"The current leadership of the British still has territory on the European continent. Even if they give up their territory and return to England, the Mongols would not let them go. The English Channel is too narrow. Although the Yuan army has no navy, the British have no decent navy."

Li Luo believed that Kublai Khan would definitely conquer Ying, just like he was conquering Japan and Yue, and it was impossible for him to leave Xiaoying so close to the European continent without fighting.

The English Channel was too narrow, and it was too easy for the Yuan army to land. Later generations were able to block Napoleon and the Third Reich, mainly because of the powerful navy. Now without a navy, it is difficult to block the Mongolian army.

As for Spain, the Moors could defeat them back then, let alone the Yuan army. Moreover, the southern part of Spain in later generations is still in the hands of the Moors.

Cui Xiuning said: "There are too many coastal areas in the West and are born close to the ocean. After the Mongols and Yuan occupied Europe, they will definitely develop naval forces, maintain their naval presence in the Arabian Sea, and then invade east."

Li Luo nodded: "So, we must dominate the Arabian Sea, especially the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea in northern Persia. We must make the Mongols unable to establish a navy in the Arabian Sea, and for hundreds of years, forcing them into a continental country."

Li Luo pointed to the map and pointed at the location of the Persian Plateau. "This is from the Tang Dynasty. What we want is the Great Western Regions. We don't want Persia and the west of the Caspian Sea, so we don't want it, it's beyond the reach."

Cui Xiuning also agreed: "At most, it will go to the Caspian Sea and Persia. If it is big, it will be impossible to manage it."

Li Luo touched his beard, "That, wife, is there hope for the steam engine? I'm talking about it within decades."

Cui Xiuning wrinkled her nose and shook her head, and said without hesitation: "Don't even think about it, that's impossible. Only those who don't know the steam engine think that the steam engine is simple."

"So, it is an ordinary factory in later generations that wanted to restore the mature steam engines in the mid-19th century, but they did not have the technical level. Do you understand? Unless it is a factory that specializes in the production of internal combustion engines."

"What's the use of just knowing the principle? Europeans knew the principle of steam engines for a long time, and ancient Chinese could not have been unclear about the reason. But it was not until the first half of the 19th century that steam engines really matured."

"The European Renaissance studied steam engines and the principles were clear. But how many years did it take from research to the Second Industrial Revolution? It seemed to take two or three hundred years because the industrial foundation could not keep up."

Li Luo was stunned, "Is it that complicated? Many factories cannot be built in later generations?" Li Luo was a little disbelief.

Cui Xiuning sneered, "Those who think that the steam engine is simple have a misunderstanding of the steam engine. I don't understand why the protagonists who travel through time novels are better than us, so it is easy to create steam trains and ships."

She turned her fingers and said, "First of all, the steam engine in the true sense must be a high-pressure boiler. The efficiency of the steam engine is not as efficient as that of the internal combustion engine and is of a low speed. If you don't use a high-pressure boiler and only use a vacuum boiler, it will be only a half-component of the efficiency, and it will be useless."

"Not to mention high-pressure boilers, even the least efficient vacuum boilers will be difficult for us to build within decades. Not to mention other things, just talking about sealing is a huge problem in this era. As for the truly usable high-pressure boilers, we should not even think about it."

"Before Europe man-made high-pressure boilers, after the Renaissance, the industrial foundation and science have made great progress. We have scientific theories, but our application manufacturing foundation is not as good as Europe in the 18th century."

"Two modern people who do not study science can come to ancient times to create the foundation laid by the whole of Europe after hundreds of years of Renaissance. Do you think it is possible? That is, I have a good memory and still remember a lot of related knowledge."

"Steam engines involve many manufacturing technologies and are a supporting system. High-pressure boilers are a difficult point, including cylinders, valve devices, fire pipes, and condensation and separation systems. There are many difficulties, and the manufacturing technology requirements are really not low. In later generations, many countries cannot create good steam engines."

"Not to mention other things, just a high-pressure boiler is a big difficulty. An aircraft carrier steam catapult is also a type of steam engine. How many countries in later generations can build it? In fact, most people do not know the specific structure of the steam engine."

Li Luo thought for a while, "If the project is established now, how many years will it take to build a vacuum steam engine? How many years can it take to build a high-pressure steam engine?"

Cui Xiuning obviously thought about this issue for a long time, and she said without thinking: "Vacuum machines are at least a hundred years, and high-pressure machines are estimated to be two hundred years old. Well, at the latest in the middle of the Ming Dynasty in history, the Tang Dynasty would definitely be able to build steam engines, which was two or three hundred years earlier than in the West in later generations."

What, it takes so long?

Li Luo suddenly looked disappointed. "I'll go, no? What are the high-pressure boilers, cylinders, valve devices, etc., and the principle is almost clear. Why does it take so long? Is this scientific? I don't believe it."

"Science?" Cui Xiuning was speechless, "Oh, I just said it with a very scientific attitude."

The woman looked like "I had a headache". She grabbed Li Luo's hand and said in a tone like a teacher giving students a lesson:

"Come on, husband. Think about it first. Steam engine technology relies on five disciplines: mechanics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, and materials science. As long as the knowledge of these five disciplines is satisfied, steam engines can be created and the industrial revolution can be started, right?"

Li Luo pinched Cui Xiuning's hand, looked at the exquisite and beautiful face of "teacher", and nodded, "Yes."

"Okay." The woman smiled in a tempting way, with a husband's expression on her face. "Then think about it again, are we both stronger than Newton's basic knowledge in the five subjects of mechanics, mathematics, engineering, metallurgy, and materials science? "

Li Luo could only shake his head, "We are not as basic knowledge as Newton in these five subjects, and of course we are even worse than the Royal College of the UK at that time."

Newton was a very powerful comprehensive scientist with in-depth research in all aspects. The Royal Academy of Sciences in the 17th century was already very powerful.

Cui Xiuning continued: "Yes. Newton and scholars of the same era could not have known the principle of the steam engine, and he must have paid attention to it. However, the steam engine was improved after more than a hundred years after he was born, and the steam engine was truly mature after nearly two hundred years after he was born."

"Our knowledge in this regard is not as good as that of Newton, and the Palace of True Dao is even worse than that of the Royal Academy of Sciences in the UK. The entire Tang Dynasty was still an ancient agricultural society, and even handicraft manufacturing technology and metallurgy technology did not reach the European level in the 17th century."

Li Luo was silent. Cui Xiuning received higher education after all, and her knowledge of industrial history was no worse than that of herself. She was right. The Renaissance brought the entire production technology of Europe to a great level. Although there was no industrial revolution, manufacturing technology actually had a considerable foundation.

Britain, more than a hundred years before the Industrial Revolution, was already capitalist.

Otherwise, how can we make powerful cannons and high-precision clock and instruments?

Cui Xiuning felt a little distressed when she saw Li Luo's disappointed expression, "Oh, although we know many scientific theories of later generations, we do not understand engineering and basic materials science. We can only guide craftsmen and grasp the correct direction. They need to explore and experiment for a long time and improve the overall manufacturing technology. This is a long process."

"Just talking about steel, our steel smelting has been the most advanced of this era. It was based on the Song Dynasty, with hydraulic forging hammers and coke, and limited knowledge of steelmaking in later generations improved. But in addition, we know how to continue to improve steel? What materials need to be added? How does the smelting process change? I don't know."

"These materials cannot be created just by theoretical concepts we know. What we lack is application technology."

"The steel requirements for steam engines are absolutely not low. Europe seems to have only been explored in the 18th century, and it is more than four hundred years away."

Li Luo sighed, "Can't steel be used barely now? We don't need too good quality."

Cui Xiuning shook her head: "I don't know much about steel, and I have sorted it out and handed it over to the Ministry of Works. But I know that the types of steel are divided into several categories and dozens of types according to strength. Our current steel is at most ordinary steel from later generations. It is okay to use it to make sharp Tang knives, but it cannot be used as a high-pressure boiler, and the strength and welding performance cannot be achieved."

"The result of use is explosion. Why did Europe do it for so long? I guess it is because the steel is not qualified. There is also the welding technology of boilers, which also requires many years of exploration. This is just a boiler, and there are many other difficulties. Only when the entire manufacturing level reaches the 18th century in Europe can the industrial revolution be started."

Welding performance? This is the first time Li Luo knows that this is also a steel standard.

Li Luo still asked unwillingly: "Then let's settle for the second best, what vacuum boiler should I do?"

Cui Xiuning smiled, touched her hair and shook her head: "The efficiency of vacuum machines is too low, almost the same as animal power. Forget it, but what's more serious is that vacuum boilers are also difficult. At least valve devices and sealing devices must be qualified. Who can do these process and mechanical technologies?"

"Now you understand? Even a useless vacuum machine also requires long-term exploration. At least it needs to solve the problems of valves and sealing. Well, this aspect requires a comprehensive application of mathematics, engineering and materials."

"Okay." Li Luo smiled bitterly, "That is to say, we will not think about the industrial revolution until we die. Alas, it is not a good thing to be too advanced in technology, but it is not a good thing to be too backward. We are the worst time travelers in the technology tree."

Cui Xiuning sneered: "Then you should have brought a female engineering doctor to travel through time."

Li Luo knew that the woman was a little angry, so he hugged Cui Xiuning's waist and said, "What's the use of a female doctor in engineering? You are the most capable and the most beautiful."

"You're going to blame me, I believe you." Cui Xiuning smiled and cursed, "If you don't criticize me for being incompetent, I'll thank you."

Li Luo's claws touched the Tang Dynasty queen by a silence, and said with a smile: "Then what else can we make?"

Cui Xiuning said: "A primary microscope can be made, and a mercury thermometer can be made, but top-grade crystals must be used. Only glass with poor transparency can be made, mainly because the furnace temperature is not enough. Our coke quality is not good, and the improvement method cannot be found. The craftsmanship has been exploring. Well, clocks and standard scales can be made."

"These things will come out in a few months."

Li Luo asked again: "Where is the cement?"

Cui Xiuning said: "The cement... cannot be burned out, but the temperature is not enough. We do not have instruments to measure high temperatures, but I must be at least more than 100 degrees. I remember that the furnace temperature in Europe increased greatly in the 19th century. But it is unknown what method to use. But it seems very complicated and is a comprehensive technology."

To be honest, she was also a little shy. As a person who received higher education in the 21st generations, she didn't know the specific method of increasing the furnace temperature in the 19th century. Isn't she very incompetent?

The smelting technology of the Song Dynasty was already ahead of the world, but the furnace temperature should be only above 1,000 degrees. Cui Xiuning probably increased it by one or two hundred degrees on this basis, but it still failed to meet the requirements of firing cement and high-transparent glass (1,400 degrees).

The more you increase the furnace temperature, the harder it will be. Even if you increase it by 100 degrees, it will require major improvement.

In order to hide his shame, Cui Xiuning said again: "I also made a great loom, mainly due to Huang Daopo. Well, there are many Chinese patent medicines. Military, grenades can also be made, but after all, it is black gunpowder, with limited power and poor reliability."

"The Palace of Zhendao has restored iron with rust."

Li Luo knew about this. Zhang Sanfeng from the Zhendao Academy (Academy of Science) mentioned it before.

It can be said that this is the biggest gain since the establishment of the True Tao Academy.

Reduce iron oxide to iron!

"Is this your guidance?" Li Luo asked.

Cui Xiuning shook her head, "I didn't have guidance. I only inspire two years ago, saying that since iron can turn into rust, how can rust turn into iron?"

Li Luo smiled and said, "I just reminded me that he had discovered this chemical reaction in two years. It's really amazing."

"Zhang Sanfeng is indeed a person with high IQ." Cui Xiuning also had to admire him. "He also believed that the iron produced by rust is less than a pound, which means that some rust contains iron, has other things. Since this kind of thing cannot be seen, it may become a kind of qi."

"He repeatedly concluded that rust and charcoal can be reclaimed in a boiler and can be restored to iron and a gas. This gas will make people feel a little uncomfortable."

"He came to ask me, and I told him that this gas is called carbon dioxide, which is the gas produced by carbon and oxygen elements. The iron will rust and copper will grow patina, which is because there is a kind of oxygen in the air. People can survive by relying on oxygen."

"Zhang Sanfeng admired my words and said, "It turns out that vital energy is oxygen. When I heard that, well, the name vital energy is good, I changed oxygen to vital energy. Tell him that rust is actually ternary and two iron iron, composed of three vital molecules and two iron atoms... When charcoal burns, it turns into binary charcoal..."

"Zhang Sanfeng was very happy. He said he was enlightened and suddenly realized, saying that this was the truth."

Li Luo couldn't help but nodded.

Why didn’t you tell Zhang Sanfeng this earlier?

Because he needs to explore for a while, learn how to explore the truth, and enjoy the fun. Now telling him something is of course to avoid detours.

Li Luo asked: "Now, how much has he learned?"

Cui Xiuning replied: "I didn't say much, I just said that the world and all things are composed of many elements. Some things only have one element, such as iron and gold. Some things are composed of many elements, which is the same as alchemy. Different elements can generate new things from each other. There are only a variety of ways to form them. I told him that by studying the nature of things, you can discover more of the mysteries of the truth."

Li Luo smiled, "Zhang Zhenren lives long enough to see how many elements he can find."

Of course, Cui Xiuning would not write the chemical element table directly to the Zhendao Academy. Because, first, many elements cannot be proven to exist at all, and second, if this is done, how can we cultivate the spirit of scientific exploration in China?

The True Taoist Academy must prove the existence of various elements step by step through its own exploration. What China needs is to discover the factors that explore the truth and explore the truth, as well as scientific methodology.

Without these, what's the use of Cui Xiuning instilling all modern knowledge? Without forming a tradition of exploring truth, they will fall behind sooner or later and will only be ahead of the moment.

On the contrary, the knowledge that is suddenly instilled is not only a rootless tree, but also spreads out, which may make wedding dresses for foreign countries and allow them to come from behind.

How many people can understand the painstaking efforts of the two time travelers?
Chapter completed!