The successful trial of the steam train immediately caused a sensation.
Whether they were princes, nobles, officials, businessmen, or ordinary people, they all felt quite shocked.
Such a huge beast does not need oxen and horses to pull it. It burns coal all the way, blows out black smoke, and runs away with a bang. Are you sure it is not a mythical beast recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas?
Although this speed is not very fast, it is on par with the best carriages, but my endurance is strong!
No matter what kind of horse it is, it always needs to rest, and the driver also needs to eat and drink, but the train is different. As long as there is coal, it can run, and it will never tire.
Just when everyone was talking about this giant steel beast, King Ning entered the palace in a hurry.
"Your Majesty Zhu Dianpei greets the Holy Gong!"
When Zhu Qizhen saw Prince Ning, he looked slightly surprised and asked, "Isn't the emperor sick?"
Zhu Dianpei bowed his head and said: "I caught wind and cold yesterday and was ill in bed. I was unable to test the car as ordered. Today my health has improved a little, so I came to the palace to apologize!"
"Why are you so polite, uncle? Since you are not feeling well, you should take a good rest. Wynn, go to the imperial hospital to find an imperial doctor and give your uncle a closer look."
"I just felt cold occasionally. I have already taken medicine, so there is no need to bother the imperial doctor."
Zhu Mianpei hurriedly stopped Huaien and continued: "I came here today to report something to the emperor."
Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "Uncle, you don't have to be polite, please express your gratitude and give me a seat!"
"Yes!"
Wynn brought over a chair, and Zhu Mianpei thanked him first, then leaned over and sat down.
"Uncle Huang has something to say, but it doesn't hurt to say it."
"Although I have not personally tested the train, the magic of this steam train is being discussed in the streets and alleys in the capital. Everyone is sighing. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is ingenious. I dare to ask how much this railway cost.
?"
"About ten million taels of silver!"
Zhu Qizhen didn't know why, but Prince Ning suddenly showed great interest in railways and trains. The cost was actually transparent, so he told the truth.
"This... so much..."
After Zhu Mianpei heard this, he suddenly showed a disappointed look on his face.
Zhu Qizhen nodded and said: "This does not include the cost of early research and development. After all, it is the first railway, so the cost must be higher. In the future, when the technology matures, it may be reduced."
Zhu Mianpei's eyes lit up and he asked: "What do you mean by the emperor, the next railway has been planned?"
"That's right, Wynn, go get the map!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "Uncle, don't be cautious, come and take a look!"
As he spoke, he pointed at the picture.
"The next railway is a direct connection between the north and the south, covering a distance of two thousand miles. Currently, bachelors from the Academy of Sciences are surveying and planning the route along the way. Construction is expected to start next spring."
Zhu Mianpei thought for a moment and then asked: "Excuse me, Your Majesty, what is the approximate budget for this railway?"
Zhu Qizhen discovered that something was wrong with King Ning today. When he was first elected to be a feudal state, he was the first to take action and chose Uzang. He was already preparing to leave for the feudal state. What happened now, he asked about trains and railway tracks? p>
"The budget for this road is roughly 50 million taels."
"Fifty million..."
Zhu Mianpei couldn't help but take a breath, what a big deal!
When in the Ming Dynasty did it cost fifty million taels of silver to build a road?
"With so much money coming out at once, the national treasury must be very tight, right?"
Zhu Qizhen seemed to understand, and said: "Uncle, don't worry, I will find a way, and I will definitely honor the money, food, and equipment I promised!"
"No...that's not what I meant!"
Zhu Dianpei waved his hands repeatedly and said: "As the vassal king of the Ming Dynasty, I should consider the court. Such a huge expenditure, even if the national treasury can come up with it, is still a huge expenditure. If money is needed elsewhere, where should it come from?
”
Zhu Qizhen felt that there was something in this man's words, so he asked: "What is your wise uncle?"
"High opinion... I can't talk about it. I just have a small suggestion, I don't know if it is feasible..."
"Uncle, please don't be so reserved. We are all family members. If you have anything to say, it doesn't matter."
"Yes!"
Zhu Mianpei first bowed and then said: "I believe that the country's wealth comes from the people all over the world. If the money is collected through taxes and then used to build railways, it would be better... It would be better to let the people directly participate and everyone has money to contribute.
, I have the strength to contribute, and the future income will be divided proportionally. I wonder what the emperor thinks?"
After Zhu Qizhen heard this, he suddenly became interested. This idea coincided with the upcoming stock offering system.
Projects like building railways cost a lot of money. Although they make money, they only make long-term money and it is difficult to achieve short-term results. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain it by relying only on government expenditures.
"Uncle Huang, this is a good idea. It just so happens that I have a prospectus here. Wynn, go and get it."
Not long after, Wynn came to the palace with a prospectus.
Zhu Mianpei opened it doubtfully, took a few glances, and his expression was shocked.
Among them, others have included everything I thought of and didn’t expect.
The general meaning is that the Ming Dynasty established a railway bureau, which, as the name suggests, was specifically responsible for repairing railways.
However, the operation of the Railway Bureau is not directly funded by the court, but through a shareholding system.
One share is one tael of silver, and investors use silver to purchase stocks. The accounts are made public at the end of each year, and dividends are distributed according to the shareholding ratio.
In this way, the pressure on the court can be greatly reduced and more people can participate.
After Zhu Mianpei read it, he raised his head and asked: "Your Majesty, who drafted this prospectus?"
Zhu Qizhen said with a smile: "I came up with this idea, and the specific details were drafted by Yu Qian and the Ministry of Household Affairs. What does the emperor think?"
"Wonderful, wonderful!"
Zhu Mianpei clapped his hands and said: "Excuse me, Your Majesty, how many shares are the Railway Bureau planning to recruit?"
Zhu Qizhen said: "The initial decision is for 100 million shares, the treasury will provide 50 million, and the remaining 50 million will be raised privately."
Zhu Mianpei seemed to suddenly make a major decision and said: "I am willing to buy three million shares!"
"Huh?"
Zhu Qizhen was surprised and asked: "Uncle Huang, have you thought about it?"
"Think about it!"
Zhu Mianpei nodded solemnly and said: "I am about to hide it in Fanwu. It is useless to keep all the gold and silver property at home, including the land deeds. They have all been sold, and I have about three million taels."
Zhu Qizhen nodded secretly. As a vassal king, it didn't seem like much to take out three million taels of silver in one go.
What surprised him was why Prince Ning was suddenly so interested in railways and stocks?
The people who went to test the car yesterday didn’t say anything. You didn’t even get on the car, but you were the first one to come?
Having said that, stocks are a new thing. If they were put directly on the market, people might not dare to buy them.
I was originally planning to find a few caretakers, but now I have saved them all.