Tang Hongwen also sensed the importance His Majesty attached to the steam locomotive. He respectfully accepted the blueprints and promised the Ministry of Industry that they would go all out to produce a finished product as soon as possible. He knew that this was not just a task, but a significant contribution to the future development of the country.
Chu Fan continued to ask, "Most of the key materials needed to build steam locomotives are available in Wei State, but I don't know if Lord Tang knows about the existence of rubber."
Tang Hongwen thought for a moment. He seemed to have never heard of this kind of thing before, and then replied, "Your Majesty, I have never heard of the word rubber."
Chu Fan said, "Rubber is an extremely important material with excellent elasticity and sealing properties. It is crucial for the manufacture of steam locomotives. I hope the Ministry of Industry can find rubber as soon as possible and complete the manufacture of steam locomotives."
Tang Hongwen was shocked when he heard this. He knew the importance of this item and immediately nodded in agreement: "I will do my utmost to find rubber and ensure that the steam locomotive will be available as soon as possible."
Chu Fan said with relief, "Then everything will be handed over to Lord Tang. I hope that the Ministry of Works will live up to the trust placed in you and accomplish this feat at an early date."
When Tang Hongwen left the palace, he headed directly to the Royal Government Affairs Office, hoping for their support and cooperation. The search for rubber also required the Royal Government Affairs Office's assistance. When he informed Chu Anping of the important matter of His Majesty's need for the Ministry of Industry to build a steam locomotive, Chu Anping was overjoyed.
Initially, they were worried that if Wei defeated the Xiongnu and Gan states, transportation would be disrupted, making it difficult to convey government orders. It was possible that policies issued by the court would take more than a month to reach the local areas. However, with the advent of steam locomotives, all of this would no longer be a problem.
With the advent of trains, this situation will change fundamentally. The speed and efficiency of travel will be greatly improved, and the speed of transmitting government orders and information will also be greatly accelerated, thus avoiding the delay in the transmission of government orders.
Chu Anping now fully understood His Majesty's reason for not allowing future feudal fiefdoms. With this type of transportation, which could travel indefinitely simply by adding coal to the boiler, the imperial court's control over remote regions would be significantly strengthened. Even if other nations attempted to invade Wei's borders in the future, Wei could quickly assemble its forces and transport them to the frontiers by train, strengthening border defenses and ensuring national security.
Chu Anping said to Tang Hongwen in a serious tone, "Minister Tang, the task His Majesty has entrusted to the Ministry of Works is of vital importance. Our Royal Government Affairs Office will unconditionally provide the necessary support and assistance. The Ministry of Works must complete the manufacture of the steam locomotive within the next few months."
It must be remembered that His Majesty plans to personally lead the army in five months. If a steam locomotive can be successfully built within five months, then when His Majesty personally leads the army, it will be possible to transport large numbers of soldiers to the front by steam locomotive, which will greatly improve the army's mobility and combat effectiveness.
For Chu Anping, although laying the railway was a task that required a lot of time and energy, he did not think it was an insurmountable problem. After all, within the territory of Wei, there were abundant timber resources, which could provide sufficient raw materials for railway construction.
In addition, Wei State also had a large number of captives from the Xiongnu and Gan States. This labor force could be fully utilized to participate in the construction of railways.
Furthermore, the Wei State possessed numerous warriors possessing extraordinary strength. While for ordinary people, carrying railroad sleepers might require the collaboration of several individuals, for a warrior, such heavy sleepers could be easily handled by a single person. Therefore, once the Ministry of Industry made substantial progress in the development of steam locomotives, Chu Anping was prepared to immediately commence the railway construction project.
After returning to the Ministry of Industry, Tang Hongwen immediately summoned all the craftsmen to discuss how to build a steam locomotive. He knew that with the current technology and resources of the Ministry of Industry, building such a large and complex mechanical device would undoubtedly be a daunting task.
During the discussion, a craftsman copied a design drawing and then quietly walked to his workbench. Tang Hongwen noticed this and mistakenly thought that the craftsman was intimidated by the task assigned by the emperor, which made him frown.
He understood that although this task might be very difficult or even impossible for the Ministry of Works, it should at least show an attitude of giving it its all, because this was not only the emperor's expectation, but also a matter of importance to the Royal Government Affairs Office.
Tang Hongwen asked, "Zhu Ziyi, I noticed that you only glanced at the blueprint His Majesty gave you and didn't look at it any further. Could it be that the design on the blueprint was too complex and difficult to understand, so you decided to give up?"
Zhu Ziyi replied respectfully, "Your Excellency, you misunderstood. I haven't given up. In fact, I'm preparing to begin work on the steam locomotive parts. Also, your earlier statement that the blueprints were difficult and complex is inaccurate. The designs Your Majesty has given you are not difficult or complex. It's just that Your Excellency and your colleagues here may not have fully grasped the principles and subtleties behind them."
Tang Hongwen was puzzled. He had witnessed Zhu Ziyi only skimming the design His Majesty had given him, not carefully studying it in its entirety. He couldn't help but wonder why Zhu Ziyi so confidently claimed the drawings were not complex or difficult. Was the craftsman using sweet talk to deceive him?
Tang Hongwen decided to ask Zhu Ziyi for a reasonable explanation. If he found that Zhu Ziyi was indeed using false words to deceive him, he would not hesitate to expel him from the Ministry of Industry as a warning to others. People with smooth talk were not qualified to continue working in the Ministry of Industry.
Tang Hongwen asked again, "Since you claim that the blueprints His Majesty gave you are simple and easy to understand, can you assure me that you can successfully build a steam locomotive? I noticed that you only glanced at the blueprints briefly before returning to your forge to begin work. Could it be that you have already achieved the level of a genius with a photographic memory?"
When the craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry heard the conversation between Zhu Ziyi and Tang Hongwen, they all stopped their work, looked up, and focused their eyes on Zhu Ziyi, waiting for his answer.
Zhu Ziyi raised the blueprint he had copied, his expression firm and confident. He addressed the crowd, "I'm not entirely sure I can build the steam locomotive Your Majesty requires, but I can guarantee that I will do my best to create this component, ensuring it meets Your Majesty's specifications without the slightest deviation."
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