My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 252 I can give it to you, but you can't force yourself to take it!

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang then looked at Gao Sanxi and said:
"You don't need to worry about these things. I have other uses for this cement. You just need to increase the production of cement."

"Remember, without my order, cement production must not stop for a moment; on the contrary, it must continue to increase output."

Although Gao Sanxi didn't know what Zhu Cilang was going to do with the cement, he still quickly accepted the order.

"The minister obeys the order!"

He then withdrew.

After Gao Sanxi left, Zhu Cilang thought about it and felt that the road construction involved a wide range of issues, so it was necessary to discuss it with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue.

After all, one department provides funding and the other provides personnel; neither can be dispensed with.

Therefore, he immediately issued an order to summon Zhou Shipu, the Minister of Works, and Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue, to meet him.

Not long after, the two hurriedly arrived at the East Palace.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang, they bowed and greeted him.

"Your Highness, I pay my respects!"

"Your Highness, I pay my respects!"

As always, Zhu Cilang had two stools brought over, and after the two senior officials sat down, he slowly began to speak:

"I have summoned you two here today because there is an extremely important matter I wish to discuss with you."

"This matter concerns the long-term development of the Ming Dynasty, and we hope that you two can fully cooperate."

Upon hearing this, the two immediately straightened up and said with serious expressions:
"Your Highness, please speak freely. We will do our utmost to serve you, even unto death!"

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, then continued:

"To be honest, I just received a report that the cement produced by the Daming Cement Plant is in serious surplus and there is nowhere to use it."

"After much deliberation, I have decided to use this cement to accomplish something significant."

"This major event is nothing other than road construction."

Building roads?

Upon hearing this, the two ministers exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise.

After a brief pause, Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu spoke first:

"May I ask, Your Highness, which roads do you plan to repair?"

Zhu Cilang's gaze was firm, and he spoke in a calm tone:
"Naturally, we must build roads that connect the entire world. You two should both understand the properties of cement; walls built with it are virtually indestructible."

"Similarly, if cement is used to build roads, the resulting cement roads will be incredibly sturdy, greatly facilitating the passage of people and goods."

"Imagine what changes would occur if cement roads were used to connect all the prefectures and counties of the Ming Dynasty?"

"At that time, no matter what disasters, civil uprisings or wars the Ming Dynasty encounters, the court will be able to respond quickly, greatly enhancing the court's ability and speed to deal with various disasters."

"To give an example, if Xuanfu were attacked by the Mongols, and at that very moment the imperial court had just built a cement road that led directly from the capital to Xuanfu."

"Then, once the imperial court learns of the news, the army will be able to rush to Xuanfu at the fastest speed to quell the rebellion."

Zhou Shipu and Ni Yuanlu were both seasoned officials and extremely intelligent. Zhu Cilang's explanation made them instantly understand its profound meaning.

Before they could say anything, Zhu Cilang continued:
"In addition, the construction of roads can accelerate the flow of goods between different regions and promote market prosperity."

"For example, it used to take two days to transport a truckload of goods because of inconvenient transportation, but now that there are cement roads, it only takes one day."

"In short, I believe this matter is imperative!"

Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu and Zhou Shipu exchanged a glance, both seeing the importance and agreement in each other's eyes.

Without a doubt, the plan proposed by Zhu Cilang was an extremely important measure for the future development of the Ming Dynasty.

Immediately, Ni Yuanlu stood up first, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhu Cilang, and said:

"Your Highness, I believe this is a feasible move, and the Ministry of Revenue will certainly give it its full support!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Shipu, who was standing to the side, also quickly stood up and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Your Highness, I also believe this is feasible! The Ministry of Works will certainly do its utmost!"

Seeing this, a satisfied smile finally appeared on Zhu Cilang's face.

But suddenly, Ni Yuanlu seemed to think of something else and frowned slightly.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked Zhu Cilang for instructions again:
"Your Highness, before we begin large-scale construction of cement roads, do you think we should first select a pilot site?"

"In this way, the amount of silver and cement required to build a section of cement road can be accurately calculated, so that the Ministry of Revenue can allocate resources more rationally."

Hearing Ni Yuanlu's remarks, Zhou Shipu's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded in agreement:

“What Lord Ni said is absolutely right! That is indeed the case.”

"In my opinion, why don't we start by building the roads in the capital as a pilot project?"

After saying this, Zhou Shipu looked at Zhu Cilang, seemingly waiting for his reply.

Zhu Cilang naturally had no objection to their suggestions.

Perhaps in modern people's minds, the capital city of Beijing, as the capital of the Ming Dynasty, should have had perfectly smooth roads paved with gold bricks.

But this is not actually the case. Within the capital city, only some main roads are paved with bluestone and bricks, while most other places are the most primitive dirt roads.

On rainy days, these dirt roads become muddy and impassable, with rainwater mixing with the soil to form deep and shallow puddles.

This has led to great difficulty and suffering for ordinary people when they travel, significantly impacting their daily lives and travel.

However, there was nothing that could be done about it. After all, in this era, all kinds of materials were extremely precious. Common bluestone and bricks were very expensive, and it was impossible to pave the entire capital city.

At the same time, Ni Yuanlu nodded after a moment of contemplation upon hearing Zhou Shipu's suggestion to repair the roads in the capital.

Instead of building roads in other places far away, it would be better to build the roads in the capital first.

This also facilitates the allocation of funds. In his view, as the imperial treasury, the Ministry of Revenue has an unshirkable responsibility to pay for road repairs, but every penny must be spent transparently.

Only by accurately grasping the cost of road construction can we plan the subsequent massive project expenditures in an orderly manner and ensure a balance between fiscal revenue and expenditure.

Otherwise, if the road construction leads to financial difficulties, then he, as the Minister of Revenue, would be held responsible.

Just then, Zhu Cilang finally spoke.

"In that case, let's start by cultivating the roads within the capital!"

Seeing that Zhu Cilang had agreed, the two quickly bowed again.

"I obey!"

"I obey!"

Just as Zhu Cilang thought the matter was resolved and was about to dismiss them, Zhou Shipu seemed to suddenly remember something crucial and spoke again:

"Your Highness, I have something else to say."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Zhou Shipu first took a deep breath, and then said:
"Your Majesty, I dare to suggest that you merge the cement plant into the Ministry of Works."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang's expression subtly changed.

Because from the very beginning, the cement plant was not under the jurisdiction of any government department, but was his private property, and could be considered his private property.

The two new cities built with cement were actually Zhu Cilang's personal property, and the proceeds from their sale belonged entirely to him.

Zhou Shipu made this request with the obvious aim of taking control of the cement plant.

However, this should not be due to any personal motives on his part; it should simply be to ensure a continuous and stable supply of cement and to fully guarantee the smooth progress of the road construction project.

After all, cement is a key material for road construction, and ensuring a stable supply is of paramount importance.

Although he understood these principles, Zhu Cilang still felt a strange sense of resistance, as he felt it was a real pain to hand over the cement plant to the Ministry of Works.

What is there to say?

I can give it to you, but you can't insist on having it!
Therefore, after a moment of contemplation, Zhu Cilang slowly shook his head, his tone calm yet undeniably authoritative.

"This matter will be put on hold for now and discussed later. However, I hereby promise that all the cement needed for this road construction will be supplied free of charge by the cement plant, and I will fully support the project."

Seeing Zhu Cilang's stance, Zhou Shipu, though unwilling, understood that Zhu Cilang had already made his decision and there was no point in arguing further.

He nodded helplessly, accepting the outcome.

Then continued:

"In that case, I will return and immediately begin recruiting laborers and craftsmen to make all the necessary preparations for road construction."

However, upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang shook his head again, a wise glint in his eyes, and said:

"I actually have other ideas about this matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shipu looked puzzled, seemingly not understanding what Zhu Cilang meant.

Zhu Cilang first picked up his teacup and took a small sip, then slowly said:

"Although it is only in the trial stage at present, the capital city is a vast area, and the number of workers and craftsmen needed for road construction must be considerable."

"Instead of recruiting on a large scale from the general public, why not turn our attention to the canal workers and select directly from among them? What do you all think?"

Canal worker?

Zhou Shipu was taken aback when he heard the suggestion, his face showing surprise.

But just a second later, a flash of inspiration struck him, like a lightning bolt streaking across the night sky, and he suddenly understood.

Immediately afterwards, he excitedly slapped his thigh and exclaimed in praise:

"Your Highness is truly wise! I understand, I understand completely!"

At this moment, Zhou Shipu's excitement was palpable, and his eyes shone with admiration. As for Ni Yuanlu, who was standing to the side, he was completely bewildered, looking at Zhou Shipu with a puzzled expression. He couldn't understand what Zhou Shipu had suddenly realized and why he was so excited.
Isn't it just about sending canal workers to the capital to repair roads?

Why are you so excited?
Thinking of this, Ni Yuanlu couldn't help but ask:

"Lord Zhou, what exactly have you figured out?"

Zhou Shipu was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He quickly turned to face Ni Yuanlu and explained in a very fast voice:
“Lord Ni, think about it carefully. If cement roads are to be built all over the Ming Dynasty in the future, the manpower needed for the canal transport will be greatly reduced. What will happen to those million canal workers then?”

"A slight misstep could trigger a civil unrest and endanger the nation."

"But if we recruit them all to build cement roads, wouldn't that solve their livelihood problems and provide sufficient manpower for the construction? It would be killing two birds with one stone!"

Upon hearing this explanation, Ni Yuanlu instantly understood. Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"Brilliant! Lord Zhou is absolutely right, Your Highness's plan is truly ingenious!"

He nodded repeatedly as he praised Zhu Cilang, his eyes filled with reverence and admiration.

The massive canal transport system has always affected the livelihoods of millions of people, which has led to the fact that even though the benefits of maritime transport are known, the Ming Dynasty has never dared to make any changes rashly.

Even the later Qing Dynasty was no exception.

After all, if millions of people were to suddenly lose their jobs, it would certainly bring unspeakable disaster to the country.

However, the method Zhu Cilang proposed directly solved the problem!

At the same time, Zhu Cilang smiled knowingly at the reactions of the two ministers before him, and then continued:

"That's roughly what I mean. Since the court is determined to build roads, roads in the southern regions are naturally also being planned."

“Once the roads are completed, the utilization rate of the canal will inevitably decrease, so we must consider the resettlement of the canal workers. Transforming them into road construction craftsmen is currently the most appropriate resettlement method.”

In fact, the problem of resettling the million canal workers had been weighing on Zhu Cilang's mind ever since his previous trip to Shandong.

Because he knew in his heart that with the advent of maritime transport, the canal transport was indeed no longer necessary.

After all, the cost of canal transport is more than five times that of sea transport!
It was precisely because of the difficult resettlement of the million canal workers that Zhu Cilang had not yet taken action.

But now, with the road construction opportunity, this matter can be resolved.

In addition, although the official figure is that there are millions of canal workers, in reality, the number of people actually engaged in front-line canal transport work is at most around 200,000 to 300,000.

It is clearly very appropriate to have these people dedicate themselves to the construction of cement roads.

Moreover, Zhu Cilang had an even longer-term plan in mind: after the cement road was completed, railway construction would also be put on the agenda.

By then, the project will require even more manpower, and he'll be worried about not having enough staff!
Some might question why not skip the concrete road altogether and focus all efforts on railway construction?
After all, the speed and capacity of railway transportation are much faster than traveling by road.

The answer is simple: firstly, the two have different functions and do not conflict; secondly, the Ming Dynasty does not currently have the capability to build railways.

As we all know, cement roads are primarily designed to facilitate people's daily travel, improve their livelihoods, and facilitate the transportation of goods. They are a necessary measure to improve and enhance living conditions.

In addition, disaster relief and military deployment also rely heavily on the mobility of cement roads.

Railways are mainly used for long-distance transportation of bulk commodities, improving logistics efficiency. They can also quickly transport troops and various supplies to any point.

However, the steam engine is still in the early stages of research and development, and it is estimated that it will take another two or three years before a practical steam locomotive is developed.

Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty's current mining capacity is insufficient to afford the steel needed to build railways.

Therefore, for now, we can only build the cement road first, and then fully promote the railway construction once the technology is mature.

Following that, Zhu Cilang had a detailed discussion with Ni Yuanlu and Zhou Shipu.

Both men wore expressions of satisfaction, for what Zhu Cilang said truly resonated with them.

If this really happens, the two of them will surely go down in history!
After all the matters had been discussed, the two stood up together and bowed to Zhu Cilang.

"Your Highness, rest assured, we will go and prepare for this immediately!"

Zhu Cilang nodded.

The two then took their leave and departed from the Eastern Palace.

At this moment, their steps were light and firm, as if they had suddenly become more than ten years younger.

In the days that followed, the entire capital city seemed to be propelled by an invisible force, gradually becoming busier.

Inside the Ministry of Revenue, Ni Yuanlu sat upright at his desk, surrounded by piles of account books and documents.

He would sometimes furrow his brow, carefully calculating the amount of cement needed for road repairs, and at other times he would write furiously, recording the detailed budget for the workers' wages.

The imperial court has now implemented the policy of merging land tax and poll tax, recruiting laborers to do the work, although they still need to be paid accordingly.

Fortunately, the Ministry of Revenue had ample silver reserves, with at least 60 million taels of silver.

Moreover, there were no other fiscal expenditures at the moment, so this expense was not a problem at all for the wealthy Ministry of Revenue.

Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Works, Zhou Shipu was equally overwhelmed with work.

He first gathered a group of experienced craftsmen, and then conducted a thorough survey of all the roads in the capital.

The craftsmen, tools in hand, traversed the streets and alleys of the capital, meticulously recording information such as the length, width, and terrain of every road.

Afterwards, they gathered at the Ministry of Works to discuss the construction plan.

After all, road construction is a massive project that cannot be completed overnight, and its impact on people's normal lives must be fully considered.

In short, this is a complex and arduous task.

Of course, Crown Prince Zhu Cilang didn't need to worry about these specific executive matters.

Meanwhile, news of the imperial court's upcoming road construction project spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.

After all, this matter involves far too many things and people, so it is necessary to inform the public.

Therefore, in recent days, the Da Ming Daily has been reporting on this matter.

Teahouses along the street have always been the core places where local news gathers and spreads, and at this moment they are bustling with activity, as if a pot had exploded.

Around a few slightly worn wooden tables, several elderly men sat together. Although the tea on the tables was steaming, it did nothing to dispel the worry and confusion on their faces.

An elderly man dressed in faded coarse linen clothes frowned deeply. He first gently picked up his teacup and took a small sip, then sighed heavily and broke the silence:

"We ordinary folks really can't understand why the imperial court suddenly says it wants to build roads."

"Look at this road. It may not be wide or flat, but we've been using it for so many years. Why do we suddenly need to repair it?"

"I heard that the road they build will be closed off, and the roads we use every day will be blocked off. What will we ordinary people do when we go out to run errands or visit relatives and friends?"

The young man sitting next to him, with a thick beard, also looked worried.

He runs a small grocery store near the teahouse, and upon hearing about the road construction, he felt even more uneasy and anxious.

"Grandpa, you're absolutely right. My shop, coincidentally, is right on the side of the street where the road is planned to be repaired."

“If they build a road, how am I supposed to do my business? My whole family’s livelihood depends on it.”

As the man spoke, he shook his head helplessly, unconsciously fiddling with the teacup on the table, seemingly trying to alleviate the tangled anxiety in his heart.

Soon, the other people in the teahouse joined in, complaining one after another.

The small teahouse was filled with doubts and unease about the road construction project, as if shrouded in a gloom.

There's no way around it; ordinary people have limited vision. They simply can't see the long-term benefits of road construction; they only see the various troubles it causes.

However, not everyone thinks this way; some people have realized the benefits of this.

Although road construction may cause some travel difficulties and affect the business of shops along the street for a period of time.

But once the road is repaired, their travel will be more convenient, and their business will be better.

As a result, these people immediately raised different opinions.

The small teahouse became lively again.
At the same time, when the news of this matter reached the various canal transport offices, it also caused a great uproar.

Tianjin, Sanchahekou Wharf.

This is the most important wharf on the Grand Canal, because the transport of grain here also involved the transshipment of military provisions.

The grain transported here would be distributed to the nine important border towns and the capital.

On that very day, a piece of news struck like a bolt from the blue, causing a huge uproar at the dock.

That means the imperial court is conscripting laborers to come to the capital to repair roads!

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the dock.

The once bustling and vibrant dock suddenly fell silent.

Although the canal workers were still working, their movements had obviously slowed down, and worried expressions appeared on their faces.

Clearly, they were worried that the court's decision would affect their future livelihoods.

After all, most families here have been in the canal transport business for generations. Although they may not have become rich, at least the whole family can have enough to eat.

But if you send them to repair roads, who can guarantee they'll have enough to eat?
After all, nobody knows what they're capable of doing if they've never done it before!
At lunchtime, a group of canal workers sat on the dock, eating bowls of white rice and pickled vegetables, and started discussing the matter.

"Why should the imperial court send us canal workers to the capital to build roads? Our ancestors have been doing canal transport for generations."

"It's not much money, but at least the whole family can have enough to eat, right?"

"But if we go to repair the roads, who knows if we'll even have enough to eat?"

"Besides, although we have plenty of strength, we've never done road construction before. Do you think we can manage?"

A dark-skinned man in his forties shoveled rice into his mouth while complaining.

His voice was filled with doubt and apprehension, like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of every canal worker, expressing the worries in everyone's hearts.

(End of this chapter)