If I fail to overcome the tribulation, I can only return to the Ming Dynasty and become a prince.

Chapter 122 Shipbuilding
In the early years of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang established the Longjiang Shipyard at Longjiang Pass outside Nanjing for the construction of naval warships. During the Yongle period, most of the ships used by Zheng He on his voyages to the West were built here.

Although it was established in the early days, the predecessor of Longjiang Shipyard can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. After hundreds of years of Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, the shipbuilding technology of Longjiang Shipyard is extremely advanced and perfect.

You must know that the capacity of the merchant ships that European British merchants were proud of at the same time was between 400 and 800 tons. Although the Dutch flute-shaped ships only required 12 people to operate, their capacity was only about 300 tons.

Even the Holy Trinity, the largest sailing battleship in the 100th century built by the French more than 3800 years later, had a displacement of only [-] tons and carried a thousand people.

In the East during the same period, according to Ming Dynasty documents, Zheng He's fleet had a total of 62 treasure ships during his voyages to the West, among which "the largest one was 44 feet long and 18 feet wide."

According to various archaeological discoveries and documentary records unearthed in later generations, the "big ship" that once served as the flagship of Zheng He's fleet was about 138 meters long and over 50 meters wide when converted to modern dimensions!
Many European ships of the same era were not even 50 meters long. At this time, the huge gap between the shipbuilding industry between the East and the West is evident.

As for the displacement of this "big ship", according to literature, it is 2800 tons, which is [-] tons!
However, a wooden ship of this size was so amazing in ancient times that many people doubted whether it had ever been built.

However, even without considering this giant ship, even the 61.2-material Fu ship commonly used in Zheng He's fleet was 13.8 meters long, 1000 meters wide, and had a displacement of more than [-] tons, far exceeding that of Europe at that time.

In fact, only such a huge ship can support Zheng He's large-scale voyages to the Western Ocean. Otherwise, it would be impossible to transport the more than 2 people in Zheng He's fleet, as well as the necessary equipment for these people to sail on the sea for a long time. supply.

Think about it, almost a century later Columbus sailed around the world on a ship with a tonnage of only [-] tons. The gap is really huge.

It's just a pity that after Zhu Zhanji succeeded to the throne, the Ming Dynasty could no longer support such huge voyages, so after the seventh voyage to the West, Zhu Zhanji stopped his voyages to the West, and the Longjiang Shipyard began. Gradually depressed.

By the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the Manchus and Qing Dynasties paid less attention to navigation and implemented a secluded policy of moving borders and banning seas. As a result, China's once-splendid shipbuilding industry lost its glory and could no longer build large ships.

So much so that by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the size of the Fuchuan had shrunk to "fifteen feet long and one foot six feet wide", which was depressing.

However, it is still the Yongle period, and the Longjiang Shipyard is in its most prosperous period. Even if it cannot build the 44-foot-long five-thousand-material giant ship, there is still no problem with the medium-sized two-thousand-material ship.

"See His Highness Prince Zheng!" As the royal shipyard of the Ming Dynasty, Longjiang Shipyard naturally has officials in charge, including even palace eunuchs. These people jointly manage this largest and most advanced shipyard in the world in this era.

Faced with the respect of these people, Zhu Zhanquan just waved his hand, indicating that they would not be polite, and then asked: "I am about to join the vassal, and I will lead my army northward soon. I want to take the sea route to fiefdom, so I want to build a few big ships." , I wonder how big a ship you can build? Can you build it with two thousand materials?"

After hearing Zhu Zhanqun's request, several officials from the Longjiang Shipyard looked at each other, and then one of them replied: "Your Highness, we can build a large ship with two thousand materials, but the construction period of such a large ship is long." It is too long, and the materials and expenses are very heavy, which may delay His Highness's appointment of vassal.

If His Highness is in a hurry to use a ship, he can build a sea-going ship made of a thousand materials. This kind of ship is about twenty feet long and can carry hundreds of people. This kind of ship was also used in the fleet that Ma and his father-in-law sailed to the South Seas. Quite a few, and the shipyard now has several ready-made ships that can be delivered to His Highness.

This kind of ship uses three hundred and two fir logs, two chestnut logs, nine miscellaneous logs, twenty individual logs, 140 oar blanks, two elm rudder posts, and thirty-five thousand seven hundred and forty two nail lines. The miscellaneous work is 38 per piece, the tung oil is 740 jins and 160 taels, the lime is 12 jins and 37 taels, and the boat hemp is 250 jins and [-] liangs.It doesn't cost much to build one. If His Highness is too small, you can build a few more. A big ship with two thousand materials can be used as His Highness's ship, and it will not lose His majesty. "

Listening to the official's introduction, Zhu Zhanqi nodded slightly, seeming to agree with what he said.

Although from the perspective of future generations, a ship with a mere two thousand materials and a displacement of one thousand tons is nothing at all, in this era, the cost of building such a giant ship is indeed not small.

So after thinking for a while, Zhu Zhanjuan said: "Then build me twelve sea-going ships of one thousand materials and one big ship of two thousand materials. How long will it take you to finish building them?"

"This... please allow me to do the calculations, Your Highness." The official did not agree immediately. Instead, he pulled other people aside and began to calculate the statistics.

Zhu Zhanjun did not rush, but just drank tea while watching them calculate the construction period, materials and other data.

After a while, they came up with a figure, and then replied to Zhu Zhankun: "The cost of building a sea-going ship with one thousand materials requires two thousand guanwen's silver each, and the cost of building a large ship with two thousand materials requires 5000 guanwen's foot." Silver, if His Highness has requirements for wood, the prices of different woods are also different, fir is relatively cheap, and nanmu will be more expensive."

This cost is not an exaggeration. Although by the end of the Ming Dynasty, a warship with 600 materials and equipment cost only [-] taels of silver. However, the bigger the ship, the higher the cost. The relationship between the two is random. The tonnage continues to increase.

Zhu Zhanjun had no objection to the cost, and the money was really nothing to him.

But after thinking about it, he did not place the order immediately. Instead, he took out a long roll from his sleeve, handed it to the official in front of him and asked: "This is a blueprint of a sea-going ship. Do you think it can be built?" "

The official took the long scroll and unfolded it immediately. Others gathered around and saw that what was drawn on the picture was a pointed-bottomed ship with a long and slender bow and wide sides. The shape was similar to any kind of sea ship they were familiar with. The boats are all different.

However, this picture is very detailed, and even the structure of this kind of ship is clearly outlined, so that the officials responsible for shipbuilding can understand its structure even if they have never seen this kind of ship.

After some discussion, they replied: "Your Highness, this ship has a complex structure and a lot of parts. Most of them are not things that our Longjiang Shipyard can build. However, if it is just the hull frame, we can still build it. "

　The shipbuilding price quoted here is calculated based on one material and two taels of silver. After checking the literature, it is probably not bad.

　　As for the question of whether Zheng He's treasure ship could be built with [-] materials, in fact, there were already ships with [-] materials in the Song Dynasty.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)