After Zhu Di finished speaking, he saw that Zhang Anshi himself looked a little confused.
So Zhu Di smiled and said: "What's wrong? Do you think there is something wrong with me?"
Zhang Anshi pretended to be surprised and said: "No, I never expected that Your Majesty would think so far-reaching. Compared with those great scholars and the so-called famous ministers, His Majesty's foresight is far beyond theirs."
.”
Although there is an element of flattery in these words, some of them do come from sincerity. Of course, although there is sincerity, there is not much.
After hearing this, Zhu Di laughed and said: "Do you really think that I am just a rough man? I am the emperor after Taizu Gao. I farmed in Fengyang and fought in Mobei. I was also taught by famous teachers. The people I interact with every day are all
People like Master Yao, let alone the past where Jing Nan reached the highest level. If he didn’t even have this bit of knowledge, would he be here today?"
Zhang Anshi suddenly realized something.
The so-called talent is that he fell into the trap of certain words after all.
Under the public opinion atmosphere of the ancients, the scope of evaluation of talent was very narrow. Being good at playing chess, calligraphy and painting was called talent, and being good at writing articles and reading four books was called talent. To a certain extent, even Zhang Anshi was influenced by the evaluation criteria of this kind of talent.
had an impact.
Now it suddenly dawns on me that when it comes to talent and knowledge, the so-called famous ministers and great scholars in this world may not be able to carry Zhu Di's shoes.
They are done with real guns and swords. Not to mention other things, just to lead the troops in battle, you need to have superb ability to control people. You need to have the talent to calculate money and food and understand the thoughts and trends of the soldiers. You also need to be able to think about what the enemy does not want.
Quick thinking to attack the enemy unprepared.
Zhu Di only took one look at the steam engine and could immediately tell the great role the military workshop would play in the future. This was not surprising. After all, this was Emperor Yongle who dared to sail to the West.
From the perspective of the literati who are just villains, such a huge project to the Western Ocean was just Zhu Di's desire to find Emperor Jianwen, or to satisfy the so-called great success mentality of all nations coming to court.
It feels ridiculous to say it. When a person like Zhu Di ascends the throne, his ability to control the country may be unmatched by any emperor of the Ming Dynasty except for Emperor Taizu Gao.
When Emperor Jianwen held all the troops in the world, Zhu Di was able to defeat the enemy with a small number and remove Jianwen from the throne. However, he was still worried that Jianwen had been reduced to the common people. What kind of appeal could he have to revive him?
The voyages to the West, which involved the livelihoods of tens of millions of people, were completed in Zhu Di's hands and lasted throughout Zhu Di's twenty years in power. How could it be a boring thing like finding Jianwen's whereabouts?
It can be seen from this that the small structure of many of these intellectual structures that later generations talked about is really shocking.
However, these literati spread such news with great enthusiasm, but they are often praised as having farsightedness and brilliance.
In a sense, using such narrow thinking to judge people like Zhu Di is a bit funny like Xia Chong Yu Bing, which seems ridiculous.
At this time, Zhu Di saw Zhang Anshi looking panicked again, and couldn't help but said: "Why are you lost in thought again? What are you thinking about?"
Zhang Anshi quickly retracted his mind, smiled awkwardly, and then said: "I... I am not thinking about anything. I am... thinking... whether the right governor's office... needs to make more achievements to be worthy of His Majesty's support.
kindness."
Zhu Di said: "This is your business. I don't trust people and I don't trust people when I employ them. Just go ahead and do it with ease. If you do well, it's your credit. If you don't do well, I'll take care of you. I won't let you suffer."
of."
Zhang Anshi was not polite at all and said directly: "That minister really did it."
When he said this, Zhu Di, who was originally so arrogant, suddenly felt that he had no bottom.
This guy, what does he want to do?
But Zhu Di had already spoken, but he couldn't regret it, so he didn't respond.
Zhang Anshi didn't care about this. He left the palace and returned to the Governor's Mansion.
At this time, he became inexplicably excited and ordered people to immediately summon Gao Xiangren and others, and also invited Zhu Jin.
Wait until everyone is seated one by one.
Zhang Anshi glanced at everyone and said: "In a few days, you will also go to the workshop and take a look at the steam engine in the military workshop."
"This..." Zhu Jin smiled and said: "I have already seen it. I saw it seven days ago. It was mainly because I spent too much money, so I went to see it specially. Oh, why do you spend so much money?
, this thing... is really scary..."
Zhang Anshi looked at his surprised look and smiled: "It's a bit expensive to spend money, but with this, many things will be easier to handle in the future, but... this steam locomotive can still be improved, but...
After much thought, I realized that the matter of laying tracks needs to be put on the agenda as soon as possible."
After Zhu Jin heard this, he looked astonished, his eyes widened subconsciously, and said: "The Governor... is laying iron bars on the ground?"
"What?" Zhang Anshi glanced at Zhu Jin: "What do you think?"
Zhu Jin said with a bitter face: "This cost is not small, no, no, no... not only the cost is not small... this..."
Seeing his tangled look, Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "The cost is indeed very high, so I came to discuss it with everyone. Don't worry, you only saw the cost, but what is the cost? The cost is just gold and silver.
, gold and silver, if you say it is valuable, it is indeed valuable, but if you think about it more carefully, this thing is worthless, it is just currency! What is really valuable? It is food! It is steel! And
There are so many products in the world! So when you think about it, you can’t just look at the cost, you have to think about what benefits it will bring.”
Zhu Jin looked at Zhang Anshi in surprise: "Profit?"
Zhang Anshi was in a good mood today and said patiently: "Now, under the rule of the Zuo Dudu Mansion, the food problem has been solved enough, and business is still prosperous. I heard that there are many merchants, including our Qixia Trading Company."
, now...have accumulated a lot of wealth, right? Calculated in this way, the primitive accumulation of capital is considered to be there. But with this, it is not enough. When the business has reached a certain level, it only knows how to weave and make money.
There are bottlenecks in making furniture, porcelain and pottery. Besides, let me ask you..."
Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Jindao and asked, "Has the output of Taiping Prefecture's weaving, silk and other commodities increased recently?"
"This..." Zhu Jin was stunned. He didn't understand why Zhang Anshi suddenly asked this, but he still thought about it and said truthfully: "Although there are many workshops, in fact, the momentum last year was very good, but today
Well, it's a bit slow now."
Zhang Anshi said: "Why is this?"
Zhu Jin said without hesitation: "This is not simple. Of course, both the Left and Right Governor's Offices now clear land, and they all follow the rules of Taiping Mansion. Many prefects have taken office, except for clearing land.
The second thing is to encourage workshops and revitalize commerce. Because of this...there are many spinning workshops, weaving workshops, and many other workshops. Seeing that land prices are cheaper and labor costs are lower there, it is convenient
I am also willing to open a workshop there."
Zhang Anshi said: "That's it. Taiping Prefecture can rely on these workshops to revitalize, but can the whole of Zhili rely on this workshop? Then... let's think about it again, if in the future, the whole world follows Taiping Prefecture, how can we teach the world
Is this true for all prefectures and counties? By then, I am afraid that the people will have long since starved to death relying on these workshops."
Zhu Jin thought about it seriously and couldn't help but nodded and said: "What the governor said makes sense. In this way, doesn't it mean that... other places... even if they implement the New Deal, it will have no effect?"
Zhang Anshi said casually: "But you can't say that. Now it seems that the whole world has just such a pancake. Now this pancake is eaten by Taiping Prefecture. But with the spread of the New Deal, more and more state governments are sharing this pancake.
In the end, everyone may only be able to get this little scrap. So, what we have to do is to create a bigger pie before the pie is distributed, and we have to do it quickly."
Zhu Jin subconsciously asked: "Where are the governor's pancakes?"
Zhang Anshi spit out three words directly: "Build the railway."
"Ah..." Zhu Jin looked surprised again.
Zhang Anshi then added: "Create demand, and at the same time... there will be more steel workshops, machinery workshops, and even steam engine workshops. In addition, it will greatly improve rubber, alchemy, and wood processing.
.”
"But...this is a railway track..." Zhu Jin looked a little worried.
Zhang Anshi said: "Don't always think that steel is expensive. If you drive the industry, the benefits you get will be ten times or a hundred times more valuable than these few things. Laying rails is to create industries such as steel, machinery, and alchemy."
The strong demand makes people willing to invest more money in this, and they are willing to cultivate talents in this field at all costs."
"In addition, after this thing is completed, it will bring great convenience to us, and at the same time, we can get more benefits. If we are afraid of doing things and fear of taking advantage of others, then... we will not be able to do anything.
Already."
Gao Xiang listened carefully. He, the new governor, actually had a lot of understanding of industrial and commercial matters. But this time, Zhang Anshi put forward a new theory, which required him to slowly
to digest.
Zhu Jin said: "Then what the governor means is..."
Zhang Anshi said: "Let Zuo Dudufu take the lead in raising funds, issuing public bonds, and planning and constructing railway tracks. Qixia Commercial Bank, as well as your bank, you must claim at least 30 to 40% of the public bonds. I will use Zuo Dudu's office to take the lead."
The taxes from the Governor's Office will be used as security."
After that, he thought seriously and said: "Our taxes this year are more than two million taels, of which one million taels are paid to the court. Calculate how much surplus you have, and you must prepare at least a sum of money."
It will be used as funds for the project. The rest... can all be raised through public bonds. This bond issuance requires cooperation with banks."
Zhu Jin said: "How much does the governor plan to issue?"
Zhang Anshi said: "Let's build a few first... The preliminary planning, personnel training, and exploration, as well as the construction of roadbeds, laying of rails and sleepers, etc... I'm afraid it will cost no less than tens of millions of taels of silver...
...But...fortunately, the money will be spread over the next few years."
After a pause, he thought of something, and then added: "After the railway is completed, we can still earn some profits to repay... Calculating it this way... The problem of funds should not be big. Let's issue three million taels of silver first.
If it’s not enough, just add more.”
Zhang Anshi remembers that in the late Qing Dynasty, the construction cost of railways was about 13,000 taels of silver per kilometer. Of course, railway technology was already relatively common at that time, but given the technical level of the late Qing Dynasty at that time, most things had to be imported at high prices.
, plus the price of silver in the Ming Dynasty was much more expensive than that in the late Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, in theory, the cost of 13,000 taels per kilometer should be able to be obtained. As the railway project matures, Zhang Anshi even feels that this cost can be greatly reduced.
Although Southern Zhili, the state capital under the jurisdiction of the Right Dudu Prefecture, is not the richest area, it is also the essence of the Ming Dynasty. Building a railway here should not result in a loss, and the cost should be recovered in the future.
The benefits it can bring to various industries are unimaginable.
But the number reported by Zhang Anshi still shocked Zhu Jin.
This is tens of millions of taels of funds. Although it is affordable if spread every year, it is too expensive.
But how dare he not listen to what Zhang Anshi said? Finally he gritted his teeth and said: "The governor's order is that whether it is a commercial bank or a joint bank, the small ones will raise as much as the governor wants. The commercial banks and banks will keep the excess public debt."
"What I want is your words." Zhang Anshi smiled happily: "So I still have to work hard for you these days."
Zhu Jin hurriedly said: "I don't dare."
Zhang Anshi then looked at Gao Xiang: "Gaofu Yin."
"Here." Gao Xiang quickly stood up and saluted Zhang Anshi.
Zhang Anshi said: "Next, it's up to you. You will carry out the preliminary work of railway laying. Taiping Prefecture will be responsible for most of the land acquisition and mobilization of migrant workers. Originally... Taiping Prefecture reserved
We have acquired a lot of land, and now... it can be put to use."
"I dare not try my best, my subordinate."
Zhang Anshi also let out a long sigh of relief. It has to be said that he is quite gambling now. The bet is that once the railway is completed, all industries will prosper.
But if the road construction was messed up, Zhang Anshi would be afraid of being in debt. After much thought, Zhang Anshi had no choice but to run to Xinzhou overnight.
Just as they said, the bank began to issue public bonds. The interest on the public bonds was slightly higher than storing money in the bank. Under Zhu Jin's instruction, the joint bank began to publicize that saving is not as good as buying public bonds and the various benefits of public bonds.
On the other hand, the Railway Department under the Zuo Dudu Mansion was established. In addition, a brand new railway workshop was established.
What followed was a road protection and inspection department, equipped with 300 people. Its main role was to protect the safety along the future railway line, inspect the railway lines and stations, and maintain law and order.
As soon as the news came out, almost all the owners of the major trading houses began to take the hint. These big businessmen were by no means fools. In addition to having their own unique vision when doing business, they also attached great importance to the collection of intelligence.
As soon as they heard that the railway was going to be built, the news about this railway was placed in front of them.
Then...almost in unison, major workshops began to spend money desperately, preparing to contract iron ore and coal mines in various prefectures and counties.
Obviously... the demand for steel will be very strong in the future. If we don't expand production quickly at all costs at this time, I'm afraid we won't even be able to drink soup.
Moreover, it is said that Qixia Trading Company has discovered large amounts of coal and iron ore in Wuhu and other counties.
…………
"Master, master..."
In a huge continuous building, outside this building, there is a golden lacquered archway hanging for the Jinshi family.
Someone saluted the people inside and said, "Master Liu has returned from the capital."
"Oh? Come on, invite him in."
Not long after, I saw a young man wearing a turban and a Confucian shirt entering. Deep in this secluded mansion, he bowed to an old man inside and saluted: "Teacher..."
The old man took a sip of tea, then raised his head and glanced at the young man, asking: "How is the situation in the capital?"
The young man said angrily: "Too bad, someone lured a wolf into the house, and actually invited the King of Shu. The King of Shu is so ambitious, eh..."
"I also know some of these things from the newspaper. I really didn't expect..." The old man shook his head and said quietly: "I heard that the so-called New Deal in the capital is to allocate land to tenants?"
"Exactly."
"Borrowing the heads of the gentry and buying the hearts of the common people, hey..." the old man continued to shake his head and smile bitterly.
"Teacher, the situation is not that bad."
The old man said in surprise: "Huh? How can you see it?"
The young man said: "The student has met many people in the capital, and the news he got is somewhat different."
"Let's take a look."
The young man said: "The king of Shu and Duke Wei not only confiscated the land in the name of checking hidden fields, but also forced the farm laborers to accept these fields. For a farmer who is ambitious and self-reliant, this kind of unearned income is undoubtedly a humiliation."
!”
"So in Southern Zhili, not only the victimized gentry had complaints against the King of Shu and Duke Wei, but also the former tenant farmers and farm laborers were also dissatisfied."
The old man couldn't help but said: "Really? I really didn't expect..."
"This is the actual situation that the students in the scholarly community learned. Zhili is like a raging fire. Everyone hates the King of Shu and Duke Wei to the bone. However, they are powerful after all. People dare to be angry but dare not speak out.
I had no choice but to be bullied by them."
The old man sighed: "The rites have collapsed and the music has been ruined. The rites have collapsed and the music has been ruined..."
"My mentors, disciples, and old officials are all over the world. It's time to stand up and speak out for the people of the world."
The old man said, "What's the use of talking about it? Do you think that a few words and a few words of justice can teach them to repent when the emperor is in power and the treacherous officials are in power?"
The young man said angrily: "Are we doing nothing at all? Let them seize the land and humiliate the farmers?"
The old man was silent for a moment and then said: "Don't be anxious...don't be anxious, it's not the time yet...By the way, there is a letter sent from Java. Your senior brother is quite concerned about your studies. Go and read it."
The man looked surprised, then nodded: "Yes."
…………
The Right Dudu's Mansion was bustling with people. In order to formulate the railway plan, many officials from the Left Dudu's Mansion went to various prefectures to investigate.
In addition, a large amount of labor is organized for preliminary training.
Yang Pu, the Shaoyin who came here to take up the post, has been busy for a long time. He has been organized to go to a military workshop to investigate the situation of steam trains, and after learning about the situation of land exploration in various places, he is still feeling dizzy.
of.
He has been working in Taiping Mansion for more than a month and is familiar with most of the situation. He is still surprised by the new policies in Taiping Mansion.
Now, after seeing this steam car and seeing the grand blueprint that Zhang Anshi was about to promulgate, I couldn't help but realize something.
He hurriedly came to see Zhang Anshi and said: "Captain..."
Zhang Anshi raised his head and glanced at him, with an easy-going expression, and said with a smile: "Come, sit down, you don't have to be so polite. After all, you are a bachelor of Zhan Shifu, and this Shao Yin is just your substitute."
But Yang Pu said: "Shao Yin is Shao Yin. Since he is the assistant to the governor, he should have the dignity of superiors and inferiors."
Zhang Anshi didn't say anything more, and instead said, "I ordered you to understand the situation. Do you already understand it?"
"I generally understand."
"Is there anything you don't understand?"
Yang Pu looked a little worried and said, "Will the matter of money and food bring a huge burden?"
Zhang Anshi said: "Railway is not water conservancy. Railways can be profitable in the future."
"According to Xianguan's understanding, there are many waterways in the south of the Yangtze River. Some places that are difficult to construct can be bypassed, but some places require the construction of bridges..."
"That's why I ordered people to survey. After the survey, I ordered people to find ways to build the bridge. You can't stop building it just because it's difficult, right? If not, then nothing can be done. It really can't be solved."
Yang Pu said: "Then I have no doubts, but as far as I know, in the market now, labor prices have risen a lot..."
Zhang Anshi said: "That's for sure. Suddenly there is such a huge demand for manpower, and it is inevitable that the price of labor will rise. So on the one hand, we have to attract people from surrounding prefectures and counties to work, and on the other hand, we have to force
Everyone, use the tools.”
Yang Pu looked at Zhang Anshi suspiciously: "Use tools?"
Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Do you know why in Taiping Mansion, in the past, no one used oxen and horses to plow the land, but now more and more people use oxen and horses to plow the land?"
Yang Pu looked at Zhang Anshi seriously, looked at him with a curious look on his face and said, "I just wanted to ask for advice."
Zhang Anshi said: "It's very simple, because manpower was too cheap in the past, and raising cattle and horses was expensive. Since manpower is cheap, why should we use expensive cattle and horses to replace manpower? But it's different now, because Taiping Mansion's
Manpower is getting higher and higher, so people find that raising cattle and horses to cultivate the land saves manpower and is more cost-effective, so everyone rushes to buy cattle and horses to replace manpower."
"In fact, the current situation is also the same. The price of labor has increased, which is not a bad thing for Zhili. As far as I know, there are many workshops now starting to use water-powered spinning wheels to try their best to replace labor."
…………
I'm getting better a little bit, I worked hard to write a chapter, and I will try to write another chapter today. In other words, if I can get better, I will definitely get better.