I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire - Chapter 65



Only Noblemtl

Universities and Slavery (6)

September 1834.

“Your Majesty, I just heard that the detailed plan and budget for the establishment of a secular university has been passed.”

Diego gave me some insight into something I’ve been most concerned about lately.

“It’s only just beginning.”

The law establishing a secular university was passed at the same time construction began on the Veracruz port and shipyard, meaning it took 18 months just to begin designing.

‘This was also solved after I took care of it.’

It seems like we had too high expectations for the Republicans from the beginning. Still, there were some gains.

The Republican Party, which had been a huge force but had shrunk considerably, broke out of its shell and came into conflict with the Church.

“This case was resolved through my mediation, but the Republicans and the Church will continue to clash in the future, right?”

I asked Diego.

“I think so, Your Majesty. It is the Church that hates social change, and the Republicans who desire social change more than anyone else.”

“yes.”

Diego was naturally smart and, because he was not from the landowning class, his mind was not rigid, so it was fun to continue raising him.

“So, did everything go as I planned?”

“Yes, the plan Your Majesty prepared was passed as is.”

I coaxed and persuaded Congressman Pedro, and eventually he came up with a plan that was exactly what I wanted.

The university is located in Morelia.

The university was also named the ‘University of the Mexican Empire (universidad imperial de mexico)’ in exchange for providing land and funds from the imperial family.

Originally, I was only going to provide the land, but I thought the budget I had in mind wouldn’t be enough, so I decided to provide financial support as well.

“Did the construction company issue a public procurement order?”

“Yes, we did as Your Majesty commanded, but since Ortega Construction is the only company that has proven its ability to handle a project of this scale, it should not be difficult to win the contract.”

I have suggested that public procurement be introduced in government construction projects, although it is only a formality for this case, because it is time to gradually hand over small projects to other construction companies.

The budget is a whopping 500,000 pesos, which is equivalent to 23 billion won in today’s currency.

Usually, universities of this era started with one or two buildings and expanded by adding more buildings as they secured funds, but since our Mexican Empire did not have a single proper comprehensive university, we made an unprecedented investment.

Of the 500,000 pesos, 150,000 pesos are the royal family’s funds. My father will pay 50,000 pesos and I will pay 100,000 pesos.

‘Well, the land is all my father’s, so I guess there’s no need to complain.’

***

Before starting full-scale design work, we took a train to the port and shipyard construction site in Veracruz.

It was to check if things were going well before going into another project. This project is just as important as the university.

“Matteo, it’s been a while. I’ve been busy since I came back from Texas, so I’ve only just come to visit you now. How’s the situation on the ground?”

“Your Majesty! Thank you for visiting. The site is progressing well.”

The chief architect, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, answered in a confident voice.

“That’s a confident answer! What’s the current status?”

“Both the port and the shipyard are more than halfway completed.”

He explained, running his hands through documents with their progress checked on a large table in his office.

‘I guess we can expect it to take about 36 months to finish.’

“Matteo, if you were to do a project like this, where you build a port and a shipyard at the same time, how much time do you think you could save?”

When you look at the port and shipyard of Veracruz alone, it is a large port and shipyard, but when you look at the size of the entire Mexican Empire, it is a very small port and shipyard.

This is especially true if we exclude the fact that, apart from this port of Veracruz, the only place that can be called a proper port city is Havana in Cuba.

“We’ll have to wait until the construction is finished to know for sure, but if we estimate from the current situation, if the people here continue on, it seems like we can shorten it by at least 6 months.”

Then 30 months.

‘There should be three in total, one on the Pacific side and one on the Atlantic side.’

We urgently need to strengthen our naval power. That way, we can stop the French from blatantly extorting us.

We are training and nurturing sailors with a fleet torn off from Spain, but that alone is not enough for the class itself.

“Hmm, I see. Let’s take a look around the scene.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will guide you.”

Mateo and I walked towards the construction site.

In a wide open space where dust was flying, workers were each devoted to their own tasks.

Large machines were moving leisurely, making heavy noises, and various building materials were being arranged neatly.

“Overall, it’s not bad, Mateo. However, the location of materials and the movement of workers at the construction site are a little different from what I expected.”

The construction itself was proceeding as planned by me and the architects, but I could see room for improvement at the construction site.

“Oh, there were some changes to that part to suit the on-site situation. But there was no change to the way we work.”

I looked at that part myself and listened to Matteo’s explanation. After hearing the explanation, I thought that it could be improved.

“Wouldn’t it be more efficient if we put the building materials over there and have the workers walk over here?”

I suggested.

“Well, that is certainly the case. I will adjust that immediately, Your Majesty.”

I spent the whole day looking for ways to make my work more efficient, and finally found myself at a shipyard construction site.

As per my decision, five small docks, four medium-sized docks, and three large docks were being built.

Two medium-sized docks and two large docks were under construction as docks for building steamships.

“It’s going well. Did you also build the steam engine crane I told you about?”

One of the things that set this shipyard apart from others of its time was its early adoption of steam-powered cranes.

The steam engine crane used key components compatible with those used in Lockheed Martin’s Precision Machinery.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I have set up some experimental cranes over there. Would you like to take a look?”

“okay.”

The use of steam engine cranes in shipyards can significantly improve the efficiency of transporting and assembling large ship components.

These cranes are essential, especially in shipyards, as they are essential for lifting and moving heavy steel components, boilers, machinery, etc.

The use of steam-powered cranes greatly increased work efficiency and provided the ability to build larger and more complex vessels.

Where Mateo was taken, there was a crane designed by Joseph Locke, the president of Locke Precision Machinery.

This crane was quite advanced for the technology of the 1830s, consisting of various metal structures, thick cables, and a large steam engine at the center. The crane was toy-sized compared to modern ones, but its functionality was obvious.

As the technician manipulated the crane, the machine moved slowly and jerkily, steam gushing out with a whistling sound. The crane arm took some time to lift the steel part, and the manipulation was done very carefully.

‘It’s only basic, but it would be overwhelmingly powerful compared to the wooden cranes used in most shipyards today.’

When the age of steamships came, steam-powered cranes would begin to be introduced, but in today’s shipyards, cranes are simple, manual machines made of wheels and ropes.

‘If we can just bring back those on the scout list, our Mexican Empire can get a head start.’

***

After inspecting the construction site in Veracruz, I returned to Mexico City.

As with the Veracruz project, I can participate in the design and early stages of construction of the project, but I cannot be the overall person in charge.

Because we don’t have time to keep working on one project, we had to choose the right person in charge for this project as well, and we chose Damián Luna, one of the chief architects of Ortega Construction, as the general manager.

“Your Majesty, I thank you for choosing me as the chief architect for this project. I will devote all my knowledge and passion to the design of this university.”

Damian, who spoke like that, was dressed in a flashy manner. He reminded me of Ramon, the manager of my clothing company. He was the one I had chosen when I asked President Andres to recommend a chief architect with a great sense of aesthetics.

‘As expected, you can tell right away that someone has a great aesthetic sense.’

Actually, this kind of design work is not my strong suit, so I thought his aesthetic sense and experience would be helpful for this project.

“I’m excited to work on this project with you.”

From my office in Mexico City, Damian, the architects at Ortega Construction, and I began work on the design of the Imperial University of Mexico.

European and American universities, famous for their beautiful campuses throughout history, have adopted many Gothic styles, including Gothic, Neo-Gothic, and Gothic Revival, primarily because of their grandeur.

‘It is possible to build a beautiful university in the Spanish colonial architectural style, like Stanford University, but if it is an imperial university, it must be grand.’

The architectural style that best represents the unique characteristics of our Mexican Empire is the Spanish colonial style, but since we were not going to build just this university, we wanted to make the Imperial University as grand as possible.

“Damian, I want the overall appearance of this university to reflect the beauty of neo-Gothicism and Romanticism in harmony. The design is centered around classical columns, arches, and domes, and is harmonious with nature.”

Damian nodded at my opinion.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will try to come up with a design that combines classical grandeur with the naturalness of romanticism.”

What I emphasized was the balance between aesthetic beauty and functionality.

“The building must be suitable for educational purposes and at the same time be visually appealing. The lecture rooms must have large, bright windows to allow ample natural light, and the high ceilings and spacious spaces must convey the solemnity of learning.”

Damian said, putting his pen to the design drawing.

“Not only the lecture halls, but also the library is important, Your Majesty. The library should be a center of knowledge, with a magnificent appearance, and a quiet, concentrated space for study and research.”

“And laboratories and research facilities should reflect the advancements in modern science and technology. They will need basic experimental equipment and a safe research environment. We will also need to take care of student dormitories. They should be simple but comfortable spaces for students to stay in.”

“I completely agree with Your Majesty’s opinion. I will design all the buildings to be harmoniously combined, including the administration building, student dormitories, auditorium, and music hall.”

The landscape design of the campus was also an important part.

“Plazas and parks, fountains and statues are important elements that symbolize the aesthetic value of a campus. We need to create spaces where students can gather, talk and relax.”

Damien, I, and several architects discussed passionately and designed many buildings needed for the university on the vast land donated by the royal family. These buildings included lecture halls, a library, research facilities, an administration building, dormitories, an auditorium, sports facilities, and a chapel.

Images of the many universities with beautiful campuses that I used to visit when I was bored in my past life came to mind.

These images began to synergize with Damien’s aesthetic sense.

For the first time, combining past and present lives,

I had a gut feeling that I was designing a building that would be called a masterpiece.