Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 723 Water and Land

Lu Xun, a young and promising man with a quick mind, replied, "My Lord, by developing water transport, we can dredge the river and strengthen the waterway connections between counties. We can also set up transshipment hubs at important ports to facilitate the distribution of goods. At the same time, we can formulate a reasonable water transport tax policy to attract more merchants to use water transport and promote the prosperity of Yangzhou's commerce."

Sun Quan listened to everyone's speeches and nodded frequently. His plan became clearer in his mind. He said, "What you said hits the nail on the head. In this case, we will start this matter immediately. Gongjin, you will be responsible for the expansion of the navy and the construction of warships. Zijing, you will be in charge of selecting strong soldiers and training naval commanders. Ziming, you will be in charge of naval training. Boyan, you will be in charge of matters related to the development of water transportation."

Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lu Meng, and Lu Xun all responded in unison: "We will obey the Lord's orders!"

After the meeting, Zhou Yu took immediate action. He issued a recruitment order to recruit strong young men from all counties in Yangzhou to join the navy. At once, young people from all over the country signed up enthusiastically. At the same time, he summoned the best craftsmen of Soochow to discuss the warship construction plan at the shipyard. Zhou Yu said to the craftsmen: "Now Soochow wants to vigorously develop the navy, and warships are the key. You must build warships with fast speed, strong maneuverability and high defense. You can refer to the advantages and disadvantages of previous warships and be bold in innovation."

After receiving the order, the craftsmen studied day and night. They improved the design of the warships, used stronger wood, optimized the hull structure, and increased the number and area of ​​sails to increase speed. At the same time, iron plates were installed on both sides of the warships to enhance their defense capabilities. After several months of hard work, the first batch of new warships was finally launched. When these warships were tested on the Yangtze River, they were incredibly fast and flexible to operate, and Zhou Yu was very satisfied.

Lu Su went deep into the counties of Yangzhou and personally selected strong and good young men. He also selected a group of potential generals from the army and arranged them to study in a special water warfare school. In the school, experienced veterans of water warfare and strategists proficient in military tactics were hired to teach water warfare skills, military tactics and strategies. Lu Su often visited the school and encouraged the students to study hard and serve the Eastern Wu in the future.

Lu Meng carefully selected several suitable places for training in the Yangtze River and other waters and set up training bases. He formulated a strict training plan, and the soldiers began to practice before dawn every day. First, physical training, including swimming, rowing and other projects, to enhance the soldiers' physical fitness and water adaptability. Then there was water combat skills training, such as using bows and crossbows, close combat, etc. Lu Meng also often organized simulated water battles to allow soldiers to accumulate experience in actual combat. He had extremely high requirements for the soldiers, and if they slacked off during training, they would be severely punished. Under his strict training, the combat effectiveness of the Eastern Wu navy was increasing day by day.

Lu Xun led a group of officials to conduct a comprehensive survey of the river in Yangzhou. They formulated a detailed dredging plan and organized the people and craftsmen to widen and deepen the river. At the same time, large ports and transshipment hubs were built at important transportation nodes, such as Jianye and Jingkou. Lu Xun also personally formulated a water transport tax policy, giving certain preferential treatment to merchants using water transport. He sent people to various places to publicize the convenience and preferential policies of water transport, attracting many merchants to come. For a time, Yangzhou's water transport became busy, and goods were continuously transported to various places by water.

As time went by, the navy of the Eastern Wu Dynasty grew stronger and stronger, and water transportation became more prosperous. One day, Sun Quan led his ministers to the Yangtze River to inspect the navy's drills. On the river, new warships were lined up in an orderly manner, with flags flying. With Zhou Yu's order, the navy began to drill. The warships were like arrows from a bow, shuttling freely on the river. The soldiers on the warships skillfully used bows and crossbows to shoot arrows like rain. Then, the warships approached each other, simulating a close combat scene, and the shouts of killing shook the sky.

Sun Quan looked at the magnificent scene with a look of satisfaction on his face, and said to Zhou Yu: "Gongjin, the navy is so strong now, it is really your contribution." Zhou Yu said modestly: "My lord, this is all due to the efforts of the soldiers and craftsmen. I am just doing my part."

After inspecting the navy, Sun Quan came to the port. He saw merchant ships gathered in the port and workers were busy loading and unloading goods. Lu Xun came forward to report: "My lord, since the dredging of the river and the implementation of preferential policies for water transportation, more and more merchants have chosen water transportation, and Yangzhou's business has become more prosperous. Nowadays, Yangzhou's specialties are sold to various places through water transportation, and many foreign goods have also been introduced, and people's lives are becoming more and more prosperous."

Sun Quan nodded and said, "Bo Yan, you have done a great job. You have made an indelible contribution to the prosperity of Yangzhou today."

However, the development process was not smooth sailing. Once, a heavy rain caused a flood, and part of the dredged river was blocked by silt, affecting water transportation. When Lu Xun learned about it, he immediately organized people to clean it up. He personally went to the scene to command, led the people and craftsmen to work day and night, and finally dredged the river in a short time and restored water transportation.

Another time, during a naval training, a warship collided and was damaged due to improper operation. When Lu Meng learned about it, he immediately investigated the cause of the accident. He found that the soldiers were not proficient in the operation of the new warships, so he strengthened the operation training of the soldiers to ensure that similar accidents would not happen again.

With the continuous development of the navy and water transportation of the Eastern Wu, Yangzhou's strength has been increasing, and its status among the princes has gradually improved. Sun Quan knew that this was just the beginning, and he needed to work hard to achieve hegemony in this chaotic world. He continued to encourage his ministers to be proactive, while paying close attention to the situation in the world, waiting for the right time to further expand the sphere of influence of the Eastern Wu. In this land of Yangzhou with a long water charm, Sun Quan and his ministers are writing a glorious chapter belonging to the Eastern Wu, and the development strategy of focusing on the navy and supplemented by water transportation is leading Yangzhou to a more prosperous future.

After the princes left, Luoyang City seemed to have regained some peace, but in fact, there were undercurrents. Dong Zhuo was still immersed in a luxurious life, holding banquets in the palace every day, drinking and having fun with his concubines, and he didn't care about the development of the princes at all.

Li Ru, Dong Zhuo's chief strategist, was full of worries. He knew that the various princes were preparing for war in their respective territories, and once they were fully fledged, they would pose a huge threat to Dong Zhuo. So Li Ru hurried to Dong Zhuo's bedroom and tried to persuade him.

At this time, Dong Zhuo was reclining on the couch, surrounded by beauties, and the table was filled with fine wine and delicacies. Li Ru came in and bowed respectfully, saying, "My lord, now the princes have returned to their respective territories. I heard that they are all actively developing, reforming government affairs, or expanding military equipment. We can no longer be so lazy, and we need to make countermeasures as soon as possible."

Dong Zhuo waved his hand impatiently and said, "Humph, those princes are just a bunch of rabble, what can they accomplish? I have a large army and the emperor in my hands, what dare they do to me?"

Li Ru said hurriedly, "My Lord, this is wrong. Yuan Shao controls Jizhou and Bingzhou, Cao Cao occupies Yanzhou and Yuzhou, Sun Quan controls Yangzhou, Liu Bei is also trying to take Yizhou, and Gongsun Zan is vigorously developing the military of Youzhou. They are all not ordinary people. If we let them develop, they will definitely be disadvantageous to us after their power grows."

Dong Zhuo frowned, but still didn't care: "Why should I be afraid of them? My Chang'an city walls are strong, food and grass are sufficient, and my soldiers are brave. Why should I be afraid of their attack?"

Li Ru said anxiously: "My Lord, war is a changing world. Although we have the advantage now, we must not take it lightly. In my opinion, the most urgent task is to expand the military and enhance the strength of the army. At the same time, we must rectify government affairs, appease the people, and consolidate the foundation."

Dong Zhuo said with some displeasure: "Alright, alright, I get it. Don't be so worried all the time. You're ruining my mood."

Li Ru had no choice but to withdraw. However, not long after, news from all over the country made it impossible for Dong Zhuo to enjoy himself in peace. He learned that Yuan Shao had vigorously carried out reforms in Jizhou, appointed relatives to develop the territory, and his strength gradually grew; Cao Cao implemented a series of development measures in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, and agriculture, commerce, and military all improved; Sun Quan relied on the navy as the main force in Yangzhou and water transportation as the auxiliary, and the development was very colorful. Dong Zhuo realized the seriousness of the problem. Dong Zhuo hurriedly summoned Li Ru again and said: "Wenyou (Li Ru's name is Wenyou), it seems that what you said before is true, and those princes are indeed not to be underestimated. What should we do now?"

Seeing that Dong Zhuo finally took it seriously, Li Ru hurriedly said, "My Lord, although it may be a little slow to act now, it is not too late. First, we must recruit soldiers on a large scale. There are a large population around Chang'an, so we can post notices and offer generous treatment to attract young and strong people to join our army."

Dong Zhuo nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say. You go and arrange the recruitment of soldiers. Make sure to expand the military force as soon as possible."

Li Ru continued, "My Lord, in addition to recruiting soldiers, the training of the army is also crucial. We need to select a group of experienced generals, formulate a strict training plan, and improve the combat capabilities of the soldiers."

Dong Zhuo said: "Well, let Niu Fu and Li Jue take charge of this. They have followed me for many years and have rich combat experience."

Li Ru added: "My Lord, food and grass are the foundation of the army. We must increase the reserve of food and grass and encourage the people to reclaim wasteland and grow food. At the same time, we must rectify taxes and ensure fiscal revenue to support the development of the army."

Dong Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "Leave this matter to Fan Chou and ask him to urge the local officials to implement it."

Li Ru continued to advise: "Also, my lord, we must also strengthen intelligence gathering. Place spies in the territories of various princes to keep abreast of their movements so that we can respond in advance."

Dong Zhuo said: "Then let Guo Si be in charge of intelligence work. He is meticulous and should be able to handle this matter well."

Li Ru finally said: "My Lord, while developing the military, we must not ignore people's livelihood. We must appease the people, reduce taxes, and let them live and work in peace. Only in this way can we gain the support of the people and consolidate our rule."

Dong Zhuo said, "Okay, you can discuss these matters with Wang Yun. He is usually very resourceful and should be able to come up with some solutions."

After receiving the order, Li Ru quickly took action. He posted recruitment notices in Chang'an and surrounding counties, promising that those who joined the army would not only receive generous military pay, but also receive land and rewards. As soon as the notice was released, many young and strong men came to sign up. Li Ru, Niu Fu, Li Jue and others carefully selected young people with good physical fitness and combat potential and incorporated them into the army.

Niu Fu and Li Jue developed a detailed training plan based on their years of combat experience. Every morning, the soldiers began to exercise, including physical training, weapon use, battle formation drills, etc. Niu Fu personally supervised the training and was extremely strict with the soldiers. If anyone violated military discipline or was not serious about training, he would be severely punished.

Fan Chou was in charge of grain reserves and taxation. He went to various places to encourage people to reclaim wasteland and provided seeds and farm tools. At the same time, he cracked down on those who evaded taxes and rectified the tax order. After some efforts, the grain production around Chang'an gradually increased and taxation became stable.

Guo Si established a huge intelligence network by planting spies everywhere. He trained a group of people who were good at intelligence gathering and sent them to infiltrate the territories of various princes. Before long, intelligence about the military deployments and government measures of the princes was continuously sent to Dong Zhuo.

After Wang Yun and Li Ru discussed, they formulated a series of policies to appease the people. They reduced the tax burden on the people and organized people to build water conservancy facilities to improve the living conditions of the people. With their efforts, the attitude of the people in Chang'an towards Dong Zhuo gradually eased.

As various measures were implemented, Dong Zhuo's power began to grow. One day, Dong Zhuo inspected the training of new soldiers in the military camp. Soldiers were training hard under the scorching sun, and their shouts were deafening. Dong Zhuo looked at the neat and orderly troops and said to Li Ru with satisfaction: "Wenyou, thanks to your reminder, our army now looks brand new."

Li Ru said: "My Lord, this is just the beginning. The various princes are developing rapidly, and we still need to keep working hard. Next, we can consider taking the initiative to disrupt their development rhythm."

Dong Zhuo's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he said, "Okay, when my army becomes stronger, I will let those princes know how powerful I am!"

However, while Dong Zhuo was actively improving his strength, the various princes were also paying close attention to his movements. Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others knew that Dong Zhuo was still a major obstacle to their domination of the world, and a bigger storm was quietly brewing in this chaotic world. Whether Dong Zhuo could occupy a place in the future hegemony among the princes with this series of measures was still unknown. But at this moment, he had already embarked on this path of improving his strength and consolidating his rule, and was striving forward in the ever-changing situation.

After a long period of preparations in their respective territories, the strength of the various princes had increased significantly. Yuan Shao saw that the time was ripe and decided to launch another campaign against Dong Zhuo to demonstrate his position as the leader of the alliance and to weaken Dong Zhuo's power, thus removing obstacles for his own pursuit of the world.

Yuan Shao sat in the study of his residence in Jizhou with a solemn expression. He held a brush in his hand and wrote quickly on the bamboo slips. Letters were completed quickly.

(End of this chapter)