The machine in front of me is a compliment to describe it as stupid and coarse.

It seems that the whole machine is full of the woolly bear style that Emperor Chongzhen has seen countless times in his later life, rough, steely, and bulky, which is the key word used to describe this machine.

The raging flames in the furnace boiled the water in the boiler above and turned it into steam, which in turn drove a bearing back and forth, and because there was no machine or machinery attached to it, the bare bearing looked quite evil.

However, no matter how ugly this machine is, this thing is the hope of Emperor Chongzhen.

As long as you have this thing, you can play more tricks based on this thing in the future.

For example, the bore of the rifle is drilled for firebolts.

Before using manual hand to pick out the barrel, it took about ten days for a skilled worker to take out a barrel.

But what about with this thing?

One person can look at many boilers, and that's no problem.

Then many boilers can drill many chambers at the same time.

And this thing doesn't know how to be tired, as long as the drill bit is replaced in time, basically three people work in shifts, and you can drill out many barrels in three or five days.

Especially the role of trains.

Regardless of how slow the fire head is now, not being tired and not using forage is already the biggest advantage.

Imagine that countless supplies are transported to Liaodong day and night through the Thomas train, and transported to any place that the Ming wants to conquer, because of the saving of men and food, and it is still endless, this advantage is enough to kill anyone that the Ming Dynasty is not used to or Emperor Chongzhen is not used to.

What's more, the steam engine can also be used on ships.

It is exciting to think about the tireless ships planting soldiers and materials to liberate the Yanhuang and Miao people on the American continent and drive away the ghost animals of Europe and the United States.

At this time, the more Emperor Chongzhen looked at this stupid black and thick machine, the more excited he became, and he couldn't care that he was a double white in engineering and science, plus a little white in history and politics, so he simply asked Xu Guangqi: "Xu Aiqing, what are the more difficult problems with this steam engine?" ”

Xu Guangqi bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, the biggest problem with this machine at present is the problem of sealing. Due to the constant leakage, a lot of firewood and charcoal are wasted, and the operation is always stopped.

There is also the crankshaft that is used to drive other machinery, which is always discontinuous and slow due to air leakage.

In fact, after solving this problem, this machine can be used in many places. It's just that there are still some problems with the materials.

For example, this machine is used to drill the bore pipe of the fire gun, but the life of the drill bit is not long, and it needs to be replaced in a day or two. ”

Emperor Chongzhen snorted, but his excitement slowly recovered.

I don't understand the knowledge of engineering and science at all, I don't understand the knowledge of steelmaking and ironmaking, and some of the knowledge I remember is also mentioned in the training materials of those traversers.

After pondering for a long time, Emperor Chongzhen said: "Is there a problem with sealing, I have already said it just now, although Xu Aiqing will try, he is not afraid of waste anyway."

There is also the issue of materials, mainly on top of steel.

However, I thought I could try to use a blast furnace to make iron and steel. ”

As soon as Xu Guangqi heard the word blast furnace, he instinctively felt that the word was not simple, and asked at that time: "I don't know what Your Majesty means by blast furnace?" ”

Emperor Chongzhen said in his heart, I know what a fart blast furnace is all about—probably the chimney of the furnace is very high.

After some consideration, Emperor Chongzhen spoke: "I thought that there were only two key places in iron or steel making. One is temperature, and the other is impurities. ”

Well, you make a point, and I know that.

Xu Guangqi vomited in his heart, bowed down and said, "What Your Majesty said is very true. It's just that the minister is stupid, although he also knows these two problems, but there is no good way to solve them, please forgive your majesty. ”

Emperor Chongzhen thought to himself, I don't know the damn either, but I've read the traverser training materials, and they always mention some of them.

After thinking about it, Emperor Chongzhen said, "Let's talk about the temperature first."

Xu Aiqing should know that the temperature of firewood is not as good as the temperature of charcoal, and the temperature of wood charcoal is not as good as that of charcoal.

I once read in a book that there is a kind of hard carbon that is harder than ordinary stone carbon, but it needs to be refined before it can be used, and its fire is extremely poisonous. ”

Xu Guangqi was very curious about where Emperor Chongzhen saw these books, so he bowed down and asked, "Your Majesty, Weichen has a reluctant request, please Your Majesty must agree." ”

Emperor Chongzhen did not agree directly, but asked, "I don't know what Aiqing is asking for?" ”

Xu Guangqi bowed down and said: "Your Majesty, Wechen is very curious about the hard carbon that Your Majesty just said, but I have never seen any book mentioned it, so I want to ask Your Majesty to lend the book mentioned to Wechen for a look." ”

Emperor Chongzhen was speechless by Xu Guangqi's words.

This makes me where to find such a book.

Could it be that I told you that I lived near a coal mine when I was a child before I crossed over, and I knew that there was such a thing as reef carbon, which was as powerful as a dog, and that even steel could be easily burned red?

After thinking about it for a while, Emperor Chongzhen said to Xu Guangqi: "Xu Aiqing has also asked me to stop.

When I was in the dive before, I read some miscellaneous books. It's just that I read books, and I never try to understand them, so I don't even remember the title of the book.

When I ascended the throne, I didn't know where to put those books, so it wasn't easy to find. ”

Seeing that his beard was all white, it could be said that Xu Guangqi, who had dedicated his life to the scientific research of the Ming Dynasty, looked extremely disappointed, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't bear to say: "In this way, I remembered what that hard carbon looks like, so I told everyone in the factory to look for it, and if I found it, I must get it for Xu Aiqing." ”

There is no other way left and right, the book can't be borrowed, and I can only hope that Emperor Chongzhen must find this hard carbon.

Xu Guangqi had no choice but to bow down and say, "Wechen has thanked Your Majesty first." ”

Seeing Emperor Chongzhen nodding, Xu Guangqi continued: "Just now Your Majesty talked about the temperature and mentioned this hard carbon, but I don't know what Your Majesty thinks about the impurities in molten iron?" ”

Emperor Chongzhen heard the words, but he came to the spirit, this method of removing impurities, I still know some drops.

How can you let go of such an opportunity to pretend to be forced?

Emperor Chongzhen immediately said reservedly: "I think that all things are mutually reinforcing, since there are impurities in molten iron, it must come from iron ore."

In that case, it is better to find a way to absorb it. ”

Xu Guangqi saw that Emperor Chongzhen looked confident, and even held his stinky feet and said, "Please give your majesty advice." ”

Emperor Chongzhen snorted and then said, "I have seen the iron-making methods of ancient times in ancient books.

Where 100 steels and Damascus steels are made, limestone must be used when they are refined.

Although I didn't understand what I meant, the quality of Bailian steel and Damascus steel was obvious, so I thought I could try it in limestone. ”

After Xu Guangqi bowed down, Emperor Chongzhen simply added another sentence for insurance: "Regardless of whether the limestone is useful or useless when thrown in, even if it is immediately smelted out of steel that is better than 100 steels, Xu Aiqing might as well throw some other things into it and give it a try." ”

Emperor Chongzhen's thought was very simple, throw more things, who knows what he will get?

How many materials in later generations were inadvertently mixed together by such a mess of things?

In case Lao Xu came up with any special alloy steel because of this, it would be very awesome.

Thinking of alloy steel, Emperor Chongzhen continued: "Xu Aiqing might as well refine two or several different materials together, whether they are thrown in together or in a precedent order, in short, just try."

I'm not afraid of waste, as long as I can get something useful, no matter how much material I waste, it's worth wasting. ”

Xu Guangqi bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. Your Majesty, please relax, Weichen will definitely try to make more trials and see what he can get in the end. ”

Emperor Chongzhen hummed and said, "Yes, many things are obtained by accident, but it is just difficult to keep trying." I also have one more request to Xu Aiqing. ”

Xu Guangqi said curiously: "Please give instructions to Your Majesty." ”

Emperor Chongzhen said: "My request is actually very simple, that is, any experiment done in this royal academy, no matter what it is, must have a detailed record. ”

Xu Guangqi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, any experiment in the Royal Academy today is actually recorded. ”

Emperor Chongzhen shook his head lightly before continuing: "What I want is not a general record, but a detailed record.

For example, the materials used in each experiment should be accurate to the cost, and the time spent in each experiment should be more accurate. ”

Thinking that the time should be accurate, Emperor Chongzhen came to the spirit again.

This is a good opportunity to pretend to be forced, and I can't let it go.

Emperor Chongzhen said with a smile: "Xu Aiqing must know that the time measurement method I use now in the Ming Dynasty is just hours, quarter of an hour, tea, an instant, and the like." I think it's quite constant, especially in the case of this kind of experiment in iron-making and steelmaking, which is inappropriate. ”

Xu Guangqi said curiously: "Please give me advice." ”

Emperor Chongzhen said: "I thought I could subdivide it somewhat. For example, divide an hour into two and divide it into hours. The hour is divided into minutes, which is called minutes, and the minutes are divided into breaths, which are called seconds. ”

Xu Guangqi bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, if an hour is divided into two and divided into two hours, how many points will one time be divided into?" How many seconds is it divided into seconds? How do you define a second? ”

Emperor Chongzhen really wanted to tell Xu Guangqi how simple it was to be sixty minutes in one hour and sixty seconds in one minute.

But there has to be a reason for this theory.

After thinking for a long time, Emperor Chongzhen said lightly: "I think that Sixty Jiazi is the earliest and largest invention of my Han people.

The year is a 60-year cycle, the month is a five-year cycle, the day is a 60-day cycle, and the time is a five-day cycle.

In this case, it is not as if an hour is also divided into 60 minutes in a 60 cycle, and a minute can be divided into 60 seconds.

I roughly calculated just now, and the time of a person's breath is exactly about one second. ”

Xu Guangqi thought about it, then bowed down and said: "Your Majesty is wise, the minister will calculate the hours, minutes, and seconds in detail later, and finally write to Your Majesty." ”

Emperor Chongzhen snorted and said: "This is not in a hurry, as long as the division of time is accurate, and with more accurate weights and measures, the data of these experiments will be accurate, and under continuous verification, something useful can always be obtained." ”

After saying this, Emperor Chongzhen turned his attention to the steam engine again, and said to Xu Guangqi: "I still have an idea, I don't know if Xu Aiqing can help me realize it?" ”

Xu Guangqi bowed and said, "Please give instructions to Your Majesty." ”

Looking at Xu Guangqi's white hair and silver-white beard, Emperor Chongzhen's heart flashed a trace of unbearability, but he forcibly said: "Xu Aiqing, I think that the carriage is driven by the horse walking forward, and the axle rotates, and the axle drives the wheel.

If this steam engine is placed on a carriage, as long as there is a way to control the direction, will there be no need for horses to pull the cart?

If it is feasible, then think about it further, as long as this steam engine is magnified several times, can it pull more things? ”

As he spoke, Emperor Chongzhen was also interested, and simply squatted on the ground and gestured: "If the track is laid, the car is fixed on it, and one is connected to the other, is it possible that a larger steam engine can pull more things at a time?" ”

Xu Guangqi, who also squatted down and looked at Emperor Chongzhen's gesture, looked at the two long lines drawn by Emperor Chongzhen, and there were short lines in between, so he asked curiously: "The track Your Majesty said, the minister understands, but what are these horizontal lines for?" ”

Emperor Chongzhen said: "Aiqing think about it, if a car is loaded with too many things, will it be heavier?"

If there were two tracks alone, wouldn't they be crushed and sunk into the ground? If you have these horizontal stone pillows under the bottom to share the pressure, isn't it much more stable? ”

Xu Guangqi said suddenly: "What Your Majesty said is good, if only two thin rails are used to carry the goods on the car, its stress surface is very small, and it will inevitably sink. ”

Well, what you said makes a lot of sense, and I don't know if it's right or wrong, true or false.

Emperor Chongzhen, a little white in science and engineering, knew what the sleeper stone was used for laying under the train track in later generations, he only knew that there was such a thing, and he drew it easily, and what he said just now was just to fool Xu Guangqi for granted.

It's just that I never thought that Xu Guangqi summed up so many things based on his own nonsense, and these guys who play science are really terrible.

Emperor Chongzhen simply stood up from the ground and said to Xu Guangqi: "Xu Aiqing can summarize these things and teach them again." ”

After Xu Guangqi bowed down, Emperor Chongzhen continued: "Xu Aiqing must get this steam engine and a steam locomotive as soon as possible, and I will be of great use at that time." ”