I, Zhu Youjian: the first prodigal son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 88 This is... a warship?
Three days and three nights later, Tianjin Wei, at the mouth of the Sancha River.

Dazhigu, wharf.

Cao Wenzhao was picked up by a fast boat and galloped along the coastline for [-] to [-] miles, and entered a rather hidden large harbor, but it was another real sea pier.

As soon as he entered the harbor, Cao Wenzhao was shocked.

High, too high.

Big, too big!
Too thick and too long!

In the harbor, there are two big ships moored, like two ancient monsters, lying on the sea and gasping for breath, and from time to time, there will be a long and loud siren sound.

The hull is too high and too big;

On the deck, three forts made of steel seem to be able to rotate 360 ​​degrees to adjust the shooting angle;
On each fort, there are three thick and long cannon barrels sticking out straight, with their heads raised to the sky, and they look very mighty!

Each giant ship is about fifty or sixty feet long and seventeen to eighty feet wide. Moreover, the hull is not made of the usual wood, but...steel?
Cao Wenzhao was a little uncertain.

Because, the entire hull was painted milky white, and under the winter sun, it exuded a faint cold light, which looked beautiful and generous, but at the same time dignified and majestic, like two sea gods.

"This is... an iron-clad warship?"

Although Cao Wenzhao's official position is only a small guerrilla, but he was born in a famous family, and his vision and knowledge are naturally extraordinary.

But even so, seeing such a huge steel monster at first glance, I was still surprised.

'Is this what the emperor said about the iron-clad battleship? '

'How does this kind of big iron ship drive without sails? '

The clipper approached one of the 'iron-clad ships', followed a suspended ladder, climbed up to a height of more than two feet, and then entered a cabin door.

Cao Wenzhao touched the shell of the big ship, and finally confirmed that it was really iron...

"Chen Yin met Lord Hou!"

"Du Pingping met Lord Hou!"

Following two soldiers in blue light armor to the deck, two young men rushed up to greet them, bowed and saluted, but they were the two captains sent by Zhenhai King Zheng Zhilong.

"Who are you two?" Cao Wenzhao bowed his hands and returned the salute, somewhat puzzled.

"We are the captains under Lord Zhenhai." The two young captains smiled politely and cupped their hands.

Cao Wenzhao looked at the two 'captains' with a bewildered expression.

The 'official uniforms' on these two people are a bit strange, they are not the long robes and short shirts worn by officials of the Ming Dynasty, but the clothes and pants are completely separated, the front is in the middle of the chest, and there is a row of agate buttons;
The material used to make the clothes is not satin, but a kind of woolen fabric that is extremely flat, with four pockets with lids, two belts, and leather boots. There is an indescribable... weirdness.

However, it seems very energetic.

In addition, the 'official hats' of the two are also very weird...

By the way, I saw it on the painting boat in Xiyuan. The girl from Hongliu seemed to be wearing this outfit, but she was wearing a skirt...

Needless to say, this navy suit is another new gadget created by the idiot emperor Zhu Youjian.

Cao Wenzhao had heard it a long time ago that the current Long Live Lord is a prodigal son, he likes to play, he is also very good at playing, and he can always play new tricks.

'But, what fun can there be in letting such a beautiful Red Willow girl wear a uniform? '

Cao Wenzhao was quite disapproving of this.

"Master Hou, it's too cold on the deck, please drink tea in the cabin." Captain Chen Yin pointed to several large ships docked at the pier, and said, "We can set off when the students from Daming Academy board the ship."

Cao Wenzhao was a little discouraged, he nodded slightly, and silently followed the two captains down to the cabin...

……

In a luxuriously decorated cabin with a very wide view, Cao Wenzhao slept beautifully and revived with full blood.

Recently, he traveled all the way, galloping from Shanhaiguan to the land of the capital, and after a short stay, he rushed to Tianjin Wei on a starry night. Cao Wenzhao's physical strength was a little bit behind him.

So, under the warm hospitality of the two captains, he inevitably ate a few extra catties of meat, drank seven or eight bowls of spirits, and unknowingly slipped under the table.

Lying on the big comfortable and soft bed, recalling the past few days, he couldn't help shaking his head and smiling wryly: "Your Majesty...you are so generous!"

A title of "Marquis of Liaodong", if you don't say anything, you will be rewarded directly, which is fake at first glance.

It is said that Daming's official hat is worthless, as long as there are people on it; of course, it doesn't matter if there is no one on it, as long as there is money anyway.

It seems that this statement is true!
"Two boats, five hundred elite soldiers, and one thousand students, what kind of marquis are these?" '

Cao Wenzhao lay down for a while, and got really bored, so he got up from the bed and planned to wash his face.I went to the two captains to discuss going to Kuwu Island.

After all, even if there are only [-] elite soldiers and former students, if you have to sail thousands of miles on the vast sea to an unknown island, the preparations you need to make are still unavoidable.

Soldiers and horses go ahead without using food and grass, food, fresh water, weapons, medicines...

Occasionally looking out the window, he froze.

'The ship has sailed into the sea? '

The hull of the ship was indeed trembling slightly, and somewhere, there was a dull and powerful 'dang bang bang' sound.

Putting his forehead on the porthole with transparent glass, looking at the blue water quickly sliding backwards, Cao Wenzhao was sure that the ship was sailing on the sea...

He simply washed up and walked out quickly.

Passing through a long corridor, Lord Cao came to the "command room" of the armored battleship.

Captain Chen Yin held a cup of coffee in his left hand, stood in front of a large mahogany table, leaned over to check the map, held a charcoal pencil in his right hand, and kept marking and calculating.

"Captain Chen Yin, when did our ship...?" Cao Wenzhao asked with some displeasure.

He is the Marquis of Liaodong sealed by His Majesty himself, and he never knew how to report such a big event as the departure of the troops...

"It set sail at nine o'clock last night." Captain Chen Yin smiled, pointed to the chair beside the big table, and said, "Master Hou, please sit down."

Cao Wenzhao was stunned, and thought, "Why don't you move a chair for Lord Hou? Zheng Zhilong's soldiers are too rude..."

"All the furniture on the ship must be fixed," Captain Chen Yin seemed to know what Cao Wenzhao was thinking, and explained with a smile: "Otherwise, in the event of a hurricane and heavy waves, or an artillery battle with an enemy ship, the ship's hull will vibrate. Flying furniture can hurt people."

Cao Wenzhao was stunned, and smiled awkwardly: "We don't understand naval warfare, so we misunderstood Captain Chen Yin."

Captain Chen Yin poured a bowl of hot coffee and brought it over, he said with a smile: "In the vast sea, the whole day is dull and dull, and all the red tapes are a little rusty, don't blame the Marquis.

Come, drink a bowl of coffee to refresh yourself. "

After taking the coffee, Cao Wenzhao couldn't help being a little surprised when he smelled the strange burnt smell: "The life on this ship is really hard, and it's not easy to drink good tea, but what I drink is burnt tea... '

Out of politeness, Cao Wenzhao took a shallow sip.

"I just...cough cough, what a bitter tea!"

Cao Wenzhao's complexion changed slightly, stimulated by the bitter taste of coffee, he coughed loudly.

Captain Chen Yin smiled embarrassedly: "I don't know the taste of Lord Hou, and I'm really sorry that I didn't put a few pieces of rock sugar."

While talking, he squeezed out three or five pieces of candy into the coffee in an exquisite iron box, and said with a smile, "Master Hou, stir it with a spoon, and drink it after the rock sugar melts, it won't be too bitter."

"This is coffee, not tea..." Cao Wenzhao smiled ashamedly: "I have heard of Nanyang coffee, but I have never tasted it. Today is the first time, and Captain Chen Yin laughed."

"This is Western goods, refreshing."

The two faced each other and laughed.

The atmosphere gradually became harmonious.

"Captain Chen Yin, where are my...soldiers?"

After chatting for a while, Cao Wenzhao finally couldn't help asking.

"Soldiers? They're all on board," Captain Chen Yin was taken aback for a moment, then he realized with a smile, "These two ironclad battleships, and the five hundred sailors on them, are under the control of Lord Hou for the time being.

When Lord Hou establishes a firm foothold in Kuwu Island and Liaodong, and has his own iron cavalry, our mission will be completed, and we will naturally return to the team. "

Cao Wenzhao: "..."

Well, the so-called five hundred elite soldiers directly became five hundred sailors!
This Majesty is simply not human...

(End of this chapter)