Shanghai New City, West City, Fuel Machinery Research Institute.

The Fuel Machinery Research Institute is not on the main road, but is located on a street directly to the riverside. It covers a vast area and has few surrounding houses, which makes it seem secluded and empty. This research institute was established earlier, with a huge scale, and it also comes with an oil depot. There are far more scientific researchers in the institute than the Electrical Research Institute.

The institute is divided into two parts: one is to study the refining of oil and the research and synthesis of refined substances, and the other is to specialize in the development of internal combustion engines.

The foresighted and easy-to-satisfied person is better than anyone in this world. He has started to make huge investments in these two aspects very early, digging talents in physics, chemistry and machinery from Western countries to engage in research, and selecting outstanding talents from university graduates and returning students to enter the research institute to cultivate their own talents.

Although Yi Zhizu attached great importance to this institute, he rarely came. He knew the importance of oil and internal combustion engines, but he didn't understand at all. It was boring to come here. He only came occasionally to express his importance to it all year round. This time, Dong Kunshui, the director of the institute, was surprised.

Dong Kunshui accompanied Yi Zhizu and the other two to give a brief report while visiting the institute. Yi Zhizu didn't say anything along the way. When he returned to the office, he said: "For oil refined by oil, kerosene is not very important. It is mainly to be placed on gasoline. The amount of gasoline obtained by distillation is too small. A special group is formed to study the increase of gasoline output."

After hearing this, Dong Kunshui was stunned and said, "Gas is a useless by-product..., and has no value..."

"There will be valuable." Yi Zhizu said with a firm tone: "Look at the long term. Kerosene is mainly used as the fuel for lighting the lamp. Sooner or later, this will be replaced. Gasoline may surprise us in the future."

After a pause, he continued: "In addition, the refining of lubricating oil and the refining of asphalt are also the focus of future research. Industrial machinery has a large demand for lubricating oil, and highway construction has a greater demand for asphalt."

"Subordinate to obey the order." Dong Kunshui responded, hesitated for a while, and then said: "The demand for oil in the research institute is increasing day by day. Can it increase the supply of oil?"

After hearing this, Yi Zhizu hesitated. The oil from the institute was collected from Shaanxi. The output was not large and transportation was not convenient. He dared not express his rashness and thought for a moment before he said, "I will try my best to ask for it."

After saying that, he continued: "I just came from the Electrical Institute and gave them one million yuan to set up a reward fund to reward those who have made major inventions and outstanding contributions. You are also treated equally here..."

After leaving the research institute and sitting in the carriage, Yi Zhizu frowned slightly, and secretly thought about where to build the first oil field in the Qing Dynasty. There was oil in Yanchang County, Shaanxi, but he didn't remember that Yanchang's oil field was named at all. He knew that Yanchang's oil was produced, but he learned from the ancient books "Mengxi Bitan" and "Dayuan Yitong Zhi".

The oil fields he has impressed, such as Daqing Oilfield, Yumen Oilfield, Shengli Oilfield, Zhongyuan Oilfield, and Karamay Oilfield. He doesn't know the specific location of the oilfield at all. Yumen Oilfield and Karamay Oilfield should be the most obvious region, but the scope is not small. There is no drilling and exploration technology now, and this transportation is also a problem.

In addition, he also knew that Sakhalin and Alaska had abundant oil reserves, so Alaska should not think about it for the time being. What about Sakhalin? Judging from the maritime transportation routes and distances, they are much closer to the Persian Gulf, but the climate is a bit harsh and the freezing period is a bit long. People should go for exploration and conduct on-site inspections.

As for the Persian Gulf, it is time to try it out if you have freed up your hands.

Yan Shikuan is quite familiar with the situation of the Fuel Machinery Research Institute and knows that Yi Zhizu attaches great importance to it. However, the Locked Institute has invested a lot and spent a lot a year, but it did not bring any benefits to Yuan Qi. No matter how you look at it, it seems like a loss-making business. When Yi Zhizu saw Yi Zhizu's eyebrows stretched out and had the leisure to watch the street scene outside the window, he tentatively said: "What is the use of an internal combustion engine?"

Yi Zhizu turned his head and smiled, saying: "The internal combustion engine is a power machine similar to a steam engine. Once it is successfully developed, it will be widely used and will replace the steam engine to a great extent. Our carriage may not require a horse, but will be driven by an internal combustion engine in the future."

So amazing? Yan Shikuan was secretly shocked. It is not surprising that Yi Zhizu attaches so much importance to the research and development of internal combustion engines. It is obvious that this internal combustion engine has unparalleled value. He said curiously: "How long will it take for the internal combustion engine to be developed? This research institute has been established for several years."

"You've felt it's getting longer in a few years?" Yi Zhizu smiled and said, "For more than ten years, you have to burn incense if you can develop it. This is an epoch-making invention that is enough to create and lead an era."

Even Zhao Liewen was shocked when he heard this. Yan Shikuan was even more speechless and muttered for a while: "The research institute costs an indispensable year. It will take decades to develop it. Isn't this a loss-making business? If it is not developed, wouldn't it be a loss..."

"Even if it is not developed, it will not lose money. At least it has cultivated countless talents." Yi Zhizu said earnestly: "We are now in a different position than before. Everything must be looked at in the long run. For a country, talent is the first priority, especially scientific and technological talents. In the past, it was always said that agriculture is the first, industry is the main focus, and business is the foundation. In my opinion, a big country must be people-oriented, and people are the foundation!"

People-oriented and easy to be content is completely inspired by feelings. What the Qing Dynasty lacks most at present is talents, especially scientific and technological talents. He has a lot of things in his mind and dare not take them out now. This is also the reason why he rarely goes to research institutes. It has been more than 20 years, and in terms of talent training, it can only be considered a starting point now.

The cultivation and reserve of talents is not enough to have money alone, and it takes time! Since the creation of Yuanqi, Yizhizu founded Yuanqi Yixue and founded Western-style schools. Later, a large number of international students were sent. After twenty years, it has only cultivated a group of basic talents. It is still far from cultivating real high-end and cutting-edge talents.

On the contrary, the technical workers have developed extremely fast, which is not only due to Yuanqi's large number of factories in recent years, encouraging private gentry and merchants to open factories and invest in industries, but also due to Yuanqi's early years of taking advantage of the economic crises of Western countries to buy and open factories in the United States and continuously sending apprentices to the United States.

Of course, this is also due to the fact that Western countries are not very conscious of technological protection and prevention of leaks, and lack of mature national rescue measures. Once they encounter an economic crisis, a large number of factory companies go bankrupt, and Yuanqi was able to purchase machinery and equipment through the United States like buying cabbage. This is actually a fundamental reason why Guangzhou and Shanghai have developed rapidly.

The two of them didn't say anything, Yi Zhizu continued: "The research and development of internal combustion engines is not something that can be achieved overnight. They must be a process of continuous improvement and renewal. The investment in this is not enough to describe it. This is directly related to the scientific and technological strength of a country, and there will never be a loss."

Yan Shikuan smiled and said, "I don't understand the great truth, I just believe in a little bit. The big shopkeeper has never done a loss-making business."

"Do I play the piano with a cow?" Yi Zhizu rolled his eyes and turned his head to enjoy the street view outside the car window.

The next morning, Yi Zhizu received a telegram from Zeng Guofan from the capital. The Supervisory Administration Office planned to announce the abolition of the donation system, the abolition of the military examination system, and the innovation of the imperial examination system.

After reading this telegram, Zhao Liewen was quite surprised and said, "What does the Supervisory Administration mean? Ask the Grand Shopkeeper's opinion?"

"What are you asking for advice? This is here to ask for money." Yi Zhizu said angrily: "Before, I negotiated with Zeng Guofan and promised the court to abolish the donation system, and Yuan Qi gave the court a subsidy of 4 million taels of silver a year."

Four million taels of silver a year? Zhao Liewen couldn't help but be stunned. This is too big, right? He hesitated and said, "The shopkeeper really intends to cash in?"

"After all, he is the shopkeeper Yuanqi, can he still break his trust?" Yi Zhizu said and lit a cigarette.

Is it so easy to talk to? Zhao Liewen was a little unbelievable, and after a brief change of thought, he tentatively said: "Is the shopkeeper planning to pay off the debt?"

Yi Zhizu said in a very good manner: "Yes, the total repayment of the debts owed by the court is not the case. However, in the past two years, in order to encourage the court to implement the new policy, we still have to give some cash silver, two million, and another two million debts. We clearly told the court that Yuan Qi suffered a lot of losses in conquering Goryeo."

This is the truth. Conquering Goryeo was indeed a loss-making business. Like Japan, Goryeo also implemented a policy of closing the country. Only Seoul, Kaesong and Yizhou had powerful merchant classes, known as Beijing merchants, Song merchants and Bay merchants, who operated import and export trade with the Qing Dynasty and Japan.

Foreign trade only includes ginseng, Korean paper, flower mat, knife, seafood, and other valuable medicines such as beef, Qingxin Pills and Suhexiang Pills. Imported are high-quality silk, medicinal materials, books, needlework, knife and cutters, tobacco pipe abacus, pen, ink and inkstone and other daily necessities.

From the trade, we can see that Goryeo is not as poor as ordinary, and the annual income of Goryeo is also pitiful, with only three million taels of silver, and a large population of more than 10 million, but I don’t know how much it can be left after this war.

After receiving the call back, Zeng Guofan was full of joy and excitedly entered Yi Xin's entrustment house. "Prince, Yi Guocheng agreed to pay 2 million yuan in cash, and the other two million yuan was used to offset the debt."

After reading the telegram, Yi Xin nodded slightly. After a series of wars, Yuan Qi funded three million when abolishing the Eight Banners system. Now that it is extremely rare to abolish donations, he can still give two million cash. After pondering for a moment, he picked up the telegram and said, "I will go to the palace now and ask the emperor to issue an order to abolish donations."

The next day, Xianfeng Ming issued an edict to abolish the donation system, abolish the military exercise system, and innovate the scientific and technological examination system.

As soon as the decree was issued, it immediately caused a great sensation in the court and the people. All officials, gentlemen, merchants and ordinary people realized that the reform of the court was extraordinary. They first abolished the Eight Banners system, but it did not stop for a few days. They abolished the donation system, the military system, and the scientific and technological examinations. It seems that there will inevitably be a series of innovation measures in the future, and everyone was eager and nervous.

The abolition of the donation system that had been implemented for two hundred years was praised and praised by the government and the whole country. After all, the harm of donation was well known. The only harm to the abolition of donation was the income of the court. Those officials who donated their bodies and waited for the vacancies were also praised. For them, it was equivalent to cutting off subsequent competitors. After all, the court did not deprive them of the qualification to be an alternate official.

The abolition of the martial arts was not very important. Since the rise of the Yuanqi New Army and the Eight Banners New Army, the wars were completely muskets and artillery. The traditional martial arts had long lost any meaning. This has long been a consensus among the government and the country. Moreover, Naval and Army schools have been opened one after another in recent years, and those who join the army can completely enter the military academy.

The biggest influence is the scientific research innovation. The government and the public criticized it more and praised it less. The older scholars strongly opposed it, while the young scholars mostly supported it. Whether it was abolishing the eight-legged essays or adding historical geography, it was extremely unfair to the older scholars. This scientific research innovation can be said to have cut off the imperial examination path of most older scholars, and the impact is naturally quite large!

Of course, the court added 300 Jinshi places in this subject, which was a great comfort and stimulation for many scholars. Many candidates who were not sure that they did not intend to take the exam in this subject rushed to the capital, hoping to take the last subject without changing the system next year.

Shanghai, Zhenhai Gongfu, Changle Bookstore.

Yi Zhizu held a cigarette in his mouth and looked at the large world map on the wall. The region with the largest oil reserves in the world is undoubtedly the Middle East. It is surrounded by several major countries such as Persia, Ottoman, and Saudi Arabia. Yuanqi is not easy to chew. After all, Yuanqi cannot send troops to invade the Persian Gulf, so he can only start with a few small countries.

The emirates of Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and other small countries are suitable for abolishing them. However, the entire Persian Gulf is the sphere of influence of the British. If Yuanqi wants to get into the Persian Gulf, the biggest trouble is the British.

The British clearly wanted to monopolize the trade in the Persian Gulf. How could they easily let Yuanqi gain a foothold in the Persian Gulf? If he went south from Central Asia and could not avoid the Persian Empire, he would not want to go to war with Persia. Thinking of this, he felt a little bored. He knew that the Persian Gulf was a treasure land, but he had no idea how to start. He was really worried.

Zhao Liewen slowly walked in with a few newspapers in his hand. When he saw Yi Zhizu standing in front of the map, he couldn't help but hesitate for fear of disturbing the other party's thoughts. Just when he was about to withdraw, Yi Zhizu turned around, "Huifu is here."

"Isn't the big shopkeeper thinking about using troops again?" Zhao Liewen slowly walked up to him, glanced at the position where Yi Zhizu stood, and saw that he was in front of West Asia. He couldn't help but feel a sudden jump in his heart. When the big shopkeeper was preparing for the expansion of the northwest, his finger seemed to be directed at the Persian Gulf.
Chapter completed!