As we all know, the first industrial revolution was marked by the invention and application of the steam engine.
Zuo Menggeng is not a scientist. The reason why he attaches great importance to steam engines is purely the education he got from history books.
But when steam engines really began to be used on a large scale, people felt what an unstoppable historical trend was.
When Zuo Mengeng returned to Ili, the mountain valleys that were once green mountains and green waters had now turned into a huge construction site.
Countless factories have sprung up here, countless workers shuttle among them, countless chimneys spit black mist into the sky, countless raw materials are continuously transported, and countless industries Products are sent out from here like a flood.
"The Western Region is a treasure land. It is very rich in resources and does not need much support from the mainland. At present, major groups have chosen to settle here and adopt the principle of proximity to produce locally. Within five years, the Western Region will be able to feed back to the mainland."
Accompanying Zuo Mengeng, Zhang Jimeng was in high spirits.
Before he came to serve as the governor of Xijing, he was mentally prepared to endure hardship here.
However, after he actually arrived, he suddenly discovered that the Western Region was completely different from what he had imagined.
As long as you pass through the difficult Hexi Corridor, this place is completely different.
Not only is the Western Region not poor, the environment is not that harsh either. In particular, the exploration and discovery of various mineral resources made him realize that the Western Region was a place with great potential.
No wonder Zuo Mengeng was so persistent in the Western Regions that he now admired the emperor more and more.
The massive mineral resources in the Western Region have naturally attracted major domestic industrial groups.
Businessmen and capital are both profit-seeking, and they must be extremely positive whenever they see benefits.
Compared with the more distant Far North and the New World, development in the Western Region is obviously more difficult.
Zhang Jimeng is very clever in planning.
The rest can be postponed, but the steam engine was ranked first by him.
The steam engine means production efficiency. With this thing, various industries in the Western Regions can lay a solid foundation.
Therefore, he transferred a large amount of interests and benefits to XCMG Group, prompting XCMG Group to establish a steam engine production factory here.
"XCMG has invested a lot of manpower and material resources here. It can currently produce more than 1,700 steam engines of various types every year, effectively supporting the industrial construction here. You see, over there is the woolen textile factory that is about to be completed. . Powered by twenty-three steam engines, the annual output of wool can reach eleven million horses."
Zuo Mengeng walked into the woolen textile factory.
Although the Western Region has been established as a new cotton spinning base, before the cotton spinning industry took shape, wool spinning progressed faster.
After all, the original animal husbandry here is very developed, and the most indispensable thing is all kinds of woolen materials, furs and other materials.
All you need to do is set up a woolen spinning factory and you can see the finished product soon.
"We discovered a better-quality sheep in Spain, and the quality of its wool is very outstanding. After negotiations with Spain, we have obtained more than a thousand breeding sheep. We have established a sheep population breeding base here. , and strive to achieve the localization of alien populations as soon as possible. By then, our wool production will be at a higher level."
The person in charge of the woolen textile factory stood beside Zuo Mengeng excitedly and introduced the situation here.
Zuo Mengengxin picked up the spun wool and stroked its smooth texture, feeling very satisfied.
"The military has always been critical of cotton-spun fabrics. Our military uniforms will become loose after being worn for a long time, which seriously affects life and operations, and also damages the image of the army. Whether the temperament of the army can be changed depends on you. ”
If you don't pay attention to the maintenance and ironing of cotton clothes, they will become loose after a long time. It can be used in daily life, but in the army, especially during combat, it really bothers the soldiers.
Of course Zuo Mengeng knew that woolen uniforms were the future of military uniforms.
Now that he saw woolen factories rising from the ground, he had already foreseen the possibility of the Wehrmacht solving the uniform problem.
Sure enough, the wool spinning factory came out with the finished product directly.
Zuo Mengeng wore a brand new wool general officer uniform and a more straight and handsome cloak, and immediately won the praise of the whole house.
"We have already placed an order. All products from the woolen mill until next year must be given priority to meet the needs of the military."
What Zuo Mengeng didn't expect was that Wang Xiuqin was also here.
As the deputy director of the Logistics Department and the person in charge of the supply of uniforms, Wang Xiuqin is dedicated to her responsibilities.
"No one else has any opinions?"
Zuo Mengeng thought of something when he heard that the logistics department had a monopoly on the supply of goods.
Wang Xiuqin is very domineering.
"Anyone who has any objections should come to the military and ask for justice."
Everyone shook their heads and smiled bitterly.
Who doesn't know that the army is the most unreasonable? How dare they make trouble at this age?
Zuo Mengeng thought for a while and put forward his opinion.
"The woolen textile industry has a wide range of uses, and your factory alone cannot handle it. It is best to join forces with local businessmen and build more factories, so that the pressure can be shared."
Zhang Jimeng quickly remembered it in his heart.
He knew better than others that Zuo Mengeng's suggestion was also intended to cultivate emerging local forces.
After all, the Western Region had just been brought under the rule of the empire, and the people were not yet stable enough. At this time, only by selling certain benefits to the people and letting the people get enough benefits can we stabilize people's hearts.
Later in the day, Zuo Menggeng visited arsenals, heavy industry plants and other industries.
These places further demonstrate the power of steam engines.
With the large-scale machinery driven by steam engines, industrialization developed in great strides.
The rich copper resources in the Western Region make the arsenal no longer limited.
Among other things, the shaping and production of copper bullet cases has become a reality.
The striker gun that originally fires paper bullets can be replaced with copper-cased bullets. With the full-metal cartridge case, the firepower of the Wehrmacht has been raised to another level.
The greatest benefit brought by the steam engine was that it made the mass production of steel gun barrels and gun barrels possible.
The drill bit driven by the steam engine rotates at a higher and more stable speed. Only in this way can the drilling of gun barrels and gun barrels be completed with high quality and quantity.
The brand-new arsenal can already produce a hundred gun barrels and cannon barrels. As the scale expands in the future, the day will not be far when the entire army will be re-equipped.
Watching the production lines at full power and steel raw materials turning into finished products at a rapid speed, Zuo Mengeng's heart was filled with excitement.
At a time when the whole world was still in the stage of manual production, the empire took the lead in entering the stage of industrial revolution and would surely leave other countries far behind.
By the time other countries discovered it and caught up, it was clear that the empire had been able to complete its interest planning and occupy the most important position among the nations of the world.
Only such a Chinese nation can sit back and relax without worrying about slipping into the abyss.
