Chapter 435 The No. 1 Yellow River Bridge in the World
"It spans a hundred feet and is connected to thousands of ships! Now this is the largest bridge on the Yellow River in the world. Isn't it not inferior to that of the prosperous Tang Dynasty?"
Outside the west gate of Puzhou City, Shanxi Province, the Yellow River flows from north to south. Not far to the south, there is the place where the Wei River merges into the Yellow River. From there, further west, you will reach Xi'an City.
The name Xi'an Prefecture only came into existence from the time of Taizu. Because during the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties, that area was called Fengyuan Road, so Taizu changed its name to Xi'an.
Now, a few people who just came from Xi'an arrived at Pujin in the west of Puzhou City in Shanxi Province to cross the Yellow River in Xi'an and saw the Pujin Bridge that has been repaired over the years.
The first bridge over the Yellow River in the world?
Facing the inquiry from his companion, a young scholar in his twenties smiled: "Iron is melted to cast oxen into piers, and iron is smelted to tie chains into cables. In terms of the amount of iron produced, how could it be so in the old days when Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was at its peak?
How can it be compared with today? I heard that during the Kaiyuan period in the past, the pig iron used to rebuild the Pujin Bridge was four-fifths of the annual output of the prosperous Tang Dynasty."
Now, these scholars were all looking at the Pujin Bridge in front of them in amazement.
Such a place is naturally the best place to talk about the past and the present.
Showing his extensive knowledge, he told that the earliest bridge here was in the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, it was a floating bridge connected to a boat with bamboo ropes. However, the Yellow River has flood peaks in summer and freezing floods in winter, so it has to be repaired every year, which wastes people and money.
During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, the real Pujin Bridge was built here.
For those who know a lot about Tao Lue, let me explain here why Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty spent so much money to build the Pujin Bridge. Li Tang flourished from Shanxi, and Puzhou was promoted to the central capital in the ninth year of Kaiyuan. If there is a change in Chang'an, retreat
Zhongdu, then Shanxi can become the foundation for revival.
In addition, there were eighteen salt ponds in the Tang Dynasty. Among them, the salt ponds in Puzhou area produced tens of thousands of dendrobium salts every year, which was a strategic place that supplied Chang'an. Pujin Ferry, as a major crossing of the Yellow River, was in this strategic place, a salt production area and an important economic circulation center.
Therefore, it is necessary to build a bridge.
"It's true that Xuefu said this!" A scholar agreed with the twenty-year-old man and looked at the Pujin Bridge today and said, "For more than two thousand years, even in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, it was rebuilt after the founding of the Ming Dynasty and destroyed in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties.
During the war, the Pujin Bridge was connected to boats with iron chains, and it was still a pontoon bridge. Now this bridge is suspended over the river. I really don’t know how to build it. Xuefang, you are from Shanxi, can you tell me in detail?"
"I'll talk while we walk." The man called Xuefu smiled, "My sister married the Zhang family in Puzhou. Many families in Shanxi have contributed to the renovation of Pujin Bridge."
A group of people crossed the Yellow River along the newly built Pujin Bridge.
For hundreds of years, the most eye-catching things at both ends of the Pujin Bridge are four huge iron oxen. The iron chain across the Yellow River is tied to the iron oxen, and some boats are connected under the iron chain.
Boat, this is what the first bridge on the Yellow River in the world originally looked like.
But now, the iron bulls on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are not the focus. The iron bulls are still there, but there are towering cement stone piers next to them, and there are iron pillars inside. The iron chains are hung from the top of the iron pillars to the bridge deck.
As for the bridge deck, although there are still iron cables and boats under it, it no longer extends all the way to the other side. There is often a bridge pier several feet in diameter separated by a hundred steps or so.
In the old days, pontoons were used as piles, with the bridge deck on them, and they could not be far from the water. Along the way, there were iron men, iron pillars, iron mountains, etc. to stabilize the center of gravity.
But now, under the piers that are several feet in diameter, we can see that there is an iron boat. The inside and outside of this iron boat are not only painted, but also coated with a layer of black material. The iron boat is connected again, and the iron boat is first laid on it.
Then there is a cement stone pier mixed with iron bars in the middle, and then there are iron pillars rising to the sky, and iron chains hanging diagonally. On the pier formed by the iron boat, there are several thick iron anchors falling into the river in all directions.
First, although the bridge piers still swayed, it was not severe.
This is naturally because of the taller and stronger bridge piers on the sandbar that bisects the Yellow River, which holds the bridge deck to the left and right.
"What a great bridge!"
Walking to the sandbank, everyone couldn't help but sigh.
"How can such a huge pillar and these many iron cables be transported here and how can they be erected?"
"I heard it's just an experimental bridge." The man named Xuefu explained again, "Datong has coal and iron, Huailai is an ordnance park, and Puzhou is a heavy industry park. It's not difficult to transport a lot of new iron here.
When erected, there is also a pulley crane used at the dock. The main thing is these iron ropes."
He pointed to the iron cables extending from the top of the iron pillars of the bridge pier to both sides, and gradually stretched farther and farther: "I heard that this is a project that has been studied for a long time in the Polytechnic Institute. It has the magic of sharing the huge force. Although this Pujin New Bridge is more than ten thousand
It weighs a kilogram, but with many physical mysteries, it is more stable than before. Don't you see that the bridge piers on the river are iron boats floating on water? Iron can float on the water, with anchors below to hold it in place, and piers above to hold it in place.
It does not sink, and those who see it are amazed."
"It's really amazing..."
It is normal for wood to float on water. How can an iron ship float on water?
Some people say that it is probably because the wooden boat was covered with iron sheets, so that the wooden boat would not be easily damaged and would have to be repaired frequently.
Some people paid more attention to Huangming University and the Polytechnic Institute, and said that there have been studies now, and they talked about density, buoyancy and other new terms.
As a result, their topic changed again and they began to discuss next year's examination.
These people are all from Shanxi and Shaanxi. They went to Beijing together to study, and now they have arrived in Shanxi first.
Puzhou is located at the southwest end of Shanxi, adjacent to Shaanxi. With the establishment of the Hetao Border Area, tracing the Yellow River from Puzhou to the Hetao, or going to Xuanning by road, has become the choice of many people in Sichuan, Huguang, and Guanzhong, Shaanxi.
.
There are both business travelers and ordinary people.
The new development in Puzhou is not only due to the emperor's recognition of the experimental renovation project of Pujin Bridge, but also due to the support of Shanxi merchants in recent years.
Starting from the earliest special treasury bonds, and then getting permission from border trade merchants, Shanxi merchants gradually became more and more famous.
Because Datong began to mine a large amount of coal and iron, and Puzhou had the foundation of the salt industry and papermaking industry, as well as the transportation advantages of the ancient ferry on the Yellow River, an industrial park was formed here.
"On the slope of Bize, there are cattails and lotus. There is a beautiful person, how can it be hurt?" Cattails are not only beautiful, but also a raw material for high-quality paper. Puzhou is named after cattails, and the cattail paper here is due to modern printing.
The prosperity of the industry has rejuvenated its vitality.
This young man named Xuefu was none other than Wang Chonggu, the heir of the Wang family in Shanxi who was summoned by Tang Shunzhi to buy special national bonds. As the most promising young generation of the Wang family to become an official, he first traveled to Hetao last year to visit Tang Shunzhi.
Then he went to Shaanxi, where he met many "quasi-students" and made an appointment to go to Beijing together.
Not only did he study on a study tour, he also learned about the Wang family's business in Hetao, Shaanxi and even Xining Border City in the Qinghai-Gansu Border Region.
Now in Puzhou, his eldest sister is married to the Shen family here, and his second sister is married to the Zhang family here.
The Shen family and Zhang family in Puzhou are not simple. They have always been salt merchants. Today, the salt business in the Ming Dynasty is handled by the Baoyan Bureau, and they still cooperate with it.
Even though the imperial court was under pressure to build the Beijing-Guangzhou Straight Road, the Pujin Bridge was still rebuilt, which was naturally the appeal of these Shanxi merchant groups.
No, Puzhou City is more prosperous now. Shanxi merchants go to Guanzhong, Qinggan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and the original Xuanda border trade business. Puzhou can become the starting point of trade routes. The Shen family and the Zhang family
, now it is not only involved in the salt industry, but also papermaking, ironware, grain, cattle and sheep, and fur.
As a semi-host, Wang Chonggu brought his friends to the Zhang family. They were all future Jinshi seedlings, so it goes without saying that the Zhang family had a good reception. Wang Chonggu was invited to the backyard by his second sister and second brother-in-law.
"Uncle!" A boy of fourteen or fifteen years old saluted Wang Chonggu respectfully.
"Ziwei, I haven't congratulated you for your outstanding talent and high rank. Not bad." Wang Chonggu is only eleven years older than him, but now he looks very old-fashioned.
"Just a student, uncle, don't make fun of me. This time my uncle comes to Beijing to take the exam, he will definitely be on the gold list, and that is worthy of congratulations."
Wang Chonggu smiled and said nothing. His nephew had become famous at the age of seven, and he was young and mature.
This year, I became a student at the age of fifteen, which can be regarded as a successful first step in my scientific career.
Of course, Wang Chonggu himself has already been elected, and he is determined to win this time.
At this time, Zhang Yunling, Wang Chonggu's second brother-in-law, revealed the purpose of inviting Wang Chonggu to the backyard: "Xuefu, among the scholars who came with you this time, are there any who have good family backgrounds, are talented, and are not yet married? Siwei's sister
I'm sixteen now. Your Majesty, please forgive me. My Zhang family is no longer a member of the military. Let's see if we can help..."
Zhang Siwei looked at his father helplessly. Was this the reason? Then why did he call himself here?
"...Brother-in-law, although I am not famous for my talents, I was born in a businessman's family after all. Most of the friends I have met along the way are not from official families. In my opinion, with the current wealth of the Zhang family, the person we should look for cannot still be a businessman.
"
Wang Chonggu's background is determined by his background, and most of the friends he can make now are also from this background.
A real official family and a scholarly family cannot become true friends with him, at least the brief contact during the friendship is not enough for them to make a decision and have a heart-to-heart relationship with him.
He knew what his sister and brother-in-law were struggling with. Although there were one or two other people from poor backgrounds who were talented, Wang Chonggu felt that they were not suitable.
"Sister, brother-in-law, you don't need to worry. I am going to Beijing, and I will pay attention after entering Beijing. With the current status of the Zhang family, and the upbringing of Yu Chan, why worry about not finding a good family?
"
"Just keep it in mind." Zhang Yunling was happy, and then said, "Siwei also has a life experience. During these few days, you can give him some guidance with your friends."
"That's natural."
Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei, the uncles and nephews, then led Wang Chonggu and other friends to travel around Puzhou.
Pujiu Temple near Pujin Bridge is now even more prosperous due to the deliberate promotion of the Song Yi Department. There is a scene in "The Romance of the West Chamber" where Zhang Sheng meets Cui Yingying by chance.
According to legend, Puzhou was also the capital of Emperor Shun.
Today, Puzhou has also prospered due to the development of industry and commerce in the Ming Dynasty, and the city and outside are bustling with activity.
Zhang Siwei was a local, wanted to make friends with his seniors, and was a well-known local "prodigy". His deliberate performance was naturally praised by other scholars.
Isn't this the case in Shilin? Gradually, one's reputation can be brought to the capital.
At this time, a tall and tall man also arrived in Puzhou, where he wanted to take the overland route to Guihua City.
Before entering Beijing to take part in next year's martial arts examination, he was recommended by the Sichuan Army Chief and was going to Guihua City to visit the Hetao Border District Chief Army Officer, Pinghu Hou Ji Weimin.
Ji Weimin had stayed in Sichuan, so Liu Xian naturally knew him.
Liu Xian, also 26 years old, walked alone from Nanchang, Jiangxi to Sichuan. After so many years, he already has the status of a martial arts examiner.
But now, he is still a nobody.
Although he was appointed as a small lieutenant under the General Military Officer of Sichuan and led a hundred-man team, after the military reform, the hinterland provinces have become very peaceful and there is not much possibility of making achievements.
If you want to make some achievements, you have to continue to take the exam again. Only if you pass the martial arts exam and go to the border area will you have a chance.
Liu Xian didn't plan to stay in Puzhou for long, so he went to Tongyi Bureau Posthouse outside the city the next day.
Nowadays, almost every post house in Tongyi Bureau has become a small town.
In addition to hotels, restaurants, tea shops, and carriage shops.
Liu Xian had no official mission this time. He was traveling in a private capacity and was preparing to go to Beijing to take the exam, so he had to pay for it himself.
"Going to Guihua City?" The employee at Tongyi Bureau Puzhou Station raised his head behind the counter, "Puzhou does not have a direct carriage to Guihua City. Please take me to Shuozhou and transfer there."
"Shuozhou?" Liu Xian thought for a while, "That's fine."
Tongyi Bureau also operates horse-drawn carriage routes between different stations. The price is not expensive and Liu Xian can afford it.
If you have a lot of money, the best way is to rent a horse and go there by yourself along the post road. But Liu Xian didn't know how he grew up in Sichuan. He won the martial arts examination and was recruited into the Sichuan army. Now,
I don't have much money saved.
Chief Meng thought highly of him, and although he gave him thirty silver dollars as a financial aid, the money would have to be used at least until next year's martial arts examination, so Liu Xian naturally did not dare to waste it.
Going to the capital would cost more.
The "shuttle bus" to Shuozhou was not available immediately. He was not very lucky. Liu Xian had to wait for two days for the carriage team that only traveled every three days.
With nothing to do, he arrived at the dock at Pujin Ferry and prepared to work as a laborer for two days, just as he had done when he was a child.
The boats on the Yellow River are not big, and this Pujin Ferry is not like Guangzhou, Ningbo or the docks on the canal, which have used pulley cranes on a large scale.
Laborers still have a job here.
While moving goods, you can also hear some things in the conversations of others.
"I heard that the Zhang family, the Shen family, and many other owners who have a lot of goods at the dock are now urging the government to use pulley cranes." Taking advantage of the break in the busy work, a laborer sat there and stretched his arms and said.
, "With that thing, we laborers only need to leave 20%. One side is on the shore, and the other side is on the boat. I don't know how long we can last for this meal."
"If you can't go to the Hetao, my boss and the others also bought a lot of fields there. The Tatars only know how to herd sheep, not cultivate fields."
"Speaking of the Loop, I heard that there are many more Tatar women than men there now. Maybe you can find a Tatar wife."
"You're not afraid of dirtying your ancestors' seeds!"
"Students have said that there are three types of unfilial piety, and the worst is not having children. Isn't it better than being a bachelor all your life?"
"You kid, if you had kept more of the money you saved through hard work and gone to the theater less to listen to plays, you would have been dissing your mother-in-law a long time ago!"
"Hey! If you say that, let me tell you about the figure of Miss Cui from Puyun Society..."
Liu Xian listened to their discussion silently, thinking about the situation in Sichuan.
Your Majesty has been implementing the new law for so many years, and the lives of ordinary people are indeed better than what I remembered when I was a child.
But those who plow the fields still plow the fields, and those who work for a living still work for a living. Although ordinary people have many more opportunities, such as corvee purchasing, primary and secondary schools, companies, and ordinary people, how can they compare with the original rich households of the officials, gentry, and rich people who can enjoy more benefits?
On the one hand, the wealthy officials and gentry also need to pay taxes and taxes. But on the other hand, because they have wider connections, they can earn more.
Buying land, hiring people to farm it, and evading taxes and servitude, the money is really nothing compared with the profits from the provincial government's corvee purchase now. What's more, buying land can still be done, as long as you pay it in a regular manner.
After paying the tax, it would be better not to evade the tax every year in the future.
Nowadays, "Ming Pao" has taught farming experience and skills for many years. After taking iron farm tools, fertilizers, improved seeds, and many other measures, the crops that can be harvested in the fields have increased, but the fixed taxes have not increased with it, and the accounts can be settled.
On the other hand, since the Department of Folk Arts was established in the Ministry of Rites and Communication six years ago, there have been more miscellaneous books in various places, more theaters and theaters, and more storytellers in teahouses. Ordinary people's lives are a little better, but they will spend more
The money is in these areas.
Although more and more primary schools are being built in each county, where you can drink milk and eat meat once every three to five days and the tuition is not expensive, the better-run private schools are still run by some officials and gentry together. But ordinary people
Even if a family has good children, after they have achieved success in primary school or middle school, they still need to prepare a lot of money for ordinary people to take the imperial examination or the imperial examination. After all, they have to concentrate on studying.
However, the wealth of the family, the dazzling array of clothes, crafts, and listening to books, operas, and music in the city have actually made many families who have given birth to good children regret that they did not save more money.
It is indeed good for students to be able to make a living in the government, but with Liu Xian's current experience, he can naturally see hidden worries.
On the pier, a group of well-dressed scholars came over. The employer who hired Liu Xian today hurriedly came over and bent down to please: "Master, Mr. Wang, the boat is ready."
"Okay." The leader smiled and said to the others, "Now the post roads are extending in all directions. Since everyone was interested, they went up the river together, went to the fortress to the south of the Yangtze River to see the border, and then to Datong. Tang Du
Taiyuan is always willing to support young people. I have taken the liberty to write to you and introduce you. I just regret that I have something to do at home and need to go back to Taiyuan first. I will ask you to take good care of Ziwei first. We will meet again in Datong during the Mid-Autumn Festival in August."
"It's a pity that scholars can't travel together."
"My father has called me, so I dare not not return. Have a safe journey, Ziwei. Please ask your elders for advice along the way."
"Uncle, don't worry."
At the pier, these people boarded the passenger ship. Liu Xian saw many servants and maids, either carrying burdens or boxes, and boarded the ship to wait on them.
Liu Xian had previously moved a lot of cargo onto this boat. There were wine, grain, fresh vegetables, dried meat, as well as pens, ink, paper and inkstones.
It turns out that it is just for these scholars to have fun along the way.
He knew that behind his employer was the Puzhou Zhang family, and silently watched the boat leave the Pujin Ferry pier.
After seeing them off, his boss came to the laborers again: "Get up, get up. There will be a shipment of goods later. They are all the high-quality papyrus that the Zhang family in Zhangqiu, Shandong Province wants. You must be careful when loading the ship.
Don't scratch the tung oil paper."
While he was talking, a motorcade was already coming noisily outside.
The shopkeeper came over and greeted the other shopkeeper who got out of the car.
"Shopkeeper Peng, please go to the paper factory and see it in person. Now you can rest assured."
The shopkeeper nodded a little arrogantly: "If your Zhang family's papyrus paper is easy to use, since we are from the same clan, we will use it more in the future."
"Don't worry, Shopkeeper Peng, it will definitely be useful!" Liu Xian's boss bowed repeatedly, "This year's Longevity Ceremony, your uncle also has a heavy responsibility, right? If you need our help, just ask."
"That's not necessary." Shopkeeper Peng chuckled, "The Department of Folk Arts naturally has a heavy responsibility, but how important is His Majesty's Longevity Ceremony? Although I have always been trusted by Your Majesty, this matter was handled by Yan Guolao himself.
Do I need to worry about it?"
"Shopkeeper Peng's words are obvious. Mr. Yan Guolao, Mr. Li is naturally busy with big things, but there are always some small things. We can help with them..."
The two of them talked as they walked towards the paving of the pier. Liu Xian then just moved the cowhide boxes filled with paper. In order to be waterproof, the outside was sealed with a layer of tung oil paper.
He heard Yan Guolao and Director Li in his heart, and his heart trembled.
Of course it was Yan Song, and there was also Li Kaixian, who had been a bachelor's student in the imperial study and is now the director-general of the Department of Folk Arts.
That shopkeeper Peng belongs to Li Kaixian's father-in-law's family?
The Prince in the Zhang family's mouth in Puzhou is the uncle of their young master, and has contacts with Tang Shunzhi, the Marquis of Jingbian. The Zhang family's business also has contacts with the father-in-law's family in the General Department of Folk Arts.
Officials and merchants...Liu Xian quietly worked hard.
The Ming Dynasty is indeed very different from the past. The lives of ordinary people have been a little better, but some things have never changed.
In fact, businessmen are no longer looked down upon as they were in the past, and the exchanges between officials and businessmen have become closer.
Liu Xian is just a martial artist, he doesn't have to worry about this.
He couldn't understand this either.
While carrying his goods, someone suddenly ran to the dock and shouted in panic: "It's not good! It's not good! The iron boat on one of the piers of Pujin Bridge has broken, and three iron ropes have been torn! If the bridge
If it collapses, I'm afraid there will be a big disaster! If you know the state's fate, all the dock workers will go to help!"
Liu Xian looked over there in astonishment.
For such a large project, weren't these eventualities taken into consideration? Or did the people who originally supervised and built it cut corners?
He couldn't think too much about the matter. Soon, an officer came over on horseback and urgently recruited dock workers to make emergency repairs.
When he arrived in front of Liu Xian, Liu Xian stepped forward and said: "Lieutenant Liu Xian, the commander-in-chief of the Sichuan Army, I will lead the laborers on the dock to work together."
The officer looked at him dressed like a hard worker on the dock and saw his calm demeanor. He hesitated for a moment and nodded: "Okay! If the matter is urgent, hurry to the bridge!"