"Have you ever tried sealing with a copper piston ring?" In the courtyard of the machinery factory, Zhu Youzhen looked at Wang Zheng with a sad face.

"Copper? So much eucommia gum is useless. Do copper piston rings work? Wang Zheng's bitter face was full of doubt.

"You have to try it to know, you try the head and tail of the cylinder with copper pads."

Many people think that rubber must be used to make steam engines, but in fact, that thing is not suitable for high-temperature and high-pressure sealing materials at all.

He now very much hopes that Wang Zheng will make this thing as soon as possible, not only for the development of science and technology, but also for the fear that this little old man will die suddenly, and his own sin will be great. At such an age, I don't sleep all night. Zhu Youzhen is really admired!

Coming out of the machinery factory, Zhu Youzhen came to Song Yingxing's Academy of Sciences again.

As a result, I didn't see anyone, so I found out when I asked, and I went to a steelmaking workshop outside the city. Zhu Youzhen thought about it, and there was nothing to do, so he simply went out of the city and came to Song Yingxing's steelmaking workshop.

The workshop is not big, about seven or eight acres, and two hydraulic blowers have been built near the river, which are whirring in circles.

Song Yingxing was directing the workers to work, and his face was dirty somewhere.

"Dean Song!" Zhu Youzhen shouted, Song Yingxing looked back and saw that it was him, and was about to salute, but was stopped by Zhu Youzhen's gesture. Song Yingxing walked over quickly. Whispered:

"Your Majesty, why are you here?"

"I'll take a look at how this steel is doing."

"Everyone is groping, although it can be refined, but the quality is uneven." Song Yingxing scratched his head, looking a little distressed.

"You don't have to worry too much, being able to mass produce is progress, and as for the standard, you have to summarize it in failure again and again, and you can't rush it. How's the cement going? Zhu Youzhen comforted him and then asked.

"The double mill given by His Majesty last time has already been made, and the grinding efficiency has really improved a lot. Coupled with the double-layer sieve and the hand-cranked mixer, a worker can make about 600 catties a day. ”

"Now is the slack season, let's see if we can recruit more workers and build a cement factory and a steel plant. You need money to ask me for it, and I need me to draw it for you. Whether it is cement or steel, it is used in a wide range of uses, and the amount required will be very large. ”

"Yes! Chancellor understood. ”

Now that the steam engine has been built, will it be far from the train?

Thinking about the transportation capacity of the train, Zhu Youzhen was excited, how much time and material consumption can be saved by a track and a train. Take the last time the soldiers of the Beijing camp escorted grain and farmers to Shaanxi to repair the river, it was more than 1,000 miles, and nearly 200,000 denier of grain was consumed on the road alone.

If there is a train, the consumption will be reduced exponentially.

Not to mention the strategic value of a railway.

There is also cement, he seems to see straight and flat cement roads extending to all corners of Daming, on which four-wheeled cars are driving.

Damn it. It's exciting to think about! I don't know how many years it will take to get to that day.

Zhu Youzhen returned to the palace with longing.

When he was reviewing the folds, a person's name caught his attention.

Zheng Zhilong?

This is a big man, nicknamed Zheng Yiguan, also known as Nicholas Gasbard.

The most important thing is that he is Zheng Chenggong's father.

It was written by Xiong Wencan, the governor of Fujian, saying that in September this year, he recruited the great pirate Zheng Zhilong, and appointed him as a guerrilla general of coastal defense.

Speaking of this Zheng Zhilong, he is now a well-deserved overlord in the Southeast Seas, with more than a thousand warships and tens of thousands of sailors under his command, will such a character surrender willingly? Is it just to return to the roots?

But no matter what, it is an indisputable fact that people are now submissive to the Ming Dynasty.

But with the current ability of the imperial court, it can't control him at all. How can I use it if I can't control it?

Zhu Youzhen fell into contemplation again.

Daming's rush to the sea is the inevitable development trend he envisioned.

But at present, there are slaves outside and famine inside, which is simply not enough to support his idea of building a navy on a large scale. If Zheng Zhilong can be completely used by him, it will greatly shorten the time for the implementation of this plan. But what to do?

Pregnant!

Zhu Youzhen slammed the table and stood up!

Privateer License!

Issue a privateer license to Zheng Zhilong!

A privateer permit is a type of permit that allows them to hunt down, destroy, and other privateer acts against lawbreakers and fleets outside their home country. In layman's terms, it is state-sanctioned piracy, and privateer-licensed fleets also have a resounding name: pirates royal.

He intended to use this method to build up his own naval armed forces without spending a lot of money, and at the same time to train good sailors and officers. Let Zheng Zhilong become the royal pirate of the Ming Dynasty, and share the things he has stolen.

It's exciting to think about.

But this matter can't be explained clearly in a sentence or two, and it must be interviewed, but if he is rashly summoned to Beijing, does he dare to come?

Zhu Youzhen was a little hesitant. He was afraid of the Holy Decree, which frightened Zheng Zhilong, and then ran to the sea as a pirate. What if it is issued with a privateer license?

Feasible and worth a try.

So I found a piece of paper and wrote the title and content of the privateering license. Stamp it with a seal, and then buy an aluminum alloy photo frame from the sunset and frame it.

"Wang Banban, I plan to let Xiong Wencan's newly recruited coastal defense guerrillas come to Beijing to see me, no matter what method is used, send the holy decree to him as quickly as possible, and bring this with you when you go."

After speaking, he pointed to the privateer license on the side.

Wang Banban agreed and began to draft the will.

He didn't know anything else, but it was definitely not a simple character who could make Banzai pay so much attention.

After a while, the holy decree left the palace and galloped all the way towards Fujian.

After watching the folds for a while, Zhu Youzhen stood up and walked towards Kunning Palace. During this time when he came back, he would go to Kunning Palace to take a look at Zhou Yufeng's condition if he had nothing to do. In his previous life, he lived for more than 30 years, and he was a good person, but he never even talked about a serious love. At this time, he is about to become a father, and there is still some little excitement from the sling.

These days, the womb has been rectified, and it is much colder than before, and the 3,000 soldiers of the Yongwei Battalion are stationed and patrolling in the palace, which makes the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace silent one by one.

Zhu Youzhen is very satisfied with this, and there is no good end after all.

When he arrived at Kunning Palace, it happened that the imperial sister-in-law Zhang Yan was also there. was accompanying Zhou Yufeng on the couch and whispering. As soon as he heard the report from the outside, he hurriedly came down and saluted.

"The imperial sister-in-law doesn't have to be polite, how can she have time to come to the front today?" Zhu Youzhen said with a smile.

"In the past, Sister Yufeng came to me to talk to me, but now that Sister Yufeng is pregnant and has difficulty moving, I naturally want to accompany her more. Besides, I have come today with business to discuss. Zhang Yan said with a smile.

"Oh? What's important? ”

"Long live the matter of taking a concubine."

Ahem, it's not impossible, it's a big deal. Gotta pick and choose.

"Imperial sister-in-law, I originally refused this matter. You are so hard to force each other, I have to reluctantly agree! ”