Chương 574: Plan 25 1

Liu Ce quickly said, "Get up, get up! Don't kneel all the time. I'm only thirty-two years old, still young. I can't afford to shorten my lifespan like this."

Besides, kneeling too much will hurt your knees. How will you carry a hoe to repair water conservancy projects or a knife to fight the enemy? Health is the foundation of everything, so everyone should take care of themselves.

The officials stood up with smiles.

Once everyone quieted down, Liu Ce's expression gradually turned serious. His smile faded, and his eyes sharpened.

"But, my lords! We cannot rest on our laurels! The completion of the First Five-Year Plan is only the first step in a long march! Not even the first step, at most half a step!"

He held up one finger and counted on it as he analyzed for everyone, his voice deep and firm:

"The Great Han Dynasty is still just an agricultural country that can barely feed itself! Although we have some signs of industrialization, we are still far behind those truly industrialized countries!"

The Xiongnu and Xianbei in the north are still roaming the grasslands...

The remnants of powerful clans are still secretly colluding, attempting a resurgence, waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves.

"Therefore! Starting today! We will begin our second five-year plan!"

Liu Ce suddenly swung his arm, his sleeve whipping up a gust of wind, his voice ringing out with a powerful, resounding command, like a general issuing an order on the battlefield, leaving no room for argument:

"The Second Five-Year Plan for National Rejuvenation of the Han Dynasty has officially begun!"

The hall fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on Liu Ce, their pens already prepared, the tips almost piercing the tablet, ready to take notes.

Some people's hands trembled, some people's hearts raced, and some people's faces turned red with excitement.

"The core principles of the Second Five-Year Plan can be summarized in sixteen characters: 'Develop agriculture and industry in tandem; revitalize the nation through science and education; strengthen the military and enhance national strength; and expand the territory!'"

"Our overall goal is simple: within five years, transform the Great Han from an agricultural country that only knows how to farm into a preliminary industrial country that can manufacture machines, cannons, and ironclad warships!"

Completely resolve the millennia-old border troubles in the north, and bring the northern grasslands, the Western Regions, the Japanese islands, and the Indochina Peninsula into the territory of the Great Han! The national population will exceed 80 million, ensuring that every citizen can wear cotton-padded clothes and eat white sugar...

The room erupted into chaos instantly, like boiling water bubbling and gurgling.

The generals were all eager and excited, stamping their feet in anticipation. Cheng Yaojin almost jumped up, but Qin Qiong held him down...

The civil officials quickly scribbled on their tablets, the soft scratching of their pens across the paper echoing throughout...

Shen Wansan's eyes lit up, and he started calculating how much money he could make with his abacus, the beads flying up and down as he muttered to himself.

Liu Ce raised his hand to quell the noise, then continued, his voice so loud that it could be heard throughout the entire hall:

"To achieve this goal, we have six core projects, each of which is related to the fate of the Han Dynasty!"

Anyone who dares to slack off on this, embezzle, accept bribes, or shirk responsibility, regardless of their merits or whose relationship they are to me, will be dismissed from their post, have their property confiscated, and be exiled to the frontier to build infrastructure! They will work on it until they die!

"The first project, the seed of the Industrial Revolution!"

Upon hearing this, the officials all looked bewildered; some scratched their heads, some frowned, and some whispered among themselves.

"The Industrial Revolution? Your Majesty, what is the Industrial Revolution?" Cheng Yaojin asked, scratching his head.

"Does it mean the workers will rise up in rebellion? If they do, I, old Cheng, will be the first to lead troops to quell the rebellion! I guarantee not a single one will be spared!"

"Pfft~" Liu Ce nearly choked on his own saliva, shaking his head with a laugh, tears welling up in his eyes:

"It's not a rebellion! It's about replacing human and animal labor with machines! Simply put, the work that used to be done by people will now be done by machines! People can rest while the machines do the work—isn't that great!"

He pointed out the direction outside the hall and explained, trying his best to make it understandable to everyone:

"In the past, when we smelted iron, we used charcoal. It took 100 catties of charcoal to smelt 20 catties of iron. It was slow and expensive. We also cut down all the trees on the mountain. When it rained, the soil was eroded and mudslides could wash people away."

"In the future, we'll use coal for coking on a large scale, increasing efficiency several times over, and cutting iron prices in half! Farmers will be able to afford it."

"In the past, when we ground flour and pounded rice, we relied entirely on people pulling and donkeys pushing. A strong laborer could work himself to death for a day and still not grind ten bushels of rice, and we still had to pay for the donkey's fodder."

In the future, we'll use water-powered flour mills and wind-powered rice pounders. One machine can do the work of a hundred people, and people won't have to get up before dawn to grind flour anymore. They can sleep for an extra two hours!

"In the past, when we forged iron, we relied on people swinging hammers. We were lucky to make ten kitchen knives a day, and our arms would be swollen from all the swinging. Now we use steam hammers, which can flatten iron blocks with a single blow. We can make a thousand kitchen knives a day without any problem, and they're faster, better, and the blades are sharp and can last for years!"

At this point, Liu Ce gave Song Yingxing a look.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Works brought in a three-foot-tall iron model from outside the hall. The model was exquisitely made, with brass parts, a cast iron base, and several small wheels, and it looked sturdy.

Several strong men carried it, sweating profusely from exhaustion.

Song Yingxing rushed out of the train, taking big, hurried steps, almost tripping over his own robe.

He was so excited that his face turned bright red, his beard trembled, and his voice changed tone:

"Your Majesty is right! I have already led the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works to build the first prototype steam engine as part of the Five-Year Plan!"

"During the testing, although there were still some minor problems, such as air leakage and low efficiency, I believe that after several improvements, it will be ready for normal use. In the future, we will be able to build the trains and ironclad warships that Your Majesty has mentioned... I guarantee that within two years, the steam engine will be running smoothly!"

"Steam engine? What's a steam engine? Can it be used to make axes?" Cheng Yaojin curiously leaned over to take a look, his big head almost touching the model.

He got too close and burned his hand on a bit of steam coming from the model. He jumped up with a "whoop!" and shook his hand, yelling like a monkey that had burned its foot: "Hot! Hot! Hot! This thing bites! It hurts so much!"

This caused everyone to burst into laughter, laughing so hard they were doubled over. Some people clutched their stomachs and squatted down, while others slapped the table and coughed from laughing.

Yuchi Gong patted his shoulder and laughed, gloating:

"Old Cheng, you're so stupid! You're afraid of even a lump of iron! And you call yourself a fierce general? You're afraid of steam!"

"You're not afraid? If you're not afraid, come and try!" Cheng Yaojin said, glaring at Yuchi Gong, his hand now covered in red welts.

"Look! It's all red from the burn! If it burned your face, how would you fight?"

Liu Ce smiled and shook his head, then said to Song Yingxing, "Minister Song, this project is entrusted to you. The Ministry of Revenue will provide full support—as much money as you need, as many people as you require! Within two years, the steam engine must be widely used. Can you do that? If you can't, I will hold you accountable!"