Ming Dynasty: Tanks blocked the door and you said to me, "Long live Ming Dynasty"

Chapter 537: The wool should not come from the sheep

Zhu Youxiao did not give much explanation about the matter of crossing out Guo Yunhou's name. Instead, he took out another memorial from the corner of the table and handed it over.

"Take a good look at this."

"You have seen the cement road paved by Wu Chunfu in Shanxi."

"Although we cannot pave the capital before the New Year due to weather reasons, we can complete the work in a month at most after the thaw next year."

"At that time, a gravel roadbed was laid parallel to the cement road, which you have also seen."

"This report was sent over by Wu Chunfu an hour ago, saying that the Zhengcunba factory has already produced suitable rails."

"With this thing, the performance of the Fire Bull will be greatly improved."

"Wu Chunfu petitioned me to extend the use of railroad tracks and cement roads to the two capitals and thirteen provinces."

"I wonder what you think, my dear?"

Looking at the data on the memorial, Guo Yunhou couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Compared with the content of the memorial, the reputation of that elder suddenly lost its appeal...

The speed of the Fire Bull can be increased from 80 miles per hour to 120 miles per hour!

The number of traction trucks can be increased from the original two to eight!

But the cargo capacity of each section is still 50,000 kilograms!

In other words, after having the rails, the Fire Bull was changed from tracks to steel wheels, which not only increased the speed by 50%, but the transportation capacity also soared from 100,000 catties to 400,000 catties!

The only drawback is that in this case, the acceleration of the AC adapter will be slower and the braking distance will be longer.

But are these problems?

totally not!

What the Ming Dynasty lacks the least now is not food.

There are fish in the sea and rice in the south.

In the past few months, the amount of dried fish sent from North Korea to Shanxi alone has reached 20 million kilograms.

The biggest problem here is the loss along the way.

Excluding the sea route, the dried fish was landed in Dengzhou and then sent to Taiyuan, a distance of nearly three thousand miles.

A laborer pushing a cart could only travel a few dozen miles a day.

It will take more than a month to complete these routes!

During this month or so, the laborers still need to eat and drink, and at least 30% of their food will be used just for the food for the people and horses along the way!

If it were replaced with rails...

The route is fixed and the fire bull can keep running all the time.

One hundred and twenty miles per hour, and one thousand four hundred and forty miles per day.

It can be completed in a little over two days!

Even if we need to stop in the middle to replenish coal, stone and water, the most we can do is double this amount.

Five days is enough!

What is saved in this process is not only food, but also labor.

By then, the laborers who were originally used to pull the carts could do other things.

What the Ming Dynasty lacks the least now is places to recruit people.

Those three major projects can be taken up by as many people as possible!

And the rice in the south...

In the south of the Ming Dynasty, Siam and other places, almost all of them can achieve three harvests a year...

In the past, when we sent people to buy, less than half of what could be brought back was consumed along the way.

If there were railroad tracks...

Thinking of this, Guo Yunhou was immediately moved.

But he did not make a hasty choice, but continued to look down patiently.

According to your majesty's usual style, this matter is definitely not that simple!

Each meter of rail weighs 150 kilograms and costs 500 coins.......

When he saw this number, Guo Yunhou immediately threw the letter away as if he was avoiding a snake or scorpion...

In front of Zhu Youxiao!

Throw that note away...

This action made Zhu Youxiao stunned!

"My dear, what do you mean?"

Guo Yunhou finally reacted and turned to look at the memorial he had thrown at the entrance of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Your Majesty, this, this, this thing is too expensive!"

"One meter of a single piece costs five hundred coins!"

"The fire bull needs double tracks, so the price will double. One meter costs one tael of silver, and one mile costs one hundred taels of silver!"

“This is just the rails…”

"I heard that this thing needs to be used together with crushed stones and sleepers, and the roadbed must also be leveled."

"According to this calculation, the cost of building one mile of road would be at least six hundred taels of silver!"

"Not to mention anything else, the road from the capital to Taiyuan alone is more than a thousand miles long. It costs more than 700,000 taels of silver!"

"And this doesn't even include compensation for the expropriation of people's land!"

"minister......"

"I feel so sorry..."

"besides!"

"After the change to railroad tracks, the Fire Bull can no longer do without them. If someone steals a section of railroad tracks on the way and causes the Fire Bull to overturn, the loss will be even greater!"

After saying this, he looked at Zhu Youxiao eagerly, hoping to get an imperial decree to stop the construction of the railway.

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "I know you care about money, but you can't just focus on money, right?"

"You have to think about it from another perspective."

"Let's not talk about anything else, just talk about the previous Liaodong war and the current southwest war."

"What is the biggest loss here?"

Guo Yunhou fell silent.

As the Minister of Revenue, if he couldn't answer this question, he would have no need to do his job.

Others might say that the biggest losses during a war are weapons and supplies.

But he knew clearly that the biggest loss had nothing to do with the soldiers!

In every major war, food and fodder are the biggest expense.

And 70% of the food and fodder went into the stomachs of the servants and mules and horses!

This is an unsolvable problem!

Without laborers and mules and horses, food and fodder cannot be transported up. We can't expect the soldiers to carry the food themselves, right?

But if you use servants and mules and horses, you have to feed them!

All the work is hard labor. Not only do you have to eat, but you have to eat enough, otherwise you will have no strength!

Four laborers could carry 500 kilograms of grain on a cart, and they could travel less than 100 miles a day.

These four servants alone would consume ten kilograms of food every day, or even more!

In one month, that’s three hundred kilograms!

But is there any war that can be won in a month?

In addition to the losses, the transportation of baggage also greatly slowed down the march.

Cavalry can march 200 miles a day, but if they carry baggage, it will take three days to cover the 200 miles. This means the consumption is tripled.

If you change to a fire bull...

But that’s all silver!

Guo Yunhou walked to the door silently and picked up the letter.

He wants to cry!

Originally, I thought that after the commercial taxes from the south were escorted back, I could settle the accounts with the Western Factory.

In this year, let alone balancing the accounts, who knows how big a hole this railway track alone will create in the Ministry of Revenue!

No!

The wool cannot come from the sheep!

It has to come down to the horse, and then the cow will pay the bill...

Chapter 538: Capture a few Taoist priests to help

Left the Yangxin Palace and returned to the Ministry of Revenue lobby.

The proud feeling he had felt before because of Wang Chengen's support had completely disappeared at this moment.

After having a map brought to him and spreading it on the table, Guo Yunhou began to think about how to build the railway in order to maximize profits.

If this railway was only used by the imperial court itself, it would definitely not be able to make a profit.

In this case, we have to consider it from a business perspective.

For example, where are the goods most valuable, where are the richest people...

Ginseng and fur from Liaodong, medicinal materials from Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, porcelain and silk from Jiangnan...

And so on.

It’s best to use one path and just connect them together!

Money can be spent, but it must be spent wisely!

While checking the map, he was looking through the information.

Unconsciously, he outlined one line segment after another.

"Sir, you are......"

Right Vice Minister Fang Yuegong came to deliver something and accidentally saw this scene. He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Guo Yunhou knew who the person was just by the voice and answered without raising his head.

"I'm thinking about the route of the railway. It's just right that you can come and help me figure it out."

As he spoke, he explained the benefits of the railway and his vision for its completion.

Fang Yuegong was a little confused after hearing this.

"Sir, this matter should be discussed with the Ministry of Industry, right?"

"Besides, I think it would be best if His Majesty decided on this route."

Upon hearing this, Guo Yunhou rolled his eyes at him and said unhappily.

"I spend my money, so how and where to repair it is naturally up to me!"

"It costs six hundred taels of silver to build one mile of track!"

"If they build this railway into the poor mountain valley, when will they be able to recoup the cost?"

Fang Yuegong:........