Chapter 452 The Steam Age
"Your Majesty, Prince Heng left the capital yesterday, and Allen left with him. What do you think of those properties that were mortgaged to the Grand Money House..."
"Forget it! They're just brothels and shops. You just need to manage those workshops and the Huang family's shops. Don't worry about those odds and ends. Consider it... giving her some face!"
"Your Majesty is merciful! They will remember your kindness!"
"Will she remember?" Emperor Zhaowu's face was blank. He recalled that disdainful face and felt a pang of pain in his heart.
"Your Majesty... the regular customers of the Huang family's shop came yesterday to inquire about... how this year's spice quota will be allocated. However, this old servant does not know how much pepper, cardamom, and cloves the official supplied us in previous years, so... may I borrow Her Majesty the Empress's accounts for a look?"
"Don't know? What's that under your nose? Go deal with the big shots yourself, stop thinking about getting things handed to you, you useless thing!"
"...This old servant knows he was wrong!"
Li Ji had a bellyful of grievances with nowhere to vent them, but he still had to put on a smile. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to find the people in Dayuan, but the Dayuan Hengwang Mansion office in Tongzhou had been deserted overnight. There were people at the Dayuan Money Shop, but they didn't care about spices and completely ignored him.
After Li Ji emerged from Emperor Zhaowu's palace, his face immediately darkened. He asked his trusted subordinate, "Have you found the person?"
"Grand Steward, we've searched the capital and Tongzhou, but we haven't found the officials in charge of the spice business. Could they have gone back to Dayuan with Prince Heng?"
"Hmph! This is a show of force to me! Alright, no need to look for them anymore, just wait for them to come to me! A mere merchant dares to go to war with the imperial family, this steward will show them what true wealth and power really mean."
"Chief Steward, the inventory in the warehouse is running low, what do you think..."
"What are you panicking for? Spread the word that no one except the Imperial Family is allowed to do spice business with high-ranking officials. I want to see if Qin Mo will eat all those spices himself if he won't sell them to me."
Qin Mo didn't plan to use spices herself. With the exponential growth of the Da Yuan ocean-going fleet, there was no worry about selling the spices produced.
The demand for spices has always been high in the areas around the Red Sea and along the Persian Gulf, not to mention the large market in the West Asia, which loves cured meats.
Qin Mo didn't think that stopping cooperation with the Great Xia Imperial Family was that important to Da Yuan, at least not as important as the new steam-powered sailboat that Ximan had developed.
A long, sleek ship was moored at the secret dock of the Kuala Lumpur Shipyard. Its hull, which was a full thirty feet long, its high deck, and its towering mast and funnel inspired awe in all who saw the ship for the first time.
Qin Mo could only draw design drafts. He could feel the beauty of industry through the drawings, but when the real object appeared in front of him, even he, the designer, felt dizzy.
"Your Highness, do you think there are any areas of this ship that need improvement?"
Seaman is nominally the chief engineer of the steamship "Steam Age," but he doesn't seem proud at all. During the construction process, Qin Mo gave him so many new ideas and approaches. It can be said that Qin Mo was the most crucial person in ensuring the ship's successful launch.
"In terms of appearance, this ship is already perfect. If there are any areas for improvement, we need to find its shortcomings in use. Technological development is endless; there is no best, only better!"
"Your Highness, then tell me... what kind of ship would be better?"
Qin Mo looked at the group of technicians who were listening intently with their ears perked up, and said with a laugh, "Don't be so ambitious. Let's get this ship built first. Even if I told you now, you still wouldn't be able to build it!"
"Start a fire, let's go for a spin at sea!" Qin Mo stood in the captain's seat, ready to have some fun.
Unlike the previous trial voyage, the "Steam Age" did not choose stormy weather for this trial. The smooth sea breeze provided the "Steam Age" with good starting power. After the boiler pressure finally came up, the hybrid-powered steam sailing ship reached a speed of 25 knots, which left the accompanying captains speechless.
“Your Highness, our Expeditionary Administration’s fleet is in dire need of these steam-powered sailing ships. The ocean currents and winds in the southern ocean of India are constantly changing. If we had these ships, we could travel freely between Aden and the South Seas without any restrictions.”
Having traveled overseas for so many years, Lin Yongqian immediately recognized the true value of this steam-powered sailing ship.
In sea areas with stable monsoons, it is difficult to judge whether wind power or early steam power is superior, since some abnormally fast wind-powered ships can reach very high speeds.
For example, the famous "Prussia" could reach a speed of sixteen knots in the English Channel and twenty knots in the Atlantic Ocean, and had almost unlimited range, which was no worse than that of early steam-powered ships.
However, in seas with unstable monsoons, steam power has an unparalleled advantage, allowing it to sail directly to its destination regardless of the winds from any direction.
"Your Highness, these ships should be prioritized for our mainland fleet. Those bastards in the Coast Guard are getting more and more outrageous, always provoking us. We must teach them a lesson."
Wu Shengze is now the main person in charge of the Da Yuan Army Headquarters. After witnessing the power of the steam-powered sailboat, he disregarded the fact that Lin Yongqian was his junior and shamelessly started to snatch it.
"Provocation? How exactly are you provoking me? Uncle Wu, please explain in detail!"
Nowadays, the military and political management of high-ranking officials is handled by a dedicated military headquarters and political affairs bureau. Minor matters are no longer reported to Qin Mo, so Qin Mo was unaware of what Wu Shengze was talking about.
Wu Shengze pointed west and said, “Your Highness, those bastards from the Coast Guard are taking advantage of the magic array on their ships and often track our spice transport ships. So I sent warships to escort the transport fleet. At first they were a little wary, but recently they have become bolder and bolder. Last time they almost capsized a Skuna scout ship.”
Wu Shengze explained the details of the incident, and Qin Mo, after listening, couldn't help but exclaim in a daze, "Isn't this the power struggle between the US and Russia during the Cold War?"
In Qin Mo's previous life, during the decades-long Cold War, many interesting things happened between the two superpowers, and the struggle between them within the scope of various unspoken rules was the most intense and exciting.
For example, when two fighter jets meet in the air, they will circle and dogfight each other until one side is completely locked onto by the other's radar. The one that is locked onto is undoubtedly the loser in the dogfight.
In the depths of the ocean, the submarines of both sides would engage in all sorts of dangerous chases and close-quarters combat. The immense pressure could drive anyone insane. If one side was forced to surface, the battle would end there, and the side that surfaced would be the disgraceful loser.
It was because of these battles that the incredible submarine collision occurred. Otherwise, how could two submarines, which are only slightly larger than whales, collide in such a vast ocean?
Now, judging from Wu Shengze's words, the Coast Guard is actually playing this kind of trick on the Da Yuan fleet. They're really something else.
"Let's go, turn due west, I'm going to see the talents of these empires!"
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