By the time the escort battalions were sent back one after another, it had already been a long time since another day had passed.
The recruitment process is over. Judging by the time, most of the people who are going to work in the copper mines should have arrived in Xuzhou with their families by this time.
Zhao Xi directly handed over the entire pre-job training of miners to Lu Gong... Anyway, his brother is now in charge of the military in Chengdu Fulu, so he is easy to talk about many things.
As for the training details and how the miners carry out militarized management, including the rotation of mining and mine protection, etc., Zhao Xi had written them before the departure of the guard camp. This was so that they could have a good idea when selecting miners. Reference, or that is the standard.
Zhao Xi doesn't mind that the miners are all locals in the end, and has had such exchanges and reminders. He has also said this to the Cao family, Gao family, Duan family, etc. who are in charge there.
The purpose of recruiting miners is to allow those half-dead soldiers to see another way to live. After three to five years, when those soldiers who have left their hometowns return, those who stay in the same place can only watch from a distance. He didn't even dare to say hello, that was Zhao Xi's real purpose.
People must have thoughts and expectations while living.
"Your Highness, there are varying degrees of shortages of soldiers in the country and the dynasty..."
Taking advantage of free money? One can imagine that Zhao Xi could accept it if it was not excessive.
"The number of soldiers in the Western Army is mostly 80% or even 90%. Hebei Road is less than 70%, and all the roads south of the Yangtze River, except Guangnan West Road, none of them have 50%, and most of them are old, weak, sick and disabled..."
Su Song was in charge of statistics, and the statistical results frightened him.
This time, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered the guard battalion to recruit workers in various places. The real purpose was to build a family. This is family wealth!
The Imperial Guards had an army of 800,000 and a Xiang army of 300,000. They spent countless amounts of money and food, but they were all pocketed by military leaders at all levels.
You draw some water one by one, and I will peel off the skin! This is already the case, but the only one who can get the full amount of money and food for the soldiers is the Western Army!
Over the years in the guard camp, Su Song has changed his view of military commanders. At least he doesn't have the prejudices of the court officials. But today, when he saw these numbers... he really didn't complain, he deserved to be humiliated by the civilian officials!
Zhao Xi was mentally prepared, but he thought that he should be able to get a 90% chance. After all, it was related to national defense, but he didn't expect...
"Does the local state official know?"
"We think that Shangguan doesn't know about it. It's partly because he doesn't pay much attention to it, and it's also because of the large number of affairs. The key is that even if Shangguan patrols the camps, he can't count them one by one."
"Every time a Shangguan patrols the camp, he gathers troops from his carriage, then gathers his troops from the camp, and so on. He can always be deceived like this."
They all left the original military camp, and the soldiers who were about to become miners dared to say a few more words to allow the guard camp to achieve the tasks assigned by His Highness the Crown Prince this time.
But, it’s really shocking!
"Your Highness, would you like to submit a memorial to the imperial court?"
In Han Zhen's opinion, this kind of thing has reached a point where measures have to be taken. If this continues, the entire dynasty will not be able to sleep peacefully.
"Are you really not clear about it, sir? Professor Han, everyone knows some things well. How did the so-called "not talking about the war for twenty years" come about? Are you really afraid of the Western thieves? "
"It can't be said that we are not afraid. What really causes the court to be afraid is the current state of the country's armaments! The Western Army can't resist the Western bandits, let alone other soldiers?"
Difficult! It is really difficult! Not to mention the other shortcomings of the country, the armament alone is a big headache even for Zhao Xi.
He somewhat understood his father's makeshift approach, and also understood the helplessness of his husband-in-law.
All his preparations were based on 80% of the troops. He never expected that it would be like this.
It doesn't matter, there are more methods and more measures, and one day, those military leaders will automatically fill the vacancies.
…
It's April and May, which is the dry season for inland rivers. Zhao Xi plans to make a trip to Xiangzhou in the next few days to conduct an on-site investigation of the water transportation along this route, so as to develop rail transportation in a targeted manner.
Li Jie has returned and successfully completed the construction of the copper-iron mining city.
I am thinner, darker, and calmer, and I no longer have the silly energy of the young master.
"Ming Zhong, with Dongchuan's merits, it is reasonable for you to be promoted to the third level. However, I have not made a request to the court."
"The copper and iron mining city is nominally a business for merchants, and secondly, it is not within the territory of the country. This is one."
"Secondly, if you are not from a scientific background, if you are promoted too quickly in a short period of time, you may be noticed by scholars, which will lead to endless criticism and continuous impeachment, and you will also lose the reputation of being promoted."
"Xi believes that don't worry about these things. If you do too much, someone will always see you. Slowly lay a solid foundation and wait for the opportunity...such as Wang Jiefu."
Zhao Xi had a heart-to-heart talk with Li Jie and had to think of Wang Anshi again.
He is indeed a far-sighted person.
"Promoted by His Highness, Li Jiewei fulfills his duties and does not dare to dream."
Perhaps because he heard something there, Li Jie was obviously not as free and easy as he was at the beginning.
Then, they discussed together when to set off and determined the southbound route based on the map.
It seems that Zhao Xi has never thought about Zhang Yang's trip with the crown prince's honor guard. Except for the ancestor worship, Zhao Xi has almost never used the honor guard.
It's the same this time. I just wanted to say hello to my family and inform my husband-in-law, so I could travel in a simple and easy way.
After the agreement was reached, it was already very late.
I am also used to it, even if the court has tacitly agreed that His Highness the Prince can freely travel between the East Palace and the guard camp.
When I returned to the East Palace, I saw several women in my family, chattering and fiddling with their clothes.
What are you going to do? The activity area is so big every day, you can’t even see a stranger, and you have to wear a fixed outfit every day.
Does it make sense to fiddle with this?
All three women have given birth to sons, and they are all over a hundred years old.
At that time, my sons were born one after another, which made my parents extremely happy.
Except for Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, no one in the royal family has ever been as prosperous as Zhao Xi. The excited father did not consider the treasures at all, and rewarded everyone from the courtiers to the entire Bianliang people. The money and food they spent were endless.
My mother felt distressed, all the rewards came from the East Palace.
"This...why?"
Zhao Xi didn't understand, why were you doing this so late at night? It was of no use at all.
"Third brother, Wang Jiefu, the judge of Duzhi, proposed in the court today that tomorrow all court officials, imperial concubines, and concubines with titles will go to the river embankment to fetch water to alleviate this year's drought."
Drought? Alas! I am too busy and confused. I am also a man who is full but does not know the man who is hungry is hungry.
After Jing Taoniang said this, Zhao Xi realized that it seemed that there had indeed been no rain for a long time. Zhao Xi quickly asked Wang Zhongzheng to go to the guard camp again, and the southbound trip was put on hold. Alleviating the drought should be the most important thing for the court, and he could not hide.
go out.
Carrying water for irrigation? This Wang Anshi is really good at it! Shouldn't he pray for rain?
During this period, Zhao Xi also saw a message asking the royal family to pray for rain. He thought it was a fixed annual ritual, so he didn't pay attention to it.
Now that I think about it, it has indeed been dry for a long time. It is the farming season, and such a drought may affect this year's harvest.
I must have made an oversight. The question is, does Wang Jiefu's method work?
Compared to praying for rain, it seems to work.
He, Wang Anshi, really followed the saints and did not talk about his strange power and chaos.