……

"That's awful!" Ferdinand couldn't help but shake his head when he thought of the 1-horsepower primitive steam engine, which startled the secretary Fernando de Safra, who had just walked in (in fact, Fernando is another transliteration of Ferdinand, so let's call it so for the convenience of distinguishing): "Your Majesty, did I do something wrong?" ”

"No, nothing." Ferdinand waved his hand, then knocked on the table a few more times, and the secretary suddenly straightened up and began to listen carefully.

……

The setback of the first steam engine development program did not stop Ferdinand on the road of promoting the industrial revolution, but strengthened his determination to increase investment in the cause of scientific and technological progress. Especially in the development of advanced machines.

Not only the steam engine, as mentioned earlier, after summing up the lessons learned and in-depth analysis, Ferdinand not only had a strong interest in the development of the Watt steam engine, but also paid more and more attention to the manufacture of various industrial machine tools.

The Industrial Revolution is not only a revolution in which machines replace human labor, not only a revolution in which coal-fired power replaces manpower, not only a revolution in the production of large machines, but also a revolution in the machines themselves. If you want to make a power machine, if you want to establish a large industrial machine production, you must not only replace manpower with machines, but also use machines to make machines - machines make machines, which is an indispensable and key part of the industrial revolution.

If in the second half of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century, without the progress of lathes, the replacement of boring machines, the introduction of planers, and the innovation of knife holders, it is simply impossible to imagine that the progress of several looms in the cotton textile industry led to a series of industrial breakthroughs.

Ferdinand had already received three or two reports of Napoleonic guns being manufactured because of the low accuracy of the barrel boring. There are also reasons in the tragedy of the 1-horsepower primitive steam engine that there are not cylinders of sufficient precision. In the future, in modern products such as breeched rifled guns and improved steam engines, the problem of insufficient machine accuracy will become more and more prominent. Improving machinery is a very urgent issue.

To carry out the grand plan of developing a new type of industrial machine tool and improving the steam engine, of course, a "chief designer" with great foresight and outstanding ability is needed to take charge of the overall situation and overcome key technical problems. Ferdinand himself might have been able to take on this role, but that would have left him with little time to be king and to push forward with other reform plans and major actions. In the case of his own busy affairs, if he can find a science and technology master of the same era to take on the important task of this "chief designer", it will also be very roaring......

"How was the visit to Milan to Monsieur Leonardo da Vinci, the famous painter and scientist (though not as famous as Ferdinand claimed)?" (Morse code)

"Your Majesty, all is well, and although we have to pass through Venice, it is planned that by January 3 [1496] our men will visit his dwelling." Safra replied by tapping on the table.

Ferdinand's secretary was also a member of Niederhogg. However, people close to the king like the secretary, as well as some other Nidhogg members who perform particularly important tasks, are in charge of extremely confidential projects, or are closely related to the royal family (such as core security personnel), have an independent status in the [Sixth Office of the Leadership Committee of the Conscience and Order] (Nidhogg's full name), and a separate [Working Group directly under the Sixth Office of the Leadership Committee of the Conscience and Order], also known as the "Supreme Group", is directly responsible to Ferdinand and is not under the leadership of Sisneros. Of course, their cooperation with the rest of the Nidhogg department and members was very smooth.

……

"Well, you must have enough Ducats, as far as I know, Mr. da Vinci is short of money right now."

"Your Majesty, you don't have to worry, we have always been well funded." Safra replied by tapping on the code.

"Very well, then I'll wait for good news." After the secretary left, Ferdinand closed his eyes tiredly, this time he devoted himself to all kinds of research work, and constantly made some big news at home and abroad, and it was difficult to rest for a while. It's time to apologize to Newton in a dream, and push his crystal coffin into the abyss......

……

"It's been a strange year," said a deep voice in a stack of dyeing shops in Milan with a sarcastic tone. "Now the pagan gods have been dug out of the ground...... In response to the words of Brother Savonarola, God's sword was about to fall to the ground! ……”

It can be heard that this is a 1500 eschatological person who believed in the Florentine Savonarola. However, after complaining, I also had to return to reality and be busy with my livelihood.

“…… Scotch wool, brown, fluff...... Thirty-two feet, six inches, eight minutes, ......" After criticizing some of the so-called materialistic and shameless people, he still reported to another fellow, and Louis listened to Antonia's complaints, shook his head helplessly, and wrote down the numbers in the account book.

Arabic numerals were not yet popular in this era, at least Roman numerals were still used in account books. Ferdinand and his new institutions were exceptions, such as Nidhogg, which used Arabic numerals internally. Sardinia also adopted an island-wide Arabic numeral system, which made Sardinia feel even more isolated, and despite the large production of cotton textiles and artillery, it had little social connection with the general public, especially other countries, and the few foreign merchants who came to do business here only felt that even the numbers here were very withdrawn, and because of the absurdity of the King of Aragon who had designated the whole island as his private hunting ground and estate, it was not at all possible to leave Cagliari and go deeper. Of course, no one had the leisure to break into the estate of the King of Aragon.

……

In other words, the few who are too curious are dead.

"Antonia," asked Louis, after taking the numbers, "I have heard that your cousin Leonardo da Vinci has taken many apprentices in his workshop, and I want to ...... too."

"Go there! If you want your soul to fall! Antonia said, waving.

"Why? He's your cousin, and he's twenty years older than you......"

"Why? Because Mr. Leonardo is a cultist, an atheist, a follower of Satan, who wants to use mathematics and black magic to explore the secrets of the natural world and spy on the secrets of God......"

Antonio measured the cloth with a Kana ruler and cursed his relatives that his skill was too good to prevent him from accurately quoting his size.

"But......" said Louis again, "he was hired by the Duke to paint, and I think there is a future in learning from him......

"Then go! I know that his way will eventually lead to Satan's lair, and whoever blasphemes God will suffer in hell with all his ashes! Antonia interrupted him in disgust.

"Don't talk about him! Nothing to do with me! Braban! Smooth! Seventeen feet four inches nine minutes ??"

Louis saw that he could not communicate at all, so he had to let the poor man who was a devout believer express his opinion, and reluctantly continued to record it in the account books.

Late at night, Louis closed his books and went out into the street, where he remained for two years, still not very accustomed to it.

"The poorer, the more difficult it is, the more devout the faith......" Louis walked to where he was going, and the series of conversations of the evening still rose and fell in his heart.

"A person's fate, of course, depends on self-struggle!"

A strong hand clasped his shoulder, and Louis was almost about to use the fighting skills in the department, but fortunately, the familiar code words made him secretly relieved.

"But also take into account the historical itinerary! Lord Marquis, don't be so violent! I'm not a calm elder, and it's easy to misunderstand......" Louis replied in a whisper.

Marquis Perez laughed, "I'll offend you this time, don't you mind?" Tomorrow I want you to accompany me to Mr. Leonardo da Vinci! ”

Do I dare to mind? The gentleman with the highest title in Nidhogg was also infected by the culture of code words...... Louis shook his head helplessly. "I heard his cousin say that Mr. da Vinci was an atheist or a cultist......

"Alas...... Do you believe it? The Duke waved his hand, "I see, the twenty-three-year-old dyer clearly doesn't know what an atheist is!" Ignorant people are always like this...... Listen to the wind is the rain, trade wide clothes, trade wide clothes, trade wide clothes......"

"Your Excellency, you seem to be happy......

"Yes, I just like to play some stalks, Your Majesty's code words all have a story, have you heard the legend of that elder? His Majesty had great reverence for him, and even the pagan gods of his Eastern faith still saluted him every day, and the chief magistrate of Torquemada knew that he must blow his beard and stare again. ”

“……”