The sound of chainsaws echoed in the workshop, where the timber from the drying room was sawed, planed, and sanded according to the drawings, and the wooden structures were made in the workshop, while in another warehouse, under the guidance of several workers and technicians, the wooden structures were assembled according to the drawings.

The all-wooden, near-cigar-shaped frame is already visible in the factory, on the other side, where some workers assemble a flat beam-like frame, and in the corner of the warehouse, in front of several sewing machines, a few women sew together the cut fabric.

It is more like a primitive carpentry workshop than a factory, and the workers working in the workshop are more like carpenters, but in fact, the craftsmen here are some of the best carpenters in the Mustang Automobile Factory, who were drawn here to assist the chairman a month ago.

As for what to do, they don't know, for these skilled craftsmen, the only thing they need to know is to help the chairman, turn the things on his drawings into parts, those wooden parts one after another, and at the same time, according to the chairman's requirements, make those wooden joints more reasonable and strong, this is their job.

Occasionally, they would cast their eyes to a taxi-shaped longitudinal platform on the other side of a triangle and a wooden plank, Chen Moran sat on the longitudinal platform with his legs on two pedals, holding the longitudinal rod with both hands, as his pushrod, pull rod and left and right feet stepped on the pedal, the pedal, the longitudinal rod connected to the rope made of Manila hemp longitudinal wings, tail and tail rudder turned up and down, left and right.

"Xiaohu, tighten the rope on the left wing and write down the data!"

Running the rope system, Chen Moran shouted to the side, and the apprentice standing next to the platform began to adjust the rope as soon as he heard his command.

After a few more tries, Chen Moran nodded with satisfaction, this set of rope longitudinal system is his personal invention, to be precise, according to the simple schematic diagram of the longitudinal diagram in the magazine, it took half a month to try here before it was manufactured.

Jumping off the platform, patting the dust in his hand, and seeing the students of the Industrial College next to him, Chen Moran smiled and ordered, these students are the assistants he invited, and they may become a generation of aircraft design masters in the future.

"Xiaohu, a few of you go back and study this rope wing permeation system, and when you go back at night, everyone will do a homework."

"Yes. Mr! ”

Hu Liangqin and the others replied respectfully, and when Chen Moran walked towards the "wind tunnel" on the side, they also walked over, the so-called wind tunnel is actually a pipe made of oil drums, one end of the pipe is pressed by an electric motor, and the motor rotates the fan to generate airflow, which becomes a wind tunnel.

Through the glass window, Chen Moran can see the change of the biplane model with the change of wind speed, slowly rising, this is to verify whether the biplane made by the biplane in the aviation magazine can fly specially built wind tunnel, according to the anemometer prompt, the wind tunnel can provide a wind speed of 180 kilometers.

"You see, this plane is flying up, and that justifies my design! Once the speed is reached, relying on the lift generated by the wing surface, it is completely possible to lift a heavier-than-air aircraft into the air."

Chen Moran was talking with a little bit of trepidation, now it is only November 1902, at this rate, at the latest before the Spring Festival in 03, the aircraft can be manufactured, before February, it can be test-flighted, and in history, the Wright Brothers' Flyer No. 1 will not complete the test flight until the end of the year.

The reason why we want to build airplanes is, on the one hand, to gain fame for ourselves and industrial companies, and on the other hand, to meet future military needs, after all, if the Liberation Army has an aircraft when an uprising is launched in the future, even if this old-fashioned biplane cannot carry out strategic bombing like later generations, but it can play a role in disturbing the ground strafing and dropping bombs, and Tongguo can also provide aerial reconnaissance, and when the Qing army and even possibly foreign intervention forces assemble, it can accurately obtain battlefield intelligence. Aerial reconnaissance of the enemy forces helps to unilaterally open the battlefield to the Liberation Army, and mastering the aerial reconnaissance force is almost equivalent to allowing the Liberation Army to increase the number of troops by at least a few divisions.

Although the aviation knowledge magazine did not provide Chen Moran with detailed aircraft design drawings, at least it provided some flight principles, and the drawings of the old aircraft, the principle of longitudinal planning, and even the schematic diagram of the star engine.

Although the "Aviator 1", which is based on the British World War I camel fighter, has a drawing of the I-15 fighter in another magazine, the camel is simpler, after all, it is only a product of the beginning of aviation technology.

"Sir, can he really fly into the sky?"

Hu Liangqin's words still have some doubts, although a few months ago, in the industrial college, they made a hydrogen balloon out of waterproof silk and dragged the hanging basket to send people to the sky, but that is because hydrogen is originally lighter than air, so it can naturally bring people into the air, but the plane in the mouth of this gentleman is a machine made of wood and cloth and skin, can a plane with a few kilometers of weight fly into the sky?

"I don't like to bet with people!"

Chen Moran smiled, turned around and pointed to the already assembled fuselage frame behind him, took the hat he had taken off from the side, and then borrowed another hat.

"So be it! From now on, I'll set up a gambling game, and if I can't fly, I'll lose 10 to 1, so I'll fly...... Well, 2 to 1! Which of you wants to make this bet, the left hand will fly, but the right hand will not fly! ”

Laughing, Chen Moran raised the hat in his hand.

Hesitating, Hu Liangqin took out a few "industrial coupons" from his pocket, most of them were copper dollar coupons, and students like them who were studying in industrial colleges did not have much money in their pockets.

"Hehe, sir, I'd better bet he can fly!"

The copper dollar coupon of 50 copper yuan was stuffed into the hat in Chen Moran's left hand, but he threw away the small bill of 20 copper yuan and threw away the hat on the right, and met Chen Moran's surprised eyes, Hu Liangqin smiled again.

"Sir, you won't open the gear, according to the odds you set, fly up, bet on both sides, no matter what, I won't lose or win."

As soon as Hu Liangqin said this, several students next to him followed his bets and threw the money into two hats, but Chen Moran smiled helplessly, he was really not suitable for opening a file to set up a gamble.

"Okay, now you're taking advantage of it!"

With a helpless smile, Chen Moran shook his head and asked people to write down the bets they made, but fortunately, it was only a group of poor students who bet.

"However, don't take chances, I tell you, you didn't bet that Flyer 1 could fly, you will definitely regret it!"

As he spoke, with a smile on his face, just as Chen Moran was about to check the engine that was being tested, a person at the gate of the factory hurriedly ran over.

As soon as he entered the factory, Yu Hongyu's face, which had not been wavering, showed some urgency, and as soon as he walked in front of Chen Moran, he saluted first, and then whispered.

"Chairman, there is news from the Jiangning office, Liu Kunyi, Lord Liu is dead!"

"What!"

In an instant, Chen Moran's face changed, and Liu Kun died! No one knows better than him what Liu Kunyi means to him and to the industry, when Liu Kunyi was alive, on the boundary of the two rivers, thanks to his protection, officials everywhere have always turned a blind eye to the industry, but now Liu Kunyi is dead.

"Why did you die at this time?"

muttering on his lips, Chen Moran beat a drum in his heart, Liu Kun died one by one, who will be the next governor of Liangjiang? Cixi has already held a grudge against herself and her industry, if she changes to the only Cixi who is the governor of Liangjiang, what will she do then?

It was raining outside the workshop, and when he walked out of the workshop, Chen Moran didn't even have an umbrella, nor did he take shelter from the rain, only when people died, often others could realize his important surname, and Chen Moran, who was standing in the rain, began to worry about his future fate for the first time.

"Quick, quickly inform the dock, let's go to Jiangning!"

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Chen Moran hurriedly shouted to Hongyu, and then ran towards the factory without looking back, now he must take advantage of everything to be recovered, and hurry to save all this.

Almost from the two palaces to return to Beijing, the Qing Kingdom here has just settled down, and after a group of disgraced ministers returned to Beijing from Xi'an, Shanxi, and Shandong, they were lucky enough to escape the guns of foreigners, and the ministers who were lucky enough to escape the court's discussion and the fallen big sword, began to talk about the birth of the Empress Dowager Cixi.

Speaking of which, the Empress Dowager Cixi is really unlucky. At the age of 50, I was in the year of Jiashen, just in time for the Sino-French War, and when I was 60 years old, I was in the middle of the war, and I wanted to live a good life, but I didn't feel that mood. This year is the year of Renyin, this should be out of the chaos Gengzi year has already been out, now it is discussed and, the two palaces have also returned to Beijing, and should also be done well for the old queen mother, through the joy of Chong Chong, and related people, etc., can take the opportunity to make a profit, after all, this foreigner entered Beijing, the big guys have lost a lot of things, the family let burn, the cellar let rob, and the road was lost, this is also Beijing, you have to find a way to get it back!

The world is not as big as Lafayette, so the natural big guy moved his mind to the 68th birthday of Lafayette on the tenth day of October. No, almost since May, the inside and outside of the capital began to look up for Lafayette's 68-year-old birthday, but this life is not something that can be lived every year. Although these officials are thinking about holding a big birthday and chong chong chong, but this is in September, and the meaning of Lafayette has not yet been heard in the palace, which also makes these people who are thinking about holding a birthday for Lafayette are anxious in their hearts, especially seeing that it is getting closer and closer.

As Cixi's confidant and Li Lianying, she naturally thinks the same, Lafayette has been so many years, it is really not easy, it is natural to hold a longevity ceremony, besides, if you hold a birthday ceremony, no matter who comes to celebrate your birthday, you can give me a gift to Li? What's more, in the year of Gengzi, he Li Lianying lost a lot of things, and he just got them back.

After the play ended, it didn't seem wrong to see Lafayette's mood today, so he bent down on the side and cheered up the Empress Dowager Cixi.

"Lafayette, your old man is over 50 and 60 years old, and the foreigners have been disturbed, and this 70th birthday can be lively. As the saying goes, 'life is rare for seventy years', according to the slave's view, your old man is still two years old and seventy years old, and he has to live every year! ”

"Alas!"

At the mention of her birthday, Cixi sighed, but she looked a little reluctant, and even a little sad.

"I haven't lived my whole life, as long as there is no more war, it doesn't matter if I don't do it in this life!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi said that she was sad, she was disturbed by the French at the age of fifty, and she was disturbed by herself at the age of sixty, and Beiyang was incompetent and lost the battle, and some people blamed her for moving military funds to repair the garden, but now she is even more reluctant to mention this word, and this life is only uncomfortable.

"Galeries Lafayette,"

Seeing that Lafayette was unwilling to celebrate his birthday, Li Lianying's eyes rolled, but she said another reason.

"Recently, it has been rumored in the capital that the foreigners have occupied the capital for more than a year, and the foreigners' scratching of the surname has messed up the feng shui of the capital, and the officials in the capital are not saying, our feng shui of the Qing Dynasty has made the foreigners messy, and only the big birthday ceremony can rush to suppress the foreigners' evil spirits, and this is looking forward to your will both inside and outside......"

Li Lianying saw that the Empress Dowager Cixi seemed to be a little unwilling, and even a little sullen, so she hurriedly persuaded again.

"Lafayette, your birthday is for our Qing Dynasty!"

"Oh!"

Whispered, Cixi was reluctant to mention this birthday, after all, this gray and slippery had just returned to Beijing from Xi'an, and he held a birthday ceremony, and spread the word to the ordinary people who didn't know what was right, don't talk nonsense, not to mention that she was also like a mirror in her heart, those minions let her celebrate her birthday in the sky, saying that it was for the Qing Dynasty to be happy, but when it came to the root, it was those slaves who lost their belongings in Gengzi, and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune.

This Qing Kingdom has always been like this, as long as there is a reason, those minions always have a way to make a good profit, filial piety may be there, but silver is the root, this birthday in the end of the infamy does not have to be her Cixi fall, but the benefit of the silver is those Beijing officials, otherwise how can they be so attentive.

“…… What's more, the silver treasury of this household was robbed by the Oriental little nose, and the use in the palace was tight, Lafayette, the tax money collected by the imperial court, did not have to compensate those foreign devils, the use of this palace, those local governors, although they had filial piety, but they were afraid of people's irresponsible opinions, Lafayette, to do this birthday, one is for the feng shui of our Qing Dynasty, and the other is to spend some silver, but the root is to save some silver for the imperial court! What's more, it's just a small birthday, isn't it! It's just a small life, that is, to set up a few plays and pardon some prisoners......"

Li Lianying, who bowed her waist, said that smoothly, what is the feng shui of the Great Qing Kingdom, the filial piety of the ministers, in short, it came out of his mouth, it seems that if Cixi does not live long, then he will really be sorry for the Great Qing Kingdom.

At this moment, a little eunuch walked up to the stage and whispered.

"Lafayette, the official is still respectful and asks to see you!"

There is a Qing generation, the Shangshu is divided into the Manchu Han, and the same department is divided into the Manchu Shangshu, although it is the same job and the same product, but the Han Shangshu has always been inferior to the Manchu Shangshu in status, and Jingxin is the Manchu Shangshu who presides over the ministry.

"Galeries Lafayette!"

As soon as he saw the Empress Dowager Cixi, Jingxin first knelt down, and then showed a little sadness on his face.

"What's going on?"

The Empress Dowager Cixi has never seen Jingxin like this, and the last time she showed this face, it seemed that it was when the two palaces were hunting in the west, what is wrong with this now.

"Respectfully? What's the important thing that makes you look like this? ”

"Back to Lafayette, Liu Kun, the governor of Liangjiang,...... I'm passing away a little later! ”

Jingxin replied with tears as if he was sad about Liu Kun's death, but he was so happy in his heart! Liangjiang is the richest land in the Qing Dynasty, and it has been a major tax place for hundreds of years, and the governor of Liangjiang is under the jurisdiction of the "Minister of Commerce of Nanyang".

Jingxin's past house happened to be zoned to the embassy area of Dongjiaomin Lane, so that foreigners to occupy, this time Beijing said that although he was in the prominent position of the Ministry of Officials, it was like a lost dog, although he put a house in the inner city, but his pocket was already empty, naturally Liu Kun died, and he was so happy that he almost didn't bloom.

"Liu Xianzhuang has passed away!"

The Empress Dowager Cixi couldn't help but be surprised, her face was surprised, but her heart couldn't calm down for a long time.

Liu Kunyi is the last Hunan army general in a prominent position, from the Hunan army to suppress the Taiping army, twist the army, she on those who hold the military power, master the southeast of the big people to focus on the corner, decades ago stabbing horse case, is the intensification of contradictions, in the end even if the power is like her Queen Mother, but can only let the southeastern provinces are all by the Hunan Huai Han people as governors, even if the appointment is also by those Han people turn to turn at the same time, the heart of not subordination can be said to be obvious. Two years ago, the governors of the southeastern provinces even made a mess of disobeying their orders and privately reached a peace agreement with foreigners in the southeast.

But those big men hold the military power in their hands, what can they do to them, if they are in a hurry, if they are forced to rebel, if they don't have such concerns, how can they be delayed from the Tongzhi years to the present, drag it out! Drag it out! One day, this group of old minions will be dragged to death, first Zeng Guofan, last year Li Hongzhang, and this year Liu Kunyi...... I thought so in my heart, but I didn't show too much on my face, and just quietly opened my mouth to give a reward.

"Decreed. Preferential edict and mercy. Jiaqi Bing's surname is Gongzhong, he is ambitious, protects the southeast, and his merits are particularly good, and he is posthumously awarded the title of first-class baron, given to the Taifu, gives gold to treat the funeral, and orders General Jiang Ning to sacrifice, especially loyalty. Worship the virtuous and virtuous ancestral hall, the original hometown, the meritorious province built a special ancestral hall. Give his son the ability to Ji Sipin Jingtang, and the grandchildren will be given to the official! ”

When she said this, Cixi wondered in her heart who would succeed her as the next governor of Liangjiang.

(To be continued)