Although the Guanlong Army did not send troops, the Zhengshitang also began to prepare for war, including increasing the production of military supplies and allocating large amounts of money and grain to Luoyang and Huazhou.
He also asked the princess to agree, and Guo Ziyi was temporarily changed from the interview envoy of Henan Province to the defense envoy of Henan Province. At the same time, Ma Lin and Lai Ai's 100,000 troops were transferred to Huazhou, and Guo Ziyi made unified arrangements for defense.
Although Li Dai was the father of Li Ye, the regent of the country, he was not the supreme emperor, but only the right prime minister. The right prime minister and the political hall could only mobilize local state soldiers, but not the regular Tang army.
The Privy Council can urgently mobilize an army of 3,000 men.
In addition, the interview envoys and defense envoys of each channel were third-rank officials. The power to appoint and remove third-rank officials was in the hands of Supervisor Li Ye, and Li Dai had no power to appoint Guo Ziyi.
But the supervision of the country was not in Chang'an, and the princess took over the supervision of the country on her behalf. This was Li Ye's arrangement before leaving, and it was also the tradition of Guan Longjun. It was not Empress Dowager Zhang's turn anyway. She was only a ceremonial presence, and the real power had nothing to do with her.
All the military talismans are in the hands of the princess, and the imperial seal of appointment is also in the hands of the princess.
Of course, Li Ye has also made arrangements for this special situation, and there must be a prerequisite, that is, the proposal is unanimously approved by the Political Hall without any objections, so that the princess can mobilize the army with military symbols and temporarily appoint a third-level defense envoy.
It was under this special situation that Princess Dugu Xinyue used military symbols to mobilize the 100,000 troops of Ma Lin and Lai Ai prepared in Luoyang to rush to Huazhou to defend and prepare for the war. At the same time, she temporarily appointed Guo Ziyi as the defense envoy to command the 100,000 troops.
Two months later, Li Ye and his party arrived at Danba Waterway.
As the name suggests, Danba Waterway is the waterway connecting Danshui and Bashui. For Chang'an, Danba Waterway means that the fleet from the south of the Yangtze River can be transported directly from the Yangtze River waterway to Chang'an.
Of course, although materials from the south of the Yangtze River are transported via the Central Plains waterway and the Yellow River, there is no big problem. However, after the Danba waterway is excavated, cargo ships with 10,000 shi from various places in the south can take the Yangtze River and Han River waterways all the way to Xiangyang, and then exchange cargo ships with 3,000 shi from Xiangyang.
Ship to Chang'an.
Therefore, once the Danba Waterway is opened, more than ten times more materials will enter Chang'an than before, Chang'an will also be unprecedentedly prosperous, and Xiangyang will replace Yangzhou and become the world's largest water transportation hub and commercial center.
The Danba Waterway has always been the dream of the rulers of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It does not seem to be very difficult, with only a hilltop about a few miles long, but in fact it still requires digging mountains and opening up valleys. In the era of human tools in the Tang Dynasty, the difficulty was not ordinary.
During the Zhongzong period of the Tang Dynasty, Prime Minister Cui Shi recruited tens of thousands of migrant workers. It took two years to finally open up a waterway. However, it only took less than half a year before it was blocked due to flash floods and mountain collapse.
Later, in the seventh year of Emperor Dezong's reign in the Tang Dynasty, Li Xihua, the governor of Shangzhou, expanded the Shangshan Road based on Cui Shi's excavation. He also learned from Cui Shi's lesson and made a side road to avoid flash floods, and successfully dug a waterway.
This time, the Danba Waterway ordered by Li Ye followed Li Xianghua's route. It did not go in a straight line, but in a roundabout way. Although the waterway became longer, the water was more stable and the river was wider. It could carry three thousand stone cargo ships, plus the use of explosives.
It is thousands of times better than manpower to open a mountain.
The imperial court recruited 30,000 civilians, and in less than a year, a canyon waterway connecting Danshui and Bashui was formed.
It is now late September, and the excavation of the waterway has been basically completed. It will take a few months to complete the final work. The main task is to strengthen the river embankment and observe the collapse of large rocks on both sides. In addition, due to the ice in the winter, it will not be officially opened until the spring of next year.
Passage ships.
Li Ye stood on the bow of the boat, looking at the dozens of trackers struggling to walk on the east bank, and said to Yuan Zai, the minister of the Ministry of Industry: "In the future, this canal can be opened to cars and boats, so there is no need to pull fiber, and the trackers can switch to trampling labor.
, you can still make money to support your family!”
Yuan Zai was previously liquidated by the court because of his attachment to the eunuch party, and he was demoted to the rank of captain of Mayang County in Chenzhou. However, Li Ye admired Yuan Zai's ability, so he vetoed the court's proposal to demote him and appointed him as the minister of the Ministry of Industry.
The first major project that Yuan Zai took office was to re-dredge the Danba Water Channel. With powerful explosives to open the way, and Yuan Zai's good dispatching, the Danba Water Channel progressed very quickly.
Yuan Zai also thought that traveling by car would be more convenient. He quickly bowed and said, "What your Highness said is absolutely true. I will definitely comply with your humble duty!"
Li Ye nodded and said: "In addition, the imperial court proposed dredging the Jialing River a hundred years ago. The Jialing River connects the Han River and the Western Han River. To the west, you can go to Longyou Chengzhou, and to the east you can pass through the Bao River and enter Chang'an. Once this river is connected,
Once the waterway is opened, goods from Bashu can enter Guanzhong through the waterway."
"Reporting to Your Highness, the dredging of Jialing River and Baoshui River has been listed as a major project to be started by the Ministry of Industry next year. Officials have been inspected along the way, and I have also read the records. The reason why it is not navigable is that there are too many boulders in the river, blocking the waterway. It depends on manpower.
It is too difficult to break huge rocks, but it is much easier to use thunder. Every thunder will shatter. If the thunder and money and food are sufficient, I promise to open the waterway from Jialing River to Guanzhong via Han River and Bao River within two years."
Li Ye nodded, "After the inspection is completed, the production plan will be submitted to the Political Affairs Hall for discussion. Also, officials will be sent to Fujian Road to inspect the dredging of the upper reaches of the Minjiang River. I promised the officials of Fujian Road to open a waterway for them."
"I humble my duty and obey orders!"
The Danba Waterway is actually only a dozen miles long. Once the ship enters the Ba River, it no longer needs trackers and sails all the way to Chang'an.
In the cabin, Shen Pearl's face was slightly pale, and she was holding a cup and sipping medicine. She had been staying with Li Ye for three months. After frequent sexual intercourse, she showed signs of pregnancy in Jiangxia, and was immediately diagnosed by a famous doctor in Xiangyang.
Hi, she's pregnant again.
Shen Zhenzhen was overjoyed. In order to preserve the pregnancy, she followed the doctor's advice and stopped having sex with Li Ye. However, this was also a fertility health custom in the Tang Dynasty. Women were not allowed to have sex until several months after giving birth.
Li Ye walked into the cabin, sat cross-legged and said with a smile: "Your mansion in Chang'an has been empty for more than a year, why not live in the Qi Palace! Jin Hua Luo was also your mansion before, so it is just right for you to live there."
"
Shen Pearl shook her head, "I have already thought about it. Ah Li and I will live in Shen's house in Chang'an first. If Ah Li enters the Qi Palace, consider me next!"
"Where is the Shen residence in Chang'an?"
"In Xuanyangfang, it covers an area of about five acres. There is a housekeeper looking after the house. My father has already said hello."
Li Ye knew that she was actually worried about the princess, so he nodded, "That's okay, you go to Shen's house first, and then I'll tell the princess."
"Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, Your Highness."
Li Ye looked at her again and said: "Let's make it clear. Once I ascend the throne, you must move into the palace and accept my canonization. I don't want my child to end up as an illegitimate child."