Lin Tian's idea was undoubtedly extremely audacious. Anyone who heard such a wild notion would be rendered speechless.
The ministers, in particular, found Lin Tian's thoughts utterly incomprehensible.
"Your Highness, are you suggesting we must construct a canal before we can attack Lingnan?"
"Precisely!"
"But the sheer scale of this undertaking is immense. To build a canal just for a war… when would we ever finish it?"
"Indeed! Your Highness, wouldn't that take too long? If it takes so long to conquer Lingnan, doesn't that mean we are placing too much importance on it?"
"Your Highness, we agree with your proposal to use Lingnan people to attack Lingnan. However, building a canal is completely unnecessary. We can achieve a swift victory!"
The reason they spoke in such terms was their belief in Qin's immense power and Lingnan's insignificance.
How could the mighty Qin, attacking the weak Lingnan, possibly require the construction of a canal that would consume so much time?
It was known that building a canal could potentially take several years, perhaps even over a decade, to complete.
Only after more than ten years would they be able to attack the region of Lingnan.
The mere thought of such a prospect made these ministers shake their heads involuntarily.
Accustomed to swift campaigns, how could they tolerate over a decade spent attacking a mere Lingnan?
This led them to question Lin Tian's words.
Hearing their doubts, Lin Tian couldn't help but smile.
He understood their thoughts and their concerns.
However, he wanted to convey to them that the times had changed, and everything was different from what they had previously thought and experienced.
"If we were to excavate the canal solely by human labor, it would naturally require a great deal of time and manpower!"
"But now it's different. We can now rely on machines to excavate the canal!"
"Machines?"
Upon hearing Lin Tian's words, the ministers of Great Qin were filled with astonishment.
They had never heard of using machines to excavate canals.
Therefore, many of them were bewildered.
Were it not for their knowledge of trains, they might have felt Lin Tian was speaking utter fantasy.
Lin Tian was, of course, aware of their thoughts.
This was because the excavating machines he spoke of had not yet been manufactured.
To create them, he would need to commission the artisans.
However, in Lin Tian's mind, he already had a general concept of these machines.
He knew that with the machines he envisioned, the excavation speed would be incredibly rapid.
Especially now, with no underground cables or anything of the sort.
As long as he had multiple machines manufactured and operating simultaneously, a canal could be dug in a month or two.
Others were unaware of this possibility, but if they knew, they would surely be astounded.
An undertaking that would normally take over ten years, Lin Tian could accomplish in a month or two. This was something few could achieve.
However, because Lin Tian had not elaborated, these ministers remained unconcerned.
"The so-called machines are simply another application of the steam engine."
"Utilizing the kinetic energy generated by the steam engine to excavate the soil, rapidly clearing the land and quickly transporting the excavated earth, the canal can be formed swiftly!"
"With sufficient numbers of machines, we could even construct a massive canal in just a few months!"
"A canal can be completed in just a few months? How is that possible?"
"Your Highness, are you not deceiving us? How can a canal be excavated in a matter of months? This is a canal that will benefit countless citizens. How can it be constructed so easily?"
"Indeed, Your Highness. Have you misremembered the timeframe? Not a few months, but a few years! If it takes a few years, we could perhaps accept that!"
While a few years was still a considerable amount of time, they were more amenable to it compared to over a decade.
After all, they recognized that Lin Tian's resolve was unshakeable, and they had no choice but to comply.
Given this, a few years was clearly more feasible than over ten years.
With this thought, they spoke in turn.
Ying Zheng also paid great attention to this matter.
He recalled that the construction of the Zheng Guo Canal had required the efforts of several generations of Great Qin, consuming immeasurable time and resources.
The benefits brought by the Zheng Guo Canal were self-evident.
It was precisely because of the Zheng Guo Canal that Great Qin could sustain so many troops during wartime.
It was also because of the Zheng Guo Canal that refugees fleeing Zhao could find sustenance.
This made Ying Zheng acutely aware of the importance of canals to Qin.
If a completed canal could be established in Qin, it would undoubtedly provide another lifeline for the people of Qin.
Therefore, Ying Zheng was eager to know if Lin Tian's claim of completing a canal in a few months was true.
"My son, can you truly complete a canal in a matter of months?"
If anyone else had said this, Ying Zheng would have surely disbelieved them.
He might have even had them executed.
However, when Lin Tian said it, it was entirely different.
Ying Zheng had absolute faith in Lin Tian.
Furthermore, Lin Tian had already created too many miracles.
Therefore, Ying Zheng found himself anticipating that this might indeed be true.
Seeing Ying Zheng's earnest gaze, Lin Tian naturally understood his meaning.
Thus, he nodded firmly.
"As long as my machines are built, I can absolutely do as I say, completing a canal in a matter of months!"
"And these few months will be precisely enough time for us to recruit soldiers from Lingnan to fight alongside us!"
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng repeatedly nodded.
If a canal could be constructed in a few months to ensure the logistics of the army, then Lin Tian's plan was entirely feasible.
Of course, the most crucial factor was Lin Tian's ability to build the canal.
With this thought, Ying Zheng's gaze fell upon Lin Tian once more.
"Can you truly build the canal there? After all, it is mountainous and heavily forested!"
"Father, rest assured, if your son says he can do it, he will definitely do it!"
"Then Father hopes that in the future, Great Qin will construct more canals, providing water for more regions!"