Chapter 168

Wang Xiu sank comfortably into the Visonnaire genuine leather sofa, holding a chilled cola in his hand, leisurely watching everything happening on the game screen.

The great victory of Nan Zheng capturing the city, Guo Rong's reputation soaring like the midday sun, and Wang Hao's secret letter about the "Push En Order".

All of this made him feel novel; these were all decisions made by the ancestors themselves, not his own control.

"Not bad, not bad." Wang Xiu nodded in satisfaction, took a sip of cola, "This Wang Hao, his mind works fast. Knowing that being a bare-pole commander is no easy task, he has started proactively helping Guo Rong clear political obstacles."

He greatly appreciated Wang Hao's initiative.

As a descendant, what he likes most is this kind of ancestor who has his own thoughts and plans, which does not waste his earnest hope that the ancestors would become dragons.

Since his consciousness returned from the body of the former family head Wang Po, he has not personally "taken the field" for a long time.

The successive generations' "immersive experience" has left him somewhat mentally fatigued. Each family head's birth, aging, sickness, and death make him empathize, and this feeling is not pleasant.

But now, whether it's the steady and experienced Wang Zhen holding down Yangzhou, or the ruthless Wang Meng far away in Dongying, or Wang Hao who, upon first entering Zhongyuan, already stirs up the winds and clouds.

Each of them is like an extension of his thoughts, continuing in their respective fields according to his general direction.

He discovered that viewing his self-built family from a god's-eye perspective, watching how it step by step reaches the peak in this tumultuous era, feels more intense than the pleasure of his own consciousness controlling it.

"Let me see how the recent family data looks."

Wang Xiu lightly tapped his finger, calling up the game's main interface.

A pixel-style panel appeared before his eyes.

【Family: Jiangnan Wang Clan】

【Family Head: Wang Zhen】

【Era: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms - Later Zhou - Guangshun Year 3】

【Family Assets:??? (exceeds the calculable limit for this era)】

【Family Population: approx. 450,000 (including only Han people of the Jiangnan core and overseas direct territories)】

【Controlled Territories: Jiangnan East Circuit, Huainan Circuit (part), Lingnan Circuit (part), all of Dongyang, South Seas Spice Islands, New Gold Mountain……】

【Military Strength: Wang Family private army 80,000 (including 30,000 marines), overseas conscript army 150,000 (mainly Dongying-new troops), various sea vessels 3,500 (of which 800 are warships)……】

【Technology Level: refined black powder, movable-type printing, double-entry bookkeeping, blast furnace iron smelting (elementary), oceanic navigation technology……】

【Family Influence: Zhongyuan (extremely high), Dongying (absolute control), South Seas (dominant), Grasslands (medium)……】

Looking at this series of splendidly excessive data, Wang Xiu couldn't help but lift the corner of his mouth.

It's only been a little over a hundred years!

The Wang Family has already, from a struggling second-rate clan at the end of the Tang dynasty, developed into such a colossus spanning East Asia.

Especially the operation in Dongying, which is simply his most proud work.

He opened the submenu for "Dongying".

【Territory: Dongying】

【Status: Colony】

【Governor: Wang Meng】

【Population: approx. 8 million (after the reproduction plan, new population added approx. 3.5 million)】

【Cultural Status: Hanization rate 35% (rising)】

【Language: Mandarin popularity rate 45% (among class A and B citizens reaches 95%)】

【Ethnic Identity: among the new generation, 80% consider themselves "Wang Family subjects" rather than "Dongying people"】

【Resource Output: gold (100,000 taels per year), silver (3,000,000 taels per year), copper (500,000 catties per year), high-quality manpower (can provide 50,000 new troops per year)……】

"Perfect!" Wang Xiu snapped his fingers.

"The Reproduction Plan" plus "Cultural Extinction" — the effect is outstanding!

In another one or two generations, there will no longer be any "Yamato ethnicity" on this land.

They will only be a group that speaks Chinese, writes Chinese characters, fervently worships the Wang Family, and can die for the Wang Family at any moment — the "New Han people".

This is far more clever than those Western colonizers in history.

They only plunder and slaughter.

And I, Wang Xiu, am playing at "Civilization Reform"!

After closing the Dongying interface, Wang Xiu's gaze returned to the map of Zhongyuan.

Later Zhou, under the governance of Guo Wei and his son Guo Rong, already shows the beginnings of unifying the realm.

The Wang Family's move of supporting Guo Rong has been very successful.

A stable, strong, and benevolent toward the Wang Family Zhongyuan dynasty is an indispensable part of the Wang Family's future global strategy.

"However, just this is not enough." Wang Xiu rubbed his chin.

What he wants is not merely a strong Zhongyuan ally.

What he wants is to completely change this era's technological trajectory.

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, although it is a dark period in history.

But it is also an era that inherits the past and ushers in the future.

Many technological sprouts that only appeared in the Song dynasty actually already emerged at this time.

For example, the use of gunpowder weapons, and the improvement of printing technology.

Wang Xiu felt it was time to add another fire to this era.

He recalled the elective course "History of Chinese Science and Technology" he took in college.

The professor had said in class that there are many reasons why the Song dynasty did not experience an industrial revolution.

One very important reason is the lack of an efficient machine that can convert thermal energy into kinetic energy.

That is, the steam engine.

A bold idea sprouted in Wang Xiu's mind.

Could I, in the Five Dynasties period, just manage to produce a steam engine?

Once this idea appeared, it could no longer be contained.

He knew that, given the technological level of this era, trying to directly build a mature steam engine like Watt's was pure fantasy.

But, is it possible to make the most primitive, crudest prototype?

For example, the ancient Greek aeolipile, or some simple piston-type pumps.

The principles behind these things are not complicated.

Given the Wang Family's current metallurgical technology and craftsman skill level, it's not necessarily impossible to make one.

Once it's built, even if its efficiency is low and it's clumsy, it would still be epoch-making!

It can be used to pump out water accumulated in mines, and it could increase the Wang Family's mining efficiency by more than tenfold.

It can be installed on ships, allowing the Wang Family's warships to break free from reliance on sails and become true masters of the sea!

It can even drive simple machinery, such as spinning machines, forging hammers……

The gears of the Industrial Revolution will be set in motion by my own hands in this era!

Thinking of this, Wang Xiu's breathing became rapid.

This is far more interesting than being an emperor!

He intends to lead the technological development of this land, becoming the godfather of science for China and even the world!

"Just do it!" Wang Xiu made up his mind.

He intends to influence Wang Zhen subconsciously through the game, urging Wang Zhen to strive in this direction.

Yangzhou, Wang Family's fortified stronghold, deep at night.

Wang Zhen, having finished a day's official duties, lay exhausted on the bed.

Recently, he has been having a strange dream.

In the dream, the four characters 'investigate things, extend knowledge' always appear, along with many unimaginable things.

A kind that can itself belch black smoke, pulling dozens of carriages at high speed—a 'train'.

A kind that, without sails, can still ride the waves and break through the sea—an 'Iron Control Armored Ship'.

And another kind that can quickly weave cotton into cloth—a 'weaving machine'.

These things all originate from a mysterious power called 'steam power'.

He also isn't clear on how he came to know of steam power, but he simply knows that the source of all this is steam power.

When Wang Zhen woke with a start from the dream, his whole body was covered in cold sweat.

He didn't know whether this was merely daytime thoughts manifesting in night dreams, or whether such things truly existed.

But those clear, mechanically beautiful images in the dream were deeply etched into his mind.

Especially those four characters 'investigate things, extend knowledge' made his heart and spirit tremble.

He summoned the most learned elders of the family and several senior workshop managers; these matters must be discussed collectively by all at a meeting.