My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 214: Wow! The steam engine is really made?
First of all, with the birth of the steam engine, it became much easier to manufacture Ming gold coins and Ming silver coins.

You know, Zhu Cilang's original plan was to use a machine similar to a stamping machine to mass-produce Ming gold coins and Ming silver coins.

But if he had a steam engine, he could skip this step and create a steam forging machine!

Secondly, with further research and development, steam locomotives are very likely to be manufactured.

Once this thing comes out, the Ming Dynasty may be able to transcend the boundaries of time and enter the industrial revolution hundreds of years ahead of schedule.

Just thinking about this kind of thing makes people feel excited!
Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang could no longer remain calm and hurriedly looked at Song Yingxing and asked:

"Does this mean that he has already arrived in the capital?"

Song Yingxing responded with a smile:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise and wise. Wang Zheng arrived in the capital a month ago."

"However, Your Highness was far away in Liaodong at that time, so I was unable to inform Your Highness of this matter. However, I knew Wang Zheng's talent very well, so I asked Lord Bi to arrange a small position for him."

"Now he is so absorbed in mechanical research that he almost forgets to eat and sleep."

"I have previously seen a machine he is working on, and it seems to be in line with your expectations, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, do you think you should send for the king? Have he explain everything to you in person?"

When Zhu Cilang heard this, he could no longer suppress his excitement. He stood up and said loudly:
"He doesn't need to come to see me. I will go to see him myself."

"My Lords, thank you for taking the trouble to accompany me on this journey."

Although Bi Maokang, Song Yingxing and the others were somewhat curious as to why the Crown Prince was so excited, upon seeing this, they all stood up and said in unison:
"I obey!"

After saying that, the group strode towards the Firearms Research Institute in a mighty manner.

It was noon, but the streets of the capital were unusually deserted. Even if there were pedestrians passing by, they were in a hurry, creating a solemn scene.

As for why this is the case?

Of course it was because of the previous assassination.

After all, the assassination of the emperor was a huge matter, so the people naturally had to be cautious.

Of course, Zhu Cilang was not in the mood to think about this matter now. He was only thinking about Wang Zheng and the mysterious machine whom he was about to meet.

At the same time, in a room at the Firearms Research Institute.

There was fog all over the place, like a fairyland on earth.

In the corner, a few oil lamps emitted faint light, swaying and flickering in the mist, shrouding everything around in haze, accompanied by a huge sound of metal collision.

In the fog, an old man in his sixties was busy working in front of a pile of complicated machines with full concentration.

His body was slightly hunched, but he exuded an indomitable spirit. His eyes were as focused as a cheetah locking onto its prey, staring intently at the mechanical device in front of him.

This person was none other than Wang Wei, whom Zhu Cilang had been thinking about all the time!

At this time, several people who looked like craftsmen were standing not far away with depressed faces and eyes full of confusion and puzzlement.

Although they had been working with Wang Wei for more than a month, they still couldn't figure out what this Lord Wang was tinkering with.

Not far away, there was something similar to a stove with a raging fire burning inside and a huge iron ball placed on the fire.

The iron ball is hollow inside and is filled with water.

Connected to the iron ball are many metal pipes, which meander and extend to a complex machine on the other side.

As the water in the iron ball continued to boil, steam surged out along the pipe and flowed into the machine next to it. The machine then started to run, making a "clang clang" sound.

Although this thing that allows machines to operate independently is very novel, in the eyes of these craftsmen, it is far less practical than flintlock rifles and cannons.

So they really don’t understand what the point of making this thing is?

Maybe we can just listen to the noise?
Finally, a craftsman could no longer suppress his doubts and approached Wang Wei and asked in a low voice:
"Master Wang, what's the point of us fiddling with this thing all day long?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng stopped what he was doing and slowly raised his head. He reached out and touched his gray beard, then said calmly:

"do not know."

Upon hearing this answer, the craftsman who asked the question almost dropped his jaw in shock.

He was full of expectations, thinking that Wang Zheng would explain in detail what the use of this thing was, but in the end he just said the simple three words "I don't know"?

What an answer this is!

In fact, what Wang Zheng said was absolutely correct, because up to now, he really didn't know what practical uses the machine he developed could have.

He only knew that if this machine was successfully developed, it would definitely save a lot of manpower.

However, in his opinion, this thing can only be used to forge iron tools, such as swords and weapons.

But if you think about it carefully, it seems that there is not much need for it. After all, there are many craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty, and these tasks can be easily completed by manpower alone.

So he was actually quite depressed.

But even so, he is still full of confidence in what he is researching, and always believes that one day in the future, these research results will definitely come in handy.

If that day really comes, he will die with peace of mind!
Suddenly at this moment, the door of a room not far away was pushed open with a bang, and a strong airflow instantly rushed into the room, blowing away some of the fog.

Immediately afterwards, a large group of people poured in like a tide.

Wang Zheng noticed movement at the door and subconsciously looked back, but the fog in the room was so thick that his vision was blocked and he couldn't see who was coming.

He suddenly felt a little annoyed because he hated being disturbed when he was studying.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang had already stepped into the house with the others, and was instantly stunned by the scene before him.

At this moment, the room was filled with steam, like a dream. Several oil lamps emitted dim light in the mist, making the figures of the people sway.

The rhythmic sound of mechanical collisions continued to ring out, which was obviously not something that could be done by human power.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Cilang was almost certain that he had come to the right place, and Wang Wei must have really developed the steam engine!

At this moment, Song Yingxing seized the opportunity, stepped forward quickly and fumbled in the steam for a while, then reached out and grabbed Wang Zheng's arm, pulling him out from the machine with force.

Wang Zheng was originally trying to figure out who had barged in without saying hello, but before he could see clearly, he suddenly felt someone pulling him hard, and he immediately became furious.

He was about to open his mouth to ask a question, but when he looked closely, he found that the person holding him was not someone else, but Song Yingxing, and the words on his lips were swallowed back in an instant.

"Old Song, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you not to disturb me? Why did you bring people in?"

Wang Zheng's face was full of confusion, and there was a hint of displeasure in his tone.

You know, he had specifically told Song Yingxing before he came that it would be best not to disturb him when he was doing research unless it was important. Song Yingxing agreed to it at that time.

But now Song Yingxing broke into the room with a large group of people, which made him very unhappy.

However, Song Yingxing ignored his questions and continued to hold him tightly until he was in front of Zhu Cilang.

Then Song Yingxing said respectfully and solemnly:

"Wang Zheng, this is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He has come to see you today."

what?
When Wang Zheng heard this, his eyes instantly widened like bells, and his face was full of disbelief.

He never imagined that he could actually alarm His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to come in person.

But after just a second, he quickly came to his senses and was about to kneel on the ground, shouting loudly:
"Your Highness, Wang Zheng, pays homage to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

When he said this, he was full of anxiety, not knowing why the prince came here.

But Zhu Cilang didn't wait for him to kneel down completely. He quickly stretched out his hands to support him firmly, and said with a gentle smile on his face:

"Lord Wang, there's no need to be so polite. We can discuss the rest later. Please take me to see the steam engine you've been researching. I can't wait any longer."

Steam engine?
Wang Zheng was slightly stunned when he heard this unfamiliar word, his expression full of confusion.

This is because he named the machine he was researching "hydraulic machine" because it was driven by the power generated by heated water.

However, when he heard Zhu Cilang say the name "steam engine", he thought to himself that this name seemed more appropriate.

After all, when water is heated and boiled, it turns into steam. Isn't it the steam that does the work?

In an instant, he felt that there was no more suitable name than this!
So I couldn't help but blurt out:

"Your Highness, this is a wonderful name you chose!"

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly, revealing a hint of a smile, and then said again anxiously:
"Let's talk about this later. First, tell me in detail about the machine you've been researching."

Immediately, Zhu Cilang and Wang Zheng walked towards the machine one after the other, and the others hurriedly followed.

At the same time, the craftsmen nearby were already frightened to the point of being pale in the face. They knelt on the ground and dared not even breathe.

Zhu Cilang glanced at them and saw that they were trembling. He waved his hand and said:

"You guys should stand up too. You don't have to kneel anymore."

When the craftsmen heard this, they stood up tremblingly as if they had received a special pardon, but their bodies were still shaking slightly, and it was obvious that they were very scared.

But at this moment, Zhu Cilang no longer paid attention to them.

In this way, Zhu Cilang finally came to the steam engine.

The first thing that caught my eye was a huge, boiler-like device with a fire burning underneath. The flames licked the kettle, making crackling sounds, and I could even clearly hear the gurgling sound of the water boiling inside.

After the water is heated and turns into steam, it slowly extends in another direction along a metal pipe.

At the end of the pipe, there is a pile of machines that look extremely complex. Steam flows in continuously, driving the machine parts to move up and down continuously, making a "clang clang" sound, as if playing a unique mechanical song.

Coupled with Wang Wei's explanation, Zhu Cilang's inner joy surged like a flood.

Because isn’t this the steam engine I’ve always dreamed of?
Although this machine currently looks a bit rough and has many flaws, this is not a problem at all!
With just a few improvements, it can become a real steam forging press!

With this thing, it would be easy to turn all the silver and gold in the world into Ming gold coins and Ming silver coins!

More importantly, with the steam engine, the Ming Dynasty was able to develop steam locomotives.

By then, as long as the railway is built to Liaodong, a steady supply of food and supplies can be easily transported there, which is more convenient and faster than traveling by sea!
In this way, wouldn't it be easy to defeat the Jiannu?
Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang could no longer suppress his inner excitement. He tightly grasped Wang Zheng's hand and said with a trembling voice:

"Lord Wang, you are truly my lucky star!"

When Wang Zheng heard this, he was confused at first, as if he didn't understand why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince valued the machine he developed so much.

But what followed was an inexplicable feeling of being moved.

At this moment, he felt that he had met a soulmate, and the feeling of "a thousand cups of wine are not enough when meeting a close friend" came naturally, and a touch of emotion appeared on his face.

Afterwards, Zhu Cilang pulled Wang Zheng out without saying a word.

He needed to find a quiet place to have a good chat with Wang Zheng about their next plans.

But before that, Wang Zheng had to change into dry clothes first. After all, the room was filled with steam and Wang Zheng's whole body was soaked with steam.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Wang Zheng had changed into a set of clean and tidy clothes, and he looked much more energetic.

Afterwards, Wang Wei was taken into a house.

But there was not only Zhu Cilang in the room, Song Yingxing, Bi Maokang and others were also sitting nearby.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, pays homage to me."

When he saw Zhu Cilang again, Wang Zheng instinctively knelt down to salute him.

However, Zhu Cilang was quick-witted and quick-handed. Before he could kneel down, he quickly reached out to support him, and said with a helpless smile on his face:

"Didn't I tell you? No need to be so polite, just sit down and talk!"

As Zhu Cilang spoke, he enthusiastically helped Wang Zheng to a table nearby, his eyes full of sincerity and expectation.

Then he picked up the teapot himself and poured him a cup of steaming hot tea.

Seeing His Royal Highness the Crown Prince being so respectful to the wise and virtuous, Wang Zheng felt a warm current welling up in his eyes and tears filled his eyes with excitement.

After a simple exchange of pleasantries, Zhu Cilang didn't beat around the bush. He directly took out the Ming Dynasty gold coin and Ming Dynasty silver coin from his sleeve pocket and handed them to Wang Zheng, then said seriously:
"Master Wang, take a closer look. Can you use the machine you developed to turn ordinary silver and gold into gold and silver coins of this style?"

Wang Zheng took the gold and silver coins from Zhu Cilang with both hands. There was some confusion in his eyes at first, but the next second, his face suddenly became solemn.

Because he saw Chongzhen's portrait on the silver coin at a glance.

In an instant, Wang Wei was frightened again.

But before he could kneel down and salute again, Zhu Cilang spoke first:
"Stop, stop! Stop kneeling! I know there's a portrait of my father on it, but he specifically told me not to bow when seeing a portrait, so you don't have to kneel."

After hearing this, Wang Zheng forced himself to stop kneeling, with a hint of embarrassment on his face that quickly turned into respect.

After carefully studying the Ming gold and silver coins again, Wang Wei raised his head, his eyes flashing with confidence and said:

"Your Highness, if you give me some time to improve and upgrade the existing machine, I can enable it to produce silver and gold coins of this style."

"I just wonder how many silver and gold coins His Royal Highness intends to produce?"

As a mechanical expert, Wang Wei saw through Zhu Cilang's intention at a glance. He simply wanted to use the power of machinery to suppress gold and silver coins with this special property.

However, this happened to be within the scope of his research. As long as the previous steam engine was slightly improved and replaced with a unique mold, similar gold and silver coins could be easily pressed out.

Seeing Wang Wei so confident, Zhu Cilang's mouth corners slightly raised, and then smiled:
"It's not a question of how much, but rather that my father and I intend to completely reform the existing currency system of the Ming Dynasty."

"Simply put, from now on, the Ming Dynasty will no longer use the previous gold and silver currencies, but will instead uniformly use these Ming gold coins and Ming silver coins."

"At that time, all the gold and silver in the world will be confiscated and made into Ming gold and Ming silver coins. So, you should understand what I mean, right?"

When Wang Zheng heard this, his expression instantly became serious, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes!
Of course he understood the deep meaning of Zhu Cilang's words.

If we really do what Zhu Cilang said, the number of gold and silver coins that need to be produced will probably not be just tens of millions, but hundreds of millions!

This is undoubtedly an enormous project!

He could never have imagined that just when he was worried about not being able to find a practical use for his invention, the next moment the prince would bring such exciting news.

For a moment, Wang Zheng's face flushed with excitement, and his eyes were shining with excitement.

Then, Wang Wei hurriedly bowed and said:

"Your Highness, rest assured. I will rebuild the existing steam engine as quickly as possible and ensure that the task is completed within a month."

"Then we will carry out mass production to ensure that such national affairs will not be delayed!"

Zhu Cilang was naturally very happy when he heard this, and then he seemed to remember something and said directly:
"From now on, you will be the director of the Mechanical Bureau of the Firearms Research Institute. In addition, I will allocate you 100,000 taels of silver specifically for improving steam engines."

"No matter what materials you need during this period, as long as you can tell me, I will have someone find them for you even if I have to go to heaven or hell!"

"Once the improvements are successful, we'll need to mass-produce it. The future of Ming Dynasty currency reform depends entirely on you."

When Wang Zheng heard this, he felt a sense of mission surge in his heart. He was so excited that he felt like he was ten years younger.

Then he said excitedly:

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I promise to complete the mission!"

Seeing Wang Zheng so motivated, Bi Maokang and others standing by also showed gratified smiles on their faces.

They had always known that Wang Zheng had real talent, but some of his inventions were sometimes too novel and bizarre, and they had worried that Zhu Cilang would look down on them.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Cilang not only appreciated Wang Zheng's invention, but also entrusted him with an important task, which made them feel relieved.

Zhu Cilang originally wanted to take the opportunity to mention the steam locomotive, but when the words came to his lips, he finally decided not to mention it for the time being.

After Wang Zheng has modified the steam engine and successfully manufactured a steam forging press, we can discuss the steam locomotive with him.

After all, compared to the steam forging press, the development of the steam locomotive is a truly huge project.

Apart from anything else, the huge expenses required to lay the railway alone were not something that the Ming Dynasty could easily afford at the moment.

As far as the current situation is concerned, the Ming Dynasty does not have enough time and energy to deal with this matter. It must at least wait until Li Zicheng is eliminated and the situation stabilizes.

By the time everything was discussed, it was already 3 p.m. without us noticing.

Because they were so busy with their work, the group even forgot to eat.

Fortunately, Fang Zhenghua and others were well prepared. As soon as the conversation ended, delicious dishes were served.

After dinner, Zhu Cilang instructed some other matters and then returned to the East Palace with a heart full of joy and anticipation.

Today was a fruitful day for Zhu Cilang. Not only did he find mechanical talents like Wang Wei, but he also laid the foundation for the Ming Dynasty to enter the industrial revolution in the future.

For a moment, Zhu Cilang seemed to have seen the beautiful scene of the future prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, and even his steps became lighter unconsciously.

Just when Zhu Cilang was happy to find Wang Wei, outside the capital, an operation concerning taxation was in full swing.

The army that Zhu Cilang had sent out to collect taxes was like a gust of strong wind carrying a biting cold wind, sweeping rapidly towards the various prefectures and counties around the capital.

In the past six months, the "Da Ming Daily" has been widely spread among the people at an extremely fast speed. Every day, there are fixed people who specialize in selling the "Da Ming Daily" to surrounding counties and cities.

In addition, the "Da Ming Daily" has been talking about the assassination attempt on Chongzhen in recent days, so the people in these counties naturally knew about this matter.

At the same time, news that the court was determined to collect taxes owed by the gentry also reached everyone.

how to say?

After hearing the news, the people were initially shocked. Obviously, they did not expect that someone would actually dare to assassinate the emperor?

But after the shock, they actually don't care much about such things.

Because this kind of thing actually has nothing to do with them, especially the matter of collecting taxes owed by gentry has even less to do with them.

After all, they are all ordinary people. How could they dare to default on paying taxes to the court?

The ones who really felt fear and terror about this were actually the gentry and powerful people in the surrounding states and counties.

Faced with the powerful authority of the imperial court, these gentry and powerful people completely lost their previous confidence.

Especially when they saw the imperial court's mighty and aggressive army coming to collect long-overdue taxes, they were all frightened and silent.

How could I dare to even think of resisting?
Besides, they all knew that those who had assassinated the emperor before were those who evaded taxes.

In other words, if they continue to evade taxes, they will most likely be identified as the masterminds behind the assassination of the emperor!
Although they did not do this, as the saying goes, a scholar cannot explain his reason to a soldier. Will these aggressive soldiers listen to their explanation?
If I really want to fight these people head-on, I'm afraid my whole family will be killed in the end!

(End of this chapter)