Chapter 246: A Grand Project

"The, the Grand Canal?"

Ling Chen was stunned on the spot.

Qingyang Shuo's eyes were also burning with intensity.

He had not expected before that Liu Zheng's ambition was actually this grand!

As for the others, it goes without saying.

Xiao Tao hid behind Xie Chan and asked in a low voice, "Miss, what is this Grand Canal?"

Xie Chan glared at her: "Quiet!"

"How would I know? Just listen!"

Xiao Tao still wanted to ask, but was rebuffed by this sentence; she immediately looked aggrieved, then giggled—so even her own Miss had things she didn't know?

But...

That's not right!

Why did her Miss's mood today seem as if she had already completely integrated into this Protectorate?

Her feeling was naturally correct.

Xie Chan today...

Truly had her eyes opened.

This was the Protectorate of the Longyan people? This was the wisdom of the Longyan people?

She was a Princess who grew up in the Dayuan Imperial Palace. Xie Xuan and the Empress doted on her boundlessly. She often snuck in to watch the morning court, and what was in that morning court... which small country's sheep ate the grass on which small country's Grassland, and the two sides started fighting and came to the Emperor to judge who was right.

Whose water was diverted by whom.

Whose slaves ran to whom to cause trouble, kill, and loot, and so on.

But looking at this Western Regions Protectorate...

What were they talking about?

Five-Year Plan, Ten-Year Plan? Diverting water into the Western Regions, Slave Registration Liberation, Point System, developing people's livelihood, consolidating rule, Per Capita Income, National Economy...

This...

She couldn't even understand it!

However, being intelligent, she understood that the formulation of these policies was of great benefit to the Western Regions. Especially Liu Zheng's respect for the indigenous people of the Western Regions—even her father, Xie Xuan, could not do that.

This...

She watched Liu Zheng talking eloquently over there, and the more she listened, the more she wanted to hear.

At this moment, everyone also gathered around.

Liu Zheng smiled and pointed at the sand table in the room: "As everyone knows, diverting water to the Western Regions should be the top priority for the development of the Western Regions. I have never believed that the Western Regions are desolate and barren; this land must hide many treasures, waiting for us to develop!"

"Therefore, since the Envoy believes that diverting water to the Western Regions is imperative, then why don't we just do it all at once?"

Everyone looked at each other in dismay.

Liu Zheng used his hand to draw a line on the sand table, from Cheshi in the Western Regions, south to Jingzhou, and even further to Nanyang. He said calmly: "From here to here, if we could connect the north and the south, what do you think?"

In reality.

Ever since Liu Zheng came to the Western Regions, he had been thinking.

How to develop the Western Regions?

He did not come here for colonization in the traditional sense! Absolutely not. He hoped that wherever he went, he could give the local natives more respect and lead them in development, so they could live better in this world. Because he felt that nothing was more dignified than living better.

If this matter succeeded, then the Western Regions could be stable... and later, any place he conquered would be more stable.

Therefore.

He had been thinking about it seriously.

In ancient times, regarding water diversion, small-scale meant waterwheels, and large-scale meant digging canals...

But Liu Zheng believed.

Rather than simply digging canals, why not just build a Grand Canal?

The Longyan Dynasty did not have a Grand Canal.

In the history of Huaxia, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was first built during the Spring and Autumn period. At that time, the canals dug during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods all served war. For example, the direct purpose of King Fuchai of Wu ordering the digging of the Han Canal was to transport troops to attack the Qi State in the north. The Hong Canal dug by King Hui of Wei in 360 BC was basically for military operations to conquer other countries.

After the Sui Dynasty unified the world, it made the decision to connect the north and south canals. Its motivation had already surpassed the purpose of serving military operations, because the world was already unified at this time.

The Sui's opening of the canal had economic motivations. For a long period in ancient Zhongguo, the economic center had always been in the Yellow River basin, and the northern economy was more advanced than the south. But by the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, society underwent profound changes.

Four hundred years of chaos caused the northern economy to suffer severe shocks; compared to this, the southern economy gained rapid development and became the national economic center.

After the Sui unified the country, it attached great importance to this region, but the Sui established its capital in Chang'an, and its political center could not move south with the development and changes of the economic center. Therefore, the state needed to strengthen the management of the south, and Chang'an needed to connect with the wealthy economic zones; it needed southern grain and supplies to support the north, whether for the central imperial court, the bureaucratic Nobles, or the northern borders.

At the same time, long-term division blocked the exchange of the north-south economy, and with the improvement of productivity levels, the development of the economy at this time urgently required strengthening the connection between the north and the south.

But...

The Longyan Dynasty had not experienced the Southern and Northern Dynasties period.

Therefore, that kind of shock did not exist.

But even so, the development of the southern economy had slowly caught up with the north.

It was just that.

The Longyan Dynasty was under the Feudal System, and the Feudal System meant that every Feudatory King's territory was conservative and even isolationist. Objective historical reasons caused them to not want a Grand Canal to exist at all—what would they need that for? To give others a chance for naval attacks?

Therefore.

Water Transport between two cities was already the most incredible thing.

This was also why the Longyan Dynasty was repeatedly harassed by the Qi and the Xiongnu in the north, yet was unable to resist. Because the Longyan Dynasty could not station more troops in Beijing; because a large number of troops could not survive on military land reclamation alone, they had to rely on the Jianghuai and Central Plains for grain and fodder.

But clearly.

The Longyan Dynasty currently did not have such convenient transportation conditions.

The Feudatory Kings each acted in their own interest, which also blocked the possibility of excavating the Grand Canal. Therefore, capable people of past dynasties never even considered this Method, because the objective conditions did not allow it.

But...

Now, Liu Zheng can!

From the Western Regions to Liangzhou, and now, the Kezhou Port in Liangzhou has already matured; going straight down the Han River, then entering the Jialing River, into Shuzhou, connecting to the Yangtze River, and down to Jingzhou, the entire south is almost completely connected!

In this way, the Yellow River, Han River, Yangtze River, Huai River, Li River, Xiang River, Gan River, Qiantang River, and so on—the several great rivers of the Longyan Dynasty will almost all be connected!

The Grand Canal!

South-to-North Water Diversion!

When this idea popped into his mind, Liu Zheng was entirely exhilarated. This is absolutely a massive project, a project that would take decades, or even a hundred years!

But...

If this project could truly be realized!

Then it would not only allow him to go down in history, but the excavation of this Grand Canal would also bring him unimaginable help economically, politically, and militarily.

By then, he would truly occupy Liangzhou, dominate the world, and eye Zhongyuan like a tiger!

"This..."

"The Grand Canal?"

Everyone present was stunned upon hearing this.

Qingyang Shuo drew a breath: "Young Master, how much manpower and material resources would this consume? Young Master, please be cautious!"

"Young Master, this must absolutely not be done!"

"This matter... involves far too much!"

"Young Master, for the mere Western Regions, why go this far? This would be making an enemy of the whole world!"

The group of people, as if awakened from a dream, were all so frightened that their expressions changed.