In Nanchang, Hongzhou, the chimney of the boiler room in the inn is rolling thick smoke, so it drives the steam engine to drive the "water-cooled air conditioner" and brings some coolness to the guests staying in the inn. The boiler workers are busy next to the boiler, and the "heater" who is supervising the side can't help but shout:

"Add coal, add coal!"

The shirtless boiler worker sweats wildly, waving the shovel hard to send coal into the furnace, while the "heater" stares at the pressure gauge and grasps the amount of coal added.

Seeing the pressure gauge pointer turn to a certain area, the furnace yells "Stop!" and then someone closes the furnace door.

On the side, the fan driven by a steam engine was rotating, bringing some coolness to the stuffy boiler room, but this coolness was quickly dispelled by the heat emitted by the boiler.

The kettle brought by the boiler workers quickly drank all the light salt water in the kettle, and after it was filled again, it was drunk soon.

The high-temperature boiler room allows the salt water that the boiler drinks into his stomach to quickly turn into sweat and flow out. The water in the boiler is heated by burning coal to boil and turns into steam to enter the cylinder along the pipeline to push the piston.

The reciprocating movement of the piston is used by various transmission devices to lift the cool well water up, and drive the fan and "water-cooled air conditioner" to cool the room equipped with "water-cooled air conditioner".

"Water-cooled air conditioners" are everywhere in Nanchang nowadays. The summer in Nanchang has always been known for its sultry and hotness. With "Water-cooled air conditioners" and ice cubes, it is enough to allow wealthy families to spend the hot summer safely.

But the boilers in the boiler room are not so comfortable. The weather is already hot and the boiler room is hotter than outside, so the boiler room is in groups of several people, and they rotate on duty every certain time to add coal and boil water for the boiler.

When on duty, when the boiler is burning, there is a short time interval without adding coal, so except those looking at the pressure gauge, other furnace workers can go outside the boiler room to enjoy the cool.

Although the sun was scorching outside, it was a bit "cool" than the hotter boiler room. The boilers sat under the shade of the tree drinking light salt water, shaking the big palm fan, and seizing the time to recover their strength.

Others don’t know their hard work, and even if others know, they still have to work.

Now there are distinguished guests in the inn. If the hospitality is not well received, for example, if the guests are so hot that they can’t sleep at night, then the inn will be in trouble.

The boiler workers were burning the boiler. In a corner of the inn, Wang Shichong, who returned home, was cooling off in a cool room. He wrote two pieces of paper in front of him, one was a telegram and the other was a newspaper.

Wang Shichong, who had been on the Western Regions for a year and a half, has returned safely, and he is also accompanied by the envoys from the Kingdom of Rome and Persia.

The fleet arrived in Fanyu, Guangzhou in late spring, then took a boat to the north, crossed Dayu Ridge by land, and arrived in the stuffy Nanchang, Hongzhou, when summer arrived. They temporarily lived in the Nanchang Inn in the past two days, and then continued to rush to Chang'an.

After arriving in Nanchang, Wang Shichong learned that there had been a telegram with Chang'an, so early this morning, he asked someone to draft a "ticket" and send it to Chang'an, briefly explaining the situation on his side to the emperor.

Not long after, a "electronic letter" came from Chang'an, and the content was very brief, recording the instructions of the emperor.

It took only more than two hours to go back and forth, and Chang'an and Nanchang are thousands of miles apart.

Wang Shichong was a little unbelievable about this convenient telegram, because when he left the Central Plains, the telegram was said to be full of problems and could not be popularized, but now it is very different.

In addition, there was another thing that made him feel incredible, that was today's newspaper "headlines".

The headlines of the newspaper said that the "train" was openly "trial" in Xiakou, pulling ten buses full of passengers, starting from Xiakou, and walking along the railway to Wuchang.

The average speed reaches forty miles per hour.

The officials gathered inside and outside Wuchang Station, with more than 10,000 people, all witnessed this major event with their own eyes.

Wang Shichong read the newspaper and couldn't believe it. He was ordered to go on a mission to the west. As an envoy of the dynasty, he mediated the disputes between Persia and Roman countries, one after another for a year and a half. As a result, during this period, the Central Plains were "changing with each passing day".

First, propeller-propelled steamships have become popular, followed by magical telegraphs.

He was in Nanchang and could communicate with Chang'an thousands of miles away. The news went back and forth, but in just over two hours, the emperor gave instructions to his report, as if he was in Chang'an, entering the palace to listen to the holy teachings, and then leaving the palace for more than two hours.

This is the magical power of telegraph, which is incredible.

Now, there is a "train" again.

This kind of "train" that can move when burning coal and pulls ten cars together. It can walk for one day and one night at an average speed of 40 miles per hour, and it can travel 96 miles, almost a thousand miles (the time delayed by stations is temporarily ignored)

what does that mean?

It means that soldiers do not ride horses and move by train, and their daily attack distance is significantly greater than the cavalry's attack distance.

The attack distance of a cavalry (including round trips) is about a hundred miles, and the distance of a one-way day and night raid (only going but not returning) is three hundred miles. Moreover, this kind of raid of raiding between day and night 300 miles can only be achieved by elite cavalry.

However, after the train was established, an army composed of ordinary soldiers took the train leisurely and "traveled a thousand miles day and night", eating, drinking, defecating and resting on the train, and immediately started fighting after arriving at the destination.

In ten cars, at least 600 well-equipped soldiers and carrying dry food for several days can be carried. Considering that the government army is generally equipped with firearms, such an army marchs along the railway by car, and its daily attack distance is at least 400 miles.

Water and land have transportation tools that can travel thousands of miles a day. Coupled with the recent telegrams, the imperial court's control over the world will be unprecedentedly firm. If a local snake wants to rebel, it will soon be suppressed by the official army who attacks by train or steamship.

At the same time, once the transportation route combining water and land is formed, the circulation of personnel and materials in various places will become more and more frequent. Wang Shichong dared not think about the consequences and impacts of this.

I can't think about it either.

According to the newspaper, within this year, existing railways will replace horses with trains, tow long carriages, transport personnel and materials, and then the court will start planning and raise funds to build a new railway.

Perhaps in another ten or twenty years, the main railway lines across the east and west and north and south are built, the water and land transportation lines are "lush and leaves", and there are telegraph lines with good connections. By then, the world will have a new look.

At this time of "changing with each passing day", Wang Shichong felt that he had many opportunities to get promoted and make a fortune.

First of all, the demand for coal will soar because whether it is a steamship in the water, a train on the ground, or a variety of steam machinery, or boiling water, cooking and heating in daily life, you will have to burn coal, so starting a coal mine will inevitably make a big profit.

Secondly, the imperial power will become more and more solid. As long as there is no chaos, the Great Zhou Dynasty will only become more and more stable. If he wants to climb up, he will either please the emperor or the prince.

Pleasing the emperor is for the present and pleasing the prince is for the future, but flattery will add to the consequences if you don’t know the key points.

Therefore, the most important thing is to do things seriously and achieve political achievements.

Wang Shichong thought about it and thought of his current mission. His mission this time was to destroy the power of the enemy, so that the hostile Persia and Roman countries temporarily shook hands and made peace with each other, and sent envoys to come to the Central Plains with him.

Such peace is actually very fragile, so if we can find a way to consolidate this peace so that the dynasty can conduct trade with the two countries steadily, Wang Shichong will deepen the impression of being a "capable official".

Now, we must take advantage of the re-entry of the envoys of the two countries to show each other the extraordinary strength of Zhou. In this way, only after the envoys of the two countries return to their country will try their best to explain the "precious" of peace.

Before, envoys from both countries had already experienced the steamship when they headed north, and now it is time to experience the train.

But trains are new nowadays, and irrelevant people must obtain permission to experience them.
Chapter completed!