Dongjiang Rice Lane, Ministry of Industry.

Just when the capital was talking about the Beijing-Tianjin railway, the most important scientific research achievements of the Ming Dynasty had been displayed, but the objects of display were limited to important officials of the imperial court.

Inside that huge boiler, the water is heated to a boil by a firewood fire, which is converted into billowing steam. The vapors roared inside the machine, like an awakened beast, filled with infinite power.

"Jia Shangshu is so deeply hidden!"

"Is there really a machine in the world that doesn't need animal power to transport supplies?"

"Can or can't, let's see, the child is silent, and the strange power is confused!"

……

Liu Xuan, the secretary of the military department, and other important ministers came to the craftsman's courtyard, saw the unheard-of steam engine in front of them, and felt the terrifying power of the water vapor, and they all opened their eyes to look at this strange machine and began to discuss.

The steam engine project had been secretly launched as early as the third year of Hongji, and the person in charge of the project was the Ministry of Industry Shangshu Jia Jun, which became the most secret scientific research direction of the empire.

It's not easy to build a steam engine.

A steam engine is a machine that produces high-temperature and high-pressure steam by burning coal and other substances, and uses steam pressure to push mechanical parts such as pistons to reciprocate.

The specific working principle is as follows: coal and other fuels are added to the boiler to produce high-temperature and high-pressure steam; The steam enters the cylinder and pushes the piston in a reciprocating direction; The flow and direction of the steam are regulated by valves, so as to achieve reciprocating motion.

Just boilers, cylinders, pistons, valves, connecting rods and barometers and other components need to be developed from scratch, which is far more difficult than nylon materials.

The only advantage is that the Ministry of Industry can recruit the most powerful craftsmen in the world, gather the wisdom of the most hard-working craftsmen in China, and overcome the difficulties of these parts one by one.

To this end, Jia Jun, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, gathered outstanding craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of War, and the shipyard to set up a department to secretly study steam engines, and now the initial results have finally been achieved.

Thundered......

When the piston of the steam engine began to move slowly, and the connecting rod drove the flywheel to rotate, the onlookers widened their eyes and their faces showed an expression of disbelief.

They watched as this behemoth, made of pig iron, actually moved on its own without the propulsion of human or animal power.

This sight is simply an unprecedented miracle for the people of this era.

Originally, they suspected that it was a trick, but the steam engine was placed in an open field, and only people added firewood to the boiler, and there was no human or animal power to drive it.

"The old man is not dazzled, right? This...... Is it true that you can move on your own? He Cong muttered to himself, his voice full of awe and shock.

"Such a miracle, our Ming Dynasty will definitely be able to go to the next level!" Liu Zhong, the secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, seemed to have witnessed the beginning of a great era, and his voice was full of awe and joy.

Jia Jun's reaction was the calmest, but there was more vicissitudes on his face, and he looked up in the direction of Xiyuan and muttered, "Fortunately, I have not failed in my mission!" ”

Although the Ministry of Industry obtained the blueprint of the steam engine that Taizu gave to His Majesty through a dream, the problems encountered by their research team in order to build the steam engine are innumerable.

First they delved into the boiling of water and the properties of steam, and after trial and error, found that when water is heated to boiling, a large amount of steam is produced, and these vapors have immense power.

So, they began to find ways to use this power to drive the machine. After countless attempts and improvements, as well as the study of the corresponding components, a simple model of a steam engine was finally designed.

This model consists of a boiler, a piston, and a connecting rod.

When the water in the boiler is heated to a boil, a large amount of steam is produced that pushes the piston into motion, which in turn drives other machine parts through the connecting rods.

Although the model was still rough and far from the required steam train, the success of the steam engine gave hope to all.

Thundered!

The steam engine in the open space, every roar and every reciprocating movement of the pistons seemed to announce the arrival of a new era.

This mechanical monster not only changed people's perception of power, but also inspired their inner infinite reverie, and they began to believe in miracles.

The era of Zi Bu silent, strange power and chaos will eventually pass, and Da Ming will enter a new era of exploring nature, turning the impossible into possible.

As the show ended, the ministers left in shock.

The end of the year is approaching, and the snow is blowing like goose feathers, overwhelming.

The glazed tiles of the Xiyuan Imperial Study lost their color, and the flying snow gradually piled up on the roof, eaves and window lattices, decorating the original golden palace with silver, adding a bit of solemnity and solemnity.

The main style of the Imperial Study is becoming more and more vibrant, and even the hanging world map is colored, which is a stark contrast to the snowy world outside.

The faint scent of ink is intertwined with the sandalwood burning in the furnace, and the fragrance of tea in the loft is overflowing, creating a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

A group of important ministers stepped on the time, and after bounced off the falling snow on their bodies, under the leadership of Yin Tai and Wang Yue, they saluted respectfully to the emperor in the attic.

Despite the wind and snow outside, the inside of the study is as warm as spring, as if it is a paradise isolated from the world.

"St. Ann!" Zhu Youji, who was wearing a dragon robe, looked lazily lying on the chair, and his body was indeed very good at the moment, and he was in a happy mood to spit out two words.

Today is a supreme meeting, and now the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty are proud to be able to participate in this meeting, and the six servants who have stepped here for the first time seem to be particularly excited.

Development is the last word, and this is very considerate in today's Ming Dynasty.

Since Zhu Youzhi landed, although it took some time to take power, it has been promoting social development, and the Ming Dynasty has been thriving.

In terms of the most important grain, the price of rice in Beijing is declining year by year.

Although sweet potatoes, corn and potatoes have not been able to be popularized on a large scale, the problem of food shortage in the north has been effectively solved, and the northeast province has become a veritable granary of the northeast.

Thanks to the water conservancy construction in Northeast China, as well as the people's active land development, coupled with the unique black soil in Northeast China, the total yield per mu in Northeast China has exceeded 20 million tons.

Tohoku Province produces so much food in a year, and although the new Tohoku people now need to consume some of it, most of the grain is left.

A large amount of grain from the northeast was transported to the capital through tax and grain sales, and with the increase in grain production in Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan, and the introduction of Korean rice by sea, the grain supply in the north was basically solved.

With the alleviation of the grain shortage in the north, the transfer of grain from the south to the north will not seem so urgent, and even the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which requires millions of maintenance fees every year, can be abandoned.

However, these achievements are not the end, and everything is just the beginning, and various difficulties will arise in the process of special development.

Although the problem of south-to-north transportation has been solved, the south-to-north transportation has become a current dilemma.

With the rise of shipping, many goods have abandoned the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and chose more convenient shipping, and a large number of goods have been transported from Jiangnan or overseas to Tianjin.

Tianjin's new customs status is increasing, but as more and more goods are carried at the wharf, the imperial court has to face the problem of Tianjin's lack of transportation capacity.

Guo Yong stood on the edge of the incense burner in front of the important ministers, but suddenly took out a bright yellow holy decree: "Jia Jun, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, receives the decree!" ”

"Greetings to the Holy Will!"

Jia Jun was slightly stunned at first, and then knelt down in a proper manner.

Yin Tai, the first assistant of the cabinet, and other important ministers also knelt down one after another in the face of the holy decree, and they were very puzzled why His Majesty suddenly issued an edict to Jia Jun, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, could it be to cure Jia Jun's crime?

Guo Yong spread out the holy decree and read it aloud: "Fengtian carries the emperor, and the edict says: Since Jia Jun, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, has been in charge of the fortifications, he has made outstanding achievements and won his heart. The ability of Guanqing is the pillar of the Ming Dynasty...... Today, he was awarded the scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion, and he was specially recruited into the cabinet and awarded the title of prince and teacher. The husband is a product, hundreds of people are forward-looking, the Quartet is looking forward, going to the ancient teachings, the upper will be supplemented by light, and the next will be the life of the people, admiring this! ”

Yes?

When He Cong, the head of the household department, heard this appointment, he Cong and other important ministers looked up at Jia Jun in disbelief, and also looked at the emperor in the attic in shock.

Although the status of the cabinet has declined somewhat, it has always depended on the background of the ministers, and no matter how bad it is, it has to be recognized by the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty like Li Yu, the former secretary of the ministry.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Works, which was not inconspicuous, was suddenly entered by the emperor to worship the prime minister.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live, long live!" Jia Jun was also shocked, and he couldn't suppress his emotions at the moment.

Unlike Yin Zhi, the first assistant of the cabinet of Zhenggen Miaohong, and Li Yu, who was recognized by hundreds of officials for his fairness, he was just a person.

According to his background, it is a great gift to be able to stay in the position of the secretary of the Ministry of Industry now, and no one would have imagined that he would be unusually entered by His Majesty to worship the prime minister.

At this moment, he felt the immense grace of the emperor, and he was also willing to give him such treatment.

"Since Jia Qing took charge of the Ministry of Engineering, many projects have been quite smooth, and Mingyuan treasure ships and steam engines have made great achievements! I was specially promoted to the cabinet, which was not only a gesture of merit, but also hoped that the courtiers below would follow his example. As long as you do things honestly for Daming, you will be able to enter the cabinet like Jia Qing in the future! Zhu Youji's voice came from the attic, and it seemed quite powerful.

"I see!"

"Jia Jun deserves this treatment!"

"Mingjun is in the court, and my generation is very lucky!"

……

The important ministers present were originally a little unconvinced to give the official the treatment of entering the cabinet to pay respects to the prime minister, but when they heard Zhu Youji's words, the whole person instantly became bloody, and they also sighed with emotion in their hearts.

An officer who does things honestly can get such an honor, as a dignified non-commissioned officer, how can they not enter the cabinet to worship the prime minister in the future?

"Your Majesty Shengming!" Under the leadership of Yin Zhi, the first assistant of the cabinet, all the important ministers behaved in a proper manner.

They are now obedient to Zhu Youji, not only because they are forced by Zhu Youji's power, but also because they respect this emperor who is eloquent and has clear rewards and punishments.

Jia Jun was only from a person's background, and after receiving the holy decree that represented the successful entry into the cabinet to worship the prime minister, he was so moved that he couldn't control his emotions at this moment, and was crying silently.

Liu Jin has been standing in front of the guardrail in the attic, holding a whisk and speaking lightly: "Since you have already seen the steam engine, I don't know what to think of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway Project?" ”

Zhu Youzhi took the hot tea delivered by Han Youying's slender hand, and drank it silently.

Transportation is the biggest cost of the times, and it is also the most urgent direction to improve social productivity.

Even though Huaxia spent countless manpower and financial resources to build the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it also needed to spend eighty percent of the power cost to transport grain to the capital, and the annual expenditure has passed millions of taels.

The Kaizhong Law introduced in the early days of the Ming Dynasty was actually the same as the imperial court's sacrifice of salt tax to solve the transportation capacity problem, and the potential expenditure here also reached several million taels.

Now the Ming Dynasty really wants to take off economically, then it must start to solve the problem of backward transport capacity, and the railway is the best way to solve the current power problem.

It is precisely in this way that he is also ready to promote the Beijing-Tianjin railway project and change the dilemma of backward power in this era.

"Although the steam engine is indeed magical, it is still unknown whether it can make a steam train!" Liu Xuan, the secretary of the military department, was a rigorous person and immediately questioned the authenticity.

Chen Zheng, the left attendant of the Ministry of Industry, saw Jia Jun, who had been promoted, and swore as if he had been beaten with chicken blood: "Liu Shangshu, since our Ministry of Industry dares to release the words in this matter, we will definitely be able to cause a steam train in two years!" ”

According to many people's understanding, it is natural to build a steam locomotive first, and then build a railway. It's just that the Ming Dynasty is now preparing to build a railway first, and during the construction of the railway, the steam locomotive will be manufactured.

"Yesterday we visited the steam engine, Jia Shang...... Jia Ge Lao also said that the steam train will be manufactured within two years, so let's stop arguing about this issue! Yin Zhi knew that behind the matter was the person in the attic who was pushing him, and he also stood up and said.

Zhu Youzhu put down the teacup in his hand, this time it was actually a bit risky.

However, the development of Tianjin is still unexpected, and the problem of cargo blockage in the port is more serious than expected, especially once the canal is paralyzed in winter.

Now the problem can still be solved by animal power, but with the continuous development of the economy, once this problem is not properly solved, then the economic take-off can only be a loft in the sky.

The backwardness of transportation capacity has become the biggest obstacle restricting the take-off of China's economy.

As a result, although it would take two years for the steam locomotive to be manufactured, he decided to put the Beijing-Tianjin railway project on the agenda.

"Even if the technical problem can be solved, where does so much steel come from?" Liu Xuan, the secretary of the Ministry of War, did not admit it, but asked another sharp question.

As the speaker of the Ministry of War, he knows better than anyone else that steel is not easy.

Although the total output of Daming pig iron is 40,000 tons, this is not enough for the military department, and where can copper and iron be spread from Tianjin to Beijing as if it were not money.

You know, there are more than 200 kilometers in both places, so how much pig iron does this consume?

(End of chapter)