The green trees are thick and the summer days are long, and the buildings are reflected in the pond. The water spirit curtain moves and the breeze rises, and the roses are full of incense.

The early summer of each year is Xia Hongsheng's favorite time. The roses in the courtyard had not yet bloomed, but they suddenly remembered a poem about early summer, and they just chanted it casually.

"Childe, it's time to go." Qi Yong reminded loudly.

Xia Hongsheng nodded, feeling that his favorite time and the advent of the steam engine ship were really good.

"Let's go!"

When he arrived at the vestibule, Li Tai was already waiting for him, dressed in a thoughtful and radiant look. His eyes are full of astuteness and wisdom, but he really has the temperament of a scientist.

Xia Hongsheng was very satisfied with the fact that he had chosen Li Tai as the successor of the knowledge he had brought from later generations. Who wouldn't love such a bright student? What's more, if someone else is changed, who can move their mouths and ask for a strategic ironclad ship in today's world to change it casually?

He has enough IQ, enough ability, fanatical love and interest in science, and now under his long-term training, he has enough character, and has the right and wealth to support his investment and research in science, and he has an extraordinary status, and he can use the power of the entire empire to help him conduct scientific research, which is really suitable!

This son is wise!

Xia Hongsheng was very pleased.

The two went all the way from Jingyang to the military aircraft workshop. There is a dock in the military aircraft workshop, and the diversion canal leads directly to the Wei River, where the first ironclad ship was made. However, due to the limitations of the site and the river, the ironclad ship made is several laps smaller than the one currently in service. Li Tai also had to come to a smaller ironclad boat to change it, otherwise he was afraid that even if he made it, he would not be able to cross the canal to the Wei River.

As for the first ironclad ship, it has been brought ashore on Ryukyu Island and kept as a memorial.

This steam engine ship is expected to go there in the future.

Not long after, Xia Hongsheng saw the appearance of Datang's first steam engine ship.

From the outside, it doesn't seem to be too different from an ironclad ship. It's just that the proportion of the whole ship standing on the hull seems to be a little higher.

"Since they are all powered by steam engines, why don't you just go with the mast and sail." Xia Hongsheng pointed to the boat and said.

"Save coal." Li Tai shook his head and said, "At present, the conversion rate of the steam engine is still a little low, and it is particularly coal-intensive. I thought, let's keep this part first, and it is always good to use it together, and have more motivation! In addition to the original paddle wheel, I added a propeller and a water wheel to the bottom of the boat, so that when the steam is turned on, it can also turn. ”

"Can the direction of the propeller and the wheel change?" Xia Hongsheng asked.

"Nature." Li Tai nodded: "I took the transmission shaft and gear to the operation cabin, and people can directly operate the steering of the propeller and the water wheel in the operation cabin, so as to push the ship to steer." It's just too strenuous, and dozens of people have to spin together to turn a turntable. In this way, there must be fifty or sixty people in the operation compartment alone. There are dozens of people on the water wheel, and there are more than a dozen people on the rudder. But fortunately, there is no need for hundreds of people to step on the propeller shaft at the bottom of the boat to push the water wheel and propeller, so in fact, there are still fewer people. ”

As he was talking, he only heard some noise outside, and as soon as everyone turned around, they saw Li Shimin leading a group of ministers in.

The two went over to visit, and Li Shimin smiled and said, "You two came early - this is the steam engine ship?" It looks like an ironclad ship! ”

"The improvement of the steam engine ship is mainly in the power system, but the appearance does not seem to have changed much." Xia Hongsheng said: "But here, there are too many advanced. ”

"Let's go inside!" Li Shimin has a heart to explore the unknown, and as soon as he comes, he is eager to see the changes inside.

The men got on board and went down to the deck and went underneath.

I saw that the place where there were hundreds of people under the ironclad ship was now only a mountain of coal. I went inside, and when I went past the wall, I saw a huge steam engine, and someone was constantly filling it with coal.

"It's a lot like the train from before." Li Shimin looked around curiously and said.

"Yes, it's the same principle, but with a slight change to make it more suitable for use on ships." Li Tai replied: "The main thing is the ship itself, and most of the changes have been made to adapt to the use of the steam engine. But it's all under the water, but it's hard to see. ”

"It's hard to see, but you'll know when you run." Xia Hongsheng continued: "Father-in-law, it's better to let people quickly fill coal and burn the steam engine, let's set sail and try it." ”

"Good!" Li Shimin agreed.

There were already a lot of manpower, and when they got the order, they quickly burned the steam engine.

As a whining sound sounded, everyone only felt the hull of the ship shake, and then they felt the ship move.

At this time, everyone had already gone up to the deck, and when they noticed the ship moving, Li Xiaogong said, "It doesn't seem to be much faster." ”

Xia Hongsheng and Li Tai laughed and did not speak.

When the steam engine first burned up, the power was not yet at its maximum, and coupled with the weight of the ship, the speed was not very fast. But it burned faster and faster, and after a while, he wouldn't say that.

The boat left the dock and drove along the canal into the Wei River.

"Huh?" Li Xiaogong noticed the change and was a little surprised: "The ship began to speed up. Today there is no wind, and the sails have not been raised, but they can run like this. ”

Li Tai smiled faintly, very pretending, and did not explain silently.

As time passed, the ship ran faster and faster, and it was long past the time to use the mast sail. Everyone was amazed and walked up and down the deck with a look of curiosity.

No one gets seasick? Xia Hongsheng thought with some bad taste.

"Ouch! Amazing! This boat is running really fast! The old man has never taken such a fast boat! "Mr. Gao Shilian is an honest man, and he is holding on to the mast at this time, and he said loudly.

Li Shimin's eyes had already lit up, and at this time he looked at Xia Hongsheng and Li Tai, and asked, "This ship...... Well, how fast can an ironclad ship powered by a steam engine run at the fastest? ”

Xia Hongsheng looked at Li Tai and motioned for him to explain.

Li Tai then stepped forward and replied, "Back to my father, this is an experimental ship, but due to the size of the dock in the military aircraft workshop and the situation of the Wei River, I chose a smaller ironclad ship. Because the boat is small, it runs faster. However, among our Tang sailors, there are such small ironclad ships that are used to run on inland rivers, so there are not many. The ironclad ship among the sailors is much larger than this one, and it sinks a lot, and it doesn't run as fast as this one. ”

"How much can you run?" Li Shimin asked eagerly.