Great Wei Overlord

983 Bigger Trouble

Chapter 990 Bigger Trouble
Wang Meng, Wang Jian.Xie An, Wang Ning and other ministers all checked the information and the plank of the ship's bottom in detail.Ran Ming looked at the ministers checking the information. Ran Ming drank the tea patiently. Ran Ming didn't know how much tea he drank, but his stomach was already full of tea. As long as he moved a little, Ran Ming would feel the tea in his stomach. The water is sloshing.

"Jing Lue, An Shi, did you find anything?"

Xie An gently dripped the candle on the wooden board, and then gently tore off the condensed wax from the wooden board.Xie An put this piece of wax in front of Ran Ming: "Your Majesty, here is the problem. It seems that this kind of wood is not man-made, but eaten by a small insect."

"You said it was just a bug?" Ran Ming immediately became alert when he heard this, which made Ran Ming naturally think of a joke in later generations, saying that the anti-submarine reliance of later generations is kelp.This made Ran Ming naturally think of the words asymmetric strike.The navy of the Gupta Empire was almost wiped out. With the strength of the Gupta Empire, it is not difficult to rebuild thousands of warships. The key is that the Gupta Empire is a traditional land power and does not pay much attention to the ocean. In a short period of time, they simply cannot Cultivate enough and enough excellent naval combat talents.What's more, according to the information obtained by the Wei State, the Gupta Empire did not establish a naval academy like the Wei State, and began to train naval combat talents.

With the current strength of Wei State's navy, it can at least maintain its advantage over the Gupta Empire for more than ten years. Of course, if the steam engine is invented and the steam engine gunboat is reproduced, this technological advantage can even be maintained for thousands of years.The huge generation gap left the Gupta Empire with no hope of winning.In this case, the Gupta Empire has very few cards to play, unless it adopts an asymmetric attack method against the huge advantage of the US aircraft carrier battle group like the later Chinese dynasty.

Xie An said: "I'm not sure, but looking at these holes, all of them are irregularly bent. This is not made by sharp weapons. The shipbuilding technology of Wei State is very strict. Let alone so many holes, even a single hole should not appear in the On the battleship, not to mention that Yushitai has sent people to spot-check 27 shipyards in Wei State, and spot-checked more than 680 large and small ships under construction or completed, and found no problem ships, and [-] million materials (expected, The volume unit in ancient China, one thousand materials is about three hundred tons.) There is no abnormality."

"Immediately send an order to the navy of the Expeditionary Army. All warships, large and small, are not allowed to go to sea, and they are all overhauled." Ran Ming said a little annoyed at this time: "The conflict between the Gupta Empire and the Wei State has been irreconcilable. The distance between the Wei State and the Gupta Empire is too far. The international road is blocked by high mountains and steep mountains, the only way is to attack from the sea, and now that something like this happened to the navy, it will have a fatal impact on the great cause of Wei, and I will never allow the great cause of the expedition to be affected!"

"Your Majesty, don't worry, maybe it's just a coincidence." Wang Meng laughed and said, "Although I don't know what caused it, I believe that the subjects of our Great Wei are all smart. There are wise subjects to solve this problem for His Majesty."

Ran Ming nodded silently.Dao: "The preparations for the expedition to Gupta must not be slackened. What should be prepared must be prepared. This time, I don't want to destroy the country. It is not to merge the Gupta Empire into Wei, but to get what I want in the Gupta Empire. In this At this time, I hope that all my lovers will work together."

"The ministers obey the order."

In fact, there is no need for Ran Ming to worry about this kind of thing, because through his vigorous development, the shipbuilding industry of Wei State has been greatly developed. There are as many as 27 large-scale shipyards alone, and there are thousands of shipbuilding subsidiary industries. count.Employed craftsmen also broke through the 10 mark.The shipyard does not need the drawings provided by Ran Ming at this time, but has independent research and development capabilities based on its own technical resource reserves. At this time, the Wei private shipyard has also achieved good development. Fishing boats and sand boats are the main products, but are developing towards medium and large ships.

Due to the scale of the industry and the application of go-no-go regulations, many parts are no longer produced by shipyards in standardized production. Like later generations, many professional foundries have emerged to survive by processing parts for profit.A large number of parts are initially assembled, manufactured in advance, and finally assembled on the berth, so that the speed of the shipyard has increased countless times than before.

Due to Wei State's standardized manufacturing, perfect management system, and strict quality requirements, Wei State's shipbuilding industry is also famous all over the world.In addition to meeting the needs of Wei's military and civilians, Wei's shipyards have also received many orders from Nanyang.

However, the quality and speed of shipbuilding in Wei State can already meet the needs of Wei State.In particular, the construction cycle of new ships has been greatly shortened, especially for the relatively mature Flying Fish warships and first-class warships, from the laying of the keel to the delivery of the entire ship, the construction cycle has been shortened to 47 days. With sufficient timber, Wei State could build more than [-] Xiandeng-class warships a year.On average, nearly three ships can be manufactured every day.Although this speed is still not as fast as the United Kingdom during the industrial revolution, it can be expected that if the current trend continues, Wei will become the world's largest shipping power within a few seconds.

As Ran Ming's second wave of strikes against the Gupta Empire was on the agenda, various orders were placed to the major shipyards, and all major shipyards started their machines to serve Wei's military machine.The largest shipyard in Wei State is building a large ship with [-] materials. The hull of this large ship is more smooth. Unlike the traditional Chinese style, the bow of the ship has been sharpened, and the deck has become straight, canceling the traditional The forecastle and poop are also greatly reduced in height, making this new type of ship have better wind and wave resistance and better adapt to the ocean.

We all still have a little bit of doubt about the large ship with thousands of materials, but if it is converted into tonnage, the large ship with [-] materials is equivalent to [-] tons. This kind of ship is not the largest among the various warships of Wei State, but In terms of style, it is a battleship that is completely out of the Chinese style.This warship is similar to the Galenic ship of later generations.If it is converted into the level of British sailing battleships, it can barely squeeze into the third and fourth ranks of British sailing battleships.However, this kind of large warship will not be invented until the fifteenth century, and Wei Guo is now far ahead of the world.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, this matter has a lot to do with it. Don't make false statements. You have to be clear that although you revealed the imperial list, it represents thousands of Taoists." Taoist Robben looked suspiciously at the person in front of him. Alchemist, no matter what, he feels like a liar.

It is said that half a month ago, the emperor of Wei State opened the imperial list, and whoever can solve the emperor's problem will be rewarded with ten thousand gold.As a result, a tattered Taoist priest with a dusty face and ragged clothes unveiled the imperial list in Chang'an. Now Yang Xi, the leader of Taoism, is not as highly regarded by Ran Ming as Ge Hong. Since Yang Xi became the leader of Taoism, Ran Ming has strengthened In addition to the management of Taoist priests, Taoist priests who do not obey the precepts and laws will be severely punished. Some branches of Taoism that use the name of Taoism to deceive the people and swindle money will be banned.This made Yang Xi feel a lot of pressure.

Obviously Ran Ming is not an emperor who is easily fooled. In order to please Ran Ming, Yang Xi tried his best to find capable people and strangers in Taoism, as early as three months ago.A real person named Luo Yangzi of Gushe Mountain boasted to Yang Xi that he had supernatural powers.Yang Xi met Luo Zhenren's Taoism in person, and was astonished.So I personally recommended Master Luo to Ran Ming.

As a result, Ran Ming watched a performance by Immortal Luo, and rewarded him with ten silver coins for lack of interest.Yang Xi immediately felt that he was being slighted by Ran Ming, and Ran Ming acted as if he had performed for Yang Xi the so-called Introducing the Three Flavors, Real Fire, Burning Paper through the Air, and Walking Barefoot into the Sea of ​​Fire.These so-called miraculous Taoism are already a rotten street thing in later generations. Basically, junior high school students know what is the so-called ignition of fire through the air, which is to use the phenomenon of spontaneous combustion caused by the low ignition point of white phosphorus. chemical reaction.

When Ran Ming walked through the sea of ​​flames unscathed, how could Yang Xi not know that he had been cheated.However, Ran Ming did not kill Master Luo, but sent ten soldiers to escort him to the Western Regions to promote Taoist miracles.

Yang Xi naturally didn't dare to be careless about this incident on the imperial list.He sent his confidants to investigate Wang Jia repeatedly.In fact, this Wang Jia was an alchemist in the history of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Fu Jian repeatedly recruited him to be an official, but he refused.After being forced to do nothing, he entered Chang'an in the winter of the ninth year of Taiyuan (384), Emperor Xiaowu of Jin Dynasty, and lived in the outer hall of the palace.Wang Jia "can say things that have not yet happened, and his words are like prophecies", so everyone below the princes visited Wang Jia and asked about world affairs.In the 11th year of Taiyuan (386), Yao Chang entered Chang'an, imitating Fu Jian's practice, surpassing Fu Jian's treatment of Wang Jia in terms of etiquette and treatment, and forcing Wang Jia to follow him, asking Wang Jia for everything.When Gui Yao Chang and Fu Deng were at war, Yao Chang asked Wang Jia: "Should I kill Fu Deng to rule the world?" ? "So he killed Wang Jia in a fit of anger.But after Yao Chang died, it was actually his son Yao Xing who killed Fu Deng.It is a pity that Yao Chang never understood Wang Jia's words, and killed the wrong person in anger.

Wang Jia's main works include "Three Songs" and the ghost novel "Supplements" (a "Prince's Years Supplements").This is the earliest short ghost story in Chinese history.It can also be said to be the founder of Chinese short stories.Although this Wang Jia could not determine the country with martial arts, and could not stabilize the country with literature, he was a man with a lot of knowledge.

Wang Jia personally took the head to guarantee Yang Xi, so Yang Xi brought Wang Jia into the palace to face the saint.

Although Ran Ming used the cabinet to liberate himself, but at this time Ran Ming's daily schedule is still full. Wang Jian, the chief minister of the Wei State, was afraid that he would monopolize power and offend the emperor Ran Ming, so he met a slightly older He didn't dare to make decisions about things, and asked for instructions all the time. Although Ran Ming's power was not lost in this way, he lost his freedom.Ran Ming had no choice but to be the hard-working emperor, locked in the cage of the deep palace.

Ran Ming is standing in front of the map of the Western Regions at this moment, stretching out his hands to gesture from time to time, thoughtfully, all the eunuchs in the palace are driven away by Zhongchang Shi Youyi, and he is waiting on the side, even the sound of panting He was depressed, afraid of disturbing Ran Ming's thoughts.

Although the Western Regions is a treasure land, people don't know enough about it, and they don't realize its value.Although the territory laid down by the Tang Dynasty was large, it was not well governed and eventually lost.This is not what Ran Ming wants to see. With the current strength of Wei State, it will sweep the past militarily without any pressure. It just wants to govern the Western Regions well and turn them into a traditional sphere of influence like the Central Plains. This will not happen overnight. Gong can do it.

Ran Ming had a headache thinking about it. Although the vast resources of the Western Regions were used to attract the gentry to enter the Western Regions, if the common people did not enter, relying solely on the gentry would form a more prominent separatist force.If this is the case, Ran Ming is just playing the magical skill of wedding dress, and his busy work is wasted. After thinking about it, Ran Ming is always troubled by the population problem. Now the pressure of Wei's population shortage is becoming more and more prominent. , and Hu slaves, although these people are slaves, but after a few years, they will also obtain Wei nationality and become Wei people. Once the ethnic ratio is out of balance, it means the beginning of civil strife.

It seems that Ran Ming did not find a good solution.At this moment, a little eunuch ran up to You Yi with small steps and said softly, "Old Ancestor, Master Yang, please see Your Majesty!"

You Yi frowned, and the little eunuch hurriedly said: "Sect Master Yang said, he brought the person who revealed the imperial list!"

"What royal list?"

"It's the matter that troubled the emperor a few days ago!"

This problem is too big, You Yi didn't dare to force it down, he said: "Go back and ask Master Yang to wait, our family will go and find out what the emperor has said first!"

At this time, You Yi waved his hand to ask a young eunuch to bring a cup of tea, and then You Yi took it, and walked towards Ran Ming gently with it.Ran Ming watched You Yi scurry around like an ant on a hot pot, and laughed and scolded: "You old slave, what else is there?"

"Your Majesty, Hierarch Yang please see me!"

"Yang Xi?"

"Exactly!"

"Did he bring another magician?"

"No, I heard that he brought a person who revealed the imperial list!"

"Huangbang!" Hearing this, Ran Ming suddenly said, "Quickly pass it on."

Ran Ming was really worried about the situation in Nanyang. He would not be able to sleep peacefully if he could not solve the problem of the boards at the bottom of the ship. This could affect the lives of more than 20 soldiers of the Wei State Expeditionary Army.Although Wei's country has grown a lot stronger, it can't stand the toss.

Not long after, Yang Xishi, who was dressed in a purple Taoist robe, came over. Yang Xi was not like Ge Hong. Ge Hong and Ran Ming were both teachers and friends, and had the privilege of not worshiping the king, but Yang Xi did not.

Yang Xi and that sloppy fellow Taoist saluted Ran Ming respectfully.Ran Ming abolished the ceremony of bowing three times and knocking down nine times, and also abolished the ceremony of kneeling, so the etiquette of Wei State at this time is not grand.

Ran Ming waved his hands and said, "Get flat!"

Then Ran Ming said to Yang Xi: "Sect Master Yang won't let me down, will he?"

"I don't dare!" Yang Xi looked at Wang Jia and unconsciously beat his heart.

"Just don't dare!" Ran Ming said: "Without rules, nothing can be achieved. I don't want Taoism to become a place where filth is hidden, so it is your responsibility, Yang Xi, to govern the teaching strictly!"

"I understand!" Yang Xi's cold sweat broke out at this moment.Ran Ming is not only an emperor, but also an iron-blooded general, so the evil spirit on his body is too heavy, and ordinary people dare not look directly at him.

Compared with Yang Xi and Wang Jia, Wang Jia looked at Ran Ming with a dumbfounded expression, and murmured, "How is this possible, how is this possible?"

Ran Ming didn't respond, but Yang Xi greeted all the women in Wang Jia, his face turned pale with fright, and he said to himself, "It's over, it's over, you killed me now!"

At this moment, Ran Ming sighed and said: "I don't care who you are or what your purpose is, just talk if you have something to say, and please feel free if you don't want to. My time is limited." Ran Ming turned around, at this moment Yang Xi gave Wang Jia a hard pinch, and said through gritted teeth, "Get lost, don't embarrass yourself here!"

Only then did Wang Jia come back to his senses and said: "Your Majesty, I do know what that piece of wood was made of."

Ran Ming turned around and said, "What exactly is it?"

"That's a sea maggot."

"Sea maggot? What is this?"

Wang Jiadao: "Sea maggots are also called clamworms. They are small insects that grow in the sea. They usually live on rotten wood or animal carrion. They grow in shallow sea areas."

"Why didn't this kind of thing happen before? But the bottom of the battleship was rotten?" Ran Ming asked suspiciously: "The crime of deceiving the emperor is not a joke."

"I don't dare," Wang Jia said, "This kind of sea maggot will die if it leaves sea water and enters fresh water for more than three days. So in the past, ships would enter the fresh water of the Yangtze River or the Great Lakes, so this kind of sea maggot would often die before it could cause harm. Death, the warships of the ocean-going fleet have been bitten by sea maggots because they have been floating in the sea for a long time, which caused this situation!"

Ran Ming asked, "Are you very familiar with this sea maggot?"

"Poverty knows a thing or two!"

"How can problems like this be prevented?"

Wang Jia thought for a while and said: "It's not impossible to prevent it. When a big ship enters the sea, the tung oil on the wooden boards at the bottom of the ship will be soaked by sea water for half a year at most. At this time, it will attract sea maggots to bite. A layer of tung oil, but even so, it is impossible to completely avoid sea maggots. If the big ship can enter Danshui Hanoi within half a year and rely on ten and a half months, the sea maggots can be completely killed. The best way is like Like fishermen, turn the boat over, dry it and then brush it with tung oil."

When Ran Ming heard this, he almost choked on his own saliva. Is there a way to compare fishing boats with warships? The main battleships of Wei State are all gigantic in the thousand-ton class. To dry the bottom of the boat in the sun is nothing short of whimsical.

Ran Ming is not a historian, so of course he didn't know that the European powers were also troubled by the issue of the Age of Discovery. The British method was to wrap a layer of copper skin on the bottom of the ship, but the copper skin was not easy to manufacture and the cost was very high.The Netherlands has adopted the method of docking close to the Danshui River, but this method cannot be completely avoided. The longer the time, the more salt will be immersed in the rotting wood, the longer the sea maggots will survive, and the bottom of the ship will inevitably break.

Making a piece of copper skin that can wrap the entire warship is not a problem in the later industrial age. In this era, it needs to be hammered out with a hammer. Ran Ming feels scared when he thinks about it. Besides, what Wei Guo needs is not a piece of copper skin. , but thousands of huge copper skins.

What's more, copper is a precious metal equal to currency in Wei State, which makes Ran Ming a headache.But if this problem is not resolved, Wei State will not be able to launch military operations against the Gupta Empire. God knows when the battleship will sink. This is not only a matter of huge losses, but also has a great impact on the morale of the expeditionary army.

However, Ran Ming also felt a lot more comfortable. At least he understood the reason. If the problem cannot be solved temporarily, as long as it is prevented in time, the loss can be effectively reduced.

(End of this chapter)