Yinreng knew that the entire Qing Dynasty's steel production was not enough to support the large-scale construction of railways, so steelmaking became the biggest problem at this stage.
With the experience of the Great Steelmaking Era in later generations as a reference, Yinreng quickly decided to set up most of the steel mills abroad.
Heavy industry is extremely harmful to the environment. Yinreng did not want to leave a mess for his descendants. If he wanted to cause harm, he had to choose other countries first.
This way, local materials can be used, and the refined steel can be sent to the Qing Dynasty, where domestic craftsmen will forge rails and lay railways.
This is the only way to minimize the risk.
Yinreng gave the task of laying the first railway track to Yinzhi's eldest son Hongyu.
Unlike his big and rough brother Aman, Hongyu has been meticulous since he was young. After his marriage last year, Yinreng tested and trained him and finally arranged him to the Ministry of Personnel.
Now that he had worked in the Ministry of Personnel for a full year, Yinreng thought that laying railway tracks was a job that would bring him great rewards, so he sent him out.
It's a good opportunity to broaden my horizons.
Most of Yinreng's sons and nephews studied in the Shangshufang in the palace.
Although he was dissatisfied with his time in the Shangshufang, he recognized the teaching ability of the Shangshufang.
Seeing that Honghui was going to get married in the second half of this year, Yinreng was thinking about whether to send him to Yinlu.
Yinlu's fate also changed greatly. According to the normal historical course, he should have eventually become a manager in the clan office who was responsible for supervising funeral affairs. However, now he is building reservoirs all over the world.
A job like river engineering is a good job for the officials working there, after all, it is profitable.
But for the royal family, it is not a good thing.
Being exposed to the wind and sun, and living in mud and water all day long, how could those people who live a life of luxury stand it?
But Yinlu was a person who liked to study technology. After he took on the job of building water conservancy projects, he never complained about it, but instead enjoyed it.
In the 48th year of Kangxi's reign, he only got the title of Beizi. After Yinreng came to power, he promoted him to Beile.
Just for this, Yinlu was already grateful to him.
When the construction of the railway began, Yinreng also gathered a group of craftsmen who were good at surveying, and asked them to take their apprentices with them to go out to sea to select a site for building a steel plant.
Xie Dang is one of them.
He was originally a small figure under the Chengde Circuit Intendant, in charge of surveying mineral resources. Ten years ago, Prince Lian, who was still the eighth Beile, was going to Heishui to look for kerosene mines.
He was then transferred to serve under the Eighth Prince.
After following the Eighth Prince in searching in Heishui for nearly three years, he finally found the black oil mine. At that time, he received a lot of rewards and his official position was promoted to a higher level.
However, after the survey, he did not stay in Heishui to collect kerosene, but returned to Chengde and continued to work under the Taotai.
It was not until this year that he received the transfer order from Prince Lian.
Xie Dang happily packed his bags and rode to the capital at full speed.
After learning about the details of this mission, Xie Dang, who was full of expectations, felt like he was poured with a bucket of cold water and was frozen to the spot.
The farthest he had ever traveled in his life was ten years ago, when he followed the Eighth Prince to survey the Black Water.
Now he is asked to leave the Qing Dynasty by boat and go to other countries to carry out business!
Xie Dang imagined in his mind what it would be like to go abroad, wearing tattered clothes, not having enough to eat or wear warm clothes, and living a life worse than a beggar. He kept shaking his head in his heart.
no!
He can't go!
It’s hard to say whether you will be able to come back alive after you go there.
Just when he was about to refuse, the palace chief seemed to see his reluctance and said to him with a smile,
"Thank you, sir, please don't be so hasty to refuse. Come with me to see the price offered by the prince. If you want to refuse then, I will not force you."
Xie Dang hesitated for a moment, but finally followed the chief secretary of the palace to the outskirts of the city.
The suburbs have been developing for more than 20 years and are now becoming more and more prosperous. People coming and going on the streets are all civilians wearing coarse linen clothes. Although they are simple, there are not many patches on them.
Xie Dang looked around along the way and began to murmur in his heart, this place is indeed the capital, even ordinary people have such a good life.
You have to know that although he is a low-ranking official, the salary he can receive every month is just enough for his family's expenses. He just married off his youngest daughter this year and had a little granddaughter. Life at home is even tighter than before.
However, I heard that the emperor is also going to increase the salaries of low-level officials, so life at home should be much better then.
Xie Dang is only 39 years old now, but he became a grandfather two years ago.
“Whoa!”
The carriage stopped at a place that was not too noisy. Xie Dang got off the carriage with trepidation, following the chief official of the palace.
"Thank you, sir. Please come with me and take a look..."
Upon hearing this, Xie Dang quickly withdrew his gaze from all around and followed the chief official of the palace forward.
"This is a residential complex developed by Hengda Real Estate. It just opened for sale last month. The prices of all the houses here are the same, one thousand two hundred taels per unit..."
Xie Dang was a little shocked as he listened to the palace's chief historian's rambling introduction to him. More than a thousand taels for a house?
Even after confiscating his house, there was still not more than a thousand taels!
What did the Chief Secretary bring him to such a place for? He couldn't afford it.
Even if he could afford it, he had no job in the capital, and he would have to return to Chengde in the end.
Until the chief secretary brought him to a courtyard gate and stopped, and asked someone to open the door, Xie Dang followed him in without knowing what was going on.
As soon as he entered the door, Xie Dang was attracted by the scene in the courtyard.
There is a two-story building in the courtyard, which is not uncommon.
Nowadays, many courtyards in the outer city and suburbs are filled with small buildings like this.
There is a flower bed in the middle with some flowers and plants planted on it. Although it is early autumn now, the weather is still a bit hot, and the flowers and plants have not withered.
In addition to flowers and plants, there is also a pomegranate tree and an osmanthus tree planted in the yard. Next to the two trees is a small carport.
There was a brand new bicycle inside.
Xie Dang's eyes immediately widened.
"Sir, can I touch that bicycle?"
"sure."
The Chief Secretary agreed with a smile.
After receiving a positive answer, Xie Dang immediately became excited. He took two quick steps forward and touched the bicycle.
This is a good thing. Their Taotai has one. Xie Dang once saw the Taotai riding a bicycle in the fields outside.
He still remembers that elegant demeanor.
Just when he was touching it vigorously, the chief secretary spoke,
"Thank you, sir. Would you like to go into the house and take a look?"
Xie Dang reluctantly took his hands off the bicycle and followed Changshi to the bottom of the small building.
Xie Dang took a look at the small building and found that the main body of the building was made of cement, but the floor was paved with tiles. Looking at the light reflected from the tiles, Xie Dang didn't even dare to step on them.
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