Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

In the span of a few days, Fang Zheng had several in-depth discussions with Yang Fengfan regarding the policy of broadening commerce in Pingwan County.

Civil matters naturally didn't require much attention, but as for merchants, they should be granted maximum leniency within reasonable bounds, and provided with every convenience.

For some minor local issues, Jinyi Wei agents would be dispatched to assist in handling them.

Finally, a select group of merchants from Taoyuan County were chosen, ready to acquire land in Pingwan County and make a grand display of their abilities...

With all the arrangements completed, Fang Zheng was finally able to free up some time to visit the Steam Research Institute at the East Suburb Academy.

Upon learning of this, Li Yuanzhao stubbornly insisted on tagging along.

He had heard of this so-called Steam Research Institute back in Taoyuan County, but had never seen what it actually looked like.

Steam... that could also be researched? It sounded quite interesting.

The Steam Research Institute had always been the most important and most useless research institute in Taoyuan County.

To date, it had produced nothing, only consumed resources.

However, Fang Zheng didn't mind. Once the steam engine was successfully developed, in this era, it would be akin to the controllable nuclear fusion technology of later generations.

Since the establishment of the East Suburb University, the Steam Research Institute had been moved into the school.

Firstly, to facilitate the recruitment of talent, and secondly, according to Fang Zheng's vision of integrating production, education, and research in the future, it could better connect resources and customize components.

However, given the research nature and progress, the locations of the Ordnance Institute and the Steam Institute within the East Suburb University were relatively remote, even separately enclosed, so few people visited them.

When the two arrived, the gate to the Steam Research Institute was wide open, with a guardhouse to the side and a yellow dog tied to the entrance.

Upon seeing strangers arrive, the yellow dog began to bark loudly.

Immediately afterward, an old man hurriedly ran out of the guardhouse. Seeing that it was Fang Zheng, he eagerly stepped forward and said, "Master, why have you come? I'll go inside and inform them."

"No need, just lead the way for us."

The dog was still barking, and the gatekeeper quickly kicked the doghouse aside, smiling and approaching Fang Zheng. "Master, please come in. This honored guest is..."

"This is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, quickly greet him!"

"This humble commoner greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" The gatekeeper was greatly alarmed and quickly knelt down.

"Rise, no need to be so formal." Li Yuanzhao raised his chin, looking at the small building of the Steam Institute with suspicion. "Lao Fang, the atmosphere feels a bit off. Are there really people working in there? It doesn't seem lively at all, could they be slacking off?"

Fang Zheng said proudly, "Slacking off? Your Highness, you probably don't know how great the things being researched here are. Every researcher selected from Taoyuan County came here with a dream of changing the world. Even if no one is watching, it is absolutely impossible for them to slack off. I am confident in that regard."

Li Yuanzhao remained noncommittal, following the gatekeeper inside while looking around.

Besides the ordinary small building, the only things that caught his eye were two huge factories, which didn't seem special in the slightest.

Li Yuanzhao asked, "Steam? I still don't understand what this thing is useful for."

Fang Zheng explained as he walked inside, "Has Your Highness ever seen water being boiled?"

"Yes, so what?"

"When water boils, it will push the lid of the kettle open. What we want to explore is how to utilize this force. Of course, the kettle is very small, but what if we magnify it a hundred or a thousand times? Then, if this force is transmitted out through some design, wouldn't it save a lot of manpower? Even things that manpower can't do can be solved by boiling water? Your Highness, do you think that makes sense?"

Li Yuanzhao stopped in his tracks, standing there lost in thought.

Fang Zheng wasn't in a hurry and stood beside him.

After a long while, Li Yuanzhao's expression became somewhat serious, and he said hesitantly, "That's right... in that case, wouldn't it be equivalent to a waterwheel without a river, a carriage without horses... is that the idea?"

"Your Highness is wise." Fang Zheng greatly admired Li Yuanzhao's thinking in this regard.

He got it right away!

"Hiss... no, that's not right! But how is this possible? If it were really that simple, why didn't people think of it before? Besides... won't the steam leak out?"

"Of course, it's not that simple, otherwise I wouldn't have specially set up such a place for research, but the fact that it's feasible in terms of ideas is worth our time and effort to try. Once it succeeds, it will benefit thousands of generations. Your Highness, let's go."

Fang Zheng pulled him straight inside, Li Yuanzhao's thoughts constantly churning as he pondered the feasibility of the matter.

It wasn't until he followed the gatekeeper into the building and entered a room with a sign that read 'Archives Room' that Fang Zheng stopped.

Hearing an unusual sound inside, his expression changed, and he shooed away the gatekeeper, leaning against the door to listen.

Seeing this, Li Yuanzhao also leaned in.

They could hear the sound of clinking glasses inside, along with several people chatting and joking.

"Damn it! I lost dozens of taels yesterday. The Jingcheng football team was actually defeated by the county team! Lost by two goals, were these guys raised on sh*t?"

"Be content, I lost a hundred taels. What a bunch of good-for-nothings. I heard that the county team's goalkeeper is still a manual laborer."

"Brothers, let's forget about that. The institute is out of money, now we have to figure out how to apply for some funding..."

Fang Zheng's face turned from red to green.

Li Yuanzhao chuckled sarcastically, "Every researcher selected from Taoyuan County came here with a dream of changing the world. Even if no one is watching, it is absolutely impossible for them to slack off ~"

"......"

Even with a face thicker than a city wall, he couldn't stand being mocked like that. Fang Zheng changed the subject, "Hey! I didn't expect the Jingcheng football team to be so useless. Your Highness, do you watch football?"

As soon as he asked, Li Yuanzhao was indeed distracted: "I watch it, I watched that game yesterday too, they really lost miserably. That team is raised by my second uncle, the Prince of Jinggong. I heard that they eat sea cucumber every meal, and they are given beauties and mansions, who would have thought they would be so useless. Hey, but he has money to play with, so he doesn't care about these things."

"Your Highness, the Prince of Jinggong is spending the people's hard-earned money!"

"Who the h*ll is whispering outside... Master!"

As soon as Fang Zheng finished speaking, the door to the archives room opened.

Facing them was Han Qi of the Steam Institute, the actual manager, whom Fang Zheng was naturally very familiar with.

Seeing Fang Zheng arrive, Han Qi was immediately panicked and shuddered in fright.

The master hates people slacking off the most in his life!

The chicken bone in Han Qi's mouth fell out in fright, and he said tremblingly, "Ma.. Master, why... have you come?"

Fang Zheng smiled kindly: "Of course, I'm here to discuss football with you, and then discuss with you how much funding is appropriate to distribute."

"Losing dozens or hundreds of taels at a time, I'm afraid ten or eight thousand taels of silver won't last long."

Han Qi trembled all over: "No! Master, listen to me explain... we are spending our own money."

"Shut up! Today, the Crown Prince has personally come to inspect, and you still let us stand here to talk?"