Chapter 16 The Grand Canal of the West Songliao Grand Canal

Seeing that everyone was very interested in the canal, Lu Bingyi pointed to the map and interjected: "Although the distance between Lake Balkhash and the Aral Sea is more than 1,000 kilometers. But we have here the Syr Darya to borrow. We dig the Western Grand Canal out of Lake Balkhash and can go straight to the Syr Darya River and through the Syr Darya River into the Aral Sea. In this way, more than 200 kilometers of canals can be dug less. ”

Sun Chuanting, who had never spoken, said: "Even if the canal is dug for more than 800 miles, it is also a big deal!" We have hundreds of thousands of prisoners and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. But the west is in ruins, and there is more to it than that. Please Mr. Zhang and the leaders of the company should take this matter seriously. In addition, the more than 800 miles of canal is likely to be divided into many sections of excavation, and the height of the bottom of each section must be uniformly measured. Otherwise, the height of the bottom of the river will be inconsistent, and there may be some places where it is deep, and some places cannot be navigated by boats. ”

Sun Chuanting was thinking about very practical issues.

Zhang Zhimu will take over and say: "It is possible to dig such a canal completely by hand, but it will take a very long time." Our tractor factory has expanded its scale and increased its output during this time. We prepared a lot of tractors and diesel fuel for the west canal construction site and the Songliao Canal construction site. With a tractor, the progress of the project will be much faster! As for the technical problems of the canal mentioned by Mr. Sun, please explain it to Mr. Lu! ”

Lu Bingyi coughed lightly and said, "I want to give you an example, our project of digging the Yellow River from Kaifeng to the East China Sea did not have the problem that Master Fang Cai Sun said. This shows that we have mastered the technology to build long-distance rivers. The construction of our Grand Canal needs to be divided into many sections, and the elevation of each section must be measured before construction. Without a standard, it will be like what Master Sun said, I don't know how deep to dig. It's a big deal, and we're going to have a team dedicated to it. In addition, I would like to say that in fact, from Lake Balkhash to the west to the Aral Sea, there is a steep descent of tens of meters, thousands of kilometers of canals, as long as the approximate steep descent is guaranteed, the river itself will solve many problems. For example, the height difference at the bottom of the river, etc. In a word, you don't have to worry about technical problems. I also want to say that after the canal is completed, not only will we have convenient transportation, but we will also be able to reclaim a lot of water and irrigation land on both sides of the canal. The people who came back from our investigation came back and said that the light conditions there are very good, and there is an abundant water source, so the potential for agricultural production on both sides of the canal will be very large. ”

Lu Bingyi's words drew a round of applause from everyone. But Zhang Zhimu was not too happy in his heart. Now the Aral Sea is still the fourth largest lake in the world, in the previous life, the Soviet Union was excessively intercepting the water flowing into the Aral Sea to develop agricultural production, after more than 20 years, the Aral Sea area shrank rapidly, and the surrounding environment soon deteriorated extremely much. The drying up of Lop Nur in Xinjiang and the death of many poplar forests along the Tarim River are related to excessive agricultural exploitation. So this kind of thing must not happen again. But now we must not discourage everyone's enthusiasm, and we can only talk to Mr. Lu Bingyi after the meeting.

Sun Chuanting suddenly said to Zhang Zhimu: "Mr. Zhang, the generals in the west still have the task of fighting and defending the frontier, how about leaving this matter of repairing the canal to me?" ”

Sun Chuanting's bold plea drew another burst of laughter.

Zhang Zhimu laughed with everyone for a while and said, "Lord Sun, I have no objection to you being the commander-in-chief of this canal project. But we don't dare to do it all, so we promise you. You have to study this matter with Mr. Tang Jingyao and them. for they are responsible for the transportation of water. They've done a lot of preliminary work on these things. If I had agreed to everything, Mr. Tang would not have been able to do their job. However, I formally recommend Mr. Sun to Mr. Tang for this position. Your organizational skills, as well as your long-term work in the west and your knowledge of the local people, are all reasons why you are competent! ”

After Zhang Zhimu finished speaking, there was another discussion below. Sun Chuanting hugged his fists and said to Tang Jingyao, who was sitting in the back row, "Mr. Tang, please take care of me!" ”

Everyone laughed out loud again. Sun Chuanting's desire to be in charge of this great project was too urgent.

Tang Jingyao didn't say anything and waved his hand to Sun Chuanting. Tang Jingyao was very grateful for Zhang Zhimu's words. According to what Zhang Zhimu said, he could have promised Sun Chuanting on the spot, but he left face to those of them who did specific work, and this kind of generosity and open-mindedness were really incomparable.

Fan Wencheng, who was sitting in the back, saw Zhang Zhimu and the generals discussing issues so casually when they were in a meeting, they were all straightforward, and he also felt happy in his heart. He knows that this is the real master of the world, and this is the true kingly demeanor. Those kings and emperors, everyone is trying to maintain the majesty of the king, but that is all appearances, the real king, there is no need to pretend to be a posture. The Zhang Zhimu in front of him is very easy-going every day, smiling at everyone, who dares not to take him seriously? No matter what heroes and heroes, in front of him are not admired five-body throws. Seeing Sun Chuanting's request to be in charge of the Western Grand Canal project, Fan Wencheng had an impulse to fight for the Songliao Grand Canal. But he knew it was impossible. Because he has not yet entered the ranks of the kiln workers. At this time, Fan Wencheng regretted a little, with Ouyang He's trust in him, if he had stood in the ranks of the kiln gang people earlier, it should be okay for him to fight for such a thing today.

Jiang Bao said: "Regarding the matter of the western route, after the canal is repaired, we will have two large passages from east to west, but we will also have several passages from south to north. In this way, a grid is formed, and it will be more convenient to mobilize things in the future. And in the long run, after our railway is built to Lake Balkhash, it will have to be extended to the west, all the way to the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. After our railway has reached the Irtysh River, we have been building roads along the Irtysh and Ob rivers, and we have been building railway beds, and we have promised to build the railway from the Irtysh River to the Ural Mountains in Chinatown by the end of this year or the beginning of next spring. I think that in the long term, we will also build a railway along the Ural Mountains south to the Caspian Black Sea. In this way, we can wrap up the entire Western Regions with a railway triangle. ”

Zhang Zhimu said: "Regarding the highway and railway in the Western Regions, Mr. Duan Jingzhong and I have talked about it, and they will send a team to go over this year to conduct a comprehensive investigation. Then make a detailed plan. When the time comes, give them your opinions. We're going to talk about what we can settle right now. ”

Regarding the affairs of the Western Regions, the meeting lasted for a whole day. This direction is the most complicated direction of the current situation in Yaogang. Whether it is military, economic, or political, it needs to be taken seriously. The delegates also expressed their views and put forward many suggestions. Fan Wencheng didn't adapt to this method at first, feeling that if he made such a decision, the majesty of leadership would be lost. But after getting used to it, I found that discussing problems in this way can brainstorm, do things can reduce a lot of loopholes, and can make fewer mistakes. I think this is the smart way. It is no wonder that when the Yaogang people attacked the Manchus, they were all rigorous step by step, and those self-righteous guys in the Manchu Qing Dynasty couldn't keep up with the routine at all. These things are likely to be things that many people have studied together for a long time, and there is no room for them at all. How could the Manchus be invincible.

Regarding the matter of the Western Front, Zhang Zhimu summed up and said: "We have thought of the few steps we can see in front of us. There's something else we can't say for sure, but we can anticipate it. It will also serve as a reference for your future work. After we get the land between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, we will inevitably turn against the Ottoman Empire. It is quite possible that there will be a war. However, it is difficult to say the scale of this war, and I think it is likely that the Ottoman Empire and the Persian Empire will join forces to go to war with us. Even the big and small Francis, the British, and the French, who have already sat down with us, will support the Ottoman Empire in fighting against me. The Russians are also happy to see us defeated. It is not even ruled out that they Western countries will join forces to fight with me! We must have a clear head. We now have our main military forces on the Western Front, and in terms of military strength, none of us are afraid. But we can't feed that many troops forever, and that would be a very big burden on our country. We should speed up the mechanization of the army. To this end, we decided to set up a full mechanical planner, which was specifically in charge of Li Wei. This division is an experimental division, and the army will be reorganized according to this division in the future. I know that our army used artillery tracked tractors as weapons for offensive purposes in the battlefields of Japan and the Mughal Empire, which shows that tracked vehicles are very practical on the battlefield. So, we have organized the production of a lot of tracked armored vehicles and artillery vehicles. In addition to our mechanized infantry divisions, we also have to equip ordinary infantry divisions with mechanized regiments composed of artillery regiments and tracked armored vehicles. The artillery division of the army will also add a rocket artillery regiment. Li Wei: They are still testing the ** cannon, and when the ** cannon test is completed. It is also necessary to produce equipment to the army as soon as possible. Li Yunhe's new third-generation aircraft is also in intense test flights, and it should be able to be mass-produced this year. We have decided to ask General Yoo Sung-hwang to come back and form an independent air force. On the battlefield of the future, aircraft and artillery will play a greater role. With the backing of these equipment, we will take the road of elite soldiers in the future. ”

Early the next morning, at the meeting, Zhou Yuji introduced the situation in Mongolia and the entire north. He said that although the Mongols were no longer able to form a decent resistance, there were still some unwilling Mongol nobles to destroy them. However, the overall situation on Mongolia's side has been decided, and there is no direct threat from external forces in the north, what is needed now is to speed up local economic construction, so that the people can see very practical benefits, and the people can be stable. Zhou Yuji suggested that one cavalry corps should be left to live in various parts of the north. In general, a cavalry company can be left in a large area. However, Zhou Yuji did not forget and demanded the construction of a railway to the North Sea (Lake Baikal).

Zhang Zhimu said: "The problem in the north is that the area is too big and the population is too small. General Zhou said that the north-south railway line must be repaired, and it must also be repaired. It is necessary to build not only the north and south, but also the Trans-Siberian Railway, which runs from the Ura Mountains in the west to the sea in the east. We have to have a complete plan for these things and do them step by step. However, General Wu Sangui and they took the opportunity to go to North America and pass through Siberia, and Zhou Yuji had to cooperate well. It would be advisable to build a larger operation station on the shores of the North. In the future, many materials destined for North America will have to pass through here to finish North America. ”

Zhou Yuji said: "We will do our best. But there was a small road in that area that only horses could barely pass, and a large army was moving from there, so it was necessary to think more about the suffering. ”

Wu Sangui said: "General Zhou, don't worry, we have already studied this matter, and we will first send sappers to open the way in front of us." ”

The relevant matters on Zhou Yuji's side were discussed in one morning. In the afternoon, Wu Sangui gave a briefing on the Japanese situation.

Now in Japan, there are only some elderly people and children, and they are separated from men and women. The Japanese who fled to the mountains have also been captured, and it is difficult to find them. The policy of letting the Japanese go to their roots was thoroughly implemented, and even the Japanese on the islands around Japan were cleaned up. The Japanese who fled to Koryukyu were also captured with the help of the Ryukyu King.

The Japanese army has completed its reorganization and rearmament. Now that the army on that side had received orders, many troops began to advance towards the northern islands. Aim to cross the Norse Strait and enter the North American continent this year.

The entry into the North American continent is of great interest to everyone, but everyone is the same, they know very little about North American affairs, and they have no way to make any suggestions.

Fan Chengkun said: "The steamships and sailboats we have at our disposal are heading for Japan, and the supplies we need to enter North America can be transported by ship." It's just that there are not so many ships to transport the soldiers, and the soldiers need to walk over from the mainland. Then we'll ship you to the North American continent. ”

Ouyang He said: "Prince Tory has already rushed back to the grassland after the meeting, and they will send out 10,000 cavalry to follow General Wu across North America. After they assembled, they would ride directly from the steppe to the edge of the Norse Strait to join General Wu and them. ”

Zhou Yuji said: "We will send a communication detachment to Prince Torrey and their cavalry with a radio to follow them, so that they can communicate with the outside on such a long road." ”

Concubine Zhuang, who had not spoken, said: "The villagers on the Horqin grassland in my hometown have also come to me, and they also want to send someone to follow General Wu to North America for a while. Especially when they heard that there was a very vast grassland over there, which attracted them even more. Zhang always has to think about this matter, otherwise they will say that we are unfair! ”

Concubine Zhuang's words were obviously deliberately saying that Zhang Zhimu was unfair and fighting for opportunities for his hometown. Everyone understood and laughed.

Zhang Zhimu couldn't hear this, and said with a smile: "I understand what Concubine Zhuang means." However, our entry into North America is only the beginning, and I think we will send some people first, and when they have figured out in the front, we will send more people to the past. We have too many people at once, and logistics are also a big problem. Concubine Zhuang rest assured, the North American continent is a very large continent, and we still have many opportunities in the future! ”

Zhang Zhimu was telling the truth, but he felt that if the Horqin Mongols were willing to march into North America, other tribes would be willing. There are many Indians in North America, who are also said to be of Mongol descent, and they may have easily blended in with them in the past. In the future, we could consider sending more Mongols there.

There's not much more to say about the expansion into North America. However, after Wei Xiang introduced the Liaodong matter, he proposed a complete solution to the Korean issue, which was unanimously approved by everyone.

A military solution to North Korea is not a big problem in the first place. Wei Xiang was charged with this matter. Zhang Zhimu asked Wei Xiang and Liu Yun to work together to formulate a plan to be supervised and implemented by the command center.

Zhang Zhimu is more interested in the Songliao Grand Canal, which will start construction this year. This great project is of great significance, and it has also laid a good foundation for the future development of the Songliao Plain. Zhang Zhimu knows that there are large iron mines in Anshan and Benxi, and there are also large coal mines in Fushun that can be mined in the open pit. With the Grand Canal for transportation, it will be much more convenient to develop these areas in the future. There is also the development of black soil in the Great Northern Wilderness, which can also be started with the opening of the canal. It was a large area of fertile black soil, which could solve a lot of food for the Chinese.

Wei Xiang proposed that the captives of Liaodong mainly participated in the construction of the canal, and most of his army would be involved in the excavation of the canal after the settlement of Korea.

Mr. Lu Bingyi said: "The Songliao Grand Canal is a major project that we spend the most time on survey and design. In addition to those captives, there were also local laborers. We have organized several engineering teams that specialize in the construction of complex buildings such as docks. The whole canal is not dug into a river. To manage this section of the canal, a Songliao Canal Management Committee is also needed. Maintaining the canal is a long-term process. We should set up this management committee at the same time as the canal is being built! ”

Although such a project plan, Tang Jingyao has been introduced at the People's Congress. However, what is being discussed is the plan and programme for concrete implementation. This was discussed in detail. What makes Zhang Zhimu feel interesting is that the military settlement of North Korea should be something that everyone talks about a lot, but on the contrary, everyone focused their energy on the canal. It seems that first, everyone feels that there is no suspense about winning in North Korea, so there is not much interest. Everyone is concerned about such a major event as the extermination of North Korea, and Zhang Zhimu doesn't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing!

Regarding the matter of the Songliao Canal, Zhang Zhimu asked Fan Wencheng's opinion and said, "Mr. Fan, you have been in Liaodong for a long time. Do you have any comments? ”

Fan Wencheng knew that this was Zhang Zhimu deliberately giving himself a chance to speak, so he was not polite, and said: "Zhang Dongjia, there are originally Liao River and Taizi River in Liaodong, which go deep into the hinterland of Liaodong, and there are many ships coming and going there. However, after the canal was completed, it not only communicated the Songhua River and the Liao River, but also jointly connected the water transportation of Heilongjiang. It's a huge project with a lot of money and manpower. If the Grand Canal still transports the original goods, it will be a big waste, and if this is the case, we may not be able to afford the maintenance of the canal for a long time. Therefore, my suggestion is that the development and construction of the entire Liaodong should be carried out at the same time. Today, Mr. Zhang asked me to share my opinion, and I will say what I think! ”

Fan Wencheng sees this point very accurately, a simple canal, if it can't be used well, it is a great waste, which is something that many hot-headed people don't think about. Zhang Zhimu said: "Mr. Fan reminded us that we will also carry out the overall development and construction plan of Liaodong as soon as possible. Liaodong has abundant iron and steel and coal resources, and there will be a large amount of oil to be developed in the future. We have a reason to build Liaodong into an industrial center. Mr. Lu Bingyi is responsible for the resource survey and industrial planning in eastern Liaodong! ”

Zhang Zhimu affirmed Fan Wencheng's words and answered his questions.

Fan Wencheng also admired Zhang Zhimu's acumen. Just when everyone was discussing passionately, a telegram handed to Ouyang He interrupted everyone.