Chương 694: , Plan 45, The Day of Origin

Inside the hall, a gilded bronze crane-shaped incense burner was burning charcoal. The warmth, mixed with the fragrance of sandalwood, permeated the ranks of officials, but could not suppress the surging spirit throughout the hall.

This marks the sixteenth year since the founding of the nation, and also the inaugural day of the fourth Five-Year Plan.

Everyone knows that His Majesty is about to make a bigger move today, to accelerate the Han Dynasty and make it go faster and farther.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The eunuchs' calls echoed through the palace as Liu Ce, dressed in a black robe with twelve dragon symbols, slowly ascended the steps and took his seat.

"All of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After the welcoming ceremony, the hall fell silent; even the sound of breathing subsided.

Liu Ce lightly tapped the imperial desk with his fingertips, beginning his speech without any formalities, only carrying the weight and certainty of a sixteen-year emperor: "Sixteen years have passed since the founding of the dynasty."

"In the first five years, we cleaned up the mess left by the chaos, so that people had land to cultivate and food to eat, and solved the problem of life and death."

In the second five years, we drove the northern barbarians northward, expanded our territory by thousands of miles, established the rudiments of various trades, and solved the problems of strength, weakness, security, and danger.

During the third five-year period, we ushered in the steam age, integrated provincial administration, expanded overseas trade, and forged a new path never before taken by any dynasty in history.

He leaned forward slightly, his voice ringing out like metal on the ground, resounding with conviction:

"Today, the railway is open, steamships traverse the canals and the seas, factories are emitting smoke, and the people are well-fed. But I must say... this is just the beginning. Three or five years is the beginning; four or five years, we must completely build the framework and firmly establish the foundation, so that the industry, military, sea power, and culture of the Han Dynasty will all be transformed and become a new entity."

The people below held their breath.

The old ministers nodded slightly. They had watched this emperor turn his "outrageous words" into reality time and time again. They had long been used to his "wild ideas" and believed that he could do it. They believed that every time he made a promise, they would actually get what they wanted.

The young officials gripped their tablets tightly, their chests burning, knowing they were standing at the forefront of history, and that being able to participate in this unprecedented undertaking was the greatest honor of their lives.

"The first project is the national railway trunk network project." A slight commotion arose inside the hall.

Many officials only know that railways are good, but they never think about how huge the project would be, how much money it would cost, and how many years it would take to build railways all over the country.

"In the past, we relied on roads and canals, but the transport capacity was ultimately limited and greatly restricted by weather and terrain. Railways are different. They can travel 300 li a day, and their transport capacity is several times that of roads and can be used by mules and horses. They can travel regardless of the weather, whether it is sunny or rainy, hot or cold, and can go over mountains and valleys, and can run in wind and rain."

Liu Ce's tone was resolute: "My mind is made up: to build the initial form of the 'three vertical and three horizontal' railway network centered on Luoyang, to achieve railway connectivity with the core provincial capital, to unify railway standards, and to fully automate the supporting locomotive and operation and maintenance system."

Within five years, three main waterways will be built first, connecting Luoyang, Xiangyang, Jiangling and Nanhai, linking the north and south waterways and opening up the inland to the sea.

From Luoyang, through Yunzhong Prefecture and Fanyang Prefecture to Liaoyang Prefecture, the northern border defense line was secured and important northern towns were connected; from Luoyang, through Chang'an and Tianshui Prefecture to Liangzhou Prefecture, the hinterland of the northwest was managed, laying the foundation for future westward expansion into Central Asia.

Three main lines, coupled with branch lines to mining areas and granaries, connected coalfields, ironworks, grain-producing regions, and key border towns, allowing people, goods, and troops to be transported wherever needed.

He looked at the head of the Ministry of Works and said solemnly, "Minister of Works, Song Yingxing."

"Your subject is here!" Song Yingxing strode forward, his voice booming like a bell.

This veteran official, who oversaw the construction of imperial roads, canals, and cement plants, now has graying temples, but his eyes are brighter than those of young people, as if he has been given a second spring, and he walks with a brisk pace.

"I hereby order you to oversee the construction of railways throughout the country. The roadbeds shall be reinforced with cement, and the track gauge, signaling, and regulations shall be standardized. A locomotive manufacturing plant shall be built in Chang'an, Zhuozhou, and Kaifeng, producing locomotives, rails, and carriages."

This was the first railway network of the Han Dynasty, and the foundation for the vast railways that would later stretch for thousands of miles. It was only allowed to succeed, not fail. If you needed money, ask the Ministry of Revenue; if you needed manpower, ask the Ministry of Personnel. All the resources in the land were at your disposal.

"Your Majesty, I obey! Even if it costs me my old bones, I will ensure that railway tracks are laid throughout the land of the Han Dynasty!"

Song Yingxing bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, his voice trembling slightly.

In his youth, he built palaces and canals, never imagining that he would be able to build a railway that could travel thousands of miles a day in his lifetime, and personally pave this prosperous road.

This life is worth it.

Inside the hall, the young craftsmen all had flushed faces and exchanged excited glances in hushed tones.

They spent half their lives studying architecture and half their lives studying natural phenomena, and finally caught up with the most magnificent era.

"The second project is the industrial relocation and technology upgrade project."

"Currently, industry is mostly concentrated in the Beijing area, Jiangnan, and Central Plains, while the inland and border regions are still blank. This uneven distribution is unacceptable. The core areas should focus on research and development and manufacturing, the inland areas on raw material production, and the border regions on primary processing. Each should have its own division of labor and support each other. Only by working together as a whole can the whole country become prosperous.

We cannot allow the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer."

"Technologically, we also need to take another step forward. We should fully promote the stirring process for steelmaking to improve the quality of steel; improve steam engines to increase thermal efficiency and build larger horsepower models; and develop standardized parts and assembly line production to double the efficiency."

Previously, our motto was "as long as it works, it's fine." Starting with the fourth and fifth generations, we aim for "perfection" and then sell to the world, earning money globally.

He looked at Song Yingxing and Shen Wansan: "The Ministry of Works and the Imperial Academy of the Great Han Dynasty will oversee technological breakthroughs; the Ministry of Revenue will oversee industrial planning and implementation. I grant you the greatest authority. Provide funds and personnel as needed. As long as you achieve results, all rules can be flexibly applied. Reward major inventions as they deserve. Don't be stingy with money; the more you reward, the more inventions you will produce."

"Your Majesty, we obey!" The two men stepped forward and bowed, their voices full of confidence.

At the table of veteran ministers, Xun Yu gently stroked his white beard and sighed softly, "When industry prospers, the nation prospers. Your Majesty's move is far-sighted."

"The third project is the modernization of the entire army and the modernization of military affairs." Liu Ce's tone suddenly turned stern, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop a few degrees. A murderous aura filled the air, and the generals all straightened their backs.

"The era of cold weapons should be over. Within five years... infantry, cavalry, and artillery coordination should be promoted throughout the army. In the future, battles will not be fought by brute force, but by firepower, discipline, tactics, and logistics. Expand military academies to train officers who understand new weapons and new tactics. Future generals cannot just wield broadswords; they must understand ballistics, fortifications, and railway transportation."

He swept his gaze across the military officers: "The Privy Council will take the lead, and the Ministry of War will implement it. Anyone who can't keep up should step down and not occupy a position and delay things."

"Your Majesty, we obey!" the military officers responded in unison, with no one raising any objections.

They were all seasoned veterans, they knew the power of firearms, and they knew this was the inevitable trend.