The means of transportation to the capital was still the train. Because of the freight, the train tickets were getting more and more expensive.
The railway tracks were still the same as before. The speed of the train powered by the steam engine was not fast. It was slow and couldn't travel much in a day. At least, that was how it looked to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
They had a few hundred people, so they directly booked ten carriages. They also took up space in the carriage to bring back the goods. Of course, they had to spend money. Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy to get money.
"We need to speed up the laying of the railway tracks," Xiao Bei suddenly said as they were swaying in the train.
Liu Yan, who was being escorted, was not locked up anywhere else. He was still with Zhang Xiaobao and the others, but his hands were tied. Zhang Xiaobao needed to ask him properly.
Because if he was sent back to be tried, he wouldn't be allowed to die, let alone stand on the Vermilion Bird Avenue. The county magistrate couldn't let him continue to be the county magistrate, but he had to arrange a new place for him to see how capable he was.
At this time, Liu Yan still didn't know what his future fate would be. Anyway, he was caught, and the reason for being caught was very strong. He thought that he would be free for a while, so he didn't show any respect to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. In fact, he didn't show any respect before, otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of stepping on Zhang Xiaobao to get to the top.
When he heard Xiao Bei's words, he laughed and said to Xiao Bei, "Do you know how much it costs to increase the railway tracks? Now, if we don't fight with the cannibals and save cannonballs and bullets, maybe we can add another railway track. War is a waste of manpower and money, and so what if the war is over? Can you personally go and occupy other people's land to farm? "
"What do you know? You can't even come up with a plan for economic development, yet you still have the face to discuss national affairs with me. When I said that we should increase the number of railway tracks, I didn't say that we should increase them according to the current lines. I only said that we should increase the number of railway tracks at some stations. This way, we can make more rational use of railway resources.
In theory, this railway is actually more than enough. It can transport people and goods 24 hours a day at a speed of 800 miles per hour. It's just that there's always a problem with dispatching, so there's always some free time on the railway. By adding more tracks at the station, the loading doesn't need to occupy the normal running road. Once the people and goods are loaded, the train will immediately join the main line of railway. "
Xiao Bei said a lot of things to Liu Yan with an 'I know better than you' look.
"Wouldn't it be better if we didn't have to fight?" Liu Yan asked.
He was indeed a small part of the anti-war faction. The reason for the anti-war faction was that if they didn't use the soldiers for war and instead invested all of them in the construction of the Tang Empire's infrastructure, not only would the Tang Empire become more prosperous, but they would also save a lot of war materials.
Now was the critical period for the development of the domestic economy, and long-distance war was harmful to the entire Tang Empire. Most importantly, not only did war cost money, but they also had to invest a lot of money to research weapons. This wasn't right. The current weapons were good enough, and other people didn't dare to attack. Why should they research more powerful weapons?
"What do you know?" Before Xiao Bei and the others could say anything, a person who came in with a cart to deliver hot water shouted at Liu Yan.
In fact, there was no need for him to deliver hot water, and he wasn't an ordinary train attendant. He was the conductor of this train, but he wanted to take a closer look at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, so he had to push a cart over.
He happened to hear someone say something against war, so he couldn't help but scold. After scolding, he found that the person who was talking nonsense was tied up, so he laughed and said, "So it's the bad guy who was caught by Xiao Bao and Cuckoo. No wonder you said such rude things here. You're finished. You were caught by them personally, and you still want to think about it? "
"What does it have to do with you? I'm telling the truth. If we didn't fight and used all of our resources to develop the Tang Empire, our lives would be better than now. "
Liu Yan looked like he had nothing to lose. He raised his chin and signaled everyone to look outside.
The windows of the passenger cars were made of glass, and not every carriage and every train had glass windows. If one wanted to sit in such a place, they had to spend a lot of money. It was a kind of differentiation, and at the same time, it could increase the railway's income.
Whether it was Zhang Xiaobao or Wang Juan, they didn't want to cut everything. That was unrealistic. After all, the rich needed something to show their status.
The windows of the train were very thick, and they were pulled up and down. There were buckles, but they didn't have a double-layer insulation structure. Because the speed of the train wasn't fast, they could be opened when the weather wasn't cold.
Looking at the scenery outside and eating the fast food made on the train was a very good enjoyment for many people nowadays. Even those who always took the train would always talk to others about the train, the names of the places outside, and what kind of stories there were.
The weather now wasn't very cold. At noon, it would even feel stuffy, so the windows were opened halfway. The wind blew in from outside, causing the curtains to sway back and forth. However, no one fixed the curtains, as if feeling the wind was also a part of riding the train.
Seeing Liu Yan's signal, everyone followed him. The train had just left Luoyang and was heading west. The place where the train was built was also by the river. From here, they could see the Yellow River.
It was indeed very yellow. Even if they didn't deliberately think that this was the Yellow River, the water wouldn't be clear. However, Liu Yan obviously didn't want them to look at the water, but at the scenery on the river.
There were many boats on the Yellow River. The small boats were close to the shore, and the big boats were in the middle. There were no people swimming in the river. Every big boat had a flag flying, and the words on it represented the person or power it belonged to.
"Do you see it?" Liu Yan spoke at the right time. "This is the prosperous scene of our Tang Empire. It's not like before, when most of the boats on the river were fishing boats or ferrying boats between the two banks. The war with Duoshi, you all saw the newspaper a while ago, right? Our Tang Empire dispatched 10,000 boats of all kinds.
Ten thousand ships, not ten, and not a hundred. Do you know what kind of ships are going to be sent out? They're all big boats, and any one of them can hold hundreds of people.
If we don't send them and put them on the river, there won't be a need for those small boats to be busy. Not to mention that they take up a lot of space in the river, they're slow, and they carry as little goods as people. This is called a waste, a waste of resources.
And there's also the supply team. Isn't it good to transport some supplies that are needed in various places? Plus, the production of cannons consumed a lot of metal, and the investment in technology is tilted towards military. What is this called? This is called not being able to distinguish the priorities. "
The more Liu Yan spoke, the more agitated he became. When he finished, he looked up at the sky and sighed, as if he was the only one who was sober.
Zhang Xiaobao looked at the scene on the river outside and nodded with satisfaction. "The development is really good. As a big river for water transportation, the transformation and maintenance of the Yellow River must be further strengthened. I don't want to see it lose its water transportation function."
Wang Juan nodded. She knew very well what Zhang Xiaobao was talking about. In their time, the Yellow River was always cut off. Some places were affected by heavy rain, while others could be crossed in the middle of the river. The dry season and the flood season were not so regular. As a result, they wanted to not have this river. No, they wanted to make good use of it. No, they couldn't.
The conductor also sighed. "It's really good. Thinking back to the past, I didn't even dare to dream that there would be a day like this. Who could dream that we don't have to carry rations when we go out, and we don't have to hire donkey carts and spend a lot of money?
With this thing called a train, one cart can carry a lot of people. Although the tickets seem expensive, it saves time. If you really think about it, it's cheaper than carrying rations. The most important thing is that it's safer. It's much more comfortable than doing it yourself and running to the wilderness at night.
This shows that everyone's lives are better. I've been the conductor for three years, and I've never seen anyone who's not wearing enough clothes. Because there's no need to flee, the government has already made arrangements. The people have jobs to do, and the children have schools. Every day, before I go to sleep, I think about it and feel happy for a while. "
"Look at that boat. That one with the green flag. Someone is flying a kite. It's a child. Don't get pulled by the kite and fall. I won't be able to save him in time."
Xiao Bei was also looking. Suddenly, he pointed at the boat on the river. There was a child standing on the deck flying a kite. There was smoke rising from somewhere else. It probably wasn't a fire, but someone eating barbecue. Their life was pretty good.
Liu Yan wasn't satisfied with their conversation. He snorted and said, "What I'm saying is that if we don't go to war and invest all the money here, the people's lives will be better than now. I heard that the Ministry of Works has made some good things again. Other than the officials in the capital, the Tang Empire's army is also using them. Why don't they use them on the merchant ships if they're better than the steam engine? "
"Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. Do you think that if brother and sister want to go to war, we can just not go to war?" Xiao Hai, who didn't like to talk, finally couldn't help but speak up.
"You only know that there's a new machine. Then do you know what the new machine uses to work? It's oil. It's made from oil. The Duo Eater has a lot of oil. If they don't fight, how can they send us oil? Look at the oil in the Tang Empire. It's not easy to dig.
My brother and sister also said that the quality of the oil in the Tang Empire is worse than that of the Duo Eater. Also, war is also to divert domestic conflicts. You only see the prosperity of the Tang Empire. Don't you see the hidden dangers behind the prosperity? You're a hidden danger. You use the slogan of economic development to do dirty things. Humph! "
"Isn't the new machine burning coal?" Liu Yan didn't know the secret of the Ministry of Works. He asked doubtfully. His voice was much lower, and he lacked confidence.
"Burning coal? Other than the steam engine burning coal, what else can use coal? Coal doesn't have much use. "Xiao Hai gave Liu Yan a disdainful look.
Zhang Xiaobao coughed and said, "Xiao Hai, in fact, this coal can be used on other machines. First, we have to process the coal. Wait for the technology of the Tang Empire. You'll see it."
"Oh, it can be used." Xiao Hai seemed a little embarrassed. He had just taught Liu Yan a lesson, but now he realized that he had taught the wrong thing.
Zhang Xiaobao said to Liu Yan, "Your rank is not high enough, so I won't explain many things to you. There's no need to. You just need to know that Cuckoo and I are thinking further than you. The economic development of the country is a game of chess. We are the players, and there's no chance for us to go back. What Cuckoo and I need is support and trust, not backstabbing.
We rushed back precisely because of the appearance of local officials like you. Compared to the war with the outside world, you are the ones that we are most worried about. We never thought that we would lose the war, but the people of the country will have a big problem in the future.
After all, this is a society ruled by people. The most helpless thing is that the order from the top can't be followed. Each and every local official has his own little calculations and finds all kinds of excuses to harm the people. In the end, even if we kill him, it's useless. So, your thoughts are the most hateful. "
There were many things that couldn't be stopped. They could only think of ways to minimize losses as much as possible. The official's salary had to be increased, and the patrolmen had to be sent out continuously.
"Yes, the most hateful. Anyone caught by Xiao Bao and Cuckoo is hateful," the conductor said in agreement.
To him, it didn't matter what the official in front of him had done wrong. What was important was who had caught him. How could Xiao Bao and Cuckoo have caught the wrong person?
After a pause, the conductor said, "You're an official. Don't pretend that you understand. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are much more powerful than you. You're much older than them, so why aren't you the one taking the lead to improve the lives of the people? You think that the current weapons are good, but what if someone else makes them? I can't talk to you, so don't be angry. "
After teaching Liu Yan a lesson, the conductor, who had already seen Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, happily left. He still had to take care of the people in the other carriages.
The other carriages weren't like this one, which was full of people. Even the aisles were crowded with people. Some people even hid under the seats.
When it was time to eat, the entire carriage was filled with all kinds of smells. Even so, there were still many people taking the train. Compared to walking, it was faster to travel from Luoyang to the capital by train. It only took a day to reach the destination, but it would take a month to walk.
The conductor in charge of a train was very satisfied with his job. Every day, he could see people from all over the world and listen to them talk about various things. He had gained a lot of knowledge.
The most important thing was that he had a little bit of authority. He could arrange good seats for his acquaintances, and he didn't even need to buy tickets. When there were empty seats, he could sell some goods from the two places, which was an extra income.
The more the conductor thought about it, the happier he became. He hummed a tune that had changed who knew how many times as he pushed his water trolley. He planned to personally serve the other passengers today.
What he didn't know was that his actions were exactly what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were helpless about. Normally speaking, they shouldn't have done what he did, but they couldn't do anything about it even if they wanted to. Everyone in society would think of ways to make good use of their power, even if it was just a gatekeeper.
There was no need to talk about officials, but the danger of an official was greater than that of a conductor.
After eating two meals on the train, the train finally arrived at the capital in the middle of the night. It could have been faster, but other carriages came in and stopped at stations, so time was wasted.
The capital's train station wasn't in the main area of the capital. It had a total of six lanes, four for loading and unloading goods, and two for people.
The reason why the train station wasn't in the innermost area was because there were too many goods. They had to be unloaded and moved to other places. If the carriages were placed in the main area, they would either bump into people or be delayed by pedestrians.
Just like Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's train, the current train station was also brightly lit. There were people working and people waiting to go out. They didn't care whether it was day or night.
Almost everyone who was waiting to board the train had prepared one or several large packages with food inside. After all, the food on the train was too expensive, or the things that they had to bring to other places. Everyone was chatting with different accents, which made the train station very lively.
The difference was that there were no thieves here. To be precise, thieves were an occupation that was almost extinct in the Tang Empire. Those who were caught stealing or robbing were directly sent to the mines to work without having their hands chopped off or beaten.
If they were caught stealing, there was no one who directly took out a knife. Otherwise, they would be beaten to death. Even if they survived, they would be sent to the authorities to be beaten until they surrendered.
It felt that this new law was very inhumane, but the effect was very good. After all, not everyone had nothing to do and wanted to be a thief or robber. Once a group of people were caught working, there would be fewer thieves in the market.
Today, the people waiting at the train station in the capital found that the situation was different. There were obviously more security officers around. They could even see the capital's army, patrolling back and forth in groups.
In the middle of the night, the sound of horses galloping could be heard. It was similar to the rumbling of a train. With the help of the lights, the literate people immediately knew which team was coming.
"Tibetan Underground Cavalry Camp? Who are they arresting? Who came here by train? " A person carrying a large package saw the flag of the cavalry team and said to a person who was chatting with him. It was obvious that he wanted to show off. He knew the Tibetan Underground Cavalry Camp.
The person who listened to him was very cooperative. He looked at the team curiously and asked, "Is this the legendary Iron Cavalry Camp?"
"Yes!" The man nodded and continued, "The Iron Cavalry Battalion is Xiaobao's wedding gift to Yaojuan. There are eight battalions, a total of eight thousand men. Each of them is good at war, and any one of them has at least three lives on their hands. Usually, they take turns going to the northeast of the grassland to fight with the local people, so that they are not rusty.
You can't easily see them in the capital, and even if you see them, you can't recognize them. They don't usually use flags, and their clothes have no symbols. But, I said 'but'. Once they wear clothes with symbols and raise the flag of the Iron Cavalry Camp, something will definitely happen. "
"Oh, oh, so that's it. Big brother, you know so much." The obedient person said enviously. He really didn't know that he was not from the capital. He came to the capital to send his child to participate in the imperial examination next spring. He had to leave his child here. He had to go back and bring some special products from other places to the capital to show his hometown.
"I'm from the capital. Three generations of my ancestors have lived in the capital. I'm also going to West Lake to visit my relatives. I'll talk to you on the way."
"That's great. Big brother, look, there's another group of people with words on their chests. Who are they?"
"Ah? There are words, let me see, oh my Heavens, the Jinwu Guards? Brother, that's the Jinwu Guards. They protect the Emperor. I was wrong. The Iron Cavalry Camp is not here to arrest people. They should be here to pick people up. "The person was so surprised that his voice trembled.
The other person also opened his mouth. After a while, he swallowed his saliva and asked, "Pick who up? The Emperor is here? "
"Absolutely. Otherwise, why would the Jinwu Guards come out? Pick up … the Miao Protection Team? I know who to pick up. Did you read the newspaper a few days ago? It said that Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are back. They should arrive in the capital today. Maybe the Emperor is anxious to wait, so he came here personally. It's midnight. When will I come back? Just send a seventh rank official to pick me up. "
"Big brother, we can't count on it. Do you think I can see Xiao Bao and Cuckoo with my own eyes later? I've never seen them in person. I saw the Emperor in the movie. It would be great if Xiao Bao and Cuckoo can be filmed. "
"You have to see which lane to take. There are two lanes. If you're lucky, you might be able to see them from afar. It's not good to be too close. There are many people at the station. If someone has bad intentions and hurts Xiao Bao and Cuckoo, it won't be good."
"I know. Even if you ask me to go closer, I won't go."
Li Longji really came. He was idle and had nothing to do. When he heard the news that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were coming, he couldn't sleep, so he asked Gao Lishi to organize people to go to the train station to welcome them and ask about the situation outside. At the same time, he showed that he valued Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
As a result, when he came out, the other officials also heard the news. Whether they were sleeping or doing other things, they all got up, dressed, and came to the train station. Since the Emperor valued them, who dared to stay at home?
Of course, the officials who came were all fifth rank and above. They all wanted to see if there were any changes in Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, who had been running around outside for a long time.
The benefits of war had already been shown. First of all, there were slaves. The war hadn't ended yet, but there were already 160,000 slaves sent to various dangerous mining areas.
Then there was the meat and fur of various animals. The meat was salty, very salty. Usually, no one liked to eat it, but it was hunted from far away, so it tasted different. The first batch had already been shipped to the capital, and each family was given some.
In fact, it was those who were qualified to participate in the imperial court that deeply felt the speed of economic development in the country, especially the statistics from last month. In many places, the people who had participated in the labor training in the early stages had begun to play a role.
Their work efficiency was clearly different from before. In some places, it had even doubled. The grain output had also increased, and the autumn harvest data was there for all to see.
Not to mention the distant capital, just the nearby workshops, docks, and train stations were all bustling with activity. There was almost no idle person in sight.
Originally, they thought that during the war period, the domestic economy would stagnate or temporarily regress. Unexpectedly, as the war continued, the domestic economy increased by a large margin. It was different from previous wars.
It seemed that the war was consuming the domestic resources, but in the end, it increased the domestic production capacity. It was very miraculous. Just as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had said, an active and controlled war could promote the domestic economy. In the process of war, not only did it consume resources, it also increased the number of new jobs and accelerated the transformation of production technology into productivity.
That's right, just as the two of them had said, the domestic production efficiency was indeed low before. It wasn't fully developed. There was production only when there was consumption, and only when there was production would people be forced to search for technology.
"It seems very simple, right?" Li Longji said to the person next to him as he waited for the train to arrive.
The person standing next to him was Yu Wenrong, who didn't return home tonight. He was working in the Secretariat, and it just so happened that they were together when they came out.
Yu Wenrong pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "It's not simple. The timing is too good. The moment the war broke out, the domestic policies were passed. There are twelve policies, and if they were issued too early, there wouldn't be any effect. If they were issued too late, there would be chaos. Using war as a means to stimulate demand and divert the new contradictions in the domestic economic development.
If Xiao Bao hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have been able to think of it no matter what. Right now, all the industries in Great Tang seem to have been sorted out. As long as they want to do something, everyone has something to do. It's easier for the local officials to manage the local areas. As long as they don't make any stupid moves and deal with it according to the normal economic development, they can wait for the fiscal revenue to increase this year.
At the same time, they can enter the military and serve as conscripts for a period of time. There are fewer idlers in their daily lives, and with the promotion of Your Majesty's movie, the hearts of the people are more stable. "
Li Longji's eyes narrowed as he listened. He knew that the national treasury would be more abundant this year, and when the time came, he would be able to use the money to carry out infrastructure projects such as building roads and bridges. A portion of it would be used for medical treatment and a portion for education. Who would dare to say that he wasn't a wise ruler?
Had there been anyone in the past who had done what he did? Was there?
The more he thought about it, the happier Li Longji became. He then asked Yu Wenrong, "What should we do now?"
"The policy of raising honest people with high salaries has to be carried out. We need to send more Patrol Inspectors, and those who are caught will be severely punished. This subject and my colleagues have discussed this matter. Right now, the most dangerous thing isn't the corruption of the officials. Instead, it's for the sake of political achievements, not considering the local situation.
In the end, when the money is invested and the people are mobilized, in the end, there are no corresponding benefits. Instead, the unreasonable projects will use up all the money. The people will suffer for nothing. What they lose is not only the money of the imperial court and the people, but also the hearts of the people. If the people are cheated a few more times, in the future, when the officials want to organize them to do things, they will definitely not trust them.
"Another thing is the telegram that Xiao Bao sent back when he was in Hongnong. Liu Yan is a person who is anxious to show off and get results. He even dared to overturn Xiao Bao's plan. If this isn't crazy, then what is?
Since there are people who want to overturn Xiao Bao's plan, then what about the other officials? Thus, this subject and my colleagues feel that the evaluation rules should be changed. It shouldn't be about how much the local government's finances have increased or how fast the currency has circulated.
It should be about how much of the local resources have been used when you were a local government official. How much of the income of the people have increased? How many people can't find a job. You just want to use data to prove that your results are good. We don't agree. "
Yu Wenrong said a lot. He knew that this was his problem. If he waited for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to mention it, then he would be neglecting his duty. The two of them had already built up a good foundation. Did he have to leave everything else to the two of them? Then what's the point of him being the head of the secretariat?
Li Longji was satisfied with Yu Wenrong's answer. "A new era has begun. In this new era, there will be new problems. You all need to think about it carefully. If you manage people well, then the world will be peaceful."
"Your Majesty's words are extremely correct. Normally, I must study and analyze with my colleagues. If this subject had sat in this position ten years ago, and the current development of the Great Tang suddenly occurred, this subject would have immediately resigned. This subject does not understand the complex relationship between industry and policy.
For example, this subject would want to make some changes to the land, allowing the escapees to return to the country and give them land to farm. This subject would also reduce the rent of the new land.
However, if this subject were to speak now, this subject wouldn't just focus on the land issue. Instead, this subject would work on other aspects at the same time, just like Xiao Bao's twelve national policies.
This subject's way of thinking has changed. At the same time, the way of thinking of the people in the various industries has changed as well. If we can't keep up with the speed of change and make preparations in advance, once a problem appears, it will be difficult to solve it.
Thus, the new era is good, but the problems we face are more complicated. We, as officials, need to improve our abilities and standards. We need to learn well. "
Yu Wen Rong once again analyzed the current situation, his expression grim.
Li Longji also stopped smiling. He also understood that the current Great Tang was developing too quickly. This was especially so when a portion of the technology was converted to civilian use. All sorts of problems would appear. Sometimes, one would suddenly wake up from one's sleep, thinking that it was all a dream.
Gao Lishi suddenly spoke up, breaking the heavy atmosphere. "Your Majesty, actually, there's no need to be too worried. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo are still young."
"Right, Lishi is right. With Xiao Bao and Cuckoo around, we realize that they aren't tired of controlling the situation at all. Every step has been calculated. What should we arrange for the two of them to do this time?"
Li Longji was relieved. However, he began to worry about the positions for Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
It wasn't just him. All of the officials in the royal court felt the same.
Amidst the silence, the rumbling of a train could be heard in the distance.
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