A gentle river breeze carried a hint of a watery, grassy scent.
The three admired the bustling merchant ships coming and going on the Xiaoqing River, while discussing steamships and steam engines.
After discussing the steamship and steam engine, Lin Wentao suddenly remembered something. He said to Xiao Ming, “Your Majesty, two days ago, a close friend of mine from Bowen Academy approached me. He said he was preparing to apply for an electricity experiment, but he suffered from a lack of sufficient copper wire and magnets, making it impossible to proceed.”
“Electricity experiment.” Xiao Ming’s brows furrowed.
To promote the development of technology in the Great Yu Empire, Xiao Ming had put in great effort. Especially after Bowen Academy was established, he promised that any student could apply for silver to set up their own research laboratory and seek collaborating students to conduct relevant research.
After this policy was introduced, it was very popular among the students. Soon, the imperial court received over thirty applications for establishing research laboratories, and the amount of silver requested by these students varied.
However, for Xiao Ming, this silver could not be given out indiscriminately. There were countless examples of fraudulent research to swindle money in contemporary times.
Perhaps these students could fool the officials, but they could not fool him. So, after review, he directly rejected over twenty of the applications.
“It’s an electricity experiment. After Your Majesty rejected many research applications last time, many students became much more cautious. This close friend of mine was afraid that he would be rejected by Your Majesty this time, so he came to consult with me,” Lin Wentao said.
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Ming said, “What he says is indeed true. Copper wire is easy to find now, but strong magnets are not. However, fortunately, there are magnets within Qingzhou Province. Once the Mining Department finds them, I will send them to him. Tell him to apply for it.”
In fact, the interval between the First Industrial Revolution and the Second Industrial Revolution was not very long. The accumulation of the First Industrial Revolution quickly led to the Second Industrial Revolution.
Now that the Great Yu Empire had fully entered the age of steam, it was already laying the foundation for the Second Industrial Revolution. And electricity, as the cornerstone of the Second Industrial Revolution, should now be put on the agenda.
European countries took a hundred years of self-exploration to achieve widespread electrification, but for him, it wouldn’t take that long. After all, he possessed mature technology, which could save many detours.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lin Wentao said happily. He and this close friend had always admired each other. While he was tinkering with steam engines, this friend had been diligently studying in the academy, and now it was finally time for him to show his skills.
Xiao Ming was also in a good mood. He asked, “What is this person’s name?”
“Su Liangcai.”
Zhang Liang couldn’t help but smile upon hearing this. “This person’s name is interesting. I only hope he is truly a capable person.”
“Capable people often have capable friends. I trust Lin Wentao’s judgment,” Xiao Ming said.
After chatting with the two for a while longer, Xiao Ming and Qian Dafu returned to the temporary palace. This matter with Su Liangcai proved that the seeds he had sown were now bearing fruit.
Besides Lin Wentao, students from Bowen Academy, one after another, who had achieved academic success, began to emerge, applying their knowledge to various industries.
When the youth is strong, the nation is strong. Now, more and more scholars were abandoning stale Confucian texts and picking up books representing science. This in itself was proof that the Great Yu Empire was changing.
However, for him, this was not enough. He wanted this change not to be limited to Qingzhou Province. To accelerate this process, he would also have to lead by example and participate.
He had already given instructions that a large lecture hall was to be built at Bowen Academy, and he would take one day every seven days to personally give lectures at Bowen Academy.
For him, this was not just to impart knowledge, but also to show the scholars of the world how much he, the Emperor, valued them, and to give each of them the honor of being a disciple of the Son of Heaven.
…
Yingzhou, a city in the northwest of Goryeo.
After retreating from Ryukyo City, Beishan did not rush back to Shengdu but instead led his troops to this small border city of the Golden Tent Khanate.
“Prince, the guests have arrived,” Guduo’s voice sounded from outside the room.
Beishan’s spirit lifted. He said, “Let them in.”
When he left Ryukyo City this time, he had sent someone to a Goryeo city occupied by Japan.
Soon, he received a reply: the British were about to return from Japan and could meet him before they left.
So the British directly sailed their warships from Japan, anchoring in the waters of Yingzhou, to meet Beishan.
A short while later, Guduo led two fair-haired, blue-eyed individuals into the room. Beishan was somewhat surprised; he had never seen such people, and his heart was filled with a sense of awe.
Accompanying the two British men were four Japanese samurai, their two swords hanging at their waists, seemingly there specifically to protect the two.
“Esteemed Prince Beishan, I am Earl Carey from Britain,” Carey said with a friendly expression.
This trip to Japan, he successfully met with Yamada Nobunaga and reached agreements on many aspects. He called this the “Nagasaki Agreement.”
The contents of the agreement had been drafted before he came to Japan. From the date of signing, Britain would provide Japan with higher quality firearms, cannons, and warships, and send military personnel to train Japanese soldiers.
Moreover, Japan could send personnel to study in Britain, and at the same time, Britain would help Japan establish an industrial system and provide steam engines.
In return, Japan would open its market to Britain, allowing British merchants to conduct business in Japan, and both countries had an obligation to jointly address the threats facing Asia.
Carey was somewhat surprised by how easily this agreement was signed, but he thanked the rise of the Great Yu Empire, as it made Japan feel threatened.
That was why Yamada Nobunaga had signed this friendly treaty with them, overcoming all objections.
However, for Carey, his mission was far from over. The Great Yu Empire caused them too much concern, and from what he understood, this Emperor of the Great Yu Empire was extremely ambitious.
He was very worried that this unique Emperor would constantly expand in Asia, and his worries were exacerbated after the two Goryeo cities were captured.
It was precisely for this reason that he insisted on coming to meet Prince Beishan.
Although he knew very well that the Great Yu Empire, this northern nomadic empire, was even more barbaric, the British were not afraid of barbaric tribes, only empires more civilized than themselves.
To curb the Great Yu Empire’s expansion, he felt it necessary to create an encirclement in Asia, like a cage, to trap the soon-to-awaken lion that was the Great Yu Empire. At that time, even if this encirclement didn’t work, it would be enough to delay the Great Yu Empire’s rise.
During this period, British industry would surge forward, continuously leaving the Great Yu Empire behind.
So, no matter what, this was beneficial to the British Empire with no harm.
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