The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 565: The Long and Difficult Road Ahead, Governor-General of Shipbuilding
The sun in Beijing in July is scorching.

At around 9:00 in the morning, the heat wave was already rolling.

It's extremely hot to gallop on horseback under the scorching sun in this kind of weather.

On the main road north of the capital, tens of thousands of imperial guards and Jinyiwei cavalry were rushing towards the Mountain Resort like a whirlwind.

Wanli was among them, and he was running so hard that his face and forehead were covered in sweat.

Fortunately, the Summer Resort is still quite cool.

Moreover, when Yongnianbo Wang Wei and Wang Zheng heard that he was coming, they quickly set up ice troughs around the workshop where the steam engine was placed.

There is a boiler in this workshop, so it's not very hot. It's just that the ice is consumed a little quickly, just like the ice and snow melting in early spring, it's melting right before your eyes.

Wanli didn't pay attention to these things. He was staring at the steam engine sample on the table.

The steam engine now was completely different from the last time he saw it.

The steam engine he saw that time looked like a gun barrel with its components stuck in a mess.

The steam engine made at this time was an upright cylinder with a square seat underneath, and the seat was even fixed to the table with screws.

The copper pipes for air inlet and outlet were also connected neatly.

The valve has also been replaced with a square copper block, which is extremely exquisite.

This was a bit like the steam engine he had in mind.

He looked at it carefully, then raised his hand and said, "Open the valve and send steam."

At this time, the main valve for sending steam has been changed into a square copper block. Moreover, the switching method is quite unique. It is actually to use a wooden hammer to hit the cylinder embedded in the middle.

With that blow of the hammer, the cylinder protruded directly from the opposite side, and the steam was connected at once.

This seems to be different from later generations.

However, it is very convenient to turn the steam on and off in this way, it will not burn your hands, and the speed of turning it on and off is also very fast, so there is no need to change it.

As soon as the steam came through, the circular shaft outside the steam engine began to move up and down continuously, and the movement was quite regular, without any pause, and the speed was not slow.

This steam engine seems to be fine.

But such bulk is not suitable for mass production.

Wanli nodded with satisfaction, looked at the valve and air pipe outside, and then asked, "Why did the father-in-law install this valve so far away?"

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei looked at his disciple Wang Zheng and explained, "Your Highness, this is to facilitate the connection of the trachea. If it's too close, it won't be easy to tighten the seal."

You guys also hammer the seals tight?

This sealing method is too backward. Although it is convenient to seal copper tubes by knocking them tightly, it is not suitable for mass-produced products.

Wanli looked at the plate under the steam piston and asked, "Isn't this plate cast together with the cylinder above it?"

There is an obvious gap between the two.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, if it is cast as a whole, it will be difficult to process.

We cast them separately. The bottom part isn't actually a single iron plate; it has a round platform in the middle. This round platform is inserted into the cylinder and sealed with a rubber ring. Screws are also added underneath to connect it to the cylinder."

You know to use a rubber ring to seal here, but why don’t you know to use a rubber ring to seal the copper pipe outside, and you even use a hammer to tighten the seal!

Wanli nodded slightly, then pointed to the valve and said, “You can modify the valve and seal it with a rubber ring between the valve and the copper pipe, so you don’t have to knock it.

In this way, the two valves can be installed close to the steam piston. You can cast the iron plate under the steam piston a little bigger and install the two valves on it.

Also, install an iron cover over the valve, leaving the main valve switch and the air intake pipe outside. This will prevent collisions and provide a certain degree of confidentiality, so that people can't tell by just looking at the outside.

This change is indeed much better.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I understand."

I'm glad you understand.

Wanli nodded slightly, then asked, "It won't take long to change it this way, right?"

This one is simple.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei estimated, "Yes, Your Majesty, it will be corrected in about three days."

Then quickly develop steamships.

The problem is that the Summer Resort doesn’t have a shipyard yet.

Moreover, after developing the steamship, they would develop the tower ship and gunboat. Only the Longjiangzhou Treasure Shipyard and Xinzhou Shipyard in Nanzhili could build such a huge ocean-going ship.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei definitely cannot go to Nanzhili.

Wanli thought for a moment, then asked, "Father-in-law, how is Liangfu doing with his studies? Can he leave you and work on his own?"

You underestimate him.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei said with some satisfaction, "Your Majesty, Liangfu now knows more than I do. He has long surpassed me."

That's good.

Upon hearing this, Wanli said solemnly: "Liangfu, what we need most now is a steamship.

I plan to send you to the Baochuan Factory in Longjiangzhou, Nanzhili, to develop steamships. Danyang is also there. You don't have to worry about shipbuilding, he knows how to do it. You just need to think about how to use a steam engine to drive the ship.

How is it, any questions?"

We don't have to worry about shipbuilding, so there will definitely be no problem.

Wang Zheng nodded eagerly and said, "Your Majesty, no problem."

You are obsessed with Taoism, so you are very good at developing equipment, but you are still a little lacking in other aspects.

For example, you didn't consider the issue of power. As a Shujishi, you have no power at all.

Now you are following the father-in-law of the emperor. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have power, because the father-in-law of the emperor has great power.

It’s different when you get there. Without power, many things will be inconvenient.

I will solve this problem for you, and you just need to study your own way.

Wanli thought for a moment, then decisively said, "How about this? I'll promote you to the position of Langzhong of the Ministry of Works and Right Censor-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Censorate, and send you to Yingtian as governor, with full responsibility for the development of steamships."

Uh, a doctor from the Ministry of Works serves as a governor?
And he was not responsible for military and civilian affairs, but for the development of steamships!

Has there ever been such a governor before?
Wang Zheng was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then he bowed and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Do you have any other questions?

By the way, there are no machine tools for making muskets and cannons there at all.

If you run over there with nothing to do and can't even build a steam engine, how are you going to develop a steamship?
Wanli thought about it carefully and then reminded: "When you go there, you have to dismantle some machine tools from here.

There is no workshop for making muskets and cannons over there, so you can just borrow the waterwheel. You have to dismantle a set of beds needed to build the steam engine from here.

Remember, these must be kept secret, especially how the steam engine is built. You must not let outsiders see it."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng bowed and said, "I understand." This guy's mind was probably full of steamships. He didn't think about anything else but wanted to rush to Nanzhili to develop steamships.

I'll have to consider other issues for you.

Wanli pondered and said, "We have no shortage of rubber now, so you can use it wherever it is needed on the steamship.

However, we don't have much copper, and this problem can only be completely solved by taking over Spain's colonies in the Americas.

It won't be easy to take it over there. How about this, next time Guozhu comes back, I'll have him buy a million kilograms of copper from the Spaniards over there. That should be enough for the research, right?"

Wang Zheng nodded repeatedly and said, "Enough, enough."

This guy really just wanted to go to Nanzhili to develop steamships.

Peng Zungu over there is quite experienced, so the remaining problems shouldn't be a big deal.

Wanli thought about it carefully, then nodded slightly and said, "Okay, modify this steam engine sample according to my instructions, and then go to Nanzhili.

You are a governor after all, so I don't need to arrange for you to mobilize the navy and fast ships, right?"

This is natural.

Wang Zheng nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand. I will mobilize the navy and go there myself."

Well, this disciple is really good at studying mechanics, but he seems to be lacking in the ways of being an official.

He was going to Nanzhili, a place he was unfamiliar with, and he didn't know if it would be possible.

When Yongnian Earl Wang Wei saw this, a look of worry appeared on his face.

Wanli couldn't help but said solemnly: "Liangfu, you have a long way to go to Nanzhili. Steamships are the key to the future development of the Ming Dynasty. I will give this important task to you.

Once the steamship is developed, I will promote you to the position of Minister of Works."

Wang Zheng quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

He was not particularly excited or thrilled. For him, the attraction of promotion seemed not as great as studying steamships.

Most people who are obsessed with Tao are like this.

Wanli nodded slightly and asked, "Lord Meng, how is your development of the revolver going?"

How do you say this?

Bi Maokang said rather embarrassedly, "Your Majesty, I have made a prototype of a repeating revolver, but the revolver is extremely difficult to machine, so it's not yet possible to mass-produce it."

Have the samples been made?
Upon hearing this, Wanli looked at the sky and then waved his hand, saying, "Let's go and take a look. Liangfu, you don't have to go. Just go and do your thing."

Soon, everyone arrived at the shooting range behind the musket assembly workshop.

Bi Maokang also came over, holding a special musket like a treasure.

This musket looks like a later revolver with a long barrel.

Wanli took it and looked at it carefully, and nodded slightly.

This is not just a revolver with a long barrel.

Because the bullets at this time were not ignited by impact, but by flint, it took a lot of thought to ensure that all the fuses were not ignited at the same time.

Bi Maokang's idea was to make the lead wires hard and straight, so that the spacing between the lead wires would be very uniform, and the baffle to block sparks would also be easier to make.

As for the wheel, its structure is even more complicated and you can't see the whole picture unless you open it.

He took a closer look and then asked, "Mr. Meng, have you tried it? Are there any problems?"

This has naturally been tried.

Bi Maokang nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, I have tried it and there is no problem. It's just that the wheel is too difficult to process."

No problem, right?

Wanli simply raised his hand, pulled the trigger and shot the target in the distance.

It will take a blink of an eye for the gun to be fired because it takes time for the fuse to burn.

However, it’s not a big problem. The key is to be able to fire continuously.

He fired nine shots in a row without any panic, and the bullet hole was getting closer and closer to the center of the target.

Seeing this, little Zhu Changxun in Li Xuancheng's arms was so excited that he danced with joy and was eager to try it out.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei, Bi Maokang and others were even more surprised when they saw this.

They didn't expect that the current emperor had so much strength and could shoot so steadily with one hand.

In fact, this is the result of his persistence in exercising every morning.

His body was now as strong as that of an average young man, and the recoil of the musket was not that strong at the moment, so he could withstand it with one hand.

The reason why he tried it with one hand was not to show off his good physique, but the key point was that this automatic musket was intended to be equipped to the cavalry.

Cavalrymen could only fire with one hand while riding their horses, and changing bullets was extremely inconvenient, so he asked Bi Maokang to develop this automatic musket.

Today's muskets can only fire ten shots in a row before they have to stop and cool down. Nine shots in a row is almost enough for cavalry.

If this type of musket could be equipped to the cavalry, the combat effectiveness of the Ming cavalry would be extremely terrifying.

The problem is that the wheel cannot be mass-produced yet. What’s going on?
After Wanli finished testing the gun, he simply handed it back to Bi Maokang and asked him to take out the revolver inside and have a look.

The wheel is not difficult to take out, you just need to open a few delicate buckles.

After a while, Bi Maokang took out the extremely delicate wheel.

Wanli took the wheel and took a look at it, then he understood that the wheel was actually made of hundred-fold tempered steel!
There is no tool steel with particularly high hardness at this time, and it is very difficult to cut and process the parts made of tempered steel, especially the round holes, which can basically only be processed by a grinder to ensure that the inner wall is smooth and the size is accurate.

He took a closer look and then reminded, "Lord Meng, you could use copper to make the wheel. Wouldn't that make it easier to process?"

铜？
Bi Maokang said carefully: "Your Majesty, this wheel weighs one or two pounds.

Moreover, it is not enough for a cavalryman to be equipped with one such revolver. It is a bit troublesome to change the bullets with this revolver, and it is definitely impossible to change it while riding a horse.

I think it would be best if a cavalryman was equipped with three such revolvers, so that he wouldn't have to worry about running out of bullets during a battle.

In other words, one cavalryman would probably cost about five pounds of copper. Your Majesty, we have hundreds of thousands of cavalrymen."

This little bit of copper is nothing.

Don't you know how I indulge in war?

Besides, as long as Spain takes over the American colonies, there will be plenty of copper.

Upon hearing this, Wanli said without hesitation: "You don't need to worry about the copper problem, you only need to think about how to mass produce it.

Just tell me how much copper you need, and I can ask the government to buy more from the Spanish. Money is not a problem; I need repeating muskets."

If money is not an issue then there is no problem.

Bi Maokang nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

(End of this chapter)