Inside the Chongzheng Hall, as Liu Hong finished speaking, the civil and military officials began to discuss and debate the four points Chen Fan had mentioned.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the four points mentioned by the Grand Tutor can be added to the Five-Year Plan!"
Immediately, Cao Song stepped forward and bowed to Liu Hong.
Liu Hong nodded. "Well then, let the Grand Minister of Agriculture explain in detail..."
"promise!!"
Cao Song nodded, then turned to the officials in the hall and said in a deep voice:
"Natural disasters have been an unavoidable problem since ancient times, and they are beyond human control. All the court can do is try its best to minimize the harm caused by natural disasters."
As the saying goes, store grain in good years and prepare for famine in bad years.
Therefore, food is fundamental. Only with sufficient food can the people survive famine years, preventing them and their land from becoming the private property of landlords and powerful families, thus jeopardizing the stability of the court!
"Indeed, the Grand Minister of Agriculture is absolutely right!"
The officials all agreed with Cao Song's statement.
Then Cao Song turned to Liu Hong on the throne and said respectfully:
"Therefore, I believe that, based on the Five-Year Plan, we can order the establishment of more official granaries in various regions to store grain."
Furthermore, we strongly support the College of Agriculture in conducting research to increase grain production, because only by increasing grain production can we help people withstand disasters to the greatest extent possible!
Liu Hong nodded. "Good! Immediately issue an edict to local governments, ordering each prefecture and county to add five more granaries to store grain."
As for the College of Agriculture, in addition to the existing funding, an additional 500 million yen will be allocated to research funding each year!
"Your Majesty is wise!!"
Cao Song and all the officials also praised the emperor's wisdom.
After all, food is the foundation of capital development; once this foundation is in place, nothing else matters.
Liu Hong smiled and nodded, then said:
"I believe that in addition to these factors, the speed of disaster relief and disaster prevention are also of paramount importance!"
The constraints on these two aspects are transportation and local infrastructure development, and this needs to be addressed promptly!
"Your Majesty is right. In the past, disasters often occurred because the roads were inconvenient, causing us to miss the best time for disaster relief, which made it impossible for the people to bear the burden!"
"Indeed, in the past, grain production was also greatly affected by seasonal climate, such as droughts, floods, and insect infestations, which must be guarded against!"
The officials also offered their opinions.
Liu Hong said in a deep voice, "Therefore, road construction is also urgent. Hiring people to build roads can increase their income and give them money to spend."
It can also speed up the circulation of goods in the Royal Trading Company, allowing them to be transported to various places more quickly and conveniently, thus making more money!
"If you want to get rich, build roads first. Don't you all agree?"
"Your Majesty is right. The completion of roads will greatly benefit commerce and the economy!"
"That's right, only when the roads are open can commerce flourish!"
The officials echoed their sentiments, as they were well aware that for the Royal Merchant Guild to expand, in addition to the landlords and powerful families, the roads were also a major constraint.
Liu Hong continued, "Moreover, in the future, commercial transactions can also be conducted by charging other merchants who use this route a certain toll."
This is a long-term, stable source of income! This will be enough to offset the costs of road construction!
"Absolutely! With the road repaired, transportation speed will be faster and costs will be reduced. Compared to the travel expenses, it's still very worthwhile for merchants!"
"Yes, yes, for example, those coal haulers. They travel from Yuyang to Luoyang, and the cost of a single cartload along the way is about five thousand coins."
However, once the road is completed, their transportation time can be reduced by about half, and the cost will naturally be lower.
Besides, they can make five more trips a year and earn more money, so I believe no one will care about the travel expenses!
"That's right, we charge them one coin per mile, so a round trip would cost about two thousand coins!"
Nowadays, there are at least 30,000 coal trucks. Assuming at least ten trips a year, that's 600 million yuan in revenue. Add to that the transportation of other goods, and a 2,000-mile trade route could easily generate at least 3 billion yuan annually. The profits are enormous!
The officials in the hall also excitedly discussed the various benefits of building the road.
Chen Fan also stepped forward and said in a solemn voice:
"Your Majesty's method is excellent; in this way, it will truly be beneficial in every way and without any harm!"
"Not only that, it's incredibly profitable!"
Cao Song also said with a smile.
Liu Hong nodded and said in a deep voice:
"Therefore, I plan to build a high-speed and efficient transportation network to connect Luoyang, Chang'an and the various prefectures. In this way, the Royal Merchant Guild will surely grow and expand at an alarming rate."
Furthermore, no matter where a disaster occurs, the imperial court can respond and provide relief immediately!
"this.....!"
Upon hearing the emperor propose such a massive plan, the officials in the hall were all shocked.
"Does Your Majesty intend to emulate the Former Qin Dynasty and construct a grand highway system?"
Chen Fan also looked at Liu Hong with disbelief and asked.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider. While road construction may have many benefits, your plan is far too ambitious!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, such a massive project requires at least several million people, which may cause instability in agriculture!"
"Yes, Your Majesty. If we abolish corvée labor and hire laborers, the cost of one mile of Qin Chidao would be at least ten million coins!"
(The Qin Chi Road was 69 meters wide. Although it saved on demolition and labor costs, the total cost was no less than that of later highways!)
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