Chapter 145: Section 2: Sowing Seeds

The Ming dynasty's great master of military affairs, philosophy, politics, and finance, Wang Yangming, and the Western figure Da Vinci — these two men made Huang Shi realize that "monsters" truly do exist in this world.

The mechanical monster Da Vinci had already passed away a century ago, but the machines and weapons he tinkered with as a hobby still exerted influence. Even today, in the late Ming, the thousands of machines and weapons Da Vinci designed in his spare time still held epoch-making significance.

The utilization of energy, using machines to produce machines — this was Huang Shi's personal understanding of the embryonic form of industrialization. The news that the Jesuits had shipped over some machine tools made him drool with envy, and he immediately had Deng Ken and Rosenfeld go negotiate their purchase. But the Jesuits said this batch of hydraulic machine tools had been ordered by Sun Yuanhua and therefore could not be transferred.

After repeated entreaties and haggling, the Jesuits sold Huang Shi a boring lathe not worth a hundred silver taels for five hundred taels; the rest were still shipped to Shandong for Sun Yuanhua.

Through his own personal observation and the explanations of Deng Ken and Rosenfeld, Huang Shi learned that this hydraulic boring lathe was still handcrafted, which slightly disappointed him. But after all, this was an industrial machine tool, exuding the beauty of machinery from head to toe — others could not understand Huang Shi's soul-deep devotion to this aesthetic.

Seeing Huang Shi once again stroking the boring lathe without standing up for a long time, Deng Ken could not help but ask again: "Just how many cannons does the General intend to cast?"

In this era, the primary function of a boring lathe was to participate in cannon manufacturing. Once the casting was complete, the boring lathe could polish the inner wall of the pre-formed hole, creating a smooth bore. As the name implies, a hydraulic boring lathe required something like a waterwheel to provide power, and it could expand the inner wall of the cannon barrel until it met mechanical requirements.

Historically, after Sun Yuanhua converted to Catholicism, he used the Jesuits to translate the "Illustrated Guide to Western Firearms" and imported a large number of hydraulic machines, launching a vigorous cannon-casting campaign in Shandong.

Huang Shi stood up reluctantly, his gaze still lingering fondly on the machine tool: "Deng Ken, do you still think it's a waste?"

Deng Ken had discovered that Huang Shi suffered from a kind of mechanical obsession. Although he did not understand how such an affliction could exist in the world, out of duty he still reminded him: "Yes, hand polishing is sufficient. Unless the General intends to cast several hundred cannons, a boring lathe is simply too expensive. What's more, we haven't even gathered enough copper to cast cannons yet."

"But if we don't buy it now, we won't be able to get it later. The Jesuits won't ship just one or two boring lathes and drilling machines from Europe solely for us, and I don't think it's very expensive."

Rosenfeld, looking at the indignant Deng Ken, added in explanation to Huang Shi: "Zhangshan Island only has streams. If you want to build a waterwheel, General, you will still need to dig a water channel, hmm, and also build a dam to store water — only then can this boring lathe operate."

"Then build the dam. I can organize manpower to build a reservoir — no, several reservoirs. In the future, I will buy even more boring lathes and drilling machines."

Deng Ken gave a cold laugh: "With that much effort, ten cannons could have been finished by hand polishing. We don't even have the copper for the cannon castings yet, and you're already building dams for a few future cannons. The General truly is wealthy."

Huang Shi smiled, unoffended: "Waterwheels have many other uses too."

"Just for grinding flour!"

Deng Ken's indignant remark made Huang Shi burst out laughing: "Let me tell you a story. There were two men about to starve to death. They came across a basket of fish and a fishing rod. One wanted the fish, the other wanted the rod. In the end, the former still starved to death, and the latter also starved to death before he could reach the sea. What do you think? On my Zhangshan Island, I want both the fish and the fishing rod. We must grasp both, and grasp them firmly."

"It's nothing more than the single coin at your feet versus a mountain of gold across the sea. Can this boring lathe be a mountain of gold?" Deng Ken was still unconvinced.

"A waterwheel can be used for many years. Can't we look beyond just a few months?"

Deng Ken gave another cold snort: "With this time and silver, the General would have already achieved greater merits, could have received more fiefs, and recruited more men. General, forgive my bluntness, but your understanding of foresight is skewed — you have no foresight at all."

Huang Shi ignored him and instead looked toward Rosenfeld: "I recall you mentioned, sir, that in Holland, hydraulic sawmills have already appeared." — If it were only five years, Deng Ken's foresight would undoubtedly be correct. Perhaps for ten years he would also be right, maybe even for my entire lifetime he would be right. But I am someone who has come from an industrialized era; I know the inevitable direction of history. In my era, the Four Great Inventions were said to have blossomed in the East but perfumed the West. This time, let mechanical invention blossom in the West but perfume the East.

"Yes, but it has no great significance — just an amusing plaything." Rosenfeld spread his hands; last time he had also mentioned it to Huang Shi as a curiosity: "The General's Zhangshan Island has enough manpower for sawing wood."

"I also want to play with it. Once the waterwheel is built, Mr. Rosenfeld, help me construct one."

"As the General wishes." Rosenfeld helplessly indicated his agreement.

The history of mechanical development is a history full of setbacks and fluctuations. First, the cost of primitive machinery far exceeded the cost of human labor. For example, the work of grinding flour with a waterwheel could be adequately performed by two oxen; with the effort spent building a reservoir, planks could have been sawn into a small mountain. Second was the pressure of population. During the Roman Empire, a machine for transporting stones was invented, and the Roman Emperor angrily denounced it as "snatching the bread from the mouths of the poor." China once planned to transport grain by seagoing ships, which was also called "what of the livelihoods of a million canal workers?"

"Very well, I will immediately organize manpower to build the reservoir." — I don't care about the cost. I already have sufficient understanding of the power of industry. As for the population problem, Zhangshan Island currently has no pressure whatsoever.

In the first month of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, the four-year offensive that Mao Wenlong had placed high hopes on was launched. The Liaodong Ming army first engaged the Later Jin army at Kuandian. The Ming army's left route contained future famous generals: Kong Youde, the Geng Zhongming brothers, and the Shang Kexi brothers. At Zhenmou Fort, they routed a part of the Bordered Blue Banner, taking three hundred and sixty-one heads. After inspection by Yuan Chonghuan, the Ningyuan Forward Military Dao, he praised them, saying: "Possess true and stalwart barbarian vigor." Kong, Geng, and Shang all came from Liaodong mining families, and the fame of the Dongjiang Three Miners began to resound from this point onward.

Both the left and center route Ming armies were utterly routed, pursued relentlessly by the Later Jin's two Blue Banner cavalry to the vicinity of Zhenjiang. According to what Korean officials heard, the corpses of Dongjiang officers and soldiers covered the fields, a pitiful sight that made one weep.

The offensive of the Liaodong Ming army in the fourth year of the Tianqi reign began unfavorably. After suffering this heavy blow, the Ming army in Liaodong was forced to shift to a defensive posture.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. The Dongjiang main force was so suppressed by the two Blue Banners that it could barely catch its breath. Both the imperial court and the Dongjiang headquarters wanted to know: what exactly was the Liaonan Dongjiang Army doing?