Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

Steamship?!

Li Chengqian was stunned for a moment, and then he couldn't help but become excited.

When he arrived at a shipyard in Dengzhou Port, which was controlled by multiple checkpoints and guarded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the army, under Cao Yang's guidance, the place was already bustling with activity.

The first batch of talents in mechanical and shipbuilding-related fields summoned by Li Chengqian from the simulated world all gathered here.

In a shipyard that is twenty or thirty meters high and entirely constructed of wood, resembling half of a modern bird's nest, a ship that looks relatively rough on the outside but is clearly already completed is on a sloping platform in the shipyard.

The hull is covered with thick hemp ropes, which connect to the axle mechanisms at the dock entrance.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is here! His Highness the Crown Prince is here!"

"Make way, everyone make way!"

Cao Yang rushed to the front, clearing a path for Li Chengqian while shouting.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned around in surprise.

"Old Mo..."

Professor Mo, the dean of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Imperial University, who designed and completed the steam engine and the Zhenguan steam locomotive, is also here at this moment.

Upon seeing Li Chengqian, he couldn't help but excitedly step forward.

"Your Highness, I never expected you to be in Dengzhou."

Li Chengqian nodded. He hadn't expected it to be such a coincidence; he had just returned from Silla and already encountered such good news.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he couldn't wait to shift the topic to the ship in front of him.

The ship still has a wooden main body, but steel is used in the main structures such as the keel and mast.

Aside from its construction scale being modeled after treasure ships, with a length of over one hundred meters, its hull structure is very similar to later ocean-going vessels, rather than the multi-story ships like treasure ships.

The most obvious feature is undoubtedly those two enormous chimneys.

"Your Highness, we were just about to conduct a trial run. Now that you're here, shall the Crown Prince officiate at the launching ceremony?"

Cao Yang, the prefect of Dengzhou, took the initiative to make a suggestion.

Li Chengqian didn't hesitate or refuse. More than any sense of ceremony, he cared about whether the steam-powered seagoing vessel in front of him could successfully complete its trial voyage.

"Get into the water!"

Li Chengqian briefly offered a few words of encouragement and praise to the shipyard craftsmen and officials present, before getting straight to the point and announcing the order.

Following his order.

The craftsmen on the workbenches on both sides of the dock shouted out their opinions.

"Open the gate!"

With a series of loud splashes of water, accompanied by the turning of mechanical gears and iron chains on both sides, seawater suddenly began to gush out from inside the dock. Pulled by the towing ropes tied to the hull on the other side, the combined force pushed the behemoth down the slope.

Under a series of command and dispatch orders, several teams responsible for launching the ship worked together.

With a loud "boom".

The 100-meter-long steam-powered ocean-going vessel officially left the dock, stirring up a wave as it began to sway on the sea surface under the tense gazes of everyone.

Li Chengqian: "......"

He stared intently at the ship, unaware of its internal structure or balance, and could only pray for a successful launch.

However, perseverance pays off.

After only a few moments of rocking, the ship gradually regained its balance.

In an instant, a smile appeared on Li Chengqian's face.

The craftsmen and officials throughout the dock also let out excited shouts.

"It's done!!!"

Old Mo feigned composure: "It's not a success yet. Don't let your guard down. Crew, board the ship! We still need to test the steam boiler system..."

As he spoke, he paused slightly and turned to look at His Highness the Crown Prince beside him.

At this point, someone had already brought over the blueprints for the ship.

Mo Lao handed it to Li Chengqian.

“Your Highness, I have completely abandoned the previous oars for this ship. It is now powered by both sails and steam propellers, making its structure more complex.”

Li Chengqian looked at the blueprints, and when he saw the propellers on both sides of the stern, his eyes gleamed.

He didn't recall ever discussing this with anyone from the Imperial University, nor with anyone from the shipyard.

Therefore, this was something that Mo Lao and other leading figures in the shipbuilding and machinery fields of the Tang Dynasty came up with themselves.

This is undoubtedly a manifestation of the achievements of the college's systematic teaching and academic research.

According to his memories from his previous life.

In the early days of steamships, propulsion was not achieved using propellers. Instead, the ships used devices similar to waterwheels on both sides, which transmitted mechanical force through steam power to propel them.

However, this wheel-like propulsion device can cause one side of the wheel to lift off the water as the ship rocks from side to side in the waves, thus having a greater impact on the ship's balance.

Unexpectedly, Elder Mo and his group skipped this step entirely...

As small boats carrying coal were loaded onto the steam-powered ocean-going vessel, tentatively named "Zhenguan," the ship's steam boilers began to burn under the work of the boiler crew.

While the boiler temperature and pressure were rising, Elder Mo led Li Chengqian on a thorough tour of the completely secret Dengzhou Royal Shipyard.

Besides the large-scale shipyard we just saw, and the more expensive one, there are several other shipyards here, where treasure ships are currently being laid and constructed.

Finally, as news came from the steam-powered ship that it was ready to begin sailing, Li Chengqian and Elder Mo immediately boarded one of the ships.

"Woo!!!"

Thick black smoke billowed from the chimney, accompanied by the sound of the ship's horn from the "Zhenguan" ship, which had not even raised its sails, under the watchful eyes of tense and expectant gazes.

Finally, it slowly began to move...

"It moved! It really moved!!!"

The voice of Cao Yang, the prefect of Dengzhou, became shrill with excitement. He couldn't help but be excited. If the sea vessel successfully completed its trial voyage, it would be considered part of his achievements as the prefect of Dengzhou.

In an era when officials across the Tang Dynasty were engaged in fierce competition, this was definitely a valuable asset for promotion.

Li Chengqian was equally excited.

Holding a monocular telescope, he stared intently at the ship that was slowly increasing its speed and gradually heading out of the port.

Beside him, Old Master Mo urged him excitedly.

"Raise the sails! Quick, raise the sails! Keep up!"

Simple sail power is naturally no match for steamships when the wind direction is not favorable.

"Your Highness, the Zhenguan's coal bunker can carry 600 tons of coal. According to our calculations and experiments, with the ship's steam boilers running at full capacity, it can travel between Dengzhou and Busan Port at least three times without using sails."

Master Mo explained from the side.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly.

Watching the billowing black smoke grow smaller and smaller in their sight, completely out of sight of their observation ship, the Zhenguan couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"What about the methods of attack?"

Li Chengqian asked the question that concerned him most.

Old Mo returned his greeting with a reassuring, smug smile.

"Hehe, Your Highness, rest assured, the structure below the gun emplacements on the ship's hull has been specially reinforced with steel. As for the cannons sent from Taiyuan Prefecture, feel free to use them!"

Li Chengqian immediately felt better.

The Age of Exploration in the Tang Dynasty was now completely unstoppable...