Facts have proved that this kind of mortar is very effective in road construction, and its effect even exceeds that of the volcanic ash that was specially transported from the volcano house. Then farmland water conservancy facilities in the Wuhu region and the northern region began to use this kind of construction. Materials, due to the start of a large number of construction projects, although large-scale mortar yards have been built in the seven prefectures distributed throughout the empire, the output of the seven mortar yards is still difficult to meet the needs of these large-scale projects, and the empire has to borrow from the national debt. Special funds were allocated to build the second batch of mortar yards. Since raw materials are very popular and can be found in almost every region, the construction of the second batch of mortar yards focused on the Indian region and the southwest region.
With the construction of mortar fields booming all over the country, the construction projects of farmland water conservancy facilities in Wuhu and the north have also started in full swing. It can be said that these two projects are Wufeng's most scored measures in terms of the empire's land gentry. The empire has always advocated agriculture as the foundation. Although the land aristocrats could not openly oppose the empire's policy of emphasizing industry and commerce, they unanimously believed that the persistent drought in the north and the floods in the south were due to the fact that the Tanghe Empire did not pay enough attention to farmland water conservancy construction, and the empire adopted the issuance of national bonds. The method of raising funds to build water conservancy facilities also satisfied the conservative gentry of the empire who mainly focused on soil production. They believed that the empire also took into account their interests while encouraging the development of industry and commerce.
The empire's comprehensive launch of the construction of water conservancy facilities in the north and south has also won the support of the vast majority of landless farmers. Although immigration has solved the survival problems of a considerable number of disaster-stricken refugees, many people who have been unable to leave their homeland still prefer to stay in their native land. However, the disaster caused them to lose their source of livelihood, and large-scale engineering construction found a way out for them. The large demand for labor made it possible for people regardless of gender to participate in this construction project as long as they had the ability to work. Preliminary estimates The construction sites of water conservancy facilities in the north alone have attracted at least two million laborers to work hard on the construction sites of various prefectures. This has not only greatly eased the pressure on the northern counties and local governments, but also provided a large number of poor people with a way to survive the spring of this year. He found the best way out of his life problems without leaving his hometown.
"Xiao Tang, Su Qin, come here, this is the famous visiting professor invited by my classmate Plovlan from the University of Heidelberg where he once studied. Mr. Harting, who is also an honorary citizen of the City Republic of Willis, is currently conducting research at the Imperial University. To give lectures, the League also invites him to stay at Northwest University for a period of time, so that teachers and students at Northwest University can also listen to his theories. Mr. Harding, these two are our two prime ministers. Prime Minister Xiao Tang and Vice Prime Minister Su Qin .
The eyes of Xiao Tang and Su Qin both fell on this silver-haired old man with wrinkles on his face and wide black-rimmed eyes. Although this guy's face was full of wrinkles, judging from the other's hale and hearty spirit, this guy's body was also very good. healthy. Xiao Tang and Su Qin couldn't help but admire him for being able to travel across the ocean to the empire.
After a while of greetings, Xiao Tang and Su Qin obviously didn't know what Wu Feng's purpose was in recruiting them to his private study to meet this guy, and Wu Feng didn't point it out. He just smiled slightly and said: "Xiao Tang, Su Qin, Mr. Harding just came from Luxor. He has a suggestion to make to me. I don't know much about it, so I need to think about it. It's up to you two to listen." views on this matter.”
"I'm sorry, I wonder what Mr. Harding's suggestion is? Your Majesty is open-minded and accepts advice. It seems that even the Western Continent knows about it. This is a great thing." Xiao Tang became wary upon hearing this. Although his words were polite, , but he was carefully thinking about what suggestions this silver-haired old man had that His Majesty would invite the two of him to discuss.
"Two Prime Ministers, I propose to your Majesty the establishment of a stock exchange and futures exchange in Luxor, the capital of Merry County, which has become a part of your country. I once represented this matter in Luxor on behalf of the then Archduke of York. We have discussed it many times, but the Grand Duke of York has always been hesitant and failed to make a decision. Now most of Meili has belonged to the Tang Empire. I have made this suggestion to your governor in Meili, His Excellency Qin Tieliu. He accepted my opinion, but he said he couldn't make the decision on this matter, so he wrote a letter of recommendation asking me to come to the imperial capital and hand it over to His Majesty the Emperor." The silver-haired old man looked polite and spoke in a slightly awkward Tang dialect. Although it is not so authentic, it is not difficult to understand.
Only then did Xiao Tang and Su Qin notice the letter held in Wu Feng's hand, but it was difficult to see Wu Feng's mood from his face. Although the stock exchange and the futures exchange are new things to the empire, as the two highest-ranking government officials in the empire, they are no strangers to these two terms. It is said that the stock exchange and the futures exchange are in Wei Lai on the western continent. Both the S City Republic and Oxford, the capital of the Kingdom of Leeds, have officially opened for some time. Because the distance between the Western Continent and the Eastern Continent is too far, both Xiao and Su only have a rough understanding of these two institutions, but these two institutions The purpose and significance of its establishment as well as its operating procedures and rules are unclear.
They only know that the stock exchange is a place for those engaged in industrial and commercial investments or speculators to trade shares in industrial and commercial investments, while the futures exchange is even more novel. It is said that it is something close to an order or contract for the purchase and sale of goods. Such institutions are more speculative and risky, and the two of them are not clear about the specific situation.
"Mr. Harding, what role do you think establishing such an institution in Luxor will have on the empire? Why not choose to do it in the Imperial Capital or Yukang?" Wu Feng asked playfully, holding Qin Tieliu's letter in his hand. road.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Although the Meili region was the last region to be included in the empire's territory, the industrial and commercial economy there is quite developed. Even the imperial capital cannot compare with it in this regard. Moreover, Luxor also has a The advantage that neither the Imperial Capital nor Yuhang can match is that it faces the Baltic Sea and the Aegean Sea, and can be easily connected to the coastal countries of the Central and Western Continent through sea routes. When these two exchanges are established, they can be easily connected. Conveniently raise wealthy funds from these areas.”
"Although Zhongzhou is the capital of the empire, I think it is more like a political and cultural center. Maybe its financial industry is worth mentioning, but it is still a consumer city to a large extent, and its industry and commerce are not as good as Luxor, and the deep interior of the empire also makes it difficult to attract capital from outside the empire. As for Yuhang, I landed on the Eastern Continent from there, and I also stayed there for a while, and the economic composition there is relatively It is single or relatively old and lacks vitality. Of course, its economy has reached a relatively high level. The most important thing is that people's ideas have not changed. If a stock exchange and futures exchange are established, there will be no participants. It has lost its meaning, and I don’t think it will be successful to establish a stock exchange and futures exchange in Yuhang now.”
The silver-haired old man still maintained the frankness and frankness of the people from the Western Continent in his words, and rejected Wu Feng's two options in one breath. This made Wu Feng feel a little embarrassed and at the same time felt a touch of long-lost kindness. Wasn't it the same when he was studying in Heidelberg? Is that so
"Mr. Harding, do you mean that it is most appropriate to establish these two exchanges in Luxor?" Xiao Tang couldn't help but ask, although he still didn't quite understand what the establishment of these exchanges could bring to the empire. What kind of benefits, but hearing that the other party directly rejected Zhongzhou and Yuhang still made him feel a little uncomfortable, "Then can you tell us what are the advantages of Luxor? And if it is established in Luxor, the empire will What can be gained from it?”
"No, Mr. Prime Minister, I can only say that Luxor is the most suitable place to establish this institution in the empire. Of course, the empire has a vast territory across the Middle East, rich products, and rapid economic development. Maybe there will be more in the future. It is a suitable place to establish a stock exchange and a futures exchange, but this does not affect the establishment in Luxor first, and the establishment of two in Luxor can also accumulate experience for the future construction of the empire." The silver-haired old man still explained methodically.
"As for Luxor's advantages, there are many. First, it is an important port city at the intersection of the Baltic Sea and the Aegean Sea, with convenient transportation and developed shipping. Second, the area where it is located is an important spice-producing area, adjacent to the important Indian In the grain-producing areas, spices and grain can become an important trading item in futures. Thirdly, it has a developed industrial and commercial economy and has a good and long tradition of foreign trade. Fourthly, the financial industry is famous and has a long history, and the scenery is excellent. Rich people on the coasts of the Aegean Sea and the Baltic Sea love to come here for tourism and vacation. This is very important. Most of them have spare money or property owners, including Constantine and pirates on the Sea of Marmara. , they are both top players on stock exchanges and futures traders.”
"What can the empire gain? Prime Minister, I hope you are not asking questions knowingly. I have observed and analyzed all the empire's actions since His Majesty the Emperor entered Western Xinjiang. Although many of them are centered around military operations, there is one thing that you have not understood. Neglect means vigorously developing industry, commerce and trade. This is one of the reasons why the Eastern Continent has been gradually overtaken by the Western Continent in the past hundred years. I have communicated with Mr. Qin Tieliu and he was deeply touched by this, which is why he is so eager. I hope to be able to pilot it in Luxor first. Of course, this is not the reason why I hope to build two in Luxor." The silver-haired old man smiled slightly, "When industry and commerce has developed to a certain stage, it is not enough for the owners to participate. It requires Only when all the people participate in economic development can the economy truly develop in the long term, please remember this."