My Brother-in-law is the Prince

  Chapter 530 Destruction

   Within a few days, news came from the Republic of Genoa that the fleet led by the vice-admiral had defeated Genoa!

   This city was also built by merchants, but now... naturally, it has also fallen into the hands of Ming Dynasty.

  At the same time, Rome issued a decree regarding the ownership of Venice and Genoa to Ming Dynasty.

   Regardless of Qiu Song's tough attitude towards Erdan and Donkey Ball, it is still very important for Daming to be recognized by Rome.

   It's not because of fear of Rome, but... Daming wants to replace the Venetians and Genoese merchants, and integrate into the whole of Europe more smoothly. With the authorization and recognition of Rome, it will be much smoother.

  Especially powers like tax package.

   Within a few days, Zheng He's fleet finally arrived in Venice.

  The first thing Qiu Song did was to hurry up to Zheng He, and shouted, "Eunuch Zheng, it's been a while since you came. We don't have enough boats, so we need to borrow your lucky boat."

   Zheng He smiled and said, "What do you need to load?"

   "Gold and silver." Qiu Song said straightforwardly.

Zheng He:"…"

  Qiu Song’s fleet is considered huge. Such a huge fleet...couldn’t even hold it, and even had to borrow Zheng He’s ships. This...

  However, after a brief discussion, Zheng He and Qiu Song finally agreed on a plan.

   Zheng He will lead the fleet and return with gold and silver.

   While Qiu Song left an elite navy stationed in Venice, at the same time, 3,000 soldiers of the Model Battalion will also be stationed here.

   Zheng He still has another mission on his return voyage this time. After the return voyage, the next time will bring a larger fleet, will carry more cargo, and a large number of people, especially merchants, etc., will arrive in Venice and Genoa, enrich Venice and Genoa, and The power of Venice's colonies in North Africa and the Near East.

"This is really a good place." Zheng He couldn't help but sighed: "There are so many gold and silver, not to mention, this sea area is surrounded by continents on all sides, but there is a sea in the middle. Relying on ships, you can Quickly arrive at the North African cities mentioned by these populations, not only to Egypt, but also to Constantinople, but also to Rome, Greece, France, and because there is land on all sides, there is no comparison in the sea. Big winds and waves, it’s no wonder that such a unique location... There are 60,000 merchant ships in the size of Venice, if my Ming Dynasty has such an inland sea, why do I need to build any canals?"

  Qiu Song scratched his head. He didn't know much about Zheng He's feelings, so he just said, "Eunuch Zheng, what do you mean, their geography is suitable for sailing?"

"That's right." Zheng He was very insightful in this regard, so he continued: "I am going to sea in Ming Dynasty. If I don't order a special ship, I can't withstand the storm. But this so-called Mediterranean Sea is surrounded by There is land, so just like the inner lake, ordinary sea ships can still cross this sea. Hurricanes and storms are rare here, and there are many cities along the coast. In such a place, sea transportation must be far better than land transportation! "

"In time, these Europeans, or those North Africans or big cannibals, their shipbuilding and navigation skills will certainly not be inferior to my Ming Dynasty, His Royal Highness Wuhu County King, it is indeed unique, teach you to take Get off this Venice. This place is the pearl of the Mediterranean Sea. As long as you occupy this place, you can go to the big food in the east, reach the hinterland of Europe in the north, restrain Rome in the west, and go to North Africa in the south. This is to hold their throat The land, whether it is military or trade, is a vital place."

Qiu Song showed a smile and said happily: "I don't know anything else, I just know... listen to my brother. In the future, I will teach many Han merchants, guard soldiers and horses, and teach this Venice. In the future, I will become my great Ming in Europe and North Africa. Dashi’s trading hub.”

Zheng He smiled and said: "If this is the case, then this Venice should be my Ming Dynasty's new Jiuquan and Yumen Pass! With this place, the trade between Ming Dynasty and Europe will not be cut off. It’s not in vain.”

   After a brief rest, Zheng He took advantage of the arrival of the monsoon and set sail with his fleet, loaded with gold and silver.

   At the same time, the Doge's Palace in Venice is still there, and Qiu Song has already begun to collect all the Venetian ships.

  These ships will be indispensable in the future.

  ...

   Erdan and Donkey Ball are still staying in Venice. As Rome's liaison personnel here, they have to continue to deal with Qiusong.

   "I heard that they are going to change the name of Venice."

   "Rename?" Er Dan obviously heard this for the first time, subconsciously frowned.

  It can be said that since the Ming army captured Venice, Qiusong has had a lot of tossing and tossing every day, and the items of tossing and tossing are also different every day. In fact, Er Dan has become accustomed to this.

  Donkey Ball said: "This place will be changed to Fubo, and Genoa will be changed to Zhenhai."

   "Hey..." Erdan sighed, with a faint look on his face, but he didn't continue to say anything.

  Lvqiu glanced at Erdan, and comforted Erdan, "No matter what, at least those Venetian merchants... are unlucky. This is not a bad thing for Rome."

"No." Erdan immediately shook his head and said, "Although we no longer have the threat of the Venetians, these people are more terrifying than the Venetians now. They didn't kill anyone when they came here, and all their means were for gold. Yin, neither preaches hatred nor their gods. In their view, anyone can be an enemy or form an alliance. Their diplomatic flexibility is really unreasonable. But it is precisely because of this that they It's more worrying."

  Donkey Ball opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. After a pause, he said, "God will bless us..."

   Er Dan's brows furrowed even deeper. It was obvious that he was not optimistic about the donkey ball's prayer.

  Donkey Ball thought for a while and said, "Since God led them here, there must be His reasons. So, why should we worry?"

   Er Dan couldn't find any words to refute this, but was only faintly worried, so he had no choice but to nod, and then fell silent.

  ...

  Compared to Europe, Daming, which has already arrived in the twelfth lunar month of winter, has a different scene at this time.

For the establishment of the Ministry of Railways, a large amount of funds were still poured in. Immediately afterwards, hundreds of thousands of people were recruited, ranging from soldiers, to laborers, to craftsmen, and even doctors, teachers, and countless people began to proceed in an orderly manner. building.

  The construction of the first railway to Jiangxi has already begun.

   This also made Zhili's steel workshops immediately rise and become prosperous.

  The railway finally began to enter Jiangxi.

   This railway first goes from Wuhu to Chizhou, then enters Raozhou Prefecture, and then goes all the way to Nanchang Prefecture.

  The manpower and material resources used for such a huge project can be described as astonishing.

  Countless laborers, under the leadership of craftsmen, began to advance.

   At the same time, Zhu Zhanji, ambassador of the Jiangxi Railway Department, made plans early.

  The planned land will be directly ordered to be expropriated, and all land will be compensated according to the market price.

  The one mile land along the railway line is also completely under the jurisdiction of the Railway Department. In addition to building stations, it has also begun to absorb a large number of merchants.

Regarding this point, Zhili has long had experience. In this era, whenever a railway is built, such an arterial line, in a sense, is a channel of wealth, and the land with a radius of several miles will greatly benefit. With the market , with the circulation of goods, it is bound to absorb nearby people to settle here.

   Those who came to settle, naturally became the people under the rule of the Railway Department, and had nothing to do with the previous prefectures and counties.

  The ambassador of the Jiangxi Railway Department is the grandson of the emperor. When the railway began to appear in Raozhou Prefecture, it immediately suffered a backlash.

   But such a rebound is nothing more than thunder and rain.

   Naturally, there were some public grievances in the local area, but when the inspection department along the main railway line and a hundred households were stationed together, these grievances seemed to disappear.

   Even because of the shortage of manpower, the railway department began to recruit workers in Raozhou Prefecture.

  As soon as they heard that they were going to recruit workers...the local people were in a panic, and many young and old people left their hometown overnight.

  Song Wang Zhang Anshi arrived here just at this time.

  He also heard that the railway in Raozhou had started, so he made a special trip here.

  In this temporary residence of the Jiangxi Railway Division, Zhu Zhanji was struggling to deal with one thing after another.

   When he was finally free, Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Zhanji with a smile and said, "Why, is it so hard work?"

Zhu Zhanji said with a bit of tiredness on his face: "When the railway was being built in Zhili, you didn't have to worry about anything. If you had anything to do, you could let the people below do it. But once you entered Raozhou, the situation changed. It’s very different, and you have to keep an eye on everything, just for fear of any negligence.”

Zhang Anshi couldn't help laughing, and then said: "Now all the railway divisions are pointing at you, the grandson, to cross the river. You have worked hard, but the experience you have accumulated can be used by the railway divisions in the future." gone."

Zhu Zhanji smiled bitterly and said: "Uncle, don't be cynical. I am in a very difficult situation right now. Uncle, you know... Jiangxi Railway Division is recruiting workers here, and many laborers from nearby villages, not only no one came, but ran a lot."

  Zhang Anshi was taken aback for a moment, and also felt surprised, so he asked curiously, "Why?"

  Zhu Zhanji said: "Many people think it is the corvee of the government in the past. In the past, the corvee of the government not only had to pay for it, it was a lot of hard work, and it might delay the farming season, which was unspeakable."

  Zhang Anshi said strangely: "Then why don't you post a notice to tell everyone that the railway company pays wages?"

Zhu Zhanji shook his head and said: "In fact, all the methods have been used, but the effect is not good. How many of the local ordinary people are literate after this notice is posted? They can't read it either. But those who can read and understand People, but they don’t want to read it to the common people. In fact, these people are eager to see the railway company’s jokes!”

Zhang Anshi thought about it seriously, and then said: "There is always a way. If it doesn't work, you can wait. This road is not Zhili. Most of the people are imprisoned in the countryside, and some don't have much knowledge. It’s justifiable, and when some people gradually taste the sweetness in the railway company, there will naturally be people vying to cling to it.”

  Zhu Zhanji said: "But now that the railway is under construction, it is time to employ people, so there is no waiting."

Zhang Anshi smiled, looked at Zhu Zhanji, and said: "Zhanji, some things need to be done urgently, because if you don't do it, you can't do it, and if you don't rush it, you can't. The meaning of the Ministry of Railways is to build railways, but what is the real purpose? It is to win people's hearts!"

   Zhu Zhanji calmed down and listened carefully.

Zhang Anshi continued: "What is the human heart? There is no rush for such things as the human heart. Now you only want to drag the people to the construction site to build the railway, but you don't know... this is cause and effect. If I were you Ah, I've got one thing to do."

  Zhu Zhanji stared fixedly at Zhang Anshi, and said, "Uncle, don't be fooled."

  At this time, Zhang Anshi finally spit out two words: "Jiancheng..."

"Built the city…"

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Every station that passes through the prefecture and county, the surrounding land can be used for development and construction of new cities. There must be many facilities in the new cities, such as medical centers, schools, and inspection departments to ensure Public security, even, there must be a righteous village, and even... there can be a theater, and with these, it will attract merchants to hold some markets, all in all, everything is based on benefiting the people."

Zhang Anshi paused, and continued: "In this way, some people around are seriously ill, let's try to show them. If there are people around who have nothing to do, we can give them some rough education. Another example is that every night, the theater troupe Set up a stage, play and sing, of course, don’t want that kind of serious playing and singing, serious people who listen to those elegant things? You need those ordinary performers in the village, hire them, anyway, to teach everyone music Ha ha ha."

"Frozen three feet does not happen in a day. We patiently put up these skeletons one by one on this planned station. Naturally, some people will run here. Over time, they will be able to get a sense of it. By then... spend more time With money to hire labor, you can even set up some small workshops. When the railway is completed in the future, these people can surround the station, load and unload goods, or do some small businesses. In short, they want to teach us about the new city near the station. It’s different from other places. As long as people get together, they will have their hearts, so why don’t you worry about not working hard?”

  After hearing this, Zhu Zhanji showed a little puzzlement, and then said: "Uncle, the new city? The stations in all prefectures and counties... If they are all new cities, what about the old cities?"

Zhang Anshi laughed and said, "What does that have to do with the railway department? If the local magistrates and county magistrates are really capable, they can teach the land they govern to be clean and peaceful, and the people can live and work in peace and contentment. Naturally, their old city can be maintained. Or maybe the local gentry and aristocratic clans oppressed some people less, or even, as they usually say, they are kind and generous, and have no disputes with the people. How can this old city and other local people easily leave the place where they have been living? Woolen cloth?"

"But if they just use the signboard of benevolence, righteousness and etiquette, and what they do is not human affairs, then the common people rush to the new city at the station, and we still care whether the old city is dead or alive? This is their business. Anyway, as long as people come, They are placed under the thousand households of the railway department and the hundred households of the hundred households, and they are the people under the administration of the railway department."

Zhang Anshi continued meaningfully: "We can also build cities, which can replace the previous prefectures and county towns. Since ancient times, many urban areas have been built according to water. This is not only because the people need water sources. The most important thing is that A large number of people need to rely on the transport capacity of the river to communicate with each other. But now that the railway has been built, the railway line is essentially equivalent to a river."

  Zhu Zhanji frowned and said: "If so, wouldn't the Jiangxi Railway Department's railway be built hundreds of new cities?"

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Why not? After the railway is built, there will be no worries about merchants coming to do business. The railway company will invest another sum of money to provide the people with some basic services. Then... there will be no worries about people." If there are people, there will be a city, and if there is a city, it will belong to the railway department, and the railway department will really replace the old officials in the future. If it wasn't for this, don't you think that Uncle is full? So, do you have to come to Jiangxi to preside over the railway affairs? If this matter is done, it will be a thousand years of merit."

After a pause, Zhang Anshi took another meaningful look at Zhu Zhanji, and then said: "If it can't be done, so much money of His Majesty has been wasted, Uncle, to be honest, His Majesty will die of anger, and Long Yan Wrath, is that okay? Who can bear such thunderous anger? But Zhan Ji, you are different, even if the sky falls, His Majesty will not be able to cut off your head."

  Zhu Zhanji: "..."

  Zhu Zhanji was moved and full of confidence when he heard it.

  But the more I listened to it later, the more I felt something was wrong.

  He discovered in vain, Uncle called me here for this?

  Seeing that he was beginning to fall into deep thought, Zhang Anshi laughed and said, "Haha, Uncle is joking, don't take it seriously. All in all, you and my uncle and nephew are in dire straits right now, and we can only move forward."

  Zhu Zhanji said: "I gradually understand. From this point of view, what Uncle said is not unreasonable. It's just that this new city..."

   Speaking of this, Zhu Zhanji paused. Obviously, he also hoped that Zhang Anshi could give him some effective advice on this matter.

Zhang Anshi then smiled and said: "This... Uncle also has some ideas, come here, you see, I have a plan for the new city here, it can be regarded as a template, the general plan of the new city can be based on this, and then follow The terrain needs to be repaired. Zhan Ji, my uncle has broken his heart because of you."

   As he spoke, Zhang Anshi took out many blueprints as if by a magic trick.

  Zhu Zhanji was dumbfounded. He obviously knew that all of this was done on purpose by Zhang Anshi. From obtaining the land along the line, to planning the station, and then to the new city, none of them were left behind.

  When Zhang Anshi spread out the drawing carefully, Zhu Zhanji didn't care about other things, so he quickly put away his thoughts, lowered his head and looked at the drawing seriously.

  (end of this chapter)