Chapter 584: Prospects

"Hahaha, I never expected that in my lifetime, I, Liu Fu, would finally set foot on the land of the Ningjin Dusi!"

Yanguan, North Gate.

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

Arriving outside the North Gate, Liu Fu suddenly scooped up a handful of yellow earth from the ground, and as he laughed loudly, tears shimmered in his eyes.

The other officials were moved, their mouths filled with constant exclamations about the lost territory of the Great Song being recovered.

Zhao Xu stepped on the ground beneath his feet; wherever he looked, it was covered in mottled black and red marks—the blood left behind by the Northern Di soldiers at Yanguan.

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

"Viscount Liu, we've barely arrived. Once we reach Ning City and Ningjin, I'll dig you a bag of soil to take back to grow flowers, to commemorate the Great Victory of Ningjin." Chang Wei stood with one hand on his hip, joking with Liu Fu.

Liu Fu was stunned for a moment, then scattered the soil in his hands and clapped, saying, "Heh, General Chang, although you are single-minded, this idea is not bad. Don't forget it when the time comes; from now on, every year when the flowers bloom, it will be to commemorate this Great Victory of Ningjin."

Hearing this, everyone gave Chang Wei a thumbs-up and began asking for soil as well, which immediately left Chang Wei unable to laugh or cry.

Zhao Xu wore a smile, letting them play around.

The war was won, so it was time to let them be relaxed and comfortable.

After making a scene at the city gate for a while, the group continued to head north.

Chang Wei had come specifically to welcome their group this time.

After the Northern Di retreated to the north of Jin City, he had set foot on the land of the Ningjin Dusi, first going to Jin City, then to Ning City.

Learning that he was coming, he had waited at Yanguan in advance.

"Currently, the Ningjin Dusi has a population of about one million, mainly concentrated near Ning City and Jin City." On the way to Ning City, Chang Wei introduced the situation to Zhao Xu.

Originally, there were about five hundred thousand Great Song slaves in the Ningjin Dusi.

Later, the Northern Di migrated nearly two million people over.

Half of these two million people were Great Song people.

After the Northern Di were defeated, both the Northern Di and the Xiliang people fled north, while simultaneously raising their butcher knives against the Great Song slaves.

But fortunately, Zhong Li and the others rescued them in time, and most of the slaves survived.

From now on, they would live on this land of the Ningjin Dusi.

"Besides that, we also captured one hundred and twenty thousand people; among them are Northern Di people, as well as Xiliang people." Chang Wei continued.

Zhao Xu nodded, "Let these captives stay in the Ningjin Dusi. Let them also taste the flavor of being enslaved. Let them dig mines, dig canals, and build roads and bridges; in the future, there will also be railway tracks."

"Railway tracks?" Hearing this, Chang Wei could not help but be stunned; he had never heard of this thing.

Zhao Xu realized he had let something slip, "This thing cannot be realized for the time being, but it won't be too far off either."

The railway tracks were naturally prepared for the Steam Locomotive.

At present, the technology for the Steam Engine in Yanzhou was gradually maturing, and he would have Wang Chong challenge the manufacturing of the Steam Locomotive.

However, this was just a plan; after all, building railway tracks required a massive amount of steel.

Before that, he also had to upgrade the steel industry.

Moreover, the Steam Locomotive required a high-pressure Steam Engine, not the ordinary Steam Engine needed by the Workshop, and this also required the Technology Academy to research and build it.

"Once this thing is built, we will be able to advance step by step, firmly control the Ningjin Dusi, and even be able to control the Grassland forever." Zhao Xu's eyes revealed a look of yearning.

Since ancient times, the control of the Grassland by the dynasties of the Central Plains had been exceptionally weak.

The reason lay in the fact that the frontier was remote and the transportation costs were too high.

Even if it could be conquered, it would cost a great deal to defend.

If the enemy were to continue to harass and attack, the costs would continue to rise.

Therefore, he had hesitated for a long time when he first fought this battle.

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

But to defend the Ningjin Dusi, which had no natural barriers to rely on, he would have to pay a high price.

This kind of cost might even drag down the finances of Yanzhou.

It was not until the Northern Di poisoned them that he was thoroughly enraged and made up his mind.

After all, a high cost of governance was still better than letting the Northern Di press against Yanzhou, with their great army bearing down on the border, constantly employing schemes and tricks.

Of course, there was another point, which was that the Steam Engine had been unveiled.

As long as he researched and built the Steam Locomotive, he would drive the Northern Di captives to build the railway tracks.

Let the railway tracks extend from Yanzhou to the Ningjin Dusi.

In this way, he would be able to realize rapid troop deployment and the transport of grain and fodder between Yanzhou and the Ningjin Dusi.

At that time, the mobility advantage of the Northern Di Cavalry would be wiped out for him.

Wherever the Railway extended, it would all be his territory.

The defense and governance costs of the Ningjin Dusi would also be reduced to an average level.

"Since the Highness has said so, this subordinate will look forward to it with bated breath." Chang Wei had a look of joy on his face.

The Great Victory of Ningjin was certainly exciting, but the Northern Di had not been wiped out, which always made him feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.

When the Great Song was at its most prosperous, its territory stopped at the Ningjin Dusi; as for the Black Mountain and Black Soil lands further north, and the lands to the west, they didn't even dare to think about them.

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

Chatting along the way, Zhao Xu arrived at Ning City at noon the next day.

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

Besides them, Zhao Xu also saw a group of people who were out of place with the soldiers of the Ningjin Dusi.

These people were as thin as a rail, wearing the Armor of the Northern Di people.

Seeing him arrive, they tried hard to straighten their backs, as if proving to him that they were talents who could be used.

"This subordinate pays respects to the Highness."

Upon arriving at the city gate, Qin Shan and Guan Tong both saluted him.

Zhao Xu waved his hand, signaling them to rise.

Patting the two men on the shoulders, Zhao Xu said, "In this campaign, the fighting at Ning City was the most perilous; I have troubled you both."

"As members of the Prince's Personal Army, this is our bounden duty," Qin Shan and Guan Tong said in unison.

Zhao Xu nodded.

Since the establishment of the Military Academy, besides teaching the commanders how to fight, he had also influenced them on an ideological level.

He let them understand what they were fighting for, rather than just for high official positions, generous salaries, and military pay.

Otherwise, they would be just like the commanders of the Shizu Army, focusing more of their energy on fawning, flattery, and forming cliques.

Simply put, he was actually shaping the military soul that belonged to the Prince's Personal Army.

He wanted to make this army clear about its own mission.

At present, he had already set the expulsion of the Northern Di as one of the goals for the Prince's Personal Army.

In the future, he would also set the elimination of the Shizu and the driving away of the colonialists as goals.

Then he looked toward the gaunt soldiers and smiled, "I heard that during the Battle of Ning City, many Song People who were unwilling to suffer the enslavement of the Northern Di rose up in resistance; that must be you, right?"

Standing behind Qin Shan and Guan Tong was none other than Yan Wang, who stammered, "Re... replying to Your Highness Yan Wang, that is correct."

He seemed unable to hold it in any longer and suddenly knelt before Zhao Xu, "Your Highness Yan Wang, you are truly our second parents; if not for Your Highness Yan Wang, we would have died sooner or later at the hands of the Northern Di."

Yan Wang's crying seemed to trigger a chain reaction.

Extending from the city gate and inward, a chorus of sobbing and wailing erupted.