Using cement to build roads? Zhao Liewen and Li Hongzhang were both stunned. Cement prices are not cheap. As an important building material, cement is much more widely used than asphalt. And now it is in short supply. If you use cement to build roads, this master can think of it!

Yi Zhengxing, who had not said anything, asked: "Which is higher, which is lower, the cost of cement roads or asphalt roads? It has its service life..."

The cost of cement roads is lower than that of asphalt roads, and the service life is longer than that of asphalt roads, and the cost of daily maintenance is also cheaper. However, in terms of comfort and noise reduction, it is not as good as asphalt roads. These common sense knowledge are easy to know more. However, considering that the current price of cement is not cheap, he naturally does not make it easy to answer rashly.

After pondering for a moment, he said: "Ten years ago, the British built the first cement road. The cost and related performance, and the advantages and disadvantages of asphalt roads, can be investigated. However, I still recommend that I build a cement road myself for detailed research and comparison."

After a pause, he continued: "Whether it is cement or asphalt, its output will increase rapidly with the development of industry and prices will continue to decline. In addition, I think it is necessary to remind you that within twenty years, cars will replace railways and become the most important land transportation vehicle. Highways have more economic and military value than railways."

Yi Zhizu attaches great importance to cars and mentions many times that cars have advantages that cannot be compared with trains. However, the few people here are skeptical about this. After all, they have witnessed the huge transportation capacity and speed of the railway, but they cannot see the advantages of cars at all. Of course, they dare not question the other party's judgment.

After the room was quiet for a while, Yi Zhengxing slowly spoke: "Building a highway network in advance to promote the rapid development of the automobile industry seems unnecessary to be limited to the northern provinces. After all, it takes a long time for the northern provinces to recover their economies after four or five years of disaster. Even a perfect highway network is not conducive to the rapid promotion of automobile development.

Southeastern provinces, especially Jiangsu and Zhejiang, have always been the important financial and economic center of our country, and are also the most prosperous areas. Building a highway network in Jiangsu and Zhejiang first is more conducive to promoting the development of the automobile industry, and diversion of disaster victims to Jiangsu and Zhejiang is also conducive to alleviating the pressure of disaster relief."

Yi Zhizu nodded, "This is a good idea. However, you cannot ignore the infrastructure of the north because of the backward economic foundation in the north. After all, the north has rich mineral resources." As he said that, he picked up the red core pencil and drew a large circle on the map. "This is an industrial center, railways and highways that will be given priority in ten years."

After a pause, he continued: "In order to promote immigration as much as possible, infrastructure projects that use labor-for-relief, construction of mines and factories are planned to be gradually launched next summer. Now the court has forced immigrants to cut off disaster relief money and grain. The effect is very good, so there is no need to take any attention. These projects can be gradually launched, so we don't raise idle people.

In a public statement in the newspaper, he supported the court's policy of immigrating to the border. All affected prefectures and counties completed their immigration tasks, Yuan Qi immediately provided relief."

After hesitating for a while, Zhao Liewen said: "Forcing disaster victims to immigrate by cutting off disaster relief money and food, you will be criticized in the future. It would be fine if King Gong is a villain, so why should the shopkeeper...?"

Yi Zhizu said unconsciously: "What Yuan Qi has done over the years is mixed and criticism, and there will be no less infamous on us in the future. Why bother with more and less? It is the right thing to do to promote large-scale immigration as soon as possible."

As Yuan Qi publicly published a policy of supporting immigration to the border in newspapers, all disaster-affected prefectures and counties in northern provinces have accelerated the pace of implementing immigration policies. The government and the country know that Yuan Qi is richer than the court and more generous in disaster relief. Yuan Qi's disaster relief is not to give porridge and life, but to have enough food. Many disaster victims in disaster-affected villages and towns spontaneously allocate immigration quotas to avoid the local governments' difficulties.

Shandong, Tai'an Prefecture, Feicheng County.

There are more than 20 rows of straw sheds neatly built on the open space outside the east gate of the city. In the straw shed, there are countless yellow-faced and thin victims. In front of the straw shed, there are big pots, cook rice porridge or steamed buns. Although they are all rice porridge and steamed buns, they are full. This is a rare luxury for the victims who have not been able to have a full meal for several months.

Needless to say, these victims are about to immigrate to another country, and only immigrants can enjoy this treatment. The other victims are currently only half-deadly hanging on two meals of porridge and two buns of steamed buns a day.

"Dear fellow villagers--." Zhang Zhiwei, who was in his early thirties, dressed in a long gown and dressed as a scholar, walked into the straw shed and bowed to everyone, and spoke Tai'an official language aloud: "You are about to leave your hometown and go to a completely unfamiliar foreign land. Perhaps your heart is full of reluctance to your hometown, fear of your foreign land, dissatisfaction with the imperial court and Yuanqi.........

Here, I must tell you clearly that the imperial court organized this large-scale immigration not only to enrich the border, but more importantly to reduce the pressure of disaster relief. Droughts occurred in northern provinces this autumn and winter, and after the beginning of the year, it would inevitably face greater spring droughts. Without large-scale immigration, the imperial court and Yuanqi were unable to provide proper relief.

The places where everyone immigrated were suitable for grain production areas with suitable climate, fertile land, and suitable for farming. The court would distribute land free of charge, Yuanqi would provide interest-free loans, and five years of tax exemption, free education and medical care. The early immigrants who immigrated to Nanyang now have lived and worked in peace, and most of them are very wealthy.

Yuanqi has always had a clear rule about immigration. You may not know that, that is, free movement will be allowed after ten years of immigration. That is to say, after ten years, as long as you are willing to come back at any time, Shandong has always been a major immigration province. Do you hear that a large number of immigrants have returned?

I tell you clearly that as long as you immigrate, no one is willing to come back. Shandong has few land and many people. After nine years of drought, there are floods, locust plagues, and hail plagues, which are far inferior to the places where you immigrated.

Another thing, don’t worry, immigrant villages are divided into prefectures and counties, that is, your immigrants in Feicheng County will be arranged in one village and one town, and will not break up you.”

As soon as the words were finished, someone said, "Now there are deep wells dug by machines, so don't worry about drought."

Zhang Zhiwei smiled and said, "Yes, deep wells dug by machines can resist drought, but how many years will it take for every household to have deep wells?" As he said that, he bowed his hand and slowly walked out of the straw shed. He said this just to avoid a large number of escapes or riots during the immigration route.

When he came out of the straw hut, Zhang Zhiwei looked up and saw an official sedan chair coming to the gate of the immigration area. He knew that the county government was coming, so he immediately went up to meet the county magistrate Hong Renshou. When he saw Zhang Zhiwei as soon as he got off the sedan chair, he smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang——, this group of immigrants have set off, and the immigrants in our county have reached 30% of the disaster victims."

After hearing this, the accompanying yamen runners quickly presented a list, "This is the list of immigrants, please check it out."

Zhang Zhiwei also created an immigration list himself. After taking it, he said, "I'll check it out. If it's correct, report it to the superior immediately and apply for Yuanqi's relief."

"Mr. Zhang is here." Hong Renshou hurriedly bowed: "Disaster relief is like putting out a fire. The disaster situation in this county is serious. Many victims have not eaten enough for several months..."

No wonder he was anxious. The newspapers published every day that the prefecture and county had completed the immigration task and that Yuanqi disaster relief food had arrived. These news were like a death talisman for the officials of the prefectures and counties that were affected. Who would not worry about delaying for a long time and causing dissatisfaction or riots among the victims?

"Sir, don't worry." Zhang Zhiwei smiled and said, "Yuan Qi had already started to deploy relief matters a few months ago. Tai'an has hoarded a large amount of disaster relief grain. If you report it, you can provide relief soon."

Although there is no railway from Tai'an to Feicheng, it is only seventy miles away. At dusk the next day, a large amount of disaster relief grain was transported to Feicheng. On the quilt of the east gate of the city, the county magistrate Hong Renshou and Speaker Song Henian stood side by side. Looking at the continuous grain transport convoy, Hong Renshou was both moved and relieved, "With Yuanqi and the court joining forces to provide relief, even the major disaster next year, there is no need to worry about it."

Song Henian sighed, "Yuan Qi has rarely provided disaster relief in recent years, but now he has joined hands with the court to provide disaster relief, which shows how great the disaster is..."

Hong Renshou said: "Yuanqi has strong financial resources. Large gold mines have been discovered in Zhaoyuan, Laizhou and Pingdu areas recently. What's the point of being a major disaster?"

Song Henian smiled but didn't say anything. He was not that optimistic. It was rare for Yuan Qi to have such a big disaster. He vaguely felt that this drought was probably far more serious than they expected. After pondering for a moment, he said: "The Song family opened a concrete product factory in Tai'an to produce concrete wells, prefabricated plates, sewer pipes, cement bricks, etc. I plan to recruit some workers in Feicheng."

"This is a good thing." Hong Renshou smiled and said, "The more you recruit, the better."

"I originally wanted to open this concrete product factory in Feicheng, but Feicheng has no railways." Song Henian said slowly: "This Yuanqi disaster relief will inevitably have a labor-for-relief project. The railway may not be easy to fight for, but the highways must be fought for. I heard that Shanghai is building a highway to Jiangning and Hangzhou..."

"Highway?" Hong Renshou turned around and looked at him suspiciously.

"Have you heard of cars?" Song Henian said: "A new type of land transportation that will replace railways and trains. My classmate in Shanghai mentioned it in a letter. He heard that Yuanqi intends to build highways in Shandong for labor-for-relief. If Feicheng wants to develop industry, transportation must be convenient."

It is not only the Song family's concrete products factory that recruited workers in Feicheng, but a large number of factory and mining enterprises followed one after another - Shandong Mining Company's Jiaodong Jinye Company, Zibo Coal Mine (Zichuan, Boshan Coal Mine), Heiwang Iron Mine, Zibo Steel Plant, Luzhong Cement Plant, Shandong Railway Company, Machine Tool Plant... There are more than 30 kinds of factory and mines, most of which are newly built.

These factories and mines recruited dozens of workers ranging from dozens or hundreds of workers. The wages and benefits were the minimum standards stipulated by the Qing Dynasty. Despite this, the victims who came to register after hearing the news still lined up in long queues. Being able to work as workers in factories and mines is undoubtedly a great temptation for farmers. The minimum wage of five yuan per month is not comparable to farming, let alone the victims who cannot even eat enough.

After the factory and mine screening, the engineering team used labor-for-relief to recruit migrant workers, built roads, built bridges, built water diversion channels, rectified river channels, and construction companies. The various engineering teams were eager to pick people. In just six or seven days, more than 4,000 strong laborers were selected.

With such a large-scale recruitment, the people of Feicheng are happy, but the gentry are depressed. Immigration or family members are still supporting the elderly and children, and moving their families. But these engineering teams only need strong labor. Could it be that Chengdu will rely on the elderly, weak, women and children to cultivate the fields in the future?

As the county magistrate, Hong Renshou was naturally happy to see this. The more labor he exported, the less pressure to provide disaster relief, because these laborers all have wages, and the minimum wage is also five yuan silver dollars per month, which means that there are four or five thousand households that do not require relief.

As the Speaker of the County Advisory Council, Song Henian was not happy. He had to receive visiting gentry every day. The large loss of strong labor would cause a heavy blow to local agriculture. The gentry who owned a lot of land was naturally dissatisfied.

Song Henian, who received a new education and graduated from Jinan University, felt a clear mind. The Qing Dynasty was rapidly transitioning to an industrial society under the strong promotion of Yuan Qi. Compared with the land enclosure movement of various industrial powers in Europe, Yuan Qi adopted this method.

A large number of farmers transformed into workers, which is the general trend! A drought caused a large number of factories and mining enterprises to suddenly appear in Shandong alone, which is enough to illustrate the problem! It was precisely because of this that he decided to let the Song family take this opportunity to open a factory. The decline of agriculture is irreversible!

However, for these stubborn and conservative gentry, he could only perfunctory, so that they should not worry too much. When the famine is over and the project is completed, the labor force will naturally turn back to their hometowns. After all, various engineering teams of all sizes are not immigration or factories and mining enterprises.

Song Henian understood clearly and was unwilling to say it, but some people could not help it. As the year approached, the Tianjin Daily published an article - "Beware of Yuan Qi's implementation of a disguised land enclosure movement in the Qing Dynasty". The article directly accused Yuan Qi of recruiting a large number of migrant workers from various prefectures and counties in the name of disaster relief. This was a disguised land enclosure movement, with the purpose of transforming a large number of farmers into workers.

This article caused a great sensation in Tianjin as soon as it was published. Yuan Qi is now providing large-scale relief to the victims of disasters in various northern provinces. Suddenly, someone openly accused him. How could he not attract attention? Newspapers of all provinces in northern provinces reprinted them one after another, which soon attracted close attention from the government and the country.

Seeing this situation, local gentry, who were already dissatisfied with this, either went barefoot or asked someone to catch a knife, wrote articles to accuse and attack. For a time, public opinion in various northern provinces was overwhelming and accusing Yuan Qi.
Chapter completed!