The sun hung in the sky, so bright that it turned white. God seemed to have gone crazy, and the sky seemed to be on fire. Everything between heaven and earth was being roasted in the scorching heat.

Li Hao wore a straw hat with fur on his head and walked hard on the land of Guanzhong. Not far ahead was Mount Li, where it is said that the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, is located.

"There is a stream ahead, let's take a rest. This damn sky seems to be on fire!" Sweat came out of every pore on Wu Ciyou's dark face, and the sweat pooled together and flowed on his face like a stream.

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"Okay! It's such a shitty day. Let's go rest in the creek ahead and continue moving forward after noon." Li Hao cursed, but he didn't dare to look at the bright white sky. The sky was too bright and it was irritating.

His eyes hurt. Fortunately, Li Xiao gave him a pair of sunglasses, which made his eyes feel better.

Upon hearing Li Hao's order, the servants and guards cheered. Those who were stumbling just now were now running faster than rabbits. They ran under the shade of the tree, threw down the equipment on their shoulders, and took off their shoes, pants, and clothes.

Run into the water.

The stream water was slightly heated by the sun, but for these people who were marching hard under the scorching sun, soaking in the water was no different from paradise.

"Get the hell out of here, Wu Laosan, you are responsible for standing guard and will change every half an hour."

"It's me again!" the guard leader yelled, and a guard could only grumble out of the water, put on his clothes, picked up a gun, and stood guard at a high place.

Since people like Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong left Guanzhong, the public security in Guanzhong has improved a lot. However, there are still sporadic bandits who have taken over the mountains and become kings. They always do not believe what the officials say. They think that the distribution of land is just a trick.

As long as you step out of the protection of the mountains, you will be arrested by those vicious officials and sent to the coal mines to work as coolies.

Many people have been to coal mines. There are many coolies there. I don’t know if it’s because they mine coal all year round. These people are all dark-skinned. They work like donkeys every day, but eat like pigs. They live in work sheds where mosquitoes are flying.

Inside, I had to endure the beatings of the overseers. I couldn't understand what those people were saying, but I just felt that these were poor people.

Dead people are often pulled out by bullock carts and buried in shallow pits in mass graves. They are often buried during the day and dug out by wolves or foxes at night. In one night, the flesh will be eaten clean. Take

The skeleton with its remaining flesh was torn to pieces, looking horrifying.

No one wants to suffer this crime in the mines. I heard that those prisoners were prisoners who had committed crimes. They were captured from a place called Java. I don’t know where Java is. The bandits only knew that they would not end well if they were caught by the government.

Li Hao walked through the land of Guanzhong every day. Sun Chuanting and Zu Dashou were eight times braver, and they did not dare to let this man walk alone. After repeated persuasion, they still placed a platoon in Li Hao's team. Sun Chuanting's head guard

, personally served as the platoon leader. When leaving Xi'an, Sun Chuanting ordered them not to come back if something happened to Li Hao.

After taking off the backpack on his back, Li Hao sat on a big rock. He took off his shoes and found a crack on his big toe.

He was very familiar with this kind of crack. Maybe tomorrow the crack would turn into a small open hole. Then the small hole would turn into a big hole, and the whole big toe would come out, and this pair of shoes would be useless.

It is normal to wear out a pair of shoes in a month if you rely on your legs to walk across the land of Guanzhong all day long.

Take off your shoes and wash the socks. The smell is terrible. Anyway, Li Hao washed the socks with closed air. He dried the socks on the stone. It will take a stick of incense to dry them. Open the shoes and the smell will disappear.

, put your feet into the pool, and the cold water brushed over your feet, which was extremely comfortable. The saltiness of your feet may be very high, and the fish were attracted to it and circled around your feet, enjoying the smell.

"Have some!" Wu Ciyou had just opened a can of luncheon meat.

Li Hao shook his head. He didn't like this kind of pork sauce mixed with starch and spices. When it comes to canned food, canned beef is more fragrant. Especially the canned beef distributed by the Liao Army was made from bullocks slaughtered on the grassland.

After that, select the best beef to make it. The taste is amazing!

What a pity! All the canned beef was eaten yesterday, and the next supply point is to Tongguan. This is the last section of the railway in Guanzhong. After passing Tongguan and going forward, we will reach the border of Shanxi. Shanxi is far better than the mountainous Shaanxi.

Unfortunately, the Luliang Mountains, Taihang Mountains, and the Yellow River are all insurmountable barriers. Building railways here is far more difficult than in Liaodong.

If you want to cross the continuous mountains, you have to drill holes into the mountains and create tunnels. In ancient times, many people would die when building plank roads. God knows how many people would have to die to open up the mountains.

If he had not seen the hardships on the Gansu front line, Li Hao would never have agreed to risk human lives to build such a railway.

"I know you are naughty, let's see what this is?" Wu Ciyou took out a box of canned beef from his backpack like a magic trick.

"Oh no! Why do you still have it? Yesterday wasn't the last box?" People in the Ming Dynasty did not slaughter cattle at will. Beef itself is a rare thing. Canned beef is even more rare. If it hadn't been removed from the grassland in recent years, every year

It can be exchanged for a large number of cattle and sheep. Ordinary soldiers really can't eat this canned beef.

"When we set off, Master Zu sent someone to bring some." Wu Ciyou handed it to Li Hao.

Because they often traveled over mountains and ridges, all supplies had to be carried on people's backs. No matter how much Zu Dashou provided, the weight people could carry was still limited.

"It's because of your dignity that if Wu Ciyou comes to Xi'an, I'll have to decide whether I can meet Governor Sun and Master Zu." The canned beef was handed to Li Hao, and Wu Ciyou continued to eat the canned luncheon meat.

Li Hao silently took the can and opened it, scooped out a spoonful of tendon meat and stuffed it into his mouth. The beef was a bit salty, so he quickly took out the dry biscuits in his backpack and sent it down. He drank water, ate one bite of beef and one bite of dry biscuit.

While eating, Li Hao looked up at Li Shan in a daze.

"What's wrong?" Wu Ciyou looked at Li Hao and asked with some confusion.

"We came all the way from Shanxi and walked through Guanzhong again. We looked for many roads, but we could never cross the Taihang Mountains and Luliang Mountains. Drilling into the mountains to dig holes is not only time-consuming, but also doesn't know how many lives will be filled." When I think of this.

It is a railway paved with human lives, and Li Hao has the urge to hit the mountain with his head.

"There is nothing we can do about it. The railway is not only for military use, but also for civilian use. Our railway will not only provide supplies to the northwest military, but also rely on the railway to drive the economy along the way. As long as there is a railway, food in the south of the Yangtze River can be transported

Go to the northwest. At the same time, the mineral deposits in the northwest can also be transported to North China where there are many factories.

Didn't the commander-in-chief say that as long as goods are distributed all over the world, the country will be rich?

If you want to be rich and live a good life, you have to make sacrifices. Our Chinese nation has always struggled with God. The thief God likes to harm our nation the most. He puts wolves next to us. With just one oversight, he will be killed.

Jackals will rush into the Central Plains, slaughter our people, and plunder our food, livestock, and population.

If you want to live a good life, you have to defeat the thief God. Look at this thief God, he is so angry that he just wants us to retreat in the face of difficulties. Huh! If our Chinese nation had retreated, we would have retreated long ago.

I was chewed until all the bones and dregs were gone." Wu Ciyou said angrily while chewing on the canned lunch meat.

Ever since he listened to Sun Chengzong's speech, this guy has turned into a solid angry young man. He talks about "Greater China" and talks about the Chinese nation. Anyway, he believes that the people around the Ming Dynasty are all bastards. It's best to smash them one by one with a hammer.

It's better if it's a piece of shit.

"That's what I say, but I feel uncomfortable when I think that many people will die. We are responsible for finding roads, and we have to find the easiest place to build roads. It's a waste to let people risk their lives to build roads.

It's our face. And the Yellow River, do you know how difficult it is to build a bridge on it?" Li Hao chewed the canned beef, and the delicious canned beef was as tasteless as chewing wax in his mouth.

"If you want to be immortal, no problem!" Wu Ciyou took the gourd in Li Hao's hand and drank a sip of water.

"You have a solution?" Li Hao looked at Wu Ciyou in surprise. In the past few years, he and Wu Ciyou were like conjoined twins. He didn't think that Wu Ciyou would have a solution for things he couldn't handle.

"Look, we start from the capital. We can go all the way north. Exit Juyongguan, and then the entire railway runs through the grassland. Along the Yinshan Mountains, we can directly reach Yulin and Shenmu. Then from Yulin and Shenmu, we can divide into two paths going south and north.

All the way south through Yan'an, leading directly to Xi'an! All the way northwest, leading to Wuzhong, Yinchuan, and Zhongwei.

Building the railway in this way can perfectly avoid the Luliang Mountains and the Taihang Mountains. There is no need to drill holes in the mountains, and the construction period will be greatly shortened." Wu Ciyou took out the map from his backpack and pointed and drew on it.

A few years ago, the Ministry of Industry sent out several exploration teams to redraw the map of the entire northern Ming Dynasty. Now the most important Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, and Gyeonggi have taken shape. It won’t take many years before everyone will have a complete set of maps.

map.

"Here! How did you come up with it? This is a good idea, this is a good idea! The construction period will be shortened by almost a year, and not so many people will die." Li Hao almost jumped up with excitement.

"Don't be happy yet. Marshal, Mr. Sun and Mr. Zhang will not agree to this suggestion." Wu Ciyou continued to eat luncheon meat.

"Why?" Li Hao felt that his eldest brother had no reason to disagree with such a good thing.

"Why? Didn't I just say that? Railways not only transport military supplies, but also bear the important task of transporting goods all over the world. The railway from Beijing to Xi'an has to pass through Zhangjiakou, Taiyuan, Linfen, Yuncheng and so many places. Along the railway line,

The people will become rich quickly. Moreover, the capital and Shandong also need coal from Shanxi.

If the railway completely goes through the grasslands and avoids so many cities in Shanxi and Shaanxi, then it will become a dedicated military railway, which will not achieve the purpose of improving people's livelihood in Shanxi and Shaanxi. Building the railway will become a money-losing business. You

Do you think the court will agree?" Wu Ciyou looked at Li Hao and said.

"Are you afraid something might happen if the railway crosses Mongolian territory?" Li Hao asked, rolling his eyes.

Wu Ciyou nodded and said nothing. In fact, he had already thought of this line in his mind. The reason why he did not bring it up was because there were too many variables in this line. If nothing else, the entire railway crossing completely crossed the grassland, so safety was a big issue.

If the Mongolian cavalry sent out frequent raids, the number of troops needed to guard this railway might be greater than the garrison along the entire Great Wall.

"Let's go north and have a look at Ulanqab. Walk along your route. If your route is feasible, report it according to your ideas. Which one should be built, or both,

Let the eldest brother and Mr. Sun and Mr. Zhang figure it out." Li Hao was a little excited. It was much easier to build a railway on the grassland than to cross the Luliang Mountains and the Taihang Mountains.

After noon, I heard Li Hao say to turn north. The head guard almost went crazy!

As long as he is escorted to Tongguan, his mission will be completed. Otherwise! If this uncle has the slightest problem, he will be in bad luck, and he will be in bad luck.

"Fourth Master! You are about to arrive at Tongguan, why do you want to go north all of a sudden?" the leader of the guard asked bravely. In his heart, he really hoped that the Fourth Master would give up his mind. As long as the gift is sent out of Tongguan, it will be nothing of his own.

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"Let's go check out another route. If you find it difficult, you don't have to follow." Li Hao was packing his backpack without even looking at the head guard.

Won't you follow? If something happens to this young man, will he be alive?

"Fourth Master! You see, Tongguan is ahead of us, and we don't have much supplies. Even if you want to go north, you have to replenish supplies. We can't leave on an empty stomach! People are like iron rice and steel.

When we get to Tongguan, I will get you two donkeys to carry supplies, and we will have no problem even walking to the grassland."

After listening to what the head guard said, Li Hao felt it made sense.

All the way north from Tongguan, people's livelihood is far inferior to that of Guanzhong, which has regained some popularity. The further north you go, the more difficult the road ahead will be. When you reach the grassland, you may even be cut off from supplies. If you want to see other grasslands, you must be prepared.

All it takes is a team. Packhorses and mules are essential, and of course, some cavalry are needed to protect them.

The grasslands are no different from the mainland of the Central Plains. Horse bandits are notorious for years of melee fighting. Being intercepted by them will most likely end in disaster.

"Okay! Let's go to Tongguan." Li Hao nodded and decided to go to Tongguan to replenish supplies first, and then ask the Tongguan general for some cavalry.

"No!" The guard leader was so happy that he could finally give this man a gift out of the country.

At first, he asked for a favor to protect him because of the reputation of Mr. Li. However, he sadly discovered that Li Hao was hiking and walking all day long. Following such a boss, he would follow others around like a monkey all day long.
Chapter completed!