I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 947 Arrival in Nanjing
Li E said: ".Build a railway that runs through the Jiangbei area."

"The railway that runs through Jiangbei?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The people of Jiangsu hope to build a railway along the canal, preferably in the area east of the canal."

"why?"

“Your Majesty, it looks like there are two railways in Jiangsu, the Jinpu Railway and the Zhenghai Railway.

The Jinpu Railway has been completed, but it enters Jiangsu from Shandong, passes through Xuzhou and the Yellow River, then turns southwest and enters Suzhou, Anhui.

The border of Su is only 150 miles long, and then it runs through Anhui Province, from Fengyang and Chuzhou to Pukou in the north of the Yangtze River in Nanjing.

The Zhenghai Railway is still under construction, but it runs westward from Haizhou, passing through Pizhou and Xuzhou, and goes straight to Henan. Not only is the border of Jiangsu only two or three hundred miles long, but it is also located at the junction of northern Jiangsu, Shandong, and Henan. It is of no benefit to the central region of northern Jiangsu."

Li E said sincerely: "Your Majesty, the Jinpu and Huning lines have been repaired, and the people of Jiangsu have witnessed the benefits of railways. They can pull more, run faster, and are smooth all the way.

Today, Xuzhou has not only become an important city in northern Jiangsu, but also the gateway to the Central Plains and a key location in the Jianghuai region. The importance of its geographical location has reached a new level.

It has also boosted the local economy, and it is expected to surpass Huai'an in the near future.

Therefore, the elders and folks of Jiangsu have entrusted me to express to the emperor and the court their sincere hope that a railway can be built along the canal, running from north to south and connecting the north of the Yangtze River. "

Zhu Yijun looked at him and Yang Lingde.

"I ask you, why did the Ming Dynasty build railways?"

"Break through obstacles, connect east, west, south, and north, and exchange what we have with others."

"Promote economic development, make travel more convenient for people, and improve people's livelihood"

"Then do you know the principles of the imperial court's railway construction plan?"

The two were silent.

"The principle of the Daming Railway Construction Plan is to provide timely assistance, not to add icing on the cake.

Why adopt this principle?

Because building railways is very expensive and requires a lot of manpower and material resources. The Ming Dynasty's economy is booming, and fiscal revenue is growing year by year, but there are many places to spend money, and it is simply impossible to support the model of blooming everywhere.

Therefore, we can only adopt a key construction model.

Since it is a key construction model, efficiency must be taken into consideration and the benefits that the railway brings to the local area must be maximized.

That’s why we have the principle of helping those in need.”

Zhu Yijun waved his hand, and Qi Yan hurriedly took out a map from the bookshelf behind him. He first put away the Huaihe map, and then spread this map on the table. This was a schematic diagram of the Ming Dynasty railway route.

“The Jinpu Line and the Jinghan Line are two north-south arteries connecting the three major regions of Gyeonggi, the Yellow River Basin and the Yangtze River Basin.

The Beijing-Hankou Line connects Hebei, Henan and Hubei. It is still under construction to the south and is expected to connect to the Beijing-Guangzhou Line.

Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Guangdong, transportation has always been the most troublesome problem for the court. In order to develop the economy of these regions, their transportation must be improved.

The Beijing-Hankou Railway was a timely help to them.

To whom did the Jinpu Railway provide timely assistance?

Tianjin goes south into Shandong all the way to Xuzhou, and the direction of the Jinpu Railway is consistent with the North Grand Canal.

When planning the Jinpu Line, people from the Ministry of War wanted to simplify things and suggested just following the canal, but I severely criticized them for this.

It's a timely help, not icing on the cake!

Places with canals have the canal as their main artery. Although it is not as convenient as railways, at least there is a large blood vessel. The Jinpu Line must take care of places without blood vessels!

From Tianjin to Dezhou, due to insufficient water resources, the transport capacity of this section of the canal is intermittent and may collapse at any time. Especially in the dry season in winter, it is completely unusable.

Therefore, this section of the Jinpu Line basically runs along the canal to supplement the transportation capacity in this area.

From Dezhou to Shandong, the canal had sufficient water supply due to the supplement of many large rivers, and the north-south transportation capacity could be maintained. Therefore, from Tianjin to Xuzhou, the Jinpu Line avoided the canal as much as possible and went through the hinterland east of Shandong.

There are many mountains and hills here, so the construction cost has increased a lot, but I think it's worth it because it can boost the transportation in this area.

Then we went to Jiangsu."

Zhu Yijun pointed at the map and said to Yang Lingde and Li E.

"You have a canal in Jiangsu that runs from north to south, and this section of the canal has the most abundant water resources in the entire Jiangbei Canal. You don't have to worry about water all year round, and transportation is smooth.

Not only that, there are many lakes in this section of the canal, as well as many rivers on both sides, some of which are connected to the Huaidong Salt Field on the seaside, making it very easy to transport goods.

Convenient transportation makes the economy of this area very developed.

But what does Anhui have?
The Yangtze River is in the south, and its hinterland does not enjoy any convenience at all.

There is a Huai River in the hinterland, but it runs east-west and gets angry from time to time. It brings no benefits and requires a lot of financial and material resources to serve it. "

Zhu Yijun leaned back in his chair and looked at Yang Lingde and Li E.

"You should have heard about it. After the Jinpu Line plan came out, a minister submitted a memorial saying that the railway passed through the Fengyang ancestral mausoleum, and the trains whizzed past and shook the ground, which might disturb the ancestors. He was even more worried that it would damage the dragon vein of the Ming Dynasty."

Yang Lingde and Li E nodded.

They were not in office in Jiangsu at the time, but they also heard about this matter.

Disturbing the ancestors and destroying the dragon vein's fortune are two serious crimes that no one can bear!
"My ancestors, it's fine if it's disturbing. What's the harm to the dragon vein? The railway is the new dragon vein of the Ming Dynasty, and the industrial revolution is the new fortune of the Ming Dynasty!
I only look at the real dragon veins and fortunes that can benefit the country and the people. The illusory things are just the ulterior motives of some people.

I overruled all the opposition and approved the Jinpu Line plan. At the same time, I also agreed to extend a railway from Fengyang, passing through Hefei and directly to Anqing, connecting the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River.

At the same time, we will go west from Nanjing through Hefei and Lu'an to Wuchang. Once this railway is completed, when the technology is advanced and the time is ripe, we will start building a railway from Wuchang along the Yangtze River into Sichuan, connecting Nanjing, Wuchang, Chongqing and Chengdu by rail.

At that time, we should be able to build a Beijing-Shanghai railway that passes through the Jiangbei area of ​​Jiangsu and connects the capital to Huzhou."

Zhu Yijun pointed at the map and said, "There is another thing you must know. The northern Jiangsu region is made of many lakes and rivers, but it is also a bad thing.

There are many lakes and rivers, and there is a bridge every ten miles and a dike every five miles. It is very costly and requires high construction technology. Therefore, considering the above factors, building a railway in northern Jiangsu is not a top priority.

I must make it clear to you, and you must also make it clear to the elders and fellow countrymen of Jiangsu.

You are all local leaders, you must have a broad perspective and learn to prioritize things. Good steel should be used where it is needed most. When we invest huge sums of money in building railways, we must consider comprehensively how to maximize its efficiency.

"Your Highness understands your good intentions."

When the special train entered Suzhou, Anhui Governor Hu Zongpu and Provincial Governor Zhang Sidi led the officials of the three departments to welcome the emperor.

Other officials from Jiangsu took the train directly to Nanjing and then transferred to Yangzhou, which was faster than going south along the canal.

The tenth day of April is an auspicious day.

After fasting for three days and taking a fresh bath, Zhu Yijun, accompanied by Grand Secretaries Xu Zhenming and Zhang Siwei, Academicians Yu Dayou, Pan Yinglong, Hu Rugong, Governor of Jiangsu Yang Lingde, Governor of Anhui Hu Zongpu, Jiangsu Governor Li E, and Anhui Governor Zhang Sidi, entered the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum to pay homage in sacrificial robes.

The group went from north to south and first entered the Zhenghong Gate of Tucheng.

The imperial mausoleum is divided into three levels, with one city on each level.

The outermost layer is the earthen city, the middle is the brick city, and the inside is the imperial city.

After entering the main red gate of the earthen city, walk along the red bridge into the Lingxing Gate and the Minglou of the brick city, then follow the sacred road across the Imperial Bridge, enter the Golden Gate of the imperial city, and arrive at the main hall of the imperial city, also called the sacrificial hall and the hall of enjoyment.

There are nine rooms in total, with red three-level yellow glazed tiles and green and blue painted decorations. There are also eleven verandas on the east and west sides.

The central hall houses the ancestral tablets of Emperor Chun and Empress Chun (Zhu Yuanzhang's parents). On both sides are the ancestral tablets of Zhu Xinglong, King of Nanchang, Zhu Xingsheng, King of Xuyi, and Zhu Xingzu, King of Linhuai (Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest brother, second brother, and third brother).

The worship ceremony is held in the main hall.

Three animals are offered as sacrifices, and the official in charge recites the sacrificial text.

The eulogy was naturally written by Zhang Siwei.

Then Zhu Yijun brought Concubine Song and the princes and princesses into the hall, while Xu Zhenming brought civil and military officials to the platform outside the hall. They bowed five times and kowtowed three times in front of the ancestral tablets.

Then Zhu Yijun, Concubine Song, the princes and princesses changed their clothes in the left side hall, and the officials changed their clothes in the right side hall, changing their sacrificial robes into daily clothes, or work clothes or work clothes. Then Zhu Yijun took Concubine Song, Zhu Xuanni and others to the left side of the Yisheng Mountain in the mausoleum, and Xu Zhenming and others to the right side, and each of them planted a small cypress tree.

"Pine and cypress trees grow into forests, leaving their legacy to future generations."

After planting the trees, Zhu Yijun took Concubine Song and the princes and princesses to pay homage in front of the mausoleum with family rituals.

Done!

Zhu Yijun asked Concubine Song to take the princes and princesses to a side hall to rest, while he himself took some of his followers and walked around the imperial mausoleum.

The imperial mausoleum has a history of more than 200 years. Due to its age, many places show signs of disrepair.

In the 23rd year of Chenghua, Emperor Chenghua carried out a large-scale renovation.

After that, Emperor Shizong also carried out four renovation projects during the Jiajing period.

After Zhu Yijun ascended the throne, the royal family had no shortage of money. In the third year of Wanli, the largest-scale renovation of the imperial mausoleum since its completion was carried out, directly using bricks, stones, and reinforced concrete.

After a round of walking, I found that everything looked brand new, and my money was well spent.

Since the recruitment of eunuchs was stopped in the first year of the Wanli reign, the number of Jing troops stationed here gradually decreased. The Zhongdu garrison submitted a petition requesting that the common people be moved in to carry out daily maintenance.

Zhu Yijun simply made use of the mountains, forests and fields around the imperial mausoleum, relocated 600 households and established the Fengyang Farm, where he engaged in agricultural operations while ensuring the daily maintenance of the imperial mausoleum.

At the same time, a garrison regiment was stationed nearby to carry out daily patrols and vigilance.

That afternoon, Zhu Yijun cordially met with farm employee representatives at the Fengyang Farm headquarters, held discussions with them, and then distributed gifts of comfort.

The next day, accompanied by Yu Dayou, Zhu Yijun inspected the headquarters of the Mausoleum Guard Regiment, reviewed the officers and soldiers of the regiment, and awarded relevant medals and gifts.

They helped us guard and maintain the imperial mausoleum. As their descendants, we must express our gratitude in some way.

At twelve noon, Zhu Yijun and his party boarded the special train at Fengyang Railway Station and continued their journey, arriving at Pukou Station three and a half hours later.

Yingtian Prefecture Governor Li Zhi brought a group of officials from Nanjing, as well as Huzhou Prefect Lin Zeyou, Zhejiang Governor Ye Mengxiong, Zhejiang Provincial Governor Zhao Guancai and others to Pukou Railway Station to welcome him.

The group boarded a 1,200-ton steam ferry that could carry a thousand passengers, crossed the Yangtze River from Pukou Wharf, and arrived at Nanjing City Longwan Ferry Wharf.

Pukou to Longwan Ferry is currently the busiest ferry route on the Yangtze River, connecting the Jinpu and Shanghai-Nanjing railways.

After arriving at the Longwan Ferry Terminal, Zhu Yijun, Xu Zhenming and others, accompanied by Li Zhi, inspected the nearby Nanjing Shipping Building while it was still light.

This is the Southeast Shipping Dispatching Center and the headquarters of many Yangtze River shipping companies.

He then inspected the nearby Nanjing Yangtze River Shipping Administration.

The Yangtze River Navigation Administration was directly under the Ministry of War, and its headquarters was located in Nanjing.

The Nanjing Bureau, Wuchang Bureau and Chongqing Bureau were set up to manage shipping in the lower, middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River respectively.

It is equipped with several Guazhou Type II steam-engine clippers and has the right to enforce shipping laws in the waters of the Yangtze River.

At the same time, the water police detachment under the guard army can also be mobilized to assist in law enforcement.

The Water Police Detachment is divided into Nanjing, Anqing, Jiujiang, Wuchang, Jiangling, Chongqing and Yibin Battalions, which were reorganized from the previous Yangtze River Navy.
After the inspection, Zhu Yijun and his party entered the city through Yifeng Gate and stayed in the Nanjing Imperial City.

The Nanjing Imperial City was built by Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. After Emperor Chengzu moved the capital to Beijing, it was basically abandoned.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty rarely toured the south, and the place became even more desolate and dilapidated. It costs a lot to maintain it every year.

Zhu Yijun had long wanted to "donate" it and split it into Nanjing Museum, Nanjing University and Nanjing Library.

But there was great resistance. This was the imperial palace of the old capital. If he donated it, people would accuse Zhu Yijun of being a spendthrift.

During this southern tour, Zhu Yijun decided to solve this problem once and for all.

The next morning, Zhu Yijun convened a joint meeting of the three southeastern provinces, one capital and one state in the Wenhua Hall of the Nanjing Imperial City.

(End of this chapter)