Chapter 132
The effect of reinforced concrete dams in resisting crushing is very significant, but their effect in resisting floods is difficult to verify.
The officials wanted a specific result, but Chu Huan could not give such a guarantee. She could only say that reinforced concrete was better than the existing dam materials in Dasheng, but more would depend on the actual results.
The officials hesitated and were unwilling to give a final answer.
At the morning court that day, Chu Huan made another memorial, but the officials still had such an ambiguous attitude, and the hesitation made the system angry.
When it comes to making money, they decide to do it in a snap, and everyone from top to bottom works hard. But when it comes to spending money, they always have to discuss it over and over for two or three months before making a decision. What's wrong with this?
Even if we start building reinforced concrete embankments now, it's too late to prepare for the floods expected across the country this year. But at least starting sooner could benefit more people. So why hesitate?
One official was about to return, but the system didn't give them time. A small mouth quickly chattered: "A few days ago, you were asking why Sister Huan didn't bring it out a few years ago? Now that it's out, aren't you still hesitant?"
"Given your inefficiency in procrastinating and not getting things done, even if Sister Huan had proposed it ten years ago, they might not have agreed to build it by next year!"
The system is really pissed off.
How could its host have encountered such a group of idiot teammates who only hindered it at the critical moment! Many officials in the court were upset when they heard this, while some secretly laughed, thinking that someone had finally lost control.
The old Grand Tutor, the old Grand Preceptor and others had all agreed from the beginning. Now they were leisurely watching the others who were so embarrassed that they were trying to find a way out but no one was offering them one. They felt happy in their hearts.
Chu Huan told me she had a way to balance the huge expenditure of the reinforced concrete dam, but you just didn't believe her.
He was unwilling to give in, and had to make Chu Huan give in first, telling everyone what this extremely profitable method was before making a decision. Chu Huan would have to be a fool to fall for this trick.
Neither side was willing to give in, which was why the decision was delayed for half a month.
No one stepped forward to act as a peacemaker, and the court was deathly silent.
There was silence for three full minutes. Finally, when everyone was so embarrassed they wished they could find a hole to crawl into, Chu Huan stood up and asked, "Do you all agree to build a reinforced concrete dam?"
Her expression was indifferent, with a faint smile, but her smile hinted at "I don't have much patience, and I've put up with you for many days. If you don't take this opportunity to back down, don't blame me for doing something that I can't control!"
Officials: "..." Why does this look familiar?
An official wanted to see what the emperor meant, so he looked up at the emperor who was leaning his head on the dragon throne and looking at Chu Huan with a smile.
Wow, they actually look like the emperor! These two are not biological children, but they are more like biological children than real ones!
Until now, some officials still hold the view that "silence equals protest" and are unwilling to express their views.
Emperor: "Zhao Ming."
Chu Huan stepped out: "Your son is here."
The emperor smiled and said, "If no one disagrees, then everyone agrees."
Chu Huan lowered her eyes and hid her smile: "Your son obeys your command."
All the officials looked up suddenly. "Your Majesty, how could you do this?"
The emperor insisted on doing so.
Chu Huan had made so many preparations, including drawings, personnel, materials, money, etc., and was just waiting for the court's approval to start work. As his father, the emperor, he couldn't lag behind.
"Zhao Ming, tell me about your way of making money."
What method can be used to feed the money-eating beast that is reinforced concrete dam?
All the officials also wanted to know, and thought that if the solution didn't work, there would still be time to oppose it, so no one jumped out to oppose it at this critical juncture.
Chu Huan uttered four words: "Maritime trade."
emperor:? ? ?
Officials: ???
"How is that possible?"
"Dasheng is also doing maritime trade, mainly exchanging with foreigners."
“That won’t work.”
"The previous dynasty sent people out to sea several times, but the harvest was not great."
To say "not much harvest" is still a nice word. When the previous dynasty was rich, it sent people out to sea with a large amount of local specialties, such as silk, tea, porcelain, etc., and thought of exchanging them for other specialties or gold and silver from other countries on the ocean.
Unfortunately, no matter how many of these people were sent out, none of them came back in the end.
The previous dynasty spent a lot of money to organize people to go out again and again, but there was no profit. In the end, they had to give up this sea voyage that only cost money but no reward.
Facing everyone's doubts, Chu Huan only said two words: [Tong'er.]
The system has been waiting for this moment: [Here it comes! ]
[Do you know why the previous dynasty sent officials to sea seven times without any response?]
The king and his ministers all shook their heads and waited quietly for the feast.
The system didn't bother to tease them any further and simply stated, "Because the previous dynasty's seven voyages all departed from Jinggang, east of the capital. Ten thousand miles south of there is a large island with several smaller islands nearby. They're all infested with pirates, and their ancestors have been pirates for generations."
[A group of rookies with no seafaring experience encountered pirates with inherited experience. It was a one-on-one fight, not to mention that they had firearms looted from foreigners and were skilled in disguise, acting, and deception.]
[One time, someone pretended to be in an accident at sea. An official ship from the previous dynasty saw a grandparents and grandchildren lying on a small, overturned boat. They had been drifting at sea for an unknown amount of time and looked extremely miserable. Acting with compassion, they rescued them.]
The officials weren't entirely without their guard up, but the elder grandparents and grandchildren were already in their sixties, the younger only three or four, and they were at sea, so it was hard not to be wary. Because of this oversight, the granddaughter drugged their food, and the drug was fed to the fish in the sea.
[Don't ask me why the ship is full of young and strong laborers. These pirates don't take them back. Of course, it's because there is an oversupply of young and strong men on the island! The island is already short of women, and if they bring men back to compete with them, won't the shortage be even greater?]
emperor:"……"
Officials: "..."
So if these people go out to sea, every one of them will be thrown into the sea to feed the fish, right?
The system could probably guess what the emperor and his ministers were thinking, and it had already complained about the previous dynasty's sea cucumber when it had a one-on-one private chat with Chu Huan.
In ancient times, there were still some superstitions and people believed that women were not allowed on ships. Therefore, there were no women on the official ships that went to sea seven times in the previous dynasty.
That is why no one was left alive.
The system continued: [One time, a government ship sailed directly to the vicinity of an island. Seeing someone speaking a different language, wearing different clothes, and having a different hairstyle, they thought it was their destination and excitedly ran over to talk to them. What happened next?]
The emperor and his officials: What’s going on?
System: [The pirates on the entire island played along with them, scaring everyone into believing they had arrived in a foreign country. Then, they were drugged and thrown into the sea to feed the fish!]
These people never knew until their death that the people on the island they had arrived on actually belonged to the same country as them. Their languages differed because of their dialects, their clothing was different because of the different climates and latitudes between the capital and the island, their hairstyles were different because they had to work, and their local customs and folkways were so different that they had become a country unto themselves.
[It's called a nation because the ancestors of these pirates actually originated from this land. From the root, it is still a nation. However, judging by their behavior, this is... not easy to determine.]
Because of the killing generation after generation, year after year, they have become complete enemies.
The emperor and his officials gradually understood what Chu Huan meant. So, did she mean that they could carry out maritime trade smoothly after eliminating the threat of pirates?
General Xuanwei was excited and stepped forward to offer his services: "I am willing to lead the troops."
With him leading the charge, other generals volunteered to go. Regardless of age, position, or seniority, everyone had one goal in mind: Kill the pirates! Get our silver back!
emperor:"……"
Civil officials: “…”
Looking at these generals who are showing their banditry, my head hurts.
Seeing that the situation in the court was exactly as Chu Huan had expected, the system was very happy and continued to add fuel to the fire.
[These pirates usually enjoy plundering passing ships. If they overdo it and no ships are willing to pass by, they will restrain themselves and then go ashore at night to plunder the people on the coast.]
Money wasn't their primary target. They were more interested in food, as it wasn't easy to grow crops on the islands. They also looted women and children, as there were more men than women and fewer children on the islands.
[They were capable of throwing everyone on a government ship into the sea to feed the fish. You can imagine how ruthless these criminals were. To prevent the official island from being traced, they usually wiped out any traces of their plunder.]
As for how to erase the traces, I'm sure you all know without me having to explain. It's nothing more than a few ways: killing, burning, looting, in short, doing all the bad things.
The king and his ministers were so angry that their eyes turned red. These bandits killed my subjects, burned my land, and plundered my people. They deserve to die!
Not feeling it was enough, Chu Huan gestured, and upon seeing this, the system unleashed a fatal blow: [These pirates have been thieves for generations. They not only robbed Dasheng, the previous dynasty, and the dynasty before that, but also the Dongyi and their predecessors. However, they are accustomed to robbing whatever they can find, and have relatively few places to spend money. So, guess how much wealth they have accumulated over hundreds of years?]
The breathing sounds in the court gradually became heavier, and someone quietly counted on his fingers. How much money was there now?
Chu Huan spoke up at the right moment: "Tong'er, don't count. Just say it's a few national treasuries. Well, or maybe it's enough to build a few reinforced concrete dams."
The emperor and all the officials slowly asked, why is it this unit of measurement?
The system decisively said: [Completion is no problem, there is still plenty left.]
emperor:! ! !
Officials:!!!
At this moment, decades of tacit understanding between the monarch and his subjects came to the fore: fight must be fought!
"Your Majesty, I beg you to show off our country's prestige!"
"Your Majesty, even at this age, I can still fight another hundred battles!"
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has money for war!"
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works has enough weapons!"
The civil and military officials were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and everyone wanted to set out to attack the pirate island where the huge treasure was hidden.
Chu Huan smiled slightly but said nothing.
The old Grand Tutor and the old Grand Preceptor watched the atmosphere in the court change instantly, then looked at Chu Huanyin in the corner who seemed to have said nothing, and silently held their foreheads.
Oh no, it seems they have raised a more ferocious little fox.
What's so evil about the Fifth Prince? The real evildoer is here!
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