When the Qing Dynasty craftsmen arrived at the port of Luzon, the sea was unusually empty, and even the fishing boats that usually moored there were nowhere to be seen.

The leading official, Zhou Peigong, a senior official in the Ministry of Works, stroked his beard and pondered, "It seems the news of the British defeat has spread, and these merchant ships have all gone to avoid trouble."

Upon boarding the stranded "Jinghai", one can see that the deck is charred and the cracks on the sides are shocking, but the keel is intact.

The sailors were using hemp rope to bind the broken mast when they saw the imperial officials arrive. They all knelt and wept, recounting the ferocity of the battle. "Eighth Prince said, this ship is a hero!"

Zhou Peigong stroked the still-damp bloodstains on the gun emplacement and immediately summoned three tugboats.

As the mooring ropes tightened, the decaying planks creaked with a sickening groan, startling a flock of seabirds.

They encountered a Siamese merchant ship en route, and the ship voluntarily gave way, with the sailors bowing to it across the sea—the aftereffects of this battle spread further than they had imagined.

——————

Despite the naval victory, Yuntang remained frowning.

He paced alone in the cabin, increasingly uneasy, and finally, unable to contain himself, went straight to find Yun Si and Lan Dingyuan.

"Myth Brother, Lord Lan!" Yuntang said, getting straight to the point as soon as he entered. "I found something strange about that battle. Our ships were clearly equipped with steam engines, so why were they still slower than the English warships? If it weren't for our superior artillery range, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain!"

Yinzhi put down the nautical chart in his hand, exchanged a glance with Lan Dingyuan, and pondered, "Ninth Brother's concerns are not without merit. The steam engine is the latest technology of our dynasty, and it should not lag behind."

Lan Dingyuan stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "The English have been sailing for many years, and they may be more adept at using steam engines. If we could find their warships and investigate, we might be able to find the answer."

A glint of light flashed in Yuntang's eyes: "In that case, why not salvage an English shipwreck on the way back and dismantle it for research!"

Yun Si nodded slightly: "This plan is excellent. Pass down the order that the fleet keep an eye on the location of the English shipwreck when it returns, and be sure to bring back the key components."

After completing its trade in India, the fleet made no stop and sailed straight for Rummus.

Along the way, Yinzhi ordered his men to record the details of the naval battle in detail, especially marking the approximate location where the British ship sank.

Upon arriving in Lumes, the caravan, as usual, traded silk, porcelain, and tea with local merchants.

Yun Si changed into casual clothes and, along with Yun Tang and Lan Dingyuan, mingled into the market to secretly investigate the latest Western technology.

In one corner of the market, several European merchants were loudly hawking their clocks and glassware.

Yun Si pretended to be interested in the clock and stepped forward to chat: "This clock is exquisite. I wonder where it is made?"

The merchant said proudly, "This is the latest model from England, with gold-plated gears and precise timekeeping."

Yun Si feigned surprise: "The English are so skilled?"

The merchant lowered his voice: "I heard that their warships have also been equipped with new steam engines, making them 30% faster!"

Yun Si felt a chill run down his spine, but remained outwardly calm. After buying the clock, he hurriedly left.

That night, Yinzhi remembered the scholar Lu Mosi whom he had met before, so he ordered people to prepare generous gifts and personally paid him a visit.

The scholar, seeing Yunsi's sudden visit, looked wary: "What brings you here so late at night, sir?"

Yunsi ordered his men to bring in two boxes of fine silk and tea, and said sincerely, “Sir, you are very learned. I have come here today to ask you about the secrets of the Western steam engine.”

The scholar waved his hands repeatedly: "This matter involves British secrets, how dare I speak presumptuously?"

Yunsi then took out a box of pearls and pushed it in front of the scholar: "If you are willing to give me some pointers, this is just a small gift."

The scholar stared at Dongzhu, a look of struggle flashing in his eyes, before finally sighing, "Never mind... At this time tomorrow, please come with me to a place."

The following evening, the scholar led Yun Si and others quietly to a secluded church on the outskirts of the city.

He looked around to make sure no one was following him, then dragged an iron box out from under the altar. Inside the box were several scrolls of blueprints and a notebook.

“This is what I got from an English engineer,” the scholar whispered, “part of their latest steam engine design.”

Yunsi was overjoyed and immediately unfolded the drawings to examine them closely.

Yuntang stepped forward, but frowned and said, "This structure is almost identical to the steam engine of our dynasty, except for a few improvements."

Lan Dingyuan pointed to the markings on the blueprints: "They adopted high-pressure sealing technology, making the boiler lighter and more efficient."

Yun Si flipped through the notes and found that they contained detailed records of the test data. He murmured, "So that's how it is... The English have the advantage of mature technology, not advanced principles."

The scholar urged anxiously, "Sir, copy this down quickly! If the English find out this is in my hands, my life will be in danger!"

Yunsi solemnly thanked the scholar, ordered someone to copy the drawings overnight, and gave him one hundred taels of gold before he left.

Back on the ship, Yinzhi summoned the craftsmen and generals to study the blueprints together.

After comparison, everyone found that the design concept of the Qing Dynasty's steam engine was no different from that of England, but there were still shortcomings in the details.

"Their bearings are more wear-resistant, and their valves have tighter seals," the craftsman said, pointing to the blueprints. "If we improve them in this way, the efficiency of our steam engines will increase by at least 20%!"

Lan Dingyuan, however, looked grave: "Have you all considered what the naval battle would be like today if our dynasty had not developed steam engines and naval cannons?"

The cabin fell silent.

Yun Si slowly closed the drawing, his voice low and deep: "I'm afraid... we've already perished in the belly of the fish."

Everyone was sweating profusely.

Yuntang gritted his teeth and said, "Westerners' technology is advancing rapidly. If our dynasty slackens even slightly, we will fall behind!"

After leaving Lumes, the fleet continued westward along the ancient route.

On this day, the lookout shouted, "Land ahead!"

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