The exploration fleet docked at the mouth of the Danshui River on the eastern large island of the Nanyang Islands to replenish the fleet's Danshui.
Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue handed Captain Lu Benyun some green mangoes.
"Lao Lu, these are the wild fruits that the soldiers found near the river.
This is called mango. We used to eat it often and it is not poisonous.
I saw there were many fruit trees, so I asked the soldiers to pick a batch and put them on the boat to eat them as quickly as possible."
Lu Benyun took a bite of the mango. The unripe mango was extremely sour. He frowned and swallowed the pulp.
Recently, doctors have discovered that those who sail on ocean voyages and whose diets contain fewer fruits and vegetables are more likely to suffer from sepsis.
The discovery of this situation made all the navy officers feel nervous and pay attention to the food arrangements at all times.
Europe has not yet figured out the disease sepsis.
The Royal Navy interrogates Portuguese and Dutch prisoners.
I learned that the symptoms were extremely serious, like a plague-like disease, and I was very nervous at first.
The Royal Navy of China has discovered that naval officers rarely develop this disease even when sailing across oceans.
Soldiers suffering from this disease all have one thing in common: they don't like to eat raw bean sprouts.
This kind of food has been passed down since the founding of the Navy.
This difference was so obvious that it attracted the attention of senior navy officials.
The Metropolitan Government's Logistics Department and the Naval Hospital jointly conducted a long period of observation.
The septicemia conditions reported by their navy doctors were specially compiled and analyzed.
Only then did I discover that the cause of sepsis was eating less fruits and vegetables.
This disease is not contagious, but once the disease progresses to a serious level, it is difficult to cure.
Fruits and vegetables, eaten raw, have the best effect. They can not only prevent sepsis, but also treat early sepsis.
Once cooked, it has basically no effect.
Navy figures out why sepsis occurs.
All naval officers have great respect for His Majesty the Emperor.
They had previously complained that the emperor liked to eat bean sprouts, but allowed everyone to accompany him to enjoy such an unpalatable dish.
Only now do I know that this dish has saved many people’s lives without even realizing it.
From then on, all people sailing on ocean voyages must include raw bean sprouts in their daily diet.
People who like to drink tea will occasionally drink some tea, but the effect of tea is not obvious.
The only exception is when eating fresh vegetables and fruits.
Lu Benyun was eating a jerky mango, which was unripe and had a very special taste.
He doesn't like eating the same bean sprouts. Even with the best seasonings, the beany smell of these raw bean sprouts won't go away.
Mango tastes better than bean sprouts.
Lu Benyun watched as the soldiers loaded a large amount of fresh water into wooden barrels and transported it to the ship for storage.
There is a lot of Danshui stored on the ship, but Danshui will also deteriorate and needs to be replaced in time.
Deteriorated water can only be added to the boiler. Only when there is an extreme shortage of water can it be boiled and consumed.
To open up a stable route, Danshui, an important resource, is an indispensable resource on the route.
Ordinary merchant ships and warships do not have that many warehouses. They store as much water as the exploration fleet and must rely on external sources to replenish it.
For steam-powered ships, boilers also need to be replenished with fresh water in time, which will consume more fresh water.
Highly corrosive seawater cannot be used in boilers.
Lu Benyun looked at this big island and said to Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue: "The Nanyang Islands and the Western Islands are backed by the Strait of Malacca and several prosperous countries in Southeast Asia. They are extremely wealthy.
The Nanyang Governor's Palace has not yet spared any effort to develop the place in front of us.
The mountains here are densely forested, the volcanoes are densely covered, and the living environment is extremely harsh.
I heard from my friends in the First Fleet that there is a tribe of cannibals on this island.
I heard that the Governor of Nanyang is planning to form mercenaries to offer bounties to these cannibal tribes to completely wipe them out."
Zhou Qianxue looked at the island and said: "In every region, there are places with a relatively harsh environment.
The environment in the eastern part of Nanyang is harsh, with high mountains and dense forests, making farming impossible.
No immigrants are willing to come to this place, so it can only rule in name only.
Only when the population density in other parts of Southeast Asia becomes too high will we turn our attention to this place.
I believe that sooner or later this area will be developed. Generally, mountainous areas like this are rich in mineral resources.
I have heard from friends that there is a very large island in the south of the Nanyang Islands, which is as big as the Central Plains.
The Governor of Nanyang and the Governor of the First Fleet only decided to erect a few boundary monuments and send a small fleet to patrol, but there was no sign of developing this large island.
If that island wasn't too close to Nanyang, I guess His Majesty might have enfeoffed it there."
Lu Benyun heard the news for the first time. After learning about it in detail, he sighed: "Can an island as big as the Central Plains be considered a big island? This is a huge landmass.
South America, which we are about to go to, is about the same size."
"Whether it is an island or a land, this is not something we soldiers should worry about. Let's get on the ship and set off.
According to the results of the Navy's previous detections, leaving this island, there is the endless Pacific Ocean ahead.
Our navigation technology started too late. Europe has already explored most of the world, and we still know nothing about the Pacific Ocean.
The Spanish guide warned us that the South Pacific is very windy and rough, and we need to be more vigilant, as anything can happen in the sea."
They boarded the ship and continued heading east.
…………………………
Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue stood on the bow of the ship, using a sextant to calculate the fleet's position.
Today's sextants are more exquisitely made and the data they give are more accurate.
Zhou Qianxue told them the longitude and latitude here, caressed the sextant, and carefully placed it in the box.
He looked at Zhu Da, the navigation officer, and asked: "Have the relevant longitudes and latitudes been recorded and a simple chart produced?"
Zhu Da, the navigation staff officer, took out a simple globe model with several small red dots recorded on it.
These little red dots are islands with important resources on the route.
They used a globe to record routes, which was the most accurate method.
The earth is spherical and the sea surface is a curved surface.
On a flat map, the shortest straight line between two points is actually an arc.
Zhu Da also drew a flat chart for others to refer to.
Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue looked at the gradually completed chart with a smile on his face.
They are already hundreds of kilometers away from the Nanyang Islands. Starting from the Nanyang Islands and heading east, there are small islands everywhere in the Pacific Ocean.
From time to time you can see islands scattered across the ocean.
The exploration fleet separated out several ships and agreed on a gathering place in advance.
They carefully explored the archipelago area and discovered many important islands where indigenous tribes lived and had fresh water.
Most of the islands were not discovered by the Spanish.
With these islands, this section of the route is extremely safe.
Ships coming and going can get a lot of fresh water and food from the island. If they encounter wind and waves nearby, they can also go to the island to take shelter.
Captain Lu Benyun saw Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue put down his sextant.
He walked over and asked with some hesitation: "Old Zhou, we really have to deviate from the route given by the Spanish guide.
Head directly east to central South America."
Zhou Qianxue picked up the globe and traced the route given by the Spaniards and the route he calculated with his fingers.
"Lao Lu, look at these two routes. The route I calculated can lead directly to the destination.
This route of the Spaniards deviated this much to the south.
The Spanish needed to go around the southernmost tip of South America and head to the east coast of South America.
It was a colony established by the Spanish in South America.
Our target is the west coast of South America, if we choose the traditional Spanish route.
Arrive at the southern tip of South America and then turn back north.
It will take at least four to five months."
Liu Yuanshan and Zhang Maizi are the team leaders sent by King Cao Li Dazhuang and King Zhao Su Xiong.
They heard Lu Benyun and Zhou Qianxue seeming to be arguing, and immediately came over to check the situation.
When Zhang Maizi heard what Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue said, he couldn't help but said: "Can Mr. Zhou guarantee that the fleet will reach America smoothly?
If Mr. Zhou is confident, we can save some time, I think we should save it."
Liu Yuanshan also agreed: "Mr. Zhou, you have rich sailing experience, and we are willing to listen to your arrangements.
But if Mr. Zhou asks for our opinion, we think it can shorten the time, which is a great thing, and we will definitely support it."
Zhou Qianxue said confidently: "Leave the next thing to me, the exploration fleet will definitely not get lost.
The Spanish guides have explained that after passing through this archipelago area, there will be no islands for supply on their next route.
We will definitely save a lot of time by choosing a new route.
If we are lucky enough, we can encounter an island with clear water and open up a more perfect route."
Captain Lu Benyun listened to Zhou Qianxue's suggestion. He was silent for a long time. After considering the pros and cons, he agreed to Zhou Qianxue's suggestion.
The exploration fleet has been sailing on the sea for so many days, and the cooperation between them is very tacit.
Captain Lu Benyun also believed that Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue’s skills would prevent the exploration fleet from seriously deviating from its course.
Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue can correct the course in time as long as he holds a sextant.
He has learned about the subsequent route from the Spanish guide.
Indeed, as Zhou Qianxue said, there are very few islands on the route behind. There is no clear water on these islands, so they can only take shelter from wind and waves.
Unlike where the fleet is now, an island can be found dozens of kilometers away.
There are also fresh water and fruits on some islands, which can supplement their much-needed resources.
Two officers from the Exploration Fleet reached a consensus.
They drove the flagship to lead the exploration fleet towards unfamiliar waters.
Sailing on the sea is extremely boring, especially for Liu Yuanshan and Zhang Maizi, a group of idle people.
Liu Yuanshan and Zhang Maizi got together to discuss how to formulate policies for the new country in the future.
One person proposes a policy, and the other person finds fault with the policy.
In this way, they relieve the irritability of the journey.
Zhang Maizi stood beside the boat smoking a cigarette. He looked at Liu Yuanshan, who had just learned to smoke.
The management of the exploration fleet is extremely strict, and open fires and smoking are not allowed in the cabin to prevent the ship from catching fire.
Zhang Maizi glanced at Liu Yuanshan. They had just finished discussing the importance of salt and iron monopoly and similar policies.
Zhang Maizi chatted casually: "I have a more in-depth chat with those Spanish guides these days.
The wealth of America is far beyond our imagination.
There are all kinds of resources here, and there is no shortage of anything. It is simply a chosen place.
I hope that the prince can gain a firm foothold in America and that our two countries can work together to deal with the threats from the West."
Liu Yuanshan put down the cigarette in his hand and said with a smile: "We are all Han people, and the relationship between the princes is also very good.
Of course we must help each other and jointly deal with external threats."
They all knew in their hearts that the two princes chose a relatively far distance to found the country in order to prevent conflicts between the two countries in the early stage.
But the two countries really gained a foothold in America and drove out the Europeans.
As the two countries grow up, they will inevitably clash in the future in order to compete for the resources of the Americas.
But smart people know that there must be no conflicts in the early stage and we must work together to deal with powerful enemies.
The two have been competing with each other secretly. When discussing policies, they are thinking about how to add some information to each other's policies and affect the other's national strength.
But they didn't know that the situation in America had been arranged by Emperor Su He long ago.
In North and South America, several countries will be established to compete with each other. The Great China Dynasty will never allow a hegemon to emerge in the Americas.
"It's time to eat, grilled fish, fresh grilled fish."
When Liu Yuanshan heard the news that dinner was ready, he felt hungry but felt sick in his heart.
They have been wandering at sea for more than five months. When they did not leave the Dahua waters, their food was very good and they could often eat a variety of vegetables.
After leaving the land, the food on the ship plummeted.
The food and treatment for officers, soldiers, and outsiders like them are not much different.
The staple food is quite good, including rice and steamed buns.
In addition to raw bean sprouts and kimchi that can be eaten in two bites.
The dishes were all kinds of seafood, mainly fish and prawns. Everyone was happy to eat a turtle.
Even if the chef changes his tricks and eats these fish and shrimps every day, he has long been tired of them and makes him sick just looking at them.
Zhang Maizi smelled the smell of fish and shrimp, and he said firmly: "In the future, we must engage in farming in America.
I don’t want to eat fish anymore in my life, and my stomach feels twitchy just thinking about how I will have to eat fish for nearly a year.”
They walked to the dining table, endured the discomfort in their stomachs, and ate their meals.
Even if you feel upset in your stomach, you cannot skip eating.
The officers of the exploration fleet have been trained in the navy for a long time, and they are used to this kind of food.
The teams sent by the two princes were accustomed to being well-dressed and well-fed, and many of them developed anorexia after going to sea.
They only eat a small amount of food every day and their bodies become thinner and thinner.
These people were weak and all contracted diseases. The doctors on the ship tried their best to treat them, but they could not save them.
The body can only be thrown into the sea and buried at sea.
After seeing this situation, Liu Yuanshan and Zhang Maizi ordered everyone to eat enough to stay strong.
】
These people are all the prince's confidants, and each of them has extraordinary abilities.
You are about to follow the prince to establish immortal achievements, and you cannot fall on the road to success.
Zhang Maizi and Liu Yuanshan were eating when they felt the boat rocking.
It is a very normal phenomenon for a ship to shake when traveling in the ocean. Everyone did not pay attention and ate their meals as usual.
Zhou Qianxue felt that something was wrong with the rocking of the ship, and the water felt like it was flowing backwards.
He immediately climbed onto the mast of the flagship and picked up a telescope to observe the distant sea.
Ten minutes later, he saw a water wall three to four meters high rising up on the sea in the distance.
Zhou Qianxue's face changed with fear. Huge waves would attack the fleet. He immediately found Lu Benyun. After a brief discussion, they made urgent arrangements.
The exploratory fleet's whistle sounded briefly, signaling that all ships were in danger.
Flags were hoisted on the masts to give orders to all ships.
An officer responsible for maintaining order on the deck, after receiving the order from his superiors, whistled anxiously to remind everyone.
He shouted loudly: "When a huge wave comes, everyone immediately enters the cabin to take shelter and close the cabin doors and windows tightly.
Hurry up and obey the order, everyone be safe."
Liu Yuanshan and Zhang Maizi were eating when they heard the officer's order.
They immediately gathered their men and hid in the cabin.
When they saw the exploration fleet's preparedness, they knew they were encountering a very serious problem this time.
They could only obey the order and pray that the exploration fleet would avoid this danger.