This wooden donkey looks very bulky; it's clearly a huge wooden donkey, and it even has a bag on its back, which seems to have been added specifically to increase its load capacity.
Beside the wooden donkey, Ma Jun and the others followed closely, observing its movements and constantly writing and drawing to record its condition.
Every step forward was met with cheers.
"Excellent! The wooden donkey is finally moving! Is this the power of the steam engine His Majesty spoke of?"
"This is truly amazing! This thing can actually drive the wooden donkey! No wonder His Majesty wanted us to study it carefully. If this steam engine were large enough, wouldn't it be able to support a huge ship!"
The craftsmen all wore expressions of disbelief; they never imagined that the wooden donkey could be driven—it was simply a miracle. Given time, the wooden donkey might actually be able to run.
If we could achieve that, wouldn't we be bringing glory to our ancestors?
After recording the details of the wooden donkey, Ma Jun excitedly said, "This steam device is still too small, so it can only make the wooden donkey walk slightly and cannot run."
"If we replaced it with that giant steam engine inside the base, it would definitely be able to run."
He had previously built a huge steam engine, but that large steam engine still needed further testing before it could be truly perfected. Using it now would inevitably lead to uncontrollable dangers.
After all, that thing is too powerful; if it can't be truly controlled, it would be a dangerous object.
Therefore, Ma Jun did not use it lightly, but instead chose a simplified device, the wooden donkey, to explore the steam engine by controlling its driving force and direction.
This exploration did not disappoint him; he indeed obtained a lot of information, and most importantly, the wooden donkey moved a few steps, which was undoubtedly a huge step forward.
Suddenly, he saw Lin Yi and was immediately horrified, rushing to greet him.
"Your Majesty, I Ma Jun, pay my respects. I did not notice Your Majesty earlier, and I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!" Ma Jun said solemnly.
"It's alright!"
Lin Yi shook his head; he didn't care about such formalities. Compared to the value Ma Jun brought, these courtesies were utterly insignificant.
He leaned closer with great interest and asked curiously, "My dear minister, is this the steam-powered wooden donkey you crafted?"
To be honest, he was somewhat shocked. He never expected that Ma Jun would create such a thing; it was absolutely epoch-making.
The joint support of this wooden donkey is particularly impressive, as it allows for relatively reasonable rotation, which is quite advanced.
"Hey-hey!"
Upon hearing the mention of the wooden donkey, Ma Jun immediately perked up and excitedly said, "Your Majesty, please look! This is a steam-powered wooden donkey that I created based on the theory of steam engines and combined with the wooden ox and flowing horse technology that Your Majesty gave me."
With just this little bit of steam power, the wooden donkey could be driven to complete the transportation...
"Hmm, not bad, not bad!"
Lin Yi was also quite surprised, not expecting Ma Jun to have made such great progress. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Well done, Ma Jun! You truly deserve to be called the number one inventor of Great Liang! You haven't disappointed me!"
Although there was no specific application, with this data and the combination of theory, Ma Jun's intelligence was enough to create a truly usable steam engine.
"Your Majesty, I dare not take credit for myself; these tutors also helped a great deal." Faced with such direct praise, Ma Jun was actually a little embarrassed and said with a smile.
He is a man of his word, never taking credit for others' work; these craftsmen have made tremendous contributions.
Upon hearing his words, the surrounding craftsmen couldn't help but raise their chests, looking proud of themselves, which made Lin Yi smile. The craftsmen of this era were quite adorable.
Lin Yi smiled and said, "Well done. I will order a reward for you all. Everyone will be credited, and your names will be recorded in history. I will have Ma Jun register them later."
"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty!"
Everyone's eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but shout excitedly. Many of the excited people even shed tears, shocked by Lin Yi's words.
I never imagined that the small things I did would be recorded in history and that everyone would remember my contributions. This is an immense honor, priceless!
"Waaaah, this is truly a stroke of good luck! I never imagined a carpenter like me could amount to anything!"
"I never dreamed that a blacksmith like me would be recorded in history. Does this mean I'll be a celebrity from now on?"
Looking at the excited group of people, Lin Yi couldn't help but nod in approval. Sure enough, as long as there were rewards for merit, these people would have no shortage of motivation.
Just for this recognition of merit and the fact that their names will be recorded in history, one can imagine that these people will be extremely motivated in the future, even more so than if they were given a shot of adrenaline.
He had the registrar write down the names of the craftsmen, then summoned Ma Jun and asked curiously, "My dear minister, tell me in detail, just how far can this thing travel?"
How was this joint done? Why is it like this...?
"Your Majesty, this is a wooden donkey that I created based on the wooden ox and flowing horse you gave me, combined with the kinetic energy of a steam engine. The internal structure has been greatly optimized, and a small steam device has been added."
"Although limited by the size of the steam engine, it can't travel very far, but its future potential is limitless," Ma Jun explained with a smile.
Although he consulted some information about wooden oxen and flowing horses, he was not a person who remained unchanged. Therefore, he combined the needs of the steam engine and innovated these technologies to complete this large wooden donkey.
He hesitated because he needed enough fuel, so he made the wooden donkey's belly quite large, creating a bizarre shape.
However, this is only temporary. Once you have a thorough understanding of the operating energy and experience of the steam engine, you can create a true weapon of war.
After saying that, he removed the sandbags that were pressing down on the wooden donkey, and in an instant, the wooden donkey started to bolt wildly like a runaway horse.
Holy crap!
Lin Yi was startled. No wonder it was being weighed down with sandbags; this thing was so volatile, and its driving force wasn't fully calibrated yet. Right now, it was like a moving wild beast.
really!
After a few cracking sounds, and with a series of reckless steps, the wooden donkey reached the end of its life, falling apart completely.
Lin Yi's lips twitched; this thing was indeed not as simple as it seemed.
Ma Jun glanced cautiously at Lin Yi and said sheepishly, "Your Majesty, this thing has immense power. The wood simply cannot withstand its force, so it only lasted a few tests before completely collapsing."
"It's alright. Failure is the mother of success. This is already a tremendous achievement. I believe you will be able to perfect it soon," Lin Yi comforted him with a smile.