Zou Huanzhang was extremely nervous while sitting in the Admiral's carriage!
The white-haired old man held the crutch in his hand tightly with both hands. He thought about it and couldn't figure out why the regent wanted to see him.

As a native of Linjiang City, the Linjiang Zou family used to be very prosperous.

Because the Zou family is from a shipbuilding family!

When Linshui City was not a city yet, it was just a small fishing village on the Yangtze River. The Zou family started their shipbuilding business.

Now hundreds of years have passed, and Zou's shipbuilding has been passed down to the 12th generation!
The most prosperous time was after Linshui City was built, and Ning Guo set up the Guangling Navy here.

A large number of warships were needed at that time!

The imperial court recruited the Zou family and ordered them to build the huge dock in Linshui City.

He also handed over the construction of naval warships to his Zou family.

The reputation of the Zou family was unprecedented. It seemed like overnight, the Zou family became a very famous family in Linshui City.

But later...

Zou Huanzhang let out a long sigh.

After the Zou family was handed over to him and Emperor Zhaohua ascended the throne, Ning Guo's navy deteriorated from bad to worse.

The court was controlled by Ji Tai, the Ministry of War no longer requested the construction of new warships, and the Ministry of Household Affairs had no money to maintain those old warships.

As a result, those warships gradually rotted in the water.

As for the once-powerful Zou clan, people gradually went their separate ways in order to make a living.

Those craftsmen who relied on the Zou family for survival naturally had no choice but to leave.

Some traveled far away.

Some of them set up a workshop and shop in Linshui City.

Do some carpentry work.

Or run a small blacksmith shop.

and many more.

The Zou family gradually declined, so that now there are only 46 Zou family members left in Linshui City!
The dock where the warships were built has not been used for many years, and it has become dilapidated.

The people of the Zou clan are still doing their old business, but they are no longer building tall and powerful warships, but building small fishing boats that the fishermen in Linshui City need.

More than a year ago, the admiral of Guangling Navy was changed.

The person who came was Zhongli Qiuyang, the eldest young master of Zhongli Mansion.

After Zhongli Qiuyang took over the Guangling Navy, he visited him at his residence. However, when Zhongli Qiuyang learned about the silver needed to restart the shipyard and build a new warship, the young master also fell silent.

Then there was no news.

Today a regent came to Linshui City...

Zou Huanzhang frowned slightly, wondering if the regent also had the idea of ​​rebuilding the Guangling Navy?
After a moment, he smiled brightly, Ning Guo's treasury had no extra money!

Even if the regent had the intention, he would probably be as powerless as Zhongli Qiuyang.

But he wanted to see him as soon as he arrived in Linshui City... Zou Huanzhang's nervous mood gradually calmed down, so let's see him.

So what if the shipbuilding experience accumulated by Zou over the years is given to him?

By the way, I also have a bunch of drawings of new warships in my study.

Those were more advanced warships, but unfortunately none of them were built in the end.

If the Prince Regent likes it, give it to him too.

Perhaps when the Ning Kingdom becomes stronger and the national treasury has sufficient money, this new generation of warships will be able to reappear in the world.

It’s just that I am very old.

Unable to build it myself.

It must be out of sight.

Hey……

Zou Huanzhang sighed again, this is the biggest regret in his life!

The carriage moved slowly and arrived at the gate of the Admiral's Mansion.

Zou Huanzhang calmed down, holding a cane in hand, then opened the curtain and got out of the carriage.

As soon as he stood still, he was suddenly startled——

His dim old eyes saw two people standing in front of the Admiral's Mansion!
The two people were walking towards him at the moment!

As he got closer, he recognized the man on the left as Admiral Zhong Li Qiuyang!
He quickly bowed and said, "I have seen the Admiral!" Zhongli Qiuyang did not step forward. Instead, the man on the left came over.

He stretched out his hands and lifted Zou Huanzhang's arms, and a calm voice sounded in Zou Huanzhang's ears:

"Thank you for your hard work, old man!"

Zou Huanzhang raised his head and looked at the young man in front of him.

He is old and did not go out of the city to meet Li Chenan today, but at this moment, he was suddenly shocked.

"You...you are the regent?!"

Li Chenan smiled slightly, "I am!"

Zou Huanzhang was startled. He hurriedly took a step back and wanted to kneel down, but Li Chenan took his arm.

"Old man, I don't like this!"

"I guess you haven't had dinner yet. Let's take a walk. I'm hungry too. Let's have a casual meal in the Admiral's Mansion and chat while we eat!"

This kind of honor has never happened before in the history of the Zou family.

The genealogy of the Zou family records that in the early years of Jinghua, Emperor Jinghua went to the south of the Yangtze River after ascending the throne and summoned the ancestors of the Zou family in Linshui City.

Then, the docks in Linshui City began to build warships day and night.

At that time, the Guangling Navy was at its most powerful and the Zou family was at its most prosperous.

Emperor Jinghua had great foresight. In the 26th year of Jinghua's reign, 36 countries in the Western Regions mobilized 30 troops to attack Ning. They marched straight into Linshui City with overwhelming force.

It was here that the Guangling Navy relied on its warships to defeat the Western Region Allied Forces in one fell swoop.

Only then did Ning Guo stop the decline of the war, organized a counterattack, and drove the remnants of the Western Region Allied Forces out of Ning Guo.

The most critical part of that battle was the Yangtze River defense battle of the Guangling Navy!
The warship built by the Zou family played a decisive role in that battle!

More than a hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye, and tonight, the regent of Ning State summoned him again in Linshui City!
This regent is the emperor of Ning Guo who is about to ascend the throne!
Zou Huanzhang's old heart became excited again, and he followed Li Chenan step by step to the dining hall of the Admiral's Mansion.

There are several dishes on the table in the dining hall.

There was also a jug of wine.

There are no guards.

There is no maid.

There are no accompanying eunuchs!

Li Chenan stretched out his hand again and welcomed Zou Huanzhang to the upper position very naturally!

Zou Huanzhang dared not sit down, so he waved his hand quickly, "Prince Regent, ordinary people, ordinary people don't dare!"

"You are an old man, probably about the same age as my grandfather. Only you can sit in this high position!"

"You're welcome. There is no regent or admiral here. Please come here. I have something to ask you...sit down!"

Zou Huanzhang sat down anxiously.

On his left is the Regent Li Chenan, and on his right is the Navy Admiral Zhong Li Qiuyang!
This battle...

He swallowed, looked at the dishes on the table, and was surprised again.

A plate of tofu with green onions!
A plate of pickled radish!

A plate of vegetables!
There is also a plate of braised pork head!
And a tray of steamed buns!
Did the dignified regent eat this when he first came to Shuicheng?

I heard that he brought back many dogs from Bei Mo Road. A pot of dog meat stew is better than this!

Just when Zou Huanzhang was thinking wildly, Li Chenan picked up the wine jar on the table.

Only then did Zou Huanzhang see the three words written on the wine jar: Huapingchun!

Good wine!

Li Chenan poured wine and said with a smile:

"Mr. Zou, I heard that your Zou family is a shipbuilding family, so I couldn't wait to invite you here."

Li Chenan handed the wine glass over and said:
"I already understand the situation of the Guangling Navy. The construction of warships is imminent."

"Please come here. There are a few things that I need to discuss with Mr. Zou."

"Come on, let's talk while drinking!"

Zou Huanzhang took the wine glass, looked at Li Chenan, and said directly:
"Prince Regent, please forgive me for being blunt, building a warship is not as simple as drinking and eating!"

"Where does the huge amount of money needed... come from?" (End of Chapter)

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