Chapter 100 Shenyang Iron and Steel
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." He Xi whispered: "There is nothing to see here. Do you want to go to the next place?"
Only then did Zhu Yuanzhang wake up from a dream. Said: "Oh. Okay, let's go to the next place."
He has been here for a while.
It was originally red and bright. The flowing molten steel also solidifies into various specifications of steel in the mold. From red to dark color. Of course. It doesn't look red anymore. It doesn't mean it's not hot anymore. At this time, if that fool wants to touch it with his hand, he doesn't need to use his hand.
Cooling of steel takes time.
During this period of time, Zhu Yuanzhang kept looking at these steels. In other words, his eyes were watching, but his mind was not sure where to go.
As for what you were thinking about? Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't do it for a while.
After all, I was so shocked that I didn’t know what I was thinking. My mind goes blank.
Zhu Yuanzhang left here. After leaving the steamy environment here, I seemed to wake up a little.
As an emperor, do you know what steel is? Steel is power. Since the 14th year of Hongwu, Ming Dynasty has fought foreign wars, or He Xi has presided over foreign wars. They are all very relaxed and freehand. Is He Xi the first to have outstanding strategy in thousands of years?
no.
It is Ming Dynasty that is getting stronger.
After all, if a person doesn't wear armor and only has a sharp blade, he can face ten people. It's hard to survive. But if a person has armor to protect his body. Facing ten people. It's easy to kill. If one or two hundred men and cavalry fight in formation, thousands of infantry can rush out.
Don’t say anything else. Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty defeated hundreds of thousands of troops with black armor. The so-called Black Armor Cavalry is only composed of a few thousand.
The armor is powerful when used concentratedly.
Nowadays, the Ming Dynasty is flooded with armor. Firearms production doubled. This is a doubling of national power. So much so that even the patchwork army brought by He Xi completely overwhelmed Li Chenggui's most elite Goryeo army in terms of equipment.
However, this was not the case before this.
If there was no such overwhelming advantage, how could someone like Li Chenggui switch sides?
Zhu Yuanzhang thought this was the limit.
Never expected it. Shenyang Iron Works has surpassed Taiping Iron Works. Become the most technologically advanced ironworks. This furnace can produce several tons of molten steel.
Before, Zhu Yuanzhang heard what He Xi said about railways. It never seemed impossible to him. Iron is so expensive. How can a road be paved. Even if the road can really be paved. Aren't there any people to steal it? Now Zhu Yuanzhang really sees the hope of the railway.
When I think about it, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses can reach the distance from Beijing to Nanjing within a few days.
Zhu Yuanzhang felt short of breath.
Before Zhu Yuanzhang could get out of this emotion, another place He Xi invited Zhu Yuanzhang to visit had arrived.
Nothing has been named here yet, if at all. Because of Shenyang Machinery Factory.
There are lathes here. This is also a concept proposed by He Xi and completed by craftsmen. Coming up with the concept is easy, but finishing the lathe is not. The most important thing is still the bearing. And gears. To move the tool better.
Of course, the lathes here are still very crude. The bottom is a thick iron base, and the top is the vertical and horizontal machinery. The user is shaking the handle desperately at one end, or stepping on the roller. In order to drive the movement of the tool. And the knife created a beautiful flame on the iron billet. Iron filings flew out. It seems to be ignited. Only when it falls on the ground can you see what it looks like.
Cutting iron like clay is not an adjective here. Rather, it is an accurate description of reality.
In He Xi's opinion, there are many problems here.
Firstly, the tool is not good.
Lathe tools are different from traditional tools. It's actually a small piece of alloy steel. But where to find alloy steel these days. He Xi can only use the hardest steel as a cutting tool. But these tools are barely adequate for processing iron. Processing steel is simply impossible.
Fortunately, it is like a water turbine. Doesn't require too much hardness.
This can be processed.
But even so, the frequency of tool changes is too fast. In almost no time, it will be replaced with another one.
Secondly, there is a lack of motivation. Use human power, even on a rotating basis. It also takes a long time to process a part. Of course, even so, the parts processed by the lathe are far more accurate than other methods. It seems slow to He Xi. But in the eyes of others, it is already very fast.
If not here.
Dozens of water turbines simply cannot be produced.
Even so now. The output of hydraulic turbines still cannot increase.
He Xi told Zhu Yuanzhang everything about the situation here.
Zhu Yuanzhang held a knife in his hand, which was a square iron block. And King Yan's eyes were straightened. He approached He Xi and said, "Can firearms be produced here in He Xi?"
He Xi said: "Nature can produce. Come and see here."
He Xi took a few steps ahead. Came to a lathe with a round iron post fixed on it. So stuck. There is already a neat depression in the column.
He Xi said to King Yan: "This is an artillery piece. The previous artillery used casting methods, and in my opinion, the quality was not very good. And this is a whole piece of steel, I thought about it. From here Just dig out the barrel. This artillery will definitely be much easier to use. It's just a pity. I underestimated the difficulty of this method and only have this semi-finished product."
King Yan reached out and touched the barrel of the cannon. It felt like a mirror.
It's just too shallow.
At most, the distance of one hand is not enough to insert gunpowder and cannonballs.
King Yan said: "Why don't you do this?"
He Xi said, "It's too slow. If you don't think it's so shallow, it's actually been drilling continuously for three months."
To build a cannon, it is natural to use the highest quality steel. That is to say. The hardness of the knife's steel is almost the same as that of gun steel, which leads to the current situation. Very embarrassing. It may take three years to grind it out, but maybe it can be polished out.
In fact, if He Xi knew it at that time. He wouldn't even let him grind for three months, but he had many things to do, so he explained the basic methods. He didn't pay attention. When he paid attention again, the craftsmen had been grinding for three months.
Only then did He Xi have the opportunity to call it quits.
King Yan said: "Brother He, there is no need to be too modest. Because of you, everything here is possible. I think you must find a way to solve this problem."
What King Yan said is true.
Taiping Iron Works is located in the south of the Yangtze River and has deep roots. The technical background is also there. Why and where there is no technological innovation. And it has only been a few days since we arrived in Liaoyang, and technology has already advanced to this extent?
The reason lies in He Xi.
He Xi is also a layman in iron smelting and casting technology. Don't know much. It's just that he knows some general concepts. He can guide craftsmen in their research. This is just one of them, the more important thing is not this.
But He Xi can provide enough financial support to the craftsmen. and respect.
After encountering the problem, He Xi was just like when he studied blast furnaces. Gather the craftsmen together. Negotiate plans. The craftsmen could speak freely in front of He Xi. Not subject to any constraints. Moreover, the quality of craftsmen has also changed a lot in recent years.
When He Xi was studying blast furnaces, most of the craftsmen were illiterate. And everyone has their own little thoughts and don't want to leak their skills.
But things are different now.
Among the craftsmen groups that have always been valued by He Xi. There are very few old craftsmen left. Most of them have unique skills. technically. Others can't do it, as long as he can do it. But this is no longer possible in theory. These old craftsmen can only undertake some execution tasks. The people who really helped He Xi the most were the craftsmen from the Institute of Technology headed by Ge Tiangong.
Although they don't read much. But I understand experiments and mathematics. I also understand that He Xi talked about some metallurgical principles. Some even mechanical knowledge. They are supported by He Xi. Lots of new ideas burst out.
He Xi has almost unlimited resources to provide them with trial and error.
Couldn't be more wrong. The right one will naturally come.
There is also too much valuable data, which lays the foundation for the future.
After all, the cost of scientific research in this era is not high. Compared with the hundreds of millions of scientific research funds that will be spent by later generations, these craftsmen only spent some materials, labor, and time costs. In He Xi's view, this was nothing.
But only this change. have completely different effects.
Of course, He Xi would not take credit for this. He said: "This matter is entirely due to His Majesty's wisdom. I just did a small thing."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "He Xi, whose credit is his, can I still take away the credit of my ministers? These achievements can only be achieved by you. Others cannot achieve it."
Zhu Yuanzhang was right, not to mention He Xi's so-called foresight. Only He Xi can treat craftsmen equally. That's what other officials find difficult to do. Because from the bottom of his heart, He Xi doesn't feel that there is anything different between everyone. Even some officials forced themselves to learn from He Xi's style. But people are not stupid, and they are most sensitive to many things. Especially when faced with a boss who has the power of life and death over him. Who can really speak freely?
Isn't it just being cautious and not making mistakes?
Where will there be any innovation.
Not to mention that many officials of the Ming Dynasty did not have innovation in their minds at all. They just want to maintain the current situation, preferably until the end of time. I didn't think about changing anything. In Lian Neo-Confucianism, there is more emphasis on tranquility, and the world is static, rather than the other way around.
How could these things be done?
He Xi said: "Your Majesty is so complimentary." At this point, He Xi paused slightly. Said: "Your Majesty, how about we go back to Shenyang. There is really no place to live here. It is only available in Shenyang."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "What's the big deal about where I sleep? I can't sleep anywhere. I have another place to go today."
He Xi said: "Where?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Let's go see the coal mine."
When He Xi heard this, he said: "Your Majesty, the situation in the coal mine is even worse. Your Majesty's body is rich in gold -------"
Before He Xi could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang said: "I am free to think about it. Just obey my orders. It's getting late. Go quickly. I will stay in the coal mine tonight."
Zhu Yuanzhang gave an order, and no one dared to disobey.
But no one knows why Zhu Yuanzhang must go to the coal mine. Even He Xi didn't know that although the coal mine was important, it couldn't wait even a day.
