Start Being a Vassal King Today - Chapter 254

[Chapter 254]

Homelessness “Your Highness, Wang Yanzhong and Zhou Yi are back.”

Zhao Xu was thinking about how to deal with the upheaval in Jinzhou and the Ma family.

Feng’er walked in at this moment.

After recovering, Zhao Xu nodded to let them in.

During this period of time, Zhou Yi and Wang Yanzhong have been searching for craftsmen for the War Division in Jinzhou.

Before and after, the number of craftsmen in Bingzhangsi has increased from more than 1,000 to more than 6,000 now.

Moreover, the newly added 5,000 craftsmen are all skilled craftsmen with exquisite craftsmanship, and they were carefully selected by the two of them.

It can be said that they are very caring about the slave trade, and they have done a good job.

Otherwise, the staff of the Bingzhang Division would have been stretched long ago.

Not long after, Wang Yanzhong and Zhou Yi came in.

After saluting to Zhao Xu, Zhou Yiheng and Wang Yanzhong looked at each other and said, “Your Highness, Jinzhou is currently in chaos, and there are Xiliang cavalry rampaging everywhere. The slave trade in Jinzhou can no longer continue.”

Wang Yanzhong has always disliked Talk, just nod your head.

“The 500 guards we brought out this time encountered Xiliang cavalry. After a bloody battle, only 300 of them came back alive.” Zhou Yi continued, his head lowered.

As far as he is concerned, he has humiliated King Yan in this matter.

After all, King Yan defeated Beidi twice, but he suffered a loss in the hands of Xiliang.

Zhao Xu saw that Zhou Yi and Wang Yanzhong had small scars on their faces, which must have been scratched by branches when they fled.

He said: “It’s hard work, it’s not your fault, I won’t blame you, since Jinzhou’s business can’t be done, you go south to other states to search, less is less, safety is the most important thing, during this time Let’s rest in Yan City first.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” King Yan’s gentle tone warmed their hearts.

This is why they are willing to sacrifice their lives for King Yan.

King Yan really treated them as people, not as cattle and sheep.

“Your Highness, there is one more minor matter that I think should be reported to His Highness.” He was about to take leave of King Yan, but Wang Yanzhong bumped his arm, and he suddenly remembered.

“What’s the matter?” Zhao Xu asked.

“Because Jincheng was destroyed by Xiliang, Jinzhou was now full of fleeing people, hundreds of thousands of people. The Ma family was worried that Xiliang would go south, so they did not allow the ferry to carry people, because the Jin River blocked the way for these people to go south. , These people are now going to Feihuguan again.” Zhou Yi said.

Wang Yanzhong added: “According to what these people said, the live capture army dispatched from Xiliang is currently capturing the people and taking them to Xiliang. If no one stops the Xiliang live capture army, these people may not be able to reach Feihu Pass.”

Zhao Xu’s spirits were uplifted when he heard this. .

After the war in Yanzhou, the number of people who were not well-to-do decreased, and the population of the four northern counties was particularly small.

According to Liu Fu’s feedback to him, the population registers of the four counties have not been updated for many years.

The number of households recorded above is completely inconsistent with the actual situation.

Many people who fled are still on the books.

According to statistics during this period, the population of the four northern counties is only a little over one million.

If the young and strong who join the army are removed from this number, and the young and strong who are engaged in agriculture are removed, there will be very few young and strong who can devote themselves to the handicraft industry.

What’s more, civilian labor will be used in future wars.

In Yanzhou, soldiers can also bring dry food for a few days.

But if you fight a slightly protracted war outside Yanzhou, you have to maintain a huge transportation line.

This takes a huge amount of manpower.

That’s why.

In ancient times, population was a strategic material.

As long as Beidi invades the bandits, it will inevitably plunder the population.

This is the same reason that Da Song wanted Beidi’s war horse.

Therefore, it is impossible for Zhao Xu not to be moved by the fleeing people in Jinzhou.

With these populations, he will be able to farm and let the four North Counties produce more food.

With these populations, he can be provided with sufficient sources of troops.

With these populations, he can be provided with sufficient workers.

“This information is very important, how can my Dasong people let Xiliang take it away.” Zhao Xu said.

When Jinzhou was still under the rule of the imperial court, he could not directly introduce the people of Jinzhou into the four counties.

But now that Jinzhou is in the hands of Xiliang, he led the people of Jinzhou into Yan, which is just and fair, and protects the people of Dasong.

Zhou Yi and Wang Yanzhong laughed.

They couldn’t bear to see these suffering people.

When they came back, they brought some Jinzhou people back.

“Come on, call Chang Wei here.” Zhao Xu said, then looked at the two of them apologetically, “I’m afraid I can’t let you rest, you two are familiar with Jinzhou, I’m afraid I need you to lead the way this time.

” Your Highness can go to battle to kill the enemy, so it is nothing worth mentioning for us to do such trivial things.” Wang Yanzhong cupped his hands.

He admired the King of Yan from the bottom of his heart, after all, the current situation in Yanzhou, the King of Yan contributed the most.

Moreover, King Yan provided everyone in the four counties with the opportunity to be an official.

He is letting his son study and will enter the government affairs school in the future.

I can no longer be like myself, just the head of a dentist.

After a while, Chang Wei came over.

Zhao Xu explained the reaction of the two of them.

He said: “Let Zhongli and Chen Hu lead their cavalry out of Feihu Pass to help the people of Jinzhou enter Yanzhou.”

Chang Wei grinned loudly upon hearing this.

If it was according to his temperament, he would have ordered to send troops to Jinzhou to compete with Xiliang long ago.

It’s just that the overall situation is here, without King Yan’s order, he can’t act arbitrarily.

Now that the king of Yan gave him this order, the royal cavalry can enter Jinzhou.

Although this is not an official war with Xiliang, it is also a warm-up in the early stage.

“Okay, hehe, but if this is the case, Xiliang will be so angry that he will find trouble with His Highness immediately.” Chang Wei pretended to be worried.

“You just have to do it, who is this king afraid of?” Zhao Xu glared at Chang Wei.

“Your Highness’s words are to lift your spirits.” Chang Wei clasped his fists heavily, “Don’t worry, Your Highness, this time the captured army from Xiliang will definitely be caught in the air.”

Zhao Xu nodded, “Zhou Yi, you go to Feihu Pass with the royal cavalry ”

Then he said to Wang Yanzhong: “This king will hand over all the merchant ships of Yanjun Commercial Bank to you. You can carry as many people as you can along the Jinhe River.” The

terrain of Yanzhou is long and narrow, from south to north far, but shorter from east to west.

So it only takes less than two days from Pingcheng Wharf to Jinju.

It can completely allow him to initiate a large retreat of the people of Jinzhou.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Zhou Yi and Wang Yanzhong responded in unison.

The three left.

Zhao Xu thought for a while, and went directly to the Military Division.

During this period of time, his classes were going on normally, and the development of the matchlock gun was not delayed.

Nowadays, the high-carbon steel required for knives and the spring steel required for firing devices are all available.

There are also measuring tools needed for fine manufacturing such as calipers.

It was time for the flintlock to officially enter the manufacturing process.

But before that, he still has one last thing to figure out.

This is hydraulic drilling machine.

Before the emergence of mechanical power, human beings mainly relied on manpower, animal power, and then water power to increase production efficiency again.

So want to achieve mass production of flintlock barrels.

It is quite necessary to use the turning head of the water wheel in the river to drive the drill bit to rotate so as to drill holes.

When he arrived at the Military Division, Zhao Xu just pointed out the matter to Wang Ying.

After all, the water wheel is not advanced, and it is very common in Dasong agricultural irrigation.

All Bingzhangsi needs to do is to combine the drill bit and the water wheel into one.

(end of this chapter)