Several ministers were silent for a while, and finally Du Ruhui said:
"If there really is so much steel, we can let the Lord Protector use it to build the railway. We won't use that much anyway!"
Changsun Wuji's eyes turned red when he heard this: "Old Du, that's steel!"
Du Ruhui's expression remained unchanged: "Then what do you think we should do?"
"In the past few years, the weapons and farm tools of the Tang Dynasty have been replaced almost completely. So much steel must have a place to go."
Seeing that Sun Wuji was at a loss for words, Fang Xuanling reminded: "Isn't the Guanzhou Iron and Steel Plant not yet in production? Maybe it doesn't have such high production capacity?"
After he finished speaking, Wei Zheng scolded him: "You don't even believe this!"
Based on everyone's understanding of Su Chen, he is not a braggart. What's more, he said it in front of His Majesty and all the ministers. What he said is probably true.
Fang Xuanling's old face turned a little red: "How about asking the Protector to reduce production?
Let the people of Guanzhou stop staying at the steel factory and organize themselves to reclaim wasteland. After all, farming is the foundation!"
Du Ruhui shook his head and said: "Two years ago, Lao Fang, this was a good suggestion, but since the advent of sweet potatoes and Su Dao, the price of food has fallen again and again, and it is estimated that it will be even less valuable in the future."
Everyone didn't know what to say when they heard it. There was really no shortage of food in the Tang Dynasty now.
If a locust plague like this in Northern Sanshu had occurred in previous years, people would have died of hunger thousands of miles away.
Now, it has only slightly increased food prices in several surrounding states.
Wei Zheng sighed: "I can be considered a well-educated man. Looking at the history books, except for me, the Tang Dynasty, I have never seen that dynasty that was not afraid of famine."
Du Ruhui smiled and said: "Isn't this a great thing? There is nothing to sigh about!"
Fang Xuanling and others felt powerless in their hearts: It was a great thing, a great thing that shocked the past and present! But they always felt that there was no sense of accomplishment!
Changsun Wuji had a headache and said: "Don't lament that what we have is gone, what should we do now?
Do you really want Su Chen to use steel to build roads?"
Everyone immediately fell silent again. Agreeing to Su Chen's proposal was undoubtedly the best choice, but building roads with steel made everyone speechless.
If something goes wrong, it will probably be scolded by history books for thousands of years!
In fact, everyone is waiting for Li Er to speak. You are the boss, so you should resist!
Li Shimin laughed: "Auxiliary machine, do you still remember the first time we went to Sujiazhuang?"
Changsun Wuji did not respond: The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the Prime Minister were beaten as if they were victims of trouble, and that was not a shameful thing.
Li Shimin didn't care: "The best refined salt, just sprinkle it on the road. I was so angry that I took action to teach the servant who wasted his wealth a lesson. Only then did I meet that boy Su Chen. Who of the people in the Tang Dynasty still lacks salt?
"
"I estimate that today's steel will be like the refined salt of the past."
Fang Xuanling smiled and said: "Your Majesty has agreed to build the railway?"
Li Er shook the scroll in his hand: "If this monster-like thing is really as magical as Su Chen said, you all know what it means to the Tang Dynasty!"
Everyone felt powerless again. If that thing was really as powerful as Su Chen said, its effect would be unimaginable!
And everyone estimates that Su Chen can really get that thing out, after all, Su Chen has already brought out so many incredible things.
Don't look at what old man Wei Zheng said just now that Su Chen is out of his mind. It's not that he doesn't believe Su Chen, he's just expressing his shock in disguise.
"But Your Majesty, let's not mention that you haven't seen the thing called a train yet. I just want to say that building a railway like that is not easy."
Changsun Wuji still disagreed.
Fang Xuanling also stepped forward to help: "Your Majesty, Duke Zhao is rightly worried. Even if the huge steel consumption is solved, the Tang Dynasty will not be able to support the other manpower and material consumption."
It is good that the national power of the Tang Dynasty has grown rapidly, but in the past few years, the Tang Dynasty has been conquering east and west, fighting continuously, and its territory has expanded several times, but there is no balance in the national treasury.
Wei Zheng asked: "Did the Lord Protector ever mention the cost of building the railway to His Majesty?"
His Majesty Li Er smiled bitterly and said: "That boy said he wanted to empty out the treasury of the Tang Dynasty for six years!"
hiss!
Everyone gasped after hearing this!
"It's impossible. If the treasury is emptied, any accident will be a catastrophe."
Changsun Wuji immediately objected: "This locust plague is an example. Fortunately, it was extinguished in time, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable."
"And although Datang has defeated the powerful enemies around it in recent years, the hidden remaining power cannot be ignored."
At this time, Du Ruhui said with a smile: "What Mr. Zhao Guogong said is reasonable, but when it comes to building the road, it doesn't say that it will be built all at once. Let's build it for a hundred and eighty miles first and see how it goes. Can we still afford this cost?
"
Everyone nodded, that's fine.
Wei Zheng asked: "Should we not call the Protector here to discuss it?"
"No!"
Li Er directly denied it.
"Kick that kid out just to prevent him from opening his mouth like a lion."
"Now that you have made your decision, I will discuss the rest with him privately."
…
Li Shimin ended the discussion in Zichen Hall and went to Lizheng Hall.
"Where's Su Chen?"
Queen Changsun glared at Li Shimin: "I left early."
"Weren't you talking about discussing the railway? Why did you kick him out of Zichen Palace like this?"
"He is angry with you. He came to say hello to me and then went back."
Li Shimin said with a headache: "If we don't drive him away, I'm worried that the treasury will be gone."
"I just asked him to come to Chang'an so that he could explain clearly what that train is."
Empress Changsun was also curious: "Did he make it clear?"
"Here, this is it."
Li Shimin threw the scroll to Queen Changsun.
"This should be painted by Li Zhi, but what is this painting? Why does it look like a monster?"
Li Er curled his lips and said, "Su Chen said this thing can carry tens of thousands of stones and travel thousands of miles a day without the need for animals to pull it."
"How is that possible!"
Queen Changsun’s jaw almost dropped in shock!
At this time, Si'er suddenly ran in: "Mom, my stove has been installed, but it is warm and there is no smoke at all..."
"Yeah, daddy is here too!"
Li Er frowned: "What stove?"
Queen Changsun stood up and said: "What Su Chen gave to Si'er is said to be made of charcoal and has no smoke. Let's go and have a look."
"Charcoal?
That thing has charcoal poison, how could it..."
Queen Changsun held Si'er's hand and said, "Does Su Chen still know this?
Can he still harm Si'er?"
Si'er pursed her lips and said, "Dad, Brother Su Chen said it's called a closed coal stove. It burns briquettes and there's no smoke at all."
Although the briquette and coal stove are simple, Su Chen has not made them before.
His home uses hot spring water for heating, and there is no shortage of charcoal. Who would use dirty briquettes!
Moreover, ordinary people use wood for heating, while wealthy people use charcoal. Besides, iron used to be extremely expensive.
