Zhu Ying is not just an excuse. He does often supervise the progress of the train in the Scientific Research Department.
"Your Highness, please see, the hook that Your Highness mentioned earlier has been successfully made."
"When two carriages collide, the two hooks will be directly connected together, so that the train carriages can be disassembled at will."
"However, according to our current tests, the hooked carriages are bumpier than the whole train. Therefore, I feel that this train in the capital will be more stable if all are connected together."
Huang Guan reported on the progress of the work.
The hook is not very difficult, especially for masters who are proficient in carpentry. Zhu Ying has briefly described it before. They only need to design and structure it in this way.
Zhu Ying looked at the hook in front of her. This one was not made of iron, but a wooden model.
In the Scientific Research Department, there are many carpenters with exquisite craftsmanship. After all, the Scientific Research Department today can be said to be the holy land of craftsmen in the entire Ming Dynasty.
Craftsmen who are somewhat famous across the country and have real skills will basically come here.
High status is one thing, but the key is good treatment.
Food and accommodation are included, and monthly stipends are provided, and children are also arranged to attend school for free.
Throughout the ages, there has never been such a good thing.
Moreover, the Ming Dynasty is now so powerful that even overseas craftsmen are attracted to it.
Zhu Ying developed the Scientific Research Department as a research institute for future generations. Science is the primary productive force, so this result will naturally occur.
"In the future, we will build trains and rails all over the Ming Dynasty. At that time, the use of this hook will be much greater."
"Especially for freight, the carriages will not be left empty and more cargo can be temporarily carried."
"During the war, it can also ensure a large amount of logistical supplies for our army."
"What's the progress of the entire train now?"
Zhu Ying took a sip of tea and asked casually.
Beside him were Queen Aida, her mother and her daughter.
Basically, as long as they leave the palace, the three of them will stay with Zhu Ying.
There is also an iron kidney, otherwise ordinary people would have been ruined by singing and dancing every night.
Huang Guan reported: "According to our previous plan, there will be a total of nine carriages. In order to allow the train to run faster and to ensure that flameout does not occur, we installed a steam engine at the rear."
"When two steam engines operate at the same time, the train's speed can still reach more than three hundred miles per hour, even if it is fully loaded with cargo."
One hour and two hours.
According to later calculations, with the power of two steam engines, the current speed of the train can reach 80 kilometers per hour.
In the steam age, this can be considered a bottleneck.
If you want to go faster, you need to provide enough power, such as improving the engine to an internal combustion engine.
But this is very difficult.
Because in today's Ming Dynasty, there is no basic science, and the ability to build a steam engine was completely forced, rather than pushed up by the entire basic industrial knowledge system.
To put it simply, this is the black technology of today’s era.
Improving basic scientific theories cannot be achieved in a few years.
But the current situation is enough for today's Ming Dynasty.
"Starting from the Jingshi Railway Station, as for the Nanjing Port, it is only about twenty miles away. At the current speed, it means that it will only take less than a quarter of an hour to arrive, right?"
Zhu Ying asked.
The current railway tracks have only been completed near the Nanjing Port on the Yangtze River.
"Your Highness, yes, we can arrive at Nanjing Port within a quarter of an hour." Huang Guan replied seriously.
They have already run it, and the round trip time of the train is also within two quarters of an hour, which is extremely fast.
A quarter of an hour in the Ming Dynasty is roughly equivalent to 15 minutes in later generations.
Zhu Ying nodded with satisfaction.
"There are still some areas that are not perfect."
Huang Guan replied: "Nowadays, only the carvings on the front of the car and the decoration of each carriage are slightly worse."
"Due to time constraints, the faucet is carved out of wood this time. When more time comes, it will be cast out of steel."
Zhu Ying shook his head and said: "It's not necessary. The train can't be parked all the time waiting for the royal family to use it. A wooden faucet is very good. Just follow this method. Can it be done in three days?"
Huang Guan bowed and said: "It doesn't take three days, it can be completed tomorrow."
Zhu Ying said: "Okay, let's do it the day after tomorrow. Then the court meeting will be held here."
Huang Guan bowed and said: "I obey the order."
Left the Scientific Research Department.
On the way, Zhu Ying said to Queen Aida: "I won't be coming here for the next few days. There are things to arrange in the palace. I said hello to the Jin Yiwei. You can stay in the capital for fun."
Aida bowed slightly: "Thank you, grandson."
Amyra asked from the side: "Your Highness, when can we take the train? I really want to sit on it and have fun."
Ibaiti also looked expectantly.
Zhu Ying smiled and said: "I will take you to experience it in a few days. The railway built now is too short and cannot go very far. After a while, you can go to far away places."
During the time when she was with her mother and daughter, Zhu Ying also spoke about the matter of becoming a concubine.
However, although Amyra and Ibaidi were curious about life in the palace, they were unwilling to live there.
Because they have grown up in the palace of Huhu Kingdom since they were young, they yearn for freedom even more.
And after going to the palace, it was difficult to see the queen mother again.
From birth to now, they have not been separated from their mother.
Zhu Ying understood the sisters' thoughts and did not force them.
The Western Regions have a very different philosophy from the Ming Dynasty. The concept that they have no status is left to them.
Returned to the palace.
Zhu Ying reported the situation to Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Now that the train has been completed, only some carvings and decorations are left. It will be completed within two days today and tomorrow."
Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "How many people can sit in the nine carriages of this train?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhu Ying replied: "The seven carriages at the back have a total of 140 seats. The two carriages in the front are reserved for the exclusive use of the royal family. The seats
Just a little less, so it can seat more than a dozen people."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Okay, we will issue an edict that the court meeting tomorrow will be held directly at the Scientific Research Department."
"Dasun, you don't know that many of these officials are impeaching the Scientific Research Department, saying that too much money is spent every year. Now that they see the appearance of the train, they should be able to shut their mouths."
"If anyone keeps nagging me, then go to the countryside and farm instead of occupying this high position."
The annual funding of the Scientific Research Department starts at 10,000,000 Baobao notes, and has been even higher in recent years.
Salaries and wages are just the beginning of this allocation.
For example, Zhu Ying built twenty steel mills in the surrounding area in order to produce more steel for trains.
There are no business transactions in these steelmaking plants. They are all subordinate to the Scientific Research Department and exclusively supply steel to the Scientific Research Department.
The operation of steel mills relies on multiple steam engines.
These steam engines also require a large amount of coal.
Procurement expenditures are naturally included in the total expenses of the Scientific Research Department.
Why can trains be built so quickly?
Many people just saw the rapid progress in the Scientific Research Department. Zhu Ying casually mentioned a hook and it could be built in a few days.
But they ignored that behind this, there were 100,000 people working in three shifts.
When the task of hooking was given, eighty master carpenters tried various construction methods under the leadership of Huang Guan.
Eighty carpenters are assisted by nearly two hundred apprentices.
As for trains, almost every component has a dedicated team responsible for it.
It is a real hand-rubbing train.
No matter how much it costs, it is all worth it in Zhu Ying's opinion.
But many officials don't think so.
Spending tens of millions of dollars at a time has simply made their worldview constantly subverted.
For example, some officials pointed out that the total cost of flood relief in Henan was less than 20 million guan, and in the Department of Scientific Research, this amount was often lost in a month.
Looking at it from their own perspective, it feels right.
Growing up with Confucianism, he thought these were just kinky tricks, which made his grandson too addicted.
"So, Liu Sanwu's reform of education is urgent."
"These officials of the older generation have no new-era thinking in their minds. They are limited to their past perceptions and have no idea how important trains were to the Ming Dynasty."
"They even don't understand how far-reaching the current creations of the Scientific Research Department will have on the Ming Dynasty and even the whole world."
"The Scientific Research Department has now produced the first lathe. In the future, the processing and polishing of parts will be more meticulous. This not only represents a huge increase in the output of our large open fire blunderbuss, but also heralds the reform of firearms.
The change of generation is coming soon.”
"Fireguns will become a thing of the past. When flintlocks are equipped with our Ming army, there will be no place in this world where they are not available."
There was strong confidence in Zhu Ying's tone.
When building a train, the grinding and processing of parts are basically done by hand.
Zhu Ying finally remembered how to use a lathe.
In fact, lathes are not a new thing in the Ming Dynasty. For example, crossbow arrowheads were made using manual lathes.
Hand-cranked and pedal lathes had already been invented before.
Now that steam engines are available, they can be modified into mechanical lathes.
In the past, it was necessary for master craftsmen to hand-roll flintlock guns to completely construct the fine parts.
Nowadays, lathes can be used to produce products easily.
With precise molds, the flintlock gun can be broken down into multiple parts and built simultaneously.
However, because the main focus has been on building trains recently, there has not been a lot of personnel invested in forging the flintlock guns for the time being.
"Can flintlock guns be manufactured in batches?" Zhu Yuanzhang was a little surprised.
He also has a flintlock gun, which was a congratulatory gift from his grandson on his seventy-first birthday, which was the thirty-first year of Hongwu.
When I first got it, I couldn't put it down and played with it often.
Because it is used so often, I know how good this flintlock gun is, but it is too difficult to make.
Unexpectedly, Taisun said now that it is ready for mass production.
"Now the Scientific Research Department is developing rapidly. Since the lathe was introduced, the firearms produced have become more accurate." Zhu Ying responded.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously: "Has the flint problem been solved?"
Naturally, he is also concerned about firearms.
Zhu Ying explained: "The Scientific Research Department came up with a compromise so that the flints can be easily replaced. Currently, there are relatively few high-quality flints. Those with passable quality can basically ignite the first ten times.
."
"When the time comes, the soldiers can just carry some flint with them."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "This is also a method, but we still have to find a way to solve the flint problem so that the entire army can be equipped."
Zhu Ying could only smile bitterly.
Flint and steel sounds simple, but in fact it is not that easy. If you want to synthesize it artificially, it involves basic chemistry.
In this regard, Ming Dynasty is completely blank now and has no scientific concept.
Zhu Ying had no way to complete basic science, he could only create an environment to cultivate it slowly.
Zhu Ying encountered a problem here.
By following the current development of the Central Plains civilization, can we develop a natural science foundation and reach the level of modernization for later generations?
Thinking in this light, Zhu Ying found it difficult.
I can't say there is no hope, but it is very slim.
This is the influence of the general environment. Strictly speaking, the civilization of the Central Plains is more inclined to idealism, such as "beauty of artistic conception".
There are many philosophical things mixed in, such as ideology, thinking patterns, and free thought.
There are also the stability of imperial power, the stability of agricultural civilization, ideological inertia, etc.
The development of science is not necessarily inevitable.
There may also be a lot of chance.
The spark of European science is largely due to the fact that there are many countries and fierce competition among them, which constantly forces everyone to explore industry and science.
This is also related to the formal logic system invented by Greek philosophers.
And if it tends to be unified and stable, then it will be difficult to produce such changes.
Mohism during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was actually a scientific school, including Shen Nong's Taste of Herbs, anatomy, etc.
However, these are not conducive to a unified and stable country, so they were gradually marginalized or even eliminated during the changes in imperial power throughout the dynasties.
Even now, it is very difficult for Zhu Ying to force this process.
Because basic natural science did not happen overnight. Perhaps in Zhu Ying's decades of life, he could consolidate the strength of the Ming Dynasty, but what about future generations?
Will it happen that hundreds of years later, it will follow the same path in history?
The current glory is just a brief flash in the pan in history.
Perhaps in the history books of later generations, the Ming Dynasty Taisun so-and-so resurgence will appear.
Back then, Genghis Khan included almost half of the Eurasian continent into the empire's territory. What about now?
'If it doesn't work, then we can only treat Europe as my Ming Dynasty's breeding ground.'
Zhu Ying's eyes flashed sharply.
With the support of steam trains and steam armored ships, Ming Dynasty could fully extend its hand to Europe.
How can those fragmented small countries compete with the current Ming Dynasty?