When he came to the Ministry of Heavenly Engineering, Zhang Nan went directly to Mozu, after all, Mozu has always been presiding over the research in this research. It's better to ask anyone than to ask Mo Zu to come, after all, when Zhang Nan is not there, the entire Tiangong Department will listen to Mo Zu.

At this time, Mo Zu was sitting in front of his desk writing and drawing, although Mo Zu was old, but his skills still did not fall behind, and most of the things taken out by the Tiangong Department were drawings that had been improved by Mo Zu. It can be said that Mo Zu is the highest-level craftsman in the Heavenly Ministry of Works.

Zhang Nan came to the door and saw that Mo Zu was writing something with his head down, so he knocked on the door of Mo Zu's office, and when he heard the knock, Mo Zu raised his head.

"Oh? Qingquan, why did you come to the Ministry of Heavenly Engineering, come on, come in. Mo Zu beckoned and said.

Zhang Nan walked in, pulled over a chair and sat in front of Mo Zu.

"Mozu, what's going on with our steam train?" Zhang Nan asked.

"Eh, don't hide it from Qingquan, you say, this steam train is really not easy to get, there are too many things involved between this train and the rails." Mo Zu scratched his head and said, it seems that this steam train has also brought Mo Zu a lot of trouble.

This is also a matter of no choice, after all, due to the limitation of the process, it is also very difficult to create a rail with a high fit with the iron wheel by hand, not to mention the problem of loading.

"Then let's put the matter of the steam train aside, this thing can be studied later, and now there is a more important thing waiting for the people of the Ministry of Heavenly Works to overcome." Zhang Nan said.

"Oh? What is it? Mo Zu wondered.

"Well, in fact, we have already started this thing, but I don't know how this thing is, whether it can be made, it is the steamer." Zhang Nan said.

"Ah, Qingquan, you said the boat, haven't we already made a model?" Mo Zu scratched his head and said.

"The model is made, but what the emperor wants to see is the real thing, the emperor has already said, now the entire Ministry of Heavenly Works will use all the manpower and material resources to build a steam ship, if you come up with a feasible plan, then go directly to the Ministry of Industry to build." Zhang Nan said.

"It's simple, we've experimented with that model many times, and now we can let the Ministry of Engineering start building, we build the steam engine here, they build the ship there, and wait until everything is built and the steam engine is installed." Mo Zu said with a smile.

Zhang Nan thought that he would have to wait for a while to see a good model, but Zhang Nan didn't expect that he had come up with a practical plan here. So Zhang Nan asked Mozu for a drawing, and with these two things, he went directly to the Ministry of Heavenly Works to find Wei Tianwu.

"Yo, Lord Zhang, rare guests." As soon as Wei Tianwu saw Zhang Nan walk into the door of the Ministry of Industry, he quickly walked down from his position and said.

"Lord Wei doesn't need to be so polite, it's a business to come to Lord Wei today." Zhang Nan said with a smile.

"Business? Mo is not the thing about that ship? Wei Tianwu asked.

"That's right, it's about that steamship, Master Wei can order someone to start building it now." Zhang Nan said, then took out the drawings in his arms and handed them to Wei Tianwu.

Wei Tianwu took the drawings and looked at them, and the look of surprise on his face was overflowing.

"Lord Zhang, the speed of the Ministry of Industry is fast enough this day, the emperor has just given the order, I thought about waiting for a month, I didn't expect it to be so fast." Wei Tianwu arrived.

"Actually, I didn't expect that this drawing had already been drawn over there, so now I have to pay more attention to Lord Wei." Zhang Nan said with a smile.

Wei Tianwu nodded, and then put his eyes on the drawings that Zhang Nan gave him. Then he asked: "Dare to ask Lord Zhang, the ship on your drawing is said to be thirty zhang long?" ”

Wei Tianwu couldn't believe it, although Wei Tianwu was not an expert in shipbuilding, but these thirty zhang were indeed a bit too long, you must know that this is a hundred meters, limited by the limitations of technology.

The longest boat before the Tang Dynasty is probably the dragon boat that Emperor Yang of Sui made in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, but the dragon boat is only twenty zhang.

Zhang Nan nodded and said: "That's right, we have to be this length, you know, we have to sail on the sea this time, if the ship is too small, it can't resist the wind and waves, and we have to bring back a lot of things from overseas this time, so this ship has to be bigger." ”

Seeing that Wei Tianwu had a difficult look on his face, Zhang Nan asked strangely, "What's the matter, is there anything wrong with Lord Wei?" Or is there something difficult? If there is a problem, we can discuss and solve it. ”

Wei Tianwu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Actually, there is no big problem, but if Lord Zhang wants a boat of this size, there may not be a ship of this size near Chang'an City." ”

"Oh? Why is that? Zhang Nan asked strangely.

"Lord Zhang, this ship is thirty zhang, where can we launch such a big ship near us? Even if we build this ship, I'm afraid it will be difficult to sail to the sea, and if the boat runs aground in this river, the ship will be stuck, and the river will be widened at that time, and it will cost life and money, so this ship, only those docks by the sea can be built. ”

Wei Tianwu shook his head with a wry smile.

When Zhang Nan heard this, he thought that this was really the case, although Chang'an City is now surrounded by eight rivers around Chang'an, but there is really no way to put such a big boat in the river.

"Since this is the case, then I will go to the palace to find the emperor and ask him to send someone to the dock by the sea to supervise the construction, and then send the steam engine here in Chang'an City when it is ready." Zhang Nan thought for a while and said.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to bother Master Zhang to make a trip." Wei Tianwu arched his hand.

Zhang Nan arched his hand, quickly left the Ministry of Industry, and went directly to the palace to find Comrade Li Er, although he had just come out of the palace.

This time, Zhang Nan learned wisely, and knew that it had not been long since he dressed Li Er, and Comrade Li Er must have been where Empress Changsun was, so he went directly to Empress Changsun, and as soon as he walked to the gate, Zhang Nan saw Liu Bing standing straight at the door.

"Hey, Lao Liu, I'm here." Zhang Nan greeted Liu Bing with a smile.

Liu Bing saw that it was Zhang Nan who came, and hurriedly asked, "Lord Zhang, why are you here, haven't you just been out of the palace for a short time?" ”

"Hey, there are some minor problems with the things explained by the emperor, so isn't this coming to the emperor?" Zhang Nan said.

"I see, Lord Zhang later, our family will go and report to Lord Zhang." After Liu Bing finished speaking, he turned around and went into the house to report to Zhang Nan.

It didn't take long for Liu Bing to come out.

"Lord Zhang, the emperor let you in."