Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 630: Going out to sea to find new land cards

Jia Changsheng stood up and said resolutely: "Let's follow your advice and act immediately."

A few days later, the envoy who went to Wuzhong County returned and reported to Jia Changsheng: "My Lord, Tian Chou was very moved after receiving the supplies and letters. He has agreed to come and meet you, but he also said that he needs to see first whether your words and deeds are really as the letter says, and whether you care about the people."

Jia Changsheng smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. As long as he is willing to come, I have full confidence in letting him stay."

Soon, Tian Chou arrived at the mansion. Jia Changsheng came out to greet him personally, and the two met in the courtyard.

Jia Changsheng bowed and said, "It is a great honor for me to have Mr. Tian here. I have long heard that you have protected the people of Wuzhong County, and I admire you very much."

Tian Chou responded: "Mr. Jia has invited me so kindly. I would also like to know what Mr. Jia thinks of the current chaos in Youzhou and what good plans he has to save the people."

Jia Changsheng sighed, "Sir, you know that although Liu Yu is kind, his administration is too slow, and Gongsun Zan is brave and aggressive, and the wars are endless. The people are caught in the middle and are suffering. I want to promote agriculture and sericulture in Youzhou, reduce taxes, and strengthen the military. I want to take benevolence and righteousness as the basis and strengthen the army as the supplement. I want to first settle Youzhou and then settle the Han Dynasty. What do you think?"

Tian Chou pondered for a moment and said, "Mr. Jia's ambition is quite ambitious. But this is easier said than done. It requires cooperation from all parties and the support of the people and the army."

Jia Changsheng's eyes were firm: "Sir, you are right. That is why I hope you can lend a helping hand. You can help me plan for people's livelihood and let the people live and work in peace and contentment. This is the foundation of the great cause."

Tian Chou saw that Jia Changsheng's words were sincere and that he had a feasible idea, so he was inclined to say, "Since Lord Jia has made such a determination, I am willing to give it a try and work with you."

Jia Changsheng was overjoyed: "With your help, I feel like a fish in water."

Some time later, after Qian Zhao successfully mediated a conflict between Wuhuan and Xianbei, Jia Changsheng led everyone to congratulate him as planned.

When Jia Changsheng saw Qian Zhao, he praised him in public, "Qian Zhao has made great contributions to the frontier this time, and has ensured peace in the area. Jia, seeing your talent, believes that if I can use you and entrust you with important tasks on the frontier, you will surely enable the foreign races to live in harmony with the Han people and share peace. Jia will definitely treat you well and will never treat you unfairly."

Qian Zhao saw that Jia Changsheng valued him so much, and knew that Jia Changsheng already had a certain foundation and plan in Youzhou, so he bowed down and said: "Thank you for your kindness, my lord. I am willing to serve you."

In Liaoxi, the messenger arranged by Chen Ying met Han Dang. The messenger presented Jia Changsheng's letter and weapons, and said: "General Han, my master has long heard of your great name, and knows that you are a master of martial arts and proficient in naval warfare. Now Gongsun Zan only cares about war and ignores the lives of the people. Youzhou is in danger. My master wants to establish a great cause in Youzhou and save the people, so he specially ordered me to come and invite him. The master has already made detailed plans in many aspects of land warfare and people's livelihood. As long as you join us and take charge of the navy, we can achieve great things."

Han Dang read the letter carefully, then examined the weapons, and thought for a long time: "Since your master has such ambitions and thinks highly of me, I would like to meet him."

Han Dang came to Jia Changsheng, and Jia Changsheng had a long talk with him: "General Han, in these troubled times, heroes should choose wise leaders to serve. Gongsun Zan is not a man who can accomplish great things, but I, Jia, am willing to join hands with you to first conquer Youzhou and then pacify the world. Your naval warfare skills will be a great help to our army, and I will not let you down."

Han Dang was moved by Jia Changsheng's sincerity and ambition: "My lord, I am willing to follow you."

With the arrival of many talented people such as Tian Chou, Qian Zhao, and Han Dang, Jia Changsheng's army was full of talents. Under the leadership of Jia Changsheng, they began to comprehensively plan the development of Youzhou. Tian Chou set about formulating policies for agricultural reform, encouraging the people to reclaim wasteland, build water conservancy projects, and promote new farming techniques; Qian Zhao was responsible for rectifying border defenses, conducting trade with foreign races, and exchanging good horses and other supplies; Han Dang devoted himself to training the navy and building warships, so that Jia Changsheng's power in Youzhou gradually grew. Not only did he have the strength to compete with Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan in military affairs, but he also gradually gained a firm foothold in people's livelihood and diplomacy, and steadily moved towards the goal of controlling the Han Dynasty. A magnificent drama of hegemony slowly opened on the land of Youzhou.

Jia Changsheng said to his confidants in a secret room with a serious look: "Although we have made some progress in Youzhou, Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan are eyeing us covetously. To prevent the leak, we must not expand openly. After thinking it over, I think the only way out is to seek a way out overseas. If we can build a strong fleet, we can open up new paths and keep the secret of our development in secret. What do you think?"

Li Su, the counselor, was the first to respond: "My lord, this is a well-thought-out plan. Overseas places are mysterious to everyone. If we can make good use of them, we can avoid being seen. There may be many undiscovered resources overseas. If we can transport them back, it will be of great benefit to our strength. However, building ships and going out to sea will cost a lot and require many professional talents. I wonder if my lord has any plans?"

Jia Changsheng nodded slightly. "What Li Su said is also what I am worried about. But everything depends on human efforts. Let's talk about the place where the ship is built. Youzhou is by the sea, so there should be many skilled shipbuilders. Zhao Feng, you should go to the coastal villages and towns to explore and secretly summon those experienced and skilled shipbuilders. If you encounter any resistance, you can offer them a large sum of money and make sure they help you wholeheartedly."

Zhao Feng clasped his fists and accepted the order: "I obey your command. However, I am afraid that only shipwrights are not enough. To build a fleet, we need a lot of wood, nails, canvas and other materials. The purchase of these materials will easily attract attention."

Jia Changsheng paced for a while and said, "Sun Yu, I will leave this matter to you. You are meticulous and can break the whole into small pieces and go to various places to purchase. The wood can be cut from the dense forests of Youbei Mountain and transported through remote paths, avoiding the main roads in towns as much as possible. For small items such as nails and canvas, you can ask reliable people to pretend to be merchants and purchase them in batches. At the same time, make an agreement with merchants in various places to keep the secret strictly. If anyone leaks the news, he will be severely punished."

Sun Yu bowed and said, "My Lord, rest assured. I will act with caution. But after the fleet is built, it may be difficult to sail without someone skilled in navigation."

Jia Changsheng turned his gaze to Chen Ying. "Chen Ying, you can quickly investigate by spreading your spies. Whether it is experienced local fishermen or people who have sailed overseas, they should all be included in the list. In addition, I heard that there are many pirates along the coast. Among them, there may be some who are familiar with the sea routes and tired of wandering. If we can recruit them, we can also use them. But the matter of recruiting them must be kept secret. We must not let them know our true purpose and identity. Just say that we are forming a merchant fleet for a wealthy businessman to trade with us."

Chen Ying's eyes were stern. "My Lord, I understand. We will find the right person in the shortest possible time. However, overseas voyages carry unknown risks. Without a sea chart to guide us, the fleet may get lost in the vast ocean."

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment and said, "This is a tricky matter. We can first order the shipbuilders to draw simple sea charts based on their memories and experience. At the same time, we can offer a large reward to collect all the information about overseas from passing merchants and fishermen. Even a few words may be of great use. When the fleet is initially formed, we can send a small fleet to explore along the coastal waters and gradually improve the sea chart."

At this time, Wang Meng, who had been silent, said: "My lord, although developing overseas can avoid the eyes and ears of Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan, we cannot ignore the defense of our homeland. If we devote all our efforts to overseas construction, it may be difficult to deal with Gongsun Zan or Liu Yu's sudden attack."

Jia Changsheng nodded and said, "Wang Meng is right. Zhao Feng, in addition to recruiting shipbuilders, we must not relax military training. In strategic locations along the coast, secretly build fortifications and station elite troops. You can disguise it as an ordinary fishing village to conceal your presence. Sun Yu, when collecting supplies, you must also ensure that the local area has sufficient food and grass and complete military equipment." A few days later, Zhao Feng returned and reported, "My lord, I have found several master shipbuilders along the coast, and they are all willing to serve you. However, they mentioned that shipbuilding requires a hidden and spacious place for construction."

Jia Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "We can find a remote bay along the coast of Youdong, surrounded by mountains and connected to the open sea by only a narrow waterway. This place can be sheltered from the wind and waves, and is not easy to be discovered. Let the soldiers disguise themselves as fishermen, move around nearby, and guard the shipbuilding site."

Sun Yu also stepped forward and said, "My Lord, the procurement of materials is going smoothly. However, the transportation of timber is difficult, the mountain roads are rugged, and we need to guard against bandits and patrols of Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu."

Jia Changsheng said: "Send more people to escort, and try to transport at night. If you encounter a small group of enemy troops or bandits, do not reveal your identity and deal with them secretly."

Chen Ying continued to report: "My lord, we have found several people who are familiar with the sea routes. Among them is a pirate leader named Li Hai. This man has been on the sea for many years and is quite familiar with the surrounding waters. After persuasion, he is willing to surrender to the lord and is willing to lead the fleet."

Jia Changsheng said, "Very good. But we still need to be on guard against him and not trust him completely. When he arrives, place him in a secluded place and have someone monitor him. At the same time, have him discuss with the shipbuilders the style and structure of the ship suitable for long-distance voyages."

After some time, the shipbuilding was in full swing. Jia Changsheng went to the shipbuilding bay in person and saw the skeletons of the ships gradually taking shape.

He said to everyone: "Everyone, this is a matter of life and death and the success of our great cause. We must strive for excellence and not slack off. The day the fleet is completed will be the day for us to open up new paths and break through difficulties. By then, all overseas resources and land will be at our disposal. In this chaotic world, we will have the strength to compete with all parties and control the Han Dynasty."

Everyone shouted in unison: "We are willing to serve our lord, even if it means going through fire and water!"

As time went by, the fleet began to take shape. While continuing to improve the fleet construction, Jia Changsheng began to prepare for an overseas exploration trip. He knew that this was a gamble. If successful, he could establish his own power overseas, avoid local disputes, and grow secretly; if failed, all previous efforts might be wasted, or even fall into an irretrievable situation. But his belief in controlling the Han people in his heart never wavered. He resolutely commanded his confidants to take this hopeful and risky step towards the unknown overseas. In the long river of history, he quietly wrote his own unique chapter, and the mysterious overseas world was about to be unveiled under his exploration, showing endless possibilities and challenges.

Jia Changsheng stood at the bow, the sea breeze whistling, making his clothes rustle. He looked firmly at the boundless sea in the distance, and his confidants beside him also looked solemn. The fleet had been sailing on the sea for a whole month, but still had not found any suitable land or island.

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"My lord, this ocean is vast and seems to have no end. We have been exploring for a long time but have gained nothing. Our morale is getting low. What should we do?" Zhao Feng frowned and said with a worried look on his face.

Jia Changsheng raised his head slightly and took a deep breath: "I also know that everyone has worked hard, and I have been patient in comforting them. If we give up now, all our previous efforts will be wasted. There must be a place for us to settle down in this ocean, but we just haven't found it yet."

Li Su, the counselor, stepped forward and said, "My Lord, with our current stockpiles of supplies, we can still hold out for some time, but we cannot afford to delay too much. Perhaps we should adjust our route and explore further south or north. According to some rumors and scattered sea charts, there may be many islands in the southern waters, and there may also be unknown land in the north."

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment and nodded, "What Li Su said makes sense. Pass the order down to change the route and head south first. All ships should keep in close contact and not get separated in this vast ocean."

Upon hearing the order, the sailors became busy adjusting the angle of the sails, and the fleet slowly turned to the south.

After sailing for several days, there was still only endless sea water.

"My lord, there is no hope for this southward route. All we see every day is this monotonous sea. We brothers are all a little worried." A small leader could not help but complain to Jia Changsheng.

Jia Changsheng looked determined and said loudly, "Don't be discouraged. Since I, Jia Changsheng, decided to go to sea, I expected that there would be difficulties and obstacles. Think about it, when we were in Youzhou, we faced the pressure from Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan, but we never backed down. Now it's just that the sea has given us more tests. Although this sea is vast, as long as we persist, we will definitely find that paradise."

His words cheered up the soldiers and sailors around him a little.

A few days later, a strong wind suddenly blew up at sea, the waves were surging, and the fleet was shaking violently in the waves.

"Everyone stay calm! Don't panic!" Zhao Feng shouted loudly in the wind and rain, directing the soldiers to reinforce the hull and retract the sails.

Jia Changsheng held on to the side of the boat tightly and prayed silently in his heart. The storm lasted for a whole day and night. When the wind and waves calmed down, the fleet had been somewhat dispersed.

"Quickly check the status of each ship and see if there are any casualties or damage to the ships." Jia Changsheng ordered anxiously.

Fortunately, although several ships were slightly damaged, no one was killed. However, the storm also caused a lot of loss of supplies.

"My lord, if we continue like this, even if we find land, we will not be able to stay for long. Our supplies are being consumed too quickly." Sun Yu said worriedly as he looked at the remaining supplies.

Jia Changsheng frowned, thought for a moment and said, "From now on, reduce the daily rations. But make sure the soldiers and sailors have enough physical strength to maintain basic labor. At the same time, arrange for people to fish at sea to see if they can supplement their food sources."

Everyone had no choice but to do as he was told.

(End of this chapter)