Chapter 409: The Power of Steam

Yancheng.

Zhao Xu returned from Fanyang and summoned the officials and generals of the Prince's Mansion.

Afternoon.

Civil and military officials arrived one after another at the Council Hall, lining up on the left and right, filling the room.

Among them, the military generals were led by Chang Wei, and the civil officials were led by Liu Fu.

Zhao Xu sat in the main seat, read the Imperial Edict once, and said, "Today is the twenty-fifth of the ninth month. Within ten days, the troops of Yanzhou must arrive at Qin Pass. This battle is no ordinary matter; it is the largest war since the Ningjindusizhizhan."

His gaze swept across the faces of the generals and officials. "In this war, Da Song, Xiliang, and the Northern Di will all be drawn in. The outcome of this war will determine whether the northern frontier of Da Song can remain stable for the next few years, or even decades."

He paused, then continued, "I know many of you are content to remain in this corner, but if Da Song is defeated, the Northern Di will be able to drive straight in from the northwest, detour to attack Yanzhou, and turn all of Da Song upside down. When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold; how could Yanzhou remain unscathed then? Furthermore, losing the stable market within Da Song is a loss for Yanzhou. Therefore, I ask you all to adjust your mindset regarding this war; do not treat it lightly!"

"Yes, Your Highness," the generals and officials said in unison.

Zhao Xu nodded.

As the saying goes, a teacher must have a just cause; before going to war, he needed to make the generals and officials understand the necessity of Yanzhou sending troops.

Therefore, he explained it to them from the two perspectives of Da Song and Yanzhou.

"Liu Fu, after I lead the troops west, the infrastructure of Yanzhou must not be neglected. The concrete roads and underground pipes within Yancheng must all proceed. As for other things like the construction of pig farms and the assignment of officials, I don't need to mention them again, right?" Zhao Xu said.

Upon hearing this, Liu Fu stepped forward. "Please rest assured, Your Highness. This subordinate will personally supervise these matters and will never be negligent."

Zhao Xu added, "Also, if the Armory or the Merchant Guild has any needs, your Government Office must provide convenience in a timely manner and must not shirk."

With him leading the troops to war, the affairs of Yanzhou, big and small, were basically handed over to him.

Liu Fu responded with another "Yes."

Zhao Xu then looked at Wang Ying. "The production of naval cannons at the Armory cannot stop. In the future, more warships will be commissioned. Also, keep an eye on the Nanfang District; the artillery purchased by the powerful clans must still be delivered. Business is business; although I do not like them, since they have paid the silver, I must keep my word."

"Yes, Your Highness."

After giving instructions to Wang Ying, Zhao Xu looked at Mo Yu, who was behind Chang Wei.

He had not seen Mo Yu for a while. Seeing him again, he felt he was more steady than before and more like his father, Mo Di.

For this war, Chang Wei was to accompany him, so he called him back to give instructions.

"Mo Yu, the five Lengbao in Wuan County each have two thousand soldiers guarding them. During the war, it is highly likely that the Black Iron Tribe will launch a major attack from Yanshan; you must be vigilant at all times," Zhao Xu said. "Besides that, Bai Shang will lead twenty thousand men to guard against sea bandits. If there is trouble at Yanguan, you may dispatch him for support."

"Yes, Your Highness." Upon hearing this, Mo Yu clasped his fists firmly. "Your Highness, please rest assured. As long as this subordinate is alive, the Northern Di shall not take a single step into Yanguan."

Zhao Xu showed a look of satisfaction.

Chang Wei and Mo Yu—one was good at attacking, the other at defending.

With him guarding Yanzhou,

he could still feel at ease.

Finally, he said to Chang Wei, "For this war, I have decided to raise an army of 120,000: 20,000 cavalry, 10,000 in the Chariot Battalion, and 90,000 infantry. In five days, we march for Qin Pass!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" the generals shouted.

After the instructions, Zhao Xu ordered everyone to return and prepare.

He also ordered someone to go to the Technology Academy and call Wang Chong over.

For this war, the Military Academy would basically be moving along with the army.

He would be lecturing the generals while fighting the war.

The textbooks for the Government Academy were mainly things for rote memorization; the important part lay in practice.

Liu Fu's philosophy aligned with his; even if he were not there, the two of them could lead the Government Academy.

As for the Technology Academy, he could not let it sit idle.

After all, a month's delay meant the technology of Yanzhou would be set back by a month.

At the moment, Qu Sheng was busy with the Basic Chemistry Three Acids and Two Alkalis he had instructed.

Although this term was simple, it contained five things, so naturally, it could not be created in a short time.

Therefore, he did not need to worry about chemistry; the only one left was Wang Chong.

The Hot Air Balloon project had come to a pause, and now that Wang Chong was free, he could be given another task.

While waiting for Wang Chong, Zhao Xu ordered a temporary stove to be set up outside the study.

Then he had a maid boil some water.

Before long, Wang Chong arrived. After bowing, he said, "Your Highness, why are you boiling water outside the study?"

"I'm boiling it for you to see." Zhao Xu did not hide his intentions.

He pulled Wang Chong to the stove, where the intense Flame had already brought the water in the pot to a boil.

The white steam pushed the pot lid up and down, making a clattering sound.

"I am about to go to war, and there is a task I want to entrust to you. Can you guess what it is?" Zhao Xu smiled.

Wang Chong was naturally intelligent and understood instantly. He said, "Does Your Highness want this subordinate to lead the students in attempting to build a Steam Engine?"

The lid moving up and down was the power of steam.

In class, Yan Wang had already told them what a Steam Engine was and what the principles of a Steam Engine were.

Zhao Xu nodded. "That's right. Now the Armory already has the Hydraulic Boring Machine, and the quality of the smelted steel is sufficient. It is time to give it a try. During this time, feel free to experiment; do not be afraid of failure."

Wang Chong was so excited he almost shouted, but he forcibly suppressed this excitement and said only one word: "Yes."

When Yan Wang spoke about the Steam Engine, he and all the students were shocked beyond measure.

They had never thought that the steam produced by boiling water could have such great utility.

If this thing could be researched and built, it would completely replace the Hydraulic Drill and Hydraulic Boring Machine; this was a revolution in power.

"Wait a moment, I will draw a diagram for you and explain it briefly; the rest will be up to you," Zhao Xu said.

There was no structural diagram of a Steam Engine in the textbooks.

He immediately drew one and handed it to Wang Chong.

Historically, the development of the Steam Engine went through many twists and turns.

The first Steam Engine to appear was called the Newcomen Steam Engine.

This type of Steam Engine was extremely crude; it was essentially a spherical boiler placed on a stove, with a metal hollow tube like a chimney connected to the top of the boiler.

Inside the tube was a Piston, which could move up and down as the steam pressure increased and was released.

After this type of Steam Engine appeared, it was mainly used for pumping water in mines.

Later, after improvements by Watt, the Compound Steam Engine appeared.

This type of Steam Engine was essentially the vertical chimney laid flat with the addition of parts like a Connecting Rod and a Crankshaft, thereby allowing the Steam Engine to be used in all walks of life, rather than just the mining industry.

What he handed to Wang Chong were the blueprints for the Compound Steam Engine.

After all, with the correct path already known, there was clearly no need to take the long way around again.

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