xingben said: "It is indeed convenient to bring the water from Luoshui into Bianshui from Rongze. The geographical location is also good, and it can also benefit the people of Rongze County. It's just that Rongze is too close to the Yellow River, and it is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Although because the King of Han Jing built a thousand-mile embankment to prevent the Yellow River from flooding. However, the problem of sediment is difficult to solve. Once the water is too strong, the sediment of the Yellow River will flow back into Rongze waters through its tributaries. Not only can water transportation be improved, but the water quality of Bian River can also be improved. Therefore, I thought Luoshui should bypass Rongze, avoid sediment, and flow into Bian River from Rongkou.”

"You are an expert, you have the final say." Yang Tong said with a smile. "Since the most difficult part has been solved. Then tell me, how much manpower is needed?"

Jiang Xingben pondered for a while: "If this riverbed is properly utilized, 10 people can complete the project of diverting Luo into Bian in less than a year."

"It's not very safe to walk along the old road of the Yellow River in the first section. Since everyone said that there will be a torrential rain this year, let this heavy rain prove it. If the water of the Yellow River does not spread to the river bank, it will be used as a river." Yang Tong thought. After a while, he added: "If the flood diversion project in Dongping County is completed, I plan to let about [-] retired soldiers return home; war criminals, the section from Sikou to Biankou will be built during the rainy season, so you have to get the blueprint out as soon as possible. "

This is a typical case where there is no light in the east and light in the west; if it is not possible to divert the Yellow River into the Huaihe River, then all of them will be used to divert Luo into Bian.When this side is done, the drawings over there should also come out, and then we can go to construction.

"Here."

Everyone went down Guangwu Mountain again and separated in twos.Jiang Xingben wanted to design the river course here, so he couldn't return to Beijing; while Yang Tong joined the accompanying army and went straight to Luoyang.

(End of this chapter)