After Liu Mingzhi and his second son parted ways, they rushed all the way towards the government office where the Ministry of War general was in charge.
Knowing that many junior officials and government officials did not recognize him as the emperor of the day, Mr. Liu, although he did not identify himself, used his token to clear the way and finally arrived at the General Supervisory Office.
Hearing the clanging sound of hammering in the courtyard, Mr. Liu raised his head and scanned around, and finally found the familiar figure of Wanyan Feixiong in the corner of a tall shanty.
Liu Mingzhi took off his cloak and hung it on a dead branch nearby. Liu Mingzhi slowly walked towards Wanyan Feixiong.
Liu Mingzhi's eyes first glanced at the front of the dragon locomotive in front of Wanyan Feixiong. Looking at the appearance of the first-generation locomotive in front of him, which was similar to that of the first generation locomotive in later generations, Liu Mingzhi's eyes flashed with surprise and joy.
Compared with the front of the fire dragon chariot that I saw in the Kingdom of Jin, the front of the current car is much more sophisticated.
Liu Mingzhi couldn't tell what specific improvements had been made. He just felt that it felt superior for no reason.
“Feixiong, how’s it going? Did you encounter any bottleneck again?”
"I have told you several times not to hit me when I am thinking... Big... Big brother, why is it you?
How did you come?"
Looking at Wanyan Feixiong who stood up hurriedly to say hello, Liu Mingzhi smiled and waved his hand: "No need to be so polite, sit down and talk, sit down and talk."
“Yes, brother, please sit down too!”
Liu Mingzhi randomly found a place to stay and sat down, carefully examining the front of the car in front of him.
“Why are you looking so gloomy? Have you encountered any difficulties?”
Wanyan Feixiong poured a bowl of hot tea into a coarse porcelain bowl and handed it to Mr. Liu, shaking his head helplessly.
“It feels like there’s no problem, I’m just waiting for you to decide when to approve the laying of the track for the dragon train.
But Song Shangshu, Jiang Shangshu and others have always said that the national treasury is tight now, and it is not appropriate to spend so much time laying the track for the dragon car.
I can only sit here every day and think about the shortcomings of the dragon car.
But after much deliberation, I can't think of anything wrong.
Let’s try to go on the road without laying tracks. Just thinking about it is not an option.
Didn’t my eldest brother also tell me back then that what he saw on paper was so shallow that he knew he had to do it personally?
But Song Shangshu and others have not agreed to my request, so I can only think about it."
Liu Mingzhi was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile: "Okay! It seems to be referring to Song Shangshu and Jiang Shangshu, but by co-authoring it, you are metaphorically referring to me, the eldest brother!"
Fei Xiong, you also have to understand my difficulties, brother. As long as the national treasury is abundant, Lao Jiang has already agreed to your request.
But now there are places where silver is used everywhere. The autumn tax of silver taels consumed by the national treasury during the Western Expedition has just been partially replenished. The war in the north has started again, and a large amount of silver taels has been consumed again.
Public administration, people's livelihood, building schools, and establishing religions all use money everywhere.
The eldest brother even built only a prototype of the imperial mausoleum where he would be buried in the future, but construction was stopped due to lack of money.
There is a lot of money in the national treasury, but more than 170 million people in the world are waiting with their mouths open to eat!
At this time, you can only avoid the serious ones!"
“Brother, I understand you, that’s why I haven’t taken the initiative to complain to you in these years.
But I can’t just stay here as a prisoner and pass the time, right?
Let me forge swords and armor. There are so many skilled craftsmen that there is no need for me. Besides, I can't do these strenuous tasks.
I am working hard to improve the slow speed of the fire dragon chariot, and the court cannot come up with money to fully support it. What can I do?"
Liu Mingzhi looked at Wanyan Feixiong’s unhappy expression and raised his hand to gently pat Wanyan Feixiong’s shoulder.
“Good brother, it’s my eldest brother who has sorry for you, can you please apologize to me?
Aren’t you feeling bored with idleness? How about big brother finding you a job to do?”
Wanyan Feixiong’s eyes were filled with surprise: “Isn’t it hard work?”
“Brother has always emphasized that people should make the best use of their talents and materials, so why would he let you do hard work?”
"so?"
“Brother, I want to run a few academies of science and technology. Now that the national treasury is a little empty, you will be of no use as a prisoner.
How about becoming a dean for your eldest brother?
As the saying goes, one person can calculate the shortcomings, and two people can calculate the longitudes.
You have taught more students. When they encounter problems in the future, they may not be able to tell you the secret in just one sentence and wake you up.
More importantly, you will be able to have successors with all your knowledge in the future.
Brother, if you say something unpleasant, everyone will die eventually.
Hundred years from now, I don’t want you to end up full of knowledge and full of unfinished ambitions with regrets, right?
When you are full of peaches and plums all over the world, the eldest brother should also manage the country and make the world equal, and the world will be peaceful.
At that time, whatever you and your students wanted to do, my eldest brother would fully support it, no matter how much money you spent."
Wanyan Feixiong hesitated for a while and looked at Liu Dashao expectantly: "Including the cars and airplanes you mentioned that I want to study?"
“Naturally, my brother has roughly told you the concept of the internal combustion engine. I don’t know how to deal with the specific situation. Whether you can figure it out depends on your understanding.
To tell you the truth, the oil guy who supplies cars has already sent people to search for it.
As long as the time comes, I hope to witness with my own eyes the day when you can show off your ambitions!"
“Okay! I promise!”
“Good brother, I really saw you right!
Brother is planning to start preparations for the Academy of Geosciences in the spring of next year.
I hope you will not disappoint my brother’s expectations, and that you will be able to truly be famous all over the world in the future, stay famous throughout the ages, and be famous forever!”
“Brother, we are just helping each other.
You give me the opportunity to study science, and I will give you the finished product of science.
We brothers work together to contribute to the development of science."
Liu Mingzhi looked at the admiring Wanyan Feixiong and sighed silently.
“Science is not omnipotent. At least science cannot explain the secrets of internal strength and lightness strength.”
“Brother, what did you say?”
“Nothing, just talking to myself.
Let’s go home together, have a few drinks, and have a good discussion on the preparations for the establishment of the Institute of Science and Technology.
In this regard, my eldest brother is a layman compared to you. It is up to you to make the final decision on how to implement it."
“Brother, you are being humble. If it weren’t for your suggestion, how could Feixiong know so many things.”
“Flying Bear, brother, I am really not being humble. I can only provide you with an idea. If you ask me to explain it carefully, I really can’t explain it.
Leave aside the distance, just this, the front of the dragon chariot, I can’t even figure out how it moves!
I can only say that I know it is driven by steam, but as for how it moves, I have no idea."
“Brother, how do you know these concepts and principles?”
Liu Mingzhi paused as he went to get the big cloak, turned around and looked at Wanyan Feixiong who looked curious, looked up at the setting sun in the west and let out a sigh of relief.
“Maybe I dreamed it myself!
If I have to say something, I can only say that it is a ridiculous story!
A ridiculous story that no one understands or believes, and I don’t dare to tell it!”