Chapter 530.

Within days, news had arrived from the Republic of Genoa that the fleet, led by the Vice Admiral, had broken through Genoa!

This city, which was also founded by merchants, has now …… naturally fallen into the hands of the Great Ming.

At the same time, Rome issued a decree on the attribution of Venice and Genoa to Damien.

Don’t look at Qiu Song’s tougher attitude towards Erdan and Donkey Ball, but getting recognized by Rome is still quite important for Daming.

It is not because of the fear of Rome, but …… Daming wants to replace the Venetian and Genoa merchants and integrate into the whole of Europe more smoothly, and it will be much smoother with the authorization and recognition of Rome.

Especially with a power like the tax package.

Within days, Zheng He’s fleet finally arrived in Venice.

The first thing that Qiu Song did was to hurry to Zheng He and yelled, “Eunuch Zheng, I can finally wait for you to come, we don’t have enough boats, we need to borrow your lucky boat.”

Zheng He smiled, “What needs to be loaded?”

“Gold and silver.” Chuson said directly and dryly.

Zheng He: “……”

Qiu Song’s fleet, has been considered huge, such a huge fleet, actually …… can not load, and even need to borrow Zheng He’s ship, which ……

But after a short deliberation, Zheng He and Qiu Song finally agreed on a plan.

Zheng He will lead a fleet of ships that will return with gold and silver.

Chuson, on the other hand, left an elite naval division to be stationed in Venice, while at the same time 3,000 model battalions were to be guarded here.

Zheng He’s return voyage this time had another mission. After the return voyage, the next time, it would bring a larger fleet of ships, which would carry more goods, and a large number of people, especially merchants and people, to arrive at Venice and Genoa, enriching the strength of Venice and Genoa, as well as the Venetian colonies in North Africa and the Near East.

“This is really a good place.” Zheng He couldn’t help but sigh: “There are so many gold and silver, this is not to mention, this piece of sea, all sides are continents, but there is a sea in the middle, relying on the ship, can quickly reach these people said the North African cities, not only can arrive in Egypt, but also to Constantinople, but also to Rome, Greece, the Franco-Romanian, and because all four sides are land, so the sea is not a big wind and waves. Larger winds and waves, such a unique location, it is no wonder that …… a Venice, there are 60,000 searches of the size of the merchant ships, if I have this kind of inner sea, and why need to build what canals?”

Qiu Song scratched his head, he didn’t know much about Zheng He’s sentiment, he just said, “Eunuch Zheng, do you mean that they are suitable for sailing with such geography?”

“Exactly.” Zheng He, in this regard, was still very insightful, so he continued, “If my Great Ming wants to go out to sea, it is impossible to withstand storms without customizing special sea vessels. But this so-called Mediterranean Sea, but there is land on all sides, so just like the inner lake, unusual sea ships, as usual, can cross this sea, here hurricanes and storms are scarce, and there are many cities along the coast, this kind of place, it is bound to be that sea transportation is far better than land transportation!”

“In time, these Europeans, or those North Africans or cannibals, their shipbuilding and navigation, will not be under my Ming, Wuhu County King of His Highness, but also really unique vision, teach you to take this Venice. This place is the pearl on the Mediterranean Sea, as long as the occupation of this place, the east can go to the great eclipse, the north can be to the European hinterland, the west can clamp down on Rome, the south can be to the North Africa, this is to hold their throat place, whether military and trade, are vital.”

Qiu Song revealed a smile, happily said, “Other, I do not understand, only know …… to listen to big brother. In the future, teach many Han merchants to come, garrison troops and horses, teach this Venice, in the future to become my Daming in Europe and North Africa and the Great Food’s trade distribution center.”

Zheng He smiled and said, “If this is the case, then this Venice is the new Jiuquan and Yumen Pass of my Ming! With this place, then the trade between Daming and Europe will not worry about being cut off, and our efforts to go to the West Ocean will not be in vain.”

After a brief respite, Zheng He set sail with a fleet of ships, laden with gold and silver, to take advantage of the monsoon.

Meanwhile, the Doge’s Palace of Venice was still standing, and Chuson had begun to collect all the Venetian ships.

These ships, in the future, are essential.

…………

Two Eggs and Donkey Ball, still remain in Venice, and they, as Rome’s liaison here, have to continue to continue to maneuver with Chuson.

“I heard that they are going to rename Venice.”

“Change your name?” Erdan apparently heard this for the first time and subconsciously frowned.

It can be said that since the Ming army attacked Venice, this Qiu Song daily have some toss, toss the project is also different every day, for this, the two eggs is actually already accustomed to.

Donkey Ball said, “It is to be changed here, to Fubo, and Genoa will be changed to Zhenhai.”

“Hey ……,” Erdan sighed, a ghostly look on his face, but didn’t continue.

The donkey ball glanced at the second egg and comforted the second egg, “No matter what, at least those Venetian merchants …… are out of luck, which is not a bad thing for Rome.”

“No.” Erdan immediately shook his head and said, “Though we are no longer threatened by the Venetians, these people, now, are even more terrifying than the Venetians. They came here and didn’t kill anyone, all their means are for gold and silver, neither do they preach hatred nor their gods, in their view, anyone can be an enemy or form an alliance, the flexibility of their diplomacy is really incomprehensible. But it is precisely because of this that it is all the more worrying.”

Donkey Ball opened his mouth but said nothing, pausing before saying, “God will bless us ……”

Erdnase’s frown, however, deepened, and it was clear that he didn’t seem optimistic about Donkey Ball’s prayers.

Donkey Ball thought for a moment and said, “Since God guided them here, He must have His reasons. So why should we worry?”

For a moment, Erdan couldn’t find the words to retort to that, and was only vaguely worried, so he had no choice but to nod his head, and then be speechless.

…………

Compared to Europe, has reached the cold winter months of the Ming Dynasty, this time is another scene.

With the establishment of the Ministry of Railways, a large amount of money was still injected, followed by hundreds of thousands of people recruited, from soldiers, to laborers, to craftsmen, and even great doctors, teachers, and countless others, and began to build in an orderly manner.

The first railroad, to Jiangxi, has begun to be built.

This also made the iron and steel workshops in Zhili, immediately began to rise and become prosperous.

The railroad finally began to enter the territory of Jiangxi.

The railroad first went from Wuhu to Chizhou, then into Raozhou Province, and then all the way towards Nanchang Province.

The manpower and material resources used for such a huge project can be staggering.

Countless laborers, led by the craftsmen, began to advance.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhanji, the ambassador of the Jiangxi Railway Department, made early plans.

The land planned is subject to a direct compulsory acquisition order, and all land is given some compensation at market value.

And a mile of land along the railroad line was thoroughly included in the jurisdiction of the Division of Railroads, which, in addition to the construction of stations, also began to absorb a large number of merchants and businessmen.

On this point, Zhili early experience, this era, but where the railroad is built, such a trunk line, in a sense, is a channel of wealth, miles around the land, will greatly benefit, and there is a bazaar, there is a circulation of goods, inevitably, here will also absorb the nearby people to settle here.

Those who came to settle, naturally, became under the rule of the railroad division, and had no relation to the previous prefecture.

The ambassador of the Jiangxi Railway Division was the grandson of the current emperor, and when this railroad began to appear in Raozhou Prefecture, it immediately suffered a backlash.

But such a backlash is nothing more than a thunderclap.

Local naturally also breed some people’s resentment, but when along the railroad trunk line of the inspection division and a hundred households stationed, these grudges, it seems, also dissipated.

Even because of the shortage of labor, the Division of Railroads began to recruit laborers close to the Rao Province.

Once heard to raise labor …… local people are actually windy, quite a lot of young and strong, is actually the night to leave the countryside.

Zhang Anshi, the King of Song, arrived here at just the right time.

He also heard about the opening of the railroad in Raozhou, and thus made a special trip.

In this temporary Jiangxi Railway Division temporary residence, watching Zhu Zhanji anxiously deal with one thing after another.

When he had managed to clear his mind, Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Zhanji with a smile and said, “What, laboring like this?”

Zhu Zhanji face with a few points of fatigue, said: “in Zhili to repair the railroad, do not need to worry about anything, what is the matter, can be left to the people below to do. But once in Raozhou, the situation will be very different, everything must be watched closely for fear of any negligence.”

Zhang Anshi couldn’t help but smile, then said, “Now the various railroad divisions are all pointing to you, the royal grandson, to trickle across this river, you work hard is hard some, but these experiences accumulated, the future of the various railroad divisions will be able to use it.”

Zhu Zhanji laughed bitterly: “A uncle, you do not sneer, right now I can be difficult it, A uncle can know …… this side of the Jiangxi Railway Division a collection of workers, many nearby countryside labor, but not come, but ran a lot.”

Zhang Anshi was stunned and surprised, so he was curious, “Why is that?”

Zhu Zhanji said, “Many people thought it was the former government corv茅e, in the past, the government corv茅e, not only do they have to pay for their own money and food, a lot of hard work, but also may be delayed in the farm time, the suffering is unbearable.”

Zhang Anshi said curiously, “Then why don’t you post a bulletin telling everyone that the Railroad Division pays wages.”

Zhu Zhanji shook his head and said: ”The methods have actually been used, but the effect is not good. When this bulletin is posted, how many of the local common people are literate? They can’t read it either. But those who can read and understand, but also refused to read to the people. In fact, these people can’t wait to see the joke of the Railway Department!”

Zhang Anshi thought seriously, then said: “There is always a way, really can not, can wait again, this road is not Zhili, the people are mostly confined in the countryside, some do not have much insight, this is also excusable, and so slowly someone in the Railway Division tasted the sweetness of the natural back to some people scrambling to adhere to.”

Zhu Zhanji, however, said, “But now the railroad is open for repair, it is the time to use people, where to wait.”

Zhang Anshi but laughed, looked at Zhu Zhanji, said: “Zhanji ah, things, some need to do in a hurry, because do not do not, do not rush also not. But there are things, on the contrary, can not be rushed, His Majesty’s approval of the meaning of the Ministry of Railways, although it is to repair the railroad, but what is the real purpose? Is to fight for people’s hearts!”

Zhu Zhanji was quiet at this time and listened carefully.

Zhang Anshi continued, “What is the human heart? People’s hearts and such things, can not be rushed. You are now only bent on pulling the people to the construction site to repair the railroad, but you do not know …… that this is backwards for the cause and effect. If I were you ah, I would do a good job.”

Zhu Zhanji then stared fixedly at Zhang Anshi and said, “Uncle, don’t sell yourself short.”

At this time, Zhang Anshi finally spat out two words and said, “Build a city ……”

“Building a City ……”

Zhang Anshi smiled and said, “Every station that has transited the prefectures and counties, the surrounding land, can be utilized for development and the construction of new towns, and in the new towns, there should be a lot of facilities, such as medical halls, such as school halls, such as the inspection division to ensure law and order, and even, there should be a righteous village, and even …… there can be a theater. In the new city, there should be many facilities, such as medical centers, such as schools, such as inspectorates to ensure security, and even, there should be righteous villages, and even there can be theaters.”

Zhang Anshi paused and continued, “In this way, if there are people around who are seriously ill, we can think of ways to give them a look. If there are people around who have nothing to do, we can also give them some shallow education. Also, such as every night, the troupe set up a stage, playing and singing a bit, of course, not the kind of serious playing and singing, serious people who listen to those elegant things? You just need those unusual in the countryside in the middle of selling art, hire them to come, anyway, is to teach everyone to have fun.”

“Three feet of ice, not a day’s cold, we patiently build these skeletons one by one on this planned station, naturally, there will be people running here, over time, they will be able to learn by ear, and then …… spend money on hiring laborers, or even, but also can set up a number of small workshops, and so on in the future. Railroad is completed, these people can also be around the station, loading and unloading of goods, or do some small business also, in short, is to teach us this station near the new city, and other places are different. People as long as the group gathered, the people’s hearts also have, still afraid of no labor?”

Zhu Zhanji listened, revealed a trace of incomprehension, then said, “A uncle, new city? This station …… in all the provinces and counties if they are all new cities, what about the old cities?”

Zhang Anshi laughed: “What does that have to do with the Railway Department? The local governor and magistrate, if they really have a few skills, can teach them to govern the place of peace, the people can live and work in peace and happiness, naturally their old city, can be maintained. Or if the local gentry and clans, less oppression of some people, or even really as they usually say, is kind and charitable, with the people do not fight, the old city and the local people, how can easily leave the place where they have been living it?”

“But if they are just playing the signboard of benevolence, righteousness and courtesy, but do not personnel, then the people scramble to the station of the new city to come, we still care about the old city is dead or alive? This is their business. Anyway, as long as the people come, they will be placed under the hundred households of the thousand households and the hundred households of the Railway Division, and will be the people under the Railway Division.”

Zhang Anshi meaningfully continued, “We can also build a city, is able to replace the previous capital city and county town, since ancient times, many of the urban areas, are built on the water, this is not only the people need water, which is the most important thing is that a large number of people need to rely on the river’s transportation capacity to intercommunicate with each other. And now that the railroad has been built, this railroad line, in essence, is equivalent to a river.”

Zhu Zhanji frowned: “If so, the Jiangxi Railway Division’s railroad to repair, is not it to build hundreds of new cities?”

Zhang Anshi, however, laughed: “How can it not be? Railroad are repaired, there is no worry that no merchants follow to do business, the railroad division and then invest a sum of silver, to provide some of the most basic services to the people, then …… there is no worry that there are people, there are people, there is a city, there is a city, subordinate to the railroad division, the railroad division, in the future, can be a real replacement for the old officials. If it is not because of this, do you think, uncle eaten up, have to let you come to jiangxi to preside over the railroad matters? This thing done, is a thousand years of work.”

After a pause, Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Zhanji meaningfully, and then said: “If you can’t do it, and spoil His Majesty’s so much silver, uncle said honestly, His Majesty must be angry to death, and then the dragon’s face is angry, that’s not good enough? Who can withstand such thunderous anger? But Zhanji, you are different, even if the sky falls, His Majesty can’t chop off your head.”

Zhu Zhanji: “……”

Zhu Zhanji sounded quite moved and confident in the front.

But then the more I heard about it, the more I felt something was wrong.

He realized in vain that Uncle called me here for this?

Zhang Anshi saw that he began to fall into deep thought, so he laughed and said, “Haha, A uncle said jokingly, you should not take it seriously. All in all, you and I, uncle and nephew, right now break the boat, only one way forward.”

Zhu Zhanji said, “I gradually understand, so it seems that what uncle said, is not unreasonable. Just this new city ……”

Speaking here, Zhu Zhanji paused, obviously, in this matter, he also hoped that Zhang Anshi could give him some effective advice.

Zhang Anshi then smiled and said: “This …… uncle also has some ideas, come come, you see, I have a new city planning map here, even if it is a template, this new city roughly planning, can be according to this, and then in accordance with the terrain to repair one or two. Zhanji ah, A uncle for you, but worried about ah.”

Saying that, Zhang Anshi actually seemed to do a magic trick and took out many pieces of drawings.

Zhu Junji was directly dumbfounded. He apparently just realized that all of this was deliberate on Zhang Anshi’s part. From claiming the land along the route, to planning the station, to the new city, it was as if none of it had been left behind.

When Zhang Anshi carefully spread out the drawings, Zhu Zhanji could not think of anything else, and hurriedly put away his mind and lowered his head to look at the drawings seriously.