Fenghou

The guard brought back the seven sweet potatoes that had been cleaned. Chen Qing looked carefully, and found that the seven sweet potatoes were all intact, with clear eyes. He couldn't hold back the joy in his heart and asked, "Where did you find it?"

"In the grocery store on Yongnan Island, the owner said that it was given to him by a passing ship, but I don't know the exact source."

Chen Qing nodded, "What about the rotten ones?"

"Weichen didn't throw it away either. He cut off the rotten part in Quanzhou and planted it in the soil to see if it could germinate and grow like a potato."

"That's a great idea!"

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, what kind of crop is this?"

"This is a potato, which is in the same category as yams and potatoes. It is very sweet. You can call it sweet potato or sweet potato. Its yield is large, even higher than that of potatoes. Moreover, it has a lot of sugar and a good taste. It will definitely be better than potatoes. popular."

"That would be great, Weichen will instinctively keep crops that he has never seen before."

"It's a good habit!"

Chen Qing asked again: "How is the situation in Nanyang?"

"I'm afraid the situation is not good?"

Chen Qing was taken aback, "Why?"

"Does Your Majesty know about the Zhu Luo Kingdom?"

Chen Qing pondered for a while, "There is a Zhuliye Kingdom in "The Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty", so it should be it?"

"It should be it. It is an ancient country in the south of Tianzhu. It has a history of more than 1000 years. It must have existed during the Tang Dynasty. This country is very warlike. It often sends troops to invade and plunder other small countries. In the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, it once invaded the Sanfoqi Kingdom. , plundered a large number of people and wealth, this time I went to Tianzhu to trade with Zhuluo Kingdom, an official in Xilan told Weichen that a serious financial crisis broke out in Zhuluo Kingdom, in order to alleviate the crisis, it is likely to go back again Invade the East, that is, the Three Buddhas Qi Kingdom."

"Does the Three Buddhas Qi Kingdom know?"

"I should know. At that time, there was another ship from the Three Buddha Qi Kingdom in Xilan Port. They also got the news. I guess that there will be an envoy from the Three Buddha Qi Kingdom to ask us for help soon."

"When will the Chola Congress invade Srivijaya?"

"Weichen probably will be at the turn of spring and summer next year, and the last invasion was around this time."

"How is Zhu Luo's combat effectiveness?"

"They have big ships, many people, and powerful bows and arrows, but it is said that the soldiers' combat effectiveness is very weak, but they can also use kerosene. It is said that they learned it from the far west. This is their invincible weapon. Back then, the Three Buddhas Qi's naval fleet was defeated by Huoyou."

Chen Qing nodded, guessing that the later Asan Army and the ancestor Zhu Luo Army were in the same line.

Chen Qing thought for a while and asked again: "Can I go to Nanyang now?"

"Of course we can. We are wheel and paddle boats, basically unaffected by the wind direction."

Chen Qing nodded, "Will paddle cars and boats be easily torn apart by huge sea waves?"

"My Majesty, the earliest wheeled and paddle boats were relatively easy. They were the same as those in inland rivers. The wheels and paddles were directly exposed to the outside. Now it's different. When the ship was built, the outer shell was built at the same time, and it was integrated with the hull. The outer shell is very Thick, as long as the hull is not broken, the outer shell will not be broken, and the wheels will be safe, but Wei Chen heard a saying on the dock that he plans to use copper sheets to make wheels, do you know if it is true or not?"

"Where's the pier?" Chen Qing frowned.

"It is Jingzhao's Guangyuntan Wharf. Weichen heard from the wharf officials that a few days ago someone from Taixue was experimenting with copper paddles in Guangyuntan."

Chen Qing suddenly became interested, and he smiled at Liu Dajiang: "Go home and have a good rest, if there is anything, I will send someone to call!"

"Wei Chen retire!"

Liu Dajiang bowed and took his leave.

Chen Qing immediately said to the guards: "Get ready to drive, I'm going to Taixue!"

Although Chen Qing has ascended the throne, he is far from the ostentation of the emperor, and his tour is also based on safety considerations, not etiquette and ostentation.

When he went to Taixue to inspect, he also walked through the wall passage to the south gate, and then went to Taixue from the south gate, so that basically he would not disturb the people, but the guards inside Taixue were heavily guarded.

On the street from the gate of Taixue to the farmyard, all soldiers stood guard, one post at three steps and one sentry at five steps, and all students were not allowed to go out.

Chen Qing saw the glass house from a distance. The glass greenhouse is still there. In midsummer, a big shed will be built to protect it from being exposed to the sun to prevent it from breaking.

Taixue is composed of five colleges, including Armament Academy, Agricultural Academy, Engineering Academy, Business Academy, and Mathematical Academy. Among them, the Mathematical Academy is more complicated, with majors in mathematics, geographic surveying, river management, astronomy and calendar, etc.

There are already 3000 students in Taixue, an increase of ten times compared to five years ago. Everyone is aware of the benefits of Taixue. After entering Taixue, basically there is no need to worry about food and clothing in this life, and all kinds of benefits are quite generous. If you have the ability, you can be an official, just like Yang Du, a doctor of the Agricultural Academy, who succeeded in cultivating potatoes. Now he is not only the head of the agricultural academy, but also the prime minister of Sinong Temple.

When Chen Qing arrived at the Agricultural College, Yang Du, a Ph.D. in Agriculture, greeted him, "I see you, Your Majesty!"

Chen Qing said with a smile: "Today there are new species sent by Nanyang, Dr. Yang has to work hard!"

Yang Du was surprised for a while and said: "I can't ask for it!"

When everyone came to the glass room, Chen Qing asked the guards to bring up the box and open it. The guards opened the box, and Yang Du knelt down and looked at it for a while.

"Your Majesty, this is similar to potatoes."

Chen Qing smiled slightly: "This is also called sweet potato, but it is not the same as the sweet potato in Su Dongpo's poems."

Yang Du nodded, "I understand that the 'sweet potato and purple bud' in Su Shi's poem refers to yam and purple taro."

"The season is not right now, can I plant it?"

"It can't be done outside, but it can be done in the glass house. As long as the temperature and water humidity are guaranteed, it can germinate."

"The yield of this kind of sweet potato is larger than that of potatoes. It is easy to grow and has a sweet taste. It is suitable for all ages. With it, people's hunger for food will become a thing of the past."

"Begin planting today!"

Chen Qing then came to the engineering institute again. The chief doctor of the engineering institute is Yan Kuo, who built the gravity clock. Now there is a gravity clock in the larger cities of the Yong Dynasty, which greatly changed people's concept of time.

Chen Qing came to the Research Institute of the Engineering Institute and asked, "How is the steam engine perfected?"

The steam engine was successfully developed last fall, but it was too huge, as high as several floors, and the airtightness was not very good. Chen Qing asked them to continue to improve it.

Yan Kuo nodded, "It's almost there. It's half the size of the original one, and the airtightness has been greatly improved. The first complete steam engine will be built in two months at the latest, and in one month soon."

"Is your first steam engine going to be used on a ship?"

Yan Kuo was stunned, "How does Your Majesty know?"

"Some people say that you are experimenting with copper paddles in Guangyuntan. This thing can't be pushed by manpower. I think it can only be driven by a steam engine."

Yan Kuo nodded, "The steam engine is pulled by the front and rear pistons to generate the front and rear push-pull force, and then the horizontal axis can be rotated through the connecting rod. We first thought of the vehicle and boat. It is completely feasible to use the steam engine instead of human pedaling, and use copper paddles. It can solve the disadvantages of wooden paddles being easily worn."

"Take me to see the actual wheel paddle!"

The steam engine was still under construction, so he didn't want to look at it for the time being, but the copper paddle had been completed, so he was more interested.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the ship is currently berthed in Guangyun Lake!"

"Then go to Guangyuntan!"

Guangyuntan is located in Bashang, which is a part of Bashui River. It was excavated during the Tianbao period of Tang Dynasty.

From the year before last, Lu Wei, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, started to expand the Guangyun Lake. He said it was an expansion, but in fact it cleared the silt since the Tang Dynasty and restored the waters in the middle Tang Dynasty.

But this year it began to expand again, this is to build the world's largest water transport terminal.

Chen Qing saw this three-thousand-stone test cargo ship with copper paddles installed on the southernmost side of the wharf. Coincidentally, the test cargo ship was about to set off for Bianliang in two days.

At that time, the vehicle and boat used by Yang Yao in Dongting Lake could only be the first generation of vehicle and boat, a kind of external vehicle and boat, simple and crude, and relatively inefficient.

The current vehicle and boat is the third generation, which is called an integrated vehicle and boat. What is called an integrated vehicle and boat means that the position of the wheel and oar was taken into account when the boat was originally designed and constructed. The hulls on both sides are recessed, and the recessed position is just right. Two paddles were installed, and two shells were installed.

Chen Qing boarded the three thousand stone car and boat.