Chapter 529 Too Hard

Chapter 529 Too Hard

Chapter 529 Too Hard

Outside the city, a large number of guards were marching forward.

After leaving the city, the many officials who followed them were no longer as reserved as they were in the city; they talked and laughed.

There is a clear blue sky above my head.

Such a scene makes people feel relaxed and happy.

In this regard, Lu Yunyi felt that everyone had been staying in the city for too long.
I can go out of the city to relax during my office hours.
It's just like taking a break from work, it's really comfortable and relaxing!

Duke Cao Li Jinglong was wearing gorgeous clothes and riding on a horse.
The body sways gently with the horse's pace.

The scattered hair flutters freely in the wind, making her look particularly free and easy.

He pointed to the mountains and forests not far away.
As well as the neatly cultivated wheat fields, I couldn't help but sigh:
"Yun Yi, I've been troubled by so many things these days.
It feels really good to go out for a walk.

It’s just too hot today. It would be perfect if it were a cool autumn day.”

Geng Zhong, who was far away, heard what he said, turned around and glared at Li Jinglong:
"You have forgotten the pain after your wound healed. In the past, autumn was never this leisurely."

After Geng Zhong said this, several generals present couldn't help laughing.

Before the Northern Yuan Dynasty was completely wiped out,

Every autumn, the border is in turmoil.

Even if the Northern Yuan court did not take the initiative to send troops to invade,
Those tribes close to the border would often burn, kill, loot and invade the border.

At that time, the Five Military Commanderies and the imperial court were the busiest.

Not only do we need to prepare for external wars, but we also need to start discussing and formulating various plans for next year.
This year the situation has changed significantly.

After the Luchuan War ended, the Five Military Governor's Office became much more relaxed.

Although there is still a war to the north, it is much easier than before.

On the contrary, there were heated debates within the DPRK over many of the arrangements for next year, and it was difficult for all parties to reach a consensus.

Many people turned their eyes to Qin Kui who was riding a big horse.
Seeing that he looked listless, he did not approach him to talk.

He turned to Lu Yunyi and asked.

Duke of Wei Xu Huizu raised his eyebrows:

"Has the Ministry of Works finalized its plan for flood control?
We need to come up with a plan as soon as possible so that the Governor's Office can send soldiers to cooperate in time."

Lu Yunyi's expression was a little strange, and he shook his head slowly:
"Reporting to Duke Wei, we need to wait for some time.

The Ministry of Revenue has not given a specific quota of silver and money recently."

"Got it. Report the result to the Governor's Office as soon as possible so that I can arrange personnel in advance."

At this time, Crown Prince Zhu Biao, who was holding a document, opened the carriage window, revealing half of his face, and frowned slightly:

"Has the Ministry of Revenue not made a decision yet?"

Lu Yunyi answered honestly:

"Reporting to Your Highness, the Ministry of Revenue said that we need to wait a little longer until the soldiers from all over the country leave the capital."

"Why?" the prince asked.

“I have heard from the officials below that the Ministry of Revenue is worried that Your Majesty will particularly like these young talents and will give them generous rewards.

In addition, there were also some foreign envoys in the capital.

If Your Majesty gives too much in rewards, the Ministry of Revenue will be short of money.”

"That's unreasonable!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao snorted coldly and said no more.

In the past, when envoys from small countries came to Beijing, they would bring some of their country’s specialties, and the Ming court would also give them some practical items in return.

Normally, the Ming Dynasty, as the suzerain state,

In this kind of reward-giving exchange there is often a give-and-take.

Of course, the imperial court also stipulated the number of years these vassal states had to pay tribute.
Some are held every three years, and some are held every five years.

For Japan, it was clearly stipulated that it should pay tribute once every ten years.

Now the Ming Dynasty has just won a great victory in the Battle of Luchuan.

These small southwestern countries have actually become vassal states of the Ming Dynasty.

Under such circumstances, it is even more necessary to demonstrate the majesty and magnanimity of the Celestial Empire.

At this time, Li Jinglong looked into the distance and suddenly found a silver ribbon in the green field.

He quickly pointed forward and shouted:
"Look!"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and their eyes suddenly lit up.

It was a road leading from the workshop to the official road.

From a distance, you can clearly see that the khaki color of the official road and the silver-white color of this fork road form a sharp contrast. The difference between the two is very obvious.

Especially the smoothness of this road.

It made everyone present feel as if they were back in Yingtian City.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao leaned half of his body out and looked at the wide and neat road ahead, his eyes lighting up.

He looked at Lu Yunyi and asked:

“How much did it cost to build this road?”

Lu Yunyi quickly replied:
"Reporting to His Royal Highness, this road is three miles long and cost a total of nine hundred taels of silver!"

"Didn't you say it would cost several thousand taels?"

"Your Highness, the workshop made a mistake in its initial calculations.

Because there was originally a relatively flat dirt road,

Therefore, this time the road construction does not require road leveling work, thus saving some costs.

Moreover, the craftsmen who built the road were provided by the workshop itself, and no additional wages were paid.
So the final cost is a little cheaper.”

A hint of shock flashed across Zhu Biao's eyes, and many officials also turned their eyes to Lu Yunyi.

Even so, the expenditure of nine hundred taels of silver still shocked everyone.

According to the previous road construction method,
Leveling the land, laying the roadbed, paving the road surface, and digging two drainage ditches,

Each job cost nearly a thousand taels of silver and took a long time to complete.

If it weren't for the free laborers and soldiers,
The imperial court was simply unable to afford the cost of building roads.

"Master Lu, how many days did it take to build this road?"

Grand Secretary Song Na, who was sitting in the sedan chair, also leaned out and asked.

He was nearly eighty years old, with a gray beard and a thin body.
He looks very kind and speaks slowly.

"Mr. Song, excluding the preliminary preparations, the actual construction of the road took a total of six days.

Of these, four days were spent paving the road, and the other two days were spent waiting for the cement and concrete to solidify.”

"So fast?"

Song Na was a little surprised, and his speech speed unconsciously increased a little.

He was a Jinshi in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time,
It often takes several years to build a road.

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the speed of road construction increased significantly.

He once thought that was the fastest speed in history.

But unexpectedly, today he was once again enlightened.

"Mr. Song, although this road is being built very quickly,
But it will take more than twenty days to reach its hardest state.

However, it is now accessible to vehicles and horses, so there is no problem using it.”

"Okay. Okay."

Joy flashed in Song Na's somewhat turbid eyes, and he nodded repeatedly.

He turned to look at Crown Prince Zhu Biao:
"Your Highness, I am nearly eighty years old.

I thought I had some knowledge of everything in the world, but today really opened my eyes.

This road is cheap and of good quality, and it has done great deeds!"

After hearing Song Na's words, the prince was also very happy and nodded in praise:
“Yes, this road does look neat.”

As a group of people gradually approached, the originally noisy team gradually quieted down.

The cement road is wide and straight, wide enough for five carriages to pass side by side.

The edges of the road are cut very neatly.

Under the sunlight, the whole road glows slightly.

Everyone looked along the road surface, but could not find any potholes or bumps.

In the middle of the road, there are neatly carved marks, evenly distributed.

Li Jinglong asked curiously: "What are these?"

"It's used to prevent slipping. If there are no such textures on rainy days, pedestrians and vehicles will easily slip."

Everyone suddenly realized what was going on. They stepped on the road and rubbed it back and forth.
It turned out to be exactly as Lu Yunyi said.

Unlike the bluestone slabs in the palace, which mostly have raised anti-slip designs,
The cement road in front of me has a concave texture. In comparison, this design is simpler and more practical.

The drainage ditches on both sides of the road are also neat and orderly.

The ditch walls are made of bricks and stones and plastered with lime.
It looks flat and smooth, and the slope of the ditch bottom is just right.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked towards the end of the road, where the connection with the workshop was natural.

The road leads directly to the entrance of the workshop, and you can vaguely see some carriages and horses parked at the door.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao paced along the road, touching the road surface from time to time with his hands, and his eyes could no longer conceal his admiration. "It's better than I expected!"

"Yun Yi, have you recorded the road repair methods in detail?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. The workshop has already recorded the road construction process, material ratios, etc., and can present it to Your Highness for review at any time."

"Well done."

Xu Huizu took a step forward and nodded:

"In the past, once the army was mobilized on a large scale, once the conscription of civilians and food and fodder began,
Problems often arise wherever people go.
The road in front of us looks very solid, how many vehicles and horses can it bear?"

The officials from the Five Military Governor's Office who followed also turned their attention to Lu Yunyi.

Lu Yunyi explained:

"We tested it yesterday. When fifty fully loaded carriages and horses passed through,
The road remains stable, with no deformation and no traces left.

However, we will have to wait a while to test its true strength.”

"Fifty? Very good!"

Xu Huizu's eyes lit up. The carrying capacity of fifty vehicles was enough.

Normally, ordinary grain and troop transport teams would move slowly, with some moving at faster speeds than others.

On a three-mile-long road, there are usually only a hundred or so vehicles and a team of a thousand people.

At this time, a breeze blew gently, and the willow branches beside the road swayed gently in the wind.

This made Zhu Biao feel particularly happy!
The official roads that have just been repaired in recent years can be ignored for the time being.
If we could build a road from the village to the official road like the one in front of us,
These roads are not only shorter in length, but also have a short construction period and quick results.

If the Ministry of Industry and the Five Military Commandery push forward with all their might,

Results will be produced soon, calming down the opposition voices throughout the court.

This is of vital importance to the imperial court.

Behind the group, many clerks and officials also began to discuss.
Their expressions were more solemn than each other.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked at Lu Yunyi, then at the workshop in the distance:
"Let's go, pull out the cannon and see if the concrete is as hard as you say!"

"Yes!"

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, Feng Yunfang jumped on the horse and galloped towards the workshop.

The horse's hooves stepped on the smooth concrete road, making a "clattering" sound.

Seeing this scene, a gleam of light flashed in the eyes of many officials of the Governor's Office.

Chongshan Hou Li Xin's eyes lit up:
"This road is great, it won't hurt the horse's hooves!"

After these words were spoken, the prince paused for a moment while holding onto the handlebars of his bicycle. Then, he looked as if he had realized something.

Looking at the road ahead again, there is something else going on.

"If all the official roads in the Ming Dynasty were renovated into this kind of cement road,
The loss during troop transport will be greatly reduced, saving an unknown amount of money!"

And he thought of another thing!

If a rebellion breaks out in the border areas,

And if this kind of cement road is built, then wouldn't the Beijing army be able to quickly reach the border to quell the rebellion?
On the contrary, it will become more difficult for the enemy to attack.
However, Zhu Biao was not worried about the latter situation.

There are 200,000 elite soldiers stationed around Yingtian all year round.
Only the imperial court can launch the attack, and there will be no possibility of being attacked by others.

As he thought about this, he got on the bicycle that the Ministry of Industry had specially customized for him and pedaled leisurely.

The breeze blew gently, and the feeling of riding was not much different from when I was in the palace.
But this is enough to illustrate the problem!

It is very good that the paths in the countryside can be built so neatly!

Gradually, Zhu Biao's eyes became more and more empty.
In a trance, Zhu Biao seemed to see the endless wheat fields.
There appeared a series of roads like silver ribbons, pedestrians were walking on the road, and bicycles were running fast.
If one day, such a scene can really be realized,

Then the imperial court’s control over the local areas will reach an unprecedented peak!

After Zhu Biao rode two laps on the cement road,
As usual, two large vats were placed on the open space in front of the workshop.

One tank contained concrete that had solidified for nearly ten days.
The other tank contained concrete mixed with refined iron.

Two Hongwu iron cannons were placed a hundred steps away.

Because Zhu Biao was still riding his bicycle, the group started chatting casually.

Many officials in the Governor's Office were obviously very interested in the two large vats.
They sat in a circle and kept expressing their opinions.

When Lu Yunyi came out of the workshop and saw this scene, he was almost scared to death.

He waved his hand quickly, signaling to move the muzzle away.

The workshop manager apparently realized something as his face turned pale and beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.

Lu Yunyi glared at him, then slowly walked forward and listened to everyone's chatter.

The content of their conversation,
A small half is about concrete, and a small half is about young talents from all over the country.

Most of the time they were chatting about family matters.
For example, someone took a concubine.

Topics like so-and-so’s wife has a man outside.

Li Jinglong also took the opportunity to talk about Li Yongxiang to clear up the misunderstanding.

Lu Yunyi was listening at the side, his ears pricked up unconsciously.

Geng Zhong saw his curious look and joked:

"Yun Yi, I heard that your family is having a hard time making ends meet?

Brother, I have some business in Beijing and I make quite a bit of money. Do you want to get involved?"

Lu Yunyi waved his hand quickly and said:

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Geng. Although I am penniless, my wife is very wealthy."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Everyone laughed when they heard this and admired his honesty.

"You kid are pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger. Didn't Wang Bi give you a restaurant? How come you are short of money?" Chongshan Hou Li Xin said with a smile.

Zuixianlou is a business that makes a lot of money every day, which is really enviable.

Lu Yunyi was not familiar with this Chongshan Hou.

But he knew that Chongshan Hou was a typical representative of the court who had risen from scratch.
He fought his way up from a small soldier to become a marquis, but he was slightly lacking in moral character.

“To be honest, I haven’t been to Zuixianlou for a long time, and I almost forgot that there is such a business.” Lu Yunyi was trying to pass the question off.

But Chongshan Hou Li Xin refused to give in:
"Since you have neglected to take care of it, why not sell it to me? I promise I will not let you suffer any loss!"

"Zuixianlou was given to me by Lord Dingyuan. I hope Lord Chongshan will understand that it is not convenient to sell it."

"oops"

Chongshan Hou wanted to say something, but the shouting from behind interrupted everyone's thoughts.

"What are you doing? Come here."

Everyone turned around and saw that Zhu Biao had returned to the workshop entrance.

The bicycle was also parked aside, and two eunuchs were waving fans beside him.

Everyone ended their chat and walked towards Zhu Biao.

"Yun Yi, we can start now." The prince smiled and waved his hand.

After receiving the order, Lu Yunyi quickly began to make arrangements.

The gunners quickly took their positions and inspected the Hongwu cannon with serious expressions.

They packed the powder tightly,

He then carefully adjusted the angle of the muzzle so that it was accurately aimed at the two large concrete vats.

With a loud "Fire!"

In an instant, a dazzling flame shot out from the muzzle, and a deafening roar exploded like thunder.

The billowing smoke, carrying with it the hot air currents, quickly spread in all directions!
The shells were like wild beasts released from their cages, smashing into the large concrete vat with great speed.

The moment the shell hit the vat, there was a loud dull noise, and everyone's heart suddenly rose to their throat.

When the smoke cleared a little, everyone looked surprised.

Several officials from the Governor's Mansion couldn't help but move forward, their faces full of shock.

The artillery shelled the large vat, and the large vat outside shattered instantly.

The uneven concrete inside was revealed, but there was only one pothole on the concrete surface!
It wasn't penetrated!

They turned their eyes to the large concrete vat mixed with fine iron.

The outer vat was also broken.

But the pothole on the concrete surface is shallower than the previous one.

The shells did not cause any substantial damage to it.

"This is too hard!"

Li Jinglong's eyes widened and he couldn't help but blurt out.

Everyone nodded, shock written all over their faces.

Xu Huizu walked forward and carefully examined the marks on the vat:

"If this kind of concrete is used to build a city wall, the crude cannons on the grassland will not be able to break it."

"Okay! Okay!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao also came over, his mouth corners gradually rising, he clapped his hands excitedly, his eyes full of admiration.

However, what he was thinking at the moment,

Rather than using this concrete for military defense, the idea was to use it for road construction.
(End of this chapter)