Originally, the summer of Dongfan Island was hot, and the boiler room was like the inside of a steamer, and the craftsmen who pulled the bellows were sweating, and the furnace fire was blazing, releasing a high temperature enough to burn the steel, and boiling a pot of water to a sudden boil.

"It's moving! It's moving! Xu Zhengming let out an excited shout.

Wang Xinyu was actually more nervous, he stared intently at the rudimentary steam engine, only to see that the flywheel really moved, but it slowly rotated half a circle, and then stopped moving. No matter how the cylinder on the other side spews out white smoke, the flywheel just doesn't move. It took a long time for the flywheel to turn half a turn again.

"Can this thing work? It's not as good as a waterwheel, right? Chen Shuijie shook his head and said.

"The power output is not as strong as the physical strength of the person who pulls the bellows." Another craftsman said.

Wang Xinyu shook his head and said disappointedly: "The air leak is too serious!" In such a boiler, most of the boiling water vapor runs away in vain. ”

Generally, the efficiency of the early steam engine was about 6 to 7 percent, and the efficiency of the later improved steam engine could reach more than 10 percent or even 20 percent, but the efficiency of this "steam engine" is not known to be 0.1 percent, and the water vapor is wasted.

"Why don't you get a sealed boiler?" Wang Xinyu asked.

Song Yingxing replied: "Back to Dashuai, we also tried a sealed boiler, but the gas outlet burst and burned several craftsmen. If it weren't for the high level of doctors here, I'm afraid they wouldn't have been saved. ”

It seems that in order to build a steam engine that can be put into practical use, there are many technical problems that need to be solved. Although the test of the steam engine failed again, Wang Xinyu firmly believed that with such a large number of excellent craftsmen, sooner or later a real steam engine could be built.

And it is extremely ironic that the talent who really has the ability to build a steam engine in this era is still in the hands of the Manchu Qing Dynasty! One of them is Nan Huairen, and the other is Xue Fengzuo! In real history, Nan Huairen made steam-powered toy cars, and Xue Fengzuo was a student of Nan Huairen and could also imitate steam toy cars. It's just that neither Nan Huairen nor Xue Fengzuo took into account that the steam engine could be used to propel large machinery.

Some historical sources say that Nan Huairen made a steam toy car, but it was limited to a steam engine with very little power, and there may still be a gap in making an improved steam engine like Watt.

And Xue Fengzuo was a great scientist back then, and Wang Xinyu really wanted to build a steam engine, maybe he needed Xue Fengzuo's help.

Just when Wang Xinyu felt at a loss, Chen Yonghua, who was standing on the side, suddenly said: "Dashuai, I heard that Nan Huairen once built a small car, that is, if the water is boiled, the car can move, it may be the steam engine you said!" ”

"Nan Huairen? No way? Wang Xinyu was taken aback.

Chen Yonghua replied: "I'm not sure if there is such a thing, but it sounds likely. There is also that Xue Fengzuo, who is a student of Nan Huairen, and he is very good at calculations and sealing of cannon barrels! It would be nice if this person could be of use to us. ”

"If you have the opportunity, you must arrest Xue Fengzuo! The information you provided about this person has been read by this domain, and this person is indeed very powerful. Wang Xinyu nodded and said.

Chen Yonghua nodded and said, "Xue Fengzuo is indeed a rare talent, it's a pity that he has done things for the Tartars!" How nice it would be if this man could be of my use! ”

"You don't have to rush to study this kind of thing, wait until we capture Huguang and arrest Xue Fengzuo, and then get this." Wang Xinyu said.

In fact, among the scientists in the early Qing Dynasty, Dai Zi was only famous in firearms, and in terms of comprehensive ability, Xue Fengzuo was much more powerful than Dai Zi, especially in precision calculation, Xue Fengzuo was a rare talent.

Since the steam engine failed, Wang Xinyu didn't plan to ascend to the sky in one step, so he got the steam engine out at this time, and waited for Xue Fengzuo and others to "invite over" after taking Huguang. Now he wants to build a machine that can control the balloon's flight, so that the balloon can fly in the air without the help of the wind.

In real history, Xu Zhengming built a flying car, which is actually a kind of human-powered helicopter, and Wang Xinyu still knows a little bit about this. So he turned his head and asked Xu Zhengming: "Xiao Xu, do you think you can build a foot-stepping machine to push the propeller, which can be used to propel the balloon to fly?" ”

Xu Zhengming's eyes emitted a bright light: "Back to Dashuai, it seems that you can do it!" As long as there are materials, students can try them. I just don't know if I can make it. ”

Wang Xinyu said with a smile: "I will guarantee you both materials and silver!" It doesn't matter if you can make it or not! Try a few more times, and it's okay if you fail! If we can make this kind of thing, our balloons can fly freely without being tethered, and that will be even more powerful. ”

At present, Wang Xinyu has no plans to build an olive-shaped airship, which requires the development of the rubber industry. To build such a large airship, you need a steam engine as a base. Now there is not even a steam engine, so I will not consider that for the time being.

"Thank you for your love!" Xu Zhengming hurriedly saluted. He likes to explore all kinds of novelties, and when he heard that Wang Xinyu could provide silver and materials, he was naturally the happiest.

Then Wang Xinyu mentioned another thing: "Didn't we build eight hexagonal guns for the navy now?" Can you build a few smaller hexagonal cannons? It doesn't take much, just four or five guns are enough, and when attacking a city, this kind of cannon can play a great role and can completely suppress the enemy's firepower! ”

The hexagonal gun was a front-loading rifled gun with high accuracy and a range that surpassed any smoothbore gun of its era.

If a three-inch caliber army hexagonal cannon can be created, it can play a great role in siege warfare. After entering the era of artillery, the greatest threat to the attacker in siege warfare was naturally the enemy's artillery. To solve the threat of the enemy's artillery to your side, it is necessary to be able to suppress the opponent on the artillery.

Especially when attacking Xiangyang, an extremely perverted fortified city, the Qing army will definitely not have less artillery in Xiangyang, which is protected by the city wall, and the artillery that can shoot condescendingly has a terrain advantage over the attacker's artillery, and the fixed heavy artillery firing angle and the like are adjusted in advance, and the opponent wants to attack the city, and the artillery must first bear the enemy's shelling, so they can only pin their hopes on the opponent's artillery accuracy is not high, so it is very passive.

Once the army front-loading rifled guns are available, the attackers can fire flowering shells out of the enemy's range and destroy the defenders' batteries.

Flowering shells are expensive and are designed specifically to destroy the opponent's artillery; To bombard the gates, use solid cannonballs. Solid shells fired from rifled cannons can knock the city gate to pieces in a few shots. In addition, bombarding the city tower, bombarding the arrow tower, the solid cannonball is actually quite powerful, especially this high-speed solid cannonball, hitting the city bricks, causing the city bricks to burst, just like shrapnel to kill and injure the Qing soldiers behind.

Dai Cang replied: "Back to Dashuai, the cost of hexagonal cannons is too high, and the manufacturing process is too complicated, but since Dashuai needs it, we can build four or six hexagonal cannons for the land division, but it takes a long time." ”

"It's okay, this clan is expected to fight Huguang, and it will be a year later. Within a year, the red-haired armada's fleet must have arrived! Let's defeat the red-haired armada first. It would be easy to have a hexagonal cannon when Huguang was hit, and fortified cities like Wuchang and Xiangyang were not a problem at that time. Wang Xinyu touched his chin and said.

Thousands of miles away, Fuzhou City, Jingnan Palace.

"Pop", an expensive celadon teacup fell to the ground and shattered.

"Jinhua is lost, Wenzhou is lost! That's nothing! But how did Xianxia Pass lose it? It's inexplicable! "Geng Jimao is furious. The hall is littered with ceramic shards.

Kong Yuanzhang, the chief soldier of the Fuzhou Green Battalion, said tremblingly: "Back to the prince, the last general only learned about the loss of Xianxia Pass today." Now that the weather is hot, there are fewer caravans in the past, otherwise I would have known about it a long time ago. ”

Geng Jimao roared angrily: "Jinhua is lost, Wenzhou is lost, it's nothing!" But Xianxia Pass is lost! Isn't that choking us by the neck? If the Haikou attack Fuzhou from the sea, we are defeated, where are we going to run? ”

"Lord Wang, we can ask Guangdong for help......"

Before Kong Yuanzhang's words were finished, he was interrupted by Geng Jimao roaring: "Asking for help from Guangdong? Hum! Shang Kexi, that old turtle will come to save us? Lao Tzu and he have worked together in Guangdong for many years, who does he not know? He wished that Lao Tzu was unlucky! Ask him? It's better to wait for Huguang to come to our rescue! ”

Zu Zepu stepped forward and arched his hand: "Lord Wang, should we immediately send someone to recapture Xianxia Pass?" ”

"Recapture Xianxia Pass?" Geng Jimao shook his head, "It's so easy to talk about!" This Xianxia Guan is a husband and a husband, and it is not open! When my Wang Shi entered Xianxia Pass, Zheng Zhilong let go of a road by himself! Otherwise, how many people will die! ”

Geng Jimao's military advisor Zeng Yang stepped forward and said: "Lord Wang, the fortified city of Fuzhou is easy to defend and difficult to attack, if the thieves really come to attack Fuzhou, the students will definitely let the thieves shed blood under the city of Fuzhou!" However, for the sake of safety, Lord Wang, you should go to Zhangzhou first and discuss this matter with Lord Li. ”

On the one hand, he asked Geng Jimao to take refuge in Zhangzhou, and at the same time, he also dispatched the Fujian Green Battalion to Fuzhou to assist the Jingnan Palace in defending the city together, and on the other hand, he stayed behind to block the Ming army.

The Qing army did not dare to attack Xianxia Pass, after all, the terrain of Xianxia Pass was too dangerous, Geng Jimao did not have a lot of troops at hand, compared to Wu Sangui, his strength was much worse, and he did not dare to waste his precious troops on attacking Xianxia Pass in vain. The Qing army could only concentrate all its forces in Fujian and prepare to resist the possible attack of the Ming army.

On the other hand, Zeng Yangxing still held on to a glimmer of hope and went to Guangdong to borrow troops.

Although Shang Kexi and Geng Jimao have been "fortifying" for a while, their relationship is not as harmonious as imagined. When Geng Jimao was in Guangdong, Shang Kexi couldn't wait to get rid of him. Now that Geng Jimao has gone to Fujian, Shang Kexi is most afraid that Geng Jimao will return to Guangdong to share the cake with him. (To be continued.) )