Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 579: The Great Cause of Founding a Nation

Li Lin only needed to wait in Chenliu for his ascension to the throne, but Fang Chongyong had a lot of things to consider.

The most important thing is to build the city of Bianliang.

This is not only related to the completion of the new "capital", but also closely related to the operation of the canal.

It is Fang Zhongyong’s top priority to gain a foothold in Henan!
Kaifeng County is the confluence of four or five rivers (excluding the Yellow River), most of which can be used for water transport. Except for the section leading to Luoyang, which is temporarily out of use, the other rivers, including the Tongji Canal, are very busy for water transport before they freeze in winter.

Therefore, the limited size of Kaifeng City could no longer meet the growing demand for water transport, and it had to be rebuilt drastically to integrate the numerous ferry crossings and warehouses outside the city.

After careful consideration, Fang Zhongyong felt that it would be better to build a new city instead of spending effort on reconstruction. In the northeast of the original Kaifeng County, several rivers were allowed to flow into the city, and a ferry was also set up in the city.

In other words, by allowing the existence of a satellite city of Bianliang City outside the county town of Kaifeng, the two can also support each other in defense.

As a result, the area of ​​the newly built Bianliang City could not be small.

Then, when Jia Dan delivered the rough topographic map of the city (not the design drawing) to Fang Chongyong's desk, and Liu Yan calculated the approximate time, materials, and manpower required to build the city, Fang Jieshuai, who was usually calm in the face of adversity, was so excited that he almost fainted.

With the human and material resources from the various states in Henan Province that he controls now, it would take at least ten years to build this big city!

The amount of earthwork required was astronomical. There were no electric cranes in those days! All excavation and landfilling had to be carried by hand or on the shoulders.

This does not mention the corresponding materials such as wood, bricks, pig iron, and the sand needed to pave the surrounding roads, which together are not a small number.

Just thinking about these things makes my scalp tingle.

"It's not built according to the normal regulations. We don't need any wall or anything like that!"

Fang Chongyong took out a charcoal pencil from the table and continued to sketch on the sketch.

As he was painting, he said, "There is no distinction between the market and the city. The innermost layer is the imperial palace, the second layer is the imperial city, and the third layer is the outer city. That's it. There are three layers in total.

Then build a ferry inside the city, and build a sluice gate where the water flows into the city. Just calculate how much manpower and materials it will take!"

He stuffed the sketch into Liu Yan's arms, and the latter could only smile bitterly.

Chang'an City was rebuilt and expanded by the Tang Dynasty on the basis of Daxing City of the Sui Dynasty. Over the past hundred years, it has undergone minor repairs almost every year and major repairs every few decades, and construction has never really stopped.

I’m afraid it won’t be easy to build this Bianliang city!

"General Jie, actually, we can first build a bare palace and use the palace wall as the city wall.

There were precedents earlier, such as Jiankang in the Southern Dynasties, which initially only had scattered cities such as Taicheng and Shitoucheng.

Later, as more people settled there, the world-famous city of Jiankang was established.

Therefore, I suggest that we build a palace first, which should be completed in less than a year. We can then use this as a foundation and gradually expand the palace, building as far as we can.

Ten years is worth the wait.”

Jia Dan cautiously saluted and suggested to Chong Yong with his arms crossed.

After pondering for a moment, Fang Zhongyong nodded slightly to show his approval.

This is indeed a good emergency solution. Although it is not very decent, it can achieve the ultimate goal step by step.

As for the imperial city and outer city walls at the back, they can be built slowly. What’s the big deal?

Fang Zhongyong suddenly remembered something. He looked at Jia Dan and asked curiously, "He Lao Hu said that you have been borrowing money everywhere recently. What do you need so much money for?"

Jia Dan did not answer but lowered his head as if he was a little embarrassed.

Seeing his shy look, Fang Zhongyong said meaningfully:

"Your unspeakable secret must be the changes in the Su family in Chang'an. Madam Su is getting older, and the Su family should hope that you will get married soon, otherwise Madam Su will have to marry a certain official, right?

You have traveled all over the country and your family has fallen on hard times, so how can you afford a dowry? I guess that's all there is to it."

Hearing this, Jia Dan raised his head in disbelief, staring at Fang Chongyong with horror.

He borrowed money from someone for the betrothal gift, and many people knew about it. But he never mentioned the changes in the Su family to anyone else, and Fang Zhongyong could actually guess it almost exactly!
It's really not simple.

"Go call Li Sheng, and then go to the warehouse to see how much food and grass are left."

Fang Zhongyong gave an order to Yan Zhuang who was beside him.

Soon, Li Sheng, who was directing his men to count grain and fodder at the ferry and prepare to transport them as military rations, came alone to the study of the Bianzhou government office.

"Take my handwritten letter and the jar of gold Kaiyuan Tongbao coins that I confiscated from the sea merchants last time, go to Chang'an, and bring the Su family's wife to Bianzhou to marry Jia Dan.

Choose a few smart brothers and act accordingly. Speak politely and avoid violence if possible.

If the Su family disagrees, you can go to the Su family to snatch the person at night, and leave now."

Fang Zhongyong lowered his voice and gave the order.

"I will do it as ordered."

Li Sheng clasped his fists and saluted.

After he finished speaking, he seemed to be hesitant to speak, so Fang Zhongyong asked in confusion: "Do you have anything else to say?"

"Brother-in-law, when will you take my sister back to Bianzhou?"

Li Sheng asked in a low voice.

"Wang Yanshu has already gone to Bozhou. After your sister learned that your father-in-law committed suicide, she fell seriously ill. Now she is still not fully recovered and she is pregnant.

It’s better to take care of the pregnancy in Bozhou.”

Fang Chongyong sighed. Every family has its own problems. Now his wives and concubines cannot come to Bianzhou. He has no choice but to wait until after the baby is born.

After Wang Yunxiu heard that Wang Zhongsi had committed suicide, he fell seriously ill and almost lost his life.

In addition, several pregnant women in Bozhou have difficulty moving, so it is really not suitable for them to come to Bianzhou.

Li Sheng had no choice but to obey the order and leave.

"General, after winter, the soil is frozen, making it inconvenient to build a city. We can only start construction after spring plowing.

But from now on, we can stock up on some wood and other things.

Until the canal freezes, there will be no problem with transportation.”

Liu Yan took out a piece of paper from his bosom, on which was written the materials generally needed to build the imperial palace. Many of them were large and coarse wood that needed to be transported from the south and could only be obtained by canal transportation.

There is less than a month left before the freezing period. We can transport it, but it is hard to say how much we can transport.

The number of thick trees used as pillars can be calculated. Blue bricks are used to lay city walls and palace walls, and the number of bricks can be estimated by calculating the length of the city wall. The earthwork needs to be estimated based on the area of ​​the city, and the Ministry of Works used to have a complete set of calculation methods.

The architectural layout of the imperial palace is regulated and relatively fixed, unlike the city which can be designed as you like. The estimation of materials is relatively accurate.

Liu Yan handed the estimated result to Fang Zhongyong, which made the latter's scalp tingle. This was just the imperial palace. If the imperial city was also included, it would be even more incredible.

This is not surprising. The royal family often wastes money and manpower when they build palaces. Fang Chongyong finally understood why so many people stood up to oppose Yang Guang at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

Bianliang City only has the outermost layer of the city wall, which can be built slowly. By then, many people and merchants will volunteer to participate, some will contribute money, and some will contribute manpower.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, as the saying goes.

But it is not easy to build a capital city from scratch. Fang Zhongyong did not want to build a large-scale project, but he had to build Bianliang City, so he had to grit his teeth and get the job done. This is the biggest reliance for changing the current political and economic structure, and it is also the only way to avoid the dead end of Chang'an.

He who controls the canal controls the world. Bianliang is located at the core of the canal and has an unparalleled geographical advantage. If you do not take what heaven has given you, you will surely suffer the consequences. Whether Bianliang City will be used as the capital in the future or not, it must be built.

"Build it, even if it costs us everything. It must be completed before the autumn harvest next year!"

Fang Zhongyong gritted his teeth and said that he had decided to go all out.

“Then we need to set up checkpoints at the ferry ports and collect taxes from every ship that docks.

Otherwise, there would be no money to build the palace."

Liu Yan spread his hands, indicating that he was helpless.

Manpower can be obtained by conscripting civilians, but materials still need to be purchased. Bianzhou is in a period of rapid expansion, and everything costs money. Especially military expenses, which cannot be less. It is not that they only repair Bianliang City and ignore everything else, so the difficulties they are facing can be imagined.

Lack of money is foreseeable.

"Give merchants salt permits and let them recruit nearby porters to help with the construction. Don't impose taxes on the ferry crossings. If merchants don't support the construction of Bianliang City, don't give them salt permits. Use guidance to get outsiders to participate in the construction, instead of focusing on the taxes and driving them away."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently, rejecting Liu Yan's suggestion to increase the "water transport tax".

There is a saying that goes, free things are the most expensive. If taxes are imposed on canal crossings, those merchants who specialize in canal transportation will be scared away.

In this way, the entire canal would be idle. Only ships can be seen sailing on the canal, but merchants are unwilling to dock in Bianzhou, let alone promote consumption and trade.

Without businessmen, how could Bianzhou develop? Collecting "docking fees" from ships has more disadvantages than advantages.

It is obvious that only by not charging "docking fees" can we attract more foreign ships to dock, boost the local economy, and ultimately collect more other taxes.

"What the commander said is very true."

Liu Yan nodded slightly without any nonsense. He still needed to go back and study Fang Zhongyong's plan. When it came to making money, Liu Yan didn't dare to underestimate Fang Zhongyong and treat him as an amateur.

He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Fang Chongyong, which stated the number and rules for the first batch of salt permits.

Obviously, these routines were prepared by Liu Yan long ago.

"Tell me, what is missing from building a city now?"

Fang Chongyong glanced at Liu Yan and found that this guy seemed to do everything slowly and methodically, yet he seemed to have everything under control.

He responds appropriately to each question you ask, but he just doesn't want to finish speaking in one breath.

"General, if you really want to know what is missing, then I can say that we are short of everything needed to build Bianliang City, whether it is manpower, material resources or financial resources. We don't have anything we need.

This is a capital city, not a fortress for defense. It would cost a lot of money just to build the government office."

Liu Yan said seriously.

Fang Chongyong knew that he had more to say, so he nodded and signaled the other party to continue.

"But material and financial resources are easy to solve. We can solve a large part of it by issuing salt permits. The only thing that is difficult to solve is manpower."

Chongyong understood this.

What is missing to build Bianliang City? Are there any materials needed?

In fact, there is no shortage of them. With the convenience of the canal, all kinds of materials can be transported here.

What is really lacking is people, or you can call it labor.

There are more than a dozen states under direct or indirect control now, but not everyone can come to Bianzhou to build the city.

Because Bianzhou itself was a prosperous commercial state, including the surrounding states and counties. Except for the farming population, other people basically made a living around the canal.

They have been deeply involved in commercial activities and provided Fang Zhongyong with valuable taxes. Once these people are gathered together, it will inevitably affect other industries and even farming.

To build the city of Bianliang, these people had to be put into the vast labor force. The faster the progress, the greater the impact on other industries.

"You mean, to build Bianliang City, we need refugees from other places. If we settle them down and use them to build the city, we can solve the labor problem. Is that right?"

Fang Chongyong said thoughtfully.

Liu Yan nodded and said, "We have to have refugees. So I think if we want to do this well, we need the right time, right place, and right people. Now is not the right time. Once a war breaks out around Bianzhou, there will naturally be no shortage of refugees. Then we can start large-scale construction."

"It makes sense."

Fang Zhongyong let out a sigh of relief. He had to admit that what Liu Yan said made sense. As the saying goes, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry.

Many times, when he thought of these tedious problems, he became anxious and hoped to solve them in one go.

However, the more anxious you are, the slower things will go.

Fang Chongyong's plan was very conservative when it was formulated.

The first step is that Li Lin ascends the throne and becomes the emperor. He is promoted from Jieshuai to the Grand Marshal of the Army of the World, and is also the Chief Inspector of the Palace Front Department. He upgrades the Silver Spear Army to the Imperial Army and expands the army. Finally, he forms 10,000 professional full-time elite soldiers and 50,000 united soldiers who can participate in field battles.

This goal will take about one to two years to complete.

The second step is to build and improve Bianliang City as the capital, vigorously develop commerce based on the canal, and wait and see how the situation changes. Strategically, the focus is on strengthening one's own strength and moderately expanding to the south.

This process will take about three to five years.

The third step would be to consider conquering Hebei, first taking care of Hebei, then Hedong, and finally Guanzhong, and sweeping across the world.

This process was completed within ten years.

It must be said that this strategy is still very conservative.

But when it came time to execute, Fang Zhongyong wished that time could be fast-forwarded, and that he could be on the eve of unifying the world. It was like playing a strategy game on a computer, where a task could be completed with a "ding" sound.

Only after he calmed down did he realize with frustration that nothing would go as smoothly as planned.

For example, Fang Chongyong cannot gather the laborers needed to build the city of Bianliang without affecting agriculture and commerce under his rule. He needs to "expand externally" to obtain more laborers in order to build a capital city that can support the canal economy for the next hundred years.

This is actually because the original plan still placed too much emphasis on "peaceful development". In this era of great contention, Bianzhou, as a place of war on four sides, cannot be so stable. There will definitely be many wars.

The war dividend is the major variable that affects the plan.

"Eh? Why are you still here?"

Fang Chongyong suddenly noticed Jia Dan standing aside with an embarrassed look on his face, and asked in confusion.

"General, I haven't written you the IOU yet."

Jia Dan said embarrassedly.

"Don't worry, the Su family doesn't dare to take that money, so there's no need to write an IOU."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand and said, without explaining why the people of the Su family did not dare to accept the jar of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins made of gold.

Liu Yan was kinder. He smiled and explained to Jia Dan, "The fact that you can take out a jar of gold-made Kaiyuan Tongbao coins already shows your ability. Don't worry that the Su family won't marry off their daughter. Just rest assured."

Jia Dan nodded, not quite understanding, as if he understood something.

(End of this chapter)