Chapter 793: The Sunset Plan, the New Sun Canal

The Emperor issued an edict to the Grand Secretariat asking for a strategy, but he received no response. The fact that silver was controlled by others was no longer a new problem.

Back in the second year of Emperor Wanli, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, Guang Mao, had submitted a memorial severely criticizing the implementation of the Single Whip Law.

His memorial had received the Emperor's approval. His reason for opposing the Single Whip Law was that silver relied entirely on foreign inflows; the Great Ming was poor in silver and could not afford to be controlled by others. (Chapter 227)

Now, Guang Mao had been promoted to Provincial Governor of Baoding and was actively accumulating seniority, seeking to advance into the Six Ministries.

Fourteen years had passed, and the imperial court still could not solve this problem.

And Guang Mao's opinion at the time was: wherever there is silver, the Great Ming must control it!

He proposed a plan to exterminate the Japanese pirates, conquer the Japanese nation, and bring their silver entirely under control so as not to be controlled by others.

Today, through various means, the Great Ming had basically ensured that Japanese silver flowed entirely into the Great Ming. But the Great Ming's development was changing with each passing day; the Japanese silver that seemed perfectly sufficient back then was, looking at it today, completely inadequate.

This was an old problem, one that had been placed on the desks of the Great Ming's leading officials ever since Ge E first proposed the Single Whip Law for monetary taxation during the Emperor Jiajing reign.

Time had flown by, nearly sixty years had passed, and it remained a problem the Great Ming could not solve.

The Grand Secretariat did not respond, and Zhu Zhu Yijun did not press further. He had no intention of making things difficult for his ministers any further.

How to make the silver from rich mines flow to the Great Ming instead of the West was indeed a difficult question to answer. It required analyzing the phenomenon, identifying the problem, dissecting the causes, and finding a solution.

Zhu Zhu Yijun finally experienced that "things go against one's wishes eight or nine times out of ten." His mood was a bit poor, and the Tonghe Palace became filled with low pressure.

"Your Majesty, seventeen more people have jumped from the Attendant Shen Zhang Xian Tower at Tonghui Canal." Feng Bao delivered a report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to the Emperor's desk and whispered. For the past few days, the Emperor's mood had been extremely bad.

These seventeen lives were the evil deeds of Wang Qian, and Wang Qian showed no sign of repentance, causing widespread resentment.

The Attendant Shen Zhang Xian Tower was opposite the Yanxing Tower. Many people waited there for the Yanxing Tower's price quotes to make their decisions. Some gambled so heavily that they would book higher floors, so that with one opening of the window, they could jump to their deaths.

Zhu Zhu Yijun opened the report. After reading it, he asked with a heavy face: "What is Wang Qian trying to do? I have summoned him for admonishment several times; he should have reined it in. How did he cause another death?"

"I certainly have no intention of over-interfering, but surely he understands my inquiries? He can do it, but why force people to jump to their deaths?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun could certainly lend his reputation to his ministers and cover for them, but imperial favor was not to be consumed like this.

Feng Bao hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I must still speak for

Censor Wang: these seventeen people deserved their fate."

"How much silver did he spend to make you speak for him?" Zhu Zhu Yijun frowned and asked. Wang Qian's ability to use silver to make ghosts push millstones—to have spent enough to reach the old ancestor in the palace—how much silver must he have thrown away?

"This servant deserves death!" Hearing the Emperor say this, Feng Bao was so scared his gall trembled, and he knocked his head forcefully. This knock was very loud.

The Emperor was no longer a ten-year-old child; he was a Son of Heaven in his prime. The Emperor himself did not know how terrifying he was when he got angry.

"Get up. You haven't said two words and you're already 'deserving death.' I hate that the most. Speak clearly; whether you die or not is not up to you." Zhu Zhu Yijun watched Feng Bao directly plead guilty, not even daring to defend himself, knowing that he was angry. He realized that eight or nine times out of ten, he hadn't taken the silver.

Feng Bao understood Zhu Zhu Yijun, and Zhu Zhu Yijun understood Feng Bao.

Feng Bao would not take a single cent less of the silver he was supposed to take. The eunuchs in the Imperial Estates who sold the National Cellar liquor and various luxury goods at inflated prices gave their tributes to Feng Bao.

Over these ten-plus years, it was at least several million taels of silver, but he would not take silver he shouldn't, silver that would cost him his head.

A head should stay on its neck.

Feng Bao knew very well that collusion between inside and outside meant certain death. He feared the Emperor would even find his nine generations to kill to vent his anger.

Zhang Hong, that "second ancestor," was still waiting to take his place.

"Tell me the situation." Zhu Zhu Yijun pushed the memorial forward and said.

Feng Bao bowed and said: "These seventeen lives deserved it. Your Majesty, I am truly not speaking for Wang Qian. Each of these seventeen people had leverage of over ten times. Even if Wang Qian didn't harvest them, they weren't far from death."

"How much leverage?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked in surprise.

Feng Bao pointed to the names in the memorial one by one and said: "This one with the most invested nearly 100,000 taels in the Yanxing Tower trading house, but his principal was only 7,000 taels. The rest was all borrowed from banks by mortgaging his wife, children, and ancestral property."

"Your Majesty, leverage of over ten times! With these securities at Yanxing Tower, the slightest disturbance would force him to jump from the Attendant Shen Zhang Xian Tower."

"If Censor Wang didn't harvest him, others would have."

"As long as the leverage is below 130%, Censor Wang won't take action. Censor Wang is also working for the country. These people aren't even speculators; they are thorough gamblers."

Feng Bao had also prepared an account book, laying out the accounts of these seventeen people one by one. "Leverage" was jargon here; the meaning was clear—it was actually the debt ratio.

Borrowing money to run to Yanxing Tower to buy securities, and borrowing so much—if Wang Qian didn't harvest them, others would. If gamblers could make money, the Great Ming would immediately be full of gamblers.

Wang Qian really wasn't

intentionally consuming the Emperor's reputation, but doing so to keep the Yanxing Tower trading house running.

"Where did this account book come from?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked curiously: "Who borrowed how much money? How did Wang Qian know? And how did he target them for liquidation?"

Feng Bao explained: "The banks gave it to Wang Qian. Your Majesty, most of those lending money in the capital are Shanxi merchants. When the eldest son of the Wang family asks, no one dares not to give."

"Especially those who borrowed a lot of money to speculate at Yanxing Tower; they are all marked in red and sent to the residence of the Second Grand Secretary Wang overnight."

"Moreover, these accounts aren't held by Censor Wang alone; some high-threshold private trading meetings have them too, they just don't know as quickly as Censor Wang."

Sending accounts overnight was something Wang Qian learned from his father, Wang Wang Chonggu, and the Emperor, Zhu Zhu Yijun: speed is the essence of war; the faster you are, the greater your advantage.

Eating the fish twice: the banks took the collateral at 60% or 70% of its value, and if the money couldn't be recovered, they would seize the ancestral property and houses mortgaged to them.

And at the Yanxing Tower end, Wang Qian harvested the silver from these people, all of which was used to store gold.

"Liquidation" meant these people couldn't even pay the monthly interest; having borrowed everything they could, they had no choice but to take the path of no return.

These were gamblers, not even speculators. Speculators wouldn't use such high leverage.

Wang Qian was using his cold-bloodedness to stop and discipline investors, telling them not to use such high leverage. 130% was the safety line; go beyond that, and the market would show its cruelty.

If Wang Qian didn't act, plenty of others were waiting to.

"I blamed you wrongly. Go get some medicine later and apply it to that bump. What about your acting?" Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a hint of apology after understanding the whole story: "Don't say 'deserving death' so easily in the future. Explain things clearly; I am not that capricious."

"This servant is guilty." Feng Bao played the fool again. Making the Emperor apologize and explain that he wasn't capricious was a grave sin for a minister.

"Again? Go, go, go, go apply your medicine." Zhu Zhu Yijun waved his hand helplessly, letting Feng Bao go apply the medicine.

Feng Bao bowed again: "This servant obeys the edict."

Zhang Hong had witnessed the whole thing. He felt Feng Bao was acting, and after sending Feng Bao out of the Imperial Study, he smiled and said: "Grand Eunuch Feng, truly great acting."

Feng Bao said irritably: "Acting my ass! You take my shift for two days! You try it!"

"The Emperor has been holding back fire these two days over the issue of silver being entirely dependent on foreign inflows. You serve him close by; see if you don't knock your head! I guarantee you'll knock even louder than me!"

"The Emperor's temper is actually good. Even when he has fire in his heart, he's angry at himself, not venting it on us servants, nor kicking the dogs that pass by."

Zhang Hong remembered something and shivered, realizing Feng Bao really wasn't pretending.

The Emperor truly had fire in his heart, and although it wouldn't be vented on others, it was indeed a bit terrifying.

Feng Bao, Zhang Hong, Li Li Yougong, and other high-ranking eunuchs were called ministers, but they were actually the Emperor's domestic slaves.

Over time, they got used to it themselves. They gradually saw themselves as people, but in the eyes of the naturally noble, are servants really people?

Feng Bao and Zhang Hong had seen bad-tempered masters, and not just one or two. The princesses, princes, favored concubines, and emperors in the palace—these were all masters.

This palace atmosphere that didn't treat people as people caused the psychological distortion of the eunuchs.

But the Emperor had the style of the Emperor Chengzu Emperor, treating eunuchs as people. The eunuchs in the palace wouldn't dare say it, but the eunuchs in the Tonghe Palace were absolutely loyal!

The Emperor was the master of the country. The nobles in the palace saw the Emperor's every word and action. Since the Emperor didn't over-punish these servants, the nobles naturally wouldn't either.

By treating others as he would like to be treated, the Emperor gained safety. The bizarre events of the Emperor Jiajing reign, where eight dragons were born but only one true dragon remained, naturally wouldn't happen.

It was just that Feng Bao and Zhang Hong had gotten used to it. If Feng Bao hadn't mentioned it today, Zhang Hong would have forgotten that this was a special situation unique to the Emperor Wanli reign.

Fish don't thank the water; they take it for granted.

Feng Bao said with deep emotion: "The Master spoke of favor—the imperial favor is vast. This is the vast imperial favor!"

"Let us encourage each other. We must constantly remind the eunuchs in the palace to remember this is a favor. Ingratitude is not just being thrown into a well, but being sent to the Dissection Institute to be made into a specimen!"

Feng Bao had actually forgotten; it was just that the Emperor had been sulking for two days, so Feng Bao remembered and scared himself, acting a bit excessively.

The Emperor was actually very simple and never capricious.

Zhang Hong shivered and said: "Grand Eunuch Feng, go apply your medicine quickly. I'll cover for you here for a while—just half an hour! It's settled, just half an hour!"

Feng Bao applied the medicine and went to the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion to inquire about the Emperor's edict. Finding no results, he returned helplessly to the Tonghe Palace.

No one in the palace dared to remind the Emperor. The Emperor's gloomy face these past few days was very frightening, making everyone walk more quietly for fear of angering him.

Wang Wang Yaozhuo also saw it and was anxious in her heart. She feared the Emperor would suffer from internal friction, so she tried every way to make him happy.

"Your Majesty, the Second Grand Secretary Wang has led the Grand Secretariat and submitted a memorial! Oh my." Feng Bao ran hurriedly into the Imperial Study with a memorial. As he passed the threshold, he tripped, rolling smoothly until he reached the imperial desk, presenting the memorial to the Emperor.

Feng Bao could do that little trick of the junior eunuchs too, and even more smoothly.

"Get up." Zhu Zhu Yijun almost laughed out loud. He was already an old ancestor, yet he was still playing such low-level tricks.

Feng Bao said with a full smile: "Your Majesty, the Second Grand Secretary Wang is truly a talent for governing the country. The cabinet ministers were at their wits' end, but he thought of a way to resolve your worries!"

"Oh?!" Zhu Zhu Yijun's eyes lit up. He opened the memorial and read it for a long time, a sunny smile appearing on his face. With this smile, the low pressure in the Tonghe Palace was no longer oppressive.

Cabinet ministers and court officials could feel the Emperor's mood. If the Emperor was in a bad mood, the ministers were in a bad mood, fearing they would say the wrong thing. The mood of the hundred officials in the capital would be even worse; these ministers would keep gloomy faces all day, and one wouldn't know how they had offended them.

When the Emperor was in a good mood, the atmosphere in the entire capital wouldn't be so oppressive, and the hundred officials could continue to smile.

"Open the West Flower Hall and summon the Assistant Ministers to the West Flower Hall for a meeting. Eunuch Feng, go get a few pieces of eiderdown-lined jackets and cashmere sweaters. When the ministers arrive, reward them, and keep that one with the flying fish pattern for the Second Grand Secretary Wang." Zhu Zhu Yijun gave his instructions; the rewards were already prepared.

When the Emperor was in a good mood, he called him "Eunuch Feng"; when he was in an average mood, he called him "Grand Eunuch Feng"; when he was angry, he called him by his name.

Usually, when the Emperor called him by his name, he was one step away from losing his head.

"This servant obeys the edict." Feng Bao accepted the order joyfully. Whoever could make this master in front of him happy was the number one meritorious minister in the world!

Marquis of Yicheng Zhang Zhang Juzheng, Second Grand Secretary Wang Wang Chonggu, Grand Secretary Wang Wang Guoguang, and Shen Li arrived at the Tonghe Palace Imperial Study. Hence Hai Rui was also summoned to the West Flower Hall to discuss state affairs.

Although Hence Hai Rui was not a cabinet minister, he had the power to request an audience directly at the Tonghe Palace Imperial Study, which also saved Hence Hai Rui from submitting a memorial of admonishment and scolding people.

Discussing state affairs together, there were six ministers in total. If Qi General Qi Jiguang Jiguang were here, he would have to be added as the Duke of Duke Fengguo.

"This servant pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live." Zhang Zhang Juzheng led the ministers in paying respects.

"Sit, sit, sit. Serve tea, serve good tea." Zhu Zhu Yijun signaled for the ministers to take their seats and looked around: "I have summoned you all today to discuss important matters. This closed-door meeting is clearly the most important of important matters."

"There are no Secretariat scribes recording today, so there is no need to worry about the infamy of historical records."

Zhu Zhu Yijun was not worried about having too many debts, nor lice about having too many bites. He waged wars and initiated many major cases; if the scholars didn't fill his grave with trash, they wouldn't be scholars.

But the ministers needed to protect their reputations!

"Second Grand Secretary Wang, you explain this memorial." Zhu Zhu Yijun moved to the side, leaving the center stage of the world map to Wang Wang Chonggu.

Wang Wang Chonggu bowed to the ministers, indicating he was about to show his incompetence.

He said with a strange expression: "Seven days ago, Your Majesty suddenly issued a strict edict asking the Grand Secretariat for a strategy. We ministers were ashamed; holding high positions without a good strategy is truly shameful."

"Yesterday, at home, I was beating my rebellious son. Those seventeen lives at the Attendant Shen Zhang Xian Tower—I truly wished I could beat him to death!"

"Unexpectedly, he took a small shrub path and fled. I stared at that path for a long time, and suddenly, inspiration struck!"

"So it was the eldest son of the Wang family who provided the inspiration for the Second Grand Secretary Wang?" Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled upon hearing this. Wang Wang Chonggu spoiled his child more than anyone else; when the child caused trouble, he would rack his brains to make up for it.

"I have made a fool of myself before Your Majesty and the ministers. It is truly a family scandal." What Wang Wang Chonggu said was a family scandal, but in fact, he was quite proud of Wang Qian.

Because even without him, Wang Wang Chonggu, Wang Qian could still have a place in the treacherous court and settle himself well. Being able to live well without parents worrying about whether their child could survive after they were gone was the best answer to parents.

Wang Wang Chonggu stood straight and said with a heavy face: "Your Majesty, you asked for a long-term strategy. I am incompetent, but inspiration struck, and I have some ideas. Your Majesty, please listen: the silver hegemony in Philip's hands is not actually a silver hegemony."

"When thinking about problems, we are all too obsessed with the appearance of silver. In fact, what Philip holds is not a silver hegemony."

"Your Majesty, the Spanish Viceroyalties mainly include the Viceroyalty of Brazil, the Viceroyalty of Chile, the Viceroyalty of Peru, and the Viceroyalty of Mexico."

"The Viceroyalty of Brazil is not loyal; they do business with the French, Portuguese, Dutch, and even the English, with extremely flexible postures, earning silver from whoever has it."

"But the remaining Viceroyalties—Chile, Peru, and Mexico—show extraordinary loyalty. Philip II's orders are always obeyed."

"Why is this?"

(Map of Spanish Viceroyalties)

Did Spain's control of the Pacific coast reach its peak through Philip's art of governance? Did he completely control the localization of colonists in a way the Great Ming didn't know?

"The problem actually lies right here: the Strait of Magellan." Wang Wang Chonggu's long rod pointed to the bottom of South America, where the Strait of Magellan was.

The waterway of the Strait of Magellan is extremely complex. Forcing passage without a pilot easily leads to running aground. In some waters, at low tide, it is only three feet deep, which is a huge challenge for deep-draft sharp-bottomed ships.

Besides the complex waterway, this is a natural maritime danger. As long as both ends are blocked, no ships can pass.

Shen Li asked strangely: "Isn't there vast sea area south of the Strait of Magellan? Why can't we bypass it? With such a vast sea, why must we take the Strait of Magellan and pay such high tariffs?"

On the map, the southern tip of the New World is Tierra del Fuego, and further south is an endless ocean. Why must they take a waterway with complex conditions and pay such high tariffs?

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "South of the Strait of Magellan is a forbidden zone for life. The Great Ming's ocean-going fleet has reached the Strait of Magellan six times, and every time they have seen large amounts of floating ice. When hitting floating ice at sea, the ship is destroyed and people die."

"Moreover, that is the intersection of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with constant gale-force winds and huge waves. The 'Killer Westerlies,' 'Storm Corridor,' 'Devil's Strait,' and 'Killer Corridor' are all names for this strait."

There are wrongly named places, but there are definitely no wrongly named nicknames. The Great Ming's ocean-going merchant fleet once sent ships to explore, and the conclusion was that it was not navigable.

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said: "Legend has it that a captain named Hocesi luckily passed through that sea area of constant gales and floating ice. Three ships passed through one, and that was with extremely good luck—no high waves and no hitting floating ice. The risk is simply too great."

The risks of maritime trade are already high. Most merchant ships choose to pay the tariffs rather than risk ship destruction and death.

Wang Wang Chonggu continued: "The Viceroy of the Strait of Magellan appointed by Philip is his most trusted confidant. As long as this strait remains in Philip's hands, the Viceroyalties on the Pacific coast must maintain their loyalty."

"Without maintaining sufficient loyalty, one only needs to cut off contact with the mainland. It wouldn't take long before the Viceroyalties, having lost the supply of gunpowder and baggage from the mainland, would be conquered by the local barbarians."

"Even if we captured the Xie Pengju Port located in Peru, it would be of no use. With one order from Philip, all the Viceroyalties belonging to Spain on the Pacific coast would have to do their utmost to attack Xie Pengju Port and pull out the Great Ming's nail."

The ancient Inca Empire still has sporadic remnants resisting. Beyond that, the overly high-pressure colonial rule puts these Viceroyalties in danger. If they don't want to be conquered by the barbarians, they can only maintain their loyalty to the mainland.

"Like a fishbone in the throat."

Zhu Zhu Yijun pointed to the location of the Strait of Magellan and said: "These Viceroyalties have no choice. If they don't show enough loyalty, just reducing the trade share with the mainland is enough to make them uncomfortable. If they anger Philip, whether the Viceroyalty exists or not becomes a question."

The Strait of Magellan is a sharp blade hanging over the necks of the Viceroyalties on the Pacific coast. They have no choice but to be loyal.

Historically, the solution given by the Netherlands and England was to defeat Spain's Invincible Armada, control the Strait of Gibraltar, and block Spain back into the Mediterranean.

Spain, which found it difficult even to leave its own door, eventually lost control of the Strait of Magellan.

Zhu Zhu Yijun pointed to the location of the Strait of Magellan and said: "These Governor's Offices have no choice. If they don't show enough loyalty, just reducing the trade share with the mainland is enough to make them miserable. If they anger Felipe, whether the Governor's Office exists or not will be a problem."

Wang Wang Chonggu deconstructed the specific meaning of the "Sun Never Sets" imperial hegemony. The foundation of the "Sun Never Sets" hegemony is maritime hegemony. Whoever controls the sea routes is the "Sun Never Sets" empire.

Wang Wang Chonggu took a deep breath, looked at everyone, and said calmly: "For this reason, I have formulated a Sunset Plan."

Wang Wang Chonggu liked to name things, such as the "Spring Thunder Action" to crack down on private markets, the "Subduing Tiger Action" against the Cao Gang, and the "Sharp Sword Action" against the pirates. This time, he named his plan the "Sunset Plan."

Making the "Sun Never Sets" empire of Spain set was the goal of Wang Wang Chonggu's plan.

"How to do it?" Hence Hai Rui frowned and said: "Since the Strait of Magellan is the true throat, it is tens of thousands of miles away from the Great Ming. The defense must be extremely strict. What can the Great Ming do to gain control of this strait?"

"It's simply impossible."

The Pacific is truly too big. If it weren't tens of thousands of miles away, the Great Ming could knock out these Viceroyalties one by one, like knocking out the castles on the Strait of Malacca, and launch a twenty- or thirty-year-long war to seize the Strait of Magellan.

But it is too far. The Great Ming currently has no such strong ocean-going deployment capability.

Wang Wang Chonggu shook his head and pointed his long rod at the waist of the New World: "No, my plan is not to take the Strait of Magellan, but to build a new shipping route here—to dig a canal. Let's call it the New Sun Canal."

"If we can't take the shipping route, can't we build one ourselves?"

"We have just acquired the North Atlantic shipping route. As long as we open this up, we can obtain a brand-new shipping route that is not controlled by Philip II. As long as we open this up, no matter how Philip struggles, Spain will set, and the Great Ming will inevitably rise."

The Sunset Plan, the New Sun Canal—this was the idea that flashed through Wang Wang Chonggu's mind when he saw Wang Qian take the small shrub path and flee.

The thinking of the Great Ming people is always so magical: if there is no road, walk out a road yourself.

"Philip will definitely oppose it. These Viceroyalties, upon receiving the order, will definitely rush to where we are building the canal." Shen Li raised his objection and added: "These Viceroyalties had no choice in the past, but now that we are building this canal, they will definitely be happy to see it."

"No one wants a sword held to their throat. As long as the canal is completed, they can choose sides and hold the balance of power, so they won't be so cheap anymore."

"But Philip will definitely go crazy."

Currently, there are only two huge consumer markets in the world: the Great Ming and the West. Beyond that, one could say they are all wilderness, providing only raw materials and unable to provide a consumer market.

This plan is feasible, but realizing it is difficult. Philip will definitely not sit idly by and watch the Great Ming build the canal and seize his hegemony.

Wang Wang Chonggu said with a heavy face: "Speed is the essence of war, so we must be fast! Build the New Sun Canal and the defensive castles at the fastest speed—three years. It must be completed within three years."

"Philip will need time to learn that the Great Ming is building a canal, time to react, and time to intervene effectively."

"As long as it is completed, even if Philip goes insane, he won't be able to take it down. Like the Great Ming, he doesn't have such strong ocean-going deployment capability."

"The wood is already a boat; it cannot be recovered."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng immediately said: "No, Second Grand Secretary Wang, nothing is fast when building a canal. We must prepare for long-term construction. Haste makes waste."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng immediately raised an objection. If the canal is built too fast, the fate of Emperor Yang of Sui will be the outcome.

Regardless of length, the construction of a canal, from surveying to starting construction, and facing various risks, requires a long time.

"Therefore, the Sunset Plan cannot be completed in three years; it is even a long-term plan of ten, twenty, fifty, or even a hundred years. Three years is simply impossible." Zhang Zhang Juzheng refuted Wang Wang Chonggu's theory of quick victory.

"As long as it's repaired, even if Felipe goes crazy, he won't be able to attack it. Like the Ming, he doesn't have such a powerful long-range deployment capability."

"The wood is already a boat; spilled water cannot be recovered."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng immediately said: "No, Junior Minister Wang, there is no such thing as a fast canal construction. We must be prepared for long-term construction; haste makes waste."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng immediately raised an objection. If the canal was built too fast, Emperor Yang of Sui would be the outcome.

Regardless of length, the construction of a canal, from surveying to the start of construction, and facing various risks, requires a long time.

"Therefore, the Sunset Plan cannot be completed in three years; it is even a long-term plan for ten, twenty, fifty, or even a hundred years. Three years is simply impossible." Zhang Zhang Juzheng refuted Wang Wang Chonggu's theory of quick victory.