They slowly boarded the ship using the stairs.
The tung oil on the deck had only just dried.
It's still a bit sticky in some places.
The eight-door crossbow was polished to a shine.
The sharp arrowheads shine brightly.
There are also huge stone cannons erected on both sides of the bow.
However, it has no counterweight and is not powerful.
Naval warfare these days is actually very crude.
Basically, both sides shot at each other.
Or find a way to get closer to each other.
Use short weapons to board the ship and fight.
Others would rely on their larger hulls to charge recklessly. However, it was difficult to control the course, so it was quite difficult to do so.
Ning Que raised his head and looked at the bare mast.
There is a hemp rope on top that is as thick as an arm.
There is a wheel on the deck for retracting and releasing ropes.
"Where's the sail?"
"It hasn't been put up yet." Gongshu Chou took out the blueprint and pointed at the mast. "Don't worry. According to what you said, the Fu ship has three adjustable soft sails, all made of the finest silk."
"Yes. Given the specifications of the Fuzhou ship, relying on sailors to row is basically impossible. It mainly relies on sails and the wind to move forward. The first priority of navigation is safety. Although hard sails can propel the ship in very light winds, they are likely to break the mast when the wind is too strong. Therefore, we can use a mixture of them, allowing the fleet to choose according to the wind speed."
"Junior brother, what's wrong with your brain?"
"ah?"
Hai Gui scratched his head, puzzled. "From what I understand, you should have just come to the seaside during this period. Yet, you can design a sea vessel and have extensive sailing experience. You even understand hard and soft sails. How did you do it?"
"Books hold the golden house," Shen Qinghe emphasized earnestly. "Also, my father always said there are geniuses in this world. Those who founded schools of thought can do what ordinary people cannot. Cangjie created characters, Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, Suiren made fire, and Fuxi developed the Eight Trigrams..."
“Ahem!”
Ning Que coughed lightly beside him.
This made him feel embarrassed.
"Actually, this is the wisdom of our ancestors throughout the ages. Greatness has never been achieved by any single individual. Although I've never been to the seaside, Chang'an is no shortage of boatmen who have sailed. Sometimes I learn a little from listening to them chatting over tea. Fellow brothers, we need to think more. Only by constantly delving into our studies can we make progress. What I want to do is never to imitate our ancestors, but to surpass them and create a brand new era."
"Okay, applause!"
Wan Sanqian was very good at handling things and received warm applause.
"Okay, okay, well said."
"As expected of you, Junior Brother..."
"Brother Wan, thank you for your hard work during this period."
"Hahaha, no problem." Wan Sanqian waved his hand nonchalantly and jokingly said, "For so many years, I've been so busy making money that I forgot to spend it. Since you need it, I'll send you as much as you need. As long as it's what you want, I can definitely get it for you!"
"Thank you."
Ning Que still raised his hand to express his gratitude.
Wan Sanqian wasn't helping him out of profit, but out of pure friendship. He'd never lost money in a business before, but this time, helping him, he'd lost everything. He'd given Ning Que a lot of supplies at a discount, not even recovering the cost, and in the end, he'd even left the merchant ship to Ning Que.
There's nothing we can do about it.
No matter how capable Ning Que is, he cannot create something from nothing.
There is not a single hair in Linzi city.
With such limited time, it is impossible to produce.
So, in the end, I can only rely on 13,000.
"What we lack most now are timber and warships."
"And kerosene. This stuff is very important."
"In addition, there are various medicines for injuries."
"Don't worry." Wan Sanqian patted his chest, "I promise to send hundreds of large ships before the spring comes. Fortunately, Senior Brother Hai has some connections with the Kingdom of Nanyue. All Senior Brother Hai needs to do is write a letter and promise them a huge profit, and they will agree."
"It's a small matter."
Hai Zai took over the conversation and said calmly, "The King of Nanyue and I are brothers. Back in Nanyue, we were both treated as state teachers. The King of Nanyue was a powerful ruler, and he treated the wise with respect in order to develop Lingnan. We did build many ships back then, but none of them were as large as this Fu ship, and they were what Junior Brother calls flat-bottomed boats."
"It's no problem."
Ning Que smiled and waved his hand.
Now they have no time to be picky.
There are not many opportunities for naval battles this time.
The main purpose is to transport troops and supplies.
Punts are indeed somewhat dangerous.
However, there are rarely strong winds and huge waves in Bohai Sea.
"As for the warships, they should be barely enough."
"But there are relatively few suitable soldiers."
"Chang'an is in the north, and many people there are landlubbers."
"Once on board, forget about fighting. I'm afraid I'll vomit to death."
“When you’re sailing on the sea, a lot of things are different.”
"Judging from the voyage, it will take at least half a month. If someone without sailing experience gets on board directly, I don't think they will be able to survive."
After touring the Fu Ship, they stood on the deck. Hai Zai couldn't help but remind Ning Que. Pointing to the distant ship, he slowly said, "Including your personal guards, as far as I know, there aren't many people who can sail. Look, these are the sailors led by Gu Yuan. I'm telling you, don't underestimate this bad guy. Although he's a bad guy, he's not weak at all. He really has some skills."
"Yeah, I know."
"My husband has already made the arrangements." Shen Qinghe helped out. "After dispersing them among the counties, let them train on the rivers. When they get on board later, just explain the operation to them."
"That'll do."
"Practicing like this alone won't cut it." Ning Que narrowed his eyes. "Recently, the number of pirates has been increasing. They use their light boats to rob fishermen. In fact, these pirates are all under Tian Zhongxun's command. This guy plays both black and white. Now that the warships have grown to a considerable size, it's a good opportunity to bring them over for some training."
"Tie Niu, you can take your men and prepare."
"promise!"
"Alright!" Haigui laughed triumphantly. "To be honest, I've been fed up with these pirates for a long time. With just a few of their shabby ships, they dare to harass civilians for no reason. If it weren't for my junior brother's order to stop, I would have killed them long ago!"
"Junior Brother Hai, watch your words."
Shen Qinghe covered her stomach with her hands, her face full of disgust.
Haigui also realized that he had said the wrong thing, and quickly waved his hand and said, "Ahem, sorry. Don't be offended, Senior Sister. This has simply become a habit."
"This won't happen again."
“Yes, yes, yes…”
Ning Que looked at Shen Qinghe and said helplessly, "Qinghe, the one I'm most worried about right now is you. When we go on the Eastern Expedition next year, if Tian Zhongxun wants to take advantage of the opportunity to rebel, he will definitely attack Linzi first. You're pregnant now, so I was thinking of sending you to Daye City, which is a little safer."
"It's okay." Shen Qinghe smiled faintly. "Although I can't fight in the battlefield, I can still stay in Linzi. If Linzi City can be conquered, then there's no point in me staying in Daye City. And Doctor Chang said that it's best for me not to travel long distances now."
"good!"
Ning Que nodded in agreement.
He will definitely not let anything happen to Shen Qinghe!
Now, we have to deal with these annoying pirates first!
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