lovenovelstory Chapter 42 To get rich, build roads first
Chapter 42 To get rich, build roads first
In the fifth year of Chuping, summer.
The sun blazes fiercely over Qingzhou.
What's hotter than the weather is the enthusiasm of the people of Qingzhou for their work.
Since Li Zhao denounced the powerful families and supported the poor families in the court debate, the morale of the people in Qingzhou has been completely ignited.
The people knew that by following Magistrate Li, they would not only have food to eat, but also dignity and hope for the future.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, a huge map of Qingzhou was spread out on the table.
Li Zhao drew a straight line heavily between the plains and Linzi with his finger.
"road."
Li Zhao's gaze was firm.
"To get rich, build roads first." This saying is true everywhere.
"From the plains to Linzi, it's over 300 li. Now it's all dirt roads; on sunny days you're covered in dust, and on rainy days you're covered in mud. It's extremely inconvenient to move large armies or transport supplies."
"I want to build a straight road. A wide, flat, straight road that can be traveled without hindrance, rain or snow!"
Standing to the side, Liu Bei looked at the straight line with some worry.
"My lord, this three-hundred-mile straight road is a massive undertaking. We will have to cut through mountains and build bridges over rivers. The manpower and resources required are countless."
Xu Shu, however, waved his feather fan and laughed, "Lord Xuande, have you forgotten? What our lord lacks least is manpower and resources."
Li Zhao nodded.
"Pass down the order. Mobilize 300,000 laborers."
"Work-for-relief program. Anyone who participates in road repair will be provided with three full meals a day, each with meat. They will also receive an additional twenty cash."
"All the money and provisions needed will be drawn from the government treasury. If you run out of provisions, come to me."
Three hundred thousand laborers! Meat at every meal!
The order caused an uproar in Qingzhou once again.
For people who have just escaped the brink of starvation, being able to have enough to eat is already a tremendous blessing.
Now we not only have enough to eat, but we also have meat to eat and money to receive!
This isn't corvée labor; it's practically a chance to enjoy life!
In no time, young men from all over Qingzhou, carrying hoes and bags, rushed to the road construction site.
……
On the construction site from Pingyuan to Linzi.
Banners fluttered in the breeze, and the air was filled with the sounds of people.
Three hundred thousand people lined up in a long queue.
They chanted slogans, waved their tools, and sweated profusely under the scorching sun.
No one slacked off, and no one complained.
Because next to the construction site, in those rows of steaming pots, were stewing fragrant slices of fatty meat and tofu.
That fragrance is the best supervisor.
Li Zhao not only invested heavily in this project, but also used "cutting-edge technology".
He redeemed a secret recipe called "Three-in-One Soil Improvement Formula" from the system shop.
This is actually the original cement formula.
Using Qingzhou's abundant limestone resources, quicklime is produced by burning it, and then mixed with clay and sand.
The road surface paved in this way becomes as hard as stone after drying and is not afraid of rain erosion.
At the construction site, truckloads of limestone were transported in, and earthen kilns rose from the ground.
Thick black smoke billowed, and the furnace fire glowed red-hot.
The laborers were surprised to find that the grayish powder, when mixed with water and spread on the road, quickly became hard and solid.
"A miracle! This is a miracle performed by the Lord!"
The people's admiration for Li Zhao rose to a new level.
Who but a god could turn lead into gold?
In addition to "cement," Li Zhao also unleashed another powerful weapon—saturated logistical supply.
In this era, the biggest challenge in road construction is not technology, but logistics.
With 300,000 people, the daily cost of feeding the people and horses is an astronomical figure.
If logistics fail to keep up, laborers will go hungry, projects will stall, and it could even trigger a popular uprising.
But Li Zhao was not afraid.
He utilized the system's unlimited storage and instant access capabilities to establish an extremely efficient logistics system.
He set up dozens of large supply stations along the way.
Each supply station was piled high with grain, meat, vegetables, and fodder, like small mountains.
No matter how much supplies are needed at the front, they can always be delivered from the rear in the first instance.
The laborers never worried about what they would eat next.
All they need to do is bury themselves in their work and extend that straight road that represents hope forward inch by inch.
In their minds, this is more than just building a road.
This is repairing their own lifeline.
With this road open, Qingzhou will become even stronger.
If Qingzhou becomes strong, their good days will last a long time.
For this, they are willing to shed their last drop of sweat.
……
However, there are always some reckless people in this world who want to stop the wheels of history.
At the border between Pingyuan and Linzi, there is a strategic pass called "Heifengkou".
This place, nestled between two mountains and a valley, is a strategically important location and a necessary route for road construction.
The landlord who occupies this place is a tyrannical landlord named Wu Ba.
Wu Ba's ancestors were from a prominent family in Qingzhou, but their family fortunes declined, so they resorted to robbery and plunder.
Taking advantage of his location in Heifengkou, he often committed atrocities such as oppressing the people and extorting merchants.
After Li Zhao took control of Qingzhou, he was busy dealing with the powerful clans and the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and didn't have time to deal with these small fry.
This gave Wu Ba the illusion that Li Zhao was afraid of him.
In addition, the remnants of aristocratic families who had been driven away by Li Zhao a few days ago secretly contacted him.
They promised him great rewards and told him that General Yuan Shao would soon send troops to attack Qingzhou.
If he can hold Black Wind Pass and slow down Li Zhao's road construction, it will be a great achievement.
When the time comes, General Yuan Shao will bestow upon him the title of General, wouldn't that be wonderful?
Blinded by greed, Wu Ba immediately gathered more than 500 of his desperados and hired more than 1,000 displaced laborers.
They reinforced the fortified stronghold at Black Wind Pass, stocked up on rolling logs and stones, and adopted a posture of fighting Li Zhao to the death.
When the road-building army advanced to Heifengkou, they were blocked by this heavily guarded fortified village.
"Listen up, you people up there!"
The military officer in charge of the road construction rode up to the fortified village and shouted a message.
"We are the road-building army under Commander Li! We are ordered to construct the Qingzhou Straight Road! Quickly remove the obstacles and let us pass! Otherwise..."
"Pooh!"
Before the captain could finish speaking, a head with a fierce face popped out from the top of the fortified wall.
It was Wu Ba.
He was wearing a tattered suit of iron armor that he had somehow acquired, and he carried a large ring-handled sword, exuding arrogance.
"What a load of rubbish, Magistrate Li! He's nothing but a nouveau riche who only knows how to play in the mud!"
Wu Ba pointed at the captain below and cursed.
"This road is my territory! You want to get through? No way!"
"Tell that guy surnamed Li to obediently prepare 100,000 shi of grain and 10,000 jin of gold, and send them to me as toll money!"
"Otherwise, I'll stay right here and make sure you never finish building this lousy road!"
"Also, tell him that General Yuan Shao's heavenly army is arriving soon! If you know what's good for you, surrender now! Otherwise, once the general arrives, he'll chop you all up and feed you to the dogs!"
Wu Ba's henchmen also started making a commotion, letting out strange cries.
Taking advantage of their advantageous location, they completely disregarded the laborers below who were carrying hoes.
The news quickly reached Linzi.
After hearing the report, Li Zhao showed no anger on his face, but instead revealed a bright smile.
"Wu Ba? Black Wind Pass?"
"That's interesting."