Li Zhi's craftsmen found firewood, filled the steam engine with water, and started the steam engine. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

The steam engine made a "whine" sound, and it became louder and louder, and it began to work. After a while, the power of the steam was transmitted to the paddle wheel through the gears, driving the paddle wheel to rotate.

The so-called paddle wheel is a rotating propulsion device like a Ferris wheel, which is installed on both sides of the ship. The steam engine drives the paddle wheel to rotate, and when the paddle wheel rotates, the outer edge pushes the water surface to drive the ship forward. In the early days of steamships, paddle wheels were used.

Seeing the paddle wheel spinning, the craftsmen on the shipbuilding site all stopped what they were doing and looked at the spinning paddle wheel one by one.

Without relying on the wind, without the help of living creatures, the bright wheel actually turned on its own!

Can the machine also exert force outward? What a long insight!

The craftsmen gathered around and looked at the spinning paddle wheel, as if they wanted to see what was going on.

"What's this wheel turning?"

"It's called a steam engine!"

"Steamed chicken?"

"Steam engine!"

Boss Wang also looked at the bright wheel with his mouth open, and he didn't say anything for a long time. Although he made the paddle wheel according to Li Zhi's request, he was still a little dumbfounded to see the paddle wheel driven by the machine. For the first time, he knew that a machine could propel a ship with so much force without a living thing to pull it.

With this steam engine and paddle wheel, wouldn't it be possible to sail in any season?

After a long time, Boss Wang blinked and said, "I have never heard of this steam engine and paddle wheel. Adults, I really admire it! ”

"With this steam engine, things are very different at sea!"

Although Zheng Kaida had seen the forging hammer driven by the steam engine last month, he was still very excited when he saw that the steam engine drove the paddle wheel after his own assembly, and said: "My lord, this steam engine is really a divine thing!" ”

Li Zhi smiled and used a bamboo pole to stop the rotating paddle wheel, and found that there was a lot of strength on the paddle wheel.

Li Zhi clapped his hands and said, "Yes, I have a lot of strength." ”

However, after taking a closer look at the speed of the bright wheel, Li Zhi shook his head again and said, "The speed is still a little slower." ”

Li Zhi turned around and Zheng Kaida and said, "I'll go back and redo the two gears, and you will bring a craftsman to replace the gears the day after tomorrow!" ”

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Li Zhi returned to Tianjin and saw Zheng Kaicheng sitting in the lobby of the General Military Mansion.

"Why is Kaicheng here!"

Zheng Kaicheng said: "My lord, there is news from the south, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai are reversed again!" ”

Li Zhi frowned and said, "What's the matter?" You talk about it carefully. ”

Zheng Kaicheng said: "I heard what the new mid-lane soldier Ruan Ruoyuan said..."

In the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong was cared for in Gucheng. Zhang Xianzhong "bowed down with courtesy" on the surface of Gucheng, but in fact he trained soldiers to build armor, did not disband his soldiers and horses, did not listen to the transfer of the imperial court, did not enter the city to meet his superiors, and "was arrogant and did not obey the law". Zhang Xianzhong requisitioned grain and expanded troops in Gucheng, and "tirelessly coerced" Xiong Wencan.

Ruan Zhitian, the magistrate of Gucheng County, felt that Zhang Xianzhong was so domineering, and he would raise the anti-flag again in the future, and told Xiong Wencan. Xiong Wencan was very unhappy when he heard this, and scolded Ruan Zhitian. Ruan Zhitian played in the imperial court, but no one asked.

In May of the twelfth year of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong re-raised the anti-flag in Gucheng, killed Ruan Zhitian, the magistrate of Gucheng, burned the official office, and waved his army to attack Fang County.

Zhang Xianzhong rebelled and surrendered to Yun County, and Luo Rucai, who worshiped the guerrillas, also reversed, and he led four battalions of soldiers and horses to echo Zhang Xianzhong and oppose Fang County. After the rebellion, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai joined forces to conquer Fang County, killed the county commander Hao Jingchun, and connected Yunxi, Baokang and other places. Soon, the fifth battalion of Hui Dengxiang, who was stationed in Junzhou, also rebelled, and the power of the thieves was revived.

At the end of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, at the beginning of the twelfth year of Chongzhen, in order to deal with the Qing army, Zhu Youzhen transferred some of the soldiers and horses to King Qin, Gyeonggi, and the Qin army was all sent. Without these forces in the Central Plains, the thieves flourished again.

The dilapidated house of the Ming Dynasty began to make a noise and leak rain again, and the Qing army that had just sent away the plundering of Gyeonggi and Shandong, and ushered in Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, who plundered the Central Plains. Except for Jiangnan and Lingnan, which have not yet been affected, the northern and central parts of the Ming Dynasty can be said to be incomplete.

Yang Sichang's strategy of opening the net on all sides is about to be shattered.

After telling the news, Zheng Kaicheng shook his head and said, "My lord, that Xiong Wencan's Fuju failed, I'm afraid it's going to be over." It is the lightest to abandon the official and go home, and you may be imprisoned. ”

Li Zhi remembered Xiong Wencan's military appearance during the Anqing War two years ago, shook his head, and secretly said that Yang Sichang found such a person who could not fight to be the prime minister of the six provinces, how could there be a good result?

Zheng Kaicheng asked: "My lord, if this thief returns, will the imperial court send us to fight the thief again?" ”

Li Zhi said: "I don't know, when the time comes, take a step and see a step." ”

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The next day, Li Zhi found the maritime merchant in Chayunke's shop.

Seeing Li Zhi enter the store, Cha Yunke hurriedly knelt down and saluted, and was helped up by Li Zhi.

"Mr. Cha, my ship lacks some veterans who operate ships, do you know where to hire them?"

Chayunke blinked and said, "Governor, I know of a dozen old shipwrights who have come ashore, and I can pay them to go to sea again. However, relying on these dozen or so old boatmen alone, there are still some risks in going to sea. There is still no head tree in charge of the ballast stone, a general who is a translator, and a big bow in charge of the sails..."

Li Zhi saw that Cha Yunke didn't say anything halfway through his words, knowing that he had a way, he said with a smile: "Zha Gongzi must have a way, if Zha Gongzi can help me get together the technicians on the ship, I, Li Zhi, will owe Zha Gongzi a favor!" ”

Cha Yunke was overjoyed when he heard Li Zhi's words.

Li Zhi is now a hot figure in the Ming Dynasty, and the Son of Heaven obeys his requests. Li Zhi's favor, to put it mildly, can help the bureaucrats seek good and bad things, and even be promoted to the knighthood; At worst, a letter may save the life of a minister, and it is very valuable. is a thousand taels or 10,000 taels of silver with white flowers, and it is not as precious as Li Zhi's personal affection.

Cha Yunke listened to Li Zhi's words, and then said with a smile: "Governor, my ship will be back in a few months." I have four boats, each with a set of centaurs. I'll assign a set of men to the Grand Governor, and the Grand Governor's ship will be operated by someone! ”

"With a set of people leading the way, it's no problem to go to sea. The Governor of the Metropolitan will rely on this set of men and horses to train novices, and train the second set of men and horses before the second one is built, and there will be two boats of men! ”

Li Zhi was stunned, but he didn't expect Cha Yunke to give him the people on his boat, and asked: "Zha Gongzi is really gracious, but you gave me people and horses, how can your ship go to sea?" ”

Chayunk said, "Governor, I'm fine. I asked the people of the other three boats to train novices, and I could train another set of people in this half a year. When the north wind stabilizes next year and I go to the country again, my new shipwright will be trained. ”

Li Zhi nodded and said, "Then it's all thanks to Gongzi Cha's organization of manpower." (To be continued.) )