I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 113 If the old doesn’t go, the new won’t come.

Mid-July, Yexian County, Laizhou.

Under the blazing sun, thousands of laborers were engaged in large-scale construction on the shore of a natural bay north of Yexian County.

This place originally had no prosperous commercial port, nor was it an important garrison for the imperial navy; there were only two small fishing villages, located on the east and west banks of the bay respectively. But after Zhao Zicheng, the prefect, took office, the bay changed completely within a month.

The massive investment injected a powerful boost into the local economy, and this large-scale construction did not even affect agricultural production in Dengzhou and Laiyang.

This point was only confirmed after Zhao Zicheng took office. On his way here, he was worried that he shouldn't be too hasty in undertaking large-scale construction projects and pursuing advanced technology in farming, lest he miss the farming season.

His initial idea was to organize all the surplus labor force after the autumn harvest and make a big splash.

But after arriving in Dengzhou and Laizhou, he found that the situation was not as he had imagined. In the latter half of the third year of Xuanhe, there were already too many starving people in Dengzhou and Laizhou with nothing to do. This was because the Liao and Jin dynasties had fought many times along the Bohai Bay coast, and countless Han Chinese refugees from the Liao direction were forced to flee south.

Most of the Liao refugees fled into the Song-occupied territory of the Hebei Plain and became soldiers in a rebel army led by a man named Zhang Di.

However, a small number of refugees from the Youyan War came from coastal counties, a significant portion of whom were fishermen. Most of them chose to row boats carrying all their possessions and flee south along the Bohai Bay coast. As a result, there were many rioters and displaced people in Laizhou.

The Liaodong fishermen and refugees along the Bohai Sea coast did not have sufficient seafaring capabilities to cross the strait directly from the Liaodong Peninsula to the tip of the Shandong Peninsula via Shamen Island. Therefore, the Dengzhou region, located at the tip of the peninsula, had relatively few war refugees.

The vast majority of Liao people who fled came along the coastline, with Qingzhou and Laizhou being the first to be affected.

Zhao Zicheng was not short of money this time. After he defeated Fang La, he seized nearly a million bolts of silk and brocade in one go.

Half of the money was distributed to Chen Jian and Zhao Yue, reported to the court as tribute, rewarded the soldiers, and used for the post-war reconstruction of Hangzhou. The remaining half, about 500,000 horses, was converted into cash as much as possible through the maritime merchant Wang Chengxun and Zhao Zicheng's newly established bulk commodity exchange before Zhao Zicheng left Hangzhou.

Therefore, when Zhao Zicheng arrived in Laizhou, he possessed a vast amount of wealth.

The equivalent of 500,000 bolts of silk could be distributed in small amounts to settle all the refugees who fled to Dengzhou and Laizhou, allowing them to find work through work-for-relief programs.

With a large amount of start-up capital, the first phase of the farm's expansion was incredibly fast, and its development momentum was far more rapid than when it was in Hangzhou.

In just half a month, the initial framework of the Laizhou Shipyard was initially erected, and more docks were added along the coast.

Several existing old sand barges were requisitioned by the prefect for temporary modification and seaworthiness testing. This was to ensure that new warships could be built immediately after the Laizhou Shipyard was completed, avoiding problems with ship design at the shipyard.

Besides the shipping and shipbuilding industries, workshops in other sectors are also in the planning stages, but they are not a pressing priority.

For example, as early as when Zhao Zicheng was an official in Suzhou and Hangzhou, he had already considered the issue of cotton spinning and cotton-padded jacket making, but because the humid and sunless environment in Jiangnan at that time was not suitable for large-scale cotton cultivation,

Ultimately, Zhao Zicheng's textile technology development during his time in Suzhou and Hangzhou leaned towards deodorizing and preserving down, using alkaline cleaning agents to treat duck down, thus developing the down bedding industry.

We've finally arrived at the Shandong Peninsula, which in later generations was second only to the Northwest in its suitability for cotton cultivation. Although it's already July, past the annual cotton planting season...

However, it is better to first purchase some cotton grown sporadically by private individuals, conduct various production experiments, try to make cotton-padded jackets and quilts, or improve the spinning and weaving tools, so as to prepare for the future.

In addition, gunpowder and nautical surveying tools can also be gradually put on the agenda.

……

"Indeed, this sand barge has been modified very well. After adding stabilizing fins below the waterline, it is indeed more stable to sail across the sea, and its seaworthiness has also improved a lot. Other minor improvements have also yielded good results."

You all need to keep up the good work. You can also conduct comparative experiments yourselves and gradually summarize your findings. Don't just wait for me to guide you. In a few days, let's also modify the girder and rigging on the mast, using my improved copper pulley system.”

At noon that day, Zhao Zicheng personally boarded the first newly modified 200-ton sand barge in Laizhou Bay, letting the sailors sail out of the harbor for a spin, witnessing firsthand the trial voyage's success. Upon their return, he lavished praise upon them, rewarding all the craftsmen involved with Hangzhou silk and setting new requirements for them.

The craftsmen and sailors all bowed down to express their gratitude.

The "pulley" he mentioned is actually a pulley, which already existed on ships in the Song Dynasty. It was used to connect rigging and raise/lower sails. However, there is still room for improvement and optimization of the traditional copper pulley, such as optimizing its original bearing structure to reduce friction loss during pulling and increase labor efficiency.

Zhao Zi said that for now, they can only make some minor improvements, and further optimization will have to be done step by step later.

After giving his instructions, he disembarked. Having been at sea for half a day, he saw several officials waiting for him as soon as he landed, seemingly to report something.

Zhao Zicheng had only recently become acquainted with these subordinate officials, and they were still quite reserved when reporting to him.

"Your Excellency, two military officers transferred from Tokyo arrived in Yexian today and have been settled in the post station, awaiting your audience. According to the orders from the Palace Guard and the Ministry of War, it seems they were specially requested by Your Excellency?" Zhao Zicheng had just disembarked and first took a linen towel from a servant to wipe his sweat before asking, "Are their names Huyan Zhuo and Xu Ning?"

The subordinate official immediately confirmed the identity of the visitor, and Zhao Zicheng nodded: "That's right. Ask them to come to the government office to see me, and I will make the arrangements."

As Zhao Zicheng spoke, he mounted his warhorse and rode straight to the government office.

Before long, he met the two military officers who had been transferred there. He recognized the one in the lead; it was Huyan Zhuo, whom he had met on the way to Tokyo two years ago, who was then the military commander of Caizhou.

Huyan Zhuo still had the same unshaven beard and imposing appearance, with some characteristics of a Hu person.

The other person had a relatively clean-cut appearance, with only a small goatee around his chin, nose, and mouth. Zhao Zicheng didn't recognize him, but he could guess that it was Xu Ning.

"General Huyan, it's been two years since we parted ways in Caizhou. How have you been?" Zhao Zicheng stood up casually and patted Huyan Zhuo on the shoulder.

Huyan Zhuo, however, was somewhat reserved. In his memory, Zhao Zicheng was just a commoner student at the Imperial Academy back then, whose only noteworthy identity was that of a member of the imperial clan.

Unexpectedly, in just two years, he had already become a fifth-rank civil official and a proper prefect.

Although Huyan Zhuo made some minor contributions in the campaign to quell Wang Qing in Huaixi, it did not translate into a promotion in terms of military power. His official rank was slightly adjusted and his treatment was increased. The size of the troops he commanded remained the same. After being transferred, he was put in charge of the Xiang Army of Laizhou Prefecture.

Of course, to facilitate their work, the imperial court was somewhat accommodating, allowing each of them to bring a small number of guards and elite troops as seed units to their new posts. This would also facilitate future expansion and training, preventing them from being completely isolated commanders and avoiding a serious disconnect in the tactical and technical skills of their troops.

When Huyan Zhuo took office, he brought with him over a hundred of his own elite cavalrymen—don't be fooled by the small number; these men actually constituted a battalion. At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, apart from the Western Army's cavalry, cavalry units in other parts of the country were severely understaffed.

A cavalry battalion with a nominal strength of four hundred men actually had a maximum of just over one hundred. Two years ago, when Zhao Zicheng was robbed by Wang Qing while passing through Caizhou, Huyan Zhuo's battalion only had eighty men, and they relied entirely on receiving salaries without working to maintain their elite force.

Later, Zhao Zicheng collaborated with him, giving him some pointers on how to make money, similar to the cooperation model between Zhao Zicheng and the Liang family of Zhenjiang. He also advised Huyan Zhuo to pay attention to military preparedness. This is how Huyan Zhuo came to have a battalion of over a hundred cavalrymen; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to achieve even that.

In contrast to Huyan Zhuo, Xu Ning also brought a battalion of hook-and-sickle spearmen. Xu Ning himself was only a battalion commander, so this was essentially bringing all the soldiers he usually led. Perhaps the court considered that Xu Ning's rank was too low and posed no threat, so they stopped withholding his troops.

The imperial court transferred away Zhao Zicheng's close associates Yang Zhi, Lin Chong, and Lu Da, and replaced them with these people, which Zhao Zicheng deserved.

……

"Over the past two years, I have heard much about your talents in both literature and military affairs, and how you have repeatedly achieved great feats in Jiangnan. I am truly impressed! With your young age and already holding such a high position, your future is bound to be limitless!"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Huyan Zhuo bowed respectfully, his admiration evident in his expression.

Xu Ning, who was standing to the side, also quickly bowed and said, "This humble general, Xu Ning, greets Your Excellency. I am honored by Your Excellency's high regard for me, and I will certainly do my utmost for the country."

Zhao Zicheng offered words of encouragement to each of them, and the group became quite familiar with each other.

Zhao Zicheng didn't waste any words. He cleared his throat and gave a general outline of their work: "You were previously in Huaixi and Dongjing respectively. You may have some trouble adjusting to the new environment in Shandong. Please take your time to get used to it."

As General Huyan is the military commander of this prefecture, all the cavalry and infantry troops in this prefecture will naturally be under your command. As for Commander Xu, I intend to put you in command of all the infantry troops of the prefecture's garrison, under the direct command of General Huyan. The cavalry of this prefecture will be directly under General Huyan, and there will be no separate cavalry commander.

As for the navy… General Huyan, are you skilled in swimming and navigation?”

Huyan Zhuo quickly admitted, "Although I have sailed on the Huai River, I have never seen the ocean before, let alone sailed at sea."

Zhao Zicheng said, "In that case, I will appoint a separate commander for the naval forces in this prefecture. In name, they will be under your command, but in reality, they will be an independent army. Is that acceptable?"

Huyan Zhuo: "That would be best."

Zhao Zicheng clapped his hands, and Li Jun, his old subordinate who had come to Laizhou with him, stepped forward.

Zhao Zicheng pointed at Li Jun, then at Huyan Zhuo: "Commander Li, from today onwards, I am making an exception and promoting you to command the navy of this prefecture. However, your rank is not high enough, so you must not announce it to the outside world. Hurry up and come and toast General Huyan three cups."

As Zhao Zicheng spoke, he personally had a servant bring over a jar of wine. He broke the clay seal himself, and Li Jun quickly poured three bowls and offered them to Huyan Zhuo, who accepted them with both hands and drank them.

After clearly assigning the main military officers their duties, Zhao Zicheng let them adapt to their new environment and reorganize their troops.

A few days later, the opportunity to use them really came.

(End of this chapter)