Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Several old men leered at the woman before them.

Her outfit was so proper, complete with a chic little hat.

Most importantly, the pencil skirt revealed a glimpse of her fair calves!

It must be the work of Fang Zheng Yi; this style rivals the cheongsam.

"Wait, did you say we're taking a train to Taoyuan County?" Li Yan Song was the first to react.

They were all tricked into coming here from the imperial court, and now, instead of a test drive, they're being taken to Taoyuan County?

Wasn't this a joke? A round trip there would waste an entire day, and they had important matters to attend to.

The others couldn't help but frown as well.

The attendant said with some difficulty, "Lord Fang has indeed arranged it this way. There are also casual clothes prepared on the train for you all, which will be delivered to you shortly. If you need to find Lord Fang..."

"Go on, let's just follow his arrangements," Li Yan Song waved his hand helplessly.

Oh well, since things have come to this, one day's delay wouldn't matter too much. After all, His Majesty is also here...

Inside the VIP carriage, the locomotive's driver's cab was bustling with activity.

Here too, an attendant came to report. After she left, Emperor Jing looked at Fang Zheng Yi and said, "Zheng Yi, isn't this woman's attire a bit too revealing? It's not very appropriate, is it?"

Fang Zheng Yi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this attendant's uniform was designed by the top artisans I could find, combining aesthetics and practicality. You're probably just not used to the new style yet."

Emperor Jing nodded slightly, his gaze continuing to look expectantly out the window.

Little did he know that this was all specially arranged by Fang Zheng Yi. In the future, attendants would surely become one of the most popular and high-end professions in Da Jing.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say their status would be even higher than flight attendants in later generations.

Creating a trendy uniform would definitely cause others to imitate and follow.

As the world progresses, women should dress a little cooler...

Shortly after, a wisp of thick smoke began to slowly emerge from the locomotive's chimney.

Then, the train's body began to vibrate.

Feeling the anomaly, Emperor Jing's expression turned as if facing a formidable enemy, his right hand unconsciously gripping the sofa armrest.

Although he hadn't seen the full appearance of the train yet, being inside it allowed him to imagine its size and specifications.

What immense power it would be when this behemoth started moving on its own?

Looking at Li Yuan Zhao, who was still kneeling on the ground, Emperor Jing said in a deep voice, "Get up, stop making those faces!"

Li Yuan Zhao got up with a grin, shamelessly sitting next to Emperor Jing.

As he spoke, the vibration had already begun to transmit to the other carriages.

Li Yan Song and the others, who had been admiring the scenery outside the window, suddenly saw the scenery slowly receding, and they exclaimed in surprise, "It's moving, the train is moving!"

Zheng Qiao, Zhang Dong Xiang, and the others all urgently looked out the windows beside them, only to see the surrounding scenery beginning to recede faster and faster until it felt like an illusion. Their eyes were filled with a bit of horror...

"It's really moving, but this... this train... how can it be so stable!?"

The people in the other carriages had roughly the same reaction. The carriages were filled with noise, and because of the large number of people, their emotions seemed even more intense.

Many people had already left their seats, their heads trying to get close to the glass windows to look down, wanting to see it clearly.

"It's amazing! It's truly amazing! This speed is already comparable to a galloping horse."

"Yes, and there's no bumping at all. This must be the use of the rails. If it were on a regular road, it would definitely be unbearably bumpy."

"It's good, but... how long can it run for? Can it really run all the way to Taoyuan County?"

The initial fear of the train's vibration had long been completely replaced by excitement and curiosity.

At this moment, Emperor Jing's whole body also completely relaxed. He leaned back on the sofa and murmured while staring out the window, "Zheng Yi, this train is so fast, won't it overturn?"

Fang Zheng Yi chuckled inwardly.

Fast? This train might seem extremely fast to ordinary people, but in his eyes, it was simply slow to no end.

Compared to an electric scooter, it was simply the 'New National Standard' of trains.

Probably around thirty-five miles per hour, a little faster than a normal horse's pace.

If horses galloped at full speed, they could reach speeds of sixty or seventy, which the current train obviously couldn't match.

Its greatest advantage was its endurance.

However, even at this slow speed, Fang Zheng Yi was satisfied, after all, the steam engine had directly skipped the improvement stage and entered the practical stage.

As for safety issues....

"I have already specially established a road patrol team to check the railway conditions. Moreover, before our train departed, another train was sent out to check the road conditions, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Emperor Jing breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What exactly is the principle behind this? Don't keep me in suspense."

Fang Zheng Yi smiled and said, "Alright, since Your Majesty is already eager to know, then I'll explain it. It's actually quite simple."

He pointed to the teapot on the table and said, "Your Majesty should know that when boiling water, the steam will push open the teapot lid. The train's operation uses this principle, using steam to drive the wheels under the car."

"In other words, you can simply imagine the locomotive in front as a huge kettle."

Emperor Jing was dumbfounded, "Just... just that simple?!"

Thousands of thoughts had already flashed through his mind. He had even thought of immortal magic, but the result was just simple steam?

Could mere steam have such divine power?

Fang Zheng Yi shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I'm just simplifying it, but it's not simple at all."

"How to use the power of steam is very complicated, what kind of structural materials to use, how much pressure to master, how to transmit power... Each of these problems requires countless manpower and material resources."

"It must be said that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has contributed greatly!"

"Oh?" Emperor Jing glanced sideways.

Li Yuan Zhao pretended to be coy, with a shy expression.

He had learned it, he had evolved!

Now was the time to take credit. Although he was proud in his heart, he must not be arrogant, it was best to show a humble appearance.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince participated in the train's research and development process very early. Many important structures and ideas inside were contributed by His Highness. Without His Highness, this train probably wouldn't be able to be launched to this day," Fang Zheng Yi said with a smile.

Emperor Jing looked at Li Yuan Zhao and said lightly, "He's still a useful person, able to do some things."

Li Yuan Zhao first scoffed, but after Emperor Jing cast a murderous glance, he quickly sat up straight.

"Actually, the biggest contributor to this is none other than Your Majesty," Fang Zheng Yi added when he saw this.

"Me?" Emperor Jing's eyes were filled with confusion.

"If Your Majesty hadn't personally laid the first shovel for the railway's foundation, how could today's test run be so smooth? This all relies on Your Majesty's wise and divine martial prowess."

"No problems have been found since the railway opened to traffic, and everything is progressing smoothly, which is enough to see that it is Your Majesty's merit, blessed by the dragon's aura!"

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