I'm a big dick

Chapter 577 Work for Relief——Career Change

The steam engine has been developed, but it is the most rudimentary. It can do the simplest reciprocating motion, but it is not very easy to control.

The emperor was also helpless about this. Although he could put forward many suggestions to make the steam engine continue to improve and improve, but limited by the relationship between technical level and materials, the progress was not fast.

Of course, from the most primitive steam engine to the application to trains and ships, it is normal for decades or hundreds of years.The emperor is helpless, but he is confident that with this technology alone, Daming has already reached the leading position in the world.

When the train couldn't be made, the emperor decided to build the track first, which was not made of wood, but made of steel. Maybe it could be changed into a train track in the future.

Although Sun Yuanhua was still specialized in firearms, as a superior, he was the one who came to report on the situation of the Academy of Sciences.

It's just that when Sun Yuanhua reported to the emperor, he seemed a little guilty. This budget is really amazing.

The cost is very high, the manpower required is also a lot, and the cost is also very large.In the eyes of outsiders, it is inappropriate to carry out such a large project if we want to save food and money to deal with major disasters.

"Such a huge expense?!" The emperor was also taken aback, blinking his eyes, speechless for a while.

Sun Yuanhua gave a wry smile, bowed and said: "I think the project can be put on hold temporarily, and we can make a decision depending on the seriousness of the disaster."

When the emperor heard about the disaster, he frowned slightly. Anyway, he made a decision. He looked at Sun Yuanhua and said, "The plan will start to be implemented. The start-up funds will be drawn from our internal funds first."

Sun Yuanhua was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly bowed and said, "My minister obeys the order."

Catastrophe requires food relief and tax relief, which increases expenses and reduces income.Constructing large projects again seems to be conflicting and contradictory.

But what the emperor thought of was work-for-relief, not only the repair of railway tracks, but also the construction of infrastructure such as water conservancy, roads, and afforestation.

Despite policies such as immigration, many ordinary people still have to live where they are, even if it is impossible to farm due to disasters or the harvest is very small.

Eating relief food alone is obviously not scientific enough.Since you can't farm the land, you can work hard on projects, and you can still earn a living, but you just change jobs temporarily.

Don't eat idle food, and the infrastructure built has strengthened the national strength, making the Ming Empire have a stronger stamina for revitalization, isn't it the best of both worlds?
On the other hand, the wages paid for relief with work are much lower than in normal years.The people affected by the disaster can eat and be full, and even keep their families from starving. Are you not satisfied?

Sun Yuanhua is a technical official, and he devotes all his attention to scientific research, but he is obviously careless about government affairs.He didn't think about the long run, only saw the huge amount of investment.

The emperor didn't want to do everything, and take down all the railway construction projects.What's more, taking out all the internal money is not enough.

And who is most beneficial to the convenience of road transportation is naturally merchants.

The emperor wants to raise funds, and the target is naturally this group.Issuing bonds, or setting up a railway transportation company to allow investors to enjoy dividends, or to obtain the convenience of transportation, are all realistic methods.

After taking the drawings submitted by Sun Yuanhua, the emperor saw steel axles, wooden carriages, and data such as dimensions and load capacity.As for the gauge, the emperor didn't remember what the later generations would be, but the first to be built was the standard, and the world's international standards still had to be implemented.

(End of this chapter)