"The Emperor has arrived!"
When the Jiaozhou navy was cheering to welcome the big ship, Zhao Huan arrived.
"Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!" All the naval officers and soldiers cheered in unison.
Zhao Huan greeted everyone with a smile. Nangong Lian'er, Linghu Yunlong, Cao Dongsheng, and Pan Bufeng were all by his side.
The five iron things pushed by the guards behind him were the red cannons.
Zhao Huan came to the shore and looked at this huge fleet with infinite emotion. The Song Dynasty was really powerful. This must be the largest fleet in the world.
There were over seventy warships, the main ship was over forty feet long, and the other ships had their own roles. The merchant ships carrying goods were in the middle, and the frigates were on the sides.
Each wooden boat was lined with firing holes. On either side of the planks were crossbows mounted by soldiers, while the firing holes on either side of the cabin were crossbows.
There were approximately eight to sixteen crossbows on each ship.
The crossbow was incredibly powerful. Since there were no horse-drawn carriages, the clever military inspector invented a capstan-powered crossbow. Three or four strong men turned the capstan, pulling the trigger of the crossbow. A mechanism underneath the trigger allowed the crossbow to fire. After aiming at the target and pulling the trigger, the crossbow would fire.
This fleet was armed to the teeth. Zhao Huan was worried that the natives of America would launch a massive attack upon seeing the Song Dynasty fleet, so all the ships were equipped with advanced weapons and equipment.
As the sun rises, the sea is calm and seagulls are flying on the sails. What a beautiful sea scenery.
"So beautiful!" Nangong Lian'er couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Pan Bufeng led everyone straight to Zhao Li. Zhao Li felt a little embarrassed. He didn't expect to meet the emperor here.
Zhao Huan recognized him immediately and asked, "Zhao Li, are you used to being in this army?"
Zhao Li chuckled and said, "Thanks to your majesty's grace, I now realize that all my previous lives have been wasted. This is my final resting place."
Zhao Huan nodded: "Cao Dongsheng."
Cao Dongsheng hurriedly stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty."
"Promote Zhao Li, commander of the Jiaozhou Navy, to the rank of Prince Wen and appoint him Commander of the Jiaozhou Navy, commanding the Dragon Boat Fleet."
Cao Dongsheng bowed and said, "I will obey the imperial decree." Turning to Zhao Li, he said, "Prince Wen, why don't you express your gratitude?"
Zhao Li was so frightened that he stood there speechless. After a while, he knelt and accepted the order: "I thank you for your grace. Long live Your Majesty!"
He had never imagined that His Majesty would give him such a high position. To command the entire navy, he suddenly understood. The Emperor had sent him here to hone himself and see if he was up to the task.
Zhao Huan pointed at the red cannon behind him and said, "This is the red cannon I specially equipped for you. This cannon is extremely powerful. The people in the wilderness are uneducated. If there are barbarians who covet the power of China, you can use this red cannon to blow them away!"
What Zhao Huan said in the first part was quite good, but the last sentence exposed his vulgarity and hooliganism. Nangong Lian'er couldn't help but tug at the corner of his clothes, meaning that he couldn't speak vulgarly in front of so many naval officers and soldiers. After all, he had to consider the majesty of the royal family.
Zhao Li was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, I witnessed the power of this red cannon when I was in the capital. It is truly a divine weapon sent from heaven. With this weapon, we are invincible."
"I didn't give you these iron tools to exorcise demons. No matter what methods you use, even if you cheat or deceive, you must bring me the crops I need."
Zhao Li was even more delighted when he heard this. He was an expert at deceiving and cheating. Didn't His Majesty say that as long as we can get the crops, no matter what method we use, we are the best at using those despicable tricks.
"Pan Bufeng, you will be Zhao Li's deputy. I will remove you from your position as the commander of the Imperial Dragon Guard and let you go on the ocean with the dragon boat fleet. You won't have any complaints, right?" Zhao Huan asked.
Pan Bufeng stood up and bowed, saying, "This life of mine belongs to Your Majesty. Your Majesty has entrusted me with such an important task, which shows that Your Majesty values me highly. I am deeply grateful and how dare I complain."
Zhao Huan nodded: "I'm glad you understand my good intentions."
Originally, Pan Bufeng was the commander of the Jiaozhou navy, but now he was Zhao Li's deputy. Pan Bufeng understood why Zhao Huan had made this arrangement. Zhao Li was far more intelligent and resourceful than himself, and he was indeed more suitable for the position of commander than himself.
Zhao Huan clapped his hands. "Alright, I've already prepared all the equipment for the Jiaozhou Navy. We'll set out in three days. The map I gave you might be wrong, but the route isn't. You'll head north, through Kievan Rus', straight to the North Pole. Then, follow the coast east until you reach a place marked on the map as North America. South America is also on the map. In short, with the exception of sweet potatoes and corn, bring back as much seed as possible of anything the locals can eat."
Zhao Li nodded, half understanding. That night, Zhao Huan was at the naval camp. He tried his best to describe the sailing route on a map he had drawn, along with his knowledge of the local customs and people. He tried his best to explain, but after a long while, Zhao Li and the others still couldn't believe the Earth was round.
Finally, Zhao Huan grew angry. He declared, "I am the emperor. If I say it's round, it is round. Just follow the route I give you and you'll be on the right track." You must be prepared for food shortages and the Arctic ice. It's best to get a local guide. Especially north of Kievan Rus', where it's freezing cold, be wary of the ice. If drifting ice imprisons the ships, this dragon boat fleet will be completely destroyed.
Zhao Li was horrified by what he said. Although he didn't understand how the emperor could know so much, he figured he was right, so every general took it to heart. As for whether the earth was round, if His Majesty said it was, then it was right. Why bother with him?
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
