Chapter 742 Southern Tour

The Han tribe's promotion of currency on Zhudao was undoubtedly successful and had achieved the expected goal. Although the current holdings of currency by the people of Zhudao were not high, the use of currency had taken deep root in their hearts.

Luo Chong believed that as long as the Han tribe could occupy Zhudao, currency would be quickly spread on Zhudao.

The most important thing was that the Han tribe, under the name of this action, thoroughly understood most of the important information about Zhudao, which provided a favorable guarantee for the later occupation plan. Luo Chong only had to wait for the specific information to be transmitted back, and then he could divide the administrative districts of the Han tribe for Zhudao according to the comprehensive map and find suitable officials to train in advance.

When the battle was over, officials would be sent immediately, so that Zhudao could be stabilized as soon as possible, and Zhudao would become his own possession.

Thinking of this, Luo Chong immediately wrote a letter back to Shouya, asking him to do the business of sloops and sampans for the Xin tribe first, and as for the brig, he would wait for another month.

Two days later, when Luo Chong's reply was delivered to Shouya, Shouya immediately found Elder Qi who was stationed near the mission and proposed to trade ships. Elder Qi was naturally very happy. They were eager to get the ships of the Han tribe immediately, and then master the shipbuilding technology to completely block the Han tribe from the sea.

Iron, Xin tribe is no longer short of it. This time, the currency promotion of the Han tribe gave them a lot of ironware. Copper

, Han tribe also got a lot. Basically, they have plundered all the copperware in the homes of the people on Zhudao Island. They have all been shipped back to the tribe. Soon they will be transported to Xingang County, smelted and purified again, and then sent to the mint to make currency.

It was in mid-July of this year that the research institute was moved to the steam engine research center in Xuefu County, and finally produced a result - a mini steam engine model.

Although it is only a small model, this model can really boil water and turn around.

Since the model is relatively small, it is impossible to burn coal in the boiler, but charcoal. First, ignite the red-hot charcoal, and then add new charcoal to it, so that the boiler can keep burning at all times.

Perhaps it is precisely because of its small size that most of the parts of this model machine are cast by the lost wax method, and the things made are also much more refined. Although it is small, it has all the necessary organs. Although it has no practical use, it is still qualified as a verification machine.

At least when it really works, it proves that Luo Chong's idea is valid, and it is really feasible to use steam to drive the machine.

After the verification was successful, Luo Chong immediately ordered the institute to start trial production of a one-to-one scale physical verification machine. At the same time, the theory and model making of small locomotives were also put on the agenda.

According to Luo Chong's idea of ​​developing multiple routes, the institute also began to carry out clear generation research projects for these steam engines, and embarked on a three-step strategy of pre-research, research, and production. At the same time, the Steam Engine Research Institute was officially renamed the Power Research Institute by Luo Chong.

There are already three research projects at present. The first is the first generation steam engine, which is a fixed prime mover steam engine that has been modeled. It is mainly used to provide power for lathes. The second project is to trial-produce a model of a narrow-gauge locomotive based on the experience of the first generation steam engine. The third project is a large torque fixed prime mover steam engine, which is mainly used to provide prime mover for large mechanical equipment.

This steam engine is also widely used. It can be used to transform the mint and replace all the minting machinery with steam power. On the other hand, it is mainly provided to Xingang County.

Luo Chong plans to establish a steel rolling mill as a priority after the technology of this steam engine matures, mainly for the production of various types of steel.

After all, without a steel rolling mill, many things you want cannot be produced. For example, rails can only be cast in short distances by casting. One rail is at most a few meters long, and the quality is not good. It is time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, with a steel rolling mill, you can directly produce rails of dozens or even hundreds of meters. At that time, the railway construction of the Han tribe can really speed up.

In addition, with the rolling mill, seamless steel pipes, the main material of bicycle tricycles, will also be mass-produced, instead of being hammered by craftsmen.

Other products include rebar, steel bars, wire ropes used in construction, or angle steel and I-beam steel used to build factories and bridges.

In fact, the rolling mill is a mechanical steel stretcher that can forge and stretch red-hot steel and gradually make it into the desired shape. This process is also called hot rolling in modern times. There is also a similar cold rolling process, which is to directly stretch the metal that has not been calcined at high temperature at room temperature and change its shape by using its ductility.

However, the current technical reserves for cold rolling are not enough. In general, hot rolling is the most widely used. If it can be done, the productivity of the Han tribe will also increase a lot, and the prices of many things will also decrease with the increase in productivity. At that time, the lives of the people of the Han tribe will be improved again.

After arranging all these research plans, Luo Chong had the idea of ​​going on a long journey. He wanted to go to the seaside to see it himself, to see the Tang tribe, to see Takumi County, to see Takeshima, and to see his future capital. Although he had always been entangled with Takeshima, Luo Chong had never been there. In addition, he also wanted to see what the sea in this world looked like. As soon as

this idea came out, it suddenly grew wildly in Luo Chong's mind like weeds. He was very tired in the tribe and had long wanted to go out to see it. Although he still had to work when he went out, it would at least change his mood.

Having made up his mind, Luo Chong immediately began to arrange matters for the southern tour. This time he planned to go directly with his family. Xiao Luocheng and Xiao Luolan were almost two years old, so going on a long journey would not have any impact. Besides, they would definitely have people who took care of them, so Luo Chong was not worried.

With an order, people were asked to prepare vehicles, horses, boats, and guards. Luo Chong also told his plan while the family and Tang Yao, the tenant, were at dinner in the evening.

"I am going to go on a southern tour in a few days to visit the southern border of the Han tribe. My target is the three counties of Honghu, Tuohai County, and the Tang tribe. Xiaodie and Zhan Ying will take the children with them. You should also start preparing tomorrow and bring the children's things.

Also, Tang Yao, do you want to go back with us this time?"

Xiaodie and Zhan Ying were quite happy. They also knew that Luo Chong was very tired. It would be a good thing if he could go out to relax. The two children had never been to far places since they were young. It would be good for them to go out with their father to broaden their horizons. So they happily agreed. Only Luo Cheng and Luo Lan, the two little foodies, held their wooden bowls and ate meat dumplings.

Tang Yao, who was eating at the same table, was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect this question to be so sudden. After thinking about it carefully, she agreed.

It was already July, and Tang Yao had been in the Han Tribe for half a year. The medicinal materials she brought with her had already been sorted into data and written into the Han Tribe's Compendium of Materia Medica. Her tasks in the project had already been completed, and she was still in the Han Tribe, just learning the medical skills of the Han Tribe.

But she could come back in the future, so it didn't hurt to go home first, so she decided to go on a southern tour with Luo Chong.

Compared to dissecting corpses and drawing body structures with people every day, it is obvious that the southern tour is more attractive. After all, Tang Yao has only heard of the three grassland counties of the Han tribe, but has never really seen them. How can she let go of this good opportunity?

So just like that, several people made a plan, each dealt with their own affairs, packed up their things and set off together.

First, they took a carriage to Liuyang County, took the two children to see the lighthouse, and went to the Daze Lake to see the two elephants, Rourou and Huishan, and then took a sailboat to the south together.

This time, the southern tour fleet had a total of five ships, with a three-masted tall ship in the middle, and two two-masted sailboats guarding the front and back. The five ships lined up in a column and set sail to the south.

However, this trip certainly could not be used only to send Luo Chong and his people, which would be a waste of transportation capacity, so there were also a large amount of currency, iron ingots, and some other commodities along with the ship.

In the morning, Luo Chong's family stood in front of the window of the stern deck, each of them holding a telescope to look at the scenery on both sides of the river and in the distance, and couldn't help but marvel at this thing.

"Husband, this telescope is really magical. You can see things so far away clearly standing here, as if they are right in front of you." Xiaodie couldn't help but praise it with admiration.

"Mom, mom, I want to see it too, dad, I want to see it too." Xiao Luocheng hugged Xiaodie's thigh and shook it, staring pitifully at the telescope in the hands of the adults.

"Haha, come, stand on the table and watch." Luo Chong picked up his son and put him on the table, then put his 10 to 40 times single-tube zoom telescope in front of his son, indicating that the little guy should watch it himself.

Xiao Luocheng was very happy, holding the telescope in both hands and looking around the shore, feeling that everything he saw was new. As he watched, the boy suddenly jumped up on the table and shouted excitedly.

"Dad, I see it. There is a city and Black Mountain over there!"

"Oh? Really?" Luo Chong responded casually, took the telescope and took a look. It turned out that the Dongxin County was not far ahead. The Black Mountain mentioned by Xiao Luocheng was nothing more than the coal piled up in the cargo yard of Dongxin County. "

Son, take a good look at this city. This is also the city of our Han tribe. It will be handed over to you to manage in the future." Luo Chong was moved and touched Xiao Luocheng's shaved head and said with emotion, but the boy was only interested in seeing the novelty and obviously didn't take Luo Chong's words to heart.

"Dad, cow, mooing" Xiao Luocheng turned his head and pointed with his little hand while looking at the telescope, asking Luo Chong to look at it with him, and excitedly imitated the cow's call.

Luo Chong laughed at himself and said stupidly. He must be crazy to talk about the ancestral foundation to a child who was less than two years old. If it was a child of an ordinary family, he might still be breastfeeding.

She stretched out her big hand and rubbed his chubby little buttocks twice, then took a pig's tail from the food box beside him and asked him to eat it.

"Eat it, and after you finish eating this pig's tail, let your mother give you a bath."

Little Luo Cheng immediately dropped the telescope, picked up the pig's tail and started to chew it, which made Tang Yao beside him laugh.

She flipped through an unfinished book on diet therapy and health preservation, and read seriously, "Pig tails are rich in collagen and calcium. Cooking can promote wound healing and strengthen bones. Children can eat them to remove dampness and supplement zinc, and treat symptoms such as drooling, teeth grinding, and finger sucking.

Occasionally eating some pig tails will stop Luo Cheng from drooling."

Xiaodie also put away the telescope and smiled, "This method proposed by my husband is really effective. Since the two children have eaten pig tails, they have rarely drooled."

"Husband, are we going to stop the ship in Dongxin County?" Just as the few people were studying the pig tails, Zhan Ying also came to the stern with Luo Lan in her arms, followed by several maids, and carried two large basins of ice cubes in to cool the cabin.

These were all stored in the cellar in advance when harvesting ice along the river in winter. This time, Luo Chong specially asked someone to install some in the cabin. One is to use it for cooling, and the other is to use it as a refrigerator in the cabin to store some fresh vegetables and fruits.

"The fleet doesn't need to stop. Tell the last one to go to Dongxin County to buy some fruits, vegetables and fresh meat, and then speed up to catch up." Luo Chong thought for a moment and made arrangements.

"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away." Zhan Ying agreed, handed Luo Lan to Luo Chong, and then turned around and told the servants to do things.

The fleet continued to move southward, passing by the sandbar where the raccoon tribe and crocodiles were discovered, and also saw the abandoned settlements of the former barbarian tribes, and passed by the farmland that the Jiang family had reclaimed.

Luo Chong raised his telescope and found that these farmlands were still full of crops, and there were many human activities on the river bank. The smoke from cooking in the abandoned village was floating again, which made him frown.

"It seems that there should be quite a lot of people around here. Other tribes have occupied the former settlement of the Jiang family so quickly. Maybe we can set up a county here, which can be regarded as adding a supply point along the waterway. In addition, it can absorb some population. Xiaodie, please write this place down on the map and mark it as I said." Luo Chong observed with a telescope, thought for a while and said.

"Okay, I'll write it down, husband." Xiaodie also responded with a smile.

This time when she went out, she could clearly see that Luo Chong was in a much better mood. Even when he clapped in the evening, he was more energetic, making her and Zhan Ying very excited. When she saw Tang Yao in the morning, the little girl was still blushing, and her dark circles were particularly obvious.

Zhan Ying also touched her belly with a happy face. She didn't know when she could give birth to another child for her husband.

(End of this chapter)