The mighty second fleet and dispatched troops to the West were undoubtedly a big deal for the Admiralty.

However, for the people, they didn't even know that such a fleet had gone to sea. The newspaper did not mention this matter, but published the news that Western trading companies had once again organized fleets to go to the West, which stimulated many private businessmen to explore overseas.

In the bustling Jiangnan region, almost everyone was paying attention to the Nanjing-Suzhou railway that was about to be opened to traffic.

After the destruction of long-term wars in the north, the economic center of gravity has moved south more and more obvious.

Chu Yun opened up industry in southern Liaoning, Beijing and Tianjin, barely restored its competitiveness in the north, but the Jiangnan region was still the most prosperous place for commerce.

Compared with the Beijing-Liao Railway that has been built in the north and the Beijing-Tianjin Railway, there is no railway open to traffic in the south.

But this does not mean that there was no railway construction in the south. In fact, when the Jiuzhou Army took over Nanjing, it began to explore railway lines and began to organize labor to build within a few years.

When the regime changes, many bankrupt farmers and handicraftsmen will be produced. Most of these people are organized into railway construction, and the number of workers at the highest reached an astonishing tens of thousands.

Recently, the first section of the railway south of the Yangtze River, the Ningsu Railway from Nanjing to Suzhou, was finally ready to be opened to traffic after several years of exploration and construction.

Ningsu Railway is supervised by the Jianghuai Provincial Government and the National Railway Construction Committee. The construction funds are large in the Jianghuai Provincial Government and the Nanjing Branch of Jiuzhou Bank provide loans. The railway passes through Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Wuxi to Suzhou City, and almost runs through the most prosperous riverside area on the southern bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, closely linking Suzhou City and Nanjing City.

Officials at all levels of the Jianghuai Provincial Government, wealthy businessmen from Nanjing City and Suzhou City attended the opening ceremony.

People in the Jiangnan region first saw the physical object of steam locomotives. It no longer only appears in newspapers and textbooks, but in their daily lives.

"Mr. Zhang, please go slowly." Officials from the Jianghuai Province almost half supported Zhang Yandeng, a civil affairs officer from the Jianghuai Province.

At this time, Zhang Yandeng was over 70 years old and almost had to use crutches to walk.

Zhang Yandeng became even more haggard than when he saw Chu Yun at that time. This hero who successfully helped Nanjing to transform from the Ming Dynasty regime to the emerging imperial regime after a serious illness, his physical function was not as good as before.

"I'm old, this Ningsu Railway should be my final contribution to this land. I'll be lucky to see peace in the world one day. Next month, I will apply to the Ministry of Personnel to retire and return home." Zhang Yandeng came to the opening ceremony and saw the steam locomotive decorated with red ribbons, and was a little sad.

This steam locomotive is a four-wheeled water cabinet-type steam locomotive with a weight of 16 tons and a speed of 35 kilometers per hour. It can be from Nanjing to Suzhou in less than ten hours.

In this era, this speed is extremely fast, and it is much smoother on the rails than the carriages.

"The name of this locomotive is Xiangyun. Passengers can take a nap on the train and get from Nanjing to Suzhou." The engineer who designed the steam locomotive proudly introduced them to the first steam locomotive equipped for the Ningsu Railway.

Steam locomotive engineers are employed by the National Railway Construction Committee under the Ministry of Industry. They are composed of summoned locomotive engineers and trained local locomotive engineers. They are treated very well and enjoy a high status.

Only the National Railway Construction Committee monopolizes the production and manufacturing technology of railway tracks and steam locomotives.

"The exquisite design of this object is like a magical axe, it can be like flying clouds and fog." Zhang Yandeng and other old bureaucrats came under the steam locomotive. The chimney was several meters high, and the body made of steel was amazing.

"Sir, you can go to the carriage, and we will operate the train yourself." The steam locomotive driver invited the bureaucrats from the Jianghuai Province to get on the train.

"Mr. Zhang, let's get on the bus." Officials from the JAC Province knew that this was Zhang Yandeng's last month as the civil affairs officer of the JAC Province, and he respected this old official more.

Officials from the JAC province boarded the train one by one.

The inside of the car is relatively simple, most of which are decorated with wooden decorations, and the car itself is iron.

Zhang Yandeng and others sat down at one of the tables, and soon someone poured tea and water for them.

"This place is like an ordinary hall, like walking on flat ground, just a little narrower." Many officials boarded the train for the first time and looked around in the carriage curiously.

"Sir, you are ready to leave. There may be some slight shaking, but please don't be nervous. This car is very stable." said the servant who served inside.

Woo--

The sound of the whistle sounded, and the steam locomotive began to discharge white smoke, which surprised the residents around him and took several steps back under the protection of the police guards who maintained order.

The locomotive workers added coal to the boiler, the iron wheels rolled slowly, and the heavy locomotive head started with the carriage!

Many residents of Nanjing who had never seen a train all widened their eyes and watched the huge steel body start incredibly.

They could not imagine why such a heavy steam locomotive could start without the traction of a cattle and a horse.

Fortunately, trains have appeared in the north, and at the same time, newspapers and governments in the south have made sufficient publicity, so the residents of Nanjing did not regard steam locomotives as magical creatures such as dragons. Compared with the residents of the north who were unconscious of seeing the train appear out of thin air, their reactions have become much normal.

The steam locomotive carried officials from the Jianghuai Province to Suzhou City, leaving behind residents of Nanjing City who were still watching.

After they got on the train, they seemed to disappear out of thin air and left.

"If there is such a thing, it can be returned to Jiangling for thousands of miles a day on land."

"It turns out that the function of these two railway tracks is like this. It actually serves this thing called a train, but why can't this thing walk directly on the official road?"

Some residents who do not understand the principles can only guess based on their past experience, but no one can imagine out of thin air that the train uses the power of steam.

"It's really incredible. If we had trains in Wuhu, wouldn't it be much more convenient?" Wuhu businessman Wang Changyuan witnessed the opening of steam locomotives from Nanjing City to Suzhou City. He also witnessed the Beijing-Tianjin Railway. He thought that if his hometown Wuhu could also be connected to the railway, he would also be able to profit from the wave of railway construction in the future.

"We are in line with Hangzhou and Suzhou, and Suzhou City is ahead of us. If there is a railway between our Hangzhou City and Suzhou City, it can make up for the lack of water transportation." The equally wealthy Hangzhou businessman couldn't help but feel jealous when he saw that Suzhou was actually connected to Nanjing City through railways.
Chapter completed!