I, Zhu Youjian: the first prodigal son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 46 What are you waiting for!

The steam turbine has been designed, will it be far from the train era?

Far, far away!

Because the Ming Dynasty was too poor.

After Emperor Yongle, Ming Dynasty began to ban the sea, and the former richest man in the world and the overlord of the sea began to decline.

Zhu Youjian locked himself in the warm pavilion of Qianqing Palace, did not go to court for three consecutive days, and drank all day long to make...

Cough, I have been thinking hard all day long, trying to find a way for the railway business of the Ming Dynasty.

In the final analysis, it was because of lack of money.

To build the railway, technical problems were not major. Zhu Youjian gave Xu Guangqi and Song Yingxing a "sketch of the way of laying the railroad track" to Xu Guangqi and Song Yingxing. After careful consideration and discussion, he made it clear that it could be done.

Moreover, they can design and manufacture a "locomotive" in a short period of time.

In terms of technology, the material of the rails has become the biggest difficulty at present.

Daming's iron smelting technology is relatively developed, and its output is also large. As long as there is silver, it can buy pig iron in large quantities.

But only iron.

To build a railway, it is called "railway", but it is actually a steel rail. Whether it is hardness, toughness or flexibility, the requirements are beyond imagination!
Zhu Youjian has only a half-knowledge of "how steel is tempered", but only vaguely remembers "coke steelmaking" and "sulfur exceeding the standard".

However, based on these points alone, Xu Guangqi and Song Yingxing were greatly inspired, and soon went back to do experiments.

……

The first year of Chongzhen, the second day of February.

The dragon looked up.

Zhu Youjian feasted all the ministers.

During the banquet, while the wine was hot, Wei Zhongxian congratulated the idiot emperor loudly, saying that Shuoping, Datong Prefecture, Shanxi Province had discovered an "open-pit coal mine" with astonishing reserves!
As soon as the news came out, Zhu Youjian hadn't said anything yet, but the ministers seemed surprised and congratulated the emperor one after another.

Especially the civil servants, led by Qian Qianyi and others, were even more excited. They tried their best to encourage Zhu Youjian to develop the open-pit coal mine in Shuoping with the fastest speed and the most advanced mining technology.

Zhu Youjian looked indifferent, drank the wine slowly, and said with a gentle smile: "Isn't it just an open-pit coal mine? It's nothing to make a fuss about.

As far as coal mines are concerned, the Mentougou coal mine in the western suburbs of the capital is quite large, with an annual output of several million catties. "

"Your Majesty doesn't know that the Mentougou Coal Mine... should actually be shut down!"

Qian Qianyi took a step forward, and said in a deep voice, "The Mentougou Coal Mine's production capacity is insufficient, causing the price of coal in the capital to be inflated and high. Moreover, in the important place of the capital, tens of thousands of miners gather together, which is really a hidden danger, Your Majesty!"

Other ministers also echoed, requesting the complete closure of the Mentougou coal mine.

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, but said nothing.

The words of Qian Qianyi and others have some truth, but the root cause is still interests.

Mentougou Coal Mine is a private kiln. Due to insufficient production capacity, the miners live in extreme poverty. Therefore, for a long time, they have confronted the imperial court because of the problem of not being able to pay the mine tax.

Even, in the 28th year of Wanli and the second year of Tianqi, two violent conflicts occurred respectively. Tens of thousands of miners rushed into the capital to "reasonable", which almost caused a catastrophe.

The most fundamental contradiction is that some officials and wealthy businessmen have always wanted to intervene in the coal mine business, but they have always been rejected...

At this moment, hearing about the open-pit coal mine with astonishing reserves is a fatal blow to Mentougou Coal Mine.

"Long Live Lord, according to the biography of Feige from Datong Mansion, the soil layer of the Shuoping Open-pit Coal Mine is only four to five feet long, and the coal seam is tens of feet long. Even if one million catties are excavated every day, it will last for seven to eight hundred years..."

Wei Zhongxian added fire without losing the opportunity.

"Your Majesty, please make an order!"

"Your Majesty, please decree mining for the sake of the Daming Jiangshan Sheji!"

Zhu Youjian brewed his emotions for a while, drank a large glass of imperial wine in one gulp, shook his head and smiled wryly: "My love... I have something hard to say!"

"I have already known about the open-pit coal mine in Datong Prefecture, but I have never mentioned it, why?

In a word, the imperial court has no money. Seeing a mountain of gold and silver, the imperial court really has no spare energy to develop it! "

The ministers: "..."

The idiot emperor began to cry poor again, does he want to sell his official position again?Or, open your mouth to borrow money from the big guy?
If it is to borrow money, then it is better not to talk about it.

"In the past few days, I still can't think of a good way," Zhu Youjian pondered a few times, and said with a guilty face: "Then... we can only put it aside for a while, and wait until the court has silver, and then we can mine it. "

Qian Qianyi hesitated, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have an idea."

"Qian Aiqing, please tell me." Zhu Youjian said warmly.

"Your Majesty, I have the courage to suggest that the Daming Engineering Bureau be responsible for mining the Shuoping Open-pit Coal Mine. As for the money and food needed, those merchants who have spare capacity and are willing to contribute to the imperial court's worries can be used to contribute. Bonus shares that occupy a certain share of the coal mine are enough.

Even some officials who have spare money on hand can also use it to invest in shares, three or five or two is not too little, and one hundred and eighty thousand is not too much, after all, it is all for my country..."

Qian Qianyi talked eloquently, and took the mining rights and management rights of an open-pit coal mine to private wealthy businessmen and officials at all levels with ease.

Zhu Youjian: "The water is too cold, it's done beautifully!" '

"What Qian Aiqing said seems to be a solution..." Zhu Youjian frowned, as if he was struggling and hesitating.

"Long Live Lord, Mr. Qian's idea is really good!" Wei Zhongxian assisted.

"Please your majesty's permission!"

The rare unity of civil and military officials made Zhu Youjian almost cry out from laughter.

Don't these guys just want to make money for their own business...

Right now, the emperor of Ming Dynasty is an idiot, ministers, it seems that he is not much better?
That's great, I'll be waiting for your words.

"Then... sure." Zhu Youjian continued with a look of shame on his face, "The Ministry of Industry will take the lead, and the Daming Engineering Bureau will be responsible.

However, it is a long way from Datong Mansion to the capital, and transportation is a big problem! "

As soon as Zhu Youjian finished speaking, Yang He, the "Chairman" of Daming Engineering Bureau, said, "Your Majesty, I have an idea about transportation.

I heard that Song Yingxing from the Daming Academy invented a steam turbine, and I feel that we can use this artifact for transportation, which is worth hundreds of mules and carriages..."

Before Yang He could finish his words, the ministers burst into flames with a "buzz".

Everyone was asking about "steam turbines."

When they heard that a coal-fired steam turbine can run nearly a hundred miles in an hour if a special railway track can be laid!

Moreover, what excites everyone the most is that the power of this steam turbine is comparable to hundreds of mules and horses, and it can pull back hundreds of thousands of catties of coal at a time...

The scene was very chaotic.

The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty seldom lose their composure. They are usually upright and awe-inspiring, and they often sneer at those so-called "extraordinary obscene techniques".

But when faced with a steam turbine that is comparable to an artifact, if you think about it for a day and a night, you can pull back hundreds of thousands of catties of coal, and a lot of white money when you change hands...

Tsk tsk, God bless me Daming!
What are you waiting for?Quickly raise funds and build the railway!

(End of this chapter)