The Panama Canal, called the "Yinzhou Canal" in Daming, was officially launched after this meeting.

All parties began to contribute people, efforts, and money to this project.

As an imperial village, the Panama region has the same status as the political envoy, the criminal envoy department, and the command envoy department.

An army establishment under the command of an embassy usually has three to five guards.

The Panama region is particularly important, as it is a major communication route between the two oceans and a border with the New Spain-Mexico region.

So at the moment there are already five garrisons of Wei.

However, these garrisons are regular troops, and although Mexico will most likely not dare to move, these troops cannot be easily mobilized.

It is even more impossible to do such a chorus as "catching strong men".

Zhu Dijin took Zhu Jingyuan's order and prepared to summon three more guards of the militia in Xintianfu.

You don't need to prepare it all right away, this time you just bring a guard over and start working, and then slowly make up for it.

In addition, each imperial village in Xintianfu also has to arrange people to be "foremen".

These things are relatively easy to arrange.

The most important thing is the question of money.

The other is the finalization of the construction cost and budget.

At first, the psychological expectations of the imperial court and the new heavenly mansion were basically in the position of two million gold bills, that is, 100 million silver bills.

As a result, after the exploration was completed, the minimum budget quoted by Wang Jinpeng had exceeded two million gold bills.

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Zhu Jingyuan directly chose the highest standard, and the cost immediately jumped to 10 million gold banknotes, equivalent to 500 million silver banknotes.

Equivalent to the cost of the construction of ten 40,000-ton capital ships, which is already terrifying in the eyes of others.

The Ministry of Households, the Ministry of Industry, the Military Aircraft Department, the Cabinet, and even the Ming Emperor Zhu Jianyan.

When these people saw the budget report, they were obviously a little stunned.

"To repair the Panama Canal, which is only sixty kilometers long, it costs 10 million gold bills?"

"How can it be so high? Nearly half of last year's budget. ”

"The local environment is complicated, and there are mountains blocking it......"

"The point is that His Royal Highness Prince Daishi means that this is only the first investment ......"

The first phase of investment, which was specially marked by Zhu Jingyuan.

Because Zhu Jingyuan personally feels that the budget of 10 million gold banknotes is still not enough.

Historically, the United States built the Panama Canal, initially planning to spend $40 million, and finally spent $360 million to complete it.

In the 1910s, the purchasing power of 360 million US dollars was very close to the current 10 million gold bills of the Ming Dynasty.

But at that time, the United States built the cheapest small-scale lock canal.

What the Ming Dynasty is going to build now is the largest direct canal, and the cost must be much more than the American plan at that time.

Zhu Jingyuan estimates that when the canal is finally completed, the cost will have to at least double.

Maybe 20 million gold bills can't be stopped.

Therefore, Zhu Jingyuan changed Wang Jinpeng's plan to ask for money, and specifically marked that this was only the first phase of investment.

However, the two years of the Ming Dynasty were the richest times, and the imperial court's financial income and the imperial village's income were rising.

Total income was already four times what it was in Britain in 1914 and ten times that of the United States at that time.

Britain's GDP at that time had already been overtaken by the United States, but its fiscal revenue was still 2.5 times that of the United States.

10 million gold bills were half of the US treasury at that time, but only one-twentieth of the current fiscal revenue of the Ming Dynasty.

If the construction period is extended to five years, the annual expenditure will be exactly 1 percent of the fiscal revenue.

Daming's budget is relatively generous now, and it is easier to get money.

Moreover, this kind of investment in engineering construction is different from investment in shipbuilding.

Most of this money will eventually be earned by the people of the Ming Dynasty.

Including construction machinery factories, engineering companies and construction teams, all kinds of craftsmen and foremen.

In the process, the imperial court will also receive various taxes.

It can widely promote the circulation of materials and labor services in the market, and then promote economic development.

It's completely different from building a warship.

In particular, this budget can be said to have been asked for by Zhu Jingyuan himself, and Zhu Jingyuan himself also contributed money to participate in the shares.

This shows that Zhu Jingyuan is very optimistic about this project, or attaches great importance to this project.

In this case, there is no possibility of any obstacle from all sides.

In the end, the Ming Dynasty paid 60 percent, Xintianfu Huangzhuang paid 30 percent, Da Shiguo and Zhu Jingyuan personally contributed 10 percent, and the three sides shared this construction budget.

According to the five-year completion plan, the budget for the first year was two million gold bills

Due to the huge amount, the imperial court opened a special account in the Daming Bank.

Each of the three parties has set up a special monitoring team to manage and verify the use of the budget.

All the formalities were completed, and when the start-up capital of one million gold bills arrived, Zhu Dijin and Wang Jinpeng had already set off for Panama.

During this period of time, Wang Jinpeng and his fellow craftsmen adjusted the project construction plan again in accordance with Zhu Jingyuan's suggestions and reminders.

First of all, the canal was built to synchronize the road and railway, the barbed wire fence was built to separate the canal site, and the trees on the construction route were cleared.

Dredging and remediation of the Cha River (Chagres River) on the canal construction route, and construction of dams and reservoirs upstream of the river.

Zhu Dijin is the person in charge, and Wang Jinpeng's plan can of course be discussed with Zhu Dijin before it can be implemented.

So after Wang Jinpeng and the craftsman team planned, on the way back to Panama by boat together, they went to Zhu Dijin to explain the situation.

In Judy Jin's room, the two sat on opposite sides of the coffee table.

Zhu Dijin looked at the planning book sent by Wang Jinpeng, and his expression became slightly stunned.

For those plans to build railways, roads, fences, and clear trees, it can be regarded as sharpening knives and cutting wood.

What makes Judy Jin feel excessive is mainly the Chagres River-related plan.

The Chagres River is a natural river in the Panama Canal region, and although its length is relatively limited, it is not small in volume.

The overall planning of the canal is to borrow part of the channel of the Cha River.

It is also nothing to dredge and control the main channel of the river, which was originally intended for the main channel of the canal.

The problem is that Wang Jinpeng has planned two large and two small reservoirs, all of which are not on the canal route, and are as far away as a dozen kilometers.

Judy Jin immediately asked:

"Wang Gong, is there more project in this reservoir?"

Wang Jinpeng also explained as a matter of course:

"This is actually planned according to His Highness's suggestion.

"The climate is hot all year round, especially during the rainy season, when precipitation is extremely high.

"If the river is not treated, the flood peak during the flood season may rush directly into the construction site.

"Not only will you not be able to work during the rainy season, but you will also rework the repaired river.

"So the river had to be dredged in advance and the water source had to be controlled with a reservoir.

"Releasing water at an acceptable rate during the construction process allows us to continue construction even during the rainy season.

"The key is to be able to avoid the river being washed away by rainwater.

"After the completion of the four reservoirs, two of the large reservoirs can generate electricity to supply the canal engineering area.

"Two small reservoirs can be abandoned, or used for aquaculture.

"The amount of work in the reservoir is not large, especially for the two small reservoirs, which is similar to building two sections of the dam.

"Comparatively speaking, the lock scheme is more cumbersome than this when it comes to dealing with these rivers and waters.

"But in the process of construction, we also have to control these rivers and water sources, and we also have to build temporary reservoirs.

"But when it was finally built, the whole area was going to be connected with the three reservoirs in one.

"Turn this place into a big reservoir that will serve as the ultimate canal channel."

Historically, the Panama Canal was built as a reservoir called Lake Gatun.

The canal project culminated in the construction of the reservoir "Lake Alajuela".

Now Wang Jinpeng's project planning and ship lock plan are also to build a complete Jiatong Lake.

The canal will be divided into three parts for a long time.

Zhu Dijin felt that Wang Jinpeng's explanation made sense, so he carefully flipped through the relevant instructions.

The main thing is to look at the budget allocation, and it is true that there are no exaggerated figures, and it is impossible to make a lot of money here.

So Zhu Dijin also accepted this statement:

"I understand what Wang Gong means, after we start construction, we will first cut down trees, roads, and reservoirs, so when will the main project of the canal start?"

Wang Jinpeng already knew it in his heart, and at this time he said directly without hesitation:

"If there are enough workers, we can start work almost at the same time, and the first group will cut down trees, clear the site, and build fences.

"They followed by the construction of railways and roads, and at the same time the construction of reservoirs, and finally the followers began to build the canal.

"But it was clear that the early workers would not be able to be used, and it would take time for explosives and all kinds of engineering equipment to be in place.

"It is estimated that the construction of the canal will be at least half a year away, and the key depends on how many workers you can find as soon as possible."

Zhu Dijin suddenly felt the pressure on her body again:

"Then I can only say as soon as possible, let's send all the people in the Panama area first.

"Logging and installing barbed wire doesn't require complicated technology or large machinery, and someone can do it......"

When Judy Jin said this, she seemed to realize something:

"No, you don't have to wait for me to get back, you can start working right now.

"I'm going to go to the telegraph room, and I'll radio over there, and tell the Murnu there to go and cut down the wood now

"Start recruiting people to work now, as long as the local Yin people can get three silver bills, they should be 'willing' to cut down trees and dig soil.

"I won't go back to Panama City directly, I will go directly to the area around Mahu with the Xintianfu militia to arrest people.

"Uncle Dashi's intention is obviously to completely clear out that area first."

When Zhu Dijin had an idea, he immediately took action, and wrote an arrangement with Wang Jinpeng to send it to Panama.

Before the Ming Dynasty took over Panama, there were about 200,000 people there.

Among them, there are about 20,000 Taixi people, and about 50,000 people are mixed descendants of Taixi and Yin people.

There were about 80,000 pure indigenous Yin people, and finally there were more than 50,000 Mo slaves and free Mo people.

After the Ming Dynasty received it, most of the Taisi people had already left, and basically went directly to the northern Mexican region.

Many of the Taisi people didn't actually want to leave, but they were driven away by the Ming soldiers.

If it's that kind of place in Brazil, it's not easy for the Tessie people to go to Ctessi or Mozhou, so they are given the option to stay.

But Panama is next to Mexico, and the Ming can't easily allow them to stay.

At that time, the mixed-race Yin people living in the city, as well as the Yin people who believed in God, either took the initiative to follow the Tessians to Mexico, or were also driven away by the Ming officers and soldiers along with the Tessies.

The Yin people belong to the very edge of the Ming ethnic circle, and those who have mixed the blood of the Taixi people are even more unwanted.

As for those who believe in God, they cannot stay, and it is difficult or even impossible to wash them back.

Mainly, the officials of the Ming Dynasty and the managers of the Huangzhuang did not want to spend energy in this direction.

Now there are still 50,000 or 60,000 Yin people left in the local area, and they are basically relatively "wild", and they have not been domesticated by the Taixi people before.

When the Tessians left, they also took most of the Mo slaves with them.

During the frenzy of the American slave trade, these slaves were sold to the United States.

But there are still more than 20,000 Mo slaves left in the area.

The main ones are the number of slaves of the master who exceeded the standard and were confiscated, as well as the Mo people who originally obtained all their free bodies.

After the Ming people took over the area, the males of these Mo people were purified, and the females were also taken under separate control.

After the Ming Dynasty took over the Panama region, it immediately began to immigrate from the mainland, North Yinzhou, and South Yinzhou.

Now in addition to the Ming garrison of the five guards, there are almost 80,000 Ming people.

Counting 50,000 or 60,000 Yin people and more than 20,000 Mo people, the total resident population is about 1560,000, plus more than 200,000 soldiers.

Therefore, Wang Jinpeng's canal project planning is calculated with a maximum construction period of 150,000 people, which is calculated according to the local resident population.

When Zhu Dijin and Wang Jinpeng went to Xintianfu to meet Zhu Jingyuan, of course, they did not take the entire management and design team with them.

After the news of Zhu Dijin and Wang Jinpeng reached Panama City, the remaining local management and design team immediately took action.

Hire the Ming workers who originally followed the survey of the environment, and take the remaining Mo slaves to cut wood on the canal route.

The direct purpose of the Ming Dynasty's immigration to Panama was to dig a canal and occupy the land of Panama with its own people.

Before the canal was officially built, these immigrants arrived in Panama and worked on infrastructure construction there.

Build more housing complexes and warehouses to accommodate more workers and store more supplies.

During the survey of the canal route, some immigrants followed to help.

Before the craftsmen's survey task was completed, of course, everyone did not know how to open the canal.

However, it is clear to almost everyone where the canal will be built.

The idea of this canal has been around for more than 200 years, and the ideal location has certainly been figured out for a long time.

Wang Jinpeng's survey is to confirm the details of the route, the local soil layer, altitude, water body information, and the calculation of the engineering quantity.

On either side of the mountains in the central region of the Isthmus of Panama, there is the Chagres River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Rio Grande, which flows to the Pacific Ocean.

The closest distance between the tributaries of the two upper reaches of the river is less than five kilometers.

As long as these five kilometers are dug through, the smallest level of canal will theoretically be built.

But to allow large ships to pass, it is necessary to dig it deep and wide, digging more than 20 meters downwards and 100 meters on both sides.

However, these two rivers defined the route of the canal, and the early work of the project could be carried out along the river.