If you want to get rich, build roads first.

This was the fundamental national policy established by Zhao Huan.

The transportation system is a crucial part of national strategy. It can be said that before every economic take-off, there must be further improvement of the road system.

After Qin Shi Huang unified China, he built seven major roads throughout the country to increase cohesion, which were all achievements that would benefit future generations.

But Zhao Huan used a completely new method to repair the road this time.

Previously, they would ram the soil to make it hard; now they use cement.

As early as when cement was first developed, the Zhengshitang had already formed caravans to mine the raw materials needed for cement.

Furthermore, Zhao Huan and his ministers had already decided on the locations for the cement manufacturing bureau.

Major cities are now building cement manufacturing plants.

As for cement production, it should be declared based on the demand for roads to be built in each city.

The specific plans have already been drawn up by the State Council, and the Ministry of Works, in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Commerce and Resources, has begun to experiment with cement production at various branches.

At least at this stage, things are going very smoothly.

These caravans were recruited to Tokyo City and are now undergoing collective training to learn how to use cement and how to build new roads.

Although this type of cement is very primitive, it is far superior to rammed earth.

Moreover, the cement was mixed with gravel, making the road suitable for Zhao Huan's use.

Not only did newly formed caravans from various regions come to the capital, but the military commissioners and prefects of the four deputy capitals also arrived.

What followed was a month-long period of study and political discussion, during which the emperor specifically set aside time to meet with the four regional envoys.

The task of the military commissioner was to work with the emperor and the prime minister to determine the next steps for the local military, civil administration, and economic development.

The main developments of Yanyun include the following:

First, expand the army.

Second, the maintenance of farmland.

Third, the normal operation of the cement manufacturing bureau must ensure that there is sufficient cement production during road construction.

Fourth, urban expansion and immigration.

Li Gang proposed establishing Youzhou as the largest military stronghold in the north, serving as the most solid defense line for the Song Dynasty in the north.

Therefore, military spending will be the highest.

His proposal was also Zhao Huan's idea: to develop Youzhou militarily, drive the development of various industries in Youzhou, and then transform the region after the Jin dynasty was destroyed.

Almost all of Yan Yun's military expenditure budgets were approved, and even the military expenditure budget for the following year went very smoothly.

As for Jingzhao Prefecture (Chang'an), it received the same treatment as Youzhou from the start, with a large amount of budget being poured into the Northwest.

Zhao Huan not only emphasized the military, but also the commerce of Jingzhao Prefecture.

Because in Zhao Huan's top-level imperial strategy, the Silk Road was to be reopened after the Western Xia was destroyed, and Jingzhao Prefecture was an important node on the Silk Road and a node for controlling the Western Regions.

In no more than three years, Zhao Huan will personally lead an expedition against the Dangxiang. At that time, the Xia state will no longer exist on Earth, the Longyou Protectorate will become more extensive, the horse farms of the Song Dynasty will return, and with cavalry, long-distance raids and annihilation battles will be guaranteed.

We'll have the confidence to attack the Jin Kingdom again!

However, due to excessive mining during the Tang Dynasty, Jingzhao Prefecture suffered severe damage by the end of the Tang Dynasty, and its agriculture gradually weakened.

The ideal solution would be to build that place into a transit hub between the Western Regions and Tokyo.

The positioning of Hangzhou becomes even clearer.

The largest city in eastern China, the largest ferry crossing, the largest silk production center, and one of the naval bases, the Song Dynasty will use this as a springboard to fight against Japan and Goryeo.

As for Guangzhou, it is located in southern China and is not far from the islands of Southeast Asia.

Of course, a lot of money needs to be invested in developing the navy!

Why did the military commissioners and prefects of the four capitals stay in Tokyo for a month after discussing official business with the emperor?

Because the four capitals will also be undertaking large-scale construction projects, and Tokyo City is currently undergoing reconstruction and expansion everywhere, the four capitals will all take Tokyo City as a model and begin to expand and rebuild.

This was an unprecedented reconstruction, breaking the pattern of previous dynasties and reshaping an imperial center whose scale surpassed that of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

From its appearance, one can almost glimpse the empire's ambitions.

For the past month, Zhao Huan has been so busy that he can only sleep for three hours a day, spending the rest of his time in meetings, with new plans constantly emerging and old plans constantly being overturned.

The emperor, prime minister, and regional officials of the empire, in a short period of one month, meticulously planned a strategic deployment that would determine the future of the empire.

Immediately, everyone returned to their original positions and began to earnestly implement the central strategic plan.

As autumn deepens, the trees lining the streets of Tokyo have turned golden, and when the autumn wind blows, they fly everywhere.

On this day, Liu Yanzong and Xie Dahai rushed into the palace.

After carefully reading Liu Yanzong's report, Zhao Huanzai couldn't help but frown.

The Hidden Yuan Society has actually infiltrated the Northwest Army!

Moreover, the fact that high-ranking military officers are associated with the Hidden Origin Society is astonishing!

Zhao Huan knew this general, and they had even fought side by side before!

To Zhao Huan's surprise, things had developed to this point.

Liu Yanzong remained silent, but he was certain that the emperor was about to mobilize the army.

In fact, the emperor began to reorganize the army after returning from the Northern Expedition.

The situation after the Northern Expedition was that the border troops were too powerful. The emperor was able to keep them in check while he was still on the throne, but what if Zhao Huan died a hundred years later?

The Song Dynasty would inevitably face the same situation as the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, the border armies could be powerful, but the central army was the most powerful in the empire.

The New Army is the Central Army!

The purge of the Central Plains and the South, besides eliminating civil officials and gentry who opposed the emperor's new policies, was actually a rehearsal for the emperor's new army.

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