Chapter 454: Young Master Bai’s Steam-Powered Small Train
Chapter 449 of "The Great Ming in the Box" begins with intriguing events: It didn’t take long for Bu Zhan Ni, who had thought victory was within his... Don’t miss it!
It didn’t take long for Bu Zhan Ni, who had thought victory was within his grasp, to find himself battered and bruised, fleeing miserably northward.His fifty thousand bandit troops amounted to nothing. Before they could even touch a hair on Wang Chengen, they were beaten into a panic, utterly routed with no choice but to flee.
Unfortunately, the bandit strength was immense. Though Wang Chengen won with fewer troops, he couldn’t capture Bu Zhan Ni and could only watch helplessly as Bu Zhan Ni’s main force slipped away.
Hejin County had been retaken.
But what they reclaimed was nothing but ruins scattered with corpses.
Three or four out of ten townsfolk had been massacred; two out of ten had been forcibly conscripted into the bandit army; barely half the population remained as decent citizens.
Those who survived sat blank-eyed amidst the scorched city, staring at homes billowing black smoke. Their possessions plundered, they were too broken to even shed tears.
Wang Chengen’s face darkened as he walked through the streets until he finally took the magistrate’s seat in the county office. He sighed heavily. “Again… What difference is this from cities ravaged by the Jurchens?”
Shi Jian couldn’t help but ask quietly, “Was it the same when the Jurchens attacked?”
“Yes!” Wang Chengen replied. “Months ago, when I rushed to the capital to defend the emperor, villages ravaged by Jurchens presented the same sight. Every city they sacked faced three days of slaughter—corpses piled high, every valuable plundered. These rebels are no different from barbarian savages.”
Shi Jian: “…”
Wang Chengen sighed again. “These people will struggle to survive. As their general, I can only request relief grain and funds from the court.”
Li Daoxuan, embroidering nearby, knitted his brows. Without even thinking hard, he knew this plea would be futile—the court wouldn’t spare a single coin for Hejin.
Leaning toward Shi Jian’s ear, Li Daoxuan whispered, “Tell him: Gaojia Village will provide the grain. In return, demand control over Longmen Ferry.”
Hearing the faint voice, Shi Jian’s spirit was rushing with pride. With the Deity’s decree, things were simple. He clasped his hands. “General, Chengcheng County reserves grain. We could ship provisions via Heyang County’s docks, transport them to Longmen Ferry, and save these people.”
Wang Chengen brightened briefly, then frowned. “But you already supplied my troops generously. To also aid Hejin’s survivors… is that feasible?”
Shi Jian responded: “Difficult? Certainly. Yet we fear no hardship. Each life saved surpasses building a pagoda; where we have strength, we act.”
Wang Chengen nodded. “Very well! You have my blessing.”
Shi Jian bowed. “I dare suggest I remain at Longmen Ferry personally overseeing grain shipments.”
Being a military man uninterested in civilian matters, Wang Chengen thought wryly: So this nepotism appointee Liang Shixian sent me grew cowardly after one battle? Wishes to shirk the front for logistics.
Fine. If he dies, I’d struggle to ask Liang Shixian for more grain. Let him stay back guarding shipments; I’ll share some combat credit to help him climb the ranks later.
Thus, Wang Chengen waved dismissively. “Agreed. Take one hundred garrison soldiers to defend Longmen Ferry and secure the grain transport route.”
Shi Jian beamed. “My gratitude, General!”
He saluted and withdrew with White Cat. Once alone behind a tent, Shi Jian said, “Wang Xiaohua, I’ll be stationing at Longmen Ferry until refugees stabilize. Stay following Wang Chengen.”
White Cat grinned. “Understood. The front’s mine.”
As Shi Jian leaned his shoulder against White Cat’s, the Cloth Doll Deity perched on his shoulder armor hopped onto White Cat’s with a soft “hup,” settling cheerfully.
White Cat’s heart surged: The Deity is with me now!
Shi Jian offered the doll a deep bow, summoned Wang Chengen’s hundred soldiers, and departed for Longmen Ferry.
White Cat re-entered the discussion hall, stationing himself near Wang Chengen.
Lifting an eyelid, Wang Chengen eyed White Cat. “Shi Jian gave you his doll?”
White Cat smiled. “Yes. His protector—offered to safeguard me in battle.”
Wang Chengen shook his head. Nepotism appointees are absurd! Needing a toy for comfort? What a weak-willed soldier! None of my true warriors rely on such nonsense. Tsk!
Meanwhile, in Gaojia Village, Second Railway Station.
Young Master Bai’s crowning invention—the steam-powered small train—prepared for its trial run.
Tracks stretched six li from Gaojia Village to Refugee Valley, matching the distance of Li Daoxuan’s first electric small train line.
For ancient times, this distance was considerable. Young Master Bai had poured immense energy into laying these six li of track.
As an “experiment,” Thirty-Two hadn’t funded it lavishly—no massive village treasury expenditure or huge hired workforce. He’d allocated limited “research funds” under the Deity’s principle of “moderate support for research.”
With meager funding, Young Master Bai hired three blacksmiths and one hundred laborers. Alongside the Deity’s electric small train route, they cleared new ground, laid sleepers, rails, and built a parallel six-li line—a half-year project.
But this was simple. The true challenge was the colossal iron vehicle riding the rails—an engine consuming hundreds of thousands of jin of iron.
Technologies cramming this engine—boiler, gear systems, axles, levers—represented every physical principle taught at Gaojia Village School.
Young Master Bai had nearly torn his hair out creating it. Now was his moment of truth.
He was intensely anxious.
Immensely anxious!
A crowd gathered to witness the test—even County Magistrates Liang Shixian of Chengcheng and Feng Jun of Heyang attended. Bai Yuan raced back from Qiachuan Port to see his son’s creation.
Madam Bai spent generously hiring women to cheer exuberantly.