Liu Ji welcomed him out of the city, picked up Li Fugui who came to the city, and went to the prefecture yamen to rest. After serving tea, they each sat down.

Li Fugui said: "I came from Zhending Mansion by train and saw that the railway to Hejian Mansion had just passed Mozhou. How can I do this slow? I can't build Hejian Mansion before autumn, so it will be useless to prevent autumn. We must find a way to repair the railway."

Liu Jidao: "In winter, there was an earthquake in Youzhou in the north, and disasters were also caused by Hejian Prefecture. It is really not easy to recruit people. Now the road construction is still from Zhending Prefecture and Dingzhou. No one, of course, it is slow to build it."

Li Fugui said: "If the people do not have enough manpower, then use the imperial guards on Hebei Road. Except for those who are trained in the military academy, the rest of the personnel can be temporarily sent to the construction site. Before September, the railway must go to Hejian Prefecture. If it is wrong, it will be punished more!"

Liu Ji was surprised, but unexpectedly, the railway suddenly became important. As mentioned earlier, it would be enough as long as it was repaired this year. Suddenly, how could we find so many people to come out a few months in advance? There are some imperial guards on Hebei Road, but they are not easy to call. The imperial guards are used for war, but they do not have the habit of using them as wing troops, and the officers and soldiers of the imperial guards are unwilling to do so.

After persuading tea, Liu Ji said, "Taiwei, why is it so urgent suddenly? I said before that it can be repaired before the New Year."

Li Fugui said: "You don't know that the Khitan has already ordered troops and horses, and it is very likely to go south to Youzhou this year. Hundreds of thousands of troops gathered, how much food, grass and ammunition is needed? Without railways, how can the materials be transported to Hejian Prefecture? Not to mention, when the war is fought, more materials are needed."

After hearing this, Liu Ji said: "I just got the official documents of the Privy Council and ordered the military academy to be tightened. It was originally three years, so it would be best to train a group of officers before the end of the year. How can one year be enough? According to the Taiwei's words, things are more urgent than expected?"

Li Fugui nodded: "Yes, very urgent. According to the emperor's wishes, we will arrange a large army on Hebei Road this year and set off a battle with the Khitan. The troops participating in the war in this dynasty are no less than 500,000. With the enlisted civilians of various states, I am afraid there are not 700,000 or 800,000 people. The Privy Council strictly ordered the preparation of materials in advance and not to be recruited from the local area. Think about it, how much food and grass is needed?"

Liu Ji nodded and calculated in his mind that he understood what Li Fugui meant. In recent years, the imperial court had sufficient money and food, and was convenient for transportation. It was not uncommon to no longer recruit from the local area when fighting. However, although there were in the rear, it was useless to not transport it to the front line in time. Now, the materials are gathered around Kaifeng Prefecture, and it is difficult to transport it without railways.

Li Fugui is an official in charge of logistics in the Privy Council. Before the war, he must ensure that the materials are in place. This time he came to Hebei Road, he was the last inspection and chose a suitable location as the storage place for materials, and also the rear of the wartime period.

After hearing Li Fugui complain a few times, Liu Ji said, "The Grand Marshal suddenly said that there was a big war, and naturally everything was missing. Now in July, there is about three months left before the Khitans heading south in October. As long as the local area is dedicated, there will be no major events."

Li Fugui said: "It is easy to say but difficult to do. It is necessary to ensure that there is no shortage of supplies, food, and military supplies for 700,000 or 800,000 people. How is it that easy? The Privy Council decided that Dingzhou is the center of the west and Hejian Prefecture in the east. Dingzhou connects the original food, and Hejian Prefecture in the east. Dingzhou connects the original food, and Hejian Prefecture in Jingdong Road. Dingzhou has its own railway to connect to the Central Plains, which is convenient. From Hejian Prefecture to Jingdong Road, there are ponds and marshes, with water systems chaotic and water transportation inconvenient. I came here this time to straighten out the traffic from Jingdong Road to Hejian Prefecture and don't miss the war."

Liu Jidao: "So that's it. No wonder a few days ago, he recruited five or six thousand scholars from Jingdong Road and added to the military academy. It turned out that our mansion had to rely on Jingdong Road. However, it was not easy to transport grain from Jingdong Road."

If it were later generations to go north from Qilu to Youzhou, it would be the right way, but this era would not work. Due to the uncertain swing of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and its tributaries are also full of silt and sand, the terrain is very complicated. It is very difficult to transport bulk materials from Jingdong Road north. Although there are rivers to use, land transportation is very inconvenient. Li Fugui must find a way to coordinate prefectures and counties to form a dynamic transportation system.

In this era, the route to the north of the Central Plains was from Kaifeng Prefecture along the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains and had a relatively stable terrain. The route from Hebei Road to Jingdong Road is not suitable for the army to advance.

Li Fugui said: "I will talk to several commanders in a few days to ask them to summon the untrained imperial guards and help build the railway. It is really not easy to transport grain from Jingdong Road. With railways, it is much easier. Taiwei, you must prepare early and set aside the grain storage area in this area."

Liu Ji frowned: "According to this, several new cities should be built around Hejian Mansion. But it seems that it is the autumn harvest season, so where can we recruit civilians? After the autumn, the war will begin."

Li Fugui shook his head repeatedly: "If you can't recruit civil servants, let the soldiers do it. There are 50,000 troops of the Taiwei and the military academy, which can be used by everyone inside. Based on Hejian Prefecture, several cities will be built, and then food, grass, ammunition will be stored in it, and troops will be stationed."

Liu Ji nodded and didn't say anything. It was natural to use soldiers, but the Song Dynasty was not used to doing such things. Building cities and roads has always been to recruit civilians or use wing troops, and rarely use imperial guards. Judging from Li Fugui's meaning, it is obviously different now.

After explaining a few words, Li Fugui said: "Hejian Prefecture is between the Hutuo River and the Yellow River. The Yellow River is flooded in the south, and there are swamps. You can build several new cities along the Hutuo River and between Mozhou. At that time, no matter whether the army is stationed or stored grain and grass, it will be much more convenient. The Taiwei and the Privy Council set that the eastern front is based on the Hejian Prefecture, and it must be carefully prepared. Don't wait until the war, the army comes to Hejian Prefecture, and there is no place to live, and there is no place to store grain, grass and ammunition, so you can't explain it at that time."

Liu Ji said that, and thought about his own way. It was the autumn harvest season, and it was unrealistic to recruit civilians and could only use the army. As the weather was cooler and the rain gradually decreased, it was not difficult to build a dirt city.

After thinking for a while, Liu Ji said, "It is not difficult for me to order the soldiers in the army to build a city, but the materials needed must be transferred in advance. If you only mobilize them from the local area, I am afraid that you will not be able to raise so much in a while."

Li Fugui nodded: "It's not difficult. The railway has been built to Mozhou. What is missing here? The fate of people to Mozhou is. Taiwei, I want to emphasize again that this fall may be a war of nearly one million people, not comparable to the previous situation. You must know it in your heart. You must not be short of everything at that time."

Liu Ji said, "The Taiwei came from afar. I set up a banquet in the back yamen to welcome you. I will invite the magistrate Wang to come here. He is the capital of Gaoyangguan Road, so he can discuss anything. If you have any training, he will always need to agree."

Lee Fugui nodded in agreement.

With the reorganization of the imperial guards, the Privy Council and the Three Yamen reformed, the status of these commanders is no longer as good as before. Military power gradually disappeared, and the significance of military routes is actually not much. For example, on Hedong Road, with the reorganization of the imperial guards completed, several military routes have been removed, leaving only one Hedong Road Management Office. In fact, Liu Ji's commander has replaced the military route of the original Hebei Road.
Chapter completed!