Chen Mu returned to Qingzhou in the third year of Xingwu.
According to the Gregorian calendar, it is already February after the end of the year. After the beginning of spring, the weather has warmed up a lot. But only when the temperature returns to above zero. The spring breeze is like a knife and an axe. If you don't wear enough clothes, you can still freeze to death.
In the past, people all over the Han Dynasty did not dare to go out except staying at home, and would only come out of their houses when they encountered unavoidable circumstances.
But now cotton-padded clothes have become popular. Although it is impossible for everyone to have one, every household has at least one. Anyone who wants to go out wears cotton-padded clothes. Many markets in Qingzhou are still prosperous even after the New Year, which has greatly promoted
the development of business.
The prerequisite for commercial development is sufficient productivity. Qingzhou's productivity has been maintained very well. Everyone has land. This has made food prices everywhere very low, everyone can afford to eat, and the proportion of craftsmen has begun to increase year by year.
Walking on the streets of Linzi, you will find small stalls and hawkers hawking incessantly, a constant flow of people coming and going, various houses lined up in rows, shop signs hanging in abundance, and the sound of wind chimes ringing loud and clear.
In the past, the entire Han Dynasty could only see such scenery in the east and west cities of Luoyang. What's more interesting is that with the expansion of urbanization, the city walls in the east of the city have begun to be demolished, and the newly built buildings are actually
Three or four-story concrete houses.
Qingzhou has now begun large-scale indigenous steelmaking. The quality of indigenous steelmaking may be worrying, but after scientific improvements and research, the output has been greatly increased. Although it cannot be compared with the industrial steel of later generations, it was already quite good in ancient times.
Many things actually existed in ancient times. For example, during the reign of Emperor Guangwu, Du Shi invented a hydraulic blast furnace, which could raise the temperature in the furnace to more than 1,200 degrees. Now, after Ma Jun's improvement, the maximum temperature can reach 1,600 degrees.
Using water blast furnaces and indigenous steelmaking methods, a large amount of steel can be produced every year.
If we only calculate based on the current population and demand, Qingzhou is actually no longer short of steel, but is short of things that can produce industrial changes.
The steam engine had been invented a long time ago, and Ma Jun improved it very well. Its functions are not much different from the steam engine made by Watt.
At first, Chen Mu thought that rubber must be needed to make a steam engine, but later he discovered that there was no need for this stuff at all.
Just use fire cloth, that is, asbestos or ordinary hemp rope. Even better, use Eucommia gum, natural rubber, and later aerospace materials.
This made Chen Mu feel a little lucky. Fortunately, he didn't stop Ma Jun from doing various sealing experiments, otherwise the scientific research results might have been delayed for a long time.
But it's normal for him not to know. Travelers are not omniscient and omnipotent. They always thought that rubber can change the world.
Little did they know that when Watt made the steam engine, he used ordinary hemp rope to seal the piston, and achieved extremely practical results.
It's just that the effect is slightly worse than rubber, fire cloth or ordinary hemp rope and Eucommia gum.
It's not because the sealing is not good enough, but because the output of Huanbu and Eucommia gum is pitifully low. Asbestos is mainly produced in the Western Regions, and now it's in chaos and it's impossible to mine it.
Needless to say, Eucommia gum is incomparable to Brazilian rubber, which can release countless viscous juices just by cutting it with a knife. It can only be squeezed through Eucommia leaves, skins and seeds, and the quantity is too low to be mass-produced.
The disadvantage of ordinary hemp rope is that it is easy to leak air over time, so these three things can only help Ma Jun create a perfect steam engine, but they cannot mass-produce the steam engine.
However, the steam engine has at least been finished. When the rubber is in place and can be mass-produced, Chen Mu looks forward to seeing the train come out one day.
China's five thousand years of civilization does not lack skilled craftsmen, but what it lacks is a scientific guide.
Chen Mu is now serving as a guide.
But he only knew a general direction. He knew that the industrial revolution required steam engines, and he also knew the principles of steam engines. However, the specific structure still had to rely on the wisdom of craftsmen.
At least there is a direction now, and it is the right direction, and that is enough.
After celebrating the New Year and resting with his parents, wife, children and family for more than half a month, Chen Mu entered an intense working state again.
It is impossible to fish while working, not even in this life. As one of the company's top ten employees, a model worker, and the leader of the entire Qingzhou, Chen Mu's tasks are much heavier than Liu Bei's.
During the Chinese New Year this year, a general meeting was held in Qingzhou. Generals, officials, scholars, and professors from all walks of life met with Liu Bei one by one. He attached great importance to and affirmed their work in the past year, and then...then after the rewards were distributed
, he went to the Bohai front line and became a hand-off shopkeeper.
No wonder Zhuge Liang died of exhaustion.
Fortunately, Chen Mu is a man who is relaxed and easy-going, but he doesn't fish for fish, but doesn't he still have Jushou Xunyu to help him?
With these two top internal affairs and strategists, not to mention the small land of Qingzhou, even the entire Han Dynasty will not have any big problems.
In the residence of Prime Minister Qi, Chen Mu is working. The warm sunshine of early spring shines through the window on his desk. Inside the two-story building of the residence, there are dense bamboo shadows and piles of official documents. There are bundles of scrolls and books rolled up in the paper basket next to it.
post.
Orders were issued one after another, and currently Xuzhou has gained half of it, and about one-fifth of Jizhou's territory has been divided. While Liu Bei's power has been expanded, there are still many problems to deal with.
The sound of light footsteps came from outside the door. Xun Yu, tall and thin, with fluttering robes, slowly walked into the hall. When he saw Chen Mu busy among the desks, pens and inkstones, he chuckled and said: "Shang Shuling, the matter has been done.
It’s done.”
"Um."
Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to give a few compliments when he suddenly raised his eyebrows and thought for a while, wondering: "What is it?"
"Everything."
"Everything?"
"Exactly."
Xun Yu counted on his fingers: "This year's spring harvest and summer plowing, the subsidies provided by the government to the people, the arrangements of local postal inspection teams, the next batch of grain and grass sent north, and the ships going out to sea this year...
.”
Every time he said something, Chen Mu's brows felt relieved.
There are dozens of things, big and small, all arranged properly. I can only say that he is indeed Xun Yu and Xun Wenruo.
"OK OK."
Chen Mu waved his hand to signal him to stop and said, "Where are the ships that went to sea last year?"
"Please read the minister's order."
Xun Yu took out a map drawn by the crew. He still liked to call him Shangshu Ling.
Chen Mu took over the map study and saw that Qingzhou's ships no longer stick to the Korean Peninsula, but have begun to explore north. They arrived in Vladivostok last year, and this year's goal is Sakhalin Island.
As we all know, human beings originated in Africa. Africa and Eurasia are connected together, so it is not surprising that Homo sapiens have spread all over Africa and Eurasia, but the North American continent is completely isolated overseas. It is actually very strange to have indigenous people.
Something unexpected.
But after understanding it, you will know that tens of thousands of years ago before Homo sapiens lived, Russia and Alaska in North America were actually connected, so it is very reasonable that Homo sapiens from Europe, Asia and Africa migrated all the way to North America and became the later Indians.
Now is the Eastern Han Dynasty. Climate change has caused the Bering Strait to no longer be frozen, so it is naturally unrealistic to walk across it on foot. However, today's human beings have also changed and have ships, so crossing the ocean is no longer a dream.
Going to the Pacific Ocean is definitely seeking death, but as long as you go north along the Korean Peninsula, pass through Vladivostok, go to Sakhalin Island, and then detour through the Kuril Strait, you will eventually be able to enter North America from the Bering Sea.
By then, high-yield crops such as corn, peppers, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc. will be introduced to Dahan, and most importantly, rubber will be mass-produced by steam engines.
People cannot stand still and exploring the world is the future trend.
Even if Qingzhou is still just a corner of peace, if a fleet is sent with hundreds or thousands of people in total, fully armed, and there are indigenous savages along the way, as long as the civilization of the Western Roman Empire does not suddenly go to the American continent, then all the way
Basically an invincible existence.
So why not do something like this that has no harm at all and can help future development?
Even if this process takes several years, or even more than ten years.
But one day, when the Qingzhou ships find a perfect route and can return to the North American continent countless times, it may be the second time that the Chinese people cry out in this world and make the whole world tremble.
when.
"Ah, very good."
Looking at the explored areas on the map, Chen Mu nodded with satisfaction. Reform is not something that happens in a day or two, it is a long process, but whether it is to unify the world or explore the unknown, it can all be carried out simultaneously.
After conquering the country and sending out ships, it will take years and months before the steam engines can be mass-produced. If it takes decades to conquer the country and then dominate the world in old age, that would be a sad thing.
Seeing his happy expression, Xun Yu was still a little curious and asked: "Shang Shuling, I have taken over this matter since last year, but I still don't understand why the ships have to go north. As far as Xun Yu knows, the farther north, the weather becomes more and more cold and icy and snowy."
, many crew members die of injuries and illnesses every year, why continue?”
Chen Mu shook his head: "Actually, this project has been going on for four years. Because it wastes people and money and has no meaning, my elder brother asked me to stop it more than once. But I kept insisting because I wanted to prove something and achieve something.
Something to look for."
"Could it be the elixir?"
Xun Yu was slightly stunned when he heard that he was looking for something. It was rumored that Qin Shihuang sent Xu Fu eastward to search for the Immortal Mountain just for the elixir. Could it be that Chen Mu was also worried about people's destiny, so he took action in advance. If so, such behavior is not
What a good thing.
Unexpectedly, Chen Mu laughed: "There is no elixir in this world. It was just a dream that the First Emperor was deceived by Xu Fu. Although I don't want to die, but when a person's life is over, there is no such thing.
The art of immortality.”
"But......"
Xun Yu hesitated.
If it weren't for the elixir, why would we spend so much money, kill so many people, and send so many ships to do meaningless things every year?
However, Chen Mu said to him seriously: "Wen Ruo, do you know how big this world is?"
"Forehead......"
Xun Yu stopped talking. He was not a god, so how could he know?
Chen Mu knew that the earth's area was 510 million square kilometers, and oceans accounted for 71% of it, but how could he tell him this?
Even asking him to draw a world map is not impossible.
But in that case, how could he explain everything he knew?
You are not a fool, you will definitely have doubts.
Therefore, we must explore. As for how far the fleet can explore in Chen Mu's lifetime, that is another matter.
"Our whole life, we have only been shrinking in this square of heaven and earth. When will we go to see the outside world? Look how high the sky is and how big the earth is."
Chen Mu said calmly: "People, you must not forget the desire to explore. What's more, the wealth of Qingzhou today comes from the sea. So why can't we go and see what is on the other side of the sea? Maybe there is a world on that side that is better than what we have now.
What about better land?”
"Yu understands."
Xun Yu nodded, he had always admired Chen Mu's foresight.
Maybe these explorations are of no use now. Who knows that in the future, these explorations will bring different changes to Dahan?
The two talked about some governance issues in various parts of Qingzhou. After having dinner together in the afternoon, Xun Yu left to deal with new tasks.
In the afternoon, Jushou came to the door again.
"Zigui, good news."
As soon as he entered the door, he said cheerfully.
"oh?"
Chen Mu asked with a smile: "Is there any good news?"
"Cao Cao was eager to recapture Yanzhou. He planned to attack Dingtao by surprise and cut off Lu Bu's food route. He succeeded at first, but he didn't know that Lu Bu returned to the defense in time and personally led the army to repel him. Cao Cao's army was defeated and returned to Guangqi."
Jushou said happily: "Fortunately, Lu Bu is short of food and cannot catch up. Otherwise, Cao Cao would be in big trouble this time."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Yeah."
Chen Mu nodded and said: "This time both of them will suffer losses. This is the situation we are most happy to see. If Lu Bu has enough food and grass, we may have to ask Sun Jian to send troops."
"That's right, Zigui."
Jushou said: "Now that we have gained half of Xuzhou, and the other half of Xuzhou has been captured by Cao Cao, it is a pity. Why not just use Lu Bu to drive away the wolf and devour the tiger, wipe out Cao Cao, and then send out troops, then Xuzhou and Yanzhou will not be the same."
All to us?"
"The human heart is not enough for a snake to swallow an elephant. It is better for me and my brother not to be too greedy."
Chen Mu smiled.
At present, Qingzhou's main force still has to guard against Yuan Shao. Even if Xuzhou and Yanzhou can be obtained, it will be difficult to digest them in a short time. When Yanzhou returns to Liu Bei, Yuan Shao will inevitably go south, and at that time, it will give Yuan Shao a breakthrough.
If you look at the map, you will see that Qingzhou's current strategy is very clever. How clever is it?
This strategy was the national policy of the famous shit-stirring Da Ying Empire in later generations.
Cao Cao got half of Xuzhou, which was fertile land. If he allowed it to develop for a few years, he would definitely grow stronger. Therefore, he brought Lu Bu into Yanzhou and divided up most of Yanzhou. Cao Cao got the smaller half of Yanzhou plus half of Xuzhou, so the two parties' power would be balanced.
This was the divide and conquer strategy of the Great Empire. At the same time, if we study it carefully, it was also the top strategy of the wise emperors of the Chinese civilization. It can be said that it devoured Cao Cao to death.
Now that Lu Bu and Cao Cao are in this area, it is difficult for the imperial court, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei to intervene.
But once Liu Bei ends, Yuan Shao will inevitably end, and the situation will only become more chaotic.
So it's best to maintain the status quo.
After defeating Yuan Shao, Liu Bei will be able to become the overlord of the north. The area south of the Yellow River has been divided and does not have a unified hero. It will be vulnerable to Liu Bei's strength. By then, he can easily capture them.
Effortless.
However, this strategy is easy to say, but if you are trapped in the center, there are countless princes from the north and the south in the world, the counties are divided, and the counties are kings, how many people can see the situation clearly?
Xun Yu and Ju Shou might both be able to see it, but Ju Shou was still a little greedy, but he didn't know that haste makes waste in some matters. Many strategic layouts and large-scale strategies cannot be completed overnight, but may even take dozens or hundreds of years or several generations.
Only talents can do it, for example, the Qin State unified the world.
You can't become fat by eating one bite, everything must be done step by step.
Hearing Chen Mu's words, Jushou also said with regret: "What a pity, Xuzhou and Yanzhou are obviously close at hand..."
"Alright, Duke Yu, don't worry. Once we defeat Yuan Shao, they will all be nothing more than withered bones in the grave."
Chen Mu smiled, stood up, stretched, and said, "Let's go."
Jushou asked in confusion: "Where to go?"
"Langya Kingdom."
"What are you going to do in Langya Country?"
"Go and greet..."
Chen Mu looked towards the south, his eyes deep and full of meaning: "A guest."