noveltune Chapter 5492 Fertile Land
Chapter 5492 Fertile Land
Chapter 5492 Fertile Land
Outside Liaodong City, where the Liao River meanders.
Because the Liao River, which flows from west to east, makes a large bend here and then turns east again, the river carries a huge amount of silt to this place during the rainy season. Under the action of centrifugal force, the silt is thrown to the south bank, causing the riverbed to rise and the river channel to narrow. Downstream, the riverbanks are flooded and the area becomes a wetland.
Therefore, although the terrain in this area is flat, there are not many acres of fertile land...
Cui Dunli and a group of officials stood on the riverbank, their official boots treading on the mud and their robes covered in mud, but they didn't care at all, their eyes fixed intently on the river.
On the river, several oddly shaped flat-bottomed riverboats were operating in their respective pre-defined sections.
Rather than a "riverboat," it would be more accurate to call it a "raft." It is almost the same length and width, with a flat bottom and a deep cabin. It has no power system and can only move by being "pulled" by ropes from the shore. At the stern, there is a U-shaped notch. Each of the two protruding parts of the U-shape has a cast iron pole about the thickness of a bowl. The poles have multiple sets of pulleys, and two iron chains extend down into the river, seemingly tethering something.
The bottom of the "凹" character features a massive cast iron gear set, with one end of an iron chain fixed to it.
At this moment, the soldiers on the embankment hung the tow rope on their shoulders, and dozens of them shouted in unison to drag the riverboat forward slowly. The tow rope was taut and straight, and every step was very difficult until someone on the boat waved a small red flag. Only then did the soldiers pulling the tow rope stop, catch their breath, and regain their strength.
Meanwhile, the soldiers on the boat used levers to move the gears. As the gears turned "click-clack," the iron chain deep in the riverbed was wound onto the iron pillar in the center of the gear, which made the pulley system work with less and less effort. With each turn, the iron chain was shortened.
The built-in "ratchet mechanism" on the gear allows the gear to rotate in one direction, and locks it in the opposite direction.
The iron chain was lifted from the water, splashing as it was pulled out, until an iron bucket at the end of the chain was dragged out of the water. The huge iron bucket had a row of iron teeth at the front, which made it easier to reach into the silt at the bottom of the river, and could also scoop up stones and debris from the riverbed into the bucket. At this point, the bucket was full of silt, weighing no less than a thousand pounds.
Without the gears and pulleys working together, it would be almost impossible to lift the weight of nearly two thousand jin (a unit of weight) along with the iron bucket and silt from the river while standing on the boat...
The iron bucket was dragged off the water, and the soldiers pushed it onto the top of the cabin. They used a large iron hammer to smash open a latch consisting of a handle and a base, and the bottom of the iron bucket opened instantly, letting a full bucket of silt fall into the cabin.
Soldiers reset and locked the latches, loosening the ratchet mechanism on the gears, and the chain, pulled by the weight of the iron bucket, re-entered the water...
The process continued, with bucket after bucket of silt being dredged from the riverbed and loaded into the ship's hold.
Once the boat was full and the riverboat was rising in the water, the soldiers on the embankment pulled the tow rope to drag the boat downstream to a fork in the river. Dozens of soldiers waiting there jumped onto the boat with shovels and quickly unloaded the silt from the boat into the fork.
The Liao River was neglected in its management, resulting in numerous river forks. During periods of high water, these forks served as flood discharge channels, while during periods of low water, the water in the forks flowed back into the river, creating a situation where the vast plains along the river were filled with swamps and densely packed rivers.
These river branches will not all be blocked. Some of the larger rivers will be used for irrigation, while the messy little branches will be blocked or filled in to become fertile farmland in the future.
……
On the shore, Cui Dunli exclaimed, "This structure is simply ingenious! Dredging waterways has always been a major challenge since ancient times. Now that we have this, the rivers of the world will soon be tamed and docile."
A volunteer from the academy nearby smiled and said, "This item was designed and manufactured under the guidance of the Grand Commandant by several students proficient in physics and dozens of casting craftsmen. It was produced at the Laizhou Shipyard. The first batch of fifty ships has already arrived in the Liao River basin, and production will continue in large numbers, becoming the main force for the empire's river management."
Cui Dunli's eyes revealed a hint of a meeting: "I still remember when the Grand Commandant said in the foundry, 'Technology is productivity,' and 'War promotes technological progress,' etc., which were truly insightful and far-sighted."
The development of Liaodong was also a war. Although there was no smoke of gunpowder, hundreds of thousands of people devoted themselves to it, fighting against nature with their own flesh and blood and will. It was more brutal than ordinary wars.
Some officials hold a pessimistic view: "Although this is a powerful tool for flood control, flood control is only the first step. Right now, things are alright because all the settlements are along the Liao River, making the transportation of supplies convenient. But the most difficult time will come when the flood control efforts along the river basin are completed and the project is extended to more distant areas."
Many others share the same view.
"The fields are muddy and there are no roads, which greatly increases the difficulty of supplying supplies. Lack of clothing, food and medicine will become the norm."
"That's right. If it were just about managing the Liao River basin and reclaiming land for farming, that would be easy. But encompassing the entire Liaodong region would be too difficult."
It wasn't that these people dared to refute Fang Jun's "policy for developing Liaodong," but rather that they were truly terrified and demoralized by the vast and desolate wilderness.
The saying "Man can conquer nature" is just four simple words, but achieving it is as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Cui Dunli frowned, staring sharply at the officials for a while, and said in a deep voice, "Without the will to win, how can one achieve such great merit? Hundreds of thousands of young men have gathered here, and the amount of money invested is as high as tens of millions of strings of cash. Are you all going to retreat here in fear of difficulties? If you are discouraged, you might as well temporarily resign your official seals, submit your resignations, and return to Chang'an to study at Zhenguan Academy for a period of time. It is not too late to return to Liaodong when you are full of ambition. However, it is still unknown whether there will still be a place for you at that time."
The officials who had given up turned pale and bowed in unison, pleading guilty in fear.
The development of Liaodong and Dongting Lake is currently the most important national policy, and countless people hope to be able to participate and make contributions.
Noble people see this as a test, while worldly people try to gain merit and use it as a stepping stone for advancement. But regardless of their motives or political views, anyone who retreats or surrenders without a fight on the front lines of development will be despised by everyone.
Being "returned" by Cui Dunli from the Liaodong Governor's Office, regardless of the reason, was tantamount to the end of one's official career. Even those with powerful backgrounds and prominent families could only choose a leisurely position in Chang'an to retire and wait for the day they would retire.
No matter how much they fear difficulties and act selfishly, deep down they still harbor some yearning to achieve great things...
Cui Dunli was ruthless and spoke harshly, leaving the officials looking embarrassed and trembling with fear, creating an awkward atmosphere.
A young official stepped forward and said with a smile, “Your concerns about transportation disruptions and supply difficulties are not unfounded. The environment in Liaodong is indeed challenging. However, your understanding of Liaodong is somewhat lacking. Although Liaodong suffers from severe winters and summer floods, it is not a barren land. On the contrary, it is full of treasures and can be described as a fertile land.”
The officials breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the steps leading down the slope.
Someone asked eagerly, "What do you mean by that, young master?"
"We are indeed newcomers and our knowledge is limited. Please enlighten us, sir."
Cui Dunli looked at the young official and vaguely recognized him as a "volunteer" from the academy, but couldn't remember his name. He asked, "What is your name, and what is your official position?"
The young man respectfully replied, "I am Yang Zaisi, a student of Zhenguan Academy. I am from Yuanwu, Zhengzhou. Last year, I passed the Mingjing examination and became a Jinshi. However, I was not appointed to an official position but stayed at the academy to study medicine."
Cui Dunli asked, "A native of Yuanwu in Zhengzhou? Is he from the Yuanwu branch of the Yang family of Hongnong?"
The young man replied, "Exactly."
The others suddenly realized, "Five surnames and seven prominent families!" They were true scions of aristocratic families, whose family background alone was comparable to, or even surpassed, that of Grand Commander Cui Dunli.
Cui Dunli glanced at him a few times, then asked, "Is your father Yang Xingbiao, the former Commandant of Chang'an?"
The young man solemnly replied, "It is indeed my father."
"Oh, so you're a descendant of the ancients. What are your thoughts?"
"Here."
Yang Zaisi said, “Liaodong is barren, but it is full of treasures. Wild vegetables such as plantain, sow thistle, dandelion, shepherd's purse, prickly ash shoots, monkey leg vegetable, and wild garlic can all be eaten locally. Toon sprouts, bitter gourd, and purslane are also everywhere. In spring and summer, we can pick wild vegetables to supplement our food supply. In addition, Liaodong is rich in coal and iron resources. We can request the foundry to send craftsmen to mine and build factories, smelt locally, and use the agricultural tools made there to support construction nearby.”
As he spoke, he took out several books from his pocket, selected one of them, and handed it to Cui Dunli.
"This is an illustrated guide to edible wild vegetables in Liaodong, compiled by professors from the medical school. It describes the characteristics, shapes, habits, and so on of various edible wild vegetables. You can pick wild vegetables in the wild simply by following the map."
Wild vegetables aren't just found in Liaodong; they're everywhere in the world.
However, many wild vegetables cannot be eaten directly and need to be processed in special ways. Some are even completely inedible and highly poisonous.
However, if such a book is available as a guide, then there is no need to worry.
Cui Dunli took the book and flipped through it. Seeing that the introduction was detailed and the illustrations were lifelike, he nodded: "The academy has spared no effort in supporting this development of Liaodong. When the project is completed, its contribution will be immense."
His gaze then fell upon the remaining books in Yang Zaisi's arms, and he asked curiously, "What are these?"
Yang Zaisi simply handed over several books: "These were all issued when I left the academy. They teach various applicable techniques, simple disease treatment methods, herbal identification techniques, and basic iron smelting methods... In short, they have contingency plans for most of the problems that may be encountered in the daily reclamation in Liaodong."
"There are actually books like this?"
"Compiling such a book requires a huge investment of both time and money!"
"No wonder the Grand Commandant is so confident in developing Liaodong; he had already made all sorts of preparations!"