The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 597: Scientific Gratitude
Wang Zhenyi paced back and forth with a lot of thoughts in her mind. Finally, she gritted her teeth and knocked on the door.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't Asen who opened the door. If it was Asen, Wang Zhenyi wouldn't have had to knock at all.

She is now Asen's close elder sister and little science teacher. She can go to Asen's room at any time without knocking on the door.

"Sir, what's the matter with you coming to see me so late?"

The thin man who opened the door was the brother Bozhi mentioned by the fat boy Luo Zengxiang, the poor student who was somewhat resistant to his recruitment.

However, although the door was open, Brother Bozhi did not let Wang Zhenyi in. Instead, he deliberately made some noise to wake up the fat boy next door, Luo Zengxiang. Then he asked Luo Zengxiang to go in first and then let Wang Zhenyi in.

Wang Zhenyi felt helpless, but also a little respectful. "Bozhi, I'm your husband, is it really that serious?"

"Sir, just think of it as a student who doesn't know etiquette." Brother Bozhi smiled, and it didn't seem like he was completely ignorant of the ways of the world.

"Siye, if you have something to say, just tell me now. Brother Bozhi is fearless, but I'm scared to death!"

Luo Zengxiang was not talking nonsense at all. He was really a little scared. This woman was the boss's sister Wang. He didn't dare to stay with her for a long time like this.

Wang Zhenyi rolled her eyes at Luo Zengxiang, coughed twice, and slowly took out a report from her hand that had just been sent from Shuntian Prefecture in Beijing, eight hundred miles away, and arrived in Guangnan in just over ten days.

"Count, and the Earl of the Eunuch!" Luo Zengxiang was a connoisseur and screamed in surprise.

In the current Dayu Dynasty, the most valuable title was the Eunuch Noble. It's like in later times, if you were offered a non-civil servant opportunity like being a community secretary in your hometown, you wouldn't choose to work for a state-owned enterprise in Africa for 30,000 or 40,000 yuan a month.

Although the Earl of Eunuch had no fiefdom, he received a generous annual pension from the nobility, and his descendants had the right to accompany the princes and princesses to school, and the title was hereditary.

The most important thing is that you can stay in the center of power where life is convenient, and you can reap all the benefits without having to fight with the natives, and you can be firmly in the first echelon of the nobility.

For example, the Marquis of Hui'an of his Luo family, although he has a large fiefdom in Jiaxi Prefecture (West Borneo) in Jiaqing Province, but if you give him a Neichen Earl in exchange, the Luo family will definitely be willing.

"I paid special attention to steam engines when I was studying in France, and I had actually come into contact with Mr. Watt of England a long time ago.

In fact, this thing is widely used in England and has been constantly improved.

Burge, remember the idea I told you about? I think the steam engine His Majesty needs is probably this kind of engine."

The original intention of sending Wang Zhenyi and her group of European students abroad was mainly to focus on steam engines. They had received lectures from the emperor himself, so they knew the importance of this aspect to the future.

But unfortunately, out of the sixty-one schoolchildren, only fifty-six arrived in Europe alive, and then six died of illness within a year, leaving only fifty.

Among these fifty people, most of them went into humanities and military disciplines, and there were not many who were truly engaged in science and technology.

Because at that time, Europe and China were the same. The nobles were actually unwilling to touch things like steam engines and explosives, and those who made achievements in this area did not have a high status.

The improvement of steam engines and gunpowder was definitely not something that could be achieved by a few nobles or scholars sitting in an office and tinkering with it. It required being on the front line, participating in production for a long time, and gaining rich experience before they could be researched and invented.

European inventors were basically small factory owners, small businessmen, and commoners who had some education but no aristocratic status and could only work as engineers. They were able to invent and improve things because they were forced by demand.

This is also the reason why England's applied technology is always stronger and faster than France's.

England is a broken island country, and its aristocratic cultural atmosphere is not as strong as that of France, but its demand is greater.

Most Chinese students who go to Europe to study go to France.

Well, China already despises strange and obscene techniques, and now when we go to France, we find that everyone has the same tastes. It's just ridiculous.

This resulted in five groups of international students going to Dayu in the past ten years, but only a few of them were truly engaged in frontline scientific research. They had some small achievements, but no one had made any major achievements so far.

Wang Zhenyi was willing to conduct in-depth research, but her gender as a woman limited her possibility of further research. Mines have always been a forbidden area for women, and it is difficult for them to adapt.

Therefore, even a genius like Wang Zhenyi could only come up with a concept after fully understanding the actual situation, and could not fully experiment and practice it.

"As you said, sir, I have conducted further research." Brother Bozhi nodded and brought over a pile of drawings and manuscripts.

Well, actually not too many, because technology was just beginning to develop at that time, and many inventions were not complicated, and flashes of inspiration accounted for a large part of them.

Luo Zengxiang took a look at it and found that it looked like a steam engine, but it was not the same as the popular steam engines that can complete most water pumping tasks.

Today's steam engine is in the shape of a boiler, but this one is made of copper tubes that look like snail shells, only they are much thicker.

"My method follows the teacher's idea, which is to greatly increase the temperature and pressure of the steam engine to slow down the condensation of steam.

And it could be made much larger than a boiler-type steam engine, making it possible to power steam locomotives and sailing ships."

If Mo Zibu were here, he would immediately realize that this direction was correct. This thing was the large high-pressure steam engine that would appear twenty years later in history.

Compared with Watt's fixed-power steam engine, this thing is undoubtedly a step up, and it is the basic guarantee for the realization of steam locomotives and steam paddle wheels.

"But even though I have the idea, there are still many problems in putting it into practice. First of all, it requires a lot of money to create it. I estimate that it will take more than a dozen rounds of continuous improvement, and at least 10,000 silver dollars will be needed to support it.

In addition, students still have many questions about valves such as safety valves and throttle valves, and they still need help.”

As for high-pressure steam engines, you can tell how dangerous they are just by hearing the name. Explosions are common, but Brother Bozhi is weak in this area.

"I can find a way to solve this problem." Wang Zhenyi also looked at it carefully for a moment, then nodded and said.

In addition to mechanical knowledge, the safety valve and throttle valve also require more mathematical calculations. Brother Bozhi is a little weak in this aspect, but it happens to be Wang Zhenyi's strong point.

After hearing this, Brother Bozhi looked at Wang Zhenyi with gratitude and said without hesitation:
"This entire set of designs and theories belongs to you, Mr. Li. I have only made practical refinements to them and cannot take away your research results.

"Sir, as a woman, you have endured too much criticism. If you could become an earl, you would undoubtedly be able to break free from this shackle!"

Wang Zhenyi nodded in satisfaction. Her judgment was indeed correct. Brother Bozhi, the famous Cen Xuannan, was a worthy partner. Wang Zhenyi hadn't brought out this plan in all these years because she knew that if this theory really worked, she, a woman, would be easily taken advantage of if she wasn't careful.

There was no way, she had to be careful, because under the emperor's urgent pressure, the three words "steam engine" were almost becoming a synonym for rapid success in Dayu.

Wang Zhenyi didn't dare to show her in front of powerful nobles, civil and military ministers, and their children. Only when facing ordinary people like Cen Xuannan did she have some confidence.

In case of problems or disputes, her grandfather, who served as the prefect of Suzhou for two years and the governor of Jiangnan for two years, could provide him with some support.

Moreover, Wang Zhenyi now had a better choice, so she shook her head again, "Although the Earl of Neichen is noble, I may not need him.

And once I really become a chamberlain earl as a woman, the rumors will only get more intense. Only..."

Luo Zengxiang and his brother Cen Xuannan looked at Wang Zhenyi together, with a slightly shocked expression on their faces, but it was as it should be.

Wang Zhenyi is not a sweet girl who never leaves the house, nor is she a naive researcher.

She was a female scientist with high IQ and EQ, bold and brave. She lived in the Qing Dynasty, the period when women were most oppressed in history. However, she still shone brilliantly in just over twenty years of her life.

At the same time, at the age of sixteen, most girls have already married and had children, and they might even have children running around everywhere. Therefore, she is quite knowledgeable about matters between men and women.

"His Royal Highness the First Prince is of noble birth, gifted with intelligence, erudite, and far-sighted. Though young, he already possesses the qualities of a wise leader. If I could follow and assist you, your life would be worthwhile!"

Wang Zhenyi's words completely expressed what she was thinking.

She was just a sixteen-year-old girl, and no matter how outstanding Asen was, it was impossible for her to develop such strong feelings between men and women.

However, Wang Zhenyi understood that in order to eliminate social prejudice and be able to engage in her favorite scientific research after marriage, or even continue to work in the Imperial Academy, following Asen was the only option.

Of course, she wouldn't think about being a princess, a crown princess, or even a Zhaorong or Zhaoyi, as she didn't want any of those things.

She just wanted a status, which would provide her with a layer of protection so that she could continue to fulfill her ambitions in life and in science.

"This is indeed the best choice." Born into a family of meritorious officials, and a family of meritorious officials with very close ties to the royal family, Luo Zengxiang could understand Wang Zhenyi's choice very well.

He then looked at Bozhi's brother, Cen Xuannan, and said through gritted teeth, "I've invested this ten thousand silver dollars. Brother Bozhi won't refuse now, will he?"

Although he was the second generation of a meritorious official, Luo Zengxiang did not rank high in the family. He actually could not come up with 10,000 silver dollars, and he needed to go home to persuade his mother.

At this time, Brother Bozhi Cen Xuannan also looked at Luo Zengxiang with a wry smile and expressed his true feelings.

"It's not that I don't know Brother Luo's good intentions, but my Cen family has been in decline for decades. By the time of my generation, we've been farmers. My family members don't have much knowledge. They only think that becoming an official is the way to succeed.

I have too many expectations on my shoulders, so only by getting a position of some kind can I give my family an explanation."

Cen Xuannan was from Binzhou, Si'en Prefecture, Guangxi. He was born into the Cen family, a great chieftain in Guangxi. His ancestor was the early Tang poet Cen Shen.

His direct ancestor was a general who followed Di Qing to the south to quell the rebellion during the Northern Song Dynasty. After repelling the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty, he stayed in Guangxi as an official and later became a chieftain.

Well, regardless of whether it is true or not, the Cen family in Guangxi firmly believes that this is true and it is very likely to be true.

It’s a pity that Cen Xuannan’s family is a distant branch of the clan. Let alone the status of chieftain, they are extremely lucky that they have not become serfs.

As a poor boy of Zhuang-Dong-Liao ethnicity, he has many choices that are very helpless. Although it seems that he has choices, in fact, he has no choice.

"Luo Zengxiang, if this steam engine works, even if you pay 10,000 silver dollars, the Earl of Neichen will have to go to Cen Xuannan, because he has no way of becoming a vassal, but you have no problem."

Hearing Wang Zhenyi say this, Luo Zengxiang hissed in toothache. He was not very happy in his heart, but he could not refute it.

Because being a vassal at that time was indeed not something a poor boy like Cen Xuannan could do.

In other words, a commoner might be able to hold the position of a governor of a small village or even a few manors, but when it comes to the rank of viscount or above, it is no longer something an ordinary person can handle.

According to the current rules of the Dayu Dynasty, those who were directly granted the title of vassal earl were not granted the title by conquering a place. In this case, along with the title of vassal earl, there would also be fixed land, a certain number of contracted long-term workers and start-up capital.

But this fixed land, just a point on the map, is most likely not a well-developed land.

Ordinary people have no chance to learn the skills of contract workers, and it is difficult to use them well or even drive them.

There is still a certain probability that the vassal states in Southeast Asia will suffer losses.

No, it should be said that even if such a vassal earl is granted the title, if his family cannot provide sufficient support, it is very likely that he will fail to operate at a loss.

In addition, recruiting vassal samurai, forming a small-scale feudal army, and managing the fiefdom's finances were not something that ordinary people could do without family background and support.

To sum up, for someone like Luo Zengxiang, being granted the title of vassal earl is a great thing.

It means that the family has one more fiefdom, and the children in the family have one more choice. If managed well, it will become a prosperous industry.

But for a poor kid like Cen Xuannan, it seems like a good thing, but in fact it is no different from a life-threatening letter from the King of Hell, unless Cen Xuannan can immediately find a father-in-law who is willing to invest in him.

"Okay, I agree. A vassal earl is a vassal earl." After a long silence, Luo Zengxiang agreed.

In fact, this has already exceeded his original ideal. He originally just wanted to get the title of viscount through his own efforts.

Moreover, with Wang Siye's high emotional intelligence and talent, if she really follows Big Boss Sen, she will definitely be greatly favored in the future. With such a backer, she is not afraid that she will not be able to make further progress in the future.

"Sir, Cen Xuannan has no way to repay you, so I can only kowtow to you twice. No matter what happens in the future, as long as you say a word, I will go through fire and water and will never refuse!"

Brother Bozhi was almost overwhelmed by this huge surprise. He knelt down and kowtowed three times to Wang Zhenyi.

(End of this chapter)