They also brought in shipbuilding families like the Huang family of Quanzhou, naturally in order to build a better ocean-going fleet.
The modern Fujianese ship is a sailing ship with a pointed bow, a wide stern, and upturned ends. The term "Fujianese ship" can also be used as a general term. Such single-keel pointed-bottom ships existed during the Song and Yuan dynasties, although the names may have been slightly different.
Yan Zhenzhi immediately took the memorial and began to explain the situation to Zhu Yunying.
Ships No. 1 and No. 2, both named Fujian ships, were considered the main warships. Ship No. 3 was a sentry ship, and ship No. 4 was a winter ship; the sentry and winter ships were smaller than the Fujian ships, making them easier to attack and pursue. Ship No. 5 was a bird ship, and ship No. 6 was a fast ship; the bird and fast ships were also called wave-opening ships, and the wave-opening ships were even smaller, making them easier to scout.
Even though No. 5 and No. 6 may seem to only have a draft of three or four feet, they can still accommodate thirty to fifty people, which is not small.
Moreover, ships nowadays are starting to be equipped with some firearms. Even small cannons like the bowl-shaped musket lack sights, have short barrels, slow rates of fire, and short ranges.
It may seem useless at first glance, but it would actually be very useful in a naval battle. Moreover, it represents a scientific and technological advancement, and is in a process of continuous improvement.
Actually, the bowl-mouth gun existed long before, dating back to the late Yuan Dynasty, and the current bowl-mouth gun is an improvement upon it. Compared to the bowl-mouth gun of the late Yuan Dynasty, the current bowl-mouth gun is more durable, more powerful, and has a longer range.
This is not only due to the benefits of granulated gunpowder, but also because the large-scale deployment of small and even large artillery has solved some recoil problems. This is not simply a matter of moving cannons onto ships, especially when firing simultaneously.
Although they are only some cannons that are not particularly large, and they have only been fitted with a few wheels to reduce recoil, Zhu Yunying is very satisfied. His continuous investment has been worthwhile.
Seeing Zhu Yunying's happy expression, Yan Zhenzhi knew that he had once again successfully completed the task assigned by His Majesty. Although the Minister of Works may seem to be the lowest-ranking of the six ministers, in other dynasties, even during the Hongwu era, the Minister of Works was still subordinate to the other ministers.
However, during the reign of Emperor Ying Shi, his position as Minister of Works was quite prestigious. He was always a trusted confidant and a pillar of the emperor, and his status was unmatched by that of ordinary ministers.
The memorials can be reviewed later; Zhu Yunying's current focus is on his ships, which are his true passion.
Yan Zhenzhi attached great importance to this matter, naturally because he knew how much the British Emperor valued overseas trade. Leaving aside the spices and gems from Southeast Asia, the silver mines in Japan were a crucial source of silver for the Ming Dynasty, and this could not be ignored.
The imperial court has been continuously building its presence in Southeast Asia for years, sending out a large number of spies and envoys to thoroughly investigate the countries there. Many people can guess that, if everything goes smoothly, military action in Southeast Asia is only a matter of time.
Without a large fleet, it would be impossible to accomplish such tasks. Although the Ming Dynasty's fleet seemed powerful, it might have been somewhat difficult to launch a war of annihilation from the sea.
Zhu Yunying was in high spirits; this was probably one of the joys of being an emperor. It wasn't about having a harem; it was simply about having one's will effectively implemented.
After hearing about the progress of the shipbuilding fleet, Zhu Yunying was indeed quite satisfied. This project didn't just begin now; it had already started around the time of Zhu Yunying's ascension to the throne. The current progress simply indicates that preliminary results have been achieved.
It wouldn't be a problem to say it was even earlier; more than ten years ago, Zhu Yunying commanded the Ming Dynasty's navy, wasn't he just waiting for this moment to arrive!
Zhu Yunying was overjoyed that his efforts had paid off. Perhaps he had changed something once again; for thousands of years, Chinese civilization had been accustomed to a land-based civilization, or perhaps it was now beginning to evolve into a maritime civilization.
While it cannot be said that the Age of Exploration has fully arrived, Zhu Yunying was somewhat confident. He believed that as long as he set the tone and showed the people of the Ming Dynasty the benefits of maritime civilization, they would develop a greater passion for the sea.
Thinking about it this way, Zhu Yunying became even happier.
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