Chapter 19 The Canal Is Successfully Navigable The Navy is in Place

Just when the people of Yaogang were making military preparations for entering Liaodong openly or secretly, Tang Jingyao sent back a good news, the canal from Kaifeng to Huai'an has been basically completed after less than a year of construction, and has the conditions for water navigation, but several bridges on the canal have not yet been completed, but considering that this canal can greatly ease the transportation pressure, Tang Jingyao suggested that the canal should be navigated first, and other auxiliary projects can be slowly improved.

Of course, Zhang Zhimu is very willing to do this. After discussing with everyone, Zhang Zhimu decided to go to the navigation ceremony of this canal with Lu Chengxiang, Yan Boju and the two princes, as well as the ten thousand households and thousands of households in Ordos who were willing to join in the fun.

Hearing that there was such a bustle, Xiao Hongyu had to take the child with her. Fortunately, Zhang Zhimu and they chartered a passenger boat, and Zhang Zhimu agreed.

The opening of the canal from Kaifeng to Huai'an is a very big thing, and the newly built canal is deep and can pass heavy ships. The canal from the Yangtze River to Huai'an, through the day and night work of several sand dredging boats in Yaogang, has also dug the bottom of the river a lot deeper, and the traffic conditions have been greatly improved. When the Yaogang passenger ship is fully loaded, it can already be navigated. This means that passenger ships on the Yangtze River can go directly to Yaogang when they are fully loaded. Due to the deep draft, cargo ships can also carry a lot more cargo. This incident also caused a great shock in the Ming Dynasty, and there were too many people who came to watch the navigation ceremony. Not only Kaifeng, but people on both sides of the canal.

Ben came to Kaifeng, King Zhou and Princess Anping wanted to invite Zhang Zhimu and Xiao Hongyu to live in the palace, and Xiao Hongyu said to them: "I don't think we are outsiders, so don't toss." The condition on board was good and we were convenient. ”

Zhang Zhimu also nodded and said, "Lord Zhou, I have received your wishes, I think we will be on the boat!" Here we are still used to a few. Besides, everyone is still lively on the boat. ”

Zhou Wangye smiled and said, "What Zhang Dongjia said is also that the conditions on the ship are much better. I went home to see, and I didn't stay long, but there were still a lot of people on the boat. ”

The acting king also came and said, "Oops! What else can't you put in that palace? A few days ago, when I returned to the house in Datong, I lived hard for a while, and hurriedly ran back to Yaogang. ”

"Hey! This is my home after all! I think I don't come back, but it's really not as comfortable as staying in the kiln. I'm going to go back and see anyway. After King Zhou finished speaking, he said to Zhang Zhimu, "Zhang Dongjia, I have two wishes, one is to build a Yellow River bridge here in Kaifeng, and the other is to open a university like a kiln in Kaifeng. As long as the university is built, I will donate my palace and use it as a college. ”

Listening to King Zhou's words, Zhang Zhimu was also a little moved, "Lord Zhou, you have to do both things." The first thing, the construction of the Kaifeng Bridge, you can rest assured that I have always kept it in mind. At the end of this year or next year, the Tongguan Bridge will be opened to traffic, and the people who have been withdrawn will immediately organize the erection of the Kaifeng Yellow River Bridge. Second, I agree with the opening of a feudal academy, but I suggest that your palace should be kept. This palace is a symbol of our architectural level. In the future, if you don't pass them on to your children and grandchildren, it can be used as a museum for everyone to visit and learn. Our Yaogang universities now have a lot of graduates every year, and there are also many teachers with expertise, so we can send people to open feudal universities. In the future, several universities will be built. The number of students we can recruit is still limited, and we need more college graduates in the future. ”

"Hey! If there is this day, I will not be ashamed of the people of Kaifeng! Zhou Wangye was also very excited when he heard it.

When Tang Jingyao came to Zhang Zhimu and their boat, Zhang Zhimu was a little distressed, Tang Jingyao had been at the canal and Huaihe construction site, and he did not return to the kiln post during the Spring Festival, and now it is obvious that he has lost some more. Zhang Zhimu greeted him and shook Tang Jingyao's hand and said, "Mr. Tang has worked hard!" Didn't expect this canal to be navigable so quickly? ”

Tang Jingyao said politely: "It's all the result of everyone's efforts!" This sentence almost made Zhang Zhimu think that this was the polite words of an official in his previous life.

Then Tang Jingyao said: "Mr. Zhang, this year, the situation on our side of the Huai River will be much better, the estuary has been widened, the embankments on both sides of the Huai River have been reinforced, and the embankments of various tributaries of the Huai River have also been reinforced. The people along the Huai River are also very enthusiastic about repairing the river embankment. I hope to have a safe year this year! ”

"Mr. Tang, you are indispensable to this matter!" Zhang Zhimu said, "This time, Editor-in-Chief Fan also sent out an interview team, and you should cooperate, and we will make a detailed report on the control of the Huai River to the people of the world." ”

"Good! We really have a lot of things to report this time. Tang Jingyao said, "This is not only a matter of the Huai River, summing up experience, it is a good reference for us to deal with other river floods in the future." ”

"Good! After the navigation ceremony, we went to the Huai River to have a look. Zhang Zhimu said.

The navigation ceremony, Tang Jingyao and they arranged it very well, naturally it was very lively and grand, Zhang Zhimu personally installed the button, and opened the floodgate of the Yellow River into the lake that precipitated sediment.

In order to reduce the huge water pressure on both sides of the lock, the lake was filled with water through the inlet in advance, so the lock slowly opened very smoothly. After the locks were opened, several large sluice gates were opened at the outlet of the sedimentation lake into the canal, and water began to be released into the river. It is expected that the water level in the river will be the same as that of the sedimentation lake in two days, and then the sluice gate for the sedimentation lake to enter the river will be opened, which means that after two days, boats will be able to enter the canal through the Yellow River. Therefore, Zhang Zhimu and his entourage visited the construction sites of several bridges on the canal in the past two days.

The piers of these bridges across the canal have been completed and the bridge deck is under construction. These high-quality bridges can completely communicate between the two sides of the canal, and the personnel and material exchanges on both sides of the canal bring great convenience.

Two days later, Zhang Zhimu and their passenger ship entered the canal, and the first stop docked at the Xuzhou wharf, and the people from the Xuzhou branch had already received the information that they had come to the wharf to greet them. In addition, the Xuzhou wharf is also crowded, because Zhang Zhimu's boat is the first boat to come after the canal is opened, and everyone wants to see the excitement.

The boat docked, and Zhang Zhimu saw many old friends coming to the dock. In addition to Lin Xinmin, the current manager of the Xuzhou branch, I also saw Liu Qin, who had already worked in the Yaogang branch. Liu Qin turned out to be the chief shopkeeper of the Yongmao firm, and he and Zhang Zhimu once killed them from Tongguan along the Cuihan Ancient Road. Later, the owner of the Yongmao firm cashed out the business, and Lin Xinmin, who took over Lu Jun as the manager of the Xuzhou branch, knew about it and sent a telegram to Zhang Zhimu about it. Zhang Zhimu discussed with Lu Chengxiang and decided to keep Liu Qin no matter what. Originally, the disheartened Liu Qin was about to pack up his things and go home to his hometown, but going back to his hometown this time was not a shameful thing. If he doesn't go back, he is a big shopkeeper for others, and other businesses are generally unwilling to use it. Each firm is willing to train people on its own.

Liu Qin saw that Lin Xinmin came to invite him on behalf of Zhang Zhimu from Yaogang, and tears of emotion fell, he knew that the people of Yaogang were about friendship. What an honor it is to ask him to be the deputy manager of the Yaogang Branch, compared to the previous shopkeeper of the firm, not only is the income much higher, but the identity is completely different. No matter where you go, you say that you are a kiln gangster, and there is no need to talk about the glory. The current identity of the kiln gang people is a gold signboard.

This time, I heard that Zhang Zhimu was coming to Xuzhou, and these people had already started to prepare. In addition to the kiln people, many Xuzhou celebrities also went to the dock to greet Zhang Zhimu.

Zhang Zhimu has not been to Xuzhou for a long time, so he stayed in Xuzhou for two days. The business community in Xuzhou held a banquet to invite Zhang Zhimu and others, but it was difficult to resist the hospitality, so Zhang Zhimu had to be invited to the banquet.

There were many more people coming to this banquet than when Zhang Zhimu and they came to Xuzhou before. At the banquet, everyone jointly raised a question that Zhang Zhimu couldn't answer, that is, when will the Yaogang people take over Xuzhou?

People from all walks of life in Xuzhou welcome the kiln people to take over as soon as possible, they have seen that all the places where the kiln people take over are vigorously engaged in construction, and what they can see is Kaifeng in front of them, where there are electric lights and telephones, as well as radio stations. Hospitals, schools are also under construction. The people here in Xuzhou are going crazy with hot eyes, in fact, the questions they asked today were all rebellious in the past, and they were all copied and beheaded. But now it's different, all walks of life in Xuzhou are looking forward to the Yaogang people to take over, and no one dares to oppose this.

Zhang Zhimu is embarrassed by the fact that he has no way to answer when everyone will be able to take over here. I had to talk about him left and right, and said some vague things such as increasing investment in Xuzhou in the future. However, this incident also reminded Zhang Zhimu that he should try to participate in such drinking parties as little as possible in the future, and there are still such problems in other places.

Now the place directly managed by Emperor Chongzhen, that is, the area east of the Kaifeng Canal, and then the area of Zhongshu Province (Jingshi), he can't take back all the places now. With Emperor Chongzhen, there are still a lot of things to do here. When the four sides are cleaned up, Emperor Chongzhen himself will think of a way out in the future.

Leaving Xuzhou, Zhang Zhimu carefully inspected the estuary of the Huai River in Huai'an, and inspected the newly built embankment of the Huai River along the Huai River, which made Zhang Zhimu very satisfied. After the inspection, the passenger ship entered the canal into the Yangtze River and came to the Zhenjiang shipbuilding base.

Mu Yi, Li Zongwei, and Zheng Zhilong had already arrived at the Zhenjiang base, and they all greeted Zhang Zhimu and them on the dock.

After Zhang Zhimu and the others landed, they first listened to the reports of Mu Yi and Zheng Zhilong on the operation in support of Annam.

Mu Yi and Zheng Zhilong complemented each other, and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

Zhang Zhimu said with certainty: "We helped Li Zicheng stabilize the overall situation of Annan so quickly this time, and you have made a great contribution." This operation also gave us a better understanding of the combat capability of our own naval forces. In particular, fire support for the land forces on the shore from the river and the use of new ammunition have been tested in actual combat. You must conscientiously sum up your experience and form something on paper. In the future, our military academy will incorporate these experiences into its teaching materials. Also, you sank a few warships of the Great Furlong Man, and we can't publicize it yet, in fact, they will know that we did it, but we don't want to openly fight them now. We'll need a little time to get things in order for the north. ”

Mu Yi said: "We have been summing up, and after arriving in Quanzhou, we still have special people to do this. The ship you said about sinking the big Francos is nothing to do with Ben. We've forgotten about it a long time ago! ”

"Hahaha!"

After everyone finished laughing, Zhang Zhimu said, "Okay! However, we are about to turn our minds to Liaodong. Your commendation work will be carried out together after Liaodong is resolved! ”

"Yes! Mr. Zhang. Mu Yi said, "We are here to pick up a new ship." At present, two new 5,000-ton ships and four 1,500-ton steam ships have left the Zhenjiang base and are conducting sea trials on the Yangtze River. It is guaranteed that the march into Liaodong will not be delayed. ”

Li Zongwei reported: "Mr. Zhang, we have studied the matter of tugboats and barges. The tugboats had no problem crossing the sea, but the barges they were towing were not deep in draft, and the sides were lower, so that the waves could easily break into the hold. Besides, the waves at sea are strong, and the steel cables dragged by genetic barges will be constantly impacted, and it is not safe. ”

"What about your approach?" Zhang Zhimu asked.

"The result of our research was that the barges were transported by our boats," Lee said. Build a few shelves on the big ship and put the barge on the shelves to transport them over. It's a very safe way to do it. ”

"We have four big ships, how many barges can we carry? Besides, we're not just going to have to transport barges, we're going to have to move people, and other things. Zhang Zhimu asked.

"Four large ships can hold barges horizontally, as long as they are tied and balanced. A steamship of more than 1,000 tons can also be placed on the deck of a mast with a barge on each side. "These barges, whether they are transported in large ships or small boats, cannot be carried in the hold, so the hold can also carry other cargo." In addition, our Zheng Zhilong's sailboat transportation capacity is also very large, and its materials can be transported by sailboat. ”

"Hmmm! All right! Zhang Zhimu said, "It seems that you have already studied these things." Just do what you say. I will listen to you too. ”

After listening to their reports, Zhang Zhimu and others, accompanied by the Lin family's father and son, visited the 20,000-ton ship on the shipbuilding base with reference to Zheng He's treasure ship. The 20,000-ton giant ship was also built for the first time by the Lin family's father and son. On the dock, many people are busy, the arc on the deck is flashing, and Zhang Zhimu knows that what is even busier is the installation of those boilers and steam turbines in the ship. Zhang Zhimu knows that this is the real big ship.

Li Zongwei also sighed and said: "What would the eunuchs of the Three Treasures think if they knew that the treasure ship we built was already powered by sails and steam? ”

"Huh! This is called the back waves of the Yangtze River pushing the front waves, and one generation is stronger than the next. Zhang Zhimu said with a smile.

When he came to the front of the two steel-hulled ships built according to the Fu boat system, Li Zongwei said: "Such ships are stronger than sand boats in terms of speed and wave resistance at sea, but they cannot enter the diving waters, and they have a deep draft. It's a pity that our treasure ship and these two ships can't catch up with the battle on the Liaodong side. However, it will be possible to launch at the end of the year. ”

"No problem, they're in the back when you use them." At this time, Zhang Zhimu knew that there was basically no problem with the preparation of the water army.

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New progress in "Memories of the Southern Song Dynasty": the Battle of Yashan, the defeat of the Yuan army, the counterattack of the Song army, and the landing in Fuzhou.