Li Dayin said he wanted to buy two ships, but in fact he only gave Wang Chengyu five thousand taels of silver and asked Wang Chengyu to help him buy two ships.
Wang Chengyu added another five thousand silver, bought two "old and decaying" 500-material sea-going ships for him, and formed a fleet with his two newly purchased 500-material sea-going ships. He regrouped his manpower and set sail to sea.
The first few days at sea went smoothly. We encountered some other ships on the way, but we were not in any danger. After all, the fleet consisted of four ships worth 500 yuan, and ordinary pirates would not take the initiative to provoke them.
But on the fifteenth day of the voyage, we encountered a sea-going ship from Ling'ao Island. Generally, when encountering this kind of situation at sea, the ship with a small number of ships would not be able to hide when it saw a ship with many ships. However, this sea-going ship was very domineering.
, with only three hundred materials, and one against four, they actually didn't care and approached directly, asking to check whether there was a flag issued by Ling'ao Island on the ship.
The so-called command flag is the traffic flag issued by Ling'ao Island. Whenever you pass by the waters of Ling'ao Island, you must raise the command flag on the mast so that Ling'ao Island will not obstruct you, otherwise you will face a fight.
Hearing this, Zhao Ran asked: "Have there been any command flags before?"
Wang Chengyu shook his head: "Have you ever had a command flag? I have been wandering at sea for decades, and I have always gone wherever I wanted. Only when I fished seafood near the island did I pay a sum of money to the island owner."
"In other words, the so-called command flag only started recently?"
"Yes, the monk from Ling'ao Island who stopped my ship also told me that it was a rule that started in March this year. The money is paid according to the size of the ship. A sea-going ship with 500 pieces of material is paid 500 taels of silver and can be managed for one year.
"
Zhao Ran frowned and sneered: "It seems that Ling'ao Island has followed me, Jiming Guan, what a big appetite! Have you revealed your identity? Have you told them that this is Jiming Guan's ship?"
On that day, Wang Chengyu was summoned to Jiming Guan and decided to let him dig for spirit sulfur and malachite. Zhao Ran issued him a document indicating his identity, which meant that the fleet was authorized by Jiming Guan to go to the outer sea for business.
In the past, island owners, please provide convenience.
Wang Chengyu said: "Of course I showed it, but they didn't recognize it, saying that no matter who wants to pass through the sea of Ling'ao Island, they must buy a flag. Of course, I can't lose the prestige of Jiming Temple and let the Taoist sect authorize it.
I sent a ship to pay my dues to a group of pirates, and Yi Zheng sternly refused. But who would have thought that the next day, more than ten ships would come to Ling'ao Island. There were too few people under my command, only four monks, and I was no match for them.
We ran and stopped on the road, and when we almost reached the sea outside Zhoushan, they withdrew, but I only had one boat left, and I don’t know if any of my brothers survived."
Zhao Ran immediately asked someone to fetch the maritime map he had prepared. On it were the maritime routes he had marked after learning about it over the past year. More than 20 islands at sea had been marked. There must be a lot of errors and omissions in it, but the direction
Still pretty much the same.
The scene pointed at the map: "Where is the water area of Ling'ao Island?"
Wang Chengyu pointed to the Zhoushan Islands: "Start from here, turn south, and travel along the coast. It takes two days by boat to reach Yuanjue Island. This is the first stop for many seafarers to go to the sea. It is opposite.
It is Wenzhou; continue southward from Yuanjue Island, and you can reach Daleishan Island in half a day. Sea travelers usually start from here to enter the East China Sea. Travel southeast from Daleishan Island, and if the weather is calm, you can reach Luoye Island in seven days.
, there are Linbo Island, Songmao Island, etc. along the way to identify the road. After arriving at Luoye San Island, you enter the heart of the East China Sea, turn northeast, pass the Chengyun Islands, and cross the Botang Sea, which is Ling'ao Island. From Ling'ao
To the east of the island are the Dujiao Islands, and Sufaku Island is among them."
Zhao Ran looked at this sea route, which was equivalent to a big concave curve going down from Zhoushan, and muttered: "I can understand the significance of this sea route. There are islands along the way. One is for guidance, and the other is for supply.
But is it possible that we can build a good ship, load it with wind charms, spirit gathering charms, and water supplies, and sail directly from Zhoushan to the Dujia Islands?" As he spoke, he drew a straight line on the map with his finger.
He repeatedly traced the straight line several times and said: "With the wind talisman and the spirit gathering talisman, you don't need to worry about the wind direction. There is water, so you don't need to worry about the supply problem. Even if the ocean current problem can cause trouble, it is not particularly serious. In this way,
Wouldn’t that save half the time?”
Wang Chengyu shook his head and circled a large area of the sea directly in the middle of the route, saying: "The wind and waves here change violently, the celestial phenomena are weird and unpredictable, and it is also the habitat of monsters in the sea. It is really too dangerous. Ten ships can only go in.
If one or two of them come out, fellow seafarers call this place the Sea of Demonic Hell."
Zhao Ran had never seen what monsters in the sea looked like, but on the night of the pressure test on the bridge pier, he had personally experienced the Lord of Hongze's tricks in the water.
The monsters in the sea may not be as profound as Hong Zezhi's cultivation, but the power that the sea can draw on is ten times and a hundred times stronger than the water of the Yangtze River, and it is definitely not something that ordinary ships can resist. At the moment, it seems that finding a new way is not possible for the time being.
It's possible.
It's normal to think about it. There are so many monks and merchants on the sea. Their understanding of the East China Sea is not a hundred times better than that of the abbot sitting in Cock Crying Temple.
After Wang Chengyu finished describing the situation in the East China Sea, Li Dayin said: "Zhiran, we have to find a way to severely teach these lawless thieves in the East China Sea, especially Ling'ao Island, who dare to openly rob our ships that go out to sea. I really think they are three feet above the head."
Is there no god?"
Zhao Ran nodded: "This matter must be pursued, let me think about it. Let's do this. Wang Daoyou has just returned from a narrow escape. Lao Li, you can settle down Wang Daoyou and treat any injuries. After I think about it, we can discuss it in the long term."
Li Dayin shouted: "Zhiran, we can't take the long view. My two big ships are also in it! There are also goods on board, which were originally intended to be sent to the East China Sea for sale, worth more than 10,000 taels of silver! I don't understand this matter.
I can't even sleep. When have we ever suffered such a big loss?"
Zhao Ran comforted Li Dayin for a while before sending him out of Cockcrow Temple, and then turned back to look at the sea chart and ponder it carefully.
Who would have thought that the next day, he would receive a flying talisman from Wei Chaozong, the envoy of Lingji Palace: "Zhiran, we caught an overseas loose cultivator here last night named Wang Chengyu. Do you know this person?"
Zhao Ran was stunned and replied: "We know each other, what's wrong?"
Wei Chaozong replied: "Why don't you come to Lingji Palace? Some things can only be explained clearly in person. Let's check and make sure we don't make mistakes."
Zhao Ran asked: "What happened to Wang Chengyu?"
Wei Chaozong replied: "Last night when I raided the Dongji Pavilion to arrest someone, I held him down in a secret door."