**Chapter 47**
**Port and Shipyard (3)**
"It's necessary, so even if I do it, it's better to make a deal."
The Mexican Empire still has a long way to go. There are many areas where the government's power is needed, and I've been enduring it, even though it's been inconvenient.
"Father, I would like you to help me improve the system of weights and measures. Solving this problem will greatly help in the construction of the shipyard."
"Weights and measures? Are you talking about the imperial system?"
That dirty imperial system is still the system of weights and measures used in our Mexican Empire.
The imperial system has many problems, the most notable being that it's not based on the decimal system. It's even worse, with different units using the duodecimal, hexadecimal, and quaternary systems.
Another drawback is that it lacks clear standards, especially during this period, with the inch derived from the width of a man's thumb and the foot derived from the size of his foot, leading to a lack of precision.
"Yes, I'm planning to introduce the metric system, invented in France."
I spent a long time explaining the advantages of the metric system to my father. The opposite of the drawbacks of the imperial system is the advantage of the metric system. In other words, it has clear standards that apply regardless of the characteristics of the object being measured. And all units, including length, area, volume, and mass, are calculated using the decimal system, making them highly interoperable and easy to calculate.
"Hmm... It seems like a system with clear advantages, just from what you've said, but I don't think I can solve such a matter with an executive order."
"It's not something that can be easily solved with an executive order."
We do need a law on the introduction of the metric system. If the Emperor unilaterally declares that he's changing the system of weights and measures, there will be a huge backlash.
Weights and measures have a huge impact on various parts of the country, including economic activity, administration, and taxation. Since ancient times, successful unification of weights and measures across the country has been considered a great achievement.
"That's also why it's been postponed until now."
It's not a law that the Republicans wouldn't oppose, like the law on the stock market. If this is successfully introduced, it will be a major achievement, so they'll actively oppose it.
If it were like before, with the Conservatives and Republicans splitting the spoils evenly, we would have had to make huge concessions to the Republicans to introduce this law.
"The situation is a bit different now."
Unlike before, the current parliament has the Emperor's party, the landowners' party, and the Republicans, each holding about one-third of the seats.
The landowners' party and the Republicans no longer want the Emperor's power to grow, so they'll oppose anything that will add to the Emperor's achievements, but the difference is that they now have someone to make a deal with.
Even if I don't make a deal and just let it go, the metric system will eventually dominate the world, and the barbarity of the imperial system will become known, so Mexico will naturally adopt the metric system, but it's still early days for the metric system.
"Father, please move the Emperor's party. I'll take care of the rest."
"It seems like you have a plan. Alright then. Introducing a superior system of weights and measures will also be a great help to the country."
"Thank you, Father."
I immediately went to find Congressman Pedro Gonzalez. He became the leader of the Republicans after many of the Republican leadership defected.
"He's a true republican, but he's not someone who can't be reasoned with. He's much better than Chairman Rafael, that stupid bastard."
"···So, you're saying that if you support the introduction of this metric system, whatever it's called, you'll support our side's revision of the law related to universities?"
"That's right. It's a bit strange to call it a university when more than half of the courses, no matter what major you choose, are related to the church. And don't you think the number and size of universities are woefully inadequate compared to the vast size of our Mexican Empire?"
"Well, that's true."
Congressman Pedro thought for a moment.
"Is this metric system really that great that we have to accept the confusion of introducing it? The imperial system isn't bad either."
"Secularization of university education is something that Republicans should welcome unconditionally, but he's still being cautious and considering it carefully."
I felt it when we first talked at the party, but he seems to be a useful talent.
I persuaded him, as I had done with Agustín I, explaining the barbarity of the imperial system and the advantages of the superior metric system for dozens of minutes.
"···Alright."
I shook hands with Congressman Pedro.
This is what's different from the old Republicans.
They can make deals based on policies that benefit republicanism, not just personal gain.
"On top of that, university education reform is something I want."
In effect, I've passed two laws I want.
That's not all. There are more than a few laws that I want to push forward in the future that the Republicans would like. It means that I can make deals with them consistently.
After parting ways with Congressman Pedro, I immediately sent someone to France.
To buy a metric prototype. The standard meter of this period was a platinum bar made in France in 1799, and the kilogram was a platinum cylinder.
I'm going to ask them to sell us copies. France has always wanted to introduce the metric system to other countries, and I'll pay them enough, so there's no reason for them to refuse.
I told them to take the fastest ship, so they should be back before the shipyard construction begins.
It's time to go back to the intense scene of national development.
***
The port of Veracruz.
It's the first port in Mexico and the city where the second railroad section is laid, and it's also the city where General Santa Anna, who became president in the original history, is located.
"Your Highness, it's a pleasure to see you again. I heard you're going to be in Veracruz for a while, I hope to see you often."
As expected, Santa Anna came to see me as soon as I arrived.
"Nice to meet you. You know Veracruz well, General, so please help me out."
"Hahaha, just give me your orders, Your Highness."
He's trying to curry favor, so I just played along. The important thing is the shipyard. I unpacked my luggage and went to inspect the shipyard right away.
"This is the result of four years of work?"
What kind of time is four years?
Isn't that the time I built over 400 km of railroad and a medium-sized dam? You only made this in that precious time?
"···I apologize."
Sigh-
There's no going back in time, so there's no point in getting angry.
"Well, we didn't have a proper shipyard before, and even the shipbuilders wouldn't know about shipyard construction. I'm sorry, but we're going to bulldoze this and start over."
"Th...that's..."
"Does this look like a shipyard to you? Is this what our huge Mexican Empire's shipyard should look like?"
"···I apologize."
The shipyard was a disaster.
It was just a wooden assembly yard and a wooden crane for building two ships. It was the epitome of disorder, with scattered wood chips and parts everywhere.
"It's like an amateur remodeled their own garage."
Shipbuilders are skilled at building ships using a shipyard, not building shipyards. On top of that, the people of the Mexican Empire Navy were completely unfamiliar with shipbuilding. In short, they had absolutely no foundation and no one knew what to do.
"I should have called them earlier and asked them to find people. ...I should be grateful that it happened now."
"Your Highness, the situation seems serious."
Diego said.
Diego recently returned to be my aide after finishing his work in California.
"Yes. We need to bulldoze it and start over from the design. Let's take a look around this area first."
"Yes, Your Highness."
If it's unusable anyway, it doesn't have to be there.
I took a look around Veracruz.
"···It's not just the shipyard, the entire port is a problem."
"I think so too, Your Highness."
I had thought that the port of Veracruz was smaller than expected when I was in Britain, but I didn't know that it was in such a serious situation.
"Why are the warships we got from Spain here?"
It was already too small for our Mexican Empire's size, considering it's supposed to be the first port, but it was also serving as a naval base.
As a result, the port has been overloaded with immigration and trade, which have exploded in recent years.
I returned to my lodging.
"We need to redesign this city itself."
"It's going to be another large-scale project."
Diego said.
"Yes. The problem is that I'll take care of the main design, so we can just bring a few architects from Ortega Construcción, but the problem is where we're going to get construction workers."
"Well... We've already been short on manpower, so we'll have to gather them by offering high wages."
I pondered.
Wage increases are inevitable as industrialization begins, but a steep increase can seriously destabilize society. But the port and shipyard are also very important.
What should I do?
"I think I can help you with that."
"Cecilia! What brings you here?"
"It's not that surprising for a wife to come to where her husband is, is it?"
I looked around. It's not like Morelia, where we were living in tents, but it's not a luxurious room befitting the name of Crown Prince.
"It must be uncomfortable to stay here."
I asked, worried.
"No, it's good because we can be closer to each other."
Cecilia's beauty brightened even the dreary space as she smiled and said that.
"Did the royal family allow you to come all the way here?"
When I said "royal family," I meant my mother. My mother allowed the Crown Princess to come to Veracruz?
"That's..."
Cecilia said, embarrassed. She spoke in a roundabout way, but to summarize, she said that my mother sent her because she was worried about the heir issue, since I've been running around the country so much.
"My mother is something else."
"Ahem... What do you mean you can help?"
"I made a deal with my father too. I married into the royal family as he wished, so I told him to stop trying to keep the farm workers by underpaying them, since he doesn't need them anymore."
It's about the side effects of introducing the mechanical reaper.
Many farmers in the Yucatan Peninsula are unable to come to the city, so they work on the farms without proper treatment, as if they were forced to.
"It won't be easy to come here?"
"I told them I'd put them on a ship."
If they are transported by ship from the Yucatan Peninsula to Veracruz, they can take the railroad to Mexico City.
"Hmm... It will help, but you're not saying your family's farm is the only one releasing them, are you? That's not enough."
"I think it will be about 3,200 people, is that not enough?"
"3,200 people! That many? How big is your family's farm?"
"I think it's about 90,000 acres."
90,000 acres! Don Sebastián, who was the richest man during the confiscation of peninsular property, had a farm of 50,000 hectares, or 123,000 acres.
Considering that the size of haciendas at this time was about 10,000 to 100,000 acres, it's clear that her family is one of the wealthiest in the Mexican Empire.
"That's amazing. 3,200 people, we can start with that. Let's hire them all at Ortega Construcción. Thank you."
"I'm grateful too."
It wouldn't have been an easy decision to release the workforce, even if they were unnecessary, and let them go for cheap, just to feed them.
Cecilia has done a great job.
"It would be great if other farms in the Yucatan Peninsula were like this."
If I start taking out farmers from the Yucatan Peninsula, the value of the remaining farmers will go up.
That's because there's a surplus of labor now that the mechanical reaper has been introduced, so even the remaining workers on the farms can be underpaid.
The supply is vastly exceeding the demand for labor, and if I take out that surplus labor, the balance will be restored.
That will prevent the Caste War that happened in the original history.
"Wait, can't we give the other farms a little bit of profit?"
They're not really needed anymore, since they've introduced the mechanical reaper. Of course, it's better to have them than not, but is it better than cash?
They're not slaves, so they can't be bought and sold. But there's employment agency even in modern times, isn't there?
What if I give them a little cash, like a job placement fee, and ask them to send the farmers?
From the farmers' perspective, it's much better to be employed by our company than working for a day or two and getting a meal.
My idea is starting to become concrete.
"It doesn't have to be limited to the Yucatan Peninsula."
It's a method that can be applied throughout southern Mexico.
"Diego, bring me some stationery."
I've come up with a way to acquire a large workforce and prevent the rebellion that could have happened in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Diego brought the stationery.
I hastily began to write a letter.
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