Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

The Grand Canal, stretching over 5,000 li (approximately 2,500 kilometers), is like a giant blood vessel, regularly supplying grain and other resources from the south to Beijing, the heart of the Great Wall, every May and September. This golden waterway bore such a heavy responsibility that the position of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner was extremely important throughout history. During the Ming Dynasty, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner often acted as an agent for the Grand Canal, and the position of Grand Canal Commissioner was sometimes established and sometimes abolished. By the Qing Dynasty, the Yellow River had been diverting its course to the Huai River for four or five hundred years, and frequent floods caused by siltation posed a significant challenge to the management of the Grand Canal, especially in the Qingkou area where the Yellow River, Huai River, and Grand Canal converged, making the river works particularly arduous. This led the Qing Dynasty to place far greater emphasis on the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner than the Ming Dynasty, and the Grand Canal Commissioner's position gradually surpassed that of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner. It was common for the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner to act as an agent for the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, and rare for the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner to concurrently manage river affairs. After Wei destroyed the Qing dynasty, the Great Khan of Lianhua attached great importance to river management. More than two years ago, he dismissed Zhou Youde, the river governor who was ineffective in managing the river, and replaced him with an expert named Chen Huang who was in charge of the position. Because Chen was very effective in managing the river, he was recently promoted to the official position.

However, Chen Huang, young and impetuous, had only been the Grand Canal Commissioner for a short time when he began meddling in matters of state, submitting a memorial to the emperor arguing that sea transport was 40% cheaper than river transport and that switching to sea transport would save the court at least 1.2 million taels of silver annually. The memorial was extremely detailed, listing the costs of canal transport, including grain transport costs, canal maintenance expenses, shipbuilding costs, and additional fees. It even detailed corrupt practices such as excessive levies and extortion during grain collection, the use of canal boats to transport smuggled goods, and military extortion. This revelation caused a huge uproar throughout the court and the country, with memorials impeaching him flooding the Qianqing Palace.

The opponents also had valid reasons, arguing that sea transport was more dangerous than river transport. A tsunami could wipe out all their resources, citing the example of a hurricane during the Yuan Dynasty that swept away 92 ships sailing in the Bohai Bay, killing all the soldiers and sailors. They further argued that nearly a million people depended on river transport for their livelihoods, and its cessation would inevitably lead to chaos and disorder. They deemed this absurd plan a sign of ignorance. They also claimed there was no concrete evidence of extortion, smuggling, or military transport, and even if such practices existed, who could guarantee that sea transport was free of these drawbacks? Chen Huang's words were clearly malicious!

"Chen Huang merely spoke the truth, and these people accuse him of having ulterior motives. In my opinion, it is they who have ulterior motives!" Sultan sneered as he looked at the thick stack of impeachment memorials and the few supporting memorials before him.

He knew perfectly well that sea transport was far cheaper and faster than river transport, making it extremely economically efficient. While some might say sea transport was risky, wasn't river transport also risky? Since the Yellow River changed course to the Huai River, river transport had frequently resulted in capsized boats and drownings, proving its inherent dangers. While Chen Huang might be exaggerating the corruption within the river transport system, without corruption, why were there so many opposing memorials? It was precisely because river transport had created a large vested interest group—river officials, merchants in cities along the canal, and so on—that changing the mode of transport meant changing the beneficiaries, thus provoking such a massive wave of opposition.

The Great Khan had spent his entire life amidst bloodshed and turmoil, so why would he fear opposition? However, with his shrewd political skills, he did not rush to express his opinion. Instead, he summoned two important ministers who supported maritime transport, Xue Zongzhou, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, and Hu Lianqi, the Minister of Revenue, to the palace for questioning.

"Chen Huang is a master at river management, but unfortunately he doesn't understand canal transport, which has drawn criticism from both the court and the public. What do you think I should do to punish him?" he said deliberately.

"The Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties all established their capitals in Beijing. The Yuan dynasty used sea transport, and the transfer of goods was never a major problem. The Ming and Qing dynasties abolished sea transport and relied solely on river transport, but this did not bring any benefits; on the contrary, it caused harm. Not only did it consume huge sums of money, but it was also frequently disturbed by the Yellow River, and the loss of grain and blockage of the waterways became commonplace. Chen Huang was merely speaking the truth; what crime has he committed?" Upon hearing that the emperor was going to punish Chen Huang, Xue Zongzhou quickly tried to dissuade him.

Hu Lianqi smiled slightly and said with a smile, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful, how could you not see the benefits of maritime transport? What you are worried about is probably the millions of people who depend on river transport for their livelihood, right?"

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you, Minister Hu," Sultan said with a smile, seeing that his thoughts had been seen through. "The war with Tsarist Russia has been extremely costly, leaving the national treasury empty and in debt to the people. Switching from river transport to sea transport could save 1.2 million taels of silver every year. To be honest, I do have the idea of ​​switching from river transport to sea transport. However, nearly a million people have long relied on the canal for their livelihood. If they lose their livelihood, there may be unrest. That's why I'm discussing this with you."

"The claim that millions of people have lost their livelihoods is, in my opinion, nothing more than an excuse used by certain individuals. We can relocate some of the porters, sailors, and boatmen on the canal to coastal docks, and grant some of them farmland. As long as the people have food to eat, they will not cause trouble. In this way, only the interests of officials and merchants will be harmed," Hu Lianqi suggested.

"I'm afraid that the freight rates for sea transport are too low, and that merchants won't be willing to take on the business," Xue Zongzhou worried.

“No problem, we can attract maritime merchants to charter our services by offering off-season transportation, cash payments, and compensation for losses,” Hu Lianqi had already planned ahead.

The Great Khan was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately declared, "Changing river transport to sea transport is imperative! This matter is settled then. Some say this will cause chaos throughout the land, but I want to see who dares to rebel while I am here."

At this time, Sultan was nearing sixty and long past the age of impulsiveness. Although he was determined to change river transport to sea transport and was not afraid of any consequences, he still wanted to keep the unrest to a minimum before issuing the decree. For this reason, he specially summoned the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner Asumu to the capital for a heart-to-heart talk.

"I remember you did a great job as the governor of Sichuan. Why is it that after you became the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, the losses were enormous, with the annual expenses amounting to more than three million taels of silver?" Upon meeting him, he gave Asumu a harsh blow.

Asumu felt a chill run down his neck and quickly knelt down to explain, "Your Majesty, the river has been in disrepair for many years. Dredging the river, purchasing cargo boats, hiring laborers, and covering travel expenses all cost money. This humble servant has long been blessed by Your Majesty and would never dare to do anything that would harm the public interest or enrich oneself at the expense of others!"

Sultan secretly rejoiced. "You might not dare to embezzle, but you've definitely accepted bribes from merchants. Otherwise, what are you afraid of?" he thought. "However, this man is quite adept at managing the economy; he's a talent. It would be a pity to kill him. Besides, changing river transport to sea transport requires his cooperation. We can just find his weakness and give him a good talking-to." Hearing this, he smiled and said, "You misunderstand. I feel that river transport is extremely costly and want to switch to sea transport to save expenses and time. I'd like to hear your opinion. Is this feasible?"

Those who can reach the position of governor are naturally all shrewd people. The Great Khan has already decided to change river transport to sea transport. If I were to object, I would probably be sent by imperial envoys to the Grand Canal Governor's office to audit the accounts immediately!
"Your Majesty is wise! This is a great thing that benefits the country and the people! This servant believes it is feasible," Asumu replied loudly. (End of Chapter)