The Portuguese mission came with the monsoon and arrived in Hangzhou in early April (lunar calendar).
The best planting time for sweet potatoes, corn, and peanuts in the south is also April (Gregorian calendar). But that was April hundreds of years later. Now the Ming Dynasty coincides with the Little Glacier. The average temperature in the 14th year of Zhengde,
It is already almost as cold as the Tianqi years - but if it lasts another ten years, the climate will warm up, and it will not become cold again until a hundred years later.
Due to climate differences, the three introduced crops are just suitable for planting in the fourth month of the lunar calendar!
Hangzhou Technology and Business College.
Wang Yuan spent money to buy twenty acres of fertile land and donated it all to the school as a training field. Now a few acres of land have been set aside for trial planting of new crops, and Governor Wang personally went to provide guidance.
In his previous life, Wang Yuan grew up in a small county town and had never farmed. But his grandparents had seen how to farm in the countryside. He had never eaten pork and never seen pigs running away?
Under the command of Wang Yuan, more than a dozen tenant farmers in the school fields mixed mud with plant ash, then added some fermented manure, and kneaded tennis ball-sized excrement balls in the field.
This is making a "nutrition bowl" for corn. The seeds are pressed into the dumplings, and seedlings can grow healthily and happily. Transplanting is also very convenient. Just dig a hole and bury the dumplings with seedlings, and water and weed regularly.
.This "nutrient bowl" seedling raising method emerged at the beginning of the founding of New China. It is the research result of Chinese agriculturists and can be applied to corn, cotton, watermelon and other crops.
When Wang Yuan was a child, he went to his grandmother's house and helped knead excrement balls. At that time, he just thought it was very fun. Moreover, after the excrement was mixed with plant ash and soil, it didn't smell much, so there was no psychological burden when rubbing it.
There are two disciples of the School of Physics who are responsible for the trial planting of these crops. Wang Yuan warned them: "When the corn seedlings grow to a height of two palms wide, you can consider transplanting. When transplanting, you can plant in ridges, each nest
The distance is about the length from the tiger's mouth to the elbow."
Corn is the name Wang Yuan gave to the new crop!
As for the ridge planting technology, it has been around since ancient times, at least a thousand or two thousand years ago.
Everything else comes from Wang Yuan's childhood memories. He can only remember a rough idea of the height of the seedlings and their spacing. As for when to water the seedlings, Wang Yuan only knows that when raising seedlings, a small amount of water must be poured on them, and when transplanting, they must be watered with a ladle.
, how to water after that can only be slowly explored - in fact, it only needs to be irrigated once for heading.
Wang Yuan recalled carefully and suddenly added: "After the corn grows a little taller, you can plant beans in the furrows. Corn and soybeans can coexist, so you can save land."
This intercropping cultivation technology was naturally summed up by the working people of China, and Europe is still practicing rotation cultivation today.
When Wang Yuan was a child, when he broke off the tender corn at his grandmother's house, he could see beans planted in the furrows. Both corn and soybeans grew well.
The students and tenant farmers didn't ask much, thinking that it was the Francois who brought corn planting technology.
Then, Wang Yuan went to the sweet potato experimental field and ordered: "Dig a hole and bury the sweet potatoes. When the vines grow lush, transplant the vines. They also need to be planted in ridges and planted in furrows... No, that's not right.
The people in the cornfield are also called over!"
Wang Yuan thoroughly recalled that corn, sweet potatoes and soybeans could be interplanted at the same time.
Corn is planted on the ridge, which is the tallest; soybeans are planted on the furrow, which is the second highest; sweet potato is also planted on the furrow, which is the shortest.
In one field, these three crops can be grown at the same time. High, medium and short crops will not interfere with each other, so as to maximize the utilization of cultivated land!
Chinese farmers are too hard-working and too smart. They are always exploring how to grow the most food with the least amount of land.
Corn and sweet potatoes are both high-yielding crops. If they are planted in the same field at the same time, and soybeans can be interplanted, how amazing will the yield per mu be? Wang Yuan instantly became excited.
As for peanuts, there's really not much to say. Just dig a hole and bury the seeds and water them. Those things are easy to grow.
In the next month, Wang Yuan visited the experimental field every now and then. He even borrowed some Beijing soldiers to station at the edge of the experimental field every day to prevent humans and animals from destroying these new crops.
Once the trial is successful, it can be promoted in Hangzhou, then to the entire Zhejiang, and finally to the north and south of the Yangtze River!
…
The corn in the experimental field has just been transplanted, and Simon, the Portuguese envoy, has also loaded the goods and is preparing to return home.
Simon had a great time last night and was drunk to the point of unconsciousness. He was forcibly woken up by his subordinates early in the morning. He was very angry when he got up and slapped his subordinates in the face. Then he cursed and ate breakfast.
Until mid-morning, Simon returned to his ship and ordered the fleet to raise sails and return.
The sailors were busy working non-stop, but Simon was lying in a hammock between the masts to catch up on his sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, the Portuguese fleet finally sailed out of Hangzhou Bay and was met by a Japanese and Ryukyu fleet.
That was the merchant ship of the Shimazu family. Since the official shipping route between China and Japan was firmly occupied by the Ouchi family, the Shimazu family could only choose a more difficult route. They crossed the sea and went directly to Ryukyu. After replenishing supplies in Ryukyu, they went to the Ming Dynasty for trade.
.
"Captain, there is a Japanese fleet!" the adjutant came over to remind.
Portugal and the Shimazu clan are currently in a "state of war". In other words, all East and Southeast Asian countries, as long as they engage in maritime trade with the Ming Dynasty, are in a "state of war" with Portugal.
The new Portuguese Governor-General of India only lived in Malacca for a month before returning to Goa, India to enjoy himself. However, he left several orders. First, merchant ships that dared to sail west from Malacca, as long as they did not fly the Portuguese flag,
Sink them all! Second, sink all the fleets trading with the Ming Dynasty, as long as they do not fly the Portuguese flag! Third, increase Malacca port tax! Fourth, increase Malacca's agricultural tax!
Shimazu's fleet had already been plundered once by Portugal.
Simon instantly rolled down from the hammock, drew his sword and ordered: "Get ready to fight!"
Ya San, the Fire Man, said nothing and just sneered.
The adjutant reminded: "Captain, we are not far from the Chinese port. Is it appropriate to attack other countries' fleets like this?"
Simon smiled and said: "We didn't attack the Chinese fleet, so what are we afraid of?"
…
"Boom boom boom!"
Wang Yuan was alerted by the sound of cannons. He quickly arranged for his wife and children, and ran to the guild hall to see the emperor.
Not long after, officers and soldiers from the Qiantang Navy came to report: "Your Majesty, Commander-in-Chief, Portugal is shelling the Japanese fleet at sea. Commander-in-Chief Manchu asked if he wants to intervene?"
"This," Zhu Houzhao muttered, "it's like a bad guy is beating my neighbor in front of my house. Should I care?"
Wang Yuan reminded: "Your Majesty, Japan is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and this is the sea area of the Ming Dynasty!"
"yes!"
Zhu Houzhao was immediately furious: "Japan is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Attacking Japan is tantamount to attacking the Ming Dynasty. Let Manzheng go and help."
The Qiantang Navy is not in Qiantang, but near the shipyard. There is a military port there, which was expanded from the military port in Qianhusuo, Haining.
When Mitsuru led the navy to support, the joint caravan of the Shimazu clan and the Ryukyu Kingdom had been beaten and fled by the Portuguese. There were a total of eight merchant ships, four of which were captured by the Portuguese, one was about to sink, and three others
The ship was escaping to the north and happened to run into a full-scale naval force.
This is because the southeast monsoon is blowing at this time, and it is a tailwind for the Japanese fleet to escape north.
Manzheng stood on the treasure ship, observing the battle situation with a telescope. When he saw the situation, he immediately ordered: "Let Ning Botao and Dai Zhiquan lead their respective wings to outflank. Seize the upper hand first, and don't fire for the time being."
Ning Botao and Dai Zhiquan each brought a bird ship, led a number of bird ships, warships, etc., lowered the sails and paddled to outflank the two wings. There was no way, their warships had not been modified, and they were all using hard horizontal sails, facing the wind.
The forward speed is not as fast as lowering the sail and paddling.
The treasure ship that Manzheng was riding on used its triangle sail to sail against the wind from the front towards the enemy.
"Captain, that looks like a Chinese warship!" the adjutant shouted in panic.
Simon laughed: "Does China dare to go to war with Portugal? Don't worry, they are just bluffing and trying to scare us. Well, let's change the formation and be on guard."
Simon also picked up the telescope. This thing had already reached Malacca. When he looked at the treasure ship, he was stunned and swallowed his saliva and said: "The Chinese warship is actually bigger than the Henry and the Regent? Didn't you listen?
There are no such big ships in China."
The two sides were getting closer and closer, and Simon suddenly put away his telescope and shouted: "Asshole, that big ship is swinging sideways, and the muzzle of the gun is exposed. Give the order quickly, and the entire fleet will sail eastward to break up the opponent's formation.
Don’t fight them offshore!”
"Chase, keep the fleet formation!"
As soon as Manzheng gave the order, the flag-bearer immediately raised the flag, and the Ming Dynasty Navy rowed wildly to catch up.
The chase and escape lasted three days and three nights.
During this period, there were shellings at each other, but no substantial damage was caused until a sudden heavy rain fell on the sea.
Simon was afraid that the ship would be capsized by the storm, so he ordered all sails to be lowered.
Although Manzheng also ordered the sails to be lowered, he ordered the crew to paddle forward and rushed through the storm - treasure ships also have oars, and all Ming warships have oars!
Simon spat and cursed: "Sons of bitches, these Chinese are crazy!"
The storm was raging, and the sailors on both sides were mainly focused on fighting against the power of nature. However, the Ming Dynasty navy had a large number of people, and they could still find people to row the oars. Even if the oars were interrupted by good waves, they still rushed towards the enemy with difficulty.
go.
Well, I didn’t complete the mission in the end, I just got a lot closer. The waves were too big and it was useless to paddle.
"fire!"
Dozens of Ming warships fired at the enemy one after another, hundreds of shells moving in parabolic directions. Only... one hit, just hitting the Portuguese auxiliary ship, and one shot broke its mainmast.
A householder reported: "Commander, the wind and waves are so strong that the water pouring in from the gun window has wetted the gunpowder fuse."
Manzheng said: "If the fuse is wet, replace it with a dry one. If the oar is broken, replace it. If you can fire the cannon, fire the cannon. If you can charge into the formation, go into the formation. Your Majesty is still waiting for our victory!"
Fortunately, the Folan cannon is a breech-loading cannon and is directly fixed in the gun chamber. The elevation and shooting angle can only be adjusted. If it were replaced with a front-loading cannon, it would not be fixed. It would probably still be running back and forth during the storm, which would not be possible at all.
It is difficult to fire the gun.
Even so, it was difficult. The treasure ship was slightly better, but other warships were tossed around, and the crew could not even stand firm.
At the end of the process, the other warships had given up and each lay down holding on to the fixed objects to avoid falling and being killed on the ship.
However, Manzheng tied himself to the captain's cabin. The hull of the treasure ship was huge and the bumps were not so severe. He ordered the oarsmen to also tie their bodies and row wildly towards the enemy, cutting off a batch and replacing them with new ones. Only the oars were replaced.
It knocked out more than a dozen sailors, and I don’t know if any unlucky ones were killed.
It seems that the speed is still very slow. It is estimated that when the storm is over, it will not be able to row in front of the enemy.
Manzheng said again: "Raise the sails!"
"Commander, in such a big wind and wave, the sail will be blown off the mast!" the deputy reminded.
"Raise the sails!" Man Zheng shouted.
As a result, the sailors on the treasure ship could only tie themselves with ropes and stagger around to raise the sail. The scene was like a collective swing.
This time the speed was much faster, the jib was moving forward with the wind, and a treasure ship broke into the Portuguese fleet of sixteen ships alone.
A huge wave threw up the treasure ship, and then smashed it down hard. The bow of the ship directly knocked a big hole out of a Portuguese ship.
Manzheng felt his whole body shake, and a large group of sailors operating the sails were knocked unconscious in an instant. Fortunately, they were tied up with ropes and did not fall into the sea.
"Madman, the other side's commander is madman!" Simon couldn't stand still, holding the mast and feeling dizzy.
"boom!"
However, one of the treasure ship's masts broke off and was thrown violently. Not only did it create a gap in the side of the ship, it also smashed the enemy ship in front of it into pieces.
There was no way to be more reckless. No matter what Man Zheng ordered, the sail operator, who was still able to move, pretended not to hear or see.
The storm lasted for five hours, and neither side could form a formation. The treasure ship was surrounded by enemies.
Manzheng untied the ropes on his body, rubbed his forehead and went out, then kicked the crew member's butt: "Everyone who can move, get up, I'm going to show off my power!"
"Boom boom boom!"
The bombardment from both sides officially started, and the Portuguese had no time to gather their formations, so they just bombarded the treasure ship anyway. Other warships of the Ming Dynasty came to the rescue one after another. Ning Botao took the bird boat and led his team to join the attack despite the gunfire.
At this time, there was a favorable wind, and the rigid square-sailed bird ship was so fast that it rushed in front of the enemy ship in an instant, only taking one cannonball in the process.
When the two ships met each other, their respective cannons fired, and the ballistas of the Ming Navy also began to use their power.
The ballista didn't fire any rockets, but the close range fire caused screams to spread across the opponent's deck.
After officially docking, Ning Botao jumped off the rope. This former Taihu water bandit rushed into the crowd with a knife, and blood spattered from the knife in his hand.
As long as the connection is successful, there is almost no suspense, because the Ming Dynasty Navy has many people!
When Portugal attacked Malacca, in such an important battle, they only sent out a thousand troops. Twenty to thirty thousand Malacca soldiers were defeated and fled - Malacca was still defending the city.
As for the Malacca Fleet that Portugal had just established, the number of warships was similar to that of the Qiantang Navy. Simon only brought eight warships this time, and the remaining ten were all armed merchant ships. The largest main ship was only 600 pieces.
The strength of the Chinese treasure ship is equivalent to the total number of personnel of the Portuguese fleet in front of us.
"Captain, the Sequoia has been robbed!"
Simon turned his head and looked around, and sure enough he saw one of his warships raising the flag of the Qiantang Navy.
"Boys, come with me!"
Deputy Qianhu Dai Zhiquan, seeing that Ning Botao was winning, he also rushed over with a bird boat.
What kind of artillery battle?
Joining others is a man's romance!
As for Man Zheng, relying on the strength of the ship and the power of the artillery, he sat on the treasure ship and just blasted. Those two-thousand-jin cannons were so powerful that whenever they hit, they would blast a big hole.
After a long time of bombardment, the treasure ship had been hit by more than ten bullets, and many sailors and sailors were killed, but it was floating steadily on the sea with no sign of sinking.