Among the kings of Europe, Louis XVI and George III could be considered men of decorum, at least stronger than those of the Habsburg family—it was precisely because of the Habsburg family that the Holy Roman Empire became a joke that was neither holy, nor Roman, nor worthy of being called an empire.
As a man of decorum, and one who was constantly imitating and following Zhu Jinsong, Louis XVI naturally learned what it meant to keep his word.
If he said he would beat the shit out of Gangbiya, then he would definitely beat Gangbiya.
There was no need to doubt whether France had the ability to beat Gangbiya, because France and England were both developing their navies at full speed, and they also had a large number of garrisons and labor recruitment offices in the Western Kunlun Mountains. For France, it was simply easy, simple, and enjoyable to beat Gangbiya.
Zhu Jinsong did not doubt Louis XVI's sincerity either—this guy even dared to sell off all of Europe, so what else was there that he wouldn't dare to do?
However, for the Great Ming at this time, no matter how many laborers were imported, it still could not solve the problem of insufficient population.
After deliberating for a long time, Liu Huaiwen was the first to speak, saying, "Your subject believes that if we want the common people to have more children, we still need to rely on the common people themselves."
Zhu Jinsong chuckled and retorted sarcastically, "If not on the common people, then should it be on me?"
To be fair, Zhu Jinsong knew what Liu Huaiwen meant by his words, but Zhu Jinsong couldn't help but want to retort—he had just said that the slow growth of the Great Ming's population was rooted in Zhu Jinsong, the Emperor of the Great Ming.
Now that there was such an opportunity, the usually magnanimous Zhu Jinsong naturally wanted to retort.
Besides being magnanimous, this was also a means of closing the gap between the emperor and his ministers.
You see, I can still joke with you all, I have always been that Zhu Jinsong, and I will never mistreat you all in the future.
Such small tactics should be used when they need to be used.
Just like Liu Huaiwen, who was being retorted, now involuntarily recalled Zhu Jinsong before arriving at the Jade Emperor Mountain.
Smiling slightly, Liu Huaiwen continued, "Reporting to Your Majesty, what your subject means is that we still need to find ways to improve the living standards of the common people, so that they can earn more money and have a better life."
"If the common people feel no pressure to have and raise children, they will naturally have them. After all, the older generation is still there, and the concept that more children are a blessing will not change just because of the appearance of a few workshops."
"In addition, there is another very important reason, which is that the places requiring the relocation of people are increasing day by day, as written in the 'Great Ming Newspaper'. All the common people in the world are aware of this."
"Many common people want to be selected for relocation, but if they have one or two children, it will be difficult to relocate without many considerations. Therefore, this is also a very important reason."
"In the final analysis, it is because the common people are busy making money and want to improve their family's income and living standards, which is why they have postponed having children."
Zhu Jinsong had never considered the problem in this way.
If he said that the common people did not want to have children due to the high pressure of life, Zhu Jinsong could understand it, as even the maternity hospitals had started to assign quotas.
But what Zhu Jinsong couldn't understand was that some people were delaying having children in order to migrate to other places?
What the hell is wrong with that?
Liu Huaiwen continued, "In addition, the steam engine line from Shuntian Prefecture to Jinling has been completed for several years. Previously, it was only used by the Five Military Commissions or the workshops and merchants under the imperial court. Your subject feels that it is time to try to let the private sector use it for a period of time?"
"If it is truly opened up, the flow of goods from workshops will accelerate, costs can be further reduced, and the income of the common people will also further increase. At the same time, it will become easier to relocate people to other places than before."
"Especially to the west of Ganshan, and to Xizang and Duogan, as well as on the grasslands, if the railways can also bear some of the role of transporting people, these infertile lands can be revitalized."
Hearing Liu Huaiwen mention the issues of Ganshan and Xizang and Duogan, Zhu Jinsong's expression also sank.
Land degradation and soil erosion were definitely fatal problems for the Ganshan region. Not to mention the Great Ming now, even if the future China were moved here, it would take considerable effort to govern, and it would take decades to show even a little effect.
Or, to put it more bluntly, the biggest problem in the Ganshan region is that it is already difficult to achieve self-sufficiency in grain—for the Central Plains, silver is not the biggest guarantee, but grain is.
As long as one has enough grain, there will be no panic at any time.
For example, a certain Li who delivered express packages.
If Gou Chengzi had been able to eat his fill back then, and occasionally had a few drinks, perhaps this guy would have dedicated his life to delivering express packages.
It was precisely because he couldn't eat his fill, and was cuckolded, and many other reasons, that Gou Chengzi, in a fit of rage, embarked on the path of rebellion.
The fall of Chongzhen was not due to the Jurchens, but due to the millions of hungry Gou Chengzi.
However, if Liu Huaiwen's proposal were to be agreed upon, the Great Ming imperial court would now have to face another problem.
The problem of train tickets.
Who would sell them?
How would they be sold?
Judging by Liu Huaiwen's greedy nature, he would keep the ticket sales firmly in his hands and not hand them over to other yamen.
Especially the Ministry of Works.
However, the construction of railways was originally the responsibility of the Railway Department of the Ministry of Works. Now that the returns were about to be seen, the opportunity to collect money was taken away by the Ministry of Revenue. The Railway Department had earned a reputation for spending a lot of money, so would the Railway Department be willing?
If it were to be under the Railway Department, it would certainly not do.
A complete "Iron Elder," no one could afford to offend.
After some deliberation, Zhu Jinsong said, "This way, Lord Zeng, please discuss this matter properly with them and submit a memorial."
...
When all the important officials returned to the Wenhua Hall, Zeng Cheng said with a wry face, "Minister Liu, you have given us all a big problem. If there isn't a good meal today, this matter cannot just pass like this?"
Liu Huaiwen felt a bit of heartache and muttered softly, "How about waiting until the salaries are paid?"
Zeng Cheng glared at Liu Huaiwen angrily and said, "You old stingy, is it so difficult to treat you to a meal?"
Liu Huaiwen chuckled and cupped his hands in apology, saying, "It is truly because my family has no surplus wealth, so I hope the Grand Secretary will forgive me?"
Zeng Cheng pointed at Liu Huaiwen, and finally sighed helplessly, saying, "Forget it. In this life, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat a meal you treat me to. I can only hope to attend your banquet in the future."
Liu Huaiwen's face darkened, but Zeng Cheng continued, "Let's hear it first, regarding the railways, what are your plans? According to your statement, will the Ministry of Works not start building double tracks in other regions again?"
Liu Huaiwen nodded and said, "Indeed, not only do we need to build them, but we also need to draw some personnel from the Royal Academy to find ways to increase the speed of steam locomotives."
"According to the data compiled by our Ministry of Revenue, the demand for steam locomotives is the greatest on the section from Shuntian Prefecture to Jinling. Next is the section from the grasslands to Shuntian Prefecture, and then the section from Jinling to Chengdu and then to Yunnan."
"Currently, among the Great Ming, only the section from Shuntian Prefecture to Jinling is a proper double track. The rest of the lines are single tracks, which can only accommodate one steam locomotive at a time, either going or returning."
"Therefore, in the next step, the Ministry of Works needs to start building double tracks on the sections from Jinling to Guangzhou, and from Jinling to Chengdu, and from Chengdu to Yunnan. Then, gradually, all lines will be built as double tracks."
"This is especially true for the Ganshan region—after the railways are completed, the connection between the Ganshan region and the capital and Jiangnan will become closer, and it will be more convenient to transport grain from the Jiaozhi provinces to there."
"If possible, you should also send some personnel from the Ministry of Works to cooperate with the local farmers' associations to plant trees and afforest, so as to solve the problem from the root."
Song Yucheng, the head of the Ministry of Works, immediately turned grim: "Build all of them as double tracks?"
Liu Huaiwen nodded and said, "Since our Ministry of Revenue has proposed it, we have certainly prepared to bleed. Let me put it this way: you can build them now. Before the eleventh year of the Holy Emperor, eighty million taels of silver will be specifically used for railway construction. By the twelfth year of the Holy Emperor, this number should increase to one hundred million taels of silver."
Song Yucheng was immediately agitated: "Liu Huaiwen, Liu Huaiwen, why didn't I realize that you old scoundrel was so terrible before? Build all of them as double tracks? And plant trees and afforest?"
"What, do you think that just because you produced eighty million taels of silver, I have the ability to turn all eighty million taels of silver into railways? I think you've eaten lamp wick ash and are talking nonsense!"
"I'm not afraid to tell you the truth, for the railways that have already been completed in our Great Ming, not including Duogan and Xizang, there are two laborers buried under every mile of railway on average!"
"Sichuan, Guizhou, Duogan, and Xizang are even worse. The bones of four or five laborers are buried under every mile of railway on average. Do you know that, you scoundrel!"
"And build all of them as double tracks? Where do you expect me to find so many laborers for you? The laborers imported by our Great Ming in these years have basically been consumed. The speed at which France and England send laborers is even slower than the speed of consumption!"
Liu Huaiwen said, "Don't you know to let the people of Great Ming do some work? Do you have to torment the laborers exclusively?"
Upon hearing Liu Huaiwen's words, Song Yucheng became even more displeased: "The people of Great Ming? If there are places where the people of Great Ming can be used, doesn't our Ministry of Works know to let the people of Great Ming earn more silver? But my old brother, building railways often requires filling in with people! Tell me, dare I use the people of Great Ming to fill them in?"
Saying this, Song Yucheng sighed, "Forget it. Even if you don't mention this matter today, it will still have to be built in the future. Now it's just earlier. However, your Ministry of Revenue should indeed come up with more money."
Hearing this, Liu Huaiwen's heart sank, and he muttered, "This is bad!"
Damn it, I've been chasing geese all day, and this guy named Song has led me astray!
Zeng Cheng, however, stopped Liu Huaiwen and Song Yucheng, lowered his head, and began to ponder.
It was obvious that many people in the Great Ming no longer solely relied on farming for a living. This was evident because the workshops paid more, and the grain production in the Jiaozhi provinces was high and the price was cheap, so even if the people bought grain, it was enough to eat.
However, in the Ganshan region, the people's grain was not enough to eat, and they had to spend money to buy food.
This was also unavoidable. Due to soil erosion and desertification, the grain in the Ganshan region was not enough to eat—sweet potatoes? That stuff was fine for emergency hunger relief, but who would eat it as a staple food every day?
To be honest, the Great Ming had invested a considerable amount of manpower and material resources in the Ganshan region in these years. The Ministry of Revenue appropriated funds, the Ministry of Works ran workshops, and the people had become somewhat wealthier, but the little extra money was reinvested by the people into grain.
Compared to the Jiangnan and Zhejiang regions, the living conditions of the people in the Ganshan region were definitely worse.
If, as Liu Huaiwen said, several double-track railways were built there, further reducing transportation costs, and the people were strongly guided to plant trees and afforest, perhaps the problem of land degradation in the Ganshan region could really be solved?
Even if more manure was transported there...
After thinking for a moment, Zeng Cheng said, "The large-scale construction of railways can not only allow the common people to earn more money, but also solve the problem of land degradation in the Ganshan region."
"How about this: you in the Ministry of Works first prepare the surveys and budgets, and you in the Ministry of Revenue also prepare the corresponding funds and grain, so that you are not caught off guard when everyone gets busy."
After Liu Huaiwen and Song Yucheng both agreed, Zeng Cheng continued, "Also, if the railways are all built as double tracks, they will also be used to transport people and civilian goods. Then this matter will not only be a matter for your Ministry of Works or your Ministry of Revenue, nor will it only be a matter for the Ministry of War."
Liu Huaiwen was stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"
Zeng Cheng said, "This matter involves too many places. For example, who should collect the money for transporting people and civilian goods?"
Liu Huaiwen exclaimed, "That should naturally be collected by the national treasury. Otherwise, would the Ministry of Works collect it? Don't forget, the money for building railways was all allocated by our national treasury!"
Zeng Cheng chuckled and said, "I say, Old Liu, don't you think about it? How much money can you collect from transporting people and civilian goods? If you hold all the money collection matters in your hands, it's not a good thing, is it?"
As for Zhu Jinsong's suggestion to discuss it properly and submit a memorial, Liu Huaiwen might not have realized the intricacies, but Zeng Cheng was very clear about it.