Open an aircraft carrier to fight against Japan

Emperor Guangxu looked at Xu Jingcheng with inquiring eyes, and Xu Jingcheng said, "My Majesty, what Mr. Lin said is true. The countries of Thailand and the West do use tin as welding material."

Emperor Guangxu asked: "Then we can't produce this kind of material?"

Xu Jingcheng replied: "Of course we can produce this kind of material. As early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, this kind of material already existed, but the tin material we produced cannot be used for welding because the phosphorus and sulfur contained in it are too high. Cracks are prone to appear after low-temperature solidification, and with such materials for welding, the boat cannot be launched."

Emperor Guangxu looked at Lin Yuan and said, "Then can we produce qualified tin materials?"

Lin Yuan nodded with a smile, and said, "Of course it can, but to produce tin materials, you must first build a railway. Mr. Xu must know where the tin ore is produced?"

Xu Jingcheng said: "Gejiu in Yunnan has the most minerals, and it was the place where tin was produced as early as the Tang and Song Dynasties."

Lin Yuan replied: "That's right, this place is Gejiu in Yunnan, but our shipyard is in Dalian, thousands of miles away, and there are high mountains in between. They are small and can be carried by people in vehicles, so it is difficult to supply them for shipbuilding."

Emperor Guangxu asked: "Then what should we do?"

Lin Yuan replied: "It's very simple. We can build a railway. Our railway starts from Beijing, then enters Shanxi, from Shanxi enters Shaanxi, then goes south from Shaanxi, crosses the Qinling Mountains, enters Sichuan, and exits from Sichuan to Yunnan. We will call this railway the 'Jingyun Railway'."

The three people present were stunned when they heard this. According to Lin Yuan, this railway will run through the four provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan. The railway is simply more difficult than climbing to the sky.

Everyone stopped talking, Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Do you think it is difficult to build this railway?"

Emperor Guangxu said: "The construction of the railway should be postponed. This railway is not a good thing."

Lin Yuan asked: "How can the railway not be a good thing? We look at the western countries, the root of their prosperity lies in the railways. In the past few decades, almost all the steel smelted in Western countries have been used in the construction of railways. The average More than 20 kilometers of railways are to be built every year, equivalent to 40 miles."

"Take the United States as an example. It took only one year to build 26 kilometers of railways, which is equivalent to 52 miles. However, China, a great empire, has not built many railways. Isn't it ridiculous?"

Emperor Guangxu asked: "I also know that this railway needs to be built on a flat road, but the terrain is different in different places. Many places have many mountains and rivers. There are mountain gods in the mountains, and dragon kings in the water. Once a railway is built, the trains will continue to roar day and night. If the mountain gods and dragon kings are disturbed, won't they bring disaster?"

Hearing this reason, Lin Yuan thought to himself: "A historian once said that among the advanced technologies that the Qing government faced, railways were the most difficult. It seems that what this historian said was true. Superstition is deeply rooted in the minds of high-level government officials."

Lin Yuan looked at the three of them. Emperor Guangxu and Weng Tonghe looked at him with serious faces. They thought that the mountain god and the dragon king were irresistible masters. Xu Jingcheng had accepted Western scientific thinking, so he was not concerned about the mountain god. I believe it very much, but I also put on a posture that I would rather believe it than believe it.

Lin Yuan thought to himself: "If I tell them that there are no gods in this world, it will definitely not work. They have believed in those things for so many years, how could they be changed by me in a few words? I'd better change the method." So Lin Yuan said: "I A very long railway has been built in the Northeast. At present, the entire territory of the three provinces in the Northeast is covered by railways. During the construction of the railways, we have also opened up many mountains and built many bridges, but we have not had any disasters. You guys Do you know why?"

Everyone looked at Lin Yuan with curious eyes, and Lin Yuan smiled and said, "I know all the secrets and can appease the gods, so the construction of the railway is no problem at all."

The three looked at each other and nodded. Emperor Guangxu showed embarrassment and said, "The weights and measures and the timing method are easy to discuss, but the railway is difficult to discuss."

Lin Yuan asked: "I have already said that I have a way to appease the gods, do you have any concerns?"

Emperor Guangxu sighed softly, and said: "The problem is all with my mother. Let me tell you one thing. At that time, I was still young, and my mother was in power in the court. There was a British merchant in Shanghai named Jardine Matheson, this foreign firm has built a railway in Shanghai, from Shanghai to Wusong Town, the total length is less than [-] miles."

"After the mother heard that the railway was completed, she was very angry, and immediately ordered the Shanghai Daotai Yamen to demolish the railway within a time limit. Finally, the Shanghai Daotai Yamen bought the railway for 28 taels of silver. The craftsmen dismantled it, I believe from this matter, you can hear the attitude of the queen mother towards the railway, right?"

Lin Yuan thought for a while and said, "Why don't I go out and persuade the Queen Mother?"

Guangxu laughed loudly when he heard this, and said: "Lin Aiqing, you have met my mother several times, and she has promised you everything you want to do, but it is a major event to regain the lost land of the ancestors, so she can promise you. But this time we are going to build a railway, Lin Aiqing, even the diplomats from the Thai and Western countries are terrified because of your eloquence, and you can't convince my queen mother."

Lin Yuan smiled lightly and said, "Not necessarily."

Emperor Guangxu nodded and said, "Okay, I will arrange a meeting for you, but whether you can persuade her depends on your ability, Lin Aiqing, how much time do you need to prepare?"

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Do I still need to prepare? I can go now."

This sentence made Emperor Guangxu amused, and he said with a smile: "Today is not possible. Today, the queen mother asked a few princesses to watch the juggler. It is said that this juggler came from the northeast. He is very capable. The queen mother loves to watch it." Seriously, from this point of view, you can only be free at night."

Lin Yuan said: "Then I will go to see her tomorrow. I just ask the emperor one thing, that is, don't talk about this matter with the queen mother." If you tell Cixi: Lin Yuan wants to persuade you to build a railway, it will definitely not work.

As soon as he arrived the next day, Lin Yuan was taken to Cixi's residence - Chuxiu Palace. When Lin Yuan came outside the palace, Li Lianying walked over with a charming smile and asked with a smile: "Master Lin, are you Offended Xiao Dezhang?"

Lin Yuan remembered what happened in the Northeast, so he said with a smile: "We had some unpleasant troubles in the Northeast, and we can't talk about offending."

Li Lianying said with a smile: "This little De Zhang relied on his good singing and was favored in front of Lafayette, but now he is defiant. You can teach him a lesson, otherwise his dog's tail will really stick to the sky. "

Li Lianying laughed twice, then said to Lin Yuan with a serious face: "Master Lin, I have to remind you, after you enter the palace, don't talk about anything related to the railway."