Chapter 549: Sandbar and Raccoon Slave (Please vote and subscribe)
Youfu's fleet continued to sail downstream to scout new waterways for the Han tribe.
Jing Yan's sailboat also returned to Liuyang County to carry subsequent personnel and supplies.
In Hanyang City, Luo Chong finally prepared the personnel and supplies of the envoys and caravans. At the beginning of the third month of summer, Luo Chong officially held the envoy's departure ceremony and personally awarded the banner to the beast tooth.
The ceremony was held in front of the official building of Hanyang City. In addition to the officials of the Han tribe, many people also came to see them off, because this team of 100 envoys and 300 caravans also had their relatives. They didn't know how many years it would take for them to leave, and whether they could come back alive, so almost all the people who went out were seen off by their families, and even the patriarchs of the families came to see them off to show their importance to the clan members.
With many tribesmen watching, Luo Chong first asked the ceremonial officer to read the imperial edict, announcing to the world why the envoys were sent to the Xin tribe. Of course, these were just polite words, and only a few people knew the real purpose of the mission.
Then Luo Chong began the process of granting the flags and banners. The flag was a flag with a Chinese character "Han" embroidered on it. It represented the affiliation of the mission and told others whose team it belonged to. The flag was the traditional staff in history.
It was a staff made of bamboo, with a few tufts of yak tail hair hanging on it as a ceremonial vessel, which was a symbol of the identity of the envoys.
But Luo Chong felt that using ordinary bamboo as a ceremonial vessel really did not show the demeanor of a great country, and in a place like Zhudao where bamboo was everywhere, wouldn't it be despised by others? It was just a broken bamboo, and you still treated it as a treasure?
So Luo Chong asked the metallurgical workshop to customize a hollow bronze staff. The whole hollow metal tube was cast with a mud mold. After the casting was completed, the mud in the copper tube was poked out, and then a few tufts of ox tail hair were added like the flag. The
golden staff was cast with some exquisite relief patterns, and there were also a few silver-plated official script small characters, "Those who offend the powerful Han will be punished even if they are far away" and "Keep integrity and patrol on behalf of the heaven".
In addition, there were two golden spears (bronze spears), two axes (long-handled battle axes), two golden halberds (bronze halberds), and two golden halberds. Eight people were specially holding these symbolic weapons and following behind the ambassadors. As the ambassador's guard of honor, it also symbolized the ambassador's military power abroad. With these "golden objects" granted by the leaders, the envoys had the right to kill anyone in the delegation, and if they met people from the Han tribe outside the territory of the Han tribe, they could also use these "golden objects" to exercise the orders of the leaders.
In short, as long as it is not within the territory of the Han tribe, Shouya can exercise the rights of the leader of the Han tribe with these things. The person holding the banner is like the leader himself. These alone can show Luo Chong's trust in Shouya.
In addition, there are the official uniforms of the mission, the ambassador's pure silver gilded seal, a whitish bronze waist badge, and a three-foot long sword.
Not to mention these things specifically for Shouya, even the other members of the mission are all wearing crimson official robes, deerskin short boots, and goose feather steel knives on their waists. Everyone has a special black wooden waist badge for the mission.
The caravan is more casual. Except for the cavalry of the two general flags, others do not have any special equipment, but the material preparation, vehicles and cattle and horses are very sufficient.
Niuwei and his group have been watching the ceremony, but he and the members of the Xin tribe mission around him are all jealous. It's so sour.
Look at how much the leader of the other tribe values his envoys. Not only did he grant them so many ritual objects and ceremonial weapons, but he also gave them so much power. He also prepared a special logistics support team for his delegation, and the supplies were generous.
Look at them themselves. The idea of going to the Han Tribe was their own. They did not have the support of their own tribe on the way. Even their own leader did not take the matter of going to the Han Tribe seriously. Maybe even if they died outside, the leader would just shake his head and replace another elder.
In contrast, you can imagine how the people in the Xin Tribe delegation felt. Comparing the strength and living standards of both sides, some people even thought, "It's better to leave the Xin Tribe and join the Han Tribe." Even if they can only ride a horse, they can be reused in the Han Tribe. Why should they suffer in the Xin Tribe?
Especially in the Xin Tribe delegation, there are some single teenagers who have not married yet. They are used to seeing those girls in colorful dresses in the Han Tribe. When they think about the women in the Xin Tribe's hometown, they want to stay in the Han Tribe even more.
Although no one has yet to express it clearly, it is just a matter of time. If Luo Chong sends people to instigate them, I believe someone will be willing to join the Han tribe.
This is also the reason why Luo Chong asked the Xin tribe to send only teenagers under the age of 16.
The returnees of the Xin tribe delegation, as well as the Han tribe delegation and caravan, finally set off together. Luo Chong personally sent them outside the city gate and watched them cross the bridge and head south. Then he returned to the city and began to preside over the school's first autumn enrollment, as well as coal mining and a series of preparations for the coking plant.
Books, paper and pens are being produced at a rapid pace. Youye and Yunzhi are also speeding up the relocation and transportation of the residents of the lake islands, moving the residents of the lake islands in the big lake to the shore as soon as possible, and then freeing up those lake islands for the construction of the industrial zone. Youye is also responsible for the terrain reconnaissance in the big lake. This is more important. It is related to the site selection of the industrial zone, mainly the problem of pollutant emissions. If the wastewater from the industrial zone pollutes the water source of the Liuyang River, it will be more than worth the loss.
Youye's elder brother Youfu went there. After setting off from the Deer Tribe again, the fleet traveled hundreds of kilometers again within two days. Along this new river basin, Youfu once again made new gains.
On the second day after leaving the Deer Tribe, the fleet began to encounter new situations. The river downstream became wider and wider, gradually widening from more than 100 meters to 400 meters. Some special bends and canyons even had river sections with a width of more than 1,000 meters. From this point of view, this section of the river can already be called a river.
Not only did the river surface become wider, but there were even some "islands" in this ultra-wide river basin. However, after the hydrographic reconnaissance ship landed on these islands, it was found that they were not islands, but just some sandbars formed by the siltation of the river.
There were a total of sixty or seventy of these sandbars, large and small, stretching over hundreds of kilometers of the river. The reason for the formation of these wide waters and sandbar siltation was that the terrain of these hundreds of kilometers of water was relatively low in altitude.
It is basically a plain terrain, and some parts can even be called shallow basins, that is, a large basin with an altitude of more than minus 100 meters. There are not many high mountains nearby, and it is mainly flat land and forests. A more vivid metaphor is that the terrain nearby is like a big plate. It
is precisely because of this terrain that the speed of the river flow becomes very slow, which makes the silt brought down from the upper reaches of the river lose the power to continue to flow downstream, and accumulates in this gentle river.
The sand on the sandbar is very fine and pure river sand. It looks light white under the scorching sun. It is obviously a high-quality building material. If you select it carefully, it will not be a problem to use it to make an hourglass.
The large sandbars are three or four hundred meters long and wide, and the small ones are only a few square meters above the water surface, but they do not hinder the passage of ships. The empty waters between the sandbars are also hundreds of meters wide, and the water depth is also relatively large, enough for large ships to pass. In comparison, the current inland sailboats can only be regarded as tiny.
The fleet found a shore with a large water depth and stopped. The crew also ran to the shore to replenish a handful of supplies, mainly to catch some wild animals as meat supplements, and to cut some firewood and put it on the boat for backup.
In fact, it was also to let the crew take a break. After all, a group of people squeezed on the boat every day and lived without stepping on the ground for several days. For these Han tribesmen, they were really not used to it.
As a result, in the evening of the same day, Youfu and his team encountered a creature they had never seen before.
Some fish creatures that were seven or eight meters long and more than half a meter wide floated to the surface of the water. They were covered with hard armor and floated up from the river one by one like logs floating in the water.
Some of these big fish covered with armor ran to the sandbar in the water to bask in the sun. At this time, everyone discovered that these fish actually had four legs; others hid in the water near the shore. When some animals ran to the river to drink water in the evening, they would suddenly jump out of the water, open their big mouths more than half a meter long, and drag the prey into the water. After drowning the prey, they would bite the prey's body and roll on the spot, twisting the meat off the prey fiercely, and then swallow it directly in one bite, no matter how big the piece was.
"Gulu" everyone standing on the shore of the Han tribe swallowed subconsciously.
"Everyone retreat to the shore quickly, be careful, these fish beasts are too fierce, and they will come ashore, everyone stay away." You Fu immediately shouted and ordered.
"Captain, if we don't get close to the water, how can we get on the boat? And when we are on the boat, will this thing jump on the boat to attack us? I saw a fish beast jump so high when it jumped out of the water just now."
"Yes, Captain, the hydrographic reconnaissance boat can no longer be dispatched alone. The boat is too small. The length of the boat is not as long as the body of the fish beast. It can be overturned in an instant. It's too dangerous." A reconnaissance boat driver also said in fear.
"Don't worry, you won't be allowed to get on the reconnaissance boat in the next few days. Let's observe here first. This fish beast should have weaknesses. Let's try to catch a few." You Fu licked the corner of his mouth nervously and excitedly.
"Ah what?!!! Catch a few more, this is crazy, such a big fish beast, it has caught up with the length of the landing craft, how can we catch it?"
"What's there to be afraid of? We can even kill the man-eating giant ape, so why should we be afraid of a fish beast hiding in the water? No matter how thick its skin is, can it block the steel knives in our hands?" You Fu drew his waist knife and said.
Everyone was excited after hearing this. Yes, the Han tribe had steel knives. Who could the Han tribe fear? The people of the Han Dynasty were fearless. Everyone drew out their weapons to respond to Youfu's call.
However, this group of people were not brainless. Instead, they had their own ideas. After all, they were all carefully selected elites.
This hydrological survey fleet was equipped with special fishing gear, such as fishing nets, steel forks, and long iron hooks. These things were used to supplement meat for the fleet. Now they were really put to use.
Several of the strongest rowers in the fleet took the lead in volunteering with steel forks and iron hooks in their hands.
It was at this time that pairs of colorful eyes suddenly lit up in the woods on the shore, reflecting a faint light. Some furry little things suddenly jumped down from the trees, but used the pads on their feet as a buffer, without making any sound. Only their owners followed behind, hiding in the woods and staring at the actions of the Han tribe crew on the shore, with question marks constantly popping up in their heads.
"Where did these foreigners come from? What are they doing? Are they trying to catch that water monster? Are they crazy? Aren't they looking for death?"
On the river bank, several of the strongest and most powerful rowers were holding a piece of freshly caught pig meat with their spears. The meat was still dripping with blood, and they kept swaying on the water surface, tempting the fish and beasts in the water.
The giant crocodile in the water seemed to finally be unable to resist the temptation. It suddenly jumped out of the water and bit the pork. The huge bite force almost crushed the pig bones, but it couldn't shake the iron hook inside.
Yes, those big strongmen were holding the meat with the iron hooks for fishing, but the crocodile bit them and pierced their noses. A half-foot-long iron hook came out of the crocodile's upper jaw, bloody. The crocodile shrank back into the water in pain and kept rolling around in the hope of getting rid of the iron hook in its mouth.
This huge force made the rower let go of the hook. There was nothing he could do. Fortunately, this was a special long iron hook for fishing. When it was designed and manufactured, the leader said that big fish in the water are very strong. If the hook is hit, the big fish can easily drag the hook away. So the leader made an iron ring at the tail of the hook and tied a rope on it. Even if the fish dragged the hook away, the people on the boat could pull it back.
It was the same at this time. The crocodile dragged the iron hook into the water, but the rope on it was still held by the Han tribe on the shore.
"Everyone, help me, I've hooked it, I can't hold it anymore, help me hold it."
The strong man shouted, and the others behind him also grabbed the rope and played tug-of-war with the giant crocodile in the water on the shore. Although the crocodile was big, there were more than 200 people pulling the rope on the shore. This was an unfair confrontation. The group of people dragged the crocodile with its upper jaw hooked to the shore without much effort. Although the crocodile was still struggling on the shore, its fighting power was greatly reduced. More than 200 people rushed up and quickly cut it into pieces on the spot with various steel knives and steel forks. A group of people burst into excited shouts.
This wild and wild scene was seen by the natives in the woods. Even the furry little animals seemed to be scared. They meowed and crawled behind their masters.
"Σ(っ°Д°;)っWho are they? They actually killed the water monster!!!!"
(End of this chapter)
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