Great Ming: I, Zhu Di, Declare My Intentions to Seize the Throne from the Start!

The Ming Dynasty delegation, headed by Zhu Yuanzhang, slowly raised their heads and followed with their eyes. In front of them, two giant blast furnaces 'towering into the clouds' moved upward.

It’s just too tall and too big!

The two blast furnaces are twenty feet high.

diameter, although there is no exact data.

But by visual inspection, it is at least ten feet!

Around the blast furnace, various supporting workbenches are even taller.

There are workers active on the workbench on each floor. From time to time, signal lights of various colors will light up and flash on the workbench on each floor.

The two blast furnaces are connected by a plank road.

A very large diversion trough for raw and cooked iron slurry, with ten diversion troughs.

Below, in ten steam-driven converters, the fiery red slurry sprays out fiery red and viscous waves of fire as the converters rotate, and sparks fly.

Shocking!

So shocking!

Even though they are still hundreds of meters apart.

It shocked everyone beyond measure.

Zhu Biao curled his fingers slightly and stared at the 'vicious beast' in front of him. The dark 'vicious beast' made entirely of steel was too oppressive to him.

The moment I suddenly raised my head to take a closer look at the whole scene.

He seemed to see Lao Si standing on top of this giant steel beast, giving orders, driving this beast to trample towards him and towards the entire Ming Dynasty!

Haven't seen it with my own eyes.

It’s impossible to truly understand the ‘Yanhua Muscle’ and ‘Yanhua Power’ mentioned repeatedly in Jinyiwei’s secret music!

Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead and walked forward quickly.

Everyone came to their senses and hurriedly followed.

Zhu Yuanzhang, accompanied by Zhu Di, arrived outside the green warning line.

After taking the helmet from Zhu Di, he put it on and felt the heat wave on the pavement. He raised his head high, squinted his eyes and looked at it carefully, feeling the shock from the industry.

At a certain moment, he suddenly asked: How much steel does this 100,000-ton steel-making furnace produce every day?

Zhu Biao and others who were looking at him also looked at Zhu Di and raised their ears at the same time.

Zhu Di felt everyone's eyes on him and replied: Your Majesty, the designed production capacity is five hundred tons per day. If necessary, the maximum production capacity can be increased to one thousand tons per day. However, our daily production capacity is less than The designed rated production capacity is now 400 tons of steel per day.”

no way.

After a round of official-led construction stimulus.

Demand, from the initial rated production capacity, fell back to the current level of 400 tons in just one year.

According to the estimate.

The current daily production capacity of 400 tons will continue to decline and shrink in the future.

However, from him to the cabinet, they are not worried about the shrinking demand.

They had this in mind when they expanded the steelmaking plant to the extreme.

Promote ten-year rural construction.

Essentially, it's about building a steelmaking plant to the extreme.

In a short period of time, through direct intervention, extreme demand for steel was generated.

The essential purpose is to rapidly expand production capacity and quickly reduce production costs in a short period of time.

Only when production costs are quickly lowered will more and more people use steel products.

And then quickly complete the industrialization of steelmaking.

This approach, of course, has the flavor of pushing back the efforts of others.

But he knew it was possible.

Moreover, this was not a decision he made arbitrarily.

The Economic Research Division also supports this approach to industrialization.

If we relied solely on the normal demand of the people, the large-scale steelmaking industry would never have started in the 26th year of Hongwu.

It took just five years.

From the initial annual output of one thousand tons, it has expanded to the current annual output of three hundred thousand tons.

An emerging industry, from germination to industrialization.

The Economic Research Department believes that there are only two ways, one is to slowly cultivate demand and the market.

Another way is to use power to artificially create demand and market.

In the former, as demand increases, the market expands, production capacity expands, and the cost of the industrial chain decreases, the final price of industrial products is at a reasonable level.

The shortcomings are very obvious, the speed is very slow.

The latter, artificially creates demand...

The advantage is that it is fast and can allow the Yanhua regime and the people to enjoy new products of high quality and low price in a very short time.

Yanhua can use this to enhance the combat effectiveness of the army and the national strength.

And people can use this to improve their lives.

Why, in just five or six years, almost every household in Yanhua has two or three bicycles?

It is thanks to the past five or six years.

In Yanhua County, in the process of artificially creating demand, steelmaking production capacity has increased exponentially, resulting in a rapid decline in steelmaking costs.

Zhu Di frowned slightly when he saw Zhu Yuanzhang.

Understanding why Zhu Yuanzhang was like this, he explained with a smile: Father, even if the maximum production capacity reaches one thousand tons, the annual production capacity of this steel furnace is only about one hundred thousand tons.

Everyone immediately frowned.

Is Zhu Laosi fooling everyone about his bad math skills?

The maximum daily production capacity is one thousand tons.

Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, that’s 365,000 tons!

Such a simple multiplication problem actually fooled everyone?

Zhu Di explained: Such a large steel furnace cannot produce continuously for 365 days a year and requires frequent maintenance. According to our tests, once the maximum daily production capacity is produced, according to our current technology, the steel furnace will use nine times. In about ten days, it will be completely scrapped.”

The current refractory bricks and steel furnace steel quality are still not good enough.

Once transferred to maximum production.

The damage caused to the equipment is permanent.

Maintenance is simply not enough to extend the life of your equipment.

Extreme production can only be carried out under certain necessary conditions. Extreme production conditions, such as a protracted war, which consumes a huge amount of steel every day, can only be achieved at the expense of equipment in exchange for temporary benefits. Capacity.”

Zhu Biao curiously asked: Fourth, according to you, once the production reaches the limit, what will happen if the equipment is completely scrapped three months later? If there is a protracted war, and your steelmaking equipment is completely scrapped, wouldn't the situation be even worse?

Zhu Di smiled, shook his head, and said firmly: No, if our Yanhua industrial capacity is fully mobilized, we can build two more such steel-making furnaces in three months.

Zhu Biao was silent.

He understood what the fourth child meant.

Once Yanhua faces a huge danger, it will need to produce steel at its maximum capacity.

Although within three months.

A steelmaking furnace will be completely scrapped.

But Yanhua has the ability to scrap one and build two more within three months!

In the end, Yanhua can kill his opponent even if he hits it with steel!

…

Zhu Yunwen silently pictured in his mind that Yanhua could produce one million tons of steel per year with this extreme production method, and his face could not help but turn pale.

million tons!

It was really hard for him to imagine what a horrifying figure this was.

And once Yanhua produces in extreme form, it does not care about the cost of equipment loss.

It is not impossible to produce one million tons per year!

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Biao, said nothing, turned his head, and continued to look at the blast furnace where the heat wave was coming.

No news about that little guy Jin Mi?

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but think of Wang Jinmi.

This blast furnace, which exudes industrial charm and ferociousness, was conceived and designed by that little guy.

Zhu Di was stunned for a moment, and then he understood why Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned Wang Jinmi at this moment, and the worry flashed in his eyes: Well, it's been several years.

It stands to reason that since we have found the northernmost land on the other side of the Bering Strait, North America.

Exploring along the land coastline is not too dangerous.

However, there is no danger from nature.

But the danger from humans cannot be underestimated.

After all, there should be huge tribes and political powers on the American continent.

Zhu Yuanzhang noticed the worry in Zhu Di's eyes, smiled and reassured: Don't worry, this little guy Jin Mi is smart, he will be fine.

After saying that, he was reluctant to leave. He glanced at the blast furnace with envy, turned around and said, Let's go, take father to see other places.

…

Headed by Zhu Biao, Daming visited everyone and followed them out of the factory. After getting in the car, they couldn't help but turn their heads and cast their eyes on the factory again.

…

Rumble.

In the large factory building, the roaring noise of the steam engine makes people want to vomit.

Zhu Di looked at the pale faces of Zhu Biao and others and winked at Yong Ming. Yong Ming took out a small cloth bag and turned around to distribute earplugs to everyone.

Zhu Di took out two pairs of earplugs and handed them to Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying, Father, it may be uncomfortable to enter this environment for the first time in a closed factory. It will be better to wear earplugs.

Zhu Yuanzhang listened carefully and barely heard Zhu Di's shouting at the top of his lungs.

He looked at the earplugs handed to him.

He took a pair and handed it to Ma Xiuying.

But he waved his hand, Father is fine!

As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the production line in front of him.

A huge steel billet, which turned red after preheating, was placed on the rolling line by more than a dozen workers.

As the conveyor belt rolls forward.

Various machines on the steel rolling production line, which he could not name, were driven by steam power.

Press the billet into steel plate...

Finally, after the finished product came out, it had formed one of the steam locomotive head parts with various holes and a very complex pattern.

It looks like the front of a train locomotive and the front outline of the carriage.

The workers lifted the component, cooled it down, and quickly moved it to the production line workbench ahead.

The workers at the workbench took rivets and quickly riveted this part with several other parts.

Sure enough, as he judged, it was the head part of a steam locomotive.

After several parts were riveted and connected, it was clearly the same as the steam locomotive head cover he saw.

…

All morning long.

Zhu Di took everyone to visit the steel mill, train locomotive, carriage manufacturing factory, and coastal defense gun casting factory.

Until everyone braved the scorching sun.

Climb into the carriage.

On the way back to the palace from the mangrove path that leads directly to the palace.

My ears are still ringing.

It seems that the roar of the steam engine can still be heard.

Zhu Biao was riding in a carriage with Chang, Wang Meiren and Lu.

It was very quiet inside the carriage.

Crown Princess Chang looked calm.

On the other hand, Meiren Wang and Mrs. Lu's faces were a little pale.

During the morning visit, they saw an extremely powerful Yanhua!

Everywhere I walked was filled with the coldness of steel! The roar of the steam engine!

Once Ming and Yanhua go to war, can they defeat such a powerful Yanhua?

Beauty Wang and Mrs. Lu couldn't help but look at Zhu Biao with their peripheral vision.

Zhu Biao didn't notice.

Staring out the window, the mangrove trees retreating in a daze.

The steel mills and steaming production lines are certainly astounding.

But he was thinking more.

Why can't the imperial court cast large-caliber coastal defense guns?

I visited today and he saw it too.

Yanhua's method of casting cannons also uses clay molds.

As for the lack of steel, over the years, the imperial court has successively ordered a batch of steel from Yanhua under various names and handed it over to the cannon foundry for casting.

Clay molds are also used.

But until now, the large-caliber coastal defense guns cast by the imperial court still cannot solve the problem of trachoma.

Not to mention performance.

The yield rate, which was barely usable, was so low that it made him angry.

For every hundred doors, only five are barely usable.

This kind of yield rate and the cost incurred are five times higher than purchasing coastal defense artillery directly from Laosi Yanhua!

A Yanhua, a high-performance coastal defense gun, only costs 10,000 taels of silver.

But the imperial court cast it by itself. Not to mention poor performance, the cost was fifty thousand taels!

Why is the gap so big?

…

Fourth, tell me the truth, why is it that in the imperial cannon foundry, Brother You stole your Yanhua's cannon casting technology, and even purchased the steel from you, but couldn't make a cannon with excellent performance?

At this moment, inside the carriage at the front.

Zhu Yuanzhang also raised this issue.

Zhu Di sighed, Father, although it may seem like making cannons is just playing in the mud, the technology involved is actually not at all simpler than the train and locomotive production line, and is even more difficult.

A qualified worker, after simple training, can produce on the motorcycle production line.

But until now, we have mastered the technology of casting coastal defense guns for nearly ten years, but there are only more than a thousand senior engineers who can actually make clay molds!

A coast defense gun has a minimum length of ten meters. The larger the clay mold is, the more likely it is that subtle problems will occur during the plasticity process of the clay mold. And a small and subtle problem may cause a coast defense gun to be damaged. In the end, the production failed. During the process of clay mold shaping, the experience and feel of the workers were tested...

Generally speaking, the smaller the technology products are, the more difficult they are to manufacture.

But it just so happens that the cannon is pointed backwards.

The larger the cannon, the more difficult it is to mold the clay mold, and the casting process is more likely to cause problems.

It is precisely because clay mold casting is too difficult.

Long after the advent of the steam engine.

The Science and Technology Research Department began to study drilling methods and centrifugal methods.

The drilling method is to imitate the manufacturing of muskets.

However, now I am stuck on the drill bit issue.

Drill a hole with a diameter of more than ten or tens of centimeters and a minimum length of ten meters.

The required drill bit cannot be solved by enlarging the musket barrel drill bit.

The law of centrifugation is a concept.

Some researchers have proposed to put molten steel into a sandwich iron pipe.

While filling with molten steel, steam is used to provide power to rotate the sandwich iron pipe at high speed.

In this way, the molten steel will be evenly distributed in the interlayer of the iron pipe before cooling. Then, as long as the cooled steel pipe in the interlayer is withdrawn, a gun barrel without any trachoma defects can be produced. .

The idea is great and the concept is great.

However, the centrifugation method involves undoubtedly more technical difficulties.

Moreover, what Jin Yiwei stole at the beginning was only technology, and production not only required technology, but also designed process technology during the production process. Jin Yiwei did not understand industry and did not pay attention to this part of technology. Therefore, the imperial court cast cannons. The factory’s yield is so low.”

If the Imperial Cannon Foundry had mastered the process technology.

Even if the performance is not good.

But at least the yield rate won’t be that bad!

The so-called process technology, let's take coastal defense cannon as an example. In the process of shaping mud molds, we have given full play to the enthusiasm of workers and spent a lot of time on the sequence of adding different sediments and the sequence of various mud molds. It took countless time and money to find the best process. In the initial theft and misappropriation, as well as in the subsequent production practice, the factories of the imperial court and the merchants in the Central Plains only valued the technology of the product itself, and did not really pay attention to the production process. in, process technology.”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and remained silent.

In his heart, he couldn't help but blame Zhu Biao.

If these matters were discussed with Lao Si, Lao Si could have given him his full support.

But being too smart and unable to save face led to the fact that after so many years, the Imperial Cannon Foundry still couldn't even improve its yield rate.

After doing it over and over again, the final result is that it is better to buy than to build?

Be smart!

…

In the following days, Zhu Di stopped accompanying the visitors and issued special permits to everyone.

Zhu Biao headed the Ming Dynasty delegation and could visit anywhere in Yanhua.

Zhu Biao went to the steamed Tuqiao Village Bicycle Factory, the Shen family's watch factory, the Grand Theater, the zoo, the biogas lighting factory...

During this period, Zhu Di found time again.

A train locomotive was specially adjusted.

Pulling several special carriages prepared for him by the cabinet, he accompanied everyone on the train to and from the Central Plains of Luzon.

Really experience riding a train.

…

at the same time.

South China Sea.

It is still about fifty miles away from Yanjing.

A very embarrassed fleet is sailing slowly.

Three of them even had their sails broken and could only rely on other ships to tow them.

Headed up, on the flagship deck.

Wang Jinmi and Tan Wu looked at the bright light of the lighthouse in the distance at night.

Tan Wu turned his head and looked at Wang Jinmi, peeling off a black and burnt thing, and laughed and scolded: If you eat it again, you will eat up all the seeds we brought back. If Zhou Chao knows, I have to fight you tooth and nail!

Jin Mi smiled and bit off the soft, waxy white part exposed after peeling off the burnt black skin. While chewing, he said vaguely: It's okay. As long as there are a few of these earth lumps, they will take root and sprout. Propagation can be achieved by inserting stems, and who told Zhou Chao not to go with us...

Uncle Tan, don't tell me, these lumps are quite delicious. It's a pity that the kimchi we brought has been eaten up. Otherwise, it should be more delicious with kimchi.

Tan Wu couldn't help laughing and shaking his head when he heard Jin Mi's unclear voice.

Said: This thing is indeed a good thing, the taste is not bad, the requirements for land are not high, and most importantly, the requirements for rain are not demanding, and the yield is not small. If it can be cultivated in our Yanhua, after success, the single With this thing, I can feed countless people.”

Jin Mi nodded, Our Yanhua is okay, mainly because it has a greater impact on the Central Plains. There are too many places in the Central Plains that cannot be reclaimed to grow traditional food crops. Let's talk about the Mongolian-Han Demonstration Area. Guanzhong and Shanxi have good harvests of millet, Although crops such as millet can also be grown in the Mongolian-Han Demonstration Zone, the yield is only half of that in the Guanzhong Demonstration Zone. As a result, the most commonly grown crops in the Mongolian-Han Demonstration Zone are corn and sorghum. The drought in Ganzhou was severe. At the beginning, our senior sister and I were in The master returned to the court to help in the war. During the Northern Expedition and the destruction of the Yuan Dynasty, he traveled to the Ganzhou area. It was really desolate over there and the people were really poor. Even the corn harvest there was not very good. If this lump of soil could survive in Ganzhou Planting, we Han people in the Central Plains can migrate to Ganzhou on a large scale...

I'm resting on Jilong Island. Didn't I say that my master, the prince and the others are in our Yanjing? When I go back this time, I will take out this dirt. I want to see if the prince will target my master again. If Unlike my master who has devoted so much to the Ming Dynasty for so many years, the prince is not sure what he will be like now!

Tan Wu glanced at Jin Mi, who was filled with indignation.

While they were resting on Jilong Island, they heard the news about the shelling of Tuqiao Village and the prince's dispatch of Songjiangkou Division to Jilong Island.

To be honest, he didn't know how to evaluate the prince.

Who gave the prince the courage.

Challenge them Yanhua?

If the prince hadn't unintentionally caught Yuan.

Otherwise, everyone wants to follow the prince and explore and expand the living space for the descendants of Yan and Huang across the four seas.

Not interested in the Central Plains.

If it weren't for the relationship with the grandson, with Yanhua's current strength, would it be his turn to be the crown prince?

He even doubted it.

If the prince reveals to his majesty now that he wants to conquer the Central Plains.

Your Majesty will most likely depose the crown prince and replace him with a prince!

Tan Wu patted Jin Mi on the shoulder, Don't be angry. If the prince, after hearing about this huge continent we discovered this time, will still be worried about our prince and target our prince everywhere, it is impossible to say that even if the prince is not willing, our Yan The Chinese army and the people must carry the prince, fight back to the Central Plains, and pull the prince off the throne!

Jin Mi couldn't help but laugh.

It's not a joke that Tan Wu was loud.

Instead, he laughed at Tan Wu for being unrealistic.

In today's world, who dares to make decisions for the master?

Even if we have to fight back to the Central Plains, it must be the master who is determined.

However, he looks bad!

Starting from Luzon Province and heading south, there is Longzhou waiting for Yanhua to develop and develop.

Starting from Xufu Province to the northeast, there is another territory that is more than ten times larger than Longzhou, waiting for Yanhua to open up.

How could the master return to the Central Plains?

unless……

Junior brother Xiongying will not be able to inherit the position of crown prince in the future.

Once this happens, he can be 100% sure.

An unprecedented battle between Yanhua and Ming Dynasty will inevitably break out!

As the master's students, they have lived with their junior brother Xiongying for so many years. They know very well that junior brother Xiongying and junior brother Yongming have equal weight in the heart of the master and his wife.

Tiger poison does not eat its seeds.

The prince is not a dim-witted person.

It's impossible no matter what, to dethrone my junior brother's position as great grandson, right?

I won't eat anymore. Jin Mi patted his belly and said with a smile: Take the few bags left behind and give them to Junior Brother Xiaoxiao.

Ha ha……

Tan Wu was immediately amused.

They also knew that the prince had another son.

But your little one, your highness, is only a few months old now, right?

‘These little guys are so lucky to have met the prince and princess when they were young. ’

Tan Wu looked at Jin Mi who raised the telescope and couldn't wait to stare in the direction of Yanjing, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

It was a blessing for them to meet the prince.

It's just that there is no way to compare with Jin Mi and other children from Tuqiao Village.

…

The next day.

early morning.

While Meiren was arranging Zhu Biao's clothes, she asked in a worried voice: Prince, are you going to discuss the Grand Cross Railway project with Prince Yan today?

Visit during this time.

Everyone's confidence was shattered.

In the following negotiations, it can be said that the prince has no leverage.

I wonder if this brother-in-law will take advantage of the opportunity to take advantage of the prince.

Um……

Father! Zhu Biaogang snorted lightly, and Zhu Yunzhen suddenly rushed in and said excitedly: I just received the news that the expedition team that my fourth uncle and his friends set off a few years ago will be back soon!

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