After Zhu Jingyuan arrived in Yinzhou, his work was obviously busier than when he was in Dashi and Mozhou.

After roughly determining the engineering direction of the Mahu Channel, there was something bigger for Zhu Jingyuan to decide the next day.

There were more relevant people involved, and they were all more important, so they went directly to the Wuying Hall for a meeting.

The Governor's Mansion of the Left Army of the Ming Dynasty, the Governor of the Northern Yinzhou Naval Fleet, Admiral Zheng Haiping.

Nominally belonging to the Left Army Governor's Mansion, in fact, the Navy Governor of Nanyinzhou in the New Heavenly Mansion, Admiral Qin Rui'an.

The newly appointed treasurer of Panama Huangzhuang is Zhu Dijin of the ancestral lineage.

In addition, Wang Jinpeng, a great engineer who is responsible for surveying the geological environment of Panama and mastering the canal project.

They all rushed over from the Yinzhou area from the central Yinzhou area to meet Zhu Jingyuan to discuss the specific excavation of the Yinzhou Canal.

The Yinzhou Canal is probably the historical Panama Canal.

Since the end of the world war, the relevant works have been surveyed and planned for more than two years, and now the time has come to make a decision.

The Panama region was also determined to be managed as an imperial estate, and it was directly incorporated into the new Tianfu imperial estate system.

The Xihai Canal has set up a political envoy, and now the royal family has taken the Zhongyinzhou Canal, which is also a relatively compromise plan.

Wang Jinpeng, a forty-year-old middle-aged craftsman with red skin, first came to Zhu Jingyuan's side.

Take out the summary of the exploration situation prepared by yourself, and a simple description of the project planning plan.

handed it to Zhu Jingyuan to look through the details by himself, and at the same time explained the general situation beside him:

"The Panama region is the narrowest part of the Isthmus in Central Yinzhou, with a straight-line width of 60 kilometers at its narrowest point.

"The vast majority of the area is around 12 meters above sea level, and the soil thickness is estimated to be more than 30 meters in most areas, and it is likely to reach 50 meters in some areas.

"Except for the canyon area where the remnants of the Yinzhou Mountain Range are located, most of the other areas have this thickness of soil.

"This can provide convenient conditions for the excavation of the canal, and also put forward higher requirements for the solidification of the river bank during the construction process.

"The climate is a tropical rainforest, with more than 1,500 millimetres of precipitation per year.

"The massive amount of rain washed away by the rainy season makes it relatively easy for the soil on the hillside to slip down, which in turn forms landslides.

"During the excavation of the canal, the original relatively stable soil layer is destroyed, which makes landslides more frequent.

"Therefore, in the process of building the canal, special attention must be paid to the stability of the soil layer on the riverbank."

Zhu Jingyuan nodded lightly when he heard this.

I've seen Panama-related news in my previous life, and it's a place that's really prone to landslides.

I remember that when France and the United States built the canal in history, they were troubled by landslides.

A large-scale landslide can wipe out months of work.

The craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty predicted this possibility before the start of construction, and it can be said that it was very thoughtful.

Wang Jinpeng saw Zhu Jingyuan nodding with satisfaction, but there was no doubt, so he continued to explain the situation:

"The current proposed route for the canal excavation is located in a canyon in the mountains.

The total length of the line is 81 kilometres, and the report document contains a precise map and a more detailed description.

"There are two types of excavation plans that we are currently working upon.

"The first one is a straight-through solution.

"That is, like the West Sea Canal, the soil layer of the isthmus is dug directly, so that the sea water of the two oceans can pass directly, and ships can pass through directly.

"Since most of the local elevations are about 12 meters above sea level, if you want to have a water depth of 12 meters to go straight to the canal, you have to dig at least 24 meters of soil.

"If you want the canal to be 16 meters deep, you need to dig 28 meters of soil.

"The quantities between these different depths do not open up an order of magnitude gap.

"So the design team recommended that the construction be carried out to a high standard, leaving enough room for larger ships in the future.

"According to the width of the canal of 200 meters and the depth of the water of 16 meters, the estimated amount of work is about 500 million earthwork.

"According to the ten-year construction period, it is estimated that 150,000 workers will be needed, as well as enough construction machinery."

When Zhu Jingyuan heard this, he subconsciously asked:

"I remember that there was some difference in sea level between the two sides of the Isthmus of Panama, the Great Ming Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, and that didn't prevent the construction of a direct canal?"

When Wang Jinpeng heard this question, he was obviously a little surprised:

"In the course of our exploration, we have just calculated that this may be the case, but it is not completely certain.

"According to our estimates, if there is a difference in height between the two sides of the isthmus, this figure should be between 20 and 60 centimeters.

"A drop of tens of centimeters, put on the 80-kilometer-long river, will not have any impact on the project."

Zhu Jingyuan immediately reacted, he was harmed by a lot of rumors that were not brainy.

The two oceans are not two basins next to each other, and there is no situation where all the water runs to the other side in an instant.

Just like many things that I have to do, many things that have happened in history will not be a time node recorded in history textbooks, and the world line will immediately change.

It is impossible to say that the Americans, who declared their independence in 1775, immediately became an independent and self-reliant nation.

It is impossible to say that the moment the Qing court issued the order to shave their hair, all the men in the country became yin and yang, and the next day they could no longer see anyone combing their hair in a bun.

There is a process to everything, even if it is a strategy game to build a house, there must be workers there to knock for a while.

Almost all rivers have errors, so they flow from high to low, and this flow also has a process.

A river with a length of 80 kilometers has a drop of 20 to 60 centimeters between the front and back, and the average drop per kilometer may be only 5 millimeters.

The water surface before a kilometer is five millimeters higher than after a kilometer, and people who don't need equipment will certainly not be able to see this degree of inclination.

The smallest wave can make more than that.

This is an approximate negligible difference on this scale.

Even if the drop is concentrated in one point, it is just a "waterfall" with a maximum height of 60 centimeters.

The four oceans are inherently connected, and this waterfall will never end.

When building a direct canal, if this difference is not taken into account, it will not affect the construction of the canal.

Not even a fatal problem.

There is no logic that a direct canal cannot be built because of this disparity.

The direct factor influencing the construction of the through canal is the quantity of work.

According to Wang Jinpeng's calculations, this is 500 million earthwork.

Historically, when the Suyinshi Canal was opened, only 70 million earthworks were dug up.

There is a seven-fold gap between the two.

And for countries other than the United States, the Panama Canal is an order of magnitude less important than Su Yinshi.

Before Panama became independent, when it was still part of Colombia, Colombia wanted to build a canal.

It took the initiative to invite the United States and important countries of Tessie to participate, and other countries except the United States simply ignored it.

It wasn't until the French built the Suyinshi Canal and swelled it that they picked up the stubble.

Then the Americans went crazy over there and turned the canal into a mess.

Eventually, the United States instigated the independence of Panama, and then obtained the right to build and use it from Panama.

Since the Spanish colonization of the New World, many people have thought about this canal for four hundred years.

It wasn't until the United States completed the Second Industrial Revolution that it was finally built in the cheapest way possible.

In the 80s, there were plans to build another direct canal next to the Panama Canal.

With a water depth of 30 meters, a width of 200 meters, and a length of 100 kilometers, it is estimated that one billion earthworks will be excavated.

Maybe the project itself was a gimmick, or maybe it was because of the cost, and it ended up being closed.

Wang Jinpeng made sure that Zhu Jingyuan had no doubts, so he continued to explain the following plans:

"The second is the lock scheme.

"Make use of the existing valley topography as much as possible, build dams, construct reservoirs, and use the water surface of the reservoirs for passage.

"Through multi-level locks, the water surface at different heights is connected to send ships into the reservoir for navigation.

"In the lock scheme, obtaining the construction requirements of different water depths will obviously affect the difficulty of the project.

"The current proposed scheme is a width of 36 meters for the lock, 200 meters for the channel and 14 meters for the depth.

"It is estimated that the amount of earthwork is 200 million, and it will take 50,000 people to complete it according to the ten-year construction period.

"If 150,000 workers participate, it should be completed in four to five years.

"There are several other schemes with different specifications, which are slightly different in terms of engineering quantity and manpower required.

"At present, the main thing in all parties is that there is a dispute over the choice of two options."

This lock scheme is the one used by the United States in history.

The most cost-saving, time-saving, and low-cost solution for engineering alone.

However, although Wang Jinpeng's direction is the same as that of the Americans in his previous life, there are still obvious differences in the details of the plan.

Even the minimum standards that Wang Jinpeng listed in the document are still higher than the specifications of the US implementation plan.

Until World War II, the Panama Canal's locks were thirty-three meters wide.

As a result, the width of the American battleships was limited to thirty-three meters.

When Wang Jinpeng came up, he suggested that a 36-meter lock be built directly.

In fact, in history, Americans have been picky and searchable many times.

For example, the Yinli Canal, which connects the Great Lakes to New York, was originally built with a depth of only one meter and two!

One meter two, this must be a ditch in the eyes of the Ming people, and it was indeed ridiculed as "Yin Li ditch" at that time.

Officials who want to "do practical things" will first reduce the amount of rift as much as possible and "open" the canal at the lowest cost.

After the economic and public opinion effects are fermented, we will put pressure on the legislators to use money to expand and deepen.

This is the logic of dry engineering in the early Americans.

The Panama Canal has similar characteristics, but it is relatively much larger than that, and it can be called a miracle.

After Wang Jinpeng introduced the basic situation, he continued to stand by Zhu Jingyuan's side.

Zhu Jingyuan carefully looked through the details on the document, and after confirming that he had no doubts, he asked Wang Jinpeng to go back and sit down.

Then he looked up at the two naval governors on the scene, as well as the treasurer of the Imperial Village:

"The three of you should have seen these plans, what do you think of them?"

Zhu Dijin, the shopkeeper of Panama Royal Village, spoke first:

"Uncle Yu, Huangzhuang's idea is to make the canal navigable as soon as possible, so he supports 150,000 people to make a lock plan."

Zhu Jingyuan nodded lightly, indicating that he knew.

Zhu Jingyuan guessed in his heart that Zhu Dijin, a distant nephew who was the shopkeeper of Huangzhuang, probably wanted to make a profit as soon as possible.

Even, to make a profit during his tenure.

If the ten-year plan is chosen, it may be that the canal has just been built, or even before it is built, he will be transferred.

Then it's completely a wedding dress for the next treasurer.

So desperate to be quick.

Zhu Jingyuan looked at the other two naval governors.

Zheng Anping, the naval governor of North Yinzhou, immediately said:

"The subordinates also hope that the canal can be opened as soon as possible to facilitate the movement of the North Yinzhou fleet between the east and west coasts.

So my subordinates also supported 150,000 people to make the lock plan.

"But for the subsequent passage of larger capital ships, the locks should be of the highest possible standard."

This is also easy to understand, the navy of North Yinzhou is a two-ocean fleet, and its status is similar to that of the historical US Navy.

They are the most demanding of the Panama Canal in the world.

Before the canal opened, the naval fleet from San Francisco to New York had to bypass the southernmost tip of Nanyinzhou.

The total distance of this route is more than 25,000 kilometers.

From San Francisco to the South Continent (Australia) and then to the Cape of the West (Cape of Good Hope), it's probably that far.

With the Panama Canal, the transfer range can be cut in half.

And now that Beiyinzhou is at war, they desperately want a canal to connect the two oceans.

But at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the canal's traffic capacity is sufficient.

Finally, Qin Rui'an, the Governor of the New Tianfu Navy, said:

"My subordinates think that we should not only focus on the efficiency of the present, but also look to the future.

"Now that our passenger ship has reached the 80,000-ton level, there may be even bigger ones in the future.

"That's why my subordinates support the direct canal scheme, and use the highest level of scheme."

The center of New Tianfu, New Tianfu City is located in the south of Nanyinzhou, and the need for the Panama Canal is not urgent.

However, Xintianfu will control the entire South Yinzhou and the eastern part of North Yinzhou in the future, and there will be a relatively high demand for the canal in the future.

Therefore, Xintianfu is not particularly concerned about the completion time, so it supports a more efficient direct canal scheme.

】

Zhu Jingyuan considered these situations, then looked at the expressions of the three responsible persons, and said tentatively:

"Is there a possibility that we can take 300,000 people, or even 500,000 people, and at the same time use as many machines as possible.

"This includes large steam machines and steam locomotives, as well as a wide range of medium-sized diesel machines of the latest designs.

"Go and build a canal with a depth of 16 meters, or even a depth of 20 meters.

"Can it be done in five to six years?"

There was a brief silence.

We're all debating here about whether it's a small-scale quick solution or a large-scale slow solution.

Your Highness, it's good to go straight to the large-scale quick plan!

In the end, it was Wang Jinpeng who spoke first:

"Your Highness...... If there were really 300,000, or even 500,000 workers, it would probably be done in five or six years.

"But the question is, where are we going to find thirty or fifty workers, and who will pay for them?"

Zhu Jingyuan said quite casually:

"It's hard to find Daming workers now, but it's still quite easy to find hundreds of thousands of humans who can work in Yinzhou.

"Originally, the Mo slaves in the Spanish colony, how can there be hundreds of thousands left?

"The mixed descendants of the Tessie and the Yin people, as well as the Yin people who believe in God, may be more numerous.

"There are also Tessians who don't want to go, and these people can be pulled to the Panama Canal.

"If you want to hire the Ming people to do this kind of goods, you have to give at least fifteen to twenty silver bills a month, but these people don't need it.

"Since the Mo people are slaves, then they just need to have food, and they don't need to be paid.

"Those Yin people who have been brainwashed by Xiyi give them five or six silver bills every month, and they should be able to work.

"Those Xiyi only give five or six silver bills, and if they don't want to do it, they can go back to Taixi or Mozhou.

"We only need to find a group of people from the Ming people in Yinzhou in the north and south to control those engineering machines and direct the construction of the project.

"Then select some clever and sensible people from the mixed-race Yin people and naturalized Yin people to help the Ming people manage those foreign workers.

"In this way, we should be able to easily make up three or five hundred thousand workers, and the total wages we actually need to pay should be about the same as that of hundreds of thousands of Daming workers.

"At the same time, I will take this opportunity to clean up the ethnic groups in the northern part of South Yinzhou and the islands of Central Yinzhou.

"After the canal is built, pack up the foreign workers who are still alive and send them to Mexico, and the Spanish people will be happy to accept it.

"The Ming people, Ming Yin mixed race people, and naturalized Yin people sent by us can stay in the local area.

"Referring to the treatment of river workers in the Xihai Canal, we will continue to maintain and manage the canal in the future.

"The cost of opening the river, of course, is whoever wants to share the money in the future, if you don't pay now, then you can't share the money in the future.

"If this cost is still too high and all the imperial houses in Xintianfu can't afford it, then pull the imperial court to pay together.

"The needs of naval dispatch should be fulfilled by the imperial court, right?

"If I can, I and the Great Food Country can also contribute a part.

"This is the project of Huangzhuang, let the local Huangzhuang be in charge, and the craftsman team will cooperate, can you do it in Dijin?"

Zhu Dijin was obviously a little panicked, and she only felt a lot of pressure in her heart.

Although Uncle Wang gave advice and direction, he didn't manage a big project of 300,000 or even 500,000 yuan.

But the matter has come to this point, and it is impossible for him to retreat, so he can only stand up hard, and solemnly bow down and promise:

"My nephew must do his best to get things done."

Zhu Jingyuan nodded lightly:

"If you need anything, ask me directly, and let the navy and army of the New Tianfu Huangzhuang cooperate with you.

"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it.

"But it's important to note that a place like a rainforest can be considered a miasma.

"We must pay attention to hygiene, pay attention to disinfection at any time, and kill mosquitoes at any time.

"Then there is Wang Gong, mudslides and other problems, you have already thought of it yourself, you don't need me to remind you.

"All I can think of here is to keep an eye on the water levels of the rivers around me and remember to adjust the construction plan according to the season.

"I don't have to be too tight on time, I can accept that it can be completed within ten years."

Zhu Dijin and Wang Jinpeng immediately bowed down and agreed.

The plan for the construction of the Panama Canal was thus set.

The crowd continued to discuss the details they could think of in the main hall.

Zhu Jingyuan recalled what he had learned in his previous life and put forward as much as possible the problems that might be encountered during the construction of the canal.

So that they will not step on the pit that the French and Americans have stepped on again.

The meeting lasted for a morning, and after lunch they went off to work.

Zhu Dijin, the shopkeeper, was not polite, and immediately went to find the troops of Xintianfu and went with him to the north of Nanyinzhou to arrest people.

Well, it should be said that it is recruitment, semi-compulsory recruitment of river workers.

According to Zhu Dijin's understanding, Zhu Jingyuan should have said something that he didn't say directly.

But Zhu Dijin felt that he understood what his uncle meant.

Those Yin people who have been brainwashed by Xiyi are better not to stay in the New Tianfu Realm.