Chương 647: Liu Ce Drives the Train

The remaining two carriages are for ministers, the three side carriages are for accompanying guards and lower-ranking officials, and the two cargo carriages are empty today and will be used as spares.

As they stepped into the carriage, several veteran officials visibly paused.

It's not because it's luxurious, it's because it's too "refined"... The floor is made of solid wood, polished so that it reflects your image, and it's stable underfoot without wobbling at all.

The windows on both sides are fitted with flat glass, and the window frames are made of brass tracks that can be pushed and pulled, making them a hundred times brighter than the paper windows of horse-drawn carriages.

A row of kerosene-filled pressurized lamps with reflectors overhead illuminated the carriage brightly without being smoky, making it suitable even for reading.

The most ingenious part is the thin copper tube embedded in the ceiling, with a delicate brass nozzle at the end...

"What is this thing?" Shen Wansan curiously poked the tube; it was ice-cold, so he withdrew his hand.

"Pre-installed interfaces for heating pipes." Song Yingxing was so proud of himself that his nose practically floated in the air.

"The waste heat from the locomotive boiler is conducted through heat exchange pipes, which keeps the temperature in the carriages warm in winter, so people won't get cold. In summer, the windows are opened for ventilation. There are also moisture-proof boards with lead sheets buried under the seats, so your pants won't get damp or musty even after sitting all day, and you won't have to worry about long journeys.

His Majesty specifically instructed that the worst thing about sitting on a long journey is having your bottom damp."

Cai Yong stroked the smooth wooden armrest of the chair, remaining silent for a long time before finally uttering a muffled sentence:

"... Back in the day, when I was driving a mule cart along the ancient Xiaohan Road, the jolting caused my hemorrhoids to flare up several times, but I never had this kind of treatment. This chair alone is a hundred times more comfortable than a horse-drawn carriage."

He patted the armrest of the chair, tested its elasticity, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Then you'd better hold on tight today." Liu Ce walked over from behind, patted him on the shoulder, and headed straight for the driver's seat.

"I'll go check on the driver first, and then I'll show you all what I can do."

Cai Yong was taken aback: "Your Majesty, what are you going to do?"

"Drive, please." Liu Ce turned around and smiled.

"I promised, I'll drive for a while myself."

The ministers behind him instantly erupted in chaos, all rising to their feet to try and dissuade the emperor from personally driving the train.

That's too risky! What if something goes wrong?

An old minister's legs went weak, and he grabbed the armrest and cried out, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Liu Ce waved his hand: "Sit down, don't panic. Nothing will happen, I know what I'm doing. I know how to pull the valve even with my eyes closed."

After saying that, he got out of the car... and then got back in and climbed into the driver's seat.

The Shenwu's cockpit is not large, but it is arranged in a compact and reasonable manner: on the left is the firebox door and the coal shovel position, where the fireman is adding coal, and the firelight makes his face red.

On the right are the steam pressure gauge, water level gauge, speed control valve, and reverse lever. All the instruments are mounted on a brass panel with clear scales and the pointers are quietly in the ready position.

Two large glass windows face the endless railway tracks, and the morning light streams in from outside.

A young man in his twenties, wearing dark blue overalls, was lean and had muscular arms covered with scattered burn scars. He was squatting next to the pressure gauge, making a final check, and the wrench in his hand was clicking loudly.

Hearing the noise, he looked up, saw Liu Ce, and immediately sprang to attention and saluted.

"Your Majesty, I, Zhao Ben, the driver of the Machinery Department of the Ministry of Works, greet you! The locomotive is in good condition, the steam pressure has been preheated to 60%, and it can be started at full pressure at any time! I have checked it three times and confirmed that there are no problems!"

Liu Ce glanced at him and chuckled: "Zhao Ben? That name... it suits trains quite well, you're a natural train driver."

Zhao Ben's ears turned bright red, and he replied, "Your Majesty, it was my father who named it... He said 'Ben' means good luck, because it means running fast, and it's a lucky omen."

"Alright, Zhao Ben, I'll be your partner today." Liu Ce walked to the speed control valve, ran his fingers over the brass handle as skillfully as if he were handling his own chopsticks.

Zhao Ben's eyes widened in disbelief. How did His Majesty even know where the speed control valve was? And how could he feel it so precisely? He had never heard of His Majesty having studied train operation! He opened his mouth, speechless.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty wishes to come personally...?"

"Yes, I'll drive it myself." Liu Ce rolled up his sleeves and glanced at the officials below the locomotive. Their faces all seemed to say, "I want to advise them but I don't dare to. If I don't, my heart will jump out of my chest."

"If you, my dear ministers, are still worried," Liu Ce leaned against the doorframe, his smile both smug and sincere.

"Let me tell you the truth: the operating logic of this thing is essentially no different from driving a horse-drawn carriage: it goes when you give it fuel, stops when you return the fuel, and turns are handled by the tracks, so you don't need to worry about it."

The only crucial things are to prevent the water pressure from falling below the red line and to prevent the fire from going out. I'm watching closely; I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong. Everyone get on the train, and hold on tight, don't derail my train.

... After a while, his right hand deftly and smoothly pulled down the whistle lever...

"Ugh—!!!"

A long, deep whistle echoed through Luojing Station, startling a flock of sparrows above the platform into a flurry of flight, and even sparrows in the distant trees fluttered up in response.

Song Yingxing abruptly waved a green flag down from the control post on the platform.

Zhao Ben was holding the speed control valve and the reverse lever with both hands, while Liu Ce's hand was over the speed control valve. The two looked at each other, and the young man silently moved aside half an inch, handing over the control.

"Start the engine."

The valve handle was slowly pushed forward. A low hiss came from deep inside the pipe, followed by a muffled clang. The vibration of the drive wheel engaging the rails sent a tingling, electric shock through my body.

The entire train... started moving.

It wasn't a sudden charge, nor a catapult launch; it was a heavy, unstoppable, slow yet firm forward movement, like a giant beast taking its first step, its steps steady and carrying undeniable power.

An uncontrollable gasp and laughter erupted from inside the carriage.

Several young officials had already pressed themselves against the window, watching the platform pillars recede one by one, faster and faster, watching the outline of the city walls of Luojing City slide past the window frame, watching the wheat fields and cooking smoke on both sides of the railway tracks rush towards them at a speed they never dared to imagine before, and then "whoosh" fling them behind them.

Shen Wansan gripped the handrail tightly, muttering to himself, "This speed... this speed... if we were transporting goods, how much time could we save..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was so amazed by the view outside the window that he forgot his words.

"Gone... really gone..." an old minister murmured, gripping the armrest of his chair, his lips curving upwards involuntarily, his eyes reddening.

Some people even secretly took out paper and pen, wanting to write down the scene, but their writing became crooked... The car was stable, but this speed was something they wouldn't have dared to imagine before!

The car's speed gradually stabilized at around 40 kilometers per hour.

The Xiaohan section has many bends and the curve radius is not large enough, so we dare not drive too fast. But even so, the scenery outside the window is so fast that it makes the ancients dizzy. The fields, rivers and villages seem to have grown wings and fly backward.

Liu Ce spent half an hour in the driver's seat... personally pushing the speed control valve up and pulling it back, slowing down on curves and accelerating on straightaways...