Chapter 485: Constructing a Power Plant

Leaving Kunning Palace, it was already Shi Jing.

Zhu Yong did not follow his elder brother to Qianqing Palace, but went straight to the Ministry of Works.

The Ministry of Works office was on the south side of the Imperial City, not far from the Grand Ancestral Temple.

The stone lions at the gate were polished to a shine, and the two gilt characters "Ministry of Works" on the lintel glittered in the sunlight.

Today was Spring Festival, and the office was quiet and empty, with only a few on‑duty officials present.

When Zhu Yong entered, the on‑duty Minister of Works Officer startled, and hurriedly knelt to salute.

"I, Minister of Works Officer Lin Mao, have the honor of seeing Prince of the Nation,"

Zhu Yong waved his hand, indicating that he should rise.

"Where is Minister Song?"

"Sir, Minister Song has gone home for the New Year and will return tomorrow,"

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, took the stack of blueprints from his bosom, and placed them on the table.

"When Minister Song returns, give him these blueprints, tell him this is a new valuable thing, lock it up for now, and have him promptly organize people to study it; do not delay..."

Lin Mao carefully took the blueprints, opened the first page, and his eyes widened.

He was not Song Li, so he could not comprehend very deep matters, but he could see that the items on the blueprint were more complex than anything he had ever seen.

"Prince, this is…"

"A generator."

Lin Mao was stunned, not knowing what a generator was.

Zhu Yong gave no explanation, waved his hand and said, "Just tell Minister Song that once this thing is completed, Great Ming will have no night."

Lin Mao nodded repeatedly, and carefully put the blueprints away.

Leaving the Ministry of Works, Zhu Yong rode his horse toward Wu Wang Fu. Along the way, the blueprints kept turning in his mind.

Generator, hydroelectric power station, transmission lines.

Hydropower requires water flow; the greater the flow, the better.

The water systems around Yingtian Fu—Qinhuai River, the Yangtze, Taihu—all have water, but the drop is insufficient, limiting power output; a place with a larger drop must be found.

In his previous life he had read in books that hydroelectric stations are generally built where the water rushes fast and the drop is large.

Around Yingtian Fu, which place is the most suitable?

He thought for a while, then suddenly recalled a place.

Zijin Mountain…

Zijin Mountain is not high, but it has streams that flow down the mountain, providing a decent drop.

Although it cannot match the massive stations of his past life, generating a few hundred kilowatts to light a lamp and send a telegraph should be sufficient.

Returning to Wu Wang Fu, it was already noon.

Zhu Huanhuan was sunbathing in the courtyard with Guanyin Nu, Zhu Qiongjiong crouched in a corner lifting a Stone Lock, and Zhu Qiongwu rode his three‑wheeled cart around the courtyard.

"Father!" Seeing Zhu Yong enter, Zhu Qiongwu dropped his three‑wheeled cart and ran over.

Zhu Yong bent down, lifted his son, and laughed, "Were you good today?"

"Good! I'm the most obedient child of father," Zhu Qiongwu said proudly, hugging his father's neck.

Zhu Yong patted his head, sat on the corridor steps, and took the tea handed over by Zhu Huanhuan.

"Father, you went to the Ministry of Works today?" Zhu Huanhuan asked.

"Yes, the White-bearded Old Man gave more items again, sent them to Song Li for study,"

Guanyin Nu walked over, sat beside him, and softly asked, "What is it?"

"A generator… can turn the force of water flow into electricity; with electricity we can light lamps, far brighter than kerosene lamps and without the fumes," Zhu Yong replied after sipping tea.

Guanyin Nu's eyes brightened as she said, "Really?"

"Indeed, but it must be built first."

Guanyin Nu nodded and asked no further.

In the afternoon, Zhu Biao sent someone, saying that the Crown Prince had invited Prince of the Nation to the Eastern Palace for a meeting.

Zhu Yong changed his clothes and rode his horse to the Eastern Palace.

In the Eastern Palace study, Zhu Biao was seated at the desk reading a leaflet.

When Zhu Yong entered, he set the leaflet down and gestured to the chair beside him.

"Second brother, sit..."

Zhu Yong sat down, took the tea handed by the eunuch, and took a sip.

"Elder brother, what is the matter?"

Zhu Biao picked up a leaflet from the table and handed it to him.

"Take a look at this."

Zhu Yong took it and unfolded it.

The leaflet was written by Minister of Works Song Li.

"His Majesty, Crown Prince, Prince of the Nation, I have studied the generator blueprint carefully; should this device succeed, it will indeed convert hydropower to electricity, lighting and communication, a merit for millennia.

However, my knowledge is shallow, and I fear I cannot accomplish such a great undertaking alone; I earnestly request that you select capable talents to lead this, and I am willing to serve like a dog and horse, assisting in its completion."

Zhu Yong finished reading and placed the leaflet on the table.

"Is Song Li shirking his duty?" he frowned.

"It is not shirking, just lack of confidence; your blueprints become ever more complex, from Spinning Wheel to steam engine, from steam engine to internal combustion engine, from internal combustion engine to generator—each harder than the last."

"Song Li is old, his vigor can no longer keep pace," Zhu Biao said, shaking his head.

Zhu Yong fell silent for a moment.

Song Li is sixty‑two this year; since the early Hongwu era he has been in the Ministry of Works, rising from a low‑level craftsman to a Minister, over more than thirty years, with painstaking effort.

Indeed, he is old.

"Brother, do you have a suitable candidate?" he asked.

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "There is one."

"Who?"

"The Vice Minister of Works Lin Yuan."

Zhu Yong was startled.

Lin Yuan, the chief clerk who was on duty at the Ministry of Works just now?

"Lin Yuan was a jinshi of the fifteenth year of Hongwu, served a few years as a clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, later was recruited by Song Li to the Ministry of Works, rising from chief clerk to Vice Minister of Works; he is only just over forty this year, in the prime of his strength."

Song Li said he is proficient in arithmetic, quick‑witted, and learns new things rapidly; those Blueprints of yours, he can grasp most of them after a single glance, better than Song Li.

Zhu Yong nodded and said, "Alright, we'll use him."

Zhu Biao asked again, "What about Song Li?"

"Let him stay in the Ministry of Works, assist Lin Yuan in overseeing matters; any uncertainties, the two will discuss together."

Zhu Biao nodded, lifted his brush, and wrote a letter to be sent to the Ministry of Works.

The matter was concluded, yet Zhu Yong did not leave.

He sat in the chair, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.

"Brother, is there anything else?" Zhu Biao glanced at him.

"Brother, I'm thinking about the generator; hydroelectric power needs water, the more water the better, the greater the head the better; the rivers around Yingtian Prefecture have little head, so they can't generate much electricity."

"One must find places with a large drop." Zhu Yong set his hand down and said.

Zhu Biao had already clarified these matters; after his second younger brother went to the Ministry of Works, he had people from the Ministry come over to explain some aspects of the generator to him.

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "Zijin Mountain…"

"Yes, Zijin Mountain."

Zhu Yong stood up, walked to the map hanging on the wall, and pointed to the location of Zijin Mountain.

"On Zijin Mountain there are streams that flow down the mountain, with a drop of at least several dozen zhang; the power generated should be sufficient."

Zhu Biao also came over, looking at the map.

"Pulling the power lines from Zijin Mountain into the palace is ten li; how should the wires be laid?"

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and said, "Erect poles—wooden or iron ones are fine—mount the wires on the poles and run them from Zijin Mountain straight into the palace."

"Then how many poles are needed?"

"One li requires twenty poles; ten li requires two hundred poles—not many."

Zhu Biao nodded and asked no further.