Chapter 155 The Progress of the Steam Engine
In a moment, Qianqing Palace was already in sight.
The prince seemed to suddenly think of something and asked, "By the way. Do you know what the emperor asked you to talk about?"
He Xi said: "I don't know."
The prince glanced at He Xi and said meaningfully: "It's okay not to know. It's okay not to know."
——
He Xi had already written the list of Liaodong factories into a pamphlet.
All factories in Liaodong are listed here, with some detailed introductions. And He Xi needs to pay attention to things in these factories.
Now this booklet is in front of Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang read through it carefully, and when he remembered something he didn't understand, he asked He Xi to explain it. The prince was by his side.
After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang closed the book after reading it and said: "Yes, in just a few years, you have some foundations in what you have done. Today, the steel output of the Ming Dynasty has been ten times that of before. What do you think of Japan today during the Ming Dynasty and the Meiji Restoration?" How does it compare?”
He Xi said: "This -"
This made He Xi not sure what to say.
The size of the Ming Dynasty was so large that the output of the Taiping Iron Works alone had exceeded the original steel production of the Ming Dynasty. In order to support the two battlefields, Shenyang Iron Works. By supporting the shipbuilding industry and even various machinery, when there are no technical bottlenecks, and by accumulating funds, production can be increased. The steel production of more than 100,000 tons is already Japan's steel production before and after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1891.
Of course, steel and steel are different.
The ratio of Ming steel to Japanese steel, and the steel of the Ming Dynasty, are not the same thing as the steel of Japan at that time. But from the data, it seems to be the same.
This is the difference between big countries and small countries.
The industrialization of the Ming Dynasty has not yet begun, and there are even many technologies that can be said to be indigenous. But even so, the steel data rose very quickly.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "That's all, I know that too. I also know that there is still a lot to be desired. Mass production of cement has begun. What about the steam engine?"
Zhu Yuanzhang actually knew little about industrialization, or the modern scientific system, except for some key nodes. It's still very clear.
He Xi said: "There are still some problems with the steam engine. But please rest assured, Your Majesty. It will be built this year or next."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "I know, you want to get it right in one step, but haste makes waste. Sometimes, don't think too perfectly. Just use it if it works. This is not your opinion, just improve it during use. "
He Xi was stunned and said, "I understand."
He Xi did not explain the steam engine development progress to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Yes. Strictly speaking, the steam engine has already been built. However, this steam engine is of no use at all. This steam engine, no, I should say steam workshop, is composed of boiler, condenser, lever and other components. The air tightness is not strong and the power is not high. Calculate it in terms of horsepower. Although, this horsepower may not be the same as the horsepower in the West. After all, horses are different. Liaodong horses are different from British horses.
But the error shouldn't be big.
This is a large workshop covering an area of tens of meters. How much horsepower does it have?
Five to ten horsepower.
This horsepower is not as high as that of some small electric donkeys.
If the size is smaller. It can also be used in some places. What's the use now? Except for carrying water to irrigate the ground. Very little use.
No, it actually has a use.
That is used as a waterwheel accessory.
Daming's use of water power is very mature. The use of water wheels can be adapted to various scenarios, whether it is using water power to push water hammer. Or use water to push the lathe, or use water to push the mill. etc. Anyway, most of the conceivable hydraulic space can be used.
In particular, Hexi has successfully manufactured gears and bearings, as well as some mechanical components. Makes using water power easier.
There are just problems with the use of water power. It's hard to get a steady stream of water. Moreover, the problem of using water power to encroach on river channels was very obvious in the Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, hydraulic machinery was used on both sides of the Bianhe River in Kaifeng City, which blocked the river channel.
Now there is a steam engine. In this way, a large pool can be built at a high place, and then the water can be released from the pool to drive the waterwheel. However, the water wheel drives the hydraulic machinery to work. The water flowing down from the high places is then deposited in the low places, allowing the steam engine to lift the water to the high places.
Complete a cycle.
Since then, the space for using water power has been greatly expanded.
This can certainly make a big improvement in Ming's productivity.
But the problem is that other time-travelers have even surpassed the steam engine and directly launched the electrical revolution. And He Xi worked on it for several years to get to this point. He Xi was very dissatisfied. In He Xi's view, this joint operation of steam engines and waterwheels was just a substitute for a transitional period.
Although it is said that the huge steam engine will be made smaller and the power will be increased. There are many technical bottlenecks in increasing the pressure of steam and producing high-pressure steam. But at any rate, He Xi also knew the general direction. Although I don’t know many technical details.
But He Xi felt that if he made up his mind and worked hard for a few years, a more practical steam engine might come out.
I don't know if it can be installed on a vehicle. But steam is used to drive the machine directly, eliminating the need for an intermediate waterwheel. But it is possible.
However, Zhu Yuanzhang was a little anxious. And He Xi discovered that perhaps his report this time was a bit redundant. Anyway, Zhu Yuanzhang knew many things in Liaodong.
However, since Zhu Yuanzhang said this, it became inevitable to promote steam engines.
As for future updates. That's another matter.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Let's put aside the matters in Liaodong for now. Have you figured out the situation in Nanjing in the past few days?"
He Xi said: "I know a thing or two."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "What do you think about the dispute between Jie Jin and Ding Xian?"
He Xi bypassed a hundred thousand thoughts in his mind and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I think that when the court makes decisions, it is natural to pay attention to public opinion. If you don't understand the reason, you will punish them without teaching them. However, the truth has been explained clearly. The court will naturally want to Make a decision and let the people of the world know where the important affairs of the imperial court are. If you delay for a long time, the people of the world will be at a loss and be confused by strange rumors."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Yes. Democracy and centralization? Democracy first. Now it will be centralized. Public opinion in the world cannot be controlled by others. The newspaper was established for this purpose. Now it is time to make a decision. The court is about to end. . Just how to decide? This is why I called you back. What do you think?"
He Xi secretly thought: "As expected."
He Xi already had some premonitions in his heart. Just verified now. He Xi is Zhu Yuanzhang's sword against the scholar-bureaucrats. He usually puts it aside and takes care of it, but when it is time to use it, he will never use it.
Or, this is Zhu Yuanzhang's art of war. It is said that you love your soldiers like children and use them like clay. In normal times, you love your soldiers better than your own children, but when it comes to a critical moment, you don't care about the casualties, only about the results.
This is true on the battlefield, and it is true in officialdom as well.
Perhaps Zhu Yuanzhang is essentially a military strategist, which is why Zhu Yuanzhang's political methods are a bit rough. If you look at it from the perspective of a military strategist, it is a decisive killing.
At this moment, He Xi truly understood Zhu Yuanzhang and was disenchanted with him.
When He Xi first arrived in Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang had a halo in his eyes. Because He Xi has never seen such a big shot, even a big shot in history. Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang's character, realm, methods, etc. far surpassed He Xi.
To Zhu Yuanzhang, He Xi was as tall as a mountain. This situation made Zhu Yuanzhang extremely tall in He Xi's eyes.
But it's different now. Over the past few years, He Xi has been growing. After all these years, He Xi is no longer Wu Xia A Meng. He may not be as good as Zhu Yuanzhang now. But in many places, Zhu Yuanzhang can be looked at levelly.
He Xi did not have any negative emotions. He gave the answer that he had already calculated and said: "In my opinion, it is time to justify the policy of opening up the sea. When we opened the sea, I was the one who took the lead. In fact, there was no policy from the imperial court." The imperial government made adjustments based on the maritime situation. However, the imperial court’s actions cannot only change due to the situation, but also need to be justified. At that time, the time was not ripe, but now the time is ripe. "
