The person in charge of the railway was Yang Pu.
As the Shaoyin of Taiping Prefecture, he was quite weak in local governance and was somewhat powerless.
Therefore, Zhang Anshi simply arranged special tasks for him first.
The construction of railways must be led by a person with a high enough level. On the other hand, this person also needs to be willing and able to work tirelessly.
Of course, the most important thing is that Yang Pu still has a lot of administrative experience. He may not be able to handle the complicated local affairs, but he is still good at recruiting labor and supervising projects.
For Yang Pu, building railways was actually a river management project of this era. As long as he understood the principles, recruited the people, divided them into many work sections, gathered some skilled people, and asked them to lead the people in sections.
Construction is ready.
Of course, there are still a lot of troubles, because there are too many people involved and it is very complicated. In addition, the difficulty of construction in different sections is different. The steel materials, sleepers, and equipment ordered may not always arrive as scheduled. He
Shaoyin had to coordinate in the middle, and encountered countless complicated things.
Fortunately, Zhang Anshi gave him enough money and food, and he had already trained a group of young engineering talents. Many of the workshops were merchants after all. The merchants of this era, after all, had humble status, but they were not bold enough to dare to work in Taiping with a prince like Yang Pu.
Fu Shaoyin's head is missing a pound or two.
So things went pretty well.
For more than half a year, Yang Pu traveled to various construction sites, coming and going in the wind and rain, and he had lost a lot of weight.
This time, he was returning to Qixia from Jing County. This Jing County is one of the counties in Ningguo Prefecture. The terrain there is relatively complicated, so he made a special trip there.
Just returned to Fuyin Yamen.
It happened that Liu Ji, the magistrate of Wuhu County, came to Fuzhong on official business and came specifically to visit Yang Pu.
When Liu Ji saw Yang Pu, he said: "Scholar Yang..."
Yang Pu was very happy to see Liu Jilai. He swept away the fatigue of many days of hard work and said with a smile on his face: "Haha, Wenchang is here. Why, what's going on in Wuhu?"
"It's because of the county's mine approval. Another large mine was discovered. Wuhu has quite a lot of minerals." After a pause, Liu Ji continued: "I'm just waiting for the government to issue the letter."
Yang Pu nodded.
Liu Ji, like Yang Pu, was once a member of Zhan Shi's Mansion. Like Liu Ji, those who could enter Zhan Shi's Mansion were often selected from the Hanlin Academy. Liu Ji also had another identity.
He is the editor of the Hanlin Academy.
At this time, Liu Ji also looked dusty, and his complexion was not as fair as before.
It is really aggrieved that the official of the Imperial Academy, Zhan Shifu, is just a mere county magistrate in the county.
At this time, Yang Pu took a deep look at Liu Ji and said, "How about it? You have learned a lot in Wuhu County, right?"
Liu Ji smiled bitterly and said: "There are so many things going on, it's really overwhelming. Even now, I've only just gotten a glimpse of the path."
Yang Pu smiled and said: "There is still a lot to learn."
"Mr. Yang, I heard that Mr. Yang has been traveling around a lot recently..."
Before Liu Ji finished speaking, Yang Pu waved his hand and said: "For official business, it can't be considered running around. But when I walked around, I met a lot of colleagues from Zhan Shifu. They were in various prefectures and counties."
, but it’s quite hard.”
Liu Ji couldn't help but sigh: "Hey... when I was in Hanlin and Zhanshifu, I always felt that it was easy to do things, and I could do whatever I wanted. Now that I have reached the end, I know that what I said casually in the temple has reached its destination.
...It would take countless officials to work on it for a year and a half, but they may not be able to succeed."
Yang Pu said: "Most things in the world are like this. Those who have not done anything think things are easy, and those who do things know that things are difficult. I heard that you did a good job in Wuhu County, and the local magistrate was full of praise for you.
Finally, we did not embarrass our Zhan Shifu."
But Liu Ji said: "Mr. Yang... your railway... I heard that it has incurred a lot of debt... could this... be..."
Yang Pu looked at Liu Ji's worried look.
He immediately understood that Liu Ji had unknowingly entered a role under the Governor's Mansion.
As a Hanlin, I look down on these things.
Now that we are deeply involved, we probably already know the operating rules here. Although some people are still full of complaints, at least they are not too hostile to the New Deal.
Of course, there are also many people who are worried about the unsustainability of the New Deal. For example, the railway is really scary. There is so much debt. In previous years, the amount of money invested was the cash income of the imperial court for several years.
Just to fix this... Once these debts explode, it will be a terrible thing.
People in an agricultural society cannot imagine borrowing money like this. Only people who are desperate will borrow money.
And under normal circumstances, once you borrow money, the consequences will be extremely miserable!
Because most of them cannot repay, the family ends up becoming slaves and being exploited for generations.
Yang Pu suppressed his smile and said: "Speaking of which, I am actually a little worried. This matter... a lot of people are worried about it."
Liu Ji hesitated for a moment and then said: "Many of my colleagues in the Hanlin Academy have mentioned this matter, and quite a few of them are gloating about the misfortune, saying... I have never heard of anyone who has a good ending if he eats maoliang.
.”
As he spoke, he shook his head.
Yang Pu didn't pay much attention to these words, but he cheered up and said: "No matter what, we have to do our own thing well. We have just glimpsed the tip of the iceberg in terms of the operating rules of the New Deal. Now if we think about it more, there are more
What’s the use?”
Liu Ji had no choice but to nod: "Mr. Yang is right. I am in Wuhu County... and I can see the many benefits of this new policy. Speaking of which... hey..."
Yang Pu smiled and said, "Oh? Let me tell you."
Liu Jidao: "Don't talk about anything else, let's just talk about these people... finally have a livelihood, have land, and can farm. If you want to make money, you can also work during the slack season. Now that the New Deal is booming, labor prices are also rising, and industry and commerce are booming.
There are a lot of things for sale on the market, and to be honest, in Wuhu County, which is a low-level city, the number of children and teenagers between the ages of nine and fifteen who are enrolled in school has reached 50%. It is really unimaginable."
Yang Pu smiled and said: "If I remember correctly, you were quite complaining about the New Deal."
Liu Ji smiled bitterly and said: "Xiaguan is from Shandong, and his family has quite a lot of property. When I think that they want to check and confiscate Xiaguan's property, can I not be anxious?"
"But how can we figure it out now?" Yang Pu cheered up and looked at Liu Ji with bright eyes.
Liu Jidao: "When I was studying, I had a brother who was one year old. He was from a gentry family in the countryside. However, he had bad luck. When he was thirteen years old, his father died early, and there were changes in the family. As a result, his family was in trouble.
He fell down, and finally became a beggar. The lower officials once visited him and wanted to help him, but they found out that he had died of illness."
Yang Pu: "..."
Liu Ji seemed to be a little depressed because he remembered those past events, and continued quietly: "At that time, I just thought that he was in bad luck, but now when I am in Wuhu, I think about it carefully, and the virtue of a gentleman will be cut off in five generations.
Who can guarantee that their family will be prosperous forever? Not to mention other things, even the descendants of many royal families in the Song Dynasty were at the end of their lives by the end of the Song Dynasty. Then Liu Xuande, and even after Liu Bang, weren't their families in decline when he was born?
"
"It can be seen from this that people cannot only think about the current wealth, but they need to think about what it will be like for future generations when they are reduced to the most difficult time. Even if the property in the family is not confiscated due to the New Deal, who can guarantee it?
, have they been part of my Liu family for generations?"
After hearing this, Yang Pu kept nodding.
When Liu Ji said this, he seemed to let out a sigh of relief, and smiled and said: "So, now I have thought about it, but this is better. Instead of giving too much land to the descendants, it is better to... give it to the descendants."
A poverty-stricken world! No matter how difficult the family is, they can still rely on farming to support themselves, so that their children can go to school and work in the city, and they will not fall into a situation of poverty and illness. This is better than holding some land now. "
When Yang Pu heard this, he couldn't help but laugh: "I never thought that you have such knowledge... If I had known this, I would have taught you to do Xuezheng and specifically preach the benefits of this new policy."
Liu Ji smiled and said: "I don't dare, I don't dare."
Yang Pu sighed: "But having said that, it is not easy for people to think about this. Taking people's money is ultimately the same thing as killing their parents, so... we must be more careful when we act, and we must not let anything happen.
Make mistakes and teach others how to handle them."
Liu Jidao: "Yes."
Liu Ji said goodbye now and had to rush back to the county.
Yang Pu did not see him off. At this time, he was concerned about the problem of steam locomotives. The first railway in Taiping Prefecture was about to be connected. This railway was quite convenient to build, as it connected the original Taiping Prefecture and Ningguo Prefecture.
, and connected to Qixia.
This is the first railway to be connected, and it is very important. If the steam locomotives purchased cannot be delivered in time when it is about to be connected, then the previous rush to build the railway will be in vain.
The manufacture of steam locomotives is the responsibility of military workshops.
The military workshop is placed under the Qixia Academy of Sciences.
This Academy of Sciences was established under the instruction of Zhu Di and gathered scholars from various disciplines. Xu Jingchang was in charge of steam power.
During these days, Xu Jingchang thought of ways to improve the power of some steam locomotives. After repeated improvements, this steam locomotive was finally stronger than the original version.
Of course, this is also due to his strictness with various material suppliers. The higher the strength of steel, the greater the amount of steel used.
To some extent, it also greatly reduced the weight of steam locomotives and increased their transportation capacity.
In addition, we still started working on the boiler and cylinder. After repeated experiments, this latest steam locomotive was finally finalized.
The next step is to manufacture. How to mass-produce some components has become a problem again. This requires the mechanical workshop to improve the lathe.
Naturally, in the face of the current countless demands, both workshops and research institutes are now willing to find ways to improve the process. After all... any progress means cost reduction and more order benefits.
Xu Jingchang spent almost every day in the Academy of Sciences. He may not have been interested in these things at first, but... in the process of learning and research... he found an unprecedented feeling, which was an indescribable feeling.
Sense of achievement.
After becoming an honorary minister and a relative of the emperor, Xu Jingchang spent his childhood almost in fun.
Perhaps it is because the achievements of his fathers are so great, in Xu Jingchang's view, he cannot compare with them no matter what.
Since there is no comparison, then let’s not compete. Isn’t it delicious to just eat and wait to die?
But when he started studying steam power, he suddenly began to find an indescribable sense of accomplishment. He saw this big thing moving on his hands, and then received the envious eyes of countless people. This feeling
, as if a box deep in his heart suddenly opened.
It turns out...I...can actually...
In the past half year, no one has locked him in the military workshop anymore.
But Xu Jingchang focused his thoughts on this almost day and night, leading dozens of students to repeat experiments again and again.
Occasionally, he would come up with a new idea and then seek funding from the research institute.
Sometimes he felt that the institute's speed in approving funds was too cumbersome, so he simply paid out the money directly.
He has always regarded money very lightly. After all, for a noble son who has no worries about food and clothing since birth and always has countless slaves and clothes, these possessions are not worth mentioning.
At the beginning of summer...
Zhang Anshi has received reports one after another.
The first railway is about to be completed.
Zhang Anshi took the report and immediately said in a hurry: "Tell someone to prepare horses and enter the palace."
The significance of this first railway was so great that Zhang Anshi did not dare to take it lightly.
Therefore, Zhang Anshi went to the palace to see him anxiously.
When he arrived at Wenlou, Zhu Di was discussing matters with the ministers.
"Your Majesty, Zhang Anshi, has met."
Zhu Di looked at Zhang Anshi with a smile, and said with a smile: "Cao Cao, Cao Cao will be here..."
Zhang Anshi's expression changed and he said: "Your Majesty, I am Xun Yu, not Cao Cao."
Zhu Di laughed and said: "Look, Zhang Qing's family seems to be good at literature and history."
Everyone laughed.
Zhang Anshi said: "I occasionally study..."
"Speaking of which, what do you mean today?"
Zhang Anshi said: "His Majesty has been on the throne for twelve years, and his administration has been harmonious and harmonious. Now I have a very happy event to announce..."
Hearing that there was a happy event, Zhu Di raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "What happy event?"
"The railways in the counties of Taiping Prefecture... have been connected! This is the first railway in the world since the beginning of the world. The entire Right Governor's Mansion has received great favor from His Majesty. Therefore, they have worked hard to build this railway and have died. Now...
…The railway is connected, which is a blessing to the people, a blessing to all the people, and a clear proof of His Majesty’s great rule of the world. This unprecedented grand event will surely be remembered for generations to come…”
After hearing this, Zhu Di became more energetic: "As for laying the steel on the ground... are you serious about spreading this iron to all counties?"
Zhang Anshi said: "Your Majesty has seen the railway with his own eyes, how can he say that it will be laid on the ground with iron?"
Zhu Di said: "It's nothing, it's just that someone... also submitted the memorial..."
Zhang Anshi said, "I wonder what memorial it is?"
"They said that what I did was... imitating Emperor Sui Yang."
Zhu Di didn't hide Zhang Anshi either.
Zhang Anshi looked surprised: "Emperor Sui Yang...Your Majesty...this...what kind of allusion is this?"
Zhu Di said: "It seems that you have only read half of your fucking studies. There is an allusion to Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, that is, he wrapped the tree with silk to show the wealth of the Sui Dynasty. He wrapped the tree with silk, but I laid iron on the ground.
You are just mocking me for being so happy with my achievements."
Zhang Anshixin said: "Your Majesty, since you know they are mocking you, why don't you go and kill them?"
"This..." Zhang Anshi said: "Your Majesty, these people... have no knowledge. They only know how to extract chapters and sentences and show off the so-called literary words. They are useless. Why should your Majesty pay attention to them."
Zhu Di said: "I didn't pay attention...but..."
Zhu Di specifically mentioned this matter, which actually had a hint.
You know, steel is a luxury product in this era. Using steel to pave the road makes even Zhu Di feel sad. Thinking that Zhang Anshi still borrowed the money, he can't let go. He even feels a little sleepy for many days.
Can't catch it.
You can borrow money, even if you give me the borrowed money, that's fine.
Now after hearing Zhang Anshi's response, Zhu Di couldn't help but smile: "Since the railway has been built, it can be built, but... how much did it cost?"
Well, this is what he wants to know most.
"This railway?" Zhang Anshi said.
Zhu Di nodded.
"If this is the only one, the total length is 430 miles, and the cost...is probably between 2.90 and 3.2 million taels."
After Zhu Di heard this, he immediately took a breath of cold air.
Yang Rong and others were obviously shocked by this number.
This is just one piece... and it costs so much?
Zhang Anshi said: "But this is the first point. On the one hand, the construction deadline is rushed, and on the other hand, I am not yet skilled, so the initial cost is huge. In the future... if we continue to build, these costs can be spread evenly.
It’s getting lower.”
Zhu Di hummed, holding back the pain in his heart.
He saw that Zhang Anshi was in high spirits, so it was not easy to pour cold water on him: "I can rest assured that you are doing things."
"I am here to hope that your majesty will announce an auspicious date for the opening of traffic. When the time comes... I plan to hold a grand opening ceremony on the auspicious day for the opening of traffic. I hope that everyone in the world will know about such a feat. If your majesty can go to Qixia to observe the ceremony in person
, it would be even better. In this way, the officials, merchants, and civilians who are building the railway this time will surely have their morale boosted when they see His Majesty's great love."
Zhu Di glanced at Yang Rongren and said, "What do you think? That's all. Let the Jinqing family make the decision on this matter. The Jinqing family is good at pretending to be a ghost."
Jin Zhong: "..."
Jin Zhong felt a little speechless. His Majesty seemed to have a misunderstanding about his profession.
But at the moment, he was indeed in a dilemma, so he said: "Your Majesty, with the completion of the railway, is it considered a moving event, a relocation, or is it opening a market, praying for blessings, or opening a warehouse?"
Yes, there was no railway in the past. From the concept of auspicious days, I have never heard that it is suitable for the railway to be connected.
But it is wrong to say that it is a housewarming, because this thing can move.
But if it's a relocation...that's not right. As for the opening of the market...it seems a bit out of place. You can't choose a date that's suitable for getting married, right?
At this moment, everyone was in trouble.
Zhu Di frowned and said, "You come to ask me about this?"
Jin Zhong thought for a while and said: "The ninth day of the lunar month tomorrow is the day to install the bed. I thought, this is the same as installing the bed. The installation of the bed is the last step before moving to a new house, fixing the new house, and before the wedding. This is
The railway is connected...then the second quarter of the ninth day of the lunar month is definitely an auspicious day."
Zhu Di said: "That's it. What does Zhang Qing think?"
Zhang Anshi said: "That's very good. Jin Gong is indeed professional, but...since Jin Gong picked this auspicious day, then tomorrow's newspaper will be published in your house, and you will ask Jin Gong to write an announcement in his hand to announce it to the world?"
Jin Zhong's face looked ugly. Do you really think of me as a calligrapher?
He said sternly: "I am the Minister of the Ministry of War, how can I be so dignified and do such idle things?"
Zhang Anshi said: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Let's settle for the next best thing and let me find someone to write for me. I will only add Jin Gong's name to it, so as not to trouble Jin Gong."
Jin Zhong: "..."
Zhang Anshi added: "I sincerely request your Majesty to go to Qixia the day after tomorrow and personally preside over this ceremony of connection. Your Majesty... This is a great event of the highest rank in the world. It will surely be remembered for eternity. It is also a clear proof of your Majesty's great rule of the world... Such a grand event... If your Majesty...
It’s a pity to be absent…”
Zhu Di was a little hesitant. He still felt sorry for the money, but in the end, he still said: "No matter what, so much money has been spent...how can I not go? I have approved this matter."
Seeing that Zhu Di agreed, Zhang Anshi was overjoyed. Zhu Di was a little tired, so he ordered his ministers to retreat.
After Zhang Anshi left the Wenyuan Pavilion, the bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion had to go on duty at Wenyuan Pavilion, while Zhang Anshi and others headed outside the palace.
Jin Zhong looked depressed.
As for Jin Chunren and others, Zhang Anshi was not very familiar with them either.
However, Zhang Anshi murmured in his heart when he saw Xia Yuanji also had a bad face.
So he walked side by side with Xia Yuanji unhurriedly and said in a low voice: "Xia Gong, you don't look good."
Xia Yuanji raised his head and forced a smile: "Well..."
Zhang Anshi said again: "Are you sick?"
Xia Yuanji couldn't help it anymore: "You are the one who is sick!"
Zhang Anshi was shocked. That was wrong. In his memory, Xia Yuanji had always been a humble gentleman. Why was he acting like a tiger and a wolf today?
So Zhang Anshi said innocently: "Xia Gong... what's wrong with you, I have good intentions..."
Xia Yuanji frowned, as if trying very hard to hide something, and said, "It's nothing, don't ask."
Zhang Anshi said: "If you have any difficulties, just tell me. Don't worry, I, Zhang Anshi..."
"There is one difficulty." Xia Yuanji looked at him seriously and said, "I'm just afraid of this... Is Duke Wei really willing to solve it?"
Zhang Anshi patted his chest and said: "What are these words? Xia Gong said it. I, Zhang Anshi, will go through fire and water..."
Before he could finish his words, Xia Yuanji said: "The thing is like this, I don't know if the emperor's grandson was instigated by some unscrupulous guy whose ancestral graves are smoking, and he actually sold the land by force. My son happened to be on duty in the Young Army.
, I was actually pressed on my head and bought dozens of acres. Duke Wei, you know me...I..."
Before it was Xia Yuanji's turn to finish his words, Zhang Anshi's face tightened, and he hugged his hands towards Xia Yuanji and said, "Wait a minute, Mr. Xia, I just thought that the soup fire at home has not been extinguished, so I have to go home quickly to put it out and say goodbye!"