I'm a big dick

Chapter 622 The Germination of Capitalism
Although trains powered by steam cars will not appear until at least ten years, or even decades.But there was another advance in transportation that delighted the emperor.

The horse-drawn rail car, or horse-drawn rail car, which the emperor referred to as "horse iron", has been tested successfully and has begun to be promoted and used in various provinces.

The first "horse iron" was built from the Mentougou Coal Mine to the Fuchengmenwai Coal Factory in the capital, with a total length of 140 miles, and it took more than a year to complete.

The speed of construction was not fast, because it was in the experimental stage, and the engineers and technicians were inexperienced. They worked while exploring, and finally completed it before the Qianqiu Festival.

Sleepers, spikes, crushed stones for cushioning, and slab tracks are constructed in accordance with the standards for future trains.

Although there is still room for improvement, through the construction of this horse iron, the corresponding standards and specifications have been formulated, which has laid a technical foundation for the promotion of the construction of Zun in various places, and also trained a group of engineers and technicians.

In fact, the construction of the railway itself is not very difficult.

Thanks to the advancement of iron and steel smelting technology, whether it is rails, vehicles with steel axles, or whale oil for lubrication, key technical problems can be solved.

If it is in later generations, horse-drawn trains may make people laugh.

But in history, "horse-drawn trains", known as "urban animal-powered rail public transportation systems" in foreign countries, have existed for a long time.

In the early days of the development of the urban power system, the "horse-drawn train" well assumed the role of today's trams and urban light rail.

In Daming, horse-drawn trains were first used for transportation.As for building a station and pulling people and goods, it is already in the next phase of the plan.

In the first trial run, the horse iron showed the convenience and speed of transportation.Even the emperor was a little surprised. He didn't expect that the power of the horse on the rails was so amazing.

There was at least one ton of coal in the carriage, and only two horses were used.Moreover, the speed is very fast.

The emperor was surprised, but also very satisfied.The development of Ming Dynasty has accelerated again. Although it is not a steam locomotive, it is just a horse iron.

"My lord, this is a letter from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, willing to pay for the construction of the railway." Li Chengcheng presented the completed documents to the emperor, and said with a smile: "There is also the Maritime Chamber of Commerce, willing to pay for the construction of the railway from Tianjin to Beijing."

The emperor took a look at the document, smiled, and said, "Well, the railroad track has just been successfully tested, and they are very active."

"It's profitable, so they naturally want to fight for it." Li Chengcheng made a brief comment before being embraced by the emperor, and asked with a half-smile, "Tell me, what profit are they seeking?"

Li Chengcheng was already used to the emperor's intimacy, he was already the emperor's woman, and it was only a matter of time before he became a concubine, he only blamed himself for not living up to expectations, and fell behind Fan Xiaohui.

Allowing the emperor's hand to wander around, Li Chengcheng stabilized his emotions, and said with a smile: "It's all published in the newspapers. The horse iron transports coal quickly and economically. Isn't it the same as transporting goods? They funded the construction of the railway, and it's always the same." Let’s give some benefits, that is, the discount on shipping costs, it will be a lot of money in the long run!”

The emperor's hand stopped, gently grasping the lump of softness, showing a thoughtful expression.

Without him, the emperor thought of one thing, or a story.

The advancement of science and technology means a change in lifestyle and a revolution that will affect the lives of tens of millions of people.

The opening of the horse railway from the Mentougou mining area to the capital lowered the transportation cost and the coal price was naturally low, which was convenient for the citizens of the capital, but it also ruined the jobs of many people who traded coal.

Of course, this impact will not cause turmoil, it just needs time to digest, and those who are rushing to transport coal will change careers and find their own livelihood.

However, when behemoths such as the Maritime Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce entered the railway construction, the emperor felt that it was necessary to plan in advance and not to promise conditions rashly.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the western development of the United States came to an end temporarily. The huge difference in the industrial structure between the east and the west gave rise to the demand for transportation efficiency and also contributed to the frenzy of railway construction in the United States.

Railroads brought more than speed and efficiency: massive construction spawned a host of "railroad towns" that rapidly urbanized the American Midwest.

At the same time, various fundraising and mergers and acquisitions in the construction of railways have also outlined the embryonic form of the capital market.

Accompanied by the roar of steam locomotives, the railways connected the vast and sparsely populated continental United States into a huge domestic demand market. It can be said that wherever the railway tracks are laid, capitalism will spread.

The emerging oil industry benefited the most from railway construction. The railway network throughout the United States became the lifeline of oil transportation, and railway companies became tax collectors along the way.

Oil magnate John Rockefeller once tried his best to increase production to 1500 barrels per day in order to obtain a discount of 15 cents per barrel from the railroad company.

In the second year after the opening of the Pacific Railway, Rockefeller, who suffered from freight costs, decided to turn himself into the master. He spent huge sums of money to establish the Standard Oil Company and persuaded other oil refineries to form a secret alliance with the railway company.

The alliance controlled the transportation lines in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and secretly stipulated that the public price of crude oil transportation was 80 cents a barrel, but internal members only had to pay 40 cents.

This agreement is called "the cruelest death agreement in the history of American industrial development". Small and medium-sized enterprises that fail to enter the interest group have only two options: wait for death at high transportation costs, or bow to the coalition led by Rockefeller Pride.

In this way, Rockefeller acquired almost all the refineries in Ohio and Pennsylvania, laying the foundation for his oil empire.

The emperor thought for a long time, kissed the woman in his arms, and then let go of Lushan's claws.

The judgment has been made, although it is not comprehensive, but it is not much different.

The two major chambers of commerce are willing to invest in the construction of the railway. On the one hand, of course, they want to please the emperor, and on the other hand, they also have interests in mind.

But the emperor thought of more than that. Capitalism was sprouting, and his mind was completely occupied by these words.

On the one hand, they are robbing and developing land, striving to make the tillers have their fields, and alleviate the social conflicts caused by land mergers; on the other hand, they are developing industry and commerce, and want to make the traditional farming society progress.

This seems to be a bit contradictory. The tiller has the land, but where do the workers come from?Industry and commerce make huge profits, so will the cultivators abandon their fields?
The emperor stood up and walked slowly in the hall, thinking.

After a long while, the emperor let out a sigh of relief, narrowed his eyes slightly, and made a decision.

The stage of social development is better if things come naturally and naturally.

Moreover, progress is certain, and labor pains are inevitable. This in itself is part of the reform, and it can even be called a revolution.

A revolution is not a dinner party, just like horse iron will eliminate many practitioners who sell coal, and the popularization of machinery will destroy the jobs of many dock workers. Development and progress must pay a certain price.

Can't cover everything, let people adapt to change!
As for the Chamber of Commerce's investment in railways, this is a good thing that benefits the country and the people.As for monopoly, it is too early to worry about it now.Moreover, to plan ahead, since the emperor thought about it, he would take precautions in advance.

(End of this chapter)