My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 476 The Grand Canal?
On March 20th, Gao Yu had already arrived at Bohai County in Ji Province.

The spring rain was drizzling, and the whole sky was gray.

The rain forced Gao Yu to slow down his northward journey, but he wasn't bothered at all; on the contrary, he was quite happy.

Spring rain is as precious as oil.

The best time to plan for the day is in the morning; the best time to plan for the year is in the spring.

If it rains normally in spring, the harvest for the year will be guaranteed to be decent.

"Good, this rain is good. With the spring rain, the people will no longer have to worry."

“Zichong holds a high position, yet he still cares about the people and agriculture. He is truly a blessing to the people. How could Erzhu Rong not be defeated?”

Gao Ji stood behind Gao Yu and complimented him.

In fact, Gao Ji's case also shows that the "three mutuals" system for local officials' appointments was practically useless in the late period of the dynasty when the central government's control over local areas was severely insufficient.

The Gao family of Bohai was a prominent family in Jizhou. Under normal circumstances, Gao Ji would never have been able to serve as an official in Jizhou.

But he is currently the governor of Ji Province.

Gao Yu even bestowed upon him a noble title, granting him the title of 'Marquis of Lecheng County'.

As relatives of Gao Yu, Gao Huan and Gao Yu came to acknowledge their ancestry. Now, the two brothers, especially Gao Yu, hold the position of Prime Minister...

With the Great Wei Dynasty in such a state of decline, the position of Chancellor was essentially one that someone who held the power of an emperor but not the title would inevitably hold.

Gao Yu will definitely give important positions to the Gao family.

Gao Qian, Gao Ang, Gao Shen, Gao Bin... The Gao family has provided Gao Yu with quite a few talents, especially Gao Ang.

He has a bad temper, but he is indeed a rare and brave warrior in the world. Peng Le, who was once the most valiant under Gao Yu, is no match for Gao Ang.

"Uncle, you flatter me."

Gao Yu chuckled and turned to look at Gao Ji. "Uncle, you must have something to discuss with me?"

Gao Ji nodded, then turned around and shouted outside, "You brat, come here right now!"

A burly young man jogged into the pavilion. Gao Yu glanced at him; the boy had a youthful face but a physique far beyond his years, clearly a trained martial artist with exceptional talent.

"This is my youngest son, named Ji Shi."

Gao Ji explained, "He just got married last year. He admires Zichong's reputation for bravery and is quite strong. Zichong is currently in need of manpower, so you can have him serve under you."

"Greetings, General!!"

Gao Jishi was excited and quickly bowed, saying, "This humble one is willing to serve as the vanguard under the general's command!"

Gao Yu couldn't help but chuckle, "Uncle's sons are all quite unique."

It still has to be Gao Jihui.

The sons born were either weak scholars like Gao Qian and Gao Shen, or fierce men like Gao Gao. Judging from Gao Jishi's physique, he was also a brave and valiant man like Gao Gao.

Gao Yu did not refuse, "Since you are eager to fight on the battlefield, then come with me north and serve under my command."

"Thank you, General!!"

Gao Jishi's face was full of joy.

This is the benefit of Gao Yu's reputation; Gao Jishi has no doubt that the 'pretty boy' in front of him is brave enough.

After all, the fact that someone as arrogant as his third brother, Gao Ang, who believed himself to be invincible in the world through bravery, listened to Gao Yu and treated him with great courtesy was enough to explain everything.

"But you've only been married a short time, and you're already going north with me. Are you willing to leave your beloved wife at home?"

"A true man, when faced with a time of great strife and a wise ruler like the general, should naturally draw his sword and establish merit, rather than be burdened by sentimental attachments!"

"Okay, be ambitious!"

Gao Yu praised.

He needs more talented people so he can confidently be a hands-off manager.

If nothing else...

Among his descendants, Duan Shao left a deep impression on him; he was determined to cultivate the foremost of the three heroes of Northern Qi.

As for the other two heroes...

Gao Yu had met Huli Guang, the son of Huli Jin, the husband of the Tiele people, a few times, and with a little training, he could be put to good use.

As for the famous handsome man 'Lanling King'.

My nephew isn't even married yet, so I guess I won't be seeing him anytime soon.

After spending several days in the Bohai Sea until the rain stopped, Gao Yu continued northward.

Entering Yingzhou territory.

On the way, he could see grain transport soldiers departing from Qingzhou.

When Yan, You, and Ying prefectures were under Erzhu Rong's control, they were basically not managed. In particular, when Hou Yuan conscripted a large army, he ruthlessly plundered their provisions, and for the time being, they still needed to bleed Qingzhou dry.

For a long stretch of the journey, there was no waterway to rely on, and large quantities of grain were lost along the way.

It's not just here. In fact, Xiangzhou also needs to leech off Qingzhou. Fortunately, Qingzhou is indeed Gaoyu's most stable base, and it can barely supply them even if they are leeched off. However, it is impossible to leech off them indefinitely. As long as they can get through the first year, resume production, and once the abandoned fields are dug up and the soil is restored, the situation will be much better.

"There's no canal."

Gao Yu couldn't help but sigh.

Guangshen's grandfather is still serving under him, and Guangshen's father, Yang Jian, hasn't even been born yet. So, Guangshen's grand plan, the Grand Canal, would naturally not exist.

If the Grand Canal existed, supplies and provisions could be transported to Youzhou by water, greatly reducing costs.

If Gao Yu wants to conquer the Liaodong Peninsula after he pacifies the world, he will need to continuously send supplies to the Northeast. Yan and You provinces do not have enough food supplies to support hundreds of thousands of troops, so supplies can only be sent from the heart of the Central Plains.

It's still a bit far off for now.

But Gao Yu really had such thoughts.

It is estimated that such a grand project as the 'Grand Canal' may indeed have been his work.

It has many benefits, but it also causes a lot of trouble for ordinary people. It is a sin in the present but a benefit for future generations.

I can be more moderate and spend more time trying to avoid causing too much trouble for the people.

Gao Yu had a wicked thought: if he really ordered the construction of the Grand Canal, how would future generations judge him?
A powerful ruler who accelerates ethnic integration and unifies the world?

Or is he a tyrant who torments the people?
"It's a pity that people can't know what will happen after they die, so why care about their posthumous reputation?"

………………

“Lingchuo is indeed a man of extraordinary talent.”

Guanzhong.

Erzhu Rong arrived in Chang'an with his personal guards.

Last year, Yuwentai and Erzhu Tianguang also mentioned Su Chuo's advice in their letters to him.

copy.

Copy it thoroughly.

Copy Gao Yu's homework from Shandong.

After all, the advantages of the Fubing (府兵) are obvious at a glance.

The cost of maintaining an army is extremely low, which is very important for Erzhu Rong, who has lost Hebei and Henan!
It will take time for Guanzhong to resume production. Bingzhou alone cannot support so many troops. However, if he wants to confront Gao Yu, he must recruit a large number of soldiers for his own use.

The most important thing was to adopt the Fubing system to reduce the cost of maintaining troops.

Erzhu Rong had also served as prime minister for many years. He had been prime minister since the Hebei Incident. Even though he wasn't very good at handling government affairs, he had accumulated some experience over such a long period of time.

But when he arrived in Guanzhong and saw how Su Chuo handled the complex political affairs with ease, he was deeply moved.

Su Chuo had established a rule early on to divide official documents into red and black for writing incoming and outgoing documents. This classification significantly improved the efficiency of processing.

"Prime Minister, the finances of Guanzhong are strained and cannot afford to support so many officials. We need to streamline them. I have heard that General Tian Ce is also streamlining the officials. Most of the officials are just incompetent and have become a huge burden on the finances."

Erzhu Rong waved his hand, "You are free to do it, I will have people help you."

"And also, Prime Minister."

As he spoke, Su Chuo took out an official document from his bosom and presented it to Erzhu Rong, saying, "If you want to win people's hearts, the officials in the court should abide by this 'Six Articles of Edict'."

Erzhu Rong glanced at it briefly.

Su Chuo's official documents were clear and organized.

First, govern the mind, promote education and moral character, make full use of the land's resources, promote the virtuous and capable, alleviate legal disputes, and equalize taxes and corvée labor.

"This is the experience I have gained from observing the policies and decrees issued by General Tian Ce. General Tian Ce was able to swallow up Hebei and Henan with the mere land of Shandong... We should learn more from him and take him as our teacher."

Erzhu Rong's lips twitched slightly.

Normally he might have been furious!
Whether it's He Liuhun or Mo Heduo!
The two Gao brothers were originally his subordinates. If he hadn't given them the opportunity, how could they have achieved their current status with their lowly backgrounds?
but……

After suffering a series of crushing defeats.

He had to admit it.

He Liuhun might not be his match, but Gao Yu is indeed capable.

Whether it's leading troops in battle or governing the country, he is superior to him.

Otherwise, how could Gao Yu have turned the tables and suppressed him when he was at a disadvantage?

"How dare you! Moheduo is a traitor to the country, and you keep saying you want to take him as your teacher, which is simply outrageous!"

Hu Sichun immediately stood up and shouted angrily!

Erzhu Rong raised his hand to stop him, gritting his teeth and saying, "What Lingchuo said is absolutely right!"

“We should take Moheduo as our teacher.”

"study!"

(End of this chapter)