Chapter 494: Ideological Shifts

The roar of the machines was as pleasant as beautiful music.

The combination of the steam engine and the drilling machine was a huge power revolution for the Great Yu Empire, but for Xiao Ming, this was not enough, because a single steam engine driving only one drilling machine was a huge waste of mechanical power.

In fact, in the Industrial Revolution, one steam engine was meant to drive multiple machines, which was the true value of the steam engine. And to make one machine drive several lathes required the perfect application of connecting rods and crankshafts.

So, he said, “Lin Wentao, for Qingzhou, this is a great step forward, but have you ever thought about having one steam engine drive multiple machine tools? I remember telling you about the problem of connecting rods and crankshafts. One connecting rod, one crankshaft, might be able to drive two, three, or even four drilling machines. In this way, a workshop might only need four or five steam engines to drive hundreds of lathes, and this will greatly improve the utilization efficiency of the steam engine.”

“Your Highness, Zhang Liu and I are considering this problem. Zhang Liu is currently researching how to make one crankshaft drive five drilling machines simultaneously. If successful, we will continue to consider driving more machinery. After all, Your Highness has instructed us to produce a considerable number of Jenny looms. If each machine requires a steam engine, our steam engine workshop will not be able to handle it,” Lin Wentao said seriously.

Xiao Ming nodded. He was relieved that Lin Wentao was already working on this. He didn’t want Europe to surpass them in industry in this era either, at least in some areas, he wanted to be ahead.

This time, he had an in-depth conversation with Claire in Zeelandia, and Claire was full of confidence in Europe’s development, which meant that at least for now, Claire believed they were still in the lead.

“That sets me at ease. You and Zhang Liu must speed up and get the steam engines to drive the spinning machines as soon as possible,” Xiao Ming instructed. “Qingzhou’s textile industry depends on you.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Wentao immediately felt the burden on his shoulders increase, but restoring magical machines from books was his only interest at the moment, and he was full of enthusiasm.

After observing the drilling machines driven by steam engines, Xiao Ming and his entourage left the workshop. The steam engine had just been invented, and further research was still needed. He was still counting on using steam locomotives to connect the enfeoffed territory into a whole.

Moreover, to truly suppress the barbarians, steam locomotives were also essential, because in this way, he could transport troops and supplies to the grasslands via steam locomotives. The barbarians, losing their cavalry mobility advantage, would forever submit at his feet.

However, these scenes he could only imagine for now. After all, just building steam locomotives and railway tracks was a huge project. For this, he needed a large number of slaves as laborers.

“This steam engine has truly opened my eyes. It is indeed as remarkable as Your Highness said. If the steam engine is popularized in the enfeoffed state, it will increase the productivity of the enfeoffed state by a hundredfold.”

The group walked leisurely along the Xiaoqing River outside the workshop, and Pang Yukun let out a sigh of admiration.

Zhan Xingchang was also speechless. The rapid changes in Qingzhou had caught him a bit off guard as well. Now, he and Pang Yukun often went to the Bowen Academy library to read.

These books were all written by Xiao Ming stroke by stroke and then published by the newspaper office. From these political affairs books, they seemed to have entered a whole new world.

Especially the world geography knowledge in the library, he learned for the first time that there were such dangerous and powerful countries outside the Great Yu Empire. On the entire world map, the Great Yu Empire was just a small corner, and their enfeoffed state was just a small dot on the map.

Today, Xiao Ming was very happy because of the steam engine. He said, “Now you should understand how much the Great Yu Empire has fallen behind, right? Many Western countries are still ahead of us. If we don’t strive to catch up, we will be beaten sooner or later.”

Pang Yukun’s expression became solemn. He had also seen the world map in the library, which even marked the colonial territories of Western countries worldwide.

He said, “Before, I didn’t understand Your Highness’s painstaking efforts, always thinking that the Great Yu Empire was a celestial kingdom, destined for a magnificent scene where all nations came to pay tribute. But now I finally understand that I was merely a frog in a well. From now on, I will fully cooperate with Your Highness.”

“I as well,” Zhan Xingchang said.

Xiao Ming smiled. Pang Yukun was the chief minister of the enfeoffed state, and it was rare for him to change his way of thinking. With the explosion of technology in Qingzhou, the political system of the enfeoffed state must also adapt to the times.

Now that Pang Yukun had expressed his stance like this, he felt at ease.

“Not bad, you haven’t become completely ossified,” Xiao Ming said with a faint smile.

Pang Yukun gave an embarrassed smile and said to Xiao Ming, “Your Highness, I wonder what you saw and heard during your trip to Ryukyu. Could you tell this official about it?”

Ever since he came into contact with the Dutch, Xiao Ming felt it was necessary to popularize current world knowledge in official circles to cope with the enfeoffed state’s overseas trade. So, by the river, while admiring the spring water, he told Pang Yukun and others about the Dutch in Zeelandia and the war with Japan.

Everyone listened, frequently expressing exclamations of surprise. Their eyes had truly been opened.

After chatting by the river for a while, seeing that it was getting late, he and the others returned to the city and went their separate ways.

In the Prince’s Mansion, Fei Yuer had been waiting for Xiao Ming all afternoon.

She learned that Xiao Ming had entered the city at noon, but she waited and waited and still didn’t see Xiao Ming return until evening.

“Your Highness, you must have been stopped by Chief Minister Pang on the way again,” Fei Yuer said, looking at Xiao Ming reproachfully, while dusting off his cloak.

A short separation is better than a new marriage. Seeing Fei Yuer, Xiao Ming felt warm inside. The feeling of having a virtuous wife waiting at home while he was away was subtle. He grabbed Fei Yuer’s small hand and said, “Princess, did you miss me?”

Fei Yuer said with a mix of coquetry and annoyance, “No, it would be good if Your Highness stayed away for two months.”

“Hahahaha…” Xiao Ming was amused by Fei Yuer’s womanly demeanor. He pulled Fei Yuer into his arms and said, “My trip to Ryukyu was not in vain. This time I brought back a lot of sugarcane. In the next two days, I will have the craftsmen refine white sugar. With white sugar, I can make hard candy for you.”

“White sugar? What’s hard candy?” Fei Yuer looked surprised.

Xiao Ming smiled and said, “Princess, don’t worry, you’ll know in a couple of days. This thing is very delicious.”

“Alright, Your Highness must not deceive your humble wife,” Fei Yuer said.

Xiao Ming nodded lightly. Another gain from his return from Ryukyu this time was white sugar.