The big man has a living father

Chapter 109: Architectural Talents

Huo Hai didn't expect to meet Liu Che's caravan at the ferry.

Now that we've met, let's go together.

After Liu Che boarded the ship and was ready to set off, he saw Huo Hai's convoy and shouted to stop and ask them to wait for a moment.

When Liu Che saw Huo Hai jogging towards him in a scoundrelly manner, he wanted to hit him.

Although Huo Hai has become whiter and stronger recently, he is still not as cute as the skinny little dark boy he used to be.

He looked like a real pretty boy, and the more Liu Che looked at him, the more he wanted to hit him.

After Huo Hai boarded the ship, Liu Che asked: "I heard that you chased and hacked Dong Yan in the street?"

Huo Hai cupped his hands and said: "I have made up my mind. When I have made military achievements and am awarded the title of nobility, I will kill him. This way, the title can atone for the crime."

Liu Che raised his eyebrows: "You dare!"

Huo Hai raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, I have carefully studied the legal provisions, and this is acceptable."

Liu Che: "You are taking advantage of a loophole."

Huo Hai: "Then why don't you change the law, Your Majesty?"

How could Liu Che change the current provisions for this matter?
In fact, the reason for this provision is to save money.

Because there were too many marquises, all of them were heroes who opened up an era.

But to put it bluntly, Liu Che did not know these people. Not to mention these meritorious officials, even if they were members of the royal family, Liu Che would find ways to strip them of their titles if he did not know them.

In this way, the money that originally belonged to them could be used to reward soldiers to fight.

The problem is that other people would not seek merit and honor in exchange for killing someone, but Huo Hai might really do so.

Moreover, it was too easy to confer the title on Huo Hai. He was under Huo Qubing, so wasn't that just a random title?

However, the provisions cannot be changed.

After Huo Hai's men took all the things they needed to carry with them on board, the huge ship began to sail towards the other side.

Liu Che suddenly turned around to look at Huo Hai, then looked back at the opposite bank and took a deep breath.

Huo Hai would never go out to make meritorious deeds to be awarded a title and then use the title to kill people.

This lazy guy always sleeps until noon after becoming an official. Will he go to the north to fight? It would be better to let him travel and make money.

Liu Che quickly figured out what Huo Hai was going to do.

Huo Hai said this on purpose.

Dong Yan has been with him for so long, it is impossible that there is no one he knows among the guards and eunuchs around him.

Someone will definitely tell Dong Yan about this matter which concerns his life.

When Dong Yan knew that Huo Hai actually said in front of Liu Che that he wanted to kill him, he would definitely think it was true.

So what is the solution?
The answer is that Dong Yan was granted the title of marquis before Huo Hai!
Although he had an easy life as Empress Dou's lover and had everything he wanted in Chang'an, he had to go to the battlefield if he wanted to be granted a title of nobility.

As for going to the battlefield, it is not Empress Dou who has the final say, but Wei Huo.

Besides, even if Wei Huo didn't take action, how likely would Dong Yan, a weak guy, be to survive on the battlefield? Ten percent?
This is the first level.

Second, even if Liu Che thought of this, he would not stop it.

Because a necessary part of all this was that someone in the palace tipped off Dong Yan.

This is a taboo!

When Liu Che looked at Huo Hai, he was not amazed at how Huo Hai could force Dong Yan to death with just one conspiracy.

Instead, I was wondering whether Huo Hai had thought of the second level.

If Huo Hai did it on purpose and designed this trap intentionally, he would have realized in advance that Liu Che would not have rescued Dong Yan if the palace servants had passed the message.

That's two different things.

This turns from a conspiracy into an open plot.

Is it more serious to use strategy to frame a person who has no merit and no title, or is it more serious to have a palace person contacting outsiders?

It's obviously the latter.

Now that Liu Che has thought of this, he will not stop it.

Looking at the other side of the river, Liu Che suddenly wondered, who on earth is Huo Zhongru, and why is the son he gave birth to so powerful?

In the past, Liu Che thought that the reason why Huo Qubing was so powerful was because he raised him, and that he was the one who was so powerful.

But after three months of contact with Huo Hai and Huo Guang, Liu Che felt that the problem lay with Huo Zhongru.

This guy's ancestral tomb must be protected.

Thinking of this, Liu Che suddenly realized that he was not angry about this conspiracy.

Logically speaking, Liu Che should be angry since he was being plotted against.

But in fact, Liu Che couldn't be angry, because back to the first level, Huo Hai said in front of him that he wanted to kill Dong Yan.

When others are being so open and sincere, why should you be angry?
Are you angry because others are born smart?
After Liu Che realized why he was not angry, he realized that there was a third level to this matter.

Liu Che looked at the yellow surface of the Wei River blown by the river breeze, and suddenly felt that if Huo Hai was not so sluggish and was willing to truly take charge of the court, then he and his subject would definitely be able to surpass the ancient sage country boasted by those Confucian scholars.

Liu Che: "Cao Xiang and Liu Sheng have written to me asking me to rebuild the Chi Road. What do you think?"

Huo Hai: "What am I looking at?"

Liu Che: "Don't you understand what they are thinking? They built Chang'an Avenue because they want all the drivers to use Chang'an Avenue, so that their road will be popular and they can do business."

"But how much cement is needed to build the highway? What if this cement is used to build the road on the north bank?"

"If each mining area builds roads to connect to the Beichi Road, and then the Chi Road leads to the river bank, wouldn't it greatly improve transportation efficiency and make the coal mines more profitable?"

"Moreover, after the road is repaired, it will be more convenient for coal miners to go to Chang'an for consumption, and the economy will be more prosperous."

Huo Hai reminded: "Your Majesty, control the water."

Liu Che was puzzled: "Water control? What water control?"

Huo Hai: "That's right, water control, Wei River."

Liu Che still didn't understand: "Control the water? Control...oh!"

Liu Che finally remembered what it meant to control the water. Now that the Wei River was very close to Chang'an City, Liu Che and Huo Hai planned to divert the Wei River to the north.

If we build the road now, won’t it be blocked by the diverted river in the future?

You know, it's not that easy to change the course. Later, Huo Hai talked to Liu Che about it. When the city grows bigger, it will need water, and he proposed to divide the Wei River into two artificial canal tributaries.

On the one hand, it is convenient for water use, and on the other hand, it is convenient for transporting goods from the ranch to the north, which saves money.

Therefore, the planning for the north should focus on water control first and road construction later.

Speaking of water control, Liu Che said: "Zhuang Xiongpi wrote to me that the farmland north of the city is not enough for irrigation. They have come up with a way to divert the Luo River to Shangyan. What do you think?"

Huo Hai thought about it and was stunned. There was a mountain between Luoshui and Shangyan.

Could it be the well-channel method?

Liu Che smiled and said: "Where the height is not enough, we can build a stone bridge and leave a channel on it to let the water flow through it."

"What do you think we should do when the mountains are too high for water to pass through?"

Liu Che was still very satisfied with the many talented people in the Han Dynasty. Look, Huo Hai, you are not the only one who understands science in our Han Dynasty.

Huo Hai: "Do they dig wells vertically downward from the mountain, and then connect each well? It will become a tunnel in the mountain, a man-made underground river?"

The triumphant Liu Che: "..."

This well-channel method can control land salinization and bring in large quantities of clean water to irrigate areas with poor water quality.

You should know that salinization is not just a consequence of urbanization. In some places, the water is not very good. After years of irrigation, the water is evaporated by the sun, and the impurities in the water remain on the surface. Over time, it will also become salinized, and a piece of fertile land will become a wasteland.

The well-channel method of diverting water can solve some of these problems.

"Build roads wherever there are mountains and bridges wherever there are rivers. Zhuang Xiongpi is an expert in this area. It would be best if he could be brought to the research institute. On the one hand, we could teach others what he knows, and on the other hand, we could let him integrate other knowledge at the research institute to improve his construction ability."

"In the future, when we develop new cities and plan water supply, roads and bridges, I'm afraid we'll need it."

In fact, this method was not invented by Zhuang Xiongpi, but by migrant workers.

Zhuang Xiongpi just knew what was good and learned quickly, so he reported the method.

This method was really timely. Historically, this method was left in the border areas of the empire during Zhang Qian's second trip to the Western Regions. It was later known as the famous Karez.

However, this was very timely for Huo Hai, as he was about to build a large infrastructure. He did not expect that the inventor of the well-channel method was born in this era. This was really a pleasant surprise.

The boat was on the shore. Liu Che said, "By the way, is there any way to build a boat that can be driven onto by a carriage?"

Huo Hai: "A ship that can be driven onto a carriage? Simple, why would we build such a ship?"

Liu Che: "I have to inspect the Tongguan coal mine from time to time, so of course it will be useful."

Huo Hai: "Why not build a bridge across the river?"

Liu Che stared at Huo Hai: "Do you want to think about what you are saying? Do you know how wide the Wei River is?!"

Huo Hai: "How wide is the Wei River? Since the well-canal method can build a bridge over the water, why don't we build a bridge over the river?"

Liu Che: "Do you think I don't understand? The so-called bridge for water supply actually has its foundation on the ground. Even if it is difficult to build, it is not particularly difficult."

"However, the river is soft, so how can we put pillars there? Moreover, the river is turbulent, so how can we put pillars there in the current?"

Huo Hai: "Your Majesty, aren't we going to control the flood?"

Water control again? What does this have to do with building a bridge?
But Emperor Wu of Han was Emperor Wu of Han after all, and his brain was much smarter than that of ordinary people. As soon as Huo Hai mentioned it, Liu Che understood it.

Don’t you want to change the river course? Why don’t you build a bridge over the river first and then let the water flow?
It may even be possible to build cofferdams and bridges by changing the river course!

Liu Che understood: "Build a bridge to the north? That would have to be eighty or even a hundred meters long. Is that possible?"

Huo Hai: "One hundred meters is not enough. We need to build the bridge higher because the Wei River still needs ships to pass through and the bridge cannot affect the ships. If the height is higher, the distance of the bridge will naturally be farther."

Although it is difficult to build a bridge like in later generations, it is much simpler to erect a dozen floating islands with piles on the river and then connect them into a large bridge.

What's more, this bridge, which is vital to the country's lifeline, can be made of steel regardless of cost.

The specifications are higher than anything else in this era.

You know, there will be a railway on this bridge in the future!

Even if one spends a quarter's worth of steel from a steel plant or a month's output from a coal mine on this bridge, it will still be a profit.

After all, the engineering experience that can be accumulated will be the real treasure.

Just imagine, the production of 50,000 workers for several months, plus the workload of construction workers needed in the future, who could do it in this era except with Liu Che's approval?

But once this is completed, the entire research institute's architectural technology can be accumulated into a textbook.

After listening to Huo Hai's words, Liu Che also understood what Huo Hai meant: "Take this opportunity to draw craftsmen from all over the country to build roads and bridges and concentrate the knowledge and skills in this area from all over the country?"

Huo Hai: "Not just concentration, some of these people will be willing to stay in Chang'an, but a large part of them will also be attached to their hometown."

“The skills they learn here can improve the level of other places when they take them back.”

"Your Majesty, I say the same thing again. From now on, the construction industry will be the heavily taxed area."

Liu Che held onto the side of the boat and said, "I'll ask Li Cai to handle this matter right after we get back. It seems that the plan to purchase the land on the north bank needs to be accelerated. Will the income from the coal mine be enough?"

Huo Hai: "We'll know when we get to the mine and look at the account book."

Liu Che looked at the other side of the river and seemed to see a grand era.

On the wide road, there were endless cars transporting coal, steel, cement, and bricks towards Chang'an.

Not only that, but all the food and vegetables from the vicinity of Tongguan were also sent to Chang'an.

Nowadays, the price of goods in Chang'an is 1.6 times higher than that in Tongguan. If there is a hardened road, the food and other goods near Tongguan will definitely be sent to Chang'an.

All the goods from the places where the waterway leads to Tongguan, including those on the south bank of the Yellow River, will be sent to Tongguan and lead to Chang'an.

How can this be Tongguan? This is clearly a copper coin!
The situation in the north is like this because of coal mines. In the future, when cement and steel production increases, will roads be built in other directions?
If there is a wide cement road leading directly to the north bank of the Yellow River, what are the Huns? He announced on the grassland that he would march south, and the large team had not yet assembled. The Han army, which received the news two weeks later, had all arrived in Jiuyuan waiting for them to keep their appointment.

In the time Liu Che imagined, the boat had already reached the ferry on the shore.

After loading was completed, the convoy began to head north, followed by the Yulin Guards on fast horses.

Liu Che was full of enthusiasm: "Huo Hai, you have read a lot of books. Is there any emperor in history who has driven such a big carriage to tour the world like me?"

Driving a big car? Driving a big car makes Gao Huan and Gao Cheng look...

No, we still have to look at Guangshen.

(End of this chapter)