Chapter 718 - 19: The Dawn of a Prosperous Unified Era and the Voyage Five Hundred Years Ahead

This was something he had to do.

From Liangguang to Liaodong, from Penglai to Liaodong.

Nowadays, the sea routes between them are no longer an issue, including the connections between Ryukyu and the Gu Clan, all of which gave Song Kingdom the possibility to compete.

Gu Jin certainly would not give up this opportunity.

Speaking of what is most difficult.

It should be that Gu Jin is completely tied to the court.

But to him, all of this is something he should bear.

State affairs... military affairs....

All of these various matters require his management.

The good news is that although this generation of Gu Clan disciples is not so outstanding, they are nonetheless capable.

Especially with the various materials passed down by the Gu Clan over generations, along with the ideas put forward by ancestors in past years, although not all are usable, there are significant aspects worth adopting.

——Work-for-relief, tax exemptions, land reform.

All these methods are the foundation for the rapid recovery of the Northern Han region.

In addition, Gu Jin also utilized the resources of the Gu Clan.

He had the Gu Clan operate banks in the Northern Han region, providing loans to local merchants and residents.

The wealth of the Gu Clan can indeed be called the greatest in the current era.

A millennium of accumulated heritage.

Gave the Gu Clan absolute confidence.

Likewise, using the foundation of the Gu Clan also stimulated the revival of the economy.

What surprised Gu Yi was that this generation of Gu Clan disciples set up a dedicated "workshop district" in the Northern Han region.

In the name of the Gu Clan and the court.

They developed factories focused on regional specialties such as fur processing and ironworks throughout Taiyuan.

While employing the populace.

Using official channels, they develop the local economy by means of maritime trade.

This completely exceeded Gu Yi’s expectations.

Even though he had long confirmed that the current commercial development of Kyushu had far surpassed its original history, he never anticipated that such a situation would emerge so early.

What is this considered?

The prototype of capitalism?

Gu Yi didn’t have any other notions; he just habitually continued thinking along this pattern.

It is widely known—

The beginning of the First Industrial Revolution was due to the "power bottleneck" of industry and transport.

The natural defects in coal mining, including textile and metallurgy handicraft workshops, could not support large-scale, centralized factory production.

Finally, with an "inspiration explosion."

After generations of iteration, the steam engine was eventually produced.

Now.... Is this considered the beginning of an industrial revolution?

Gu Yi wasn’t clear about this.

But clearly, once the Gu Clan took this step, they would eventually face problems in this area.

After a moment of hesitation.

Gu Yi did not interfere with any of this.

Although this might substantially impact the integration of Kyushu, the development of things is never immutable, not to mention he still has opportunities for correction.

The path of the Gu Clan is destined to be full of hardships, and likewise requires encountering walls everywhere.

He cannot restrain a development simply because of the thoughts of later generations.

Besides, Gu Jin also formulated a system for long-term development throughout the Northern Han.

Apart from establishing the Gu Academy and emphasizing the Huaxia orthodoxy.

They demarcated certain areas using the Gu Clan’s generational exploration and control of local topography to promote economic crops like cotton and mulberry trees, forming an industrial chain with Jiangnan’s textile industry.

The reasons for doing this are naturally manifold.

He cannot have all the people plant mulberry trees.

Such actions would have a devastating impact on grain prices.

He merely defined the areas via regional considerations.

Some regions’ terrains are inherently unsuitable for growing crops, but planting mulberry trees is entirely feasible.

Coupled with a tax exemption-centered policy,

All these systems can be regarded as powerful tools for economic recovery.

Of course, quite a few problems naturally arose during implementation.

Whether it was individuals with ulterior motives inciting public protests, or corrupt officials and local influential clans using their influence to manipulate and profit secretly,

Such issues were commonplace.

But fortunately, there was still the Imperial Censorate.

It is worth mentioning that Gu Jin further increased the oversight of the Imperial Censorate, making it a core institution centered on the Gu Clan to supervise the entire nation.

If it were anyone else, this series of measures would probably have long led to their demise.

But this is the Gu Clan—

The Gu Clan entrusted with the empire by Zhao Kuangyin!

This is Gu Jin’s greatest confidence.

Their generation was born alongside new thinking, their thoughts and actions have long surpassed the previous generation.

They hold no fear whatsoever.

As long as they believe something is right, they hesitate not!

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Time flies, years pass like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye——

It is already the fourth year of Tongbao.

By now, Kaifeng is no longer its old self.

In just a few short years, the entire city, as if nourished by the gentle spring rain, brims with astonishing vitality.

In the streets and alleys, people flow like a stream, with southern and northern accents intermingling, making it a gathering place for nations.

On the canal, the shipping industry stretches continuously, goods pile up; silks from the southeast, rice from Jiangnan, furs from the northwest, spices from the southern countries, all converge here.

At the docks, the cries never cease, porters loading and unloading goods come and go in an endless stream, presenting a flowing image of "The Canal Transport Map."

Among the marketplaces, shops stand densely, flags flying in the wind.

The morning market opens at dawn, the night market remains lit all night long, with laughter and clamor emanating from taverns, and tea houses filled with gentle aromas.

Inside and outside the city gates, carriages and horses pass endlessly.

There are new four-wheel carriages carrying merchants racing by, and ornate sedans moving slowly among them, with willows providing shade along the roadside, pavilions rising in a jagged landscape, and green tiles and red eaves glistening under the sunlight.