Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 140 Xu Da (Happy New Year)
In September of the 14th year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang transferred more than ten guards from the vicinity of Nanjing City to Beijing to strengthen the Beijing camp.

He led an army of 100,000 from the Beijing camp and marched towards Peking.

This meant that he left an army of 200,000 to Zhu Biao, and he only took one-third of the elite soldiers to the north.

He thought this was too much.

Because the new rifle named Hongwu 14th Type had been equipped in the army for more than half a year, and the soldiers of the Shenji Camp trained every day, he was naturally aware of its power.

In addition to rifles, the 30,000-man Shenji Battalion also had cannons and grenades, which were enough to flatten the entire grassland.

Even if Nahachu had an army of 200,000, it would not matter. Generals such as Xu Da and Guo Xing in Peking, Feng Sheng in Datong, Yang Jing, Zheng Yuchun and Ma Yun in Liaodong all had heavy troops under their command.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang boldly took only 100,000 people with him, unlike his previous expedition to the northwest and Yunnan, when he took more than 200,000 people with him.

After Zhu Yuanzhang left, Zhu Biao began to govern in all aspects.

The first thing he had to do was build the road!

To be rich, build roads first.

After the cement plant and Nanjing Iron and Steel Plant were established, there was no shortage of building materials.

Zhu Yunfeng also got a small cement mixer, and the first step was to convert the rammed earth roads around Nanjing into cement roads.

Although all kinds of tools are available, there is no civil engineer in the Ming Dynasty. All the workers are recruited craftsmen. It is unrealistic to expect them to be professional and meet national standards.

However, the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty were not ordinary craftsmen. They were craftsmen who were willing to risk the lives of their entire clans. They could even repair the imperial mausoleum for you, let alone simple cement paving and laying some steel bars.

Zhu Biao ordered the Ministry of Works to plan roads and summon craftsmen, and asked the cement plant and steel plant to prepare raw materials. After determining which roads to build, construction officially began in October.

In addition, they planned to dig canals, build water conservancy facilities, and obtain modern steam engine design drawings to build steam engines for steelmaking.

Zhu Yunfeng had previously planned to follow my country's early days and directly import equipment from the Russian big brother, skipping the first industrial revolution and directly entering the second industrial revolution to use the electric system to make steel.

In fact, he had already made plans.

Because he had a modern steel plant and related equipment, he could gradually increase Wu'an's steel production capacity. After pacifying the north, he would open a power plant and steel plant in Qian'an.

By then, the iron ore and coal reserves in Wu'an and Qian'an alone will be enough to supply the entire Ming Dynasty.

But Zhu Biao felt it was still too slow.

As Zhu Yunfeng said, Ant Moving generally buys small thermal power generators with a power of 10,000 from Hyundai, builds 20 of them, and builds a power station with a power of 100,000 in two places, and the power generation will increase dramatically.

If we purchase a large number of small electric arc furnaces, as long as there are about 100 units, it is not impossible to produce several million tons of steel or even tens of millions of tons of steel annually.

But this requires a slow process. It is impossible to get so much equipment at once. It would be too long.

Secondly, what about the train?
As the most important part of land transportation, trains are even more important than cars and are something that must be built.

However, they do not have the relevant capabilities and industrial manufacturing for internal combustion engines and electric trains. Even if they get the design drawings and plans, and have sufficient supply of raw materials, they do not have the relevant technical personnel to implement them.

Therefore, this poses a very embarrassing problem.

The Ming Dynasty's energy system has been upgraded from steam power to electricity, so there is no need to worry about technology; it is entirely possible to get technical plans and design drawings from modern times.

But the technicians didn't.

For example, electric trains require related electric power technologies, such as pantograph technology for obtaining electricity from external power sources, as well as power grid laying technology along the way, energy storage technology, control system technology, etc., which all require people to implement.

The internal combustion engine does not require so many technology trees to be lit up. Currently, Ming Dynasty has steel and grinding tools such as lathes. You can buy lubricants and design drawings from modern times and make it yourself.

But there is no oil.

In addition to lighting up the oil refining technology, we also have to engage in oil and light up the oil extraction technology.

Even if you bring all these technologies from modern times, they will be meaningless if you don’t have the technical talent to turn them into reality and light up these key technology trees.

This requires a solid basic education.

The foundation of my country's later generations was laid in the first three decades, when we launched a literacy campaign and compulsory education, and only then did we reap the demographic dividend. After the reform and opening up, the economy took off in the 21st century, dazzling the world.

The Ming Dynasty couldn’t do that because it didn’t have the foundation.

Even if we use modern knowledge, such as projectors and other tools, and provide guidance from famous teachers, it will take at least a dozen years to train a group of high-quality science and engineering engineers.

So taking all factors into consideration, the only choice for the Ming Dynasty was the steam locomotive.

There is no need to click on additional technology trees, all you need is coal and water. Modern times also have high-power steam engine blueprints, manufacturing tools and high-end raw materials, so making steam engines can be said to be a piece of cake.

Besides, steam trains aren't that bad.

Even in the 21st century, steam power is not completely obsolete.

A highly utilized steam locomotive can run at over 100 kilometers per hour. Even some developed countries still retain and maintain a large number of steam locomotive operating lines.

Therefore, after Zhu Biao raised this issue and discussed it with Zhu Yunfeng, Zhu Yunfeng felt that he was indeed short-sighted, so he decided to support Zhu Biao's idea of ​​​​grasping both electric power and steam power and making both strong.

So, under the leadership of Zhu Biao, the Ming Dynasty vigorously started the first industrial revolution of the Ming Dynasty - building a large number of cement roads, creating steam engines, and preparing to start building railways next year to build the Ming Dynasty's industry!
In addition, we must speed up the improvement of education levels.

We continue to open schools in Nanjing City University and introduce advanced projector technology, which are filled with video tutorials by famous teachers from key primary, middle and high schools in my country.

Although it is just a class course and there is no question-asking session or going to the teacher's office to inquire after class, the tutoring by famous teachers is very thorough and can be watched repeatedly, so it is not impossible to learn.

In this way, we will strive to train several batches of high-quality talents within ten years.

of course.

You don't need a very high level of education. A high school education is good enough. After all, the science and engineering education in the Ming Dynasty started from scratch. It's a blessing if you can learn some.

At the time when Zhu Biao proposed an important program, predicting that within ten years, basic education would be vigorously developed, the first industrial revolution of steel production would be carried out, and railways connecting various prefectures, counties and towns would be built in the Ming Dynasty.

Old Zhu also arrived in Beiping City in early November of the 14th year of Hongwu.

In the afternoon, Xu Da, 50 years old this year, stood outside the south gate of Peking City, gazing into the distance.

On the southern horizon, you can see countless people crowding together in a line, slowly moving towards the city of Peking.

At the front of the team was a tall carriage pulled by four horses.

The shaft and axle seemed to be made of steel, with a locking spring underneath, and the wheels were a black object he had never seen before.

This carriage was built for him by craftsmen from the imperial farm. The tires were car tires, the carriage was made of a thin layer of steel to protect against bows and crossbows, and there were shock absorbers on the axles.

To be honest, it's not possible to get a car for Lao Zhu.

Because Zhu Yunfeng's cellar was relatively small, he didn't dare to dig randomly for fear of damaging the space nodes and could not fit a four or five-meter-long car.

Those machines were disassembled into parts and then sent to Daming for reassembly. They were all small items. The largest one was the generator unit of the steel plant, but it could also be disassembled.

Sedans and SUVs cannot be dismantled, so naturally they cannot be driven in the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, if he wants to travel long distances, he can only help Lao Zhu solve the difficulties of travel under the existing conditions, and naturally he can only build such a carriage.

But even so, Lao Zhu was already very satisfied.

Even if we get a car, although jeeps and other off-road vehicles can drive on dirt roads, without gasoline, the car would have to be filled with gasoline before it could set off, which is really unsafe.

It is this kind of carriage that makes Lao Zhu feel more accustomed and comfortable.

The carriage slowly stopped outside the city of Beiping. On the open space outside the city, Xu Da came to greet them with his generals including Guo Xing, Lu Zhongheng, Wu Gao, Cao Tai, and Han Xun.

Among these generals, except Guo Xing who was Xu Da's deputy, Lu Zhongheng was punished by Zhu Biao for slandering Zhu and was sent to Beiping to serve his sentence and make meritorious contributions.

The rest were either the second generation of nobles or high-ranking military generals such as the commander-in-chief of Beiping and the commanders of surrounding garrisons.

At this moment, facing Old Zhu, Xu Da and the others went forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang lifted the curtain and got off the carriage. Seeing Xu Da, he smiled, walked up to him quickly, helped him up, looked him up and said, "My great general, get up quickly!"

"His Majesty!"

Xu Dahan smiled and lowered his head slightly, not daring to look directly at Zhu Yuanzhang's face. "Everyone, get up."

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke to everyone again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Everyone put down their hands and straightened up.

Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Li Wenzhong and Fu Youde, who were accompanying the army, to place the army outside the city for rest.

Then he put his arm around Xu Da and walked towards the city, smiling and saying, "My great general, how are you doing lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am fine."

Xu Da said hurriedly, "I was a little sick last time, and Your Majesty gave me medicine. It was really a miracle medicine. One pill cured me."

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that Xu Da would die of back carbuncle in two years, so he sent someone to give him some amoxicillin, erythromycin, mupirocin ointment and the like in advance, and told him how to use them.

Xu Da is naturally not sick now, but last time he had a sore throat, he took a pill of Amoxil and it got better, which made him feel extremely miraculous.

"Hahahahaha."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "You should take care of yourself. My Great Wall depends on you alone."

"Your Majesty's decree, I will keep it in mind."

Seeing that he was in a good mood, Xu Da also replied with a smile.

Zhu Yuanzhang entered the city with him.

The two people talked and laughed.

People in later generations said that Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da were childhood friends and had known each other since they were young, but that is not true.

Zhu Yuanzhang's only childhood friends were Zhou Dexing and Tang He. They were from the same hometown as Xu Da, but they were not childhood friends.

That is, people from the same county and township did not know each other before.

It was not until Zhu Yuanzhang returned to his hometown to recruit soldiers when he was in his twenties that he met Xu Da, and they hit it off immediately.

But this did not prevent Zhu Yuanzhang from being nice to Xu Da.

After all, even his childhood friend Zhou Dexing was killed by him. The identity of childhood friend is not a life-saving talisman. Old Zhu values ​​Xu Da's character more.

Loyal, cautious, brave and intelligent.

He knows what he should and should not do, and his children are well educated so they will not step on Zhu's sore spots.

Therefore, Xu Da's family stood firm for more than two hundred years.

Even in major cases such as the Hu Weiyong case and the Lan Yu case, he was not affected. From beginning to end, it was the performance of Xu Da and his family descendants that reassured Zhu.

Just like now.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang forced Xu Da to walk side by side with him, Xu Da did not dare to resist, but his steps were always slower, making him half a body length behind Zhu Yuanzhang. The fact that he did not dare to walk side by side with Zhu Yuanzhang was the best proof of his resistance.

Sometimes even Zhu Yuanzhang himself felt that Xu Da was too cautious and humble.

But perhaps this is exactly why Zhu Yuanzhang was so confident in Xu Da.

The two entered the city and moved into the residence of Prince Yan in Peking.

The Prince of Yan's Palace was completed as early as the 12th year of Hongwu, and was originally intended for Zhu Di to use when he became a fief in the 13th year of Hongwu.

But if it wasn’t by chance that Lao Zhu traveled to the modern era, he would have been delayed.

This mansion was originally the Longfu Palace southwest of the Yuan Dynasty's Dadu Imperial Palace and was the residence of the crown prince of the Yuan Dynasty.

After Xu Da conquered Peking, the Yuan Dynasty's imperial palace was abandoned and uninhabited, and it was almost in ruins.

So after Zhu Yuanzhang arrived in Beiping this time, he temporarily lived in his son's house.

Entering the Prince of Yan's Mansion, Old Zhu saw that the newly built mansion was brand new and the palace staff were all complete, except for Zhu Di who was about to come and take over the fiefdom. He was very satisfied and said, "It's well built."

Xu Da smiled and said, "I have received your Majesty's order, so I dare not neglect it. I will supervise the work day and night, hoping that His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan will be enfeoffed as soon as possible."

"He has other assignments, so I guess he can't come."

Thinking of his own son, who had become a fat otaku, often smoking and drinking, and going to the Jiefang West Bar in Changsha to dance with his sister, Zhu Yuanzhang burst into tears and waved his hand, saying, "This mansion will be changed to the Duke of Wei's Mansion in the future. You can live there by yourself."

Xu Da was shocked and said hurriedly: "No, this was originally the residence of the Prince of Yan, how dare I trespass."

"You."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and shook his head, saying, "I've been too cautious in my life. What I give you is yours, what are you afraid of? Besides, the fourth son can't come, so it's a waste to keep the house here. No need to say more, just live here if I let you live here. When I return, I will order it to be changed into the Duke of Wei's Mansion. It's up to you whether to live here or not."

Xu Da smiled bitterly and said, "I respect your majesty's order."

Entering the hall, Old Zhu was sitting in the main seat. At this moment, Xu Da and others, as well as Li Wenzhong, Fu Youde, Lan Yu and others also came in.

Everyone stood in the center of the hall, headed by Xu Da, and formed a square formation according to their military rank.

Seeing everyone coming in, Lao Zhu waved his hand and said, "Everyone sit down and discuss the matter."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Everyone then sat down in two rows on the left and right.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "This time I came to Beiping to wipe out Nahachu in one fell swoop and bring the entire Liaodong, Changchun and other places under the rule of the Ming Dynasty."

Xu Da asked in surprise: "Your Majesty, winter is coming soon. Will we go to war in winter?"

"It doesn't matter."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "I have prepared a large number of cotton-padded clothes, cotton-padded pants, and cotton-padded shoes, so I am not afraid of the cold."

Then he said to Li Wenzhong: "Wenzhong."

Li Wenzhong immediately took off his cotton coat, handed it to Xu Da and said, "General."

Xu Da took the cotton coat, felt the cotton wool inside, and said in surprise: "This coat is so warm."

It was already November, and although it had not snowed in Beijing yet, it was already very cold, almost a few degrees below zero.

However, unlike the Northeast and the South, Beijing is relatively dry and cold, so as long as you put on more clothes, you can basically keep out the cold.

In contrast, the south is damp and cold, and temperatures a few degrees above zero can make people shiver no matter how many clothes they wear.

The situation in the Northeast is even worse, with temperatures of dozens of degrees below zero. Without heating and thick clothes, it would be enough to freeze to death in a short time.

However, the winter clothes of the common people in ancient times were stuffed with reed wool, which could not keep out the severe cold. Only the powerful and wealthy had fur coats, so wars in ancient times were rarely fought in winter.

But seeing that this cotton-padded jacket was thicker and warmer than ordinary cotton-padded jackets, and that it contained a lot of cotton wool, Xu Da was surprised and then delighted, saying, "If every soldier in the army had this kind of jacket, we would be able to fight well."

Guo Xing also stepped forward and touched it, and said with a smile: "It is snowing heavily in Liaodong now. Nahachu must be spending the winter there and would not expect us to send troops. This is a good opportunity to catch him by surprise."

"Ah."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded: "I think so too. You have been in the north for a long time. Do you have any good strategies to defeat the enemy?"

Xu Da thought for a moment and said, "I think we can first send the army to Guangning, then march north along Guangning, rush thousands of miles, and directly attack Jinshan. This will definitely catch Nahachu off guard!"

Guangning is Jinzhou, and Jinshan is Shuangliao. The straight-line distance between the two places is more than 300 kilometers, but the area in between is flat and there is almost no strategic location to defend!

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Great, the general's plan coincides with mine. Tomorrow the army will rest in Beiping for a day, and the day after tomorrow we will go straight to Guangning. All the soldiers will join me in a surprise attack. I want to capture Nahachu alive!"

"Yes!"

All the generals stood up and bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang.

(End of this chapter)