Building railways is really expensive!
As the God of Wealth in Daxia, Lin Ruhai played with the abacus beads much more smoothly than he did with the piano.
Soon the cost of building a railway from the capital to Tongzhou Pier was placed in front of the emperor.
The emperor, who thought he had a lot of money now, looked at the series of numbers and felt numb all over.
"Such a waste of money? If we build railways all over the country, the royal court's annual income will not be able to keep up with the consumption of railways."
Jia Cong, who was munching melon on the side, wiped the juice from his mouth and muttered: "Railway, railway, that thing is made of steel, it must cost money!"
The emperor just glanced at this guy: "You want to tell me? Of course I know."
His fingers tapped on the desk habitually, and his expression became solemn.
As an emperor, the current emperor has not received an orthodox imperial education, but on the other hand, the "deviant" stubborn fourth child is the most aggressive and courageous.
At least the railway would cost tens of millions of taels of silver. If other emperors let it go, they might just cancel the project.
You must know that in the sixth year of Yuanyou's reign, Daxia's annual income was only 47 million taels, which was calculated after accounting for taxes in kind such as grain and cloth.
If it weren't for the opening of seas, plundering... ahem, overseas development brought enough money, to be honest, the stubborn old man would have to consider whether to continue to be stubborn about the gold-eating beast of the railway.
"Your Majesty, railways are not just transportation. They can bring about a series of explosive developments in technology. The huge leaps it can bring about in politics, economy, technology, people's livelihood and other aspects are enough to make the country and the government tighten their belts. ”
Jia Cong swallowed most of the cold melon, and then he came to the dragon case with satisfaction and settled an account for the emperor.
"With the expansion of Daxia's territory, it is impossible to firmly control the territory by riding horses alone. People will be paralyzed and horses will be tired, but as long as the train has enough coal, it will not stop."
The emperor listened very carefully, because what Jia Cong was talking about was exactly what was causing him more and more headaches.
From the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the present day, successive dynasties have been constantly expanding their territories. Stronger than the Han Dynasty, they clearly occupied the Western Region and defeated the Huns, but in the end they were unable to achieve long-term and stable rule.
Putting aside the reasons for the civil strife in the Central Plains, in fact the bigger reason is that it is too far away from the Central Plains and the logistics line is too long.
"Your Majesty, think about it, if there is a war in the Western Region and Northern Xinjiang, how long will it take for the Beijing camp to set off and reach the front line? With the railway, even if it is not possible to arrive at dawn and dusk, in half a month or at most twenty days, the Beijing camp army will be able to attack the sky with great strength. drop……"
Fortunately, Jia Cong had just eaten half a cold melon, and now he was very talkative. He explained the benefits that the railway could bring from political, military, economic and other aspects in one breath.
The more the emperor listened, the more he felt that investing tens of millions of taels of silver every year to build the railway was a worthwhile deal. He was about to show off his emperor's domineering attitude and make a decision when he heard Lin Ruhai say something faintly.
"If you want to build a railway to the Western Regions, it is impossible without tens of millions of taels of silver. The amount of money that the Ministry of Revenue can allocate each year is limited. So, Your Majesty, would you like to see if you can allocate more money from the inner treasury?"
"I don't want much. Your Majesty will allocate another five million to me. From now on, it will be enough to provide fifteen million taels from the internal treasury every year!"
hiss!
Ten thousand taels!
The emperor really wants to demote Lin Ruhai to go fishing in the South China Sea for fifteen million taels every year. Why don't you grab it!
"Uncle, the railway cannot be built in one day. We can first build it from Beijing to Guanzhong, then build it from Guanzhong to Hexi, and finally open up the Hexi Corridor and extend it to the Western Regions."
After this calculation, it is not so scary. The emperor can't help but want to complain about his God of Wealth. Lin Ruhai is good at everything, but he always keeps an eye on his private treasury. He is even scarier than that old guy Wen Tongxuan!
"Lin Qing, would you like me to warm my silver so that I can be a rich man for a few days?"
Phew~
Jia Cong couldn't help it. The emperor looked at the Minister of the Ministry of Finance helplessly and pitifully like a bullied little daughter-in-law.
Lin Ruhai also felt a little embarrassed and coughed lightly to cover up his guilt.
"Then let's settle on ten million taels first. I will check the accounts when I go back and see where I can save money... Alas, in recent years, I feel more and more that the money is not enough. If only I could dig more gold and silver mines, I would alright."
As a minister, Lin Ruhai felt that he was very lucky to meet a wise monarch like the current emperor, and he should know how to cherish it. You can't push the sheep too hard, you have to let the wool grow for a few days before you continue to pull it...
The three monarchs and ministers discussed the railway construction issues in detail in the palace, and finally formulated the "First Five-Year Plan for Railway Construction in Daxia".
According to the emperor's strategic plan, the line from Beijing to Tongzhou was first built, and the transportation line from the canal to Beijing was opened.
This can also be regarded as accumulating experience and cultivating qualified railway craftsmen. Starting next year, railways from Beijing to Taiyuan and Beijing to Shanhaiguan will be built simultaneously to strengthen the court's control over Liaodong and Jiubian.
After these two lines are completed, we will build railways from Shanhaiguan to Liaodong, and from Taiyuan to Lanzhou via Chang'an...
The First Five-Year Plan mainly focused on the military aspect. In fact, Jia Cong wanted to build a railway from Beijing to Jinling.
In this way, economic exchanges between the north and the south will be smoother, which will help the economic development of the country.
However, both the emperor and his uncle believe that the current sea transport and canals are sufficient to cope with the exchanges between the north and the south, and the first priority is to focus on the Nine Borders and the Western Regions.
…
The forging technology of the Ministry of Industry has developed rapidly with the mature application of steam engines. In order to meet the needs of the Ministry of Industry, Jia Cong set up labor offices in various states and counties in Gyeonggi and recruited a large number of manpower.
The extraction of coal, iron, wood, stone and other resources needed for railways has become Jia Cong's most important task at the moment. He even handed over all official duties of the Ministry of Rites to Nie Chaoyi for this reason, focusing entirely on the railway.
There are only two days left before June 18th. People in both Ning and Rong mansions are busy getting married in the spring. Only Jia Cong is still burying his head in the papers.
"That's nonsense. Whoever suggested using service instead of recruiting must have thought of it!"
Jia Cong was really angry at the fold in his hand. If it weren't for the imperial pen's personal approval, he would have wanted to throw it in the man's face.
"I've never heard of Fan Cheng, the head of the Household Department. My uncle doesn't care about the people under him. This is a bad idea!"
He folded the folder and threw it aside, looking up at Chen Hua, a member of the Ministry of Works, who was standing in front of the case.
"Old Chen, don't feel bad about the money. Only when the wages are paid enough, the people will work loyally for us. What is it like to serve in the Ministry of Industry? You, the old man from the Ministry of Industry, don't know. Mining is a dangerous job, cheating. You'll get into big trouble if you act slippery..."
Replacing recruitment with military service can indeed save a lot of money, but prostitution of ordinary people to work for the court is contrary to the political philosophy of the current emperor and his Jia Cong.
I don’t see you, but the Great Wall is still there today, and I don’t see Qin Shihuang back then. Not to mention that during the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty was defeated by the Grand Canal and the conquest of Goryeo.
Only by cherishing the power of the people can we develop more effectively!
Amid the incomprehension of many officials, Jia Cong forcibly promoted the method of recruiting manpower and set wages that many low-level officials envied.
Even many officials in the Ministry of Industry could not understand Jia Cong's approach and complained, thinking that Jia Cong had money but nowhere to spend it...
However, there are people who can keep up with Jia Cong's thinking. Chen Hua, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce who has been following him, can understand and firmly implement every order of Jia Cong.
"Your Majesty, you don't need to pay attention to them. Your Majesty's ability to send this document to your desk proves that your Majesty supports your Majesty..."
Jia Cong waved his hands indifferently and said: "The king is a boat; the common people are water; water carries the boat, and water capsizes the boat. Who is your majesty? How could you be blinded by the small profit in front of you? No. Let’s talk about it, Lao Chen, how is the insurance system I asked you to set up? Are there any businessmen willing to cooperate with us? "
Speaking of this, Chen Hua's expression became bitter.
Your Excellency is good at everything, but he is too smart, which makes it difficult for his subordinates.
"Sir, my subordinate drafted the "Work-related Injury Insurance System" according to your instructions. After contacting several members of the Capital Chamber of Commerce, they all...can't understand it!"
ha?
Jia Cong took the drafted "Work-related Injury Insurance System" from Chen Hua's hands, flipped through only two pages and said: "Don't talk about those other members of the staff, even I can't quite understand it... Forget it, let's do this first Leave it for a while and let me revise it in a few days. From now on, the official documents of the Ministry of Industry should not quote classics. The more concise the better. Sage Kong has never seen what a railway is!"
Chen Hua was scolded, but he was happy with it.
I'm not afraid of Uncle Yongfeng's scolding, but I'm afraid that Uncle Yongfeng won't pay attention to him.
The last person who was reprimanded by Yongfeng Bo was Nie Chaoyi from the Ministry of Rites. While he was following Yongfeng Bo in handling the official affairs of the Ministry of Rites, he was taught by Yongfeng Bo and was trained step by step to become the most promising talent in the Ministry of Rites. .
He, Chen Hua, has been in the cold yamen of the Ministry of Industry for more than ten years. Now that he is lucky enough to follow Uncle Yongfeng, he must seize this opportunity.
Sure enough, after scolding him, Jia Cong explained the importance of the insurance system and the business opportunities to Chen Hua in detail.
After Chen Hua fully understood the mystery, Jia Cong stood up and threw him a big red post.
"Okay, you continue to contact people from the Beijing Chamber of Commerce and tell them that this is a sure-profit deal. If my family didn't want to avoid suspicion, where would their turn be. By the way, the day after tomorrow will be my second sister On your big day, Lao Chen must come for a drink, and then I will take you to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Chen Hua was overjoyed when he heard this. He quickly took the post and said respectfully: "Thank you for your cultivation. I am willing to die for you!"
…
Yingchun has been recorded in Mrs. Xing's name, and she is now the eldest daughter of Rongguo Gong Jia She Zheng'er Ba Jing.
The eldest daughter of the Rongguo Mansion got married, and almost all the prominent people in the capital came with congratulatory gifts to ask for a wedding drink.
The emperor did not come, but the prince Liu Hong and his little princess Chun'er came to Rongguo Mansion to congratulate him in person, which gave the Jia family enough face.
Liu Xianglian's groomsmen group is also very strong, including Liu Chong, the prince of Zhongshun, Liu Qi, the prince of Wu, Niu Ben, the first-class prince of Zhenguofu, as well as Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan and other princes' children.
There were not only children of princes and princes in the procession to welcome the bride, but the most eye-catching group was a group of knight-errant heroes with swords on their waists, rushing from Liu's house to Ningrong Street.
The Liu family was defeated by the He family, and the scene was naturally not as good as He Chong's wedding to Baochai, but Liu Xianglian had also put some thought into it.
He spread hero posts all over the place and invited the heroes he had made friends with in the past to the capital. These people were Liu Xianglian's carefully selected knights with righteous hearts, and their characters were absolutely reliable.
In Liu Xianglian's words, he wanted to introduce his wife to his friends. If he were to die in battle one day, his group of friends would be his wife's support.
With the circle of friends he has established in the martial arts world over the years, it is enough for Yingchun to use his name as Liu Daxia to ask these martial arts people for help when he encounters trouble.
When Jia Cong saw hundreds of Jianghu knights gathered outside the gate of Rongguo Mansion, he understood Liu Xianglian's words and actions.
Good guy, the second brother-in-law is a different kind of martial arts leader.
There are more than a hundred masters in front of the door. If you let any martial arts master go, your opponent will have to weigh it.
This group of people may not be good at fighting on the battlefield, but they are the most suitable choices for assassination and spying on information.
Before offending Liu Xianglian and his wife, you must prepare for revenge from hundreds of martial arts masters!
Liu Xianglian is not very good at makeup-inducing poems.
But in the House of Wuxun, skill is the most important thing.
The pardoned master was promoted to father-in-law. He even took off his robe and wanted to compete with his son-in-law.
The old lady couldn't stop such ridiculous things even if she wanted to.
Because the old saint had nothing to do, he was taking the lead in making noises to watch Jia She and Liu Xianglian and their son-in-law compete with each other.
Liu Hong put his forehead on his forehead and apologized to Jia Lian and Jia Cong. The old sage also spoke. What was supposed to be a poem urging the bride to make up was replaced by a battle between the father-in-law and the father-in-law.
A hearty competition ended with the Pardon Master "winning", and the onlookers cheered and applauded.
Even the sage felt that Liu Xianglian's son-in-law Jia She had made the right choice, so he took off the jade pendant from his waist on the spot and gave it to the groom.
Some of the guests immediately became jealous, and they all complained in their hearts about the old saint's love for Jia She.
Nonsense, Jia Enhou is simply the biological son of the saint. Well, if you have the ability, your father will also be called Jia Daishan~
After bidding farewell to his parents, Yingchun was carried out of the gate of Rongguo Mansion by Jia Lian, the elder brother. Jia Cong followed behind him, and his mind kept flashing to the motherly care of his elder sister since his rebirth.
The clothes on his body and the daily meals all have the shadow of welcoming the spring. The second girl of Rongguo Mansion, who is not good at words, always smiles gently and takes good care of her brother who is two years younger than her.
The girls in Rongxi Hall went from laughing and playing around to crying.
The old lady also felt unhappy. Yingchun was not the granddaughter she valued most, not even as good as Xiangyun who came from her mother's family.
But after all, it was her blood that had grown up before her. When Yingchun specially took her son-in-law to say goodbye, the old lady still couldn't stop her tears from falling.
After the sound of firecrackers was heard in front of the door, the old lady finally sighed: "I didn't realize before that you are all grown up and you are getting married, and I am so reluctant to let you go!"
Monthly ticket recommendation ticket
I will update here tonight and continue tomorrow. Good night!
(End of chapter)
