"Now that the inspection is completed, get ready to add coal and water to the locomotive unit!"
Wang An ordered.
As he finished speaking, several craftsmen wearing uniforms from the institute began to add coal and water to the steam train.
Wang An and a group of researchers stood aside, pacing or talking from time to time.
Use this to vent their nervous emotions!
Whether this steam train is feasible or not, whether their long-term research is in vain depends on today's trembling.
I can't tolerate them not being nervous!
Although steam trains have been put into trial operation before, they were run in a proving ground.
If you want to know whether steam trains are feasible, you need to run them on a real railway before you can make a conclusion.
Given the emperor's current emphasis on science and technology, once the steam train is successfully put into trial operation, the rewards they will receive will definitely be quite generous.
A researcher who looked to be in his twenties grinned and said to his companions.
"After this reward is distributed, do you want to go to the Qinhuai River to have a good time together?"
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, his companion shook his head and said.
"No, I'll be off duty later, and I have to go home to be with my wife!"
The young man curled his lips and said.
"Afraid of your wife? You're really worthless!"
When my companion heard this, he was not angry at all.
He just smiled and said.
"It's not that I'm afraid of my wife!"
"But I want to save more money while I am young now, so that I can buy a house in Nanjing and hoard some land in Jiangnan, so as to make plans for my future children and grandchildren."
"Isn't this worth spending money on the bellies of women on the Qinhuai River?"
The Ming Dynasty was very generous to scientific research talents. With their salaries and the bonuses they received for common technological breakthroughs, as long as they saved for two or three years, it would not be a problem to buy a full-price house in Nanjing.
Of course, the house here refers to the kind of courtyard house you enter, not the kind of mansion that covers a large area.
The young man heard this but didn't take it seriously.
Because he has no shortage of houses in Nanjing and land in Jiangnan!
He just shook his head and said.
"Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. I will enjoy the blessings without children and grandchildren!"
"If you don't go out and have fun while you're young now, you won't be able to play anymore when you get old!"
The conditions in the young man's family are very good. Although his home is not conspicuous at all in the Nanjing city of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that's because this is Nanjing city.
Otherwise, based on his family's wealth, if it were placed in the local state capital, he would be the richest man in the place.
As the youngest son in the family, he has been pampered since he was a child!
Therefore, compared with other people, his thoughts seem a little too self-centered.
You only think about yourself when doing things and don’t make plans for others!
If he hadn't been addicted to strange skills, arithmetic and engineering since he was a child, he definitely would not have entered the Ming Dynasty Royal Research Institute.
But this companion is different. His companion's family is very poor, but he can read and write, so the family tightens their belts to provide for him.
He always knew his responsibility!
He must let his family live a good life.
This is the difference in their thinking.
Wang An took a deep breath, looked at the researchers who were whispering, and said.
"Just stop saying a few words and go check all aspects of the steam locomotive again!"
"His Majesty will be here in person for this trial run!"
"Nothing can go wrong!"
When several researchers heard this, their faces straightened and they spoke seriously.
"I'll understand later!"
Just as these researchers were inspecting the steam train again, a group of cavalry suddenly came running from a distance.
The flags were fluttering, and the red dragon flags seemed to announce their identities to everyone.
Wang An's eyes narrowed and he said hello.
"Everyone is ready to pick you up immediately!"
"That's the vanguard of the Imperial Guards. Your Majesty is coming!"
After a while, the cavalry of the Guards Division quickly rushed in and took over the entire station.
A Royal Guardsman took over the defense, and a group of people searched the entire station to ensure that no one was waiting.
Another group of people stood in their proper positions and took charge of security matters.
A cavalry general came to Wang An on Pegasus. After saluting Wang An, he spoke.
"Sir Wang, the Holy Driver will be arriving soon. We will take over the station and be responsible for guarding to ensure the Safety of the Holy Driver."
"excuse me!"
Wang An nodded and said.
"If you need anything, please feel free to ask!"
"The whole institute is willing to provide you with convenience as much as possible, all for the sake of your majesty's safety!"
The cavalry captain nodded, but said nothing more.
As the Guardsman's inspection was completed, a large plume of smoke appeared at the end of the road.
The emperor's yellow dragon ceremonial guard was flying high. Zhu Hongyu did not ride on a horse, but under the protection of a group of guardsmen, he rode to the train station outside Nanjing.
Today, Zhu Hongyu is dressed quite simply, without so many complicated decorations.
The white Suzhou embroidered brocade uniform has a dragon pattern painted on it with gold thread. He wears a black cloak behind his back and a snow fox fur scarf around his neck to keep warm.
The pure white coat looks very nice!
He wears a black crown with gold embroidery on his head, leather gloves on his hands, and a sword and jade pendant hanging around his waist.
The jade pendant is a piece of bright and clear Hetian jade!
The hilt and scabbard of the sword are inlaid with gems, which are crystal clear and very gorgeous.
But for an emperor, this can still be regarded as simplicity.
Zhu Hongyu entered the station on horseback, and Wang An quickly came forward to greet him and salute.
"Wang An, a humble minister, pays homage to my emperor!"
As he spoke, he wanted to kneel on the ground.
But he was stopped by Zhu Hongyu.
Zhu Hongyu got off his horse, helped Wang An up, and said.
"No need to be polite, just take me to see the steam locomotive!"
For people of this era, steam locomotives must be a rare thing.
But for Zhu Hongyu, it was just like that.
In his previous life, even high-speed rail had been popularized in Rabbit's family, and trains were basically obsolete.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! However, Zhu Hongyu is still very interested in the steam trains of this era.
Because no one understands the significance of steam trains better than him!
Once steam trains were popularized and the railway network was successfully established, it would become a major transportation artery.
And the national power of the Ming Dynasty will also take off with the unblocked transportation arteries!
Zhu Hongyu strode to the side of the steam train, looked at the sleepers and rails spread out on the ground, and then looked at the silly, big, black steam train in his hand.
He reached out and touched the cold car body!
The thick and cold touch made Zhu Hongyu couldn't help but feel his heart move slightly. This is the power of industry!
"When can the train leave?"
Zhu Hongyu asked.
Looking at this steam locomotive, Zhu Hongyu was a little eager to try it.
He wants to get in the car and go for a ride!
After all, the Ming Dynasty was also the first train in the world, and the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty personally rode it. This is actually quite meaningful.
Wang An clasped his fists and said after hearing this.
"Your Majesty, engineers are still inspecting the railway!"
"After ensuring the safety of the railway, we can start the train from here!"
Zhu Hongyu nodded.
"very good!"
"Instruct people to hurry up and prepare. When the time comes, I will take the bus myself and take a round trip!"
When Wang An heard this, his complexion changed slightly, and he spoke in admonishment.
"Your Majesty, you must not do this!"
"This steam train has only been run in a test site before. It is only the first time it has been put on the road. The risk is uncontrollable!"
"Your Majesty's safety is the first priority. I will never allow Your Majesty to take risks personally!"
"Your Majesty, please think twice and take back your order!"
This steam train is a new thing. No one dares to let Emperor Zhu Hongyu board the train without going through specific experiments.
If something unexpected happens, they will be the sinners of Ming Dynasty!
Zhu Hongyu waved his hand and said.
"I have made up my mind, no need to persuade me any more!"
"Zhao Qiang, prepare for the chauffeur to wait for the train!"
Zhu Hongyu turned around and gave instructions to his personal guard captain.
When Zhao Qiang heard this, he also showed hesitation.
"Your Majesty, I think what Lord Wang said makes sense!"
"Your Majesty is a man of wealth, so you must not take any risks!"
Zhao Qiang also opened his mouth to persuade.
Seeing this, everyone around him knelt down in large numbers.
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
"Your Majesty, please take back your order!"
"Your Majesty's safety is the most important thing!"
"..."
A group of people turned into kowtowing beasts, trying to dissuade Zhu Hongyu. No matter what they said, they dared not let the emperor board the train.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Hongyu took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeves and said.
"That's it, everyone, get up, I won't get on the bus!"
Although Zhu Hongyu wanted to board the car to satisfy his curiosity, he also knew that there was no need to embarrass these subordinates.
They did not allow themselves to board the bus out of duty and loyalty, and were unwilling to risk themselves.
Then why do you have to embarrass them?
Seeing this, everyone around them bowed down and said.
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
Seeing this, Zhu Hongyu just nodded slightly and said.
"Zhao Qiang, pass the order and ask the brothers to feed the war horses enough. I won't get on the train. Is there no problem in riding a horse and following the steam train?"
When Zhao Qiang heard this, he could hear the emperor's displeasure from his tone, and without any hesitation, he hurriedly clasped his fists and said.
"I will obey my orders!"
Zhu Hongyu turned around and returned to his beloved horse, patted the horse's head gently, and then got on the horse.
Zhu Hongyu's royal horse is a horse from Hexi, which has the endurance of Mongolian horses and the strength of plateau horses.
The coat is pure white, the figure is slender, and she is very beautiful!
Its explosive power and strength are also full!
Although Zhu Hongyu does not need to ride a horse on the battlefield, he is a truly top-notch war horse.
Zhao Qiang and others also got on their horses one after another and stood guard around Zhu Hongyu.
Seeing this scene, Wang An personally boarded the steam train and prepared to control the train.
Light the fire, add coal, and it’s done in one go!
As the water was boiled little by little, the steam engine on the steam train began to run.
As the pressure continues to increase, the steam engine runs faster and faster.
As the steam engine runs, the wheels of the steam train slowly rotate under the drive of the connecting rod.
The next moment, the sound of iron wheels and rails rubbing against each other was heard.
Bang Chi, Bang Chi, Bang Chi...
Driven by the kinetic energy provided by the steam engine, the steam train moves forward slowly.
Black smoke began to rise from the chimney, and the whistle was blown!
All! All!
The shrill whistle almost frightened the horse under Zhu Hongyu and caused him to lose control.
Fortunately, Zhu Hongyu also had some riding skills, and relied on his own strength to forcibly control the horse.
When Zhu Hongyu saw the train moving, he rode forward and moved forward side by side with the steam train.
Around him, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard also controlled their horses and followed their emperor closely.
When I first started, the speed of the steam train was not very fast!
It's just that the speed of walking is about the same as that of a human being. Zhu Hongyu just pinched the horse's belly lightly and his horse was able to keep up.
However, as time passed and the effect of inertia occurred, the speed of the steam train began to become faster and faster.
From the speed of a human walking, to the speed of a human trot, to the speed of a war horse, only about half a quarter of an hour passed.
Although even now, the speed of steam trains is not too fast, it is not enough.
Because steam trains can run day and night as long as they add coal, and given their cargo capacity, there is no need to go very fast.
You must know that this steam train operation test is not running empty. Those carriages are filled with grain and various bulk commodities.
The total weight is approximately nearly three hundred tons!
This number is certainly pitifully small in the eyes of later generations.
That is, the carrying capacity of several large semi-trucks, which is not worth mentioning.
But that is in the Hereafter!
In this era, if there is a vehicle that can pull hundreds of tons of cargo and can trot as fast as a war horse, it will be no different from a miracle.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhu Hongyu rode along with the steam train. The soldiers of the Imperial Guard around him looked at the steam train speeding on the rails, but each one
The mouth has grown.
A look that has never been seen in the world!
Zhao Qiang looked at the steam train speeding next to him and couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
He finally understood why the emperor was so interested in the steam train!
It’s really hard to tolerate!
If the Ming Dynasty had this steam train, wouldn't it mean that wherever the railway was built, the Ming army could follow it and attack it?
In the past, the biggest factor restricting the military's foreign campaigns in the past dynasties, the army's logistics problem, could be completely solved by steam trains.
Even soldiers of the Ming Dynasty could go directly to the front line on steam trains.
Even if they are marching thousands of miles, the soldiers will always ride in cars, so there is no need to worry about the loss of physical strength and morale of the army.
As long as you get off the car, you can immediately enter the battlefield!
This thing is simply a weapon of war!
Although the current steam trains are not fast enough, they only reach a speed of 20 to 30 kilometers per hour, which is similar to the electric cars of later generations.
However, steam trains can run day and night!
Even if the time for adding coal and water is included, the steam train can run four to five hundred kilometers a day.
Is it true that you can travel a thousand miles a day?
If an army could travel thousands of miles a day, it would be really terrible!
…
Wang Quanshi is a villager in Wangjia Village.
Although it is already winter, poor people cannot rest.
After the autumn harvest, all the young men in the village went out to work part-time to make money, while the women went to work in the newly opened textile and garment factories in the town.
The old and weak women and children who stayed in the village did not lie down to rest.
Some people use looms to weave cloth at home to supplement their household income. Although with the promotion of machine cloth, it is difficult to sell handmade homespun cloth.
But it’s still possible to weave fabric for yourself to wear!
After all, homespun cloth is much more durable than machine cloth!
The small-scale peasant economy in which men farm and women weave is not easy to break.
Some people couldn't sit still at all and ran to their own fields to prepare for fertilization in advance and prepare for planting in the coming spring.
Although life was very hard, since the Ming Dynasty came back, the excessive taxes and levies on the people's heads have been exempted.
The emperor even ordered the Ming court to never increase taxes, and since the Ming Dynasty was restored for such a long time, everything the court had to do was to hire workers.
Instead of collecting corvees, the people worked in vain.
Everyone knows that this is a typical example of frivolous corvee and low wealth, resting with the people!
They have met a good emperor, and they can be considered hopeful for the future.
So, although life is hard and tiring now, everyone has hope in their hearts.
I know that life will definitely get better and better in the future!
Therefore, I don’t feel tired anymore!
Wang Quanshi is currently working in his fields.
Swinging the hoe with a bang, he dug up the yellow grass roots and buried them in the mud to prepare for fertilization.
The cold wind was howling, but Wang Quanshi was sweating on his forehead.
Although he is old now, he is still a good hand when it comes to farm work.
After working for a long time, Wang Quanshi straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Then he picked up the water bottle on his waist and poured himself a sip of warm water.
Wang Quanshi left the field and returned to the field ridge. He took out the pancakes he had prepared when he went out in the morning and ate them.
The winter weather during the Little Ice Age was so cold that if farmers wanted to work, they could only work while the weather was warm.
When it gets cold around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, you can't do it anymore!
Therefore, many people take some dry food with them when they go out in the morning, eat it in the fields at noon, and continue working after eating.
I might as well not go home at noon, but wait until it gets cooler in the afternoon!
Wang Quanshi was gnawing on the dry biscuits while looking at the railway that was at most two to three hundred meters away from his farm.
Looking at the two railroad tracks and the neatly arranged sleepers, Wang Quanshi was a little jealous.
Those two railroad tracks are made of fine iron!
The sleepers are also made of fine wood!
The imperial court laid these fine iron and wood materials on the ground, but it was such a waste.
Of course, looking at the fine iron and wood spread on the ground, it is not that no one has thought about it.
But those who have thought about it have basically been exiled to Nanyang by the whole family!
The signs posted by the imperial court along the railway tracks "Destroy the railway tracks and your whole family will be exiled" are not just words!
Similar to the treatment of destroying railway tracks, there is also the telegraph line in Ming Dynasty that is still under construction.
"When the power line is cut, the whole family suffers" is not just a saying!
No one dared to offend the imperial court on such a matter.
Although Wang Quanshi felt sorry for the imperial court's waste, he had no intention of going up and taking the railway track back to him.
Their family's life has finally improved, but he doesn't want the whole family to be exiled to Nanyang.
Just waste it!
As long as the emperor takes corvees lightly and doesn't bother the poor people like them, it's not a big deal!
Just when Wang Quanshi patted his butt and prepared to return to the fields to continue working.
Woo! Woo!
The harsh and sharp whistle sounded, and he looked in the direction of the sound.
In the direction where the railroad tracks extended, a plume of black smoke appeared in the sky at the end of the line of sight.
Moreover, the black smoke is still moving rapidly, approaching quickly.
When Wang Quanshi, an old country farmer with little experience, saw this scene, he subconsciously let out a scream.
"Ah...monster!"
"..."
Instantly, screams came and went all around.
After the full view of the monster breathing black smoke appeared in front of all of them, the screams became even louder.
"Monster that breathes black smoke!"
"Run! The monster is eating people!"
"..."
Some people turned around and ran away, while others knelt on the ground, shivering, and kowtowed in the direction of the steam train.
As the steam train got closer, the sound of the rails rubbing became louder.
Gradually, the sound of horse hooves could be heard!
The bright Chinese flag was flying high, and a huge cavalry team followed the train closely.
To the people along the railway track, this scene looked more like the imperial army chasing the steel monster...
Looking at the dragon flag fluttering high, the scene looked more like a monster fearing the emperor's majesty and running away desperately while blowing black smoke.
Unconsciously, the sanctity of the Ming Dynasty’s imperial power became more and more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people!
"Long live my emperor!"
"Long live the Ming Dynasty!"
"The Emperor bless you!"
"..."
In the fields around the railway tracks, more and more people were kneeling on the ground, kowtowing in the direction of Zhu Hongyu.
"Hush!"
Zhu Hongyu stopped his horse.
It's not that he doesn't want to continue following the car, it's that the horse under his crotch can no longer run.
He was breathing heavily!
"Stop it, you don't have to follow me anymore!"
Following Zhu Hongyu's order, the Ming army stopped.
Thousands of cavalry suddenly arrived, and their level of training, organization, and excellent combat qualities were fully demonstrated.
Looking at the steam train gradually disappearing, Zhu Hongyu's eyes were full of satisfaction.
After a moment, he turned around and said.
"Let's go back to Nanjing. There's no need to follow us anymore. It seems that the test run results of this steam train are quite good so far!"
…
ps: That’s all for today, normal updates will resume tomorrow!