I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 582 Canal
With the continuous increase in grain production in Jianghuai, Jingyang and other areas, the difference in grain production between the north and the south will become more obvious.

This is determined by the geographical location.

Without a long-term plan, one will have immediate worries. There is no doubt that the population of Luoyang City and even the entire Henan Province is continuing to grow.

Whether it was Chang'an and Luoyang during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Bianliang during the Northern Song Dynasty, or Beijing during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, one issue that had to be considered when establishing a capital was how to transport food from the south to feed the population in the capital and surrounding areas that exceeded the land's carrying capacity in the most convenient and efficient way.

So the answer before Liu Bian was already very clear - the canal.

One advantage of having the capital in Luoyang is that there is no need to consider the natural barrier of the Yellow River leading to Chang'an, which is located in Sanmenxia, ​​Hongnong County.

For this purpose, Fan Ling, who had surveyed water conservancy in the south for several years after leaving his post as Sikong, made a special trip back.

"Mr. Fan, please take a seat!" Liu Bian invited.

Fan Ling was somewhat terrified and quickly declined: "I have only done my duty and dare not take credit for it."

But Liu Bian held his hand tightly and praised him, saying, "Mr. Fan has built no less than ten ditches of different sizes in the Jianghuai area in recent years, and he did not exhaust the people's efforts in building the ditches. He deserves this achievement!"

Fan Ling was moved and was taken to sit by Li Hong.

After reminiscing about the past and looking forward to the future, Fan Ling took out a thick stack of papers from his sleeve and said to Liu Bian, "Your Majesty, I have been considering the canal in recent years. Since the fourth year of Yangjia, the imperial edict was issued to build the Yangqu Canal under the city, connecting the Yellow River and the Ji River in the east and the Yangtze River and Huai River in the south, so that tribute and supplies can be transported here."

That’s right, the Han Dynasty was currently using water transportation, which could also connect Luoyang to the Yangtze River.

The Yangqu Canal was originally a population canal surrounding the inner city of Luoyang, responsible for irrigation and providing domestic water for the city. Later, it was modified and extended. The Yangqu Canal passed through Luoyang to the east, crossed the Luoshui River and entered the Yellow River, and then connected with the Huaihe River through the Bianqu Canal and Sishui River. Finally, it connected with the Yangtze River through the Han Canal.

Before the Yellow River burst its banks in order to "stop the Jin soldiers" in the late Northern Song Dynasty, the Yellow River had not yet taken over the Huai River to flow into the sea, and the Huai River's independent outlet to the sea had not been abandoned due to the accumulation of silt from the Yellow River.

The Hang Canal is also an artificial canal with a long history. It was built by the State of Wu as early as the Spring and Autumn Period to connect the Huai River and the Yangtze River.

Fan Ling continued to introduce: "In the past, the Bian Canal belonged to the Hong Canal. There were many canals and it could also transport water. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, the Yellow River burst its banks and could not be controlled for 20 years. Silt and sand accumulated and most of the Hong Canal was abandoned."

"Later, the old canal of Honggou was dredged to become the Bian Canal, which connected to the Huai River via the Sishui River. However, the Bian Canal was damaged by the silt from the Yellow River all year round. It needed to be dredged every year to facilitate river transportation. Later, the Bian Canal expanded eastward, and the old water gates were all in the river, causing complaints from the people of Yan and Yu."

"In the 12th year of Emperor Xiaoming's Yongping reign, Wang Jing's plan for sand control was adopted, with the Bian Canal as the surface and the Yellow River as the root, to be jointly controlled. Jing then measured the terrain, dug through the hills and hills, broke the rocks, cut through the ditches and streams, prevented the flow of water, and cleared the blockages. He set up a water gate every ten miles to allow the water to flow back and forth, eliminating the danger of leakage. Although Jing simplified the cost of labor service, it still cost tens of billions. In this way, the Bian Canal was kept safe for nearly a hundred years."

After talking about the past management of the river transport channel, Fan Ling talked about the current problems of this waterway connecting the Yangtze River and the Yellow River:

"More than 120 years have passed since Wang Jing repaired the river. The silt accumulation in the Bian Canal has become increasingly serious. If that were the case, the silt would be cleared every year. However, the Si River is often dry, and the number of irrigated fields along the way has increased compared to previous years. Whenever there is less water, river transportation becomes difficult to continue. As a result, when there is a shortage of food in winter and spring, even after the ice on the Yellow River melts, river transportation becomes difficult to continue."

Liu Bian asked, "You have come here to teach me some good advice, right?"

After hearing this, Fan Ling happily took out a piece of paper with a picture from the paper he brought. Liu Bian looked at it and thought it looked very familiar. Fan Ling introduced: "This is the new river channel planned by me. It uses part of the water section of the Bian Canal and connects irrigation canals and old river channels in many places. It does not pass through the Si River and goes directly to the Huai River."

Only then did Liu Bian realize that what Fan Ling was planning was a section of the Grand Canal of the Sui and Tang Dynasties - the Tongji Canal, which was expanded and rebuilt on the basis of the Bian Canal.

"But even with these foundations, most of the ditches need to be widened, and some old roads are no different from newly dug. I estimate that the money and grain required will be as much as 10 billion yuan, just like the story of Wang Jing hiring people to repair the Yellow River."

Liu Bian looked at Fan Ling helplessly. Ten billion, how many companies would have to be confiscated? Did they really think it was a 10 billion subsidy?

Can't take it out at all.

Fan Ling obviously did not come here to create problems for the emperor. He explained: "But this is a way to speed up the construction period. Luoyang's demand for water transportation is not so urgent now. I think that if it takes ten or twenty years, supplemented by corvée labor, it should be able to save at least 2 billion yuan or even more."

Liu Bian probably understood that Fan Ling said this because he was worried that he would be too impatient and want to complete the feat in one year like Wang Jing did when he repaired the Yellow River.

Apart from the lesson of Emperor Yang of Sui, Liu Bian felt that he had always been cautious in using the people's power. He couldn't help but wonder, is this the image of him that is fond of ostentation in Fan Ling's mind?
However, it is fine to just complain about this thought in your heart, and it is not advisable to speak it out loud.

But even if it lasted for ten years, 800 million coins a year would still be a huge sum for the finances of the Han Dynasty, which had just been restored.

But it doesn’t matter. Ten years is less than twenty years. Liu Bian feels that he is very stable.

"Building river transportation is originally a matter of convenience for the people. We must not let this convenience become a harm to the people because of the desire for quick success and instant benefits." Liu Bian said while holding the information compiled by Fan Ling. "Nowadays, there are many states and counties in the world that need to be rebuilt. There are countless places that need money, food and manpower. How to plan specifically still needs to be considered in the long run!"

"But rest assured, sir, I will definitely build this canal!"

In Liu Bian's memory, today's climate has not yet reached the lowest point of the Little Ice Age. By then, the 400 mm precipitation line, which is the dividing line between farming and nomadism in the north, will continue to move southward due to the climate, and the northern frontier will become more difficult to live in. This is also a major objective background for the migration of the Hu people inland during this period in history.

By then, the North will still be able to survive, but its ability to resist disasters will be further reduced.

With the canal, the north and the south can be better connected and the national resources can be integrated. Even if a large-scale natural disaster occurs, there will be an additional lifeline for transporting grain.

After getting Liu Bian's promise, Fan Ling said goodbye and left.

Fan Ling didn't know whether he would live to see the day when the river was completed, but as long as the river was completed, he would have no regrets in his life.

He thought with anticipation that he would ask Cai Yong to write an ode for him, just like Fan Huiqu did. Thinking of this, Fan Ling's steps became lighter.

Suddenly, before Fan Ling left the palace, he saw a figure and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, "Bo Ji, I haven't seen you for many years. Are you doing well?"

(End of this chapter)