Chapter 541: The Smoke in the Desert
When Chen Chen heard that they could take a train, he immediately became excited and wanted to go for a ride. He took Hu Lan and Yu Qi and squeezed into Zhao Yulin's carriage.
When the family arrived at the station, he saw a brand new train that looked like a small train, except that it only had three carriages, all of which were open. After they got on and sat down, Chen Xian made a gesture, and the train started immediately. With a long whistle, the train rumbled and accelerated forward.
Zhao Yulin saw the trees on both sides and the rape flowers flashing quickly backwards, and sighed that the speed was at least 60 to 70 kilometers. Chen Chen, Yuqi and Hu Lan were all cheering and were extremely happy.
Before I could enjoy myself enough, the train slowed down.
Chen Xian told him with some regret that the trial production funds were limited, and the railway was only built for a length of eight miles, so the train had to brake before it actually started running.
Zhao Yulin understood that the old man meant that his train could run even faster. He looked at the three women, all covered in dust, and said with a smile: "It's just a trial production, that's enough."
We can set up a special road construction team to build the railway, and first try to build the railway from Xinshi to Qianwei Yujin. That will make it more convenient to transport coal from Yujin.
In the future, we will build a railway to Dukou Town and transport the iron ore there. When Master Chen has enough steel, he will be able to build railways all over the country.
Chen Xian was delighted, his face was beaming, but then his expression dimmed and he said that building railways was extremely expensive, and manufacturing trains was also a massive expense. The country was still at war, so could it afford it financially?
Zhao Yulin told him not to think about these problems, but to spend money on planning and tinkering, because the railway must be built. He said that our country spans from east to west, crossing the Qinling Mountains and running thousands of miles north and south. From the perspective of logistical support for defending the country and guarding the border, we must have strong transportation capabilities.
Master, think about it, if our train could go directly from here to Jiuyuan City, with the current speed of the train, how long would it take to transport 100,000 troops there?
A look of surprise immediately appeared on Chen Xian's face.
You must be kidding. His train can easily travel a hundred miles in half an hour, which is the maximum amount of miles a person can walk in two days. A soldier fully armed can walk for one day, but definitely not for ten or twenty days in a row.
His train runs more than two thousand miles a day, which is incredible.
Zhao Yulin asked him to mobilize craftsmen to survey the route from Xinshi to Qianwei Yujin and produce a new generation of trains.
He laughed, wiped the dust off his face and said: An open-top train definitely cannot carry people. It must have doors, windows and toilets like the green train he drew.
Chen Xian said shyly: Money is tight, I dare not spend a penny of my brother's money.
Yuqi said with a smile that all the money was from the imperial court. Master, please make a good plan and build ten or twenty trains and run them everywhere.
Zhao Yulin burst out laughing and almost laughed at Wu Yuqi for talking nonsense.
In Chengdu, the official ship of Zhennan King Duan Xiaolin is about to dock.
When she saw the newly renovated pier, she felt sad that it had only been a short time since she last visited the south of the city, and it looked brand new again.
Duan Xiaolin docked in Yibin and wanted to get some information from his mother-in-law. Unexpectedly, Zhao Sihan's mother was still in Chengdu busy with Huaxi Village affairs and had not returned yet. The old scholar caught her and scolded her severely.
The old scholar didn't care about his identity as the King of Zhennan in Dali, and just recognized him as his son-in-law. He was furious and said: This is because his third brother is so magnanimous. If someone with a different surname took charge of the army, there would be no Dali Kingdom. I'm afraid it would have been called Dali Road of the New Song Kingdom long ago.
The New Song Kingdom lent money to Dali and exported cheap military equipment to Dali, but in return it received ingratitude again and again. If Xiao Linzi were to become a general of the New Song Kingdom, what would he do?
Duan Xiaolin was so dizzy from being scolded, but the problem was not solved yet. He even refused to eat the banquet prepared by his father-in-law. He immediately said goodbye, got on the boat, and rushed to Chengdu again.
As soon as he got to the dock, he felt that the atmosphere was not right. The number of sentries at the city gate was more than twice that of the last time he entered the city, and he occasionally saw garrisons patrolling on duty on the streets.
Zhao Sihan sensitively judged that something had happened in Chengdu, and carefully followed the garrison to the Zhao Mansion, where he found that the entrance was also filled with guards.
After the guard reported, Ma Linger came out to receive them, asked Duan Xiaolin to go directly to Jinguan City to do his job, and pulled Sihan up and walked inside.
After the two sisters-in-law sat down, Ma Linger asked her with a smile: Is it because of the conflict between the two countries that our sister-in-law has to bear the brunt of it?
Zhao Sihan couldn't hold back any longer and sobbed on Ma Ling'er. At ease: Sihan wiped her tears and asked: She saw the third brother in Huanglang, and the third brother was injured again. Is the injury serious?
Ma Linger said: It's rare that they have such a deep affection for each other, so don't worry, sister. My brother only suffered superficial injuries in Linzhou and the wounds have healed. He went to Xinshi and stationed in Huanglang just to recuperate with Sister Yuqi.
Zhao Sihan immediately asked: Is Sister Yuqi also injured?
After Ma Linger told Sihan about Wu Yuqi's miscarriage with regret, she was surprised at Wu Yuqi's perseverance and lamented that Yuqi was truly a chivalrous woman.
She asked Ma Ling'er: The city gate is heavily guarded, and there are many soldiers patrolling along the way. Has something happened in the city?
Ma Linger said calmly: It's nothing, it's just that the Grassland Empire sent a letter to return the emperor and ministers of the previous dynasty who they abducted from Jiangdong, someone in the city distributed leaflets to welcome back the officials of the previous dynasty, and some pedantic scholars and students who didn't understand the competition took to the streets and cried, and went to Jinguan City to petition.
Feiyan didn't want Yulin to worry about it, so she ordered a check on the patrol and the capture of the spies.
Only then did Zhao Sihan realize that something had happened in the city.
She carefully inquired: What was the meaning of the imperial court's announcement asking Dali to help establish a fast post station to Thang Long Prefecture?
Ma Linger said with a smile that this was a national event. The king Zhao Feiyan issued the edict personally. The Dali Kingdom would interpret what was written in the edict. It was no big deal.
The sister-in-law knew that her sister-in-law's mouth was sealed, so she stopped asking questions and chatted casually with Ma Ling.
Duan Xiaolin's life was not as easy as Zhao Sihan's when he came to Jinguan City on business.
Xie Lingyun, the deputy envoy of the Ministry of Personnel, took him to the side hall and sat down to exchange pleasantries. He then raised a topic to question, but was answered back by Xie Lingyun with a barrage of answers.
Xie Lingyun asked him: Is it so difficult for the Celestial Empire to ask its vassal states to do something? Dali respected the New Song as the superior country. The superior country did not ask Dali for a penny of annual tribute, nor did it send a single soldier to fight in Dali . When the Mongolian Empire in the north fought against the New Song, it was the coalition forces of 18 countries that came together to fight us.
At present, the nearest direct route from the New Song Dynasty's Thang Long Prefecture through Dali to Chengdu is the nearest direct route. Why can't the king order us to open up a fast postal route?
I even asked the Prince of Zhennan to come to Chengdu in person to find out the truth.
The King of Feiyan has spoken, requiring Dali to return the first phase of our New Song's loan of 5 million strings of cash, together with the agreed interest, not a penny less.
Duan Xiaolin was stunned and looked at Xie Lingyun stupidly.
Xie Lingyun said: The Grassland Empire sent a document stipulating that two million strings of cash would be exchanged for the freedom of the father of the Feiyan King. The New Song Dynasty is financially exhausted and is collecting money from all sides. The arrival of the Prince of Zhennan is just in time. He will help share the worries of our King and repay the loan to solve the urgent problem.
He immediately understood why the city suddenly had more sentries and patrols. It must be because rumors were spreading in the city, and the hungry wolf from the north was causing trouble for his sister-in-law Feiyan.
He hesitated for a moment and said: "We are still discussing the opening of an express mail route, why are we talking about borrowing money? Let's talk about the postal route."
Xie Lingyun told him: There’s nothing to say.
The express postal route is the first decree issued by our ruler since he took office. Everyone in the world knows about it. Dali can decide for itself what to do.
Repaying the loan from the New Song Dynasty is the king's oral order, and Prince Zhennan can do whatever he wants. He has no other choice.
Duan Xiaolin's retreat was completely blocked by Xie Lingyun. He was confused and helpless as he left Jinguan City.
When he came back, he pulled Zhao Sihan away, not even able to stop Ma Linger.
The couple arrived at the inn and stayed there. Duan Xiaolin said angrily that Xie Lingyun was too disrespectful and had no sincerity in negotiation. He even asked Dali to repay an installment of the loan.
Zhao Sihan already knew that her sister-in-law was in a bad mood and was busy dealing with the problems raised by the Grassland Empire. Seeing her husband in a dilemma, it was not a good idea for her to stay there and struggle.
She told Xiao Linzi: Her mother is in Huaxi Village outside the city, watching over Wu Jing and the others as they build the house. Let's go ask her for some advice.
Duan Xiaolin's trip to Xinsong was fruitless. He didn't know whether to leave or not, so he agreed to Zhao Sihan's suggestion and left the posthouse and headed towards Huaxi Village outside the west gate.
The couple went out of the west gate and felt that the road was as smooth as the streets in the city. Duan Xiaolin stuck his head out of the car window and was surprised to find that the official road was even wider than the official road in the south of the city. There were unknown small grass flowers growing on both sides, like two flower ribbons extending forward, all the way to the entrance of Huaxi Village.
The carriage they were riding in arrived at the entrance of the village but could not go in. There were guards standing at the door and they had to buy tickets to enter the village. Only people from Huaxi Village could enter and leave freely with their ID cards.
Zhao Sihan was surprised.
The entourage had already bought the tickets, and the group got on Huaxi's sightseeing carriage and headed towards the village. Along the way, they saw neatly arranged fields, with large tracts of rapeseed growing very lushly, some of which had already blossomed with tiny spots of flowers. The village roads were cleaner than the streets in the city, and there were people cleaning with dustpans and brooms.
Zhao Sihan looked around curiously as if he had entered a fairyland on earth. Duan Xiaolin was also surprised and asked: Is this the new rural model that Third Brother mentioned?
How much money would it cost for such a large area?
The two of them arrived at the Zhang family compound. Madam Qian and Si Niang met them and asked them to come in for a cup of tea. However, Zhao Sihan asked her mother to accompany her to take a look first, and then the group got on the carriage and went inside.
Duan Xiaolin was already amazed by the straight roads and ditches. Then when he saw the waterwheel, the mill, the pig farm under the mill, the biogas tank and the sizzling biogas stove, he thought it was a work of nature.
