minions live

Chapter 771 Sword
clap clap!

Leonardo DiCaprio clapped his hands.

squeak!
The door to the yamen study opened in response.

Several eunuchs carried in a strangely shaped machine the size of a human head.

Tie Tiangong's young apprentice kept a close eye on it from behind, as if afraid that the thing would grow wings and fly away.

"Your Majesty, the steam engine model has arrived."

Ren Ning nodded and walked out from behind the dragon desk with a smile.

cough cough.

Tie Tiangong coughed lightly and tugged at his dazed little apprentice.

"What are you daydreaming about? Get up and see His Majesty!"

Tie Erniu suddenly realized what was happening and immediately panicked, falling to his knees with a thud.

"This humble commoner, Tie Erniu, greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"

Ren Ning smiled and shook his head.

"Erniu, I'm not that scary, am I? Get up."

Back in the fortress, he and Lei Er had seen Tie Tiangong's apprentice quite a few times.

The three of them were mostly chatting and laughing.

I've never been so reserved before!
Uh...

Tie Erniu's face turned red, and he didn't know what to say.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me," Tie Tiangong hurriedly defended his apprentice. "Er Niu has never left the fortress since childhood. He is not good with words and does not know the rules. It is truly the old blacksmith's fault. I will definitely behave properly in the future..."

Haha.

Before he could finish speaking, Ren Ning smiled and raised her hand, interrupting him.

"Erniu and I are old friends. It's rare for us to meet, so let's just joke around. Don't take it to heart."

"Master Tie, please answer the questions of the two generals first."

Otherwise, Xiao Zheng and Lu Fuhai next to them would have been itching with curiosity.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Foreman Tie Tian breathed a sigh of relief.

“Two generals,” he said, gazing at the model with deep emotion.

"Everyone knows that His Majesty's actions are only known to Heaven, but the various ingenious ideas in His Majesty's mind are even more astonishing. To my shame, although this old blacksmith has been forging iron all his life, I have never imagined that such a miraculous thing could exist..."

Xiao Zheng and Lu Fuhai exchanged a glance, their curiosity growing stronger.

"May I ask, Master Iron, what is the purpose of this steam engine?"

Tie Tiangong smiled but did not answer, instead looking at his young apprentice.

"Erniu, show the two generals His Majesty's invention."

"This is absolutely a groundbreaking invention that will rewrite the way ships sail at sea."

what?
Lu Fuhai and his companion's hearts pounded, and they couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Tie Erniu responded and started operating the machine skillfully.

He added water to the small boiler, tightened the lid, adjusted the small piston, and applied lubricant...

After a series of dazzling maneuvers, more than ten candles were lit and finally placed under the small boiler.

Soon,
Sizzle...

The water in the small boiler boiled, and the piston was slowly pushed up.

The piston drives the connecting rod, which in turn pushes the wheel below.

The piston was almost at the end of its rotation after the wheel had only turned a little over half a circle.

Tie Erniu, who was watching closely from the side, reacted quickly and pulled up the valve on the piston wall.

chi...

A burst of hot air shot out.

The wheel, due to inertia, pulled the piston back.

Hey.

With a simple smile, Tie Erjian manually closed the valve again, and the wheel gradually came to a stop.

Xiao Zheng and Lu Fuhai exchanged a glance, and both opened their mouths simultaneously, but no words came out.

Just then, the piston was gradually pushed out again by the evaporating water vapor...

"Your Majesty," after a long while, Xiao Zheng couldn't help but bow to Ren Ning, "You once personally led a fleet across the East China Sea to support the Baekje Peninsula, so you are no stranger to sailing."

"But there is something I am unsure whether I should say."

Ren Ning was not surprised and smiled in response.

"My dear minister, there's no need for such formalities. Please speak freely."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xiao Zheng's gaze fell on the wheels on both sides of the model, which were still slowly rotating.

He was familiar with this thing.

Over the years, the East China Sea Barrier has also been considering how to replace sailors and shipwrights with other forces.

After all, maintaining so many rowing sailors is a considerable expense.

In the past, the East China Sea Barrier had also tried installing a pair of waterwheel-like wheels on both sides of its warships, and then using oxen and horses to drive gears in the ship's hold to rotate the wheels and propel the ship forward. But this was later abandoned.

Because cows and horses, like humans, need to eat, drink, and defecate, and may even have a larger appetite, while also being more difficult to manage.

In the end, they chose oars and training sailors with ropes.

“Using water turbines to propel ships is indeed a good method, and using steam is truly a unique invention in the world.”

"However... putting aside its strength, it takes it ages to make the wheel turn even a small circle, and it keeps making a clunking sound..."

Xiao Zheng glanced at Ren Ning, and seeing that he didn't seem angry, he stammered on.

"Forgive my bluntness, but I'm afraid... I'm not up to the task."

Haha.

Ren Ning laughed, “Don’t worry, my two ministers. You are both invincible generals. If you don’t believe me, you can go home and try pressing down on the lid of a boiling pot to see if you can hold it down.”

Xiao Zheng and his companion were taken aback, but quickly realized what was happening.

Ren Ning didn't care what they were thinking, "As for the rotation of the waterwheel..."

He turned to look at Tie Tiangong.

"Master Tie, is the crankshaft I asked you to make ready?"

"Your Majesty, I dared not delay upon receiving the blueprints and have already sculpted them immediately."

Tie Erniu, who was standing nearby, quickly found a crooked axle about a foot long.

"My lords," Ren Ning said with a smile, pointing to the various bends on the axis, "what if we installed a steam engine in each of these positions and then adjusted their rotation sequence?"

Xiao Zheng and his companion were both well-informed, and after a little thought, their minds immediately began to race.

If this machine can really keep the wheels turning, then sailing will definitely not be a problem.

As for the fuel used, Yunchui is a major coal-producing country.

"Your Majesty is wise; your humble servant is truly impressed."

After saying that, Xiao Zheng couldn't help but gently touch the crankshaft, which was neither too big nor too small, and quickly recognized its material.

"Is this rubber?"

Nowadays, in Pinghai County, besides wood, the most abundant material is rubber transported from Guangxin County.

In previous years, the most troublesome issue during shipbuilding was the sealing and waterproofing of the hull.

Now that we have rubber, this long-standing problem has been solved in an instant.

"General Xiao truly has discerning eyes." Tie Tiangong nodded in admiration.

"His Majesty has a thorough understanding of this steam engine, and the drawings he has made are extremely detailed."

"pity……"

At this point, he sighed regretfully.

"Unfortunately, the old blacksmith was dull-witted and had not yet fully grasped the principles and internal structure of the steam engine. He couldn't understand the purpose of many parts, so he could only use easily shaped rubber to make a vague shape for now, and then try to understand it later."

Then it is forged from steel.

"Master Tie, there's no need to rush," Ren Ning comforted him with a smile. "Take your time."

Although the metallurgical skills of the Cloud Empire are already at the pinnacle of the world, they are still far from meeting the basic standards for manufacturing various large-scale equipment.

For example, the dagger and black arrow that Tie Tiangong forged for Ren Ning were among the most formidable weapons in the world.

But compared to modern times, it's not worth mentioning.

The road ahead is long and arduous...

But given enough time and support, the craftsmen will eventually reach the standards he desires.

Xiao Zheng and his companion withdrew their gaze, their spirits becoming even more invigorated.

They are still young, so taking a little time is nothing. The most important thing is that their master on the dragon throne genuinely supports the development of the East China Sea Barrier.

"I would like to thank Your Majesty."

The two then bowed deeply in sincere respect.

"The East Sea Barrier will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations and will surely become famous throughout the world in the future."

Ren Ning nodded, his gaze falling on the large map of Yun Chui on the wall.

"The reason I summoned you two ministers back to the capital from afar is twofold. First, you have been fighting for the country for a long time, so I want you to have a good New Year with your families. Second, I want to clarify the future direction of the East China Sea defense line."

He looked at Xiao Zheng.

"Xiao Qing, you will be stationed in Pinghai County from now on. You will train and build ships, and at the same time establish a naval academy to teach all kinds of maritime skills, such as sailing, shipbuilding, naval warfare, and so on."

"I hope that in three to five years, there will be a continuous stream of warship captains on the water and an endless stream of shipbuilding craftsmen on the shore."

Xiao Zheng was deeply moved and quickly stepped forward.

"The minister obeys the order."

“Lu Qing,” Ren Ning turned to Lu Fuhai, “your base is in the south by the Huchou River.”

That place was originally the garrison of the Zhennan Pass fleet, and it was also close to the forests of Guangxin County, making it easy to cut timber for shipbuilding or repair.

Lu Fuhai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your subject obeys."

Ren Ning ignored him and made a large circle with his hand over the South China Sea.

"The East China Sea barrier has suffered considerable damage in the past two years, but that is not a reason for you to sit idly by. Send people as soon as possible to find out about the hydrology, weather and local customs of this sea area. When the time is right, the fleet will set sail south."

"As for the name of your fleet," Ren Ning smiled slightly, "from now on, let's call it the South China Sea Sword."