Chapter 254: Chen Shi

Wei Hongji said: "Your Highness, if you open a new river on the Renmen Peninsula, it is okay to use manpower and material resources, the Shenmen and Guimen Islands must not do it. Look, although the water flow of the Renmen Peninsula is fast, you can still drive the boat. However, the Guimen and Shenmen Islands are opposite the center of the river, and the water flow is even more turbulent. Even if you can open a new river, you still have to dig it through after digging it in the middle. If you want to dig it through, you must use mud bags to fill both ends. The Renmen Peninsula barely does it, but the Shenmen and Guimen Island are in a hurry up and there is a whirlpooling water coming downstream..."

There is nothing to say behind, and even the mud bag can't be put down. Could it be that the civilians can dive into the water and drill it out with axe and a chisel?

Li Wei shook his head and said, "Wei Shaoqing, this is wrong. The peninsula may not be that easy, nor may the new river of gods and ghosts be that difficult. If you want to navigate, you must dig deep, and the two islands of gods and ghosts are just dredging, with different depths and no hindrance."

In this way, a new problem arises again. How to build a dam in the rapids to block the water flow. Of course, it is easier to dig out a hole in the upstream dam. Once the rapids rush, the two dams collapse immediately, and all silt and stones will be immediately washed away by the river water. If you want to control Danshui, it may also occur, but Danshui is not like the water flow of the Yellow River and can be compensated by other means. If you can solve this problem in the three gates and place it in Danshui, it can also be solved.

Wei Hongji remained silent. Digging a new river was ultimately a navigational one. Of course, being able to dig three more rivers on the island of God and Ghost Gate basically solved the problem of navigation and fiber pulling, which can be said to be successful. Navigation is safer, and the pressure of Shaanxi boatmen is also reduced. But navigation is the main thing, and it is for the transportation of canals. Without canals, there will be no such thing. If you can really navigate, it will definitely not work if you dig shallowly. When the water is too shallow, there will be no problem with navigation, but in the dry season, there will be no way to navigate. The Yellow River has a large water and a small water, and the gap is only about two feet. So it is clear that it is very easy to navigate.

The sailing depth may be at least three meters deep. This depth plus the height of the surface, how deep will the new river be dug? This alone is a headache. It cannot be too narrow, not to let the ships meet, it is too narrow, because it is a straight line, and the water from the gate will be divided into most parts, reaching the new river, the water flow will be as fast as the Shenmen, and the boat is still dangerous. Therefore, this width must be kept at least three meters. Not to mention the project, the waterproof dam built outside must be built in the gate, surrounding it into a half-moon shape, and at least ten meters long. Half of them may be in the rapids of the main road of the gate.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that this matter was unfulfilled, and I said three times in a row: "Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!"

It will definitely be difficult if Li Wei didn't make a statement, otherwise the problem would not be delayed until now and waited for him to solve it.

A thousand thoughts were turning around in my mind, thinking about the corrosion method, then shook my head. I also thought about the pressure explosion method, that is, digging a pit, filling it with water, covering it with wooden boards, and then watering it with iron and sealing it. Digging the pit below to burn it, using the pressure of water vapor to crack the boulder. But after thinking about it, the end result was that the thin stone in the bottom burning pit was cracked, or the top was covered and squeezed, and it was still powerless to do anything to the whole boulder. This method was decisive again.

But I was definitely unwilling to accept it. As a modern person, not to mention how much knowledge he has, he always knows more scientific principles than people of this era. He can gather the strength of the whole country. Is there really no way? Just as he watched the plank road pondering, a boat came trembling again, and the boatman was shouting horns, hunching his back, and pulling his fiber hard. When this plank road was built, there were also simple scientific principles. He used the mountain to find prominent cliffs, and then he dug out concave pits, and the hollow place in the middle was paved with wooden boards. Not all of them were suspended, and the accident rate was higher. Therefore, the heights and lows were uneven. From time to time, the figures of the boatman did not enter the concave cliff, like huge mouths, swallowing these boatman.

So he said again: "Even if it is difficult, we must find a way. Things that have lasted forever will be in one fell swoop!"

After saying that, he left and searched for nearby villages. It was getting late and he returned to Shanzhou. As soon as he entered Shanzhou City, a yamen runner reported the residence. It was Yan Liben who found relevant Danshui information for Li Wei and delivered it to Shanzhou with a fast horse.

This information is very unpopular, which also shows that Yan Liben has put his heart in mind. Of course, it is not that Liu Rengui and the others are not careful, but that they are laymen and can't help even if they want to help.

Li Wei opened it and saw that it was mostly pictures, and then a passage attracted him.

It was still the case during the Western Han Dynasty. Zheng Dang, a senior farmer, was dug by the Chang'an canal dug by Xu Bo, a water corps. It was completed in three years. This canal was 300 miles long. At first, it was based on the Ba River as its source and was also dug Kunming pond in the southwest of Xijing. It can not only train naval forces, but also ships. After the pond was completed, it diverted water from the east, which is called the Kunming Canal. It led to the Ba River being divided into two, one branch flowing into the Wei River in the north, and the other branch crossing the Ba River, connecting with the canal leading to the Yellow River. However, after the fall of the Han Dynasty, the Kunming pond was no longer water-free. After the Tang Dynasty, the canal was also connected to the time of irrigation and was only used as irrigation.

Then in the sixth year of Wude (623), Yan Chang, Ningmin, opened a canal to bring Nanshan River into the capital. This Nanshan River includes the Ba River originating from Shangluomuhuguan in Shangzhou, flowing through Lantian Valley, Tonggu, Qinggu, Wanggu, Lanxi River and Goujiachuan River that merged with the Ba River. After several waters merged, the water was huge and the ship could also drive. Yan Chang opened a canal to enter Beijing, which meant that the connection between Shangzhou and the capital was changed from land transportation to water transportation. It could also irrigate. Of course, he did not think about connecting with Danshui and communicating with Jingchu. Because the project was difficult and there was no such urgent need at that time, the canal reached Shimen Valley, and soup springs gushed out, and then stopped work.

Nothing else said.

Li Wei immediately brought the picture album and looked at the map, and suddenly understood Yan Liben's intention.

It depends on whether Li Wei has the ability to open a canal without harming the people. If so, the country canal canal canals will be opened directly. If so, it will even be directed to the Dan River, from Shangzhou to the west, then the Nanshan Zhu River, merge with the Ba River, exit Shimen Valley, Dacangguan, pass through Lantian, and arrive at Chang'an. Moreover, after arriving at the Ba River, there is the former site of the Han Dynasty's canal, which can be re-drawn and deepened. However, the difficulty seems to be not less than that of Sanmenxia, ​​with many mountains along the way, Nanshan, Shangzhi Mountain and other mountains. Although there are valleys and river valleys, in order to connect, some small hills have to be chiseled open. It is hundreds of times more difficult to split the mountains and build roads and water roads than to build roads.

Therefore, Yan Liben only wrote this old story and then said nothing.

Li Wei handed it to Wei Hongji again, but Wei Hongji didn't say anything.

The prince brought him here, and undoubtedly once the project was constructed, he would be the main commander. It is related to the transportation of the canal. Once it is successful, the contribution will be no less than military achievements. For example, from Dan to Beijing, 100% of this new canal will make great contributions to the transportation of the canal in Guanzhong. Of course, the main canal is the Yellow River. At least two thousand stone ships can be navigated. When the water is high, even five or six thousand stone ships can be entered into Beijing. No matter how the new canal is built, it will be possible to navigate the entire country. After passing through mountains such as the Qinling Mountains, it is impossible to navigate the large canal of thousands of stone ships. Therefore, it can only be an auxiliary canal.

But even if the auxiliary canal was successful, it would have made great contributions. Like the previous year, if the auxiliary canal was built, Guanzhong would not have been hungry all over the world. Moreover, this new canal could even radiate to the Xiangliu basin, and its impact on the entire country would not be small.

Qinshan is separated from the country, divided into two systems, one between north and south, and north and south, with different weather. It is impossible for the north of the ridge to be drought, and the ridge to be drought. In fact, after passing the Qinling Mountains, going south is equivalent to the south. There are very few arid climates, but floods often occur. Once the new canal is repaired, it is equivalent to preparing a large warehouse for the country. The real contribution is great.

But the difficulty may be greater, and the country's financial resources are limited because it is unhappy and unable to move.

He looked at it and said, "I still have to go and see it myself."

Li Wei nodded, called another guard and said, "You should return to the capital immediately and let the Beijing merchant Zou Fengchi come to Shangzhou to wait for the orphans."

The year before yesterday, merchants were encouraged to transport grain into Guanzhong. Zou Fengchi was rich, so he put in a lot of effort. So he got a baron who was not painful. However, under the opposition of many great scholars, after obtaining this title, people became even more despised. Several merchants who received the title were unhappy.

When Li Wei heard about it, he just sighed in his heart. Not allowing these great scholars to succeed was equivalent to success. In the future, it would be difficult for the country to mobilize merchants to contribute money and efforts. However, when Zou Fengchi transferred grain, he went from Danshui to Shang and from Shangzhou to Beijing. He should be familiar with this path.

The next day, I left Shanzhou and went straight to Shangzhou. I did not go to Shangzhou City, but wandered around the Luo River and Dan River upstream. If I wanted to open navigation, I had to increase the water source. The same principle as Zhengdang Canal. Zhengdang Canal also merged with many water sources to strengthen Zhengdang Canal. But it was not that simple. It attracted water sources to strengthen the water level. But these water sources were all upstream of the Qinling Mountains, without water when the water was dry, and the water was huge when the water surged, and even mountain torrents burst. A water source had a mountain torrent. What would the power of several water sources have? Don’t even think about sailing, and even many crops downstream were flooded. Therefore, the original dam must be built. The water flows through the sluice gate to drain the flood out of the old path.

After cutting off the water source, what should I do if the farmland downstream of the old road is irrigated?

This is not an important issue. From the map, the water is not far away, but in fact, it is very far away. Even if it is not far away, there are several mountains and no valleys connected, so I can only sigh. Therefore, a field investigation is needed.

After walking around the mountains for four or five days, I arrived in Shangzhou.

Zou Fengchi was waiting long ago, a fat and rich businessman.

After he gave the courtesy, Li Wei asked him to sit down and ask about Danshui.

Zou Fengchi replied: "The freight is too expensive."

“Tell me.”

"Danshui is shallow and dangerous. The ship loaded grain from Mianzhou and transported it to the Danshui River mouth. Because the water was shallow and fast, he had to transfer the Xiaoqiuzi boat into the Xiaojiangkou. When he arrived at Caoqiao Pass (Zijing Pass), he had to transfer the flatbed boat and used bamboo poles to support Longju Village. Then he transported it to Beijing by mules and horses. After several exchanges, the freight fee was high and the losses were heavy. The Danshui channel was forgotten for a long time, and even the number of loach ships was very small. The Han River fell.

There were many boats, but after arriving at Danshui, I had to wait. But this was the first step. After loading the loach boats to Longju Village, the number of flatbed boats was smaller and the loading was very small, and each ship was loaded less than 100 stones. Subjects had to build boats themselves. However, most of them were mountain people, who were not good at water and boat nature, so they went to the capital to hire people, and were not familiar with this place. So the boats often did not cover the goods. Fortunately, the water was fast and shallow, and many civilians did not drown."

Speaking of this, I browed bitterly.

It was very simple in the palace at that time. The price of grain in Guanzhong was high, and because it was not drought, the Wei River was even shallower, and the rice transport in the Jianghuai River could not be obtained from the capital. There was a huge price difference in the middle, so you can make money and even achieve fame. It seems that because of the palace banquet and want to establish a relationship with the government, various merchants thought hard. Some came from Luliang Mountain, some came from Bashu, but some saw this waterway. It was very convenient, and the Jingchu land and the Xiangjiang River basin to the south were also a heavy grain production area. Many merchants rushed over. Of course, this made Li Wei think of the Dan Waterway to open a zhe.

It was fine at the beginning, with a large price difference and a good reputation. However, later, the increase in grain was far from being able to afford Danshui shipping. There were too many cargoes and few ships, and the price of grain fell day by day. So I hired a boat at a high price and wanted to transfer it to the capital for emergency treatment. The freight cost surged again. In fact, not only did I not make money, but I started to lose money slightly, but the grain had reached Caoqiao Pass and could not transport it back. I had to bite the bullet and continue to transport it to the capital. In fact, the merchants transported grain two years ago, but later, many people lost money.

But after losing money and doing good things, they did not gain a good reputation, so many businessmen were frustrated.

Li Wei did not listen to his business information, and continued to ask about Danshui. After talking for a while, comforting him for a few words, he sent him away politely. After resting for a day, he moved to Caoqiao Pass. It was not without benefits. Many merchants also saw this road in this move of the merchants two years ago. Now the shipping is slightly more developed than in previous years, and they dare not transport grain. The price of grain in Guanzhong is not enough to get the freight from Caoqiao Pass to Beijing. However, the slightly more expensive materials such as fur, tung oil, raw lacquer, fungus, walnuts, medicinal materials, etc. in Guanzhong can be transported to Mianzhou, Ezhou, and the tea, silk, and cloth from the downstream can be transported to Beijing.

The small Caoqiao Pass was originally just a small village-like town, but after this change, many merchants from all over the country and flourished, and they became prosperous day by day. Li Wei did not reveal his identity, so he couldn't even find an inn and was full of room.

I looked again and found that the houses in the market town were different from those in the capital. Many were stilt houses, like when I went to some places in Nanzhao. However, he was not here to travel, but he checked the river. After looking at Caoqiao Pass, the river water began to widen, but the water level upstream was still terrible. In some sections of the river, they even rolled up their trousers and waded over the water.

Wei Hongji asked the stonemason to test the strength of the riverbed rocks, but not all of them were solid stones. Some areas also had limestone. But not all of them were limestone, and some were green granite, which were also very hard. Wei Hongji frowned again. If he wanted to repair Danshui, the project volume was huge, which was more than 800 miles long. The dangerous shoals downstream had to be removed, and at the same time he had to be deepened and widened. Although it was just a little repaired by the original river channel, it would have to be overhauled since Caoqiao was closed. At least, let the loach boats in Danshui sail to Longju Village, or even Shangzhou. From Shangzhou to Bashui, and then use flat-panel boats to complement each other with land transportation.

It is OK to cultivate, not like the three gates. There is a natural danger in the river. It is impossible to use people to pile up people. How many people are forced to drown the river water? However, the huge project volume is not allowed by the Tang Dynasty. He said unhappily: "Your Highness, I have turned around these days and have a plan to decide the Han River directly, dig a mountain pass through Yi River, and connect the three rivers of Handan Yi to the Dongdu."

Li Wei knew that he was talking sarcastic, and laughed and said, "It's not impossible, but you have to eat it one bite at a time."

Wei Hongji was even more depressed. Could it be that the prince was moved?

He went downstream again and returned to the capital.

As soon as he arrived in the capital, he was called to the Daming Palace.

Li Zhi's condition improved a little, but his spirit was still very depressed. The first sentence asked: "Honger, you want to build two channels. Although your intention is good, I would like to ask you, where does the finance come from?"
Chapter completed!