The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

At this time, Li Hu was not at home, but at the Military Equipment Bureau.

Dai Quan and the emperor's confidant, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding, had also arrived. They were now surrounding a large creature and examining it carefully.

This ugly big guy is the first steam engine of Dashun. Of course, it is an improved steam engine with a separate condenser, an insulating layer outside the cylinder, oil-lubricated pistons, planetary gears, throttle valves, etc., which greatly improves the efficiency of the steam engine. It can be said to be the most advanced steam engine at present.

Li Hu hired William and others to come to the capital not to ask them to help manufacture steam engines, but to ask them to teach the craftsmen advanced Western technology and teach them how to manufacture Western steam engines.

This steam engine was made by craftsmen who had learned Western technology based on the drawings left by Li Hu before he went on the expedition. They finally built it after countless failures and studies.

After taking a look around, Dai Quan took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the sweat off his face, then asked Li Hu, "Is this big guy really as magical as you said?"

Shi Ding, with his head covered in sweat, also came over.

Li Hu gently waved his folding fan: "Didn't they make a steam engine before? Didn't you see it?"

Dai Quan: "I'm very busy, how can I have the time to spare!"

Shi Ding smiled: "The court was in a mess at the time, and no one took it seriously."

Things aren’t much better now.

Li Hu rolled his eyes, pointed at the steam engine with one hand, and gently waved his folding fan with the other hand, explaining to the two illiterate people: "The steam engine is composed of a cylinder, a base, and a piston. Water is heated through the combustion process to produce steam, which is then sent to the cylinder through a pipe. The cooled steam is introduced into the condenser through a pipe and condensed into water again. This thing can not only be used in the manufacture of firearms, but also in mining, textiles, etc. By the way, this thing can also be moved onto ships."

Shi Ding: "Move it onto the ship? It's so big."

Li Hu smiled and said, "That's a matter for the future." Then he signaled the craftsman beside him to start the steam engine.

The steam engine needed fuel to heat water and generate steam. The craftsmen asked the servants to add water, light the fire, add coal, and use a hand-cranked blower to blow air into the furnace.

The temperature around him instantly rose. Dai Quan wiped the sweat off his face and asked, "Why is there no movement?"

Li Hu: "Only when the water boils can there be enough steam."

Dai Quan: "What the hell, it will take forever to boil this big pot of cold water. Let's go over there and cool off." Then he walked towards the big tree by the river.

The Arsenal was full of gunpowder, and because they were afraid of fire, they specially brought in a stream of fresh water.

Li Hu smiled, but he still didn't take it seriously.

The eunuch in charge of the Arms Bureau shouted, "Move the ice! Quick!"

Several young eunuchs immediately brought out the prepared ice cubes.

All three of them were seated.

The young eunuchs put ice cubes in a copper basin and fanned it quickly.

A wisp of white steam came out of the copper basin.

After drinking a large bowl of iced sour plum juice, Dai Quan let out a long sigh of relief. He glanced at the still motionless steam engine and said, "Although I don't know what's so good about this thing, it must be a good thing if it can make the Western devils think about it."

Li Hu stopped the watermelon that was about to reach his mouth and asked, "Is that old William causing trouble again?"

Dai Quan: "I don't know where that old devil heard about it from, and he insisted on coming to take a look, and was even willing to exchange their artillery manufacturing technology." At this point, he sneered and said, "It's just that the artillery is cast solid first and then the barrel is opened. The power is greater, but it is far less convenient and practical than our integral casting iron cannon technology."

Li Hu smiled. The current Dashun was not the Qing Dynasty in the previous life. Its firearms technology was not inferior to theirs at all.

Thinking of this, Li Hu suddenly remembered the small cannon. The outer edge of its muzzle was designed to be shaped like a large trumpet, which was quite practical and could speed up heat dissipation. He could learn from it.

Dai Quan took the folding fan from the eunuch and fanned himself, "It's not that we don't like all the things of the Western barbarians. Your Majesty likes the rice from Southeast Asia."

Li Hu thought for a while and said, "The Western barbarians in Southeast Asia are not a monolithic group. We can form an alliance with the French and wipe out the other Western devils first. When we have time, we can deal with the French and incorporate the entire Southeast Asia into the territory of Dashun." Shi Ding was slightly stunned. What a murderous intent!

Dai Quan was also stunned for a moment, then said: "Don't talk nonsense. What I mean is that your majesty plans to buy rice from Southeast Asia. Don't keep talking about killing this and cleaning up that. What did the Western barbarians say about civilized people? We are all civilized people."

Li Hu: "Can civilization be eaten?! Besides, if they were civilized people, they wouldn't have come all the way to Southeast Asia, robbed the land of the natives of Southeast Asia, destroyed their homes, and killed their families. Civilized people! Pah, a bunch of descendants of pirates"

Dai Quan saw that he was off topic and quickly changed the subject: "In three days it will be the fifth prince's first birthday banquet. What kind of celebration have you prepared?"

Li Hu rolled his eyes: "I'm not going to prepare a hammer!"

Dai Quan was amused: "Such a heavy grudge!"

Shi Ding also laughed. Li Hu from Rongguo Mansion had to prepare two gifts for congratulations, and because of the Lin family, the gifts could not be small. The palace would also hold a birthday party for the fifth prince, which would be two more gifts for congratulations. Including the prayer ceremony at Qingxu Temple a while ago, at least five thousand taels of silver were gone.

At this time, a roar came from the steam engine, followed by a sound from the simple boring machine.

Li Hu stood up and said, "Let's go and take a look." Then the three of them walked over together.

Driven by the steam engine, the simple boring machine also started working. The drill bit slowly drilled into the gun barrel, and the iron filings were drilled out bit by bit. These gun barrels were forged from double-layer iron blocks, not solid, but the uneven parts of the iron pipes were drilled to be very transparent and straight, so no technology such as condensation water was needed.

Soon a gun barrel was completed.

Dai Quan and Shi Ding were stunned. In the manufacturing process of muskets, the most time-consuming and labor-intensive part is drilling the barrel. The most skilled craftsman of this double-barreled gun can only produce three or four qualified ones every month.

This means that the breech-loading musket designed by Li Hu can be mass-produced, and the price will be much cheaper.

Li Hu smiled and said, "Even if the pass rate is low, we can still produce 180 a day. We will make a few more steam engines and try to replace all of them with new breech-loading muskets within a year!"

Dai Quan rolled his eyes. Change all the clothes? The money of the court didn't come from the wind.

Just then, a red-robed eunuch from the Imperial Household Department hurried over and whispered something in Dai Quan's ear.

Dai Quan blinked his eyes, and then said to Li Hu: "Kong Qingxiang is waiting for you outside the forbidden door of the Military Equipment Bureau. He said he wants to ask you something."

Li Hu: "You need my help again? Why is this kid so troublesome?!" He complained and turned away.

Dai Quan looked at Li Hu's back and said, "Kong Qingxiang is not a honest guy!"

Shi Ding smiled and said, "There is not a single honest person in the Yanshenggong Mansion."

Which side is this old guy on?

Dai Quan glanced at him and turned his gaze to the boring machine.

Shi Ding smiled and thought it was better to stay out of this kind of mess.
As soon as he saw Li Hu coming out, Kong Qingxiang hurried over and whispered a few words in Li Hu's ear.

Li Hu: “Are you sure?”

Kong Qingxiang: "No doubt about it. By the way, the servants of the second place scholar had pawned some calligraphy and paintings and study treasures in several pawnshops. Something must have happened to the first place scholar."

Li Hu's eyes flashed: "Keep an eye on it, don't alert the enemy."

Kong Qingxiang: "Yes. Oh, by the way, should I send a gift to Rongguo Mansion for the fifth prince's first birthday banquet to give the Marquis face?"

Li Hu: "If you think the money is too much, send it home. Get out!" After saying that, he turned around and walked into the Arsenal.

Kong Qingxiang smiled. Last year, Rongguo Mansion held a full moon banquet for the fifth prince. Bad news came one after another from the south. If something bad happened again this year, it would be a disaster! (End of this chapter)