"This is a newspaper they issue regularly every day. The number of copies issued in this city is about 10,000. It is said that when there is special news, they will issue additional copies in quantity, sometimes 30,000, and at most 50,000 copies. The shocking circulation shows that their printing technology is extremely advanced, so that they can publish newspapers in large quantities every day. The prices of books in the city are also cheaper."

"The newspaper records a lot of things we want to know. According to local people oral accounts of what is recorded in the newspaper, their train uses a machine called a steam engine as power, and the train is dragged like thousands of horses."

After visiting missionaries living in the capital, several British nobles became more and more curious about the new technologies that appeared here, and their ideas were inevitably impacted. They tried every means to collect technical information about steam locomotives, electric lights and other technical information in the capital. The information about new technologies that can be circulated among the people in the capital either comes from newspapers published by the Jiuzhou newspaper or from popular science booklets or books issued by the government.

In fact, there is another important source of books in middle school and university, but the British embassy does not know about it and cannot obtain books in the school.

If it is the nomads in Africa or Central Asia and they promote these technologies and ideas, they will not believe it at all, but if it is the ancient and mysterious Eastern civilization that is studying these contents, they have to consider keeping up so as not to be widened. The price of backwardness is very heavy.

"Steam engine? I remember that the customs supplies they reported were more than ten steam engines, saying that they were used to build factories. We didn't know what it was or how much it cost, so we decided to exempt the tariffs on the steam engine. I didn't expect that this thing could be equivalent to the power of thousands of horses?" Earl of Compton heard that the core technology of the steam locomotive was a steam engine, and thought of a series of commodities reported by Western companies.

Western companies have a huge fleet of dozens of large sailboats, hundreds of commodities and machines. They have unheard of many of them, such as steam engines, smallpox vaccines and other products needed by textile factories. For these things, there is no customs tariff rate for them at this time. Based on the first cooperation between the two parties, London has exempted almost all products that have never been heard of, and only taxes on traditional commodities such as tea, steel, wine, porcelain, silk, etc.

"But their newspapers only have a very simple introduction, and the purpose is to explain to ordinary citizens that trains are not witchcraft, and the description of trains is not detailed enough, and there is no structural drawing." said a British nobleman.

"See if we can find opportunities to introduce these technologies to our Britain in the future. We can also hire their craftsmen to go to the city of London to see if we can imitate such magical machines. We can buy what we can buy if we can spend money, and try to sign an agreement with Mr. Chu to introduce these technologies."

Earl of Compton and his men ran around to collect technical information. Due to the government's blockade of core technologies, several British nobles such as Earl of Compton who were interested in new technologies did not collect practical technologies, but only had a deeper understanding of new things such as trains. A deeper understanding of new products allowed them to realize their potential, but they could not figure out the principles, which made Earl of Compton unable to sleep all night.

Unable to collect information in private, Compton could only place his hopes on hiring Chinese engineers at high prices in the future or signing a technology introduction treaty with the Jiuzhou Army.

Before the arrival of their second group of envoys, Charles I had not yet introduced the idea of ​​trains, electric lights and other technologies, because Charles I only listened to Sir Greenville's description and did not take it completely seriously. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, no one would have imagined that an iron car that could carry hundreds of people would walk on its own.

Even though Sir Greenville and other envoys from the first envoys, Jima said to Charles I with confidence that there was a train, and he clumsyly tried to draw the train, Charles I just smiled and did not completely believe them, but it seemed to be a fairy tale. After all, the train was on the stage more than a hundred years ahead of schedule.

Outside the Sihe Courtyard where the British Envoy is located, intelligence personnel from the Intelligence Department are always monitoring their every move.

"They are collecting newspapers and books from previous issues in private, and have bought more than two hundred books. Can they really understand Chinese characters?" a vendor who was squatting nearby muttered.

"It's mostly because we want to know the new things here. According to our interrogation of the translator, the British envoy repeatedly mentioned the train and street lights, as if he wanted to figure out what was going on." said another intelligence officer who was sitting in the store drinking tea.

"These technologies are owned by the government. Those who master the principles are students in universities. The only people who are truly capable of manufacturing are craftsmen at the level of 'engineer' in factories. They all have to sign confidentiality regulations with the government. How can they obtain detailed principles by inquiring from the public?" said the intelligence personnel in charge of staring at the envoys.

The Jiuzhou Army has strictly blocked industrial technologies such as steam engines, electricity, machinery, ballistics, metallurgy, etc., and even the people cannot understand the detailed technology, let alone the British envoys who are not familiar with it. Even if some of the principles are leaked, it is only at the popular science level, and many core technologies and details have not been revealed.

According to Chu Yun's idea, these technologies are the source of wealth. After the internal combustion engine, electric motor and oil technology matures, I will sell the remaining steam engine technology to other countries and charge high patent licensing fees every year, which is simply too profitable.

"I think these people are also delusional. How could they easily get these things... Yes, do you know what the prisoners of the Japanese shogunate dealt with later?" One of the intelligence personnel suddenly talked about the situation of Tokugawa Iemitsu and others.

"Is anyone following this line? There should be brothers staring at them. Someone must be secretly monitoring them. Otherwise, it would be a tricky thing for these prisoners to escape back to Japan." Another intelligence officer said.

"I secretly monitored the escort of this group of prisoners. Their places were not confidential. I served my sentence at an official farm outside the capital. The sentence was uncertain. I think they should be hoeing the fields at this moment. I don't know if the group of samurai who were once high can do good farm work." said the intelligence officer who knew the inside story.
Chapter completed!