Chapter 970

A cold wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed in from outside the Zhengda Guangming Hall, bringing with it a biting chill.

The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly solemn. After a moment of thought, Niu Ben said, “Your Majesty, as long as the Golden Tent Khanate is not eliminated, it will be like a festering sore on the back of the Great Yu Empire, itching from time to time. With the intervention of Tsarist Russia, the Great Yu Empire now has another powerful enemy in the north. If this threat is not eradicated, the Great Yu Empire will be forever troubled by it.”

“This is also my opinion. The scattered remnants of the Merchants’ Council in the south have been almost completely eliminated, and the joint fleet led by Britain has just been defeated, so they will certainly not have the courage to make a comeback for some time. Therefore, we should solve the threat that is right on our doorstep,” Luo Quan said in a clear voice.

Xiao Ming nodded slowly. Now that Malacca was in his hands, Southeast Asia was within his grasp, and a policy of gradual encroachment would suffice. The problem of the Golden Tent Khanate, which had plagued the Great Yu Empire for hundreds of years, should also be thoroughly resolved. Otherwise, their cooperation with Tsarist Russia in the north would be very troublesome, as proven by their recent cutting off of Zhu Sansi’s supply lines.

“What the two generals have said is also what I am thinking. From Guandong to Qingzhou is a distance of thousands of li. This battle report was likely sent over a month ago. I am very worried about the current situation of Zhu Sansi and the ten thousand soldiers,” Xiao Ming said with concern.

Niu Ben said, “After Zhu Sansi occupied Yakutsk, he obtained a large amount of grain and supplies, so that is not the main problem. The most important issue is the supply of ammunition. If the Golden Tent Khanate and Tsarist Russia surround and attack Yakutsk, their situation will be very difficult.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ming frowned. This year, the railway in Guandong was being extended north from Jianzhou, but it had come to a halt due to the arrival of winter. It was impossible to provide supplies to Zhu Sansi by railway.

“Immediately issue an order to Qi Guangyi to send cavalry to Jianzhou to transport ammunition and supplies to Zhu Sansi’s army using horse-drawn sleds, and also to be responsible for protecting them along the way. I cannot abandon any soldier.”

After a moment of thought, Xiao Ming made a decision.

“Sleds?”

Niu Ben and Luo Quan were both taken aback. They had never heard of such a thing. Xiao Ming then had Qian Dafu bring paper and a brush, and he drew the structure of a sled on the paper to show them. “This is a sled?” Niu Ben glanced at the drawing. The thing drawn on it was a wooden board, with two parallel iron runners protruding from the bottom. There were also reins at the front of the sled to tie a horse to it.

The Great Yu Empire had lost Guandong for a hundred years, and these generals living inside the Great Wall naturally could not experience what it was like to live in a world of ice and snow. They had no concept of a sled. In a time when the mountains were sealed by heavy snow, this sled would definitely be the best means of transport.

“Can this really smoothly transport supplies in the snow?” Luo Quan still had some doubts, as this was not a trivial matter.

“Of course. There is no time to lose. I will have the factory produce these sleds overnight and transport them to Jianzhou by railway. By then, Qi Guangyi’s cavalry should also have arrived in Jianzhou,” Xiao Ming said in a clear voice. He then took the two of them to the Machinery Department, guarded by the Imperial Guard, and had them manufacture a sled on the spot. Because the structure was simple, a sled was presented to them in just half an hour. For the Siberian region, the sled as a means of transport might serve as an important tool for a long time in the future. He then chose a place with deep snow and demonstrated the convenience of the sled in the snow, officially listing the sled as one of the items to be purchased for the army.

“With this, transportation in Guandong will be much more convenient. After all, not every place can be reached by railway,” Niu Ben said with a sigh of relief. Although the task of supplying Zhu Sansi was still very heavy, the sled as a tool at least alleviated the current predicament.

“Yes, Your Majesty is still the most clever. Why didn’t we think of this?” Luo Quan’s mood also improved.

Xiao Ming shook his head helplessly. He had also been negligent this time; he should have considered this problem when Zhu Sansi set off for Guandong. However, there were simply too many things for him to consider now, and sometimes he inevitably forgot things.

After deciding on the sleds, Xiao Ming ordered the Machinery Department to ramp up production of a thousand sleds and transport them to Jianzhou. From now on, these sleds would be the mode of transport for the Guandong army. However, the transportation of supplies in Guandong was one problem, and the transmission of information was another. Often, by the time a battle report arrived, a major event had already happened a long time ago. Xiao Ming had no solution for this problem before, but now with electricity, the problem was simple. Moreover, he had already had Qingzhou University prepare for a month to address this issue.

With this in mind, he said to the two men, “Come, I will take you to see something even more important. It is much more important than a sled.”

Hearing this, the two men immediately showed a look of anticipation, because this meant there must have been a more important discovery in Qingzhou. The group turned and went to Qingzhou University. Under Xiao Ming’s guidance, they entered a laboratory within the academy. This was the newly established Electricity Application Laboratory of Qingzhou University, which focused on electricity-related equipment.

“Your Majesty!”

Xiao Ming’s arrival attracted the attention of the thirty-two students in the laboratory. These students were all proficient in the knowledge of electricity applications, and the one in charge was named He Dong. When this laboratory was being set up, Su Liangcai had specifically recommended this person. As a fellow researcher of electricity, he knew He Dong’s capabilities.

“It must be hard on you to still be busy with experiments on the first day of the New Year.” Xiao Ming’s tone was gentle, not like an emperor, but like a kind visitor. When he first became emperor, he was very conscious of maintaining the image of an emperor for a time, but as he sat on the throne for longer, he gradually shed this restraint. Because for him, a people-friendly image suited him better than a cold and untouchable one.

“The matter of the telegraph is of great importance, so this official does not dare to be negligent. This small hardship is not worth mentioning,” He Dong said with a bow. After a pause, he continued, “Your Majesty has come at a very opportune time. The laboratory has just completed the sending and receiving of telegraphs. The application of the wired telegraph can now be officially launched.”

Niu Ben and Luo Quan looked at each other, both showing joy. Anything related to electricity now held their intense interest.

“I thought there would be a result soon. Good. Since the two generals are here with me today, you can demonstrate the sending and receiving of a telegraph to them.”

The wired telegraph was a rather outdated method of information transmission in Xiao Ming’s eyes, but to the current Great Yu Empire, it was like a divine tool. This thing was still in use even in the modern era and had not been completely phased out. With it, the delivery of government orders and the transmission of information across the vast territory of the Great Yu Empire would be greatly shortened.