Chapter 1536, the dispute between Huguang and Jiangxi
"Building railways?"
Liu Jin looked at Wei Ying and Gao Jiang, and actually he already guessed their purpose of coming to find him.
Railway construction in the Ming Dynasty is being carried out vigorously. The longest railway has been built from the capital to the Western Regions and the river. To the south, the railway has been built to Nanjing, and it will continue to be built southward, running through Songhu, Zhejiang,
Fujian.
In addition, on the central line, we are now considering building a railway from Henan to Guangdong. Whether to go to Guangdong via Huguang or Jiangxi to Guangdong has been debated and difficult to determine.
In addition, there is the Yangtze River, which runs from east to west, and we have to overcome the problem of building a bridge over the Yangtze River, so it has never been decided.
However, the Ming Dynasty's bridge-building technology was very advanced. It was originally the leader in the world. Now it has a special architecture school to study bridge construction and paving, and there is cement. Therefore, the construction technology has also advanced by leaps and bounds. Several bridges have been built over the Yellow River.
It runs through north and south.
It is technically possible to build a bridge over the Yangtze River. The key is whether it is necessary to build it and the funds required to build the bridge.
The importance of the railway is now clear to the entire Ming Dynasty.
Once the railway is completed, it will seem to have completed the development of the railway along the line, and the economy and transportation will usher in an explosive development.
Once upon a time, the sky was high and the emperor was far away in the Western Regions, but the cattle could not be sold for a high price. Once the train was connected, no matter how many cattle and sheep were transported to the pass, they could be sold at a good price, which would benefit the herdsmen and pastures in the Western Regions.
Provinces all over the Ming Dynasty are desperately trying to get the imperial court to build railways here, especially the main artery lines. Once they can settle in their own provinces, they will not only gain praise from the local people, but also boost the economy and improve their political performance.
Brush up.
Huguang and Huguang are very close to each other. They are both important provinces in the middle of the south. It is also possible to go from Huguang to this north-south transportation artery, and there is no problem from Jiangxi. The key is to see how the decision is made.
Over this matter, officials in Huguang and Jiangxi have argued countless times with the court. After the opening of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway, everyone began to realize the importance of the railway. Officials in Huguang and Jiangxi are desperately trying to get the north-south artery to pass through.
own hometown.
"Yes, Mr. Liu~"
"We in Jiangxi have raised 20 million taels of silver to build a railway that runs through the north and south of Jiangxi, from Hongdu to Ganzhou."
Seeing that Wei Ying had also intervened, Gao Jiang quickly told his plan.
"We in Jiangxi are surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a plain area in the middle. The terrain is relatively gentle. It is more advantageous to build a railway connecting the north and the south. It will also be more convenient to go south to Guangdong."
"To the north, it can connect to the railway line of Nanzhili, connect Nanjing and Songhu, and in the future it can also connect Zhejiang and Fujian. It can be said to be the thoroughfare of six provinces. A railway connecting the north and the south will surely drive the development of the entire southeastern provinces of the Ming Dynasty.
Rapid development."
"To this end, we, the millions of people in Jiangxi, will give our full support and are willing to make any sacrifices for the prosperity of our Ming Dynasty."
Gao Jiang made a very solemn statement, expressing his attitude to Liu Jin on behalf of the people in Jiangxi.
If we want to build a railway, we are not just shouting slogans, but we can actually take practical actions. Before the court has decided on a plan, we have raised 20 million taels of silver to build the railway.
When the court is willing to approve it, then of course it will be the best. If not, we will fix it ourselves. Even if we tighten our belts, we will fix it.
"Hmm~"
Liu Jin nodded slightly after hearing this.
I have to say that Jiangxi people are very good at this matter. They not only attach great importance to education, but also set up a lot of education. They are also so active in building roads.
The imperial court has not yet planned, but they have already raised a huge amount of 20 million taels of silver to build the railway. Calculated based on the cost of 50,000 taels of silver per mile, 20 million taels of silver can almost build 400 miles.
If all the people in Jiangxi Province participate and contribute their own efforts, the cost can be even lower. With 20 million taels of silver, a relatively long railway can be built.
And what Gao Jiang said makes sense. Jiangxi's geographical location is indeed very important, and it also has some advantages in building railways. The railway connecting Nanzhili has been built to Nanjing, and it is not very far from Jiangxi.
It would be even worse if the road to Guangdong is opened to the south. Goods from Jiangxi can be continuously transported to Guangdong by railway and then shipped to the world. Goods from all over the world can also pass through Guangdong and then be transported to Jiangxi by railway. It is very
Convenient, the cost of railway transportation is very low, much, much lower than the cost of any previous means of transportation.
"Mr. Liu~"
"We in Huguang are also actively planning to build a railway that runs through the north and south of Huguang. The central and southern part of Huguang is connected to Henan and Shaanxi, and can be directly connected to the Beijing-Henan Railway."
"Going south can lead to Guangdong and Guangxi, then go to Jiaozhi, Xianglin, and go west to Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. These places have always had inconvenient transportation and the sky is high and the sky is far away. We will definitely build railways to these areas in the future to strengthen
My Ming Dynasty’s connection with the southwest territory.”
"Taking our Huguang line is definitely the best choice. It can save a lot of money and lay a good foundation for the future."
When Wei Ying heard this, he immediately became anxious and hurriedly explained the necessity and many favorable conditions for building a railway in Huguang.
"It's not that easy to build a railway in Huguang. There are lakes and rivers everywhere, and I don't know how many bridges need to be built. To build a railway in ordinary places, it only costs 50,000 taels of silver per mile. But here in Huguang, it may cost several times.
It is twice as difficult to build lakes, rivers, and bridges until you vomit blood. By the time 100 million taels or 200 million taels of silver are thrown in, you may not even be able to see a shadow."
"And the southwest region you mentioned, the southwest Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan region, not to mention building railways, even building roads is very difficult. Even if there is money, it is impossible to build trains there now."
"Going south to build the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, the Nanling Mountains are so majestic and steep. God knows how much money will be poured into it. With such a huge amount of money, not to mention building one railway, ten railways can be built."
Gao Jiang immediately counterattacked with a beard and a glare.
"You guys from Jiangxi to Guangdong still have to pass through the Nanling Mountains, and you also want to build to Fujian. The Wuyi Mountains are so easy to pass through?"
"Not only does it cost a lot of money, but Fujian and Zhejiang are both along the coast. They have sea transportation. Wherever there is a need for railways, the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan region in the southwest is the place that needs railways the most."
Wei Ying was also anxious and immediately retorted.
He knew that what Gao Jiang said was very reasonable. There were many lakes and rivers crisscrossing the Huguang area. If a railway were to be built, it would be impossible to even build bridges alone, and the funds needed would be huge.
As Gao Jiang said, in plain areas, 50,000 taels of silver can build a mile of railway, but in the Huguang area, even 100,000 taels or 200,000 taels of silver may not be able to build a mile of railway. As for Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan areas, then
It's not a question of money, but because of the current technical level, it's simply impossible to get over it. These areas are so steep that it's difficult to pave over with money.
You must know that Ming Dynasty is now building cement highways all over the country, including the cement highway connecting Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. However, not only is the construction speed very slow, but the cost is also very high.
In plain areas, you may have a few hundred taels of silver to build a long cement road, but in the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan areas, if you spend millions of taels of silver, you may not even be able to see a shadow, and the transportation is really inconvenient.
The road to Shu is as difficult as climbing to the sky, and it is similar in the entire Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan regions.
Cement roads are already everywhere in many places, especially in Beizhili. Every county has cement roads, but the cement roads leading to Sichuan have not yet been built, let alone the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan areas.
"Return to Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. The cement roads in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan have not been built yet. Do you know how much money will be needed to build the railway?"
"Five hundred million or one billion may not be enough to fill it in. With so much money, it is better to build more railways in other places."
"What's more, the population in the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan areas is very small. If there is large-scale migration, there will be no need to build this railway."
Gao Jiang glared at Wei Ying and said immediately.
"Who says it's unnecessary? Isn't Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan my territory of the Ming Dynasty?"
"Aren't the people of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan my subjects of the Emperor of Heaven? There is no reason to ignore them."
"Building a railway from Huguang was something that had to be done in the past. Even if it is not done now, it will still need to be built a hundred years later. No matter how much money is spent, it will still be built."
Wei Ying argued.
Liu Jin remained silent, staring at the two men blowing their beards.
Among them, the railway must be repaired. Whether it is Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan or other provinces, railways must be repaired. The role of railways is irreplaceable.
However, what Gao Jiang said is very reasonable. The technology and national power of the Ming Dynasty actually do not allow building railways in the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan areas. The terrain there is too steep.
Even in later generations, when the technology was quite mature, the railways in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan area were only built very late, let alone now.
Although the Ming Dynasty had a tax revenue of several hundred million taels of silver a year, which seemed huge, there were many ways to spend the money, and it was impossible to say that it would all be spent on the southwest region at once.
The Ming Dynasty is now building railways, part of which is funded by the court, and the rest is raised from the private sector. There must be no investment in building railways in the southwest, because all fools know that it is definitely a money-losing business, that is, at the national level
In other words, even if you lose money, you have to fix it.