Chapter 684-Industrialization Sprouting
Translator: ryangohsf
Editor: Nora
Apart from the Internal Affairs Bureau, the Military Affairs Bureau was also effective.
The territory military expansion goal was already reached, and the Garrison Divisions were all being completed. The construction of the logistic centers of the three legion corps had finished.
A huge number of resources were being transported over to the frontlines.
At the same time, the team competition and the overall champions of each soldier type had been decided for the military martial arts competition that had lasted for three months.
Apart from the overall champion, only the martial genius of the entire army needed Ouyang Shuo to personally grant the prize. The other winners had already obtained their titles and rank upgrade.
After the competition ended, martial arts became commonplace in the military.
Those who were defeated in the arena were naturally unhappy and wanted to win it back.
Military Affairs Bureau Director Du Ruhui had spread the word that this competitor would be a yearly event. Each year, one martial genius would be born.
Apart from the army, the navy construction was even more eye-catching.
The Beihai Bay Squadron, Yashan Bay Squadron, Jiaozhou Squadron, and Xingzhou Squadron under the Nanyang Navy were all built up. Along with the current Mediterranean Squadron which was lacking, Nanyang Navy's overall numbers hit 470 thousand.
Their overall combat strength could be compared to the army.
The navy strategy of Shanhai City had slowly taken shape; they only lacked warships and firearms. With the steam engine technology, this goal was right there in front of them.
……
The basic education and medical facilities under the support of large amounts of funds had proceeded smoothly. This autumn, the second term students followed the new education system and entered the schools.
With that, during the 4th year, the talents developed by the territory would truly explode. Even if they did not hold an imperial exam, from the graduated students, the territory could recruit group after group of basic level officials.
The talent system that they were constructing had started to break away from the ancient system; it was turning into a more vibrant and alive system like the modern day one.
The five thousand odd students in the spring semester of the Xinan University and the Army Military Academy had graduated and were sent off the various Houses and the military.
Under the funding of Ouyang Shuo, the two education institutes had reached a new level in terms of teaching levels, teaching material, and student standards.
People who came over to these two educational institutes were not limited to Shanhai Alliance members. People from the imperial cities also rushed over.
The learning environment here far exceeded the imperial cities. Even Luoyang, with Hanwu Emperor there, focusing on Confucianism did not attract as much people as the Xinan University.
Not only was it free, but it even gave extra help to poor students. With that, the poorer students decided to move their families over to live in Shanhai City.
The officials here would give these students a suitable amount of help.
More importantly was the open learning environment here. Philosophers would speak here, and differences in teaching techniques could be debated here every day. The philosophers debate era in history was slowly developing in Shanhai City.
Apart from the graduated students, the officials and generals who were studying had already returned to their positions. Those who performed well and were recommended even received promotions.
Some County Magistrates were promoted to prefect, some majors to colonels.
The official system in the territory was becoming more perfect by the day.
In this half a year, the quality of civil servants and generals had experienced a large increase.
The talent pool of the territory had also risen by a large step. Based on Director Xiao He’s words, even if they expanded to four or five more prefectures, they still had enough talents.
The problem of last year did not exist anymore.
With that, Ouyang Shuo could focus his energy on external conflict. The China region situation became clearer and clearer, and it was far from a battle between Shanhai Alliance and Yanhuang Alliance.
Apart from within the country, there was also the international situation. Let's not mention the further away ones, the ASEAN right in front of them already posed a large challenge.
Ouyang Shuo needed to have a plan about how to settle them in one to two years.
……
The Financial Bureau also performed well.
The trade route between Shanhai City and Quanzhou Imperial City had been opened. After the Battle of Singapore ended, Shi Lang led the Jiaozhou Squadron and started to clear out the pirates in the area.
He was an expert at exterminating pirates and the south sea was also a region he was familiar with. Hence, he acted with great efficiency. More than half of the members of the Yashan Squadron were obtained from pirates.
At this date, the entire trading route was protected by Shanhai City sailors and merchant ships could travel in peace.
Opening this route not only held great meaning to the territory, it also meant that another important trading point was added.
The merchant ships would use Quanzhou as a layover point to head into Shanhai City and proceed toward Southeast Asia.
The trade agreement that Shanhai City signed with Johor, Brunei, and the others also played an important part.
Because of the addition of Shanhai City, ASEAN was in a mess.
On one side, Johor, Brunei, and the other earned massive profits through the trade. On the other side, the PK between China players and Java players had reached a boiling point.
Each day, there would be hundreds of people dying.
The Java players were extremely strong. After fighting for so many months, they still did not back off.
Last month, even the Johor Adventure gamemode players, under the instructions of the leader of the Fierce Tiger Mercenary Group, started to disturb the Xingzhou Prefecture border.
Naturally, the China players would not take this lying down.
The long coastline between Xingzhou Prefecture and Johor became a grey region for PK.
With that, cracks within Johor formed too.
With Shantha and Guo Yannan at the lead, they wanted peaceful trade. On the other hand, Sha Duya wanted PK.
The situation in Southeast Asia became more and more complicated.
Any wind blowing, or small movement could lead to a huge war.
After reading the memorials, it was already 4 PM.
Ouyang Shuo rubbed his swelling head and laid on his couch, closing his eyes and resting.
The voyage had ended, but the burden on his shoulders had increased. Such a huge problem of Shanhai City laid completely on his shoulders.
In truth, it truly was not simple.
Especially the matter with the Shanhai Alliance, it really worried him.
It had been two days since his return, and he still had not contacted his allies. It was not that he did not want to, but before he understood the situation, he did not know where to start.
His current allies were all like elders of a region, they would not like being bossed around by him.
Without mentioning Xunlong Dianxue, Ouyang Shuo could not see through Feng Qiuhuang’s thoughts. Since the start, there had been a gap between her and the other allies.
Her heritage was something that Gong Chengshi and the other commoner Lords hated.
To make matters worse, Fallen Phoenix City was the second strongest territory in the alliance. While they did not do much, Feng Qiuhuang had obtained glorious achievements and saved the reputation of the alliance.
With that, Gong Chengshi and the others would naturally feel unhappy about it. A deeper and wider tear would be stabbed into their hearts.
The alliance was not like the alliance from before.
Thinking about this, Ouyang Shuo could not help but feel emotional. At the start of the 2nd year, they had held the 1st alliance meeting at the back garden. At that time, they were just a group of young people singing campfire songs and dancing.
They were so well-matched.
It was like it had just happened yesterday, but the truth was so far from his ideal.
I really need to have a good talk with them! Ouyang Shuo thought to himself.
……
Half an hour later, Ouyang Shuo opened his eyes.
After looking through all the memorials, Ouyang Shuo was not ready to continue staying in the reading room, “Men, prepare my horse!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
Chen Dameng acknowledged his order, turning around and leaving.
Jumping onto Qingdian, Ouyang Shuo led the Personal Guards and headed to the South City region.
Although Little Green had become his mount, when he was in the city, Ouyang Shuo still decided to sit on Qingdian. After all, Llittle Green was too eye-catching and too much.
Furthermore, the little fellow did not like Ouyang Shuo riding him. If it was not war time, it was difficult to see it, as it would either be in the Spirit Beast Hall or swimming in the ocean.
Compared to Ouyang Shuo, this fellow was a free spirit.
……
The South City region was directly connected to the imperial city, and the city gates were guarded by the Guards Legion.
When they saw the Lord, they immediately opened the gates.
Just half a year had passed, and the South City region, the military work region of the territory, had undergone a total change. The four military workshops used to be the main attractions but now this was a place for industrialization.
The four military workshops had turned into high range equipment crafting.
The Bow and Crossbow Division Workshop was only in charge of the three-bow arcuballistas and the Zhuge Crossbow, the Armory Division Workshop in charge of the Mingguang Armor, Buren Armor, and Iron Armored Beast equipment.
The weapons workshop only made orders from the military.
Normal equipment was all completed by the regional workshops in the various prefectures.
Of the emptied land, half was used to build steelmaking factories, handgun workshops, and cannon workshops. Half or more was still empty and used to prepare for the steam engine and industrialization machines.
……
Arriving at the South City region, Ouyang Shuo wanted to go to the No. 7 Research Institute, to personally pass the techniques over to Liu Mo. At the same time, he could take the time to understand the industrial developments.
Seeing the current state of the region, Ouyang Shuo was dazzled. If no one led the way, he would not even be able to find the research institute.