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

only……

He remembered that before leaving Beijing, the steam engine demonstrated by Bi Maokang and Wang Hui was quite noisy, but it didn't seem to have reached the point of being "earth-shattering" or "audible within the inner city".
Could it be that in the past six months, they not only improved the rifles, but also came up with new tricks for the steam engine?
A sense of curiosity and a faint anticipation rose in his heart.

Just as Zhu Cilang was pondering this, he keenly noticed that Bi Maokang, sitting opposite him, showed a fleeting hesitation after hearing Li Banghua's question. His gaze subconsciously and quickly swept towards him, his eyes carrying a clear hint of inquiry, as if asking:

"Your Highness, could you please elaborate on this matter?"

Seeing Bi Maokang's gaze fall upon him, Zhu Cilang pondered for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly, a faint smile of encouragement appearing on his face.

The existence of the steam engine will be made public sooner or later. Today, taking advantage of the successful demonstration of the rifle, it may not be a bad thing to let these core ministers of the empire see another possible "power".

At the very least, it can further solidify their confidence that "unique skills" and "practical knowledge" can bring about a strong nation.

Having received the Crown Prince's explicit instruction, Bi Maokang visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and the hesitation on his face vanished.

He turned back to Chongzhen and Li Banghua, cleared his throat, and spoke slowly, his tone steady yet tinged with barely perceptible excitement:

"Your Majesty is wise. The sound that Minister Li heard... did indeed come from my research institute. However, this sound did not originate from artillery test firing."

"Oh? Not artillery?"

Li Banghua raised an eyebrow, looking even more curious.

"What on earth could make such a terrifying noise? Could it be an earthquake? Or..."

Bi Maokang shook his head, a slightly mysterious smile on his face, and continued:

"Your Majesty, Minister Li, this is another item from our academy... a sound produced when a special creation is in operation. This thing is called a 'steam engine' or 'firewheel engine.' It was developed under the supervision of Lord Wang Hui, with the help of many skilled craftsmen, and was continuously improved over a year."

"Initially, this device was not conceived specifically for battlefield combat. His Highness the Crown Prince, with his foresight, pointed out that it could provide inexhaustible power for countless ingenious mechanisms, replacing the limitations of human and animal power, for purposes such as lifting water, creating air, and even pulling heavy objects. Later, through Lord Wang's dedicated research and repeated breakthroughs, its form and scale gradually increased, and its power also surged. As for why its sound is so astonishing..."

He paused, seemingly considering his words, and then said:

"The principle behind its operation is that coal is burned to turn water into billowing steam, and the steam power drives the mechanism to move back and forth, thereby generating tremendous force. When it is running at full capacity, the boiler roars, the cylinders slam, the connecting rods drive, and many steel parts work together to exert force, so the sound is naturally extraordinary."

"In addition, in order to test its ultimate power recently, its scale has been increased..., so the commotion is greater than before."

Bi Maokang glanced at Zhu Cilang again, and seeing that the Crown Prince's expression was calm, he continued:
"His Highness the Crown Prince gave some pointers before his southern tour, saying that the power of this thing might be used in a different way in battle. Lord Wang was also inspired by this, and while improving the 'qi mechanism' itself, he also tried to combine it with some ideas... As for the specifics, this old minister has no proof and I'm afraid it is difficult to fully describe its wonders."

Although this explanation was written in the simplest terms, the concepts of "steam power," "replacing human and animal power," and "generating immense power" were still like gibberish to most officials who were used to "human, horse, and water power." However, the earth-shattering sound and the words "immense power" and "battlefield" revealed in Bi Maokang's words made them even more eager and curious.

"Steam engine? Fire turbine? Using water to generate steam, and steam to generate power?"

Chongzhen repeated these unfamiliar words in a low voice, his interest growing.

Although he was not skilled in craftsmanship, as an emperor, he had an instinctive sensitivity to "power".

A machine capable of producing such a loud noise must contain immense power.

“Minister Bi, from what you’ve said, this thing seems to have some mystery, and… it’s even related to battle formations? I’m increasingly eager to see it for myself.”

Before Bi Maokang could ask again, Zhu Cilang smiled and replied:
“Minister Bi, since the Emperor and all the officials are so curious, and the ‘steam engine’ and related items must be ready, why don’t we invite His Majesty and the others to come and take a look? Theory without practice is ultimately superficial; only by seeing it with one’s own eyes can one truly understand it.”

Upon hearing this, Bi Maokang immediately stood up and clasped his hands in greeting:
“His Highness is absolutely right. Your Majesty, gentlemen, please follow this old minister to the workshop area in the backyard. That thing… is quite large, and is housed in a specially designated shed. There are some risks involved in its operation, so it is best to observe it from a specific location.”

Emperor Chongzhen, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, immediately stood up:

"Alright! Let's go see what this 'steam engine' that makes such a deafening noise looks like!"

The ministers also rose, their faces filled with anticipation and curiosity. First came the astonishing display of rifles; could something even more breathtaking be to come?
So the large group left the warm council hall again, and led by Bi Maokang, they passed through several heavily guarded corridors and courtyards, heading towards the core workshop area in the backyard of the research institute, which was never open to the public on ordinary days.

However, at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared quietly in front of Zhu Cilang, startling Zhu Cilang and the guards, including Li Hu who followed closely behind. Li Hu's hand even instantly touched the hilt of his sword.

Upon closer inspection, the person who arrived was none other than Wang Hui.

"My dear Wang, what's wrong with you?"

Zhu Cilang gestured for Li Hu to relax, looking at him with some surprise.

Wang Hui realized his rashness and quickly bowed to Zhu Cilang, his face showing obvious embarrassment and urgency. He lowered his voice and said to Zhu Cilang:

"Your Highness, please forgive me! I have urgent business to report to Your Highness first!"

"Why is it in such a hurry?"

Zhu Cilang's heart stirred, and he vaguely guessed what was going on.

Wang Hui rubbed his hands together, glanced at the emperor and his ministers who were being led by Bi Maokang and curiously observing the huge sheds around them, and whispered rapidly:
"Your Highness, it's...it's about that 'steam carriage.' Do you remember that before you left the capital on your southern tour, you mentioned to me that it would be best to find a way to reduce the size of that 'steam carriage' to make it more flexible and easier to transport?"

Zhu Cilang recalled briefly and nodded:
"That's true. What, is there any progress?"

His idea at the time was that if a miniaturized steam locomotive could be built to tow artillery or supplies, it would be a revolutionary improvement to logistics.

Wang Hui's face turned even redder, and he stammered:
"Well... Your Highness, this old minister and the craftsmen have racked their brains and tried countless methods, changing materials, simplifying the structure, and even redesigning the cylinder... However, the power of this steam engine is closely related to its size and scale. To ensure sufficient traction, many key components, such as the boiler, cylinder, and condenser, cannot be reduced in size too much. Otherwise, it will either be powerless, easily damaged, or even... risk of exploding."

"After numerous attempts, the results were minimal, and a great deal of effort and materials were wasted..." Zhu Cilang listened, understanding dawning on him. With the current level of materials technology and theoretical understanding, significantly reducing the size of a steam engine while maintaining sufficient power was indeed an impossible task. He had only suggested a direction initially and hadn't expected immediate success.

"so what?"

Zhu Cilang looked at Wang Hui, waiting for him to continue.

Seeing that the Crown Prince did not immediately reprimand him, Wang Hui grew bolder and continued:

"Therefore... after discussing with several master craftsmen, we feel that since this path is temporarily impassable, we should... take the opposite route!"

"Go against the grain?"

Zhu Cilang raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly!"

A near-fanatical glint flashed in Wang Hui's eyes.

"Since we can't shrink it for the time being, why not make it bigger and stronger? Push its power to the limit! Moreover, we've come up with a new method—instead of pursuing the integration of the entire 'qi mechanism' with the vehicle into a single, unmanageable behemoth, we'll design it as a detachable, modular object that can be transported in sections!"

"The enormous boiler is one part, the powerful cylinder assembly is another, and the transmission and travel mechanisms can be separated... When it comes to the battlefield, or when it is needed, it can be assembled like a siege engine! In this way, although the individual components are still huge and heavy, they can at least be disassembled and transported in sections by multiple oxcarts, horse-drawn carriages, or even riverboats! And once assembled, the power it can provide will far exceed any previous attempt!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice unconsciously rose a little:
"Your Highness, we're thinking that since we can't make a nimble 'steed' for the time being, why not create an invincible 'steel giant' first! With its absolute strength and massive size, it can intimidate the enemy on the battlefield and conquer cities and strongholds! This behemoth can be fully equipped with armor, and even fitted with small cannons and musket firing ports!"

"Your Majesty, I have taken the liberty of proceeding with this plan without Your Majesty's explicit permission. It took several months to complete the final assembly and testing... The scale of the operation was indeed large, but its power... Your Majesty will soon see for yourself! I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness for this old minister's unauthorized change of direction!"

Zhu Cilang listened to Wang Hui's "defense," which was both apprehensive and passionate, and was initially speechless—he had told him to go east, but Wang Hui went straight west, and did so with such self-righteousness.

But upon closer examination of Wang Hui's words, especially phrases like "disassembleable for transport," "assembly power," "steel behemoth," and "deterring the enemy," one might find that while the old man's thinking is unconventional, it may not be entirely without merit.

Before achieving "exquisite craftsmanship," pursuing "ultimate power and deterrence" may be a feasible path.

In particular, the "detachable" design solves the most troublesome transportation problem of giant machinery, which is an important advancement in itself.

Seeing the nervous yet expectant look in Wang Hui's eyes, Zhu Cilang suddenly smiled, patted his shoulder, and whispered:

"Alright, I understand. You are not wrong. Taking advantage of the situation and finding another way is also a good strategy. Go and prepare quickly, so as not to keep His Majesty and the other officials waiting."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hui felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on his face. He bowed repeatedly with great excitement.

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you for your mercy! This old minister will go and make preparations immediately, and will surely let His Majesty and all the officials witness the might of this 'steel behemoth'!"

Having said that, he turned around and, with a light step that belied his age, dashed off into the depths of the backyard, as if afraid that the Crown Prince might change his mind.

Zhu Cilang shook his head and followed the large group of people ahead.

Soon, the group passed through the last heavily guarded gate and arrived at a specially opened, extremely spacious open-air area in the backyard of the research institute.

The field had clearly been specially reinforced, with a thick layer of gravel and rammed earth covering the ground, making it much larger than a football field.

However, at that moment, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the enormous, hill-like structure in the center of the arena, completely covered by a huge, dark gray tarpaulin! They couldn't look away!

"hiss--!"

"What...what is this?!"

"Heavens...is this the work of nature?!"

A collective gasp and incredulous gasp rose from the crowd.

Describing it as a "super behemoth" seems an understatement. The outline of the covering already reveals the astonishing size of the object beneath.

Its height, by visual estimation, is over twenty meters, resembling a small metal pavilion! Its width also reaches over ten meters; the lines beneath the tarpaulin are sharply defined, subtly revealing the cold, hard texture of steel. Simply lying there, it exudes a suffocating sense of oppression stemming from its sheer size and weight!

Not to mention the civil officials present, even Hong Chengchou and others who had been on the battlefield for a long time and were used to seeing large armies had never seen such a "man-made object" of such size on any battlefield or in any imagination!
This is completely beyond their conventional understanding of "machinery," "weapons," and even "buildings."

I searched through all the historical records and classics, but I could not find any similar records!
Bi Maokang did not rush to have the oilcloth removed.

He first respectfully led Emperor Chongzhen, Emperor Zhu Cilang, and other important officials to a tall and sturdy wooden viewing platform specially built on the north side of the venue.

The viewing platform was quite a distance from the giant object, and its height was sufficient, offering an excellent view. It was clearly built specifically for safe viewing.

Once everyone had ascended the viewing platform and settled into their specially arranged seats, Bi Maokang gestured to a waiting official below. The official understood and immediately began waving two small red flags vigorously in the direction of the massive object.

The signal was sent.

Beside the enormous object, dozens of strong craftsmen, who had been waiting, were directed by several foremen to grab the thick ropes hanging from different corners of the tarpaulin. They shouted in unison and began to pull with all their might!
"Hey-yo! Hey-yo!"

Amidst the deep chants, the enormous, heavy oilcloth began to slowly slide down, like a giant beast shedding its shell.

As the tarpaulin was peeled away inch by inch, what was first revealed was the enormous "chassis" underneath, gleaming with a dark metallic luster, and a dense array of giant wooden wheels arranged in neat rows!

Those wooden wheels, each with a diameter almost exceeding the height of an adult male, and axles as thick as roof beams, gave off a terrifying aura of being capable of crushing any obstacle. (End of Chapter)