Chương 639: Railway Pilot Project

He paused, then added, "By the way, Your Majesty, Zhang Tie and the others said that once the first railway is completed, they want to make a pure iron commemorative plaque for you, engraved with your achievements, and hang it on the locomotive!"

Liu Ce laughed and said, "Forget all that formalities, just let them do their jobs well. We can save the commemorative plaque for later and hang it on the locomotive; I'm looking forward to taking the first train to Chang'an."

..................

The next morning, the core ministers gathered in the side hall of the Liangyi Hall.

Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun You... plus the eight ministers, filled the room. Steaming hot tea was served, but no one bothered to drink it.

Everyone knew that His Majesty was about to make a big move, so they were all in high spirits. Even Cheng Yaojin specially changed into a clean official robe and carried some melon seeds in his pocket, ready to listen and eat them at the same time.

Liu Ce picked up his teacup, took a sip, and got straight to the point: "Gentlemen, I've called you here today for one thing: to build the railway."

The hall fell silent instantly...

"The steam engine is working, and the trains can run now," Liu Ce tapped the armrest of the dragon throne with his finger, "but what's the use of just running it on those ten miles of tracks outside Beijing? It's like a giant toy. We need to find a proper road, lay down rails, and let the trains pull real weapons and run them, showing the whole world what it's like. That's called a pilot project. Only when the pilot project is successful can we roll it out."

He leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

"So, everyone, let's discuss where the first railway should run from and where it should end. Speak freely; there will be no punishment for wrong answers, and a good answer will be generously rewarded."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the main hall erupted in chaos, more bustling than a bustling market.

Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan was the first to jump up:

"Your Majesty! I believe we must build a railway from Jinling to Shouchun! Jiangnan is prosperous, with frequent trade of silk, tea, and porcelain. Transporting goods by train will yield immediate profits and quickly replenish the national treasury. We can recoup our investment in less than three years! It's a sure-fire way to make money!"

He quickly calculated and added, "Besides, the terrain in Jiangnan is flat, so it's cheaper to build there; there's no need to cut through mountains and dig tunnels!"

"Minister Shen only knows how to make money!" Minister of War Li Jing immediately retorted, his voice booming so loudly it shook the teacup.

"The Jiangnan region is crisscrossed by waterways, with a dense network of rivers. How many bridges would be built and how many rivers filled in to construct a railway? The cost would be more than three times what you calculated! In my opinion, the railway should be built from Hejian to Fanyang! Transporting military supplies to the border is of utmost importance. With the sound of the train, military supplies can arrive at any time. The stability of the northern border is more important than anything else!

In the past, 30% of the grain was lost on the way to the border. With trains, the loss can be reduced to 10%! Why didn't you calculate this?"

Minister of Rites Guan Ning slowly stroked his beard and began to speak:

"Gentlemen, please do not be hasty. I believe we should build from Luoyang to Kaifeng. The Central Plains are flat and easy to traverse, making construction the least difficult, quickest, and cheapest option. Let's test the waters first for safety. If it succeeds, we can then expand north and south. We must take things one step at a time, just as we build roads one step at a time."

Minister of Justice Cheng Yu yawned and leaned against a pillar, looking rather nonchalant.

"You can fight over what you want, just don't go through our Ministry of Justice prison. If the train makes too much noise, clattering and banging, and scares the prisoners, I won't be responsible if they escape. I'll have to send people to chase them, which is a lot of trouble and will delay my departure from get off work."

Song Yingxing, who had been standing in line not wanting to speak, couldn't hold back any longer and turned to glare at him:

"Zhongde! Can't you be serious for once? This is a vital national asset, a project of lasting importance! Can't you be a little more attentive?!"

Cheng Yu shrugged, looking innocent.

"I'm being serious. It's definitely a hassle if a prisoner escapes. I can't exactly have a train chase after them, can I? Besides, what if the train derails and crashes into the prison, knocking down the walls? That would be a real problem."

"Hahahaha!" All the ministers in the hall laughed. Liu Ce was also amused. He leaned back on the dragon throne with his arms crossed, watching the show without stopping them. He thought to himself: Cheng Yu is such a slacker. He's quite witty. I should make him do more work next time.

Cheng Yaojin also joined in the fun, jumping up and shouting at the top of his lungs:

"In my opinion, we should build a line directly to the Western Regions! This will make it easier to manage the Western Regions and transport supplies and cannons when we go to war in the west. It will be a breeze."

Yuchi Gong immediately chimed in, nodding emphatically, "That's right! We should build it to Hanhai Province! It'll make it easier for us to train our troops! We can also bring back mutton to eat! I had mutton there once before, and it was incredibly delicious! Much better than the mutton in Luoyang!"

"Give me a break, you two." Du Ruhui shook his head with a smile.

"Thousands of miles, how long would it take to build that? The first railway should be shorter, built quickly to show results, so that the people of the world will be convinced. It's not too late to build further west once the technology is more advanced. Taking too big a step is bound to backfire."

Zhuge Liang, waving his feather fan, slowly added:

"In the long run, the natural goal is to connect the north and south, and run through the east and west, forming a railway network. But the first option should indeed be the one with the strongest demonstration effect and the greatest significance. We need to make the benefits of railways immediately apparent to everyone in the world."

They argued for about half an hour, with each side going back and forth, and neither side could convince the other.

Shen Wansan's brows furrowed as he calculated the money, while Li Jing slammed his fist on the table until his palms turned red. The two almost came to blows on the spot, but Xun Yu and Fang Xuanling pulled them apart, one hugging his waist and the other grabbing his arm.

Finally, Song Yingxing stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Liu Ce, and spoke in a steady voice:

"Your Majesty, I have a suggestion: to repair the section of road from Luoyang to Chang'an."

The hall fell silent for a moment as everyone turned to look at him.

Song Yingxing held up three fingers, his points clear and precise, each one hitting the mark:

"There are three reasons. First, Luoyang is the capital and Chang'an is the old capital, both of which are the foundation of our great Han Dynasty. Building a railway between these two places will attract worldwide attention and have the greatest demonstration effect. It can quickly dispel public doubts and let everyone know that trains are not just a fancy trick, but a real thing that can change people's lives."

Secondly, the two places are about 900 li apart, which is just the right distance. If it is too short, the long-distance performance cannot be tested. If it is too long, the construction period and cost cannot be controlled. It is just right to accumulate experience, train the team, and cultivate our own railway craftsmen.

Thirdly, the ancient Xiaohan Road has always been a bottleneck for grain transport. The Sanmenxia Gorge is fraught with dangerous shoals, resulting in the loss of 30% of the grain cargo annually, with countless grain ships capsizing there. The land route is even more difficult, with rugged mountain roads in the Xiaoshan Mountains…

If this passage can be opened up by train, a millennia-old problem will be solved overnight, and its economic and strategic value will be immeasurable.

After listening, Liu Ce squinted, tapped the armrest with his fingers, pondered for a few seconds, and nodded emphatically:

"What Minister Song said makes sense."

He glanced at the ministers below: "Do any of you have any further objections?"

Shen Wansan still wanted to struggle a bit, and said with a bitter face:

"But Your Majesty, between Luoyang and Chang'an lie Hangu Pass and Tong Pass, with many mountains and deep valleys. We would also need to build tunnels and high bridges, making construction extremely difficult... and costing a lot of money... The Ministry of Revenue's funds don't come from thin air..."

"It's more interesting when it's difficult," Liu Ce interrupted him, leaning forward slightly.