Tibet

Ten days later, Li Ye led the Anxi Army to Dinghu County. Dinghu County is located on the bank of the surging Yellow River. It is also an ancient ferry on the Yellow River and is currently an important transit point for refugees from Hebei. More than a dozen camps have been set up here. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are waiting to be transferred here.

When Li Ye arrived, he happened to catch up with the fleet returning to transport a new batch of refugees to Lingzhou.

Chen Huan was in charge of transferring refugees in Dinghu County. He accompanied Li Ye to inspect the dock.

I saw hundreds of cars and boats parked in the Yellow River, three large ships parked at the pier, and three long teams queuing up to board the ships.

"Your Highness, each ship can hold about a hundred people. It can transport 60,000 to 70,000 people in one trip. It makes three trips a month and can transport 200,000 people. We will try to transport them all before it freezes."

"First come, first go?" Li Ye asked again.

"Your Highness, we basically board the ship in separate areas. We will ask those who need to take the ship to wait in batches and in order. Once the fleet arrives, they will be asked to queue up at the dock to board the ship."

Li Ye asked in confusion: "Why don't all the people who need to take the boat get on the boat?"

Chen Huan shook his head, "Your Highness doesn't know something. There are too many refugees, far exceeding our plan. If they all get on the boat, we won't be able to finish the journey when it freezes in winter, so we let the old and the weak get on the boat, and the young and strong walk to Lingzhou." "

Chen Huan pointed not far away to the south, "Your Highness, please look at that floating bridge!"

Li Ye looked around and saw at a glance, a wide pontoon built with boats lying across the Yellow River, and a steady stream of young and strong refugees were walking towards the other side.

"Your Highness, please rest assured that we also have supply points on the road to ensure that they can arrive in Lingzhou safely, where they will be reunited with their families."

Li Ye nodded, "This arrangement is not bad, let the old and weak women and children take the boat, and the young and strong men walk."

Li Ye inspected another circle of refugee camps and was very satisfied with the well-organized arrangements. He did not stay for a long time and led his men across the Yellow River and headed for Yanzhou.

A few days later, Li Ye arrived in Yanzhou. He had planned to come to Yanzhou to see the kerosene produced in Yanzhou. However, because he could not capture Niangzi Pass, he rushed to Jingxing.

Now that there is a mutiny in Bukhan, it means that it is difficult for him to get replenishment of kerosene from Bukhan. This is undoubtedly a huge loss for both Li Ye and the Helong Tang Army.

It was for this reason that he began to pay more attention to Yanzhou's fire oil than ever before.

The governor of Yanzhou is named Zhou Zhifang. He was a Jinshi for the fourth year of Tianbao. He only came to Yanzhou to take office last year. He doesn't know much about the situation of kerosene.

However, Yanzhou Sima Yang Anxu was a local and had been an official in Yanzhou for six years. He knew the kerosene situation that Li Ye mentioned very well.

Yang Anxu personally took Li Ye to the oil production site.

"The kerosene your Highness mentioned is called high-nosed oil or carbolic oil in Yanzhou. It was recorded in the county annals of the Han Dynasty, but the output has never been large. It is mainly used as medicine to treat skin diseases."

Yang Anxu took Li Ye and his party to the mountain col. He pointed to a wooden house and said: "There is an oil well in that wooden house. It was bought by a businessman and the wooden house was built."

The wooden house was specially guarded. When the guard saw Zhou Sima coming, he quickly opened the door. Yang Anxu took Li Ye into the house. He saw a very thin crack on the floor of the house, and he could see that there was dark oil inside.

The caretaker introduced: "About every half month, the petroleum oil will flow out by itself, and then we use wooden barrels to collect it. We can collect about 20 kilograms each time. This oil is too viscous and can only be collected by pharmacies. Each barrel can collect Sell ​​it for two bucks."

Li Ye stepped forward to check and saw that the oil was about to spill out. "Is this going to be collected?"

"Yes! Prepare to collect tomorrow."

Li Ye took a spoonful of it with a wooden spoon. It was as viscous as cough syrup and the smell was very pungent. It smelled like asphalt. It was indeed petroleum, but it was far inferior in quality to the light petroleum in Takhanna.

"Can this thing be ignited with fire?"

"It can be lit, but the smoke is too great."

Li Ye nodded, as long as it can be ignited, it will be easy. You can use the heating distillation method to get the light fire oil you want. It is a little troublesome, but it is better than nothing.

Walking out of the wooden house and reaching a high place, he saw the surging river below. He asked Yang Anxu again: "How many natural oil wells like this are there in Yanzhou?"

"There are eight of them in total, and they have all been bought by private individuals. If His Highness wants them, he can just take them back. It didn't cost much in the first place."

"I want to monopolize the extraction of petroleum oil in Yanzhou. No one is allowed to exploit it except my people. Do I need to get approval from the court?"

Yang Anxu scratched his head, "This stuff has been around for hundreds of years and no one wants it. It's poisonous and has a strong smell. What's the use of your highness?"

"Don't worry about it. It's a military necessity. Let me ask you, should you, Yanzhou, make the decision, or does the imperial court make the decision?"

Yang Anxu thought for a while and said: "This is not in the mineral catalog of the Ministry of Industry. Our state should be able to make the decision."

Li Ye nodded, "Then the Helong Jiedu Mansion signed an agreement with you, for one thousand guan every year, the petroleum oil in Yanzhou can only be mined by me."

Yang Anxu immediately rushed back to the prefecture and reported to the governor Zhou Zhifang. Zhou Zhifang frowned and said, "What does he want this kind of carbolic oil for?"

"I don't know about it either. I just said it was for military purposes. I asked Li Tuanlian again."

"What did Li Tuanlian say?"

"Li Tuanlian said it should be used to defend the city. It was boiled hot in a big pot at the top of the city. When the enemy attacked the city, it was poured down. It was very effective."

After a pause, Yang Anxu whispered again: "Shijun, we cannot afford to offend His Highness King Qi."

Zhou Zhifang nodded: "He said he would give us a thousand dollars every year?"

"Exactly!"

Zhou Zhifang pondered for a moment and said: "Let's do this! We can sign an agreement with him, but I have to write a memorial to record this matter to the court!"

In the afternoon, his soldiers brought an old man into the temporary military tent and said, "Your Highness, this old man is a well-known well digger in Fushi County. His surname is Wang and his nickname is King of Wells."

The old man knelt down and paid homage, "The little man Wang Dalin pays homage to the prince!"

"My father-in-law, please get up!"

Li Ye asked him to get up and asked with a smile: "Is this year your father-in-law?"

"Fifty-eight!"

Li Ye nodded and asked, "How many years have you been digging wells in Yanzhou?"

"The little old man followed his father to dig wells when he was fifteen years old. He has been digging wells for more than 40 years."

Li Ye pointed to the petroleum oil in the barrel next to him, "Have you ever encountered this thing when drilling wells?"

; The old man stepped forward and smelled it, and exclaimed: "Ah! This is Gaonu oil, which is what we are most afraid of encountering when drilling wells. Once we encounter it, we bury it quickly, and the well will be scrapped."

"How did you encounter it? Do you have experience?" Li Ye asked with a smile.

The old man nodded, "This kind of high-nuclear oil is mainly concentrated in Yuxiang. If you drill ten wells, you will encounter one oil well. In other places, you have to drill dozens of wells to encounter this kind of high-nuclear oil. Later, We gradually mastered the rules. This kind of high-null oil is usually encountered when drilling deep wells. Therefore, if water is not found when the well is drilled to a depth of ten feet, the well cannot be drilled anymore. When the well is drilled to a depth of about fifteen feet, high-null oil will be encountered. It might happen.”

Li Ye smiled and said: "I really need this kind of coal oil well. You should remember where there is one with large production. As long as you dig one of these oil wells for me, I will reward you with five hundred coins!"

There must be a brave man under the heavy reward. The old man was very excited and said: "I promise to drill an oil well for Your Highness within three days, ensuring that the water gushes outward. Twenty years ago, I encountered a Gaonu oil well. I still remember that place.”