As Zhao Kuo said, the troops set out on the expedition also set off quite quickly.

This is mainly because muskets are weapons and equipment that cannot be equipped with all soldiers in the Han Dynasty. The troops that can obtain musket equipment are actually relatively elite, and they are also troops stationed around the Imperial Capital, the capital of the Han Dynasty.

Under such a premise, it is of course a very fast task to recruit these troops to fight, because there is no need for any assembly or waiting at all. You only need an order to go to the camp outside the Imperial Capital, and then replenish a lot of supplies and supplies on the road and you can set off.

On the third day after the order was made, 20,000 musketeers set out from the Imperial Capital in a mighty manner.

For ordinary people of the Han Dynasty, the 20,000 troops on the expedition cannot actually cause any turmoil in their minds. After all, in the past so many years, they have long been used to 200,000. 300,000 as a unit of expedition, and 20,000 is indeed just a small number.

But for many insiders, this war is actually more meaningful than many previous wars.

First of all, this was a war purely initiated by the armies of musketeers of the Great Han Kingdom.

Although musketeers were already recognized as the strongest military branch in the Han Dynasty after the war with the Seleucids, there were actually many conservative factions within the army of the Han Dynasty who questioned that musketeers could be the main force, but they could not completely replace all other cold weapon types.

This war will undoubtedly break the doubts of this conservative school.

From Zhao Kuo's perspective, as an emperor, he could of course have this authority and directly suppress all these doubts without mercy, but Zhao Kuo felt that there was no need at all.

After all, the strength of the musketeers is here. As long as the musketeers use their strength to respond to all doubts, why should Zhao Kuo do this forever?

In addition to proving the war between musketeers, there is another point that seems not important but is actually quite important, and is likely to have a profound impact on the future of the Han Dynasty.

This point is that Prince Zhao Qian became the supervisor of this 20,000 musketeers.

Since it is just a military supervisor, it means that Zhao Qian cannot interfere with the command of this army. Of course, no one will think that a prince who is in his teenage years old and has not yet grown up can have the ability to interfere with the command of the army.

What makes everyone even more concerned is what the prince personally thinks about the musketeers and the army after this battle.

At the same time, what does the army think of the prince?

This is undoubtedly very important. After all, everyone knows that the prince is His Majesty the Emperor of the Han Kingdom in the future. Although the prince is still very young now, the practice of Emperor Zhao Kuo sending the prince out to supervise the army is undoubtedly regarded as an attempt by the emperor to let the prince win some military supporters.

Is the prince able to win the support of these troops, especially the support of two rising stars in the Han army, Xiang Yan and Wang Jian?

There are many questions, but if you want to get the answer, you can only slowly be known by everyone after returning from the war, or even ten or twenty years later.

After 20,000 musketeers went to war, Zhao Kuo, as the emperor, naturally stayed in the imperial capital and continued to deal with the continuous affairs and memorials.

Originally, Zhao Kuo thought that these boring official life would accompany him for a long time, but what Zhao Kuo did not expect was that something that surprised Zhao Kuo soon happened.

On this day, Zhao Kuo almost casually opened a memorial that had just been sent by someone outside, and was attracted by the name on the memorial.

"Really?"

Zhao Kuo raised his eyebrows in surprise.

As the chief scientist of Zhao State today, this guy, Lu Zhen, basically devotes most of his 365 days a year to scientific research. How could he have time to write a memorial?

Could it be that something amazing happened and something amazing was invented?

With this idea, Zhao Kuo continued to read the memorial.

After only a moment, Zhao Kuo looked excited and slapped the table.

"Come here, prepare a carriage for me immediately. I want to go to the factory to take a look."

Zhao Kuo gave the order and the carriage was ready immediately.

More than half an hour later, Zhao Kuo soon arrived at the No. 1 weapon and equipment research factory in the Han Dynasty on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.

Originally, the factory was actually in the city of Imperial Capital, but later he actually sent a memorial to tell Zhao Kuo that if the factory was kept in the city, it would actually play a role in leaking secrets for various scientific research.

Therefore, Zhao Kuo followed suit and moved the factory to the outskirts far away from the center of the Imperial Capital.

Not only that, there is a 3,000-person Chiyou Army barracks next to this factory.

This is just in case. If someone wants to make some ideas about this factory, Chi Youjun will let these guys know why the flowers are so popular.

When the emperor Zhao Kuo arrived in person, the factory door would naturally open immediately.

Zhao Kuo almost couldn't wait to ask, "I'm really honest, call him over to me quickly."

Zhao Kuo said something, and it was just a minute after he finished speaking, and his belly really appeared in front of Zhao Kuo.

"I've seen His Majesty the Emperor."

Kuo Zhen saluted Zhao Kuo. He seemed to have not taken a shower for many days. His clothes were quite sloppy and emitted a very pungent smell.

But at this time, Zhao Kuoke ignored these messy things at all, but grabbed the real shoulder of the belly and spoke, "Did you really invent the steam engine?"

The reason why Zhao Kuo was so out of control was that he arrived here immediately was because in the memorial, he told Zhao Kuo that he had invented the steam engine that Zhao Kuo was thinking about.

After hearing Zhao Kuo's urgent questioning, Hu Zhen also smiled and said to Zhao Kuo: "Your Majesty, I have indeed fulfilled my mission. After so many years of research, I finally invented the steam engine that His Majesty has always said."

After hearing the report from Kuo, Zhao Kuo couldn't help laughing out loud.

"It's great to wait for so many years and finally let me wait until today."

Zhao Kuo was really very excited. He didn't talk nonsense and pulled Kuo Zhen directly and asked Kuo Zhen to take him to see what the first steam engine in the world looked like.

Soon, Zhao Kuo saw the steam engine placed in the most core secret room of the factory.

Zhao Kuo stood still and looked at the steam engine in front of him carefully, as if he was watching a beauty who had only produced hundreds of years.

Although it is somewhat different from the steam engine in Zhao Kuo's impression in appearance, judging from the working state of the steam engine in front of him and the steam that constantly gushing out from his head, it is indeed a steam engine that is like a fake one.

The invention of the steam engine was definitely an epoch-making event, which marked the transformation and sublimation of humans from the way they used human power and various energy sources in nature, and instead used the power of machines to serve humans.

It is precisely because of this that the emergence of the steam engine is regarded as the beginning of the first industrial revolution, because it is precisely because of the powerful driving force of the steam engine that the term industry is available.

Zhao Kuo has always been obsessed with the steam engine and has always instructed him to study it carefully.

But the problem is that as a modern time traveler, Zhao Kuo is more familiar with various electrical machinery, or oil machinery. He is really not familiar with this kind of industrial machinery that belongs to the ancient type of steam engine.

In addition, the previous research on tummy actually focused more on military aspects, such as explosives or muskets. After all, the research on tummy really wanted to serve the State of Zhao at that time, and later the military of the State of Han. If unification and expansion were not achieved, then it would be meaningless to study the steam engine.

It’s different now. The Han Dynasty not only unified China, but also had a vast market and population, and had the conditions to carry out the first industrial revolution.

Under such circumstances, the emergence of a steam engine is definitely a completely and very appropriate time.

Kuo was also very happy and introduced to Zhao Kuo: "To be honest, after we have developed this steam engine, we have tried to smelve as a power to smelve iron, which has indeed achieved a more obvious effect than using manpower to smelve iron before."

After hearing Fu Zhen's words, Zhao Kuo smiled and nodded, and said to Fu Zhen: "Iron smelting is indeed a very common way for steam engines to use. You can continue to try this.

But, I hope you can make something else. If you can really do such a thing, it will definitely play a drastic role."

After hearing Zhao Kuo's words, Ku Zhen was suddenly curious and couldn't help but say, "I wonder what your Majesty wants us to do?"

Zhao Kuo smiled, took out a drawing from his arms and put it in his hands.

After taking the drawing from Zhao Kuo's hand, Kuo's heart suddenly moved slightly.

He could see that this drawing must have been kept close to Zhao Kuo for a long time, so it looked a little wrinkled.

With a strange mood, Hu Zhen took apart the drawing, and then saw an extremely complex machine with a name written on it.

“Steam train.”

My abdomen was really opened, and my mouth slowly pronounced these 4 words.

These 4 words seem to have some magic power, and instantly attracted all the attention of Fu Zhen.

Hu Zhen looked at the drawing in front of him in a daze. I don’t know how long it took to finally come back to my senses. I suddenly looked up and found that Zhao Kuo was still standing in front of me.

Kuo was hurriedly apologized to Zhao Kuo.

Zhao Kuo smiled and said to Fu Zhen: "How is it?

Are you sure to create this thing?"

After thinking about it, I said seriously: "Your Majesty looks quite complicated, especially how to transmit the power of the steam engine to the entire front of the car. Now I have no clue at all.

But please rest assured, your Majesty. I understand very well in my heart that if this thing can be really made, it will probably be my greatest honor in my life. So I will definitely do my best to build this steam train as soon as possible."

Zhao Kuo smiled slightly, patted his belly and said very seriously: "If one day you can really find this locomotive, then I will enthrone you for your lord."

After hearing Zhao Kuo's words, his belly and body couldn't help but shake it violently.

The title of king and prince is what many people dream of, and it is also the glory of the great minister that many generals cannot obtain in their entire lives.

Now Zhao Kuo put such glory in front of Ku Zhen and in front of such a craftsman.

Is there any craftsman who has been able to be the king of the emperor throughout the ages?

I have never heard of it before.

But now he knew that this opportunity had come, and this opportunity was indeed in front of him.

Zhao Kuo, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, could not lie. As long as he worked hard, he would become the first craftsman in history to be the first craftsman to be a prince! Kuo took a deep breath and said to Zhao Kuo: "Please rest assured, Kuo, Kuo must do his best to complete the task assigned by His Majesty to the minister as soon as possible!"

Now I really open my belly and say it is done as soon as possible, not that I cannot complete it.

Because after hearing Zhao Kuo's reward, this has become a task that must be completed for Fu Zhen.

Zhao Kuo laughed and said to Fu Zhen: "Since that's the case, then I'm waiting for news of your success.

Remember my words, steam trains are indeed the top priority, but I hope you will not give up on the exploration of other applications of steam engines, such as steam engine steelmaking or steam engine textiles, etc., which can be used in all walks of life.

Every invention is a huge progress for the entire Han Dynasty, and it can make you famous in history. Do you understand?"

Kuo Zhen nodded solemnly, saying that he would do his best to arrange research work in relevant aspects as Zhao Kuo's instructions.

After giving instructions to Fuzhen, Zhao Kuo issued an order, rewarded Fuzhen's first-class title, and also rewarded a large number of craftsmen related to steam engine research and manufacturing.

After doing all this, Zhao Kuo happily got on the carriage and returned to the palace.

On the way back to the palace, Zhao Kuo was in a good mood and even sang a song.

Steam engines have already appeared, so is the industrial era still far away from the Han Dynasty?
Chapter completed!