Bringing the Railway to Daming

Chapter 137 Subsequent Experiments, Beiyuan Secret Report [Request for Subscription]

At this moment, Zhu Biao had no reason to let Liu Kuan speak first.

His face was filled with joy as he nodded to Guo Tianwen and the others, "I watched the entire steam train trial run. You did a great job!"

I didn’t say more.

Although Zhu Biao knew that the experiment was successful, he did not know to what extent it was successful. He was worried that if he said too much, he would make mistakes and lose face.

Seeing this, Liu Kuan took over the conversation and said, "I will report the success of this experiment to His Majesty. The staff of the two project teams will also be rewarded according to their respective merits."

"In addition, I would like to thank all the staff of the two major project teams for their tireless efforts, fearless of danger, and tireless day-in-day research and testing for months. Without your efforts, the first Ming Dynasty train would not have been able to complete its first trial run so quickly."

"There will be a second, third, and even more experiments and related research and development work until a truly practical train is launched."

"I hope you all will not slack off, but keep up the good work and strive to complete subsequent research and development work as quickly and efficiently as this experiment!"

After saying that, Liu Kuan bowed solemnly to officials such as Guo and Qiu, the craftsmen and other staff members who had come to the breakthrough, and saluted solemnly!
Liu Kuan's words touched the hearts of the craftsmen and handymen who made up the largest number of people in the two project teams. They felt that the hardships and fatigue they had endured for the past six months were not in vain, and the dangers they had taken were not in vain.

At least Liu Kuan, the chief official in charge of "building trains", knew and remembered their contributions.

Zhu Biao and others standing next to Liu Kuan were slightly surprised at first, and then Zhu Biao, Zhu Tan, Zhu Chun, and Zhu Bai, who were smart, looked thoughtful.

However, Zhu Xing and Zhu Zi did not care much about it. Zhu Xing even felt that Liu Kuan was too nice to these officials and craftsmen, and was suspected of being overbearing to his subordinates.

After Liu Kuan finished speaking, he signaled others to go back to work, leaving only Guo Tianwen and Qiu Qichi to inquire.

"How far is the maximum speed of the train from its upper limit?"

Since Guo Tianwen is conducting this pilot experiment with the joint carriage project team, he must have explored the maximum power of this steam engine within the team.

Hearing Liu Kuan's question, he answered without hesitation: "I estimate it is about half of its fastest speed."

Half?

Zhu Biao showed a look of surprise.

When he came back just now, he saw that the fastest speed of the train was comparable to a horse's normal trot. If it was twice as fast, even if it was not as fast as a horse's normal run, it would not be much different.

If a train can run stably, its endurance will far surpass that of a horse, and it will have considerable practical value!

Liu Kuan was not surprised.

He provided information on a variety of steam engines. Even if Guo Tianwen and others could not build the mature steam engines of later generations, they would definitely not build the first generation version, so it was not surprising that they could achieve this speed.

However, it is indeed a happy thing that the Ming Dynasty train can reach this speed from the beginning.

So he smiled too.

He then asked, "What we're going to do next is test the train's stability and increase its mileage, right?"

Guo Tianwen nodded, "Yes."

“How long will this phase of the trial take?”

Guo Tian asked: "As short as three months, as long as half a year."

Today's steam trains are not as complicated and dangerous as later trains and high-speed trains. It is sufficient to have such a long time to test their stability - subsequent problems can be solved during use and the steam engines and trains can be continuously improved.

There is no need to wait until the trains are perfected to a very high level before they are put into use - that would take a long time.

Besides, practice is the best way to test.

How many problems did the Ming Dynasty's first steam locomotive have? Only when it was used could all of them be revealed.

Thinking of this, Liu Kuan nodded and said, "With you as the lead and Qiu as the assistant, write a plan for the experiment for this phase and submit it to the department."

"It is important to clearly specify the length and location of the railway lines required for each mileage test. Only then can the department submit a report to the court and urge the military, local officials, and civilians to cooperate."

Guo Tianwen replied, "I understand."

Next, Liu Kuan discussed several issues regarding train carriages, chassis, and wheels with Qiu Qianchi before ending the conversation.

Then, he ignored the eager looks Zhu Biao and the others had as they looked towards the train, and said, "Your Highness, the experiment is over. Shall we leave now? Staying here for no reason will only delay their work."

Zhu Biao asked tentatively, "Since the train has stopped, can't we go up and take a look?"

Liu Kuan shook his head. "The boiler's still running. It's a bit dangerous to go up and look. Apart from the front of the train, there's only the carriages left. We can see everything clearly from the outside. Why bother getting on board to see?"

Zhu Biao felt that Liu Kuan was being too cautious.

However, he did not insist on getting on the train. He sighed slightly with regret and took several princes back to the Forbidden City.

As for Liu Kuan, he was going back to the office to discuss some matters with Su Quan.
Zhu Biao returned to the Forbidden City, asked Zhu Tan and other princes to leave, and then went straight to Fengxian Hall to meet Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Have you gone to see the second brother again?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked without raising his head while sitting on the dragon throne and processing memorials.

Zhu Biao recalled the two times he had been misunderstood by Zhu Chong and couldn't help but ask, "Hasn't your Majesty known about this a long time ago? Otherwise, how could this son of yours have left the palace?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up, glanced at Zhu Biao thoughtfully, and said, "Even if we send someone to watch you, it's impossible for them to report your affairs to us all the time."

The inexplicable anger that Zhu Biao felt towards Zhu Yuanzhang disappeared as soon as it emerged.

He sighed and said, "When I went there with my brothers, I happened to see Deng chasing Guanyin Nu, and my second brother was caught in the middle and suffering..."

Zhu Yuanzhang listened to Zhu Biao's detailed account of what he had seen at Zhu Chong's place and could not help but shake his head and snort, "This Deng is neither kind nor polite. She is simply a shrew!"

"Although I betrothed Guanyin to the Second Brother in order to persuade Wang Baobao to surrender, even if that attempt to persuade him to surrender didn't work out, she is still the Second Brother's legal wife."

"As the second concubine, Deng Shi didn't show respect to her. She even instigated the second prince to place her under house arrest, nearly causing her to starve to death."

"The Second Brother has been demoted to a commoner, so we sent them to share his hard times. We wanted him to see who is the true love who can share his hardships. Now you can see, right?"

Zhu Biao thought of the scene when Zhu Chong persuaded Deng Shi and shook his head. He said, "I see that my second brother has deep feelings for Deng Shi. I'm afraid it won't go away anytime soon."

"Besides, Guanyinnu is not only Wang Baobao's sister, but also childless, while Deng gave birth to Shang Bing. I'm afraid that no matter how much Deng behaves, even if my second brother changes his mind, he won't do anything to her."

"On the contrary, Guanyin slave has to live with Deng day and night. Even if she keeps being tolerant, I'm afraid something will happen after a while."

Zhu Biao didn't say the rest of the words - he chased Guanyin Nu and beat her as soon as he arrived at Deng's today. Who knows if he won't be beaten with sticks, or even with kitchen knives, boiling water, etc. in the future?

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and pondered for a moment before speaking in a focused voice, "Not long ago, the Guangming Guards sent back top secret intelligence from the Northern Yuan Dynasty—that Wang Baobao most likely didn't die in the Khalanahai court, but was secretly imprisoned somewhere."

"What?" Zhu Biao was shocked when he heard it.

Before this, Wang Baobao was the backbone of the Northern Yuan Dynasty's resistance against the Ming army. He was promoted to the position of Grand Tutor of the Secretariat and was almost second only to the emperor in the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

Because Wang Baobao was one of the few Yuan army generals whom Zhu Yuanzhang admired, he came up with the idea of ​​letting Zhu Chong marry Guanyin Nu in order to win over Wang Baobao and make him surrender.

Even if it fails, Emperor Yuan will become more suspicious of Wang Baobao's loyalty.

In fact, from the fourth to the tenth year of the Hongwu reign, Wang Baobao had completely ignored Zhu Yuanzhang's attempts to recruit him. As for his biological sister, Guanyinnu, he seemed to have forgotten her.

However, in the eleventh year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang sent an envoy to the Yuan court and suddenly received news: Wang Baobao was gone, and it was said that he died in an accident in a place called Halanahai.

Wang Baobao was in his prime, good at fighting, and had guards around him. How could an accident happen to him so easily?

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally did not believe this, so in the past few years he had been asking spies lurking in the Northern Yuan Dynasty to secretly gather information.

However, the news of Wang Baobao's death eventually reached the Ming Dynasty, and everyone celebrated - because the Ming Dynasty's second Northern Expedition failed, and Wang Baobao's existence was a major reason.

Guanyin Nu was not liked by Zhu Chong to begin with. When the news of Wang Baobao's death came, the political significance of his existence dropped sharply, and naturally he was treated even less by Zhu Chong.

Although Zhu Biao had access to many secrets of the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Yuan Dynasty, he had not heard from Wang Baobao for several years, so he believed that this person was indeed dead.

Now I heard that Wang Baobao was not dead, I was very surprised.

Coming back to his senses, he couldn't help but say, "Father, if we can find out where Wang Baobao is imprisoned and rescue him, it will be of great help in defeating the Northern Yuan Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Do you still need to remind me of this? I have already sent an order to the Northern Yuan Dynasty's Guangming Guards to search for Wang Baobao with all their might."

Then he added, "Since Wang Baobao is very likely alive, we must take good care of Guanyinnu and not let anything happen to her."

"Ms. Deng is so domineering. Just because Second Brother is reluctant to discipline her doesn't mean we won't. Tomorrow we'll send someone to tell her that if she continues to act so rudely and misbehave, she won't be able to see Shang Bing again!"

Zhu Biao was surprised when he heard this, and then sighed inwardly.

"Father is indeed formidable. He has already grasped Deng's weak spot with just one move."

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang asked again, "Didn't you go with Liu Kuan to watch the train experiment? What was the result?"

　Second update.

　　I suddenly received a call from home in the evening, saying that my grandma had fallen and passed away!

　　I have to go back to my hometown overnight.

　　This chapter can only be written here.

　　Will update tomorrow to see the situation.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)