Chastity Layman 2

Chapter 755 Iron Bull
"Lu Ben, Cheng Chumo!"

"Habayashi, Zhang Daxiang!"

"Zhenfusi, Liu Jiu!"

······
Baqiao station.

Cheng Chumo and the others filed in and reported their names.

The Lantern Festival has passed, and departure is imminent.

Qin Lang was patrolling the southeast of the province, and the emperor ordered talented officials from various government offices in the capital to accompany him. There were a thousand horses serving as the guards this time. Those who didn't know thought Qin Lang was going to fight a war.Donggong Zuowei led the Brigade Army Zhonglang Cheng Chumo led five hundred brigades, and became the main guard for this patrol.

Zhang Daxiang, the school lieutenant of the Beiya Yulin Army, accompanied by a hundred flying cavalry. This is an expanded flying cavalry battalion from the Baiqi Battalion.There is also Wu Shisheng, the lieutenant of the Qianniu Guard, who leads a hundred guards of Qianniu to accompany him.

At the same time, there were three hundred Shenji Battalion accompanying them this time.

Both Zhang Daxiang and Wu Shisheng are the sons of meritorious officials. Zhang Daxiang is the son of Zhang Gongjin, the former governor of the state. Lao Zhang has just been changed to the governor of Xiangzhou. The vacancy left by Yu Chigong.

And Wu Shisheng's Lao Tzu was Wu Heikai, who was transferred from Zuo Jinwuwei to Zuo Yulin General.

"Wei Wenzhen, the imperial censor inspected by Yushitai, and the clerk of the political affairs hall come to pay a visit to the lord!"

"Wailang Yuan Hongliang, a member of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Tang Xu, a member of the Ministry of Military Affairs...see you!"

In the post station, before the double banners and festivals erected in front of the house, a thousand soldiers gathered, extremely sturdy.

After seeing the accompanying officials from various ministries, Qin Lang said a few words and started on the road.

Yuchi Baoqi submitted the proposed route, but after leaving Beijing, he went to Tongzhou, crossed the Yellow River through the Pujin Bridge, entered the east of the river, went straight to Taiyuan, crossed the Taihang Mountains via Jingxing to Youzhou, then faced the sea in the east, and finally went south along the coast. .

This trip does not pass through Tongguan, but Luoyang.

"Since we're going to Youzhou, why don't we go to the coastline of the Tang Dynasty? Don't start from Jieshi and Yuguan, but go directly to the mouth of the Liaohe River in Yingzhou!" Qin Lang glanced at the map.

Yuchi Baoqi was also transferred this time, and his job was to join the military and be in charge of supplies.

He had no opinion on Qin Lang's adjustment, and was even a little excited, "When the time comes, I will find a chance to vote for Goguryeo. It would be even better if I can take Liaodong City by the way."

Qin Lang didn't respond to his crazy words. How could Liaodong City be so easy to grab, let alone the east bank of the Liaohe River, the key point is that the Goguryeo people always regarded Liaodong City as their first core in Liaodong.

Since the Sui conquest of Goguryeo, the Goguryeo people have not been as arrogant as before. Over the years, they have retreated to the east bank of the Liaohe River and dare not cross the Liaohe River easily, but they will never give up Liaodong easily. The Liaohe River is the final bottom line.

Back then, he carried the Sui army's three expeditions. Although his vitality was severely injured, since the Sui rebellion, he has also gained a rare respite. Now he is still alive, and even has the spare energy to find trouble for Silla.

Datang now has no intention of resuming the war on the Eastern Front, and everything will take time.

Qin Lang planned to patrol from the mouth of the Liaohe River, just to see the situation there.

The inspection task given by the emperor to Qin Lang, the eastern and southern coastal areas are all within the scope of his inspection.

It was freezing cold in the first month of the lunar year, and the iron hooves of the horses knocked on the hard road, making a crisp sound.The route from Chang'an to Taiyuan and then to Youzhou is a main national road in the Tang Dynasty. The road is very wide, and there are dense towns and villages along the way. There is a post station every twenty miles.

When crossing the Pujin Bridge, Qin Lang was amazed at the big iron oxen pulling up the iron chains on both sides of the Yellow River.In order to ensure the safety of the Pujin Bridge, which runs through the main roads of Guanzhong and Hedong, the imperial court erected four iron oxen, 36 front and rear iron pillars, and four iron mountains on each side of the bridge.

Previously, during the reign of Emperor Kaihuang, which was known as the prosperous age, this important river was only connected by floating boats and connected by bamboo ropes.Such a pontoon bridge is not stable, and even had to be dismantled during the ice age, and the passage was interrupted.

At the beginning of Zhenguan, Qin Lang served as the transfer envoy Si Pingzhang Guo Ji, and agreed to promote the project, changing the bamboo cable pontoon bridge into an iron cable suspension bridge and becoming a permanent fixed bridge.

In order to ensure the safety of the bridge, a lot of iron materials were mobilized and many tools were conscripted. Iron mountains, iron oxen and iron pillars were cast as ground anchors. Eight big iron oxen pulled eight large iron cables against each other. Direct access to carriages and horses.

In the third year of Zhenguan, the Pujin Bridge was completed, eight cattle locked Pujin, and one bridge connected three cities.

From Guanzhong to Hebei, especially to the Youyan area, basically take the Pujin Bridge.

After several years, the huge iron ox still stands motionless on both sides of the bank. What's even more rare is that it is completely naked and shiny, without any trace of embroidery.

Qin Lang asked Yuanyuan.

"The Prime Minister of Qin didn't know something. Since the iron ox was cast, the Pujin Bridge has been connected. Since then, things have been unblocked, which has facilitated countless people's business trips, and even reduced the flood here. Uncle sent a general to town the water. During these four seasons and eight festivals, the common people would come to worship Hebo, sacrifice to the Yellow River, and offer offerings to the sacred cow."

"Even if the common people have disasters and diseases, they can come to worship and touch them, and they can cure diseases and eliminate disasters, which is very effective."

According to the local officials, these eight big cows are omnipotent, they can suppress floods, drive away plagues, and can also cure diseases and exorcise evil spirits, so no matter they are nearby or passing by, they will worship and touch them.

Qin Lang looked at the obviously brighter eggs under the buttocks of the big iron ox, "Could it be that this iron ox has the supernatural ability to deliver children?"

"Yes, and it's very effective. It's even more powerful than the Bodhisattva Sending Children!"

This is nonsense, the iron ox was cast by Qin Lang, he would not know, this iron ox may not be inconspicuous, but its smelting and casting technology is extremely advanced, only its weight, each weighs 36 If this weight is combined with [-] iron pillars and eight iron mountains, it can guarantee that eight large iron chains can be pulled up, which is as stable as a rock.

Of course, the choice of iron ox instead of iron tiger and iron bear was indeed a bit particular. It is said in the Book of Changes that the ox resembles Kun, and Kun is earth, and soil wins water.

But talking about other supernatural powers is nonsense.

Even in the past few years in Pujin, the wind and rain problems here, especially the flooding of the Yellow River, have nothing to do with Tieniu, but the imperial court spent a lot of money in the past few years to build flood control projects, control the Yellow River, and have a stronger The ability to resist floods naturally makes it less prone to disasters.

When the iron bridge was built, the embankment was even raised and reinforced, and it was built into a stone embankment, and the river embankment up and down hundreds of miles was also repaired.

The natural moat of the Yellow River has become a thoroughfare, which has also greatly promoted the economy of Tongzhou City and Puzhou City on both sides of the strait, especially Puzhou City. Because the iron bridge was completed in only three years, Puzhou City has now become a Datang's largest iron smelting center and iron products center.

Its economic scale is outside the four major centers of Chang'an, Luoyang, Yangzhou, and Yizhou, together with Guangzhou, Zhengzhou, Shanzhou, Bianzhou, Huaizhou, Huaizhou, Jiangzhou, and Dengzhou. , It has even ranked above Bingzhou, Youzhou, Liangzhou, Jingzhou, Lanzhou, etc., even Hangzhou and Runzhou in the south of the Yangtze River can't compare, but you know Puzhou is amazing.

Relying on the geographical advantage of being located in the middle of the two capitals and communicating with Youzhou in Taiyuan, plus Puzhou also has the largest salt pond Jiechi in the entire Central Plains, with this precious salt industry resources, it has become a place to supply Guanzhong, Hedong and Henan. the center of the ground salt.

After the imperial court implemented the salt monopoly, the price of salt increased greatly, but not only did not hit Puzhou's salt industry and economy, but it also made Puzhou's Yanchi salt industry more prosperous.

Puzhou also has excellent and fertile arable land, which is the granary of the two capitals. In addition to understanding the two top economies of salt and iron smelting, Bozhou is also famous for its papermaking and wine making.

The gentry in Puzhou is also very powerful. The three surnames of Pei Xueliu are the six surnames of Guanlong, and the three surnames of Zhang and Lu are also famous families.

At the beginning, Qin Langli mainly spent a lot of money to build the Pujin Iron Bridge, and it was because of the importance of Puzhou. In terms of military geography, business and economy, Pujin, which is located between the two capitals, has a unique geographical location. position, it is difficult not to develop it.

And because of the importance of Puzhou's geography, the officials sent to Puzhou since the imperial court Wude were all carefully selected and capable officials. Even Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin once went out of the town to manage Puzhou in person.

Pei Xueliu, the three famous families in Hedong, has spared no effort in the management of Puzhou.

Qin Lang crossed the iron bridge, stayed in Puzhou City for a few days, socialized a few times with Pei Xueliu, Zhang Lu and other famous families, and even lived in the manor of Pei Ju's family.

The Pei family lost Pei Ji and died of Pei Ju. They have been quiet for the past few years, but only in Chang'an.When you arrive in Puzhou, you will find that the biggest force here is still the Pei family.

In every aspect of Puzhou, there are shadows of the Pei family everywhere, even the Liuxue family is far less influential than the Pei family.

The current head of the Pei family is Pei Ju's son Pei Xuanji, who is currently working as an idler in the capital's secretary province. His rank is not low and he has no real power. Puzhou is managed by an uncle of Pei Xuanji's family. , very satisfied with Qin Lang's hospitality.

After staying for a few days, he carefully inspected the industries in Lower Bozhou. He found that the major industries here, such as salt, iron, paper, and wine, were basically controlled by several big families, and behind them were the noble families of Chang'an, such as Changsun Wuji has a lot of shares in Yantie.

Prime Minister Gao Shilian's family has many members in the wine, Fang Xuanling has property in the paper, and even Li Yuan's son-in-laws have members here.

Looking at a newly built city tower in Puzhou City, it is actually built entirely of discarded iron-making crucibles.

The place where Emperor Shun once established his capital was 250 miles from east to west and 170 miles from north to south. It was not as large as Wu'an Prefecture, Qinlang's fief, but it was a basin and plain surrounded by mountains and rivers, with the danger of the Yellow River and the screen of Zhongtiao Mountain. With the salt benefits of Jiechi, the fertile soil of the plain, and living in the center of the two capitals, at the center of the three major plates of Guanzhong, Central Plains, and Hedong, Qin Lang's fiefdom will never be able to catch up.

Its household registration has increased from more than 600 in the early years of Wude to more than 9000 in the fifth year of Zhenguan, and now it is estimated to break through [-] in the sixth year of Zhenguan.As an economically powerful city, Puzhou still has a large number of craftsmen and businessmen who do not have local household registration. The population is huge, and the actual population has exceeded [-] households. It is a well-deserved city.

After the mid-Tang Dynasty, Puzhou was established as the central capital, not without reason.

But it is such a powerful city, Pingkangfang, the Qin family has no property here, and there are so many profitable transactions, it is simply impossible to intervene.

It has to be said that it is still a bit embarrassing.

Even Ma Zhou, with the help of his father-in-law, Du Chuke, the governor of Puzhou, has already started to enter the major industries of salt, iron, wine and paper here, but his Qin family has not even touched the door. This is too shocking. .

Puzhou people are very exclusive!
(End of this chapter)