Chapter 1149: My Path Is Not Lonely

"What are you saying?"

"You want to go to Europe?"

Everyone in Liangzhou found Liu Zheng's decision unbelievable.

There was no other reason.

What kind of status did Liu Zheng have in Longyan now?

He was already the Chief Councilor of Longyan! Under a constitutional monarchy, he was the number one person in Longyan!

And right now, the great war between Tsarist Russia and Longyan was still ongoing. The war had reached a stalemate. In other words, the situation in Longyan had not yet completely stabilized, and you say you want to leave?

Liu Dahao was the first to jump up and disagree.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Don't worry, Father. The situation in the country is basically stable. Even if Xie Ming is unwilling, he is just a puppet, so what does it matter?"

"I must go to Europe..."

He said decisively: "Father, do not think that the West is full of barbarians. In fact, the current Longyan truly lacks the enterprising and adventurous spirit of those Western barbarians, whether in development or technology. Longyan needs new disciplines, and I must make this trip."

"This..."

"Son..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Dahao and Feng Sanniang suddenly did not know how to persuade him.

After all, this was a matter of state, and neither of them wanted to interfere too much; they could only keep urging Liu Zheng to be careful.

In fact, what Liu Zheng said was not wrong.

Longyan once had such a glorious civilization in his past life, but why was it repeatedly humiliated in modern history? It was precisely because that "past glory" made the Longyan people stand still, unwilling to believe in the advancement of the West.

This allowed Western countries to complete an overtaking on a bend.

And the West at that time, before the First Industrial Revolution, naturally did not have a civilization as brilliant as Longyan's, so they could start over from scratch...

This included many things in academic disciplines, including much knowledge in industry. In a new country with a new system, new disciplines are easier to establish. In a country like Longyan where people have studied the classics since childhood, if you ask them to study Chemistry or Physics, who would listen to you?

This is a cultural heritage of thousands of years, not something that can be changed overnight.

But Liu Zheng still wanted to change it.

Because if he didn't change it, Longyan would enter the same stage of being passively beaten as in his past life!

Talent.

Technology.

These were the things he valued most now.

And the emergence of these new knowledge and new disciplines had its necessity; for example, the Great Age of Discovery, the massive colonization, the development of warships, and the background of the Industrial Revolution—these were actually all things that Longyan had lacked over the years. This was a matter of the entire social atmosphere, not something Liu Zheng could push forward alone.

Take, for example, the former "Coachman of the Seas," the Dutch Empire.

Their technology was entirely dedicated to shipping; at that time, many technological inspirations burst forth. And now that the Netherlands had declined, Liu Zheng could completely use money and safety to attract these technical personnel. For instance, the progenitor of the Internal Combustion Engine was the invention of the Dutch scientist Huygens.

Departure.

Liu Zheng was a man of his word. After seven days of preparation, he boarded the Conqueror, a Yinzhou-class ship custom-built for him by Yintan City, and set sail from YinzhouPort on the Longyan Grand Canal, taking with him his crew and the Dark Night Legion.

The Great Age of Discovery...

Liu Zheng was still somewhat looking forward to it.

France.

A small village.

At this time, although France still possessed the temperament of a major European power, because it had not kept up with the wave of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, it remained an agricultural-based country.

In a vineyard in Bordeaux, a tall young man was tinkering with his machine.

"I say, Philip, is it going to explode again today? If it's going to explode again, let's be clear, we're going to hide far away!"

"It's a deal, we'll hide far away!"

"I'm telling you, you have a perfectly good vineyard that you ignore, and look at what you've blown it into! Is this what you learned in Paris—to be so idle and neglect your proper work?"

At this moment, the people working not far away were laughing and mocking this fellow called Philip, who was actually known behind his back as a "madman."

Because Philip was only in his twenties, but he looked like he was already thirty, as he spent every day clutching a pile of books, working on his theories.

Something about external combustion engines, internal combustion engines, something about Black, and theories of latent heat and specific heat—he was crazy and obsessed every day, tinkering with his machine...

In the eyes of these people, this Philip was completely insane.

His family was originally middle-class, with their own manor and vineyard, and this was clearly the rhythm of him squandering it all away!

Philip, his face covered in coal dust, looked up and chuckled: "Just wait for my Internal Combustion Engine! By then, none of you will have to work anymore!"

Philip's face was covered in coal dust; he looked up and chuckled, "Just wait for my Internal Combustion Engine! By then, none of you will have to work anymore!"

Not have to work anymore?

There's such a good thing?

They naturally didn't believe it.

These farmers, facing the yellow earth with their backs to the sky, had been doing so for so many years; if you asked them not to work, what would they do?

In France, these commoners only had farming and coal mining.

There was nothing else they could do.

Philip shook his head and said nothing, but sighed in his heart.

Having returned from his studies in Britain, he knew that in Britain today, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing. France, which once held Britain down and rubbed it into the ground, was still under the rule of the muddled Louis XV, maintaining high centralization and giving no opportunity for industrial development.

Having returned from his studies in Britain, he knew that the Industrial Revolution was already in full swing there, yet France, which had once held Britain down and rubbed its face in the dirt, was still under the rule of the muddled Louis XV, maintaining a highly centralized power that gave absolutely no opportunity for industrial development.

How could it still contend with Britain in Europe?

Philip had returned with a heart full of talent...

Philip returned with a belly full of talent...

However, when he returned, he discovered that he was unable to utilize what he had learned here.

The people here did not even know who Black was!

Without that environment, there was simply no such environment, no such atmosphere, that could support his ambitions!

Thinking of this, Philip wore a look of despair.

If it were not for the centuries-old feud between Britain and France, he would have wanted to stay in Britain at that time...

Continue!

No matter what, he was unwilling to give up his academic work; bowing his head, he continued to tinker with the Internal Combustion Engine. In his workshop, which had already been half-blown away, lay extremely complex blueprints and his notes...

He had to make it work!

"Improve this today; this thread should be able to solve the sealing problem..."

"A little less fuel?"

"No, if there isn't enough fuel, the internal circulation won't be realized..."

"Continue!"

Finally, another busy morning passed.

Philip had prepared everything and began to rub his hands in anticipation.

And so.

One minute later.

Rumble!

A loud bang.

"Damn you, Philip! Why didn't you warn us sooner? What did we just tell you!"

"Quick, quick, quick, it's on fire over there!"

"And over here too!"

"Get out, get out of here!"