Chương 692: Summary

Lu Bing stepped forward and bowed, his black flying fish robe as cold and aloof as ever, his voice flat:

"I am merely following your orders."

Liu Ce nodded slightly, his tone solemn:

"The reform of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials is a meritorious act that will benefit future generations. You have all done a great job. Continue."

"Secondly, the development of all crafts and technologies, with steam technology ushering in the world." Xun Yu opened the Ministry of Works' account books, his tone carrying a barely perceptible excitement, his voice trembling slightly:

"This is the top priority of the Three-Five Plan, and it is also the foundation of the unprecedented changes that have taken place in our great Han Dynasty for thousands of years. As of the first month of this year, steam lathes, textile machines, water pumps... have been popularized in core industries, and production efficiency has increased by more than two times on average compared to five years ago. What used to be a day's work done by man can now be done by machine in an hour."

"Regarding coal: with the opening of deep mines in coalfields across the country and the widespread use of steam pumps, annual coal production has more than doubled compared to five years ago. In northern prefectures and counties, the adoption rate of coal-fired heating has reached 90%, and people no longer need to cut down trees for firewood in winter, resulting in greener mountains and denser forests."

"In the iron smelting sector: the annual output of pig iron and high-quality cast iron in state-owned and private iron smelting plants across the country has doubled compared to five years ago. Steam-fired blast furnaces have become widespread, iron prices have fallen further, and there is no longer any worry about a shortage of raw materials for agricultural implements, military equipment, and machinery manufacturing. Ordinary farming households can now afford a complete set of iron agricultural implements."

"In the manufacturing process: steam lathes, drilling machines, and milling machines were mass-produced; the standardization and interchangeability of parts were fully implemented in arsenals and machine factories; and the rudiments of the assembly line had emerged. There were nearly one million industrial workers nationwide, including 142, 000 skilled technicians, each of whom was a treasure."

It is worth mentioning that civilian steamships traveled extensively along the canals and the Yangtze River. A single ship had three times the carrying capacity of the old grain transport vessels, effectively doubling the efficiency of the canal transport. They were also very stable, unaffected by wind and waves, and the grain was less prone to mold.

At this point, Xun Yu looked at the head of the Ministry of Works, his tone filled with respect:

"Song Yingxing, the Minister of Works, oversaw the promotion of steam engines and the trial repair of railways. He devoted himself to the cause and made great contributions. He spent every day in the factory, working late into the night with the craftsmen to test the machines. Several times he collapsed from exhaustion in the workshop and had to be carried out. Once he woke up, he would continue working."

Song Yingxing stepped forward, waved his hand, and looked very simple and honest.

"I merely followed Your Majesty's instructions, leading the craftsmen through repeated trials and errors. The true credit belongs to the countless craftsmen across the land, who worked day and night to achieve this. I dare not claim credit for it."

Liu Ce smiled and said loudly, "The craftsmen have made contributions, but your contribution in overall planning and coordination cannot be overlooked."

"Thirdly, the agricultural population is large, and the people are prosperous and the resources are plentiful." Xun Yu opened the Ministry of Revenue's account books, reciting the numbers fluently and clearly:

"Household registration: The total registered population of the country is 92. 4 million, a net increase of 11. 78 million since the eleventh year of Shenwu, with the population growth rate remaining stable and rising. Among them, naturalization and immigration from the border areas account for 40%, and the seeds of Han people are spreading further and further away."

"Cultivated land: The total cultivated land in the country is 1. 83 billion mu. Most of the newly added land is reclaimed land in the border areas, polder fields in the south of the Yangtze River, and expanded irrigation areas along the Yellow River. It is real fertile land, not wasteland added to make up the numbers."

"Grain production: The total national grain output is 58 billion jin. The total grain reserves of the national granaries and public granaries can support the country's food supply for more than ten years. Regional famines have become a thing of the past in history books. Let alone people starving to death, if any household's granary is not full, it is considered a dereliction of duty by local officials, and they will be held accountable."

"Industry belt: the Central Plains staple grains, the Jiangnan rice and cotton, the Anxi agriculture and animal husbandry, and the Beiting sugarcane have taken shape. The planting of cash crops accounts for 28%, the commercialization rate of agricultural products is 42%, the income of farmers from sideline businesses exceeds 40%, and the surplus money in people's hands is more than double that of five years ago."

In the past, farmers barely saw any money throughout the year. Now, by selling cotton, sugarcane, and silk, every household has cash on hand, enough to buy cloth, meat, and build new houses. Life is completely different now.

Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a steady voice, tinged with emotion:

"I have been in charge of the Ministry of Revenue for more than ten years, and I have witnessed the country go from being filled with starving corpses to having granaries full of grain, from having frozen corpses on the roads to having surplus food in every household. I have no regrets in this life. Being able to follow Your Majesty in governing this country is the greatest blessing of my life, more valuable than any amount of money I could earn."

Liu Ce nodded slightly: "Food is the most important thing for the people. Only when the people have grain in their hands and money in their pockets can the country be stable. Your Ministry of Revenue has made an invaluable contribution in managing the purse strings."

"Fourth, transportation and trade, connecting the two oceans." Xun Yu's tone lightened at this point, as if he were discussing something pleasant.

"Land routes: nationwide paved roads... 12, 000 post stations, every county connected by post stations, and every prefecture connected by paved roads..."

"Water transport: Steamships are used on the Grand Canal, the Yangtze River, and the Pearl River. The total annual transport volume has more than tripled compared to five years ago. The cost of water transport is only 11% of that of land transport. The flow of goods between the north and south is unprecedented. Silk and tea from the south can be transported to Luoyang in ten days, and coal and iron from the north can be delivered to the south in a few days.

It is cheap and fast, and merchants are now happy to use waterways."

"Maritime trade: The three major ocean routes are operating stably... extending east to the Americas, south to Australia, and west to the Persian Gulf and the coast of East Africa. More than 3, 700 merchant ships enter and leave the oceans annually, and the annual value of overseas trade has increased nearly threefold compared to five years ago, accounting for 18% of the court's annual revenue.

Overseas outposts produce spices, gold, rubber, and timber worth over a billion coins annually, serving as both raw material sources and new sources of revenue. Spices used to be more expensive than gold, but now ordinary people can afford them and are even using them more generously in cooking."

"Today, the national industrial and commercial output value accounts for 34. 7% of the country's total, exceeding the target of 30%. In the five major cities of Luoyang, Chang'an, Kaifeng, Jinling, and Zhuozhou, shops line the streets, and merchants from all over the world gather day and night."

Shen Wansan nodded slightly, having already calculated the situation... At this rate, in another ten years, the industrial and commercial tax could surpass the agricultural tax, which would truly be an unprecedented change in history.