mtl008 Chapter 385: The Year of War
Chapter 385: The Year of War
Kong Sijin informed Zhao Qin of the details of the meeting with Zhao Hong. Zhao Qin felt helpless and unwilling, but he had no choice but to agree to hand over the Qin territory.
"Master Kong, how about we choose Huayin, which is a hundred miles away, to live in? There's Tongguan behind us for protection."
Zhao Qin still had a glimmer of hope. He wanted to wait for the imperial army there so that he could make a great move in the future.
"King Qin, this place is too sensitive, especially Tongguan. Zhao Hong will definitely take it for himself."
On the way back, Kong Sijin had actually been thinking hard about where Zhao Qin should go. When Zhao Qin suggested Huayin, he refused without a second thought.
"Then, where has Lord Kong decided to go?" Zhao Qin asked anxiously, his eyes full of expectation and confusion.
"There really isn't anywhere else to go right now. The best option is to leave Qin. If you do that, you'll become a prince without a fiefdom. Not only will you be ridiculed, but you'll also likely be criticized in the future."
Kong Sijin's words left Zhao Qin confused for a moment, and he didn't understand what kind of trouble it would cause.
"According to Master Kong's wishes, what should we do?"
Zhao Qin frowned and continued to ask.
"Yan Ruxiang is now retreating to Hancheng, which borders Bingzhou and has several counties below it. We just need a fertile place. If anything goes wrong, we can still cross the river eastward to Bingzhou."
Kong Sijin analyzed the problem clearly and logically. As Zhao Qin listened, he seemed to gradually understand the key point.
"So, how many soldiers do I need to lead?"
Zhao Qin asked, mentally calculating his own strength and future security.
"You cannot leave with your troops in name only. Since this is surrender, the officers and soldiers outside Chang'an should be dismissed. However, their whereabouts are beyond your control, Your Highness."
Kong Sijin's words made perfect sense, and Zhao Qin agreed with them. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "Master Kong, please mediate on this matter."
After everything was arranged, Zhao Qin asked Zhao Hong for a piece of land, which was called Heyang, and also took Hancheng into his own name.
Heyang, 300 li from Chang'an and near Hancheng, boasts relatively flat terrain, situated on the Yellow River border. It is not considered a fertile land, characterized by abundant sunlight and heat, low rainfall, distinct dry and wet seasons, variable climate, and frequent disasters.
When Zhao Hong learned about this, he readily agreed. In his opinion, a dispensable place did not affect the overall situation.
Ten days later, Zhao Qin personally welcomed Zhao Hong to Chang'an, and then left sadly with some supplies and a thousand-man guard.
Long before Zhao Qin left, Qian Dazhuang went to Heyang, explained the situation to Yan Ruxiang, and then they exchanged defenses.
Yan Ruxiang rebuilt the city of Heyang as a bridgehead. After Zhao Qin arrived in Heyang, he did not stay there, but chose to go to Hancheng.
Although Hancheng is small, its geographical location is superior, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. This is also an important reason why Zhao Qin insisted on resting here.
After Shan Ning returned to Luancheng, he reported the reasons for his defeat to Zhao Sheng in detail with a heavy heart.
After Zhao Sheng learned about the situation, he did not blame Shan Ning.
He knew full well that the era of firearms was approaching, and he could only do his best to protect himself. The outcome of a war depended not only on the number of men but also on the quality of logistics and equipment.
Tannin’s problem wasn’t the lack of equipment, but the inability to keep up with the logistical supply.
After the war, Shan Ning was again assigned to Jing County, where he was stationed.
Pingyang County has a steady supply of coal and iron transported to Jing County, which has become an important resource base for Luancheng. Zhao Sheng listed this place as a top priority.
The newly built rocket steam engine train is also placed here.
Although Zhao Long's headquarters is in Luancheng, he spends most of his time in Jing County.
"County Magistrate Li, how is the harvest in Luancheng this year? How much grain do we need to store to avoid famine within the next three years?"
Li Weiguang was called by Zhao Sheng, who asked with a serious face.
"Commander-in-Chief, the situation this year seems a little grim. There seem to be too many locusts."
Li Weiguang answered worriedly.
Zhao Sheng heard this and couldn't help but think of the terrible locust plague four years ago. He suddenly perked up and said:
"We need to take precautions in advance for things like this. We must take precautions now before a large-scale disaster occurs."
"We used to buy locusts manually, but will we still do that this year?"
Li Weiguang asked doubtfully.
Zhao Yongsheng knew the seriousness of the matter and came forward to say:
"County Magistrate Li, this matter is indeed as you said. All regions must concentrate their efforts on the acquisition."
Zhao Sheng glanced sideways at Zhao Yongsheng and chuckled inwardly, "They've all learned the lesson of failure. If I don't accept them, what can they do?"
However, this matter is related to people's livelihood and social stability after all. At the same time, for Zhao Sheng, it is not a big problem that is difficult to solve.
"We don't have enough salt reserves to make it. If we want to make our own salt, we need a big salt mountain."
Zhao Sheng's words did not cause much reaction from Li Weiguang and others. Instead, they fell into deep thought, wondering where the salt mountain could be found.
At this time, Zhao Sheng suddenly remembered that there was a river called Daqing River in later generations. It was one of the key salt fields in Changlu Salt District. The name "Changlu" has a long history.
The source is in Changshan County, passing through Guangchang County and all the way to Juma.
He couldn't help but wonder, if the river was blocked in Guangchang County, could salt be produced here?
After Li Weiguang left, he asked Zhao Yongsheng to tell him his thoughts.
"If that's the case, it's undoubtedly a huge fortune. If it gets leaked, it will definitely be coveted by others."
"You're right, so this matter requires someone trustworthy to go."
Zhao Sheng thought of Zhao Erniu and Zhao Hu. He had kept them in Shigang Village to secretly produce the core raw materials for MSG over the years, and they had never been exposed.
Both of them make refined salt.
After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Sheng decided to let Zhao Hu come out of retirement and be responsible for the salt production work in Guangchang County.
"I think we should send Zhao Long's younger brother. He's from our family and is trustworthy."
In Zhao Yongsheng's eyes, the surname Zhao was the most reliable guarantee, so he proposed to send Zhao Long's younger brother Zhao Hu, and he was not worried at all.
Indeed, Zhao Hu is also a good candidate.
In this era, the concept of family is more solid than any relationship between the monarch and his subjects. If someone says that something doesn't work, it is likely that there is something wrong with the person's character.
Since Zhao Long was not at home, Zhao Sheng took his two children to Shigang Village in person.
Taking children there is not just for fun.
Among them, Zhao Sheng had another idea, which was to inform his parents-in-law that Zhao Zhen was about to give birth. Another thing was the enlightenment education of the two children. He still hoped that Zhao Shicheng would move to Luancheng.