Among the mountains, the Guanghuang Railway is like a giant snake walking through, with its snake winding, from south to north, without any sign of sight. Rows of rail carriages are slowly driving on the railway, transporting a large amount of goods to Guangzhou Guangcheng, on the northern foot of the Dabei Mountain.

Among the freight carriages were a "business" carriage. The carriages drove northward with the convoy. Tang Jian, the new governor of Qiaozhou, was having a warm conversation with Di Jun, a member of the Ministry of War, who was traveling with him.

Guanghuang Railway is famous all over the world. It was the first time Tang Jian saw this expensive railway. Although it was not the first time he took a rail carriage, he was still quite interested in everything about a rail carriage.

And Di Jun, who had "passed" by the Huanghuang Railway many times, acted as a "tour guide" and introduced the stations and scenery along the way to Tang Jian.

Since its opening, the transportation volume of Guanghuang Railway has increased day by day. This railway is mainly freight, with fewer passenger transport, and is basically "official passenger transport". Only officials who go out to work, and postmen are qualified to take passenger carriages.

Of course, the imperial officials and their families who traveled to and from the northern and southern foothills of the Dabie Mountains were also qualified to take the ride, which was the case with Tang Jian and Yu Di Jun.

The inside story introduced by Di Jun at this time was the freight situation of Guanghuang Railway. This was not a secret. Instead, after continuous publicity in newspapers, many people knew that Guanghuang Railway was very lively.

Since the railway was opened to traffic, a large amount of cargo traveled back and forth between the north and south of the Dabie Mountains through this railway every day. The Guanghuang Railway has become an important transportation line as expected.

This transportation line greatly shortened the land itinerary between Huangzhou and Guangzhou, significantly reducing the transportation cost of bulk goods, and significantly shortening the transportation time. From the date of opening to traffic, the railway usage rate has been very high.

The southern end of the Guanghuang Railway is Xiyang, Huangzhou. A large amount of cargo is loaded every day, and then heading to Guangzhou Guangcheng, the northern end. Because of the high demand, the number of carriages for freight carriages is arranged, and carriages are driving on this railway day and night.

There is only one railway, and there are so many carriages driving opposite directions, which involves "scheduling". The horses pulling the carriage must be replaced every time they walk a distance, which also requires overall "scheduling". Therefore, in order to maintain the normal operation of the Guanghuang Railway, the court specially set up an official office to manage this important transportation line.

This official office is the Guanghuang Transportation Department, and its chief officer, Guanghuang Transportation Commander, shoulders the important task of ensuring the smooth flow of Guanghuang Railway. In any case, it must ensure that this transportation line operates normally.

And Di Shiwen, the zodiac transshipment envoy, was the father of Di Jun.

So when Xiao Dijun talked about the Huanghuang Railway, he was very good at answering many questions raised by Tang Jian.

The issue he was most concerned about was a new thing that was now being discussed in the government and the country. The emergence of this new thing was incredible.

New things are telegraphs, an incredible way of communication that has shocked everyone since its inception.

Telegrams are said to be a "flying line" to deliver messages, and can instantly pass messages hundreds or even thousands of miles, much faster than the messenger who sends messages.

Now the telegram appears on the Guanghuang Railway, with the southern end of Huangzhou Xiyang and the northern end of Guangzhou Guangcheng. According to the memorials handed over by the Guanghuang Transportation Engineer, the telegram travels very fast. The news was sent in Xiyang, and almost at the same time, Guangcheng received it.

This magical communication method made everyone curious. Because of the newspaper, the new thing about telegraph was quickly known to everyone, but most people didn't know how this thing worked.

By reading newspapers, they knew that telegrams needed to set up "flying lines", that is, they used wooden poles to build a continuous long line, allowing them to cross mountains and ridges, cross rivers and gullies. It is precisely because this line flew over all obstacles like wings, so it was called "flying lines".

At this moment, Tang Jian looked at the "flying lines" next to the railway outside the window that were inseparable from the railway tracks, and looked at the tall wooden poles, and couldn't help but become more and more curious:

"How much does it cost to lay such a flying line? It's probably quite difficult to maintain it on weekdays, right?"

Tang Jian asked, the matter was confidential, so Di Jun just pointed out briefly: "The cost of laying the flying line is of course expensive, and it is not worry-free to maintain it. Otherwise, the court would have pulled the flying line from Chang'an to Jinyang, Luoyang, Yecheng, Chengdu, and even Jiangling long ago."

"When there is a slight disturbance in the border, the center will know the day or the next day, and the subsequent edict will be issued to arrive at the border on the same day or the next day. This communication method is really convenient, it is too expensive, and it is easy to break the line due to various accidents..."

"Long-distance telegraphing costs a lot and the court's finances cannot afford it, but short-distance telegraph communication is feasible, especially when starting a private telegraph business, it is really a killing two birds with one stone."

"The news is very valuable, especially for merchants. They have a strong demand for telegraph business. After all, when doing business, the timeliness of news is more valuable than anything else. It is very likely that if you are not careful, you will lose thousands of yuan. So now the telegraph bureaus in Huangzhou and Guangzhou have been broken."

"The income from operating civil telegraph business is deducted from the expenses of the Telegraph Bureau, and the remaining funds are used to subsidize the maintenance of the entire line, sharing more than half of the fiscal expenditure."

After hearing this, Tang Jian became more and more curious: "Is the telegram really that amazing? I heard that the cost of sending a telegram is quite expensive, one word costs ten cents?"

"Yes, if you try, it's twenty words per word. Make sure to send it on the same day and the recipient will get the message on the same day."

Speaking of telegrams, Hu Dijun also mentioned the help of telegrams to railway dispatch.

When designing the Huang Railway alone, the scheduling issue between the trains was considered, which was the "optical message transfer station" equipped with telescopes and flag-language devices. With the opening of telegrams, the vehicle dispatch efficiency has been greatly improved.

The flying line is arranged along the railway, so telegram stations are set up at all stations along the way, reporting the operation of the carriages at any time, or receiving instructions from the general dispatch, adjusting the stop time of each train at this station and determining whether to give way.

At the same time, while sending people to inspect the railway tracks in the region regularly, the small stations along the railway are also responsible for inspecting and maintaining the flying lines and wired wooden poles in the region. Once damage is found, they must be repaired in time to ensure the smooth flow of the telegram lines.

Telegrams that "symbiotic" with the railway can be easily ensured that the route is smooth under normal circumstances, so that the communication between Huangzhou Xiyang and Guangzhou Guangcheng is unimpeded. The train operation status reported regularly at stations along the route makes it possible to make "real-time train operation map".

The dispatcher of the Guanghuang Transportation Department can confirm at any time the conditions of the trains that are driving and about to be driven on the railway. When an accident occurs, targeted dispatch can be carried out in a timely manner to ensure the smooth operation of the Guanghuang Railway.

Or when it is necessary to temporarily increase the number of trains, the dispatcher will arrange "screw" in line according to the actual operation of each train.

Therefore, when it comes to whether the telegram is worth it, its huge role in ensuring the normal operation of the Guanghuang Railway cannot be ignored. From this point of view, it is not an exaggeration to say that the telegram is the left arm and right arm of the railway.

Not to mention the profitability of the private telegraph business.

Tang Jian became more and more interested in listening to it, and began to inquire: "Then... how to handle this telegram business?"

When Di Jun heard this, he smiled and said, "Then you have to ask the envoy of Tang to send someone to the Telegram Bureau for consultation."

Tang Jian laughed and looked at the flying lines laid along the railway outside the window, and couldn't help but sigh: "I don't know what new things will appear in the next few years."

Steam pumps, heating, rail carriages, telegraphs, these things have never been before. Now they are in the world one by one, which makes Tang Jian and Yu Di Jun sigh at the changing world.

The emergence of the Great Marine Trade and the emergence of trading companies between the North and South makes people feel that this era seems to be undergoing drastic changes. Now there are magical telegrams, and no one can imagine what the world will become in the future.

Tang Jian and Di Jun really want to know that if there are really flying lines connecting east-west, north-south, and people thousands of miles apart in the future can send and receive messages with each other within that day. Such a magical way of communication, even if you collect twenty words in one word?

The bell sounded, which was a signal that the train was about to enter the station. The speed of the carriage gradually slowed down and finally stopped beside the platform of the station.

This is an intersection station, where rail carriages traveling opposite north and south must meet here, and after dispatch, each gives way and continue to rush.

Tang Jian looked at the railways used for interchange dispatch outside the window, looked at the trains of carriages loaded with goods on the railway, and looked at the stables lined up by the station, and felt again how powerful the transportation capacity of the Guanghuang Railway was.

He turned around and was about to talk to Dijun, but he saw the other party staring at the direction of the platform in a daze. Then he saw Dijun's expression change, and he said, "I'll come when I go", and then hurriedly got up and got out of the car.

On the platform, the light zodiac transport envoy wearing official uniforms was talking to the officials around him. When he inspected the stations along the railway, he discovered problems in train dispatch. Although it would not affect the railway operation immediately, it was intolerable to him.

Since the telegram has been issued, there have been new communication methods between stations along the Guanghuang Railway, and the connection between stations has been much more convenient. The efficiency of the transshipment department has increased several times.

But now, some minor problems with telegram dispatch may affect the "punctuality" of the train, so Di Shiwen cannot sit idly by.

He is famously selfless and unkind, and now he is stern. Officials of all sizes know that they will be unlucky, and they can't help but complain in their hearts.

When Di Shiwen was about to scold his subordinates, he saw someone coming in a hurry. When he looked closely, he found that it was his second son Di Jun.

Di Jun took a bus from Guanghuang Railway to Guangzhou today. Di Shiwen knew about this, but he didn't expect to meet his son here. Di Shiwen, who has always been clear about public and private affairs, still had a stern face even when he saw his son coming.

When he met his father by chance and wanted to greet him, he saw that his father seemed to be handling official duties, and a cold sweat suddenly appeared. His father, who was so old-fashioned, always emphasized the distinction between public and private. He knew that if he went up to greet him now, he would be in trouble.

However, it is not right to advance or retreat at this time. Di Jun was embarrassed and the savior came.

Tang Jian, who followed him out of the car, saw Di Shiwen in front of him, quickly sorted out his clothes and went forward to salute and greet him.

Seeing that the old man had come, Di Shiwen didn't care about getting angry, and then returned the greeting and the two started talking.

Yu Di Shiwen was originally a minister of Qi and inherited the title of Prince Zhangwu. His grandfather Yu Digan was the Yuan Cong of Qi Shenwu. Tang Yong, the father of Tang Jian, was also valued by Gao's father and son, and was attracted by the heroes.

The two families had a friendship, and the cousin of Di Shiwen, named Di, was originally a concubine of the Empress of Qi. After Qi was destroyed, they had a very bad fate. A few years ago, they married Tang Jian's brother Tang Junming to serve as a successor. The two families had a relative relationship.

Di Shiwen can look at his son with a stern face, but when he meets an old friend, the other party comes to greet him on his own initiative, but he is always not stern face.

Di Jun, who was rescued by Tang Jian, was finally able to greet his father. Seeing the uneasy appearance of the officials, he took advantage of his father to talk to Tang Jian and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

An official knew that this was Di Erlang, and couldn't help but complain: "Oh, Erlangjun, it was just a trivial matter. Unexpectedly, Ling Zun happened to be caught by Ling Zun."

"Why don't you change it quickly?"

"It will definitely change, it will change immediately, but Ling Zun held on to it... Alas," the official shouted: "It was okay, but Liaodong drew telegraph veterans, so there were many newcomers here all at once, and they made mistakes in their busy schedules, and there were minor mistakes when dispatching the train."

Hearing this, Di Jun remembered something. As an official of the Ministry of War, he knew some progress in Liaodong, so he lowered his voice and asked, "Why, the telegram line across the sea has been laid?"

......

In Huangcheng, Laizhou, in a heavily guarded official office, officials from all over the country gathered outside a house and waited. They whispered to each other, discussing something, with an expectant expression, looking forward to the news coming from Lushun.

Lushun and Huangcheng are across the sea, with a distance of more than 200 miles, and it takes two days to sail one way. This is still a good wind, so there is a "lag period" for the transmission of messages between the two places for at least two days.

But now it is different. A new communication method has emerged, which has enabled the transmission of messages between Lushun and Huangcheng to be "instant delivery".

This incredible way of communication is enough to make people doubt the real world, doubting whether there are immortals descending to earth and making the magical power of transmitting voices from thousands of miles into ordinary.

Whether you believe it or not, it is a fact that the first telegram line was put into use. Through the newspaper introduction, officials far away in Laizhou learned about this magical communication method. The Huangcheng telegram line, which the court spared no expense to deploy, will be opened today, which excited the officials.

This telegram line is different from the telegram line of the Guanghuang Railway. Because it is crossing the sea, it is impossible to take off money with wooden poles, so the telegram line actually sinks directly to the bottom of the sea, connecting Lushun to the north and Huangcheng to the south.

The flying lines soaked in the sea water must be corrosion-resistant, so the construction cost is expensive. It is said that it has reached a manufacturing cost of 2,000 jin per mile (discount). The total length of the line between Lushun and Huangcheng is more than 240 miles, and the construction cost exceeds 500,000 jin (discount).

But this is not the focus of Laizhou officials. After all, this line is allocated by the imperial court, and it is not everyone's money.

They just wanted to experience what a "telegram" that was as fast as lightning, and the agreed time for the first time to use the power bank is about to come.

The wall clock under the eaves and the hour hand walked to exactly nine o'clock (morning), and the officials waiting outside the telegraph room stopped chatting and waited silently for the result.

There seemed to be a "drip" sound from the room. Everyone heard it, and their hearts also beat according to this rhythm. I don't know how long it took, but the sound disappeared. After a while, the door was pushed open. An official rushed out with a piece of paper and kept shouting:

"The news is here... it is here!!"

Seeing the excited official speaking incoherently, the police commander Wang Jun said lightly: "Calm down, don't be confused, and get the news immediately."

An official took out an envelope, took out a piece of paper, and the official and the official read the contents of the notes in their hands one by one.

"It's just a short distance, and it's coming in a flash."

"It's just a short distance, and it's coming in a flash."

As soon as the words were finished, cheers started, and the people present cheered for the successful opening of the telegram. Next, it was the turn of each official office to check whether the telegram was opened normally.

They have to send messages to their colleagues on the sea through telegrams, verifying questions and answers to verify whether the telegram line can deliver messages accurately and in a timely manner.

Although Wang Xun was expressionless after learning that the telegram was successfully opened, he was extremely excited. Maritime Affairs Bureau is currently the direct manager of the cross-sea telegraph line, so Wang Xun is now controlling this expensive communication line.

He has time to experience the convenience brought by the new communication method, so there is no hurry now.

Looking at the officials waiting in line to send the telegram, thinking about the upcoming war, he couldn't suppress his excitement, and his hands clenched into fists without realizing it.

In order to solve the Liaodong issue, the emperor spent a lot of money, and to make the prince make contributions, he invested many "magic weapons". This expensive telegram communication line is one of them.

When the telegram appears, this sentence is no longer an adjective, and the form of war is about to change again.

Wang Jun handed an envelope to the clerk and ordered: "At 9:30, pass this news to Lushun."

The official took the envelope and took out a piece of white paper, but saw three words on it.
Chapter completed!