Reverse Borrowing

Soon, the carriages set off. Each carriage had four yamen runners following it, a total of five carriages and twenty runners.

"Incredible!"

"Those large iron beasts can actually move on their own!"

Many commoners were astonished, watching the carriages drive away by themselves, feeling that everything they had witnessed today had completely shattered their worldview.

After all this commotion, the distant sky gradually began to brighten.

Li Shimin led the group into the fishing village.

Not all of the commoners who had come to see the train last night had arrived; there were still many elderly, women, and children in the village. Li Shimin had also arranged for people to deliver porridge to them.

At that moment, at the entrance of the village, those who had stayed behind had received notice from the village head that the Emperor was coming. They gathered at the village entrance, kneeling to welcome him.

For commoners in such a barren land, not to mention the Emperor, they might never see even a local magistrate in their lifetime.

Now, with the Emperor present in person, and having sent them porridge last night, how could these commoners not be stirred with emotion?

"Rise, all of you rise. I have already issued an edict before: the realm's commoners need not perform the bowing ceremony when meeting officials or the sovereign." Li Shimin stepped forward, helping an elderly woman up from the ground as he spoke.

"This place... it's truly too harsh."

Qin Shi Huang and Zhu Yuanzhang looked into the village. Most of the houses were thatched huts, and only a few were built with mud walls.

They had visited impoverished areas in their own dynasties, but compared to this place, their experiences seemed minor.

"I'll set up a teleportation gate nearby. Later, I'll send some craftsmen from the later generations to help the locals rebuild their houses first, then push for rapid development. With the teleportation gate, machines and equipment can be transported more easily."

Considering this place would become an important economic lifeline, Qin Ning thought it was appropriate to construct a teleportation gate. Treating it as early development, he could later have Li Shimin designate this area as a special economic zone.

As he spoke, he waved his hand, pulling out several large sacks and placing them on the ground. "Old Li, these are sea rice bred in our later generations. It can be cultivated in coastal barren lands like this, and its yield isn't low—reaching eight hundred to even a thousand jin per mu."

"Sea rice?"

Hearing this, not only Li Shimin but also Zhu Yuanzhang and Qin Shi Huang had their eyes light up.

As emperors, they understood better than anyone the benefits this kind of thing could bring.

And that this crop could produce such a high yield—a thousand jin per mu—was what shocked Li Shimin and the others the most.

Soon, after Qin Ning built the teleportation gate, over the following days, Li Shimin arranged for a train from Chang'an to bring over a thousand of the Imperial Guards. Together with local soldiers, they tightly guarded the area around the teleportation gate, preventing ordinary people from approaching at will.

The later generations sent over many more craftsmen. In less than seven days, they built brick houses on a vacant plot near the village and arranged for the villagers to move in.

These craftsmen would continue to expand the construction of houses outward from this center, and commerce would likely develop here quickly soon.

After all, not only was there water transport, but the train was now operational as well.

Later, the train station would be opened to the public, providing convenient travel for them.

But this would not happen anytime soon, as the railway had only two tracks, and the number of trains was far from sufficient. They would first need to be used for military and other more important matters; civilian use would have to wait until later.

Having arranged everything, Qin Ning, Li Shimin, and the others continued their journey.

The train sped on.

Over the next month, they traveled along the border, inspecting various places. Accompanying them were Wei Zheng and Fang Xuanling, who drafted a comprehensive development plan.

They made several copies, giving one each to Qin Shi Huang and Zhu Yuanzhang.

This was, naturally, a good thing for Zhu Yuanzhang and Qin Shi Huang.

It would also make it easier for them to run the plan themselves upon returning.

For now, the future development directions of the Ming and Qin Dynasties were almost identical to those of the Tang Dynasty, so they could simply copy and implement it.

One day.

Within the Tang Dynasty's imperial palace, Li Shimin hosted a banquet. In addition to many court officials, Qin Ning, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Qin Shi Huang were also invited.

"Sir, when may we depart to visit the later Tang Dynasty of my realm?" Li Shimin asked.

Ever since learning about the Battle of Suiyang and the Battle of Xiangji Temple, he had been preoccupied with this matter.

"Over the past month of our inspections, how many firearms has the Tang Dynasty produced? How many?" Qin Ning asked in return.

"Ten thousand percussion muskets and ten thousand flintlocks each. Combined with some bolt-action rifles sent from the later generations, my Tang Dynasty can now equip fifty thousand soldiers in the Divine Machine Battalion," Li Shimin said.

"Wait, the Divine Machine Battalion?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback. "Old Li, that's stealing from our Ming Dynasty! You take everything?"

"Stealing? I call it reverse borrowing."

"Reverse borrowing?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless. "Though I'm not well-read, I'm not that easy to fool. Is there such a thing as reverse borrowing?"

"Why not?"

Li Shimin chuckled. "Your later generations can adopt things from my Tang Dynasty, like the civil service exam system, official titles, and forms of address—so why can't my Tang Dynasty borrow things back from the later generations?"

"What, Old Zhu? Bullying us ancients, are you? Only you can adopt, but we can't borrow?"

Hearing Li Shimin's words, Zhu Yuanzhang was left without a response. After a moment, he muttered, "Forget it, use it if you must."

"With fifty thousand in the Divine Machine Battalion, that should be enough. The Qin and Ming dynasties should also contribute some troops as practical training," Qin Ning said.

"No problem. I can send twenty thousand troops, all armed like the Divine Machine Battalion."

"Then I'll send thirty thousand troops. When the three dynasties combine, we'll have a hundred thousand, all equipped with firearms in the Divine Machine Battalion—unstoppable and invincible."

The matter was quickly settled.

Everyone drank until evening before dispersing. They were to return to muster their troops, planning to gather here in three days to depart together.

Back at the later generations' villa district.

Qin Ning returned here.

On the square, Li Lizhi and Qin Ning were accompanying Sizi and a group of children playing.

Nearby, Zhu Biao, Fusu, and Li Chengqian had set up a table, drinking wine and chatting.

In addition to the three of them, Zhou Ping'an, Xia Fei, Wang Er, and others were also present.

So was Zhou De, the former head of Liu City.

Qin Ning hadn't seen him in a long time, mainly because Zhou De had been transferred out of Liu City, promoted to the provincial level to take Guo Zhengwen's position.

As for Guo Zhengwen, naturally, he had also climbed higher in rank.