The students from the geography department of the institute who went to Liaodong were led by Xu Hongzu, and Zhu Youxiao smiled when he saw him: "They are all old acquaintances, and they are still doing well in the geography department." ”

Xu Hongzu said with a smile: "Your Majesty, it is really good that students have seen all the scenery of the world in this geography subject, and they can do their best for the imperial court." ”

Zhu Youxiao smiled: "That's good." Zhenzhi, you are the word Zhenzhi, right? ”

Xu Hongzu hurriedly said: "Your Majesty is respected, please call the student at will, how can you be called by Your Majesty?" ”

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said: "Zhenzhi, the factory has an idea to see if we can build a canal between the Liao River and the Mingtong River, so that the two rivers can be communicated and conducive to shipping." You've explored it yourself, do you think the idea is feasible? ”

Xu Hongzu said: "Your Majesty, when the research institute received the commission from the Ministry of War, it was to find a waterway to see if it could lead to Heilongjiang from the sea off Liaodong. When the students were exploring the middle section of the Liao River, they asked the local residents and knew that it was only less than 100 miles away from the Mingtong River. Later, after the Ministry of War sent troops and ships to walk through the two rivers, they also asked if they could communicate about the two rivers. The students easily investigated between the two places and found that if the two rivers were communicated, it would play a very important role in the development of agriculture, fishery and forestry in eastern Liaoning. ”

After careful investigation, the students found that this was indeed possible, but because of the continuous hills between the two places, which the locals called Changlingzi, if they wanted to dig a river channel from Changlingzi, it would require a lot of labor, and it may not be possible in a short time. After we reported it to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of War did not say anything more. ”

Zhu Youxiao asked, "Is it because of the stones in the mountains?" ”

Xu Hongzu nodded and said: "Your Majesty Shengming, if it is just digging the soil, it will be relatively easy, but this stone in the mountain is really not effective in a short period of time." ”

Zhu Youxiao said: "From your point of view, if this hill is full of soil, then how long will it take for 10,000 people to dig it?" ”

Xu Hongzu thought for a while and said: "The students learned earthwork calculations in the research institute, and if 10,000 people come to dig the soil, it will take at least 30 years, and this does not take into account the problem that the soil cannot be excavated in winter. ”

Wei Zhongxian said with regret on his face: "Your Majesty, it should take less than two years to build the railway, and it seems that there is only one way to repair the railway." ”

Zhu Youxiao first let Xu Hongzu out, then shook his head and said: "No, if we build a railway, unless a steel plant is built locally, it will not be repaired in two years, and it will take more time to build a steel plant." The reason why the Jingshan Railway can be built so quickly is because we have two steel mills along the railway, and you can't estimate the time of the Jingshan Railway, so I estimate that it will take at least five years to build this railway. ”

Wei Zhongxian said: "Holy Lord, what should I do then?" ”

Zhu Youxiao said: "Its practical carriage is actually good, the reason for the high cost is related to two aspects, one is the uneven road, and the other is the poor performance of the vehicle. The problem of vehicle performance can be studied by the students of the graduate school first, and I remembered that the bearing seems to be used on it, and the problem of the road is simpler, build the road, build a wide cement road from these two places, and then solve the problem. ”

Wei Zhongxian said: "Holy Lord, the carriage is expensive. ”

Zhu Youxiao said with a smile: "Ten times the list price, how much can the carriage cost?" In addition, you can use sleds in winter, which is much cheaper than horse-drawn carriages, and we have improved horse-drawn carriages and built cement roads, which can also greatly reduce transportation costs. Don't be greedy, even if you use a horse-drawn carriage to transport, you can make at least ten times the profit except for all uses, and this kind of business is not easy to encounter. ”

Wei Zhongxian thought about it and smiled: "Holy Lord, it's the slave maid who is too greedy, but when he thought that he could make more money, the slave maid moved his mind, as long as we have more money, we can crush those southern barbarians with money." ”

Zhu Youxiao said: "I don't like to hear this word. ”

Wei Zhongxian hurriedly knelt down and said: "Holy Lord, the slave maid is angry for a while, and he angers the Holy Lord, please ask the Holy Lord to surrender." ”

Zhu Youxiao said: "I don't like you to kneel at every turn." ”

Wei Zhongxian was embarrassed, he didn't get up, and he didn't continue to kneel. Zhu Youxiao said: "Get up." How many times have I told you, don't be a slave before and after a slave at every turn, and don't kneel down at every turn. If there is something, talk about it, admit it if you are wrong, and reward it if you are right, is it necessary to kneel? ”

Wei Zhongxian said: "The saint is deeply grateful to the slave and maid, and the slave and maid have nothing to repay, so they can only be more respectful in words and deeds. ”

Zhu Youxiao sighed and said: "Respect is in your heart, I know that you are also respectful to me in your heart, but this kneeling is better to be less." We have been a monarch for so many years, what do we want so many false courtesies. ”

Wei Zhongxian muttered in a low voice: "Holy Lord, we are first and foremost master and servant. ”

Zhu Youxiao said: "Look, you have learned to talk back." As soon as I ascended the throne, it was stipulated that the Han people were not allowed to be slaves, and you were specifically working with me. You can do whatever you want when you get along with me in the future. ”

Wei Zhongxian said: "Your Majesty, you can't be casual in front of you. ”

Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said, "I can't talk about you." However, you should be careful not to dismiss a person or a group of people by geography at will, especially not to use insulting words. We started by building concrete roads, and at the same time asked the water conservancy experts from the Ministry of Agriculture to inspect how to build the canal, and the Ordnance Bureau began to manufacture explosives for the opening of the mountain, and the Research Institute and the Ordnance Bureau worked together to improve the carriages. If explosives had been used, the canal should have been repaired within five years, and we had a lot of free labor anyway. ”

Wei Zhongxian smiled: "Those Luzon people are really useful, I heard that the Spaniards are also good, it is better to go to Liaodong and let them build cement avenues and canals." ”

Zhu Youxiao said with a smile: "The Spaniards are beginning to redeem the captured generals, so let's stay in the big ones first." It is very simple to find laborers, and there are many people in North Korea who do not have enough to eat, so as long as they give some food to settle down, many people will naturally come to them. ”

Wei Zhongxian said: "Didn't the saint say last time that he wanted to slow down the naturalization of Koreans? ”

Zhu Youxiao said angrily: "Naturalization is naturalization, labor is labor, don't you understand this?" Let them come to build roads, and give them naturalized places if they are repaired, so that they know that it is not easy to become the people of the Ming Dynasty, and we don't want those who are in poor health, don't they be directly screened out by building roads? ”

Wei Zhongxian didn't dare to talk back, and after saluting, he went out to arrange the transportation of goods and road repairs. Zhu Youxiao saw that it was still early, so he ordered the Weapons Bureau. He talked to Sun Yuanhua and others about bearings last time, and wanted to see how well they were studied.