Although a flintlock pistol costs eight silver dollars, Liu Xia still nodded with satisfaction, and said to Chen Liu, who came with him: "You join the military department to discuss who the first batch of 1,000 flintlock pistols will be distributed to, of course, the more than 10,000 arquebuses in the army cannot be thrown away, but we must adhere to the order of priority, first to the main army, and then to the ordinary troops." ”

Chen Liu listened to it and bowed: "After the subordinates go back, they will discuss it with the military divisions and generals, but the subordinates feel that this first batch of muskets is better to equip the troops who have already used the muskets after all, after all, they are already familiar with the use of muskets, even if there are some differences between flintlock pistols and arquebuses, but the difference is not too big, these soldiers who already know how to use it believe that it is easy to use, and there is no need to spend time to teach." ”

At this time, Wang Shishi, who was generally followed by Liu Xia when he went out, said: "The general thinks that this first batch of flintlock pistols will be issued to our personal guard brigade first, after all, our personal guard brigade uses arquebuses, and it is naturally easy to use flintlock pistols." This is exactly what the military advisor said. "This place or the entire Luoyang army high-level figures are almost all from the pro-guard brigade, although Wang Shishi said so, no one objected, because the generals of the other brigades are on the border at this time, and they don't know about it.

Chen Liu felt that since Wang Shishi had said it, there was no need to oppose Wang Shishi, after all, the two had known each other for so long, so he pushed the boat down the river to give Wang Shishi a favor, and said: "My subordinates also think that it is better to equip the pro-guard brigade first, after all, the pro-guard brigade is the general's pro-guard unit, and it should be equipped with excellent weapons first." ”

After hearing this, Liu Xia said: "Let's take out 200 and send them to Yingyangwei, and the remaining 800 will be given to the Guards Brigade, and the arquebuses replaced by the Guards Brigade will be equipped with other brigades." "Although there are flintlock pistols, arquebuses still occupy the majority after all, and now it seems that flintlock pistols cannot be produced in large quantities, which means that arquebuses occupy the main force.

"My subordinates understand!" Chen Liugong said.

"You did a good job, and the people involved in R&D were rewarded according to their respective merits. At the same time, Fang Linyuan and Li Sanhan were promoted to Yangyong School. "Now Wang En, the chief director of the Logistics Department, is already at the level of the Riding School, but the two deputy chiefs Fang Linyuan and Li Sanhan are still at the level of the Yang Martial Arts School, and the difference between the two is a little big, so Liu Xia took this opportunity to be promoted.

After hearing this, the two immediately frowned with joy and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Lord Wang!" ”

"Alright, let's all get up. Shoubiao arranged, let's go to the Academy of Science and Technology. Let's see how the steam engine research goes. Liu Xia said that, and everyone went to the Science and Technology Institute not far away. The Academy of Science and Technology and the Arsenal are two independent places, the Academy of Science and Technology is based on some of Liu Xia's ideas to develop scientific and technological things, if the scientific and technological items developed are recognized, they can be produced in the factory, and the Arsenal itself has its own R & D personnel. Of course, some R&D personnel also serve as R&D personnel of the Academy of Science and Technology. In other words, the two coincide in some places.

The Institute of Science and Technology was built to the west of the Arsenal, but it was much smaller than the Upper Arsenal. After all, the arsenal is not only a place for the development of weapons, but also a place for mass production of weapons, and the Academy of Science and Technology is only a place for the research and development of technology. And due to the particularity of the two places of the arsenal and the institute of science and technology, the pro-guard brigade has placed a battalion of troops in this place to defend, and at the same time, the logistics department also has some of its own exclusive troops, although there are not many people, but they are all stationed in this place.

Walked out of the gate of the arsenal, and walked less than a hundred meters into the science and technology institute, at this time Luo Chengxian in the courtyard of the science and technology institute was leading a group of science and technology research and development personnel to stand outside waiting for Liu Xia's arrival.

"Meet the prince." As soon as they saw Liu Xia's arrival, everyone knelt down and saluted.

Liu Xia smiled and hurriedly stepped forward to help Luo Chengxian up, and said, "Everyone get up, everyone get up." ”

"Thank you, Lord Wang!"

"Lord Wang, a total of fifty-three people in our Academy of Science and Technology are all waiting here for the inspection of the Lord Wang." Luo Chengxian pointed to the more than fifty people behind him and said. Liu Xia glanced at it and said with a slight smile: "You don't have to be so stubborn, this king is here to see your research results." "The average age of these people is around 40 years old, and most of them are old men, but in China the elderly are generally very experienced and powerful.

Liu Xia turned his head again and smiled at Luo Chengxian: "You can develop the steam engine I told you before?" Liu Xia knew the principle of the steam engine very clearly, so he asked people to draw drawings and send them to them, although it was not too detailed, and even many details were not drawn, but Liu Xia thought that these people should be able to build it, and the steam engine is not too difficult to do, and a little understanding of it can almost be done.

Sure enough, Luo Chengxian said: "Lord Wang, we made that thing, but I don't know what it is for, although it can make a wheel turn, but it needs to consume a lot of coal." Liu Xia said happily: "Really made it?" Take this king to see it. As for its uses, it can be used not only as a textile machine, but also as a ship and train. ”

"Steamer trains?" Everyone wondered.

"What kind of ship is a ship? What kind of car is the train? Could it be a car on fire? ”

Liu Xia suddenly felt depressed, and thought to himself, it seems that he will not be able to pop up a few more advanced words from time to time in the future. Liu Xia was not in the mood to explain the meaning of these words to them, and hurriedly followed the scientific and technological personnel to look at the developed steam engine.

This steam engine is not big, but it is not small either. It's more than two meters tall, so it's a big thing. However, this steam engine is very rudimentary, with only one wheel installed, and once the coal is ignited, only that wheel can move.

"Look, is this the steam engine you want? Since we haven't figured out what this thing can do, we haven't told the general that he has developed it. ”

Liu Xia stepped forward to take a closer look at the steam engine and muttered, "Sure enough, it is a steam engine, which is much better than the first one built in the West." It seems that the industrial age of my Ming Dynasty is about to begin. ”

"This steam engine can do a lot of things instead of labor, you can use the steam engine to turn the wheels to make a textile machine, you can also use it to make steel, of course, it also has a particularly important function, which is to sit in a car that will run automatically. This kind of car is what I just said about the train. You can also make this steam engine a little smaller. Liu Xia remembers that the first train appeared in the 17th century, and there are no trains made in the West today.

"A train that can move by itself?" Luo Chengxian muttered in a low voice, his eyes kept staring at the wheel that was already spinning at this time. Then he slapped his head and said excitedly: "I know, I know, you mean to use a steam engine to drive the wheels to turn, and then you can go by yourself." ”

Liu Xia nodded happily and said, "That's right, you design the wheels underneath, and then lay two steel rails on the ground according to the spacing of the wheels, so that you can run on them." ”

Speaking of rails, Liu Xia's tone was a little weaker, because steel is Liu Xia's cartilage, Liu Xia kept telling himself at this time that he must increase the output of steel, and he must increase the output of steel.

"General, just wait for the good news from your subordinates, your subordinates will definitely make that train!" Although he was already in his forties, this Luo Chengxian was as happy as a child, and he was staring at the spinning wheel while thinking solemnly about Liu Xia.

These people used to be masters of craftsmen, but because the world despised craftsmen and thought that they were strange and obscene skills, they were spurned, but since they met Liu Xia, Liu Xia not only respected them very much, but also gave them a very rich reward, which made them grateful, and said that they had met the master, so they were one of the most loyal to Liu Xia.

Liu Xia happily patted Luo Chengxian's shoulder and said, "I believe that you can make it, thousands of years ago, there was a master who made a big bird that could fly, and I believe that it won't be long before you can not only make a train, but even develop a flying machine." ”