Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

On this fine day, with a gentle breeze, Liu Ce had a table moved onto the deck, set out melon seeds and cool tea, and called Xun You, Jia Xu, and Shen Wansan over for a chat.

The four sat around the table, watching the scattered villages on both sides of the river, the rippling wheat fields, and the boats coming and going in the waterway. When the Qiming ship passed by, they all stared at it with wide eyes, some of them almost dropping their jaws.

"It's definitely much more convenient since the canal opened," Liu Ce said slowly, cracking sunflower seeds.

The three nodded in agreement. Shen Wansan placed the abacus on his lap and continued working on it.

Xun You spoke first, his tone tinged with emotion: "Your Majesty is right. Before the canal was dredged, the waterway was silted up and had many shallows, making it impossible for large ships to pass. It would take several months for grain to be transported from Jiangnan to Luoyang, and 30% of it would be lost along the way."

The treacherous shoals of Sanmenxia used to capsize more than a dozen boats every year, resulting in loss of life and food. Even the timber from the sunken boats couldn't be salvaged. Now, with the river widened and deepened, large ships can reach Luoyang directly, reducing losses to less than 10% and cutting travel time in half.

He paused, then added, "In the past, the imperial court dealt with the grain transport affairs, and every year they had a headache over the grain transport. Looking back now, it feels like a dream."

Jia Xu squinted and slowly replied, "It's not just about making transporting goods easier. In the past, it took seven or eight days for government orders to travel from Luoyang to Jiangnan, even with fast horses; and it took half a month for local officials to report back. Now that the Grand Canal is open, the post boats travel along the water, and official documents arrive in about seven or eight days. If there is a famine or peasant uprising in Jiangnan or Huainan, the court will receive the news in eight or nine days, and the mobilization of grain and troops can be done in time. It won't be like before, where by the time the news arrived, the situation had already escalated."

He chuckled: "In the past, local officials dared to deceive the imperial court because the mountains were high and the emperor was far away; now that His Majesty travels by steamship, he can go wherever he wants, so who would dare to play tricks? Even the rats in the government offices have become more discreet."

Shen Wansan was the most practical; he fiddled with the abacus beads, calculating accounts, the beads clicking and clattering.

"I have done the math: In the past, it cost the equivalent of two shi of money to transport one shi of grain to Luoyang by canal; now, with water transport and the future railway, the cost can be reduced to 40%... In addition, there is the circulation of goods between the north and south. Silk and tea from the south are transported to the north, the cost is reduced, so they are sold more, and commercial taxes rise accordingly; coal and iron from the north are transported to the south, so more workshops are opened, and taxes are also increased. This back and forth will earn the court tens of millions more every year."

He became happier and happier as he calculated:

"To be honest, this canal is a golden waterway; it doesn't just carry water, it carries money!"

Liu Ce laughed heartily after hearing this and threw the sunflower seed shells into the dish:

"Yes, it's much more convenient. But that's not enough."

He pointed to the waterways: "Right now, there are only two Grand Canals connecting the north and south to Luoyang. The Guanzhong and Shu regions in the west, and the coastal areas in the east, are not yet connected. In the future, we need to continue digging and building canals to Guanzhong, and canals to connect Jiangnan to Lingnan, and then connect the Huai River, the Yangtze River, and the Pearl River. Once the waterways are open, goods will flow faster, and people's lives will be better."

He gestured towards the steamship in the distance: "Right now it's just a propeller ship, but in the future the ships will be bigger and faster, able to sail across the ocean to farther places. The canal is just the road in front of our house, the sea is our real territory."

The three exchanged a glance, all seeing shock in each other's eyes... His Majesty's ambitions had long extended beyond these two canals; he was weaving a vast network.

After three days of travel, the ship arrived at the dock in Kaifeng, the capital of Yuzhou.

Governor Zhang Ming of Yuzhou Province was already waiting at the dock. He was an old official in his fifties with a tanned face, clearly a pragmatic man who went to the countryside every day, and his shoes were covered in mud.

He boarded the ship carrying a stack of account books and bowed to Liu Ce, saying, "Your subject Zhang Ming, Governor of Yuzhou Province, pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Don't be shy, sit down."

Liu Ce pointed to the chair next to him, "Tell me, how has Yuzhou Province been these past few years? Grain production, official conduct, railway preparations—tell me the facts."

Zhang Ming didn't bother with fancy words, speaking plainly: "Your Majesty! Last year, the weather in Yuzhou was favorable... The province's grain reserves are enough to last at least five years, and the granaries are overflowing."

Regarding official conduct, in accordance with the imperial court's regulations, seven incompetent officials were dismissed last year, and two corrupt officials were arrested. Now, the efficiency of provincial, prefectural, and county officials is much higher, and people no longer need to travel hundreds of miles to file complaints. Notices have been posted at the entrance of the county government.

The survey of the Yuzhou section of the railway from Luoyang to Kaifeng has been completed, and construction is just awaiting imperial approval. The people along the route are happy, saying that they've been compensated for the land taken, and that it will be much more convenient for them to travel, sell grain, and even visit relatives in Luoyang by train.

He added a practical point: "There's just one thing... We don't have many ironworks in Yuzhou. When the railway is built, iron nails, spare parts... will have to be transported from Luoyang, which is a bit troublesome. I was thinking, could we build an ironworks in Yuzhou specifically to supply the railway construction, producing for our own use?"

After listening, Liu Ce nodded but didn't rush to express his opinion. That afternoon, he led his men off the ship and went for a trip to the countryside with Zhang Ming.

The wheat field was lush and green, the ears of wheat heavy with grain, swaying like waves in the wind.

Several elderly farmers were squatting on the edge of the field, resting. Their trousers were rolled up to their knees, and their feet were covered in mud. When they saw the group of people coming, they didn't recognize the emperor and waved enthusiastically.

"Passing by? Come in and rest for a bit, have a bowl of water! It's water from my own well, it's sweet!"

Liu Ce actually went over and squatted on the edge of the field, chatting with the old farmer:

"Sir, how's the harvest this year? Is the government collecting a lot of taxes?"

The old farmer grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth: "The harvest is great! They only collect 10% tax; the rest is all ours. If we can't eat it all, we can sell it in the city. This year, my family even raised two more pigs. The government also provided us with improved seeds and taught us new farming methods—it's a hundred times better than before! Before, after paying the rent, we'd only have half a bowl of porridge left; now we have rice every meal!"

"So, I heard they're going to build a railway. Are you happy about that? What will happen if it takes up land?"

"Of course I'd love to! Why wouldn't I!" The old farmer slapped his thigh. "They pay me for the land, and they even arrange for me to work on road construction, with meals and wages! We won't have to endure the bumpy ride of an oxcart to sell our grain in the city anymore! My son has even signed up to be a railway worker, saying it's better than farming, and he can earn more money!"

Liu Ce laughed heartily. Before leaving, he asked Lu Bing to leave some money for the old farmer, saying it was for water.

After visiting the school and inspecting the water conservancy project, Liu Ce returned to the boat and said to Zhang Ming:

"The ironworks project is approved. The Ministry of Works will send people to help with the construction, and railway supplies will be given priority. You select the land and submit a report later. Also, dig several irrigation wells. Don't just rely on the weather; you have to be able to handle things on your own when the weather doesn't cooperate."

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree! Thank you!"

Zhang Ming was overjoyed and bent over very low.

Leaving Yuzhou Province, and following the Grand Canal for another three days, you will arrive at Shouchun, the capital of Huainan Province.

Chen Mo, the governor of Huainan Province, was a young and vigorous man in his early forties. He had previously worked in the Ministry of Revenue, was knowledgeable about economics, and was good at accounting. He always carried a small abacus in his sleeve.

He boarded the ship to report, and immediately got straight to the point: "Your Majesty, the biggest thing that happened in Huainan last year was the construction of three new canal wharves. Now, more than fifty ships can dock at Shouchun Port every day, and a lot of goods from the north and south are transshipped here. Commercial taxes have doubled compared to five years ago."