Chapter 109: Great Development of the South

Scroll, too involved!

Liu Ju looked at the Great Han geomantic map before him; Chang'an City and its surroundings had already turned purplish-black, exactly a sign of population increase and saturation.

Just like the population numbers of modern cities!

Immediately, his gaze fell again on the documents submitted by the Household Ministry and the Personnel Ministry in his hand.

One recorded the population and the proportion of workers in each industry; another showed the number of recent graduates, the expected number of successful candidates in the new examination, and the number of vacant positions.

Currently, the employment situation of the Great Han, with the increase in population due to the implementation of new policies since his accession, has become disproportionate.

Many people will face the same situation as in modern times—graduate and immediately be unemployed!

Although he had already heard various suggestions from the officials: some advocated strengthening water conservancy construction, some proposed guiding the population, and others believed agricultural technology should be developed……

But these measures either take too much time or require too much capital, making it hard to see results in the short term.

Most importantly, they treat the symptoms, not the root cause!

Moreover, with the continual increase of those engaged in commerce, there is already overproduction, facing inflation, and the next step will be an economic crisis!

Liu Ju stared at the pen in his hand, hesitating repeatedly, unable to put it down for a long time.

Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the vast map of the Great Han's territory——the Jiangnan Circuit in the south, with a dense network of waterways, fertile land, yet sparsely populated……

"Come here!"

He slammed his hand on the table excitedly and said: "Quickly convey the imperial order, have Chancellor Tian Qianqiu and others enter the court to discuss major affairs."

Soon, a group of senior officials gathered in the Xuanshi Hall.

Liu Ju looked around at the officials and said:

"Esteemed ministers, to resolve the current predicament of the Great Han, I intend to excavate a Grand Canal, connecting the north-south waterways, and build another secondary capital at the southern and northern ends of the waterway, to ease the pressure brought by the surge in Chang'an's population, and at the same time establish a special economic zone to lead the great development of the south."

"In this way, we can relocate part of the populace southward, easing the pressure on the capital, while also promoting southern development and driving economic growth."

As soon as Liu Ju finished speaking, the hall erupted in a clamor.

Wei Qing spoke first: "Your Majesty, although this proposal is good, it consumes enormous resources; the treasury may not be able to bear it. Excavating the Grand Canal, not to mention recruiting laborers, transporting materials, water conservancy equipment…… everywhere requires money; the treasury is already empty, so this would likely mean imposing heavy taxes on the people, which is nothing but inviting resentment."

Wei Qing's words had just fallen.

Other officials chimed in one after another, and for a time, voices of opposition rose and fell.

Imperial Censor Ni Kuang frowned, worry etched on his face, and said: "Your Majesty, Prince Wei is absolutely right. Not to mention the empty treasury, just speaking of excavating the Grand Canal, the project is enormous and will inevitably require conscripting large numbers of laborers. Consequently, agricultural production will surely be affected; the people will not be able to farm in peace, and grain yields will drop—this is a major matter concerning people's livelihood!"

Tian Qianqiu also bowed and offered counsel: "Your Majesty, although the southern region has development potential, its terrain is complex, miasma permeates the air, and epidemics run rampant."

"The people of our Great Han are largely unaccustomed to that environment; hastily letting the populace migrate south would likely trigger an epidemic outbreak, causing greater disaster, with no visible results in the short term—truly too great a risk."

Liu Ju listened quietly to the officials' objections, his face showing no trace of anger, but instead a confident smile.

After the officials' voices gradually subsided, he slowly rose, descended from the throne, and fixed his gaze firmly on the crowd.

"I understand your concerns, ministers. But you only see the immediate difficulties, failing to see the huge opportunities hidden behind them."

Liu Ju's voice was calm and powerful, reverberating in the great hall.

"Have you considered that once the Grand Canal is completed, transportation between north and south will become far more convenient, cargo transport costs will drop significantly, and commercial intercourse will become more frequent? At that point, commercial taxes will increase greatly—is that not a substantial source of revenue?"

"You worry that conscripting laborers will affect agricultural production. But the court can reasonably schedule the conscription during farming off-seasons to have laborers participate in construction. Moreover, we can adopt a relief-through-labor approach, letting the people earn corresponding compensation while working on the project; this will not only avoid impacting agricultural production, but also increase the people's income and improve their livelihood."

Liu Ju looked at the silent crowd and continued: "The epidemics in the south are indeed a problem, but not unsolvable. I will dispatch many imperial physicians to the south to study local diseases and formulate corresponding prevention and control measures."

"At the same time, we can establish clinics in the south to provide medical services to the people. As long as we carry out prevention and treatment work well, we can minimize the harm of epidemics on the populace to the greatest extent."

Next, Liu Ju's eyes gleamed as he looked at the crowd, speaking firmly: "Now the Great Han faces population saturation, employment difficulties, overproduction, and other problems; if we do not actively seek solutions, we will inevitably invite greater crises. Developing the south is precisely the key for us to break out of the predicament."

"The south boasts fertile land, a mild and moist climate, a dense water network, and immense development potential. By establishing a secondary capital and a special economic zone in the south, we can not only ease the pressure on Chang'an but also attract large amounts of talent and capital to the south, promoting its economic development. In this way, we can not only solve employment issues but also drive the prosperity of the entire Great Han's economy."

Liu Ju's words left the officials deep in thought, and they began to re-evaluate the plan he had proposed.

At this moment, Zhang Qian stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty has now proposed the plan to develop the south; I believe this is a undertaking with far-sighted vision. However, should the construction of a secondary capital and a special economic zone be slowed down?"

Zhang Qian's words gained the assent of some officials, and they began to discuss quietly.

At this moment, Huo Guang, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward and spoke loudly: "Your Majesty, alas, ladies and gentlemen, I have a word to say."

He bowed slightly, his gaze fixed firmly on Liu Ju and the officials, then continued: "Lord Zhang Qian's concerns are not without reason; building a secondary capital and a special economic zone indeed requires substantial resources, and under the current circumstances, if we act too hastily, it may impose considerable pressure on the state."

"However, we cannot abandon eating because of choking. The strategy Your Majesty proposed to develop the south is indeed a lofty and far-sighted undertaking, of immeasurable significance to the future development of our Great Han."

Huo Guang straightened his back, clenched his fists, and spoke with fervor: "Moreover, since Your Majesty ascended the throne and implemented the new policies, remarkable achievements have been seen nationwide; the people place their trust and expectations in Your Majesty. Advancing the southern development plan now is precisely in line with the people's wishes."

"When the people see Your Majesty exhausting all efforts for the nation's development and their well-being, they will surely support Your Majesty even more, uniting to participate in the development and construction."

The officials listened to Huo Guang's words; some nodded slightly, lost in thought;

others whispered to each other, discussing quietly.

Huo Guang's analysis was indeed sound and well-founded, leaving people no choice but to re-examine this plan.