Moma Liangshan

Chapter 136 The Source of Life, Municipal Waterways

Wang Hao led the group to inspect the loom workshops, primarily to clarify the future development direction of Jiaozhou. He ordered a map of Laoshan County drawn by Di Jinxing to be hung up and said, "This land, nestled between mountains and the sea, is the entire territory of Laoshan County. There are no fertile fields, no mulberry or hemp fields, no salt fields, only 100,000 impoverished people. But I, Wang Hao, the magistrate of Laoshan County, will build a port, a shipyard, and ten miles of workshops in this barren land!" Although the Northern Song Dynasty was prosperous in industry and commerce, it was still a self-sufficient small-scale agricultural economy. The idea of ​​"ten miles of workshops" resonated deeply with everyone present. Chen Song, the most business-minded of them all, said, "The imperial court has national policies, and prefectures and counties have local chronicles. I wonder how you, sir, think Laoshan County should develop?" Wang Hao pointed to the Qingdao Port under construction and said, "With Qingdao Port as the head, we will integrate warehousing, trade, and transportation, expanding the existing functions of the Maritime Trade Office; with the Shili Workshop as the body, we will use raw materials from all over the country to produce all kinds of goods, benefiting all people; with the Huangdao Shipyard as the tail, we will build giant ocean-going vessels, laying the foundation for Jiaozhou's maritime transport and providing protection."

Wang Hao finally drew up the complete blueprint for Jiaozhou. Laoshan County would become a city that completely abandoned small-scale farming and focused entirely on developing industry and commerce. Di Chunqiu couldn't help but feel ashamed of his earlier questioning, saying, "Young Master's magnanimity is beyond our reach!" Wang Hao thought, "If it weren't for the historical leap of over a thousand years, how could I have made such a forward-looking development plan?" He smiled and said, "Although I have traveled all over the country, some things ultimately depend on opportunity!" Di Chunqiu thought Wang Hao was just trying to comfort him, and said, "Hearing your words is better than reading for ten years!"

However, upon hearing Wang Hao's city plan, Qin Guanhai frowned and said, "If you want to realize all of Jiaozhou's plans, there is one thing that must not be overlooked!" Wang Hao sensed the seriousness in Qin Guanhai's words and asked, "What is it?" Qin Guanhai said, "Water source!" Wang Hao suddenly realized and instantly thought of the water supply system and sewage system of later generations. Zhang Ju didn't take it seriously and said, "The sea in Jiaozhou is much bigger than Liangshan Marsh. We didn't lack water when we were in Liangshan, so how can we lack water when we're at the seaside?" Wang Hao was almost amused by Zhang Ju's words. Looking at the fish tank next to him, he said, "Get Zhang Ju a bowl of seawater and make him drink it!" Zhang Ju didn't know Wang Hao's intention, but he didn't dare to disobey. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he took the seawater. Seeing everyone trying not to laugh, Zhang Ju couldn't help but feel resentful. He wanted to drink the seawater in the bowl in one gulp. However, when the first mouthful of seawater entered his mouth, a bitter, salty, and fishy expression appeared on Zhang Ju's face. A moment later, seawater spurted out of his mouth, and everyone burst into laughter.

Wang Hao said, "Do you understand Mr. Qin's meaning now?" Still feeling the salty taste in his mouth, Zhang Ju felt his tongue go numb and said intermittently, "Seawater is too salty to drink!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Bring Zhang Ju a bowl of water to rinse his mouth!" A moment later, an attendant brought another bowl of water. Wang Hao said, "Mr. Qin, what do you think is the best way to solve the water problem in Jiaozhou?" Qin Guanhai said, "In the Central Plains or Jiangnan, the soil is soft, so wells can be dug for drinking water. But Jiaozhou is mountainous and near the sea, so digging wells is probably not the best solution!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "If wells are not suitable, then we can only dig canals to divert water!" Qin Guanhai nodded and said, "You are wise, young master! The Dagu River and Baisha River have abundant water; we can build dams upstream to intercept the flow and then dig canals to divert the water." Diverting water through canals has many precedents in both ancient China and Europe, but the canals dug in China were mostly for irrigation or water transport, while the ancient Roman Empire in Europe had many precedents for supplying water to cities. Famous man-made rivers in China include the Lingqu Canal, the Zheng Guo Canal, and the Grand Canal, while the ancient Roman Empire's urban aqueduct is the Pont du Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard was an elevated aqueduct built during the Roman Empire, spanning the Nar River and diverting water to Nîmes, from where it was distributed to public baths, fountains, and private residences. Wang Hao asked, "Mr. Qin, would you be willing to serve as the chief architect of the Jiaozhou aqueduct?" Qin Guanhai shook his head, saying, "I am already simultaneously responsible for the design and construction of the Qingdao port, the Huangdao shipyard, and the Jiaozhou official road; I am simply unable to be in two places at once!" Looking at the noticeably thinner Qin Guanhai, Wang Hao suddenly remembered that he was already an elderly man over fifty, and said, "Mr. Qin, who do you think is capable of undertaking the construction of the aqueduct?" Qin Guanhai pondered for a moment and said, "Those who have learned both literary and martial arts are sold to the emperor. If Jiaozhou lacks such talent, why don't you go to Tokyo to find it?"

Wang Hao, puzzled, asked, "Sir, are you suggesting I look for a suitable person in the Ministry of Works?" Qin Guanhai replied with a smile, "Young master, don't forget, you concurrently hold the position of Director of the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works!" Wang Hao suddenly realized and said, "The court may lack other things, but it has plenty of officials waiting to be transferred out!" Di Chunqiu said, "If Jiaozhou simultaneously requests the court to transfer both the Director of Law and the Master Craftsman of the Ministry of Works, wouldn't it be deliberately targeted by those with ulterior motives?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "If we force Feng to leave..." "Gu He and Zhu Heng will inevitably face criticism from certain people in Dongjing, but this request for official transfers will certainly not be refused!" Di Chunqiu said, "Please enlighten me, young master!" Wang Hao said, "There are countless officials in the court who hold positions but have no real power. These people are all eagerly waiting for the day they can be transferred to official posts outside the capital. Jiaozhou has submitted an application to the court, which is giving those people the opportunity to be transferred. If anyone dares to obstruct it, they will incur public wrath!" Di Chunqiu had never been in officialdom, so he naturally did not know the tacit understanding and rules involved. Di Chunqiu continued, "Does the young master intend to go to Tokyo personally?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "I don't know many officials in Tokyo. Fortunately, I have an old friend in the Palace Guard named Liu Hong. Let Ma Cao and Liu Hong handle this matter!" Ma Cao had been idle for a long time since robbing Liang Zhongshu's birthday gifts. Hearing that Wang Hao was going to assign him a task, he quickly replied, "Don't worry, young master, I will cooperate sincerely with Lord Liu Hong to recruit those with real talent!" Wang Hao was very satisfied and said, "As long as everyone works together, within five years, Laoshan County will not only be able to get rid of poverty, but will also become a peaceful city that everyone yearns to live in!"

This brief one-day workshop visit not only laid out the initial construction layout of Laoshan County, but also pointed the way for the development model of Jiaozhou over the next ten years. It was precisely because of the early construction of Jiaozhou that Wang Hao was able to withstand the Jingkang Incident several years later!