Jingming

Chapter 322 Great Changes in the Capital
At the end of the first lunar month, Hou Guoxun of Wuding, who returned to the suburbs of Beijing from Tongzhou, also saw the light industry park.

The first thing I saw were many strange looking cars placed by the wharf of Tonghui River.

"……what is that?"

Guo Xun is familiar with carriages, this thing looks like a carriage, but the wheels... look weird.

"Your Majesty, the railcar will be supervised. It's a new thing." The steward of Wudinghou's Mansion, who had been welcoming him all the way to Tongzhou, introduced, "It uses the same gear as that on the printing press, and there are treasures. What kind of bearings, curved rods, and chains were cast by Jinju in the foundry in the Heavy Industry Park. The main reason is that this car seems to be used on rails.”

"……rail?"

"That's it, that's it..." the housekeeper gestured, "There is a short section of the road over the Heavy Industry Park that is being tested to see if it works. I heard that if it works, many section-gauge carts can be connected together and drawn by horses. Run fast."

"...It's quite novel."

"I heard that it is still trial-producing a kind of two-wheeled one, which is not used with the rails, and rides like a horse."

"Two wheels? One front and one rear?" Guo Xun was startled. "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 that piece of house looks quite grand, but it is also very simple.The roof has not been intentionally decorated, but if you look at the bay, I am afraid that it has exceeded the limit.

"Where?" the butler looked into the distance and said after thinking about it, "I don't know if it is the quilt factory of the Weaving Bureau or the engraving factory of Ming Pao Bank."

"...It's been a few years since I left the capital, and my appearance has really changed." Guo Xun looked to the southwest with emotion, "The southern city has not stopped working?"

"The South City and the Heavy Industry Park are the ones with the greatest momentum!" The housekeeper said with certainty, "After the kiln factories of the Ministry of Industry and Construction Bureau and other factories in the Heavy Industry Park are completed, the construction of the palaces of the princes will start. Right now, Nancheng is mainly building the palaces of the princes and paving roads. As for the city wall, it is said that it is going to be the last thing to talk about."

"How much will it cost?"

Guo Xun sighed with emotion, no wonder there were so many criticisms from the ruling and opposition parties after the joint memorial of the civil and military champion was submitted at the end of last year.

Although the building is not a palace, it is also a royal palace. What does it have to do with ordinary people?Although Guo Xun knew that the imperial court had operations: His Majesty actually "bought" the land and palaces of the vassal kings in the local area.And to build a new residence for them in the capital, it was paid by the princes themselves, and His Majesty only gave them the land.

This seems very unreasonable, but under the influence of the Huguang Rebellion, as long as there is still a way out, as long as His Majesty gives another way out, as long as His Majesty promises that he will not give up his salary from now on, the vassal kings will not be reconciled in the bottom of my heart.

Otherwise, the Ministry of Household Affairs was required to bear the expenditure of such a large project, and the sky would have been turned upside down long ago.

"Let's go! Get off the boat ahead, and I'll go around to Nancheng and Heavy Industry Park to have a look!"

He is not in a hurry to go to Datong, His Majesty has a secret order, so Guo Xun does not need to be in a hurry.

It took nearly two hours to reach the northeast of Liangxiang first, and Guo Xun was surprised to see a large row of chimneys.

"Almost all the iron factories in Zunhua have moved here. The Military Weapons Supervision Bureau, Bingzhan Bureau, the brick kiln factory of the Construction Bureau, the iron factory of the Baojin Bureau, the precision casting factory of the Baoyuan Bureau, and the Jinke garbage factory. The factories are all here." The steward turned his head and pointed to the way he came, "Did you see that, the Marquis? The Lugou River is also being dredged, and the Heavy Industry Park has a wharf beside the Lugou 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 just to the northeast of the capital, and it has been an important iron smelting town since Tang Dynasty.In the first year of Yongle, Daming built an official iron factory in Zunhua.In the fourth year of Zhengde, ten Dajian furnaces and 50 Baizuo furnaces were opened, which can smelt nearly 30 catties of pig iron, nearly [-] catties of wrought iron, and more than [-] catties of refined steel a year.

"Have they all moved here?" Guo Xun couldn't believe it, "Is the iron factory over there abandoned?"

"It's just close to it." The housekeeper explained, "I heard that all pig iron is smelted over there, while wrought iron and refined steel are smelted here."

"...Really." Guo Xun looked to the southwest again, "There are so many artisans here, I'm afraid this good town will gradually become one with the capital."

Going northeast from here, Guo Xun finally gradually saw the new road leading from the south of the capital to Liangxiang.

"The Construction Bureau has been building this new road for the past year."

Guo Xun couldn't help opening his mouth as he watched the people coming and going on the road.

It is said that in the Qin Dynasty, the first emperor built a chi road, which was fifty steps wide and three feet tall.The soil of the foundation of the road was rammed with gold cones.

Now, this small section of Xinchi Road is more than fifty paces wide?It is not compacted loess, but a layer of gray and white slag.

"... Isn't this gravel?" Guo Xun asked.

"It's the slag from the iron factory. The brick kiln factory has received the order, and now it is simply crushed into slag powder. I heard that it will try to burn something called cement."

Guo Xun was a little dizzy, looking at the dusty look when a car passed by in front of him: "... cement?"

"I don't know yet, but Your Majesty is very concerned. Every time I go to the Heavy Industry Park, I must go to the brick kiln factory to meet Zheng Kui, who has been made a county knight."

"The artisan who was knighted when he was experimenting with the printing press?"

"Exactly." The butler said seriously, "I heard that His Majesty has promised Zheng Kui that if he burns the cement that is suitable for it, he will be a county magistrate. 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 rails. Otherwise, what are the iron-making blast furnaces in the Heavy Industry Park for? It’s just cast iron farm tools, and there are too many. Anyway, nowadays, there are many master craftsmen in the Heavy Industry Park. They are all rushing to the county magistrate, and I heard that some rails are about to be trial-produced, otherwise the Marquis would not have seen the railcars that were going to be transported here before."

Guo Xun seemed to hear his son want to curse: If you don't make any contribution, your son will be just a county magistrate like a craftsman in the future!
"...Let's go, let's enter the city!"

Guo Xun didn't go directly into the heavy industry park, so he didn't see the core area of ​​the heavy industry park.

Here, last year's No. [-] Tang Shu served as the head of the employee department, but in fact he stayed in this heavy industry park all the time.Last year, his only job was to do experiments here.

The upper reaches of the Lugou River are called the Yongding River.

And this Yongding River also has another name, called Wuding River, which is the Wuding River that is "poor Wuding River, still a person in the dream of a spring girl".

The Yongding River is a hope, and the Wuding River is a reality.The reason is the same as that of Huanghuai: flooding.

The upstream has been on the Zhangjiakou side. After flowing between Taihang Mountain and Yanshan Mountain to the suburbs of Beijing, it is as unruly as the Yellow River flowing into the plain.

Tang Shu, in Daning Village, Wanping County, on the Lugou River in the northwest of the heavy industry park, presided over the construction of a reservoir, a main channel, a dam and a discharge dam.

And the water stored in it flows down through the discharge dam, and there are many tall waterwheels standing on both sides of the newly built discharge channel.

Next to the waterwheel, there are gears that are much larger than those seen outside.The waterwheel rotates under the scouring of water power, and these gears drive a thick stainless steel column to rotate, and the situation inside is covered by the factory buildings distributed along the discharge channel.

Tang Shu knew that this was not enough. If he wanted to really tame the Yongding River, he needed to build another dam upstream to hold back the water.

Then there is Xuanfu Bianzhen, only Xuanfu Bianzhen will be safe from now on.

Whether this method is effective or not depends on how well it works during Xiaxun this year.The Huanghuai River is naturally much more difficult to treat than this Wuding River, but this method of damming and scouring still has some references, right?
He wrote a letter to Liu Tianhe at the end of the first lunar month: "Master, the student has received the sand sampler. The generation of Xuanfu in the upper reaches of the Yongding River has been fighting for years, and there are barren hills everywhere. Although the sediment in the river cannot be compared with the Yellow River, the current Ministry of Industry In accordance with the students' suggestion, the river channel was widened downstream to facilitate sedimentation. If the students' strategy of blocking water and attacking sand in the Yongding River is useful, the Huanghuai River can also adapt to local conditions and learn from one or two..."

The two teachers and students, one south and one north, are still thinking about the water control strategy.

At this time, Guo Xun finally reached the range of Nancheng.

This is an area that will soon become the new urban area of ​​the capital, and the roads have already been paved with bricks.

Before Guo Xun entered the gate of the imperial city, he heard many people talking about the land price of the Nancheng people.

"……What's the meaning?"

"Your Majesty doesn't know this. This is a new regulation issued by Master Hou on his way back to Beijing. His Majesty has designated some areas around the Temple of Heaven in Nancheng, and Xu Hubu sold it to the officials and people in the capital to build private houses. This is next to the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth. !"

Guo Xun opened his mouth wide.

Of course he is familiar with these two places, and he has worshiped many places before.

The place is indeed very large, the Temple of Heaven has more than [-] mu, and the Temple of Earth has nearly [-] mu.

But how sacred are the Temple of Heaven and the Temple of Earth?
This tree-lined and incomparably solemn place is actually going to be sold and allow the officials and citizens of the capital to build private houses?

"Can you really buy some land and build a mansion?" Guo Xun was moved.

Regardless of Fengshui, this is close to the aura of heaven and earth, and is often stained with imperial aura!
"Yes! The Temple of Heaven is reserved around the inside, but there is a total of more than [-] acres of land outside that can be bought now."

Guo Xun suddenly realized something, and then grinned his teeth and took a deep breath: "Your Majesty is so short of money that he wants to sell the land of the Temple of Heaven and Earth to raise money... Aren't the gentry talking about it?"

"There are also people who say that heaven and earth should be guarded by fireworks. To the west of the Altar of Earth are the palaces of the princes, and the rest of the places must naturally be purchased by loyal ministers and good people."

Guo Xun nodded: "I am a loyal minister!"

The emperor used this method to express that he was short of money, so loyal ministers were not allowed to express it?

Expensive for sure, but this is a great opportunity!
So when he entered the palace to see his majesty, he was so excited that he wept and confessed again and again, Guo Xun asked eagerly: "I heard that the land next to the Altar of Heaven and Earth can be applied for to build a house. Can I choose a good place?"

Zhu Houcong laughed: "You have been fined for three years, and you plan to buy land as soon as you return to Beijing. It seems that you are doing well in Nanjing."

"...After all, it was His Majesty who kindly kept the Marquis' Nanjing garrison, and I didn't push back those favors. But I know in my heart that I can't take advantage of the benefits and open the back door. I just don't want to spoil some people's affairs."

This part of "human relationship" is inevitable.When they arrived in Nanjing, they turned a blind eye and turned a blind eye, like Yan Song, without refusing to refuse, and let other people do those bad things in order to settle their accounts later. This is the general strategy of the "imperial party" going south.

So Guo Xun said: The three-year salary penalty has little effect. I still made some money for you this trip, and now I will return it to you in this way.

Zhu Houcong looked at him, looked at him for a while, and said, "I haven't caught up with any opportunities for meritorious service in the past few years, are you unwilling?"

"... To be honest, I am a little anxious."

Not unwilling, but anxious.

Guo Xun learned to speak a little bit, Zhu Houcong laughed: "You made a mistake, interceded for Li Fuda, and bumped into this opportunity. Uncle Xiangcheng won the exercise this time, but he secretly fell in love with me again and again. Three Biao, I want to go to Xuanda."

Li Quanli is the staff officer of the Military Affairs Council, and he knows exactly what His Majesty and the Military Affairs Council are planning in the border town.

What kind of opportunity is it for Xin Sheng to lead those familiar generals who will most likely be transferred to the border town for reference?

The general will use his life, make meritorious deeds in one fell swoop, and defeat the northern captives. This is the best opportunity to be promoted to Marquis, and the opportunity is close at hand.

Guo Xun grinned and said, "I have trained soldiers for five years, so it's my turn."

Zhu Houcong nodded, put away his smile and said solemnly: "When I go to Datong, the first thing is to clarify the roads, and to withdraw the soldiers' hearts."

When Guo Xun returned to Beijing, the most important thing was to find out the strategy after going to Datong with the emperor face to face. At this time, he also asked solemnly: "Generals of Datong, how big is the problem?"

Zhu Houcong only replied lightly: "After the Ganzhou mutiny, in the past five years, the total amount of money and grain paid to Datong alone exceeded 200 million taels. Within five years, Datong reported disasters ten times. Last year, if the northern captives invaded the border, if they hadn't participated in the middle road If Li Jin is brave and resourceful, and Wang Xian leads the pacesetters to help without hesitation, the whole of Shuozhou may be looted."

"... How daring!" Guo Xun couldn't help cursing angrily.

"I don't have the courage to rebel, and I don't have the courage to build the Xuanning Five Forts to oppress Fengzhou Beach, but I have the courage to rely on the important money of the border town for food." Since Zhu Houcong wanted Guo Xun to go to Datong, he didn't treat him well. Concealing his attitude, "It's nothing more than they have done so many years. Although they have made no great achievements, they have not made any major mistakes. This is the case in many places in the borderlands. Now Datong Town has made new military exploits, but it is not easy to investigate and deal with it at this time. I will not do it now. They, but you can't count on them."

Guo Xun nodded: "If they are all promoted and transferred to other places, many generals on all sides will feel uneasy. In the army of the Ming Dynasty, although the border towns are dangerous, they are also the easiest to make money and the easiest to make money. Newly transferred generals to border towns, and there are thousands of households, hundreds of households, general flags and small flags like a net, I am afraid that in two or three years, it will not be as good as it is 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 going to win another game in the frontier as soon as possible to implement the next strategy, then he can start to solve this problem slowly after the new law has been initially smoothed.

But I answered first, and suffered another loss.

Since the possibility of him getting back to the field is quite high, the problem of Bian Town is urgent.

Zhu Houcong needs a big victory in this battle, otherwise, many subsequent external strategic resistance will be even greater.

Taking advantage of Datong Town's meritorious service this time, how many senior generals have been promoted and transferred to other places?That doesn't work either, the new general who takes over is not familiar with the generals under him, so he won't be able to exert greater combat power as soon as possible, and may be hindered instead.

That being the case, it can only rely on temple calculation strategy.

"With your temperament and the current situation, when you go to Datong, you simply put on an appearance of being eager to make contributions." Zhu Houcong said to him, "There are two people, you use them well. Yu Dayou, you put them on the West Road to train troops and guard Shuozhou. I Answer I suffered a loss in Shuozhou. If I want to gain momentum this time, I can’t do it without gnawing on the hard bones. The possibility of Shuozhou’s re-engagement with the enemy is even smaller. Li Jin, you put it in the north of Datong to patrol Hebei On the North Road, supervise the construction of the Xuanning Five Forts, which are at the front."

Guo Xun has already done some homework: "I heard that Li Jinyong is brave, but he is a bit desperate. He doesn't care about his own life or the lives of soldiers. If he is asked to supervise the construction of the Xuanning Five Forts, I am afraid that he will treat the generals and craftsmen harshly. , if not done well... it will provoke a mutiny."

"The Five Forts of Xuanning must be built and guarded. These years in Datong, only those who have the courage to earn money but not the courage to fight, you let them choose whether to build the fort and return to the hinterland as a backup, or to wait until autumn and the northern captives are the last Go to guard the fort while Yi Kou is on the border." Zhu Houcong reminded him, "Your son's title has been cut by two ranks at once, you are in a hurry."

"..." Guo Xun didn't feel well, did he think it was for me to carry out work in the past?

After thinking for a while, he said: "The Tartars don't necessarily wait until autumn to attack the border, although they will be stronger at that time. But since they have lost a battle and are eager to regain their momentum, they may call at any time. Let some people who are afraid of war The generals are going to build a fort, I'm afraid they will still try to shirk."

"If that's the case, it's easy to talk about. If that's the case, you can justify your impeachment. Anyway, you are in a hurry." Zhu Houcong emphasized again, "I will naturally push the boat with the flow and transfer them to some provincial security departments to enjoy the blessings."

"However, those thousands of households and soldiers...if they go through this chaos, wouldn't Datong's defense be empty?"

"It's better to be empty." Zhu Houcong's eyes became sharper, "Li Jin is placed in the north, so that I can't walk when I see his general flag. According to Li Jin's temper, he won't just obediently supervise Build five forts. If he wants to call for war and burn the wasteland, let him go!"

"..." Guo Xun asked tentatively, "Do you want to tie your pockets in Datong? I'm afraid this is not enough. Unless the Tartars really capture Datong, they can still escape easily in the north."

Whether it is the initiative to create an empty defense situation in the north of Datong, or Li Jin, who has carried thousands of fine cavalry on the Xiaoxiaoheye Mountain and even led dozens of cavalry to recoil, is there to spread hatred. Set up a circle.

But how can it be set up?The Tartars are not stupid either, Xuanda is heavily guarded, and if it goes too deep, it's no joke.

Zhu Houcong smiled and asked, "I heard that you visited the Heavy Industry Park before entering the city?"

Guo Xun was not surprised at all that the emperor knew what he was doing, that was normal, as long as he was loyal and obedient, he would be fine.

"Your Majesty is amazed. Your Majesty is diligent and diligent. I have only been away from Beijing for three years, and I almost don't know each other when I come back."

"Building new roads, railroad tracks, horse-drawn railroad carriages, many things that are still weak and can't be done now, I ordered people to disperse through Mingbao first." Zhu Houcong looked at him with a smile, "immediately, the Ministry of Industry They will bring a large number of master craftsmen out of Juyongguan to investigate the route."

Guo Xun:? ? ?
Why say this?

"First of all, it is the Sanggan River of the Yongding River. I plan to build a dam there to block the water and make it a lake, so that the Yongding River can carry larger boats. Secondly, I will build the same heavy industry park in Huaihuai, so that Ordnance is the main thing. Using coal to smelt iron can produce better iron. Datong has a lot of coal, so in the end, I plan to build a railway with endless tracks from the capital to Datong step by step. This will make it easier for Xuanda soldiers to transfer , ordnance is more sufficient, if I answer that I am also smart, I must have trouble sleeping and eating, and I am coveted by that versatile craftsman."

Guo Xun:! ! !
You... are you crazy, Your Majesty?The spectacle is misleading the country!

The Yongding River is naturally navigable.When Meng Yuan built Dadu, he opened Jinkou to divert water from Yongding River to transport wood and stone, and even built a section of canal to connect the moat of Dadu.At that time, there was also a picture of "Raft Transport in Lugou", which depicted the continuous appearance of boats and boats on the lower reaches of 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, but the conditions are not good.

Now they want to block the river 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 you want to build a railway paved with railway tracks to reach Datong?How much iron does that take?
Furthermore, it is very dangerous to build a heavy industry park in the hinterland of Xuanda, which mainly manufactures ordnance, even though it is in the hinterland of Xuanda!

But Guo Xun is also a reckless man with a flexible mind after all: "If you can't do it now... then it's fake?"

"Of course it's true." Zhu Houcong said seriously, "If it can't be done now, it doesn't mean it won't be done in the future, so this matter is serious, and the imperial court will regard this matter as a major event in the defense of border towns in the future. Therefore, there are really officials from the Ministry of Industry going to investigate, and there are really many skilled craftsmen who are going to go there. Soon, there will be a test of rails and rail cars next to Xinchi Road in the southern suburbs. And, I have ordered Xuanfu to guard Xiaxi Road. and South Road."

"..." Guo Xun understood, "Pockets are stuck in the Xuan Mansion? How can the Tartars go deep there, unless Datong is broken..."

After speaking, Guo Xun's face turned pale, and he said with a sad face: "Your Majesty, I want to go to Datong to make meritorious service, not to be convicted!"

There are many contradictions in Datong Town. Could it be that they want to find a way to stir it up and then feign defeat?

But fraudulent defeat is also defeat!

"Why should Datong be destroyed? It's nothing more than the fact that the north suffered a loss first, and Li Jin was also transferred away due to guilt. It was announced that Dadu's decree must not lose a city or a fortress. How to create a situation, I think it's just a try to grab it." Run away as soon as you get a big one, it depends on you deploying troops according to the situation."

Guo Xun shook his head again and again: "Hasn't the Xuan Mansion already heavily guarded the West Road and South Road?"

"If the north of Xuanfu is empty, what about the Geyu area? Why don't you go back to aid Xuanfu?"

"...Your Majesty, with Bianzhen's morale against the northern captives for so many years, what should we do if things go wrong and we are really defeated?"

Zhu Houcong nodded: "You are right in thinking. So, when you go back to the Beijing camp to select soldiers, you will order another [-] hard-working ones, and go to Huailai to be craftsmen first. The foundation projects over there will not fake."

Guo Xun opened his mouth.

So, you are going to let me beat Xuanda's defenders nervously and hold on to the fort, and then wait for him to gather his energy and go 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, it was discovered that there were three thousand strong men from the Beijing camp?

How to hide from the tartar sentry and eyeliner?
"Remember, you have to endure hardships. After half a month, the Construction Bureau of the Ministry of Industry will be recruiting workers!" Zhu Houcong's eyes were bright, "You have to be tight-lipped, the generals are eager to work, and they know that going to the Xuanfu is not a hardship. It’s for doing meritorious service.”

"...I dare to ask one more question: What if the Tartars are not fooled and are not willing to take the risk to conceive?"

Zhu Houcong said lightly: "After the war begins, I will choose a time to leave Juyongguan, pass through the civil post, and enter the Xuanfu to show that the imperial driver will personally conquer and boost morale. After the defeat of Datong Town, I will retreat to Juyongguan to show my fear. And the whole court is worried about the reappearance of civil engineering changes. If the timing is right, I would like to bet on it?"

(End of this chapter)