Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 589 You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, have also turned evil.

If railways are still dispensable south of the Yangtze River, merely a mode of transportation that can compete with waterways, then their importance and strategic significance in the north are irreplaceable. The reason is simple: even if you want to dig a canal in the north, you need water first!

So when Lu Jin suggested that a railway could be built from Haining Prefecture (Lianyungang) to Lanzhou, Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong's eyes lit up instantly.

Lu Jin traced the map with his finger, "From Haining Prefecture westward, through Xuzhou, Guide Prefecture (Shangqiu), Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Shanzhou (Sanmenxia), Xi'an, Baoji, Qinzhou (Tianshui), Gongchang Prefecture (Longxi), and finally to Lanzhou."

"Except for crossing a major river once in Xuzhou, the entire route is south of the Yellow River. There are no major rivers to cross along the way, and the entire journey is only 1760 kilometers. At the current speed of the train, it can be completed in two days at most. The two prime ministers should know what this means, right?"

Looking at the map, Feng Guoyong's breathing quickened. "This means that the imperial court can transport 40 troops and over a million shi of grain from the coast of the East China Sea to Lanzhou within two days! If the imperial court has such transportation capabilities, the recovery of the Hehuang Valley and the Hexi Corridor, no, even the recovery of the Western Regions of the Han and Tang dynasties will be just around the corner!"

“That’s right.” Lu Jin nodded immediately, and then continued to row northwest from Lanzhou.

"You need to cross the Yellow River here in Lanzhou. We can't build the bridge yet, but in the future, you can go from Lanzhou or west to Xining in the Hehuang (Qinghai) region, or you can continue to go deeper into the Western Regions. It's about 1700 kilometers from Lanzhou to Turpan in the Western Regions, which is also only a day or two's journey. And from Turpan to the Pamir Mountains (Kashgar), it's also about 1700 kilometers."

"In this way, the army can reach the Pamir Mountains of the Han Dynasty and the land of the Nine Sogdian Clans of the Tang Dynasty in just four days from Lanzhou. Moreover, the transport of grain and fodder will not require the requisition of a single mule or horse or a single laborer!"
"And this is still the current speed of the train. I dare to guarantee that as long as the court's education can keep up, the train speed will increase by one level every twenty years. In another twenty years, it will be 60 kilometers per hour, 80 kilometers per hour in forty years, and 100 kilometers per hour in sixty years. By then, the speed will have doubled, and the journey from Lanzhou to the Pamir Mountains will only take two days."

hiss----

The two of them gasped in shock.

In the past, Lu Jin always talked about how technology changes lives and about changes unprecedented in three thousand years. Back then, they couldn't understand it. But now that they know the uses of trains and railways, if they still don't understand what he meant, then they're fools.

If there had been a railway connecting the Western Regions during the Han and Tang dynasties, the Western Regions would not have been lost. The Han dynasty had only 20,000 garrison troops in the Western Regions, while the Tang dynasty had about 50,000.

If the Ming Dynasty had such a railway to facilitate the transportation of immigrants and troops, it would be easy to move millions of people there every year!
“Unbelievable, unimaginable! Today I finally understand what Your Majesty meant by ‘a change unprecedented in three thousand years.’ If we have such a marvel as the railway, China can regain the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties, no, even surpass the Han and Tang dynasties, it is just around the corner.” Li Shanchang exclaimed.

Feng Guoyong narrowed his eyes. "This railway might not be very noticeable in the south, but its usefulness in the north is absolutely unquestionable. Since it can be built from Haining to Lanzhou, can't it also be built to the Mongolian Plateau, to the Northeast, and even to Korea?!"

“That’s right.” Lu Jin nodded. “I do indeed have such a plan.”

He pointed to the map and said, "When the two capitals line is completed in the future, it can be extended from Yanjing to Shanxi. First, the railway from Yanjing to Jining in northern Shanxi will be built, and then it will be extended from Jining to the northern desert. From Jining to the Black Forest Palace (Ulaanbaatar) in Langjuxu Mountain, this line is only about 715 kilometers long. Even at the current speed, it can be reached in a day at most."

"The distance from Langjuxu Mountain to the southern shore of Beihai (Ulan-Ude) is about 500 kilometers, and the total distance is only 1215 kilometers."

"When Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Champion of the Han Dynasty, sealed the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain and drank from the vast sea, I do not know how long it took him. But in my Great Ming Dynasty, as long as this road is completed, it will only take one day for everyone to take a train to tour the route Huo Qubing took during his northern expedition."

Good heavens, does that mean everyone is Huo Qubing?! The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

Lu Jin pointed eastward again, "Now the coastal road in the Liaoxi Corridor is also passable by vehicles. After the completion of the Beijing-Shenyang line, it will be possible to travel from Yanjing to Shenyang via the coastal road. This section is about 700 kilometers long. After the Beijing-Shenyang line is completed, it will only take one day to travel between the two places."

"The distance from Shenyang to Shangjing Huiningfu (Harbin) of the Jin Dynasty is only 545 kilometers, while the distance from Huiningfu to Yanjing is 1245 kilometers, which is also a little over a day's journey."

“From Huining Prefecture (Harbin) eastward all the way to the mouth of the Heilongjiang River, the Yuan Dynasty established the Eastern Expeditionary Marshal's Office (Nurgan Regional Military Commission/Miaojie/Amur Gongqing City) here, which is exactly one thousand kilometers, and also a day's journey.

"If you go from Shenyang to the Yalu River in Dongning Prefecture (Dandong), it is about 260 kilometers. From the Yalu River to Pyongyang, it is 225 kilometers, which takes two or three hours. From Pyongyang to Kaesong, it is 160 kilometers, which takes two hours. From Kaesong to Yangju (Seoul), it is 75 kilometers. From Yangju to Busan, it is 440 kilometers."

"The entire journey from Shenyang to Busan is only 1160 kilometers, which also takes a little over a day."

As Lu Jin recited the planned railway routes one by one, as if listing dishes, Li Shanchang felt as if a thunderbolt had suddenly struck his mind.

Suddenly, he exclaimed excitedly, "They're all strung together! They're all strung together!"

"What's connected?" Lu Jin was taken aback, wondering what he had suddenly thought of.

Li Shanchang immediately said, "So when His Majesty said he wanted to establish a Ministry of Transportation, it was specifically for the construction and management of these railways?"

"Yes." Lu Jin nodded matter-of-factly. Wasn't that obvious? What else could the Ministry of Transport manage if not the railways?
Li Shanchang then continued, "With railways, we can greatly expand our territory, but the newly expanded territory also needs immigrants to settle and cultivate it, so that we can achieve long-term stability."

"So His Majesty ordered the Marquis of Bowang to build ships and sail out to sea several years ago to find high-yield varieties of potatoes and corn from Lizhou, and even abolished the poll tax to encourage people to have children, all in order to increase the population so that they could migrate to the border regions and occupy more territory?!"

Lu Jin suddenly understood his meaning, and smiled, saying, "That is indeed the plan. What, did you only realize it today, sir?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang gave a wry smile, then bowed with shame and said, "Your Majesty is a dragon among men, possessing extraordinary talent and profound strategies rarely seen in the world. How could ordinary people easily fathom such a thing? If Your Majesty had not given me your clear guidance today, I would have been like a blind man touching an elephant, only touching what I could, without knowing the whole picture."

Li Shanchang knew that Lu Jin wanted to establish a Ministry of Transportation, something Lu Jin had mentioned long ago. He also knew that Lu Jin had sent Wang Dayuan to sea to find superior breeds in Lizhou, and that Lu Jin wanted to abolish the poll tax. However, at that time, he only thought that Lu Jin wanted to restore the population as soon as possible after pacifying the chaotic world, but he never thought that Lu Jin had a deeper intention.

Now that everything is connected, there is a natural sense of sudden realization and enlightenment.

Looking back, when did Lu Jin begin planning these things? If we start counting from when Lu Jin sent people to Jiangxi to find Wang Dayuan, they had only just conquered Huaixi and hadn't even crossed the Yangtze River yet.
This is a bit outrageous. This emperor, when he only had a small part of Huaixi, actually started planning to rule the country and seize power. He started building ships as soon as he crossed the river and occupied Jiangnan. How confident is he?
To make matters even more absurd, Wang Dayuan's voyage to explore Lizhou predates Lu Jin's northern expedition to reclaim Yan and Yun by half a year. He returned just one year after the Ming Dynasty's successful northern expedition, and immediately began promoting improved breeds and planning to abolish the poll tax. Now that improved breeds from Lizhou have been distributed to various provinces, Lu Jin has already built a railway.
This methodical, steady, and cunning approach is chilling to contemplate, sending shivers down one's spine. If Lu Jin were to fall into their trap, one would be completely outmaneuvered and killed.
Li Shanchang gasped, as if he were seeing the emperor in a new light. He glanced at Feng Guoyong, who seemed to suddenly realize something and quickly asked Lu Jin.

"During the Central Plains Campaign, His Majesty ordered the relocation of the provincial capital of Henan Province from Bianliang to Zhengzhou. Was that also related to the railway?"

Seeing the two men's surprised expressions, Lu Jin found it somewhat amusing, blinked, and immediately admitted, "Sir, you guessed correctly; it really is related to the railway."

"???" Feng Guoyong was also shocked. So Lu Jin had been planning this for a long time?

"Then which route Your Majesty planned to pass through Zhengzhou?" he immediately asked.

Lu Jin pointed to the map, "The Beijing-Guangzhou Railway starts from Yanjing (Beijing), goes through Zhengding in Hebei, then to Zhengzhou in Henan, and then south through Wuchang in Hubei, Changsha in Hunan, Shaoguan in Guangdong, and finally reaches Guangzhou. The whole line is about 2500 kilometers long."

"The amount of work done on the two Beijing-Yanjing railway lines could build a railway that runs through the whole country. Once this railway is completed, the journey from Yanjing to Guangzhou will only take two or three days."

"And this Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, together with the Longhai Railway mentioned earlier, forms a cross, with the center of this intersection located in Zhengzhou, Henan!"

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, both shocked by Lu Jin's bold idea. Guangzhou, Lingnan, was a place where criminals were exiled during the Song Dynasty. If the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway were built, it would only take two or three days to travel across the country. Wouldn't criminals then have to travel by train to be exiled in the future?
No, no, no, the railway is already built, why would we need to exile prisoners?
"Then why choose Zhengzhou? Why not Bianliang?" Feng Guoyong asked again. Lu Jin immediately replied, "Kaifeng's terrain is not good, it is prone to flooding, and its geology is not as stable as Zhengzhou upstream. So if we want to build a bridge across the Yellow River in Henan, it would be best to do it in Zhengzhou. As for Luoyang, it's too far west for this line. Besides, Luoyang is a basin surrounded by mountains, so the railway would not be easy to pass through."

"I see!" The two of them suddenly realized.

Having understood the purpose and importance of the railway, and with the railway as an example, the two men's attitudes toward Lu Jin's previous plans immediately changed.

Previously, they thought that since the Ming Dynasty had only been established for a short time and everything was in need of rebuilding, it would be enough to drive out the Tartars and reclaim the existing territory. However, Lu Jin wanted to fight this and that, showing an attitude of wanting to exhaust the country with military force.

But now it seems that if there were railways, it wouldn't be impossible to fight them. For example, Goryeo, according to Lu Jin, is only a day's journey from Shenyang to Busan, so it seems that it wouldn't be impossible to bring it under our rule.

After his attitude changed, Feng Guoyong actually took the initiative to ask, "When does His Majesty plan to build the Longhai Railway and recover the Northwest?"

Lu Jin was taken aback when he heard this. He didn't expect that the two of them had become even more enthusiastic than him. He thought for a moment before saying, "What I originally thought was to first build the railway from Kang to Jing County, train a group of people to build roads and manufacture vehicles, and then at the same time investigate the route between the two capitals. After the railway between the two capitals is completed, the court should have some talent available."

“Masters teach apprentices, one teaches ten, ten teach a hundred, and they train them very quickly. Once the two capitals' railway is completed, we should not lack manpower. If we have enough money, we can even build several railways at the same time.”

"For example, the line from Yanjing to Shenyang can be completed first. There is also the line from Yanjing to Jining. After Jining, it can be extended to the northern desert or to the Hetao region. Then, it can be detoured to Zhongxingfu (Yinchuan) in Ningxia, and then from Zhongxingfu to Lanzhou. If there is enough money, the Longhai Railway can also be built at the same time."

"At that time, what we lacked was not road construction talent and building materials, but money. The imperial court could build as many roads as it had."

Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang immediately said, "Your Majesty previously said that the cost of building a railway is around 13500 million to 15000 million silver dollars per kilometer. Of this, half is for steel rails, sleepers, and ballast, and the other half is for labor and roadbed. Is that correct?"

Lu Jin nodded. "More or less, what's wrong?"

Li Shanchang immediately said, "Then why don't we attack Goryeo first? After we conquer Goryeo, if we conscript laborers from Goryeo to build roads, wouldn't we be able to save 30% on labor costs per kilometer? That should bring the cost per kilometer down to less than 10,000 yuan, right?"

"???!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin looked at Li Shanchang in surprise. Good heavens, good heavens! I never expected that you, Li Shanchang, such a handsome fellow with thick eyebrows, would turn bad. You actually want to capture cheap laborers from Goryeo to build railways for free. Who was it that advised me not to attack Goryeo before? You really are three times more ruthless, aren't you?
However, Lu Jin did not object to his suggestion. If it could save three to five thousand silver dollars per kilometer, it could save millions of dollars per thousand kilometers. Why not do it?
So he said, "Even if we're going to attack Goryeo, we have to do it according to the original plan. At least we have to wait until after the military reform. Besides, we haven't gathered enough ships for the navy yet. Without naval ships to cooperate, how can we fight?"

Li Shanchang nodded upon hearing this, and then said, "That's true. Then we should proceed with the preparations according to plan."

"I suggest that the Censorate send censors to various places to supervise the promotion of improved varieties in Lizhou. This year, the work has already been carried out at the provincial level. It would be best if it could be promoted to all prefectures and counties next year, and to all households the year after. After three years, the poll tax should be abolished, and people should be encouraged to have children."

Lu Jin was taken aback by Li Shanchang's sudden enthusiasm; he was a little unaccustomed to it.
"Yes, but you can't rush it. Grain has to grow from the ground, you can't force the seasons."

Li Shanchang added, “There are also shipyards in Liaoning and Shandong. Have the shipbuilding craftsmen who were sent from Fujian this year been settled? When can Shandong start construction? Last year, not a single ship was built. We can’t delay any longer this year, otherwise it would delay the imperial court’s grand plan.”

“We can also send someone to supervise this,” Lu Jin agreed again.

"There's also the matter of military reform and downsizing." After saying this, Li Shanchang looked at Feng Guoyong.

Feng Guoyong immediately said, "The Jinling Arsenal has now stockpiled tens of thousands of new muskets. Various departments of the Privy Council, together with the Ministry of Personnel of the State Council and the Ministry of Police, have established a special task force for military reform."

"The Privy Council is responsible for troop reduction and military reform, while the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Police are responsible for arranging for retired soldiers to transfer to local positions. The various departments work together."

"The four Imperial Guard divisions of the Fourth and Third Front Armies have also received their transfer orders and are on their way back to Beijing. Once they arrive, we will begin making changes immediately!"

"Then let's get this done quickly. The entire army must be reformed within three to five years," Li Shanchang immediately set the tone.

"Goodness," Lu Jin suddenly realized that once these two got enthusiastic, there was nothing left for him to do.

However, this was just his misconception. Before he could speak, Feng Guoyong asked Lu Jin about something else.

"Your Majesty, now that the railway is almost finished, how far away is the thing Your Majesty mentioned before that can transmit messages across thousands of miles in an instant?"

“Telegram! Right, didn’t His Majesty say that the full name of the Ministry of Transportation was the Ministry of Transportation and Posts? We have transportation, but what about postal and telecommunications?” Li Shanchang was reminded of this and quickly followed up with the question.

"..." Seeing the two staring straight at him, Lu Jin felt a chill run down his spine and quickly said, "Actually, that thing is quite simple. If I really wanted to make it, I could do it in a few months. But right now I'm short-handed. You can't expect me to do the work myself, can you?"
"As for the original 40 students in the science class, almost everyone now has a project on their hands. Those who don't have any tasks are temporarily teaching in place of the teacher. The 500 new students recruited last year have not yet graduated and can only assist for the time being. I also have no one to use."

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, and Li Shanchang immediately said, "Why don't we stop using the Jinling Academy in the east of the city as the new imperial palace? Since it was originally built as a school, let's just use it as a school after it's completed."

"Although this palace is small, the country has just been established and everything needs to be rebuilt. Your Majesty has always been frugal. Why don't you make do with it for now? When the capital is moved later, I will definitely build a grand palace for Your Majesty in Yanjing. For now, it is more important to cultivate talents!"

Good heavens, Lu Jin was completely stunned. Before he could say anything, Feng Guoyong also tried to persuade him.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Telegraphs and railways are matters of great importance to the country and its people. I urge Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the nation. As for the shortage of talent, should we hold another special examination this year to recruit another batch of science students? We only have five hundred people now. In the future, we will be building railways, transmitting telegraphs, manufacturing vehicles, and constructing bridges. Five hundred people will probably not be enough!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin felt a chill run down his spine and quickly replied, "I know how many people to recruit. The problem now is the lack of teachers. There are only a dozen or so students teaching in place of the teachers, and even then, they are learning and teaching on their own. What's the use of recruiting more people if there's no one to teach them? Let's talk about it again in a year or two."

"It's just a telegram, it certainly won't delay the important affairs of the court, I know what to do."

"Furthermore, instead of urging me to recruit more students, you should hurry up and urge the publishing houses to print textbooks and start up education at the grassroots level. That would be much more useful than urging me here."

Seeing this, the two stopped talking.

In late April, spring plowing was completed, and rice seedlings had been planted in the fields throughout Jiangnan. While the emperor and his ministers in Jiankang were busy with their respective affairs, Zhu Liangzu escorted the entire captured Duan clan of Dali back to the capital, preparing to present the captives to the emperor and also to prepare for the enfeoffment of kings.

The first person in the Ming Dynasty to be granted the title of Prince for military merit is about to be born.

(End of this chapter)