Tibet.

Chapter 1334 Big Day
Nearly 60,000 scholars took part in the second examination three days after the end of the imperial examination. The venue was still the previous imperial examination camp. This time it was a joint examination of the Imperial College, the School of Engineering and the School of Agriculture. Of course, the number of applicants for the Imperial College was the largest, over 40,000, while the School of Engineering and the School of Agriculture had 7,000 to 8,000 people each. However, the number of admissions of the three schools was the same, 500 people each. This made the pass rate of the School of Engineering and the School of Agriculture much higher than that of the Imperial College.

Today is also a special day. In the morning, Emperor Li Ye brought Crown Prince Li Tan and all senior executives above the fifth rank to the office outside the north city.

Today is the day when the steam engine is shut down, but it is also the big day when the steam engine is successfully developed.

From September last year to now, the steam engine has been running successfully for a full two hundred days, successfully achieving its goal.

Li Ye walked into the main gate of the office holding his son Li Tan's hand, followed by more than a hundred officials, with Li Cang, the military equipment inspector, leading the way.

Li Tan is ten years old this year. He studies in Hongwenguan, under the tutelage of Wang Hong, a doctor of Hongwenguan. His grandfather Li Dai also teaches him when he has time.

Hongwenguan is affiliated with the Eastern Palace. It is both a library and a traditional aristocratic school. It has only more than 30 students, who are basically children of high-ranking officials above the third rank. The requirements are extremely strict and the academic standards are of the highest level, so as to cultivate true pillars of society.

After Li Tan was named the crown prince, he should have been taught individually, but Li Ye still let him study in the Hongwenguan to cultivate his collective consciousness.

The head of the agency, Yao Chunshan, and his apprentice Wei Jincheng, led Li Ye and other senior officials to the huge steam engine. The piston was still moving back and forth in the cylinder, driving the crank and connecting rod to rotate, and ultimately driving dozens of cotton gins to operate.

Li Ye found that the noise was much less and the human ear could bear it, so he smiled and asked, "The sound is much quieter!"

Yao Chunshan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we used the principle of the axle bearing on the carriage to make a fine steel bushing, fixed it with a fine steel pin, and lubricated it with a large amount of grease. Basically, there is no harsh rotation friction sound."

The axle bearing is the bearing that appeared on chariots during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is made of bronze, round on the outside and square on the inside, with four inner corners. The end of the axle is mace-shaped and fits inside the axle bearing and is fixed with pins, driving the wheels to rotate. It is very sturdy and durable, ensuring the chariot battles of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

This is inheritance. The reason why the steam engine could be manufactured in the Yuan and Ming dynasties is not only the maturity of bellows technology, but also the two thousand years of mechanical technology inheritance.

All dynasties in China have attached great importance to the development of science and technology, except for the Qing Dynasty. Our current understanding is that ancient Chinese rulers believed that science and technology were gimmicks and tricks. This understanding came from the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty was indeed like that. In order to rule the Han people and enslave the Han people, they did not hesitate to stifle all science and technology.

But in the thousands of years before the Qing Dynasty, successive rulers attached great importance to science and technology, because science and technology can bring about military changes, agricultural development, and an accurate calendar. These are what all rulers care about most: a strong army, sufficient food, and good weather.

The brilliant scientific and technological culture created by China over thousands of years was ultimately strangled by the Qing Dynasty, but it gave rise to Western technology.

At the same time, the West used all kinds of despicable and deceptive means to plunder the achievements of Chinese civilization over thousands of years and usurped them as their own.

Without thousands of years of scientific and technological heritage and accumulation, how could the West have such a sudden burst of various scientific and technological achievements in such a short period of time?
Every technology must go through decades or even hundreds of years of continuous practice to know whether it is practical, and then it must be constantly adjusted and practiced for a long time so that practical experience can be accumulated and passed down from generation to generation.

Inheritance and accumulation are the essence of the development of science and technology. No revolutionary technology will appear out of thin air, but must stand on the shoulders of our predecessors.

The saying 'one general's success is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers' is exactly this truth.

"How do you solve the problem of steam boiler explosion?" Li Ye asked again.

Yao Chunshan said quickly: "Your Majesty, we have repeatedly tested and designed a valve. When the steam pressure inside reaches a critical point, it will break through the valve and the steam will be ejected, but this valve will cause too much steam to collide.

So we also installed a small chimney next to it, and installed a valve in the small chimney. Once the steam concentration pressure reaches a critical point, the valve in the small chimney will be opened and then make a sound, just like the whistling arrow in a bow and arrow, reminding the boiler operator to open the valve to release the air. This is the ancient pressure alarm, simple and practical, but it also needs hundreds of trials to succeed.

"Can the pin hold it in place?" Li Ye asked again.

"No problem. We carpenters use wooden pins to fix tables and chairs, which are very strong. And carts are subject to high-intensity rotation and vibration every day. Aren't they also fixed with iron pins? It is rare to see a cart fall apart, especially the iron pins with barbs, which are like arrows. Once nailed in, it is very difficult to pull them out."

The iron pin with barbs is actually an expansion screw. The wolf tooth arrowhead works on the same principle. Once it is shot into the body, it will bring out a piece of flesh when it is pulled out.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, car builders discovered in practice that ordinary nails would slowly shake out and fall off under the long-term vibration of a cart. So they designed a pin with barbs. After being hammered in, the barbs would get stuck inside and would be difficult to pull out.

"Father, what is the use of this steam engine?" asked Crown Prince Li Tan.

This was a good question. Li Ye looked at the officials around him. Many of them were also confused. It was the first time for them to see a steam engine.

Li Ye waved his hand to quiet everyone down. He pointed at the steam engine and said slowly to everyone: "Many people don't understand what this machine can do. Perhaps some officials saw the cotton gin next door and understood it all of a sudden. Oh! It turns out that it can gin cotton and grind flour. That's right, it can indeed gin cotton, grind flour, and even spin yarn and weave cloth. If you only think about it this way, it's like killing a chicken with a butcher knife.

Why was it difficult for us to control Anxi in all dynasties? Because it was too far away. It takes more than two months to travel from Chang'an to Tingzhou by camel, and at least one month by horse, because people and horses need rest. I once thought of a solution: build a post station every hundred miles, and change horses, people and cars at the post station.

But this would mean that each post station would have to prepare a large number of manpower and carriages, thousands of carts and thousands of horsemen, and more than a hundred post stations! So the idea of ​​setting up a post station is fine for sending letters, but it is too absurd and unrealistic to use it to transport goods.

Is there a means of transportation, like a super carriage, that can carry 100,000 dan of grain? Ladies and gentlemen, the steam engine behind me can do it. Build a carriage and install it. The connecting rod will turn to drive the wheels. A steam locomotive can carry 100,000 dan of grain. It is about 100 meters long and only needs two people to drive it. It only takes five days and five nights to transport grain from Chang'an to Tingzhou. Similarly, it can also transport soldiers."

Everyone was fascinated by what they heard. This was something they had never dared to imagine.

"Your Majesty, when will it be realized?"

Duan Xueshi couldn't help but ask. He was the one who could best understand the inconvenience of the long journey and was also the most anxious.

Li Ye shook his head. "It's easy to say, but it's hard to do. It takes time and a lot of iron. It takes many years of research. But the fastest way to use it is on ships. Once installed on a ship, it can drive the paddles to rotate. This is much simpler and can be achieved within a year. Especially when going overseas, there is no need for wind power. You can set off anytime and anywhere. A journey that would take several months can be completed in just a dozen days. Therefore, the steam engine must first be used on large ships with a capacity of 10,000 tons, whether it is inland or at sea."

Li Ye then said to Yao Chunshan: "Immediately recruit craftsmen for training and start mass production of steam engines. The court will first order 100 units. How many units are needed for each unit? Have you calculated it?"

Yao Chunshan lowered his head and thought for a while. "One unit cost 8,000 guan, mainly because it was made repeatedly several times. I estimate that a medium-sized steam engine costs about 3,000 guan. Next, we will make the steam engine with all our strength while continuing to research and make it smaller, so that it can be used by ships with a capacity of 3,000 guan."

Li Ye smiled and said: "We also need to consider the use of various industries, such as silk suppression, textile

, oil pressing, flour grinding, cotton ginning, dock handling, coal mining, mining, large water wheels, etc., all require small steam engines, so you must also set up an applied research institute and run schools to train talents. According to my ideas, write a good report. If it is really necessary, I will upgrade the agency."

Yao Chunshan said excitedly: "I obey your order!"

(End of this chapter)