Shang Yi was very satisfied with Song Yingxing's reaction. After all, he was a famous scientist and had much better understanding than ordinary people. However, it was not a matter of real creation of a steam machine. Although there were drawings and working principles, it still had to go through repeated tests, and he would definitely make a few test items before he could create a truly useful steam machine. This process may take one or two years to improve and continue to develop the steam machine. It is estimated that it would not have to stop after a hundred years.

Therefore, Shang Yi also handed the drawings to Song Yingxing and said, "Song Shengxian, there is no need to rush to make the steam machine. I will tell Wang Fuzhi that he will specially take responsibility to arrange a studio for you, and fully cooperate with your work. You can choose your assistant yourself. If you have any needs, please arrange it. But this set of drawings cannot be lost. You can only look at them in the studio. In addition, I have another thing, I want to ask you for help."

Song Yingxing nodded, not thinking that there was anything wrong with Shang Yi's approach, because in this era, some craftsmen's unique skills will be kept strictly confidential and it is easy to spread. Shang Yi was very satisfied with his ability to show the drawings without reservation. Song Yingxing could fully understand Shang Yi's requirement to keep the drawings confidential. Therefore, although Song Yingxing was still a little reluctant, he still put down the drawings and said, "Sir, please say that as long as it is something I can do, I will do my best."

Shang Yi smiled and said, "Of course Mr. Song can do it. I plan to build another iron smelting plant in Hangzhou to implement integrated production of iron ore mining, iron smelting and steelmaking. I also have some new iron smelting technology and want to try whether it is effective, but now I can't find a suitable person to pay responsibilities. Therefore, I want to ask Mr. to take charge of the initial construction of this iron smelting plant. My studio can be arranged in the iron smelting plant. While manufacturing steam machines, I build an iron smelting plant. After the iron smelting plant is running normally, the teacher can decide the arrangements of the studio on his own."

Song Yingxing was stunned for a moment and immediately showed a happy expression, because although ancient China always despises science and technology in its orthodox orthodox concerns, he still attaches great importance to a few technologies related to people's livelihood plans. Metallurgical industry is one of them. In any dynasty, metallurgical industry will be regarded as an important technology of the country and will be alongside agricultural technology.

As the most famous scientist in China in this era, Song Yingxing is of course full of Shaoxing Yue for metallurgy. In his work [Tiangong Kaiwu], there is a special volume to introduce China's metallurgical technology. Therefore, Shang Yi asked Song Yingxing to take charge of the construction of the metallurgical plant. Song Yingxing was naturally very happy and willing to complete this task. He heard Shang Yi say that he had several new steelmaking technologies to use, and Song Yingxing was also full of expectations. Because from the level that Shang Yi showed before, Song Yingxing believed that this must be a good way to improve metallurgical technology.

Seeing that Song Yingxing agreed without hesitation, Shang Yi was also very happy because grain, weaving, coal and iron smelting output were important criteria for measuring a country's productivity development level and national strength during the transformation from ancient to modern times. The reason why Britain was able to stand out in the first industrial revolution was that it relied on abundant coal and iron resources.

Moreover, if you want to improve the production efficiency of the arsenal, the manufacturing and application of steam engines are certainly an important factor, but the ability of mining and metallurgical steelmaking must not be underestimated. Both must develop together to promote a significant improvement in the production efficiency of the arsenal. At the same time, the improvement of mining and metallurgical industries can also drive a large number of related industries and production technologies to develop rapidly. Moreover, the labor force is very sufficient, so Shang Yi decided to take a two-pronged approach and develop at the same time. Moreover, the metallurgical industry cannot use small workshop production methods and still have to take the path of large-scale factoryization. Of course, things must be done step by step. Put the racks first, and then talk about it. Metallurgical plants cannot be built in a short time.

However, another problem restricting metallurgy is coal. Of course, coal cannot be used directly as fuel for iron smelting and steelmaking. This is because coal will produce a large amount of sulfur after combustion. Once it is absorbed by steel or iron, the iron will become brittle and easy to crack. Therefore, in ancient China, the metallurgical technology in the south was higher than that in the north, because charcoal was used as fuel in the south, while coal was used in the north. Now, the fuel used by merchants to make steel and iron is charcoal. Therefore, although the artillery in the Qing Dynasty was very fine, the quality was still worse than that of merchants.

However, charcoal is also an important raw material for making gunpowder, and at the same time it has high requirements for wood. If you want to make steel, you obviously cannot expect charcoal. The solution can be simple, which is to first make coal into coke and then use coke as the fuel for steelmaking, which can greatly reduce the pre-sulfur content. At the same time, coal is still the main fuel of the steam machine. Once the steam machine is manufactured, coal will be widely used.

Therefore, Shang Yi has not relaxed the mining of coal mines. It is not that there is no technical content in this area and can only rely on people to pile up. Although there are not many coal mines in Zhejiang, Shang Yi knows that in Keelung, Taiwan, there are very rich coal mine resources, which is completely sufficient for the current development. Therefore, Shang Yi has ordered people to go to Keelung in Taiwan to survey coal mines, and just wait for the results to start mining. Anyway, there is no shortage of labor, and once the steam engine comes out, the output can be greatly increased.

If the industrial chain of this steam engine-coal-iron could be fully formed, it would be more than a hundred years earlier than Britain, and perhaps China could be able to advance the industrial revolution.

However, whether it is a steam engine, coal or iron smelting, no results will appear in a short period of time. An important construction project can be seen and brought benefits, that is, road construction.

Shang Yi certainly knew that a perfect road system not only facilitates the circulation of materials and personnel, but also greatly increases the regime's control over society. As it is now in the battlefield period, it is important to quickly mobilize the army and transport military supplies.

Although in this era, China is one of the most developed countries in the world with road traffic networks, it is only connected between major cities. There are basically no formal roads in remote areas and small counties, and the scope and depth of the traffic network are still not enough. Moreover, the roads in some places have been disrepaired and are in poor condition. Relatively speaking, the traffic conditions in economically developed areas are better, while in underdeveloped areas are worse.

Of course, Shang Yi attached great importance to the construction of roads, and since last year, he has rebuilt roads in Zhejiang. Even during the Battle of Jianghuai, he has never stopped. Until now, the road from Hangzhou to Huzhou and to Suzhou has been repaired, with a total length of about 300 miles.

This newly built road, unlike the previous official road, uses a large number of basic concepts of modern roads: the road surface is on the level of groundwater; it is designed for two-way chariots and horse lanes, and there are special sidewalks; a post station is set up every fifty miles to deliver messages and send emergency and important documents, and it is also responsible for patroling and protecting the road and maintaining public order. There is also a special post road in the middle of the road. There is a guardrail on both sides of the post road, so that it does not need to be disturbed by the road carriages and horses, but drainage facilities are provided on both sides of the road.

In the construction of the road, the soil-fill construction used in the roadbed is in a step-shaped result. When the soil is laid alternately in layers, the soil is crushed twice every time it is filled to about half a foot. In this way, the roadbed is continuously filled to about three feet, and then the oblique ditches on both sides are leveled to facilitate drainage, so that the entire roadbed is basically completed. A mixture of gravel and mortar is laid on the roadbed surface to level it. After it is dried, the pavement is completed.

Although the entire process is more complicated than before, the road built is not only wider and flat than the official roads in the past, and the cars and horses traveling are not disturbed. They go their own way, avoiding many unnecessary troubles, and are much more convenient to maintain. Therefore, after the successful construction of this road, it immediately received unanimous praise, and the time from Suzhou to Hangzhou was shortened a lot.

In addition, although the newly built roads are basically built along the original official road, when passing through the city, they will be built in a whole circle around the periphery of the city wall. In this way, no matter which city gate is entered or exited, they can directly walk on the new road. At the same time, once a war breaks out, the army can also move quickly along the road and arrange defenses.

However, whether in ancient times or modern times, the maintenance of roads is a long-term and continuous work, and the maintenance fee cannot be paid by the government, and can only be collected by the road itself. It can be roughly divided into three parts. One is to charge a certain fee for cars and horses driving on the road, including pushing carts, only walking is completely free; the second is to charge an additional fee for shops operating along the road. Another thing is that Shang Yi opened a passenger transport business on Xinlu. He used newly manufactured four-wheeled carriages to transport personnel along the road. A certain fee was charged.

Of course, the costs of these three items are not high. As the ride fare is basically affordable by ordinary people, mainly by charging. The people who pay the bus fee are generally merchants, and they don’t care about this little money. Many people would rather take a detour than take a new road, just for convenience. Therefore, once this new road is opened, there are a large number of pedestrians, cars and horses every day, and the passenger carriages are basically run by all members, which is very lively.

Shang Yi also plans to build two more roads this year, one leads to Shaoxing Prefecture and the other leads to Jiaxing Prefecture. In this way, the road network centered on Hangzhou will be initially built, and then it will be popularized and promoted to the entire Zhejiang region to form a comprehensive road traffic network.
Chapter completed!