Chapter 487: Street Lamp

On the third day the Zijin Mountain Power Station was operating, a novel object appeared in Yingtian Prefecture.

Street lamp...

It's not a kerosene lamp; it's an electric lamp.

People from the Ministry of Works, with craftsmen, set up a wooden pole every twenty zhang along the main street from Imperial City to Wu Wang Fu, each pole topped with a glass‑capped lamp.

The lamp contains no oil, no wick, only two thin carbon filaments covered by a glass dome; it is said that once wired to electricity it will light.

The common folk, who had never seen such a thing, gathered under the poles, craning their necks to look, and chattered.

"Can this thing really light up?"

"It's made by Prince Zhen Guo Wang; could it be a fake?"

"I heard the palace is already lit, as bright as daytime."

"That will save oil; kerosene is expensive."

"…"

Zhu Yong rode his horse down the street, listening to the chatter, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

Electric lamps were already commonplace in his previous life, found in every household, cheap.

But in this era, they are rarer than gold.

"Prince, Lord Lin has arrived." Wang Gui spurred his horse forward.

Zhu Yong followed his gaze and saw Lin Yuan turning the corner, dressed in a half‑worn official robe, excitement on his face.

"Prince! It worked! The lamp burned all day and didn't explode!" Lin Yuan ran up to the horse, his voice trembling with excitement.

The lamp was installed yesterday for testing, using plastic sealing technology that glued the glass dome to the metal base, airtight, so the filament wouldn't burn out.

Zhu Yong nodded, turned and dismounted.

"Let's go take a look…"

The party arrived at the Ministry of Works' Lamp Workshop.

The workshop, located in the southeast corner of Imperial City, was originally part of an internal‑combustion engine workshop, later separated to focus on electric lamps.

Over a dozen craftsmen gathered at the workbenches, some blowing glass, some drawing filaments, some pulling vacuum.

A master craftsman held up a freshly made lamp tube, glanced at the sunlight, and nodded.

A young apprentice beside him took the tube, fitted it onto a wooden lamp base, and connected the wires.

The filament first glowed dark‑red, then grew brighter, finally emitting a dazzling white light.

The workshop erupted in cheers.

"It's lit! It's lit!"

"No explosion! No blackening!"

"It worked! Finally worked!"

Lin Yuan stood aside, his eyes slightly reddened.

For this lamp tube, he had endured three whole months with the craftsmen.

The first tube lit for less than a cup of tea's time before exploding, the filament snapped.

The second tube glowed for half an hour before the glass dome cracked.

The third, fourth, fifth… each exploded, each cracked; eventually even Lin Yuan himself nearly lost confidence.

But the Prince said it could succeed, so he felt it must.

The first lamps installed in the palace were inferior, yellow‑hued old bulbs; now they are researching lamp tubes.

"Prince, how long can this lamp tube stay lit?" Lin Yuan asked.

Zhu Yong took the lamp tube from the craftsman, examined it, and said, "The tube's lifespan mainly depends on the filament material, the sealing quality, and the phosphor's effect."

The current filament is carbonized bamboo; its life won't be long—lasting a few hundred hours is already good.

Later, switching to tungsten filament could last several thousand hours."

Lin Yuan was startled and asked, "Tungsten filament—what is tungsten?"

Zhu Yong smiled but gave no explanation.

Tungsten ore does exist in Great Ming, but it's scarce.

It seems Jiangxi has some; later they'll send someone to look.

But it's not urgent now; bamboo filament will do, let's install the street lamps first.

"Lord Lin, continue researching the lamp; don't worry about how long it lasts, as long as it lights, that's enough. Right now the priority is installing the street lamps."

Lin Yuan replied, then asked, "Prince, installing street lamps requires copper wire; copper isn't cheap. How much electricity does one lamp consume in a year, and how is the electricity fee charged?"

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and said, "The wires use copper cores, insulated with plastic. The copper is shipped from Australia, where copper ore is abundant and cheaper than in Great Ming.

Electricity fees are charged based on the lamp's power; higher power costs more. First, install them along the main street from Imperial City to Wu Wang Fu so the people can see the effect.

If the effect is good, people will naturally want to install them."

Lin Yuan noted everything one by one.

Leaving the Lamp Workshop, Zhu Yong went to the wire factory.

The wire factory, located in the northeast corner of Imperial City, was originally a plastic workshop, later expanded into a plant dedicated to producing wires and cables.

Dozens of machines ran, some drawing copper wire, some coating plastic, some twisting cables.

The workers sweated profusely, yet none slacked off.

Lin Yuan said that since the wire factory was built, workers have been overtime day and night, never complaining of fatigue.

Zhu Yong stood in the workshop, watching for a while.

Wires look simple, but they're not easy to make.

The copper strands must be drawn thin, the plastic coated evenly, and the cables twisted tightly.

If any step in the process goes wrong, the whole wire is ruined.

"Lord Lin, is the production of electric wires sufficient?" Zhu Yong thought for a moment and said.

Lin Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "We can produce a thousand zhang per day now, enough for fifty poles. To install across the whole city will take at least half a year."

Half a year isn't a long time.

The city of Yingtian spans dozens of li, with dozens of main streets, plus alleys; the workload for installing street lamps is indeed considerable.

But Zhu Yong wasn't in any hurry at all.

First install the main streets so the people can see the result.

Once the effect is evident, people will naturally request lamps at their own doorsteps.

When the whole city has street lamps, during the Lantern Festival, New Year and other holidays, there will be true ten‑thousand‑households' lights, and Yingtian's nights will look much more beautiful.

Not only more beautiful, but indescribably beautiful...

"Lord Lin, there's another matter," Zhu Yong turned around.

"Prince, please speak..."

"Once the electric lamps are installed, someone must manage them, someone must repair them, someone must charge for them. We need to set up a department to handle electricity, called the Power Supply Bureau."

Lin Yuan was startled for a moment and asked, "Power Supply Bureau, which office will it belong to?"

"It falls under the Ministry of Works, but operates independently, bearing its own profits and losses. The revenue from selling electricity will be split: part to buy materials, part to pay the craftsmen, and part to remit to the state treasury."

Lin Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

"Also, electricians must be specially trained; we can't just pull anyone in. Electricity is dangerous—mistakes can kill. Only those who understand the technique may handle it."

Lin Yuan kept nodding, "Your Highness is right; I will attend to it later."

Leaving the electric wire factory, it was already afternoon.

Zhu Yong rode his horse toward the imperial palace, his mind still turning over the Power Supply Bureau matter.

With the Power Supply Bureau established, it needs someone knowledgeable to run it. Lin Yuan knows the technology but not management.

Song Li understands management but not the technology.

The two of them form a team—one handles internal affairs, the other external—should work.

Returning to the palace, Zhu Yong went straight to Qianqing Palace.

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

"Yong Er, how is the street‑lamp arrangement going?"