When Yang Peng returned to Cangzhou, he first went back to Tianjing New City. First, he visited his master and Mrs. She, and told the master what happened in the past few days. Mrs. She said, "The affairs of the Chai family may be related to the official affairs."
I mean family, the Chai family is a thorn in the side of the Zhao family. The Chai family can sleep peacefully without the Zhao family." Yang Peng asked again how Tianjing New City is doing now, and Lin Qing'er said, "Everything is normal,"
Yang Peng continued to solve the sealing problem, and the subsequent improvements of the steam engine became easier. Yang Peng successfully made the condenser. After the condenser was made, the force on the push rod was obviously much stronger, saving wasted heat.
, the effect is immediate.
The next step is to use a bidirectional air intake cylinder, with air inlets on both sides of the piston. When hot steam is injected into the left side of the piston to perform work, the other side of the piston closes the air inlet and connects it to the condenser, thereby generating negative pressure.
Suction the piston. The gas on both sides of the piston works together to push in one direction, sucking the piston and increasing the output power.
Inspired by oil-soaked linen, Yang Peng used oil-soaked hemp rope to seal the connection between the push rod and the cylinder, and found that the effect was good. The hemp rope was very tight and quite elastic after being soaked in oil.
, because of the grease, the friction is small. After tying six layers of hemp rope on the push rod, the water vapor cannot be squeezed out.
Yang Peng was reminded by a craftsman and came up with the magical effect of soaking hemp rope in oil. However, in Yang Peng's mind, he made a baffle on the two air inlets. Every time he slides the baffle, the two
The air inlets are alternately opened and closed, and are alternately connected to the boiler. This baffle is controlled by an eccentric ring connected to the top of the slide rod, and it switches automatically as the slide rod moves up and down. Yang Peng rides to Tianjing New Town every morning.
I rode back to Cangzhou in the evening and worked hard in the two places. After spending more than twenty days solving a series of minor problems, I successfully made a Watt-type steam engine. The steam engine was quite powerful, at least as strong as five oxen.
Seeing that Yang Peng made the Watt steam engine, the blacksmiths who participated in the trial production of the steam engine couldn't stop looking at the steam engine, marveling at it. The combination of steel and flame turned it into something that could move, and it was so strong. The craftsmen
Although they participated in the trial production, they only participated in part of the manufacturing. At this time, there were still many things they did not understand, and they were astonished by the technology of the city lord Yang Peng.
"Sir City Lord, this strength is greater than a few cows!" "Sir City Lord is so amazing, this machine can be used in many places!" "Sir City Lord must be the reincarnation of Lu Ban!"
Yang Peng smiled and emphasized the confidentiality regulations to the craftsmen again. Yang Peng planned to follow the same example and make two larger steam engines so that they could be mounted on ships and become the power source of the ships' paddle wheels.
Ships with steam engines are steamships, and they can go to sea no matter what the monsoon is. Using ships that can go to sea in all seasons to do ocean trade, Yang Peng seems to have seen a lot of money waving to him. But Yang Peng's two big ships are still there
Manufacturing, it will take more than three months to complete.
Yang Peng took the time to visit Wangjiawan these days and taught the shipwrights how to build ribs. The shipwrights were all old-fashioned, and they built dense ribs on both sides of the keel. In addition to laying the ribs, Yang Peng
The shipwrights were also asked to open twenty cannon ports on the side of the second deck as firing ports for the cannons.
After the pointed ship is built in three months, the steam engine can be put on board. However, the steam engine can do more than just ship engines, and can also provide power for many industries.
This time during the battle between Yingzhou and Khitan soldiers, Yang Peng deeply realized that his troops lacked armor. Without the protection of armor, soldiers were extremely vulnerable to the enemy's bows and arrows, and they might be seriously injured even if they were hit by thrown bows and arrows.
Although a large amount of Khitan army cotton armor and chain armor were seized, with the expansion of Yang Peng's troops, these seized armors may not be enough. Moreover, most of the captured armor is cotton armor. It is too hot to wear cotton armor in summer, causing heatstroke.
Yang Peng is preparing to make a new type of armor by himself, using high-quality crucible steel as raw material, and using a steam engine to drive a forging hammer to forge steel breastplates, helmets and shoulder armors.
With steel breastplates, shoulder armors and helmets, Tatar bows and arrows are basically ineffective against Li Zhi's soldiers dozens of steps away. The armor-breaking ability of bows and arrows is extremely limited, in the face of armor forged from high-quality steel.
Especially powerless.
The forging hammer driven by the steam engine is also very simple. It is a big hammer supported by a long wooden handle lever, which moves up and down. The steam engine continuously presses the long wooden handle at one end, and the lever lifts the big hammer, and then clicks
It hits the forging in one fell swoop. Compared with the human forging hammer, the hammer driven by the steam engine is much stronger. Such a forging hammer can increase the work efficiency of the forging blacksmith dozens of times. Several newly recruited blacksmiths are not used to it yet.
Li Zhi's invention and creation, when they saw the big hammer of several hundred kilograms being lifted up again and again by the steam engine and hitting the anvil heavily, they were dumbfounded.
"Is this an immortal spell?" "Lord City Lord, what kind of machine is this? Isn't it too powerful?"
Yang Peng smiled and said: "This is called a steam engine. It is the secret of my Tianjing New City. You can't tell anyone about this machine. Anyone who leaks the secret will lose his head."
In fact, this steam engine is not afraid of leaks. Except for Yang Peng himself, other craftsmen may not understand the principle even if they dismantle the steam engine, let alone reproduce it. Moreover, the Song Dynasty is currently in chaos, and there are those who are interested in stealing Yang Peng's steam engine technology.
I'm afraid there are basically no people.
However, Yang Peng was used to keeping his skills secret, and subconsciously emphasized the confidentiality regulations to several forging craftsmen. When they heard Yang Peng's words "lost their heads", the faces of several craftsmen turned pale. Who is the city lord? How many people have been killed?
The craftsmen were as good as killing chickens. The craftsmen were determined not to tell anyone about the steam engine, even if they were killed.
Yang Peng looked at several craftsmen and asked: "With this steam engine, how many days can you forge a set of armor?" Several craftsmen looked at the forging hammer, pondered for a while, and started discussing. Finally, the leading craftsman said
: "With such a big hammer, any kind of steel can be forged easily. I'm afraid a set of armor can be forged in one day." One set of armor per day is quite efficient. Yang Peng nodded.
Yang Peng recruited thirty blacksmiths to make armor. It is estimated that with the help of steam engine forging hammers, these thirty blacksmiths can make more than 10,000 sets of armor and helmets a year. Li Zhi recruited fifteen more handymen to manage the steam engine and add fuel to the steam engine.
Firewood, add water. Of course, Yang Peng's steam engine has just been successfully developed, and now there is only one test model on hand. In the next few months, Yang Peng's steam engine team will increase its manpower and work overtime to produce Watt steam engines.
Yang Peng called this steam engine, which was about as powerful as five oxen, the No. 1 medium-sized steam engine, and planned to produce forty units. Thirty units were prepared for armor workshops, and ten units were left in reserve.
So many steam engines could only be produced one by one, and it would take at least half a year to complete them all. On May 6, while dealing with the construction of sea ships and steam engines, Yang Peng summoned the lieutenants of Cangzhou and divided their troops to guard the troops.
The commander-in-chief, the commander-in-chief of each battalion and the local garrison, as superiors, met with these military attaches.
Yang Peng is now a first-class hussar general and a popular figure among the officials. Even the governor is afraid of offending Yang Peng. The military attaches in Cangzhou are all in awe of Yang Peng. They have long wanted to visit Yang Peng, but Yang Peng
Peng had been away from home, working on the steam engine in Tianjing New City. At this time, they received the news that Yang Peng wanted to see them, and the military generals came from all over the country, and they all gathered at the General's Mansion at midnight.
The second hall of the General's Mansion was filled with military attachés from Cangzhou. Fortunately, the governor and the deputy governor still had room to sit. The governor and the guards had to stand at the back. But even though they were standing, these
The military generals still have no complaints. Today's General's Mansion has a higher status than the governor's yamen. They are used to standing in the governor's yamen, so standing here is nothing.
Unlike the civil servants who were worried about Yang Peng collecting business taxes, the military generals had nothing to worry about Yang Peng, their superior. Yang Peng had always turned a blind eye to subordinate military attachés, as long as nothing happened to Yang Peng.
Everyone saw his style. At this time, the generals were very relaxed and chatting in twos and threes.
Many new military attachés who had never met Yang Peng were very curious about Li Zhi. They wondered what kind of person Yang Peng was, who was killing everyone in Cangzhou. Is it true that he had three heads and six arms, and could scare a Khitan dog to death with just one stare?
The generals waited in the second hall for two quarters of an hour before Yang Peng put on his official robe and walked into the second hall to meet his subordinates. A soldier walked into the second hall first and stood by the door and shouted: "The general is here!"
The military generals in the second hall looked at each other, and finally formed a tacit understanding, and collectively knelt down. The highest official position of these military attaches was from the second-rank Huaihua General to the Cangzhou Deputy General, which was two ranks lower than Yang Peng's general. What's more,
Yang Peng is a bachelor and ranks among the three nobles. This junior is more than the third rank. According to the official rules of the Song Dynasty, officials with such a rank difference must kneel down and worship when they meet.
When Yang Peng walked into the second hall, he only saw a bunch of black heads kneeling on the ground. Yang Peng walked to the chair with his hands behind his back and sat down, then said: "Everyone, get up!" The generals got up.
He raised his hands and said, "I've seen the general before!" Those who had never seen Yang Peng dared to look at Yang Peng with their eyes and looked at Yang Peng up and down.
Yang Peng smiled and said, "I have kept you waiting!" Cangzhou Deputy General Huang Dejian said loudly: "The general is busy with official duties, so it is natural for me to wait for a while." After saying this, he handed over his gift list.
As a meeting gift to congratulate Yang Peng on his promotion.
Yang Peng looked at the gift list and felt that the goods on it were at least four hundred taels of silver. Huang Dejian's move was not ungenerous. Yang Peng placed the gift list on the coffee table next to him and nodded. Seeing that Yang Peng was satisfied, Huang Dejian
With joy on his face, he held his hands and retreated. Next, bureaucrats, big and small, came up one after another to give gifts. Yang Peng received a lot of gift lists. Among them were silk mink clothes, jade agate, ivory, rhinoceros horns, ginseng and deer antlers, which Yang Peng and his family were afraid of.
It won't be used up for several years.
The so-called Zhumen are full of wine and meat, and there are people who are frozen to death on the road, it is nothing more than this. However, Yang Peng is also happy that these military attaches are corrupt and have no fighting ability. The more corrupt these Cangzhou military attaches are, the more powerful his own strong army will have a say in Cangzhou.
Who dares to disagree with the idea of collecting business taxes for a few months? If these military attachés are really working hard and have strong troops, Yang Peng must be cautious and always be on guard against anyone attacking him.
As for the national defense of the Song Dynasty, Yang Peng's Tiger Guards stood up to turn the tide and hold the building alone. Thinking of this, Yang Peng was too lazy to teach or quarrel with these military attachés. He only said loudly: "Where is the Dingzhou Military and Horse Prison?"
?”
"The general is here!" Two middle-aged officials bowed and bowed their hands, and walked up respectfully. Yang Peng nodded and said: "This year I will buy 100,000 acres of wasteland on your land each and turn it into 200,000 acres of military land.
I will send someone to hand over the money for purchasing the wasteland to the Metropolitan Supervisory Office, and you can issue the land deed to me!"
In the troubled times of the Song Dynasty, food was the most important thing. If there was no food in the years of war and chaos, it would be impossible to buy it with money. In the past few years, natural and man-made disasters have continued throughout the Song Dynasty, food prices have been rising, and there is a shortage of food everywhere. Yang Peng opened the parity price
The grain store has finally stabilized the price of grain in Tianjing New City at the level of one to two and one stone, so that the people in Tianjing New City will not suffer from food shortage.
But the situation is getting worse and worse, and Yang Peng now regards expanding his team of tenant farmers as a priority. Dingzhou is adjacent to Dagou City and has convenient transportation from Dagou City, making it an ideal place to open up new fields.
Both of them listened to Yang Peng's words and felt excited.
They had already inquired with Jinghai Governor Ye Xiancai that Yang Peng's reclamation of military land would not only give the Metropolitan Superintendent's Office a thousand taels of silver to buy the wasteland, but would also increase the number of grains in the local farmland and improve his own political performance, which was completely beneficial.
It's a good thing. Moreover, helping the general take care of his private land is also an opportunity to get close to the general and get closer to him.
Look at the generals in Tianjing New City who follow Yang Peng! They are promoted every year, or they are promoted in leaps and bounds. Yang Peng's younger brother Zhang Xiang is now a second-rank official in the capital. How many years has it been? If he could be promoted as a general
If you are recognized as a subordinate, you will really rise to the top! A casual word from the general can make you rise to the top.
Both Qing County and Xingji County listened to Yang Peng's words, but their faces were full of disappointment. They also hoped that Yang Peng would open new fields in Jinghai and then go all the way south to Qing County and Xingji County to open fields. Unexpectedly, Yang Peng opened new fields in Jinghai.
Peng turned around and headed north again. Without Yang Peng's money and his achievements in farming, they were very disappointed.
Jiegao, the military supervisor of Qingxian County, licked his lips and couldn't help but said: "General, our Qingxian County is close to Yanshan County, so why not open some new fields in Qingxian County? I, Shi Jiegao, can do it with my head.
"Guarantee, there are absolutely no lawless people like Liu Bingchuan and Liu Jianshen in Qingxian County." Yang Peng said impatiently: "Did I ask you to speak?"
Shi Jiegao was startled and said in a trembling voice: "General, calm down, calm down! The general is talking too much! The general deserves to die!" He did not dare to say more and quickly retreated. Yang Peng said to the two soldiers in Dingzhou
Ma Dujian said: "There are still three or four months before winter wheat is sown. We must seize the time to hire people to repair the canals to ensure that winter wheat can be planted on new fields this season. You and my general, Duan Zhixian, will discuss the specific matters.
It must be done well. Anyone who dares to stop me from repairing the canal will be shot to death!"
Hearing Yang Peng's murderous words, both guards trembled in their hearts. Now Yang Peng not only held a high position and was deeply trusted by the officials, but also had strong soldiers. Yang Peng wanted to make things look better, so he and Cangzhou
The civil and military officials discussed it. If Yang Peng was unhappy and stopped worrying so much, and there were so many people killed, who could stop Yang Peng's tiger warriors?
These are troubled times, and whoever has the bigger fist is right. The two governors of Dingzhou County knelt on the ground with a bang and shouted: "General, don't worry, if anyone dares to block the general's new field, he will be killed by the general!"
"
Yang Peng nodded and said no more. On May 10th, Yang Peng went to Wangjiawan to see the two ships he was building. Wangjiawan is located forty miles south of Tianjing New City. It is a sparsely populated bay.
It is concave from the outside coast. The bay land is surrounded by several small mounds, which is relatively hidden. The soil on the seaside of Tianjing New City is saline and alkaline, making it impossible to cultivate, and the population density is very low. If you don't search carefully, you will not be able to find it.
A bay.
There were more than a dozen families of fishermen living in the bay, and they were all hired by Boss Wang to build boats. Boss Wang bribed the local military governor, so no one came to take care of Boss Wang's shipbuilding affairs. Yang Peng and Zha Yunke
With a few guards, I rode lightly on horseback for two hours, entered Wangjiawan, and saw Boss Wang's shipbuilding site.
On the construction site, one ship had already built dense ribs and laid two decks, and it already looked like a ship. The other ship had just laid the keel and hadn't started setting up the ribs yet. Zha Yunke looked at Yang
Peng said: "General, I was afraid that you would misunderstand when you said you wanted to build a ship, so it's inconvenient to tell you, but I still have to tell you now. The profits of this sea-going trade are no longer what they were during the Tianqi years!"
Yang Peng asked: "Oh? How do you say that?" Cha Yunke said: "Ten years ago, one tael of silver was worth one tael, and a load of fine Dengzhou white raw silk only cost about one hundred taels of silver, and it was sold to Japan.
You can sell it for two hundred taels of silver. If you load a ship of raw silk to the Japanese country, you can easily make tens of thousands of taels of profit. It is really a good day to go to sea."
"Even six or seven years ago, one or two five cents of silver could be used as one tael of silver. The purchase price of a load of raw silk was only about 140 taels, which still left a profit of 60 taels. A boatload of raw silk was sold for
There is also a profit of more than 10,000 taels when going to Japan. Including the goods on the return journey, a ship can earn 20,000 taels a year." "But now, with the war and chaos, prices in our Song Dynasty have soared, and two taels of silver can only be used as one tael of silver.
Flowers. The purchase price of a load of Dengzhou white raw silk in Cangzhou has reached 170 taels. It can only be sold to the Japanese country for 200 taels, and the profit is only 30 to 40 taels! After this trip to the Japanese country, the profit is only a few taels.
One thousand taels of silver. Even if we bring some Japanese knives and other items to sell when the ship comes back, the profit will be less than 10,000 taels per trip, which is really not what it was before!"
"Not to mention that when the maritime ban in Fujian was lifted last year, dozens more ships came to the Japanese country, and the selling price of raw silk was even lower." Yang Peng looked at Cha Yunke and knew that what he said was true. During the Zhidao period, due to the war,
As a result, the supply of goods was insufficient. Prices in the Song Dynasty were so expensive, and the profits of goods shipped to the Japanese country were naturally low. If Yang Peng was engaged in raw silk trading like others, he probably would not make much money.
Yang Peng looked at Zha Yunke and said, "The silk I sell to Japan may not necessarily be raw silk, but may also be a specialty produced in Tianjing New City." Zha Yunke's eyes lit up when he heard this and he smiled: "
If the general manages his own specialties, he can make more profits." In his heart, Zha Yunke was still afraid that Yang Peng's two big ships would compete with him for the raw silk business and raise the price of raw silk in Cangzhou, diluting his profits. Listen.
When Yang Peng mentioned that he was selling his own specialty products, he was very happy and said: "The general's glass mirrors and transparent glass are sold in Japan, and they can sell a lot."
Yang Peng nodded and said: "I have a lot of things to sell." Zha Yunke was very happy when he heard this. He took Yang Peng to find Boss Wang and found the craftsman on the ship that was about to be built.
.
Boss Wang was standing on the second deck, discussing something with Chen Jie. When he saw Yang Peng approaching, he quickly came up to him and bowed down: "Boss Wang has seen the Lord of the City." Yang Peng helped Boss Wang up and asked: "
Boss Wang, how is the construction of my boat going?" Boss Wang said: "In another month and a half, the first boat will be built. Now the keel and ribs of the first boat are all installed, and the paddle wheel position as mentioned by the adults has been completed.
Once it is built, the paddle wheel can be installed at any time, just waiting for the bearings and steam engine you mentioned, sir."
"The other one can be built in less than four months." Yang Peng nodded and looked around, feeling that the ship was well made. Cha Yunke patted around and said to Li Zhi: "Big
General, Boss Wang has worked hard this time, and the ship he built is made of solid materials. It will last for seven or eight years without any problem." Boss Wang accompanied Yang Peng and looked around, and asked curiously: "General, your ship
Are you doing business? Why are there so many crossbows?"
Yang Peng said: "Pretend to use a strong crossbow to fight the Japanese pirates!" Boss Wang was stunned and asked: "What are the Japanese pirates?" "As long as there are Asians and Westerners who have different intentions, they are bandits! I will use the strong crossbow to fight against them!"
Boss Wang thought for a while and said: "Sir, you want to be a pirate and rob the ships of those alien races!"
Yang Peng smiled and said: "You can understand it this way." Boss Wang grinned and said: "The city lord is still powerful, but there is no king's law on the sea. The cargo of this ship is tens of thousands or even more than a dozen
Wanliang, grab a few ships and you'll get rich!"
After returning from Wangjiawan, Yang Peng found five craftsmen who made rifles and took them to the crossbow workshop to find Cao Yu, the leader of the crossbow makers. "Cao Yu, I want you to forge forty heavy crossbows in these four months.
"Cao Yu rubbed his palms and said, "Okay, sir, the strong crossbow workshop has not opened its furnace for making crossbows for a long time."
Li Zhi's strong crossbow workshop uses the iron billet method to cast strong crossbows. The crossbow blanks can be used repeatedly. The speed of casting strong crossbows is very impressive. It can cast an iron core copper body strong crossbow in three days. Yang Peng had made enough for 140 times before.
When the crossbow was light, the strong crossbow workshop stopped production and turned to casting dragon-tailed chariots. Cao Yu and other gunsmiths had been casting the dragon-tailed chariots for more than half a year. Once they were finished, they were sent to the warehouse for storage.
I don't want to cast that thing anymore.
Yang Peng nodded and said: "But the strong crossbows cast this time are for use on ships. The waves on the ship are bumpy and high and sometimes low. It takes a long time for the strong crossbows to be launched, and the aim is inaccurate. I want to change all the strong crossbows to
The flintlock mechanism ignites the fire. I will hand over these gunsmiths to you, and you can work together on how to install the flintlock bolt onto the crossbow."
Cao Yu was stunned and looked at the five gunsmiths behind Yang Peng. Yang Peng thought for a while and then said: "It's not necessary to make a trigger to pull it out. It's also good to make a rope to pull it out. In short, it's
In order to shoot immediately after aiming at sea, you can think of something that can be used."
Yang Peng added: "The research has been completed. Each of the six of you will be awarded a month's salary." Those gunsmiths have made countless flintlock rifles. They are very familiar with the flintlock rifle.
They were also confident about transplanting the machine to the crossbow. At this time, when they heard Yang Peng said that there was a silver reward, they all patted their chests and said: "General, don't worry, leave it to us!"
What happened after all? Let’s look at the breakdown next time.