Chapter 647: Blue Sea and Blue Sky (Please vote and subscribe)
At the main city gate of the Tang tribe, You Fu, along with several of his confidants and two hired guides, bowed and said goodbye to Tang Ji, and then rowed the landing craft back to the big ship. The four schooners of the Long-distance Voyage Development Group also set sail again.
"Weigh the anchor, raise the sail!" With You Fu's order, the sailors each performed their duties. Those who raised the anchor raised the anchor, and the men who operated the sails also raised the sails to the highest point while shouting "Hey, hey, hey, hey". The captain then calculated the angle of the longitudinal sail according to the course and the wind direction flag on the top of the mast, and then ordered the sailors to adjust it.
Compared with the Chinese longitudinal hard sail and the transverse soft sail, although it is not as flexible as the transverse sail, it is easier to operate. The sailors do not need to risk climbing up the mast to manually raise and lower the canvas. They only need to stand on the deck and pull the rope.
In terms of sailing, the tandem hard sail has a row of ribs from top to bottom, so it has a stronger wind-absorbing performance. Under the same sea conditions and wind force, the hard sail has a faster speed. Another biggest advantage is that it can receive wind from all directions. Even if it is a very oblique wind or crosswind, it can be effectively utilized by the hard sail and turned into a driving force for advancement.
Such an advanced sailing tool, with such a large load-bearing capacity, immediately shocked the two guides. Watching the boat moving forward rapidly under the wind, the arc-shaped bow split the river water and pushed out two white waves to both sides, the two guides were even scared and stepped back two steps, not daring to stand on the edge of the deck, for fear of falling down accidentally.
This timid look immediately caused everyone on the boat to laugh. The two guides looked at the dozens of people around them and became more scared.
What did this group of people make? Why can such a big house float on the water without sinking, and even accommodate so many people? And the strange way this house moves, it doesn't even need poles or oars, but rides the wind, which is really magical.
However, no matter how magical it is, if it is too magical, it will be frightening, so You Fu simply called the two to the top observation deck, put a low table, and invited them to drink with him.
The two guides were both men, one old and one young. The older one was from the clan that Tang Ji mentioned, and the other young man was about twenty years old and claimed to be from the same clan as Tang Ji.
The two came to the open-air deck on the second floor barefoot, and saw You Fu sitting cross-legged there. They also sat on the deck quickly, then leaned forward, pressed the low table with both hands, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
You Fu smiled at their appearance, poured rice wine for the two with a bamboo tube, and then said to the two.
"Come, two, please drink this cup with me. This time, I have to trouble you two brothers to help us show the way."
"No, no need to do that."
"Yes, we have all accepted your cloth, so it is our duty to help."
Seeing Youfu being so polite, the two men waved their hands and said, but seeing that Youfu insisted, and seeing that they only wanted to drink a cup of "rice soup", they no longer refused. They smelled a strange fermented aroma and drank the rice soup in a gulp, then immediately started coughing, and their cheeks instantly turned red.
Youfu smiled and pushed a plate of dried meat and peanuts on the table over, and then continued.
"May I know what your names are?"
"Ahem, I am the brother of the current elder of the Youyuan clan, you can just call me '赤尻kao'." The gray-haired old man coughed twice and said first, then looked at Youfu twice, picked up a sausage on the table and started chewing.
"I am the spoon chi of the Youtao clan." The young man said very little, just said a simple sentence, and then started eating.
"Oh, are you and Chief Tang from the same clan?" Youfu was surprised this time. He didn't expect that this young man was a relative of Tang Ji. This was a bit interesting. Could he be a spy sent by Tang Ji? But if they were spies, it would be a bit unreasonable to reveal their identities so directly.
"Yes, it was Tang Ji who asked me to help you. I have been to many places and know a lot about our Tang tribe. She said that the people of your Han tribe will definitely need me." The young man named Shaobao confessed directly.
You Fu secretly thought it was interesting. The leader of the Tang tribe was really good at playing. He didn't plot anything for you at all. This was a direct conspiracy. It was obvious that I had placed a spy for you. What to do next is up to you.
However, You Fu was not afraid. He didn't intend to do anything to these two people. He just wanted to learn more about the surrounding environment from the locals, so he listened to him.
"Oh? That's great. A few days ago, I heard from your leader that there will be evil winds and heavy rains in the summer here. I don't know when exactly. If we stay there for two months, will it have any impact?"
The old man with a red butt pulled off a section of intestines with his mouth and hands. When he heard You Fu ask this, he seemed to have remembered something terrible and said with excitement.
"Oh, that won't do. No, no, you can't stay that long. Every year the evil wind comes at about this time. It would be fine if you get there and come back immediately. But if you stay too long, when the evil wind comes, we will all be blown up to the sky. By then, not to mention people, even houses and your boats, none of them will be able to escape. You can't stay that long.
So where are you going? If there's nothing else, you'd better take a quick look and leave. Otherwise, if you want to die, don't drag me, Chibuti, to die with you."
You Fu didn't care about what the old man with the red butt said. This man had indeed been to the beach, but he was very timid. You all said that the wind is strong at the beach, but so many people migrated there, didn't some people choose to settle down? Since this guy, Yuan Shi, ran back and surrendered to their enemies, you can tell that they are all cowards. Then You Fu looked at Shao Ba, hoping to hear his opinion.
Shao Shao didn't waste any words. He drank another cup of rice wine and said with red cheeks, "Yes, the wind is very strong, but it's not always there. Sometimes it's only once a year, and sometimes it's seven or eight times a year. It's hard to predict. And every time there's a demonic wind, it'll rain heavily, and then there'll be strong winds and heavy rain. But it won't take more than a day for the demonic wind to go away. As long as we can find a place to shelter before the demonic wind comes, nothing should happen.
And now is not the hottest time. The demonic wind usually comes only when it's the hottest time of the year. I can't say for two months, but nothing serious will happen within a month."
"Oh? It sounds like you are very familiar with the wind and rain here, but how do you know all this? Have you been there?" You Fu asked again in surprise.
Spoon took a deep breath, poured himself another glass of rice wine, sighed and said, "I was a child who was abducted by them and ran back a few years later."
"When our Tang tribe was still fighting the enemy, I was still young and playful. Once I didn't go home in time before the war, I was abducted by them. Not long after that, I followed that group of people to migrate to the seaside.
I lived there for seven years, and only found an opportunity to run back after I had a woman and children, so I know more about what's going on over there.
Don't look at this old man with a red ass saying that he has been there. In fact, the people at that time only stayed at the end of the earth for a year before running back, and they didn't know as much as I do. If you have anything you want to ask, just ask me directly." Spoon said, and rolled his eyes at the old man with a red ass, and snatched the dried sheep's hoof in front of him.
"Oh, so that's the case. That's great. No, I mean, it's great to have you as guides."
You Fu saw that the young man just waved the sheep's hoof in his hand casually, as if he didn't care at all, so he continued to ask.
"By the way, Spoon, I heard your leader say the other day that there are blue-faced monsters in the mountains at the end of the earth. I wonder what they are?"
Spoon sneered and said indifferently, "What blue-faced monsters? They are just a group of omnivorous monkeys. They just have unpleasant voices and a scary blue face. They are no different from monkeys. I have killed two of them myself. The meat on their legs is the most delicious, and it is chewier than your deer hoof." As he spoke, he pointed to the sheep's hoof in his hand, but because he had never seen a sheep, he mistook it for a deer's foot.
After hearing this, You Fu immediately put his heart at ease. It turned out to be just a group of monkeys. There was really nothing to worry about. Then he asked the two about the local climate and whether there was any suitable place to shelter from the wind.
However, neither of them had any good ideas. The old man with the red buttocks still suggested that Youfu take a look at the sea and go back quickly. If he couldn't go back, he had to go ashore and find a cave or something to hide in for the safest.
This time, Shaobao surprisingly didn't object. Speaking of sheltering from the wind, Shaobao also highly recommended the caves on the shore. He said that most of the mountains over there were stone mountains, and there were many natural rock caves in the mountains, which were very suitable for sheltering from the wind and rain. However, Youfu wanted to find a place that could shelter the boat from the wind, otherwise they would not abandon the boat and go ashore alone.
Besides, they couldn't do that. If the boat was gone, how could they go back without a means of transportation? This place is so far away from the power of the Han tribe. Whether it is to return to the headquarters of the Han tribe or the new base on the grassland, they can't go back without a year or two. Moreover, they don't know how many people will be reduced along the way, and how many people will be able to go home in the end.
Considering all the above, Youfu finally decided to play it safe and concentrate resources to conduct reconnaissance in the shortest time possible. He sent one or two ships to take risks, and the other ships returned with most of the personnel. Of course, this was based on the consumption of more than a month. Another guarantee was that Shaobao personally assured them that he could predict the arrival of the evil wind three days in advance and see signs within ten days.
In this way, with Shaobao, a weather forecaster who has lived in the local area for seven years, the fleet's plan for this trip can be more secure, which adds a lot of confidence to Youfu's heart.
The fleet kept moving downstream day and night. Such a fast speed did not require any effort. As long as there was wind, there was no need to rest. Such a speed of hundreds of miles a day really shocked Shaobao and Chiji.
Finally, on the third morning after the fleet set out from the Tang tribe, the large sailing ship finally sailed into a strange place. It was similar to a lake. The water surface was very wide. Looking into the distance, you could see the sea, but this was not something worth marveling at.
The most surprising thing is that the water here is composed of two colors, half blue and half turbid yellow. The two colors of water wrestle with each other, but they are always incompatible, forming a boundary that moves back and forth, which greatly surprised the people of the Han tribe.
However, the spoon standing next to You Fu looked very calm. He pointed to the peaks on both sides and said.
"This is the end of the earth and the end of the river. Except for the valley we are in now, there is endless salt water outside.
The water line you see now is the boundary between salt water and river water. In the early morning and evening, the water line will rush into the valley. When the sun rises, the water line will retreat from the valley. But even if it retreats, the water here is not drinkable. It is muddy and salty, and has a bitter taste."
You Fu nodded. He had some understanding of the sea. Although he had never seen it with his own eyes, he had heard from the people of the Xin tribe and Luo Chong that the sea water would ebb and flow. Not only would it change at the beginning and end of the month, but there would also be high and low tides every morning and evening. If you look at it this way, then what Spoon said just now is not difficult to understand. What he said about the water line retreating into the valley in the morning and evening is actually because the sea water is rising and the salt water is rushing up.
But You Fu soon grasped the key point and asked, "You said that the water here is undrinkable, so does that mean we can't go forward anymore?"
Spoon nodded as a matter of course, "Yes, if you don't believe me you can try the water here, it's really undrinkable. If you still want to go out, you must bring enough clean water and food, and firewood, otherwise you can't cook, and there's water everywhere outside, and I don't know where you are going. The salt water has already reached the horizon, do you still want to go outside?"
You Fu frowned and grabbed the railing without answering. Now was the time to make a decision. Whether to go out or not, how to go out, how many boats to send out, and how many people to take out, all of these required careful calculation, and there was also the issue of identifying the direction.
However, he still remembered deeply what the chief had said at the beginning. If you really find the sea, remember to bring a compass when you go out to sea. Never go out without a compass. Also, when sailing in the sea for the first time, you must not be far away from the land. You must always keep sailing on the edge of the land. Unless you find another piece of land on the other side of you, you can try to go over and take a look. Otherwise, don't leave your continent easily, otherwise you will be lost in the sea forever and finally be swallowed by the wind and waves.
The words of the chief are still in his ears, expressing his deep concern for them. However, from these words, we can also see that the chief really wants them to sail to the sea. For the chief's strategy for the Xin tribe and Zhudao, and for the endless resources in the sea mentioned by the chief, he finally decided to send a ship out to take a look.
But it's not possible today. If you want to go to sea, you must first replenish supplies for the fleet.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
