A huge city rises from the ground, on the vast plains of the northwest, beside the endless flow of the Shiyang River. This huge city is amazing and frightening to foreigners.
The Uighurs, Dangxiang people, and Tubo people didn't expect that in just one and a half years, this Liangzhou city would become completely different, with high walls, thick walls, deep doorways, and Wengcheng.
Looking at them overlapping together makes people despair.
But what attracts the most attention are the several half-built towers. This kind of tower has never appeared before. The towers of the Song Dynasty were often built in a square shape on top of the city gate, but these towers are cylindrical.
It is half built, but its height has far exceeded the city wall.
The city has not yet been built, the towers have not yet been completed, and laborers are walking on the city wall to constantly repair the towers, while the soldiers of the Huaiyuan Army and the Western Lie Army have begun patrolling the city wall.
The water of the Shiyang River was diverted to the outside of Liangzhou City to form a moat. The water in the river was said to be one foot deep, but it was incredible that such a large project was completed in only half a month.
But what is even more incredible is the city wall that was built within half a year. After the expansion, the city wall of Liangzhou City was grand in scale. The three-foot-high horse-faced wall was enough to protect the soldiers on the city wall from facing the rain of arrows.
Although buildings are still being built in full swing in the city, the city defense is already quite complete. There is an eight-oxen crossbow set up every thirty steps. The rotating winch and the rain-proof thatch roof can protect the crossbow to the greatest extent.
Labor was used to build cylindrical towers on the city wall, and huge wooden cranes easily lifted the bricks and stones through pulleys and transported them to the city wall. This was more time-consuming and labor-saving than manual transportation. Such cranes were already prepared before the expansion, even if
There are still a steady stream of cranes being put into it.
Chen Lin stood on the city wall and watched all this as if he was dreaming. He never imagined that Ye An could complete such a huge project without spending a single soldier, and in such a short time.
Building a city wall is no child's play. It can be as small as a piece of brick or as large as a wall. It must be perfectly fit without any mistakes. However, such a complicated thing was completed in just over a year under the leadership of a group of craftsmen from Puhui Company.
Already.
These days, he would climb the city wall several times almost every day to carefully check whether the wall was solid, but he would be shocked by a new discovery every time. The bricks and stones fired by Puhui Company were quite neat, and they even used unique shapes at the corners.
masonry to ensure tightness.
There is something called cement used between the bricks and stones, which is stronger than yellow mud and glutinous rice paste. After the cement dries up, the gaps between the bricks and stones become airtight, making it impossible for swords to penetrate!
"Don't look at it. It's useless to look at it now. The city wall hasn't been built yet. It still needs to be smeared with cement on the outside. That thing is the most time-consuming. But once it is applied evenly, the outside of the city wall can be as flat as a mirror. If you want
It is impossible to climb up the bricks and stones. It can also serve as a reinforcement... Don't look at me like this. I have worked hard for this city wall. I haven't spent a penny less. Puhui Company made the most of it last year.
A year’s revenue is invested in it!”
"Are you willing to spend so much money to build the city?!"
Chen Liang's face was full of disbelief, and then he remembered something and frowned: "Did you know that the memorial to the imperial court has been answered? The saint said that you paid for it out of your own pocket to sympathize with the court's difficulties and to be loyal to the emperor and assist the country. However, there are many among the courtiers.
People say you, Ye An, should be exiled to Salmon Island!"
"Well, that's right!" Ye An nodded and said: "The saint naturally thought that I paid this money for the sake of the country, but the courtiers felt that I had damaged the face of the country and it was not good to do so. Your head! Just imagine what I have proven by spending my own money to build the city."
Chen Lin scratched her thinning hair and asked, "Why is this a bad thing?"
"My move shows that the Puhui Company's wealth is as rich as the country, and it also gives a bad start to the civil servants. I, Ye An, use the money to build the city, but what about the other local and state officials?"
"You kid, you still say that you are a civil servant? Which civil servant can do such a thing as you to renounce yourself as a court official?" As she said that, Chen Lin looked at Ye An with a strange look: "This looks like you, I want to It’s not like this if you want to be a lonely minister, right?”
Ye An scratched his head in embarrassment: "Have you seen all this? Actually, I don't want to go back to Beijing. I can't do much practical work in Tokyo. Unless I am an official to the prime minister, it is better to raise the sweet and cool things. The pleasure.”
"What on earth do you want to do? No matter how good Ganliang is, it is just one state and one prefecture in the Song Dynasty. Compared with Chaotang, it can be said that it is difficult and difficult. There is the party leader Li Deming in the east, the Tubo tribes in the west, and the north There are Uighurs ready to attack. Although you have a plan, compared to them, you are just a ruthless tiger. It is very difficult to take advantage or even suppress these forces. Just be cautious! Is it worth it? ?”
Chen Lin asked abruptly. This was a question he had hidden for many years. Ever since Ye An arrived at Liangzhou Mansion, this question had been lingering in his mind. Although Ye An had built Liangzhou Mansion so well, there was still a question in his heart. The doubts only deepened.
Ye An looked at Chen Lin strangely: "Didn't I tell you before? There are always things that someone has to do. A gentleman should face difficulties in practice. Only when he reaches a hundred feet can he make further progress. I, Ye An, am not born with this. A person who lives his own life must also carve out a world for his family. Now that the world is turbulent, it’s time for us to make contributions! What’s more important is..."
As he spoke, Ye An suddenly stopped talking. Chen Lin frowned and looked at his gloomy face. In Chen Lin's perception, Ye An's grain merchant always had that harmless look on his face, and was rarely so gloomy.
"What's more important is that the party members can no longer hold it any longer. I have received news from Heishui City that Li Deming may attack Ganzhou next year. Once Ganzhou falls from the Uighurs to Li Deming, the consequences will be disastrous! "
Chen Lin looked at Ye An in surprise: "How did you know that Li Deming planned to send troops to Ganzhou? Besides, Ganzhou is no longer in the hands of the imperial court, and the Uighurs have occupied it for a long time..."
"No, you are wrong! Have you not seen the map of the government office? Once Ganzhou falls into the hands of the party, our Liangzhou government will immediately become a turtle in the urn! Li Deming only needs to send out elite cavalry to guard the six ridges to cut off The connection between Huangzhou and Liangzhou is the real isolation!"
Chen Lin was stunned for a moment, then said: "Then what's the difference now?"
"Of course it's different! Now Ganzhou is still in the hands of the Uighurs. As long as the city of Ganzhou is not lost, we, the Liangzhou Prefecture, can provide reinforcements. The Dangxiang people will not take the idea of Liangzhou Prefecture yet."
Chen Lin suddenly realized, and then smiled and said: "No wonder you can resist not attacking the Uighurs. You were waiting here! Eh? Although Li Deming visited Heishui City, how did you know the news about Heishui City?"
Ye An smiled mysteriously: "Of course there are "experts" to help! Don't ask, I won't tell you if I ask! Let's go. From today on, both the Huaiyuan Army and the Xilie Army will have to strengthen their training to prepare for emergencies.
Yes, do you have any doubts about my arrangement as Supervisor Army?"
Chen Lin was very dissatisfied with Ye An's attitude and snorted: "No, but you don't want to take people out for hunting! If you can keep Liangzhou City intact, it will be a great achievement."
Patting Chen Lin's shoulder, Ye An chuckled and said, "I think the opportunity in Liangzhou Prefecture may have come..."
Chen Lin raised her brows and looked sideways at Ye An and said, "You guys don't want to sneak attack on the Dangxiang people, do you? The fledgling Xi Lie Army and Huaiyuan Army in our hands may not be able to touch Li Deming at all. He has been leading troops in battles all year round.
It's harder to sneak attack on him than to reach the sky!"