Chapter 67: The fork in the road of science and technology
Zhang Guozhu was extremely disappointed...
In a huge reservoir, there was a ship with two huge wheels. Driving slowly in the reservoir.
This ship is ugly. The hull is very long, with two large paddle wheels in the middle. There is also a tall chimney on the hull. Black smoke is continuously coming out of the chimney. This mechanical device makes an unpleasant sound and has almost no redeeming qualities.
Just the two wheels were turning slowly, dragging the ship slowly forward in the reservoir.
"Is this what Your Majesty is planning to make me prostrate myself to the ground?"
Seeing this thing, Zhang Guozhu didn't even hide his disdain.
"Don't underestimate this thing, it can travel without wind, and let me tell you, on the river, this thing can travel against the current without being dragged by trackers."
Zhang Guozhu laughed and said: "Your Majesty, do you know that every year when the south wind blows up on the Yangtze River, the sailing ships on the Yangtze River will go upstream. When they encounter places with fast currents, these ships will also send out sky sails, just like kites. The thing helps drag the boat up the river.
So this thing is of little use.”
Yun Zhao pointed at Zhang Guozhu and said, “You will be in trouble in the future because of what you said. And there is no place for shame."
As I was talking, the ship's whistle suddenly sounded three times, and then I saw a plume of smoke rising into the sky, and then the two paddle wheels suddenly spun. Speeding up, they started driving through the waves in the reservoir, and soon they were out of sight of Yun Zhao and Zhang Guozhu.
Yun Zhao looked at the hesitant Zhang Guozhu again and said, "How is it?"
Zhang Guozhu was unwilling to say anything against his will, stroking the short beard on his chin and said, "It looks interesting. , So your Majesty is planning to send this thing to the sea?"
Yun Zhao shook his head and said: "Until a better boiler appears, this thing cannot be sent to the sea."
After leaving the reservoir with Zhang Guozhu, they came to a place with high walls. Even Zhang Guozhu was visiting this place for the first time.
The gatekeepers are royal guards in black military uniforms. These people are fully armed and look very serious.
When the carriage arrived at the door, the gate covered with barbed wire slowly opened, and Yun Zhao's carriage carried Yun Zhao and Zhang Guozhu into the gate.
The first thing that caught the eye was an iron frame running around on the ground. There were four wheels on the iron frame. The wheels were made of expensive rubber. There was also a steaming teapot on the iron frame. The two thick connecting rods hummed as the steam piston twitched, carrying the iron frame all over the place.
There are many iron frames running around like this, some with four wheels, some with six wheels, and even two iron frames with two large, two small and four wheels.
Zhang Guozhu didn’t feel too strange about this thing. He just felt that he was not used to it. He once thought that if this continues, the Ming Dynasty KingEverywhere will be filled with teapot monsters.
"How much money does your Majesty spend on these teapots every year?"
Yun Zhao smiled and said: "Six million."
"Is it worth it?"
Yun Zhao laughed and said: "As long as one succeeds, it's worth it."
Zhang Guozhu shook his head and continued to follow Yun Zhao inside. The steam monster inside became more and more powerful. There were many more, including steam-driven heavy hammers, steam-driven millstones, steam-driven machine tools... He even saw a steel dog driven by steam that could walk on its own.
Yun Zhao stepped forward and twisted the ears of the steam dog. The steel steam dog that was originally moving stopped. A man in blue clothes came over and injected the steam dog into the body. After adding some water, twisting the steam dog's buttocks, and adding a few pieces of carbon, when the steam dog's nose began to emit white air, the man in blue clothes twisted the dog's ears again, and this The dog began to move its four legs again and began to walk in a straight line.
Yun Zhao looked at the scene in front of him happily and said to Zhang Guozhu: "How does it compare with Zhuge Wuhou's wooden ox and flowing horse?"
Zhang Guozhu sighed and patted the tall man with his hand. The steam hammer said: "Playing with things will make you lose your morale. Your Majesty should get closer to living people and stay away from these cold things."
Yun Zhao also patted the steam hammer and said: "Did you know , with one strike of this heavy hammer, it can take as much effort as a blacksmith in one month, and can even do things that a blacksmith can never do."
After that, he pulled Zhang Guozhu. Leaving the heavy hammer, I saw six craftsmen pushing a red-hot iron bar on an iron cart and placing it under the heavy hammer. One craftsman pulled the trigger, and the heavy hammer hanging high fell with a bang. He hit the red-hot iron rod heavily, then quickly raised the hammer, and continued to fall. The iron rod sparks flew everywhere, and the black hard skin cracked. The craftsman kept turning the iron rod, and after a while, the iron rod From a cylinder to a cuboid.
After seeing that the temperature of the iron rod dropped and it no longer turned red, the craftsmen pushed the iron cart and left again, putting the rectangular body back into the furnace for heating.
“Every part of our artillery is hammered out like this. The artillery parts made of hammered steel are far beyond the comparison of cast parts.”
p>"We already have a hydraulic hammer, which is just as useful. As far as I know, the hydraulic hammer of Yushan Iron and Steel Works is already unparalleled in the world. Why does Your Majesty still order people to develop this kind of powerful hammer? What about the big steam hammer?
Look, for this hammer, the workshop first needs to build a boiler covering an area of half an acre, and then connect the air outlet with pipes. Expensive rubber is used to seal the seal, but even so, the boiler still leaks air everywhere, and its efficiency is far inferior to that of the hydraulic hammer.
Just what I just saw, the craftsmen who maintain this steam hammer have tried many times.
Your Majesty, don’t be addicted to it. All emperors are addicted to it.For something, the outcome is not good.
The government allocates 10 million national funds to Your Majesty every year in the hope that Your Majesty can use this money to reward meritorious officials, encourage progress, compensate for injustice, help the weak, highlight the royal family, and promote the royal family's kindness.
Your Majesty spends more than half of your money and food on these things every year. Over time, it will definitely chill the heroes and make the people of the world think that your Majesty does not care about them and only knows how to play with useless things. thing. "
"You said these are useless? "Yun Zhao was extremely surprised after hearing Zhang Guozhu's words.
Zhang Guozhu sighed and said: "Your Majesty, those words mentioned above are not the meaning of Wei Chen, but the meaning of the subjects of the world. Wei Chen naturally knows it. The importance of these things.
Whether it is a train, a wired telegraph, or the heavy ship that I just saw that can travel without sails, it is of great use and can even change the Ming Dynasty. Weichen has seen this with his own eyes and personally Having used it, of course I understand. As for the steam hammer and all steam-related things here, there is a promising future.
As His Majesty said, as long as something can be truly developed and used in real life, six million silver dollars can always be squeezed out with gritted teeth. paid for this money.
However, it is useless for our monarchs and ministers to know this truth.
If only a few people or even dozens of people submitted the petition, Wei Chen would still be able to accept it and would even try to persuade them. Unfortunately, the petitioners were not just a few or dozens of people, but hundreds. Thousands.
What they care about is not a mere six million silver dollars, but they beg Your Majesty not to indulge. You still have thousands of miles of territory to govern, and you cannot spend your energy on these trivial matters that require repeated trials and modifications. "
Yun Zhao looked at the steam dog walking over with a staggering step, nodded and said: "It seems that I went too far. ”
Zhang Guozhu held down the steam dog’s head and made the dog squeak and walk in place. He smiled and said: “Your Majesty, leave it to Yousi to handle it, even if their development process is slow.” Some, your majesty, and the ministers can afford to wait, there is no need to do it overnight. ”
Yun Zhao sighed and took the lead to walk outside the workshop. Zhang Guozhu let go of the steam dog with a smile and followed the emperor with his hands behind his back. He was very satisfied. It seemed that the emperor should put his The advice was listened to.
It was through Qian Shaoshao that Yun Zhao knew that officials had a strong reaction to his behavior of not missing the mark, so he decided to persuade Zhang Guozhu, who was the most opposed, and then do it. Other people's work.
Unfortunately, Zhang Guozhu is a sensible person. It's not that he doesn't know the importance of these things, he just doesn't want Yun Zhao to do these things himself.
Now that Zhang Guozhu said the reason for the matter, Yun Zhao gave up the idea of persuading others.
Just like Zhang Guozhu said, he can persuade dozens of people, but there is absolutely no way to persuade hundreds. Thousands of people. Once the number of opponents reaches a certain number, even ifEven the incorrect things will become the correct things.
This is the terrifying majority effect.
Those who have opposed the majority effect since ancient times have not ended well. Those successful people recorded in history books are just a few fish that slipped through the net. Yun Zhao does not want to cause a disturbance in the court. This is not the case. necessary.
However, if he does not participate in these scientific inventions, God knows how many detours they will take. If they continue to develop as they are now, Yun Zhao believes that Ming Dynasty will definitely embark on steampunk. the way.
When the time comes, castles that can move by themselves, bridges that can move by themselves, hot air balloons that cover the sky...maybe they will all appear.
Moreover, with Ming's current strength, he is definitely qualified to lead the world trend... Yun Zhao can't even imagine the beautiful scene of steampunk comics becoming reality.
Yun Zhao did not go home at night, but continued to work diligently in the big study. These days, he had too many memorials accumulated in his hands.
Not only that, the officials also hope that he, the emperor, can leave Yushan City to inspect the world, Shuntian Prefecture, Yingtian Prefecture, Lantian City, Guangzhou City, and the prefects of Shanghai City, which is being built on a large scale. I have written countless times, hoping that he can go and take a look.
When Feng Ying and Qian Duoduo came to deliver the food, Yun Zhao didn't have much appetite. After eating a few mouthfuls, he left his job and continued to work.
Feng Ying whispered: "Why are you so diligent today, husband?"
Yun Zhao said angrily: "People say that I am addicted to wine and sex, and I am about to become a coward."< /p>
Qian Duoduo rolled his eyes and said: "Our youngest child Yunqian is eight years old. If you indulge in drinking and sex, we will definitely not only have three children!"