My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Next up is the "body" covered with thick steel plates, which are tilted upwards and are covered with rivets, making it look exceptionally sturdy.

Further up, the tarpaulin completely slid off—

A true "steel behemoth," beyond the imagination of anyone in this era, was presented before the highest ruling class and core bureaucrats of the Ming Empire, without reservation, ferociously, and with the brutal power and beauty of the industrial age!
It was a mixture that was difficult to describe precisely with existing vocabulary.

It has a massive, palace-like skeleton, but the skeleton is made of steel.

It has a chassis like a chariot and huge wheels, but its scale is a hundred times larger.

Its sloping, heavy steel shell, riddled with observation holes and firing ports, makes it look like a mobile metal fortress.

What is most striking is its "superstructure"—it is not flat, but rather a complex steel support and platform, with several clearly visible gun emplacements and thick iron pipes resembling chimneys pointing towards the sky.

The entire behemoth has rough lines and obvious riveting marks. There are no superfluous decorations, only a cold structure full of primitive power, made of steel, wood, transmission rods and huge bolts.

Many parts still bear traces of fresh grease and marks of welding and forging, indicating that it had just been assembled.

"..."

The viewing platform was deathly silent.

Everyone held their breath, widened their eyes, and opened their mouths, but no sound came out.

They were utterly shocked and awed by the steel creation before them, which was beyond their comprehension, and even felt a strange sense of fear.

This is by no means something that should exist in the human world. It is more like a forbidden creation that came out of ancient mythology and belongs to the giant god or mechanical arts!

Bi Maokang stood at the edge of the viewing platform, looking at the shocked and speechless expressions of the crowd, his heart also filled with turmoil.

He knew that from this day forward, the "power" of the Ming Dynasty would be redefined.

The steel behemoth was completely exposed to the pale winter light. Its ferocious, savage, and massive size and structure, far beyond the comprehension of the times, brought an unparalleled shock to the people on the viewing platform.

Just as everyone was still immersed in the dual impact of sight and cognition and had not yet come to their senses, an even more surprising scene unfolded.

A series of neat and heavy footsteps came from the side and back of the reviewing stand. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw squads of elite soldiers wearing new-style mandarin duck battle jackets and with solemn expressions, marching in neat columns and jogging into the field with unified steps.

Then—they filed into the heavy hatch on the side of the steel behemoth, which had just opened like a city gate!

"This...this behemoth can actually hold soldiers?"

"Judging by the number of people, there must be several hundred!"

"My God, this isn't just equipment, it's a mobile fortress, a military camp!"

A low gasp arose again.

Watching the soldiers swarm into the steel body like ants returning to their nest, everyone's understanding of this "steam engine" or "steel behemoth" was once again overturned.

It is not just a loud, intimidating-looking lump of iron, but a platform that can carry troops and has actual combat capabilities!

Just then, Wang Hui, who had been busy directing from below the stage, quickly stepped onto the viewing platform after receiving a signal from Bi Maokang.

The flush of excitement on his face had not yet faded, and the grease on his official robe had not yet been wiped off, but his eyes shone brightly.

He first bowed deeply in the direction of Emperor Chongzhen and Emperor Zhu Cilang, then turned to the assembled officials, his voice slightly raised with excitement, yet exceptionally clear:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, and all the officials, please be aware that this object, which I, Lord Bi, and my colleagues in the academy have tentatively called the 'Divine Machine Iron Fortress,' is powered by the improved large steam engine unit mentioned earlier, which we call the 'Giant Power Divine Machine.'"

He pointed to the steel behemoth below the stage that was "swallowing" soldiers and began to explain in detail, his tone filled with the pride of a creator:

"This iron fortress is constructed with a frame of fine steel and a lining of thick wood. Key areas are covered with double or even triple layers of forged iron plates, making it virtually impervious to ordinary arrows and muskets. Its interior is divided into three layers:"
The lowest level is the power compartment, housing the boiler, cylinders, transmission shaft, and massive amounts of coal and water for the "Mighty Machine." The middle level contains the troop compartment and ammunition depot, capable of accommodating over one hundred soldiers and storing ammunition and supplies. The upper level houses the combat platform and command console.

He paused, allowing everyone to process this astonishing number, before continuing:

"When the 'Giant Power Machine' is operating at full power, it can drive this iron fortress to travel at... well, at about the speed of an ordinary person walking briskly for several hours! As long as there is a continuous supply of coal and water, it can keep moving forward! Its immense power is enough to pull the heavy artillery attached to it, or to break through obstacles and clear the way on flat ground!"

Then, Wang Hui pointed to the obvious platforms and bases on the upper level of the iron fortress, his eyes shining even brighter:

"My lords, please look at the upper level. This platform is surrounded by crenellations, allowing soldiers to hold positions and fire. These specially designed bases can hold dozens of breech-loading cannons, tiger-squatting cannons, and even small and medium-sized red-coated cannons! What's even more ingenious is that, because its power comes from the internal 'Giant Power Machine,' as long as it is operated properly, although adjusting the position of the cannons while moving is not easy, the cannons on it can still fire during short stops or slow movements!"

"Imagine two armies facing off. Such impenetrable steel fortresses, slowly approaching while enduring arrows and musket fire, and constantly spewing cannonballs and lead bullets, advance step by step. What army could withstand their oppressive force? Even fortifications built in the open field would find it difficult to stop their charge and crushing force!"

Wang Hui's description, combined with the steel behemoths that were "coming to life" below the stage, painted a terrifying yet novel picture of war in everyone's minds.

Traditional cavalry charges, infantry formations, and city wall defenses all seemed utterly ineffective against this mobile, fire-breathing steel fortress! This was a completely revolutionary concept of warfare! The civil officials, perhaps, thought even deeper:

This weapon is slow yet unstoppable when used for siege warfare. In field battles, it functions as a mobile camp and artillery platform. It can even be used to defend key points in water transport or strategic passes, achieving the effect of "one man can hold off ten thousand." Although its speed is a clear weakness, its defensive capabilities, firepower, and sustained combat ability more than make up for it.

Just as Wang Hui was explaining, the hundreds of soldiers had all entered the iron fortress. The heavy hatches slowly closed with a muffled clang, operated by several craftsmen, and were airtight. Through several observation holes the size of bowls on the side of the iron fortress, figures could be vaguely seen moving about.

Wang Hui turned to Emperor Chongzhen and respectfully asked for his instructions:

"Your Majesty, personnel, fuel, and water have been loaded, and the 'Mighty Divine Machine' has been preheated. May we... demonstrate its movement?"

Emperor Chongzhen was already deeply moved by what he heard. Seeing was believing, and hearing was also believing. He nodded vigorously and said decisively:

"Approved! Begin the demonstration! Let me and my beloved ministers see just how this 'Divine Iron Fortress' moves with the earth!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Wang Hui responded loudly, then turned around and waved the green command flag in his hand at the audience.

With the flags waved, signals were quickly transmitted through a series of flag signals.

At first, there was complete silence. Only the sound of the winter wind swept across the empty space.

But soon, a low, suppressed, buzzing vibration, as if coming from the depths of the earth, began to emanate from inside the Iron Fortress, and quickly intensified! It was the sound of the boilers burning fiercely, steam billowing, and the huge flywheel beginning to spin faster!

Immediately afterwards, an even higher-pitched and sharper steam whistling sound burst forth from the thick exhaust pipe on the top of the iron fortress. White, hot water vapor, like the panting of a giant beast, violently spewed out and quickly condensed into large clumps of white mist in the cold air, shooting straight up several meters high!
"Long——!!!"

With a roar far deeper and heavier than ever before, as if an ancient behemoth had awakened, the massive body of the "Divine Iron Fortress" trembled violently!
Immediately afterwards, under the extremely wide gazes of everyone, the dozens of massive iron-clad wheels, each taller than a person, began to slowly but steadily rotate, driven by a series of complex linkages, gears, and main shafts!
"It moved! It really moved!"

"A masterpiece! This is truly a work of divine craftsmanship!"

"Incredible! A lifeless steel object can actually move on its own!"

Exclamations could no longer be suppressed and erupted from the viewing platform.

Regardless of whether they were civil or military officials, or whether they had deep or shallow knowledge, everyone was completely captivated by this scene that defied common sense, and their minds were taken over!
The steel behemoth, standing six or seven zhang tall and weighing over hundreds of thousands of kilograms, began to rumble along the pre-set, level track at a slow but unstoppable speed, driven by the unseen "Giant Force Machine" inside!
The giant wheel rolled over the compacted ground, leaving deep ruts, and the entire viewing platform could feel the rhythmic, slight vibrations beneath their feet.

The exhaust pipe continuously spewed out white mist, emitting a regular "hissing" sound, which, mixed with the complex roar of metal friction, steam flow, and coal combustion, intertwined to form a rough and shocking prelude to the arrival of industrial power!

For the Ming Dynasty rulers and officials in the mid-17th century, a society primarily based on agrarian civilization and handicrafts, the impact of this scene was unparalleled by any amount of written description.

This is not merely a "strange skill," but a reinterpretation of the origins of "force" and "movement," and a crazy exploration and display of the limits of "man-made things"! According to the original historical trajectory, steam-powered machinery of similar scale and practical value would not have appeared in the West for more than a hundred years, thanks to the improvements made by Watt and others, and would eventually trigger the Industrial Revolution that changed the world.

At this moment, however, it appeared before the emperor and his ministers of the ancient Eastern country ahead of time. Although it was still crude, cumbersome, and slow, it did "move" and showed a terrifying potential to change the mode of war and even production.

The "Divine Iron Fortress" traveled about a hundred paces across the field, made a simple turn, and then rumbled back to its original location before finally coming to a slow stop.

The hissing from the exhaust pipe gradually subsided, finally turning into a few lingering breaths. The giant ship stopped turning, and the earth returned to calm. Only the lingering smell of coal smoke, the damp scent of steam, and the fresh, deep rut in the field proved that what had just happened was not a dream.

The entire demonstration took just over fifteen minutes.

But the viewing platform fell into an absolute silence that lasted for several breaths.

Everyone was still immersed in the soul-stirring shock brought about by the slow movement of the steel behemoth, and remained speechless for a long time.

Many officials had flushed faces and heaving chests, as if they had just participated in an incredible expedition.

A moment later, Chongzhen slowly stood up from his seat.

His gaze was deep as he slowly swept over the "Divine Machine Iron Fortress" that lay dormant below the stage, yet had already displayed astonishing power. Then he swept over the officials on the viewing platform who were somewhat out of control due to excitement and shock. Finally, his gaze fell on Wang Hui and Bi Maokang, who were trembling slightly with excitement over the successful demonstration, yet trying to remain calm.

He took a deep breath, as if trying to transform all the surging emotions in his chest into strength. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resounding, metallic quality, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Minister Wang, Minister Bi, everyone at the Research Institute... you have worked hard. Only today do I truly understand what 'divine craftsmanship' and 'national treasures' mean! First, there were rifles, incomparably sharp, capable of breaking through enemy lines and destroying everything in their path; now we have this 'Divine Machine Iron Fortress,' as immovable as a mountain, yet capable of causing the earth to crack when it moves! With such powerful weapons in hand, we can combine both civil and military prowess, achieving a balance of strength and flexibility..."

He paused, his gaze sharpening as if piercing through time and space to see the battlefield of the future:
"Why should my Great Ming Dynasty worry about unrest on the borders? Why should I worry about the instability of the state? Why should I worry about... the decline of the world?!"

The last sentence, "Why worry that the Ming Dynasty will not prosper," is resolute and filled with an unprecedented, almost blind, powerful confidence.

This statement is not only the highest praise for the researchers such as Wang Hui and Bi Maokang who created the miracle, but also a declaration and encouragement to all the civil and military officials present—under the leadership of this court that possesses such a "divine weapon," the future of the Ming Dynasty will surely be brilliant and unstoppable!
Upon hearing this, Wang Hui and Bi Maokang were already in tears. Together with the other research institute officials who knelt down, they touched their heads to the ground, their voices choked with emotion.
"Your Majesty, we are deeply grateful for Your Majesty's boundless grace! We will dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to the cause, even unto death, to repay even a fraction of Your Majesty's trust and favor!"

Emperor Chongzhen raised his hand in a gesture of support, a rare and extremely pleased smile appearing on his face, and continued:
"You have performed such extraordinary feats, benefiting all people and lasting for generations. How can mere rewards of gold and silver express even a fraction of my gratitude? I remember that before the Southern Tour, the Crown Prince mentioned to me that Minister Wang and Minister Bi had rendered great service to the country and should be rewarded with titles to encourage talented people throughout the land. At that time, I... still had doubts, fearing that it would not conform to ancestral rules and would be difficult to convince the public."

As he said this, his gaze swept meaningfully over the senior officials of the cabinet and the six ministries behind him.

At this moment, everyone, including Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan, Minister of War Li Banghua, and Grand Secretary Hong Chengchou, lowered their heads and showed no sign of displeasure or opposition.

Oppose? What a joke! What I've seen and heard today—the rifle and this "Divine Machine Iron Fortress"—aren't they both great achievements capable of changing the fate of the nation and leaving a lasting mark on history?
Its value far surpasses that of ordinary military achievements such as conquering new territories and capturing enemy generals. It is a groundbreaking achievement that opened up new battlefields and created new tactics!
If such achievements are not enough to earn a noble title, then who in the Ming Dynasty is worthy of such honors and rewards? (End of Chapter)