Molested Zulong at the beginning

Chapter 440 The fifth is the immortal

Under the personal leadership of Luoyang County Magistrate, Bai Su came to a port.

Luoyang County Magistrate Zhang Er was full of excitement. He pointed enthusiastically at the warship in the distance and said, "My lord, please look. This is the treasure ship we built."

Bai Su looked in the direction of his finger, and saw an extremely shocking huge warship in sight.

The body is extremely large, and the ordinary ships are like babies in front of it, forming a sharp contrast.

Under the light, the surface of this warship is slightly glowing. This color is obviously the special grease applied to the wood, which looks bright and stable.

Docked on the port, like a giant, you need to look up to see the whole picture of the warship, giving people a strong visual shock.

Bai Su approached and touched the hull of the boat. The structure was extremely strong. Although it was made of wood, it made a dull sound like metal after being struck, which made people surprised.

Others may not know what's going on, but he knows it all too well. The materials for this boat are obviously made of iron wood.

This wood is also called iron pear wood, which is produced in Baiyue. The wood structure is thin, the material is extremely heavy, hard and tough, and it has the characteristics of extremely wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, insect-proof, and not easy to deform.

It can be said to be the best choice for building long-distance ships.

Although the price is extremely expensive, everything is worth it.

Nowadays, most of the ships in the Central Plains are made of pine wood. Although this kind of wood is cheap and durable, it has weak weighing capacity and requires frequent maintenance.

In the Central Plains Canal area, short-distance transportation is fine, and if there is a problem, it can be repaired on the shore. If there is any problem with the fleet used for long-term long-distance voyages, it will cause major problems.

Bai Su didn't want Da Xia's fleet to be like Da Yuan's navy, when a typhoon encountered a typhoon, the ships would be beaten to pieces, causing the entire navy to be wiped out.

After all, in this kind of important weapon related to the country's destiny, one can't be greedy for a little bit of cheapness. In order to save a little cost, it leads to picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons.

Mo Xun, who was on the side, explained: "My lord, the materials used for this treasure ship are all the best wood in the world, and the cost of each ship is invaluable. You... you spent almost all of the money you gave me. Eighty-eight."

As she said that, she couldn't help showing a trace of self-blame on her face.

After all, the philosophy that the Mohists have adhered to for many years is thrift and burial.

Now that she is so extravagant, she has spent nearly a year's worth of taxes comparable to that of the imperial court, which made her feel guilty for a while.

Bai Su said with a smile on his face, "It's just some money. If you spend it, you spend it. The fleet you gave me is a surprise that no amount of money can exchange."

Mo Xun was taken aback for a moment, and asked in surprise, "Really...really?"

Bai Su smiled and squeezed her hand: "That's natural."

The huge expenses of the navy in the early stage were also within his expectation.

After all, the navy is different from the infantry. The navy is a gold-swallowing behemoth, and it needs to be smashed out with a lot of real money. There is no opportunism on the way, so we can only walk down step by step.

Correspondingly, although the initial investment is huge, the benefits obtained are also unprecedented.

First of all, the scale of sea transportation is not at the same level as that of land carriage and horse transportation.

If it is said that merchants from neighboring countries transport goods in units of one thousand to ten thousand, then the amount of goods that can be transported by one fleet is enough to reach one hundred thousand to one million.

Not only can it transport a large number of goods from the Central Plains at one time, but also go to the local area to form a dimensionality reduction blow, and empty out the treasury finances of the surrounding localities.

Moreover, the transportation efficiency is also fast, shortening the original journey of about a year to within one month.

This is almost equivalent to pulling back one after another of overseas gold mountains. In just ten years, it is possible to obtain a huge wealth far exceeding the accumulation of the Central Plains in 2000.

Compared with the huge benefits in the future, this initial investment is nothing at all.

Mo Xun was relieved when he heard that Bai Su didn't intend to blame him.

A smile appeared on her face, and she explained to Bai Su: "Sir, I combined a steam engine and specially built a large boiler room for this treasure ship, which is used to burn coal to drive it. Compared with the common sailing ships in the Central Plains, it is faster. More than three times."

"Moreover, it can not be affected by the weather, no matter whether there are winds and waves on the sea, it can sail on a daily basis, my lord, please see..."

As she said that, she climbed up the escalator along the side of the ship and took Bai Su to visit the cabins of this treasure ship.

There are rooms for soldiers to rest, cabins for storing coal, and cabins for storing fresh water, grain, and commercial goods.

There is even an orchard inside, which is covered with soil and planted with various fruits and vegetables, which makes people dumbfounded.

This is not a warship, it is clearly a small palace.

Mo Xun came to an orange tree, picked an orange, handed it to Bai Su who was beside him, and said, "When my soldiers in the Central Plains fought in the South and North, I often encountered dissatisfaction with the soil and water, or I didn't eat it for a long time. fruits and vegetables, and get sick."

"I saw how huge the treasure ship was, so I specially designed an orchard on the treasure ship to grow fruits and vegetables."

"It's just a pity that warships are not as convenient as on the ground after all. You can only choose to plant some that are easier to feed. It's okay to try it, but the variety is extremely single, and you can't choose from it like a greenhouse..."

Seeing her regretful expression, Bai Su couldn't help laughing and said, "You have surpassed my expectations by being able to do so. Do you still want to put the entire Xianyang Palace on a warship?" ?”

Mo Xun was taken aback for a moment, and then couldn't help laughing.

After all, the main purpose of warships sailing is to fight, and it is impossible to bring all kinds of enjoyment.

Bai Su stroked his chin, pondered for a while, and then suddenly said, "Juzi, are you standing on the bow with your arms outstretched?"

Mo Xun blinked his dark eyes, and asked a little puzzled, "Why?"

Bai Su said with a smile, "Just do as you are told."

Mo Xun's slender black eyebrows raised slightly. Although she didn't know what Bai Su was going to do, she was obedient. She walked along the deck where she met to the bow of the ship.

Standing on the bow tens of meters high, you can clearly see the bustling streets of Luoyang in the distance, and feel the breeze blowing in front of you, and her black hair flutters along with it.

Bai Su looked at Mo Xun who was slowly opening his arms, couldn't help smiling, and immediately walked over, under her surprised gaze, stretched out his arms to wrap her arms around her slender waist, and leaned his head on her shoulder.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Hearing the voice in his ear, Mo Xun was taken aback.

She turned her head and followed Bai Su's gaze. Under the setting sun, wild geese were slowly flying past, feeling the gusts of fresh wind blowing in front of her.

For a moment, Mo Xun felt as if there were only two people in the world, everything was so quiet and beautiful, one couldn't help but have the urge to want time to stand still at this moment forever.

After pondering for a long time, she suddenly said, "My lord, are you going to leave soon?"

Bai Su calmed down, and sighed slightly: "Yes, everything is ready to continue, the time is ripe, and it's time to prepare to set sail, leading the navy of the Central Plains, and sailing for the first time."

"Going to the land of Dongpu, to try a small knife, is also thinking about the future..."

After all, in addition to the construction experience of this fleet, sailing experience is also essential.

If there is not enough sailing experience, no matter how magnificent the fleet is built, it is just a high-end toy of the royal family.

For example, the Ming Dynasty in later generations was like this. They obviously had a world-class fleet, but apart from bringing back a giraffe and publicizing the status of the Heavenly Kingdom everywhere, they hardly reaped any benefits.

The emperor saw that every time he sailed, he would lose money, and the court could not benefit from seven sailings, so he simply gave up going to sea.

As a result, the trade was controlled by the Dutch, and most of the profits were taken away by middlemen. The Central Plains, where the trade started, could only eat some leftovers left by the Dutch.

He obviously has a monopoly in the silk, porcelain, and tea businesses, but the profit he makes is less than one-tenth of the profit, and he is working for others for nothing.

And those middlemen took the huge profits earned from the Central Plains to expand territories, rob, and occupy territories all over the world.

Bai Su didn't want to make the same mistake a second time.

After all, not everyone has the same vision as him and understands how important ocean trade is to the country's fortune.

It is very likely that when he was in charge of the government, the navy in the Central Plains was still the best in the world. After he gave up the government in the future, the new king quickly abandoned his plan to go to sea after he ascended the throne, and directly abandoned the navy.

Therefore, he must use every opportunity to go to sea to bring back a lot of benefits for the Central Plains, so that the emperor, even the civil and military officials of the court, and down to the private businessmen, all understand that there are a lot of gold mountains overseas.

As long as you go to sea and bring it back, you can make a fortune directly.

Only in this way can the martial spirit of the Central Plains, the fighting spirit of expanding the territory and going out to sea, be passed on from generation to generation.

After all, maybe not everyone has the idea of ​​expanding territory, but no one wants to miss the opportunity to make a fortune easily.

Mo Xun's slender eyebrows were furrowed, and he asked worriedly, "Will it be dangerous?"

According to the records in the ancient books of the Central Plains, there is a fairy mountain outside the East China Sea, named Penglai Fairy Island.

Among them, immortals live in Penglai Xiandao, living in palaces made of gold and silver, and white animals fly in the sky. Immortals can refine the elixir of life.

I don't know how many monarchs of the Central Plains have wanted to go to Penglai Xiandao to seek longevity, especially the fleet dispatched by Sister Zheng is the largest, but everyone who sailed, without exception, never returned.

This caused some worries in her heart, whether there would be any accidents when Bai Su sailed.

Bai Su chuckled, and said: "There are no immortals in this world. The reason why they can't come back is because the boats built in the Central Plains were not skilled enough. Basically, after they passed, the boats were almost damaged."

"They lack repairing skills, so naturally they can only stay in the local area and cannot come back. With my current treasure ship level in the Central Plains, I don't have to worry about it at all."

"Besides, even if there are immortals, so what. Since ancient times, people in the Central Plains have conquered the sky, descendants can shoot the sun, Nuwa can mend the sky, and Yu can control floods."

"If there are real immortals, then I will snatch them. I just happen to demolish the gold and silver palaces they live in and bring them back..."

Chapter 440 The Sixth Age of Discovery Has Arrived

After nearly a month of preparations.

At the port of Luoyang, there are more than a hundred ships, large and small, covering the river. These warships are all hung with the unified black bird flag, which is extraordinarily orderly.

On the pier, many soldiers carried goods to the cabin, except for dried beef, preserved fruit, and high-strength liquor that could be preserved for a long time.

They even brought a lot of chickens, ducks, rabbits and other livestock.

If this is the case in the past, the three to 40-meter ships in the Central Plains naturally have no conditions to carry so many things.

However, for a treasure ship with a scale of [-] meters, this burden is naturally nothing.

After all, for an army on an expedition, food is combat power.

Especially when sailing for a long time, you need to stay in the cabin, all you can see is the endless sea, and you can't see any other scenery at all.

This kind of prolonged fatigue can easily lower the morale of the armed forces.

In this case, even if a handful of gold is rewarded, it is better to let the soldiers eat a bite. Fresh chicken and duck can boost morale.

A source of water in the desert, a piece of fresh fruit from the sea, and a juicy chicken leg are worth more than ten thousand taels of gold.

When everyone was carrying things, Bai Su stood at the pier, looking around, it was dark, and the fleet was majestic and mighty.

Not to mention fighting with him at sea, it is estimated that just seeing it from a distance will make his legs weak from fright.

Wearing a blue skirt, Mo Xun walked slowly to Bai Su's side.

With her white jade hands, she lifted up her somewhat messy hair blown by the wind, looked at Bai Su with her beautiful eyes, and asked, "Has your lord decided to go in person? Sailing is a very dangerous thing after all. What if you do?" If there is a mistake, what should I do, how about letting others try it first?"

Bai Su scratched his cheek, and said helplessly: "If possible, I don't want to go, but I can't go."

Mo Xun blinked his dark eyes, and asked in confusion, "My lord, what do you mean by that?"

After pondering for a moment, Bai Su pointed to the canal in the distance, and said, "It's completely different from sailing in the canal. Looking around, there is a blue sea everywhere, and there is no identifiable reference object around. .”

"Although there is a compass in the Central Plains now, it is impossible to reach the land of Dongpu accurately by relying on the general direction."

"If you want to identify the location specifically, you need to know how to draw stars."

Mo Xun was taken aback for a moment, and couldn't help asking: "Dare to ask my lord, what is this astrology?"

Bai Sukai explained: "To put it simply, it is to use the stars in the sky as reference objects to work out the specific latitude and longitude and coordinates on the endless sea."

"Only in this way can a standard navigation route be drawn and a stable navigation be maintained. It is impossible to reach the destination with a compass to identify the general direction without knowing the specific coordinates."

"Looking at the world now, I am afraid that I am the only one who knows how to draw stars."

Mo Xun's red lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't say a word for a long time, so he could only sigh helplessly.

After all, just as Bai Su said.

The Central Plains lacks people who are capable of long-distance voyages, and there is absolutely no talent for drawing stars and drawing navigation routes.

As for the specific route to the land of Japan, his eyes are also in the dark.

Looking at the whole world now, Bai Su is the only person who is qualified to be the captain and create a clearly visible sailing route for the Central Plains surrounded by the fog of war.

After pondering for a long time, Mo Xun slowly raised his head, staring closely at Bai Su with a pair of black eyes: "My lord, can you take me with you?"

Bai Su frowned slightly: "This long-distance voyage is an extremely dangerous thing. You are the helm of the Mohist school, what are you going to do long-distance voyage?"

Mo Xun smiled happily: "My lord, as the king of the imperial court, dares to risk himself, so what am I afraid of?"

"Furthermore, by following your lord, you can also learn astrology and delve into the way of astronomy. For me who was born in the Mohist family, this is simply a rare opportunity."

"Of course...the most important thing is that after the fleet is built, there is nothing in the world that can attract me. The only figure that I can keep in my heart is you, my lord."

"Your Excellency, please bring me with you. I am willing to serve you by your side."

Bai Su's lips parted slightly, and she wanted to refuse at first, but looking at Mo Xun's firm gaze, she might think of a way to follow even if she refused.

He sighed helplessly: "Forget it, I can allow you to sail with me, but without my order, you must not disembark at will and go to those dangerous places."