Zhao Yu looked at the mine, picked up a piece of ore and checked it, very pressed, although he only knew a little about smelting, but he also knew that the higher the density of iron ore, the higher the grade, and the heavier it was relatively speaking. Then he looked at the refinery, where there were only three small blast furnaces, and there was some charcoal piled next to them, apparently they were still in the initial stage of using charcoal as fuel, and it was estimated that they could only smelt some pig iron of low quality. In the blast furnace, they saw piles of slag like hills, indicating that they had indeed been making iron here for a long time.

Zhao Hao turned around and roughly estimated that if there are 100 people in charge of mining here, and 100 people can produce 20,000 catties of pig iron a year if 100 people make iron and burn charcoal. According to the current price of 70 wen a catty, the profit is more than a few thousand yuan. This money does not seem to be much, but at this time, the annual income of a well-off family is only a few hundred copper coins, and these pig iron are processed into knives, guns, tools, and even stealing iron money, the profit will be higher, and their cost is very low, it is indeed a good deal.

Originally, Zhao Yu wanted to investigate more carefully, but everyone was worried that those who escaped would come back with their helpers, so they took him away from the iron furnace slope with a frame, and walked out of ten miles in one go before slowing down. And the scene in front of him made him feel shocked again, and he looked at Yazhou City, which stretched for five or six miles in the north of the city, and more than ten miles in the northeast and northwest of the state. The Ningyuan River, which is in the southeast of the city, suddenly turned into two branches in the north and south, flowing around the state city for several miles, like opening a powerful arm from the swaddling clothes, breaking through the cramped confines of the state city for hundreds of years.

"This Mao Zhijun is really a talent, he only let the big river be diverted, so that Yazhou has tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land, opening up space for the development of the north and northwest of the city!" Zhao Yu looked at it and said with emotion, Ningyuan River is the largest river in Qiongnan, the ancient forest is complete, the soil and water are well maintained, and the riverbed is deep and perfect, so that he has its unfathomable feelings.

"Yes, Mao Kui's move is of great significance. Two miles outside Yacheng is a wasteland, but it is difficult to irrigate, but the line along the river is suitable for farming, which can be described as cramped. Now the introduction of a river channel solves the problem. Ying Jieyan nodded and sighed, looking at his expression, he also knew that he admired Mao Kui's feat very much, and felt that this was a monument for the benefit of the first term of office.

"It's a pity that Mao Zhijun was born at the wrong time, and he failed to do his best, if the follow-up project is completed, outside this cliff city is Qianmo vertical and horizontal, fertile and hundreds of miles, and it is no longer what it is today!" Zhao Yu said. Mao Kui's major operation on Yazhou made it possible to develop large-scale irrigation agriculture, but unfortunately, the formation of the Houhe River was close to the end of the country, social turmoil, and all industries withered, even if there was an idea of developing production, it could not be implemented, but it also made the farmland along the river get convenient irrigation. If its plan is implemented, it will make Yacheng enter a brilliant period of development and enrichment, from a barely maintained military administrative town to a pivotal economic town in southern Qiongnan.

"Hehe, although Mao Zhijun has not fulfilled his wish, he has left a good foundation for His Highness, as long as he manages it a little, he can get tens of thousands of stone military food in a few years, and he can also relieve the pain of buying grain on the mainland of Qiongzhou, so he has also achieved His Highness's achievements!" Ying Jieyan laughed.

"If the Geeyang Army can be developed, not only can the food shortage be alleviated, but the mining of iron ore can also provide a steady stream of materials for weapons manufacturing, so that it does not need to be controlled by others." Zhao Yu also laughed.

As the main source of taxes on Hainan Island, Qiongzhou is facing the enemy, and it is also a place where both sides must fight, even if it can hold on, it will affect the economy because of the frequent wars, and will inevitably go into recession, making Qiongzhou's finances even more difficult. The Jiyang Army was relatively farther away from the mainland than Qiongzhou, and avoided the enemy's attack front, thus temporarily staying away from the war. And here is a large amount of land to be developed, abundant iron ore reserves, and the convenience of communication with overseas countries, as long as it can be developed, it can replace the position of Qiongzhou, providing materials and power for the war.

Of course, the development of Yazhou is not limited to these two things, such as grain and iron, but also crystal, gold, sea salt, southern medicine and other special products can be used as pillar products of export trade. In addition, Zhao Yu also found that sugarcane has been planted on a large scale in Hainan, and the sugar industry has also taken shape, which can be exchanged for various materials and real money, as long as there is land, it can be planted and produced on a large scale.

As far as Zhao Yu knows, Yazhou also had a zodiac woman, according to the historical estimation that she is still here at this time, and it is an epoch-making figure in the history of China's textile, that is to say, Yazhou has a textile industry can be used as a pillar industry. At this time, almost no one in Europe had ever seen cotton. From the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, people there wore clothes made of linen, animal skins or wool, and imported cotton cloth was very rare, and it was more valuable than silk.

"From the old man's point of view, His Royal Highness personally came to inspect the Jiyang Army this time, and the main purpose is not to inspect the armaments, but to look at this land!" Looking at His Highness looking at Yazhou thoughtfully, Ying Jieyan said with a smile. And he had already found that His Highness seemed to be more concerned about the local economic situation during this trip, and after arriving in Yazhou, he seemed to find iron ore by chance, and now he showed great interest in the wasteland outside the city. With his understanding, His Highness was premeditated.

"This is the so-called predecessors planting trees and later people enjoying the shade, I seem to have picked up a big bargain, but to reclaim these wastelands does require a large number of people, and it is difficult to complete it with Ding Zhuang, who has less than 10,000 people in the Jiyang army." Zhao Hao said with a wry smile.

"Hehe, Your Highness don't worry. In the past two months, the number of refugees coming across the sea has been increasing day by day, not only from Leizhou, but also from Fuzhou and Zhejiang, with 10,000 refugees coming from the sea, and there are still people coming in the back. Qiongzhou is inconvenient to resettle, just so you can send all of them here to reclaim the wasteland! Ying Jieyan smiled slyly with a sly smile on his face.

"Yes, the Tartars have launched another offensive, and the court has lost one after another. And the Tartars are ferocious, slaughtering the city at every turn, the people of Li are all frightened, and they are still thinking of our dynasty, and it is nothing new to come to Qiong across the sea! Zhao Yu glanced at the old man, his heart moved, but he still said quietly. And his explanation is not inappropriate, most of the Han people who immigrated to Qiongzhou in the past dynasties were to escape the war, after the Jingkang Revolution of the Song Dynasty, a large number of people in the Central Plains went south with the imperial court, and some of them moved here, and after the southern invasion of Mongolia, it was another population migration climax.

But this time, the old man felt that it was not simple, it seemed that someone was secretly spreading rumors among them, so that everyone was frightened, and a large number of people fled to Qiong. Your Highness won't be part of it, will you? "Ying Jie Yan stroked his beard...... (To be continued.) )