According to the pre-made flight plan, the first test flight lasted only half an hour, that is, one hour. Although it was not long, there was no doubt that this flight had milestone significance.
Not only did it show the court, people and Western magicians that the Ming Empire already had an aircraft that could carry people, it also boosted morale and laid the foundation for the use of airships in the military field.
Overall, due to relatively adequate preparation, the airship project team at the Academy of Sciences achieved a very successful flight even without any relevant experience.
After the airship stopped heating continuously, its lift gradually weakened, and finally landed nearly ten miles away. The cavalry troops following on the ground immediately surrounded it to prevent the nearby people who were watching from dismantling the airship.
In fact, the common people did not dare to do anything to the huge airship. They regarded it as a fairy and worshiped it. They believed that the ancestors of the empire had finally appeared and blessed the prince to return to the mortal world and turn things around.
According to the visual inspection of a certain prince, after word-of-mouth spread, the people of the capital almost turned out in droves. It is estimated that more than 500,000 people joined in the fun in the open space to watch the airship, and the vast majority of them became followers.
For safety reasons, a certain prince, the royal family, as well as the vassal king, civil servants, and military generals all just stopped where they were and watched the airship fly into the distance. It didn't fly very far anyway, and it could always be seen with the eyes.
But this kind of excitement is unparalleled. It is naturally a great blessing to be able to see other immortal weapons appear in the world in my lifetime. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing an airship.
The prince said that he had obtained the blueprints of weapons from the fairy world and needed time to build them. At first, everyone did not believe this statement, and only a few people including the chief minister Xue Guoguan thought it was true.
But when the fairy weapons were actually released, even the most die-hard guys were shocked speechless by such a magnificent scene. After all, facts speak louder than words. Everything in front of them is real objects, so it can't be said to be a mirage, right?
A certain prince knew very well that although the airship project was progressing very quickly, it was still far from being equipped with troops. At the moment, it could only be regarded as a means to enhance his prestige and gain Min Xin.
However, showing off muscles in this way is also of great benefit to himself. This directly proves that he has returned from studying in the fairy world. No one will dare to question it in the future, let alone deny it easily.
Public opinion counts, and even if a few people are still stubborn, they will be beaten to death by others. If you think this thing of mine is not up to standard, why don't you build one?
This is the first object that can be lifted into the air in thousands of years, and it can still carry people. I will not accept any refutation at all. That's it! !
"Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness! My Ming Dynasty has obtained this powerful weapon from the Immortal Realm, and it will naturally prosper!"
As the chief minister of the dynasty, Xue Guoguan's flattery has always been like a torrent of river water, and he said it without blushing or heartbeat. He told the flattery as the truth, and he probably even believed it to himself.
"I agree with the words of the chief minister. This is something that has not existed for thousands of years. Now that our dynasty has appeared, it is destiny, and we will definitely be able to recreate the glory of Emperor Taizu Gao!"
This kind of God-given opportunity would never be missed by Feng Quan, the Minister of Rites. As soon as the first assistant spoke, he would immediately follow up. Even if the first assistant didn't say anything, he planned to strike first.
"This object is surprising and extraordinary. It immediately shows the authority of the imperial court. It gallops in the sky and has a panoramic view of the scene of a hundred miles. If Jifu is attacked, it can be warned in advance, which is a blessing to the imperial court."
Zhang Guowei, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, also temporarily ran back from the Xincheng construction site. While excited, he fully affirmed the prince's big toy. This was the most shocking machine he had ever seen in his life.
The prince said that this thing was a machine, and that was it. It was just that it had never been seen before in the world. Others could get a glimpse of it. As the minister of the Ministry of Industry, Zhang Guowei knew some of the secrets.
"If the king has a hundred of these airships, supplemented by new guns and chariots, and has a strong army for more than a year, he will be able to defeat the Eastern captives without fear of the iron hoof, defeat the captive chieftains in the wild, and then recover Liaodong and promote the prestige of our Ming Dynasty!"
Regarding the performance parameters of the mortar, Wang Jiayan, the Minister of War, was very clear. He also had a rough idea of the tank being developed. With the airship in front of him, the Ming army had three magic weapons to defeat the enemy.
In the past, repeated defeats were due to insufficient pay and weak weapons. Now Taicang is rich and has obtained immortal weapons. Once the king's division is equipped with sufficient equipment, it can fight to the death with the Donglu who repeatedly knock on the pass.
"I agree with what Your Majesty Wang said!"
"I also second the proposal..."
The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were very interested in tidying up their braids, but they had suffered a series of defeats in the past, the most recent of which was in winter, which was very discouraging.
Now that there is an airship that fills the sky, what Wang Jiayan said is exactly in line with everyone's thoughts. Once they can defeat the Donglu and even regain Liaodong, the current imperial court will have great achievements.
The Donglu scourge has been going on for more than twenty years, and now it is becoming more and more out of control. It has become a situation where the court is helpless and the capital is even more in danger. The appearance of the airship has undoubtedly given everyone the great hope of reversing the occupation.
"My dear friends, I know that airships are still in the research and development stage, far from military use, and the cost is high, reaching eight thousand taels per ship. The training and combat costs must be calculated separately. When the court saves enough money next year, Let’s take care of it again!”
One hundred ships is equivalent to 800,000 taels. Including various auxiliary equipment and related ground staff, it is impossible to purchase without one million taels of silver. This year's money has been almost spent. If the Ministry of War insists on purchasing, it will have to purchase another one. Just set up a budget.
The cost can be spread by making more and more, but a certain prince first fixed the cost of eight thousand taels of silver, which was a precaution for all officials, so as not to think that the weapons in the fairy world have no shortcomings, and the cost is the biggest shortcoming. .
No matter how much you save money, spending 5,000 taels of silver to build one is impossible. After calculation, the cost of building a hundred airships and subsequent training and operations will be close to the million taels of silver. If you don’t have money, you can’t survive. Don't touch high-tech weapons that cost a lot of money.
"I sincerely request Your Highness to grant permission for the Ministry of War to purchase twenty airships before the end of the year to train combat personnel!"
The Ministry of War has become the largest spender among the seven ministries. Wang Jiayan also knew that it would be difficult to ask the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue for a million taels of silver. If he wanted to buy something, someone else would have to pay for it. This was a bit unspeakable, so he called discount.
"Twenty airships, including parts and personnel, will cost roughly three hundred thousand taels of silver. I wonder what Li Aiqing thinks?"
A certain prince didn't pay much attention to the Ministry of War's purchase of airships. It was entirely up to him to decide when the airships could be mass-produced. He would equip the Yongwei Battalion and the Donggong Guards first, while the other troops would line up behind.
"I think it is acceptable for the Ministry of Household Affairs to support this amount, but it will be difficult to increase it further!"
Li Shiwen was also very happy to see the airship take off, but he was not happy that the Ministry of War wanted to continue to spend a lot of money from the Ministry of Household Affairs. Seeing that the thing was extraordinary, he reluctantly agreed, but the money he paid out There can be no more silver.
"When the court meeting is held, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry can sign relevant contracts to purchase twenty airships first. I have no objection to this, and the cabinet will sign and seal it to take effect. The relevant confidential procedures will be sent to the Ministry of War. This is a unique weapon in the world, and anyone who leaks these military secrets must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others."
Fifteen thousand taels of silver a piece, which is almost a sky-high price. That is to say, the current financial situation of the imperial court is still good. In the past, even if this thing was built, the imperial court could not afford to purchase it.
To the officials, such a large object can actually fly and can carry people. Fifteen thousand taels of silver per ship is simply a great value. As for how useful it can be on the battlefield, then That's something to talk about later.
Anyway, the imperial court has twenty airships. Regardless of whether they can be used for fighting, just floating in the sky will give the officials in the capital a great sense of security...
"I must strictly manage my subordinates and never dare to reveal such secrets!"
Wang Jiayan finally got what he wanted, but while he was excited, he also understood that the airship was of great importance. Once it was leaked, it would be deeply implicated. He, the Minister of War, was afraid that he would also be affected, and he felt a twinge in his heart. Worry.
"Mother, the airship test flight has been completed just now. Can you get up and return to your residence?"
A certain prince took a look at the group of concubines behind him. Most of them were wilted by the sun. They had long lost their previous liveliness. If they were exposed to the sun for a while, they would probably turn into dead fish.
"That's good, the Queen Mother is already tired!"
Empress Zhou was tired and hungry, and now it was finally over. She hurriedly agreed and would not come out to watch the thing take off in the future. It was so troublesome and time-consuming, and it was really tiring.
"It's still early today, and there is still some time before sunset. I and all my dear friends will continue the court meeting in the previous court. If there is no big event, we will rest tomorrow morning. In the afternoon, you can go to your respective yamen to handle official business. The court meeting will be suspended for one day, and the morning after tomorrow will continue as usual. .”
Finally able to go home and rest, the concubines breathed a sigh of relief. Thousands of factory guards were escorting the surroundings, and a group of people returned to the imperial city from the open space through Chaoyang Gate.
All the officials thought the prince's idea was a good one. If he was lazy today, he would have to go to court again tomorrow, and he would probably be even more tired.
It's better to just get everything done today. You can sleep in tomorrow and come back to your own territory in the afternoon. In comparison, the prince's idea is more cost-effective for you.
All the officials are talkative, but at heart they are as fussy as Li Shiwen, the Minister of Household Affairs. They even plan to get a free lunch. You can only imagine how generous these officials can be.
A certain prince is even better at scheming. In this way, he will use the time before sunset today to finish the court meeting and send a group of foodies home to eat. If there is no court meeting tomorrow, he can save a lunch, ah~ hahahaha...
While feeling secretly proud, a certain prince glanced at a group of younger brothers and sisters, and all of them were still beaming with joy, as if they were very happy to go out for fun. If he hadn't explained it in advance, these little guys would probably think that the Ministry of War was "flying kites". "Yes.
The feudal princes, some riding horses, some riding sedans, and some riding rickshaws, had their own thoughts, but their expressions were not bad, and many of them were chatting away. After receiving the money, everyone can buy new belongings as they wish, but that thing in the sky is not included.
After standing or sitting outside for five and a half hours, with little room or time to move around, and having to be exposed to the scorching sun, the officials were naturally distressed. Some people were immediately tanned, and then had to go back. Wai Chao continued to stand, but was quite depressed.
The officials above the third rank were treated very well. The Han general provided parasols, and two people could sit under one umbrella. Although they could only sit on horseback, it was better than the colleagues below who could only use fans to block the sun.
Everyone in the Academy of Sciences wears hats, so they don’t need sunshades and can work normally. At this moment, everyone is cleaning up the place and no objects related to scientific research can be left behind.
The rest of the place was naturally in a mess, especially the place where the people had stood. There were all kinds of paper scraps and garbage, including metabolic products. These were all things that Yin Houdong of Shuntian Prefecture had to send people to clean up.
The biggest beneficiaries of the airship test flight are actually small traders. They sell more things in one day than in a normal week, and they don't have to pay taxes. They are eager to have such a God-given opportunity once a week, and they can make a fortune by the end of the year. A lot of money.
This is not an extravagant hope, because in the future the airship will be tested frequently, at least once a week. If the weather is good, the frequency of test flights will be even higher.
As long as the airship, which is the protagonist, comes out, the vendors will not worry about running out of customers. If the royal family is not present to watch, the people will be more relaxed. It is inevitable to eat and drink extravagantly, and treat it as an outing.
The guard of honor returned to the concubine. After washing up, the beautiful mother and a group of aunts were so tired that they didn't even play their favorite mahjong, so they fell asleep. The concubines usually did very little physical exercise, and their physical strength was naturally not much better. They could hold on until This will already be difficult.
A certain prince had to hold a meeting with a group of civil servants and generals in the previous court. The main content involved was airships and military purchase orders worth 300,000 taels of silver.
You have to be smart about this, because after being exposed to the sun for a long time, after a group of people have dried, they have begun to emit a strong rancid smell...
It seems that it was an extremely wrong decision to hold a court meeting after watching the test flight, but you have to eat the bitter fruit you have sown, and you can't show a bitter look.
"Your Highness, why is the fuel cost of this airship so high?"
Li Shiwen had to find out clearly, otherwise the actual use of the three hundred thousand taels of silver would be unclear. In the future, the Ministry of War will inevitably purchase hundreds of ships, which will involve more silver taels.
Each airship written on the list is equipped with sixty barrels of special fuel, one hundred liters per barrel, totaling three thousand taels of silver, which means that the price of each barrel is as high as fifty taels, and the average price is half a tael of silver per liter.
The oil shipped from Shaanxi to the capital cost only five taels of silver per barrel. In other words, after being processed by the refinery, its price soared to ten times its original price. This is too much.
"It's very simple. Chicken farmers will charge all the expenses of raising chickens on the chickens, and the same goes for oil refineries. Which business has Ai Qing ever seen that would lose money and sell items for takeout?"
To put it more harshly, the imperial court does not give you officials a monthly salary and allows you to pay back, and it is not allowed to be greedy. What will you do?
A certain prince had already tried to save face for the Minister of Household Affairs, so he just thought about it in his mind and did not say it out loud.
