After Marrying a Vegetative Princess, I Went Crazy With Joy!

99

Many phenomena in the world don’t always adhere to a logical pattern. Most people spend their entire lives using water without realizing that the steam produced from boiling water could also serve as a power source.

In fact, throughout thousands of years of human history and countless generations, only one person would eventually uncover this principle. Of course, the invention of the steam engine in later times wasn’t the work of a single individual. It was the culmination of the progress of eras.

The primitive sources of power were no longer sufficient for humanity’s needs, leading to the birth of the steam engine. Admittedly, the Great Tang of today didn’t come anywhere close to needing mechanical power. The nation’s resources hadn’t reached their limits, and the conditions for developing the steam engine were not yet in place.

However, for Su Che, none of these were obstacles. He didn’t live in that era. But who was responsible for his unparalleled father?

With Su Che’s intelligence and Su Li’s appropriate guidance, understanding the principles of the steam engine almost came naturally.

For the next few days, the father and son remained indoors, sequestered in their study, exploring the creation of a steam engine.

“A complete power system requires three essential conditions, energy, compression, and power conduction. All three are necessary!” Su Li earnestly looked at Su Che.

On the desks beside them, papers filled with drawings were spread out, depicting the various shapes of steam engines that young Su Che had imagined. There were octagonal designs, egg-shaped forms, and the most peculiar one—an object resembling a horse.

Su Che confidently explained that White Dragon had inspired the horse-shaped steam engine. From then on, under Su Li’s guidance, they began crafting a steam engine prototype.

They worked meticulously daily, focusing on the energy source, compression mechanisms, and power transmission, discussing and revising their designs until they arrived at a satisfactory plan.

Horses were naturally used for their strength, and as the cream of the crop among horses, White Dragon could travel great distances and carry substantial weights without any issues. If horses could achieve such remarkable feats, there must be some underlying logic to it.

Hence, designing a steam engine in the shape of a horse seemed plausible. This theory, while unusual, resembled a tangentially related one that left Su Li thoroughly impressed.

Seeing his son’s imaginative thinking, Su Li didn’t discourage his enthusiasm. Su Li would engage in serious discussions with Su Che whenever he drew a design for the steam engine’s appearance. They deliberated whether certain designs were feasible or not and, if not, why they weren’t.

After several days of such collaboration, young Su Che eventually realized that until he fully grasped the internal workings of the steam engine, all the external designs he had envisioned were meaningless. He finally settled down and began seeking guidance from Su Li.

Su Li explained succinctly and provided Su Che with the core structure of the steam engine. After listening to Su Li’s explanation, Su Che deeply contemplated. Subsequently, he immersed himself in researching these three issues.

The first problem was the energy source, which proved quite challenging. In those times, people primarily used firewood for heating, while wealthier households employed charcoal. But whether firewood or charcoal, their combustion efficiency wasn’t particularly impressive.

Even charcoal had a low energy density and wouldn’t be suitable as an energy source for a steam engine. The compression issue was equally vexing. Maintaining air tightness was the primary concern to compress steam as a power source.

Su Che experimented with various materials but ultimately found none suitable. Materials with good sealing properties lacked flexibility, while those flexible enough lacked sealing properties.

The power transmission issue was comparatively straightforward, and they were willing to experiment to find a solution.

Seeing his son grappling with these questions for several days, Su Li felt it was time to intervene. He sought out Su Che once again.

He presented a piece of coal and had Su Che conduct an experiment. Su Che excitedly discovered that this black stone met all the requirements of a steam engine. Coal wasn’t particularly rare in the Li clan’s territory, even in those primitive times. People in the pre-Qin period called it the “burning stone.” It produced strong and long-lasting fires. However, due to mining limitations, it hadn’t been widely utilized.

Furthermore, Su Li provided Su Che with rubber material he had acquired from the system. This promptly resolved the issue of airtightness.

In less than a month, young Su Che constructed a functional steam engine using only his hands. After completing the project, Su Che incessantly pestered Su Li, urging him to find coal and rubber for his creation. Coal was relatively easy to obtain, with numerous open coal mines scattered around the Longxing region. Although they weren’t actively mined, these resources existed underground.

However, acquiring rubber posed a challenge, as it originated from a place across the great ocean. But seeing his son grow to three years old and finally take on a proper task, Su Li, as his father, felt the need to find a solution. He assembled another fleet and tasked them with the mission to locate rubber.

Time passed unnoticed, and Zhangsun Wu Fei’s birthday arrived. As the empress, she was known for her frugality in history. Since it wasn’t a significant birthday milestone, the celebration within the palace was relatively modest, with the Li clan members in Changan invited for a meal.

Of course, Su Li couldn’t decline such an invitation. Lately, Li Er had been reaching out frequently, and during the birthday banquet, he even had a private conversation with Su Li. Observing that Su Li’s attitude hadn’t changed from before, Li Er finally felt a great sense of relief.

Once the feast and wine were finished, the guests departed from the palace. However, the younger generation, like Su Che, remained behind to accompany the empress.

As the night grew deeper and quieter, Li Er entered Zhangsun Wu Fei’s sleeping chambers and noticed her walking out with a rolled-up piece of paper in her hand.

As Li Er was about to speak, Zhangsun Wu Fei urgently asked him to remain silent. The two of them walked to the courtyard of the sleeping chambers, and Zhangsun Wu Fei let out a sigh of relief.

“What are you doing?” Li Er asked with slight amusement.

“This child, Su Che, has an abundance of energy. He played all day and didn’t feel tired at all. I had to coax him for a long time before he fell asleep,” Zhangsun Wu Fei said with a smile.

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