Chapter 94 Long-term planning

Author: Gongsun Wujiu

Chapter 94 Long-term planning

While Zhang Yue was visiting, he was thinking about how to build a similar water conservancy system in Luntai and even in the Western Regions.

Although Luntai currently has insufficient manpower, Zhang Yue believes that with his own efforts and the support of the entire Han Dynasty, things will soon change.

The most advanced civilization in this era today is agricultural civilization.

The most critical aspect of agricultural civilization is of course agricultural production.

If you want to build the Western Region into a base for the Han Dynasty to expand westward, the key lies in agricultural construction and production.

Water conservancy construction is the top priority.

"Ming Gong Wu Luntai should have such a canal!"

Yang You also realized the importance of Yanqu at this time.

Zhang Yue patted him on the shoulder and said, "Yes, there should be such a Yanqu in Luntai!"

While Zhang Yue was talking to Yang You and others, he thought of a conclusion from later generations.

Some people in later historical circles believe that the decline of the Guanzhong area began with the decline of water conservancy.

"It's a pity that the population of Luntai is too small. I don't know when it will be able to reach such a scale..."

Yang You couldn't help but look envious on his face.

When Pavilion Chief Xu heard this, he felt proud.

He smiled slightly and said, "So that the superiors will know that the wealth of Guanzhong lies in this water conservancy. Although Dunhuang's water conservancy is not bad, it is far inferior to Guanzhong."

Zhang Yue nodded and asked, "Chief Xu Ting, is it possible that the water conservancy facilities in the Guanzhong area are better than here?"

Xu Tingchang said, "Dunhuang is a remote place, how can it be compared with Guanzhong."

Zhang Yue bowed and said, "I would like to ask the elders to tell you in detail..."

Xu Tingchang said, "Ming Gong didn't know something. During the pre-Qin Dynasty, Guanzhong began to build water conservancy facilities..."

After listening to Chief Xu Ting's introduction, Zhang Yue was thoughtful.

"No wonder the empire can feed a population of 6 million people in a small Guanzhong."

Zhang Yue recalled what he had learned in later generations. The decline of the Guanzhong region began in the late Tang Dynasty.

It was during this period that large-scale water conservancy construction in the Guanzhong area stopped.

Zhang Yue carefully thought about the reasons why later generations gradually abandoned the construction of large-scale water conservancy facilities.

He suddenly discovered that the process of reducing water conservancy construction was consistent with the process of the central government's weakening control over local grassroots levels.

The Ming Dynasty is a typical example. Before the Tumubao Incident, the central government directly controlled the grassroots.

At that time, there was a lot of water conservancy construction across the country, and the Guanzhong area was recovering quickly. The Ming government even considered moving the capital to Chang'an.

After the Tumubao Incident, the civil servant group completely took control of the power of the country. In order to protect the interests of their own class, they began to implement the policy of not extending imperial power to counties.

From then on, not only did the Ming government's mobilization ability become worse and worse, but local water conservancy construction also basically stagnated.

During the Republic of China, water conservancy facilities in many areas were built in the early Ming Dynasty.

In a sense, the decline of the Ming Dynasty actually began with the destruction of water conservancy construction.

However, today's Han Dynasty still firmly controls the grassroots and still attaches great importance to water conservancy construction.

Each county in the Han Dynasty had a water chief, who led the water officials of the Eastern Capital and the Western Capital, and led the officials, prisoners, and slaves to regulate water conservancy.

The personnel engaged in water conservancy construction in various counties have also been strictly trained and are very experienced in how to dig trenches and canals...

It is these water conservancy facilities throughout Guanzhong and Hedong, Bashu, that have increased local food production little by little, and allowed the empire to feed a population of more than 50 million relying only on dozens of northern counties.

"What are you doing in the front?" Zhang Yue asked curiously, looking at a group of people in the distance.

Xu Tingchang said: "This is the unique skill of our Guanzhong people, "Jingqu"!"

"Jingqu!" Zhang Yue asked curiously

"We Guanzhong people were able to dominate the world back then, and it is indispensable for its contribution!"

"Oh!" Chief Xu Ting's words suddenly aroused Zhang Yue's interest.

At this time, Yang You also asked with interest: "What's so special about this well and canal?"

What he asked was exactly what Zhang Yue wanted to ask, so Zhang Yue also turned his attention back to Pavilion Chief Xu at this time.

At this time, Pavilion Chief Xu said mysteriously: "There are some mysteries under the wellhead. Would you like to have a look?"

"Oh! That's fine. Please ask Pavilion Chief Xu to lead the way..."

"Your Majesty, please!"

The pavilion chief Xu smiled and led Zhang Yue and others forward.

The group of people quickly arrived at the place that had been built.

At this time, there happened to be a petty official directing everyone to dig water wells.

Zhang Yue stepped forward and asked for advice: "I see that the wells dug here are very strange. Can you help me solve my doubts?"

The junior official thought for a moment and then said, "Sir, please follow me!"

After the little official’s explanation, Zhang Yue sighed in his heart: “Isn’t this the karez of future generations?”

Karez is a special irrigation system in desert areas, common in Turpan, Xinjiang, China.

Karez, the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal are known as the three major projects in ancient China. There are more than 1,100 karez in Turpan, with a total length of about 5,000 kilometers.

The karez is a very ancient horizontal water collection structure that develops and utilizes groundwater. It is suitable for foothills and alluvial fan areas. It is mainly used to intercept underground water for farmland irrigation and residential water use.

The structure of a karez is generally composed of four parts: a vertical shaft, an underground channel, an above-ground channel and a "waterlogging dam" (small reservoir).

In the Bogda Mountains in the north of the Turpan Basin and the Kalawucheng Mountains in the west, a large amount of snow and rainwater flow down the valleys in spring and summer and dive into the Gobi Desert.

People took advantage of the slope of the mountain to cleverly create karez to divert underground water to irrigate farmland.

Qanat does not cause a large amount of water to evaporate due to heat and strong winds, so the flow rate is stable, ensuring gravity irrigation.

Zhang Yue was filled with emotions. When he traveled to Turpan in later generations, he even visited the karez.

I originally thought that the technology of karez was passed from West Asia, but who would have thought that it turns out that this technology already existed in the Guanzhong area.

In Zhang Yue's view, this technology was tailor-made for the Western Regions.

With this technology, the evaporation of water resources can be avoided to the greatest extent. Zhang Yue has already thought of the prospect of large-scale application of this technology in the Western Regions.

With such water conservancy facilities, large tracts of land in the Western Regions can be converted into granaries, so that millions of people can be fed by the Western Regions alone.

With enough population and food, the empire could not only firmly control the Western Regions, but also suppress and defeat the Huns.

We can even use the Western Region as our base to continue to expand westward, and use the Western Region as our rear to launch the Western Expedition. The distance is even closer than the distance from Chang'an to the Western Region.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yue's heart became hot, and he even had the urge to turn around immediately.

Looking around, Zhang Yue looked at the pawns who were skilled in digging wells and canals, and wished he could tie them all to Luntai immediately.

Zhang Yue's eyes made Xu Tingzhang, who was accompanying him, feel nervous. He couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything wrong with Mr. Ming?"

Zhang Yue then swallowed his saliva and withdrew his fiery gaze.

At this time, Yang You said to Zhang Yue quietly when no one was paying attention, "Ming Gong, do you want to kidnap a few people back..."

These pictures are all transitional chapters, paving the way for the following chapters. The protagonist needs a higher platform for performance, and also needs to carry out large-scale development of the Western Region in order to have sufficient strength!
Chapter completed!