Yu Guozhen's words moved Mao Yuanyi a lot, and also made Song Xiance a little ashamed.

When Yu Guozhen was not there, although he was not the principal of Xinxiang, his status was relatively high, and his human nature liked luxury and pomp, so when he came out, it was indispensable to call and support, so let him be light and simple, it would be better to remove him from his post.

After the husband is proud, he acts recklessly and commands with arrogance, if he can't do this, why be proud!

According to Xinxiang's system, Song Xiance can have a group of guards around him, that is, ten people, and every time Song Xiance goes out, he will inevitably keep these ten people busy. However, Song Xiance also knew that he arranged for the tiger guards to set up guards, which was their duty, but he did not dare to insult them personally, and when he spoke to them, he was also polite and polite.

But compared with Yu Guozhen, he is still too high-profile.

Seeing his embarrassment, Yu Guozhen smiled and said: "Mr. Song doesn't have to care, I am in the Xinxiang system, and I no longer need to use the front and back hugs to show it." If Mr. Song is silent, how can he show that Yu Guozhen attaches great importance to talents? ”

This was half sincere, half ridiculous, Song Xiance arched his hand and didn't say anything more.

He knew that Yu Guozhen's half of the ridicule was also a beating on himself, but this was also the way of the superior and his subordinates, so he was not annoyed.

It took about 20 minutes for them to arrive at the old port wharf, which was originally built by Yu Guozhen when they first arrived in Xinxiang, but now it has become a simple inland wharf, and the sea ships are all docked at the new port, no longer docked here.

In the corner of the wharf, Song Yingxing, Jiang You and others were already waiting here.

I saw Yu Guozhen coming. Everyone saluted, Song Yingxing's face was flushed, and Jiang Youzhong was smiling. Song Yingxing said: "What Nanhai Bo said, it is indeed right, the steam engine can be used to drive the ship with a dark wheel, and the ship is convenient to operate." There is no need for wind at all! ”

"Mr. Song and your hard work, I'm just talking about it." Yu Guozhen said.

"Don't talk nonsense, let Nanhai Bo see our ship first!" Song Yingxing was completely immersed in his own scientific research at this time. He was a little rude.

Yu Guozhen followed his expectations, only to see a small boat parked on the dock here. Yu Guozhen estimated that it had a displacement of about 100 tons, and unlike other ships, this ship has a chimney about three meters high on the roof of the ship's building at the stern.

When the sailors and researchers on the ship saw Yu Guozhen coming over, they saluted him one after another, and after Yu Guozhen returned the salute, he made a gesture to leave, and the sailors and researchers took their places and quickly got busy.

"The fuel is ordinary coal, which is the inferior goods that the metallurgical workshop does not want, and it can only be used to fill the road. Now it can come in handy. Song Yingxing said: "But it takes a little time for the boiler to start, so Nanhai Bo should be a little restless." ”

"I'm not in a hurry, but Mr. Song, you're in a hurry." Yu Guozhen said with a smile.

"That's, that's, the officials don't know. In the first few days of the ship, Mr. Song slept on the boat all day and was reluctant to leave for a moment. Jiang Youzhong also laughed: "It made the Song family's aunt suspicious, and caught fox spirits everywhere on the side of the Hengbo Society." ”

Everyone laughed, and Song Yingxing was not annoyed, in fact. Although Jiang Youzhong is young, his achievements in mechanics and chemistry have already made Song Yingxing feel pressured, and he is even ashamed of himself in some fields. The two of them are also the two giants of practical scientific research under the rule of Yu Guozhen, and they cherish each other and have long formed a friendship that has been forgotten for a long time.

While everyone was laughing, the chimney of the ship over there began to spit out black smoke, and Yu Guozhen looked at the black smoke, and his spirit suddenly lifted.

This black smoke is no stranger to the people of Xinxiang, because now many workshops such as metallurgical workshops and shipyards have begun to use steam power to replace unstable water power, and it is common sense that steam engines will produce smoke when burning coal. Yu Guozhen is not unaware of environmental protection, and when he built a wharf in Changhua, he repeatedly stressed that trees on the surrounding mountains should not be cut down at will to prevent soil erosion, but he also knew that it was impossible to avoid any pollution during the development process. Although he does not have the pride of making the Forbidden City smoke too, he will not be wrapped in the so-called environmental protection and become a small-footed woman.

After about three minutes, the boat slowly moved.

Yu Guozhen was not surprised, but it was the first time Mao Yuanyi had seen such a situation, in the roaring sound of the machine, a ship moved slowly, and there was no sail, no oars, and no penny to be seen. Mao Yuanyi's eyes widened, although he had long known that Xinxiang's practical learning had developed to an unprecedented height, but he was still shocked to get to this point.

The boat was also a bit clumsy and a little difficult to turn, but this may have something to do with the fact that the helmsman on board had just come into contact with the boat and couldn't let go. The boat first went down the river, traveled about half a mile, and then turned around and went upstream, and the speed did not decrease!

"What's the speed?" Yu Guozhen asked.

"You can drive up to fifteen when you go downstream, and nine when you go against the current."

This speed is not very satisfying, and even compared to the current sailboat, there is not much advantage, but the thought that this ship can sail in any wind direction and ocean current is a great progress for Xinxiang! Originally, some times of the year when the wind direction or ocean currents were not conducive to navigation could be used, and Yu Guozhen was still overjoyed.

Mao Yuanyi's first thought next to him was the military use of this kind of ship, if a steam ship is used to create a warship, no matter whether it is good or bad, it can attack the enemy and seize the direction of the wind, which is not so important.

Thinking deeper, Longmen Shipyard has long been experimenting with armored iron ships, that is, loading the ship with steel plates to prevent enemy artillery and fire attacks, but the results of the test are quite unsatisfactory, to achieve sufficient protection, the steel plates cannot be too thin, and the ships after the installation of steel plates are bulky and extremely slow. However, on a steamboat, as long as the power of the steam can be made larger, several steam engines can be put together and linked if necessary, and it can be driven.

Immediately afterwards, Mao Yuanyi thought that the largest of the newly built ships was nearly 2,000 tons, and the structure of the steel keel made it more solid, but it was also too dependent on the wind. If you switch to a steam engine as power. Then you can transport more people and supplies!

This is extremely important for the integration of all the lands under the Xinxiang system!

Song Xiance murmured beside him: "The foundation of the world is complete!" ”

He has always been a little worried, the Xinxiang system is completely dependent on the sea operation and maintenance system, and from the southernmost Xinhang, to the northernmost Tamna, even if the boat ride is smooth, it will take nearly two months. This is extremely detrimental to the rule of a regime. Based on Song Xiance's understanding of history, a centralized regime can run anywhere in a month. is the limit of its effective rule. This is because if it takes more than a month, the central government's control over it will be greatly weakened, and it is easy to breed all kinds of separatist forces.

And the birth of the steamship. It means that with Xinxiang or Hoi An as the center, whether it is going north to Tamna or south to Xinhang, it is within a month's sailing distance, and it is also within the effective control of the regime!

This is an eternal inheritance that can be passed on to future generations!

Thinking of this, he took a step back and saluted Yu Guozhen: "Congratulations to the lord, this is a sharp weapon to create the foundation of Wandai!" ”

Mao Yuanyi also reacted: "Exactly, my lord, there is this steamship." Above the sea, it is the territory of my Xinxiang, where there is water flowing and river transportation, it is the place where my Xinxiang road is transparent! If the sea is boundless, then I am unbounded! ”

"Yes. Our Fishery Administration Bureau must equip this kind of boat first! ”

People from all walks of life have congratulated Yu Guozhen, and many people have not chosen to speak, and they have clearly expressed the meaning of breaking away from the Ming Dynasty and standing on their own.

It was Yu Guozhen, who was also extremely excited at this time, and he saw farther than others. The invention of the steam-powered ship meant that the door to a new era was completely open to him. Moreover, the power of the steam engine has been completed, but is the power of the internal combustion engine still far away?

Therefore, he did not hide his joy, and laughed: "Song Gong, this is all your credit!" ”

"The lord said this, that's a shame for me, if it weren't for the lord's insistence, from time to time to remind me, where would I be able to develop it!" Song Yingxing thanked him: "The lord often says that practical learning is the door to the creation of heaven and earth, and it is the step of progress in the state and society, and now I see it!" ”

For the Xinxiang system, the invention of the steam engine ship is like a gust of wind of the right size, helping their ship to sail straight to the sea. Yu Guoxingzhi came, and he personally got on the boat and took a turn, and his hearty laughter has been filling everyone's ears.

However, after laughing, he still took Song Yingxing's hand and said: "Song Gong, the application of the steam engine is far more than that, there are also land ...... I want to use a steam engine to drive the rail car, how did Song Gong study? ”

Song Yingxing nodded: "There are also eyebrows, one reason is clear, in fact, we have also knocked out a prototype, but the rail car is small, and it is not easy for the steam engine to be moved, so we are still adjusting." It's not like it's on a ship, there's plenty of space for us to install it. ”

"Song Gong should pay attention to his body, you and Youzhong, this kid, are now our Xinxiang's most valuable wealth, that is, five battleships can't be exchanged!" Yu Guozhen made another joke that only he understood the meaning of.

"Haha, I'm in better health now than before." Song Yingxing said: "However, there is one thing that must be reported to the lord, this is just a test steam engine ship, if you really want to put the steam engine on the battleship, I am afraid that the Huaqing and others will have to be greatly changed, and time is not something that can be achieved overnight." ”

Of course, Yu Guozhen knows this, the experimental steam ship can be regardless of the cost, but the practical one is not. In addition, if the Huaqing and other battleships were immediately equipped with steam engines, then within a year or two, their combat effectiveness would be reduced, because the sailors were not accustomed to the control of the steam engine ships, and it was very easy to have accidents.

But with this test ship, sailors can arrange to take turns on board to learn how to operate, originally a battleship needs dozens of hundreds of sailors, but now it can be replaced by a dozen or even a few sailors, which is very helpful to solve the problem of the shortage of excellent sailors that has been plaguing Xinxiang.

"I knew that I would mobilize all the best soldiers to build the Thor Power Factory, and incorporate the steam engine workshop in the metallurgical workshop today into it, specifically to power the ships, the factory, and the rail cars in the future. In the future, everything that uses a steam engine as the power is called a factory, and what is not used is still a workshop. Yu Guozhen said: "Song Gong, the prosperity of China in the next three hundred years was born in your hands!" (To be continued)