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In the early summer of the second year of the Wanli reign, the former site of the Longjiang Shipyard on the banks of the Yangtze River had become a unique spectacle unparalleled in the entire Ming Dynasty and even the entire world.

The glory of Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean seems to have found a new legacy here.

This time, however, the giant ship is no longer propelled by the monsoon and sails, but by the surging power of burning coal and the indestructible strength forged from steel.

Here now hangs a plaque that reads "Royal Navy Special Shipyard," heavily guarded, its engines roaring day and night as it undertakes a monumental shipbuilding project that transcends time.

The largest dry dock is far larger than those of any previous dynasty.

The bottom of the dock is made of concrete, as smooth as a mirror, and the huge drainage gate is driven by a steam engine to open and close.

At this moment, in the center of the dock, the steel keel of the new steam warship has been laid.

This is not a traditional giant tree, but a giant skeleton riveted together from wrought iron and low-carbon steel specially refined by Ma'anshan Ironworks. It gleams with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight, like the spine of a lurking steel behemoth.

Hundreds and thousands of craftsmen, under the command of "master craftsmen" who held blueprints and gave clear instructions, busied themselves around the keel like ants building a nest.

The shouts, the dull thuds of steam rivet guns, and the creaking of giant cranes intertwined to create a magnificent industrial symphony.

Steel ribs, pre-rolled according to blueprints, were precisely hoisted into place and riveted to the keel, gradually outlining the smooth and majestic hull of the warship.

While the hull was being built, in another, more heavily guarded, enclosed factory, the warship's "heart" was being constructed...

Large marine steam turbines are undergoing final assembly and testing.

This behemoth has a complex structure, with components such as cylinders, pistons, connecting rods, flywheels, and condensers gleaming with a meticulously polished metallic luster.

Under the guidance of "overseas master craftsmen," the craftsmen carried out the installation with extremely high precision, ensuring the sealing of every interface and the alignment of every bearing.

"Pressure test!" came the order.

The powerful steam generated by the boiler rushed into the turbine, and the huge flywheel began to rotate from slow to fast, emitting a deep and powerful roar, and the ground of the entire factory seemed to tremble slightly.

Zhou Zhengjie, who was in charge of supervising the construction, had witnessed many miracles before, but he was still deeply moved at this moment...

This is no longer an experimental model, but the real core that will soon drive thousands of tons of steel to break through the waves and sail far away!

After the initial structure of the ship was completed, an even more impressive process began—laying the armor.

The hardened steel deck, repeatedly forged by hydraulic hammers at the Ma'anshan Ironworks, was lifted piece by piece by a huge crane and riveted seamlessly to the warship's waterline and key parts.

The heavy steel plates collided with each other, producing a dull thud, proclaiming that this warship possessed a defensive capability that no wooden warship of the same era could withstand.

Meanwhile, the "artillery workshop," located in a remote area of ​​the shipyard, was also working day and night to keep up with demand.

The guns produced here are no longer traditional bronze or cast iron muzzle-loading guns, but breech-loading steel naval guns with uniform caliber and internally bored spiral rifling.

Using a specially designed wedge-shaped breechblock and fixed ammunition (projectile and propellant charge integrated), its range, accuracy, rate of fire, and power are vastly different from those of old-fashioned artillery.

These massive cannons, gleaming with a chilling blue light, will be installed in specially reinforced rotating turrets on the warship's deck, giving them devastating firepower from all directions.

After nearly a year of intensive construction, the warship has finally reached the final assembly stage.

The enormous steam turbine was carefully hoisted into the designated nacelle location and connected to the drive shaft, which was tens of meters long.

The massive chimneys stood tall, reaching into the clouds.

Inside the ship's cabins, there was a dense network of pipes, including original intercom tubes, electric command bells, and lighting systems for officers' cabins and key positions.

This day was an auspicious day for the warship to be launched.

The dock gates slowly opened, and the waters of the Yangtze River poured into the dock, lifting this unprecedented steel behemoth.

It was entirely black, with sharp lines, and the turrets on the deck pointed to the sky, while the chimneys silently awaited the moment they would spew out thick smoke.

Although it lacks the ornate carvings and decorations of traditional wooden warships, its cold steel texture and massive size exude a breathtaking sense of majesty and power.

Suning was present at the ceremony. Standing on the viewing platform, he looked at the ship, the culmination of his countless efforts and industrial space technology, and his eyes were filled with excitement.

This was not merely the first steam-powered warship; it was a declaration of an era, a symbol of the resurgence of Ming Dynasty's maritime power, and an absolute weapon for controlling the future and managing the world.

“Name it, Your Excellency!” Zhou Zhengjie said excitedly from the side.

Su Ning gazed at the steel behemoth about to cleave through the waves and said in a deep voice, "Its momentum is like thunder, its might like lightning, carrying the ambition of the Ming Dynasty to expand across the four seas. Let's name it—'Qiming'!"

The successful launch of the "Qiming" marks a new chapter in the history of the Ming Dynasty navy and even the world's naval history.

It rests quietly on the river, like a primordial beast that has just awakened and is gathering its strength, waiting only for a command to unleash a roar of steam and steel that will shake the entire ocean world.

And all of this is just the beginning; more "enlightenment" projects are being conceived and formed in the shipyard's dock.

……

The dark steel hull of the steam warship "Qiming" cast a huge shadow on the Yangtze River, and its significance extends far beyond the military field.

The birth of this steel behemoth was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, the ripples of which quickly spread to every corner of the Ming Dynasty's economy, pulling, reshaping, and even giving birth to a huge and brand-new industrial chain with unprecedented force.

The thousands of tons of high-quality steel and special metals needed to build the "Qiming" first ignited the upstream industries.

Dangtu Ironworks became the most direct beneficiary and core driving force of this transformation.

To meet the strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance requirements of marine steel, the ironworks, guided by AI technology, has continuously improved its coke ironmaking and acid converter steelmaking technologies.

The blast furnaces operated day and night, with thick smoke billowing from the chimneys, forcing continuous improvements in both output and quality.

The products produced here are no longer crude pig iron ingots, but steel plates, structural steel, and riveting steel with uniform specifications and stable quality.

The Huainan coal mine has entered its peak mining season.

Steam engines, coking, power generation... all require massive amounts of coal.

Traditional small-scale coal mines could not meet the demand. Under the leadership of "Daming Mining" under the Mingyuan Group, steam pumps, mine hoists and safer support technologies were introduced, moving towards deeper and more efficient mechanized mining.

The surge in coal production, coupled with a subsequent drop in prices, has further boosted energy consumption.

The surge in demand for non-ferrous metals such as copper alloys (used in condenser pipes), tin, and lead needed for manufacturing steam turbines spurred exploration and mining of related mineral deposits in Jiangxi, Yunnan, and other regions.

The special alloys needed to manufacture artillery spurred the initial understanding and search for rare metals such as tungsten and manganese.

Following raw materials, there are profound changes in the processing and manufacturing processes.

The tens of thousands of parts on the "Qiming" ship, from the huge steam engine connecting rods to the precision instrument gears, created a demand for heavy machine tools, boring machines, and milling machines.

Specialized "machine factories" began to appear in Nanjing, Suzhou and other places. They purchased machine tools from the Daming Chamber of Commerce and took on parts orders from shipyards and other emerging industries. The concept of standardized and precision manufacturing began to take root.

The steel hull is primarily joined using hot riveting, which requires a large number of trained riveters, forming a professional technical workforce. Meanwhile, Suning has secretly introduced basic arc welding technology (limited to specific workshops and AI operations) for joining critical components. Although the scale is still small, it represents the future direction.

Warships require anti-corrosion coatings, sealing materials, and lubricating oil.

This prompted traditional workshops in Songjiang, Taicang and other places that originally produced tung oil and raw lacquer to begin transforming into modern chemical industries, trying to produce varnish, early synthetic lubricants, etc., and starting to establish preliminary acid and alkali plants to meet production needs.

The construction and operation of giant ships cannot be separated from the support of downstream industries.

Whether it's the power plants used during construction or the coal needed for the warships themselves, the demand for electricity and coal has grown exponentially.

The Jinling Leishen Power Plant continues to expand, with new power plants being planned in Suzhou, Zhenjiang and other places.

Coal transportation became a top priority, stimulating the development of canal transport (coal-carrying fleets) and coastal shipping, and even promoting early railway planning in order to transport coal from Huainan coal mines to Yangtze River wharves more efficiently.

The draft and size of the "Qiming" required dredging and reinforcement of the port, making deep-water wharves and heavy lifting equipment (steam cranes) standard features of coastal ports.

A system of coal supply stations, weapons repair shops, and logistics warehouses specifically serving the fleet was established, forming a completely new naval logistics ecosystem.

At this time, the shipyard became the largest "technical school".

Thousands of craftsmen and apprentices learned, passively or actively, how to read mechanical drawings, use new tools, and understand the properties of steel and the principles of steam during the construction process.

These skilled workers and junior engineers became a valuable spark for the industrialization of the Ming Dynasty, gradually spreading to the general public and driving the overall improvement of the manufacturing industry.

In this wave of industrialization, Suning, through the Daming Chamber of Commerce and the Mingyuan Consortium, firmly controls the core links.

The massive construction funds were raised and allocated through the "Daming Money Shop" and the "Naval Fund," and the Chamber of Commerce indirectly guided the development direction of the industrial chain by providing credit support for high-quality projects.

From the chemical composition of steel and the tolerance range of parts to the interface standards of equipment, everything is uniformly promulgated by the "Standards Department" under the Daming Chamber of Commerce.

This implicitly establishes Suning's position as the rule-maker in the industry chain, and any company that wants to participate must follow this set of standards.

The final production processes and core formulas for steam turbines, large boilers, precision instruments, and special steels remain in the hands of Suning's industrial space and AI system, ensuring their irreplaceable position at the top of the industrial chain.

The keel of the "Qiming" not only supported a warship, but also a nascent heavy industrial system.

It acts like a powerful pump, forcibly drawing in capital, resources, and manpower, and then giving rise to the cornerstone sectors of modern industry, such as steel, machinery, and energy.

The economic structure of Jiangnan is undergoing a difficult but determined transformation from light industry and agriculture, mainly based on silk, cotton cloth and porcelain, to a higher form of heavy industry and equipment manufacturing.

This industrial chain, driven by steel behemoths, is dragging the Ming Dynasty into a new era defined by steam and steel with unprecedented force.

……

As the various attempts by Jiangnan gentry to bribe with "refined manners," "sexual favors," and "money" repeatedly failed in front of the governor's mansion in Suning, which was like an impregnable fortress.

The reputation of Su Ning, the Governor-General of Zhejiang and Zhili, as "clean as water and impartial as iron," was no longer limited to the officialdom of Jiangnan.

Instead, it spread rapidly throughout the country, carried by merchants and scholars, and eventually reached the heart of the Forbidden City.

In teahouses, government offices, and even private banquets in the mansions of nobles in the capital, Su Ning's name was often closely associated with the word "integrity".

"I've heard that Governor Su can stand before mountains of gold and seas of silver without glancing at them, and embrace stunning beauties without wavering in his heart. He is truly a modern-day Hai Rui!"

"More than that! Hai Gangfeng (Hai Rui) was frugal, while Governor Su held mountains of gold but didn't take a single penny! His 'Great Ming Chamber of Commerce' made a fortune every day, yet he was able to register all bribes, either returning them or confiscating them. Such a level of integrity is even more rare!"

"Having such capable ministers and officials is truly a blessing for the country!"

These discussions, through various channels such as censors and eunuchs, inevitably reached the inner palace and were placed on the desk of the twelve-year-old emperor, the Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun.

In the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, after completing the heavy coursework arranged by Zhang Juzheng, the young Emperor Zhu Yijun would occasionally pick up a report about Suning or hear Feng Bao mention it with a touch of emotion.

He had very mixed feelings about Mr. Su, whom he hadn't seen for many years.

On the one hand, he felt genuine admiration and a touch of curiosity.

In his young mind, Zhang Juzheng was a stern and powerful minister and an indispensable regent, while Mr. Su, who was far away in Jiangnan, was like a character who had stepped out of a legendary story.

He was able to create so many amazing things, such as new looms and steamships, drive away the vicious Japanese pirates, and remain unmoved by countless temptations. This perfectly matched all his imaginations of a "capable minister" and an "upright official".

Furthermore, Su Ning was only responsible for Wanli's early education, and he spent most of his time serving as an official in other places, so the young emperor did not have many memories of Su Ning.

Therefore, under Zhang Juzheng's strict, almost harsh, discipline, Su Ning's image seemed to carry a distant and free radiance.

However, on the other hand, a deeper worry, more in line with the mindset of an emperor, was also quietly growing in his heart.

Firstly, Emperor Wanli was concerned about the overly close relationship between Zhang Juzheng and Su Ning.

Everyone in the court knew that Su Ning was Zhang Juzheng's most capable assistant in his reforms, and the successful implementation of the "Single Whip Law" in Jiangnan was inseparable from Su Ning's strong support.

Zhang Juzheng now wields immense power, causing the young emperor to feel both awe and constant, invisible pressure.

Now, Mr. Zhang has such a powerful local official as his ally, who commands a large army (a modern navy), controls finances (Jiangnan tax revenue and the Chamber of Commerce), and enjoys an excellent reputation. Has this combined power exceeded the duties of a subject?
Although the young emperor had not yet assumed personal rule, his birth into an imperial family instilled in him a natural wariness of any force that might threaten his imperial power.

Secondly, there is concern about Suning's overly perfect reputation for "cleanliness".

In Zhu Yijun's education, it was believed that while officials should be honest and upright, "water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is too discerning has no followers."

What does a high-ranking official who is neither greedy for money nor lustful, who is exceptionally capable and deeply loved by the people really want?
Is his self-discipline a true moral gentleman, or does he have something bigger in mind?
A powerful minister who has no personal desires and whose weaknesses are in the hands of others is often more difficult for a monarch to control and more reassuring than an official with corrupt tendencies.

Zhu Yijun vaguely felt that this Mr. Su was far more profound and terrifying than those officials who could be judged by their wealth and beauty.

The young emperor did not easily reveal these complex emotions.

In front of Zhang Juzheng, he remained the same diligent and studious student who was full of reliance and awe towards his mentor, Yuanfu; in front of Feng Bao, he only occasionally revealed his curiosity about Su Ning's deeds.

He buried his doubts deep in his heart, because he knew that he was powerless to change Zhang Juzheng's authority or shake Su Ning's position in Jiangnan.

He simply paid close attention to every report from Jiangnan, whether it concerned the new policies or the construction of the navy.

Emperor Wanli was learning and observing, and deep down he regarded Su Ning, like Zhang Juzheng, as an important minister whom he would have to treat with care and even carefully balance after he came to power.

Thus, on the scales of the young Wanli Emperor's mind, admiration for Su Ning and wariness of powerful ministers were subtly intertwined.

This complex mind of the emperor, like the floating clouds above the Forbidden City, may appear calm, but could brew into a storm that affects the fate of countless people in the future.

At this point, Emperor Wanli had already begun to possess the thinking ability of a qualified emperor, but true unity of knowledge and action was another matter entirely.

Meanwhile, Su Ning, far away in Jiangnan, might have felt the gaze from the capital, but his grand ambitions at this moment had already transcended mere suspicion between the emperor and his ministers, and were now directed toward a more distant future.

...(End of chapter)