Chapter 800: Chapter 11: Shouzhe’s Assessment as Quasi-Crown Prince! Turmoil Brewing (Requesting Monthly Votes)_2

However, Wu Mingyuan didn’t care much about this.

He had rarely encountered someone willing to listen to him talk about these things, someone who could understand, and even pinpoint issues sharply. His conversation interest was at its peak now, how could he stop?

He gulped down the immortal tea like a bull, and continued, "Patriarch Shouzhe’s questions indeed hit the nail on the head. On this point, I’ve already had a comprehensive plan. Our Anbei Guard is adjacent to West Sea County, and from Anbei Guard heading west, the closest West Sea coast is only two thousand miles in a straight line."

"The ’West Sea’ is not an actual sea, but a freshwater lake within West Sea County, so vast that it’s comparable to an ocean, thus earning its name."

"I plan to open an artificial Grand Canal starting from the West Sea, first linking east and west, connecting West Sea County and the Northwest Guard, and then using the Northwest Guard as a starting point to connect north and south, extending directly to the national capital Gui Long City. This way, the water scarcity issue in the Dara Desert can be solved, and the problem of transportation difficulties can be alleviated."

Speaking of this matter, Wu Mingyuan’s eyes were shining bright, indicating he was very earnest about planning this.

Not far away, the Princess Anjun listening with pricked ears sighed helplessly, "Our Lord has started pitching his grand plan again. I hope Patriarch Shouzhe can endure listening to it without calling it absurd and storming off."

"Sister Ruolan, don’t worry, my husband has quite a strong capacity for endurance." Liu Ruolan covered her mouth with a light laugh, "Moreover, he himself rather likes planning for the big picture, he and His Highness get along well on that front. However, the plan of His Highness sounds very good, why would it be called absurd?"

"Ah~ Little Sister Ruolan, you may not know, our Prince’s Mansion has almost poured all its resources into the development of Anbei Guard, and the day of return is far off. His Highness’ plan, while it looks good, requires labor, resources, and finances, which are beyond our own capability to undertake."

"Previously, he had even submitted this plan to the Imperial Court, hoping to persuade His Majesty the Emperor to fund it, but was criticized by the ministers as ’fantastic dreams.’ In fact, even within our Gongye Family, there is little support for His Highness’ plan, as it is truly too challenging..."

Gongye Qingrui said with some helplessness.

Even though she wanted to help her husband fulfill his wish, she could not force her family to assist. Moreover, her husband’s series of plans were so grand in scale, with enormous engineering requirements, stretched over long periods, and the return on investment was far away. Even the Third-Grade Noble Family Gongye might not be able to afford it.

Over the decades, the massive foundational investments had already emptied the Prince Anjun’s Mansion’s savings. Gongye Qingrui even counted on Anbei Guard to turn losses into profits, thus she didn’t support the big plan.

Unexpectedly.

After hearing it all, Wang Shouzhe nodded repeatedly, "Indeed, this plan is very forward-thinking. Once this giant Grand Canal is successfully built, it can revitalize the entire West Sea County and Anbei Guard. Although the investment is enormous and the project duration lengthy, it can bring continuous and long-term benefits."

Prince Anjun was also taken aback, but then he became excited and grabbed Wang Shouzhe, "Patriarch Shouzhe, do you also agree with the plan? Good, good, I thought only Elder Brother Prince Hao agreed."

Over the decades, he had tried to pitch this plan everywhere, but only met with countless ridicule. Well-meaning people advised him that, at this moment, he should focus on the Struggle of the Imperial Sons rather than engage in a plan that spans centuries or millennia.

Even if you manage to accomplish it, the Struggle of the Imperial Sons will long be over, and you’d merely be preparing the ground for the new Great Emperor.

"Why disagree?" Wang Shouzhe nodded and praised, "Once this grand plan is completed, in at most a thousand years, the Dara Desert will gradually be encroached upon, adding the strength of two to three counties to Daqian, greatly enhancing the strength of Daqian Kingdom."

"Not only that, with those two or three counties’ giant granaries, it would be enough to support twice the population of today." Prince Anjun said excitedly, "By then, my Daqian Kingdom’s power will be increasingly prosperous, how could the Barbaric Western Jin that has opposed us for thousands of years resist my Daqian’s Profound Armor Army?"

"Prince Anjun’s ambition commands Shouzhe’s respect."

Wang Shouzhe couldn’t help but express his admiration.

He had always thought Prince Anjun was just diligently developing the Anbei Guard, yet he never expected that such grand ambitions lurked in his heart.

His vision, scale, and magnanimity made even Wang Shouzhe feel somewhat inferior.

However, the positions they held were different, the things they guarded were different, and naturally, their scales differed.

For Wang Shouzhe, the Changning Wang Family was his foundation. All his efforts and plans were meant for the Changning Wang Family to develop better, for the family to be more stable, for the juniors to have enough cultivation resources, and for the elders of the family to have the opportunity to reach higher levels.

But Prince Anjun was different.

Being of imperial blood, he should plan the future from the height of the Daqian Kingdom.

Unexpectedly.

When Prince Anjun heard Wang Shouzhe, he felt slightly embarrassed, "Patriarch Shouzhe overpraises me. Actually, these plans were not entirely proposed by me."

He paused, his expression dimmed slightly, "More than a hundred years ago, Elder Brother Prince Hao and I often sat and debated, discussing the future and plans of Daqian. The plan for the granaries of Anbei Guard and the Dara Desert was just one of them. Elder Brother Prince Hao had detailed plans for East Sea, North Sea, West Sea, and the Great Wilderness Marsh, and even the Southern Wilderness Outer Domain."