My father is Jiajing

Chapter 504: Master God
"Are you Janwatt?"

Emperor Jiajing came to Janwatt and his companions, looked at the honest Janwatt and asked a question.

Zhan Watt and the other craftsmen around them did not know Emperor Jiajing, but they knew Teng Xiang. Teng Xiang was so respectful in front of this Taoist priest in Taoist robe, so they certainly did not dare to act rashly.

Zhan Watt immediately replied: "In reply to the immortal master, I am Zhan Watt."

When Jan Watt called Emperor Jiajing "Master Immortal", everyone present was shocked. They had never expected that Jan Watt would call Emperor Jiajing in such a way.

But after hearing what Zhan Watt said, Teng Xiang became nervous, as if he was very worried that Zhan Watt had called him by the wrong name. He quickly said, "Call me Emperor!"

Zhan Watt was suddenly startled. Although he didn't know who the emperor was, seeing Teng Xiang so nervous, his heart suddenly skipped a beat and he was frightened. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed to apologize.

But at this time, Emperor Jiajing also laughed, "The title of Master Shenxian is not bad, you don't have to worry about Teng Xiang, just call him if you really want."

After hearing what Emperor Jiajing said, Zhan Watt couldn't help but relax, "Thank you, Master Immortal."

When Emperor Jiajing heard the call of "Godly Lord", he felt extremely happy, which was much more enjoyable than when Huang Jin and others called him "Emperor".

Emperor Jiajing asked, "I heard from Prince Yu that you are the master craftsman who made the steam locomotive?"

Jan Watt replied, "My Lord, I was able to make a steam rail car thanks to your guidance. When you first came here and saw me making a steam engine, you told me that a steam engine could also be equipped with wheels and run on a road with rails, so you asked me to try to study it."

Emperor Jiajing also laughed when he heard this, "I didn't expect that you could actually do it after researching it, right?"

Janwatt gave an embarrassed smug smile, as if being able to make a steam railroad car was something that made him very proud.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, I was lucky to have done this."

Emperor Jiajing laughed. "But I also heard that your steam rail car can't stop. It has to wait until the coal inside is burned out before it stops, right?"

Janwatt blushed in embarrassment, but because his skin was originally dark and red, no one could see his red face.

Zhan Watt said, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, when the prince came to see us last year, we really couldn't stop the car by ourselves, but the prince gave us some instructions and asked me to make a gear shifting device and a brake device."

"So during this period, we were studying what a transmission is and how to brake effectively. Finally, after our unremitting research and experiments, we finally made a transmission by switching between large and small gears."

"Then we added a brake disc for friction next to the wheel, and finally we made a brake device. But maybe the steel was not strong enough, and the gears and brake discs would often break."

"So now we are also negotiating with the steel mill, asking them to produce stronger and more wear-resistant steel, but they are also ignoring us. So during this period of time, I have also been asking Eunuch Teng whether we should set up a separate steel mill in our steam engine factory so that we can do our own research and manufacturing."

When Zhan Watt finished speaking, Emperor Jiajing was not clear about the problem. He just turned his head and looked at Teng Xiang and asked, "Is what Zhan Watt said feasible?"

When Teng Xiang heard the question from Emperor Jiajing, he couldn't help but get nervous. "Your Majesty, it is feasible, but it is too expensive. We need to allocate land and people to them, build steelmaking furnaces, and pave related roads. It will be difficult to do these things without hundreds of thousands of taels of silver."

When Emperor Jiajing heard that it would cost hundreds of thousands of silver, how many elixirs could be made with so much silver? So for a while, Emperor Jiajing did not agree to anything.

After all, this money is still very painful.

What if hundreds of thousands of taels of silver were thrown in and not even a sound was heard? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty's steel production was already insufficient. The manufacture of weapons and farm tools consumed an unimaginable amount of steel. It would not be a wise move to allocate more steel to test this kind of rail vehicle that was not even sure whether it could be used.

Emperor Jiajing coughed twice, and without promising anything to Zhan Watt, he asked directly, "Can the current rail car be tested?"

When Zhan Watt heard Emperor Jiajing's question, he did not dare to have any other opinions and quickly replied: "Please wait, Master Immortal. I will arrange it right away."

Emperor Jiajing hummed, "Go ahead."

Then Janwatt and others hurried to operate the steam rail car placed in the open air.

Emperor Jiajing was also looking at this steel behemoth at this time, and couldn't help but reveal an expression of amazement.

"This railway car is so tall? San'er really didn't lie to me!"

Emperor Jiajing was impressed by the steam railroad car that Janwatt and his team were tinkering with, and a sense of unreality arose in his heart.

You have to know that the impact of this thing was still very attractive to ancient people like Emperor Jiajing who had never seen it.

And this attraction comes from a sense of curiosity about the unfamiliar.

And the author has also had this feeling.

When the author was still a child, he learned that a railway was going to be built in the neighboring village, so he often walked several miles to see the train. However, it was almost impossible for the railway to be opened to traffic without two or three years.

So during those two or three years, even children who had seen what trains looked like on TV could not help but look again and again to see what real trains looked like.

Later, the train was finally opened to traffic. At that time, whether it was the adults in the countryside who had free time, or the children who were naughty all day long, their greatest hobby at that time was to lie on the railway bridge or sit on the side of the railway, watching and marveling at the trains that might only pass by once in a long time.

The feeling is as addictive as watching an excavator digging a ditch when you are extremely bored. Even if you know how this thing works, you can't help but want to take a few more glances.

Obviously this is human nature.

Emperor Jiajing had heard about the existence of the steam railroad car when it was first made by Janwatt and his team, but even so, when he saw the real thing, Emperor Jiajing couldn't help but become curious.

"Can it really be moved by burning coal?"

Emperor Jiajing looked at the steam railroad car that had started to smoke but had not yet started, and asked Teng Xiang who was standing beside him.

Teng Xiang immediately replied: "Yes, Emperor, the power used by this rail car is generated by this steam engine, just like the conveyor belt over there, as long as there is coal and steam, this conveyor belt will work differently."

Emperor Jiajing looked at the conveyor belt that was also working in the distance and couldn't help but hum.

Emperor Jiajing was very clear about the working principle of the steam engine. After all, there were steam-engine-powered equipment in the Xiyuan Palace where he lived.

So when he saw that these things could be driven, Emperor Jiajing would no longer doubt the legend that the steam railroad car could move.

Then Emperor Jiajing felt that watching from a distance was not enough, so he took a few steps closer to the smoking steam railroad car.

Just when Emperor Jiajing stopped, the steam railroad car finally began to rumble and vibrate.

Huang Jin was also shocked when he saw this, and quickly shouted, "Protect the emperor!"

The guards at the side immediately surrounded and protected Emperor Jiajing without knowing what was going on. At the same time, Teng Xiang at the side was also frightened and quickly stood in front of Emperor Jiajing.

But Emperor Jiajing said calmly, "Why are you so nervous? Everyone, step aside and don't block my eyes." Huang Jin also looked at Emperor Jiajing awkwardly and said repeatedly, "I lost my composure."

Teng Xiang also stepped aside in embarrassment. He did not expect that Old Ancestor Huang Jin would have such a big reaction.

But what happened next made Teng Xiang learn it.

Emperor Jiajing said, "Forget it, it's not your fault. It's just that this thing is too unbelievable. When it moved just now, it rumbled and trembled, which was really scary."

Huang Jin said again: "The Emperor is really powerful. I was frightened just now."

Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "Then you should practice more in the future. Otherwise, what will you do if you keep getting startled like this?"

Huang Jin immediately said, "Yes, yes, I will obey your order."

It turns out that this is the ultimate secret of why the ancestor continues to enjoy the emperor's favor. He really knows how to hit the chords. Every word sounds like nonsense, but every word makes Emperor Jiajing feel happy as if he understands.

It is really something that people can learn for a lifetime.

Just as Teng Xiang was marveling at the art of conversation between Huang Jin and Emperor Jiajing, the shaking railroad car finally started moving.

Emperor Jiajing's eyes lit up as he looked at the steam train slowly moving along the tracks.

"The wooden ox and flowing horse in the legend should be just like this, right?"

Although Emperor Jiajing knew that the railway car could move, he was still extremely excited and shocked when he saw it move with his own eyes.

Because according to the legend he knew, Zhuge Liang, more than a thousand years ago, invented the wooden ox and horse that could move automatically without human power.

However, the wooden ox and flowing horse is ultimately just a legend. It has not been truly circulated in the world, and there are no truly credible documents or physical objects preserved.

So later when we marveled at Zhuge Liang's wisdom and the magic of the wooden ox and the flowing horse, it was more of an imagination with a mythological color.

Now when Emperor Jiajing saw the steam railway car that could run automatically without the need for oxen or horses, he must have been extremely shocked.

"How fast can this rail car go?"

Emperor Jiajing looked at the steam railway car gradually moving away from him and couldn't help but ask a very crucial question.

Teng Xiang immediately replied, "According to the calculations of Jan Watt and his team, this steam rail car can travel about 30 to 40 miles per hour. However, the track here is only laid for a limited distance of about five miles, so we cannot really see how fast it can run."

Emperor Jiajing was also shocked when he heard that one could run thirty or forty miles in an hour!

You must know that the fastest speed of information transmission now is the 600 miles express speed that the imperial post has always maintained. If you want to exceed 600 miles, you can only achieve it at the cost of human lives and horses.

But that was just the fast movement of one man and one horse. It was okay to deliver a message, but if they wanted to escort some supplies and troops, they could only calculate it according to their usual walking speed. Fortunately, the cavalry could travel more than a hundred miles a day, but it was difficult for the infantry. Even if they didn't carry baggage, traveling more than fifty miles a day was considered a forced march.

So if this thing can really travel thirty to forty miles every hour and four to five hundred miles a day, it would be like a divine weapon.

Just thinking about it makes one's soul tremble.

Emperor Jiajing was immediately excited and asked, "How much silver do you think it would cost to build a steel plant here that is dedicated to supplying rail cars?"

Teng Xiang carefully glanced at Emperor Jiajing and whispered, "It will cost about 600,000 taels of silver. However."

"But what?"

When Emperor Jiajing heard this, he couldn't help but frown.

Teng Xiang replied in a low voice: "I reported this matter to the prince earlier, but the prince did not agree to build a steel mill here. The prince meant to build a steel mill near Tianjin, where the transportation conditions are better, so this one is put on hold for the time being."

Emperor Jiajing was a little puzzled when he heard that a steel plant was going to be built near Tianjin. Although Tianjin had good transportation, it was still two or three hundred miles away from the Western Hills.

Moreover, Tianjin has neither iron ore nor coal. If it really wants to make steel, both iron ore and coal have to be transported from other places, which will obviously increase costs.

So Emperor Jiajing asked in confusion: "Why did Prince Yu deal with it this way?"

Teng Xiang said: "The prince said that although Tianjin Wei may seem to have no mines or coal, it has sufficient manpower and transportation capacity. Whether it is materials coming from the canal or from the sea in the future, they can all be assembled in Tianjin Wei."

"And the prince also said that Shuntian Prefecture is going to build a toll-paying hardened road from Tianjin to the capital. In the future, even if Tianjin is 200 to 300 miles away from the capital's Xishan, we can still leave in the morning and arrive in the evening without wasting any time."

When Emperor Jiajing heard what Teng Xiang said, he nodded and said, "San'er is right. We need to consider the long term. Although Xishan is large, it is not as lively as Tianjin. Moreover, there is the Shen Yao Palace in Xishan, so it is not suitable for building a large ironworks here."

While Emperor Jiajing was speaking, James Watt and his crew had already completed a round in the steam railway car and returned.

Emperor Jiajing looked at the railway car that appeared before him again, and his eyes were as if he had seen a divine artifact and he could not take his eyes away.

Emperor Jiajing asked, "Can you brake this time?"

Zhan Watt got off the front of the car and quickly replied to Emperor Jiajing: "My Lord, it can stop the car, but the brake disc is easily scrapped. We need to further manufacture stronger steel to use as brake discs."

Emperor Jiajing hummed, "These are not problems. Just do what you want. I will leave the production of qualified steel to professional craftsmen. You just need to ensure that this rail car can run stably."

After hearing Emperor Jiajing's promise, Zhan Watt was also excited and bowed quickly, "Thank you, Immortal Master!"

Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "Can I get on the car and try it?"

As soon as Emperor Jiajing said this, everyone present looked at each other in surprise. This kind of situation had never happened before.

Because even Teng Xiang had never been there, no one knew what to say when they suddenly heard Emperor Jiajing's request.

Huang Jin and Teng Xiang also stood there in confusion. When Zhan Watt, with a dark face, heard that Emperor Jiajing was going to get on the car, he also became anxious.

Zhan Watt said: "It's possible, but..."

When Emperor Jiajing heard that it was okay, he became excited and asked, "What is it?"

Zhan Watt said: "It's just too dirty. It's full of coal to be transported. It's black everywhere. I'm afraid it will dirty the immortal body."

When Emperor Jiajing heard this, he immediately laughed and said, "It's no problem, it's just a little coal ash."

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Asking for a monthly ticket~~
(End of this chapter)