Chapter 578 Outlook

"Hahaha, I didn't expect that I, Liu Fu, would finally set foot on the land of Ningjin Dusi in my lifetime!"

Yanguan, North Gate.

After two days of trekking, Zhao Xu led the officials to Yanguan.

When he arrived outside the North Gate, Liu Fu suddenly picked up a handful of yellow soil from the ground, and tears flashed in his eyes when he laughed.

Other officials were moved, and they kept sighing and praising the lost territory.

Zhao Xu stepped on the ground under his feet. Wherever he looked, there were black and red mottled marks. That was the blood left by the Beidi soldiers in Yanguan.

It reminded him and the officials of the cruelty of the battle at that time.

"Liu Wangfu, where are we now? When we get to Ningcheng and Ningjin, I will dig a bag of soil for you to plant flowers to commemorate the great victory of Ningjin." Chang Wei put his hands on his waist and joked with Liu Fu.

Liu Fu was stunned for a moment, scattered the soil in his hand, clapped his hands and said: "Hey, General Chang, although you are a stubborn person, this idea is not bad. Don't forget it when the time comes. The flowers will bloom every year in the future to commemorate the great victory of Ningjin."

Everyone gave Chang Wei a thumbs up and asked for soil, which made Chang Wei laugh and cry.

Zhao Xu smiled and let them play.

The war was won, so they should be relaxed and comfortable.

After a while of making a fuss at the city gate, the group continued to head north.

Chang Wei came here specifically to welcome them.

When the Beidi retreated to the north of Jincheng, he landed on the land of Ningjin Dusi, went to Jincheng first, and then went to Ningcheng.

Knowing that he was coming, they waited in Yanguan in advance.

"The current population of Ningjin Dusi is about one million, mainly concentrated in Ningcheng and Jincheng." On the way to Ningcheng, Chang Wei introduced to Zhao Xu.

Originally, there were about 500,000 Dasong slaves in Ningjin Dusi.

Later, Beidi moved nearly two million people here.

Half of these two hundred people were from Dasong.

After Beidi was defeated, both Beidi and Xiliang fled north and raised their butcher knives to Dasong slaves.

Fortunately, Zhongli and others rescued them in time, and most of the slaves survived.

From now on, they will live in Ningjindusi.

"In addition, we also captured 120,000 people, including Beidi and Xiliang people." Chang Wei continued.

Zhao Xu nodded, "Let's keep these captives in Ningjindusi, let them often feel the taste of slavery, let them mine, dig ditches, build roads and bridges, and there will be railroad tracks in the future."

"Railroad tracks?" Chang Wei was stunned when he heard this, he had never heard of this thing.

Zhao Xu heard this and realized that he had let it slip, "This thing cannot be realized for the time being, but it won't be too far away."

The railroad tracks are naturally prepared for steam locomotives.

At present, the technology of Yanzhou steam engines is gradually maturing, and he will let Wang Chong challenge the manufacturing of steam locomotives.

But this is just a plan. After all, building rails requires a lot of steel.

Before that, he had to upgrade the steel industry.

And steam cars need high-pressure steam engines, not ordinary steam engines needed by workshops, which also need to be developed by science and technology schools.

"Once this thing is built, we can advance step by step, firmly control Ningjindusi, and even control the grassland forever." Zhao Xu's eyes were fascinated.

Since ancient times, the Central Plains dynasty has been extremely weak in controlling the grassland.

The reason is that the border is far away and the transportation cost is too high.

Even if it can be conquered, it will cost a lot to defend.

If the enemy continues to harass and attack, the cost will continue to rise.

So, when he fought this battle, he hesitated for a long time.

Just defending Yanguan, the cost he paid was very low.

But defending Ningjindusi, which has no strategic location, he will have to pay a high price.

This price may even drag down the finances of Yanzhou.

It was not until the poisoning of Beidi completely angered him that he made up his mind.

After all, it is better to have a high governance cost than to let the Northern Di stick to Yanzhou, with a large army approaching and constantly performing conspiracies and intrigues.

Of course, there is another point, that is, the steam engine has been introduced.

As long as the steam locomotive is developed, he will drive the Northern Di captives to build railroad tracks.

Let the railroad extend from Yanzhou to Ningjindusi.

In this way, he can quickly mobilize troops and transport food and grass between Yanzhou and Ningjindusi.

At that time, the mobility advantage of the Northern Di cavalry will be gone for him.

Wherever the railway extends, it will be his territory.

The defense and governance costs of Ningjindusi will also be reduced to the general level.

"Since your highness has said so, I am looking forward to it." Chang Wei looked happy.

The great victory of Ningjin is indeed exciting, but the Northern Di has not been destroyed, which has always been a thorn in his throat.

When Dasong was at its most powerful, its territory stopped at Ningjindusi, and it dared not even think about the black mountain and black soil land further north, and the land to the west.

If what the King of Yan said was true, the future of Yanzhou would be unimaginable.

After chatting all the way, Zhao Xu arrived at Ningcheng at noon the next day.

At this time, Qin Shan and Guan Tong, who had learned the news in advance, were already waiting outside the city gate.

In addition to them, Zhao Xu also saw a group of people who were out of tune with the soldiers of Ningjindusi.

These people were skinny and wore the armor of the Beidi people.

Seeing him coming, they tried to straighten their bodies, as if to prove to him that they were useful talents.

"I will see your highness."

As soon as they arrived at the city gate, Qin Shan and Guan Tong saluted him.

Zhao Xu waved his hand and signaled them to get up.

Patting the two men on their shoulders, Zhao Xu said, "This time, the battle in Ningcheng is the most dangerous. Thank you for your help."

"As a member of the royal army, this is our duty." Qin Shan and Guan Tong said at the same time.

Zhao Xu nodded.

Since the establishment of the military school, he has not only taught the generals how to fight, but also influenced them at the ideological level.

Let them know why they are fighting, not just for high positions and salaries.

Otherwise, they will be the same as the generals of the powerful army, putting more energy on flattery and forming cliques.

In short, he is actually shaping the military spirit of the royal army.

Let this army know its mission.

At present, he has set the expulsion of the Northern Di as one of the goals of the royal army.

In the future, he will also set the elimination of powerful families and the expulsion of colonists as goals.

Then he looked at the skinny soldiers and smiled, "I heard that during the battle of Ningcheng, many Dasong people who were unwilling to be enslaved by the Northern Di people rose up to resist. It should be you, right?"

The one standing behind Qin Shan and Guan Tong was Yan Wang. He stammered, "Reply... Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, yes."

He seemed to finally be unable to hold it in, and suddenly knelt down in front of Zhao Xu, "Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, you are really our reborn parents. If it weren't for Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, we would have died at the hands of the Northern Di people sooner or later."

Yan Wang's crying seemed to have set off a chain reaction.

From the city gate all the way inside, sobbing.