Chương 728: , Plan 45 Summary Ends

The border regions achieved 87% food self-sufficiency, and furs and meat from Anxi and the Gobi Desert were being exported to the interior. The people had twice as much surplus money as they had five years prior.

Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan stepped forward and bowed, his expression one of satisfaction, as if he were looking at a child he had raised.

"I have served as the Minister of Revenue for twenty years, witnessing the transformation of the nation from one of widespread famine to one of overflowing granaries, from a land of refugees to one where every household has surplus money. I have no regrets in this life."

Crown Prince Liu Chen nodded, his tone solemn: "Agriculture is the root, industry is the bone. Only when the root is firm can the skeleton grow strong. Your contributions are indispensable."

Fourth, transportation and trade, connecting the two oceans.

Xun Yu turned to the trade volume, his voice noticeably rising a notch.

"A comprehensive transportation network has been established, consisting of land-based railways, inland waterway transport, and ocean-going vessels."

With the cement roads and railway trunk lines, the freight time of the core provincial capital has been reduced by 60% compared to five years ago, and the deployment of troops has been twice as fast.

There were 217 steamships, and the cost of water transport was only about 1. 5% of that of land transport.

There were 620 ocean-going merchant ships, including 86 steam-powered merchant ships. The steam-powered merchant ships could travel from Guangzhou to the Persian Gulf in 45 days one way, twice as fast as in the age of sail.

In the past, it took almost half a year to travel by boat to the Persian Gulf, with rough seas and the risk of encountering pirates.

Now steamships can arrive in 45 days, which is fast and stable, and they are escorted by the navy, which directly reduces the risk of doing business by more than half.

No wonder the maritime trade industry is booming year after year.

"Maritime trade: The total value of overseas trade increased by 60% compared to five years ago; the annual revenue from colonial industries accounted for 11% to 12% of the imperial court's annual income."

Spices, rubber, gold, timber... these were once scarce foreign goods, but now our great Han Dynasty produces and sells them domestically, and can even export them back to China.

Shen Wansan couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

Xun Yu paused, then emphasized his words, uttering the most weighty statement:

"Most importantly, the output value of industry and commerce in the country accounts for 52% to 53%, officially surpassing that of agriculture."

Our great Han Dynasty is no longer an agricultural country that has existed for thousands of years, but an industrial country that has built its nation on industry.

Chang'an, Kaifeng, Jinling, and Zhuozhou were four major cities with populations exceeding 800, 000 each, while Luoyang and Luojing had nearly two million inhabitants, making them the largest cities in the world at that time.

State-run exchange bureaus were established throughout the provinces, banknotes were exchangeable nationwide, and industrial and colonial bonds circulated freely among the people. Capital could now circulate across the country, aiding in industrial expansion and colonization.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Even Shen Wansan, who had anticipated this, couldn't help but tremble slightly upon hearing the words "50. 23%".

That's way too much.

The centuries-old principle of "agriculture as the foundation and commerce as the secondary" has now come to an end.

The former noble families and officials at the corner of the palace lowered their heads even further.

Their family made a living by land and land rent, while the world has gradually become a place where people make money by factories and trade.

No wonder their family fell on hard times. It wasn't that anyone was targeting them; it was just that the times abandoned them without even a word.

Fifth, military and national defense, dominating both land and sea.

Xun Yu's tone turned stern, and a chilling atmosphere instantly settled in the hall.

The resources accumulated from war are the foundation for all good times.

"The army will be fully equipped with flintlock muskets and bayonets, and the elite Imperial Guards and border troops will all be equipped with percussion rifles..."

The independent artillery force expanded to 100, 000 men, with 11, 740 artillery pieces of various types, forming a complete system of field battles, siege warfare, and fortresses.

The cavalry were all converted into dragoons, equipped with lances, sabers, and light cannons...

The combined infantry, cavalry, and artillery line infantry tactics are well-developed across the entire army, and both assault and field battles are methodical.

Simply put: swords and spears are being phased out; now the entire army is equipped with muskets and artillery, and the game involves firing squads and artillery barrages.

Twenty years ago, who would have dared to imagine this?

"Naval Forces: The three major naval forces consist of 23 steam-powered capital ships and over 115 auxiliary vessels..."

With complete control of the seas in the Western Pacific and the Northern Indian Ocean, it can project 20, 000 troops across the ocean in a single operation and independently launch medium-scale wars.

With its home port on the mainland and twelve overseas supply points, it is ready to fight anywhere within the two oceans.

The officials of the Ministry of War all stood up straight. With such military strength, let alone the three empires in the west, even if the whole world were united, they might not be able to match them.

Crown Prince Liu Chen declared loudly, "A strong army is the foundation of a prosperous era. With you gentlemen here, the Han Dynasty is as secure as Mount Tai."

"Sixth, in education, culture, and medicine, the people's wisdom is gradually increasing."

Xun Yu turned to the last volume, his tone softening considerably.

"In education: six-year primary schools cover 91% of administrative villages; the enrollment rate of school-age children in the Central Plains is 97%; and in the border regions, it is 63%. Adult literacy classes are set up in workshops, military camps, and market towns..."

The national literacy rate has risen to 51. 8%.

51. 8% may not seem high, but if we go back 20 years, the national literacy rate was less than 50%!

If ordinary people can read and do math, they can enter factories, do business, and understand notices, and they will no longer be blind and confused as they live their lives.

This is about enlightening the people; it's a foundation that has a longer-term impact than building railways.

"The university has 232, 000 students, among whom Royal University is the largest comprehensive university in the world."

Chinese has become the lingua franca of the Asia-Pacific region, and the influence of the Han system, technology, and culture has spread in all directions, further solidifying the East Asian cultural sphere.

"In medical matters: county-level hospitals are fully covered, and village-level health stations are added in border areas. 92% of people have been vaccinated against smallpox, and smallpox has been completely eradicated."

With the early development of bacteriology, further advancements in surgery and disease prevention, and an increase in the average life expectancy of the population.

The system for early warning and response to epidemics is well-developed; highly contagious diseases can be controlled within fifteen days. For the past twenty years, there has been no longer the tragic scene of every family in mourning as seen at the end of the Han Dynasty.

Smallpox has been eradicated!

These four words are more heartwarming than any amount of political achievements.

In the past, smallpox was considered a death sentence. If a child in a family could survive smallpox, they were considered extremely lucky.

Now, with smallpox vaccination, 90% of people won't get the disease; it's gone in an instant.

How many children will survive, and how many families will no longer have to live in fear?

After the six reports were completed, Xun Yu closed the last account book and bowed deeply to Crown Prince Liu Chen.

Xun Yu's voice carried the weight of twenty years of experience, but also a burning pride:

"Your Highness, in 455, we personally witnessed the railway tracks extending from tens of kilometers in Yanshi to over a thousand kilometers... We saw the number of firearms increase from tens of thousands to the entire army being equipped with them, and we saw the number of overseas outposts increase from a few to the establishment of provinces."

Two decades have passed in the blink of an eye. From the ruins of a chaotic world, we have built an unprecedented industrial empire.

"However, I must also speak frankly: the railway only connects to the core provincial capitals, and the vast inland frontiers still rely on highways; basic science has only just been laid, and there is still much room for improvement in the efficiency of steam engines and the precision of metallurgy; overseas colonization is still mainly point-to-point and line-to-line, and the Americas, Australia, and the heartland of Africa still need to be explored; the literacy rate in rural and frontier areas is still low, and it will take time to educate the entire population."

Many unfinished tasks remain to be undertaken gradually.

If there are merits, acknowledge them; if there are shortcomings, acknowledge them. Don't boast or exaggerate; be honest and straightforward.

This is Xun Yu, steadfast as ever for twenty years.

With this report, the entire process came to an end.

After a moment of silence, the hall erupted in a deafening roar of congratulations:

"Your Majesty is wise! Your Highness is wise! Twenty years of success have brought prosperity; may the Han Dynasty last ten thousand years!"

The sound was so loud that dust fell from the roof of the palace.

Crown Prince Liu Chen stood up and slowly walked down the steps.