Chapter 178: The First Step of the Railway

The same is true of today's steam engines.

The steam engine is still in the experiment, and if this kind of machinery is produced on a large scale, the Ming Dynasty has little experience, but the imperial court also has a lot to do.

For example, Belin once built various astronomical instruments, which were not much worse than steam engines in terms of complexity.

Some of these dozen steam engines were experimental products built before, and some were built in a hurry by gathering the best craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty.

It's just that not counting the R&D costs, Zhu Qizhen doesn't know how much money has been invested in it.

Calculated alone, the production cost is 5,000 taels per unit, and there is not much moisture.

Liu Dingzhi is not without countermeasures, he said: "It's not that the minister doesn't give it, but he just hangs the account first, and then settles it at the end of the year." ”

Zhu Qizhen knew as soon as he heard it that Liu Dingzhi had no intention of giving money at all.

What is called the end of the year and settle together.

In this year's situation, the imperial court must have a deficit. At the end of the year, when it was time to summarize, Zhu Qizhen must allocate silver from the inner treasury to the Taicang silver treasury.

Although 100,000 taels is not a small amount, it is only a small amount of money in such a big expenditure this year. Add to the deficit, it's not worth mentioning.

When the time comes, use the money from the inner treasury to pay off the accounts of Shaofu, and Liu Dingzhi's abacus is really fine.

Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly, but he didn't say this to Liu Dingzhi today for a mere 100,000 taels of silver.

If it is a matter of the side, the 100,000 taels should be regarded as a face for the first assistant, and the inner library will bear it directly. And that's just a beginning.

Zhu Qizhen said: "If Mr. promises me one thing, the 100,000 taels will be okay." ”

Liu Dingzhi immediately became vigilant and said, "Your Majesty, please speak." ”

If there are some things that are reasonable, how dare Liu Dingzhi deny Zhu Qizhen's decision? And Zhu Qizhen is softly begging at the moment, there must be something wrong with it.

How is Liu Dingzhi not vigilant?

Zhu Qizhen said: "Since the steam engine can be used, can the train be used?" ”

Liu Dingzhi immediately said: "Your Majesty, now that the imperial court's finances are already difficult to support, if you want to build a railway, wouldn't it be a labor force?" The imperial court really couldn't hold it anymore. ”

Zhu Qizhen's eyes narrowed slightly, grabbed Liu Dingzhi's words, and said, "Mr. means that the imperial court can't support it, not that the train and the railway are useless, right?" ”

When Liu Dingzhi first looked at the steam engine, he also used funds to talk about things, but the ideas behind it were different.

What do you do when you see your boss doing something inexplicable?

It's to say directly, you idiot, can you settle down.

Nature is impossible.

I can only tell him tactfully, this is not possible. There's nothing better than funding.

Liu Dingzhi naturally thought the same way.

Liu Dingzhi admits that the steam engine and the train generally have a little effect, but deep down, he just thinks that this is just a big toy of the emperor.

This is no longer the case.

The steam engine did not play a leading role in this drought fight, and only a dozen counties were affected by the steam engine.

But after this small-scale use, the steam engine has been taken out of the list of big toys by Liu Dingzhi and put into the country's heavy weapon.

The mere fact that it can lift water is enough.

In many places, even in times of great drought, there is not a drop of water.

It's just that the water level is lowered and can't be poured into the fields, even if it's just a few meters away, and the water is the same with or without it.

But with the steam engine, it was very different.

There has been a fundamental change in food production in many places.

This is especially true for many arid places in the north.

In this case, the steam engine is not the important weapon of the country, and what is it?

With this precedent, Liu Dingzhi has some faith in anything related to the steam engine.

Therefore, he really has no money now.

Zhu Qizhen asked. Liu Dingzhi groaned slightly and said, "That's right." ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "In this way, I will allocate a batch of money from the inner treasury to be responsible for building the railway from Zunhua to Beijing, after all, the road from Zunhua to Beijing is too busy." ”

"These 100,000 taels are counted in this account."

It seems that Zhu Qizhen has his own money, so he can do such a thing by himself. But why go over from the Cabinet.

Because, Zhu Qizhen himself ordered the construction of the railway, which was the behavior of the Shaofu or the behavior of the Great Interior, and had nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty.

It also does not borrow the manpower and material resources of the Chidao system.

You must know that the Ming Dynasty and today's Chi Road, far away from Gansu, south to Lianghuai, north to Beihai, east to Haixi. It has been tens of thousands of miles long, and has also cultivated a group of very experienced road repair teams.

These places are all people from the Ministry of Works.

Without the nod of the cabinet, Zhu Qizhen would not be used.

Although the construction of the road is not exactly the same as the construction of the railway, it is impossible for the two sides to connect seamlessly. But after all, there are similarities.

What's more.

If the Cabinet agrees, there will be a precedent in the future.

The project of replacing the gallop road with the railway was officially rolled out. In the future, I am afraid that Liu Dingzhi will not be able to stop Zhu Qizhen from using the railway instead of galloping.

A lot of times, there are two with one.

Zhu Qizhen's mind can't be hidden from Liu Dingzhi.

Liu Dingzhi sighed secretly in his heart and said: "The minister has thanked Your Majesty, but the court is difficult, and I also ask the inner library to make up for it." ”

He actually understands very well what Zhu Qizhen is going to do, also

There is nothing that can't be done, at most there are some twists and turns.

This is determined by Zhu Qizhen's character and Zhu Qizhen's power.

Since he couldn't stop it, Liu Dingzhi naturally didn't stop it. But it's still good to find some benefits from the middle.

Zhu Qizhen said: "Okay, I have estimated, the railway from Zunhua to Datong is about 500,000 taels, and I allocated one million taels to the Taicang Silver Treasury, half of which is used by Qing?" ”

Although Zhu Qizhen has the intention of tightening the inner library, after all, although the inner library is rich, it is not a bottomless pit. There are no endless silver dollars.

Now that the finances are so tight, Zhu Qizhen retains one point, one is to let the household side bear a little pressure, and the other is to grasp the initiative of the imperial court.

After all, financial resources are also a kind of power in many cases.

It will never be like the Wanli Emperor.

Therefore, when the household can no longer support it, it is also necessary to cover the bottom of the inner library.

Zhu Qizhen was also extraordinarily generous when he gave money.

Liu Dingzhi immediately said: "Your Majesty Xie." ”

Zhu Qizhen breathed a sigh of relief, many times, money is a trivial matter for Zhu Qizhen. The important thing is that Zhu Qizhen is going to summon Bei Lin to tell him about the construction of the railway this time, from Zunhua to Beijing, the distance is not far, and there is no precipitous terrain. There should be no problem.

After Liu Dingzhi, he reported one or two more on these things.

For example, the disaster relief situation in Shanxi, on the whole, the situation in Shanxi is still relatively good, Ye Sheng is able to do things, and he mobilized the gallop from Beijing to Datong to transport grain. Although it cost a lot, it finally allowed the people to survive this year.

There is also a little problem with the Sichuan toasts.

The problem of Southwest Toast, in fact, has always been one after another, on average, there will be some chaos in a few years, but it is just a size.

The governor of Sichuan and the commander of Sichuan are quite effective, and generally limit these chaos to a certain range, of course, most of the Tusi are only a few thousand people, as if they are just a big bandit.

It's just that in the deep mountains and old forests, it's not easy to encircle and suppress.

Zhu Qizhen also supported Liu Dingzhi's decision, that is, don't stir up the army, as long as these toasts make trouble in their ravines, don't worry too much.

When the imperial court has passed this difficulty, it will send a large army to encircle and suppress it.

Then Liu Dingzhi retired.

After Liu Dingzhi retired, on the way out, he saw Li Bing, the secretary of the ministry, waiting outside. The two did not mention the ceremony.

After Li Bingmu sent Liu Dingzhi away, he slowly got up, took a deep look at the plaque on the Qianqing Palace, and walked into the Qianqing Palace under the guidance of the eunuch.

He knew that he could still mix in the Daming officialdom, so he watched it play right once, and if it didn't work right this time, he would take the initiative to beg for bones.

After all, sometimes take the initiative to go, and there is some decency, and it is not easy to be driven down.