Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 559 Printing and Panama

"Mr. Liangzhong is well-versed in geography and military strategy, and he should be able to figure out that Jiankang is not the most ideal capital city. Throughout history, no dynasty that has established its capital in Jiankang has been able to last long."

“Geographically speaking, Jiankang is indefensible. Although it is said to have the Yangtze River as a natural barrier, the Yangtze River is so vast that if it is defended everywhere, it is as if it is not defended anywhere. Yangzhou, Luzhou, Jingxiang, and Bashu are all potential entry points. We can even pass through Yunnan via Tibet. Didn't the Mongols take this route when they destroyed the Song Dynasty?”

"Furthermore, there is the saying that to defend the Yangtze River, one must defend the Huai River, but this is still just self-deception. From Xuzhou to Yanyun, the road is flat for thousands of miles. As long as there is a strong army in the north that can cross Yanyun, the fall of the Southern Dynasty is only a matter of time. This can be seen from the Song Dynasty."

"The former Song Dynasty was undeniably strong, possessing both wealth and population. Yet, it could not withstand the Liao, Jin, and Mongol dynasties. Although the former Song Dynasty was suspected of using civil administration to control military affairs, thus weakening its military capabilities, its geographical disadvantages could not be ignored. Therefore, rather than relying on the Jianghuai defense line for the safety of the capital, it would be better to focus on developing the Yanyun region. With the strategic advantage of the Yanshan Mountains, at least the safety of the thousands of miles of land to the north and south could be guaranteed."

"In addition, there is the choice of the capital. The capital should never overlap with the economic center. It is said that when people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lust. The imperial court is no exception. Jiangnan is too rich and comfortable. If the capital is established here for a long time, it will only corrupt the minds of the emperor and his ministers and make them complacent."

"Just like this person, if you eat too much and dress too warmly, you will feel sleepy. On the contrary, if you eat only seven-tenths full and dress a little thinner, you will be constantly energetic when you are hungry and cold. If you don't have a sense of crisis in your daily life, how will you know how to make progress?"

Among those present, Wang Zhen did not say anything. He was not very knowledgeable about military strategy and geography, and he did not want to get too involved in court affairs. Whether Lu Jinqian moved the capital or not was none of his business, since it was impossible for the capital to be moved to Shandong.

Wang Zhen's great-grandson, Wang Yonghuai, who is only 19 years old this year, felt that the emperor in front of him had a masochistic tendency and was asking for trouble for no reason. Wasn't it good to be well-fed and clothed? Did he have to be hungry and cold to feel more comfortable?
Wang Yonghuai's younger sister, Wang Qingwan, was much more sensible. Although she was only 17 years old, her eyes were very bright and she was full of curiosity about the emperor. She not only looked around the imperial estate, but also often stole a glance at the emperor. Listening to His Majesty's conversation with his grandfather and that Mr. Ye, the erudite man made the young girl admire him greatly.

Ye Dui frowned and nodded upon hearing this, but then said, "Does His Majesty mean to move the capital to Yanjing? But even if we want to manage the Yanyun defense line and stay away from the prosperous areas, is it really necessary to go to Yanjing?"
"The geographical location of Bianjing in the early Song Dynasty was indeed not very good. As early as the time of Emperor Taizu of Song, there was a plan to move the capital, but it was delayed by various events. In the end, it was settled in Kaifeng until the Jingkang Incident occurred."

“Even if we don’t choose Kaifeng, Luoyang is a good choice. Luoyang is located in the center of the country and is surrounded by strategic passes such as Tongguan and Hulaoguan, which can protect the capital. If that doesn’t work, we can also consider Chang’an. Why do we have to go to Yanjing?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately pointed out, "First, Chang'an was already overburdened after the consumption of the Han and Tang dynasties. Whether it was forest timber, river water, or even soil fertility, it was no longer able to support the operation of a capital city. The Eastern Han Dynasty established its capital in Luoyang, and the emperors of the late Tang Dynasty often went to Luoyang for food, which is proof of this."

"Secondly, during the Han and Tang dynasties, there were the Xiongnu and Turks in the north. If the court wanted to control them, it had to manage the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions. In addition, at that time, maritime trade was not prosperous, and China's trade with the West relied entirely on the Silk Road in the Western Regions. As long as the Han and Tang dynasties managed the Western Regions well, they could not only control the Xiongnu and Turks, but also collect a lot of taxes from the Silk Road. It was a win-win situation."

“Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, maritime trade has become increasingly prosperous, while the Silk Road has long since declined. When the Northern Expedition took place last year, the Duke of Zheng led four armies to attack Shaanxi, but he only occupied the Guanzhong region. Why? Because it was so desolate and dilapidated that the population of the entire Shaanxi province was probably less than 500,000, which is less than the population of Jiankang city. How could it support a capital city now?”

"I see." Ye Dui suddenly realized. Although he was well-versed in geography, he had lived in Taizhou for a long time and was out of touch with the outside world. He was unaware of the current situation in Shaanxi. It was only after hearing Lu Jin's introduction that he learned that Shaanxi had become such a terrible place.

Then he asked, "But even if Chang'an doesn't work, Luoyang should be fine, right? Even if Luoyang can't be self-sufficient, it can follow the grain transport system of the former Song Dynasty and transport grain from Luzhou, Yangzhou, Jingxiang and other places to Luoyang. Wouldn't that be more suitable than Yanjing?"

Lu Jin shook his head again. "Now that the Silk Road is in decline, maritime trade is booming. Moreover, our Great Ming also has territory in the South Seas. If we want to control overseas, the capital must not be too far from the sea. Otherwise, not to mention anything else, just transmitting messages and decrees will be very time-consuming and laborious. In this regard, only Jiankang and Yanjing are the most suitable. Jiankang is close to the East China Sea, and Yanjing is close to the Bohai Sea. Neither of them is too far from the sea."

"Furthermore, the court also has to consider potential powerful enemies. Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, looking at the north and south of China, whether it is Jiaozhi, Nanzhao, Dali, or the Dongman of Guizhou, they are all just minor problems. Although they were very strong for a time, they could only occupy a part of the country and were powerless to overthrow the Central Plains."

"In contrast, in Northeast China, there was Goguryeo during the Sui and Tang dynasties, Balhae during the Five Dynasties, Khitan, Liao, Liao and Jin during the Song dynasty, and even the Mongols actually came from the Northeast region, not the grasslands. They were the real powerful enemies with the strength to overthrow the Central Plains. Therefore, the court must keep a close watch on the Northeast to prevent any more barbarians from rising up from there."

"Otherwise, Liaodong and the northern deserts may be peaceful for two or three generations, but what about one or two hundred years later? If the court does not keep watch and suppress them nearby, and the descendants are content to enjoy themselves in Jiankang, the day when the Ming Dynasty will perish is not far off."

"Therefore, when comparing Jiankang and Yanjing, it is obvious that Yanjing should be chosen over Jiankang."

Upon hearing this, Ye Dui solemnly cupped his hands and said, "I have learned a great deal. Your Majesty's far-sightedness is truly admirable."

“A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. I like to think long-term. In fact, even exploring Lizhou across the ocean is part of my plan. Although you are proficient in astronomy and geography, you are not very good at mathematics, have little experience in navigation, and know nothing about overseas geography. On this trip to Lizhou, you should learn more from Marquis Bowang. Once you are familiar with this route and can handle things on your own, I can transfer Marquis Bowang to another place for other purposes.”

Ye Dui immediately cupped his hands again and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, it is my wish to explore Lizhou. I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations, learn the art of navigation as soon as possible, and serve the court at the earliest opportunity."

Lu Jin nodded. Just then, Wang Zhen, who was standing next to him, also spoke up and asked, "Your Majesty, I have seen the construction site outside the city before. However, I have some doubts. If it is to build an academy, why are there no huge trees on the construction site? Instead, there are piles of bricks, tiles, rubble, river sand, and even a lot of iron bars. But there is no timber for building beams. Why is that?"

Lu Jin immediately countered, "Does the old gentleman know about rammed earth construction?"

"Nature knows."

"This method of rammed earth construction involves first making a mold with wooden boards, filling the mold with soil, and then tamping and compacting it to bind the loose soil together. This method can be used to build platforms, foundations, city walls, and other structures. My Gongshu clan also has another method of rammed earth construction, which I call wet rammed earth construction."

"Wet rammed earth construction??" Several question marks immediately appeared above Wang Zhen and Ye Dui's heads. They certainly understood rammed earth construction, but what exactly was wet rammed earth construction?
“Not bad.” Lu Jin introduced again, “The corresponding traditional rammed earth construction, which I call dry rammed earth construction, uses external formwork and is filled with dry soil. Although it is slightly moist, it still takes the form of soil.”

"Wet rammed earth construction also uses external formwork, but the interior is filled with cement mortar. This material uses a lot of water and is like thin mud. It can flow freely in the mold and can be poured into every gap and corner. In just three to five hours, the cement will solidify into one piece. At most 28 days, it will be as hard as a rock, like a naturally formed boulder, without any gaps and completely integrated."

"The giant trees needed to build these pavilions and palaces must be ancient trees from deep in the mountains. However, such timber is not easy to harvest. Of the thousands who went into the mountains, less than five hundred came out. The casualties were quite heavy. I am unwilling to waste the people's strength. Moreover, if such giant trees really exist, I would rather use them to build more ships than to build palaces."

"Therefore, the beams and pillars used in this academy do not require a single giant tree; they are all made of cement."

"Furthermore, if wood is used, the size of the building will inevitably be limited by the size of the wood. However, wet rammed earth construction does not have this problem. As long as the column is thick and tall, you can simply set up the formwork and pour a stone column. Even if the column is ten feet thick and a hundred feet high, as long as you want to build it, you can pour it. In this way, you can build any size palace you want."

The group was stunned. The old man, Wang Zhen, exclaimed in surprise, "There is such a method of construction in the world? If this method is true, doesn't it mean that as long as a mold is made, a giant stone can be cast at will? If this is true, then all kinds of projects that could not be built in the past can be built in the future?"

Lu Jin nodded. "That's right. This wet rammed earth method can be used to build houses and pave roads. The cement roads built are like giant stone slabs, strong and durable. It can also be used to build water conservancy facilities such as dams and canals, and can also be used to build bridges, which are more sturdy than ordinary wooden or stone bridges."

“Even major rivers like the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers can be bridged if used properly, allowing vehicles to travel between the two banks. Thus, a bridge spans the north and south, turning a natural barrier into a thoroughfare!”

The group was dumbfounded. Building bridges across the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers to allow for the passage of vehicles and horses? Are you kidding me?
In the past, there were bridges across the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, but they were all temporary pontoon bridges, or like the Yellow River pontoon bridge built in the Tang Dynasty, where a few iron oxen were cast to pull the pontoon bridge as a permanent facility. But no matter what, they were still pontoon bridges, which could at most allow pedestrians to cross. You would expect horse-drawn carriages to run on them, which is a joke.
"Is what Your Majesty said true?" Ye Dui asked immediately, half believing and half doubting.

"A ruler's word is law. Do you think I'm joking?"

"Then this cement, I'm afraid it must be quite expensive to make, right?" Ye Dui asked again.

Lu Jin immediately said, "The materials used in cement are not particularly rare. The simplest cement is made by mixing lime and clay, firing them, and then grinding them into fine powder before mixing with water to form cement."

"For more advanced cement, iron ore powder can be added to increase its strength. A small amount of gypsum powder can also be added to control the drying speed of the cement, depending on the proportion of gypsum. This can produce fast-drying cement or hydraulic cement, which is cement that can be poured directly into water and solidified. It is used to build underwater facilities such as bridge piers, docks, and harbors."

“Centennial giant trees need to be felled in remote, deep forests. In contrast, lime and clay are readily available everywhere. Although they are equally labor-intensive and time-consuming, they are much cheaper and safer than felling giant trees.”

"Of course, making cement still requires a lot of manpower and resources, and the cost is not much lower than that of bricks. However, Gongshu Shi had another method: in wet rammed earth construction, crushed stone, river sand and cement can be mixed together and mixed to make concrete."

"The concrete uses 40% crushed stone, 20% river sand, and only 10% cement. Concrete made in this ratio is not only stronger, but also greatly reduces the amount of cement used, saving construction costs. If calculated by building volume, the cost of concrete may be even cheaper than that of bricks."

"So cheap?" Ye Dui was even more surprised. He thought that such a powerful and magical thing would be very expensive, but he didn't expect it to be cheaper than blue bricks.

Wang Zhen suddenly realized, "No wonder there are so many gravel and river sand on the construction site. They are used to make concrete."

"That's right. As the manufacturing techniques mature, the cost of concrete will only decrease. At that time, it will be possible to widely use cement in structures such as dams, bridges, and roads."

After Lu Jin's explanation, the two became even more interested in this construction method and immediately asked to take a look.

Lu Jin said, "If you two gentlemen want to go see it now, I'm afraid you won't be able to. We've only just started excavating the foundation, and it's still a long way from pouring the concrete. If you want to see what the academy looks like, you might as well go and see the architectural model of the academy first."

"That's such a pity," Ye Dui said regretfully. He was going to sea with Wang Dayuan next month and probably wouldn't be able to see it.

But Wang Zhen was a 'leisurely man'. He figured he could retire anywhere anyway, so he immediately said, "I'd like to go and take a look. I have nothing to do anyway. Staying at home is just sunbathing in front of the door. It's not as interesting as Your Majesty's place."

"Then go have a look."

Then Lu Jin took them to the science class and workshop. He first showed them the model. Each teaching building was five to seven stories high. The floor plan was rectangular, which is the shape of the common tenement building in later generations. There was a hall in the middle, and the main staircase was directly opposite the hall. There was a back door behind the staircase. There was a corridor on each side of the hall, which led directly to the side doors on both sides. There was also a secondary staircase at each of the side doors.

The classrooms are distributed symmetrically on both sides of the corridor, with five classrooms on each side facing each other. There are twenty classrooms on the first floor, and toilets and water rooms on both sides. The entire building has one hundred classrooms. The central hall is two floors higher than the classrooms on both sides because a hip roof is to be built on top. Therefore, there are two large conference rooms on the sixth and seventh floors in the middle, which can also be used as storage rooms, archives, etc.

If we assume 50 students per class, this building could accommodate 5,000 students. However, looking at the entire sand table model, they discovered that there were as many as ten such teaching buildings. Doesn't this mean the entire school could accommodate 50,000 students? That's outrageous! At its peak, the Imperial Academy in the Northern Song Dynasty only had 3800 students, fewer than the number in Lu Jin's single building. More importantly, according to His Majesty the Emperor, there will be more than one such university in the future.

This emperor certainly values ​​education, but isn't it a bit too much?
Afterwards, the group visited the science class personally taught by Lu Jin, and saw the actual layout of the classroom, as well as teaching tools such as blackboards and chalk, which they immediately praised.

But when they asked about the curriculum, they were quite surprised, because the science class that His Majesty personally taught covered everything: astronomy, geography, biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, mechanics, metallurgy, materials science, but not the Four Books and Five Classics, nor poetry or prose. Lu Jin, who was related to the humanities, was not taught at all.

Lu Jin explained that there are plenty of scholars in the world, and there are as many as dogs. There are plenty of people who can compose poems and couplets, and there are academies everywhere that teach the Four Books and Five Classics. There is no need for me to be one more. On the contrary, people who can do practical things are harder to find than gods.

"I want a group of people who can manage water resources, so that the Yellow River can return to its original course and the Huai River can regain its mouth to the sea, thereby solving the floods in the Jianghuai region. I also want to manage the Liao River and turn the Liaoze into a fertile plain for thousands of miles. But is the skill of water management taught in the Four Books and Five Classics? If not, then what do I need it for?"
"I also want talents who understand farming, such as Mr. Boshan. If he were decades younger, how could my position as Minister of Agriculture have remained vacant until now? I want talents who can lead the people to cultivate land, but is that what is taught in the Four Books and Five Classics?"

"He speaks 'classical Chinese' all the time, but when it comes to doing practical things, all the Confucian scholars in the world are dumbfounded. Why did Mr. Ye come here? Isn't it because he is well-versed in astronomy and geography, and the court happens to be short of such talents?"
"The Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism has been detached from reality and turned into abstract theory for too long. Today's Confucian scholars can only talk about human nature and principles, but they can't do anything practical. They are all people who are all talk and no action. I am eager to find talented people, but I can't find the talents I want. I am forced to do this. Since I can't find talents, I can only run my own education system to cultivate the talents that the court needs."

Both men fell silent upon hearing this, then sighed, for what the emperor said was true. Wang Zhen, in particular, agreed most with Lu Jin's words. He had always looked down on other Yuan Dynasty officials. In Wang Zhen's own words, "If you want to persuade farmers, but you don't even know how to farm, what are you going to persuade them to do?"
Ye Dui finally understood why the emperor was so "crazy" about education, not only building such a large academy, but also taking time out of his busy schedule to personally teach dozens of students.

Next, the two visited several workshops along the Qinhuai River, as well as a chemical laboratory. Inside the workshop, machines roared, and a dark, early-generation low-pressure steam engine hissed and spewed out white steam. With the piston moving back and forth, it drove a flywheel weighing a thousand pounds to rotate slowly but powerfully at a speed of a dozen revolutions per minute.

The flywheel, via belt drive, is connected to several overhead shafts on the workshop beams. These shafts, in turn, drive hundreds of machine tools of various types to work continuously. This sight immediately shocked the group of people who were seeing it for the first time. The machines could operate on their own without human or water power.

And those various machine tools can cut iron like mud, processing steel blanks into all sorts of strange parts, and then reassembling them into new machines!
When the two arrived at the chemistry lab, Tao Guangyi, who was guarding it, stopped them and gave each of them a cotton mask. He told them they could only stand at the door and look at the lab from a distance, and were not allowed to enter. Lu Jin asked around and learned that they were preparing methanol and ether inside to try to process rubber, so he immediately refused to go in.

Seeing that the emperor wasn't going in, Ye Dui, Wang Zhen, and the others could only wear masks and stand at the door to watch.

Even just a glimpse from afar made the situation inside the laboratory seem even more mysterious to them. On several long tables were various crystal-clear vessels filled with colorful liquids.

There were several people inside the room—well, they should be people—wearing strange white clothes, wrapped up like dumplings from head to toe, with their entire heads and faces covered by hoods, not revealing an inch of skin. They also wore bizarre masks that looked like pig noses, with two round, transparent crystals embedded in their eyes so that the people inside could see outwards. It looked incredibly eerie, triggering the uncanny valley effect in everyone who saw it.

What kind of evil magic is Your Majesty practicing?
"Your Majesty, what's going on in this laboratory?!" Ye Dui asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Lu Jin didn't say anything, but waved and led them away from there. Once they reached another courtyard outside, he took off his mask and spoke to them.

"Did you smell any wine just now, sir?"

"It does indeed have the smell of strong liquor."

"That's not actually alcohol, but methanol. It smells the same as alcohol, but it's highly toxic. If you mistake it for alcohol and drink it, it can cause blindness and poison your liver. Although it won't easily kill you, it's no different from being crippled."

"There is also a kind of ether. Just a light sniff can make a person fall into a deep sleep for several hours, unconscious and unaware of pain. Even if the abdomen is cut open, the person will not wake up in the middle. Its effect is comparable to, or even better than, the lost anesthetic powder of the legendary physician Hua Tuo."

The group was immediately shocked upon hearing this, and Wang Zhen's great-granddaughter, Wang Qingwan, was even more astonished, exclaiming, "Your Majesty can also concoct anesthetic?"

"It is not anesthetic, but it is even more potent than anesthetic."

"I never imagined that the Gongshu clan could create such a divine object."

Ye Duize frowned and asked, "Why did His Majesty order these things to be made?"

"Of course it's for processing rubber. Methanol and ether can both dissolve rubber, and then the liquefied rubber can be reshaped into the shape we want. If we get rubber but don't use it, then why should I send Marquis Bowang across the ocean to find rubber?"

"However, chemicals like methanol and ether are somewhat toxic, so gas masks must be worn whether they are being refined or used."

Lu Jin gestured to the image of the pig's nose they saw, "The stuff in that canister can filter toxic gas. Only by wearing that can you directly come into contact with such dangerous chemicals."

The group suddenly realized that the thing was called a gas mask, but it still looked quite scary.

Wang Qingwan then asked again, "Your Majesty, what can that rubber be used for? Why must we travel over 100,000 li across the sea to find it?"

"It has many uses. Not to mention shoes, gloves, and rainproof cloth, this stuff is airtight and can be used to make air ducts, which is exactly what the court needs right now."

Wang Qingwan was even more puzzled upon hearing this. She opened her large, seemingly expressive eyes and asked in confusion, "What is that airway? What is it used for? Why has it become something the court needs most?"

"..." Lu Jin glanced at the little girl speechlessly, and said with a straight face, "I'm too lazy to explain to you. You only need to know that with this thing, you can create several divine artifacts that are related to the fate of the nation, which can make the Ming Dynasty more prosperous and benefit all the people. As for how to do it or what to do, you don't need to know."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingwan secretly stuck out her tongue, while Lu Jin added, "Take the example of promoting education. Promoting education always requires printing books, and rubber can be used to improve printing techniques, making book printing cheaper and faster. Then, all the people in the world will be able to afford books. Isn't this a matter of great importance that benefits all people and concerns the nation?"

"Your Majesty wishes to improve printing technology?"

"This thing can actually be used to print books?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhen and Ye Dui were even more surprised. They naturally didn't understand what Lu Jin was talking about regarding air ducts, but they were quite interested in the printing technology. After all, Wang Zhen himself was the inventor of movable type and had even created an ancient version of the phonetic indexing method.

Although Ye Dui had never worked in printing, he was a renowned scholar from Zhejiang and naturally knew how great it would be to improve printing techniques, significantly reduce the price of books, and make books affordable for everyone.

In addition, he had heard that the most important purpose of going to Lizhou was for this rubber. Knowing that rubber could improve printing techniques, he was naturally even more concerned.

“Not bad.” Lu Jin nodded immediately, and then said, “You have also seen that steam-powered workshop. I plan to make an automatic printing machine, which will use rubber to make printing rollers. A few rubber rollers can weigh tens or hundreds of kilograms, and the amount of rubber consumed is extremely large. Therefore, you will need to work even harder on your trip to Lizhou.”

"I see." Ye Dui suddenly realized.

Lu Jin then turned to Wang Zhen and said, "Mr. Boshan also improved printing technology and created wooden movable type and rhyme book character charts. Now we have woodblock printing, clay movable type and wooden movable type. I also want to create a kind of lead movable type."

"I observe that the old gentleman is not deaf, his eyesight is not poor, and his body is still robust. Since he is idle at home anyway, would you be willing to stay in the capital and help me improve the printing technology? When the printing press is built, the old gentleman will certainly have a share of the credit."

Wang Zhen's great-grandson, Wang Yonghuai, was overjoyed upon hearing this. Now that His Majesty had arranged a job for him, if he could stay in the capital and make some contributions, his family would be prosperous in the future. This was also the reason why his father had sent him to come with his great-grandfather. So he quickly and secretly tugged at Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen pretended not to see it, but he was indeed interested in improving printing technology. He didn't care about the credit or the actual contribution; he was already 85 years old and close to death, so he didn't care about that. What was more important was that he could participate in this matter, so he agreed without hesitation.

Lu Jin was overjoyed to see this, as he had just gained two great talents. Although Wang Zhen was a bit old, he could still improve the printing technique. As for Ye Dui, Lu Jin also gave him some instructions.

The foundation has already been laid in Xiangxun Port for this trip to Lizhou, so there are no problems. We just need to increase immigration and maintain the rubber trade. The key is to develop a new foothold in Panama, which can connect the two oceans.

From China's perspective, colonizing and developing the east coast of the Americas was far too difficult, unlike the convenient journey from Europe. Traveling from Europe to the Americas was easy and convenient, while China would have to travel westward around most of the globe, past the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, to reach the east coast of the Americas.

Instead of taking such a long detour, it would be better to directly open up the Panama Isthmus. It's closer for China to reach the west coast via the Pacific Ocean, so we could go through Panama, take the land route to the other side, and then operate North America and Brazil from the north and south respectively. This would save us from going halfway around the world and would be much more convenient.

Anyway, the narrowest part of the Isthmus of Panama is only 48 kilometers long, and the total distance is less than 100 kilometers. Even if you travel by land, it won't take more than a few days.

Of course, it's not something to be expected to dig a transoceanic canal in the short term. Lu Jin just wants them to open a transoceanic road, then immigrate there, build a shipyard on the Caribbean coast of the east, and then immigrate shipbuilders there so that the east coast can have ships.

So Lu Jin assigned Ye Dui the task of opening up a land route across the ocean from Panama. The climate there was harsh and there was miasma, but slaves could be bought from the locals. After the road was opened, rubber trees could be planted on both sides of the road.

Rubber trees are amazing things. Wherever rubber forests are planted, rainforests will automatically retreat and will not grow back. Therefore, as long as rubber forests are planted along the roads, the miasma of the rainforest can be eliminated, and the tropical rainforest will stay away.

This would not only maintain a more pleasant transoceanic route, but also generate substantial revenue for the rubber plantations on both sides. It is an optimal, albeit reluctant, solution when a canal cannot be dug in the short term.

(End of this chapter)