Chapter 95 Take Hangu Pass

"Regret not accepting Chen Qing's plan!" Li Jiancheng looked up to the sky and sighed, if Li Jiancheng had listened to Chen Ying's strategy, whether it was to ensure that Chen Ying stayed in Lingzhou, or to promote Yang Ze to be the governor of Lingzhou, no matter what method was taken, he would not be so passive.

The greater Li Daozhen's achievements in Lingzhou, the greater the threat to Li Jiancheng. The so-called loyalty is that the bargaining chips for betrayal are not enough, of course, the so-called people's desire is also because there is enough interest temptation. 10 million catties of steel, maybe even 15 million catties of steel, once it is put into the market, no matter which aspect, for Datang, there is only one benefit. Because Li Shimin holds these steels, he can be armed forces, or he can buy half and give them to the people.

In this era, steel production capacity was limited, most of the steel resources were used in the military field, and the tools of peasant life, such as hoes, knives and axes, or plows, were all made of iron or wood, and steel tools were less than one in ten. Once these light and high-quality steel enter thousands of households, the fool knows who these simple people will be grateful to, and in that case, that is the real desire of the people.

However, it was too late to say anything. Li Daozhen has formed a climate in Lingzhou. Even if Li Jiancheng wants to move her, Li Shimin will not sit idly by, and it is not good that before Wang Shichong is conquered, Datang will first have a round of power reshuffle.

Wang Jue walked to Li Jiancheng's side with an embarrassed face, hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Royal Highness the Prince, I'm afraid this matter is troublesome, it's not easy for King Qin to get such a large amount of materials and wealth." ”

"If it's not good, it has to be done!" Li Jiancheng had not yet made a decision, and Wei Zheng said in a voice: "This matter is not too late or later, if we really wait for the King of Qin to get these materials and wealth, we will be passive in the overall situation." His Highness might as well leave this matter to Commander Pei to do, and he will definitely handle it properly! ”

Li Jiancheng nodded: "That's fine!" ”

"His Royal Highness the Prince, Li Daozong is Li Daozong, Li Daozhen is Li Daozhen, you can't generalize!"

Li Jiancheng asked knowingly, "Chen Qing, what do you mean by this?" ”

Suddenly, Li Jiancheng suddenly remembered that Li Daozhen had Chen Ying's child in her belly, her face sank, she snorted from her nose and turned around, turned her back to Chen Ying and ignored him.

Chen Ying touched his nose and smiled.

Wei Zheng suddenly realized: "What does Chen mean is that these properties of the county lord of Baicheng are nominally in her hands, but in fact they are in the hands of Chen Guest?" ”

When Wang Jue and Li Jiancheng heard this, their eyes couldn't help but light up suddenly.

The changes in Lingzhou are too big, not counting the steel production, that is, the salt that day will exceed 200 stones, which is a huge wealth, a pound of salt will be sold for 30 yuan in the Central Plains, and the output of Lingzhou in a day is more than 200 stones, more than 20,000 catties, which is equivalent to creating more than 600 guan money, and 220,000 guan of wealth in a year.

Chen Ying smiled dumbly and said, "Although what Wei Xima said is not true, it is not far away!" ”

Li Jiancheng turned his anger into joy, and looked at Chen Ying eagerly: "Although these industries belong to Li Daozhen, Chen can persuade her to sell these strategic materials to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince at half price." ”

Although Li Jiancheng was a little disappointed in his heart, he knew that this was Chen Ying's biggest concession. The price of official salt is 30 yuan per catty, ranging from 3 to 600 yuan per stone, if it is half price, it is quite Li Daozhen did not make much money at all.

However, Li Jiancheng did not understand the economy, and he did not know that science was the primary productive force. From Pei Ju's words, Chen Ying had already discovered that Li Daozhen was using a charcoal pan to cook salt.

When he was in Lingzhou, Chen Ying found that the original salt pond production method in Lingzhou was extremely backward. However, due to the harsh climate, strong wind and sand, and no natural conditions for direct salt drying, the process of salt production has been optimized a little, and the methods of separation, grinding, stirring, analysis, and cooking have also been adopted, but in the subtle relief, a large number of machinery has been adopted. The cast iron pot has a large diameter and can be filled with thousands of catties of salt water at one time.

The stone fire is endless, as long as the salt water in the iron pot is boiled dry, the iron pot is hoisted up with a moving pulley, lifted away from the stove, and after the iron pot is condensed, you can get a block of salt, and then send it to the mill to grind with a stone mill, you can get the refined salt that is as white as snow. The most important process change is stirring, which is very labor-intensive. Chen Ying used a windmill to drive the runner to stir the salt water in a large pool made of tiles, and after the mixing was completed, the drop of the salt pool was used to flow directly to each stove through the pottery pipe.

After Chen Ying's process optimization, the salt plant uses very little manpower. One worker can look at dozens of cauldrons at the same time. As for the mixing, clarification and separation, it only requires less than one-tenth of the manpower in the past. In this way, the cost of boiling salt in Lingzhou is very low, about equivalent to two to three yuan per catty, even if the freight is removed and sold for fifteen wen a catty, the profit is not lower than that of other salt factories.

Coal, that thing is not there in Chang'an at all, the transportation cost is too high, and there is also it near Chang'an. Li Jiancheng is not uncommon. The key is steel resources, which are the most valuable strategic materials in this era, but the steel in Li Daozhen's hands is not 100,000 catties or 80,000 catties, but 10 million catties per year, which is a bit large. Even if Li Jiancheng can pay, there is no way to eat so much.

But now it's okay, Chen Ying promised to ship at half price, then it won't be a problem. Even if Li Jiancheng didn't have so much money, the subordinates of the Eastern Palace, including the nobles of Shandong, all had money in their hands, and there were a lot of them. The most important thing is that they can make huge profits from half-price steel.

Li Jiancheng was in a very good mood at this time, and the original very thorny problem was solved by Chen Ying in a few words. At this time, Li Jiancheng suddenly asked: "Chen Qing, the one you are outside Chang'an City will be camping, and if the steel is put into production, how much can it produce?" ”

Chen Ying was embarrassed and said: "Chang'an is not as good as Lingzhou, there is no iron ore here, there is no iron ore here, there is no coal to coal, and it will cost a lot of money to transport alone, if the steel is cast, I am afraid it will not be cheaper than the steel produced in Lingzhou." ”

At this time, Wei Zheng said: "I know that there is both steel and coal in one place!" ”

Li Jiancheng and Wang Qi said almost at the same time: "Wei Xima means Hongnong Taolin? ”

Hongnong County is the county Wangtang of the Yang family, and it is also the location of Hangu Pass, one of the Xiongguan in the world, which is located on the south bank of the Yellow River between Chang'an and Luoyang, and has always been a military and political important place in the past dynasties. However, due to its unique geographical environment, people often ignore that Hongnong County actually has rich resources, especially Taolin County, which is under the jurisdiction of Hongnong County, which is later known as Lingbao City, Henan, has the reputation of China's golden city.

Of course, Hongnong County not only has gold, of course, Hongnong County's metal resources, gold-based, including a large number of gold associated minerals, copper, silver, gold, molybdenum, lead, iron and other minerals, it is no exaggeration to say that Hongnong County is a county of resources.

Chen Yingdao: "But Hongnong is not in the hands of Datang now?" ”

Three years before Wude, the dividing line between the Tang Dynasty and King Zheng Shichong was bounded by Tongguan, and outside Tongguan was owned by Wang Shichong, including Hangu Pass, so in the early years of Wude, the early Tang Dynasty and Wang Shichong were safe, mainly because Hangu Pass was in the hands of Wang Shichong, and it was really not easy to break through Hangu Pass. Qin Xiaogong set up Hangu Pass here. This pass is 75 kilometers long from east to west, and the valley road only allows one car to pass, known as "a husband is a pass, ten thousand people are not open". In 241 BC, Chu, Zhao, Han, and Wei joined forces to attack Qin with a million-strong army, and were defeated.

Li Jiancheng smiled slightly: "It's Datang's soon!" After a pause, Li Jiancheng said: "After the year, Erlang will be in command and go to Wang Shichong, and the palace has recommended Chen Qing as the deputy marshal of the Left Unified Army, and he will go out with the army." This palace wants you to take Hangu Pass and Hongnong County. ”