The third emperor of the Sui Dynasty

Chapter 849

With the end of the "Flying God's Wings" and the airborne, the time has gradually arrived in late December, and the New Year is getting closer and closer. The New Year atmosphere in various places in the Sui Dynasty has begun to increase. There has been heavy snow in Guanzhong these days, and goose feathers are fluttering. Like snowflakes decorate Daxing into a world of ice and snow made of pink makeup and jade.

There was a lot of snow, and the road was blocked. Originally, this was not a good thing, which meant that this winter was too cold, but the old farmers were smiling, because the heavy snow meant that the coming year would be a bumper year.

The auspicious snow heralds a good year is the experience summed up by farmers from generation to generation. Although Yang Tong does not understand agriculture, he knows that no matter whether it is to develop business or industry, the premise is that everyone will not be hungry. Agriculture has been the foundation of all industries since ancient times, and the prosperity of agriculture will lead to the prosperity of all industries. If agriculture declines, all industries will wither. This is a hurdle that cannot be overcome in all dynasties. This also strengthens his support for Zhou Shaozu's voyage to the Americas to find high-yield crops. If he finds a few, it will be a supplement to traditional crops. In particular, the vitality of sweet potatoes is extremely strong. You only need to cut off the branches and insert them into the soil to survive. The spreading vine leaves can be fed to livestock.

In the Qianqiu Hall on the west side of the Liangyi Hall, Yang Tong and the Minister of Chinese and Military Affairs are receiving the sailing 'core team' headed by Zhou Shaozu. This team has fifteen generals. Because they have lived at sea for a long time, their skin is dark and glowing. He looked extremely energetic.

"General Zhou, why do you suddenly want to go sailing?" Yang Tong asked with a smile.

"Qizuo Shengshang." Zhou Shaozu cupped his hands and said, "The end general sails out to sea training from time to time, and encounters all kinds of weird things, such as the dragon absorbing water when the sky meets the water, for example, the bottom of the sea sometimes rolls like boiling water, and the city wall is so high. The waves are even more common. Every summer, a hurricane passes by. The strong wind rolls up huge waves like mountains and roars towards the island. Wherever it passes, even the biggest trees are uprooted... As time goes by, the last general waits for someone to think. I want to travel across the ocean, to see those weird things, even if I die under the huge waves, I will feel very happy..."

Yang Tong understood that this group of people was really bored staying on the island, and when they were in a panic, they became curious about the vast sea, and gradually came to a consensus on sailing far away.But that's a good thing.

"In addition, from time to time, we see mountains, boulders, palaces, and even people and animals appearing in the vast sea. Overseas fairy mountains and Penglai fairy islands may really exist in the sea." Zhou Shaozu said again.

When everyone heard it, it was broken.

The emperors of all dynasties had a crazy obsession with immortality, let alone Qin Shihuang who built his mausoleum into mountains, lakes, earth and stars, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty were all destroyed by the desire for "longevity"...It can be said that the more It is the wise emperors who become more obsessed with seeking immortals. It does not mean that they want to be emperors forever, but they are all people who pursue perfection. They feel that other than themselves, their offspring are not as good as themselves, so they hope that the empire will be perfect in their own hands. , and then hand it over to future generations, but life is limited, so they hope to get immortality to continue their lives, so that the empire can be perfected step by step according to their own ideas.

The emperor Yang Tong is also a wise and powerful emperor, if he is bewitched by Zhou Shaozu and commits the obstacle of going to the sea to find immortals and demons, he will be in big trouble.

Thoughtful...

"That's a mirage, don't believe in those." Yang Tong, who didn't know the minister's worry, shook his head, "Actually, such illusory scenes as mirages are not unique to the sea, snowfields, deserts, and lakes will appear from time to time. They have seen mirages everywhere. They walked on the desert, and from time to time they found that the oasis seemed to be close in front of them, but it was far away in the sky. Many hungry and thirsty Hu merchants headed towards the oasis, and ended up getting lost in the desert. These The oasis seems to be a hope for survival, but it is actually a death trap."

Speaking of this, Yang Tong solemnly said: "There are no fairy islands and sacred mountains on the sea, and the elixir of immortality is even non-existent. Let's talk about Xu Fu. When people didn't know the country of Wa, they thought he really went to fairy mountains and fairy islands, but with The country of Wa is well known, and Xu Fu’s whereabouts are no longer a secret. If you find new islands and countries in the sea that are regarded as fairy mountains, after a hundred years, with the development of the navigation industry, you must feel the mood of the people at that time , are the same as those of us who are familiar with the Wa country."

It is not impossible to go to sea, but there is no fairy island in the sea, let alone the elixir of life!If Zhou Shaozu and the others were stupid enough to search for immortals, the high-yielding crops would be lost.So Yang Tong emphasized that in order to completely dispel their desire to seek immortals, he not only corrected his erroneous views, but also asked people to take out a few large mirrors and conduct a light refraction experiment, which solved the secret of the mirage on the spot.

"I'm ashamed." Zhou Shaozu and the others showed shame on their faces, but they looked at Yang Tong without the suspicion they had before.

"The way of light and shadow seems very magical, but after we understand its principle, we will not be confused by some illusions."

"Here."

"I strongly support you to go sailing, but it is not for you to find a fairy mountain that does not exist. It is to draw a nautical chart, explore unknown areas on the sea, and establish contact with unknown countries."

"Your Majesty, you will understand when you draw a nautical chart, but what's the point of establishing diplomatic relations with an unknown country?" Zhou Shaozu was a little confused.

"The unknown country is a vast area beyond our knowledge. Take the west of the Sui Dynasty as an example. Everyone knows the Western Regions to the west of the Sui Dynasty, and everyone knows Persia to the west of the Western Regions, but there is also a powerful Byzantium to the west of Persia, but We don’t know what country is to the west of Byzantium. This is the case in the west, but what about the east?” Yang Tong paused, and then said: “We know that there are Japanese slaves in the East China Sea, but what is the country to the east of the Japanese slaves? This is our Unknown existence, there may not be any countries in this sea that are more developed and powerful than the Great Sui. If we find these unknown countries one by one, then we can open up the Maritime Silk Road and open up new trade channels for our Great Sui. , and contribute to the prosperity of the Sui Dynasty.”

"Subject!" Yang Gongren has been thinking about the pros and cons, and after making up his mind, he said: "The biggest feature of the Maritime Silk Road is the convenient transportation, the large capacity of the ships, it can be sailed day and night, and there are no dangerous terrains to block it. If we find these countries, we will Completely opened up countless routes, and the efficiency is far better than the land silk road.”

Luo Shixin hesitated for a moment, and said: "Our navy can't play much role in the country, or we should all go to the sea to declare the great power of the Sui Dynasty."

"This is not allowed." Yang Tong flatly objected, if he had followed Luo Shixin's suggestion, the Sui Dynasty would have committed the same mistakes as the Ming Dynasty.

The most famous diplomatic event in the Ming Dynasty was Zheng He's seven voyages to the West.

The length, scale, and scope of Zheng He's voyages to the West were unprecedented among feudal dynasties.Every time Zheng He sailed to the West, the number of naval soldiers exceeded 5. If the crew and various logistics personnel were added, the mighty fleet would have at least [-] people.

Later generations gave countless praises to the feat of the seven voyages to the Western Seas. What promoted the great power of the Ming Dynasty, what made great contributions to the political, economic and cultural friendly relations among Southeast Asian countries, and some people said that it strengthened the Ming Dynasty’s ties with overseas countries. , is a great feat in the maritime industry.

But Yang Tong didn't appreciate it very much. The main reason was that Zheng He's fleet was too large. Supplies for such a large fleet were a huge expense. The military escort and bureaucrats accompanied him. Even if he earned money, he probably spent most of it on the road.

In contrast, Yang Tong admires Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Magellan more. They discovered the American continent with a fleet of less than 300 people, opened up new sea routes, stimulated the upsurge of ocean voyages in Europe, and brought tremendous prosperity to their country. Interest, for the Europeans after that, a dozen or so people on a ship will do trade, and their profits will definitely be much higher than that of the Ming Dynasty fleet.

"Don't let other countries see the power of our Great Sui, how can they have the confidence to come to our Great Sui trade?" Luo Shixin said puzzled.

"The purpose of opening up maritime trade routes is to consolidate the country of the Sui Dynasty. If sailing is a waste of money and people, then what is the point of sailing? Moreover, we can attract so many envoys from other countries to come to Daxing, relying on the overall strength of the Sui Dynasty. Rather than just making people jealous." Yang Tong shook his head and said.

"Your Majesty's words are right." Li Jing agreed: "I don't know if there is a country in the vast sea to the east of the Japanese slaves. If you rashly drive the navy across, who are you demonstrating against? Sea fish?"

The crowd laughed.

Luo Shixin scratched his head and stopped talking. He felt that he was really not made for politics.

"Your Majesty, I also support sailing, and hope to open up the Maritime Silk Road, but I have a problem." Yang Shanhui got up and saluted Yang Tong.

"But it's okay to say." Yang Tong said.

"Here." Yang Shanhui bowed his hands and said in a deep voice: "The Silk Road developed by the Han Dynasty has gone through untold hardships. After nearly a thousand years of perfection, it has the scale it is today. During this period, countless lives and prices have been paid. And we now I don't know anything about the vast sea, and there is no reference on the sea. If the fleet is blown off course by strong winds and waves, how can we ensure the accuracy of the route? All ministers believe that ensuring that the fleet does not lose its way at sea is the most important thing If this problem cannot be solved, the risk of sailing is too great."

As a famous general of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Shanhui was very sensitive to the direction of the terrain, and immediately realized the huge problems of navigation.

As soon as these words came out, even Zhou Shaozu and others frowned deeply. If this problem was not resolved, their voyage would be death.

"When General Zhou submitted the navigation request, I had asked the Ministry of Industry to further improve the compass, and invented a compass needle suitable for navigation by using the thread hanging method."

Shen Kuo, a famous scientist and reformer in the Southern Song Dynasty, recorded four methods of making compass in "Mengxi Bi Tan", which are water float method, bowl lip rotation method, nail rotation method, and thread suspension method.

The water float method is to wear a few rushes on the magnetic needle to float on the water surface, which can indicate the direction.Bowl lip rotation method and nail rotation method are to place the magnetic needle on the edge of the bowl mouth and on the nail cover to indicate the direction.As for the thread hanging method, apply some wax to the middle of the magnetic needle, stick a piece of silk, and hang it in a windless place to indicate the direction.

Disadvantages of the water float method A slight shaking of the water surface will affect the measurement results.Although the bowl lip rotation method and the nail rotation method are flexible, they are easy to fall, and they are also not suitable for sailing in constant wind and waves. The compass made by the thread suspension method is undoubtedly the safest method.

Although these methods are simple, they all embody the supreme wisdom and painstaking efforts of the ancients. Even the compasses of later generations are made according to these principles.

Compared with the compass with only eight rough directions, the new-generation compass made of celestial stems and earthly branches not only adopts a more secure hanging method, but also indicates more accurate directions. It may not be as good as the compass of later generations, but it is used to distinguish the correct The course direction is more than enough.

When the compass was picked up and tested by beating, all the ministers were relieved that the direction to it remained unchanged.

Yang Tong asked people to take out the world map he drew and dozens of hand-painted books of crops that had been treated with moisture-proof treatment, and handed them to Zhou Shaozu, "Your task this time is not to do business, let alone conquer foreign countries, but to exercise Form a fleet adapted to ocean sailing and draw a detailed chart, you learn as you go, and draw the chart as you go."

"The plants on this booklet were drawn by me based on the descriptions of Hu merchants. These things are non-toxic and edible. If you encounter them, you can pick them to replenish them... These are high-yield crops. If you get some seeds back, then my Tai Sui will There is no need to worry about food shortages..."

Before the meeting adjourned, Zhou Shaozu and others listened to Yang Tong's tireless exhortations and teachings, and were extremely moved in their hearts.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the last general and others will definitely go all the way, learn all the way, carefully explore this vast sea, and open up the maritime Silk Road for the Holy Majesty and my Great Sui Dynasty. Even if there is only one person left, we must bring these crop seeds Come back." Zhou Shaozu took a stack of maps and hand-painted books with both hands.

"Don't say these unlucky words! Remember to me that everything is about safety. No matter what happens, you must bring your soldiers and crew back alive! As long as you return safely, your feats will be engraved in the annals of history. inferior to Zhang Qian of the Han Dynasty."

"I will live up to the great trust of the Holy One."

Zhou Shaozu responded loudly, full of pride and ambition!

After the meeting ended, Yang Tong spent most of the day instilling the pitiful knowledge of geography and navigation precautions to Zhou Shaozu and others, especially the fresh water storage, and they were not allowed to interfere with other countries. Government affairs, so that the soldiers will not become political victims of other countries.

Yang Tong's unprecedented attention also made Zhou Shaozu and others full of pride. They knew exactly where Yang Tong's ambitions were. It has been mentioned many times that there is a vast continent across the ocean, where there are high-yield crops that are billions of times more valuable than gold, silver, and treasures. As long as these seeds are brought back to the Sui Dynasty, the people of the Central Plains will not be hungry for thousands of years. The fate of the Sui Dynasty is also closely related to the prosperity of the entire nation.

Zhou Shaozu and the others never imagined that their voyage would have something to do with the "National Destiny", let alone the thousand-year-old National Destiny entrusted to them. People are always going to die. So what about the ocean?

(End of this chapter)