Chương 632: A Classroom in the Imperial Court

Yuchi Gong nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. Forging iron requires strength. Can boiling water really forge a good sword? I don't believe it for a second! My sword took me three days and three nights to forge."

As they were talking, Liu Ce walked in with a pointer in his hand. Behind him, two eunuchs were carrying a large blackboard covered with colorful drawings of all sorts of things.

"Sit down, everyone, be quiet." Liu Ce tapped the blackboard, like a private tutor.

"Today I'll give you a lesson and tell you what this steam engine is all about. Don't think of it as just a lump of iron for boiling water. I'm telling you, this thing can change the world and make our Han Dynasty ten times stronger."

The crowd below was skeptical, but they all sat up straight, adopting a "let's hear what you have to say" attitude, though their eyes were clearly filled with curiosity.

Liu Ce, holding a pointer, pointed to the first mine drainage diagram and got straight to the point in a loud voice:

"Let's start with the most practical ones: mining and iron smelting."

In the past, when we mined coal and iron ore, we would encounter water after digging only a dozen meters deep. We had to rely on people to carry water up, with more than a hundred people working in shifts. They were exhausted, but they couldn't carry much water in a day, like ants carrying food. If we dug too deep, the mine would be flooded and had to be abandoned. Production was severely hampered, and we couldn't produce much iron in a year.

Now, with steam engines driving water pumps, pumping water non-stop for twelve hours a day, they can drain any amount of water, doubling the depth of mines! Coal and iron production will more than double, and there will be as much as you want.

There's also iron smelting. In the past, they used water pumps and people to blow air through leather bags. The air was weak, the furnace temperature couldn't rise, and the iron produced was sometimes good and sometimes bad. They couldn't produce much steel either; it was all a matter of luck.

Using a steam engine to blow air produces a strong and stable airflow, causing the furnace temperature to jump several hundred degrees. This not only increases pig iron production several times over but also produces uniform wrought iron and refined steel.

Remember this: coal is the food of industry, and iron is its backbone. With these two resources in place, we'll have the confidence to do anything. From now on, building cannons, machines, and railways will all depend on them.

Li Jing's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he slapped his thigh with a loud "smack."

"Your Majesty! If that's really the case, then we'll never lack iron again! Before, when building the Divine Might Cannon, we had to be extremely careful with iron, scrutinizing the budget for each cannon; now we can build as many as we want! We can line the border with cannons!"

"It's not just about cannons." Liu Ce shook his head with a smile, turning to the next page.

"It has many other uses."

He turned to the second picture, which was a diagram of a textile factory and a flour mill, showing various machines:

"Secondly, factory production completely replaced human labor, moving directly from the manual era to the factory era."

In the past, weaving cloth, grinding flour, making paper, and printing books all relied on manual labor and water power.

Weaving requires staying by the river; without water, it can't be done, and during the dry season, work has to stop. A weaver can only weave a few feet of cloth a day, and it's so expensive that ordinary people can't afford new clothes; a cotton-padded jacket is worn for three generations.

In the future, steam engines will power spinning and weaving machines. One steam factory will be equivalent to thousands of weavers! Cloth and silk will be as cheap as cabbage, and every family will be able to wear new clothes. They won't have to wear patched clothes anymore, and they won't feel bad about changing their clothes twice a year.

There was also grinding flour, milling rice, and pressing oil. In the past, we had to rely on water-powered mills, which had to be located by the river. During the dry season, the mills would stop, and farmers would have to carry their grain for dozens of miles.

With the help of steam engines, factories can be built anywhere, in towns and counties. Grain processing efficiency will increase dozens of times, making grain cheaper for ordinary people, and they will no longer have to carry grain on long journeys.

The same applies to papermaking and book printing. Using steam engines to power the machines will drastically reduce the cost of paper and books, making books affordable for every household and education cheaper for children. This will allow knowledge to spread throughout the world, making literacy a reality for everyone.

Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan's eyes widened, and he rapidly calculated the accounts on his fingers, muttering to himself:

"If costs really drop that much... wouldn't private businessmen go crazy and pour money into it? How much money would they make... the tax revenue alone would multiply several times over... let me do the math..."

"Don't rush, there's something even more amazing." Liu Ce smiled, flipping to the transportation map. The men below instantly craned their necks, practically pressing their faces against it.

"Third, transportation and logistics, give it a complete makeover."

Let's start with inland waterway boats. In the past, canal transport relied on sails and haulers. Going upstream was incredibly slow and costly, with a lot of losses along the way, leaving the boatmen exhausted.

In the future, when steamships are built, there will be no need to consider the wind direction or use boatmen. They can run by burning coal, and their speed against the current will be three to five times that of before. They can carry twice as much cargo, and the boatmen can finally take a break.

After that, the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River were fully utilized, making the transport of grain and goods between the north and south fast and cheap. Silk and tea from the south, and coal and iron from the north could be exchanged in just a few days, like visiting neighbors.

Wang Ming, Director of the Canal Transport Department of the Government Administration, jumped to his feet, his beard trembling with excitement, and he almost tipped over his chair.

"Your Majesty! Is it really that miraculous?"

Liu Ce laughed and said, "There's something even more amazing to come. Next up is the steam train."

He pointed to the blueprints of the locomotive, raising his voice by an octave:

"First, build tracks in the mining area, covered with iron sheets made of wood, and use steam locomotives to transport coal and ore, replacing the mule and horse caravans. One cart can carry tens of tons, equivalent to hundreds of mules, and it's not tiring. Later, gradually build intercity railways, from Luoyang to various prefectures, laying steel rails."

When the train whistles, gold pours in. In the future, bulk goods such as coal, iron, and grain will be transported by rail, which will be both fast and cheap, cutting transportation costs to the bare minimum. The money that used to be used to transport one shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain will now be used to transport ten shi.

The army can be deployed quickly; wherever there is fighting, tens of thousands of troops, along with provisions and ammunition, can be sent within a few days, eliminating concerns about long distances and logistical delays.

These words caused an uproar in the hall. The military officers whispered among themselves, their eyes gleaming.

"A lump of iron can run on tracks? And haul thousands of tons of cargo?" Zhang Fei stared wide-eyed, shaking his head like a rattle-drum.

"I don't believe it! What kind of cart doesn't need horses? That heavy lump of iron, how can it even move? How much coal would it need to burn?"

"There are many things you don't believe," Liu Ce said, rolling his eyes at him with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"You'll see later. You'll be the first to ride it then. There are also ocean-going ships with a hybrid power of steam engines and sails. They don't need to wait for the monsoon; they can set sail whenever they want. Our navy can go wherever it wants. The seas are all ours. We can do whatever we want with trade and war. Even the Romans would have to give us a wide berth."

The generals gasped for breath upon hearing this, clenching their fists. If this were true, where could the Han army not go? Who could they not defeat? Logistics would no longer be a problem!

Cheng Yaojin couldn't help but raise his hand and ask, "Your Majesty! Can that steam engine be used for blacksmithing? I used to be a blacksmith, swinging a hammer all day until my back was so sore I couldn't straighten up or lift my arms. Can this thing swing a hammer for someone else?"