After hearing Yang Peng's words, Zha Yunke thought about it for a while and said nothing. ??Yang Peng also wants to go to sea. As a businessman, Cha Yunke does not want a competitor to compete with him. With one more competitor, the purchase price of raw silk in Bianjing will be higher, the price in Japan will be lower, and Chayunke's profits will be reduced.
But Cha Yunke is not only a businessman, but also a government businessman. The most important thing for officials and businessmen is connections. Yang Peng is extremely powerful. Helping Yang Peng go to sea can earn Yang Peng a favor, which will have untold benefits in the future. For example, the relationship between Cha Denbei and Yang Peng doesn't seem to be very good. If you do Yang Peng a favor, you may be able to use it at critical times in the future. Cha Yunke weighed it again and again, and finally said: "Lord City Lord, these shipbuilders are engaged in illegal private ship building, and ordinary people cannot inquire about them. If ordinary people want to ask me about shipbuilders, I will definitely not tell them. Yes. But since the city lord has spoken, I must help you."
Yang Peng smiled and said: "Master Cha is an interesting person!" Cha Yunke said: "I will bring the shipbuilder to see the Lord of the City tomorrow, and the Lord of the City will wait for me at the mansion." Yang Peng cupped his hands and said: "Then Yang Peng is waiting for Master Cha at home." Early the next morning, Cha Yunke entered Yang's house with three craftsmen wearing thick turbans. "The leader is Boss Wang, the head shipbuilder of Wangjiawan."
Yang Peng looked at the leading craftsman and saw that he was short in stature, with dark skin and calluses on his hands. He looked like a fisherman. Yang Peng asked: "What kind of ship can you build?" It seemed that Boss Wang had met many high officials. He did not flinch when he saw Yang Peng, the city lord. He just said calmly: "Master Taibao, I can build the local sharp boats in Dagu." It is a bow boat. This boat has a sharper bow than a Fu boat and a flatter hull than a Guang boat. It is especially suitable for running on the northern sea. Generally, the material of a pointed boat is two thousand. The captain can be ten feet long, with three decks on the water and divided cabins. With a dozen or so watertight cabins, you can travel to Japan. If you are brave, you can travel to Southeast Asia. As long as you don't encounter a hurricane, you'll be fine."
One foot in the Song Dynasty is similar to one foot in later generations, three feet is one meter, and ten feet is thirty meters. Yang Peng thought about it for a while and felt that the ship Wang Datou mentioned had a displacement of more than 200 tons. Zha Yunke explained: "Sir, the two thousand figures mentioned by Boss Wang are folk figures, which are different from official figures!" Yang Peng asked: "How much money does it cost to build such a ship?"
Boss Wang said: "It depends on what kind of boat you want to build! The wood used in shipbuilding may be good or bad, and it needs to be dried in the shade. The price of drying in the shade varies in different years. If you want to build a good ship, you need to repair it. A ship that can last six or seven years requires 4,000 taels of silver, 602 fir logs, 298 miscellaneous logs, 40 individual logs, four elm rudder posts, and four chestnut logs. , seventy-six scull blanks. If it is inferior, it is only an inferior boat that is two or three years old. The wood used is very different. There is no need to soak the bamboo with snakeskin paste at the joints, just nail them with iron nails. The construction cost is two thousand taels and that’s enough!”
A good ship of more than two hundred tons costs four thousand taels of silver, which is not cheap. Yang Peng said: "What if I want to build a bigger ship? For example, a big ship with four thousand materials." The craftsman looked at Yang Peng and said, "Then I can build it too, but it requires more labor. If you want to build a large ship with four thousand materials that can last for six or seven years, it will cost about ten thousand taels of silver."
"How many months will it take to build two big ships worth 4,000 materials faster?" "The younger one called in all the craftsmen who are familiar with him nearby and can build them in five months." Yang Peng nodded and said: "Do you know about ship ribs?" The craftsman was stunned for a moment, then thought about it and said, "I don't know."
Yang Peng said: "If I want to install a strong crossbow on the ship, I must lay wooden ribs on both sides of the keel for support. If you don't know, I can teach you." Sea-going ships in the Song Dynasty generally adopted a watertight cabin structure. This kind of ship structure Technically very advanced, the ship can still sail as a whole even if it is partially damaged. The deck of the watertight compartment can also provide lateral support for the ship. However, this kind of support is relatively limited and cannot withstand the recoil of a powerful crossbow. The recoil watertight compartment of the crossbow can be supported, but if you want to install the crossbow on a ship, you must lay the ship's ribs.
Yang Peng had learned about the structure of wooden sailboat ribs before, and it came in handy at this time. With Yang Peng's knowledge and the experience of these old shipwrights, I believe we can build the ship's ribs. The bowman didn't expect that the city lord also knew the technology of shipbuilding, so he was dubious.
But Zha Yunke knew that Li Zhi was a skillful craftsman and that Yang Peng knew a lot about new things. He believed that the boat ribs Yang Peng mentioned must be useful new things. He said to Boss Wang: "Boss Wang, you are lucky. Help the city lord." You can learn new skills in building ships, and you will make a lot of money this time!" Boss Wang scratched his head and said, "I really don't know what a ship rib is, and I need the city lord to give me some advice."
Yang Peng nodded and said: "Two large ships with four thousand materials cost twenty thousand taels of silver? Can it be cheaper?" Boss Wang said calmly: "Sir, all we earn is craft money, and we use enough materials. Yes. As much money as we have, we can buy as much material as we need to build a bigger boat. If adults give less money, we will have to buy less materials to make smaller boats, or we may buy inferior materials, and the boats will not be able to last for so many years. . You can give me as much money as you want, but the final boat will be different."
Cha Yunke also said: "Don't worry, sir, these shipwrights are all craftsmen. They just make a living for their craftsmanship and will not be greedy for Lord Mo's money. He also built my ship, and I have repaired it with him every year these years." , the money spent is all worth it." Yang Peng thought for a while, nodded and said: "Okay, I believe you, I will give you 10,000 taels to buy wood for you first, but I have to send someone to go with you. Procurement, registration and accounting. After the wood arrives, I will teach you how to make ribs. In addition, I will also build two paddle wheels, and I will teach you together then."
Boss Wang said: "Okay! Don't worry, sir, you have invested so much. I will definitely buy the best materials to ensure that your boat can last for seven or eight years!" Yang Peng smiled and nodded.
The shipbuilding cost of 20,000 taels was not a small figure. Yang Peng wanted to send someone to supervise the boatmen's expenses, so he sent Qiu Ju, a subordinate of Zhan Jinguo, to supervise Boss Wang's purchase. Han Jinxin is trustworthy. Yang Peng believes that no one is watching Han Jinxin, and Han Jinxin, a former court official, will not spend money recklessly. Qiu Ju, a military procurement officer, first went to supervise shipbuilding.
Yang Peng returned to Tianjing New City and found an independent yard in the Qiangnu Workshop as a research place for steam engines. ??The principle of a steam engine is very simple. It uses the expansion pressure when water is heated to turn into steam to push the movement, and then uses the vacuum suction movement generated when the steam is cooled into water. These two movements are combined to drive the piston. It is continuously pushed up and down to transmit power to the outside.
In later history, practical steam engines appeared in the early eighteenth century, which was still beyond the reach of the Song Dynasty at this time. One of the more famous ones is the Newcastle Steam Engine. The principle of this steam engine is very simple. After using the power of steam to push the piston, cold water is sprayed into the cylinder to cool the steam, and the vacuum generated will suck the piston back. By repeating these two movements, it can be transmitted outwards.
Historically, thousands of this simple steam engine were produced and widely used in British coal mines to pump water from the mines. The use of this steam engine helped Britain become Europe's largest coal producer in the early eighteenth century. Yang Peng had never actually made a steam engine, so he decided to start with the simplest Newcomen steam engine, starting with the easier ones and then the more difficult ones. First make the Newcomen steam engine, and then upgrade it.
But to make a steam engine, Yang Peng first needed to make a simple lathe. It is impossible to finish a steel object without a lathe. Yang Peng has already made a boring machine before, and the structure of the lathe is similar, except that one is a rotating boring tool and the other is rotating the object to be processed, but the same thing is that one thing is rotated to grind another thing. The structure is akin.
Yang Peng guided the blacksmith and spent five days making a simple lathe, using the crucible steel he smelted as a turning tool. The lathe finally made can only be said to be an original lathe, but it is enough for Li Zhi's use. After the lathe is produced, it can be used to turn the piston. Yang Peng wants to make a cylinder with a diameter of 30 centimeters. It is first cast from pig iron and then finely machined into shape using a boring machine. Inside the boring machine, a piston with the same diameter of thirty centimeters should be placed. Yang Peng asked the blacksmith to use pig iron to cast the shape and then finish it with a lathe.
After repeated comparisons, processing, comparisons, and processing, Yang Peng finally got two perfectly matched cylinders and pistons. Yang Peng placed the opened cylinder of the chassis on top of boiling water and found that the piston was completely airtight. Think about it, even if higher pressure water vapor comes in, the air leakage will be very slow. Yang Peng made a push rod on the piston, which is pushed by the piston that moves up and down.
Then there is the cooling device. Yang Peng fixed a cold water bucket next to the piston. The cold water bucket is connected to the bottom of the cylinder, and there is a valve at the connection. Make a mechanism control valve at the outermost end of the push rod. If the push rod is pushed to the top by water vapor, the mechanism will be opened and cold water will be sprayed into the cylinder to cool the steam. As soon as the water vapor cools, the piston drives the push rod to move downward. When it reaches the bottom, it triggers the mechanism to close the cold water gate, and so on.
Then there is the boiler. The boiler must be large enough to produce enough steam for propulsion. After the boiler is completed and connected to the cylinder, the entire Newcamen steam engine is completed. Yang Peng spent five days completing each component, screwing the components together, and began to test whether the work was successful.
As soon as the boiler heated up, Yang Peng found that the entire steam engine was leaking air everywhere. There is not much air leakage between the finely machined piston and cylinder, but the connections between the pipes are screwed together with large gaps, and water vapor is sprayed out everywhere.
But even if there were air leaks everywhere, the steam engine still succeeded because the intensity of the water vapor burned in the boiler was higher than the intensity of the air leaks in the pipes. The water vapor pushes the piston to do work, constantly moving up and down. Because there is air leakage in each pipe, the air pressure in the cylinder is just under control, and the up and down movement of the push rod is relatively stable, seven or three times.
This Newcamen steam engine has finally been made. However, the efficiency of the Newcomen steam engine was very low, and it required burning a lot of firewood to produce limited thrust. This is because when cooling the water vapor in the cylinder, it also cools the cylinder body, and then when the hot steam comes in after a while, it heats the cylinder body again, wasting a lot of heat over and over again. Such an inefficient steam engine obviously could not meet Li Zhi's needs. Yang Peng wanted to gradually transform this Newcomen steam engine into a Watt steam engine. Watt's biggest improvement to the Newcomen steam engine was the condenser. With the condenser, the cylinder block will not be heated and cooled repeatedly. The condenser is actually a large iron tank connected to the cylinder with cold water inside. The switch of the condenser is controlled by a mechanism. When the piston is pushed to the top, the switch opens and the steam enters the condenser and is cooled into water. When the piston falls to the bottom, the switch is closed, and the steam has nowhere to escape and accumulates in the cylinder, pushing the piston upward again.
But when making the condenser, Yang Peng found that the condenser required higher air pressure than the water spray cooling method. Such high air pressure could not be gathered in the leaking pipes, so he had to find a way to block the air leakage. But there is no high-temperature resistant rubber these days. Yang Peng thought about it, but he didn't think of anything that could be used to block the leaking pipes. Yang Peng had no choice but to test the softer materials available on the market one by one. But I tried all kinds of textiles, but the effect was not good. The silk that looked smooth and soft became charred and caked when burned by the high-temperature steam. The material that is more resistant to high temperatures is linen, but linen has larger pores and cannot block the leaking steam.
After several days of testing, Yang Peng still couldn't find a material that could block the air leakage. Yang Peng was a little stumped. The principle of this Watt steam engine is simple, but the details are still very complicated. Even if one detail is not done well, it will not be able to drive the entire steam engine to operate.
Speaking of which, copper or lead is relatively soft and can withstand temperatures of several hundred degrees. Do we need to use copper and lead to make pipe joints? This is very troublesome to do. A young blacksmith who was transferred by Yang Peng to make steam engines has been watching Yang Peng conjuring Newcomen steam engines these days, and he admires Yang Peng very much. At this time, he saw that Yang Peng was encountering a problem, so he intervened and said: "Sir City Lord, if you soak the linen cloth in oil for a day, the pores inside the linen cloth will be blocked by the grease, which may be useful."
Yang Peng was stunned, but he didn't expect that there was such a way. He patted the young blacksmith on the head and followed the blacksmith's method. Wrap oil-soaked linen cloth around the threaded joint, tighten the joint, and restart the steam engine.
At this time, Yang Peng found that there was no air leakage in the pipeline. Yang Peng said to the young blacksmith: "The suggestion is good, I will reward you with ten taels of silver!" The young blacksmith made ten taels of silver with just one sentence. He was so happy that he smiled so much that his mouth almost reached the back of his head.
Since the last time Huyan Chijin returned home, Yang Dezheng has been pestering Huyan Chijin all day long about how to beat Xiao Tianyou, or he was practicing plum blossom darts, or practicing handguns. Yang Bamei chatted with several aunts. After the last incident, the commander of the Tongchui squad in front of the palace, Tongchui Cheng Pu, canceled the marriage. Now Yang Bamei is already twenty-five and has not yet gotten married. In the Song Dynasty, she was an old girl. The family members were also anxious, but Yang Qi didn't care.
He couldn't tell Yang Yanzhao's innermost thoughts to the Eighth Prince, nor would he tell him. Faced with the question of the Eighth Prince, Yang Yanzhao replied: "The Eighth Prince, princes, generals, and ministers are just a matter of time for the boy. The boy feels that today's Yang family does not need to risk the lives of relatives for the sake of wealth."
Yang Yanzhao said sincerely: "In the boy's heart, the lives of relatives are far more important than wealth." The Eighth Prince stared at Yang Yanzhao with a complicated expression. He was also a well-informed person. He didn't see many people like Yang Yanzhao who valued the lives of their loved ones more than wealth. After a moment of silence, the Eighth Prince shook his head and sighed, "You kid, you take feelings too seriously."
Yang Yanzhao shrugged and said with a smile: "Maybe..." The Eighth Prince smiled happily, "Your Majesty will not like your character..." Yang Yanzhao said calmly: "It doesn't matter..." The Eighth Prince laughed, "Your Majesty It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it, I like it. I have been plotting and plotting all my life, but I just don’t like those who plot in front of me.”
"This world is destined to be ruled by scholars and emperors from now on." After saying this, the Eighth Prince laughed and left. Yang Yanzhao smiled lightly. If the Eighth Prince could say this, it would prove one thing. The eighth prince knew the content on the tablet erected by Zhao Kuangyin in the Ancestral Temple. The Eighth Prince was trying to instruct him. He was told in a subtle way about the transcendent status of literati in the Song Dynasty.
Yang Yanzhao drank all the tea, paid for the tea, got on the sedan and returned home. Returning to the east courtyard of Yang Mansion, I took a closer look and found that Yang Yanzhao relaxed a lot after Chai Xichun went out. After having a simple meal, he started practicing with the tiger-head black gold gun in the yard.
Yang Yanzhao has been able to fully practice the twelve-style routine of the Liuhe Army's war gun. Now it just needs to consolidate. After performing a set of marksmanship, Yang Yanzhao was sweating profusely. When he was about to go back to his room to wash up, he saw Luo Ye hurriedly entering the east courtyard.
"Is something wrong?" Yang Yanzhao asked. Luo Ye nodded with a cold face, "Everything under the ground in the house has been dug out." Yang Yanzhao was stunned and said cautiously: "Take me to have a look." Yang Yanzhao followed Luo Ye and rushed to the west wing. Footsteps everywhere.
Several simple wooden houses were built there. A group of craftsmen were guarding the perimeter of the wooden house intentionally or unintentionally. These craftsmen were all impersonated by people from the Volcano Camp. The craftsmen saw Yang Yanzhao and Luo Ye, and secretly opened a way for the two to pass. Entering the wooden house, Yang Yanzhao looked very gloomy when he saw rows of lead pipes inside.
"There should be more than thirty of them, right?" Luo Ye said coldly: "The total number of lead pipes in the four rooms is more than one hundred and forty." Yang Yanzhao knocked on the lead pipes, making a dull sound. "The east courtyard has not been dug yet. In other words, the number of lead pipes underground in the Yang Mansion may exceed two hundred." Yang Yanzhao clenched his fists, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
"It's really vicious." Yang Yanzhao turned to Luo Ye and asked, "What do you think?" Luo Ye glanced at Yang Yanzhao and said calmly: "According to the investigation by my subordinates, these lead pipes were buried after the Yang family moved in. "." When Yang Yanzhao heard this, he gritted his teeth and said, "What do you mean... There were a large number of traitors in the Yang Mansion at that time. It is possible that these people are still lurking now." Luo Ye nodded.
"Check!" Yang Yanzhao spat out a word with hatred. Luo Ye hesitated for a moment and asked: "What should we do after we find out?" Yang Yanzhao reached out and patted the lead pipes, and sneered: "Don't they like to bury lead pipes? Once the identity of the spy is verified, put it into these lead pipes, Buried alive.”
After hearing Yang Yanzhao's order, there was no expression on Luo Ye's face, and he nodded and accepted Yang Yanzhao's order. Originally, Yang Yanzhao was in a good mood after getting a bargain from Gao Huaide during the morning court. However, after seeing these lead pipes and learning about the hidden spies in Yang Mansion, his good mood disappeared instantly.
He returned to the east courtyard with a gloomy expression. After taking a few gulps of water, Yang Yanzhao lay on the simple sofa feeling bored. Yang Yanzhao felt depressed for a while. Chai Xichun held up the hem of her skirt and went upstairs. Seeing Yang Yanzhao lying on the simple sofa, she snorted coldly.
"Hmph!" After a long time, seeing Yang Yanzhao didn't respond, he snorted heavily again. Yang Yanzhao was lying on the sofa and muttered, "Stop humming, I'm annoyed." Chai Xichun was slightly stunned and told Chan'er to go down first. She walked up to Yang Yanzhao and saw Yang Yanzhao leaving with a gloomy expression, and the expression on her face changed accordingly. "What happened?" Yang Yanzhao took Chai Xichun into his arms.
"The pipes under the house have been dug out, and there are more than 140 pipes. This does not include the underground pipes in the east courtyard..." Chai Xichun's eyes widened, "Why are there so many?" Yang Yanzhao laughed, and the laughter was very cold, "After the east courtyard is excavated, there may be more." Chai Xichun bit his lips, "Lang Jun, how about we move and wait until the lead pipes in the east courtyard are dealt with before moving back."
Yang Yanzhao was stunned, "Where to move?" Chai Xichun said softly: "When I got married, my father gave me a house not far from Xiangguo Temple." Yang Yanzhao thought for a moment, nodded in agreement: " I'll listen to you... However, if I move out for no reason, if my family asks me..." Chai Xichun patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me. When my parents asked me about something, I said it was uncomfortable to live here. , I want to rebuild the east courtyard. I believe that my parents will not argue with me because of these trivial matters."
Yang Yanzhao grinned. Chai Xichun did what he said, and already went to let Chan'er pack her things in a hurry. By evening, Chai Xichun had already ordered Chan'er to pack the needed items into the truck. The servants sent to clean up the house not far from Xiangguo Temple have also returned. "Lang Jun, let's leave now."
Yang Yanzhao looked at the empty bedroom and was stunned. "Chai Xichun, don't be so anxious, right?" Chai Xichun snorted, "How can we not be in a hurry? It is a major matter related to the inheritance of the heirs, and we cannot wait for a moment."
What happened after all, let’s see what happens next.
