Chương 638: Song Yingxing reports on results

Xun Yu asked him a question, and he talked on and on for half an hour, leaving Xun Yu both amused and exasperated.

Behind him followed a dozen or so clerks, who were carrying five wooden boxes about half a person's height. The boxes were painted in red and had four large characters neatly engraved on them: "Report on Results." The words were full of joy. The clerks were sweating profusely, but they were all smiling.

"His Majesty!"

Song Yingxing stepped into the palace, his loud voice shaking the dust off the ceiling and startling a slacking eunuch in the corner.

"Your subject has successfully completed the mission! The blueprints and money you provided were not wasted! Everything has been made!"

Liu Ce was engrossed in reviewing memorials at his desk, his vermilion brush still in his hand. He glanced up at the scene and burst out laughing.

"Hey, Song Aiqing, you look much better. What's wrong? Did the research institute's cafeteria finally give you guys some fatty meat? Or did your wife make you some nourishing soup?"

"Your Majesty, it's not about adding more meat, it's about giving us hope for the future!"

Song Yingxing clapped his hands, and the clerks quickly stepped forward, opened the wooden boxes one by one, and carefully carried out five items, arranging them neatly in a row on the gold-brick floor in front of the imperial desk, just like displaying tributes.

The first item was a small model of a steam locomotive. The body was polished to a shine, reflecting a person's image. The cast iron wheels had clear treads, and even the connecting rods and counterweights were exactly the same as the real thing.

A cotton wick was still stuck in the chimney, emitting a little residual heat, obviously it had just been lit and tested. A small red rope was tied to the front of the vehicle, a lucky charm that the craftsmen had specially tied on for good fortune.

The second item is a small model of a steamship, with exquisitely crafted propellers on both sides. Each propeller blade is polished smooth and rounded, and even small windows are carved on the cabin. The anchor and ropes are also made.

The third item is a miniature steam boring machine, complete with a tool post, tailstock, and pulleys. When the handle is turned, the spindle rotates smoothly as silk, without the slightest bit of jamming...

The fourth item is a small model of a twin-roll mill. Between the two rolls is a flattened copper sheet with smooth and neat edges, without even a burr. It was specially rolled by the craftsmen yesterday to show His Majesty the effect. The copper sheet is of uniform thickness, like paper.

The fifth item is a steam water pump model. It has a copper water basin attached to the bottom, and the small water pipe sticks out high. When you turn on the switch, water "gurgles" out and sprays into the small porcelain jar next to it, splashing up tiny water droplets and wetting a small patch of the carpet next to it, making a splashing sound.

Liu Ce put down his cinnabar brush and walked down, slowly circling the five models. He reached out and gently flicked the drive wheel of the steam locomotive. The wheel spun with a "click," causing the connecting rod to swing up and down, just like a real locomotive running.

He then twirled the copper sheet rolled out by the rolling mill; its edges were so smooth they didn't scratch his hand. He placed it on his fingertip to test its thickness.

"They're all done? The full-size ones are done too?" Liu Ce touched the cold car body with his fingertips, his voice filled with barely concealed surprise.

"Your Majesty!" Song Yingxing stood ramrod straight, his voice brimming with pride, like a general reporting a victory.

"Not only the models, but all the full-size prototypes are finished. The durability tests have been running for half a month, and they've all passed! Not a single one has had a problem!"

"The steam locomotive ran on a temporary railway track laid out in the suburbs of Beijing for a whole month, reaching a top speed of 80 miles per hour! The daily average speed was 40 miles per hour, and it carried 100 tons of coal for the entire journey without any effort. People along the way gathered around to watch, saying that it was an 'iron ox descending to earth.' Some old ladies even put eggs and steamed buns on the tracks as offerings, almost blocking the tracks.

It took me a lot of effort to persuade them to leave, saying that it was a machine, not a divine ox."

"The steamship was tested on the Yangqu Canal, loaded with grain and going upstream at three times the speed of the boatmen pulling it! The boatmen on the bank were dumbfounded, and they circled the ship three times, saying that they might lose their jobs in the future."

I told them that steamships would also need to hire sailors and cargo handlers in the future. It would be easier than hauling loads, and the pay would be higher. Only then were they relieved and asked when they would be hiring.

"The boring machine has been put into production, and the machining accuracy of cylinders is now stable within three microns. Previously, three out of ten cylinders were scrapped; now, less than two out of a hundred are scrapped—the pass rate is at its maximum!"

"The rolling mill has successfully rolled out the first batch of standard iron plates. They are of uniform thickness and have a smooth surface, ten times better than those forged by blacksmiths hammer by hammer! The iron plates rolled out in one day are equivalent to those for a hundred blacksmiths working for a month. Old blacksmith Wang Chui touched the iron plates and cried for a long time, saying that he had been a blacksmith for forty years and this was the first time he had seen such smooth iron plates.

He never dared to dream of such a thing before."

"Not to mention the water pump, it actually pumped water out of that old well in the western suburbs of Beijing that had been dry for ten years! The local people all rushed to watch, saying it was some kind of 'Dragon King's manifestation,' and they almost kowtowed to the water pump and even wanted to drape it with red silk. We couldn't stop them."

After listening, Liu Ce remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he laughed, not the dignified laugh of an emperor, but a genuine laugh from the heart, his gums almost showing, and he patted Song Yingxing's shoulder heavily:

"Excellent! Very good! This past year has been worthwhile! You guys have done a great service to the Han Dynasty!"

He cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Song Yingxing, listen to the imperial decree."

Song Yingxing quickly stopped laughing, bowed deeply, and straightened his back.

"Song Yingxing, Minister of Works, has made outstanding contributions to the supervision of the Ministry of Works Research Institute. His organization of the research and development of steam engines and related technologies has yielded remarkable results. He is hereby promoted one rank, awarded one million coins in silver, and bestowed with one hundred jars of imperial wine and twenty bolts of brocade..."

"All personnel of the Ministry of Works Research Institute who participated in the research and development of steam engines and related technologies will be promoted one rank and their monthly salary will be doubled. Those who make outstanding contributions will be nominated by you, and I will personally approve them, granting them official titles and residences."

"Furthermore, the annual budget of the Ministry of Industry's Research Institute will be increased to 50 million coins per year. Materials will be supplied nationwide on a priority basis, and no department may obstruct it. Anyone who dares to hold us back should report directly to the Emperor."

Song Yingxing opened his mouth, intending to offer a few polite words of "Your Majesty, I am unworthy of such praise," but upon hearing "the monthly salary of all staff will be doubled" and "a budget of fifty million," his nose stung with tears, and he swallowed back all his pleasantries. He bowed deeply, his voice slightly hoarse.

"On behalf of all the staff of the research institute, I thank Your Majesty for your great favor!"

"Alright, alright, stop looking so gloomy." Liu Ce smiled and helped him up.

"It's not good for someone your age to cry. Hurry back and tell them the news: the whole hospital is off tonight, let's have a good drink! I'll pay for the drinks, it'll be on the imperial treasury. There'll be plenty of beef and mutton, and we'll use the iron pots from our steel rolling mill for hot pot! Let them drink to their hearts' content!"

Song Yingxing wiped his eyes and immediately grinned:

"Your Majesty, rest assured! I'll have someone set up that big iron pot at the entrance of the research institute as soon as I get back! It'll be made from iron plates we rolled ourselves; I guarantee it'll be delicious! Zhang Tie even said he'd personally take charge of the cooking, claiming he's better at cooking than firing a cannon!"