As more and more Indians entered Xinhua City to work, Xinhua City's industrial system also began to develop rapidly after solving the labor problem.

In the blink of an eye, it has come to the New Year of the third year of the Dao, and in addition to the most important celebrations during the New Year, Xinhua City has also ushered in another major event, that is, the new Poseidon is about to be launched.

The new Poseidon was an improvement on the old Poseidon with the addition of a steam engine and two huge wheels instead of a rocking oar.

The hull is no longer a pure wooden structure, the steel shell replaces the wood, making the hull stronger, and although the sails are still there, Zhao Weiji believes that the sails may disappear in the near future.

The new Poseidon is also faster than the original, and is no longer constrained by any wind, which can be accelerated by the wind when there is wind, and can be driven by steam power when there is no wind.

The singleness of the steamship greatly encouraged the enthusiasm of the whole Xinhua City for the development of the machinery industry, and more and more young people began to devote themselves to the study of science and engineering, which is completely incredible in such an era when traditional culture dominates.

Even Mr. Li Zhicai said to Zhao Weiji: "I don't know how to evaluate those crooked ways you engage in (referring to science and engineering disciplines), but from the current point of view, those things can benefit the people, I won't make any evaluation here, but you have to remember one thing, everything needs to have a degree, and things must be reversed." ”

Although Mr. Li still doesn't look down on these so-called tricks, but because he has also enjoyed the benefits of industrial civilization, he himself is no longer good at criticizing these, but Mr. Li's philosopher's general foresight still reminds Zhao Weiji that with the development of industrial civilization, the accompanying disadvantages will also be reflected in early beware.

However, for the time being, Zhao Weiji doesn't have to worry about so much, because with the advent of the steamboat, then the train should also be put on the agenda.

Not to mention anything else, as long as a railway from Xinhua City to the port can be built, then the manpower for transportation can be saved a lot, and this alone is worth developing the train.

However, the matter of the train cannot be in a hurry for a while, because there is a more urgent matter that Zhao Weiji needs to deal with at the moment, that is, the Central Plains is about to change.

According to the history that Zhao Weiji knows, in March of this year, that is, the third year of the Dao, the emperor Zhao Guangyi will die, and then the current crown prince, Zhenzong Zhao Heng, will succeed to the throne.

But the succession of Zhenzong was not so smooth sailing, and it seems that there were some episodes during this period.

Moreover, even if there is no episode, Zhao Guangyi's death will also attract the attention of all parties, Zhao Weiji does not believe in the surrounding party items, and the Khitan will not use this opportunity to do something.

Therefore, for Zhao Weiji, Zhao Guangyi's death is also an opportunity, and he can use this opportunity to do something to the Central Plains and clear some obstacles for his future return.

But this matter cannot be so simple and clear to convene the staff to discuss, because Zhao Weiji can't explain why he knows that the official Zhao Guangyi is about to die.

But if Zhao Guangyi dies and then spreads the news to Xinhua City, it will be too late. So how to act in advance without arousing suspicion is a headache for Zhao Weiji now.

At this time, a special guest came to Xinhua City, and this person was one of the founders of the Central Plains Chamber of Commerce: Wang Bin.

"It's really a rare guest, a rare guest, which gust of wind did Brother Wenwu blow in?" Wang Bin's arrival really gave Zhao Weiji a big surprise, although in recent years, with the gradual development of Xinhua City, trade routes with the Central Plains have also begun to be established.

However, due to limited development, the main export to the Central Plains is still grain and other commodities, and Zhao Weiji really couldn't imagine that this would attract Wang Bin.

"The prince's career is so good, when he entered the city, he had fully appreciated the extraordinaryness of the prince's new city, and the scale of those blacksmith shops and carpenter shops was already terrifying."

Indeed, as Wang Bin said, because Zhao Weiji implemented a production method in the industrial age in Xinhua City, the so-called blacksmith shops or carpenter shops can already be described as iron factories or wood processing factories.

"Don't talk about this, is there anything good that Brother Wenwu wants to bring me to this Xinhua City?"

"The prince is still fast-talking, but I really have a new idea to cooperate with the prince, so I don't know if the prince is willing?"

"Brother Wenwu, what new ideas do you have, you actually fall in love with my small city?"

"Of course it's your steam engine, this thing is a miracle from heaven, I never thought that the original legendary trick could do this."

Zhao Weiji listened to Wang Bin's words, and was a little dumbfounded, in fact, Wang Bin was not wrong to understand it this way, this kind of technology was originally similar to the mechanism technique in ancient Chinese legends, but it was more advanced here.

"Oh, how could Brother Wenwu fall in love with this steam engine?"

Originally, among the trade routes established between Xinhuacheng and the Central Plains, there was a complete import route, that is, the import of traditional Chinese medicine.

There are already many medical centers in Xinhua City, but many of the traditional Chinese medicines needed for medical treatment in the medical centers cannot be found near Xinhua City, so relying on imports from the Central Plains is the only solution.

Since it is necessary to import from the Central Plains, it is natural to find familiar businessmen, so the chamber of commerce's commercial house has become the first choice for imported drugs.

The selected firm is Wang Bin's firm.

Even if it is an old acquaintance, of course, you still have to give money to buy a large number of medicinal materials, because there are no copper coins circulating in Xinhua City, so the money given to Wang Bin Medicinal Materials Store is naturally a gold coin minted by Xinhua City itself.

In this way, Wang Bin became the first merchant in the Central Plains to come into contact with the gold coins of Xinhua City. After coming into contact with the gold coins minted by Xinhuacheng, Wang Bin was surprised to find that this coinage method was not owned by the Central Plains.

Driven by curiosity, Wang Bin inquired about the minting method of gold coins from the people of Xinhuacheng, who had come to the Central Plains to purchase medicinal materials.

Since most of the people who purchased medicinal materials in the Central Plains, few knew how this novel method of coinage worked, but they still knew that the key to it was the steam engine.

So they introduced Wang Bin to the steam engine, but since these people were not technicians, the steam engine became an omnipotent thing like the treasure of the heavenly palace.

Because in their impression, it seems that there is a shadow of a steam engine in all the major changes in Xinhua City now.

In this way, Wang Bin was deceived, thinking that the steam engine was such a magical thing, and then driven by curiosity, he came to this Xinhua City to see the real face, and then if possible, get one or two more and return to the Central Plains.

After listening to Wang Bin's story, Zhao Weiji couldn't cry or laugh, because he didn't know whether to explain to Wang Bin whether to explain to Wang Bin that the steam engine was amazing, but it was not as magical as you said.

However, since Wang Bin was very interested, Zhao Weiji still took him to visit several places where steam engines are mainly used, such as mines, steel mills, and the new Poseidon.

After Wang Bin visited these places, although he already knew that the steam engine was not as magical as he had heard and imagined, it was still something that surpassed this era for hundreds of years, and it still left a deep impression on Wang Bin. So Wang Bin is still ready to buy one or two to return to the Central Plains.

"Brother Wenwu, can I ask a question? What is the use of the original yuan when you buy a steam engine? ”

"What you did in Xinhua City, I can do it when I return to the Central Plains."

"The question is, what are some of the things I did with the steam engine in Xinhua City that you dare to do when you return to the Central Plains?"

This sentence stopped Wang Bin at once, it is true that many of the things that Zhao Weiji did here were illegal in the Central Plains. For example, steelmaking. The Central Plains Dynasty has been a salt and iron official camp since ancient times, and the private blacksmith shops have to be registered with the government.

If someone is suddenly making steel in the people, the court will definitely be suspicious.

Or the cotton textile industry, this is not illegal, but although the largest cotton textile industry today is still nominally Zhao Weiji's former silk village, but in fact the money earned is owned by the imperial court.

If you use the steam engine to engage in the cotton textile industry, you may be able to surpass the original silk village in a short time, but in this way, you will be competing for business with the imperial court. I don't know if Wang Bin has the guts.

If you can't do these two, then you can only mine, but mining in the Central Plains is really nothing, copper and iron are all state, and there is not much gold and silver.

"I have an idea, I don't know if Brother Wenwu is willing to listen?"

"Lord Wang, please speak."

"I don't know Brother Wenwu, do you know where to dig up coal in the Central Plains?"

"I know a little bit about this, why did the prince ask about Shi Tan?"

"Because my Xinhua City lacks nothing now, except for some lack of coal. If Brother Wenwu knew where to dig coal, he could bring two steam engines back to the Central Plains. In the future, I will buy all the charcoal dug up by Brother Wenwu, and this steam engine will be given to Brother Wenwu for free. ”

It turns out that although there are a large number of gold and iron mines near Xinhua City, there are no coal mines with huge reserves, and several large oil fields on the North American continent are all in the east.

There is no way to develop these coalfields until the railroads are built.

Therefore, importing from the Central Plains is the best way, but although the Central Plains has long had a history of using coal, but limited by technology, it can only dig some open-pit coal mines.

However, the advent of the steam engine can solve this problem, and the steam engine can be used to pump out the deep underground water and continue to excavate.

When Wang Bin heard this proposal, he thought it was very good, because coal mines (carbon) are also in demand in the Central Plains, but the government is not so strict in management, and if it can be mined in large quantities, it may not be profitable.

In addition, Zhao Weiji has already proposed to acquire the product, so he will not lose money, so Wang Bin agreed to the deal.

But just when Wang Bin thought that he was fine in Xinhua City, Zhao Weiji found him again, and this time he didn't know what new ideas Zhao Weiji had.