After visiting the academy and giving everyone a cup of chicken soup, Chen Jingke led others on a trek to the workshop area several miles away.
Ground has just been broken here and a factory building is under construction.
This venue covers an area of 150 acres and looks very spectacular.
Even though they knew that this was a collection of several workshops, everyone still couldn't help but sigh that it was too big.
Chen Jingke said, "Is it big? In the future, when a home will cover such a large area, it will be called big."
Although they found it incredible, no one refuted it.
No one knows better than them how grand Chen Jingke's plan for investigating things is. There really is nothing to say in his overall plan at this point in front of him.
He led them to a factory with the largest land area, about twenty to thirty acres.
Chen Jingke said: "This workshop was opened by me and others, and it is specially used to make steam engines."
Li Tai took a look at this large factory building and said, "It's still the same question, where does the iron come from?"
He didn't say anything about selling the steam engine. There was really no need to worry about selling the steam engine.
Although it is not widely used, anyone with a brain knows how useful this thing is.
The reason why it has not been promoted yet is not that there is no market demand, but that there are no dedicated people to build it, and there is no place for everyone to buy it.
The steam engines used in workshops under the control of the imperial court were built by the Ministry of Industry and were exclusively for domestic demand and were not sold outside.
If Chen Jingke really builds a steam engine, many people will buy it.
But the question is, where does the iron come from?
Chen Jingke was not worried about this and said with a smile: "We can build as many steam engines as there is iron. Every time we build one more, the world will be changed one more point."
"A little adds up, and one day the steam machine will turn into ten thousand units, one hundred thousand units or even more."
"And I built this workshop not just to build machines, but its more important role is to cultivate a group of skilled workers."
"Don't underestimate skilled technicians. They are the backbone of industrialization. Without them, no matter how many ideas we have, it will be useless."
Li Tai was silent for a while before sighing: "Your thinking is too clear. It seems that you have seen what the future will look like and have been planning in advance."
"Many seemingly useless things can always play an important role in the future."
Chen Jingke thought to himself, not only did I see the future, I actually traveled back from the future.
After visiting the construction site, Chen Jingke took everyone back to Chang'an.
It's just that when he went back, he didn't go back the same way, so he would have to walk more than twenty miles. Not to mention other people, he couldn't bear it himself.
They continued walking northwest for five or six miles, and there was a ferry crossing for the Cao Canal. Taking a boat here could directly reach Chang'an City.
On the way back, they encountered a fleet of more than fifty large ships, sailing towards Chang'an.
Chen Jingke faintly smelled a fishy smell and smiled in his heart: "Let's guess what's on these boats."
Li Tai smiled and said: "I can smell this fishy smell from ten miles away. Do you still need to guess? It must be salted fish."
Others also laughed. This smell should be familiar to people in the Tang Dynasty.
It just tastes like salted fish.
This starts with Chen Jingke and Changsun Wujia's partnership in opening a canning factory. In an era of scarcity, where are the inexhaustible sources of food?
ocean.
At this time, the ocean is equivalent to an undeveloped virgin land for humans. The four major fishing grounds are worthy of their names, and the fishery resources are so rich that just casting a net can burst the net.
After being reminded by Chen Jingke, Changsun Wugou began to develop large-scale marine fisheries.
There was so much fish caught that we couldn't even consume a tenth of it for canning, and the rest was made into salted fish.
Salted fish, which is both meat and salt, is cheap and very popular in the Tang Dynasty. It has even been included in the ranks of military rations.
It is a bit exaggerated to say that salted fish is available everywhere in the Tang Dynasty, but it is not false at all to say that salted fish is available in most places.
By selling salted fish, he actually brought countless money to his grandson Wugou.
The key is that he also gained a good reputation.
As the capital of Chang'an, it is naturally more familiar with salted fish. Dozens of fleets transporting salted fish arrive almost every day.
Sure enough, when their ship entered Chang'an City, they saw a fleet of ships unloading goods at the West City Ferry.
The smell was so strong that Chen Jingke almost fainted when he covered his nose.
But the common people did not dislike the stevedores and the merchants waiting on the docks at all. Many people even stretched their necks to smell the purity of the smell.
For most people in this era, meat is too luxurious. It is not an exaggeration to say that there is no smell of meat for a year.
For them, salted fish is already improving their lives, so it doesn't stink.
Boxes of salted fish were unloaded from the boat and were taken away by waiting merchants before they reached the shore.
These merchants will then sell the fish to wholesalers below, and then put it into the market and into the hands of the people.
During this period, there will inevitably be price increases again and again, but with the supply of dozens of ships every day, the price is not much higher.
…
Time passes, and soon it will be the Spring Festival again.
This year has not been smooth in Datang. A severe drought in the first half of the year resulted in a large-scale failure of summer grain harvests. Although there was a bumper harvest of autumn grains, the loss of half a year's harvests still had a great impact.
Normally, this year is another year of frugality, both for the people and the court.
However, the food from the Indochina Peninsula allowed Datang to successfully overcome the difficulties.
The glass, sugar, salt and other businesses are making huge profits every day, and the treasury and internal funds are piling up like mountains.
In addition, the prince turned the corner, the enfeoffment officially began, and various reforms were progressing smoothly... Li Shimin decided to go to Daqing.
The imperial court began to prepare for this two months in advance. All kinds of luxury goods were sent to Chang'an, and various vassal states also sent envoys to pay tribute early.
Daqing naturally wanted to bring some joy to the people. Li Shimin decreed that all children under three years old should be given a can of canned meat, and everyone over sixty years old should be given a salted fish of about ten pounds.
This decree was issued to all government offices, and Wangyue Tan also reported it in the opening pages of two consecutive issues.
On the one hand, it is to give the emperor face, and on the other hand, it is widely publicized to reduce opportunities for official corruption.
This move naturally won praise from both the government and the opposition.
On December 28, the fleets of Li Xiaogong and Liu Rengui hurriedly and slowly arrived at Chang'an City. Prince Li Chengqian led hundreds of officials to welcome them personally.
The common people also lined the streets to welcome him.
Although it has become a habit for Datang to destroy the country, after all, this is a great victory, and the face should be given.
Li Shimin immediately summoned the two men and announced their rewards.
Li Xiaogong only rewarded him with money, while Liu Rengui received more rewards, but the most important reward was to promote him to the rank of Lieutenant General of the Navy.
From the fourth level.
In the early Tang Dynasty, when the prime ministers were only of the third rank, the generals of Zhonglang who were of the fourth rank were already in the middle and upper classes.
You must know that before joining the navy, he was only a county magistrate from the eighth grade.
It can be said that it took him two years to reach level 16. This promotion speed is terrifying.
Of course, compared to Chen Jingke's transformation from a white body to a fourth-grade Qianqi Captain, the speed is still much slower.
But compared to ordinary people, it's fast enough.
The only regret he had was that he could not be knighted.
It's not that Li Shimin was stingy, but that the title he received during the Zhenguan period was very valuable and could only be awarded if he had great merit.
Especially after the title is linked to enfeoffment, it becomes more valuable.
Li Shimin couldn't just say that he wanted to knight someone, otherwise he would be reviled by the prime ministers.
In a word, if you block it, how can you cash it in?
So Liu Rengui was unlucky, otherwise he would have had no problem getting a county boy.
However, he was not disappointed, but instead became more full of fighting spirit.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with Li Shimin, he explained his strategy plan for Wonu Island:
"...The situation in the Wonu Kingdom is complicated and there are many factions. Although the Suga family is powerful and controls the government, it has also become the target of public criticism."
"Many forces want to get rid of them quickly. This is one of the reasons why Governor Gao was able to find out so easily about Su Wo's involvement in the Lu Army."
"The defeat of Suga Rulu this time has greatly weakened the strength of the Suga family...the people who oppose them are ready to move."
"Many forces contacted Governor Gao privately and wanted to use the power of the Tang Dynasty to overthrow the Suga family... However, Governor Gao refused on the grounds that 'The Tang Dynasty will not interfere in the internal affairs of the vassals'."
Li Shimin nodded with satisfaction and said: "He was right to refuse, and the reason is also very good. We, the Tang Dynasty, are the sect of all nations, and we cannot arbitrarily trample on the rules and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."
Liu Rengui complimented: "What your Majesty said is true. It was precisely because Gao Duhu understood the saint's intention that he refused..."
"When I led my army back, Gao Duhu received news that the leader of the Japanese slave kingdom had been in a coma for many days. If he really died like this, the Japanese slave kingdom would inevitably fall into a struggle for the throne..."
Li Shimin's eyes suddenly lit up and he asked, "How sure are you of this news?"
Liu Rengui said cautiously: "Gaodu protected his words, and the person who delivered the news was a close official of the Japanese slave king, but he has not been able to see his master for more than ten days."
"Every time he came to the palace to ask for an audience, Soga Ezo would reject him on the grounds that the king was seriously ill and needed to rest...and Soga Ezo successively sought out many famous doctors for diagnosis and treatment."
"Once these doctors enter the palace, they will be trapped in the palace, and outsiders will not be able to contact them at all."
Li Shimin said flatly: "By hiding his ears and stealing the bell, it seems that the leader of the Japanese slave kingdom is really about to die."
Liu Rengui: "Yes, I and Governor Gao also think so. Governor Gao will continue to inquire about relevant information."
Li Shimin nodded and said: "We must understand the situation of the leader of the Japanese slave country, the sooner the better... Tell us what you think about the Japanese slave country."
Liu Rengui immediately came up with the strategic plan that he had thought about many times and said: "We, the Eni, are rebels. We, the Tang Dynasty, should take this opportunity to help the Japanese slave country get rid of this traitor and return power to the Japanese slave king."
"However, there were originally more than a hundred countries on the Wonu Island. The Wonu country took advantage of its own power and forcibly annexed the hundreds of countries... This is an unjust act."
"Many of these countries are also vassals of our Central Plains Celestial Dynasty... As the suzerain country, we, the Tang Dynasty, have the responsibility to help these vassal countries recover..."
His plan is not complicated to say the least. He kills Soga Ezo, supports various factions in the Wonu Kingdom, and causes them to fight.
Then he took the opportunity to split up the Japanese slave country in the name of helping the vassal country recover.
Once the secession plan is completed, Wonu Island will surely fall into a new round of chaos, and then Datang will have more means at its disposal.
Li Shimin was also very satisfied with the plan, but he did not agree immediately.
Instead, he commended Liu Rengui and asked him to go home and prepare for a good New Year. He would not discuss other matters until after the New Year.
Liu Rengui was very puzzled. My plan was very good. Why didn't the saint express his position?
But he didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he could only excuse himself and leave.
In fact, the reason why Li Shimin did not agree directly was not complicated. He wanted to ask Chen Jingke's opinion.
He didn't expect Chen Jingke to come up with any good ideas, but there was no guarantee that the ancestors of the Chen family had made relevant plans.
There is precedent for this kind of thing, such as Tubo.
If Chen Jingke hadn't reminded him, he would have almost ignored the danger under his nose and allowed Tibet to unify the plateau.
At that time, Chen Jingke relayed the strategies of his elders. The first was to win over the differences and support Xiang Xiongguo and Tuyuhun against Tubo.
The second is to immigrate to Tuyuhun, cultivate an army there that can adapt to plateau operations, and seize the initiative on the battlefield.
Although it was just two sentences, it really pointed out the direction for Datang. In just over two years, Datang successfully tied the hands and feet of Tubo.
So will there be relevant plans here in the Wonu Kingdom?
The next day he summoned Chen Jingke into the palace.
He did not directly talk about Liu Rengui's plan, but introduced the situation on the Japanese Nu Island and asked: "I wonder if your elders have said how to pacify the Japanese Nu Island?"
Chen Jingke had already considered these things. Although he was not a wise man, but from a historical perspective, he still thought of two methods.
So he immediately said: "I said it, but I only remember two points."
Li Shimin suddenly felt that his hand was itchy again. He squeezed it twice bitterly and said angrily: "Tell me, what two points."
Chen Jingke shrank his neck and said quickly: "Destroy the Suwo family and support various families to fight among themselves... take the opportunity to win over the pro-Tang Dynasty faction, promote the ideas of Chinese civilization, and unify the hearts of the people."
"Then we will repeat the old story of building the purple island, splitting up the Japanese slave country in the name of helping the vassal country to recover, and plunge it into chaos."
Li Shimin nodded slightly. This is the same as what Liu Rengui said, but with the addition of cultural assimilation.
"What about the second point?"
Chen Jingke said: "Drive out the wolf and devour the tiger."
Li Shimin's heart moved and he said: "You mean using the Ezo people?"
Chen Jingke said: "Yes, the Eni people and the Japanese slaves have been sworn enemies for generations. If we make good use of it, it will become a sharp weapon in our hands."
Li Shimin frowned and said: "It's difficult. The Eni people are divided internally and are constantly fighting with each other. It is difficult to unite to fight against the Japanese slaves."
"Gao Biaoren and Liu Rengui have also thought of using them for a long time, but no matter how we coerce or induce them, those people remain unmoved."
To put it bluntly, the Ezo people were afraid of being beaten by the Japanese slaves and did not dare to take the initiative to provoke them.
Chen Jingke asked back: "Why should they agree? Since we are driving away wolves and devouring tigers, the focus is naturally on 'driving'."
Li Shimin asked: "How are your parents going to drive them away?"