Chapter 115: Water transportation is the main strategy, sea transportation is the backup strategy

Yang Pu said: "What your Majesty said is exactly why Emperor Taizong wanted to build the canal. Your Majesty is worried about something happening to the canal, but since Pingjiang Bo Chen Xuan built the canal during the Yongle period, there has not been a single mistake in the canal.

, transporting 6 million shi of grain to Beijing, at least 4 million shi."

"The late emperor set a quota. From now on, only four million stones will be transported."

"In more than ten years, there has never been an incident."

"On the sea, even if there are no Japanese pirates, is there no risk at all in shipping?"

"Before the imperial court moved its capital, the imperial court transferred grain from the south to the north. Firstly, the quantity was not large, up to several hundred thousand dan. Secondly, even if it was lost, the imperial court could afford it."

"But after the imperial court moved its capital, the capital was so important that no loss could be tolerated."

"Moreover, the amount of food required has increased significantly. It is no longer hundreds of thousands of dan, but millions of dan. Even the peak of the previous sea transportation was only 3.83 million dan."

"There was a big disaster last year and the lack of water transportation was certainly a problem. Li Shimian's timely transportation of grain was indeed a great achievement, but His Majesty does not think that Li Shimian did it too smoothly."

"But it's because during the Yongle period, the imperial court had already decided that water transportation was the main strategy and sea transportation was the backup strategy. At least the grain transportation from Shandong to Liaodong has never been interrupted."

"Once the court needs it, it can be used at any time."

Zhu Qizhen frowned slightly and said, "Why don't we use sea transportation as the main strategy and water transportation as a backup strategy?" After Zhu Qizhen blurted it out, he regretted it after understanding it.

Because this question is a bit stupid to ask.

Yang Pu said: "Water transport has been around since the Han Dynasty, but it flourished in the Tang Dynasty. The water transport method of the Tang Dynasty is still used as a reference by the current court. It can be said to be comprehensive, but the maritime transport strategy was used by the previous dynasty, but the previous dynasty

Those who carry out food for the imperial court are just giant merchants on the sea. The imperial court cannot entrust its safety to such people."

"So, the imperial court has no idea how to control shipping, and neither do the ministers."

Zhu Qizhen thought to himself: "This is the habit of bureaucrats. They don't like things they are not familiar with. One is ready-made experience, and the other is an unknown field. The tendency of the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty is also very clear."

Yang Pu continued: "And the canal needs to be repaired. If the canal is prepared but not used, I am afraid it will not be used when it is used."

"The imperial court has four million shi of food every year, which is enough to support it. More food is not always better."

"Since water transportation is sufficient, it is enough to prepare and not use sea transportation."

Zhu Qizhen said: "I'm afraid that this plan will not be used if it continues to be prepared. Mr. Yang tells the truth, how much will it cost if this continues? I need sea transportation

At that time, we no longer had the ability to ship by sea.”

Yang Pu sighed and said: "I never thought that in just a few decades, the imperial court would actually be reduced to covering the ocean to ship grain. How can a mere five hundred stones help."

Yang Pu knew very well that the reason for using ocean-covering ships was because they were used from Shandong to Liaodong. After all, this route is in the Bohai Sea, so it can be said to be calm and calm, so there is no need to worry. There is no difference at all between big and small ships.

Zhu Qizhen said: "In this way, sir, I support restarting shipping."

Yang Pu said: "In my opinion, the policy of Tianjin Customs formulated by your Majesty is good. All taxes are paid in grain. I have read the customs documents. Last year, more than 300,000 shi were paid in tax. This was only because of the newly opened customs."

Nowadays, I think it’s possible to stabilize it at one million shi in the future.”

"Your Majesty's clever plan has provided the imperial court with one million more shi of grain out of thin air. In addition, the four million shi of grain transported by water means that your Majesty is currently overhauling Hebei's water conservancy, and the food supply is somewhat tight."

"If your Majesty succeeds in the major water conservancy project, Zhili will have a great food supply, and the imperial court may not even need the four million stone canal for food. Why bother with sea transportation?"

For a while, Yang Pu stopped Zhu Qizhen.

The reason why Zhu Qizhen has been insisting on shipping is actually his inner tendency. He wants to advance national policy towards the ocean. But there are some things that cannot be said directly.

Otherwise, it will involve ideology.

Zhu Qizhen has always avoided ideological confrontation with civil servants, no matter which civil servants. Because he knows that he cannot win, but will put himself in a dangerous situation.

Even though Zhu Qizhen's throne is now stable, Yang Shiqi has stepped down, and the Empress Dowager, the last veteran of the imperial court, Liu Zhongfu, has gone home to recuperate.

Zhu Qizhen no longer worries about being deposed.

But he still couldn't find a way to convince the ministers to change the government's political direction towards the sea.

Therefore, what he has always done is to act without saying anything.

He used the method of solving problems to guide the court in the direction he wanted little by little. Because he knew that he could not say anything, and he first faced Taizu's ancestral precepts in front of him. It was the so-called country without conquests in the fifteenth year.

In fact, the key point is not to conquer the country in the fifteenth year. The point is that Emperor Taizu believed that only the Central Plains was a good place in the world. The other small countries were all poor and poor. The land was not enough to support the people, so they had to invest money in it. This is

It's a loss-making business. So these small countries are safe and sound, and the court doesn't need to use weapons rashly.

Then there was the precedent of the voyage to the West. All civil servants in the dynasty were in opposition. Zhu Qizhen still had lingering fears about the opening of the sea.

The Empress Dowager cannot be wrong in what she said, regardless of the life and death of her own people, she went to seize useless land.

Zhu Qizhen almost didn't know what to say.

It seems that apart from the war with Wasi,

No battlefield will have the support of hundreds of officials.

But just as the Empress Dowager said of Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Qizhen was restless. Zhu Qizhen wanted to develop maritime transport, and there were too many things involved, such as cultivating marine talents, reserving marine power, etc.

Therefore, no matter whether the imperial court has a need for shipping or not, Zhu Qizhen will always find excuses.

Zhu Qizhen said: "Sir, you also know that Waqi is in the north, and I just feel that the sharp edge is on my back. Once the war breaks out, I don't know how much food and grass supplies will be needed. Do you still think that sea transportation is not possible?"

Yang Pu said: "What your Majesty said is very true, but I think that the principle of using water transportation as the main strategy and sea transportation as the backup strategy should not be changed. Sea transportation can be prosperous, but water transportation cannot be lightly touched."

Zhu Qizhen finally understood what Yang Pu really wanted to say.

Does Zhu Qizhen have any intention of abolishing water transportation?

It's true, especially when Wang Ying said that Zheng He was accusing Japan, Zhu Qizhen was so excited at the time that he was like a god. He thought to himself: "Yes, if shipping has become the lifeblood of the imperial court, then in the name of protecting shipping

, it is logical to build a navy and set up a station directly in Japan."

Zhu Qizhen believed that once the imperial court absorbed the first colonial blood from Japan, it would not want to stop.

Before eating meat, people may have refused to eat it out of love. But after taking a bite, they will naturally find various excuses for themselves and continue eating.

He only needs to cultivate a group of people who can drink blood outside, and then he doesn't need to worry about the rest. They will spontaneously seek opportunities for food.

It's just that before Zhu Qizhen's idea took shape, he was hit in the head by Yang Pu.

Zhu Qizhen couldn't think of how to refute for a while.

Regardless of which aspect you look at it, maintaining two different transportation channels is the best way for the Ming Dynasty. Think about how Huawei has a spare tire, how can we not have it in Ming Dynasty.

But if you think about it, you will know that even if Yang Pu can share a piece of meat transported by sea, it will definitely not be much.

It is estimated that one million stones would be enough. Especially after the opening of the sea, the Ming Dynasty's private shipping power increased a lot. If something happened, the court could directly recruit civilian ships for transportation.

It can be said that Li Shimian's operations in Guangdong gave officials inspiration.

This model naturally oppresses Zhu Qizhen's desire for official navy's living space.

Zhu Qizhen always felt like he was kicking himself in the foot. He adjusted his mentality slightly and said to himself: "You can't eat a fat man in one bite, you have to do it step by step, whether it is responsible for the shipping of one million dan, or fifty

Wan Shi is always a beginning."

"Since it's the beginning, there is room for intervention."
Chapter completed!