Upon learning of Guo Shijun's return from Gansu, Li Zicheng immediately summoned him at the Dadu Governor's Mansion.

Guo Shijun went to Gansu to investigate, and did not bring any special tasks, Li Zicheng just asked him to use the eyes of future generations to see what Gansu Town could do.

Compared with the interior of the Ming Dynasty, Gansu Town is too barren, much worse than Xining, because it is backed by the Qilian Mountains, weathered mountains and rocks abound, forming a semi-arid and semi-desert geographical structure, and only a small number of places with sufficient water sources will appear in some small oases.

When Li Zicheng sent troops to Ganzhou that day, he witnessed the local terrain, which was almost full of desert hills, and the transportation was extremely inconvenient.

In such a land, under the current conditions, it is absolutely impossible to carry out large-scale agricultural development, and only some crops can be planted in the oasis.

However, the people in the Juntun area are actually military households, and the taxes are extremely high, and they are seriously tied to the land, although they can produce some grain and feed the local garrison, but Gansu itself cannot be developed, and it will always be this half-dead state, even if it is abandoned, there is no pity.

But Li Zicheng will never give up Gansu, which is the only way for the Han land to lead to the ancient Western Regions, and if he gives up the strategic place of Gansu, he will also give up the hometown of the Han and Tang dynasties in the west.

The Chinese Empire in his heart will never just shrink on the shores of the ocean!

After Xining and Longyou achieved stable grain production, Li Zicheng long hoped to liberate Gansu, abolish Gansu's status as a military town, abolish the status of military households, and let the local people enjoy the same low taxes as Xining and Longyou, even if Gansu was an independent province.

After Shijun went to Gansu for inspection, he didn't know what kind of advice he could give!

"The Grand Duke!" Guo Shijun kowtowed respectfully according to the rules of this era.

"Sejun, get up quickly!" Li Zicheng hurriedly left his seat, and helped Guo Shijun up with both hands, "Xiaomi, serve tea!" ”

He Xiaomi really couldn't figure it out, Guo Shijun was just a down-and-out talent, if it wasn't for the Metropolitan Governor to save him, he would have starved to death a long time ago, such a person, why did the Metropolitan Governor take him so seriously? Is it just because Guo Shijun is a talent?

However, He Xiaomi could only carry out the order of the Grand Governor, and he got up and served Guo Shijun tea.

"Shijun, how is it, what do you think of Gansu?" Li Zicheng called the name "Shijun", and there was no psychological barrier.

"Governor, Gansu is quite desertified, even more powerful than his subordinates imagined, if you want to make Gansu rich, it is absolutely impossible in a short time," Guo Shijun paused, and said: "With all due respect, even as a trade route to the Western Regions, it plays a very limited role!" ”

"Why is that? Could it be that the roads in Gansu are inaccessible, or is there something wrong in the Western Regions? Li Zicheng was deeply disappointed, he tried his best to help Mao Ting, and also established the "Xining Shunfeng Commercial Bank", not to value Mao Ting's identity, nor to value his ability to do business, what he valued most was that Mao Ting had experience in traveling in the Western Regions, and business was what he valued!

"My subordinates have been inspecting Gansu in the past few months, and they have also inspected outside Jiayuguan," Guo Shijun even made a look, indicating that he did not really go to Jiayuguan, and his understanding of Jiayuguan was still from later generations, "Today's Jiayuguan is a small country called Yarkand, even if the business is usual, the income is very limited." ”

"Ao," Li Zicheng shook his head slightly, "Then according to Shijun, what should Gansu do?" ”

"It is not unreasonable for the Metropolitan Governor to abolish the status of Gansu as a military town and reduce the taxes of the local people in Gansu, but if he wants to make the Gansu region rich, he may be ...... for a while."

Li Zicheng knew that not to mention Gansu, even Xining and Lanzhou, if they wanted to get rich and form a developed business atmosphere, it was impossible for a while, so he said: "Since the topography and cultural environment of Gansu and Longyou are very different, if Gansu is made independent as a province, will it be better?" ”

"No!" Guo Shijun flatly refused, saying: "It is precisely because the environment of Gansu is very different from the surrounding Han land, which is more suitable for nomads, and it is separated by a watershed, so that it cannot be an independent province, so as not to have an independent tendency in the future!" ”

Li Zicheng pondered for a moment, and only then did he understand the Tao, the Heavenly Mandate Army was originally a "rebellion" of the imperial court, and if an area with such a special terrain in Gansu was handed over to a certain provincial governor to manage, once he had a different heart, it was entirely possible to divide the watershed and even form an alliance with the nomadic tribes on the periphery.

It is no wonder that the central country of later generations must include Longyou and even Longdong into Gansu Province, just to erase this tendency!

"It seems that Gansu Town can only join the future Gansu Province in the form of Ganzhou, Suzhou, and Liangzhou."

"The original Gansu Town, the establishment of three or four prefectures, the subordinates have no good suggestions, but," Guo Shijun said leisurely: "When the subordinates inspected in Gansu, they specially inspected the roads of Gansu Town, if they can build a cement road in Gansu, they will be able to strengthen the connection between the prefecture and county of Gansu Town and the capital Lanzhou." ”

"However, this avenue seems to be too long, and it can't produce military and economic benefits for ......the time being," Li Zicheng was a little worried, with the current situation of the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion, there was neither strength nor need to build this cement avenue of nearly 1,000 miles, his main goal now is Xining, Lanzhou, these two points and one line, whether it is military, or economic, these two cities are the center.

"The Grand Governor, the subordinates have thought about it, with the determination of the Grand Governor, this avenue will be built sooner or later," Guo Shijun glanced at Li Zicheng deeply, and said: "Now that it is built, soldiers and materials can be quickly mobilized along this avenue, so that the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion can control this land!" ”

Li Zicheng naturally knew Guo Shijun's deep meaning, the fast land of Gansu is only a marginal land now, but once he controls the entire land of China, this is the springboard to the ancient Western Regions, and the value of the battle will be revealed.

If you don't tighten control, in case something goes wrong...... There are also nomads on the periphery......

He took a deep breath, "That's fine, now that the road from Lanzhou to Guguan has been fully passed, the road construction team of the prisoners of war has begun to move to the section from Lanzhou to Xining, and the construction of this section of the road will be completed......"

"Governor, there is a way for his subordinates, you don't need to use the original road construction team, and you don't need much silver, as long as there is enough cement!"

"Oh? What is a good way for Sejun? Li Zicheng was overjoyed, the production cost of cement is not high, mainly manpower, if the prisoners of war are used, as long as the food is managed, the only people who need to be paid are only a small number of craftsmen.

If you can build a road with just cement, it's a free gift!

"Governor Dadu, his subordinates have already thought about recruiting strong men from the thieves in Shaanxi, they only need a mouthful of food, and they don't need to pay a reward," Guo Shijun said with a smile: "This can also reduce the number of thieves in Shaanxi, and it can also reduce the pressure on the bandits of Lord Hong Chengchou, an ally of the Heavenly Mandate Army." ”

Li Zicheng knew that Guo Shijun was just joking, the Heavenly Mandate Army and Hong Chengchou reached an agreement temporarily, but both sides were unable to attack, and they were not real allies, even if there was no agreement, Hong Chengchou would first exterminate the thieves near Guyuan, which was the location of the governor of the three sides of Shaanxi.

A non-binding agreement is nothing more than a blank sheet of paper that can be torn up at any time!

Guo Shijun means that he still wants to save some thieves, after all, they are Han people, "why bother with each other"?

"Shijun is right, but we have just signed an agreement with the Mongols, and we need to provide them with a month's worth of grain, and the stored grain is not suitable for use......"

"There is no need to move the inventory," Guo Shijun waved his hand, "When my subordinates were in Gansu, they found that the sandy land in Gansu was especially suitable for planting the 'American Sannong' that you got back, and now the local area has begun to plant, and the yield is higher than that of Xining. ”

"That's true!"

"Metropolitan Governor, there is still one thing under his subordinates, it is difficult to choose," Guo Shijun is not without eyesight, but does not know the direction of Li Zicheng's troops, "The road from Lanzhou to Jiayuguan is built along the side wall, and in Zhuanglang County, it will be blocked by the watershed, and the traffic will remain the same, if you bypass the watershed, the road will be straighter than before, and it will be shorter, just outside the side wall." ”

When Li Zicheng conquered Gansu that day, he walked on the return journey, and when he passed through the watershed hole, the heavy iron-framed cart was almost carried by the soldiers, but if the road was built outside the side wall, it would be under the threat of nomads.

Li Zicheng is now unable to develop in the direction of the grassland in the north, so he shook his head, "I understand what Shijun means, the Heavenly Mandate Army can't go out of the border wall for the time being, it's better to build along the inside of the side wall, it's really not good, this section of the watershed, don't build it for the time being." ”

"It's okay," Guo Shijun also knows Li Zicheng's difficulties, it would be good to solve Lin Dan Khan, not to mention that there is an incomparably huge Daming in the east, which is like a steel knife hanging on the head of the Heavenly Mandate Army at all times, which makes people unguarded, "Dadu Governor, the matter of the Great Dao, just leave it to your subordinates, as long as the Dadu Governor gives enough cement." ”

"No, road construction is not a technical job, as long as you pay attention, there are many people who can do it," Li Zicheng shook his head, "Shijun is still ......"

"What does the Metropolitan Governor mean......" Guo Shijun looked up, puzzled for a while.

Li Zicheng said with a smile: "Except for Gansu, doesn't Shijun have any other suggestions?" ”

Guo Shijun also smiled, "Metropolitan Governor, Gansu is a province, and Xining ......"

"I also considered establishing a province in Xining, and even wanted to change the current Xihai to Qinghai, and the Xihai of Han will never stay here," Li Zixiang smiled like a dumb riddle, and said: "It's a pity that the current Xining area is too small, only Xining and Sanchuan Prefectures, and the population is only 100,000!" ”