My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Liu Shan, in high spirits, expressed his aspirations to Xiao He.

Xiao He gasped.

Let all children in the world receive free education, and let all Han people, regardless of social status, be like dragons!

This Crown Prince's ambitions are truly remarkable.

Throughout history, wise rulers have dreamed nothing more than ensuring that all people have enough to eat and wear, and that their wives and children can live comfortably in warm homes.

Such dreams often end up being limited to material wealth.

People of all social classes are equal; everyone can be like a dragon. This is a spiritual pursuit!
"A Dou..."

Xiao He stared at Liu Shan, his eyes filled with disbelief.

If he hadn't known that the child had dementia and had suffered a traumatic experience, he would have thought the child had gone mad if he suddenly said such things.

"Grand Marshal, when I submit a memorial to my father in the future, I hope you will give me your full support."

Liu Shan's generosity turned into a smile, and he bowed slightly to Xiao He.

Clearly, his candor was an attempt to win Xiao He's support.

After all, this is a huge project. Putting aside other difficulties, the amount of money required is astronomical.

Even if Emperor Liu favored Liu Shan, he wouldn't agree to it casually; he would definitely consult the opinions of his ministers.

As the Grand Marshal, Xiao He's attitude was naturally of paramount importance.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Heping calmed his mind.

After a moment's hesitation, he smiled.
"His Highness the Crown Prince's grand ambition is truly unprecedented. If it can be realized, it will surely broaden people's wisdom and greatly benefit the country and its people."

"However, this matter will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, which will put enormous pressure on the imperial treasury."

"Moreover, for every additional student in the school, each household will lose a laborer, which is a considerable burden for the people."

"In the future, the world will be unified, and our Great Han Dynasty will be in dire need of rebuilding. What we need most is to recuperate and rebuild."

"Your Highness's policy should be implemented, but it should not be rushed. It can be piloted in some areas first, and then gradually rolled out according to the court's financial situation and the people's wealth, so as to achieve its implementation throughout the country."

Xiao He gave the most rational answer, and he tried his best to make sure that Liu Shan could understand him.

Ensuring that every child in the Han Dynasty has access to education is a meritorious undertaking that will benefit future generations. As a time traveler from a later era, Xiao He naturally had no reason not to agree with it.

But this thing costs a fortune.

They not only burned the government's money, but also the people's money.

Given the current productivity of the Han Dynasty, neither the court nor the people could afford such an astronomical expenditure.

Then we have no choice but to settle for second best and start with a pilot program, then gradually expand it based on the actual situation.

This was the most mutually beneficial and safest route that Xiao He could think of.

Upon hearing Xiao He's reply, the expectation in Liu Shan's eyes faded by a third.

However, after a slight hesitation, Liu Shan still cupped his hands in thanks and said:

"I am very grateful that the Grand Marshal approves of my actions and provides support."

"The Grand Marshal is right. This matter should not be rushed. Let's proceed with the Grand Marshal's compromise."

Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief.

This Crown Prince is both ambitious and willing to listen to advice, which is a good thing.

"Speaking of the imperial finances, Grand Marshal, I have come up with a way to increase the imperial revenue, and I'd like to discuss it with you."

Liu Shan changed the subject and invited Xiao He to a map hanging on the wall.

Xiao He looked up and stared at it, quickly recognizing it as a map of the Han Dynasty's territory. Moreover, this map was drawn by him for Liu Bei a few years ago, and could be considered the most accurate map of the Han Dynasty to date.

Xiao He continued to examine the map closely, only to discover that two lines, a left-falling stroke and a right-falling stroke, had been added to the map.

This left-falling stroke starts from Zhuojun Jixian and runs diagonally southwest to the Yellow River, while this right-falling stroke starts from Luoyang and runs diagonally southeast to Guangling to connect with the Yangtze River, and then runs south from the Yangtze River to Wujun Qiantang.

Overall, it looks like the character "人" (person) was written starting from Luoyang.

"Why does this look so familiar..."

Xiao He stepped back a few paces, gently stroking his chin with his fingers, scrutinizing intently, his mind racing.

Sudden.

He trembled slightly, his eyes suddenly focused, and a look of surprise flashed in them.

Isn't this the Grand Canal?

"Your Highness, this picture of yours..."

Xiao He's expression changed slightly, and he suddenly turned to look at Liu Chan.

Liu Shan, with an air of self-assurance, pointed to the map.

"Although the territory of our Great Han Dynasty is vast, the best lands are concentrated north of the Yangtze River, while the vast lands of Jing and Yang south of the Yangtze River have been underdeveloped to a limited extent, which is a real pity."

"So I want to make use of the existing water system and then artificially dig ditches to connect them, eventually building a canal that can run through the north and south."

"In this way, the north-south transportation will be completely opened up, which will enable large-scale development of the Jiangnan region, creating more wealth and greatly increasing the court's revenue."

"With the canal, the finances and taxes of the south can be transported to the north by waterway without any obstruction, which can save at least half of the losses."

"In addition, there's the Grand Canal..."

Liu Shan spoke eloquently and excitedly, recounting in detail all the benefits of digging the canal.

Xiao He listened to every word, but quietly scrutinized the Crown Prince, his eyes gradually clouding over.

The benefits of the Grand Canal were obvious to Liu Shan, even without his explanation.

To Xiao He's surprise, the idea of ​​digging the Grand Canal actually came from Liu Shan.

This is a bit too advanced, isn't it?

How can the brain, even under such intense stimulation, still generate such forward-thinking ideas?

The key point is that Liu Shan's idea of ​​building the canal was somewhat dangerous!
The Grand Canal is great, but it's a sin in our time, yet a benefit for future generations.

Emperor Yang of Sui conscripted millions of laborers to build the Grand Canal, exhausting the Sui Dynasty's national strength in the process.

Then, not long after, the Sui Dynasty came to an end.

Even with the Sui Dynasty's powerful national strength, the forced construction of the Grand Canal led to the downfall of the country. How could the Han Dynasty, with its current national strength, possibly withstand it?

"If this canal is dug, the strength of our Great Han will surely increase twofold, and the court's revenue will at least double or triple."

"With the increase in the court's revenue, we naturally have enough confidence to ensure that all children in our Great Han Dynasty can study for free."

"What does the Grand Marshal think of my plan?"

Liu Shan finally finished his description and looked expectantly at Xiao He.

Xiao He then realized that the reason he was building the Grand Canal was still for his previous grand ambition of free education and everyone becoming like a dragon.

The idea is good, but the steps taken are unusually large...

Xiao He coughed a few times and asked in return:
"The construction of this Grand Canal is indeed a boon for future generations, but has Your Highness considered whether the Han Dynasty can afford the price to be paid for its construction?" (End of Chapter)