The fat man was thinking about what to eat, and Fu Xiaoguan was on the Star-Picking Terrace wondering what the fat man was doing now?
The ant colony brought news that in the Fu Mansion in Mozhou, his concubines were coming to Guanyun City with their children - these five concubines were looking for their husband. This unreliable husband had disappeared for several years. What should they do?
Fu Xiaoguan was very depressed. How could he answer those concubines when they came?
He doesn't know where the fat man ran off to!
"Shulan, I've thought about it over and over again. I can't face them about this. If I say that as an emperor, I don't know where my father is, will they believe me? But the problem is, I really don't know!"
Dong Shulan chuckled, "Then how do you want to deal with it?"
"I have to go out and hide. I'll leave them to you to take care of. Let them live well in the palace and see if Fatty will come back."
"Where are you going?"
"The Jiangcheng Shipyard has good news today. The first battleship equipped with a steam turbine has undergone two modifications and its sea trials have been extremely successful. I have to go and take a look."
Fu Xiaoguan looked at the bright stars in the vast night sky, and Dong Shulan looked into Fu Xiaoguan's eyes, which were shining.
"I want to see that battleship myself and conduct a sea trial myself. If there are no performance issues, the other four battleships will be equipped with steam turbines. It's probably too late to put them out to sea this year. Next year, next year, we must build Shimono Port!"
"Oh, by the way, with the steam turbine, I tell you, land transportation will also undergo tremendous changes."
Dong Shulan didn't understand and asked doubtfully, "That thing is so big, could it be installed in a carriage?"
Fu Xiaoguan grinned, looked at Dong Shulan mysteriously, and said, "That thing is called a train! A locomotive can drive several carriages and carry thousands of people at a time."
Dong Shulan widened her eyes but did not ask any more questions, wondering how come there were so many new things in his mind?
Fu Xiaoguan was very happy. The development of science and technology is the most important thing. The technical conditions for the steam engine have matured. Next, it will develop towards miniaturization and be applied to the industrial field.
In this way, a lot of labor will be liberated, and these labors will enter other fields. The economic vitality of the entire society will be greatly improved, and the pace of civilization will be a big step forward.
The first industrial revolution is expected to officially begin at the end of the first five-year plan, and the second five-year plan will be designed and developed entirely around the industrial revolution until the internal combustion engine technology reserves are perfected.
A great blueprint gradually became clear in Fu Xiaoguan's mind, and a great change was about to begin.
Of course, no one realizes this yet.
…
In the imperial study of the Yu Dynasty palace, Yu Wendao and Zhuo Liuyun were discussing the possibility of launching an attack on the Wu Dynasty.
"That news must be true, especially since this year, Fu Xiaoguan has already issued a whopping 160 million taels of silver notes!"
Yu Wendao paced back and forth in the imperial study, his hands clasped behind his back, his head buried in thought. He added, "He's an expert in commerce, and his understanding of economics is unmatched. Otherwise, he wouldn't have established the Ministry of Commerce. So, he's not blindly issuing banknotes. His confidence comes from the treasure that should have belonged to the Yu Dynasty!"
Zhuo Liuyun frowned and listened carefully. After a moment, he said, "Your Majesty, I am worried about Fu Xiaoguan. His plan is too far-fetched. Is there any trap in it?"
"I was worried too, so I didn't express my opinion." Yu Wendao raised his head, took a deep breath, and said slowly, "But that is a mountain of gold that is rich enough to rival an entire country!"
"It's already September. I asked Chang Huan today, and I'm afraid the Ministry of Revenue's revenue this year won't be much better than last year. I also know that education is crucial for a country's prosperity. Looking across the country, only Wofeng Road has basically covered all schools. The other thirteen roads don't have enough money to build new schools."
"A strong army is needed to maintain the stability of the country. You know that I only built this 300,000-man Tiance Army with money I squeezed out of my fingers."
"Fu Xiaoguan's army is already training the Fourth Army, which is a 400,000-man Divine Sword Army. He also has a navy of 100,000 and a marine corps of 50,000. In terms of total military strength, he far exceeds Yu Dynasty."
"As soon as this guy left, the rice yield dropped again. I think he tampered with the rice seeds. This means that only his rice seeds can reach a yield of 700 per mu."
"Food is the foundation of a country, and everyone knows that. But what can we do if we can't grow the right kind of rice?"
Yu Wendao sighed, "I sent him a letter, hoping to buy some rice seeds. Fortunately, nothing happened to the sweet potatoes. This is a pleasant surprise."
Zhuo Liuyun has been in the center for so long, he already knows the difficulties that Yu Dynasty is facing now. In the final analysis, it is just lack of money!
Since Fu Xiaoguan returned to the Wu Dynasty, a large number of merchants left the Yu Dynasty.
Although three major families came from the Wu Dynasty, and their population was even greater than that lost, they were only limited to those three industries.
But those who left the Yu Dynasty were the leaders in various industries, such as the five major business families!
Almost half of the people from these five major business families went to the Wu Dynasty, bringing with them the latest technology, so that now the silk, porcelain, etc. from the Yu Dynasty no longer have an advantage in the market of the Wu Dynasty.
The thriving Wu Dynasty and the struggling Yu Dynasty... the longer the time goes, the bigger the gap will be.
Fu Xiaoguan's fleet is being built. If he is given some more time, his fleet will be able to go up the Yangtze River and reach the Qinhuai River.
The Yu Dynasty had no fleet at all. If such a war broke out, how would it be fought?
"Your Majesty, I believe... the key to the Spring Thunder Plan lies in whether Zhou Tongtong is genuine or not! If Zhou Tongtong truly intends to rebel against Fu Xiaoguan, he only needs to strangle the ant colony, and Fu Xiaoguan will be unable to obtain the most important information. To determine this, I believe we can talk to someone from the Zhou family."
"What?"
"Send Zhou Tongtong's family to Jinling. If the Spring Thunder Plan is completed as planned, his family will be safe. Otherwise..." Zhuo Liuyun's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he said nothing more.
Yu Wendao was silent for a while and nodded.
Zhuo Liuyun has a rather complicated attitude towards Fu Xiaoguan.
He was able to have what he has today thanks to the recommendation of Yu Wendao by Fu Xiaoguan in Yao County.
He admired Fu Xiaoguan very much and was very grateful to him, but the Wu Dynasty was rising too fast. If this continued, the Yu Dynasty would face the disaster of national destruction before his first five-year plan was completed.
For the sake of Yu Chao, Fu Xiaoguan...I have no choice but to let you down!
…
"The progress of civilization is often accompanied by war." Fu Xiaoguan sat beside Dong Shulan and looked up at the starry sky. "My goal is not the Yu Dynasty, but the sea of stars!"
"But the rear needs stability, and the best way to achieve stability is unification!"
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