Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1240 Old officials and new things

"The steam locomotive is a good thing. It won't take long for us to go to Suzhou and turn back. It's just that my old bones are not working, and I still can't bear the journey of several hours."

Zhang Yandeng, the Civil Affairs Officer of the Jianghuai Province, took the officials of the Provincial Yamen to take the train in person, from Nanjing City, where the Provincial Yamen is located, to Suzhou City.After inspecting Suzhou City for a few days, he returned to Nanjing City.

In order to prevent animals or ordinary people from straying into the railway tracks, there are barbed wire or wooden fences on both sides of the railway.

Because a small generator was transferred from the capital, the front of this steam locomotive has a lighting system, which can illuminate the road ahead, and can drive even at night.It's just that the small generator isn't powerful enough to light the normal compartment.

"The legendary steeds travel thousands of miles a day. I think this thing is faster than King Zhou Mu's eight steeds. With it, Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Changzhou, and Suzhou will be connected, and the goods will not stop day and night. The earth runs on rails, and our Jianghuai province is likely to remain the most prosperous province in the empire in the future!"

"The construction of this railway has cost us a lot of local finance in the Jianghuai Province, and we still owe a large loan to the Bank of Kyushu. You may not feel that there is anything in other departments, but our financial office is uncomfortable. The next three years will be at least Careful planning is needed to keep local finances from being strained."

The senior officials of the provincial yamen of the Jianghuai province have mixed feelings about the opening of the Ningsu Railway.

For the entire provincial government, the opening of the Ningsu Railway is undoubtedly a brilliant achievement, but for the financial government responsible for local budgetary expenditures, it is very painful.

The construction of basic projects requires a lot of funds, and the provincial financial office is also responsible to the Ministry of Households. If the financial budget of the Jianghuai Province collapses due to the construction of the Ningsu Railway, then the financial office will be held accountable.

Zhang Yandeng had a long beard, and looked back at the officials who were discussing steam locomotives, with a trace of regret on his face.

"Mr. Zhang, what's the matter with you?" A sixty-year-old official with gray temples asked.

"I just regret that it's the era of this kind of change, but most of my body is buried in the soil, and I can't see any weird things coming out after the steam locomotive. So I can't help but envy them. They can still see See more magical things..." Zhang Yandeng couldn't help sighing.

Since ancient times, Zhang Yandeng thought that he had experienced everything in the world at this age, but in the last short period of his life, things such as iron-clad ships and steam locomotives appeared, which made Zhang Yandeng sigh, and at the same time, he was very young. Officials are envious.

The younger generation of officials can still see a more powerful country, but he has retreated into the background at this node of prosperity.

"I'm going to retire next month, and I'll leave the affairs of Jianghuai Province to you, Yu Sixun." Zhang Yandeng asked the officials in his sixties.

"The next official has already passed his sixtieth year. I am afraid that he will retire in a few years after taking over as the civil affairs officer of Jianghuai Province. As you said, the future belongs to the younger generation of officials." Yu Sixun can feel Zhang Yandeng's enthusiasm Sigh.

The appearance of ironclad ships and steam locomotives has made the older generation of officials who have been active in Wanli year full of longing for the future, but they may not see a day when the empire will become stronger.

Zhang Yandeng, civil affairs officer of the Jianghuai Province, applied to the Ministry of Officials for retirement with some regrets in the month following the smooth opening of the Ningsu Railway.In fact, Zhang Yandeng reported to the Ministry of Officials for the final exam last year, and the Ministry of Officials approved his application long ago and asked him to officially resign after the opening of the Ningsu Railway.

Although Zhang Yandeng still wanted to do his last bit of effort to bring the empire to its peak, his age and physical condition ultimately prevented him from exerting his remaining energy.

Yu Sixun, who succeeded Zhang Yandeng as the civil affairs officer of the Jianghuai Province, was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli. He experienced the three dynasties of Wanli, Tianqi, and Chongzhen.

Not long after Yu Sixun took office, Wuhu businessmen represented by Wang Changyuan approached him under the recommendation of the prefect of Taiping Prefecture, and asked the government whether the government would allow private railway construction and the cost of the construction.

"The Lord of the Army announced publicly in Tianjin Wei not long ago that as long as private businessmen have enough financial resources and are willing to submit to the government's jurisdiction, then the private sector can be allowed to build roads and railways, and our government can even provide technical and talent support." Yu Sixun He took the initiative to interview Wang Changyuan and others.

Wang Changyuan can be regarded as an experienced businessman dealing with the government. He has even met Chu Yun several times, and he also helped deal with the textile workers in Suzhou City burning the textile factory. Even Yu Sixun has heard of him.

Wuhu County is also an important county in the Jianghuai Province, but it is not particularly important compared to Suzhou City.

According to the railway construction plan of the Jianghuai Province, the next section of the railway will still not be the railway to Wuhu County.

But it would be different if the people paid their own money to build it. It is equivalent to the government and the people building the railway at the same time. The formation of the railway network will be faster, and the Jianghuai province will be more prosperous.

"I don't know the investment of the railway? Can the technology and talents provided by the government help us complete the construction of the railway from Nanjing City to Wuhu County? How will it be operated after the construction is completed? I represent the folks in Wuhu. Let the folks spend a lot of money." Wang Changyuan expressed his difficulties.

"Don't talk about you ordinary businessmen and people, but our government has to spend so much money to build the railway from Nanjing to Wuhu, and we are all stretched thin." Yu Sixun said.

The Jianghuai province was able to build the first railway, which was more than 400 miles long. The cost of the railway was hard to bear. Seeing that Wang Changyuan and other Wuhu businessmen spontaneously wanted to contract the construction of the railway, although they were calm on the surface, they were already happy in their hearts. flowers.

If the Ministry of Industry forbids the private sector to enter the railway industry, he will naturally give Wang Changyuan and the others a closed door. However, the current situation is that the capital encourages private capital to pour into roads, railways and other basic transportation fields for investment and construction. Collect them to build roads.

Regardless of the staggering initial investment in infrastructure construction, this is regarded as a "fixed asset" of the entire society, which can guarantee the prosperity of the empire in the next few decades or even hundreds of years.

Investing money in roads is more worthwhile than land acquisitions.

"I don't know if there is an account book of prices, so that I can use it as a reference to estimate the cost and income of building and operating the railway?" Wang Changyuan asked cautiously.

"About the price of the rails, I'll tell you the truth. It changes due to the technology of the rail beam factory, and it also fluctuates up and down. However, we can provide you with an approximate price list for the construction of the Ningsu Railway, but you are not allowed to disclose it." Yu Sixun Said.

(End of this chapter)