The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 287 Chief Engineer of the Panama Canal Company
The next day, Liu Quanzhi and Duan Yucai met Godoy again at the Honglu Temple.

Liu Quanzhi, as a representative, conveyed the attitude of the Ming Emperor:

"Your Majesty is mindful of the good trade relationship between Ming and Spain since the age of the galleons.

“Since the North American War, the Ming Dynasty and Spain have been developing more in-depth exchanges and cooperation in America and Europe very smoothly.

“Based on the long-standing friendly and mutually beneficial relations between the two sides, His Majesty the Ming Dynasty is willing to accept Spain’s promise.

“I believe that Spain has the ability to guarantee the normal navigation of the canal and the right of Ming Dynasty to use the Panama Canal without restrictions.

“At the same time, if the canal is interfered with by any forces other than the Ming Dynasty in the future, all the conditions we have agreed upon now will be changed, especially the Ming Dynasty’s right of navigation.

"The Ming Dynasty would take the initiative to send troops to eliminate interference and ensure the normal navigation of the canal."

Liu Quanzhi's last words were not some kind of promise, but more of a request and condition.

What it actually means is that you in Spain say that you can manage the canal, but if you encounter a situation in the future that you cannot manage, the Ming Dynasty will directly step in to control the situation.

"Any force other than the Ming Dynasty" includes Spain.

If you Spaniards changed your dynasty, changed your king, queen, prime minister and ministers, you would change your mind on the canal issue.

No matter what the reason is, as long as the Ming Dynasty’s use of the canal is restricted, the Ming Dynasty will directly send troops to intervene.

This is obviously a mandatory condition that does not require any specific permission or invitation from the Spanish side.

Godoy could hear the meaning behind this, and after a little consideration, he felt that this request was reasonable, just to prevent Spain from changing its mind.

So Godoy agreed directly:
"Thank you, His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, for your tolerance. I wish the friendship between the Ming Dynasty and Spain will last forever."

Duan Yucai then talked about the Ming emperor's attitude towards European affairs:

"Then regarding the situation in Europe, our Lord has also issued special instructions.

“The Ming Dynasty is not very interested in interfering in European affairs now, but its attitude will always stand on the side of order.

“If the European anti-French alliance countries encounter difficulties in resisting the French attack, Ming can provide help to the best of its ability.

"If the anti-French alliance can achieve a decisive victory in the war with France, the Ming Dynasty will also cooperate with you to restore the old order in Europe."

After hearing this, Godoy was not particularly satisfied, but he was not disappointed either.

Although it may sound cunning to say "join the war after achieving a decisive victory", it is a very realistic approach.

There are many such cases in history, including the American War of Independence, where France and Spain officially joined the war only after the Battle of Saratoga.

Before that, they only provided support outside the frontal battlefield, and the attitude of the Ming Dynasty is still the same now.

At the level of large-scale war, it is completely acceptable to make such a general statement.

In Godoy's view, the most important thing was that the Ming Dynasty made a positive statement and promised to stand on the side of the anti-French alliance in which he was a member, so that he could fight with confidence.

If the anti-French alliance is really short of breath, there is still the Ming Dynasty as a super force to help.

Although that would be like picking fruits, it would also ensure that you would not lose.

So far, both sides have basically discussed everything that can be discussed.

Liu Quanzhi and Duan Yucai signed an on-site memorandum with Godoy, turning the agreements reached by both parties into a semi-formal official document.

The next morning, the Ming Emperor Zhu Jianxuan hosted a banquet in the Wenhua Hall to entertain the Spanish delegation.

Zhu Jianxuan attended the party as the emperor. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Zhu Jianxuan spoke a few words.

Basically, it is just a repetition of the attitude that Liu Quanzhi and Duan Yucai had expressed to Godoy.

As the emperor, he formally made these promises on behalf of the Ming Dynasty.

The Spanish delegation headed by Godoy breathed a sigh of relief again, and stood up very sincerely to bow to Zhu Jianxuan:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your tolerance and support for order. We are very honored to have your trust."

After the banquet, Godoy continued to communicate with officials from the Ming Dynasty's Honglu Temple, as well as Liu Quanzhi and Duan Yucai, and drafted a formal cooperation agreement.

"Cooperation Agreement between Ming Dynasty and Spain on Transfer of Colonial Ownership and Construction of Panama Canal".

Due to the long distance between Europe and North America, communication and negotiation are very troublesome, so let's make the agreement first.

It is first signed by representatives of both parties and then submitted to the monarchs of both parties for confirmation.

If Godoy can convince the King of Spain to accept the agreement and sign the instrument of ratification, the agreement will take effect directly without the need for further negotiation and finalization.

If the King of Spain cannot accept it, then we can talk about amending the agreement.

This was also the case during this period in history, when overseas diplomats often had to judge for themselves whether their own king would accept the other party’s conditions.

If he is probably acceptable, then we can sign the contract first and take the agreement back for the king to review.

After signing the agreement, Godoy bid farewell to the Ming Dynasty's Honglu Temple and returned to Europe on a Ming Dynasty steamship.

Godoy returned to Madrid at the end of June of the fourth year of Tiangong and presented the agreement to the King and Queen of Spain.

He relayed the general idea of ​​Ming Dynasty's construction of the Panama Canal and described in detail what he had learned in Shuntian Prefecture.

Finally concluded:
"The Ming people are willing to exchange the construction of the canal for the Great Plains west of the Mississippi River.

"But they were unwilling to develop a tropical plantation and city and port on their own and hand it over to us, and a feasible way to build the Panama Canal would require the development of the land first.

“So the Ming people demanded the land on one side of the canal, and they would continue to gain income from the land and the canal in the future.

“After the agreement is officially approved, we will first deliver the land north of St. Louis, and Ming will begin to send workers and craftsmen to Panama for development.

“When the rainforest clearing along the canal route was completed and the canal itself was officially started, it was delivered to the Baja California peninsula.

“Two years after the canal project began, after the overall accounting confirmed its feasibility, it was delivered to the entire Louisiana region.

"When the canal is fully open to navigation, Haiti and all other remaining lands will be delivered."

The Queen of Spain was not very satisfied with the results of Godoy's negotiations, but she was not particularly dissatisfied either. It just fell into a very tangled range:

“The entire Great Plains of North America north of the Rio Grande, which includes San Antonio, and the Baja California Peninsula.

"That's a lot, plus the sea and the land on the Panama Canal side..."

Godoy anticipated the queen's attitude, so he came back to ask for instructions and persuade the queen after the negotiations reached this point:

“Your Majesty, wasteland without people and property is of little value, and this kind of land is the most abundant in America.

“The development of San Antonio was intended to guard against the British in North America, and there were not many local residents willing to stay there.

"This hot inland city could be completely abandoned at any time, just like those former settlements on the Great Plains.

“The really valuable places are the coastal towns at key waterway nodes.

“After the Panama Canal is opened, very important navigation nodes will be formed on both sides of the canal, which is the golden waterway.

“After Daming has completed the development on one side of the canal, we can also develop and build our towns in Spain based on Daming’s towns and development areas.

"The two sides are separated by a canal. We can get comprehensive support from the Ming Dynasty in terms of technology, materials, medicines, etc."

After listening to Godoy's explanation, the queen basically accepted the result.

He began to think about what Spain and himself could gain after the canal was built.

The King of Spain had another idea after listening to Godoy's report:
“Now that the Ming Dynasty has explained how to build the canal, that is, development first and then opening the river.

“Then why can’t we implement such a plan ourselves, develop it first and then open the river?”

Godoy was speechless when he heard this question: “Your Majesty, knowing that there are fourteen scales on the piano does not mean that you can play the piano.

"The people of the Ming Dynasty have long told us that their palaces are built with wood.

“Even the pillars of their palaces were not buried in the ground, but were placed directly on round stone platforms.

“There is no physical connection between them, the entire structure is held down purely by the gravity of the roof.

"But can we build a Ming-style palace ourselves?

"We obviously can't, we've only heard the general idea, we don't know the specific details at all.

"The Ming people needed railroads, steam trains, and steam engines.

“We don’t have the technology.

"The officials of the Ming Dynasty were able to control hundreds of thousands of craftsmen working at the same time, but our officials did not have this ability."

“At the beginning, we thought that if the people of the Ming Dynasty could build a canal, we could do it ourselves, so we started building the Panama Canal ourselves.

“We already know the outcome now, and we still have to seek help from the Ming Dynasty.

"So we accepted the conditions of the Ming Dynasty, and then arranged our craftsmen and officials to learn from the construction of the Ming Dynasty step by step.

"We can truly learn how to complete such a mega project."

The Queen of Spain immediately said:

"Yes, we can't make the same mistake a second time. Let's leave the canal issue to Ming Dynasty and we will focus on dealing with European affairs."

The King of Spain understood what Godoy meant and knew the general idea of ​​a certain complex technology, but truly mastering the technology and using it proficiently are two completely different things.

The King of Spain was silent for a long time, then he sighed and accepted the reality:
"Okay, let's focus on Europe next. What does the Ming Emperor think of the situation in Europe?"

Godoy immediately introduced Zhu Jianxuan’s attitude and interpreted its meaning and the possible actions that the Ming people might take in the future.

The King and Queen of Spain were a little helpless, mainly because they envied the Ming Dynasty for being able to stay out of the matter.

When it comes to European affairs, its position is even more transcendent than that of the island country of Britain, and it will not be directly affected at all.

Even if European countries are fighting to their death, the people of Ming Dynasty can still sit on the wall and watch the show. When the Europeans have almost finished fighting, Ming Dynasty can come out and reap the benefits.

He also had to welcome the Ming Dynasty to come and help, because only in this way could the Ming Dynasty stand on his side and ensure that he would win in the end.

But European countries have gained experience from fighting each other, and the Ming Dynasty's attitude is already quite good.

Even if it was to "provide all support except help", these kings could only say yes, because that meant at least they would not help their opponents.

After expressing their feelings for a long time, the King and Queen of Spain formally signed the new cooperation agreement and letter of approval with the Ming Dynasty.

Then Godoy was asked to arrange personnel to send the formal agreement and approval letter back to Ming Dynasty, and at the same time begin to implement the formal cooperation content.

Of course Godoy didn't dare to delay and immediately sent someone to do it. He didn't have to go there in person this time.

Spanish representatives arrived in Shuntian Prefecture at the end of August.

The Minister of Rites negotiated the signing of the final agreement and exchanged statements for the delivery of St. Louis and the lands to the north.

After receiving the notification, Zhu Jianxuan called Liu Quanzhi, Duan Yucai, and Li Baozhu again:

“The Panama Canal Company was formally established, and Mr. Liu and Mr. Duan went to select officials and prepare supplies.

"Baozhu, go find two fellow apprentices who are familiar with the canal and become the chief engineers of the canal company, in charge of the specific development project construction."

Although there will certainly be some difficulties in digging the Panama Canal, it will definitely be something that will go down in history.

The current social atmosphere in the Ming Dynasty was full of pioneering spirit, and the scholars and craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty were very interested in this kind of project.

Normally, if it was taken out, it would definitely be the target of competition among relevant personnel. Zhu Jianxuan did not replace people halfway and let the few people who had completed the preliminary work continue to be responsible for it.

Duan Yucai and Liu Quanzhi were both very happy to receive the order.

"The minister obeys the order."

Li Baozhu of course also understood this principle, so when faced with this arrangement, he took the initiative to say:

"Your Majesty, can I serve as the chief engineer of this canal myself?"

Zhu Jianxuan didn't mind his disciples taking the initiative to do the work, but he still had to be a little more fair:
"Of course you can, but if you take on the Panama Canal project, then the chief engineer position of the Three Gorges Project may have to be given to someone else."

Li Baozhu has been working on water conservancy projects in recent years and has also been concerned about the discussion of the Three Gorges Project.

The idea of ​​the Three Gorges Dam in this world was first proposed by Li Baozhu.

If this project is really launched in the future, it will be assigned to Li Baozhu if nothing unexpected happens.

But the problem is that the Three Gorges Project is too difficult, and the Ming Dynasty’s current water conservancy engineering technology is not sufficient.

We are currently planning and building small dams in other places to accumulate and summarize experience.

It is not known when the construction of the Three Gorges Project will start.

At the very least, we have to wait until Duke Yu's support for African development ends and the Chongqing area's external immigration project that cooperates with Duke Yu's development activities is completed.

When the imperial court makes overall planning and calculations for the Three Gorges Project, it will also need to see whether there are any remaining immigrants within the estimated construction scope. If so, it will continue to organize the immigration.

Even if the conditions for construction are met by then, if the engineering technology is insufficient, we will have to wait.

Maybe it will take five years, maybe ten, or even twenty years.

It is not easy to find a project like the Sanjiangze Lake, which has low engineering technical difficulty but huge scope and impact.

The Panama Canal project can begin now and is expected to be completed in about ten years. It will also have a huge impact and will definitely be recorded in history.

So although Li Baozhu has a special liking for the Three Gorges Project, he finally chose the present in the face of reality:
"The student was willing to give up participating in the Three Gorges Project and was willing to serve as the chief engineer of the Panama Canal Company."

Zhu Jianxuan agreed directly, and then gave a few instructions:

"Okay, go back and prepare yourself for a long trip to America.

“It will take at least ten years for the local area to be developed and constructed, and you can bring your family with you.

"I don't need to remind you that in tropical conditions, it is best to be cautious.

“Be magnanimous to your subordinates, workers, people, and servants.

"Don't think you can be arrogant just because you are a disciple of the emperor.

"If you have any trouble or need anything, just write to me directly."

Li Baozhu immediately bowed and responded:
"Students must obey their teachers' instructions."

Zhu Jianxuan's advice was not only to remind Li Baozhu to pay attention to his relationships with colleagues, but also to clarify Li Baozhu's identity, which in turn reminded other relevant personnel.

Let others know that the Panama Canal project was done by the emperor's own disciples.

Any situation related to it may be directly reported to the emperor.

Even if other people get involved, it is best not to play tricks on such matters, otherwise the consequences will not be something that anyone can bear.

Duan Yucai and Liu Quanzhi present at the scene are objectively leaders of the civil service system.

After the two of them returned, when they organized the affairs of the canal company, they naturally had to inform other relevant personnel of the situation so that all officials would keep their eyes open.

(End of this chapter)