Back to the Warring States Period as Zhao Kuo

Page 692

After a while, everyone got into the car one after another.

Like other nobles and wealthy businessmen who have never taken a train, they are very curious, whispering one by one.

"This thing looks like it's all made of steel. Your Majesty really did a great job."

In this era, steel is a strategic resource in the true sense. All steel production is controlled by the government, and even private blacksmiths have to report.

Someone else said: "It's all made of steel, and it's so heavy, how many horses are needed to pull it up?"

"You don't understand this, it is said that it is pulled by a steam engine."

"what?

Isn't the steam engine used for weaving? How can it be used to pull carts now?

Is it strong enough? "

Amidst the discussion among the crowd, a long whistle sounded, and then the steam engine head began to rumble.

After a while, the train slowly left the platform and headed west along the tracks.

All of a sudden, a pot exploded in the carriage.

"It's moving, it's actually moving!"

"My God, such a heavy steel carriage, with hundreds of people seated, can still move. How heavy is the force?"

"Speed, this speed is not slow!"

After a few minutes, the train slowly accelerated to a speed of 30KMH.

For later generations of modern people, this speed is like a snail, and they can go up with just a kick of the accelerator, but for the nobles present who are used to the speed of 1020KMH carriages, this speed is at least half faster, or even faster. One or two times!

Now, these nobles were completely shocked.

"I didn't expect that His Majesty could create such an unprecedented thing!"

"It's amazing. When I go back, I must talk to my family and let them know that our Han country has developed such an amazing thing."

For a while, there were endless praises for the train.

In the "first-class cabin" at the front, although the important ministers of the Great Han Kingdom had already taken the train once, they still couldn't hide their shocked expressions at this moment.

This time they were not circling on the playground, but had already come to the field along the railroad tracks, passing through countless fields, forests, and hills, and galloping forward.

Xu Li also widened his eyes, watching the scenery on both sides slowly receding to the rear, he even saw the farmers on both sides of the road startled by the passing train, kneeling on the ridge of the field and bowing to the train Worship.

Zhao Kuo said with a chuckle, "Prime Minister Xu, how does it feel to ride the train?"

Xu Li took a deep breath, managed to calm down, and said to Zhao Kuo, "Your Majesty, although the feeling of riding a train is not as comfortable as that of a carriage, I still feel that the train is indeed a very good means of transportation."

Zhao Kuo said with a smile: "This is mainly because it is the first train, and horse-drawn carriages have been produced for thousands of years, so they have some advantages.

You see, in the near future, it will be much more comfortable to travel by train than by carriage. "

These things in the carriage are mainly due to rush work, so I simply put a hard wooden chair with a backrest, coupled with the bumps in the train movement, the ride performance is naturally not very good.

But when the driving condition of the train is improved in the future, and those sofa seats are put in, are you afraid that it will be uncomfortable to sit on?

On the other side, Pang Nuan also said with a smile: "Your Majesty, this train looks very transparent when it is made, and people can move around in the compartment. Although the chairs are not very good, I think the long-term riding experience is still good." Great."

Zhao Kuo laughed and said: "Of course, you will know when you arrive at Daliang City later."

After hearing Zhao Kuo's words, the expressions of Pang Nuan and Xu Li became strange at the same time.

Xu Li couldn't help but say, "Daliang City?

Your Majesty is not joking. "

Zhao Kuo smiled and said, "Are you kidding me?

I'm not kidding. "

Pang Nuan also gasped, and said in disbelief, "Your Majesty, Daliang City is a full three hundred miles away from Imperial City!"

What is the concept of three hundred miles?

In terms of travel speed, it is normal for a carriage to travel fifty or sixty miles a day, and seventy or eighty miles is considered very fast, and the horses pulling the cart will not be able to bear any more.

In other words, under normal conditions, it would take Xu Li and Pang Nuan five to six days to travel from the Imperial Capital to Daliang in a carriage, and it would take even longer if there was any delay.

Now, Zhao Kuo actually said that he could reach Daliang City from Imperial Capital City in one day?

Not only Xu Li and Pang Nuan, but also the other important officials of the Han Dynasty in the carriage also showed shocked expressions after hearing these words, and looked at Zhao Kuo in disbelief.

Zhao Kuo laughed and said, "If you don't believe me, you will find out later?"

From Imperial Capital City to Daliang City, it is a total of three hundred miles, which is 150 kilometers.

Calculated according to the speed of 30kH, it is actually only five hours!Of course, considering that 30kH is actually the extreme speed of the current train, six to seven hours to arrive at Daliang City from Imperial Capital City is a relatively normal time.

Zhao Kuo said with a smile: "Just watch, let's have dinner after Daliang City, and then we have time to go back to the Imperial City."

Six hours later, the train whistled and slowly stopped at Daliang East Station.

Zhao Kuo walked off the train with Xu Li and others, and said with a smile, "How about it, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Xu Li, Pang Nuan and other important officials of the Han Dynasty looked at each other with shocked expressions on their faces.

In the distance, the walls of Daliang City loomed large.

Not only that, but a group of officials including the county guards and city guards in Daliang City cheered up and saluted respectfully: "I have seen Your Majesty!"

This situation and the scene all illustrate a fact.

Xu Li murmured: "Three hours and six hours, it's actually possible to reach Daliang City from Imperial Capital City?"

Pang Nuan also said in disbelief: "One day, you can go back and forth from Dijing and Daliang City?"

The other Zhao Guozhong ministers also looked shocked and confused.

This speed really surpassed their imagination.

Only Zhao Kuo laughed loudly, and said to the local officials in front of him, "Where are the meals that you were asked to prepare earlier?

Serve it quickly, after eating, I have to go back to the imperial capital. "

That night, around midnight, the train returned to Dijing West Station.

Zhao Kuo was in high spirits, looking at the shining imperial capital outside the car window, and smiled at Xu Li and Pang Nuan who were beside him: "You two prime ministers, now you know why I strongly advocate the construction of the railway?"

Xu Li took a deep breath and nodded slowly: "Your Majesty is right, the ministers are short-sighted, the railway repair is indeed very necessary!"

Pang Nuan was on the side, also nodding again and again.

These two prime ministers are sophisticated characters. After experiencing it personally, they immediately realized the importance of trains.

Let's take the example of dispatching troops. Usually, if you want to transfer troops from the Imperial Capital to Daliang City, if it is the speed of an infantry army, an infantry army will only advance twenty to thirty miles a day, which means About ten days.

If it is pure cavalry, it used to be about 150 miles without saddles, stirrups and horseshoes, but now it is about [-] miles, and it takes at least two days.

But if all these soldiers and horses are loaded into the train and advance, it only takes one day to deliver them all.

Although a train cannot hold tens of thousands of soldiers, as long as there are enough trains, it will be no problem.

Zhao Kuo laughed loudly and said, "So, this train must be promoted nationwide, right?"

Xu Li and Pang Nuan nodded together.

But then, Xu Li couldn't help but said: "That's the case, but Your Majesty, the investment in building the railway is so huge, I'm afraid it won't be able to do it in less than a hundred years if it is to be popularized."

"Hundreds of years?"

When Zhao Kuo heard this, he couldn't help laughing: "Prime Minister, you still know too little about railways.

Let me tell you this, at most ten years, the railway will fully blossom in the Central Plains.

In 20 years, the railway will be built to Jiangnan, Southwest and Lingnan.

In 30 years, the railway will be built in every corner of the Han Kingdom! "

Facing Zhao Kuo's words, Xu Li and Pang Nuan said at the same time, "" Pang Nuan couldn't help but said, "Your Majesty, our Great Han Kingdom really doesn't have that much money!"

Zhao Kuo laughed loudly: "Money?

You guys just don't see the real importance of the railway.

It can not only help our Han Dynasty to deploy troops and resources, but its most important value is commercial value, understand?

The railway can make money, and it is also a cornucopia that can make a lot of money!Just watch, after a few months, you will know how quickly I can recover this cost! "

Facing the confident Zhao Kuo, Xu Li and Pang Nuan originally wanted to object, but suddenly they were not so sure.

Because they suddenly felt that this railway seemed to be beyond their expectations.

Xu Li and Pang Nuan looked at each other, and a thought emerged in their hearts.

"Could it be true what His Majesty said, that this railway can really recover the cost quickly?"

Xu Li collected himself, and said in a deep voice: "Then, the old minister will wait and see, Your Majesty."

Chapter 1218 How Do Railways Make Money?

What can a train do?

This is a relatively simple question for Xu Li and Pang Nuan so far, that is, to transport troops and resources.

But the question is, if you can make a lot of money just like this, can you make back the [-] million?

At least on this point, both Xu Li and Pang Nuan were skeptical.

But for Zhao Kuo, his idea is relatively simple.

Zhao Kuo felt that there should still be smart people in this world. As long as these smart people discover this business opportunity, they should quickly contact the Ministry of Communications.

The next morning, the Ministry of Communications.

This is a newly established ministry, and the minister is none other than Lu Buwei, who has just been transferred from the post of Minister of Agriculture.

At this moment, Lu Buwei's mood is actually a bit complicated.

At a certain moment after accepting this appointment, Lu Buwei even wondered if this might be Zhao Kuo's suppression of him.

But soon Lu Buwei gave up this idea, because in Lu Buwei's view, Zhao Kuo had no need to suppress Lu Buwei at all, not to mention that the transfer from the Minister of Agriculture to the Minister of Communications also did not change in terms of level.

Therefore, Lu Buwei thinks that the most important point of this appointment should be that Zhao Kuo really hopes that Lu Buwei can make something for the new Ministry of Communications and lead this department to develop some changes that Zhao Kuo likes to see.

"But now I only have one horse railway in my hand."

Lu Buwei sighed helplessly.

As one of Zhao's important ministers, Lu Buwei certainly took part in the ride between the Imperial Capital City and Daliang City that day yesterday, but the problem is that even so, he is a little confused. What the Ministry of Communications should do next is What.

Do we need to build more railroads?

However, it has already cost 300 million yuan to build a 7-mile railway. Does the Han Dynasty really have more money to invest in the construction of these railways?

After thinking about it, Lu Buwei felt that the current focus of work should still be on cost recovery.

If the cost of 7 million can be recovered, then the next railway can be built quickly, and there will be many things that can be done next.

So the question is, how can we recover the cost?

While Lu Buwei was still thinking about this matter, someone suddenly knocked on the door of his office.

In addition to coming in, an official informed Lu Buwei of a news.

"My lord, there is a president from Datong Coal Group who wants to see you."

After Lu Buwei heard the news, he was taken aback.

"The president of Datong Coal Group?

What is he doing here? "

"He said that maybe he has a way to solve the urgent problem in front of you, Mr. Minister."

After thinking for a while, Lu Buwei still decided to meet the other party.

Datong Coal Group is a private coal company, but it is also the top coal group company in Dahan. More importantly, this company is listed on the stock exchange, and its market value is quite high.

Another point is that this so-called Datong Coal Group actually has the shadows of several top families in the Han Kingdom behind it.

After a while, a middle-aged man with a gentle appearance walked into the office and saluted Lu Buwei respectfully.

"Zhou Dongzheng has met the minister."