Volume 4 is in the ascendant Chapter 525: Shi Xie's Surprise
After Bai Tu learned about "spiritual power generation" and that learning places were suitable for building "power plants", he revealed a few details to the palace and strongly encouraged increased investment in education.
He did not explain much about electricity to the court officials, not even to the palace officials.
After all, from the current perspective, due to the special nature of the resources in the Chengji world, the cost-effectiveness of "spiritual energy" in the area where it overlaps with "true energy" is extremely low.
The efficiency of an electrical workshop is far lower than that of a qi-based workshop...
It’s just that in Bai Tu’s memory, electricity can play a huge role in many places where true energy cannot reach, so he is willing to support it, such as the computers that “may” appear in the future.
Although after Bai Tu instilled simple computing principles into Pang Tong, Pang Tong was more inclined to use gears to simulate binary and use the Qi piston to push the color module to realize the display function, but... Bai Tu still felt that from the perspective of subsequent development, the potential of the Qi computer might be too limited?
Moreover, the reason why "true qi energy" seems to be more efficient now is simply because "everyone can practice it". What if "everyone can read books" in the future?
Bai Tu is not sure whether it is cost-effective, so he does not give too many directional commands, but continues to develop step by step.
Of course, at least for now, in the field of power facilities driven by electrical energy, it is definitely far less efficient than the Qi machine...
Just like the current Qi-generated farm tools, ordinary people who have initially cultivated Qi can use some simple ones. However, to make an "electric version" with the same effect, it may take the mental power of a second-rate strategist to drive it. The difference in training costs is huge!
Therefore, the application of electric energy is mainly in the "information age", and there is no sign of it in the electrical age.
With such a huge gap, it is difficult for Bai Tu to make others understand the intention of doing so. Fortunately... increasing investment in education has always been the "right thing for the court", and now it is just being accelerated.
Since Bai Tu strongly supported it, the atmosphere was naturally boosted.
…
The real big event of the fifth year of Chuli was that at the end of the year, an official road that could barely be considered a "road" was finally paved to Jiaozhou. Although some sections were still rugged and bumpy even with the use of cement and explosives to blast through the mountains, it was finally theoretically possible to have an "entire official road" from Jinling to Jiaozhou, and in the narrowest place, at least one horse-drawn carriage could pass through the official road!
Although there were official roads before, they were intermittent and dilapidated. Some sections had even merged with the surrounding mountains and forests. This nearly four-year-long road paving project reconnected and repaired these official roads, especially using "new technology" to reinforce them. Some mountain roads were also converted into tunnels, shortening the distance...
On the day when the road was completed - that is, it was connected to an official road in the border town of Jiaozhou, Shi Xie personally contacted the people and, despite being over 70 years old, symbolically picked up a shovel and dug a handful of soil.
In this way, Jiaozhou is very happy to connect with Chu State...
Not only Shi Xie and Jiaozhou Prefecture, but also after the State of Chu began to build roads, especially in the past two years, there have been more and more private exchanges between Jiaozhou and the State of Chu.
After all, Jiaozhou has many "hundreds of tribes" and it is not a small peasant economy. Most of the tribes are mainly engaged in gathering and supplemented by farming. A small part is the opposite. There are few pure farming and self-sufficient ones. They are more diligent in "exchange" than the agricultural civilization under the small peasant economy.
Moreover, the Lingnan region, with its specialties of jade, pearls, precious woods, ivory carvings, wood carvings, etc., is originally a place suitable for "exchange". In later generations, the planting industry here also has a higher cost-effectiveness with various economic crops such as various fruits and rubber... The small peasant economy does not bring much profit.
Therefore, after the Chu State began to build roads, especially after the bandits were eliminated along the way, the number of caravans from both sides between Jiaozhou and the Chu State increased...
There were even cases where the tribes in Jiaozhou used "Chu currency" for transactions, and Shi Xie did not stop it.
After the official road was completely built, many merchants, including "merchants" from hundreds of tribes who were still wearing short animal skin jackets and bone and tooth pendants, spontaneously appeared at the completion ceremony with joy.
But in theory, it can only be repaired up to here. After all, Jiaozhou...that is Shi Xie's territory, and Shi Xie has not officially "surrendered" yet.
How could we easily allow the State of Chu to come in and build roads?
And right where the roads met, the State of Chu also built a "signal tower" - which was connected to a signal tower in a distant valley through an underground line. However... because of the obstruction of rocks and trees, no other signal tower could be seen here at all.
So for a while some people didn't understand what it was used for.
In the second half of the ceremony celebrating the completion of the project, Wei Teng, the Minister of the Ministry of National Affairs of Chu, who came specially to preside over the ceremony, also invited Shi Xie to enter the "tower" for a chat.
Although Shi Xie was a little curious about the signal tower which did not look like a place for entertaining guests, he still went in with Wei Teng. After more than half an hour, Shi Xie showed no strange expression and still looked very amiable as he walked out with Wei Teng.
However, some younger generations or confidants who were familiar with Shi Xie had already noticed that Shi Xie's expression was a little stiff, but it was not convenient to ask in this situation, and anyway, Shi Xie did not seem to be in any threat to his personal safety.
…
The report on the completion of the road between Chu and Jiaozhou was published in the gazettes of various places in Chu at the end of October.
In addition to the purpose of "celebration", it is also a call for all walks of life in Chu to go to Jiaozhou to open up new opportunities...
For a while, many people were interested, but Jiaozhou... after all, was not yet the territory of Chu State, which made most of those who were interested only want to trade.
Two months later, it was the New Year again. Bai Tu felt that this year had passed particularly quickly since he traveled through time... just like the development of the State of Chu.
Moreover, for this year's New Year's Day festival, Bai Tu specially prepared a grand ceremony. A temporary large altar was built in Jinling City after a long absence. On the New Year's Day, Bai Tu also came to the altar in a gorgeous dress after the float parade, which made people feel a little unusual.
Everyone speculated that maybe the King of Chu had had enough and was ready to go on stage to offer sacrifices to the heavens and fight to the death with the Marquis of Shu...
At the same time, in the Han court in Chang'an, Liu Xie also wore a solemn makeup, but Liu Ai and Dong Cheng were trying to dissuade Liu Xie.
In fact, more than half a year ago, the news that Chu State and Jiaozhou would soon be connected had already reached the Central Plains, Guanzhong, and Liu Xie's ears.
Logically speaking, the speed of road construction was really too fast, especially in a place like the Wuling Mountains. No matter how Liu Xie looked at it, he felt that it was not credible. However, it did have the symbolic effect of "Jiaozhou getting closer to the State of Chu."
While Liu Xie was angry, he also felt a sense of crisis - although Shi Xie had frequently flattered the State of Chu, it was undeniable that Shi Xie had also been paying tribute to the Han court in the past two years.
Although... "there are rumors" that Shi Xie's tribute to the court was of the same format as that to the State of Chu, and that he paid more tribute to the State of Chu, which made Liu Xie usually resentful of Shi Xie. But now Liu Xie has ignored this point in his mind, and is only thinking that "the State of Chu is going to attack Jiaozhou, which is loyal to the Han Dynasty."
In order to boost the morale of Jiaozhou and give the old coward Shi Xie some courage to resist the State of Chu and support the Han Dynasty, Liu Xie wanted to confer the title of King of Nanyue on Shi Xie at the New Year's Court Meeting, ordering him to "govern the southern part of the country forever", and also learn from the State of Chu and give him the title of "hereditary succession".
Not only did it fulfill Shi Xie's wish, it also made him more motivated... Not to mention causing trouble for the State of Chu, at least he should not continue to get closer to the State of Chu!
Moreover, from the perspective of political strategy, making Shi Xie a king also increased the "cost" for Shi Xie to surrender to Chu.
After all, he was already a king with real power in the Han Dynasty. If he surrendered to the Chu State, his power and status would not be smaller than it is now, right?
This also made the King of Chu unable to trust Shi Xie, unless Shi Xie immediately and unconditionally surrendered to Chu...but how was that possible?
Liu Ai and others in the court had already analyzed Shi Xie's request for Liu Xie!
Liu Xie's idea was not a problem, but there were some "small mistakes". The envoys who disguised themselves as a merchant caravan and went to Jiaozhou did not return before the New Year...
According to the original plan, the envoy disguised as a caravan should have returned last month - the Chu State's tireless road construction had greatly shortened the journey time from Chang'an to Jiaozhou.
Basically, as long as you enter the State of Chu, there is a horse racing road until you reach the Five Ridges. Even in the Five Ridges, there is "barely a road".
Twenty years ago, the one-way trip from Chang'an to Jiaozhou would take at most one year, even if one traveled light. If one had to bring along an envoy's ceremonial procession, it would probably take two or three years.
However, after the development of the Han Dynasty (Liu Xie imagined), more than half a year is enough for a round trip.
However, now that an accident has happened, there is no way of knowing Shi Xie’s attitude towards the enthronement. Even more pessimistically, Shi Xie may not even know about the enthronement.
Liu Xie thought it was not a big problem, but it did bring uncertainty to the enthronement. It was for this reason that Liu Ai dissuaded Liu Xie and Dong Cheng...because Shi Xie's envoys before "did not know the rules" and did not bring him any gifts, so this time they joined Liu Ai in the same camp to oppose the enthronement.
"Your Majesty, there is no rush to confer the title of king. Fortunately, in order to guard against any action by the State of Chu, the news has been blocked before. Even the envoy was sent personally by Minister Zhong. Only a limited number of people know about this matter. Granting the Nine Gifts is just a formality. We can wait for Minister Zhong to come back and choose an auspicious day to be foolproof. Otherwise... what if Shi Xie has not known about it yet? When the envoys know about it, the King of Nanyue will definitely appear in front of the people." Liu Ai was already quite old at this time.
"The Han Dynasty has conferred a title of king on Shi Xie. No matter whether Shi Xie knows about it or not, will he refuse to accept it?" Liu Xie frowned at Liu Ai who was trying to dissuade him.
At the same time, I always feel that the statement “granting the Nine Gifts is just a formality” is a bit harsh.
"Your Majesty! Conferring the title of king is a major event and cannot be taken lightly. Since the envoy has not returned, it may be God's will..." Dong Cheng said hurriedly.
"Don't mention God's will to me!" Liu Xie said excitedly, because the public opinion of "returning the seal against the will of heaven" has not been reversed, and he has already had some "God's will PTSD".
Liu Ai and Dong Cheng wanted to persuade him again, but Liu Xie, who was already a little annoyed, said, "That's enough! I have made up my mind!"
