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Chapter 1598 Voyage Around the World
At Tianjin Wei Wharf, there are five sailboats moored in the harbor, and porters are busy carrying boxes of supplies on board.

China's first circumnavigation fleet consisted of a warship with 24 guns and four remodeled armed merchant ships.

The reason why warships and armed merchant ships were chosen as ships around the world is because the sea is not only a threat from nature, but also a man-made threat.

It is very likely to encounter colonists, pirates or indigenous attacks in certain sea areas, such as the dangerous Caribbean Sea.They must have the power to resist, that is, the artillery placed on the ship.

"Check all the supplies for me, and don't be short of money. This is a very challenging round-the-world voyage, not the traditional route we are familiar with!" A middle-aged captain was urging the logistics officer on board to check supplies.

Leading the fleet this time is the captain Zheng Zhihu, who has experience in leading a North American expedition across the Pacific to the Americas.

Unlike Zheng Zhilong who led the Beiyang Fleet and Zheng Zhibao who served in the Fourth Fleet, Zheng Zhihu devoted himself to opening up new shipping routes for the colonies, which were even more dangerous.

They have a map of the world in their hands, but it is only a macro map. No one knows what kind of bad hydrology, wind direction, eddies, and hidden reefs they will encounter on the route. situation, and finding suitable islands as supply stations.

"Second Uncle, this is Ling'er. He will accompany our ship to participate in this round-the-world voyage." Zheng Chenggong and several crew members brought Ling'er to Tianjin Wei.

Ling'er was wearing an extra-small navy sailor uniform and carrying a luggage, while Zheng Chenggong and several others helped carry his luggage.

It was the first time he had seen Zheng Zhihu. This scruffy-looking naval officer with a big beard and a ferocious spirit made him somewhat afraid.

Zheng Zhihu was born as a pirate, with a burly figure and a sturdy air. When he saw this little guy, he smiled and said: "My boy, a man should go to conquer the sea. Our voyage will be full of dangers from the very beginning. We must do it well." Prepare for hardship! Hurry up and get on the boat, we are ready to go!"

"Second Uncle, which ship are we on?" Zheng Chenggong asked.

"The students in your naval lecture hall are 'Zheng He'." Zheng Zhihu pointed to one of the armed merchant ships and said.

Among the five ships, the pilots of the main ship with 24 guns are the official officers and sailors of the Ministry of the Navy. On the armed merchant ship, its name was renamed "Zheng He" by the students of the Navy Lecture Hall.

Zheng He's voyages can be said to be the furthest fleet traveled before, and now they want to break this record and sail around the world, so they took this meaningful name as the name of the ship.

Zheng Chenggong and several students from the naval lecture hall brought Ling'er to this armed merchant ship, and other students in navy sailor uniforms greeted the son of the commander of the Beiyang Fleet one after another.

In fact, Zheng Chenggong didn't just rely on his father's reputation in the Navy Department of the Kyushu Army to have considerable prestige among the students. He himself was very talented in this area and was one of the outstanding students in the Navy Lecture Hall.

Dozens of students in the Navy Lecture Hall immediately noticed Ling'er, a young sailor.

"Who is this young master? The Admiralty allows children to take part in dangerous voyages around the world?"

"Young master, what's your name?"

The students gathered around one after another, asking about Ling'er's background.

"He is the son of a friend of my father's. He wants to come to the sea for two or three years to practice. You should also help me look after him." Zheng Chenggong made up an excuse a long time ago.

When Zheng Zhilong was young, he used to fight with Chu Yun in the southeast coast, and they didn't know each other, so Zheng Chenggong called Ling'er the son of his father Zheng Zhilong's friend.

The students in the Navy Lecture Hall heard that he was the son of a friend of Zheng Zhilong, the commander of the Beiyang Fleet, so he must be a veteran of the Kyushu Army, and they couldn't help being awed.If they knew about Chu Yun's son, they would be even more shocked.

"Miss Hannah was looking for you today and found that you were not here. She thought you had run away." A student quietly said to Zheng Chenggong.

Before the words fell, a blond-haired female sailor came over, saw Zheng Chenggong and several other students appearing, and frowned slightly: "Zheng Chenggong, and you guys, do you think it is too dangerous to sail around the world, so you escaped temporarily? ?”

Hannah, who was tricked by Li Jinde to the East, was originally the sister of the head of the Hospital Knights of the Island of Malta. She has been in the East for 5 years now, and she has a good understanding of the language and culture here, and has gradually integrated into the navy. In the lecture hall.

If nothing else, she will become one of the empire's reserve naval officers after this round-the-world voyage, just like Zheng Chenggong and others.

Because she was a special transfer student, she was a few years older than Zheng Chenggong and others, and women were more precocious, so even Zheng Chenggong's class had to respect her, an older transfer student.This time, the captain of Zheng He is a lieutenant of the Ministry of the Navy, and Hannah is the deputy captain, and he has to be optimistic about these younger brothers of the same class.

"Sister Hannah, we are students in the Navy's martial arts lecture hall. How could we run away! Let's pick up Ling'er brother to participate in this round-the-world voyage. He is the son of a friend of my father's." Zheng Chenggong brought Ling'er to the front as a pawn shield.

"He...? What's the name of this cute little brother?" Hannah originally thought that Zheng Chenggong and others, who were also classmates, retreated and were about to get angry, but after seeing Ling'er, all anger disappeared.

"Sister, my name is Ling'er." When Chu Lingyun saw Hannah, he showed no sign of timidity at all.

He has several equally beautiful mothers in the military lord's mansion, living in such an environment can be very natural in front of any woman.

"Ling'er, are you going to sail around the world at such a young age? Our voyage this time is very dangerous. Well, he looks like a little sailor. Zheng Chenggong, since you brought him up, you must take good care of Ling." My son's safety, understand?" Hannah said.

"Understood!" Zheng Chenggong thought in his heart, even if Hannah didn't order him to come down, he would have to protect the son of the military lord even if he risked his life.

After the final inspection confirmed that the five ocean-going sailing ships were correct, they left Tianjin Wei Wharf and started a great voyage. A little different from other ocean-going sailing ships, they sailed east instead of west. This time, he also shouldered the important task of exploring the Bering Strait, where no ships have yet arrived.

(End of this chapter)