back to ancient times to be emperor

Chapter 256 Canal Conception
Why doesn't Lu Chengqi know this truth?It is difficult to calculate the manpower, material and financial resources spent on digging the Grand Canal.Based on such a point, Li Jie tried his best to oppose it, which is also reasonable.

But anyone with a discerning eye can see the benefits of the canal.However, there are always many obstacles to digging the Grand Canal. Every official does not jump out to object, as if he is not a serious courtier.There may be officials like Li Jie who consider the overall situation, but most of them just oppose it for the sake of opposition, so that the kings of all dynasties have difficulty in digging canals.If it weren't for the courageous emperor, I'm afraid that this thought would die down.

Of course, Lu Chengqi would not give up so easily.In his layout, the Grand Canal is second only to Chidao and Haimao.Fortunately, Haimao, after all, some businessmen have made their first pot of gold by relying on Haimao.With the first person to eat crabs, there will naturally be a second one.Dashun's maritime trade has always been formed spontaneously, and the scale is not small.Lu Chengqi's establishment of a shipping department is nothing more than making maritime trade more standardized.

The matter of Chidao has also been figured out.Good things are not afraid of being unappreciated, Lu Chengqi firmly believes that in the near future, these businessmen will probably have to ask him to lay a longer road.

But the Grand Canal, this is the most sensitive nerve of the civil servants, Lu Chengqi has never dared to throw this bomb rashly, otherwise, a single court order can make these civil servants collectively blow up the pan, and the voice of crusade will definitely drown out Lu Chengqi.So this idea can only be shared with Li Jie, his confidant.But as expected, Li Jie resolutely opposed it.

Lu Chengqi sighed in his heart, but said on his mouth: "Li Qing, don't be in a hurry to deny it, I just want to ask you, if this canal can be dug, will it benefit the country and the people?"

Li Jie was taken aback, he thought carefully, and said after a long time: "Return to Your Majesty, this move is really beneficial to the country and the people. It can not only transport food and grass to the border, but also transport troops to ensure that the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures are safe and sound. It’s a great achievement.”

Lu Chengqi smiled and said: "Li Qing is indeed a great talent. But in my opinion, this is only a part of it. The benefits of the canal are still used to transport supplies from various places, so that there will be no famine in the north and full rice in the south."

Li Jie is not a fool either, he knows a little bit about what Lu Chengqi wants to do.Having said so much, isn’t it paving the way for business!Once the little emperor took power in person, he spared no effort to promote the development of commerce, and indeed achieved certain achievements.At least the national treasury, which has an annual income of 3000 million guan, is now approaching 9000 million guan.The opening of the commercial tax can be regarded as the little emperor's brilliant vision and a stroke of genius.Since then, Dashun has no financial worries.

However, the destructiveness of businessmen to society is unacceptable to Li Jie, a traditional Confucian scholar.After all, all dynasties have tried their best to distort the image of businessmen, as if to describe businessmen as heinous.First of all, businessmen value profit over parting. In ancient times, friends did not know when they would see each other again, and they might never see each other again.The ancients, who were very backward in communication, often could only rely on swan geese to send messages and comfort the news.But businessmen leave as soon as they say, chasing money and interests, it is inevitable that they will be looked down upon by other industries.

At this time, the rulers often adopt the strategy of ignoring the people, hoping that the people will live within a fixed range, and it is best not to leave until they die.Businessmen have to travel thousands of miles, which is an unstable factor in the eyes of the rulers, and they must not be praised, otherwise everyone will follow suit.Even after the Spring and Autumn Period, merchants were regarded as part of the reason for "the collapse of rites and the destruction of music", and social thinking was stereotyped.Since then, businessmen have never turned around in public opinion, because those who control public opinion are often scholars, and they use pens as knives to severely damage the reputation of businessmen.Because these scholars who have become high-ranking officials have completed the class transformation, from the poor to the landlords.What is the landlord most afraid of?It is the destruction of the small peasant economy by commerce!The two have always been in a hostile relationship. It would be a strange thing if they could accommodate each other!
Affected by this kind of thinking, Li Jie naturally did not have a good impression of businessmen.Although the opposition to the Grand Canal is out of public interest, it is also clear that Lu Chengqi did this to improve the economy.So no matter how great Lu Chengqi's reasoning is, Li Jie still holds an objection: "Your Majesty, I still disagree. The construction of the canal will cost a lot of people's labor, and the people of Dashun cannot have enough food. If forced labor is imposed, it may cause trouble. Change……"

Lu Chengqi already had a countermeasure: "If I don't collect corvee, use the employment system, and use money as compensation, according to Li Qing's opinion, what is the plan?"

Hiring migrant workers is not uncommon in later generations, in order to release redundant labor and prevent them from gathering on narrow land.However, Li Jie has never heard of such a thing, so it is naturally difficult to answer: "Your Majesty said, I dare not make wild guesses. It may be possible to hire farmers, but once this example is opened, there will be no possibility of levying corvee in the future. Hope Your Majesty Think twice."

Lu Chengqi said with a smile: "Landlords can also hire long-term and short-term laborers, why can't I? Li Qing, I just want to ask you, if the canal is dug, will the flood in the Yellow River be alleviated?"

Hearing this, Li Jie immediately began to deduce in his head, and found that if the diversion was carried out, the possibility of the Yellow River's breach could indeed be reduced.

Lu Chengqi didn't bother him either, and let him calculate slowly by himself.

After a cup of tea, Li Jie said: "Your Majesty, I believe that if the canal is dug, it will indeed reduce the flow of the Yellow River. It's just that the highlands in Dashun are different, and the difficulty of digging can be imagined. Furthermore, the flow of the Yellow River will decrease. If Continuous torrential rains will still break the mouth. This matter consumes a lot of people's energy, and the result cannot be accurately calculated, so I still disagree!"

Lu Chengqi smiled wryly, he couldn't tell Li Jie that this was proved by later generations, that changing the course of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River to be gentler and then diverting the flow would greatly reduce the flood of the Yellow River, right?
The only thing that can be done at this moment is to explain the truth to Li Jie.

Lu Chengqi is a liberal arts major, and he is quite proficient in geography.Thinking of this, he immediately fetched a pen and paper, and drew a sketch map on the rice paper for Li Jie to watch.

Li Jie is also a master of drawing, seeing that although Lu Chengqi's brushwork is immature, he can understand it, so he dare not make rash comments.Criticism of the emperor's painting skills, this is the way to death!Although Li Jie is honest, he is not a fool.

While painting, Lu Chengqi narrated the experience of managing the Yellow River summed up by later generations: "The reason why the Yellow River is called the Yellow River, Li Qing naturally knows the origin. It is probably because the water of the Yellow River is extremely turbid and mixed with a lot of sand. Can Li Qing agree with this statement?"

(End of this chapter)