"Your Majesty, although your idea is good, once you succeed, you will indeed benefit immensely, but although I have a surplus now, I can't support such a big project." When Cao Can, the third envoy, saw the long lines drawn by Zhao Zhen on the map, he suddenly felt that his head was sweating and his eyes were full of stars, is this the rhythm of forcing people to death! I had no choice but to speak out to dissuade him.

Zhao Zhen was noncommittal when he saw Cao Can's expression, and asked Kou Zhun, "Kou Lao, what do you think?" ”

"Back to the emperor, the old minister thought that if this road could be built, it would indeed be a great thing for a thousand years. From a military point of view, if there is such an avenue, I can quickly transfer troops and horses towards the southwest frontier, then there is no need to maintain millions of troops on the Yongxing Military Road, Qinfeng Road and Chengdu Fu Road as hard as now, it can be regarded as once and for all! However, the words of the three envoys are not unreasonable, and the emperor is asked to think twice. Kou Zhun replied impartially.

"What about Wang Aiqing?"

"The old minister feels that Pingzhong and Shen Zhi have a certain amount of truth in what they said, if the emperor's idea can be realized, it will indeed be of great benefit to our dynasty, but our dynasty is not very optimistic now, natural disasters have occurred frequently in recent years, and the treasury must have reserves. What does the minister mean, is the emperor considering postponing it a little? "Wang Qinruo, as the chief assistant, must consider the overall situation, he doesn't want to offend the little emperor, and he can't put so much pressure on himself, so he has to be careful to persuade.

"Huh...... Ladies and gentlemen, I see that you are all looking at the treasury, and you are all staring at the treasury! It's really a cry of poverty guarding Baoshan! Zhao Zhen said with a smile.

"It's easy to say, if you don't stare at the treasury, do you have to pay for it yourself!" Everyone secretly slandered in their hearts, but they still had a smile on their faces, and asked modestly: "What does the emperor mean by this?" ”

"I said my lords, the richest in my Great Song Dynasty is definitely not the imperial court, you have to open your eyes a little, the real rich are those big families, big businessmen, and big landlords, don't always stare at my pocket!"

When everyone heard this, their faces changed drastically, thinking that Zhao Zhen was going to take advantage of the existing bureaucracy. They are all representatives of the major bureaucratic groups, and they cannot wait for anything that harms their own interests, so they hurriedly kneel down and shout loudly: "The gentry of our dynasty are the foundation of the society, and the previous emperors of all dynasties are good and good, I hope the emperor will think twice!" ”

Zhao Zhen knew what was going on in their heads when he saw their performance, and he usually shouted loyalty one by one, but once he touched their pockets, his original form was revealed. However, Zhao Zhen still said with a calm smile: "You Aiqing are too worried, I dare not forget the words of the old ancestor. I want you to think differently, think about it, if this road is built, who will be in the best interest of leaving the court? ”

"Merchant?"

"Kou Lao said That's right, once we announce that we are going to build such a road, the enthusiasm of the businessmen will definitely be the highest. Shu Road has always been difficult to wade, with such an avenue, they will transport goods more quickly and safely, so it is reasonable for us to charge a little toll, right? ”

"What should be, what should be ......," the crowd chimed in.

"In that case, it's easy to do. I thought so that the road was divided into several sections according to the region, and the local merchants raised funds to build it, and they could recruit soldiers or civilian workers from all over the country to build it, and the imperial court only needed to take care of a few narrow passes. In this way, the cost of the entire road construction will be shared among the merchants in various places, and the court will not need to pay much, and it can also give the army and the people something to do, and can also recruit the displaced people to give them something to eat. Why not count them in one fell swoop! ”

"Your Majesty, although your idea is good, it can indeed solve the dilemma of our court, but the court can't force Shang Jia to contribute! This is something that has never happened in my dynasty. Wang Qinruo frowned and said worriedly, after all, if he really did this, he would definitely be scolded by the world.

"Why force it? Businessmen are all profit-oriented, as long as there is something profitable, there is no need to force it, they will rush to it. Don't worry, as long as you do it properly, they will obediently take out the money. When the East-West Avenue is completed, we can conduct a trial of fees, so that the merchants can see the profits, and they will definitely be moved. What the imperial court has to do is to induce these businessmen to invest in the places we want, rather than relying on the imperial court for everything. ”

People who can achieve the pinnacle of Wenchen are not fools, and they are extremely proficient in the state of affairs and intrigues, just because of the limitations of the times, they don't notice it for a while.

Zhao Zhen saw that everyone had something to gain before he continued: "For this matter, the imperial court only needs to do a few things, one is to fully publicize the benefits of road construction and mobilize everyone's enthusiasm. The second is to let the merchants understand the cost and profit of road construction, we can tell them how many years after the road is repaired, how many years can be charged, and how many years after the imperial court will take back the ownership of the road, so that they can be sure-footed. The third is to do a good job in the purchase of each section of the road, the three divisions are responsible for the purchase, the Yushitai is responsible for supervision, and the Ministry of Industry is responsible for quality supervision. The cement is provided by our cement workshop at a low price, and they can also hire a blasting supervisor when encountering rocks that are difficult to excavate. ”

"After everyone went back, think about it carefully, don't leave any loopholes, and order the Ministry of Works to sort out a detailed plan and hand it in as soon as possible. When the time comes, I will form a royal road group with the nobles, and personally participate in the construction of a section of the road, so that I can earn some money to replenish my pockets, and if you are interested, you can also form a group to participate, and I am very responsible to tell you that this is a good opportunity to make money. If you miss it, don't change it without reminding you! Hahaha......" Zhao Zhen said with a smile.

"Thank you for the emperor's good intentions, the ministers and others will discuss and discuss......" The crowd with small calculations replied perfunctorily.

Kou Zhun, who is known for his reputation, didn't care about money, just glanced at Zhao Zhen, nodded tacitly, and left with everyone with a staggering step.

"Xingxiu, how are you studying lately?" Zhao Zhen came to the Royal Academy and asked Li Xingxiu.

"Yikes! Your Majesty, why are you here? Well, you've pretty much learned all these high school books you gave me, and we're starting to teach our students about junior high school. Li Xingxiu, who was concentrating on reading, was startled by Zhao Zhen's voice.

"Well, it seems that I didn't stare at you and I wasn't lazy, that's good! I have something for you to do now, so get ready! ”

"Command! Jinhua and they have already helped you do things, and the little ones have been waiting for your orders! Li Xingxiu said excitedly.

"You must also know how important the salt administration is in our dynasty, and now that our dynasty is trading with Tibet, the salt production is becoming more and more insufficient. I have a new method of salt production, you can take it and see, this is the recorded method of drying sea salt. I need you to go to Haizhou as soon as possible to build a salt factory and experiment with this salt making method. As for the manpower, it was selected from the local army, and I would send five squadrons of field troops to guard and keep it secret. When the salt farm is successful, you will be put in charge by the right people, and then come back to continue your studies, so that you can help me more in the future. Zhao Zhen patted his former friend and said.

"Your Majesty, don't worry! I'll get it right. Li Xingxiu patted his chest and said.

Later, Zhao Zhen exchanged feelings with his former friends, and discussed national affairs with Fan Zhongyan before leaving the Royal Academy.

The officials of the Ministry of Industry started to move after receiving Zhao Zhen's order, and the bigwigs got together and worked hard to write plans, and one by one the small miscellaneous soldiers were photographed out and stepped on.

At the same time, the imperial court also issued road repair notices, and local officials received orders that the road repair situation would be used as the main indicator of political performance evaluation. It's a matter of fate, everyone has crossed the sea to show their magical powers.

In just one month, people and businessmen along the way learned of the news, and people with connections and backgrounds inquired about the matter in many ways. There are always some long-term people in the world, and after learning about the road construction regulations, they immediately sent their henchmen to Tokyo to investigate, and they are also connecting their friends in private, ready to do a big job.

At the end of the year, the East and West Avenue was also completed in accordance with Zhao Zhen's requirements, and the first cement Avenue with a total length of nearly 200 kilometers in the Song Dynasty was officially completed.

On this day, Zhao Zhen took the ministers of the DPRK and China to the west of Tokyo, looking at the smooth avenue with no end in sight, Zhao Zhen's heart was full of infinite emotion, fantasizing about such a road paving the whole country.

The people who came to inquire and the caravan that had been waiting for a long time gathered here, and the forbidden army took three steps and one post, and ten steps and one sentry, to strictly prevent the safety of the emperor and ministers. When Zhao Zhen announced the official opening of Tokyo Avenue, firecrackers rang out, gongs and drums were noisy, the people sang and danced, and with the emperor's motorcade, everyone slowly stepped onto the smooth cement avenue.

In order to celebrate the opening of the avenue, Zhao Zhen announced that the first month will be free to use, and from the second month, the car will be charged according to weight and distance, and pedestrians will be free forever. In order to maintain road safety, posts were set up every 50 miles, and soldiers were dispatched to station, patrol, and investigate and deal with fare evasion.

At the intersection, many officials are loudly preaching the rules of driving, admonishing everyone to drive on the right and not to cross the small fence in the middle. Zhao Zhen and the ministers experienced a distance, and everyone was very excited, thinking that the bumpy road was as smooth as a mirror at this moment. However, in order not to affect the interest of the caravan and the people behind, Zhao Zhen and the ministers went home early.

The people consciously bowed in the direction of Zhao Zhen's departure, and then got up and waved their horsewhips and galloped away into the distance. The avenue is full of traffic, and the flow of people is like weaving, like a rushing river flowing into the distance.

According to the speed of the caravan in the past, it would take about ten days and half a month to complete the 200-kilometer mountain road of Tokyo Road and Xijing. Now the road is not only smooth and straight, but the carriage can go forward with a bold pace, even considering that the horses will be tired, it will only take three or four days.

With the first batch of crab eaters, the benefits of the highway naturally spread far and wide, and since then, businessmen have chosen this road, even if they need to pay a little fee, it is insignificant compared to the benefits it brings. And passers-by are also walking on the special line on the edge, in an endless stream.

Since then, the East-West Avenue has become a major artery connecting the east and west of Beijing, deeply affecting the rhythm of life of the people in the two cities.

Of course, such a magnificent spectacle must be indispensable to those literati and, who have come to express their ambitions.

The East-West Avenue has become a beautiful scenery in the Great Song Dynasty!