I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 803 What are the particulars of taking a train?
Seeing that Shu Youliang looked calm and steady as an old dog, Marcelo became anxious.

"Your Ming country has created something so miraculous and great. Aren't you excited at all?"

"Of course I am excited, but I am already too excited."

"Too excited?"

“Yes, this train has been running on the Beijing-Tianjin and Beijing-Luanzhou railways for several months, with hundreds of trips back and forth.

To be honest, my master has long known that the imperial court was building a railway and running trains. As soon as he returned to the capital, he heard that the railway was completed and trains were running.

When we went from Dagu to Tianjin City and took a centipede boat along the North Canal heading straight for Tongzhou City, we saw steam coming out from the shore in the distance and could vaguely hear a humming sound.

At the time we thought it was some factory using a steam engine."

Marcelo and Leon nodded quickly.

At that time, they were so shocked by the numerous factories, towering chimneys, and humming, powerful steam engines in Tianjin that they trembled with fear. They were still in a daze on the boat and thought that it was a factory or mine on the shore that was using a steam engine.

Now that I think about it, it turned out that it was a train test run.

"My master is also a curious person. After hearing about the railway and train, he asked me to take a ride on them if I had the chance to see what they were like.

I asked a friend to help me get on a freight train, which rushed to Tianjin in the afternoon and returned to Beijing in the evening. I had breakfast and dinner in the afternoon and then headed to Luanzhou. It was late at night when I arrived there, so I immediately changed to a train back to Beijing, and I could go home for lunch when I got back to Beijing.

All the shocks that should be shocked have been shocked.”

Shu Youliang looked at the train in front of him and concluded, "But having said that, this thing is worthy of being a national treasure!"

The most important weapon of the country?

This is a powerful tool that will change the world and the times!

Marcelo and Leon looked at each other and continued asking.

"Master Shu, have you ever ridden this train? How fast can it run?"

"The truck was running back and forth, or it was a test run. When the cargo was heavy and heavy, it ran slowly. I heard from the escort that it was about 30 kilometers per hour.

The less cargo it carried, the faster it could run, up to 50 kilometers. Sometimes, for testing, it would run as fast as it could, and I think it could reach 60 or 70 kilometers.

But I heard that their average speed is 40 kilometers per hour. It’s the same for trucks and buses.”

"Master Shu, how far can this train run in one breath?"

"That's a long way to go. As long as there's water and coal, it can run all the way. I once ran from Beijing South Railway Station to Qinhuangdao Station without stopping.

There was nothing wrong with the train, but the driver was exhausted, especially the fireman, who was so tired that his arms were almost broken from swinging the shovel. "

"Master Shu, can this train run day and night?"

"Yes, I can run during the day and at night. Sometimes I arrive in Tianjin in the afternoon and rush back at night. After a while of being confused, I am back in Beijing."

"Master Shu, how many people and goods can that carriage carry?"

"I heard that one carriage can hold about 100 people, and if they squeeze together, it can hold nearly 200 people. One carriage can carry 50 to 60 tons of cargo."

"Does every train have thirteen cars? We just counted them. This train has thirteen cars, excluding the locomotive."

"Maybe this is the rule for passenger cars. It's not necessarily the case for freight cars. I've ridden in freight cars with ten, twelve, or sixteen carriages. I can't tell how many there are. It's said that the dispatch office will marshal different numbers of carriages depending on whether the carriages are full or empty."

Leon paid attention to another question, "Isn't the car body a carriage?"

"People on the railway are used to calling passenger cars carriages and freight cars wagons. I don't know where this came from or why."

There was a beeping sound, and a railway attendant in uniform came over, blowing a whistle. On his waist were two pennants, one red and one green.

As he walked, he shouted, "Dear passengers, please get on board. The train is about to leave."

“Get in the car, get in the car!”

Everyone greeted each other, took a few quick puffs of their cigarettes, put the butts in the ashtray, and got on the train one after another through the doors of their respective carriages.

Marcelo and Leon helped carry the luggage and got on carriage number eight with Shu Youliang.

"Master Shu, which box are you in?"

"Box number 10, the last one."

"What's your number?"

"We are number four, next to the Ottoman envoy's room."

The three of them talked as they walked, got on the train, turned a corner between the restroom and the toilet, and walked forward along the narrow corridor.

Marcelo shook his head. "The people in boxes one, two and three in front, I don't know what government office they belong to, they are very mysterious."

Leon explained: "Two said they were from the Xinming News Agency, and four said they were from the Huangming Dynasty Newspaper and the China Political Newspaper."

"My goodness, those are correspondents and reporters. They must have gone to Luanzhou to write reports."

"Correspondent, reporter?"

"Yes, I just wander around and when I find some big news, I'll come running over like a wolf smelling meat, and then I'll investigate it thoroughly and write an article to be published in the newspaper.

This is a journalist.

The year before last, a major case of grain theft and sale at Changping Warehouse in Nanchang, Jiangxi was caused by a reporter from China Political News. He got the information secretly from his fellow villagers, then disguised himself as a grain merchant, and found out all the grain thieves.

It was made into a special report in the "China Political News", and then a major case arose. The Jiangxi Provincial Governor, the Left and Right Councillors, the Household Department Councillor, the Director of the Grain Supervision Office, the Director of the Grain Station, and more than 40 officials were involved in the case. Some were killed, some were exiled, some were demoted, and even the Governor of Jiangxi was dismissed.

There were dozens of other businessmen involved in the case, whose properties were confiscated and whose entire families were killed, and no one could escape.

They dared to touch the grain in the Changping Warehouse. They were so bold. But I heard that the current financial system is strict and other ways of getting money are not possible. This group of corrupt officials are anxious and they made up their minds to take action against the Changping Warehouse.

The correspondents are even more amazing. They collect the latest information from all over the country, compile it in the news agencies, and then sell it to major newspapers. They investigate and collect news, and sometimes send it directly to the cabinet and the advisory bureau. "

Leon suddenly realized, "The Imperial Ming Dynasty Newspaper and the Chinese Political Newspaper! Are they the two newspapers we often see in the foreign hotel?"

"Yes, I was wondering why you guys seemed indifferent."

Leon shrugged. "Until now, I still don't know enough Chinese characters to read a newspaper. Chinese characters are too difficult to learn. And there are too many homophones in your characters. We can't tell them apart at all.

No wonder when I heard them introduce themselves, I felt they sounded very familiar, but I just couldn’t remember them at the moment.”

"Room No. 4, we live here."

Leon pointed to the closed door of room number four.

"Room No. 5 houses the Ottoman envoy and deputy envoy."

The door of private room number five was open. Two bearded men wearing turbans were sitting there drinking. When they saw Leon and Marcelo, they greeted them with a smile.

Marcelo greeted them.

"Room No. 6 houses the Persian envoy and deputy envoy."

There were two people sitting opposite each other, wearing pointed hats and glasses, each holding a book, reading seriously, not noticing the three people walking by. "Old Ma, do you understand Austrian?" Shu Youliang asked curiously.

"I don't understand. But I understand Arabic. In the Muslim world, Arabic is the common language."

"Ah, I didn't realize you can speak foreign languages, Old Ma."

"Marquis Marcelo fought the Moors in North Africa for more than ten years. Most Moors also spoke Arabic, so Marquis Marcelo learned Arabic, but only in spoken Arabic."

"You are amazing, you are all talented."

When they walked to Box No. 9, the door was open, and there were two people sitting inside, one in a long gown and the other in a long robe. The one in the long gown turned around unintentionally, and saw Shu Youliang at a glance, and said in surprise, "Master Shu!"

Shu Youliang was stunned. He felt that the man looked familiar, but he just couldn't remember who he was.

There's nothing I can do. I have a wide social circle and know too many people to remember them all.

"Master Shu, I am Wang Shisong, Uncle Wang Zhong. I once followed my father to Yangzhou to visit Lord Hai."

Shu Youliang had an impression and asked hesitantly, "Your father is the governor of Jiangxi, Prince Wang Xinfu (Wang Zongmu) of Linhai, Zhejiang?"

"Exactly."

"I remember now. In the third year of the Wanli reign, a major case of theft and sale of grain occurred in Nanchang, Jiangxi. Prince Wang took over as the governor of Jiangxi and passed by Yangzhou. He visited my master and his son was also with him.

Yes, yes, I really remember you now. You are the prince of a noble family. You look familiar, but I was stunned for a moment and couldn't remember you. I'm old now, and my brain can't remember people or things.

What a coincidence, meeting you here, I live in room number 10."

Wang Shisong was delighted. "That's great. This is Xiao Kefa (Xiao Lin), the official in charge of the Shaanxi Hucao. This is Mr. Shu, the famous Mr. Shu, the official in charge of Gangfeng."

The man in the robe stood up and bowed immediately: "It turns out to be the famous Mr. Shu. It's a great honor to meet you here."

"You're welcome."

"Yuanrui, Yuanrui, the person in the same room with you is Mr. Shu, he's here." Wang Shisong shouted loudly.

Before he finished speaking, a young man came out from room number 10 and said, "Junior Hu Yinglin, greetings to Master Shu."

"Hu Yinglin, Hu Yuanrui, oh, it's really you. We met in Yangzhou last year. I didn't expect to meet you again in the capital so soon."

The young man was none other than Hu Yinglin, the son of Hu Xi, the governor of Hunan. He had become famous in the southeast in recent years and was praised by Wang Shizhen as a leading young talent.

Marcelo and Leon looked at each other. He is really worthy of our Master Shu. With such a wide network of contacts, he has acquaintances wherever he goes!

Shu Youliang also introduced the two people to several people.

The Portuguese envoy, Hu Yinglin and the other two could not help but sigh in their hearts.

With Shu Ye's connections and skills, he even treated the Portuguese envoy, who had just arrived in the court, like a buddy.

Everyone rushed into private room number 10.

There were two narrow couches on each side of the room, half a meter off the ground. Above the couches was a cabinet containing a thin quilt and a pillow.

There is a coffee table in the middle next to the car window, and under the coffee table is a drawer with two white porcelain cups and a bag of tea.

There is an iron basket under the drawer, inside which is a kettle with a bamboo woven shell.

There was a luggage rack above the door, with stairs to climb up. Hu Yinglin climbed up nimbly. Wang Shisong handed Shu Youliang's luggage bag to him, and he stuffed it into the luggage rack.

Shu Youliang sat in his seat, leaning against the window, with Marcelo and Leon sitting on his right.

Hu Yinglin sat opposite him, leaning against the car window, and on his left sat Wang Shisong and Xiao Lin.

Among the three people opposite, Shu Youliang was most familiar with Hu Yinglin: "Yuanrui, didn't you study with Master Zhuo Wu at Nanjing University?
Sometimes you also go to Suzhou, follow Yuan Meigong (Wang Shizhen), and Tang Yiren (Tang Xianzu), who wrote The Romance of the Western Chamber, edit operas at the Suzhou Opera Academy, and be the chief editor of the Literary Gazette? "

Hu Yinglin was admitted to Nanjing University in the first year of the Wanli reign and became a disciple of Li Zhi.

After graduating last year, he took part in the spring examination, a combined examination for recruiting officials in Yingtian Prefecture and Jiangsu Province, and passed the examination for "juren". In the autumn, he took part in the joint examination, a recruitment examination for officials in central departments, and passed the examination for "jinshi".

Although the examination is now held once a year, with many more people admitted and its value reduced significantly, the historical inertia remains.

Hu Yinglin's success as a Jinshi made his father Hu Xi very happy.

After passing the exam, Hu Yinglin applied to return to Nanjing University to observe politics. While serving as an official in the school's Academic Affairs Office, he continued to study under Li Zhi.

What is amazing is that Hu Yinglin was not only valued by Li Zhi, but also appreciated by Wang Shizhen, who was secretly at odds with Li Zhi. He often went to Suzhou to take classes at the Chinese Opera Academy, write scripts, and write opera reviews for the Literary Gazette.

He was able to mix well with both new and old schools of thought, and the only person in the world who was good at this was Hu Yinglin.

Hu Yinglin spread his hands and said, "Master Shu, I am also very confused. The Ministry of Public Administration issued an urgent order to summon me from Nanjing, Mr. Dui Mu (Xiao Lin) from Xi'an, and Wang Zhongshu (Wang Shisong) from Wuchang to the capital."

Wang Shisong was admitted to the Law and Politics College of Jiajing University in Wuchang in the second year of the Wanli reign. He just graduated this year and took part in the Hubei "provincial examination" - the Hubei official recruitment examination, and passed the "juren" examination. He is also interning in Wuchang County.

"Were you transferred back to the capital for no reason?"

"Yes, we were also very curious. It was only after we arrived in Beijing that we found out that it was Mr. Ju Zhang (Shen Mingchen) who recommended the three of us."

"Shen Jiaze? I remember he was the chief secretary of the Right Military Commissioner Mingquan Gong (Liang Menglong)."

"That's right. Mr. Ju Zhang and I have known each other for a long time. He is also old acquaintances of Mr. Xiao and Uncle Wang. We don't know why he recommended the three of us and now summoned us to Luanzhou."

Hu Yinglin looked at Marcelo and Leon beside Shu Youliang and answered vaguely.

Marcelo and Leon watched the conversation with great interest, without any embarrassment at all.

They are now eager to learn about the mysterious oriental culture and will not miss any opportunity to communicate with Ming officials and scholars. They actively participate in their conversations, hoping to learn something about the mysterious oriental culture.

Hu Yinglin and the other two were all gentlemen, and since the two Western barbarians were Mr. Shu's friends, they felt embarrassed to chase them away and could only speak vaguely.

Shu Youliang understood what the three meant and changed the subject, "Have you ever taken a train?"

Hu Yinglin and the other two shook their heads, "We've never sat there before. This is the first time for the younger generations to sit there."

"I have been terrified since I got on the train. I was restless and didn't know what the train would sound like when it started moving."

"I heard from someone that someone had seen a train moving, and it was really like lightning and fire, and the earth was shaking."

Shu Youliang smiled happily and proudly, "Haha, what a coincidence, I have had the honor of riding a train several times."

"Master Shu, have you ever taken a train?"

"How many times have you sat on it?"

Hu Yinglin and the other two were surprised and delighted, and kept asking questions.

"Master Shu, is there anything particular about taking the train?"

"Yes, Mr. Shu, what should I pay attention to when taking the train?"

"Are there any taboos?"

Marcelo and Leon, who understood what was said, also looked at Shu Youliang intently, waiting for his answer.

(End of this chapter)