The three characters "Zhenghe" were hung high, and on the deck, instructions were being passed quickly one after another.
"The helm is ready!"
"Fuel tank inspection completed!"
"Fresh water tank inspection completed!"
"Grain tank inspection completed!"
Jin Ying, wearing armor, came to Zhu Qizhen and saluted solemnly: "The Zheng He is ready for the second trial. Please give the emperor's order!"
Looking at the high-spirited sailors and crew, Zhu Qizhen was very satisfied.
The ironclad ship is a weapon of the country, and everyone on board must show unstoppable courage.
In the vast ocean, there are countless treasures and countless dangers.
From now on, Ming's voyage career will reach a new level. In the near future, these people will set foot on a vast new continent and plant the sun and moon flags in that fertile soil.
"Set sail!"
"Yes!"
Jin Ying turned around and said loudly: "The emperor has a decree, let's set sail!"
"Set sail!"
"Set sail!"
On the deck, the order was passed on, and each cabin began to take action.
The sail dropped and the anchor pulled up.
Woo——
From the large chimney, black smoke slowly rose, and along with a low roar, the entire hull shook violently, as if the transmission system began to operate.
Next, the hull started to tilt...
The officials accompanying the ship were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they were a little timid and began to fall to the ground.
Beilin looked at the restless crowd and said disdainfully: "Don't panic, everyone, it's just that the ship is turning."
The biggest difference between an ironclad ship and a treasure ship is the pointed bottom. When turning the rudder, the ship will inevitably tilt.
In the fuel tank, a large number of bare-chested crew members continued to fill coal into the boiler.
The second boiler started to start, and with a huge roar, the ship's hull vibrated again, and then slowly moved forward.
Although Ningbo Prefecture is located on the coast, many officials are actually from inland and cannot swim. At this time, they found that the port was getting further and further away, and then they realized that the ship was already accelerating.
When we were anchored on the shore, we felt somewhat at ease. However, since we left the port, people couldn't help but feel panicked as they looked at the land that was getting further and further away.
No matter how huge the armored ship is, it is no different from a leaf in the endless ocean.
At this moment, many people deeply feel how insignificant human beings are in front of nature.
On the deck, Jin Ying completed his inspection and then returned to Zhu Qizhen.
"Your Majesty, it's windy outside, you'd better go back to the cabin and rest!"
Zhu Qizhen said thoughtfully: "Golden companion!"
"The slave is here!"
"When you first went to sea, how long did you stay at sea?"
"This..."
Jin Ying's face looked a little ugly, because it was an unbearable past...
"About two months."
"How does it taste?"
"Back to the emperor, that feeling... is not very good."
"Isn't it very bitter?"
"The pain is over, it's just..."
Jin Ying's face was full of sighs, and he said: "Wandering on the sea, there is always a sense of powerlessness in my heart. It is really... life and death depend on God's will. I am not afraid of the emperor's jokes when I say it. At that time, I really couldn't bear it.
Already..."
Zhu Qizhen nodded and said slowly: "It's been two months and I can't stand it any longer. However, the Peng Qing family's fleet has traveled for two years and gone to Mugudusu, thousands of miles away. How did they do it?"
Did you do it?"
"Master Peng is indeed... working hard..."
Jin Ying really has nothing to say, so he slaps her in the face, is that okay?
Zhu Qizhen was still standing on the deck, looking at the blurry coastline. He could clearly feel that the speed of the ship was very fast.
Driven by two boilers, the speed of the ironclad ship has far exceeded that of sail power.
There will be times when the wind blows and the waves break, so hang up your sails and sail across the sea!
However, as the speed increased, the officials on the ship felt more and more panicked.
Most of them are used to the solid porcelain earth under their feet, but now that they are floating on the sea, it is normal for them to feel uneasy.
Zhu Qizhen turned around and left, but did not enter the cabin to rest. Instead, he inspected every position on the ship.
In the fuel tank, the boatmen were naked from the waist up, and they were all covered in sweat, as if they were soaked in water.
Most of these people had never seen the emperor, and because they were busy working, they did not notice anyone coming amid the noise.
Jin Ying cleared her throat and said loudly: "The emperor is here to visit you!"
When they learned that the emperor suddenly came to the fuel tank, most people were a little surprised, and they still held a shovel in their hands when they saluted.
"Kowtow to the Emperor!"
"Kowtow to the Emperor!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand: "No need to be polite!"
The boatmen stood up nervously, not knowing what to do.
Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "Everyone has worked hard. When the trial sea trial is over, everyone will be rewarded!"
Everyone was stunned again, Jin Ying hurriedly stepped forward and said: "You still don't thank me!"
"Thank...Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Seeing how everyone was at a loss, Zhu Qizhen said: "Okay, let's go get busy!"
After speaking, turn around and leave.
Because if you don’t leave, the boiler will stop!
When the boatmen reacted, they felt a little...unbelievable.
"The one just now...is he really the emperor?"
"No, you didn't see Eunuch Jin accompanying you. Who else in the world would dare to let Eunuch Jin accompany you?"
"Hurry... add more coal!"
"Oops, I forgot..."
In the cockpit, the helmsmen are studying the charts.
Going to sea requires a relatively fixed route, because there are many risks in unknown sea areas, such as ocean currents and reefs. Therefore, the safest route is to go along the coastline.
In this case, you must be familiar with the conditions of the offshore sea. For example, when can you rely on ocean currents, which islands can replenish fresh water, and changes in wind direction and wind force, which are all summarized from countless experiences at sea.
When Peng Qing insisted that the information in the Hanlin Academy's Literature and History Museum was wrong, it was because his ancestors had traveled to the sea and mastered a lot of information on the sea.
Moreover, he also understood the importance of this information. If anything went wrong, it would be a huge risk.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
"Kowtow to the Emperor!"
Finally, when one of the helmsmen looked back, he found someone in front of him.
He even took a step back to see clearly that it was the emperor.
Zhu Qizhen stretched out his hand to support the man, and then said to the stunned and unresponsive people: "I'm just here to take a look. You can do whatever you need to do, and don't salute."
Everyone was even more astonished. They didn’t bow to the emperor when they saw him. What kind of rule is this?
Jin Ying then said: "What are you doing here? Why don't you take out the map and show it to the emperor?"
"Oh, here, here is..."
The helmsman was holding a map. It was obvious that he was a little nervous and stumbled while speaking.
"Yes...it's here..."
"Don't be nervous!"
Zhu Qizhen patted him on the shoulder, then looked at the map, which had just marked a location.
"Is this the position now?"
"Back to the emperor, yes... yes!"
The end point of this trial voyage is Fuzhou. Starting from Ningbo, it is more than a thousand miles away. If we take the land route, an ordinary horse-drawn carriage will take at least half a month.
However, judging from the map, the armored ship is much faster than expected.
"If we don't stop and continue sailing, how long will it take to get there?"
"Go back to the emperor, sail as planned, and keep the two furnaces running alternately... it will take about a day and a night."
Hiss——
Zhu Qizhen couldn't help but take a breath, this speed was already comparable to that of a train.
He really didn't expect that the Ming Dynasty's first ironclad ship would be so fast!
From Ningbo to Fuzhou, it takes one day and one night by boat. Such a thing would have been unthinkable in the past.
However, it really came true today.
Even if the railway is built, the transportation capacity of trains will still be far inferior to that of ships.
Zhu Qizhen found that he was surprised by what he had created!
Sure enough, science and technology are the primary productive forces...
Ironclad ships are very stable, much more stable than treasure ships. However, there is still some shaking. If you are not used to it, you will develop dizziness and nausea over time, which is... seasickness.
Zhu Qizhen looked at the crew members in the cabin again. Many people here could not stand firmly, but they were all working tirelessly.
It is precisely because of such a group of people that the Zhenghe was able to be built. The process is easy to say, but difficult to do.
When the imperial edict was issued, no one could guarantee that the ironclad ship could really be successfully developed.
What if countless people try their best but fail in the end?
The most admirable thing is this group of people. They don’t know where the road ahead leads, and they don’t know if they are going in the right direction, but they move forward without hesitation, groping, and experiencing countless days and nights.
Night, finally, they succeeded!
Zhu Qizhen was filled with emotion and said to Jin Ying: "After the sea trial is over, Ningbo Shipyard will expand its scale. I hope to see an armored fleet within three years."
Jin Ying hurriedly replied: "I will definitely live up to the emperor's trust. Even if I risk my life, I will build the emperor's armored ship!"
Zhu Qizhen looked at him and said slowly: "Tell me again, among all the ministers, who can be in charge of this fleet?"
Jin Ying was stunned for a moment, and a look of decline suddenly appeared in her eyes.
However, this look disappeared immediately.
"This matter is serious, so the emperor should discuss it with the cabinet. I dare not speak nonsense."
Zhu Qizhen chuckled and said: "It's okay, just talk about it."
Jin Ying thought for a while, and then said: "I think that Bachelor Peng is more suitable."
"Peng Qing has experience in voyages, but he now has an overview of the Ming Dynasty's maritime affairs. In addition, he is too old and is not suitable for going to sea all year round."
"Then... Bei Hanlin is deeply loved by Master Peng, so it would be more appropriate for him to take over."
"Beilin has more things to do now. All scientific research in the world is under the Academy of Sciences. He is busy enough with a steam train, so how can he still have the energy to go to sea?"
Jin Ying thought about it and then said: "General Shi Heng has been fighting overseas for a long time. I wonder what the emperor thinks?"
"Shi Heng can fight. We will allocate an armored ship to him later, but if we give him the entire fleet..."
Zhu Qizhen cast a strange look in his eyes and said slowly: "Is it appropriate?"
Jin Ying suddenly remembered that Shi Heng had had the experience of treason...
"This slave has not considered it. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "I've already told you, it's okay, just treat it as a casual chat."
However, Jin Ying did not dare to say anything. Since nothing was right, there was only one possibility left: the emperor had someone to choose!
The person I guess is not the one others want...
He suddenly felt worried, who is suitable?
Could it be... King Tan?
Since Emperor Taizong, the Ming Dynasty has strictly prohibited vassal kings from commanding troops. The emperor has set a precedent for King Yin. It stands to reason that you should be more careful now. It would be better for you to send an armored fleet to others. Is this possible?<
/p>
Aren't you afraid that King Tan will drive an armored ship and land directly from Tianjin to take the capital...
No, it’s not King Tan, then who could it be?
Jin Ying racked her brains, but still couldn't figure it out.
Zhu Qizhen suddenly turned around and asked Yuan Bin: "Yuan Qing family, please tell me, who is more suitable to command this fleet?"
Yuan Bin quickly replied: "I don't know!"
Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "Why, are you afraid that if you say something wrong, I will blame you?"
Yuan Bin lowered his head: "I really don't know!"
"Do you not know, or do you just don't want to say it?"
Yuan Bin had no choice but to look at Jin Ying and said: "Compared to the three people just mentioned, perhaps Eunuch Jin is more suitable..."
Jin Ying suddenly froze, feeling a little at a loss.
Zhu Qizhen just looked at him with deep meaning, then turned and left.
At the same time, he also said: "I'm sleepy, go to sleep!"
The sky gradually darkened. Since the purpose of this trial voyage was mainly to test the performance of the ironclad ship, it did not dock at night but continued sailing.
This was a hardship for the accompanying officials. Although the cabin had been made as airtight as possible, when the steam furnace was turned on, the entire hull was vibrating, and the sound seemed to penetrate to the bones. Most people could not sleep at all. p>
On the other hand, the crew members slept soundly during their shifts.
Zhu Qizhen was also sleepy. His sleep quality was pretty good and he just lay down.
While sleeping, I seemed to hear someone talking about a very poor island...
Phew!
He sat up suddenly and shouted: "Here comes someone!"
Fan Zhong was on duty outside. When he heard the sound, he opened the hatch and came in.
"Your Majesty!"
Zhu Qizhen looked outside. It was just dawn and the sun had not risen yet.
"Go and call Jin Ying and ask him to come see me immediately!"
"Yes!"
"Wait a minute!"
Zhu Qizhen thought for a while and said, "I'd better go over there!"
After that, he put on some clothes and walked quickly towards the helm.
Jin Ying didn't sleep all night. At this time, she and the helmsmen were staring at the map and observing the route.
He must ensure that this trial voyage is foolproof because the emperor is on board!
Zhu Qizhen brought Fan Zhong to the helm and shouted from afar: "Jin Banban, get the map quickly!"
Jin Ying felt a little surprised. He looked at the emperor and then at the sky outside, and thought to himself, when did the emperor get up so early?
Could it be...the boat was bumpy and I didn't sleep well?
The emperor hates others disturbing his sleep. How can he deal with this...
He had no choice but to spread out the map, point to the route above, and said: "Your Majesty, please see, this is our current position. According to the current speed, we can reach Fuzhou in one hour!"