Chapter 1187 The First Great Geographical Discovery - Yokohama
It was mid-March in the fourth year of Jianye's reign.
Night gradually enveloped the inside and outside of Yokohama Port. Groups of farmers who were organized by nearby local samurai to help unload their goods lined up to return to their villages under the shouts and sticks of the samurai; several leading samurai held abacus in their hands.
, talking to two men wearing Ming Dynasty costumes. The two Ming Dynasty officials counted the numbers again, put the rewards promised to them in sacks and handed them to them. Several warriors left happily.
????A man in a eunuch's uniform lit a lantern hanging in the courtyard of a deep mansion. Suddenly the whole mansion became brightly lit, especially a house in the front yard of the mansion that was the brightest. There was also a loud noise coming from this house.
Women's laughter, a dozen girls of fifteen or sixteen years old wearing the costumes of Ming Dynasty palace ladies stood waiting outside the house. Their rough skin could be seen through the loosely covered clothes.
"Uncle Twelve, I haven't seen you for many years. It's hard to get together this time. I want to have a few good drinks with Uncle Twelve." Zhu Mengjiong sat at the main seat, raised his glass and smiled with Zhu Mengjiong.
Bai said.
"It's just a drink, but don't drink more. I still have to rush to the east to explore whether there is land." Zhu Bai also raised his wine glass, clinked it with Zhu Mengjiong and took a sip, but he still said.
"What's the rush to explore whether there is any land in the east?" Zhu Mengjiong said with a smile: "I also know about the last time I went north to explore. It took a lot of time, so I'm not in a hurry today. What's more, after passing Yokohama, even though I'm in Ainu
There is a place for people to supply food and vegetables, but there is no city as prosperous as Yokohama. Uncle Twelve should hide in Yokohama for a few days and wait for everything to be arranged before leaving."
"His Royal Highness King Xiang and His Highness King Yongxing are right." Fang Mingqian, who was sitting next to him, said: "After Yokohama and to the north, there are no decent cities. If you want to have fun, you can't find a place; when you get to the Ainu people
The land is even worse. They are just a bunch of savages and there is no way to have fun. Therefore, Your Highness Prince Xiang, it is better to stay here in Yokohama for a few more days and then set off northward."
"In that case, I will stay here for a few more days." Zhu Bai also said with a smile: "I stayed in Yunzhen's fief for a year last year. I will stay here for a few more days and gain a lot of experience."
"What experience can I gain here! Not to mention compared with the capital, even Wuchang or Jingzhou cannot compare." Zhu Mengjiong said with a smile.
"7, you are belittling yourself." Fang Mingqian added: "When I came here last year, Yokohama was just a small city, not much bigger than the palace in the Central Plains, and the city walls were also very low; the people were even more
Except for the soldiers who were sent here and their families, there are only a few, and it is very desolate."
"How long has it been since then? The city walls have been built, the area has been expanded, there is a market in the city, there are more shops on both sides of the road, and there are many Japanese people coming to work. It looks better than the Japanese capital.
It’s not much different. This is all the credit of His Highness 7.”
"Meng Jiong, do you have a good way of governing the country? You are not doing enough to stay in a small place like Yokohama. The officials should transfer you back to take charge of a province!" Zhu Bai said with a smile.
"Ping Rang (Fang Mingqian's character), you are going too far." Zhu Mengjiong said with a smile: "Yokohama can have such a big change in just one year, mainly because Yokohama opened the sea and allowed the Ming Dynasty to do business with local Japanese merchants.
.When there are more people doing business, the place will naturally prosper. All I did was build the city and divide the streets."
"The great changes in Yokohama are due to you," Zhu Bai said again. Zhu Mengjiong smiled and did not answer, but just asked for a drink.
After three rounds of drinking, everyone was a little drunk. Zhu Mengjiong continued to drink and eat, and said: "Uncle Twelve, Ping Rang, is there really a large landmass to the east?"
"Of course there is land, but I don't know how big it is and where it is." Fang Mingqian said with a loud tongue: "When I went there last time, my clairvoyant vision saw a large land with no end to the east. I didn't know it was a big land.
The island is still land. But the latitude of that place is very high, almost 60 degrees north latitude. It is very cold and people cannot stay there at all."
"But if there is a piece of land in the south, it doesn't have to be land, as long as it is a large island that can allow people to survive, then the purpose of this exploration will be achieved."
"But the officials seem to be very convinced that there is a vast land in the east, and they sent me out, probably with the intention of sealing me there. If there really is such a land, that's it. If not, I
It's just a waste of time." Zhu Bai said.
"Brother Huang seems to have never missed anything that he is so confident about. From this point of view, there is probably a large landmass in the east, or at least many large islands." Zhu Mengjiong said.
"That's good. I don't have to go all the way in vain. Although the fiefdom is far away from the court, there are advantages to being far away. You can do whatever you say, and you don't have so many things to do, so you can be relaxed and at ease." Zhu Bai said again.
"What the twelfth uncle said makes even my nephew envious. Why don't my nephew ask the emperor to let the twelfth uncle guard Yokohama while my nephew goes to explore eastward." Zhu Mengjiong said with a smile.
"I think it's good!" Zhu Bai also smiled: "You live such a good life in Yokohama, I'm even jealous. It's a good time for us to change."
"Haha, then tomorrow my nephew will ask the emperor for a decree." Zhu Mengjiong knew it was a joke, so he didn't take it seriously and said casually.
After drinking a few more drinks, Zhu Mengjiong thought of something again and said to Zhu Bai and Fang Mingqian: "Uncle Twelve, Ping Rang, this exploration to the east is farther than before. It will probably take more than half a year, which will be much longer than before.
It’s not good to have men on board for such a long time.”
"It's true." Human physiological needs are difficult to suppress for a long time. Historically, there were no women on pirates or naval ships in various countries, so there were endless temptations. The young were controlled by the older, and the more junior were controlled by the more senior. The Ming Dynasty
The navy did not go to sea for a long time, and it was able to stop at ports in Ryukyu and Japan. Such things were rare. However, Zhu Bai and Fang Mingqian led the fleet to go for such a long time this time, so this issue had to be considered.
.
"What? Can you solve this problem?" Zhu Bai said to Zhu Mengjiong again.
"I can solve it." Zhu Bai just teased, but he didn't expect Zhu Mengjiong's answer to be able to solve it. He hurriedly asked: "You have so many young women in your hands? Are you going to sacrifice all the maids in your house?"
?”
"Of course not." Zhu Mengjiong said with a smile: "These maids in my house are all carefully selected, and they have been negotiated with Japan's Sagami Country several times before they were settled. How can they be willing to give them to ordinary soldiers?"
"These women I'm talking about are all from Sagami Country."
"Sagami Kingdom? Why are the officials here willing to find young women for the Ming Dynasty's fleet?" Zhu Bai was puzzled.
"Of course he is curious about the continent in the east." Zhu Mengjiong said sternly: "Ping Rang led the fleet to the north twice before and brought back a large amount of gold, so the daimyo in Japan paid great attention to the fleet sent by the Ming Dynasty.
Let’s see if we can make a fortune along the way. The prerequisite for Sagami Country to find young women for us is to send a few samurai to accompany them.”