Water Margin people

Chapter 1708 Plateau Arrangements
"Everyone, please stand up. This is not the court. There is no need for so much etiquette!"

Sun Lei waved his hand and said.

"Your Majesty, why are you here?"

The two of them stood up and looked at Sun Lei in surprise.

"I was bored and heard you guys were back, so I came to see you guys. You've definitely gotten a lot tanned!"

Sun Lei looked at Liu Qi and Wu Jie. Their skin was tanned very dark, much darker than that of the soldiers at sea. Fighting on the plateau was the most difficult. There was no way to overcome the thin air. Even in later generations, there was no way. You couldn't carry an oxygen tank during combat.

"Your Majesty, the sun is very strong on the plateau, so it's normal to get tanned! It's like this after staying on the plateau for a long time."

Liu Qi and Wu Jie spoke up.

"Okay, tell me about the specific situation on the plateau!"

Sun Lei sat back and looked at the two of them and asked.

The two explained the situation on the plateau in detail. In fact, there are not so many things going on on the entire plateau. Although the population is scattered, they are concentrated around a few large towns. Large areas of the entire plateau are uninhabited, and it is common for towns to be thousands of miles apart.

"So barren?"

Lu Zhishen was a little surprised when he heard the report. He thought that the Western Regions and the West were already poor enough, but now it seems that they are nothing compared to this plateau.

"Privy Councillor, due to the atmospheric plague, vegetation on the plateau is sparse. At a certain altitude, not to mention trees, even grass can't grow. There are large areas of gravel beaches, which are not suitable for living at all."

Wu Jie said that the most important things in human life are water and food. Although water is scarce on the plateau, it is not impossible to find.

But no vegetation growth means that farming cannot be done, and grazing and hunting are impossible, because livestock also need fodder, and there is no possibility of obtaining food from that land.

"Is it a place like this? Isn't that worse than the desert?"

Lu Zhishen stroked his beard and said, at least there is no plague in the desert.

"In a sense, yes. Unless it is a land of pure yellow sand, the plateau can be said to be a Jedi!"

Liu Qi nodded and said that it was extremely difficult for them to cross those uninhabited areas. Fortunately, they had prepared plenty of horses and drinking water, as well as a compass to help, otherwise they might have been trapped to death in the uninhabited areas.

"I have placed your marquis on the plateau. Do you know my intention?"

Sun Lei looked at Liu Qi and Wu Jie and asked.

"Your Majesty wants us to continue managing the plateau?"

The two men asked. They did have some guesses in their minds when they heard the name of the Marquis, but in the end it all depended on what the emperor said.

"Yes, it's not easy to go up to the plateau. Even if I reassign officials, I can only choose from those who have been to the plateau, so it's better to let you continue to take over."

Sun Lei looked at Liu Qi and Wu Jie and said.

"We are willing to guard the plateau for your majesty!"

The two men immediately saluted solemnly, this time following military etiquette.

"I'm not going to send you to the plateau. According to military rules, rotation is necessary. I will continue to send you new people and replace you in an orderly manner. It's just that you will have to work harder in the early stages."

Sun Lei looked at Liu Qi and Wu Jie and said.

On the one hand, the rotation of guards is to sympathize with the hard work of the soldiers. One group cannot bear the hardship for a lifetime, as this will cause unnecessary conflicts. The hardship needs to be shared so that no one will feel the pain.

On the other hand, it is also to prevent local forces from becoming stronger. Sun Lei is not worried about the loyalty of this group of brothers, but it is hard to say about the people below. People's hearts are hidden, so it is better to improve the system as soon as possible to prevent problems before they happen.

But Sun Lei also understood that frequent personnel changes would seriously damage the combat effectiveness of the army, leading to a situation where soldiers did not know their generals and generals did not know their soldiers, and it would be more likely for laymen to command experts.

Therefore, there are also some rules for rotation of guards, such as rotation of troops in different places, rotation of generals, and rotation of parts at a time. This way, most problems can be eliminated.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The two men saluted again and said that they had experienced the hardships of the plateau and it would definitely be a torture to be stationed there for the rest of their lives.

"Besides, you have a lot to do. I don't expect the plateau to produce much, but I'll be satisfied if we can achieve self-sufficiency."

"Your most important task is to complete the connection of the roads, and then find suitable locations to build towns and garrisons, connecting the entire plateau. The current situation is too loose!"

Sun Lei looked at the two and said, the plateau has always been a remote place, costing money and manpower, so the dynasties rarely attacked here. "I understand!"

The two nodded repeatedly. Controlling the plateau was the most important thing, and everything else was later.

"By the way, when I came in just now, I saw a guy sneaking around outside. Is he one of yours?"

Sun Lei looked at the two of them and asked.

"Your Majesty, are you talking about Qi Huai'en?"

Liu Qi spoke.

"Oh, his name is Qi Huai'en. I almost forgot about him!"

Sun Lei slapped his forehead. He was familiar with this man's name. He had seen this name when the plateau army was first formed. He thought he was a bootlicker at that time.

"Qi Huai'en fought with the army and was at the forefront, making many contributions. I didn't intend to bring him back this time, but he kept pestering me, saying that he had never seen the real Celestial Empire in his life, so he had to come and see it this time."

Liu Qi spoke.

"Let him come in!"

Sun Lei smiled and nodded.

Soon Qi Huai'en was brought in. Qi Huai'en looked around first and saw Liu Qi and Wu Jie standing on both sides. A majestic man who was less than 30 years old was sitting in the main hall, and a fat and burly man was sitting next to him.

"Greetings, my lord!"

Qi Huai'en knelt down directly in front of Sun Lei and Lu Zhishen.

"you know me?"

Sun Lei looked at Qi Huai'en and asked.

"I don't know you, but both generals can only stand below you. You must be of noble status!"

Qi Huai'en bowed his head before speaking.

"You have some eyes!"

Sun Lei said with a smile, as expected of him being given this name, he is really good at observing people's expressions.

"This is His Majesty the Emperor, and that is the Privy Councilor!"

Liu Qi reminded Qi Huai'en in a low voice.

"Greetings to His Majesty! The Privy Councilor!"

Qi Huai'en kowtowed and shouted quickly.

"Stand up. I have read about your deeds in the military newspaper. You are considered loyal. What reward do you want?"

Sun Lei looked at Qi Huai'en and asked.

"Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor. I will obey your majesty in everything."

Qi Huai'en said with a serious face.

"Ha ha!"

Sun Lei was so amused that he started laughing. This guy was really good at flattering people.

"What a sycophant!"

Lu Zhishen rubbed his arms with a chill and goose bumps all over his body. There were many shameless people, but this was the first time he had seen someone so shameless.

"Okay, just wait for the news from the Ministry of War!"

Sun Lei laughed for a while before speaking. He was too lazy to say anything more to this kind of flatterer, so as not to take advantage of the situation and then he would be embarrassed to refuse.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Qi Huai'en was a little disappointed. Now he couldn't ask for more. The Ministry of War would be in a difficult position to talk to.