Shuntianfu, the capital.

Du Yinxi, Zhang Kuang and other important senior officials of Northern Zhili were waiting outside the telecommunications room of the governor's office (this is the official administrative name and office space of the telegraph team of the governor's office).

They also all know the importance of railways and the great significance of the completion of this first railway.

Therefore, after learning the news and checking the quality of the railway project twice, Du Yinxi immediately called Nanjing and reported the matter to Zhu Aona.

One of the purposes was to ask if Zhu Aolao was interested in traveling to the capital to observe the opening of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway.

If Zhu Yulao has this intention, I am afraid that the opening of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway will be delayed for at least another month.

Considering that the emperor moved thousands of miles away, even though he was the capital, there were still many matters involved, which would definitely cause controversy among the courtiers. Therefore, senior officials such as Du Yinxi and Zhang Kuang actually did not want Zhu Ailao to come and observe.

It's a pity that the decision-making power is not in their hands - with Zhu Yuluo's current strength, it is impossible for ministers to influence his choice in such a matter that can be both.

It was a hot day in June, and Du Yinxi and others were extremely hot, but they still waited patiently outside the telecommunications room.

Finally, someone from the telecommunications room came out with a piece of telegram, handed it to Du Yinxi, and said with a smile: "Inspector Du, Your Majesty has decreed that since the Beijing-Tianjin Railway is completed, it should be opened as soon as possible on a good and auspicious day for the benefit of the military and the people!

"

"Okay!" Zhang Kuang next to him couldn't help stroking his hands and laughing.

Du Yinxi quickly glanced at the message and smiled happily.

Why doesn't he want to see the Ming Dynasty's first railway in operation as soon as possible?

So he immediately ordered, "Let Secretary You check all aspects of the conditions for the opening of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway again. If it meets the standards, we should choose an auspicious day and open it as soon as possible!"

"clear!"

Next to him, Fu Zuolin, counselor of the Confidential Section of the Governor's Mansion, smiled and agreed, and then left in a hurry.

Unlike the governor's yamen, the agencies under the governor's yamen need to be streamlined.

The first sequence includes the general office, telecommunications room, Dubiao Town and other ancillary institutions.

There are five more departments under the General Office, in order: Confidential Affairs Department, Branch Affairs Department, Military Affairs Department, Government Affairs Department, and Communication Department.

Fu Zuolin was originally a Changde Juren, and he had followed Du Yinxi as a staff member very early. He actually participated in the examination in February, but unfortunately he lost his name, so he continued to work as a counselor in the confidential department.

Another difference from the ten departments under the governor's office is that there are five departments under the governor's office, including clerks, clerks, assistants, and counselors, and directors.

Nowadays, these staff positions have become public offices, and the position of the same name in the Governor's Yamen is one level higher than the Governor's Yamen.

For example, Fu Zuolin's counselor is the seventh grade, and then the director is from the sixth grade, which has directly caught up with the rank of the chief and assistant official of the state palace.

···

Three days later, the Beijing-Tianjin Railway was officially opened.

Du Yinxi, the governor of Shanbei (Shanxi and Beizhili), represented the imperial court and took officials from Beizhili and Yingtian Mansion to participate in the opening ceremony.

This ceremony is not the ribbon-cutting of later generations, but the ceremony after the completion of bridge construction and road paving in ancient times: setting off firecrackers, offering tributes, and offering sacrifices to heaven and earth.

The current northern end of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway is four or five miles southwest of the outer city of the capital, and is under the jurisdiction of Wanping County. However, it is called Beijing Station according to Zhu Yulao's long-standing intention.

As for its southernmost point, it is naturally the Beitang Port in Sanwei, Tianjin, which is called Tianjin Station.

This time, even if the magistrate did not invite him, many gentry and landowners came to watch, and the common people were no exception.

Even Daxing and other other counties in Yingtian Prefecture, many people came here just to see what the railways and trains that have been hotly discussed in the past six months look like.

"Is that a train? Oh, it's so big and long!"

Wanping gentry Zhang Rui will naturally not be absent this time. He is also among the crowd of spectators, together with his friend Geng Xin.

Hearing Zhang Rui's praise, Geng Xin couldn't help but marvel at the train on the railway.

As locals, they have already seen the railway in the past six months. It uses two rails and some horizontal wooden rails laid on the roadbed.

This move is similar to the rumored small sections of minecart tracks in some large mines, except that the minecart tracks are all made of wood and are mostly very short.

As for the train, it is really beyond the understanding of Zhang Rui and other Ming gentry and scholars.

I saw that this train was divided into twelve sections, six of which were like carriage carriages, and six which were like carriages, but they were all much larger.

What surprised Zhang Rui and others was that there was a chimney erected at each end. Moreover, most parts of the train were made of iron, even fine iron (steel), and only a few parts such as the carriages were made of wood.

After watching for a while, Zhang Rui said doubtfully: "I heard that trains are just like steamships, driven by steam engines. I once went to Tianjin and saw steamships from a distance, and they seemed to have chimneys.

But why does this train have chimneys at both ends? Are they equipped with steam engines?

It's like driving a horse with horses yoked to the front and back of the carriage. If the two horses run in opposite directions, how can the carriage move?"

The gentry and scholars of the Ming Dynasty were not so averse to new knowledge and new things, not to mention that the trains and railways were vigorously promoted by the imperial court. Naturally, Zhang Rui and others had learned about them in many ways in the past six months.

Even so, their knowledge of trains and railways is still quite limited, so Zhang Rui had this doubt.

Geng Xin observed carefully for a while and said hesitantly: "Brother Zhang, you see that the train seems to have to stick to the rails in order to move, which means it is difficult to turn around.

Since it is equipped with two steam engines, is it possible to use only one steam engine when it is running? When traveling south, use the southern one; when traveling north, use the northern one."

Zhang Ruili's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he praised: "Brother Geng is so smart, he must be so!"

Geng Xin was embarrassed by the praise, "I'm just guessing. I'll have to wait until it starts running to find out."

"The ceremony has been completed, you will know soon."

Others were also discussing and talking about anything.

"This is a train? It's so long. What kind of oxen and horses can pull it?"

"Needless to say, it must be the celestial horse that the emperor invited from heaven, the dragon horse."

"The imperial court put so much effort into building a railway train, so it can't run as fast as a horse-drawn carriage, right?"

"You'll find out soon. There are people riding horses and carriages over there. I heard that I'm waiting to compete with the court's train later."

“···”

A hundred steps away from the train station, with crowds of people watching, Du Yinxi gave an order, and the first official railway in the Ming Dynasty was finally opened.

Woo——!

The reminder of the sharp and long whistle made many people startle and subconsciously move back.

Fortunately, the government had already taken preventive measures, allowing a certain number of people to gather in one place. There was basic order and the venue was spacious enough, so stampedes were avoided.

"It's moving! It's moving!" A little boy sitting on his father's shoulders shouted excitedly, "The big iron car is moving!"

Everyone looked and saw, as expected, the train's iron wheels began to move as thick smoke spewed out from the chimney at the south end of the train.

Immediately, many people felt disappointed, while others laughed.

"Why are you moving so slowly?"

"At this speed, it's worse than an ox cart."

"Hahaha, my donkey cart is faster than it!"

"Hey, the imperial court spent a lot of time and effort, driving hundreds of thousands of strong laborers to work for half a year, and paving the road with iron. I don't know how much money was spent, but in the end they built something like this?"

“···”

Not only the gentry and common people who were watching were talking a lot, but even some officials in the railway station who didn't know much about trains showed disappointment and confusion.

Many people are thinking: I heard that this train was an imitation of the immortal world by the Holy One. Could it be that it failed because of the lack of immortal energy in the mortal world?

Just when people were disappointed, puzzled and even laughed at, the wheels on the rails were rolling faster and faster, and the train was moving away faster and faster...

Second update.
Chapter completed!