Steam engines can be used to generate electricity, but they are relatively rare at present, so they are not used. Instead, hydropower is considered.

In addition to people's livelihood, the Constitutional Yuan's main task this year is to deal with issues related to power development.

It is expected that by next year or the year after, the Academy of Sciences will be able to complete technical difficulties such as power transmission and regulation, allowing the hydroelectric power station to officially start generating electricity.

It is conceivable that in the next ten years or so, the Song Dynasty will be able to transition from the first industrial revolution to the second industrial revolution, and by then the development of the Song Dynasty will be ahead of the world for many years.

After Zhao Jun got on the carriage, his guards slowly took him away.

At this time, the outside of Xihuamen was in full swing. Xiangding Building had been demolished, and half of Qingtai Street was under demolition. Zhao Jun's house was nearing the end and would be demolished in about a month.

Thanks to the urban reconstruction plan proposed by Zhao Jun, the original low wooden city was transformed into a five- or six-story reinforced concrete tube-shaped building structure, and at the same time the area of ​​the imperial city was expanded. The first batch of demolition households in the Song Dynasty who became rich due to the demolition were about to be born.

For example, Zhao Zhen spent more than 10,000 strings of cash to buy Zhao Jun's house. It was a mansion covering an area of ​​about 2,000 to 3,000 square meters. Now, according to the land price in Bianliang, the price has soared by about four times.

What he didn’t get compared to other relocated residents was that he was also given an apartment.

It is a welfare for senior officials. It is still outside the imperial palace, located at the intersection of Xihuamen Street and Qishengyuan Street. It is a large mansion covering several acres and a palace-style structure. It was built on the order of Zhao Zhen.

It can be said that even if Qingtai Street where Zhao Jun lives now is demolished, he will still live outside Xihuamen in the future.

Because the current imperial city area planning is to swallow up all the several markets outside the imperial palace, extending about 400 meters to the west to Qishengyuan Street and 500 meters to the east to Maxing Street.

It extends 500 meters to Heng Street in the south and 900 meters to Longde Palace in the north. In this way, the original width of the palace is 1,050 meters and the length from north to south is 1,090 meters.

The entire palace covers an area of ​​4.8 square kilometers, which is four times the original size.

However, Zhao Zhen certainly could not live in such a large area. The Forbidden City was only 0.72 square kilometers. Therefore, according to the plan, these 4.8 square kilometers would become the area of ​​the imperial city.

Just as the Qing Dynasty imperial city covers an area of ​​6.87 square kilometers, a large number of parks, artificial lakes, gardens and other entertainment facilities will be built inside, and the headquarters of dozens of departments of the central court will also be located here.

So in general, the former imperial palace has only become Zhao Zhen's living area, which will be slightly larger than the Forbidden City. The imperial city is shared by the emperor and the entire court.

But even so, it is much better than the previous time when the emperor and various court departments shared the 1.14 square kilometers.

After crossing this demolished street, you will enter Qishengyuan Street. The streets are crisscrossed with people coming and going, and the original wooden structures are still retained.

However, there have been huge changes in the way people dress and travel.

In early summer, people wore light, short shirts and long pants. Sedan chairs became a common means of transportation. In the distance, you could see the Unification Monument, a tall building currently under construction.

Go out from Jinglong Gate and you will reach the outer city.

The outer city is even more lively.

Amid the hustle and bustle of traffic, various shouts can be heard constantly, and signs stand in rows, swaying gently in the wind.

The most common thing on the streets and alleys is coal stoves. Tea shops use coal stoves to boil water, bun shops use coal stoves to steam buns, and people use coal stoves to cook at home.

Steel kitchen utensils such as kitchen knives, spoons, and pots have also appeared in every household and become essential utensils.

The carriage slowly passed through the Suanzao Gate and arrived outside the city.

In the past, the suburbs were just beyond the moat, and outside the city was a fertile field covered with green grass.

But what we see now are high-rise buildings, with reinforced concrete buildings up to seven stories high rising from the ground, and the streets are lined up in an orderly manner. The business atmosphere is not much worse than that of the outer city.

The urban area of ​​Bianliang is now expanding towards the suburbs every day. The original willow bank with morning breeze and waning moon has now become a concrete embankment and steel bars, full of the power of a modern steel forest.

After walking for about another quarter of an hour, the team finally arrived at the Bianhua Canal.

This canal was originally planned by Zhao Jun and built under the supervision of Jia Changchao. It runs all the way from Bianliang to Huazhou and connects to the Yellow River.

There are countless ships at the riverside docks, and merchants traveling to and from Hebei finally no longer have to take a long detour or go by land to Beijing. After the opening of the Bianhua Canal, its throughput far exceeds that of the upstream Bian River and Huimin River. It is currently the second largest canal after the downstream Bian River.

A large boat was already waiting by the canal. After Zhao Jun arrived, he got off the carriage and glanced around. Because of his travel, the surrounding area was under control, and people had to use other streets instead.

But when Zhao Jun saw the high-rise buildings rising on both sides of the canal outside the city and the crisscrossing streets in the distance, he still felt very emotional.

In just twelve years, Bianliang has undergone such great changes.

The young tree of the Song Dynasty is already growing vigorously and is about to become the most prosperous and greatest one in the world's forest!

"Let's go!"

Zhao Jun boarded the large transport ship and gave the order: "Set off and see how the world has changed."

(End of this chapter)

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