Chapter 468 Shengping No. 1 Steam Engine
Wang Qian’s face turned red. Seeing everyone else laughing, he wanted to ask loudly: What are you laughing at!
"I am stupid." Wang Qian did not roar in front of the emperor. The ceremonial officer would tell him the etiquette. He asked a little confused.
Why is everyone laughing.
“The idea of decentralizing the power to build Chidao to local governments, which do not have the financial resources to solve the problem, and buying it to powerful right-wingers to speed up the construction of Chidao in the Ming Dynasty seems to be extremely unreasonable in terms of system design. Perfect." Zhu Yijun smiled at Wang Qian and said, "The only problem is that the Chidao built by Shi Haoyou is their Chidao, not the imperial court's Chidao."
"Guess. , What will they do? "
"What do you dare to do? Isn't it just to make money with Chidao?" Wang Qian shook his head and said. If it is used for business, what else can it be used for?
Zhu Yijun leaned back in his chair, shook his head and said, "You haven't fully understood what Chi Dao means. To understand Chi Dao, you must understand the meaning of Iron Horse."
Wang Qian really hadn't thought about this issue. In his opinion, this was a good thing that benefited the country and the people, but in the eyes of the court, this provided the most convenient conditions for the separatist feudal towns.
Whoever controls Chidao owns the territory.
The horsepower of the first steam engine in the Ming Dynasty was one horse. That is, one horse worked continuously for four hours and lifted a total of 720,000 kilograms of water by one foot. The steam engine did this under the same working conditions. This machine The steam engine didn't even have a name, because it was the first reciprocating steam engine trial-produced by Gewuyuan.
The original steam engine had two pots, a cylinder on the left, a lever in the middle, and a pump cylinder on the right. It was made of cast iron and had extremely poor sealing. The principle was exactly the same as that of a water press. The cylinder heated the steam and pushed the pump cylinder. Drainage, adding water to the cylinder to cool down, and pulling the piston to pump water. A steam engine with only one horsepower requires four people to take care of it. It has no practical value, because whether it is an animal-powered winch or human power, it is more efficient than a steam engine.
A one-horsepower steam engine requires 5,000 taels of silver to be properly installed. During the Wanli period when a horse cost only six silver, no one would install it.
A few years have passed. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Gewu, a reciprocating steam engine with the power of three horses has been developed. Installing a steam engine with the power of three horses only costs 50 taels of silver, including the later repair.
The amount of coal mined by the Xishan Coal Bureau of the Ming Dynasty surged to 560 million kilograms every year, an increase of 11.3 times compared with the first year of Wanli. The output of crude steel in the Ming Dynasty reached 2.07 million kilograms, while the output of iron reached 19.4 million kilograms. A surge of 5.4 times compared with the first year of Wanli, bringing the woolen official factory's woolen woolen output to 450,000 pieces, and the worsted woolen items to 75,000 pieces, a 3.5-fold increase from the third year of Wanli.
This terrible growth is the change of production relations that has mobilized enthusiasm, and it is also an intuitive reflection of the improvement of productivity.
Roaring steam engines with billowing smoke appeared quietly in people's lives, affecting all people in Ming Dynasty. In fact, most people in Ming Dynasty were the same as Wang Qian, and I didn't realize what kind of changes the steam engine would bring to the Ming Dynasty. At this time, most people in the Ming Dynasty had never seen the appearance of a steam engine, because the reciprocating steam engine had always been used as a reliable power source.
Lin Fucheng saw it. He was a southerner. When he came to Beiya, he was surprised by the changes in the capital. He saw the raging coal smoke and the turbulent dragons, and also saw the practical progress of the productivity of the Ming Dynasty. He also argued for his freedom. , only by finding a solid foundation and great material abundance can the relations of production be changed, and only then can everyone be free.
Over the years, the Imperial Academy has been working hard to improve the airtightness of the cylinder, reduce the overall weight of the steam engine, and improve thermal efficiency.
Zhu Yijun knows more. The latest reciprocating steam engine of the Imperial Academy of Sciences that has been trial-produced has a horsepower of 7.5 horsepower, while the reciprocating steam engine under development is 16 horsepower. It is expected to be officially trial-produced next year, and in the long term It seems that within five years, the horsepower of steam will increase to 125 horsepower.
When the horsepower of the steam engine reaches 125 horsepower, how much goods can be produced? How much cargo can it tow? How long can it take to recover the cost of Chidao's high construction costs in thirty years?
This is one of the reasons why Zheshe households are willing to pledge money.
“So, when the horsepower of steam engines reaches 125 in five years, roads will be as important as human blood vessels. You will beg for the roads built by local households. What will they do when they come back?" Zhu Yijun explained the problem clearly.
In the previous court discussion, the Ming Dynasty officials had a heated discussion around this issue, and Zhu Yijun was just summarizing.
“Rebellion means taking control of social resources that do not belong to oneself, and they will inevitably overstep their bounds.” Wang Qian said sincerely: “But now that the Beijing camp is powerful, if they rebel, they will be put down.”
"Then doesn't this become an open robbery? Nonsense." Wan Shihe heard this and admonished Wang Qian. Wang Qian's thinking was still a typical powerful and arrogant idea. If I am stronger, I can rob you openly. , this is not feasible in the political practice of the Ming Dynasty. The country loses its great faith and people's hearts are filled with doubts, which means that the world is full of rebellion.
This is also a situation that no one in Ming Dynasty wants to see.
"What Grand Uncle Zong said makes sense." Wang Qian understood the flaw in his own thinking. The Beijing camp was not always overbearing, and open-fire fighting would cause a huge social crisis.
"Wang Yushi, have you studied yourself?" Zhu Yijun asked Wang Qian, who observed everywhere every day, whether he had observed himself.
"I am stupid." Wang Qian shook his head.
Zhu Yijun asked in a different way: "Your logic of overt robbery is actually not a problem from your standpoint, because the power to be right-wing is like this. Let me ask you, can you say that power is right-wing to be right-wing and not eat people?" ? Or can the powerful right do anything without annexation or cruel expropriation? "No." Wang Qian thought carefully and replied, "If you don't eat people, you will be eaten by others." Eat, so in the 200th year of the Ming Dynasty, those good people who did not want to eat people have long been eliminated..."
"Xu Zhenming, the chief of Baoqisi who is currently farming in Hetao, his Teacher Ma Yilong, because he refused to eat people and settled the refugees, all his achievements were in vain after his death." Zhu Yijun also found an example. Ma Yilong led the people to reclaim wasteland. After the person died, all the reclaimed wasteland became barren again. .
Zhu Yijun does not have high demands on liberals. If they can advocate the lifting of this strong personal dependence relationship and advocate personal freedom, Zhu Yijun will allow them to exist.
Wang Qian suddenly realized why his way of thinking was different from that of Ming Gong. The many classes in the imperial court regulate social conflicts. If the rules set by the imperial court are repeatedly reneged on, and the promises made repeatedly, If it fails to honor again and again, then the court will have no credibility at all. A court that is widely disapproved of will no longer be a court.
Throughout the dynasties, reincarnation continues. The demise of a dynasty is always accompanied by a high concentration of production means, the court's inability to regulate social conflicts, and the court's credibility gradually declining, or even turning into a negative number. No matter what the court says, everyone will do the same. To understand in the opposite direction.
Wang Qian reported some more news. Private trading fairs with entry barriers have begun to appear. These private trading fairs will gradually become dealers in trading houses. The imperial court has long expected the emergence of such dealers. , Wang Qian wanted to do it. The Ming Dynasty was the largest owner of the trading house and had a decisive influence on the trading house.
Exchanging liquidity for stability is the court’s choice.
The government-run glass factory wanted to replace the glass in Tonghe Palace where the Ming Emperor lived. The main purpose was to let the Ming Emperor bring the goods. The emperor agreed to use it.
The flat glass of the new process is really an eye-opener for Zhu Yijun. The transparency of the glass of the new process is close to that of natural crystal. The replacement speed is very fast. It only took one morning, and the official factory replaced it. All the windows have been replaced.
Daming's glass is being scaled up and will soon form new industrial advantages. Zhu Yijun spent one thousand taels of silver to buy out the technology, then increased the price to two thousand taels of silver and peddled it in Huangzhuang. After buying it in Huangzhuang, The complete technology can be obtained, but cannot be used for dissemination.
In early November of the ninth year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun received news that Mang Yinglong of the Toungoo Dynasty had died.
In October last year, Mang Yinglong was defeated by the Portuguese captain Goncalo Vaz in the naval battle of Madaban Bay. He was injured in the battle. It took nearly ten months, but Mang Yinglong still did not survive. After Mang Yinglong died, Mang Yinglong's incompetent son Mang Yingli succeeded to the throne, and civil strife broke out.
This is not surprising. Mang Yinglong has been fighting all his life, which can be called militancy. He sent troops to Siam many times and recruited a large number of civilians. The land lacked strong men to cultivate, which aggravated the food harvest. The Toungoo dynasty was in the territory After stabilization, it should be recuperated, but when Mang Yinglong died, he was still crusading against the King of Arakan, and his troops reached Mrauk U, the capital of the Arakan Kingdom.
Mang Yinglong’s death was not sudden. The Mrauk U frontline immediately collapsed after hearing the death of the king. Then violent internal conflicts caused everyone to become estranged and became a mess.
The Duke of Guizhou, Mu Changzuo, led his troops to Erhai, and the governor of Yunnan, Liu Shizeng, also led his troops to Chuxiong. They quickly mobilized tens of thousands of Han and local troops to guard against the Toungu dynasty's desperation.
Mang Yingli, who succeeded to the throne, had the best way to control people's hearts, which was to provoke Ming Dynasty and defeat Ming Dynasty.
It is a common practice to bail out internal conflicts and externally. If you win, you can win everything you want. If you lose, you will lose completely.
In the eyes of Mang Yinglong and Mang Yingli, Daming is a broken house that will collapse with just one kick.
"Jump, jump higher and I will beat him to death. My husband said that the war in the Malacca Strait is not over yet, so it is not time to attack. Let's play with him first. I have seen it at the Imperial Hospital. Are you sure there is no root cause of your illness?" Zhu Yijun asked about Zhang Juzheng's condition.
At this point in history, Zhang Juzheng was already bedridden and could no longer manage affairs. He kept begging for his remains to return home.
Now, Zhang Juzheng is alive and kicking, and he is still working in Wenyuan Pavilion, working as a cow and a horse.
"The chief medical officer said that he has recovered very well and there is no problem." Feng Bao answered this question. The great medical officers would not talk nonsense about such a big matter. Zhang Juzheng really recovered very well. .
"Call sir, let's go to the Imperial Palace." Zhu Yijun stood up. Before the end of the Malacca Strait War, the Ming Dynasty's southwest policy could only be to be on guard, because there was no flanking attack from the north and south by land and water. Buvusinnan is a false proposition, and all attacks will be ineffective attacks.
Zhu Yijun wanted to see a 7.5-horsepower steam engine. The emperor's uncle Zhu Zaiyu invented a few small things and asked the emperor to go and view them.
The Royal Institute of Gewu takes nearly one million silver from the Ming Emperor every year, and it is a silver coin with higher circulation printed by the War and War Bureau, so every year the emperor's uncle will bring the doctors of Institute of Gewu to report on their work. , You must let Your Majesty see that they are not just taking money for free and not working hard.
The 7.5-horsepower steam engine, which can produce one thousand units per year, is the auspicious sign of this year's Royal Academy.
Zhu Yijun called Zhang Juzheng. As the chief assistant of the emperor's division, he naturally had to witness such an important moment together. Not long after, Zhang Juzheng brought Wang Daokun, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, to Tonghe Palace, and then followed the holy driver , went to the Royal Palace Museum across the street.
Zhu Yijun led a group of people into the wide gate and saw the line of vermilion words on the screen wall stone, [One who practices is only faithful - Zhu Zhongxing], this is Zhu Yijun's request to Dr. Gewu , Dr. Gewu has practiced this principle for so many years.
After walking through the Yingbi Stone and the Sutra Pavilion, Zhu Yijun came to a large townhouse in the Gewuyuan. This is not a place where steam engines are produced, but is only responsible for experiments. Zhu Yijun specially arranged a Xunwei's sparring partner is responsible for the safety of the Gewu Academy. The Gewu doctors spent all their time studying and forgetting to eat and sleep. Xunwei's sparring partner took Tiqi and the most important thing he did every day was to let Dr. Gewu eat on time.
Gewuyuan does not engage in production, and the implementation and implementation of all technologies are implemented by the Ministry of Industry. "This is a gun bore boring machine. At the beginning, it used hydraulic power to cut the inner diameter of the gun bore. It was used to process the cast gun bore and the inner wall of the gun bore. Now it is also used to boring the cylinder." Emperor Uncle Zhu Zaiyu First, the first red silk cloth was opened. Under the red silk cloth was a boring machine.
This boring machine is not so easy to make. Zhu Zaiyu didn't want to say how difficult it was to invent the boring machine. His Majesty studied under Zhang Juzheng and all he wanted was the result.
There are three boring machines in total, one with a long rod is used for boring the gun barrel, and one with a short rod is used for boring the gun barrel. These two boring machines can be used with human power, animal power, or even Iron horses, and one with extra long rods, are boring machines for cylinders.
“The machining accuracy of the cylinder is a key issue for steam engines. Dr. Gewu visited the mountain people and found a method called pyrotechnics, which uses pedals to provide power. There are seven types of mound knives. , used to process jade, weight, and diamond. The stone from other mountains that can attack jade is diamond." Zhu Zaiyu talked about the origin of the boring machine.
(pyrotechnics)
The boring machine of pyrotechnics has limited power and no cooling. It can process jade, but it needs to be improved when processing metal. Rapid boring of the boring tool will increase the temperature. The temperature rises sharply, so Ming Dynasty specially added water cooling to the boring machine, and constantly sprinkled water to prevent the diamond from burning.
The production of diamonds in the Ming Dynasty was not abundant, and many of them were bought from the sea, and Hongmao Fan sold them as gemstones.
From pedal to hydraulic to steam power, Ming craftsmen made several upgrades before the boring machine became what we see now.
The boring machine is also a necessary tool for producing cylinders. If the inner wall of the cylinder cannot be processed smoothly and the air tightness cannot be guaranteed, the thermal efficiency of the steam engine cannot be improved. Thermal efficiency is closely related to fuel saving, miniaturization, weight reduction, etc. .
When the boring machine in front of Zhu Yijun processes the cylinder, the error in the inner diameter of one hundred inches is no more than two points, which can already meet the needs of a 7.5-horsepower steam engine.
"Very good, very good." Zhu Yijun walked around the boring machine several times and asked how to use it. This was not because Zhu Yijun was attracted to this kind of machinery at a young age. Zhang Juzheng was also interested in discussing it with the emperor. What can this thing do?
Zhu Zaiyu came to the second red silk cloth, slowly opened it, and said: "The thread lathe is used to process threads. This lathe comes from France, Thailand, by a man named Besson. The craftsman invented a lathe for making screws. "
According to Zhu Zaiyu's explanation, Zhu Yijun knew that Daming did not get the actual object of Besson's thread lathe, but a drawing of Besson's thread lathe. To promote this kind of lathe, he took his drawings to sell everywhere, but in the end he failed. The Ming envoy went to Paris twice and accepted all kinds of documents. The drawings were found in a religious book.
Zhu Zaiyu is pragmatic, that’s where the technology comes from. The boring machine was originally present in the Ming Dynasty, and the thread lathe was invented by Besson. When it was in the hands of the Royal Academy of Sciences, the thread lathe could already be processed accurately 6 The pitch error is no more than two minutes per hundred inches.
Zhu Zaiyu introduced a total of seven tools for processing steam engines, then walked to the last red silk cloth and slowly pulled it open and said: "Your Majesty, we have tripled the thermal efficiency of the steam engine, 7.5 A horsepower steam engine."
Zhu Yijun looked at this steam engine. Compared with the previous three-horsepower steam engine, which was about the same size as a one-bedroom apartment, the new steam engine is actually smaller, one and a half feet long and wide. It is less than one foot and about three feet high. Compared with previous steam engines, the entire steam engine is more integrated. The original three-horsepower locomotive had a dedicated boiler room, but now the boiler is centralized on the steam engine.
"Is it high pressure?" Zhu Yijun looked at Zhu Zaiyu and asked.
Zhu Zaiyu bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, without high temperature and high pressure, we cannot break through the shackles of three horsepower."
This involves a dispute over the route of the steam engine. Generally speaking, the high-pressure boiler High-pressure and high-temperature steam is used in steam turbines, while reciprocating steam engines use 100° steam, which is low-temperature and low-pressure in comparison.
What Zhu Zaiyu insisted on was the high-pressure and high-temperature steam turbine. The high-pressure and high-temperature technology was applied to the reciprocating steam engine. As the dean of the Gewu Academy and a dean, he did not hinder the development of the reciprocating steam engine. On the contrary, he used his research experience to improve it. A reciprocating steam engine.
"The government-run lathe factory has been built this year, and the annual production of one thousand units is not a problem." Wang Daokun immediately bowed his head and said.
The output of three-horse steam engines was only two hundred units before, but now the Ministry of Industry is talking about one thousand 7.5-horsepower steam engines. This is related to the continuous maturation of technology and market demand.
A 7.5-horsepower steam engine sells for the same price as a three-horsepower steam engine.
"Please give me a name from Your Majesty." Zhu Zaiyu bowed his head and said. With the development of steam engines now, he is finally qualified to ask His Majesty for a name.
"Let's call it Shengping No. 1." Zhu Yijun patted the steam engine, gave it a name, and asked questions about the steam engine. He was very curious about the centrifugal pendulum speed regulator. Zhu Zaiyu explained in detail The principle was explained and a live demonstration was given.
When Zhu Yijun left the Royal Palace Museum, he was in high spirits and discussed with Zhang Juzheng the changes that the steam engine might bring to the Ming Dynasty. Zhang Juzheng was the kind of person who just did what he thought of. He immediately decided to use the steam engine. It is listed as a prohibited item, and the export of steam engine technology is strictly prohibited.
The steam engine is assembled from parts one by one. The craftsmen in the lathe factory only know how to make the parts according to the requirements, but do not know how to run them when they are assembled together. According to Zhang Juzheng, this is the foundation of the country. Important weapons do not mean that they are not allowed to be used by the private sector, but that they are not allowed to flow overseas.
Even the banknote method requires a continuous inflow of silver.
Zhu Yijun suddenly stopped. That was the direction of the Martial Arts School. There was a willow tree planted there. It was already winter and the branches had long lost the greenery. This tree was the demarcation line for the Martial Arts School built by Yu Dayou. The tree was planted by Yu Dayou himself. It was just a sapling at the beginning, but it has grown so much in a blink of an eye.
"Your Majesty?" Zhang Juzheng was a little strange. His Majesty suddenly fell silent and stopped suddenly as he spoke.
Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "It's okay."
The impeachment of the traitors Wang Daokun and Wang Guoguang did not end because of Lin Fucheng's verbal battle with the Confucian scholars. Instead, it became more and more intense. Even liberals recognized it. Although the profit tax, the expansion of Yanxing Building and the Ministry of Industry's vague remarks about Xishan Coal Bureau, the Kedao Yanguan never stopped criticizing the two Ming Gongs.
Since profits tax was forcibly levied on October 10, there have been waves of opposition. But fortunately, no one is discussing profits tax soon. Everyone is aiming at the gap between human nature and evil. Yan Xinglou Trading House.
It’s no wonder that the scholar-bureaucrats were furious. Zhu Yijun’s eyes darkened after reading it.
On October 24, a news suddenly spread in Yanxinglou Trading House, that is, Suiyuan Chi Road will not collect tolls due to the influence of the government officials, and the Ming Dynasty will no longer add banknotes. At the Guanhua Branch, on that day, Suiyuan Chidao's tickets plummeted from five to four silver per ticket, with a drop of up to 20%. Panic began to spread, but the price did not continue to fall, but stabilized at four. Silver fluctuated up and down for three days.
Then this news was falsified by people familiar with the matter. It was false and a rumor. Although Yan Guan was indeed admonishing, the court had no intention of changing the order overnight. Chidao stocks rose again, back to the five silver level that day. The next day it skyrocketed again to five taels and five cents. This increase was due to the establishment of a 7.5-horsepower steam engine and a government-run lathe factory.
Three days later, the Chidao ticket rose to sixty-two and a half yuan, and then plummeted again, because the lathe factory's production capacity was only one thousand units per year. The Ming Dynasty was so big, what food could one thousand units be enough for?
After a lot of trouble, I finally got back five taels of silver.
At least more than 200 people lost money in this chasm this time. They had more than one ticket in their hands, ranging from ten to as many as a hundred. They sold them at Four Silver and sold them at Six Silver. Half-buried, inside and out, each Chidao ticket lost two and a half coins. It can be said that it lost the wife and lost the soldiers, causing the ship ticket to rise sharply. Compared with the future Chidao , or ship tickets are more reliable and stable.
The speculative culture has been angrily criticized as the chasm of human nature's evil nature, which is not an unreasonable responsibility, because Wang Qian soon discovered that this time's sharp rise and fall were man-made.
A certain private trading company deliberately created this. They spread news to cause panic. After buying a large number of tickets, they spread good news to boost the price. They sold out the Chidao tickets in their hands, and then spread bad news to cause the stock price to rise. Price returns to normal, buy again.
This is the banker. While chatting and laughing, he waved the sharp sickle in his hand and harvested leeks twice.
In this private trade fair, not only the Zheshe households of Xitucheng, but also Shanxi merchants and Jin people were involved. In less than fifteen days of operation, this private trade fair made more than 1000 profit in this shock. Got twenty-three thousand silver.
This is obviously malicious manipulation. If this behavior is not restricted, the trading house will soon lose its rationality and completely turn into a casino, a feast for speculators, and it will not be able to play its role in raising funds for important projects. The purpose will definitely fail, but there is no written legal basis for punishment.
In the end, Zhu Yijun had no choice but to resort to non-criminal punishment, confiscating the proceeds from the manipulation, and prohibiting everyone at this private trade fair from entering the trading house and buying and selling tickets. This restricted their entry. This punishment is not light. Not heavy is just right.
Since ancient times, money has attracted people's hearts. If it is only a small business of a few dozen taels of silver, these powerful right-wingers can still find a broker and comprador to continue the business with a vest, but the business of tickets can easily reach thousands of taels. Silver, that is, using money to test the hearts of brokers and compradors. Which broker and comprador can withstand such a test?
Criticisms of the Yanxinglou Trading House from the DPRK and Central Government have never ceased, and most of them extend from criticism of the trading house to criticism of the Chief Situ and the Young Master of the Ministry of Accounts. After all, it is the official who initiated the expansion. It's the two of them.
"Your Majesty, Wang Cifu is waiting outside the palace." Feng Bao reminded His Majesty in a low voice that the discussion about the trading house in the court in the past two days was quite intense, which made His Majesty a little upset.
"Xuan."
Wang Chonggu and Dali Temple minister Lu Guangzu came together. The emperor's intention to declare this time was very clear. The Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple formulated detailed regulations to fill the gap in this regard.
"Before, there was no prohibition by law. The Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple should seize the time to fill this gap." Zhu Yijun gave clear instructions. The emperor's non-criminal justice can be regarded as a means to fill the gap in this era. One, but it is more appropriate to have express regulations.
Dali Temple Minister Lu Guangzu said: "Let's count it as a criminal offense."
Lu Guangzu felt that His Majesty's punishment was too light, that is, confiscation of income and prohibition from entering the market. This is just an administrative penalty, not at all It has no effect of intimidation. This method of manipulating tickets should be included in the punishment list. If caught, they will be given a few whips. If they are not whipped well, those who knowingly break the law will be sentenced to five years in prison. Suiyuan is short of people to build roads.
"What do Wang Cifu think?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and the attitude of Cifu, the Minister of Punishment.
"I... think it's better not to be punished." Wang Chonggu told the truth. That's what he thought. On the road to reform and reform, he was never afraid of problems. He was afraid of knowing that there were problems and chose to avoid them. Wang Chonggu said this It's a bit suspicious of avoiding the question.
The expansion of Yanxinglou Trading House is to increase the liquidity of silver. If the law is too strict, how can any large investors be willing to enter the market? The water without a source will inevitably dry up. Without new players entering the Yanxinglou Trading House, it will inevitably become a pool of stagnant water.
(End of this chapter)