My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 147 Two Memorials Submitted in Succession
Su Ze's question sounded like that of an amateur; the Yellow River and the Grand Canal are not so easily separated.

The Yellow River was repaired from the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty to the end of the Yuan Dynasty. To exaggerate a bit, it can be said that the Yuan Dynasty perished on this river.

Having managed the Yellow River for so many years, the Yuan Dynasty had a wealth of experience in river management.

Jia Lu was the most outstanding water conservancy expert in the Yuan Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty's approach to managing the Yellow River was also a continuation of Jia Lu's.

If someone else had said that, Vice Minister Wang would probably have scoffed, thinking that the other person was being delusional and wasting his time.

But after Su Ze asked that question, Wang Zhihuan really started to think about it.

Wang Zhihuan, being a professional water conservancy official, pulled out a map of the canal, pondered for a while, and then said:
“If we draw water from Lijiakou, ten miles east of Xiazhen, open a canal through Hanzhuang, and then join the Jia and Yi rivers, it will flow into the Yellow River at Zhihekou in Pizhou. Building such a canal would bypass the Yellow River.”

Su Ze quickly asked:

"Minister Wang, is this feasible?"

Wang Zhihuan hesitated and said:
“River repair is different from other things; it requires on-site exploration and consideration of the local mountains and waterways.”

"But if it's just theoretical, it's still feasible."

Wang Zhihuan added, “Due to the backwater effect of the Yellow River, the area where the canal and the Yellow River meet is easily blocked. In addition, it is necessary to pass through two dangerous shoals in Xuzhou and Lüliang. Every time the Yellow River floods, the canal will be silted up, which has become a major concern for the court.”

Su Ze nodded repeatedly.

Grain from Jiangnan and Huguang was transported north to the capital via the Grand Canal. Blocking the canal was no small matter; it could cause the capital to go hungry.

Besides grain, Jiangnan was also the Ming Dynasty's purse strings; when the Grand Canal silted up, even the salaries of officials in the capital couldn't be paid.

Wang Zhihuan then said:

"If the canal can really be built from Xiazhen to Pizhou, we can avoid the obstruction of the Yellow River Canal, and the north and south of the canal can flow smoothly without any problems!"

Su Ze said quickly:

"Once this canal is completed, it will be a monumental achievement compared to the Liaodong water transport system!"

Su Ze's flattery made Wang Zhihuan very proud.

But he knew that Su Ze was right.

What kind of waste is transported on the Liaohe River?
Most of the ministers in the court knew nothing about Liaodong and didn't care at all. Building a canal in Liaodong was not as important as cleaning up the stinking ditches in the capital!

The canal transport was a completely different story!

The Grand Canal is the central hub of the empire, a vital link to the livelihoods of millions of officials, soldiers, and civilians in the capital!

If the problems of the Grand Canal can be solved, and the Grand Canal can be prevented from being silted up by the Yellow River flooding, it would truly be a great achievement for generations to come!
This is a merit that will be remembered by the emperor and the grand secretaries, talked about by the officials for a lifetime, and even go down in history!

Su Ze certainly knew that this plan was feasible.

Historically, this canal was built in the late Ming Dynasty because the Grand Canal in Xuzhou was frequently silted up due to the Yellow River flooding.

Because the Jia River was used for navigation, it was called the Jia Canal.

If the organizational capacity of the late Ming Dynasty was sufficient to build it, then the current Longqing Dynasty is far superior to the late Ming Dynasty in terms of financial situation, the professionalism of officials, and the degree of social organization. Building the Jia Canal will be a piece of cake.

This was also Su Ze's plan.

Isn't your canal transport faction all about opening up the canals?

Instead of messing around with canals in Liaodong, why not repair the Grand Canal?

Since both are river management projects, wouldn't this be a greater political achievement than the Liaodong River dredging project?
Wang Zhihuan has clearly taken the bait, so he can persuade members of his faction to support the Jia Canal project.

Su Ze then offered another flattering remark:
"Minister Wang, could you also mention the canal issue in the newspaper? If this canal can really be built, people will know your pioneering contribution in the future!"

In his dazed state, Wang Zhihuan was no longer able to refuse any of Su Ze's requests, and he immediately agreed, saying:
"Leave it to me!"

After listening to Wang Zhihuan's conversation in the side hall, Fan Kuan knew that he could no longer persuade Wang Zhihuan, and could only slink away from Wang Zhihuan's residence after Su Ze left.
-
January 25th.

The new Yuefu Xinbao published Wang Zhihuan's article, in which Wang Zhihuan completely defeated Pan Jixun on the issue of Liaodong canal transport. From a cost perspective, Liaodong canal transport was indeed extremely costly, and the benefits were far less than those of sea transport.

However, Wang Zhihuan published another article outlining his vision for the Jia Canal, which garnered praise from both the court and the public, who commended his professionalism.

Following Tu Zemin, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, Wang Renzhong and Shen Zao, the supervising censors of Shandong Province, also submitted a memorial agreeing to restart the Dengzhou-Liaoning sea transport. Other officials in Shandong also submitted memorials in support.

Meanwhile, Li Wentong, the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing, also left the capital the day before for Laizhou Port, where he planned to establish a trading company specializing in the trade of Korean ginseng from Liaodong.

With Su Ze's public opinion campaign in mind and the arrangements made by various parties, Su Ze once again placed the memorial into the "Portable Ming Dynasty Court".

This simulation has passed and does not need to be forced to run.

[Simulation passed. This simulation will not consume a monthly simulation attempt.]

[Resumption of sea transport to Liaodong, national fortune +3]

[Prestige Value +200]

Sure enough!

Through your own efforts, you can greatly reduce the prestige required to execute a memorial, and even reduce it to 0 points!
Resuming the Liaodong-Haikou shipping operation was actually a small matter, but from this incident, Su Ze learned a new way to use the "golden finger" (a metaphor for a powerful tool), and this method of promoting policy implementation was actually a politician's skill.

Su Ze felt he learned a lot from it.

With the end of the month approaching and only one simulation attempt remaining, Su Ze simply pulled out his memorial and wrote another one, titled "Request to Investigate the Hydrology of Qingxu and Xuzhou to Plan for the Construction of the Jia Canal," which he then stuffed into the "Handheld Ming Dynasty Court" file.

There's no reason not to take advantage of the simulation opportunity at the end of the month.

——[Simulation Start]——

A day later, the memorial entitled "Request to Investigate the Hydrology of Qingxu and Plan the Construction of Jiayun Canal" was sent to the Cabinet. The Cabinet unanimously supported your opinion and requested that it be sent to the Ministry of Works for further discussion. The memorial was then sent to the palace.

Two days later, the emperor, worried about the excessive cost, submitted a memorial requesting that the matter be kept under wraps.

The memorial was sent to the Six Ministries, where it aroused opposition from officials from Xuzhou, and the plan was ultimately abandoned.

——[Simulation End]——

[Should I spend 200 prestige points to force the memorial to pass?]

"Yes."

[Prestige points have been deducted]

[Remaining Prestige Points: 470]

After persuading Wang Zhihuan, Su Ze saved the "Memorial Requesting the Reopening of the Liaohai Transport Office" and even earned 200 prestige points.

In return for the favor, Su Ze simply used up the 200 prestige points he had earned.

If it were about building a canal, 200 points would definitely not be enough. However, Su Ze's memorial was a preliminary work requesting the court to survey the mountains and rivers and hydrology to demonstrate the feasibility of the Jia Canal. Therefore, only 200 points were needed to pass the review.

However, the Longqing Emperor was indeed very stingy.

It's no wonder, as during the reign of Emperor Longqing, the main focus was on increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, with very few large-scale domestic investment projects.

His father, the Jiajing Emperor, and his son, the Wanli Emperor, both undertook numerous large-scale projects during their reigns.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that Emperor Longqing's reign was relatively short.

However, for the national treasury, it's not always better to earn more; the country's money should be spent.

Throughout history, government investment has always boosted the economy and accelerated currency circulation. Moreover, projects like the Jia Canal can save on the cost of canal transport.

Of course, the ideal scenario is still sea transport.

If the goods are shipped directly from Jiangnan to Zhigu by sea and then transported via the Grand Canal, transportation costs can be greatly reduced.

However, Su Ze also knew that changing the canal to the sea was not a trivial matter like transporting goods by sea from Dengliao. The canal transport was truly "the lifeline of millions of canal workers"!
The conversion of grain transport to sea transport has never been an economic issue, but a political one.

The millions of laborers along the Grand Canal, like the millions of workers who repaired the Yellow River at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, would have their livelihoods threatened if they too were to suffer the same fate, resulting in a stone statue with one eye. Such a fundamental policy affecting the very foundation of the nation would require an enormous amount of prestige, even with a cheat code.

The conversion from canals to sea vessels is necessary, but it must be done gradually.

For example, the reform of the Jiayun Canal started by regulating the canal and the Yellow River, transferring some of the labor force there, and then gradually dredging the canal to reduce costs.

Start with small-volume shipments by sea, improve navigation technology, and reduce shipping costs.

This is not something that can be accomplished with a single memorial; it requires continuous revision of policies.

Su Ze understood why his memorial was opposed by officials from Xuzhou.

If the Jiayun River were completed, the grain transport would bypass Xuzhou.

The Grand Canal is a golden waterway, and today, the most prosperous cities in the Ming Dynasty are all located along its banks.

Historically, since the Jia Canal was built, Xuzhou lost its status as a transportation hub and its economic status has continued to decline.

By the time the Republic of China was established, Xuzhou had become only a strategically important military location.

Su Ze was also helpless about this matter.

The rise and fall of a city is also closely related to historical development. The rise of coastal areas is a trend of historical development, and the replacement of canal transport by sea is also an inevitable trend of productivity development.

However, how to maintain stability in these cities during their decline, or find new directions for development, will be a true test of the wisdom of those in power.

Besides its role in water transport, Xuzhou, an ancient city from the Qin and Han dynasties, is also rich in coal resources.

In the late Qing Dynasty, Li Hongzhang established the Xuzhou Liguo Mining Bureau, which was one of the first government-run coal mines in modern China.

Xuzhou not only has abundant coal reserves, but also high-quality coal, mainly coking coal with relatively low sulfur content.

Xuzhou is not far from Dengzhou and Laizhou, and it is also located along the Grand Canal. If high-quality coking coal can be minted, it can be used to mint coins for Dengzhou and Laizhou.

Minting drives demand for fuel, mining creates technological demands, which in turn generate transportation demands.

This is a perfect, complementary regional industrial cluster. Once developed, it can become the center for the development of new technologies in the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, one must eat one bite at a time. What Su Ze needs to do is sow the seeds and then nurture them to take root and sprout.

As January passed, Su Ze was set to get married in February.

Since his transmigration, Su Ze has been fearless, but he has developed a fear of weddings.

Weddings, whether in ancient or modern times, are an extremely grueling affair for newlyweds. Su Ze was marrying the grandniece of a high-ranking official, a lady from a distinguished family with a long tradition of poetry and scholarship, making the wedding process even more complicated.

Su Ze wanted to submit a memorial as soon as possible, requesting that the wedding process be simplified.

But after thinking about it carefully, I decided against it. Local customs and traditions cannot be changed by a single imperial edict.

If we really want to change customs and traditions, we need social development.
-
Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, has been in a so-so mood lately.

Startled by Su Ze before the Lunar New Year, Li Yiyuan submitted three resignation letters in succession, but all of them went unanswered.

Li Yiyuan had developed a physiological fear of Su Ze's memorial, but he was also afraid that Su Ze's memorial would cause trouble without his knowledge. So, on the one hand, he ordered his subordinates to bring Su Ze's memorial to him for review, while on the other hand, he was afraid to see Su Ze's memorial.

I had just arrived at the yamen today when my subordinates delivered two memorials from Su Ze.

Didn't we already go on it once this month?
How did Su Ershu become Su Sanshu?

Li Yiyuan roared inwardly. Two memorials in the past month had already stirred up the court and made things unbearable!

If I receive three memorials a month, how can I survive?

Li Yiyuan carefully opened the memorial.

The two memorials were: one approving Tu Zemin's proposal to restart the Dengliao sea transport project, and the other approving Wang Zhihuan's article in the newspaper advocating for the construction of the Jia Canal.

so far so good!

One is a maritime transport mission, the other is a river management project; neither is something that would offend anyone, so this memorial should not cause any trouble.

It's almost the end of the month, so things should calm down for a few days.

Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, was relieved, but still worried, so he personally took Su Ze's memorial to the cabinet.
-
Ministry of Industry.

"Minister Lei."

Wang Zhihuan, the Vice Minister of Works, felt somewhat uneasy as he faced Lei Li, the Minister of Works.

When Wang Zhihuan first entered the Ministry of Works, Lei Li was his superior.

Over the years, Lei Li never forgot Wang Zhihuan with each promotion, making him practically his patron.

However, ever since Lei Li took office as Minister of Works, Wang Zhihuan, for some reason, has become estranged from Lei Li.

After that, Wang Zhihuan strongly advocated building a canal in Liaodong, and gathered a group of young and ambitious officials from the Ministry of Works who wanted to make progress. This led to a growing conflict with Lei Li, whose views were becoming increasingly conservative.

There was no other way; being in the position of Vice Minister of Works meant that it wasn't just about one person's future, but also about the future of many other officials.

For Wang Zhihuan to advance his career, the current Minister of Works, Lei Li, is an obstacle he cannot bypass.

The Ministry of Works was one of the three lower ministries, and the Minister had almost no chance of entering the cabinet.

The last top power figure in the Ministry of Works was Yan Shifan, but Yan Shifan was only the Vice Minister of Works. He was called the "Little Grand Secretary" because he had a father who was the Grand Secretary, but in reality, Yan Shifan never entered the cabinet.

Therefore, for Wang Zhihuan, if he could not be promoted to Minister of Works, he could only be transferred to Nanjing as Minister of Works, which would be almost equivalent to retiring.

That's how it is in one's career; every step must be taken with utmost care. If you miss one opportunity, your life is over.

Lei Li looked at Wang Zhihuan and said:
“I read your article in the Yuefu Xinbao a few days ago carefully. With such progress, you will be able to take my position in the future.”

Now Wang Zhihuan said with trepidation:
"You flatter me, Grand Minister!"

Lei Li said gently:

“The Ministry of Works is different from the other five ministries. The matters decided by the Ministry of Works concern all the people of the world and are therefore matters that cannot be taken lightly.”

"When the palace was rebuilt, I was on the construction site day and night, not daring to rest for a moment."

“Regarding the previous discussion on the Liaodong canal transport, you never went to Liaodong even once. You only made comments and attracted public opinion, which is why I distanced myself from you.”

Wang Zhihuan was a seasoned veteran of officialdom, but he still felt ashamed after hearing Lei Li's words.

Lei Li said:

"I am prepared to submit a memorial to the throne to strongly support your proposal for a new canal."

Wang Zhihuan was dumbfounded.

Lei Li continued:

"But you will be appointed as the governor of Huaihe River and concurrently the vice minister of the Ministry of Works, overseeing the river transport."

If Lei Li had said this a few days ago, Wang Zhihuan would have thought he was deliberately transferring him away from the central government.

The position of Huai Fu was important, but it was still a local official position. Wang Zhihuan was someone who wanted to challenge the position of Minister of Works.

However, after what happened during this period, Wang Zhihuan also felt that he lacked practical experience, and perhaps Lei Li really needed to train him.

"I am willing to go to Huai'an."

"Very well, then I will submit a memorial to strongly support your new canal plan. When this canal is completed, that will be the time for you to be promoted to Minister of Works!"

After Wang Zhihuan left, Lei Li took out a note and put it into the inkwell. The note gradually turned black with ink, and Lei Li sighed slightly.

(End of this chapter)