Time has entered July, and in this season of fire, Li Xiao's study is very cool. On the ground were two huge copper basins with a strip of ice in them. Two electric fans blow violently at the copper basin.

Li Xiao comfortably enjoyed the simplified version of the air conditioner, no way, the air conditioner host could not be built now.

In the past, Li Xiao was reluctant to admit the bloodline, there was no reason for Lao Tzu to do a good job, and his son must also do a good job. is like Zhao Kuo in the Battle of Changping, his son Zhao Hao is a famous general.

However, in the face of the facts, Li Xiao had to bow down.

Xu Guangqi was a famous scientist in the late Ming Dynasty, and "Geometric Original", "Agricultural Administration", "Chongzhen Almanac" and "Examination Notes" are all from his handwriting. When his old man died of illness, Li Xiao asked Li Xiu to mourn instead of him. By the way, let's see if the Xu family has any materials to build.

As a result, Li Xiu really fooled back two, Xu Guangqi's grandson Xu Erjue and Xu Ermo. I have to admit that the role of genes is powerful. Li Xiao only taught two people, the most basic left-handed theorem and the right-hand theorem. and told them their knowledge of series and parallel, and these two guys have made many scientific and technological achievements in the past eight years.

Because Daming has the best steam engine technology in the world, the thermal power generator set was the first to be made. Now Jinzhou, Beijing, and Jinan have built two each. The inhabitants of these three cities became the first people in the world to use electricity. Of course, it is the factories that use the most electricity.

Workers in cotton mills no longer have to work under oil lamps or candles. A series of incandescent lamps illuminated the workshop. In the past, the defective rate of night shifts was high, but now it has dropped to about the same level as during the day.

I heard that with the funding of the Zheng family, the Xu brothers are working on hydroelectric generators. It is said to have taken shape and is currently being experimented with on some small rivers.

Zheng Zhilong is now lying down every day to make money, and he smiles when he sees people. The Zheng family also praised the wise decision of the Zheng family patriarch. If it weren't for Zheng Zhilong's decisive handover of the sea, how could such a good thing be the turn of the Zheng family.

Of course, Li Xiao is also happy to see the Zheng family make money. Although the Zheng family earns monthly electricity bills and earns hand cramps, the Zheng family has to pay taxes according to the regulations. Besides, the Zheng family's trading included the shares of the household department. Every year, the household department can get a good share of the Zheng family's income.

Daming's finances today are not rich, that is, they are just enough to spend. This electricity money is a small amount of mobile funds in Ai Husheng's hands.

After a certain conversation with Li Xiao, Xu Erjue's mind suddenly flashed with inspiration. After going home and studying with Xu Ermo for a few months, the telegraph was born. So on the roadside of the Ming Kingdom, electric poles were erected one after another. Now, Li Xiao can receive telegrams from Zhejiang and Guangzhou every day.

At the celebration banquet, Li Xiao just said casually. The wired telegraph was too troublesome, so the two of them plunged headlong into the lab. Li Xiao felt that he might be able to use the radio in a few years. Who knows, anyway, I don't care about the development. Give full play to the ingenuity of these two!

"Dude! I can't make it a good word! Zheng Zhilong was a little panicked when he saw Li Xiao's hysteria, for fear that the business would be yellow.

What a great investor! Zheng Zhilong is going to build power plants in Tianjin, Xi'an, and Zhengzhou, and he does not need to invest a penny in the user department, as long as the household department gives the approval. Their Zheng family is willing to bear the full cost!

Li Xiao was happy to send this favor, but the division became half of it. The Zheng family needs to hand over more of the proceeds to the state treasury, although this is 10% more than the original 46. Everyone is willing to put money in their pockets, and they feel distressed when money flows out, so they must do a good job in ideological and political work.

"Dude! It's not impossible, it's just that the division has to be redetermined. Li Xiao lit a cigarette and smoked slowly.

"Dude! At the beginning, we said that I would hand over the interests at sea, and you would let our Zheng family make electricity and make a trip. In the past, it was four or six points, and the household department didn't care about anything and took forty percent a year. And our Zheng family still has to pay taxes! You inquire, when did our Zheng family pay taxes before? We knew that it was a new dynasty, so we followed the rules. For Sen'er's sake, you can't pit our Zheng family. "I heard that the division was going to change, Zheng Zhilong was not happy.

"It's also difficult for the household department, and you have to pay for the school. There is also money to build hospitals, and it costs money to build roads and railways. In the first half of the year, I went to the west to fight a battle, and the Mongols did not kill much. can pull the abacus, and his mother's military expenses will cost hundreds of thousands of silver coins.

This year, Shaanxi has made trouble with the Uighurs, and has caused a bad disaster in Guanzhong. This post-disaster reconstruction, or the migration of people from other places, is not all money. Ai Husheng said that there will be great financial pressure in the next fiscal year.

You take the lead, after all, everyone is good, our little family will be good! Li Xiao said nothing.

"But the four or six accounts are already very high, we have to bear all the upfront investment, and we have to lay pipelines ......!" Zheng Zhilong was a little anxious.

"Dude! Because your Zheng family invested money in the early stage, you are eligible to get the future share. If you don't agree, brother, then open bidding is good. I heard that Shi Kefa is also very interested, and the fifth child in our capital is also very interested. ”

"How can that happen, we ...... it in the first place!" Zheng Zhilong was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and he jumped up all of a sudden.

"At the beginning, I said that the electricity in the capital belongs to your Zheng family. I said it, and I did it. How? Li Xiao spread his hands and leaned on the back of the sofa. Put your feet on the coffee table and keep dangling.

"Dude! There is something to say, for Sen'er's sake, the benefits can't flow into the hands of outsiders. Look at the historians, everywhere to build railways, and the household still pays for it. I'm digging this out of my own pocket! Zheng Zhilong saw that Li Xiao's face was pale, and immediately sat down, and the fierce appearance just now disappeared.

Bandits over the years know when to be hard and when to be soft.

"Brother, now let's talk something about home. The division of this matter has been decided, or four or six. It's just the sixth of the imperial court, and the fourth of your Zheng family. Li Xiao opened his mouth widely, and suddenly increased the score by two percent.

"This ......!" Zheng Zhilong was anxious all of a sudden, and the price was too great.

"Wait! Brother, you just said that. Don't look at the face of the monk to see the face of the Buddha, after all, Zheng Sen is also my student. I can't let your Zheng family suffer! If you look at these places, they are all places that need to be heated in winter.

Thermal power generation wastes a lot of hot water every year, and you say that if you inject hot water from thermal power generation into the heating pipes. With your hot water for heating, you are not required to put in additional inputs. Of course, you'll have to invest some money. But the heating bills you collect are real money. If you think about it, let's go to the capital. The permanent population has exceeded 5 million, how much is the heating bill alone a year?

And this thing, you can do it in Jinzhou and Jinan this year. Settle this account! Li Xiao raised his eyebrows at Zheng Zhilong.

Zheng Zhilong's eyebrows were moving, and the thumbs of both hands were constantly rotating towards each other. His eyes were rolling wildly, as if he was calculating.

"How do you calculate the share?" After thinking for a while, Zheng Zhilong asked.

"Half of a family is done!"

"Half?"

"What! Don't do it? I can tell you, there are a lot of people waiting for me to spit out. ”

"Done! So be it, the power plants in Xi'an, Zhengzhou, and Tianjin all belong to our Zheng family. ”

"From now on, it will not be called a power plant, but a thermal power plant. To give you another idea, you can sell the hot water in the summer to the bathhouse cheaper. Although it can't be sold for much money, no matter how thin the mosquito legs are, they are still meaty. Over time, it's also a good amount of money. ”

"Brother! You don't do business, if you do business, it must be the richest man in the Ming Dynasty. All right! That's all there is to it! The newly opened restaurant in the capital is called Fengze Garden, and I heard that the chef is very authentic. In the evening, I will do the east, please enjoy the light and frustration. ”

"Done! Call Zheng Sen. ”

"This kid is back? I haven't seen him for more than half a year, and this kid won't say go home to see when he goes back to the capital. For you, the teacher, is closer than my father. ”

Sending away the smiling Zheng Zhilong, Li Xiao sat back on the sofa. Looking at the huge map on the wall, he was very worried about Li Hu's whereabouts. If he really went to the Middle East, Li Hu's temperament would definitely cause big trouble.

In case of......!

The door opened, and Junzi walked in, saying that Li Yongfang had something to see.

"What's the matter?" Li Xiao saw Li Yongfang walk in with a happy face, and knew that it must be a good thing, could it be that Li Hu had found it? This guy is still smarter than Luo Yang's nose!

"Handsome! In the past, Wu Sangui stole all kinds of intelligence from us, and after several years of continuous investment, we also bought some Indians. In the future, we will also be able to collect useful information from Wu Sangui. Li Yongfang smiled, and a pair of watery little eyes were almost squeezed out.

"Oh! What's the good stuff to get back? Li Xiao was very interested.

"This thing is called a gasoline engine. I heard that a professor at Oxford University made it, and I've seen the size, and it's much smaller than ours. It is said that a prototype has now been built! Li Yongfang spread out the drawings in his hand.

The drawings are heavy parchment, which is thick and bulky. But the biggest benefit is waterproof! It is said that this kind of paper is generally used to draw nautical charts!

Li Xiao unfolds the drawings!

Unlike the hand-drawn paper that was circulated in the Ming Dynasty, this drawing is a standard industrial drawing. The dimensions are clearly marked, and in some places there are even zoomed-in perspectives.

This surprised Li Xiao, who didn't expect the British to make such accurate mechanical drawings now. And fucking can draw perspectives!

"Handsome! You see, this is the size of the British. They call it inches! I asked someone to convert it, and translated the words on it, which is a copy of the transcription. Seeing Li Xiao's surprised expression, Li Yongfang thought that Li Xiaoka didn't understand. Immediately, he took out a drawing from his briefcase to show how careful he worked.

Li Xiao glanced at Li Yongfang, although he had learned English, he didn't have to be rusty for so many years. In addition to the Arabic numeral cognition above, the rest can only be a few words of people. Li Yongfang, this guy, is really fucking sweet.

"Look, this gasoline engine is much smaller than ours. And according to the drawings, the power is on par with ours. Li Yongfang pointed to the drawings and explained to Li Xiao carefully.

"Hmmm! The size is much smaller, and the power is indeed not worse than ours. But this requires more precise machining, can it be said that their machine tools are better than ours now? Li Xiao asked a little strangely.

Machine tools are the mother of machinery, and it stands to reason that the machine tools of the British should not be more advanced than the Ming Dynasty. Although skilled workers can make up for the lack of machine tools to a certain extent, Li Xiao does not think that Indian workers are better than those of Daming.

In his bones, Li Xiao still looks down on Ah San, who is full of curry flavor.

"Their machine tools are actually on par with ours, not better than ours. However, they had a group of craftsmen from Europe, and I heard that they were originally Prussians and Swiss. They seem to be very good at machine tools, and it is said that samples of the things on this drawing have been made. It's just that the price is a little high, and the working hours are also high. Therefore, mass production is not possible for the time being. Li Yongfang actually took out a drawing of a lathe from his purse.

Li Xiao dodged Li Yongfang's leather bag and shook it down.

Sure enough, there were several drawings in the bag, one of which seemed to be a miniaturized steam engine, and another was a structural drawing of a locomotive.

"These are all from Wu Sangui?" Li Xiao looked at these drawings and suspected that it was another leak from the Ming Dynasty.

"Both! Wu Sangui got a lot of PhDs from the United Kingdom, Sweden, and other countries in Europe. There are also Oxford and Cambridge academics, who are concentrated in Mumbai and spend their days doing research. Wu Sangui spent a lot of money for this, but he didn't seem to be stingy with the money. No matter how difficult the finances are, these people always have sufficient allocations. ”

"Damn, I didn't expect this kid to have a long-term vision." Li Xiao gritted his teeth, he should have killed this kid the first time he saw him. Even if you provoke Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang to rebel, they will not hesitate!

It seems that this kid is a collection of cutting-edge talents in Europe, and he studies according to the sketches handed down by the Ming Dynasty. So many smart people, plus constant financial support. It is inevitable to produce results, and it is accidental to fail to produce results.

The British royal family was also dissatisfied with Wu Sangui's non-handing over of India's revenues, but Wu Sangui and George had already controlled India's military and political power. Last time, the queen sent a naval marshal named Drake, who wanted to collect Wu Sangui's military power. Unexpectedly, Drake was actually killed by the second master in Xinjiapo. ”

"Drake!" Li Xiao remembered this old pirate, but he didn't expect to die in Xinjiapo.

"Oh, yes! They also got a guy named Franklin from a place called the North American Territory, who was working on electricity. It is said that I don't have a clue yet, and I don't know when I will be able to study it. I have already instructed someone to get him some completely wrong drawings and send them out through Jiang Guoliang's channels.

The Xu brothers said that if the thing is not done well, it will explode. ”