Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 462: Western Expedition, the fleet entering Hubei encountered provocation!
Li Yuqian took a whiff of the light coal smoke, which tasted sweet and delicious when it first entered his nose.

Savor it carefully and you will feel relaxed and happy.

what,
The smell of civilization, long time no see!
Wang Zhenyi beside her was just curious.

She followed suit and took a deep breath of the thick coal smoke blown by the wind. She was choked and started coughing. Her little face turned red and she was helped away by a maid.

……

Li Yu walked around the steam engine and felt a slight vibration from the ground under his feet.

suddenly,

He remembered that without a pressure gauge, the steam engine might explode due to excessive air pressure.

Suddenly I felt fear and left calmly.

There are achievements, and rewards should be given.

All those who participated in the research and development and production will receive bonuses ranging from 30 silver coins to 300 silver coins.

but,

Zhang Chengye, director of the Military Industry Department, was unhappy.

How can you understand sorrow at such a young age?
Li Yu signaled the guards to call Xiao Zhang aside.

Haven't asked yet.

Zhang Chengye's eyes turned red:

"Your Majesty, Grandpa is dying."

Li Yu was stunned, and then told the guards:

"Go and get all the famous doctors in Suzhou Prefecture. Also, get more high-purity allicin."

……

Xishan Island, a valley,
Li Yu saw Zhang Mancang lying on the bed with hollow eyes, looking haggard and breathing weakly, and felt sad.

"Grandpa, His Majesty is here to see you."

however,
Old Zhang had fallen into a hallucination and stretched out his arms to grab the empty air.

Repeating in his mouth:

"Mom, mom, it's New Year~"

Seeing this situation,

Li Yu stood in silence for a while, then left the room.

Looking at Zhang Chengye with tears in his eyes,
Patted his shoulder:

"Does Grandpa have any will?"

Zhang Chengye choked up and said:

"He said he wanted to be buried in the West Hill when he died, with his tomb facing north and overlooking Taihu Lake."

"I will arrange it."

……

Old Zhang's funeral was low-key yet grand.

Low-key means that not many people come to pay their respects. Grand means that all the mourners are important figures.

Wu Tingzhong,

Not many people own the original shares of Xishan.

When Old Zhang was buried, he was wearing the official uniform of a minister and lay quietly on a north-facing slope on Xishan Island.

Large tomb, facing northwest.

That's his hometown!

Logically, people should return to their roots, but the Wu army has not yet taken over Huai'an Prefecture.

and,

Being buried here can ensure that your descendants will enjoy honor and wealth for generations.

I think the shrewd old Zhang has thought it over over and over again.

……

As for,
When everyone saw the filial son Zhang Youhou coming with his wives, concubines and children, the two concubines were quite pretty and the youngest was a baby in his arms, everyone understood why old Zhang had insisted on skipping his son and recommending his grandson to take the throne.

Under the intervention of unknown forces,
The grandson Zhang Chengye completed the tasks of beating the banners and breaking the pots by himself.

It just caused people to sigh for a while.

Anyone with eyes can see that,

This precious original share of Xishan was transferred to Zhang Chengye.

Anyway,

He seemed to have truly grown up overnight.

……

Everyone has a very high opinion of Zhang Manku.

Because except for the three hours of sleep, he spent the rest of his time in the workshop and worked hard all his life.

The hundreds of apprentices he personally trained became the best team to leave to his grandchildren.

As long as you don't get involved in the court disputes,
In 50 years,

The Military Industry Bureau was the Zhang family’s private land.

It's the same reason as the Metallurgical Bureau's surname is Chen and the Shipbuilding Bureau's surname is Kuai.

A technocrat, unable to enter the cabinet or become prime minister, but stable~
……

Minister of Industry Du Ren received a secret order from His Majesty.

Make several steam engines as quickly as possible and send them to the Tongling Coal Mine, Pingxiang Coal Mine and Ma'anshan Iron Mine.

Special personnel are assigned to be responsible for the daily operation, maintenance, and security of the machines. No one in the mining area is allowed to touch or inquire about them.

Record it every day.
The use of steam engines,

During the trial run, many problems will inevitably arise, which need to be discovered and improved, discovered again and improved again.

During this process,

Human beings not only need to pay wisdom and time, but also blood~
……

Mechanical accidents are inevitable.

Once it happens, it will either cause death or injury.

Whether it is an explosion or a steam leak, it can easily kill people around.

Not to mention,
This steam engine does not have a pressure gauge, so the air pressure cannot be observed scientifically and can only be accumulated based on human experience.

Throughout history,

Ever since Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, no matter in which field mankind wants to make progress, the pioneers have to pay the price of their lives.

Maybe,

The Blue Planet hardware was pre-programmed by an advanced civilization.

If you want technological progress, you must bleed first.

To make a change, you have to bleed first.

Bleeding does not necessarily mean that the software can be upgraded, but without bleeding, the software cannot be upgraded.

at this time,

Tens of thousands of miles away, the Saxon inventor, Watt, had just completed his fifth improvement on the steam engine.

He was so poor and destitute that he had no idea that he was about to have a bright life.

Unfortunately,
Due to long-term financial difficulties, there are only a few members of his family left alive.

……

Li Yu was the first to install steam engines in coal mines to pump water, also following historical laws.

Water seepage in coal mine tunnels is a common and serious problem.

It can be said,
Once the pumping problem is solved, the coal mine's output will see a surge!
In the 18th century, almost all coal mines relied on human and animal power day and night to pump water out very slowly.

Saxon coal mine owners even cried out in parliament that if the pumping problem was not solved, half of the coal mines would gradually be flooded.

……

As a bonus,

Li Yu accompanied Wang Zhenyi to observe the stars at night in the Western Hills.

Looking at the starry sky,

Wang Zhenyi suddenly asked:
"Your Majesty, what is time?"

Li Yu vaguely remembered an interview with a great scientist and answered casually:
"Time is space."

Under the night,
Wang Zhenyi chewed it repeatedly, trembling slightly with excitement.

She suddenly realized,
There is so much information hidden in this sentence.

only,
If you want to talk about astronomy and human civilization again, you won't get a response.

……

Li Yu yawned, looking exhausted:
"My beloved, do you know what is the most important thing in human civilization?"

"agriculture?"

"wrong."

"energy?"

"That's not right either."

Looking at Wang Zhenyi who was deep in thought, Li Yu approached and said with a smile:
"It's reproduction!"

We spent the night together in a passionate way, which I won’t reveal in words.

The next day,

Li Yu realized that Concubine Yi was too thin, so he ordered the kitchen to modify the diet and increase the proportion of meat, eggs and milk.

The brain needs to be well-stocked, and the soul also needs to be well-fed.

I want both.

……

Chongming Island,
The naval officers and soldiers are busy all day long, and there is an endless stream of boats coming and going on the river.

Mobilizing a large army is a very complex system engineering project.

The Navy is more complicated.

Check the condition of the cabin, sails, and rudder, and fill the cabin with all kinds of supplies.

Shells, gunpowder, repair tools, flintlock rifles, spare sails, spare ropes, dry food, wine, medicine, fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, flour, oil and meat~
The officers were busy with their respective duties.

The Wu Army Navy absorbed much of the experience of the Royal Navy.

E.g,

Responsibilities are further refined.

Depending on the size of the vessel,

The deck is divided into 3 sections, with 2 to 4 boatswains.

Experienced old crew members are deployed at the bow, while sailors with average experience but strong bodies are deployed in the middle and stern.

The gun deck is manned by 2 to 3 gunners.

There are also a quartermaster general, a chief cook, a chief accountant, a medical officer, several trainee officers, and a maintenance team.

……

The internal space of the cabin is optimized again.

The placement of supplies is particular.

It is necessary to ensure safety and facilitate access. Generally speaking, the winch in the middle of the upper deck is used to lift materials.

Also, a hammock.

The hammock needs to be stored and tied up to ensure that it does not affect combat during the day.

Liu Wu said privately,
Your Majesty is far-sighted and wise to spend a large sum of money to naturalize these foreigners.

They really understand the navy and warships.

The rules, details, and required qualities on the ship alone were an eye-opener for Wu Jun’s navy.

……

For example, when a Crow's Nest lookout was in combat, it would climb up carrying a bundle of flintlocks.

E.g,

Sailors had to learn to tie 20 different knots.

E.g,

All personnel on the ship work in four shifts, using an hourglass to tell time.

E.g,

How to use simple tools to quickly measure the ship's speed.

……

Of course, there were also some jaw-droppingly shameless experiences that Wu Jun refused to accept.

such as:

How to happily eat a piece of wormy bread.

How to drink water that has gone bad.

How to play with a goat.

How to play with each other.

In short, both sides fall into the category of cultural exchange!
……

These former Royal Navy soldiers had no embarrassment about changing their jobs. They were very satisfied with their current pay and food, and they couldn't wait to join the voyage.

In their eyes,
Sailing on the Yangtze River is really easy. There is no need to identify directions, there are no rogue waves, no typhoons, no pirates, no sirens, and no risk of running out of water and food.

Such a sailing mission is a dream come true.

For your majesty, for the gold.

……

In addition to the Hell, the remaining personnel were assigned to several "Ji Kang-class" light ships.

Since the Saxons did not know how to use a hard sail,
Therefore,
The Wu army was responsible for the ships above the deck, while the Saxons were responsible for the ships below the deck.

Everyone performed their duties and prepared to attack the Qing Dynasty's Hubei Navy.

According to intelligence,

The Qing Dynasty's Hubei Navy and Dongting Lake Navy were mainly composed of small and medium-sized ships.

And
The artillery gap between the two sides cannot be changed in a short period of time.

The cannon-casting technology of the Wu Ting Military Industry Bureau was not considered backward even in Europe.

The large number of carronades and a few experimental mortars filled everyone with confidence.

One shot destroys a ship!
……

The Western Expedition Fleet consisted of 8 Jiangnan-class ships, 20 Susong-class ships, 35 Ji Kang-class ships, and 40 large and small transport ships. At the rear was the out-of-place galleon, the Hell.

Riverside,

There were many onlookers, cheering enthusiastically.

Mei Yunsong, the owner of the "Shun De Restaurant" and a spy from the Sticking Rod Department, also mixed in the crowd and cheered.

Then he pretended to ask a middle-aged man next to him:

"Brother, are you a local?"

"Yes, from Taicang."

"The fleet is so magnificent. We will definitely win this time."

"Of course! Judging from your accent, you're not a local, right?"

"I'm from Guangxi."

"Oh."

……

"Brother, do you think the imperial court will increase taxes and conscript soldiers in Jiangnan?"

"Yeah (second tone)!" said the Taicang man, "What are you talking about, you Guangxi man? Have you ever heard of the eight prefectures in Jiangnan?"

Mei Yunsong sneered:
"I've heard it, I've heard it."

"Your Majesty has taken the throne in Suzhou Prefecture, and our eight prefectures in Jiangnan are the new Eight Banners. If we need to increase taxes, we should impose them on your hometown."

Mei Yunsong was furious.

Although he is from Guangdong, he still gets angry when he hears others call him "my cousin from Guangxi".

Guangdong and Guangxi are one family.

He suppressed his anger and played dumb.
Counting on my fingers:
"Suzhou Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, Zhenjiang Prefecture, Hangzhou Prefecture, Jiaxing Prefecture, Huzhou Prefecture, Jiangning Prefecture ~ exactly 8. Yeah, why is your Taicang not included?"

The middle-aged man was visibly angry.

His lips trembled.

Said:

"Your calculation is wrong. Our Taicang Prefecture was separated from Suzhou Prefecture. Cross out Jiangning Prefecture and add Taicang Prefecture."

……

A young man next to him was unhappy.
Frowning and glaring:

"Fuck, people in Taicang are so crazy."

"Jiang Ning's words are too harsh to listen to."

Both sides began to gather their gangs, the quarrel became more and more fierce, and some people started pushing and shoving.

Mei Yunsong quickly hid far away to avoid becoming an innocent victim.

really,

The patrol police came and dispersed the crowd without saying a word.

What are the new eight banners and the old eight banners?

The Infantry Commander's Office is here, suppress the whole army~
……

later,

On the way back to Suzhou Prefecture, Mei Yunsong met again the young man who jumped out to defend the reputation of his hometown.

The young people are very talkative and enthusiastic.

"Brother, where are you going~"

"Go back to Suzhou."

"We are on the same path, let's go together."

On the way,

Mei Yunsong asked casually:
"Jiangning is very big, right?"

"There are only two capitals in the world, one in the south and one in the north. Do you think they are big?"

"It is indeed big. By the way, do you live in Jiangning City?"

The young man hesitated for a while and said:

"My hometown is Ma'anshan, Jiangning. Although it is outside the city, I can enter the Jubao Gate as soon as I step into it."

……

Mei Yunsong was not familiar with the special culture of Jiangsu. His mind was full of information about the Wu army fleet.

Asked casually:

“Which is bigger, Ma’anshan or Zijinshan?”

The young man answered seriously:

“Ma’anshan is the largest mountain in Jiangning, and Zijinshan is the second largest.”

Mei Yunsong's brain absorbed this information.
laughed:

"However, your Jiangning language is quite interesting."

"Brother, do you want to learn? You can master it within 30 breaths."

"Oh?"

"It starts with the word 'diao' and ends with the word 'pi'. If you want to emphasize the tone, add 'nima'."

Mei Yunsong hesitated for a while and said:

"Damn you, Jiang Ning, you think you're polite? Brother, do you see the standard I'm talking about?"

……

Young people are also fun-loving people.
Seriously, he clasped his hands and said:
"Brother, from today on, you are also half Jiangning."

The two said goodbye and separated at the gate of the city.

The young man looked at Mei Yunsong's departing back and said with a smile:

"This hanged man is so easy to deceive."

He couldn't imagine,

The geographical knowledge that was instilled indiscriminately soon caused great harm to the spies of the Qing court.

……

The Western Expedition fleet stopped at Jingkou, Jiangning, Tongling, Hukou and other places along the way for replenishment.

In addition to the Marine Corps, there was also a complete mixed infantry battalion.

His Majesty's adopted son, Li Ergou finally got the chance to go into battle.

He asked for this opportunity by taking the opportunity to attend Old Zhang's funeral and crying.

Liu Wu suddenly asked:

"Ergou, do you still remember when we fought side by side?"

"Remember the battle on the Huangpu River where Fu Kang'an was killed?"

"You made a good beggar's chicken then."

Li Ergou glanced at Liu Wu and didn't say anything.

……

Liu Wu was not annoyed, and said with a smile:
"When you have time next time, can you give me two more?"

"Uncle Liu, you are a man of status now. It's not good to eat beggars' food, right?"

"It's okay. I don't mind."

Seeing Liu Wu being such a rogue.

Li Ergou simply laid his cards on the table:

"I am now a person of status. It would be unsightly if I continue to be a beggar's chicken."

Liu Wu:

"..."

There are many unsophisticated officials among the Wu court officials, and recently, at Li Yu's request, they have all started to study.

Liu Wu is no exception.

"Ergou, long time no see. You can speak eloquently now? Are you going to be a Wuxia Amon?"

"Who is Amon?"

……

Liu Wu was about to explain when he was interrupted by a burst of gunfire.

The two of them shrank back in fear, then rushed to the deck.

The gunner was seen operating the rotating cannon on the deck, bombarding a group of enemies on the shore.

Simultaneously,

The Marines also lined up on the side of the ship and fired volleys of shots.

Half of the enemies on the shore were Green Camp soldiers, and the other half were militiamen dressed in coarse cloth.

Under the bombardment, they retreated into the town, leaving behind more than a dozen corpses.

Liu Wu asked loudly:

"Boatswain, where is this place?"

"Wuchang Prefecture, Qingshan Town."

"Pass my order, ship-borne guns, destroy this town!"

(End of this chapter)