With the presence of the military department, the war was carried out according to the previous operating systems. The Ministry of War originally thought that the Zhao Guanjia would intervene, at least to supervise it from time to time. As a result, their conjectures were unsuccessful.

If the two canals can still be used as logistics for distant water to quench thirst, Zhao Guan's family arranged cotton planting in the Huaihe River Valley, which made the people in the military department feel very puzzled. Even if the harvested cotton is used to make cotton clothes, I am afraid that the battle has already been fought.

However, Zhao Jiaren still acted at his own pace, and these tasks were not his temporary ideas, but the contents that had been arranged a long time ago. Even the arrangement of the war was not something that Zhao Jiaren himself was willing to decide. These also have corresponding systems, if Zhao Jiaren has to do everything himself, he probably won't live long and will die of exhaustion.

In Zhao Jiaren's plan, the canal is closely related to the development of the Huai River, and the smooth flow of the river will inevitably bring a large number of ships. However, there are not enough products, and no amount of ships will be of any use. You have to have enough output.

As for the progress of the war, Zhao Jiaren found that he now wanted to see what his subordinates were doing. They always have to face the problem by themselves, if they listen to Zhao Jiaren in everything, then what Zhao Jiaren hopes most is to delete the military department and retrain it. Now some people understand this, Li Yun volunteered to attack Shaanxi, that is, he understands that there is no future just by being obedient.

Of course, if you don't obey, you have no future.

At this time, the Ministry of Rites also came to get involved. The distant Eastern Roman Empire sent emissaries. Before the envoy arrived, the purpose of the envoy's trip was sent from the office of the Ministry of Rites in the southernmost part of the Indochina Peninsula, which was newly named by Zhao Jiaren. The last time the envoy left, he got 300 sets of steel equipment from Zhao Guan's family, and the Eastern Roman Emperor was very grateful for the generosity of Zhao Guan's family in the Great Song Dynasty, and specially sent someone to express his gratitude. And listen to the messenger, and his purpose includes the intention of coming back to ask for a reward.

Of course, Eastern Rome is also a thousand-year-old country. Let them run thousands of miles away to ask for steel armor, which is also something that the members of the Eastern Roman Empire cannot do. Because they know it's simply impossible. Therefore, the envoy revealed some news a little, hoping that the personnel of the Great Song Rite Department in Zhongnan City would allow him and more than a dozen nobles of the Eastern Roman Empire to continue to the north and arrive in Hangzhou, the city of God.

This news sounds quite scary. According to the news received by the Eastern Roman Empire from the Golden Horde, the new Mongol expeditionary force was close to taking over the Ögedai Khanate and the Chagatai Khanate. At this time, whether it was the Golden Horde, the White Horde, or even the Ilkhanate, which was also of the Torre line, they were extremely panicked. As a more traditionally friendly country of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Golden Horde even wanted to reach an offensive and defensive alliance with the Eastern Roman Empire, hoping to get the support of the Eastern Roman Empire if the Golden Horde was attacked.

After reading the statement of such an alliance, Zhao Jiaren came up with the saying 'mud bodhisattvas cross the river, and it is difficult to protect themselves'. If the Eastern Roman Empire had been able to come to the aid of the Golden Horde, they would have sent troops to retake Syria that was so close at hand. The main lands of the Eastern Roman Empire have a bit of a shamrock flavor.

To the west, of course, was Greece, which had broken away from the control of the Eastern Roman Empire. To the east is the land of Asia Minor, which has now been taken away by the Cult of God. Syria to the south was likewise lost to the Arabs. At this time, the Eastern Roman Empire was left with only a piece of land with Constantinople as the core. If the Eastern Roman Empire was next to the Great Song Dynasty, the Great Song Dynasty would have already begun to annex the Eastern Roman Empire.

Occupying such a good land, the surrounding countries will of course pay close attention to the Eastern Roman Empire.

As for the news of Mongolia's western expedition, Zhao Jiaren was also more concerned. After receiving the news from the Ministry of Rites, Zhao Jiaren agreed to let the envoys of the Eastern Roman Empire come to Hangzhou. Just as Xiong Shangshu was about to leave, Zhao Jiaren asked, "Do you think this envoy is telling nonsense?" ”

Xiong Shangshu was a little stunned when he heard it. As a scholar of the Ministry of Rites, he certainly knew that it was the duty of the scholar to provide foreign information to the officials. However, as a Jinshi, Xiong Jinshi felt very embarrassed. Because the tradition of the Ministry of Rites is to be foolish to officials in foreign affairs.

Since he became the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, there has been more and more news about foreign countries. However, Xiong Shangshu found that the Great Song Dynasty's descriptions of overseas were probably only accurate in the Three Buddhas and Sinhalese Lion Kingdom. In addition, the sailors knew much more than the jinshi. If it was the technicians on the ship who got their nautical technical certificates, they knew better.

Just as if you want to solve the problem of cavalry, you have to rely on building cavalry, and it is easy for the jinshi to understand the thoughts of the jinshi. Xiong Shangshu could completely see how many hearsay things his predecessors had written, in the pile of old papers in the Ministry of Rites. And as the successor of these people, Xiong Shangshu still has to rely on the things in the pile of old papers of the Ministry of Rites to fool. This made him feel even more painful.

So after listening to Zhao Guan's question, Xiong Shangshu thought about it, and replied crisply: "Qiqi Guanjia, the minister doesn't know what the people from the Eastern Roman Empire will think." However, according to the latest news that the minister saw, the Eastern Roman Empire had just been restored not long ago, and he should be an enterprising person. ”

So after listening to Zhao Guan's question, Xiong Shangshu thought about it, and replied crisply: "Qiqi Guanjia, the minister doesn't know what the people from the Eastern Roman Empire will think." However, according to the latest news that the minister saw, the Eastern Roman Empire had just been restored not long ago, and he should be an enterprising person. ”

Hearing this, Zhao Jiaren also felt that he didn't know what to say. Theoretically, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, who is now in power, should be a restored emperor. However, the system of the Eastern Roman Empire was inherently different from that of China. Their emperor liked to be called 'king' in Greek. As for the Latin title of 'emperor', it is actually mainly the meaning of 'first citizen' and 'military commander'. The status and sacredness of this emperor were far inferior to those of the Chinese emperors. Even the emissaries of the Eastern Roman Empire thought that the emperor only had 500 sincere and hardcore supporters, so there was no need to expect this to be the kind of lord of the revival.

"Okay. That's it. Zhao Jiaren is not going to ask the Ministry of Rites about this kind of question again.

Xiong Shang hurriedly said goodbye. Leaving Zhao Guan's family, Shang Shu felt like he had been amnestied, if Zhao Guan's family kept asking, Xiong Sheng really didn't know how to fool to get out.

After Xiong Shangshu left, Zhao Jiaren ordered the General Intelligence Bureau to arrange personnel for the fleet sent to Tianzhu, and asked them to inquire about the news from the upper echelons of Tianzhu.

Later, Zhao Guanjia sent a message to the Maritime Safety Bureau, asking the fleet to collect as much information as possible.