Protect Our Clan Leader

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

It was rare for him to meet someone who was willing to listen to his ideas, could comprehend them, and even pointedly question him. He was in the midst of a passionate discussion; why would he stop?

He gulped down the immortal tea, then continued, "Shouzhe, you're right to the point. Regarding this matter, I already have a comprehensive plan. We, the Northwest Guard, are adjacent to the West Sea Prefecture. From the Northwest Guard to the west, the nearest western coastline is only two thousand miles away."

The "Western Sea" is not a real sea, but a freshwater lake in the West Sea Prefecture. It is named as such because of its vast size, comparable to that of a sea.

"My plan is to start from the Western Sea and open a substantial artificial Grand Canal. First, it will go through east to west, connecting the West Sea Prefecture and the Northwest Guard. Then, we will start from the Northwest Guard and go through the north to south, all the way to the national capital Return Dragon City.

In this way, we can solve the water shortage problem of the Dala Desert, and open up the river for transportation."

Speaking of this, Wu Mingyuan's eyes were shining brightly, indicating that he was seriously planning this matter.

However, not far away, An Commandery Prince Consort, who was intently listening couldn't help but sigh helplessly, "My lord has started promoting his grand plan again. I hope that Master Shouzhe can bear it after listening and not just write it off as ridiculous and walk away."

"Sister Qing Rui, don't worry. My husband is quite resilient." Liu Ruolan covered her mouth and smiled, "Plus, he himself enjoys the planning's grand scheme and seems to hit it off with the lord. However, why would such a great plan be ridiculed?"

"Ah, Sister Ruolan, you may not know. Our household's fortune has been almost all invested into the development of the Northwest Guard and there seems to be no end in sight for recouping the costs. Although the prince's plan seems good, the manpower, resources, and wealth it requires in the process are not something we can afford."

"Before, he had submitted this plan to the court, hoping to persuade the Emperor to allocate funds, but he was criticized as 'daydreaming'. In fact, even the insiders of our Gongye Clan did not support the lord's plan; the difficulty is too high..." Gongye Qingrui said somewhat helplessly.

Despite her hopes of assisting her husband in achieving his aspirations, she could not force her own family to assist. Moreover, her husband's series of planning was indeed grand. It was massive in scale, lengthy in time, and had no foreseeable returns on investment. Even an aristocratic family like the Gongye Clan may not bear it.

Massive initial investments have already emptied the coffers of the An Commandery Prince's Residence, over several decades. Gongye Qingrui is still relying on the Northwest Guard to turn a profit, hence she wasn't too optimistic about the grand scheme.

Unexpectedly.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhe repeatedly nodded in agreement, "Good, this plan has great foresight. If this enormous Grand Canal is successfully constructed, it will revitalise the land along the West Sea Prefecture and Northwest Guard. Despite the colossal investment and long construction period, it can reap lasting benefits."

Commandery Prince An was startled, but soon, he began to take action with enthusiasm, grabbing Wang Shouzhe, "Master Shouzhe, do you agree with the plan, too? Good, good. I thought only Crown Brother Hao agreed with it."

For the past few decades, he tried to sell the plan far and wide, only to be ridiculed. Some good-hearted people advised him that at this time, he should focus on the competition for becoming the Emperor's son rather than planning a massive project spanning hundreds or even thousands of years.

By the time you truly realize it, the competition for becoming the Emperor's son would have ended long ago, and you, Prince An, would have simply played the matchmaker.

"Why should I not agree?" Wang Shouzhe nodded continuously in admiration, "Once this grand scheme is completed, within a thousand years at most, the Dala Desert can be gradually encroached upon, adding two to three prefecture's worth of power to Da Qian, greatly enhancing the national strength of the Great Qian Land."

"Furthermore, the tremendous granary capacity of those additional two or three prefectures could easily maintain a population double that of today." Commandery Prince An said fervently, "At that time, the power of our Great Qian Land will be even more prosperous. How could the barbaric West Jin, which has been opposing us for thousands of years, resist the onslaught of our Black Armor Army?"

"Commandery Prince An, your ambition is admirable."

Wang Shouzhe could not help but sigh.

He had always thought that all Commandery Prince An strove for was the development of the Northwest Guard, but he did not expect that he held such grand ambitions.

His vision, his scope, his demeanor, even made Wang Shouzhe feel somewhat inferior.

However, the positions they held were different, as was what they protected, hence their scopes were naturally different.

For Wang Shouzhe, the Changning Wang Clan represents his roots while all his efforts and planning were just so that the Changning Wang Clan can develop better with a firmly established family lineage, younger generations can have ample cultivation resources, and the elders of the family would have opportunities to break into higher levels.

However, Prince An's case was different.

As one with the imperial bloodline, he should be considering the future from the perspective of the entire Great Qian Land.

Unexpectedly.

Upon hearing Wang Shouzhe's words, An Commandery Prince's seemed a bit embarrassed and replied, "Master Shouzhe, your praise is undeserved. These plans are not entirely mine."

After a pause, his expression seemed to fade as he said, "Over a hundred years ago, when I spent my time discussing the Dao with Crown Brother Hao, we discussed the future and plans of the Great Qian Land. The granary plan for the Northwest Guard and the Dala Desert was just one of them.

Crown Brother Hao has also made detailed plans for the Eastern Sea, Northern Sea, Western Sea, and the Great Wilderness Marsh as well as the regions beyond the Southern Wilderness."