Chapter 402: Discussing Maritime Frontier Affairs

In the 20th year of Hongwu, the tenth day of the third month.

Yingtian Prefecture, Ministry of Works internal combustion engine workshop.

Zhu Yong stood in the center of the courtyard; in front of him was a huge wooden workbench, on which were spread dozens of blueprints, each drawn densely.

Morning light slipped in over the eastern wall, shining on the blueprints, the lines so clear they seemed engraved.

Song Li crouched beside a machine that had not yet been assembled, holding a magnifying glass, repeatedly examining a crankshaft.

The crankshaft was forged from high-quality steel, its surface polished to a bright sheen, emitting a cold glint in the sunlight.

"Prince, please look here," Song Li raised his head, pointing to a joint on the crankshaft.

Zhu Yong walked over and crouched down.

"At this spot, I had people grind it three times according to the blueprint tolerances, yet during assembly there was still a slight gap, and it turns unevenly."

Zhu Yong took the crankshaft and turned it in his hand.

In his previous life he had read about the principles of internal combustion engines, so he knew how demanding the precision requirements were.

A steam engine can keep running with a small leak, but an internal combustion engine fails with any loss of gas.

"How much is the difference?" he asked.

"Less than half a hair's width, and I've already had the most skilled master grind it for three days, yet it's still off by that tiny amount," Song Li said, his voice tinged with helplessness.

Zhu Yong fell silent for a moment, then placed the crankshaft back on the table.

"What about the machine tool? Can we use the precision lathe built last year?"

Song Li's eyes lit up.

"You are right, Prince. That lathe was only calibrated at the end of last year; its precision exceeds the old lathe by a margin, and I will have someone rework a piece right away."

He turned to leave, but Zhu Yong called out to him.

"No rush; first review the blueprints again, ensure everything is correct before proceeding. An internal combustion engine is not like a steam engine—a single faulty part ruins the whole machine."

Song Li nodded in agreement.

Zhu Yong stood up and paced around the courtyard.

The workshop had expanded further since last month; a new row of sheds had been erected on the eastern open ground, filled with various materials.

Copper, iron, special steel were neatly stacked, covered with oilcloth to keep rain out.

In the western shed, a dozen young apprentices gathered around a blueprint, listening to a master explain.

The master held a wooden stick, pointing on the blueprint, describing the four-stroke principle of the internal combustion engine.

Zhu Yong walked over and stood outside the shed, listening for a while.

The master spoke in great detail, intake, compression, combustion, exhaust—four strokes, one cycle—breaking it down and dissecting it.

The apprentices listened attentively; some even took notes in small notebooks.

A faint smile tugged at Zhu Yong's mouth.

These youngsters are the future foundation of the Ministry of Works.

An internal combustion engine cannot be produced overnight; it requires generation after generation of effort.

"Prince, you have arrived," a voice called from behind.

Zhu Yong turned and saw a man in his thirties hurrying toward him, wearing a half-worn official robe, the cuffs stained with oil.

He was Song Li's deputy, surnamed Lin, named Lin Yuan, a jinshi of the 15th year of Hongwu, originally serving in the Ministry of Revenue, but Song Li had forced him to transfer.

"Lord Lin, how is the progress here?" Zhu Yong asked.

Lin Yuan pulled a thick booklet from his chest and opened it.

"Prince, as per your request, I have disassembled and classified all the components of the internal combustion engine; there are a total of 376 parts, of which 123 require precision machining.

So far 87 have been completed; the remaining 36 are awaiting that precision lathe."

Zhu Yong took the booklet and flipped through it.

The handwriting was neat, the organization clear; each part had a number, name, dimensions, material, and processing status, all laid out plainly.

"Well done..." he said, handing the booklet back.

Lin Yuan took it, a smile appearing on his face.

"Prince, I have an idea, but I'm not sure whether I should voice it,"

"Speak."

Lin Yuan hesitated briefly, then said, "Prince, I think an internal combustion engine cannot rely solely on Ministry of Works personnel; we must recruit skilled artisans from the civilian world.

Yingtian Prefecture, Suzhou, Hangzhou—these places have many master craftsmen who have spent their lives working with iron, and some are even more skilled than the Ministry's own artisans.

Bringing them in might accelerate progress."

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Fine, draft a list, and later I'll speak with Minister Song."

Lin Yuan quickly agreed.

Leaving the workshop, it was already near noon.

Zhu Yong rode his horse toward the Imperial City, his mind still turning over the internal combustion engine matters.

He vaguely remembered the development of the automobile industry in his previous life, though he knew the general direction.

First came the internal combustion engine, then automobiles, followed by roads and gas stations, step by step.

The internal combustion engine hasn't been built yet, but many roads have already been constructed.

From Yingtian to Lanzhou, from Yingtian to Beiping, and from Yingtian to Guangzhou, the main thoroughfares have all been paved with cement.

With roads, vehicles can run.

But those are matters for later; now the most urgent task is to build the internal combustion engine.

Upon reaching the Imperial City, Zhu Yong first went to Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang was seated behind the imperial desk reviewing documents; when he saw him enter, he set down his brush.

"It's here; how's the internal combustion engine coming along?"

"Still under construction; Song Li says it's close, but the precision requirements are too high, so it must be ground slowly." Zhu Yong sat down on the chair beside him.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Yong Er, you say that thing—can it really surpass the steam engine?"

"Yes. Steam engines are too large, only usable on trains and ships. Internal combustion engines are small, can be mounted on vehicles; once we have internal combustion motorcars, travel will be much more convenient, since not every place can build railways, and steel is becoming scarce now."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed briefly, but he quickly returned to calm.

"How much silver will that cost?"

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, then laughed, "Father, why are you like the elder brother, always opening with silver?"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted, "If you don't run a household you don't know the price of firewood and rice; we aren't running this household, so we won't ask about these things."

Zhu Yong said nothing further.

He knew his father was stingy with money; in recent years building railways, ships, and artillery, none of those ventures came without silver.

Although the treasury was full, it could not endure endless strain.

"Father, if we manage to build an internal combustion engine, it won't just make vehicles; it can be used in many places.

Construction sites, mines, and fields could all employ it.

Then the labor and material savings would far exceed the silver spent."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him and asked no further.

Leaving Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yong went to the Eastern Palace.

Zhu Biao was in the study reviewing documents; the desk was piled with stacks of paperwork—some from the Ministry of Revenue, some from the Ministry of War, some from the Ministry of Works, and reports sent from various regions.

Seeing Zhu Yong enter, Zhu Biao set down his brush and leaned back against the chair.

"Second Prince, any progress on the internal combustion engine?"

"Almost ready; Song Li says in another month or so we can assemble the first prototype."

Zhu Biao nodded, picked up a document from the desk, and handed it to him.

"Take a look at this; it came from Australia."

Zhu Yong took it and unfolded it.

The letter was written by Zhu Shuang; the handwriting was a bit neater than last time, yet the old style was still discernible.

"Elder brother, Second Prince, everything is fine here in Australia; that fleet hasn't reappeared. I've ordered reinforcement of coastal patrols, sending two steamships from South Sea, patrolling the strait day and night."

In early March, news came from South Sea that several large ships were spotted west of Malacca; their flags were neither ours nor those of the small South Sea states.

Elder brother Mu Ying sent people to investigate and said those vessels were from the same group that previously appeared in Australia—yellow hair, blue eyes, and soft sails.

They didn't dock; when they saw our steamship from afar, they turned and fled.

"Elder brother, Second Prince, I think these people won't give up easily; they'll come back sooner or later."

"With me here in Australia, a major chaos can't happen, but South Sea has a long coastline; Elder brother Mu Ying's forces are limited. If those people bypass Malacca and land elsewhere, it will be troublesome."

Zhu Yong finished reading the letter and placed the document on the desk.

"Elder brother, Third Prince is right; we need to strengthen South Sea."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "I've already ordered the Ministry of War to dispatch five thousand Longxiang Army to South Sea, to hand over to Mu Ying; together with his existing forces, it should be sufficient."

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and said, "Elder brother, merely defending won't work; we must take the initiative. We don't know where those people's stronghold is, but we can gather intelligence from the merchants."