Xinshun 1730

Chapter 851 A penny stumps the emperor ([-])

Even if there are misunderstandings of one kind or another, the ultimate goal is the same.

Although the negotiation process is long, it can always be said together in the end.

At the end of 46, the negotiations between Dashun and the Netherlands gradually came to an end.The opening of the southern gate of Hanover caused by the withdrawal of the Netherlands from the war also forced Britain to step up the steps of peace talks.

It seems that the war in Europe is coming to an end for the time being.The Duke of Qi in Amsterdam is gearing up to represent Dashun and participate in the formal peace talks after the European war for the first time. Even if he is not the protagonist this time, he will finally have a chance to speak.

Qi Guogong participated in the post-war peace talks this time, and he also knew that Dashun was not the protagonist, nor was he the leader of the leader, so he mainly did three things.

Put pressure on Britain to force Britain to return India to France, and force Britain to abandon Louisbourg by refusing the American ginseng trade.Thirteen North American states began to separate from Germany.

Form an armed neutral alliance.

And, nonsense.

The so-called nonsense is to be the initiator of the "Anti-Piracy Convention", "Anti-Private Ship System", and "Anti-Slavery Convention".

Why call it nonsense?Because this is the same as the countries that will participate in the "Convention on the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons" in future generations, as if there is no fucking nuclear country.

This time, other than Dashun, those who can join the Anti-Piracy Convention and Anti-Private Ship System as sponsors and contracting parties are Austria, Prussia, Russia, or those small countries in Shenluo that don’t even have access to the sea. Not at all.

And even France, which has always had a good relationship with Dashun, will never become a contracting party.Not to mention the big maritime countries such as the United Kingdom.

This is no different from a group of eunuchs initiating the "Prohibition of Sexual Sex Convention".

The only special thing is Dashun's special trade surplus, which made Dashun deeply hate pirates.Any pirates will have an impact on Dashun's export trade.

And Dashun engaged in privateering ships, with two results:

Or, rob ships in Guangdong Province and force merchant ships to sail from Jiangsu Province.

Or, as in the late Ming Dynasty, those who went to Manila were forced to go to Batavia.

Both of these situations are meaningless to Dashun.Nanyang is called the inland sea, and British and French privateers are all engaged in the high seas. I have never heard of France issuing a privateering license to the Seine River, or the UK issuing a privateering license to the Thames River.

But this kind of nonsense, which is considered nonsense today, may have a very different meaning after a hundred years.

The Duke of Qi is gearing up to show off his skills, and he is looking for this opportunity that Liu Yu said, "You will become famous in history in a hundred years, and you will have to mention your name, father-in-law, whenever you mention the abolition of slavery and anti-piracy conventions."

…………

Meanwhile, the far east.

The messenger, who had been traveling in the north for several months, came to the capital and learned that the emperor had made a southern tour.

Liu Yu, Marquis of Jinghai, was granted the title of Duke of Xingguo because of the Nanyang War, and he also accompanied him.

The messenger hurried south again and chased after Jiangsu. He learned that the emperor and his party had just sacrificed to the river god the day before yesterday, crossed the Yellow River at the ferry, and are now on the south bank of the Yellow River.

It is difficult for people of later generations to connect Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province, with the Yellow River, but this is how the Yellow River flows at this time.

On the south bank of the Yellow River, the emperor and a group of princes and ministers were inspecting the gate at Qingkou, an important town in Jiangsu at this time.

"Pan Jixun of the former dynasty said: Qingkou is the place where the Yellow River and Huaihe River meet, and where the fate must pass. If there is a slight obstruction, it will not be beneficial. But if you want to make a profit, you must let all the water in the Huaihe River come out from here, and then you must do your best. It can fight against the yellow, but not sand. Occasionally, when the yellow water strikes first, the Huai River is still weak, and the sand goes up against the river, so it will inevitably be blocked shallowly. However, when the yellow retreats to the Huaihe River, it will return to the deep and return to the same level, and it will not cause harm."

"The water of the Huaihe River enters Hongze Lake, and the water of Hongze Lake is clear."

"As the saying goes, people go to high places, and water flows to low places. Therefore, in theory, as long as Hongze Lake is continuously raised higher than the Yellow River, the clear water of Hongze Lake can wash away the sediment of the Yellow River, and the water can be washed away. Sand can ensure the smooth flow of the river and prevent the Yellow River from silting up continuously."

"only……"

Many years ago, the Jiedu envoy of Jiangsu wrote a letter to support the plan of abolishing the water and transforming the sea.At that time, many practical problems were also raised. Although the emperor did not agree at that time, he also sent people who supported the plan of abolishing the water to transform the sea to investigate.

Today, when the southern tour goes to Qingkou, the people who buried it many years ago are picked up in front of the accompanying princes, ministers, river officials, and Jiangnan officials.

When the emperor heard the word "just", he said: "The ancients said that you should not avoid medical treatment. You just say that natural disasters, floods in the Yellow River occur every three to five years, and thousands of people are displaced. What is there to avoid?"

The water conservancy official who knelt there to play the newspaper got the emperor's golden mouth and said, "It's just that it's really not the way to go on like this."

"During the previous dynasty, it was necessary to protect the imperial mausoleum of the former dynasty. Even if the water was stored, it should not be too high, otherwise the imperial mausoleum of the former dynasty would be flooded."

"This court has no scruples about this, and keeps raising the water level of Hongze Lake. However, the road is one foot tall and the devil is one foot tall. The Yellow River is silted up every year, and the water level of Hongze Lake has to be continuously raised."

"Otherwise, it would not be the clear water washing the yellow sand, but the muddy water entering the flood."

This is a simple principle that water flows to lower places. If you want to flush the silt of the Yellow River, you have to raise the water level of Hongze Lake.

Dashun's ancestral mausoleum is not here, anyway, the Yellow River can't flood Mizhi.

So there is no scruples, just raise the water level and flood it.Although flooding the imperial mausoleum of the former dynasty for the sake of millions of people is not very particular, but it seems that it is not very good to pick up other people's ancestral graves...

But this is the case, the Yellow River has long been a river on the ground, and Hongze Lake needs to continue to be raised.Let's see who is taller.

Today, Hongze Lake and the Yellow River from Huai'an are all higher than the ground.Once there is a flood, it will definitely be a disaster for millions of victims.

Moreover, since it is necessary to store the clear water of the Huaihe River, Hongze Lake does not grow as fast as the Yellow River. Where does the water of the Huaihe River suffocated in Hongze Lake enter the sea?

The water conservancy official said again: "In all water control, there is always a sequence. Priority."

"In the previous dynasties, the protection of water transport and the ancestral mausoleum came first, and then the people."

"As for this dynasty, although there is no risk of protecting the ancestral mausoleum, the water transportation is still ahead of the people of the Huanghuai River."

"Protect water transportation, but not the people; protect the capital, but not the Huanghuai. This is not kingly way!"

These words were a bit bold and ugly, and Liu Yu, who was accompanying the emperor, hurried out to smooth things over, and said without conscience: "Although the reasoning is so, there are big and small."

"Water grain is the lifeblood of the capital and the garrison needs for war. If the water transportation is cut off, the capital will be in chaos, the garrison will be in chaos, and there will be more than a million people in trouble?"

"It's more than a million disasters, and a small disaster for millions of people in Huanghuai. We can only protect the big and the small, and the people of Huanghuai suffer a lot."

The water conservancy official also knew that what he said just now was a bit harsh, it was tantamount to slapping the emperor's mouth, and seeing Liu Yu coming out to smooth things over, he could only agree.

The emperor sighed, but did not reprimand him. He also knew that Liu Yu's unconscionable smoothing out was not only for this official who dared to speak, but also to save the court's face.

Then he said to the official: "Xing Guogong's words are not unreasonable. The court also has difficulties. Since you have knowledge, just talk about it and don't worry about anything."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After thanking the water conservancy official, he simply spoke out what was in his heart.

"It is necessary to protect the water transportation first, and then protect the people of the Yellow River and Huaihe River. If there is a flood in the Yellow River, we can only give up the south to protect the north."

"Let the flood flow to the south, not to the north. If it goes to the north, it will cause sediment to accumulate in the canal, making the canal difficult to pass. Therefore, every time the Yellow River floods, in order to ensure water transportation, if it cannot be maintained, it must be removed. Southern Levee."

"But in this way, the sediment from the Yellow River rushes into Hongze Lake, and the bottom of Hongze Lake is higher, which requires higher dams."

"It's pretty stable now. If we come here a few more times, once Hongze Lake breaks through and rushes south into the plains and directly into the Yangtze River, I'm afraid Gaoyou, Yangzhou and other places will be fish and turtles!"

"This is one of them."

"Secondly, if you want to control the Yellow River, you must first solve the problem of 'what is the purpose of water control'. This goal cannot be determined, how can the Yellow River be cured?"

"Water control is to ensure the priority of water transportation? Then you can only tie your hands and feet, and the Yellow River and Huaihe River will not be cured in a lifetime."

"Only by controlling the water is for the sake of water control and for the people of the Huanghuai River, can it be possible to cure the Yellow River and the Huaihe River."

"However, according to Duke Xingguo, water transportation is related to the country's security and chaos, so... I am bold, please use sea transportation!"

"Only in this way can the water be controlled for the sake of water control and the water control for the people of the Huanghuai River. Only in this way can hydraulic officials let go. If not, the symptoms will not be cured in the end."

"Now the dams are getting higher and higher, the Yellow River is high, and Hongze Lake is also high. It may be controllable now. What about ten or a hundred years later? I ask the court to think about the future of the country."

The emperor didn't think that the sea transportation was ordered by Liu Yu.But I am very convinced that this is the sincere words of some officials who really serve the country.

As the emperor of the Celestial Dynasty, he has distinctions between inside and outside.

For external matters, only Liu Yu was left to deal with them.The purpose of tossing is to get money.And to get the money, you still have to solve the internal affairs in the end.

This matter of abolishing the water and transforming the sea is really a major event, and it can be said to completely change many patterns since the Song Dynasty.

Not just millions of water workers.

Just like this Qingkou, with a population of 60 to [-], it is really a big town, where the north and the south meet.If water transportation is abolished, what will happen to the hundreds of thousands of people who have gathered here because of water transportation?

Little by little, entangled and complicated, it is all a matter of mobilizing the whole body.

The emperor wanted to solve it, but at this time, he was afraid that there would not be enough money left.

When the time comes, give up halfway for fear of trouble.

Thinking of silver, the emperor glanced at Liu Yu, thinking in his heart that he didn't know what happened to the trade affairs of the Netherlands.

If it doesn't work, I'm afraid I can only settle for the next best thing, and sell the spices and other things to Britain, Portugal and other countries, and they will traffic them.

You can't just look at those spices as spices, but not white money.

It's not easy to learn from the ancestors of the previous dynasty, who only used spices as salaries and distributed them to everyone in order to save money.

Liu Yu didn't think anything would go wrong with the Dutch matter, but felt that the emperor was looking at him, and thought to himself, if you can really do this, you will have to put in a lot of effort.

In the new China of later generations, the Huaihe River was cured in 50 years.Although there was no machinery in the northern Jiangsu irrigation canal at the beginning, it was purely manpower, which is not much different from the current level of productivity.

However, what kind of organizational power is that?That was praised by the "generals of the previous dynasty" as "there is no government in history that has ever popularized a decree, a movement, and a work of water control to such an extent that it is widely known to everyone."

It must have the spirit and feelings of "in order to open up a new world, awaken the sleeping mountains, and change the appearance of the river".

Does Dashun have it?

First solve the land rent issue, the issue of additional allocation, and the issue of taxation, so that the people at the bottom can really know that they are human, and then let's talk about spirit.How can the gentry's livestock have energy? The current situation in Dashun is 8 people, plus [-] million livestock.

If there is no grassroots organization and control, then spend money on it.

It is difficult for Dashun to cure Huanghuai. To cure Huanghuai, it needs millions of people who are truly awakened, tens of thousands of vanguards, the transformation of power and villages at the grassroots level, land reform, and the pride of opening up the world. China doesn't exist yet.

But this is also good, if you want to toss, you will have to spend money.And the money is almost astronomical, at least seven or eight figures.

If you lack money, you have to loosen restrictions on industry and commerce and increase overseas trade, which is good.

Now I'm really not afraid that you will be overjoyed, but I'm afraid that you will eat and wait to die.

As long as you are very happy, you want to be famous through the ages, and you don't want to exhaust the people's power and fight everywhere, you can only jump out of past experience and get money from places that you didn't have in the past.

If you learn from Dasong and engage in a full-scale government-run monopoly in business, you Dashun is also worthy?Learning from the Han Dynasty, the whole people bestow the title, how can you have so much spare land in Dashun?
If you can’t learn this or that, then just obediently get money from overseas.

In this way, there is room for the new class to grow up quietly.

Liu Yu's heart was full of slander, the emperor didn't know what Liu Yu was thinking in his heart, so he came back to his senses and called the water conservancy officials who were kneeling there to get up.

With these words, pointing to the billowing waves in the river, he asked: "Abandon the water and change the sea? What do you think?"

This question is nonsense.

Local magistrates dare not speak.

Because you can't guess the emperor's mind.

In case the emperor really wanted to abolish the water and change the sea, and the local magistrates and river officials objected, he was afraid that he would be labeled as "only seeking self-interest and having no heart for the community".

If you support me at this time, how can I get along with my colleagues in the future?In case the emperor is only in the way of this water conservancy official, why not ask?
Local officials, river officials, which one is willing to abolish the water and change the sea?

No one spoke for a long time, but the emperor took the initiative to say something.

"A few days ago, Portugal came from Macau to pay tribute to lions and other exotic beasts. They also paid tribute to a big bird. Fortunately, Zuo Pingzhang had a great insight into 'Xiang Shi Ni' and named it 'Ostrich'."

"Zuo Pingzhang quoted the "Book of Tang" as saying: In the first year of the Yongzheng, Tochara offered a big bird, seven feet high, black, with camel-like feet, and walked with flapping wings. It was three hundred miles a day and could eat iron. Ostrich."

"Mr. Xingguo said that there is such a saying in the countries of Europe. It is only the ostrich. When it is in danger, the ostrich will bury its head in the haystack, thinking that it is safe because it cannot see."

"This is similar to the term 'deceive your ears and steal your bell'."

(End of this chapter)