108 Chapter 108

◎A myriad of sceneries◎

The sky was as blue as the sea, and the forests were gradually dyed golden. A horse-drawn carriage was driving on the streets of the city. A newsboy ran over, waving newspapers and shouting to sell them.

Before he could run far, he was stopped by someone in the carriage.

"Madam, how many copies would you like to buy?"

The weather got colder after autumn. The newsboy was wearing only a thin linen shirt with patches all over it. His trouser legs were a little too short, and his ankles were bony, like two sticks stuck into a pair of black cloth shoes. There was a hole in the right shoe.

Lu Fei felt bad and said, "I want all the newspapers in your pocket."

"Thank you so much, ma'am!" the newsboy was delighted. "You are so beautiful and kind-hearted!"

Lu Fei couldn't help laughing. Where did this kid learn such nice words?

After paying for the newspaper, she took out a bunch of copper coins and said, "Go buy some food and change into some warmer clothes."

The newsboy grinned. "Thank you, ma'am, for the gift. I have two new sets of clothes, given by the newspaper office. Everyone gets one."

"Then why aren't you wearing it?"

"The clothes are so nice, I'm afraid they'll get damaged." The newsboy scratched his head. "I'll wear them when the weather gets cooler."

Lu Fei nodded: "Go ahead and get busy."

The newsboy bowed deeply and ran away.

The carriage started again and drove towards the Chongnanfang residence.

Lu Fei unfolded the newspaper, his eyes fixed on the front page. He quickly ordered the driver, "Hurry, turn around and go to Tiangongyuan!"

Located in the north of the city, Tiangongyuan is a place for studying the nature of things. Because the Queen and the Prince of Qi are in charge, it is usually heavily guarded and ordinary people cannot get close.

Today is an exception.

The Tiangong Courtyard was packed with people inside and outside, all of whom were people who came to watch the excitement, mostly businessmen.

Lu Fei was glad that he arrived quickly and had the best view.

A large open space was cleared in front of the Tiangongyuan gate, and a tall object was placed in the center of the space. It was covered with red silk and its shape was unknown.

Lu Fei clasped his hands together. Could it be that beneath the red silk was the steam engine mentioned in the newspaper?

Ever since Wu Chuanyue entered the Heavenly Book illusion last year and saw the steam engine, the imperial court has established the Tiangong Academy specifically to study this thing.

There has been no news for nearly a year and everyone has forgotten about it.

However, the content of today's newspaper instantly ignited people's enthusiasm, because the Tiangong Institute finally developed the first steam engine and decided to test it in public!

As we all know, in the fantasy world of the Heavenly Book, steam engines can be used in the textile and mining industries, and can increase efficiency by at least five times.

By analogy, if it can be used in textile and mining industries, does that mean it cannot be used in other industries?

sure!

Others were pessimistic: "I believe in textiles and mining, but I can't imagine it being able to pull vehicles or ships. Mr. Shi was too imaginative."

Lu Fei's ears were filled with discussions.

She doesn't care about cars or ships, as long as they can be used in mines.

Soon, the gate of Tiangongyuan opened.

A dozen people stepped out. The leader was a woman with an upright figure. She looked to be about thirty years old. She was wearing an indigo-colored uniform. The style was strange, but it made people feel a sense of awe for no reason.

Two young men followed behind her. The one behind her on the left was handsome and had an outstanding temperament, but he had no expression. The one behind her on the right had an ordinary appearance and a slightly dark complexion, and was not noticeable in the crowd.

They were all wearing the same style of clothes and standing together in a large crowd, which shocked the onlookers.

After nearly a year, the steam engine was finally successfully developed. After many tests, it could successfully drive textile machines and carry out mine pumping operations.

It is not difficult for them to know the principle and then reversely infer the manufacturing process based on the results. The difficulty lies in the lack of materials.

A steam engine that can operate for a long time has high requirements for steel quality and output. The original steel quality and output of Qichao were not enough to support the rapid development of steam engines.

To this end, Meng Qi and Xie Mingxuan made many efforts, gathered technical talents from steel mills across the country, worked together, and continuously improved steel technology, which led to the birth of the first steam engine.

Today we will demonstrate the practicality of the steam engine in front of the people of the capital.

Lu Fei was pushed and shoved by the people behind him, stumbling forward and nearly bumping into the guards who were guarding him closely. He expected to be scolded, but instead heard the guards shout a warning: "Don't push behind me, or you'll end up in jail!"

People at that time were still quite afraid of government officials. After hearing this, they dared not push or shove anyone, and order was restored a lot.

Lu Fei: As expected of the capital, the officials are much more lenient than those in other places.

She stood still, half on tiptoe, and looked towards the group of indigos.

The leading woman was dressed simply, but her demeanor was so elegant that she had never seen anything like it in her life. Was she also a researcher at the Tiangong Institute?

So awesome!

The dean of Tiangong Academy is the queen, but no one would think that the queen would do such "hard labor" personally.

Meng Qi looked at the crowd several feet away and laughed loudly, "You all came here today because of the newspaper. Let's not waste any more time and show you what it is."

"Good!" Everyone applauded and cheered.

Just for the efficiency, they had to give a shout out.

Meng Qi gestured behind him, and Xie Mingxuan and King Shu Xie Peng stood on both sides, grabbed the red silk, and peeled it off at the same time, revealing the true appearance of the steam engine.

Wow, it’s a really big guy!

The entire body is mostly made of fine steel. The lines of the boiler, cylinder, pipes, crank and connecting rod are smooth and natural, and a cold beauty of mechanical metal comes to the face.

With today's technological level, it can only be made into this appearance.

But even Xie Peng, who was obsessed with agronomy, couldn't help but admire this appearance.

The onlookers were silent, all immersed in the shock brought by the giant machine.

A researcher from the Tiangong Institute carried out a textile machine that had been modified to work with a steam engine.

Sweat broke out on Lu Fei's palms.

She didn't understand mechanics and had only a vague understanding of textiles, but an inexplicable expectation surged in her heart, piling up in her throat, eager to break through the obstacles and shout out excitedly.

This steam engine burns coal. The coal stone burns to heat the water in the furnace, generating high-pressure steam. The steam enters the cylinder and pushes the piston to reciprocate. This kinetic energy is converted into crankshaft rotation through the crank-connecting rod structure, thereby driving the textile machine.

The onlookers didn’t understand the principle behind it, but they could hear it and see it with their eyes.

When the crankshaft turned "spontaneously", they cheered deafeningly.

The excitement that Lu Fei had been holding back in his throat broke through his restraint as he shouted loudly, and transformed along with the crank and connecting rod, causing his vocal cords to vibrate endlessly.

The loom actually moved! The scene in the heavenly book fantasy world actually became reality!

The inside and outside of Tiangongyuan were like boiling water.

Pumping water wasn't a difficult task; the Tiangong Institute had already prepared a simulated mine pumping system. As long as the steam engine could be started, the operation would be no problem.

The first exhibition of Tiangong Institute was successfully completed.

Meng Qi reached out to silence the crowd and said with a smile, "I know you all have many questions to ask. You will all know when the newspaper is published tomorrow. Today's presentation ends here. Everyone can disperse."

The sounds of loss came one after another.

It was not until the gate of Tiangongyuan was closed again that everyone dispersed in despair.

Lu Fei's heart was still beating wildly, and it didn't stop even after she got on the carriage. She replayed the scene over and over again, with only one thought in her mind.

This device must be purchased by the Lu family mine!

There were many people who shared the same idea as her, and everyone was waiting for tomorrow's newspaper.

I am destined to be sleepless tonight.

Tiangong Institute is only responsible for research and development, not production, and they cannot afford the national demand.

As early as June, Xie Mingzhuo learned that the steam engine was about to be successfully developed and began to prepare for it.

In addition to civilian factories, military factories must also be secretly established.

The next morning, all the newspapers in Beijing were sold out, and the printing factory had to print more copies.

But it was not until dusk that the news reached an alley in Chongnanfang called "Qiaoshou Hutong".

As the name suggests, most of the people living here are craftsmen, including carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, etc.

Mi Daguan is a famous blacksmith in Qiaoshou Hutong. His blacksmithing skills are highly respected by the neighbors. He has several apprentices and should be living a good life.

But his parents were bedridden, and the daily medicine expenses were a big part of his expenses. He also had seven children, the oldest of whom was old enough to follow him as a blacksmith, and the youngest was only four years old.

When they first got married, his family had no worries about food and clothing. The blacksmith shop had a surplus every year, and his wife only needed to take care of the housework and did not have to go out to work.

But now, the wife not only has to take care of the elderly and children, but also has to do some hard work such as washing and mending to barely make a living.

The blacksmith shop's harvest is getting worse every year.

Mi Daguan was so worried that he couldn't eat every day. He would wake up from his sleep at night and slap himself. He was really useless!

"Dad! Dad!"

Mi Daguang was just about to close the shop and go home when his second son was running around like a pig, clutching a newspaper in his hand. His eyes, which looked exactly like his wife's, were brighter than the stars in the sky.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Let's go home now." Mi Daguan didn't blame him for wasting money on useless newspapers.

Erlang was like his mother, with a smart brain. He went to school when he was young and studied for several years. The teachers said he had a bright future. Unfortunately, the family had more children and there was no money for him to continue his studies.

Mi Daguang always felt guilty, so he naturally wouldn't blame him for buying the newspaper.

"Father, the newspaper said that the Tiangong Academy is planning to set up a branch and is looking for skilled blacksmiths from inside and outside the capital to work together. As long as you participate, you will have no worries about making money!"

Mi Daguang was stunned. He thought for a moment with his not very flexible brain and asked, "What do you mean?"

Mi Jilang: “…”

"Erlang, Dad only heard that you can make money. He didn't listen carefully to what you said before. Tell me again." Mi Daguang's eyes fell on the newspaper, his eyes full of desire.

Mi Erlang put the newspaper in his pocket and said, "Forget it, I'll go home first and discuss it with my mother."

The Mi family lived in a small house with more than a dozen people living together. It would have been messy and crowded, but Meng Yingniang kept it tidy and there was no sign of dirt at all.

"Yingniang, I'm back." Mi Daguang shouted as soon as he entered the yard, and gestured to Erlang to talk about what was in the newspaper.

Meng Yingniang carried a small basket with needlework in it. She kept moving her hands as she walked out of the main hall. "What are you yelling about? Hurry up and go to the kitchen to light the fire. Sanlang will be cooking today."

"Oh, that's a treat."

Mi Sanlang worked in the kitchen of a restaurant. Seeing that he was smart, the chef took him in as an apprentice. Most of the salary he earned every month went to his master and could not help his family.

The couple was open-minded and thought that once Sanlang finished his studies, he would naturally have no shortage of income. It didn't matter if he suffered a little now, as it wouldn't ruin his future. Besides, he was earning money and learning the skills on his own, so they had no reason to stop him.

Mi Daguang went to the kitchen to light the fire.

The house is so small that we can chat in the kitchen.

Mi Erlang brought a small stool and sat at the kitchen door, saying, "Mother, Dad has something important to discuss with us."

"What's the matter?" Meng Yingniang leaned against the door and continued to sew her shoes without raising her head.

"Well, the Tiangong Institute has developed a steam engine. It's an amazing machine that can spin and pump water automatically. Now all the major cloth merchants and miners in the capital are scrambling to buy it."

Meng Yingniang, the family's brain trust, immediately understood: "With so many people wanting to buy it, Tiangongyuan can't make it, right? Should we hire a blacksmith? Daguang, do you want to go?"

"Mother, it's not as simple as just hiring a blacksmith."

"oh?"

Mi Erlang said, "The Tiangong Academy has a Machinery Department. The department's manager signs contracts with merchants and then subcontracts the orders to blacksmith cooperatives. The blacksmith cooperatives purchase raw materials from the government for forging, and the Machinery Department purchases them wholesale and sells them to merchants."

"What does cooperative mean?" Mi Sanlang asked hurriedly and orderly, waving the spatula.

Before Mi Erlang could explain, Meng Yingniang guessed, "The Machinery Department's recruitment of blacksmiths seems too fragmented. They must be trying to gather them together, form a cooperative, and then elect a president to serve as a liaison between the Machinery Department and the craftsmen. Am I right?"

"Mom, you are this!" Mi Erlang gave a thumbs up.

Mi Daguang also grinned: "Yingniang, you are so smart!"

"That's right. Don't you see my last name?" Meng Yingniang said proudly. "Perhaps hundreds of years ago, the Empress and I were from the same family."

Everyone burst out laughing.

Meng Yingniang snorted: "Mi Daguang, do you want to be the president?"

In this alley, and even in several nearby alleys, Mi Daguang's craftsmanship is second to none. If he wants to raise his hand, there will definitely be people willing to join.

But Mi Daguan was not good at making decisions, so he could only look at his wife.

Meng Yingniang asked, "The newspaper said there are some benefits for being the president."

"No," Mi Erlang shook his head. "I guess the newspaper won't explain it clearly. We'll probably have to wait until the cooperative is established and the contract is signed with the Machinery Department to find out."

Mi Daguang: "Yingniang, do you think I should do it?"

He was used to working in the shop every day. Although he coveted the orders, he was hesitant to take the next step.

Is there any guarantee if the government takes the lead?

Nowadays, aren’t there enough officials taking the lead in oppressing the people?

There are so many people to support at home. If anything happens, he will never be able to rest in peace even if he dies.

"We can do it," Meng Yingniang said hesitantly, "but purchasing large quantities of iron materials costs money, and we can't come up with that much money right away."

I'm afraid the people at Tiangong Academy didn't expect this.

Mi Erlang chuckled and said, "Mother, the newspaper said that if you don't have money to buy raw materials, you can first apply for a loan from the Machinery Department. There's no interest, and the loan can be offset once the machine is built. For more details, go to the Machinery Department and ask for clarification."

"Anyone can ask?"

"The newspapers don't restrict anyone."

Meng Yingniang made the final decision: "I'll find time to ask tomorrow."

She had an inexplicable intuition that this matter had to be done as soon as possible, otherwise if it was delayed, she would only be able to watch others eat meat while she drank soup.

Mi Daguang is not the only one with active ideas in the city center.

The Machinery Department is not far from the Tiangong Institute and has an independent office. Since it is only responsible for contract signing, the staff is streamlined.

When this plan was first made, Xie Mingzhuo hesitated in choosing the manager. He thought that transferring officials to the Ministry of Works for a low-ranking position would definitely cause dissatisfaction.

Those hired from outside must not only be good at business but also have good character and be worthy of the trust of the court.

After careful consideration, Li Jiuyue was chosen.

She was the "general manager" of her great-aunt's business. She usually only needed to make decisions and did not need to participate in specific affairs.

The Machinery Department was just starting out and things were in disarray. It needed a capable and experienced person to take charge. With Li Jiuyue's qualifications, he was qualified to be the backbone.

Likewise, she is trustworthy.

When the Machinery Department expands in the future, if she is willing, she can continue to stay and "work" for the court wholeheartedly. If she is not willing, by then she will have trained a lot of talents and the Machinery Department can still operate.

Li Jiuyue was flattered and accepted the offer letter without hesitation.

After the newspaper announcement, she brought a few new people to guard the machinery department, waiting for craftsmen and businessmen to come and inquire.

For several days in a row, the store was crowded with people.

On the morning of the third day after the newspaper announcement, a smartly dressed woman walked into the office with a tall and strong man.

"Manager Li, my family wants to sign up for a cooperative."

Li Jiuyue nodded politely: "Please register the personal information form and cooperative application form."

The information form and application form were new things that King Jin had printed out not long ago, and she found them very useful.

Mi Daguang was confused and said uncomfortably: "I, I can't read."

"I should have brought Erlang along earlier." Meng Yingniang muttered.

Li Jiuyue smiled kindly and said, "I'll ask you questions and you answer them. I'll ask someone to help fill it out. Do you think that's feasible?"

"Okay, okay." Meng Yingniang nodded quickly. "Manager Li is such a good person."

Li Jiuyue smiled but said nothing.

Mi Daguang was the first to apply to establish a cooperative, and it was quite large, with as many as sixty cooperative craftsmen. These craftsmen gathered in one place, which made management easier and concentrated productivity, equivalent to a small factory.

"You are the president. From now on, you will be responsible for purchasing raw materials from the government and taking orders from the Machinery Department. All matters of the cooperative will be managed by you. If you are unable to take on the responsibility, you can appoint someone else."

Mi Daguang's eyes lit up: "Can my wife do it?!"

He thinks his wife is smarter than him.

Li Jiuyue: "You will need to sign contracts in the future, so it is best to be able to read. After you become the president, you must also participate in a three-month training to learn common characters."

"Ah?" Mi Daguang scratched his head. "Do you want to pay the tuition?"

“No, the training is free.”

"That's good, that's good." He smiled innocently, but then asked too embarrassedly, "Can my wife learn it?"

"All cooperative artisans and their families can participate in the training voluntarily, but as the president, you are forcing them."

Meng Yingniang was surprised: "Can I learn to read too?"

"yes."

"Will it delay work?" They have to earn money to support their families during the day.

Li Jiuyue: "Every day, starting at the beginning of the Xu hour, it will be dark, there will be no delay."

"That's great." Meng Yingniang said a bunch of nice things. "Thank you, Manager Li, and thank you everyone. The Machinery Department really cares about us craftsmen. I can rest assured now!"

Everyone in the Mechanical Department started laughing. It was really nice to get positive feedback for their work.

The steam engine promotion plan gradually got on track.

Tiangong Institute, Machinery Department, artisans' cooperatives and merchants have formed a close and huge chain of interests. Research and development, production, sales and application flow steadily on this chain, bringing extremely powerful influence.

The large amount of funds from the sale of machines will be used to benefit Tiangong Institute and promote the development of other disciplines.

Craftsmen are responsible for forging machine parts and receive a steady stream of production orders, and their salaries will only increase.

Merchants used steam engines to improve efficiency and earn greater profits in a shorter period of time.

With the reform of mining tax and commercial tax, tax revenue also poured into the national treasury.

This year, the weather has been good and the crops have been abundant. In addition, Xie Mingzhuo has repeatedly taken drastic measures to bring down local officials, so local officials dare not continue to commit crimes in defiance of the law.

When the statistics were collected at the end of the year, all the officials in the Ministry of Revenue were overjoyed.

Tax revenue has tripled compared to last year!