At the beginning of February, the steppes were still snow-capped, thousands of miles of people were deserted, and everything was shrouded in winter. In such a grassland, a small team of several hundred people rode north.

"Boss, this time I went to Beijing, can we stay a few more days, I haven't had time to experience the heat of a Khitan girl when I went in a hurry last time." This team is the Flying Eagle Brigade that went north to spy on the movements of the Khitans. At this moment, a team member came to Su Xiaohu's side, wiped the snow particles on his face, and said with an obscene smile. But obviously, as soon as this sentence was finished, Su Xiaohu slapped him on the head, and the latter said angrily: "Look at your little bit of talent, if you think of women like this, you will report and retire tomorrow, and go back to find a few to find a few." The hundreds of thousands of troops in our rear are waiting for our news, you are good, your mind is full of women, you can really do it. Don't talk nonsense, hurry up, it's still five days away from Shangjing, and when it's done, I don't bother to care about you if you marry their Great Khan's concubine home. ”

After Su Xiaohu finished speaking, he couldn't stand this guy's babbling words anymore, and rushed to the front with a horse's belly, leaving this guy to complain in place alone.

Su Xiaohu is right, at this moment, almost all of the more than 100,000 cavalry of Chen Fan's army are concentrated in Jizhou, waiting to find out what Yelu Hanxiong's backhand is. However, he didn't expect that this guy named Su Bingquan would really marry the Khitan concubine home, although it was not Yelu Hanxiong's concubine.

After the completion of the land reform, the Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Civil Affairs organized the people to brave the snow to carry out land ploughing, build water conservancy and irrigation facilities, and rest all the irrigation facilities in the Central Plains that were damaged or in disrepair because of the war. Moreover, when Li Xuanqing was preparing to build the Northern Railway Line, the Department of Communications had begun to join hands with the Logistics Department to block the canal and began to focus on opening up the canal line in the Youzhou area in the north.

Since the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was dug by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, it has become the most important waterway connecting the north and south of China, supporting the economic development of the entire Tang Dynasty. However, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty's canal was originally based on Luoyang as the north-south connection point, and after more than 200 years, the Luoyang section has gradually narrowed due to various reasons, until it was abandoned. However, this part is basically within Zhu Quanzhong's jurisdiction. The Department of Communications wants to dredge this part of the river from Cangzhou to the Yellow River and from the north line to Zhuozhou.

Because the distance is not long, so after the logistics department brigade carried a large amount of cement and organized the burning of new red bricks at various points along the way, the water in the river channel was drained, the silt at the bottom of the river was dug out, and it was widened again according to the plan of the Department of Transportation, becoming a wide river surface with a width of 20 zhang and a depth of more than 2 zhang. This amount of work made the person in charge of the newly separated Datang state-owned construction company very angry. The construction company has a total of 50,000 people distributed along the canal, which is more than 700 miles long, and the Department of Transportation coordinated with the Department of Civil Affairs to organize 150,000 people to join in the form of work-for-relief, with a total of 200,000 people.

When the number of people increases, the amount of work apportioned is much less. It took more than 20 days to drain the dredging in advance, and then widen and deepen it again, this red-hot and lively scene attracted Li Xuanqing, who had been paying attention to the eastward direction of the Khitans on the northern line, to Zhuozhou, and after checking the methods of the Department of Transportation on the spot, he didn't say anything more, and some things still need to be figured out by the following people. Compared with the knowledge brought by Li Xuanqing in later generations, the skills mastered by these ancients were sometimes not bad, and the excavation of canals was originally their strength, so they only stopped asking about this matter after telling them to build bridges on the main roads to facilitate communication between the east and the west.

After the He family and the Murong family opened three large cement factories along the road and put them into operation, the section of the river that had been dug in advance was the first to enter the stage of reshaping the river embankment. In order to ensure the quality, Yang Hu, the nephew of Yang Yi, the head of the construction company, used to lock the bottom of the embankment with large stones, strengthen it with cement when it freezes in winter, and pour it layer by layer. Although it is laborious and laborious, according to Yang Hu, this embankment is enough to protect it for a hundred years.

The 700-mile canal, 200,000 people were fully loaded until the beginning of April, and it took more than 7 million Tang dollars to complete it in two months, which is almost 10,000 Tang Yuan for one mile. Cen Tianshi almost bit his tongue when he saw the number reported by the Traffic Department at the end. However, contrary to his reaction, Li Xuanqing was very calm, but quickly sent an order to the Finance Department and the Patrol Department, quickly set up the River Customs Division, began to collect river tariffs, and set up the Canal Water Police Department to carry out patrols and arrest tasks.

Then he summoned Cen Tianshi and authorized Datang Qianzhuang to issue a special canal bond of 10 million Tang yuan in the name of the Department of Communications, with a three-year yield of no more than three times that of a fixed deposit. Cen Tianshi's face became extremely exciting when he received this news, but he quickly summoned the Chang'an base camp to start preparations for the issuance of canal bonds.

However, at this time, Li Xuanqing only planned to use the canal to test the reaction of the bonds in the people, and the later railway bonds were the big things that needed a real headache. At this time, the construction company of the northern route has begun to collect building materials according to the route explored by the previous technicians, according to Li Xuanqing's vision, many of these non-technical materials along the way have been handed over to small merchants and hawkers in various places, and even some people are selected among the displaced people to be responsible for this matter, so as to truly bring the idea of the industrial chain to the people at the bottom. This novelty made the people uneasy and at the same time began to make various attempts, as the first batch of qualified sleepers collected were recognized by the construction team and paid on the spot, which also re-established the prestige of the government in the hearts of the people, and in the following time, a large number of raw materials all relied on these people, who had nothing to do in winter, and carried them to the construction site.

"Big brother, do you think that the construction of railways can drive the whole people to participate in industrial development?" Qiaoxi looked at the increasing number of sleepers and stones along the way, and even the cement transported from the cement factory was piled up in temporary warehouses one by one, and smiled.

Li Xuanqing nodded and couldn't help but sigh: "Transportation is the blood of industrial development, only when the blood is opened can the blood flow be accelerated, so that the regions are closely linked, not only to develop the economy but also to promote social stability, so as to truly achieve long-term peace and stability." ”

"Now we have to calculate how much money I can make." Qiao Xi smiled, like a swaying flower bone in the cold wind, pretty.

Li Xuanqing smiled slightly, and didn't care about Qiaoxi's witticisms, with her and her own money-making skills, this money can basically only be regarded as a number, so she thought about it and asked, "Has the steel plant been put into production?" Yizhou was the beginning of railway construction. ”

"Big brother, don't worry, Brother Zhang has already gone to Yizhou for on-site guidance, and there are three railway forging workshops. And the construction company has already brought in five locomotives that have already been built. Qiaoxi also knew that Li Xuanqing was worried about the war situation in the north during this time, so Wen Yan comforted: "When the steel plant here is stable, a new central equipment manufacturing plant will be built in Yizhou." It's just that the current number of skilled workers is not enough, and many of them are still seconded from Brother Qin's equipment department, so it is not efficient to set up a new factory rashly. Moreover, Ningzhou should also take into account the construction of the Northwest Railway network. ”

"Qiaoxi, let's go to Yizhou. Check it out. Li Xuanqing summoned the jade lion and headed towards Yizhou with Qiaoxi.

After more than two months of intense construction, the first phase of the steel plant three blast furnaces rose from the ground, and the cement pavement around the plant area was all poured, and all kinds of vehicles came and went, transporting iron ore and charcoal to the plant, and the first furnace of steel had also begun to be smelted.

At this time, the steel mill already had a trace of the prototype of the future, but these were still too slow in the eyes of the big boss Murong Hanhai. As the director of the Department of Industry and Commerce, he knew about the plan of Tiance Mansion, so he knew that he had done his best, but he still couldn't help but complain about the progress to his brother beside him.

"Director Murong." Just when Murong Hanhai and his eldest brother were muttering, a voice came from behind him, but it was Zhang Qiang from the Industrial Group who arrived.

"Director Murong, I heard that the steel plant has been opened, so I came to take a look. Madame summoned the news that the lord had already set off for Yizhou. Zhang Qiang was also very happy to see the steel mill open, and he also bowed to Murong Hanhai with a hint of a smile on his unsmiling face.

"I think the lord is also anxious about the progress of the railway." Murong Hanhai nodded and said, "In this way, the eldest brother will arrange for the factory to transport half of the steel we have baked to the railway factory." As long as the molten steel comes out, it is directly cast into rails. ”

Hearing Murong Hanhai's assurance, Zhang Qiang was also relieved, although the rails directly cast were not qualified, and they still needed to be returned to the factory for reprocessing. But it also saves a lot of trouble. The most important thing is that with the quantity guarantee, I can start the construction earlier. The Department of Transportation has already allocated the construction costs in the early stage, and if they can't ship on time, they will be scolded even if they are coincidental.

"Big brother, third brother." Just when Murong Hanhai was about to take someone to meet Li Xuanqing, Murong Feixue quietly appeared, making Murong Hanhai head big for a while, but before he could say anything, Murong Feixue came over and said with a smile: "Don't frown, I'm not here to trouble you and my eldest brother, I'm here to see Qiaoxi." ”

"Then let's go together, it's almost time to get here from Zhuozhou. The lord's jade lion is estimated to have arrived at the city gate. "Brother Murong Hanhai didn't have much to do with his sister, so he could only take her to the outside of Yizhou City.

Qiaoxi and Li Xuanqing had already arrived at this time, and when they saw everyone coming, they smiled and said, "Look at your eyes, is the steel plant put into operation?" ”

Murong Hanhai smiled bitterly: "The production has already been put into production, but I feel that the pressure is greater than before the production." I couldn't sit still. ”

"Okay, let's go to the Yizhou Thorn Mansion, let's talk while walking. I just looked, the scale of your steel plant is still not big enough, how much steel can you produce in a day with three blast furnaces? Li Xuanqing said as he walked: "It's better not to build this kind of soil blast furnace in the later stage." ”

The group came to the council hall of the Thorn Mansion, and the Yizhou Thorn Shi went to work on water conservancy construction, so Li Xuanqing sat down and said: "The efficiency of soil blast furnace steelmaking is too low, find a way to change it to an open hearth." The logistics department should have technical reserves, and you should go to Qin Yao when the time comes. ”

"I see." Murong Hanhai had heard of what the logistics department had come up with, but the time was too tight for him to build a complex open hearth, so he nodded and said, "Please rest assured, I told Zhang Qiang just now that the steel plant will give priority to the railway factory." ”

"Your steel mill should pay attention to the development of the surrounding industrial chain, benefit the local people as much as possible, so that those small traders and hawkers can also participate in it." Li Xuanqing thought for a while and said: "The Department of Industry and Commerce should pay more attention to this aspect, industrial development needs the participation of the whole people, so as to drive the whole society to gradually shift from agriculture to industrial development, in short, to let more people enjoy the dividends brought by industrial development." ”

Li Xuanqing's words made Murong Hanhai slightly stunned, and then he understood what he meant, and said solemnly: "What does the lord mean by the plan of the Department of Industry and Commerce to encourage the popularization of tens of millions of small factories?" ”

"It is precisely that industrialization is the most important foundation for building the industrial association, in addition to supporting and cultivating you big businessmen, large groups, and more importantly, these small factories. As the director of the Department of Industry and Commerce, your main energy at that time is to find ways to support these small factories and small businesses, and the market will help you to screen, and finally grow into the hope of industrial development that survives, and it is also the driving force for the future promotion of industry and commerce. Li Xuanqing nodded.

"Please rest assured, my lord, I will start to let the Department of Industry and Commerce make a plan." Murong Hanhai gave the order.

"Third Brother Murong, you can contact Qianzhuang to provide necessary loan support for the qualified manufacturers screened by your Department of Industry and Commerce, and drive some people to participate first, only when the people taste the benefits will they be motivated." Qiaoxi saw Li Xuanqing and said softly.

"Qiaoxi is right, the Department of Industry and Commerce can negotiate with Qianzhuang in this regard, and for some of the businesses that are good, but cannot meet the loan conditions of Qianzhuang, they can provide necessary endorsements according to the situation to promote their development." Li Xuanqing said with a smile.

"The Department of Industry and Commerce provides endorsements to manufacturers?" Murong Hanhai was taken aback at first, but then he understood what this meant, and said with a smile: "It's still the lady who is smart, and Hanhai obeys orders." ”

"Alright, you're done with business. Let's find a place to eat. Tomorrow, Qiaoxi and I are going to find a venue to open a training and teaching institution. Third brother, when the time comes, remember to help and tell the Department of Finance to give a friendship price, and you can't blackmail your own people. Murong Feixue smiled when she saw everyone down to business.

"Say what. Where did the lord get the friendship price here? Murong Hanhai's face turned white when he said this, but it made Qiaoxi and Li Xuanqing next to him smile and lean back.