Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 166: The Mother of Industry, Great Changes in the Times! [Subscription Request]

"Currently, the Machinery Manufacturing Bureau, in addition to personnel, finance, and logistics, primarily oversees three departments: research institutes, workshops, and factories."

"The research institute is responsible for developing certain machines. The workshop, located within the Machinery Manufacturing Bureau, is responsible for creating various parts according to the institute's requirements to support the research and development work."

"The factory was built elsewhere, primarily responsible for putting the Bureau's achievements into production using more mature processes, and even selling them to generate profits for the Bureau."

"Of course, the so-called sale will actually be to the relevant court officials for a long time to come, and it will just be handled in the form of a transaction."

The idea of ​​the imperial court to handle accounts in the form of transactions was proposed and implemented by Liu Kuan during the establishment of Liuhe Iron and Steel Plant and Qinglongshan Coal Plant, so Zhu Biao had no doubts when he heard it at this time.

After visiting several yards, he asked another question, "What research and development projects does the Machinery Manufacturing Bureau currently have?"

Liu Kuan said, "We have already established a machine tool research institute, a pumping research institute, a paddle wheel power research institute, and a steam loom research institute."

Zhu Biao was as curious as a baby and asked, "What kind of machines are these research institutes developing, and what are their uses?"

After taking Zhu Biao to visit several main courtyards, Liu Kuan simply took him to the lobby of the Machinery Bureau's office and had someone serve him tea before they chatted.

"Your Highness, the Machine Tool Research Institute is primarily responsible for researching various types of machine tools similar to those previously used by the Beijing Gun Factory."

"For example, we could convert existing hydraulic forging hammers, drilling machines, and boring machines to steam-powered ones. Another example is developing new machine tools like steam punching machines and milling machines, which are not currently available in the Ming Dynasty."

"In later generations, machine tools were called the mother of industry, forming the foundation for the invention and manufacture of other machines. Therefore, the current primary task of the Machinery Manufacturing Bureau is the development of various machine tools—a task personally overseen by Director Guo."

Zhu Biao nodded after hearing this.

He knew the importance of machine tools very early on, and he also learned about the use of steam machine tools to replace hydraulic machine tools during several inspections of gun factories.

It was obviously correct for the Machine Building Bureau to make the development of machine tools its top priority.

Liu Kuan continued, "The water pump is one of the tasks assigned by His Majesty. It can be used to extract water from mines and to irrigate crops during droughts."

"The Paddle Wheel Power Research Institute is researching how to apply steam engines to ships, that is, inventing the steamships that I mentioned before."

"The Steam Textile Research Institute is developing a large steam-powered textile machine. If this type of machine is successfully developed, a single weaver could produce tens or even hundreds of times more cloth in a single day."

Zhu Biao was surprised when he heard this. "How could the steam loom be so powerful?"

"Of course," Liu Kuan said, "Take the spinning wheel, a textile machine, for example. The ordinary folks' home spinning wheels can only spin a few spindles at a time, rarely more than eight."

"But during the Song Dynasty, a large water-powered spinning wheel became popular. It could spin dozens of spindles simultaneously. Although it required several people to operate, its spinning efficiency was more than ten times that of a household spinning wheel."

"If a steam spinning machine is successfully developed, it could spin hundreds of spindles simultaneously, and it would be faster than a large water-powered spinning wheel, requiring fewer workers. Its efficiency would naturally be dozens or even hundreds of times that of an ordinary spinning wheel."

Zhu Biao was surprised at first, but soon he thought of something and looked worried.

"If what you say is true, a single steam loom can replace the work of dozens or even hundreds of weavers. Doesn't that mean many weavers in current workshops will be out of work?"

"Also, in ordinary people, men farm and women weave, and women usually use weaving to supplement their family income. Although steam looms are useful, I'm afraid that after they are introduced, they will not be affordable for ordinary people for quite some time."

"Such wealthy families and merchants bought steam looms and produced large quantities of cloth, which inevitably caused the price of cloth to plummet. The money that women could earn in home textile factories was probably much less than before."

Liu Kuan listened to Zhu Biao's words calmly and said, "Your Highness, I have long anticipated the situation you are describing. In fact, if a mature steam loom is invented, women in the countryside who continue to weave at home will not only earn less money, but will earn no money at all."

"Because the steam loom not only wove faster and more than they could, but also produced better quality cloth than most women could weave by hand."

"Ah?" Zhu Biao was shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect that the steam loom would have such a great impact on women's hand weaving that it even left them with no way to make a living.

Guo Tianwen, Liu Yan and Xu Zhen who were listening in the hall also showed surprise.

Although they had obtained information about steam looms and knew that they were highly efficient, they had not yet started research and development, so they did not know that the quality of cloth produced by steam looms could exceed that of hand-woven cloth.

Then several people frowned and looked worried.

"If so, after the steam textile machine is invented, won't many women lose their textile jobs and become almost useless? Ordinary people will also lose a source of income." After Zhu Biao came to his senses, he expressed the concerns of several people.

Liu Kuan nodded, "Indeed it will be so."

"Wouldn't the steam loom machinery then become a nuisance to the people?" Zhu Biao frowned. "If that's the case, why did the Machinery Manufacturing Bureau establish this project?"

Liu Kuan did not directly answer Zhu Biao's two questions, but talked about another matter.

"Your Highness, the Ming army now has the Shenwei Cannon, the Hushou Cannon, and the Bird Gun. Not only has the threat posed by the Hulu cavalry been greatly reduced, but the importance of our Ming cavalry in the army has also decreased. Is that true or not?"

Zhu Biao didn't know why Liu Kuan changed the topic, but Zhu Yuanzhang had already discussed this military and national affair with him.

Recalling what Zhu Yuanzhang had said, he nodded and said, "Of course—if a heavily armed army faces cavalry, first use the Shenwei cannons. Once the enemy is within two hundred steps, use the Hudson cannons."

"After these two cannons are used, the enemy cavalry may only lose one-tenth or one-twelfth of their number, but they will certainly be terrified. If they don't collapse, you can use the bird guns when they are within sixty or seventy steps, and both the men and horses will be killed."

"And yet, at this moment, the enemy cavalry haven't even injured a single one of our soldiers. In such a situation, I'm afraid no cavalry unit in the world would still have the will to fight."

"On the other hand, even the Ming cavalry would be no match for the artillery. Cavalry would also lose its role as the primary force on the battlefield, serving only as reconnaissance, surprise attacks, and pursuit." Liu Kuan smiled slightly and added, "What if firearms become more advanced? For example, artillery with greater power could kill dozens of people with a single shell, or muskets could fire continuously, with bullets uninterrupted like a torrential rain."

"What will become of the cold weapon troops, such as the cavalry, the brave swordsmen, and archers, who now dominate the battlefield?"

After hearing Liu Kuan's description of the power of firearms, Liu Yan and Xu Zhen imagined it for a moment and their faces turned pale with horror.

Guo Tianwen was also shocked at first, but then he became excited and inexplicably felt an urge to develop this kind of cannon and musket.

Zhu Biao was not shocked, but frowned and began to think.

Because he knew that what Liu Kuan described was not the possible development of firearms in the future, but the inevitable achievement - how powerful firearms would be in the future had been shown in the movies he had seen.

So, where will the cold weapon soldiers who were fighting on the battlefields now go?
Apparently all gone.

At that time all troops used firearms.

By then, the riding skills and sword-fighting techniques that warriors have passed down from generation to generation will probably be of no use.

Where will they go?
Liu Kuan said: "The tide of the times is like a rolling wheel that keeps moving forward. Anything that stands in its way will be crushed. This kind of momentum is difficult to stop with human power."

“If you don’t want to be crushed by the tide of the times, you have no choice but to adapt to the tide of the times and achieve success.”

"Women who could no longer weave at home would go to work in steam loom factories, or go into other industries and do other jobs to earn money and prove their worth."

"If the court provides enough suitable jobs, fewer families will suffer from the emergence of steam textile machines. When women leave home to do other work, it may even improve the family's financial situation."

"Of course, in order to solve this problem in the future, we need to improve women's education level."

Having said this, Liu Kuan stopped.

Zhu Biao, Guo Tianwen, Liu Yan and Xu Zhen all seemed to be lost in thought.

Afterwards, Zhu Biao and Liu Kuan tacitly agreed not to discuss this topic anymore. They chatted about other matters of the Machinery Manufacturing Bureau and left together.

Near Xihuamen on Taiping Street, when the two were about to separate, Zhu Biao spoke.

"I'm still a little confused about the steam weaving issue. How about my brother-in-law come with me to the palace and help me clear up my doubts?"

Although Zhu Biao's doubts about this matter were not written on his face, they were still visible.

Therefore, Liu Kuan was not surprised by Zhu Biao's words and replied with a bow, "Yes."

After the two entered the palace, Zhu Biao did not go to Chunhe Palace, but went to Fengxian Hall.

On the way, he explained, "After all, this matter concerns the livelihood of thousands of families. It would be better for us to discuss it with Father."

Although Zhu Biao had different opinions from Zhu Yuanzhang on some political affairs, it did not prevent him from admiring and respecting Zhu Yuanzhang.

Therefore, when he encountered something doubtful or difficult to resolve, he subconsciously wanted to hear what Zhu Yuanzhang had to say.

The two men arrived at Fengxian Hall and after they had saluted, Zhu Yuanzhang asked with great interest, "Why have you two come together?"

Zhu Biao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, today I and my brother-in-law went to the Machinery Manufacturing Bureau to inspect..."

Immediately, Zhu Biao narrated the matter in detail.

"There were other people present at the time, so I'm not sure what to ask." Zhu Biao turned to Liu Kuan and said, "Brother-in-law, the impact of steam looms on the folk hand-woven textile industry should be a precedent in later generations, right?"

"What was the situation like back then? Did the imperial court adapt and respond as my brother-in-law suggested? What were the consequences?"

It is said that Zhu Biao is generous and kind, and a gentle gentleman.

But at this moment, Liu Kuan felt the sharpness of the Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

This edge is not for anything else, but for the people.

This shows that the people do occupy a very important position in his heart.

Liu Kuan first smiled at Zhu Biao's sharpness, but when he thought of what happened in the future, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, science and technology emerged in the West. It was only natural that steam looms first impacted the traditional hand-woven textile industry in the West."

"In fact, the impact of steam looms on the hand-woven textile industry is just a typical example of the many great changes brought about by the great development of science and technology."

"There were many similar examples at the time, causing tremendous upheaval and change in societies across the West and even the East. This kind of change was unprecedented in three thousand years, and later generations called it the Industrial Revolution!"

　First update.

　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)