Versailles is worse than being queen

◎Are you afraid to ask me to dance, Mr. Tesla? ◎

The first scholar who wins the reward will have the privilege of inviting Her Royal Highness to dance with her.

"Long live Your Royal Highness!" The crowd applauded again, and even the crown prince who was still holding half a piece of bread happily joined in the applause.

Only Antania glanced at the dean with a delicate mood, and her thoughtful gaze quickly passed over the Earl of Provence hidden in the crowd.

The Earl of Provence was still staring at her intently a moment ago, but he turned his head when she looked over, and quietly glanced at the corner a few seconds later.

——Mrs. Dubali was playing cards with several noble ladies, but at this moment, they were all smiling and looking at this side and applauding.

Antanya understood immediately.

French court tradition?

That was the tradition of Madame de Pompadour – the former mistress of King Louis XV.

After the queen's death, Mrs. Pompadour, who monopolized the king's favor, was like another queen in the palace.She loves art and science, and she never refuses to dance with her if she is invited by a scholar who has received a bounty, and people have regarded this as a tradition over time.

But Antanya is not a mistress.She is Princess of Austria, Princess of France.

Strictly speaking, it was a humiliation to her.

However, this matter is very cryptic.If she turned her face on the spot, she would leave an impression of "uneducated, harsh and mean" on the hundreds of nobles and celebrities present, and it would also be a humiliation to Mrs. Dubarry present——

As we all know, Madame du Barry will take revenge, and she holds the supreme power in the court at the moment through the king's bed.

The simple-minded dean of the Academy of Sciences was probably tricked by one of Madame Dubarry's close friends, and the scheming Earl of Provence was also involved in it.

There are many such indecent tricks in the French court, just like mosquito bites, which do no real damage, but are very disgusting.

Antanya in her previous life hated these dirty things to the extreme.As a princess, concubine, and queen, she is arrogant enough and has the capital to be arrogant-but this cannot change the result of her being secretly excluded by the nobles.

When the king lived in the Palace of Versailles, the news spread to Paris and from Paris to the whole country was controlled by the nobles who went in and out of Versailles. It is not difficult to imagine what kind of woman they would describe her as.

Antania smiled and nodded in the warm eyes of everyone, as if accepting this "tradition" very happily.As long as no one brings it up, no one will find out what's wrong.

Her gaze inadvertently glanced at the ornate wall clock on the end wall of Mars Hall.

a quarter past eight.

As usual, now that the "official" part is all over, it's time for everyone to enjoy the salon freely.Aristocrats would play cards and dance together, while scholars interested in a new bounty being issued would gather in smalls and smalls to discuss the subject.

But at this moment, the side door leading to the west hall suddenly opened.

A small trolley was pushed in by several servants, and a huge metal monster with a complex structure was placed on it.

At the end of the cart was a tall and slender boy.

He wore a monocle over his right eye, from which hung a thin silver chain.

"...It's him?!" Immediately, someone subconsciously took a breath.

"It's him! That guy with evil eyes." People whispered, "Look, he wears those glasses to cover his own evil eyes... This is the joint request of many scholars, so he was forced to wear it You don't have to be afraid if you put on your glasses, but you have to be careful whenever he takes them off! He may curse you at any time..."

Gossip always travels faster and wider than serious news in this boring court.

In just a few minutes, almost everyone knew that this tall and slender boy with outstanding temperament was the "wizardman" who was jointly impeached by many academicians, so they couldn't help but quietly cast their eyes on him.

Unlike other men who wore brightly colored court gowns with lace cuffs, the boy's clothes were simple and pure black, with silver and white embroidery only extending from the neckline to the hem of the jacket.

Inside the jacket was a simpler white silk shirt, and the matching vest was also black. He didn't wear bright red stockings or high heels—but he was still tall enough to stand out from the crowd.

If this pure black dress is worn on someone else, it will definitely look shabby and rigid.

But even those who hated him the most had to admit at this moment that the clothes on his body made him look so slender, with broad shoulders and narrow waist, that he actually gave birth to a classical elegance out of thin air.

The Palace of Versailles is full of small groups and conspiracies all the time, and no one is unfamiliar with the means of crowding out people.Although everyone knows that a young scholar in the Academy of Sciences was jointly impeached, people will always pay less attention to places like the Academy of Sciences that are hard-working and not very lucrative.

Therefore, it was at this moment that most people realized for the first time that the scholar who was excluded this time was actually this 17-year-old boy——

So young and so handsome.

The atmosphere in the Mars Hall suddenly became very delicate.

The music continued, the games on the card tables and gaming tables seemed undisturbed, and people were still talking and laughing—but everyone felt the change.

As if a piece of air was being pushed away by some invisible aura, the palpitating silence followed the young man's youthful steps through the crowd, until he walked onto the marble platform where the president of the Academy of Sciences was.

When he stepped onto the platform, someone finally reacted: "Wait, what is he going to do?"

"I'm thinking...won't it be?"

"impossible!"

In the astonished eyes of everyone, the boy took off his black top hat and bowed gracefully to the dean: "Mr. dean, I am honored to bring my improved steam engine."

The dean's expression became ugly for a moment.

"Nikolai." He gave him a warning look.What did he say to him?

"I see, sir." Nicholas nodded.

Before the corner of the dean's mouth retracted, the boy nodded to everyone in the audience naturally: "Everyone, please allow me to make a simple presentation for everyone."

The dean's eyes widened in surprise and anger.If this is not the court where everyone is watching, but the Academy of Sciences in the Louvre, he will definitely give this young man who knows nothing about the sky and the earth an impressive lesson immediately——

But this was Versailles, with rules of etiquette that not even he could break.

"There are two main problems with the existing steam engines - the thermal efficiency is too low, which wastes fuel; the structural design is unreasonable, and the piston movement is not smooth. Therefore, it is difficult to put steam power into practical use."

The young man showed no stage fright in front of the crowd, and talked with eloquence. "Aiming at these two problems, I redesigned the mechanics and conduction structure of the steam engine. This prototype is equipped with planetary gears and parallel-moving linkages, and the reciprocating piston structure is changed to a rotary turbine. And separate the condenser from the cylinder."

"Although I can't understand it, it feels very powerful."

Lavoisier glanced at Laplace, "Don't you also study mechanics? Is he right?"

Laplace swallowed the bread in his mouth hard, took another sip of the wine, and then wiped his mouth: "Please, I study celestial mechanics-the sky! But I think what he said makes sense. After all That thing looks really powerful."

"...After this improvement, this portable prototype can already achieve reciprocating movements that exceed human power—such as weaving, pumping water, etc."

"There is also a larger prototype. Due to its size, it is inconvenient to bring it into the palace. It is in my research room. The drive that is more suitable for transportation will provide more power than sixteen horses. motivation."

There was a moment of silence from the crowd—stuck.

Count Noaille, who was originally standing next to the dean, moved a step aside.

He felt that the respected old scholar beside him was like an active volcano, obviously on the verge of erupting every moment, but was stopped by a layer of skin.It feels dangerous.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the boy smiled, "I think we can look forward to the upcoming industry—"

"Wait!" Someone interrupted him immediately, "When you say improvement, do you mean improvement?"

"—Time." The boy finished the last word unhurriedly, didn't care about being interrupted, just nodded and smiled.

Although his age was probably no less than ten years younger than the person who asked the question, this smile made people feel inexplicably, as if he smiled tolerantly at a child who was not polite.

Those who realized this feeling suddenly felt a shudder on their backs—Xieyan!It must be the terrifying ability of Xieyan!

"Thank you for your cooperation." The boy said, looking at the wall clock, "The fuel has been warmed up for a while, and the time is about right now."

As if in response to his words, a chimney-like thing on the machine suddenly emitted plumes of smoke, and then the machine began to vibrate slowly.

Shout out!Hang Chi Hang Chi!

"Huh? It's moving! Look at it moving!"

"Really! It's a reciprocating movement—indeed, I can already imagine these bars driving wheels or spindles. They can really replace human and water power!"

In the eyes of people who are more shocked or excited, many interconnected metal shafts on this machine start to rotate, and the speed gradually increases. Finally, the naked eye can no longer catch the metal shaft itself, leaving only two dazzling arcs of motion.

Among the stunned crowd, whoever applauded first.

Although several people looked at the stage with livid faces and gritted their teeth, the atmosphere was contagious, let alone an overwhelming atmosphere—in the palace salon, the nobles who did not understand science were the majority.

Soon there was warm applause from the crowd.

After all, most people know how true or false the legend of the evil eye is.And this strange sight that has never been seen before is really real-it's amazing!

People's emotions have been mobilized, Nicholas raised his hand and gently pushed the monocle with his knuckles, but looked at the steam engine with a trace of disgust.

He hated this machine so much.

In fact, if it is not considered that the current technology is too backward and it is impractical to take a step too far, he would prefer to directly manufacture the generator, motor, transformer and AC system with automatic control device.

After all, it was he who designed the single-phase, two-phase, and multi-phase AC systems himself, and prototyped the necessary generators, motors, transformers, and automatic controls for each system.

——For him, making these things is simpler than making steam engines.

However, he specially asked someone to inquire in England, but he did not find any steam engine improved by Mr. Watt.

This is a headache.

Before his advanced ideas were realized, human society had been using steam to convert energy for centuries after the Industrial Revolution—yes, even electricity, most of it was produced through steam, and humans just started from Using wood to boil water instead of using coal, oil, natural gas, and even nuclear reactors to heat water and generate electricity—that was a project that human beings had just begun to study a few years before his death.

While for him, electricity can come from lightning or even nature's static electricity, conducting related research requires a lot of energy.

Therefore, limited by the current conditions, he can only start with more primitive energy sources.For example, use fuel-driven heat engines.

Heat engines are divided into internal combustion engines and external combustion engines. The main criterion for distinguishing is where the two processes of converting the chemical energy of the fuel into heat energy and then into mechanical energy are completed.The two processes are completed inside a mechanical device, which is an internal combustion engine, such as an engine that directly burns gasoline; like a steam engine, where water is first heated by coal, and then the water vapor drives the machine to do work, it is an external combustion engine.

Although the internal combustion engine has high efficiency, its structure is extremely complicated, and the design requirements for mechanical devices are more than one grade higher than that of steam engines. Even he still needs to study for several years to develop it.

Therefore, he can only honestly use the steam engine to increase productivity before considering generating electricity.Only with electricity can there be a qualitative leap, so as to further his research.

I'm sorry, Mr. Watt, but he may have to overtake on the curve.

He really didn't mean it.

Just as Nicholas was thinking, someone patted him on the shoulder: "Congratulations, Mr. Tesla, now you can invite Her Royal Highness to dance!"

"Huh?" Nicholas was taken aback.

"This is not Paris." The dean took a step towards him, and gave him a hard look, "It's best to stop your arrogant style here, and now you should invite Her Royal Highness to dance."

...wait, dance?

This seems to be different from what you said, right?

Nicholas, who had been immersed in research in Paris before and only stepped into Versailles for the first time today, had no idea what happened in this hall before he came.He just turned his head subconsciously.

The princess, who was dressed in a pale gold dress embroidered with silver lace and pearls, was standing not far behind him.

Antanya kept a decent smile throughout, blinking innocently when she met Nikolai's gaze.

Can't blame her?

Someone felt a strange feeling during this moment of stagnation, but it was only for a moment——

The next moment, the handsome and intelligent young man had returned to normal, he walked up to the princess just like all other court nobles, lowered his head and extended his hand to her: "Can I have the honor to invite you to dance with me? "

Antanya had to look up at him - she hadn't seen him for several years, and he had grown so much taller!

To be honest, when Nicholas first walked into the hall, if they hadn't already made an appointment, she didn't even recognize Nicholas at first sight.

She had just reached his cheek before he left Vienna.With such a comparison now, she is even shorter than his chin!

Antanya felt a little unbalanced in her heart.

She snorted softly, "Sir, it's not convenient for you to dance with glasses on."

"Oh, this," Nicholas pushed his glasses gracefully, and smiled lightly: "I am doing this for your welfare—I am a person with evil eyes, and if I take off my glasses, it will bring you misfortune." .”

Antania: "..."

This guy is really talented, it's a pity that he didn't become a drama actor.

The next dance number has already started and it would be bad manners to keep the band and crowd waiting.

Soon, the young scholar took the princess's hand and walked into the dance floor, and the other couples also walked in according to the dance formation.

"By the way, I have to tell you a secret." Nicholas suddenly lowered his voice at the first dance step when all the partners approached each other.

Antanya glanced at him.

Before Nicholas could reply, her foot hurt - she was actually stepped on by him!

Antanya almost jumped up.

"I'm sorry!" Nicholas immediately took a step back, and this step also caused him to appear obviously discordant with other men's dance steps.

Antanya resisted the urge to widen her eyes and gouged him out: You can't dance? !

I would, Nicola lip-synced her, but not this kind.

He blinked innocently.

Can't blame him?

Antania: "..."

She wanted to cover her face and sigh - how could she forget this!

The minuet danced at the French court at this time was very different from that danced by people more than two centuries later--of course no one from that era danced it.

"Concentrate, look at the people next to you, look at me," she whispered as another partner approached.

Although she could see that Nicholas was trying to follow the movements of others, and his reaction was very quick, there was still a very obvious difference between a person who was proficient at dancing this court dance and a novice dancing for the first time.

The crowd has already started talking.

"Am I reading that right? He...can't dance!"

"Tsk, it really is a barbarian from Eastern Europe. He can't even minuet!"

"I thought he had good taste. Even if he wasn't from aristocratic background, he should learn the etiquette here before coming to the Palace of Versailles, right? It's ridiculous."

"Ma'am, look, that child stepped on the princess again!" A lady in a dark purple dress covered the smile on her face with a fan, and said to Madame Dubarry.

Madame Dubarry couldn't help laughing: "Oh, I think Antoinette's face is dark."

"That Austrian woman is so embarrassing, but she should really let the prince take a good look—hey, where is the prince?"

Several women at the poker table began to look left and right to find Prince Louis.

"There's no need to look for it." Madame Dubally smiled contemptuously, "he's never been interested in these things, and every time he eats a lot of hessey, he'll look for a place—oh, look, on the sofa by the window sill I fell asleep with my mouth open."

Several women suddenly laughed together.

When this disastrous song finally came to an end, the tapering music could hardly conceal the unintentional laughter of the people.

"I'm sorry—I mean it," said Nikolai apologetically as the partners bowed to each other.

Antanya raised her eyebrows and looked at him, but said nothing.

When a couple of men and women were about to change their partners or leave the dance floor, she went straight to the conductor of the palace orchestra without anyone else.

"Mr. Detter, please change to a waltz," she said to the conductor, "it is the kind of dance music in three time."

"Three beats?" The conductor was taken aback for a moment, "Are you going to... dance?"

Triple-time dance music is uncommon, and dance steps are extremely limited.Although practiced in band rehearsals, it is rarely used at dances.

"Yes." Antanya replied succinctly, "Please hurry up, thank you very much."

"This... okay." Although the conductor looked embarrassed, he quickly led the band to change to a No. [-] waltz.

"Please hurry up." Antanya shook her head.

Mr. Detter was puzzled—could dances are elegant, leisurely, and fast-paced, and who could do them?

He even began to suspect that the too young little princess was playing willful.

But under the personal urging of the princess, he almost sped up the rhythm with some anger.

do you want to dancejump!Let's see what you can dance with instead.

"This is good." Antanya was finally satisfied.

She turned around neatly, and walked up to Nicholas who was looking at her probingly in a few steps.

Nicola: "..."

He looked down at her with a hint of teasing in his eyes.

Although a head shorter than him, Antanya raised her chin and looked straight into his eyes without showing weakness.

"Why?" There was a hint of provocation in the girl's smile.

"Don't you dare ask me to dance, Mr. Tesla?"

The author says:

For the description of the heat engine, refer to the undergraduate textbook "Marine Diesel Engine".