The valve was flipped and the flow of water splashed down like rain suddenly stopped. Chen Ming, www.biquge.info pen "Fun" pavilion, wiped the water droplets on his face, grabbed the bath towel on the side and quickly wiped his body. The body that had just sweated profusely from exercise immediately became refreshed!

I don't know if it's an illusion, but since the storage of water from the palace water tower became steam-powered, he felt that the water flow was suddenly powerful.

After the practical steam engine was built, the Patent Act was quickly passed in the cabinet meeting, and then the patent application of the Zhongshan Academy of Natural Sciences was quickly approved. Then the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce purchased the exclusive patent term of the steam engine for 20 years from the Zhongshan Academy of Natural Sciences at a sky-high price of 1 million banknotes, and the patent protection period for invention and innovation in the "Patent Act" is also 20 years.

This news shocked the whole of China!

Everyone realized the value of the patent for the first time, and everyone also understood the significance of the patent for the first time.

By the time the time it was May, the first steam engines had been put into use. The Imperial Palace, the yamen and the academies of Nanjing City were the first users of these steam engines, and then there was the order from Shuntianfu in Nanjing, which was enough for the production capacity of the newly opened steam engine manufacturing plant for a month, because the city of Nanjing was about to officially roll out tap water, and the steam engine was of course indispensable.

Everyone recognized the wonderful prospect of the steam engine, and in the future, it will not be said that it is the private sector, but only the order of the government, that is, paper money like snowflakes. Is a million royalties expensive? A month ago, many people said it was impossible, but now no one thinks it's not worth it. The patent has an exclusive term of 20 years.

The greatest significance of this patent law is to exchange the future 'disclosure of technology' for legal protection for a certain period of time. The 20-year patent term was made after Chen Ming's thought and thought, and at the same time, the British, the first country in the world to introduce patent law, had a patent term of 30 years.

Chen Ming finally chose a 20-year term of protection. Because patent law has to give short-term monopoly rights in order to encourage technological progress, it is not for inventors to lie on the merits of the book and be rice worms for a lifetime. At the beginning, the issue was raised for a period of protection of 50 years, which Chen Ming felt was too long in every sense of the word. Moreover, by setting relatively high patent maintenance fees (starting from the eleventh year, the higher the future), the patentee is forced to abandon the patent early, except for very profitable patents, such as the steam engine, which has an absolutely bright future, and it is difficult for anyone to keep the patent term until the end of twenty years.

Chen Ming was arbitrary on this point, saying that twenty years is twenty years, because in the United Kingdom, another country in the world with patent law, the role of the 30-year patent term has played a very unexpected role in the epoch-making invention of the Watt steam engine. Chen Ming's memories of his previous life clearly told him that this time was really too long.

Watt got the patent at the end of the sixties, but the steam engine was produced in the next year, 1776 AD. It's just that Watt has a good collaborator, who got the British parliament to agree to the extension of the term of Watt's patent, which is not a small ability. After the patent protection for the Watt steam engine came into effect and was put into production, did many people feel that Watt continued to explore the potential of the steam engine? The truth is that most of Watt's substantial energy after that was not spent on improving the performance of the steam engine, but on defending against the inventors of the competition. Watt was granted additional patent rights, giving it unfair expectations of crank movement. Even more dramatically, when the more advanced Hornblower engine was put into production, Bolton and Watt used the legal system to drive competitors out of production.

During the period of Watt's patent, the UK added approximately 750 horsepower of steam engines per year. During the thirty years of Watt's patent, the extra horsepower [foreign] increased at a rate of 4,000 per year. In addition, the efficiency of the steam engine fuel did not change much during the Watt patent period. After his patent expired, the British steam engine saw most of the efficiency gains in all aspects.

A long patent protection period is to encourage the patentee to lie down on his patent right and sleep a lot, and it is likely that major technological innovations will not be implemented due to the existence and obstruction of existing patents, blocking technological progress.

But many people don't think about it yet. Whether it is an official or an ordinary person, more people look at a superficial situation, and an invention patent has been sold for 1 million, which has caused an unimaginable sensation in the whole of China. Whether it is for ordinary people or ordinary landlords, one million banknotes is an astronomical amount that they can't imagine. Even the foreigners in the major trade ports and Nanjing Shangguan Street were dumbfounded by this phenomenon.

Everyone immediately set their eyes on the freshly baked Patents Act. Then the foreigners were pleasantly surprised to find that there was no provision that the patent right must be declared by a native, and the invention of a foreigner could be the same. It's just that China has certain mandatory regulations. For example, if the patentee does not exploit the patent right within a certain period of time, the state has the right to compel others to exploit the patent, and only needs to pay the patentee's average patent license fee, which is also to prevent the patentee from using monopoly to prevent technological progress.

Compared with the 150-year-old Monopoly Statute in the UK, China's Patents Act has a considerable degree of innovation. Although it is not possible to completely restrict the patentee from using his own patents to obstruct the invention and application of new technologies, the inventors of new technologies already have certain countermeasures. For example, the tragedy of Jonathan Hornblower in the history of Britain in the original time and space, China in this time and space, of course, cannot be completely eliminated for a long time in the future, but Chen Ming also hopes to reduce it as much as possible. Spending energy to suppress competitors and gain privileges was what later economists called rent-seeking. Both history and common sense show that it is the result of a legal monopoly. But the significance of patent law is so significant. This can only say that many things really have to be divided into two things!

Although I don't know how long it will take for these new letters to reach the recipients, there is no doubt that when these letters arrive in Europe, China's "Patent Act" and millions of patents will spread throughout Europe like the wind.

But for the vast majority of ordinary people, this thing is only a temporary shock. At a time when there is a boom in patents all over China, many people in Nanjing are watching with interest the water towers rising from the ground in the city. For them, this is the big thing related to the rest of life.

With a steam engine, Chen Ming's palace was first installed. Before the patent was signed, the old water system in the palace was changed from animal power to steam power. The large tin pipe is connected to the flow, and the animal power siphon is drained, and the small copper pipe is connected to the large tin pipe, and then the faucet is matched. In Chen Han's palace and in the prince's mansion before Chen Ming, there were water towers, and they began to draw water with animal power early, and there was no shortage of supply. But now I don't know if it's a psychological reason or something else, Chen Ming really feels that the water squirting out of this shower head is more powerful than before.

In the whole city of Nanjing, there were already sewers when the streets of the city were rebuilt before, and tin pipes were buried, and now the small copper pipes are connected, and a faucet is added, so that the people can also enjoy the convenience of tap water.

It's just that there is also a charge for this tap water. Although it doesn't cost a few dollars, there must always be people in the huge city of Nanjing. They also have a trick to trick up, anyway, there is no water meter in this era. Like the 'little cleverness' of several families sharing a faucet, there will be no shortage in Nanjing in the future, which requires the newly established water supply company of the Shuntianfu Material Department to fight wits and courage with the small citizens of Nanjing.

"Mills, grinders, mixers, ......"

The steam engine, which has just been off the assembly line for a few days, can now be used in very few places, except for pumping and belt conveyors, the textile machine will not be commissioned until at least next month, and the rest will be used in mills and crushing and mixing. The military factory also had to go with three steam engines, saying that it was going to connect the forging, but there was no good news after these days.

"Tell the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce to let them finalize the steam-powered textile machine at the end of this month, and hold a business promotion conference next month, and the location will be set in Nanjing."

After the signing of several documents submitted by the cabinet, Chen Ming received a more meaningful report, with the launch of the offensive of the Fu Han army in Beijing and Lanzhou against the Qing army in the northwest and northeast, it can be expected that the Fu Han army will seize the whole of Gansu and Shengjing this year. So what about land bonds in the Northeast?

The issue of the increase in land bonds has been mentioned more than once in the newspapers, and with the use of force by the Fu Han army against the Northeast, the price of land bonds in the Northeast has become higher and higher. Not only did some large businesses buy it, but many military and civilian companies also set their sights on this piece of fat.

So what to do with these land bonds? Will it be thrown to the people like this, or will the state redeem it with money? However, the rate of increase in land bonds is much larger than the Cabinet estimated last year.

Because last year, the military cooperatives in Lushun [which have not yet been converted into joint-stock military and civilian companies] released another big news, they no longer grow rice and soybeans, and carry out deep processing of soy products, such as oil extraction, such as making dried tofu and soy beans, and then relying on their advantage of being close to the army, all of them are resold to the army. Yes, all sold, not a single bit left. Even the leftover okara cake is a favorite ingredient for cows, horses and livestock.

Although they did not grow rice as before, and it was high-quality rice, which surprised the whole country, this time their benefits were undoubtedly greater.

The big news of the 'rice' grown by the Lushun Military Cooperative has fundamentally refreshed the impression of the bitter cold land in the minds of the people of the whole country. In line with the starting point of making eyeballs and making profits, many newspapers and newspapers dug deep into this news, and it was not surprising that they dug up the news that the Northeast Tatar tribe paid tribute to Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty thousands of years ago, so that the Northeast land bonds ushered in the first wave of price increases.

The common people are very blind to the newspaper, and in this era of high illiteracy, the power of public opinion of the newspaper is enormous.

Look at the location of the original Yan people, and see where Lucheng is, which is further north than the entire Liaoning [Shengjing], all in Jilin and Heilongjiang, where rice can be grown, and it can be seen that the entire Northeast can grow rice. For many farmers, especially those in the north, where rice can be grown, it is definitely paddy fields, and it is not a good land.

In addition, last year's financial report just released by the Lushun military cooperative shows that their average income per mu is not much lower than that of the plastered land in the south of the Yangtze River. Because planting beans is far less time-consuming than rice! At the same time, the deep processing of soybeans, all products also have a very good market, and they have more potential than rice.

With the steady flow of rice from Annam and Siam into the country, domestic grain prices have been decreasing. A large number of fields in the south of the Yangtze River have begun to switch to cash crop cultivation again.

And in the Northeast, where there are few people and more land, the farm economy is very suitable for all this at the moment. The congenital conditions have allowed the military cooperatives in Lushun to embark on the mode of farm management, and the land bonds in Northeast China have ushered in a new wave of large increases with real benefits.

"Then you're going to look away? Take the attention of the common people away! "What a common method this is in later generations, even in the history of China.

"Stock exchanges, isn't this an opportunity to advertise the stock exchange well?"

"The channels for ordinary people to sell land bonds are limited, and the price is not unified, so it is difficult for ordinary people to maximize their interests. So with the stock exchange, won't there be a new way to buy and sell this kind of bonds? "And it's relatively transparent.

"As for the redemption of land bonds. The bank can be allowed to redeem at the original interest rate. Remember, if you go to the bank before the deadline for the 1:12 exchange rate, you will be given money according to the 1:12 exchange rate. "The original interest rate on land bonds is very low, which is one percent. However, the total amount of land bonds outside the customs is only three silver dollars per mu, and all the land sold is concentrated in Liaoning, which is completely a price for nothing.

Even if there is no financial report from the Lushun Military Cooperative, if such a land bond is listed, if it is brought to the regular stock exchange, it will not be difficult to double the unit price.

Chen Cong had a meat-like expression on his face, "Your Majesty, this price is too low." "Now that the price of land bonds has risen by three or four percent, what if all of them are redeemed, and then the land in Liaoning will be released, even if it is 60 banknotes per mu? The benefits of the imperial court should not be much more than now.

"That's all as it should be." Chen Ming thought in his heart of 'knowing kindness and repaying him', and he can't be ungrateful. "The land bond is said to be a land bond, but in fact it is a war bond. All those who bought the land bonds were the staunchest supporters of our dynasty. Now that our battle has been won, the imperial court has accounted for most of all the benefits, but you can't even give the supporters a mouthful of soup? This wave of wealth is even a war dividend, Chen Ming feels that it should be given, and he is willing.

"The cabinet should guide this public opinion."

"In addition, how are the preparations for immigration to Liao?"

"The contact points, grain and grass, medicines, cattle and horses and farm tools along the way, can they all be prepared?"

Chen Ming held the military power tightly with one hand, and the other hand was a lot more relaxed for the cabinet, like the next immigration issue to the northeast, he handed it over to the cabinet, if the cabinet replied that it was ready, then Chen Ming looked at the next migration. If something goes wrong, hit the board again.

The first batch of immigrants to the Northeast were all northerners, from Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi Province, the journey of thousands of miles along the way is best not to have problems, if there is a problem then he will take the cabinet is to ask. As for whether the cabinet will hide his eyes and ears, Chen Ming feels that the cabinet still has that ability.

"All the receiving stations, grains and grasses, medicines, livestock and farm tools and other utensils in the four northern provinces have been prepared. This is a summary report of the Cabinet, please look at it. ”

Chen Cong was very responsible for this matter, a thin booklet, but it covered the 'Great Migration' of the entire four provinces.

"Your Majesty, the minister also received a report from Gansu this morning. Since the beginning of winter last year, it has been summer, and there has been little rainfall and snow in Gansu, and farmers have been treated very well. In neighboring northern Shaanxi, there was little snow and rain last winter, but this year's rain is quite sufficient after the beginning of spring. And Gansu, especially the western part of Gansu, is still unsustainable.

Mai Qiu is ashamed. Only in Chunlin. And the time of the rain is unpredictable. But when the cultivator waits for the heavens. When it comes to saving, it's important to prepare early. ”

Chen Ming's eyes narrowed, he had also received a report from the Metropolitan Governor's Office, after the beginning of spring this year, there was indeed not much rain in Gansu, especially in the western part of Gansu. This place was ruthlessly looted by the Manchus last year, and if there is another drought this year, it will be more urgent, bigger and more fierce than the famine in the past.

No, it's already May, and there's already a famine.

"The cabinet is ready to allocate 4 million [banknotes] to Gansu and increase agricultural water conservancy subsidies by 30 percent."

Gansu's agricultural taxes this year and next year have all been exempted by Chen Ming, otherwise this relief will not only be 4 million, but more of these 4 million will be for refugees in western Gansu. An increase of 30 percent in agricultural water conservancy subsidies will allow Gansu to hire more people to build water conservancy projects.

"What is the local magistrate doing?"

"Contacts have been made with the army in all localities to strengthen patrolling and policing at the local level. The other is to set up an altar to pray for rain. Millions of people are hungry for rain. The local officials, the gentry and the common people, inspired the heavens. If the rain is in time, there is still hope for Mai Qiu......"

Chen Ming's cheeks twitched. (To be continued.) )