Moma Liangshan

Chapter 155 A Generous Gift: Pingluan Iron and Coal

The day before the Princess of Shu left Jiaozhou, Wang Hao said, "How about I present five thousand weapons to your father as a gift?" The Princess of Shu was incredulous, saying, "That's almost eighty percent of your inventory!" Wang Hao shook his head, saying, "Not eighty percent, but ninety-five percent!" The Princess of Shu seemed flustered by concern, asking, "If you give me all the weapons, what will your troops use?" Wang Hao smiled and said, "The Song Dynasty is at peace; the Jiaozhou army has no battles to fight!" He then added, "Besides, I only have a little over a thousand men. The new weapons produced by the ironworks each month are enough for daily wear and tear!" The Princess of Shu was very grateful for Wang Hao's gift, but she didn't want to accept it for nothing. She said, "In chaotic times, elite weapons are always in high demand but hard to find. Five thousand weapons are no small sum. I feel unworthy to accept them for free!" Wang Hao's face flushed with embarrassment, and he even cursed himself for being hypocritical in his heart. He said, "I thought about it for a long time last night, and there is something that should be of great benefit to both of us!" The princess of Shu sensed something was amiss in Wang Hao's words and asked, "What is it?" Wang Hao said, "The coal mines of Luanzhou and the iron mines of Pingzhou!" Luanzhou and Pingzhou both belonged to Nanjing Circuit of the Liao Kingdom. The later famous Kailuan Coal Mine and Qianxi Iron Mine were located there. The main raw materials for the Capital Steel in the early years of the People's Republic of China and later Tangshan Steel were taken from the Kailuan Coal Mine and Qianxi Iron Mine. The princess of Shu frowned slightly and said, "Why do you suddenly want the mines of Pingzhou and Luanzhou? You gave a different answer at the ironworks yesterday!"

Wang Hao slightly turned his body, trying to avoid the Shu princess's gaze, and replied, "Huaizhou and Qiongzhou are far apart, but at least they are within the territory of the Song Dynasty. It will take me at least a year to open up these two trade routes. Pingzhou and Luanzhou are not only rich in minerals but also have convenient sea transport and are closer in comparison, but they are within the territory of the Liao Dynasty. Without your father's permission, I cannot obtain mining rights!" The Shu princess understood and said, "So, you gave me five thousand weapons today to test my father's attitude?" Wang Hao felt somewhat ashamed. He said, "I have indeed considered this, but if your father grants me mining rights in Pingzhou and Luanzhou, Jiaozhou can pay Liao a thousand weapons every month in return!" The Shu princess, feeling that Wang Hao was nothing more than a merchant, said, "I have one more condition!" Hearing that there was hope, Wang Hao immediately said, "Please speak, Princess!" The Shu princess said, "Open a shipping route from Jinzhou to Pingzhou, with a ship every three days!" Wang Hao immediately said, "As long as the princess prepares the necessary documents, I will definitely begin processing them within two days!"

The Shu princess nodded and said, "No need for such trouble. Have your ship loaded with these five thousand weapons and send me directly to Pingzhou!" Wang Hao was taken aback and asked, "Why the rush?" The Shu princess's face showed deep worry as she said, "The fifty thousand enemy troops in Liaodong have already retreated and will inevitably join the battle in Shangjing. Father's situation will become increasingly dire. Shangjing has always been a place of undercurrents. Your five thousand weapons are of superior quality and will help Father stabilize the situation in Shangjing." Wang Hao thought to himself, "On the battlefield, the loss of armor and weapons is enormous. Liao has been waging war for years, and..." "With the army retreating, their weapons will inevitably be damaged. Five thousand brand-new weapons can not only instantly boost an army's fighting strength, but their political significance is also immeasurable." Seeing Wang Hao remain silent, the Shu princess continued, "Whether it's the free trade rights within the Liao territory or the mining rights in Pingzhou and Luanzhou, I'm afraid you'll need to personally go to the capital to meet Father Emperor!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Jiaozhou is short of ships; the most urgent task is to go south to Fujian to recruit craftsmen. After I return from Fujian, how about we go to the capital together?" The Shu princess said, "It's a deal!"

Shortly after the princess of Shu returned to Liaodong, the first 3,000-stone seagoing vessel built independently by the Jiaozhou Shipyard was officially launched. Standing at the harbor, watching the ship raising its sails, Wang Hao asked, "What are the advantages of this new ship compared to our existing vessels?" Di Gongkao replied, "We've reduced all unnecessary structures above the deck to minimize the ship's swaying in the waves; the entire hull consists of nine watertight compartments arranged in sequence, reinforced because the bow is sharp and responsible for cutting through the waves; a massive keel runs through the entire hull from bow to stern, greatly enhancing its overall strength." Wang Hao was very satisfied and added, "We've added a triangular sail to the bow and tried replacing the traditional stiff sails with soft sails. This might increase both speed and maneuverability." Di Gongkao was initially surprised by Wang Hao's insightful observations, but then he remembered that Wang Hao had not only written about it but had also published a book, which was already circulating in Jiaozhou and was said to be officially released within the year. He said, "Young Master, you've truly brought out the finishing touches, making us craftsmen ashamed!" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "I wouldn't dare to add the finishing touches; at most, I've only added icing on the cake!"

Di Gongkao asked, "I understand that adding a triangular sail to the bow improves the ship's maneuverability, but why replace the stiff sail with a soft sail?" Wang Hao didn't answer directly, but instead said, "When sailing in wind and rain, which is more affected by the wind, a straw hat or an umbrella?" Di Gongkao immediately understood and said, "Naturally, an umbrella is more affected by the wind. As for the reason, if I'm not mistaken, it should be because of the umbrella's curved surface and its softer material." Wang Hao nodded and said, "Let's conduct an experiment. Make two identical umbrellas using straw mats and cowhide, then attach an iron block of equal weight to the bottom of each umbrella, and drop them from the same height. Which one lands later will experience greater wind resistance!" Di Gongkao couldn't fully understand what Wang Hao meant at first and requested, "Young master, could you write a book to explain these principles to us in detail?" Wang Hao hadn't expected Di Gongkao to make this suggestion, but upon reflection, he felt he had overlooked it and said, "Very well!" As for the book's title, Wang Hao quickly thought of one in his mind: "..." The reason it wasn't titled "Physics" or "Investigation of Things" is because everything should proceed gradually, from the simple to the complex. This book simply aims to explain some of the most common phenomena in life, allowing people to gradually learn to analyze problems scientifically. Jiaozhou's development plan is gradually entering its second phase, and Wang Hao's trip south to Fujian is drawing ever closer. However, before Wang Hao departs, there is one more thing that must be addressed.