Datang: Investment Overlord Xiang Yu at the beginning

At this time, inside the Chang’an Imperial Palace, above Li Shimin’s side hall.

Li Kei and Li Shimin talked about the relief of Youzhou and the maintenance of the Chang’an army.

In the past, 40% of the grain of the border army came from Youzhou, and 60% came from Longyou, which was controlled by the Guanjiang clique.

Now Youzhou was troubled by the Turks on the eve of the autumn harvest, and it was basically abandoned, and Li Ke’s and the Guanji group behind Changsun Wuji are natural enemies, and the Guanji group is unlikely to provide military food to Youzhou for reconstruction, after all, Youzhou is nominally Li Ke’s fief!

“Father, the canal can really only maintain Chang’an City, and the military food cannot be counted on, the sons and daughters suggest, sea transportation!”

Li Kejin said.

“Sea freight? Not reliable, right? And it’s so far away! ”

Li Shimin frowned.

At this time, it was the early Tang Dynasty, the sea ship was still stuck in the design idea of the flat-bottomed boat of the inland vessel, the performance of the punt was very unreliable when it went to sea, if it ran a long distance, it was okay to go to the nearest Bohai Sea, and if it was farther, even if it was luck against the sky, at least thirty percent of the ships would be lost.

The total annihilation of the army is absolutely normal.

Therefore, the former Sui Dynasty would rather shake the national capital and dig the canal than expect shipping.

Li Shimin wanted to transport grain to the north, but he didn’t want to take it to feed the fish.

“At this time, let the children to do it, transform the Penglai Wharf in Qingzhou, and then redesign the new ship, just when Youzhou is deserted, and now there is no farm work, how about cash-for-work?”

Li Kelang’s handsome face smiled gently and proposed.

“Cash-for-work? This proposal is good, but Ke’er, you know shipbuilding? ”

Li Shimin glanced at Li Kei with some incredulity, frowned and asked.

“Sonchen just observed, the bottom of our sea ship is too flat, can not be stuck in the water, any wave can push our sea ship to the shaky, even if it is full of goods, it is necessary to ballast to travel, and Sonchen has asked the shipwright, most of the shipwrecks are not shipwrecks, but hull capsizing, if the ship is replaced with a pointed bottom, it must be pressed in the water, capsizing, can be avoided.”

Li Ke, seeing Li Shimin’s skeptical face, unhurriedly rounded over.

“Well, in that case, tomorrow morning the dynasty will discuss this matter, and you are responsible for saying that the ministers agree to allocate funds, how about it?”

Li Shimin’s majestic face flashed a contemplative look, and he pondered for a moment and asked.

“Father, if the royal family pays for it themselves, then why should the court agree?”

Li Kei suddenly said again.

“Pay for it yourself? To transport enough grain and grass, ships must need a lot, so why should they use their internal funds? ”

After listening to Li Ke’s words, Li Shimin asked a little inexplicably.

“Father, this fleet is not only used to transport emergency food and grass, but also to form a royal navy, and after half a year to Nanyang, the children can get spices.”

Li Ke’s words made Li Shimin’s pupils shrink suddenly.

Spices, all controlled by the merchants of the Western Regions, and the price of this thing has been speculated to a crazy price, and it can even be used directly as money.

If the Great Tang can bypass those damn Hu merchants and control the spices in their hands, part of the economic lifeline of the Great Tang can return to the hands of the royal family!

“Ke’er, are you really sure? The stakes are high. ”

Li Shimin asked with a solemn expression.

“Father Emperor, the sons and daughters will never believe in opening the river, as long as a hundred ships, they can go south to the South Seas to obtain spices for the Great Tang, and the sons and daughters are willing to issue a military order!”

Li Kei quickly assured loudly.

The South Sea is close to the Arabian Sea, the climatic conditions and plants are the same as the Arabian Sea coast, the latitude is the same, the type of spices in the hands of the Hu people, the South Sea can be found in the same way, can save a lot of distance.

What’s more, once the Great Tang has an ocean-going navy, Li Kei can also send people to cross the Bering Strait in the summer and go to the Americas.

There, however, there are potatoes and corn.

Thinking of potatoes and corn, the two essential artifacts for traversers, Li Ke’s eyes suddenly became hot.

“Smelly boy, the military warrant is exempted, your head is not wanted, a hundred ships, if you just change the bottom of the ship, the construction cost should not increase, the cost of a large ship is fifteen hundred dollars, according to this cost, build a hundred!”

Li Shimin pondered for a moment and ordered.

Fifteen hundred dollars, which is about equal to 300,000 in later generations, and a hundred ships worth 30 million, sounds like a lot, but in fact it is equal to the equipment of a cavalry legion of 5,000 people.

This money, Li Shimin can take out himself, and there is no need for the court to participate.

“Thank you Father for your trust, the sons and daughters will definitely get things done!”

Li Kei solemnly bowed down.

The so-called cocktail is a kind of warship built like a city wall and can accommodate more than 300 people, which is bulky and difficult to move, and what is even more strange is that not only the bottom is flat, but even the general shape of the hull is square.

Of course, Li Kei will not build such a ship.

Instead of building such blocks, he intended to build ships with a teardrop-shaped hull with a length-to-width ratio of eight to one in strict accordance with later standards.

“Well, it’s good, the matter of training the army and building the warship, you go now, the crew and workers, solve it, go!”

Li Shimin smiled with satisfaction, and then unceremoniously issued the eviction order.