Rebirth of The Deer and the Cauldron, Wei Xiaobao Becomes a God

Ryukyu

Three months later, the 1500-horsepower large steam engine needed for the ship was successfully developed. All other items had been produced, and Wei Xiaobao went to the shipyard to arrange the assembly himself.

Finally, in the fourth month, the assembly was completed.

Today is the big day for the ironclad ship to be launched. In Wei Xiaobao's words, this is a moment to witness history.

Early in the morning, the heads of various departments of the Tiandi Federation and the main division and brigade leaders of the Tiandi Army all rushed to the Naha Shipyard.

At Naha Port, gongs and drums were deafening, colorful flags were waving, and there were huge crowds of people.

A huge ship 98 meters long, 16 meters wide and 20 meters high stands on the dock.

The ship's sails were lowered, and three large chimneys stood behind the mainmast, marking this ship as different from any other.

The flag of the Tiandi Revolutionary Army was planted on the bow of the ship, and festive ribbons were hung on the bow.

The bottom of the boat was flat, supporting many round logs two meters long.

A viewing platform was built next to the dock. Wei Xiaobao sat in the middle of the front row. On his left and right were Prince Shangwen and Princess Lingzhao. Yang Lin, Mao Shiba, Wu Sanniang, Jiang Wencheng, Shangwu, Xiao You, Zhang Dayong, Li Yongjun... were all sitting on the viewing platform.

At about ten o'clock, twelve Tiger-mounted guns faced the sea and fired three rounds of salvos. After thirty-six rounds, the launching ceremony of the ironclad ship officially began.

"Please allow Lord Wei Xiaobao, the Grand Commander of the Heaven and Earth Federation, to speak." Huang Shiming, the general manager of Naba Port, shouted with a loudspeaker.

"Today is the eighteenth day of the twelfth month of the first year of the universe, 1674. Today is a good day, a day that should go down in history.

Today, the first ironclad ship of the Tiandi Federation was completed and launched!

What is an ironclad ship? You see, the whole body of this warship is covered with steel, and the hull is equipped with armor, which is not afraid of enemy shells or rockets.

Look at the three big chimneys again. They are the magic weapon that allows warships to sail on the sea without the need for wind.

Look at the two cannons at the bow and stern of the ship. They are two 280mm large-caliber naval guns that can hit enemy ships 20 kilometers away. There are four 4mm naval guns on each side of the ship, which can hit enemy ships 110 kilometers away.

Each side was equipped with twenty crossbows, close-range attack weapons, with a launcher distance of 2000 meters and equipped with white phosphorus crossbow arrows.

With ironclad ships, we will no longer be harassed by pirates or oppressed by Japanese invaders. Our fishermen can fish with peace of mind, and our merchant ships can pass safely.

Now, in the name of the Federation of Heaven and Earth, I will name this first ironclad ship - "The Dragon".

It symbolizes our Federation of Heaven and Earth, soaring like a giant dragon."

"Pah, pah, pah, pah..."

Excitement, screams, applause...

The people of the Ryukyu Kingdom were moved to tears and were overwhelmed with excitement!

Once upon a time, the Japanese invaded and conquered everywhere, and the Ryukyu people suffered humiliation.

Today, a powerful Heaven and Earth Federation has led the Ryukyu people to overthrow the huge mountain of Japan that has weighed on the Ryukyu people, ending the suffering of slavery for hundreds of years and ushering in a new life of prosperity for the people and a strong country.

The emotions of everyone at the scene could not calm down for a long time.

"Everyone, please be quiet!" Huang Shiming shouted.

"Please invite the Grand Commander of the Federation of Heaven and Earth, Lord Wei Xiaobao, the Chairman of the Provisional Parliament of the Federation of Heaven and Earth, His Excellency Prince Shangwen, the Princess Lingzhao of the Japanese Royal Family, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army of Heaven and Earth, Lord Yang Lin, to cut the ribbon for the Giant Dragon!"

“Pah, pah, pah, pah…”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of firecrackers filled the sky...deafening!

The four of them stood up and walked down the viewing platform and came to the dock.

A silk ribbon with four big red flowers tied to it was held by eight maids, and four maids holding scissors and plates were waiting nearby.

After Wei Xiaobao, King Shangwen, Princess Lingzhao and Yang Lin exchanged greetings, they picked up the scissors and cut the ribbon.

Flowers, applause, firecrackers...the sound continues!

"Please ask the Navy Commander and Captain of the Julong, Mao Shiba, to weigh anchor!" Huang Shiming shouted.

Everyone found it strange. How could Mao Shiba, the Minister of Government Affairs and a second-rank official, end up going to the navy and becoming a third-rank naval commander?

It turned out that when Wei Xiaobao was building the Julong, Mao Shiba refused to work in the Government Affairs Department after seeing the ironclad ship. He came from a bandit family and liked fighting and killing. In the Government Affairs Department, dealing with scholars and literati every day, Mao Shiba felt very uneasy and the days were long like years.

When Mao Shiba heard Wei Xiaobao say that the main battlefield in the future would be at sea and that a strong navy should be built to roam the world, he became anxious and refused to leave unless he was given a naval position.

Finally, Wei Xiaobao had no choice but to transfer Sun Xiucai to be the Minister of Government Affairs and concurrently the Director of the Legal Affairs Office.

Then he appointed Mao Shiba as the naval commander and captain of the Julong.

In the past few months, Mao Shiba has been following Wei Xiaobao and learning all kinds of knowledge about the Dragon Ship.

"Raising the anchor" means to collect the anchor and remove the wedges under the hull that prevent the logs from rolling, allowing the new boat's own gravity to drive the rolling logs to move toward the water surface and into the water.

Mao Shiba and his men were seen using a big hammer to pry open the wooden wedges that were blocking the rolling pin.

The wheel turned and the Dragon slowly moved forward.

After a while, the bow of the boat touched the water surface and plunged violently, splashing sea water everywhere.

The hull entered the water quickly, and the entire Dragon was launched into the water as it swayed.

The Dragon was launched successfully!

Everyone cheers!

The sailors on the ship stood on the side and waved!

Immediately, Wei Xiaobao took Mao Shiba, Shuang'er and Princess Lingzhao on board the Dragon.

Today is not only the day when the Dragon is launched, but also the day for sea trials.

After a while, the sails on the Dragon ship were raised. At this time, there was a wind of level three to four on the sea, and the Dragon slowly moved forward.

Then, thick smoke came out of the three large chimneys on the Dragon, and the smoke floated into the sky, like a black dragon dancing.

The crowd at the port saw that the speed of the Dragon had increased, and the black dragon in the sky was flying behind the Dragon.

"This is the real dragon appearing!" Someone shouted, and the people on the shore knelt down one after another.

"A true dragon appears in the world, God bless my Ryukyu!"

"True dragon, we Chinese are about to rise and soar!"

……

On the Dragon ship, Wei Xiaobao is testing the operation of the steam engine.

If the steam engine of the Dragon Ship stops working and it only relies on the sails, its speed will be less than 10 kilometers per hour, and its speed will be less than 5 knots (1 knot equals 1.852 kilometers). This speed is lower than the 500 to 5 knots of the 6-ton Fuchuan warship due to its heavy weight.

If an additional boiler is added at this time and the steam is fully opened, the speed can reach 15 kilometers per hour, and the speed is about 8 knots.

With two more boilers, the speed can reach 20 kilometers per hour, or about 11 knots.

With all three boilers running, the speed can reach 25 kilometers per hour, or about 13 knots.

The speed of 13 knots is twice that of the Fuchuan warship. In terms of speed, the Dragon has surpassed all ships of this era.